Sam Worthington In 'The Shack': Exploring Fatherhood, Harsh Parenting And Faith In God

Sam Worthington's latest movie, "The Shack," opened in theaters last weekend. The movie, which is loosely based on book author William Paul Young's life, touches on fatherhood, harsh parenting and faith in God.

In "The Shack," Mack Philipps (Worthington) had to grapple with the murder of his daughter. He grew mad at God for his misfortune but something urged him to go back the shack where his daughter was found.

On his return to the site, Mack encountered a divine intervention, so to speak, which helped him examine his past, his present and his relationship with God. The flashback scenes showed how Mack experienced harsh parenting, tough punishments and discipline as a child from a father who worked as a Christian missionary, according to Patheos.

This childhood was what would shape Mack's belief system and the ability (or inability) to forgive the harrowing tragedy he experienced. It showed how one's parenting style reflected how children understand God's teachings and in this case, the movie's message was that parents are only most effective when they show that God is all about love in the way they raise kids.

Worthington could relate to his character holding a grudge, he told News Corp Australia. He also had plenty of doubts, resentment and anger in his youth. Since having children, however, he has learned to become a better person as becoming a father "makes you want to be better," he said.

As for faith in God, Worthington admitted to being a late-bloomer but it was a conscious choice for him. "I was about in my twenties when I was given a Bible to read by friend to tell me to calm down," he said, per CBN 1.

Worthington is married to model Lara Bingle. They have two kids, Rocket, born in 2015 and they welcomed their second child in late 2016. The Australian family have recently uprooted their life to New York for Worthington's movie commitments.