Wild Things and Mild Things

I recently saw "Where the Wild Things Are," finally. It was a Sunday afternoon matinee in a bargain theatre. The surroundings and atmosphere were not ideal, but I was ready for a film that I had been wanting to see for a long time.

I had further complications because I had already had a negative review from a good friend. She said that the movie was not as good as the movie. (I have yet to see a movie that lived up to the book it was based upon.) I had a deep desire to see the film, but I was apprehensive.

I was not disappointed. This is the best movie I've seen so far this year, and I am fairly certain it will make my year-end best of list. The question of whether or not this movie is better than the book is relatively moot. The film is only based upon Maurice Sendak's classic children's book. It is a completely different story. The characters are familiar. Max, a small boy, gets in trouble with his busy mom. She has a man over for dinner and does not have time for her son's shenanigans. An over-excited Max gets sent to his room, but instead makes a run for it. Max finds a boat, hops aboard and his adventure begins.

When Max arrives at the land where all the creatures live it is a revelation for the viewer. It is not cartoon-ish and story-book like. It seems like a completely realistic world with wild things who are more realistic than any puppet/muppet/ animatronic thing we have seen to date. Each wild thing has his own personality and name. They are not generic filler, or extras, in this movie. The Wild Things are intricately involved and intrinsic to the plot.

In one sense the Wild Things serve as playmates for Max. They are peers for Max. The island is filled with 8-year olds, it just so happens that some of them are giant, scary-looking monsters. But everyone is sweet, gentle reminder of the humanity of all of us.

While watching Where the Wild Things Are I was struck by several things.

• All of us has an 8-year old somewhere inside of us. I wanted to go play with the wild things. I wanted to sleep in a "big pile." I longed to get to know the real KW. I wanted to have Max's group of friends.
• Sometimes the greatest idea has tragedy as its inevitable end. As soon as Max recommended the dirt clod game, we knew that someone would get hurt. Someone was going to get angry. Someone would go home mad.
• There is a bully in every crowd. Carol is a sweet, lovable creature who bullies others to get his way. In fact, he may be a racist. Either way, he is not all that he seems. There are always people who feel that they have to get their own way. We have to learn how to deal with difficult people.
• Mom is always there and she loves us. The enduring story of the book and the movie is that in all our alone-ness, in all our running away for difficult circumstances, in every way we try to take care of our own problems, someone (Mom? God?) loves us and will make sure that everything turns out alright.

Go see this movie. Right now. Why are you still reading this. You should be on your way to the theatre.

Reviewing Revolutionary Road

The Sam Mendes film, Revolutionary Road, was a darling for the awards season last year. Kate Winslet, the director’s wife, was excellent in the film and was duly rewarded for her work. Leonardo DiCaprio came up award-less, but was effective in the film as well.

DiCaprio and Winslet play a young married couple in a suburban neighborhood that seems to do little more than stifle their passions, their creativity, their love for one another and their dreams. They are trapped and cannot see a way out.

This couple seems trapped- no, they are trapped. They are popular with their neighbors. He has a good job and although he hates his work, he is in line for a great promotion. They are young, attractive, successful. Everything certainly seems perfect in their world, but neither is happy. Their unhappiness manifests itself in their frustrations with their lives. She longs to be an actress. He wants to be free. And ultimately they are both miserable. They would be miserable alone, but they are miserable together and with each other.

There are lots of problems here.

• To begin with, I was shocked at how casually both partners engage in illicit relationships. There seem to be no doubts, no reservations and no regrets on the part of either. If this is how real people really think, no wonder there are so many marriages in trouble today.
• The most significant issue of the movie, and the marriage, is that neither partner is capable, or maybe willing, to communicate with the other. They make decisions without talking about them or their consequences. The marriage disintegrates because no one is willing to deal with truth, or real emotions.
• The only reasonable and truthful person in this movie is the person who is viewed as mentally unstable. Even though he is emotionally unbalanced and recently released from an asylum, he is the only “normal” person in the movie.
• The issue of abortion is dealt with in this film. I will not disclose too much here because I do not want to spoil the plot, but there are seriously ethical questions about what are acceptable ways of escape from a bad situation.

Revolutionary Road is a good movie, but it is very sad. There are not a lot of positive messages or hopeful thoughts. It is worth watching, but it is not easy or uplifting.

The Boy in Striped Pajamas

This was one of the most heart-breaking movies that I have ever seen. I will try very hard to not divulge the gut-wrenching twists in the film, but the story put a face on the holocaust for me like nothing else has. It is a wonderful, terrible film.

To give you an idea of the impact of the film on me, I watched it two months ago. I have been meaning to write about it since then, but I have not been able to bring myself to. It was hard. It still is hard.

I have always had an interest in the holocaust. It was, and continues to be, one of the great tragedies in human history. It may be the greatest tragedy in history. It is nearly incomprehensible that so much evil can be expressed and acted on in such extreme ways. This entry is not about the holocaust, not even about a movie about the holocaust, but about a movie about a family who was impacted by the holocaust.

The Boy in Striped Pajamas is about the family of German officer who is transferred to the countryside. His children are protected from the fact that their father is the commander of a concentration camp. The "death" camp is barely visible from the sons room and it causes questions, explorations and changes to the boy, his family and ultimately their entire perspective on life.

As the parents try to protect their children from what they must believe to be an awful truth, we learn that issues are not so black and white. Those who hate others often struggle with their decisions and actions. Bruno, the son, begins to sneak off to explore the countryside, much to the consternation of his mother. Finally, Bruno meets and befriends a boy in the camp who wears pajamas all the time.

It would be easy to be distracted and put off by the production values of this film. It is a British production that sometimes look like a television movie. Do not give up on this film. I promise that it will make a difference in your life. You will be changed. If you are not deeply affected by this movie I will give back all the money you paid to read this blog.

Go rent The Boy in the Striped Pajamas right now.

Movies You Ought to See (for good reasons)

Here are a few movies that I have seen recently that would be good to see. Some of these movies I have not seen recently, but I was reminded of them by seeing some of the others. I stand behind all of these recommendations. I guarantee you will like them, or I'll refund the price you paid to read this blog entry.

• Doubt- Philip Seymour Hoffman is the best actor in American movies today. He is great, as usual, as a priest accused of sexual abuse with a minority student at his school. Meryl Streep plays the nun who thinks the worst in every situation. She raises suspicions and evil thoughts in every possible situation. Amy Adams plays the young nun who is caught in the middle and doesn't know what to think. Although we never learn whether or not the priest is guilty, we learn and grow a lot in the experience. Pay special attention to the sermons on doubt and gossip.
• Henry Poole is Here- This could easily become my favorite movie. Luke Wilson is a terminally ill man who has given up on life and hope when his neighbors begin to notice an image of Jesus on the side of his house. Henry deals with his own disease, his impending death, his nosy neighbors and the miracles that start happening in thought-provoking ways. Again, you will be left with as many questions as answers, but the trip is worth it.
• Leap of Faith- This Steve Martin film of several years ago raises many of the same questions as the Henry Poole movie. Does God heal? Who can you trust? What about a person's motivations? It's fun and funny, but be sure to wear your thinking cap.
• Up- A great new animated feature in which an elderly man deals with his loneliness and a young boy works through his feelings of abandonment. These issues are packaged in a delightful story with wit and sensitivity.
• Bella- Although I felt I was being preached at on a couple of occasions, this film is only part propaganda. It is mostly great. The issues surrounding abortion are dealt with seriously without flinching. Nina is a pregnant waitress who is fired for being late. She is befriended by the restaurant's chef. As the two of them spend 24 hours together we see the conflicts in Nina's life, as well as how great Jose (the chef) is. It does not have a traditional story book ending, but you will not be disappointed.

Watch one. Watch them all.

Flash of Insanity?

The film, Flash of Genius was missed by many last year when it made the rounds to theatres. It is not a powerful dramatic film. There are no car chases, fight scenes or action sequences. It contains very little "adult" language. There is no nudity, sex or drug use. There are no high powered Hollywood stars. It is not a romance, comedy or romantic comedy. There is little here to argue for commercial success. However, Flash of Genius is a very good film.

Greg Kinnear stars as Robert Kearns, an engineering professor who has the idea, and then develops the intermittent windshield wiper. He tries to sell it to the Ford Motor Company, but they steal it. The bulk of the film deals with everything that Kearns lost as a result of Ford's theft- dignity, marriage, family, job, career, home, sanity (the list could go on). In one sense this is a very sad movie. A good man lost everything that he had ever held dear.

In another sense, this is a great triumph.

• Although Kearns lost the respect of children he never gave up on them, or having a relationship with them. And although he ultimately lost his marriage, he always hoped to save or rescue that relationship. He was deeply committed to his family. When he finally gets his day in court, we are glad to see that all his children have joined is ad hoc legal team. They are all in this together. When Ford sends a representative to the Kearns home on the night before the verdict and offers $30 million to settle the case, there is very little interest in anyone in the family. They stick together. The importance of family is a great lesson in Flash of Genius.
• Another triumph of this film is the importance of personal dignity and integrity. Our culture would have us believe that anything is okay if it leads to money, or an easy life, or advancement in the world. Robert Kearns rejects that idea. He is almost as corny as a traditional American superhero. He stands for truth, justice and the American way. A large settlement is less important to Kearns than the recognition that he was the inventor and that Ford stole his idea. For a moment I wanted him to compromise his convictions and take the money, but then I realized that it is much better to be principled than to be rich.

Flash of Genius is not everyone, but it is definitely worth watching.

Small Minds, Big Hearts (Be Kind Rewind)

I am sure that no one has ever thought of Jack Black as a leading man- type. It would be a stretch to even consider him a thinking-man's actor. We are used to seeing Jack Black starring in silly, slap-stick, slacker roles like Nacho Libre and School of Rock. Occasionally, we are surprised to see him in something like The Holiday. But our expectation is that a Jack Black film will be silly, harmless, thoughtless fun. Turn on the DVD and turn off the brain.

But, that is not the case with Be Kind Rewind. It not only surprised me, it has become one of my favorite films. Black plays Jerry Gerber, the classic conspiracy theorist/ political antagonist. Everyone is out to get him. The government is bad. Big Brother is everywhere. Jerry sees a problem around every corner. One night, while trying to sabotage an offending electrical station, Jerry became magnetized. He did not realize this until the video tapes in his friend's store started coming up blank.

Never mind that the store only carries VHS tapes. Never mind that Jerry's friend, Mike, played by Mos Def, is not competent to run the store. Never mind that Jerry is magnetized. You must go with this movie for awhile. To keep the store in business, Jerry and Mike begin to "Swede" the movies. They undertake the process of making their own low-budget productions of the movies that are damaged.

Ultimately the sweded versions of the tapes become much more popular than the originals. The store does a great business with this bootleg undertaking until the movie industry and its lawyers discover this infraction. You see, Jerry and Mike are infringing on copyrights by making their movies. All their tapes are destroyed and the store seems doomed.

I will not ruin any more of the story because everyone should watch this movie. There is a plan to save the business, which turns out to be the only way to save the neighborhood. Jerry and Mike are instrumental in the plan to save them both.

What strikes me about this film is that the two protagonists are idiots. There are no attempts to make them seem to be underestimated. They are simpletons through and through. What we quickly learn, however, is that no matter how simple a person may be, he/she can make a difference. Intelligence and complicated thinking are good, but not the most important things in life. 

Learn to care about people. Be committed to what is important. Work with other people. Value the thoughts, judgements and personalities of others, even if they are different from your own. Love everyone. Stay positive, even in the face of adversity.

The Visitor

What a glorious surprise this movie is! Don't Miss It. One of the 10 best. I laughed. I cried. I loved it. Okay, I am probably over-selling this movie, but it was really enjoyable. I thought I was watching one movie, and then it turned into a completely different movie. But I liked both films.

The movie begins with a lonely, depressed, widowed professor, played to perfection by Richard Jenkins, trying to fill his time. He has tried writing, music lessons, staring into space, but nothing has worked. Finally, he is assigned to attend a conference in New York City. Fortunately he keeps an apartment in the city, although he has not been there for many months, since the death of his wife. 

When he arrives he is shocked to find that there is a young couple living in his apartment. They are not exactly squatters; after all, they are paying rent to a mysterious man. But they definitely do not belong. After considering kicking the intruders out, the professor decides to let them stay. The three quickly become friendly and emotionally attached to one another.

The fly in the ointment is that the couple in the apartment are foreigners. He is from Syria. She is from Senegal. The cultures all clash, but everyone learns, grows and benefits from the experience. We sense that the professor is beginning to recover from his grief. The reticent Senegalese girlfriend is slow to come around, but she soon learns to appreciate her new host and his ways as well.

I will not give away what happens next, except to say that the young couple are not only foreign, they are in the USA illegally. There are complications. Watch it to find out what happens. You won't be disappointed.

One question that is never answered, but constantly asked is, "Who is the visitor?" The professor cannot be the visitor, for it is his home, right? But we see that Tarek, his Syrian drummer friend, becomes a host, guide and friend for him. Zaineb, the girlfriend, seems the most uncomfortable, but she quickly becomes cook to the group. Her art and cooking provide stability and a gathering place for everyone else. 

I believe that in this movie, like in life, everyone is a visitor. The question for us is, will we serve and welcome the visitors around us? Will we look for those who are lonely or grieving? Will we care for and take in the homeless? Will you and I provide a place for visitors?

Four Christmases for Christmas

Let me begin by saying that Four Christmases is not the worst Christmas movie ever made. However, it certainly does not get into the upper half in terms of quality either. It is filled with pretty people doing silly things that are sometimes amusing. There are mishaps all around, everyone gets to spend the holiday together (whether they want to or not), and by the end a lesson is learned. It will not spoil the movie one whit if I reveal that everyone lives happily ever after. That's what's supposed to happen in Christmas movies, after all.

The film is not lacking for star power. In fact, there are rarely movies made with this many Oscar and Tony winning actors. Every scene reveals a new superstar.

The story centers around Reese Witherspoon as Kate, and Vince Vaughn as Brad. Kate and Brad are two very successful and good looking people who have worked very hard to have fun in life and to meet their own needs. Each year, rather than facing their dreaded families, they plan a vacation together. That is until this Christmas. This year the airport was fogged in and they couldn't leave. They were going to be stuck having Christmas with all four parents- in four different homes.

First there is Robert Duvall as Brad's father. If you can imagine a redneck family, this is where Brad came from. His two brothers are ultimate fighters and take great pleasure in beating up and humiliating Brad. They are jealous of his success, but no one seems to see this and they all are miserable.

Then Brad and Kate move on to Kate's mother's house. Mary Steenburgen has this role. She is self-absorbed and currently infatuated with her pastor. Kate has to endure one embarrassment after another at the hands of her family. Kate and Brad wind up playing parts in the church's nativity play which only bothers Kate more.

Next they move on to Brad's mother, played by Sissy Spacek. She is a new-age airhead who has taken up with Brad's best friend from high school. Brad is appropriately repulsed by their relationship and all their efforts to seem "normal."

Finally, they move to Kate's father's home on Christmas night. Kate's father, played by Jon Voight, seems to be the only normal relative in the family. He is calm, sensible and has even included his ex-wife and Pastor Phil to the celebration.

It is hard to believe that all this could happen in one day, but it is a movie after all. Things do not have to be realistic. But here is the real issue for me. Kate and Brad are so embarrassed by their families that they completely reject them emotionally. They do not want to spend time with them, nor be influenced by them. In the process, they miss out on many of the positive aspects of family life.

Many people I know are just like this. They want to run away from their homes, their families, their backgrounds. They want to invent new "cool" identities so they will not be saddled with the humiliation that is family.

Here is my suggestion. Rather than be embarrassed by and reject your family we all should embrace and redeem our families. There are good things in each family member. Let's focus on those. And even if there are not good things in our families, we should work toward creating good in them. And that's not a bad plan for this Christmas.

Two Nights- Two Movies- One Message

I had a couple of free nights recently and so I watched a couple of movies. They were films that no one else in family was interested in seeing, so I took advantage of the opportunity to watch in relative peace and quiet.

The first movie was a rather violent and profane film called In Bruges. It is the story of two hitmen who are hiding out in Bruges, Belgium because of a botched hit. The right person was killed, but an innocent bystander was killed as well. There are great moments when the two killers, played by Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, argue with one another. Gleeson loves the churches and the quaint atmosphere of Bruges. Farrell's character was born in and for the big city. Bruges is to slow, quiet and dull for him. Events in the movie seem to crawl by until the hit men receive their instructions from their boss, played by an evil Ralph Fiennes.

We learn, through a turn of events that I will not describe, that the two hit men, as much as they seem to dislike one another, are actually great friends. Each of them is called upon to risk his own life for the other, and each answers the call without hesitation. There is a strong undercurrent of faithfulness and loyalty between the two. It is possible to miss this lesson, but we should not.

The second film, The Darjeeling Limited, is the latest movie from Wes Anderson. As a general rule, I love Anderson's movies. They are just weird enough to be very interesting, yet normal enough that I do not have to assume an alternate identity to "get" them. This one stars Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schartzman as three estranged brothers trying to re-connect on a train trip/ pilgrimage across India. The colors and situations are vibrant, expressive and explosive. The three brothers share a serious love-hate relationship. All of this seems to come from their unresolved conflicts with their mother, who, it turns out, is the object of their pilgrimage.

Again, I will not spoil the story because you should see this film. You should see it because it is obscure. You should see it because it is absurd. You should see it because it is funny. You should see it because if you pay attention you will learn a lot. The brothers on the trip were able to reclaim their relationship. Through a series of unexpected and unlikely adventures they remembered that they love each other. They are reminded of the importance of family, even if their mother does not get it.

Both of these movies could be classified as redemptive. There are values that are brought into focus that may be unnoticed without the movies. Watch. Enjoy. Learn. Grow.

Personal Ghost Town

At first I was not interested in seeing Ghost Town. The film looked too much like things I had seen before. There were dead people trying to communicate important information to the living (much like Ghost), there were living people who were able to see dead people (just like the Sixth Sense) and of course there was comedy and romance just like every other movie you have seen in recent years.

But Ghost Town surprised me. Ricky Gervais was very funny (as usual). Greg Kinnear was his usual self, giving us more a conflicted corpse than we should ever expect. And Tea Leoni turned in another fine supporting role. The story was not terribly original. Kinnear plays a husband killed too soon. He is struggling with his guilt over cheating on his wife, Leoni. He manifests his guilt by trying to protect her from a suitor who he believes to be unworthy. That is where Gervais comes in.

Dr. Bertram Pincus is a self-absorbed, difficult, insular dolt who likes no one, and consequently, no one likes him. When introduced to the beautiful widow, Bertram blossoms- and falls in love.

But here is the surprising part. Bertram changes. Or rather, Gwen changes Bertram. In the process of falling in love, Bertram learns some valuable lessons. He works to assist several ghosts on their quests to complete 'tasks' before moving to the 'other world.' Bertram learns to be selfless, and that selfishness and love cannot co-exist in the same person.

This film is not religious in any way. There is no talk of heaven, hell or judgment. God is mentioned very little, if at all. None of the characters, living or dead, display any faith. And yet, this film is one of the more spiritual that you will see. There are some new age trappings here, but do not lose sight of the fun the movie creates and the lessons on love, redemption and caring for others that you can learn.

How Hard Can it Be?

If you have been reading this blog, you know that one of my favorite movies from 2007 was Juno. It was smart, funny, human and realistic. Ellen Page was fantastic. So when I saw an Ellen Page movie in the discount DVD bin at Wal-Mart, I had to have it. I was not disappointed.

Hard Candy is a movie that will stay with you for weeks (months...years?). Ellen Page plays Hayley Stark, a 14 year old girl who has met a 32 year old photographer on the Internet. Jeff, played by Patrick Wilson, turns out to be a pedophile. Hayley seems much more mature than her 14 years and appears to want to hook up with Jeff. The odd couple end up at Jeff's house where one thing leads to another. Suffice it to say that Jeff is a creepy child molester/ abuser and Hayley is smarter and more clever than most 14 year olds.

I am not going to give you any more of the plot because I do not want to ruin the story for you. You should definitely see this film. But I will say that this is one of the best "edge of your seat thrillers" that has come out in several years. Most of the action takes place in or near Jeff's house. The dialogue is great. I had no idea what would happen, until it happened. Alfred Hitchcock would be proud.

There has been a debate brewing in my house for a while about what makes for a scary movie. I think that there are two distinct "types" within the horror genre. First of all, there is the 'startling' movie. Startling movies are the ones that use music, light and stereotypical creepiness to make you jump. There may be bloody murders or dead bodies coming out of the darkness to get you.

The second type of horror movie seems even more terrifying to me. A 'creepy' movie does not make you jump or scream, but it causes you to have an emotional response of anxiety. The Ring is a startling movie. Silence of the Lambs is a creepy movie. Hard Candy is one of the best creepy movies you will ever see.

Of Raging Bulls and Life Choices

Most decisions that I have made in my life are pretty insignificant. No one cares what color socks I wear each day. The college I attended, my major and GPA are all unimportant for most people in most situations. Usually the outcomes of my decisions are not known, or are so inconsequential that even I do not notice or remember.

Sometimes, however, my decisions have long-term effects. Those long term effects can be positive, but too often I find that I am sorry for decisions I have made. There is embarrassment, debt, and other problems. These are all the residue of not thinking through what is important and what will happen when and if...

The biggest problem is that most of these decisions were made when I was too young, or too naive, to take into account the full impact of all that I was doing. Fortunately for me, although I made some silly choices, the consequences have been minor and short-lived. That is not true for everyone. The consequences of addictions, sexual encounters and other experiments can be devastating and long-lasting.

That is the lesson that is brought home clearly in the classic film, Raging Bull. In the film, Robert DeNiro plays middle-weight boxing champion Jake LaMotta. Time after time we see LaMotta make bad, impulsive choices. He his violent with his wife. He has an affair. He beats his new wife. He beats his brother. He associates with the Mafia. He throws a fight. He gets involved with young girls in his bar. LaMotta makes one bad choice after another.

The reason this happens to LaMotta, and too many of us, is that LaMotta only sees right now. He is not concerned about ruining his relationship with his brother, only about satisfying his rage at the moment. The future is too far away to take seriously. "I'll worry about tomorrow when tomorrow gets here" is the attitude that many of us have.

We all need to learn something from Raging Bull. We need to take the future seriously. Plan for the future. Think about what ingesting that substance will do to the rest of your life. Consider the implications of everything you do for the future. Go ahead and have a great time, but make sure that your great time lasts beyond today.

Speaking or Listening??

Babel made my list as one of the best movies that I saw in 2007. There is no question that is true. There are four seemingly unrelated stories that all tie seamlessly together by the end. What a surprise. Time jumps back and forth, and sometimes you don't know what is happening. Brad Pitt gives his best performance as the husband of an American woman who is shot by a sniper. The wife is played by Cate Blanchett who once again is perfect.

Then there are the two pre-pubescent brothers who seem to know nothing about anything serious. One brother likes to watch his sister undress and bathe. The other thinks that is an offense to Allah, and decency. These young Moroccan boys are filled with play, mischief and sibling rivalry.

There is the deaf girl in Tokyo who longs for someone, anyone, to love her. After the death of her mother her grief is almost unbearable. And although her father tries to connect with her, he is reserved. He tries too hard. She is left to reach out to her teen-age friends who seem incapable of any real emotion or connection.

Then there is the Mexican immigrant who cares for children in southern California. Although she is a legal resident of the USA, circumstances require her to take her charges to Mexico for the wedding of her son. One thing leads to another and the caretaker and two children are lost in the desert.

It is a heart-rending movie. There is never a dull moment. But I can summarize it for you. No one listens. In this film no one listens to anyone else. The American couple are having a marital crisis because they will not listen to one another. The Japanese teen-ager is desperate because she can get no one to pay attention to her. The Mexican woman can get no one to care for the children, and then when she is lost in the desert with them, no one can hear her calls. There is a lot of talking in Babel, but there is not very much listening.

So learn a lesson. Do not be afraid to speak to people. But when others are speaking, be sure to pay attention. Listen and hear what they are saying.

Movies and Music

Music has always been an important part of film. From the very first "talkie," The Jazz Singer, to the great movie musicals of the 1930's and 40's music was crucial. Since that time music has been relegated to a predominantly background device. Music sets the tome and creates a mood for the dialogue and action on the screen. Of course, there have always been concert pictures, but the audiences for these films is almost always very small. And every few years, some enterprising director will bring a Broadway musical to the big screen. However, those endeavors usually fail financially.

But 2007 may be the beginning of the end. Two excellent films and one pretty good film with music as a central character/theme were well-received and relatively successful commercially. Not only that, they were enjoyable.

August Rush- August Rush was the pretty good film. The movie begins as an accomplished classical cellist and a rock musician have a one night stand. The result is that the cellist becomes pregnant and her son is ultimately given up for adoption. The child, August Rush, turns out to be a musical prodigy. He believes that his music will lead him to his parents. The remainder of the film is about that quest. There is all sorts of music, a nice romantic story and a sympathetic child in this movie. Almost everything you want.

Across the Universe- Across the Universe is revolutionary in terms of modern popular cinema. It is a musical, with characters singing and dancing; breaking into song at odd times and places. All of the music is from the Beatles Songbook re-imagined for the 21st century. Highlights include Joe Cocker singing Come Together, T.V. Carpio singing I Want to Hold Your Hand as a melancholy lesbian ballad.

Once- Once is the story of two aspiring musicians and their almost-romance in Dublin. When the guitar-playing troubadour meets his piano-playing love interest they literally make beautiful music together. The song, Falling Slowly, won the Oscar for best song of the year (as well it should have). The girl helps the boy to realize his musical dreams before personal complications try to destroy their relationship.

I think things look good for the future of music in films. I am excited to see what will come next. Wait a minute, I didn't even mention Juno, which had the best overall soundtrack of the year.

Harlan County Lessons

A few years back, on two different occasions, I spent a long weekend in Harlan County, Kentucky. I was struck by the beauty of the Appalachian region of the USA. The hills and hollers were breathtaking on those sunny and cool autumn days. The people were wonderful. I met several local residents who struck me with dignity and pride, even in the midst of extreme poverty and despair.

I experienced all of this in the context of two mission trips to assist some folks in a food pantry and clothing distribution ministry in the little community of Smith. We enjoyed serving along side the many great and grateful people of that area. It was only after my visits to Harlan County that I learned about the coal miner's strike of the 1970's and the way it had been celebrated in films.

When I first learned of the film Harlan County War, a 2000 production starring Holly Hunter and Stellan Starsgard, I worked hard to find it. When finally I got to see the movie, I was shocked. Although the movie was made before I knew Harlan County, and the story was set way before I knew Harlan County, I felt that I knew the people on my 25" screen. They were hard-working, committed, minimally-educated humans. This film focuses on one family and the effects that the strike had in that home.

This week I saw another film about that strike. Harlan County USA, is a documentary that was released in 1976. This Academy Award winning movie depicts the events of the miner's strike with footage from picket lines, campaign speeches and union halls. It goes behind the scenes of the strike to look at the power structures that seem to conspire to keep a division between rich and poor.

I am probably more interested in these two films than most because of my personal connection to that area of the USA, but I cannot help feeling that this is/was a tragedy. People were bullied, beaten and finally murdered so that those with money could keep others from having money. What a tragedy!

I recommend both of these films. They are hard to find, but worth the effort. (Harlan County USA was being played on the Independent Film Channel this week.) A much-forgotten struggle in our history is depicted in a powerful way in both.

Now, a few things:

• People in America are comparatively wealthy. We, yes all of us, are better off than most of the world. We need to understand how blessed we are.
• With that prosperity should come a sense of responsibility. We cannot oppress and neglect those with less than us simply because we have money and power.
• We should never use our wealth in such a way that further diminishes those without wealth.
• In the USA there is an ever-growing divide between those who have money and those who do not. I am not advocating some Marxian re-allocation of wealth, but sensitivity and responsibility to care for those who are in need.
• Whether there is money involved or not, we need to love and respect all people. Those who have fewer resources are just as valuable as humans as those with the most financial resources.

I learned from Harlan County and from these two films. I was reminded of the Golden Rule and the Great Commandment. It never hurts to review an important lesson.

Waitress: Unseen Power

Jenna is a waitress at Joe's Diner, a greasy spoon-type hometown restaurant specializing in unique and unusual pies. Jenna is the star pie baker. She has been baking original pies since she was a child. She is an expert. Baking pies is the greatest joy in Jenna's life. In fact, her pie baking is Jenna's only joy.

She is trapped in an abusive marriage that she longs to get out of. That is the basic plot line of the movie. Jenna, played by Keri Russell, is one of the most winsome movie characters of the year. She is fun, level-headed, attractive and sympathetic. We cannot help but like her and care about her terrible marriage.

We feel even worse when her plans for escape are scuttled by her unexpected pregnancy. One night of drunkenness left Jenna with a child that complicated all her plans.

One caveat: abortion is never an option for Jenna. She has made her bed, so to speak, and now she must lie in it. Her seemingly simple (really complex) life gets even more complicated when she immediately falls for the new doctor in town. As Jenna and the doctor begin to carry on, we see how Jenna can be happy, even as she is in the midst of all this confusion and conflict. She knows that her affair is wrong, at least as wrong as he marriage is, but she seems unable or unwilling to do anything about it.

This is a great movie. I loved it because it is simple. The story is good. The characters are eccentric, but you want to believe in them. Everything about this movie, even the illicit relationship, made me smile. I know why I liked it now. It is hope.

In real life, like in Jenna's world, it seems that there is too little hope. A bad marriage, an abusive relationship, an unplanned pregnancy, an extramarital affair, surely there can be no hope in that setting. And yet, Jenna remains a hopeful optimist. She always believe that there is something better coming. She always has hope.

This is what is missing from the world too often. We need more people like Jenna. We need people who do not become overwhelmed with the negatives in life, but rather inject every situation with a smile and a positive word. Jenna made me smile and she gave me hope. Now I plan to spread hope and a smile to someone else.

Maria Full of Loneliness

In 2004 a little movie came to USA theatres and video stores from Colombia. Maria Full of Grace was slated to be submitted for Academy Award consideration that year, but was ultimately rejected because it was not Colombian enough. It was a loss for the Oscars. Maria Full of Grace is almost spiritual and meditative in its treatment of Maria, a teen-ager from a small village in Colombia.

Maria has an awful job with an awful boss. She has a terrible sister whose baby Maria is forced to support. Although we do not learn much about Maria's mother or grandmother, they are not much help to her. Maria's boyfriend is a dead-beat loser with no ambition and no future. Maria's life is one dead-end after another. And that is when Maria finds out that she is pregnant. After an argument with her boss, she quits her job. After a confrontation with her mother and sister, she leaves town.

And that is where Franklin comes in. Franklin has connections in the drug business. He hooks Maria up with Javier a dealer from Bogota. The potential to get out of her small town existence looks too good for Maria to pass up. She agrees to become a "mule," transporting drugs from Colombia to the USA. She swallows 62 pellets filled with drugs and then passes them in New Jersey where she is paid for her work.

There are a lot more details to this story than I have just given. But you can get the idea. There are two themes that immediately spring to my mind.

1. Maria is desperate. She has many strikes against her life. There is no chance that Maria will ever be successful, at least the way most people think of success. There is so much failure and hopelessness around her that she cannot help but think that her future is the same. Maria needs to change her circumstances so that she can change her potential. Although we certainly cannot endorse her choices- no one in this film does, either- we can understand the reasons behind her actions.
2. Maria is lonely. There is no one who cares about her. Her employer is only interested in Maria's production. Her boyfriend is only interested in the physical amusement that she provides. Her sister and mother are only interested in her financial contribution. No one cares about Maria.

There is a lesson here. It is not about drug trafficking and the drug trade. It is not about illegal immigration or civil rights. The lesson is that we should be certain to care about people. Let no one be lonely. It ought to be our mission.

The Pro-Life Movies?

An interesting article recently appeared in Christianity Today. In it Mark Moring asks the provocative question as to whether or not Hollywood is becoming pro-life. After all, 2008 was the year of positive messages from life-affirming perspectives. Movies of every sort were dealing with unwanted pregnancies and complicated relationships. And in every instance that I can think of the answer was always, choose life. (The article can be found at http://www.ctlibrary.com/ct/2008/february/10.35.html.)

All of these movies that I have seen prove to be excellent films as well. (Although released in 2007, I did not see Juno or Waitress until 2008. I am sure that they will both end up on my year end favorites list.) You will probably not be wasting your time with any of them.

Juno- Juno is the wise-cracking, wise beyond- her- years, teen who finds herself with an unwanted pregnancy and a very complicated adoption situation. The main message here: honesty.

Waitress- Waitress is about the woman who gets pregnant by her unloved and unloving husband. She makes some mistakes, but ultimately learns about love. The message here: hope.

August Rush- Two young musicians from different worlds meet and become pregnant from a one night stand. The son who is born is placed in an orphanage, but believes that his parents want him still. The message here: persistence.

Bella- In Bella, a struggling single woman learns that she is pregnant and plans to abort her child. However, friends and circumstances make her reconsider. The message here: friendship.

Knocked Up- In this adolescent comedy genre-film, we get this story about a mis-matched couple who get pregnant after a drunken one-time encounter. The message here: responsibility.

It is really too soon to tell if this is a trend in Hollywood movies, but it is certainly an encouraging sign. There are more sides to any issue than the traditional Hollywood party-line.

Honestly Uncomfortable- Juno

One of the most popular movies in America right now is a little film called Juno. The popularity of Juno seems unusual to me. There are no big stars. The story is not your typical teen fare. The main character, Juno, is a sixteen year old girl that becomes pregnant. The father of her child is her best friend, a geek that you would not expect to be the father of any one's baby. Paulie Bleeker, the father, is wonderful in his nerdiness. He is consumed with Juno and his high school cross country team. Paulie knows that he is in love, but Juno does not.

Juno's first inclination is to get an abortion. She decides against it, however, when she runs into a classmate protesting outside the abortion clinic and the receptionist inside turns out to be a self-absorbed, insensitive idiot. When Juno finds adoptive parents for her unborn child we get the idea that everything is going to be fine. But it is not. It turns out that the parents chosen for Juno's child have big problems of their own.

Jennifer Garner, the adoptive mother, is too perfect. Jason Bateman, her husband, is not committed to fatherhood, adoption, or even marriage for that matter. One thing leads to another and we have a disaster on our hands.

This is a really good film. I would not be surprised if it turns out to be one of my favorites for the year. But it did make me very uncomfortable. I was consistently squirming in my seat. I was not bothered by the topic. Teen promiscuity, pregnancy, abortion are all topics that I can handle emotionally. What bothered me the most was that Juno was so honest. I'm just not used to honesty in fictional film characters.

Juno has a disconcerting, matter-of-fact attitude about everything in her life. She seems oblivious to the crisis that she is in, but maintains her sense of humor. And all the time she tells it like it is. And at least initially, I didn't like it. But I didn't like it because she spoke the truth. She is young and optimistic, but also wise and realistic. Her language is authentic and somewhat base. Juno shocked me with the way she flippantly discussed sex, pregnancy, condoms, anatomy and more.

After a period of acclimation, I got used to Juno's earthiness. She grew on me. She was funny, one of the wittiest movies characters in a long time. Once I got around being shocked by her, I found Juno refreshingly honest.

In retrospect, it is interesting that I would be bothered by a character that tells the truth. After all, aren't we all supposed to be honest? Shouldn't we value truthfulness and honesty? It is a sad state of affairs when I find the most honest movie of seen in a long time to be the most uncomfortable. Oh well, maybe it's a good sign.

Is There a Christian Influence?

When I recently watched the film I Am Legend, I first thought that I would be bored. As likable as Will Smith is, it was beyond my comprehension that I could enjoy just him for an entire feature. After all, Tom Hanks is one of our great American Actors and Cast Away was almost too much.

I then thought that the seemingly infinite commercial appeal of the movie would do me in. I am becoming a cinema snob. If it is too popular, I know I will not like it. If there are too many advertisements for the film on television, it is a sure sign that it cannot be worth watching. But I went, kicking and screaming, to see this little post-apocalyptic, science fiction thriller.

Finally, I almost came undone at the sight of the first 'dark-seekers.' The dark-seekers are mutant-zombie creatures who were once humans. They exist in Will Smith's world only to hunt, capture and eat flesh and blood. I do not, I repeat, I do not like computer-generated, mutant zombie movies. I want to see a film that will move me. Zombies tend to bore me.

But I kept watching. I watched because the story intrigued me. Smith plays an army scientist who is charged with solving a problem. Three years in the past a virus was developed that would defeat cancer. However, there were drastic and devastating consequences. The virus got out of control and killed everyone. Everyone was killed except for the zombies who were damaged and changed by the virus and Smith, who is somehow immune to the killing properties of the virus.

That brings us to Smith's current dark situation. He is the only human left, so far as he knows, yet he still feels responsible to solve the riddle of the virus. He hunts, traps and experiments on all sorts of animal, including zombies. He has a regimented lifestyle and lives in a bunker mentality to protect himself from the zombies, who only come out at night.

But there is one telling scene (or two) near the end of the movie. I will do my best to give you the gist of this without spoiling the finale. There is a scene in which more survivors are discovered. One asks Smith as to why God would punish humanity this way. Smith replies in a way that is typical of the current secular mindset in our world and society. "God didn't do this. We did this."

This is not an atheistic ideal. This is a widespread, widely-held humanistic doctrine. It holds that although there may be a God, that God is uninterested in humanity and human problems. And even if he was interested, humans do not really care about God.

As I witnessed this scene, I was struck by the futility of it all. Why bother? Why would Smith's character, the only human in the world, so far as he knew, care if there was ever a cure for the virus? After all, it was too late. There was nothing to live for.

Finally, be on the lookout for a brief image at the very end of this movie that will renew your hope in humanity. The filmmakers left a clue that the Smith character's attitude is not necessarily the one that we are to leave the theater with. There is hope. There is God. There is a future, and apparently God cares about how we experience that future.