Title: "Cars"
Director: John Lasseter and John Ranft (RIP)
Producer: Darla K. Anderson
Editing: Ken Schretzmann
Composer: Randy Newman
Starring:
- Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen
- Larry the Cable Guy as Mater
- Paul Newman (RIP) as Doc Hudson
- Bonnie Hunt as Sally Carrera
Plot and Critical Review: Cars takes place in a world populated by anthropomorphic vehicles. In the last race of the Piston Cup championship, retiring veteran Strip "The King" Weathers, perennial loser Chick Hicks, and rookie Lightning McQueen manage to finish in a three-way tie. The tiebreaker race is scheduled for one week later at the Los Angeles International Speedway. Lightning is desperate to win the race, as it would allow him to leave the sponsorship of Rust-Eze, a rust treatment for old cars, and allow him to become the sponsored car of the lucrative Dinoco team in The King's place. Eager to start practice in California as soon as possible, Lightning pushes his big rig, Mack, to travel through the night without rest.
Mack tries to avoid falling asleep, but becomes the victim of a gang of reckless street racers, subsequently causing the sleeping McQueen to roll out of the back of the trailer unnoticed. McQueen wakes up in traffic, becomes lost, and in a panic ends up in the run-down town of Radiator Springs. A mishap with the local sheriff causes McQueen to inadvertently tear up the town's main road. McQueen is promptly arrested and tried the next day by the town's judge and doctor, Doc Hudson, who at first wants him to leave Radiator Springs immediately; but at the insistence of local lawyer Sally Carrera, sentences him to repave the damaged road as community service.
McQueen initially tries to rush through the job but makes a sloppy, bumpy mess of the road and is forced to start over again. As the days pass, he becomes friends with many of the townsfolk and learns of their past. Radiator Springs was once a popular stopover along U.S. Route 66, but with the construction of a nearby interstate that allowed people to bypass the town, Radiator Springs was effectively erased from the map, causing many of the businesses and residents to leave. McQueen also discovers that Doc is actually the Fabulous Hudson Hornet, a three-time Piston Cup champion who was forced out of competition after a serious accident ended his career over 50 years ago, but remains adept at racing.
Encouraged by his new friends and a countryside cruise with Sally, McQueen successfully completes the road and spends an extra day in town, visiting the local shops and outfitting himself with new tires and equipment. That night, Mack and the media converge on the town, having been tipped off by Doc as to Lightning's whereabouts, and Lightning reluctantly sets off for California. Sally is upset with Doc for thinking only of himself, and the other townsfolk are saddened to see McQueen go. As they retire to their homes, the town's neon lights are turned off and Doc realizes just how much McQueen meant to them.
As the tie-breaker race begins, McQueen's thoughts keep drifting back to Radiator Springs and he is distracted from performing at the top of his game. However, he is surprised to discover that his new friends have come along to serve as his pit crew, with Doc - once again outfitted in his old racing colors - as his crew chief. Heartened by their presence and recalling the tricks they taught him, McQueen is able to counteract Chick Hicks' dirty driving tactics and take the lead of the race. On the final lap, Chick, fed up being behind the old racer, purposely rams The King, causing him to veer off the track and crash in a horrifying roll-over wreck.
McQueen sees the King crash and stops just short of the finish line, which lets Chick win the Piston Cup. Remembering Doc's bleary departure from racing, McQueen reverses to help push The King the rest of the way across the finish line, allowing him to complete his last race and retire with dignity. Chick's win is rejected and he is booed off the stage, his Piston Cup victory rendered hollow and meaningless. The King and his wife, Dinoco, the press, and the crowd praise McQueen for his sportsmanship. McQueen is offered the Dinoco sponsorship but turns it down, saying that he would rather stay with the Rust-Eze team that brought him this far. Much to the pleasure of his new friends, McQueen returns to Radiator Springs and decides to move his team's headquarters there, helping to revitalize the town and its businesses.
“Cars” is more than another title in Pixar’s line of grossly popular animated feature films. It’s one of the first projects developed alongside “America’s biggest sport”, NASCAR. Featuring the voices of many famous drivers, “Cars” roped in a demographic of viewers few motion pictures of any type had ever reached before. Merchandise (action figures, models, etc.) from “Cars” made over $5 billion dollars alone; the most made by any motion picture in merchandise sales.
I believe "Cars" and it's brother/sister films will become classics for generations of children to come. When "Snow White...", "Sleeping Beauty", and "The Lion King" have faded into the fog of the "timeless classic", we can expect to see movies like "Toy Story", "WALL-E", and "Up" take their place. We'll always love the Disney films that pioneered the frontier of cinematic animation, but in recent projects by Pixar we're able to see what is to come and what will most certainly become the standard for family entertainment on the big screen.
My Rating: 7/10
Content to Caution:
V-1 - Some racing-related violence, but no gore of any kind.
L-.5 - No comment.
DU-0 - No comment.
RT-0 – No comment.
H/S-1 – No comment.
CH-1 – Some of the jokes are graced with mild adult innuendo.
S/N-0 – No comment.
The "Reel Revelation": "We Are Like Mirrors..."
"Cars" tells many stories at the same time. We see a "coming-of-age" tale in McQueen's challenge to overcome his vanity and learn to lean on others for help. We also watch as Doc Hudson overcomes the ghosts of his past and embraces his identity as a racing superstar. Even Mater has his own story-line in which he finds a new best friend in McQueen. All of these story-lines point to the lesson that I believe is at the heart of this film; that others (friend or foe) influence and change our lives everyday.
I wrestle with the difference between how we're changed by the actions and influences of others and how we're changed by Christ. That is, who is doing the actual "changing"...man or God? Is it not God who inspires every good work and act of mercy by His own goodness and mercy toward us? But I do not want to say that we have no part in the work of influencing and changing each other; we know that isn't the case.
"Iron sharpens iron,
So one man sharpens another." (Proverbs 27:17)
The Bible doesn't use poetic language just to get our attention, nor is it merely suggestive in it's use of metaphors and proverbs of wisdom. These words mean something! They mean (not suggest) that we have a very real influence on the lives of others, even "sharpening" them!
Have you ever heard someone (or yourself) say "I wish I was like that person, they're so...(insert a desirable virtue or personality trait)."? Perhaps you've heard the very opposite; "I'm thankful i'm not like that person, they're so... (insert a less than desirable trait)!" Statements like these hint at what the verse from Proverbs is trying to tell us; the way we are influences the way people around us will be. I don't mean to suggest that people will reflect your exact behavior, but the way you conduct your life will have an influence on the lives of your friends, family, and even strangers. This is why the Bible calls us to live in a holy and acceptable manner before God; we also live it out before others, including those who don't know God.
Lightning McQueen was in need of some "sharpening", and he found it in the most difficult way; through the painfully slow process of grinding away his pride, ego, and vanity until he was refined into an altogether new person. He didn't do it on his own. With respect to the state of his heart and mind at the beginning of the film, it's not likely he could have if he'd tried. He needed other people to show him where he was weak; where he needed strengthening and sharpening. So do we. He also needed people around him who loved him and genuinely cared about his life. Those were the people he could trust and turn to for help in overcoming his weak spots. We are like mirrors for those around us, we show others both what is good and bad within their lives, for we have both the good and the bad in our own.
If God should someone into your life to do a bit of "sharpening", do not fear. Remind yourself that we, like iron, become all the sharper and all the stronger when we're tested and tried in the fires of God's love.
See you tomorrow - E.T.
Director: John Lasseter and John Ranft (RIP)
Producer: Darla K. Anderson
Editing: Ken Schretzmann
Composer: Randy Newman
Starring:
- Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen
- Larry the Cable Guy as Mater
- Paul Newman (RIP) as Doc Hudson
- Bonnie Hunt as Sally Carrera
Plot and Critical Review: Cars takes place in a world populated by anthropomorphic vehicles. In the last race of the Piston Cup championship, retiring veteran Strip "The King" Weathers, perennial loser Chick Hicks, and rookie Lightning McQueen manage to finish in a three-way tie. The tiebreaker race is scheduled for one week later at the Los Angeles International Speedway. Lightning is desperate to win the race, as it would allow him to leave the sponsorship of Rust-Eze, a rust treatment for old cars, and allow him to become the sponsored car of the lucrative Dinoco team in The King's place. Eager to start practice in California as soon as possible, Lightning pushes his big rig, Mack, to travel through the night without rest.
Mack tries to avoid falling asleep, but becomes the victim of a gang of reckless street racers, subsequently causing the sleeping McQueen to roll out of the back of the trailer unnoticed. McQueen wakes up in traffic, becomes lost, and in a panic ends up in the run-down town of Radiator Springs. A mishap with the local sheriff causes McQueen to inadvertently tear up the town's main road. McQueen is promptly arrested and tried the next day by the town's judge and doctor, Doc Hudson, who at first wants him to leave Radiator Springs immediately; but at the insistence of local lawyer Sally Carrera, sentences him to repave the damaged road as community service.
McQueen initially tries to rush through the job but makes a sloppy, bumpy mess of the road and is forced to start over again. As the days pass, he becomes friends with many of the townsfolk and learns of their past. Radiator Springs was once a popular stopover along U.S. Route 66, but with the construction of a nearby interstate that allowed people to bypass the town, Radiator Springs was effectively erased from the map, causing many of the businesses and residents to leave. McQueen also discovers that Doc is actually the Fabulous Hudson Hornet, a three-time Piston Cup champion who was forced out of competition after a serious accident ended his career over 50 years ago, but remains adept at racing.
Encouraged by his new friends and a countryside cruise with Sally, McQueen successfully completes the road and spends an extra day in town, visiting the local shops and outfitting himself with new tires and equipment. That night, Mack and the media converge on the town, having been tipped off by Doc as to Lightning's whereabouts, and Lightning reluctantly sets off for California. Sally is upset with Doc for thinking only of himself, and the other townsfolk are saddened to see McQueen go. As they retire to their homes, the town's neon lights are turned off and Doc realizes just how much McQueen meant to them.
As the tie-breaker race begins, McQueen's thoughts keep drifting back to Radiator Springs and he is distracted from performing at the top of his game. However, he is surprised to discover that his new friends have come along to serve as his pit crew, with Doc - once again outfitted in his old racing colors - as his crew chief. Heartened by their presence and recalling the tricks they taught him, McQueen is able to counteract Chick Hicks' dirty driving tactics and take the lead of the race. On the final lap, Chick, fed up being behind the old racer, purposely rams The King, causing him to veer off the track and crash in a horrifying roll-over wreck.
McQueen sees the King crash and stops just short of the finish line, which lets Chick win the Piston Cup. Remembering Doc's bleary departure from racing, McQueen reverses to help push The King the rest of the way across the finish line, allowing him to complete his last race and retire with dignity. Chick's win is rejected and he is booed off the stage, his Piston Cup victory rendered hollow and meaningless. The King and his wife, Dinoco, the press, and the crowd praise McQueen for his sportsmanship. McQueen is offered the Dinoco sponsorship but turns it down, saying that he would rather stay with the Rust-Eze team that brought him this far. Much to the pleasure of his new friends, McQueen returns to Radiator Springs and decides to move his team's headquarters there, helping to revitalize the town and its businesses.
“Cars” is more than another title in Pixar’s line of grossly popular animated feature films. It’s one of the first projects developed alongside “America’s biggest sport”, NASCAR. Featuring the voices of many famous drivers, “Cars” roped in a demographic of viewers few motion pictures of any type had ever reached before. Merchandise (action figures, models, etc.) from “Cars” made over $5 billion dollars alone; the most made by any motion picture in merchandise sales.
I believe "Cars" and it's brother/sister films will become classics for generations of children to come. When "Snow White...", "Sleeping Beauty", and "The Lion King" have faded into the fog of the "timeless classic", we can expect to see movies like "Toy Story", "WALL-E", and "Up" take their place. We'll always love the Disney films that pioneered the frontier of cinematic animation, but in recent projects by Pixar we're able to see what is to come and what will most certainly become the standard for family entertainment on the big screen.
My Rating: 7/10
Content to Caution:
V-1 - Some racing-related violence, but no gore of any kind.
L-.5 - No comment.
DU-0 - No comment.
RT-0 – No comment.
H/S-1 – No comment.
CH-1 – Some of the jokes are graced with mild adult innuendo.
S/N-0 – No comment.
The "Reel Revelation": "We Are Like Mirrors..."
"Cars" tells many stories at the same time. We see a "coming-of-age" tale in McQueen's challenge to overcome his vanity and learn to lean on others for help. We also watch as Doc Hudson overcomes the ghosts of his past and embraces his identity as a racing superstar. Even Mater has his own story-line in which he finds a new best friend in McQueen. All of these story-lines point to the lesson that I believe is at the heart of this film; that others (friend or foe) influence and change our lives everyday.
I wrestle with the difference between how we're changed by the actions and influences of others and how we're changed by Christ. That is, who is doing the actual "changing"...man or God? Is it not God who inspires every good work and act of mercy by His own goodness and mercy toward us? But I do not want to say that we have no part in the work of influencing and changing each other; we know that isn't the case.
"Iron sharpens iron,
So one man sharpens another." (Proverbs 27:17)
The Bible doesn't use poetic language just to get our attention, nor is it merely suggestive in it's use of metaphors and proverbs of wisdom. These words mean something! They mean (not suggest) that we have a very real influence on the lives of others, even "sharpening" them!
Have you ever heard someone (or yourself) say "I wish I was like that person, they're so...(insert a desirable virtue or personality trait)."? Perhaps you've heard the very opposite; "I'm thankful i'm not like that person, they're so... (insert a less than desirable trait)!" Statements like these hint at what the verse from Proverbs is trying to tell us; the way we are influences the way people around us will be. I don't mean to suggest that people will reflect your exact behavior, but the way you conduct your life will have an influence on the lives of your friends, family, and even strangers. This is why the Bible calls us to live in a holy and acceptable manner before God; we also live it out before others, including those who don't know God.
Lightning McQueen was in need of some "sharpening", and he found it in the most difficult way; through the painfully slow process of grinding away his pride, ego, and vanity until he was refined into an altogether new person. He didn't do it on his own. With respect to the state of his heart and mind at the beginning of the film, it's not likely he could have if he'd tried. He needed other people to show him where he was weak; where he needed strengthening and sharpening. So do we. He also needed people around him who loved him and genuinely cared about his life. Those were the people he could trust and turn to for help in overcoming his weak spots. We are like mirrors for those around us, we show others both what is good and bad within their lives, for we have both the good and the bad in our own.
If God should someone into your life to do a bit of "sharpening", do not fear. Remind yourself that we, like iron, become all the sharper and all the stronger when we're tested and tried in the fires of God's love.
See you tomorrow - E.T.
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