"Keeping The Faith"

Title: "Keeping The Faith"

Director: Edward Norton
Producers: G. Barber, R. Birnbaum, J. Glickman
Editing: Malcolm Campbell
Composer: Elmer Bernstein
Starring:
- Ben Stiller as Rabbi Jake Schram
- Edward Norton as Father Brian Kilkenney Finn
- Jenna Elfman as Anna Riley
- Anne Bancroft as Ruth Schram
- Miloš Forman as Father Havel
- Eli Wallach as Rabbi Ben Lewis

Plot and Critical Review: Father Brian Kilkenney Finn has been dedicated to his call to be a Roman Catholic priest since he was a child. Finally through seminary he now ministers at a New York congregation with an older priest, Fr. Havel. Rabbi Jacob Schram, best friends with Brian since childhood, is the youngest rabbi at his Reform synagogue. While an excellent and inspiring rabbi, his lack of effort in finding a wife often results in his mother and other women of his congregation setting him up on blind dates. Almost all of them end terribly.

In its earlier days, the friendship included a third party. Via flashbacks and reminiscent musings, Anna Reilly is introduced. Anna met Jake and Brian in middle school. The three enjoyed sports, riding the subway, and getting into typical mischief. But when Anna's father gets a new job in California, the Reilly's move cross-country.

Years later Anna calls her old friends out of the blue and the friendship is rekindled when her company temporarily sends her to New York. Feelings begin to run deeper than before as Anna, despite her workaholic tendencies, is as vibrant as Brian and Jake remembered her.

Knowing Brian is bound by his vows to a life of chastity, Anna and Jake get closer, spending more time together and developing serious chemistry. They start sleeping together, but Jake is reluctant to be involved in a serious relationship because Anna is not Jewish, a fact which could compromise his relationship with his congregation and also with his mother (who disowned her other son for marrying outside the faith). Between the religious conflict and their desire to spare the feelings of their mutual friend, the relationship is kept mostly secret, resulting in both humorous and harmful complications.

Meanwhile, Brian is involved in his own test of faith as he struggles with his feelings for Anna. Apart from praying about the situation and discussing it with Fr. Havel, he keeps these thoughts mostly to himself. Brian begins misinterpreting Anna's words and actions (some of which are subtle signals to Jake as their affair is kept under wraps). He begins to seriously consider quitting the priesthood to pursue a romantic relationship with her.

Anna tells Jake that she wants things to be more serious between them, but he doesn't reciprocate the sentiment. After an argument over the religious issues complicating their romance, Jake and Anna part ways in frustration. Anna calls Brian for comfort and he rushes over to her apartment. Still unaware of what's been going on, he takes her tearful ramblings to be a confession of feelings for him, then kisses her and admits his love. When she interrupts him he first assumes it to be guilt based on his vows, but then she finally tells him she is in love with Jake. Embarrassed and rejected, Brian raids Anna's liquor cabinet, angrily cutting off her attempts to reassure him and apologize. The next day, still drunk, Brian stumbles into the temple and interrupts a post-bar mitzvah gathering, resulting in a confrontation with Jake that ends with the priest punching the rabbi. He leaves and stumbles around the city, getting drunk and relating his troubles to a sympathetic bartender.

As the community center's grand opening approaches (along with the last days of Anna's east coast assignment) the relationships begin to mend. Brian encourages Jake to pursue Anna, and Jake rushes off to Anna's office building. Jake manages to get Anna's attention from a window in the building across the street, and calls to explain himself and offers to set things right. They surprise Brian at the interfaith center, showing him that they're together. Anna greets Rabbi Lewis as he passes by and asks about their meetings together, at which point it becomes clear that she had been taking private classes to convert to Judaism. The film ends happily with the three childhood friends posing for a snapshot together.

The relationship between Hollywood and religion has always been an interesting one. There have been moments when it seemed directors captured the very essence of religious sentiment; presenting films of arresting faithfulness and love. I personally think of "Ben-Hur", "The Passion of the Christ", and "The Mission". And then there are films which are obviously made by Hollywood directors and producers, full of empty and dry humor about a sort of spirituality (or religion) which is made into an issue of personal preference. The "religious people" in those movies seem more motivated by power, guilt, or personal piety than by any desire to serve God (if God - or any god - is even mentioned). To that end I think of "Dogma', "Saved!", and "License To Wed". I don't mean to say that I don't enjoy those latter three films (although I wish I had seen "License..." before I bought it), but I think the irreverent mistreatment of religion and/or religious sentiment and/or spirituality is as clear as day.

"Keeping The Faith" manages to ride the fence in many of those areas. While it slips in places, it remains above irreverent offense most of the time. On the other hand, God is rarely spoken of as a person, and even the most spiritually sentimental lines don't fly from the screen without a joke tied on the end. Brian and Jake draw huge crowds by way of their contemporary preaching-style, but God is never given credit. If only excited oratory was enough to fill the pews in real-life churches.

Is it just me, or do they always seem to be running "Keeping The Faith" on TBS?

My Rating: 6/10

Content to Caution:
V-1 - A priest punches a rabbi. (Oh, you've heard that one before?)
L-2 - Some cursing.
DU-1.5 - Brian drinks himself drunk at a bar. There is some smoking and drinking elsewhere.
RT-0 - No comment.
H/S-0 - Will they? Won't they?!
CH-2 -Some might consider the semi-frequent religious satire offensive.
S/N-2.5 - Sex is implied several times, but never shown. Some kissing and "steamy play".

The "Reel Revelation": "Light and Darkness"

"Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?" (2 Cor. 6:14-15)

Reading that verse by itself (outside of the chapter in which it belongs), what's your gut reaction? I wonder if Paul is equating unbelievers to lawlessness and darkness. Even if I decide that Paul is just using poetry to assist in his comparison, I'm still left with the inescapable admonition to avoid being "bound" to them. Maybe Paul means to avoid the appearance of being an unbeliever; to turn from sinful behavior and chase after holiness. Frankly (whoever Frank is), it's confusing to me. And to remember that this passage comes from the same man who also wrote that we ought to "Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly..." (Romans 12:16a). It seems I should associate with the lowly (the poor, outcast, and meek), but only those who are believers?

The answers to this dilemma might not come easily, and that only adds to the frustration we face as followers of Christ. How should we act when entering into friendships or relationships with unbelievers? How ought we treat them and, in lieu of our faith, are there certain things we ought to abstain from doing with them? If this struggle is not at the heart of the challenges Jake and Brian face in dealing with their feelings for Anna, it is very near to it. Brian's struggle rests almost entirely within his call to celibacy as a Catholic priest. Yet Jake, who is able to date and have romantic relationships, is challenged by the expectations of his congregation and the cultural expectations of the Jewish community. No easy answers for them, either.

We know that we cannot turn our backs on unbelievers. How could we, when Jesus said that he came "...to seek and save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10b) And yet Paul instructs us to not "bind" ourselves to them. Where's the balance? Everything seems to become more complicated when it comes to romantic relationships, such as we see in "Keeping The Faith". Perhaps you've heard the term "missionary dating"? It describes a romantic relationship in which one person (a Christian) will date another person (an unbeliever, or a believer of another faith) with the expectation that, through their romantic relationship, the unbeliever will be converted to Christ. The sentiment is well-meaning, but the Christian automatically puts him or herself in spiritual danger when they use their faith as a tool by which to gain access to intimacy. That's not to say that God can't choose to bring a person to conversion through a romantic relationship, but the risk to the Christian is great. What if the Christian should slip in their convictions and slowly sink into sinful behavior? They want to please their partner and give life to the relationship, but at what cost? Small successions are made, but soon the righteous nature of their reality begins to change as they become more and more bound to the unbeliever. What is left? Two unbelievers, potentially.

That is a somewhat dramatic scenario, but it does happen and we all face the same tension and challenge in our friendships and relationships with unbelievers. We want to bring them to Christ, but we also want to be real with them and have real relationships. Jesus desired the same thing and he tried to develop a relationship of love and trust with the religious leaders of the time. Their reception? Some listened and believed in Him. The rest decided to kill Him.

Remember that it is God who calls out to the unrepentant heart. We've been sent into the world to be salt, and light, that others may see Christ in us, and God might choose to call someone to Himself through our actions and witness to Christ. What a privilege. Even so, it is God's voice alone which will lead the sinner home; God's hands which will heal the wounds sin has caused.

If God gives you the opportunity to become friends with an unbeliever, do not let it pass. But do not seek to give them yourself. Share with them and spend time with them, but seek all the more after opportunity to share Christ with them. Instead of centering conversation on yourself, talk about the One who saved you! When you speak, speak of Christ and His presence in your life. Witness! Do not seek to bind yourself to them, but to bind Christ to their lives that they may come to know His love and embrace His death and resurrection. Let us seek after that binding!

Unbelievers don't need our "salt" to preserve their souls...we're lucky to keep a loaf of bread fresh for more than a few days. Unbelievers don't need our "light" to guide them...we're using our cell phones as flash lights! They need Him. Show them the way.

See you tomorrow - E.T.

"Inception"

Title: "Inception"
Director: Christopher Nolan
Producers: C. Nolan and E. Thomas
Editing: Lee Smith
Composer: Hans Zimmer
Starring:
- Leonardo DiCaprio as Dom Cobb
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Arthur
- Ellen Page as Ariadne
- Marion Cotillard as Mallorie "Mal" Cobb
- Ken Watanabe as Mr. Saito
- Tom Berenger as Peter Browning
- Michael Caine as Professor Stephen Miles

Plot and Critical Review: Dom Cobb and his partner Arthur perform illegal corporate espionage by entering the subconscious minds of their targets, using two-level "dream within a dream" strategies to "extract" valuable information. Each of the "extractors" carries a "totem", a personalized small object whose behavior is unpredictable to anyone except its owner, to determine whether they are in another person's dream. Cobb's totem is a spinning top which perpetually spins in the dream state. Cobb struggles with memories of his dead wife, Mal, who manifests within his dreams and tries to sabotage his efforts.

Cobb is approached by Mr. Saito, Cobb's last extraction target, who asks Cobb and his team to perform the act of "inception"; planting an idea within the person's subconscious mind. Saito wishes to break up the energy empire of his competitor, the ailing Maurice Fischer, by suggesting the idea to his son Robert Fischer who will inherit the empire when his father dies. Should Cobb succeed, Saito promises to use his influence to clear Cobb of the murder charges for his wife's death, allowing Cobb to re-enter the United States and reunite with his children. Cobb assembles his team: Eames, an identity forger; Yusuf, a chemist who concocts the powerful sedative needed to stabilize the layers of the shared dream; and Ariadne, a young student architect tasked with designing the labyrinth of the dream landscapes. Saito insists on joining the team as an observer and to assure the job is completed. While planning the inception, Ariadne learns of the guilt Cobb struggles with from Mal's suicide and his separation from his children when he fled the country.

The job is set into motion when Maurice Fischer dies and his son accompanies his father's body from Sydney to Los Angeles. During the flight Cobb sedates Fischer and the team bring him into a three-level shared dream. At each level the member of the team who is "creating" the dream remains while the other team members fall asleep within the dream to travel further down into Fischer's subconscious. The dreamers will then ride a synchronized system of "kicks" (a car diving off a bridge, a fall between hotel rooms, and a collapsing building) back up the levels to wake up.

In the first level (Yusuf's dream) the team successfully abducts Fischer but is attacked by Fischer's militarized subconscious projections which have been trained to hunt and kill extractors. Saito is mortally wounded during the shoot-out. Should Saito or any member of the team die while in the dream, they would be sent into dream limbo, a deep subconscious level where they may lose their grip on reality and be trapped indefinitely.

Eames takes the appearance of Fischer's godfather Peter Browning to suggest that he reconsider his opinion of his father's will. Yusuf remains on the first level driving a van through the streets, while the remaining characters enter Arthur's dream which takes place in a corporate high-rise. Cobb turns Fischer against Browning and persuades him to join the team. They descend to the third dream level, a snowy mountain fortress dreamed by Eames. Yusuf's evasive driving on the first level manifests as distorted gravity effects on the second, forcing Arthur to improvise a kick using an elevator shaft and an avalanche on the third.

Saito succumbs to his wounds, and Cobb's projection of Mal sabotages the plan by shooting Fischer, killing him. Cobb and Ariadne elect to enter limbo to find Fischer and Saito. Cobb confronts his projection of Mal who tries to convince him to stay with her and his kids in limbo. Cobb refuses and confesses that he was responsible for Mal's suicide; to help her escape from limbo during a shared dream experience he used inception to plant the idea that her world wasn't real. Once she had returned to reality she became convinced that she was still dreaming and needed to die in order to wake up. Through his confession, Cobb attains catharsis and chooses to remain in limbo to search for Saito; Eames revives Fischer (with a defibrillator) to bring him back up to the third-level mountain fortress where he enters a safe room and discovers and accepts the idea to split up his father's business empire.

Leaving Cobb behind, the team members escape by riding the kicks back up the levels of the dream. Cobb eventually finds an elderly Saito who has been waiting in limbo for decades in dream time (just a few hours in real time), and the two help each other to remember their arrangement. The team awakens on the flight. Saito arranges for Cobb to get through U.S. customs, and he goes home to reunite with his children. Cobb uses his spinning top to test reality but is distracted by his children before he can see if the top falls or not.

"Inception" managed to do for fans what only the first installment of the "Matrix" series was able to accomplish; satisfyingly represent the concept of parallel dimensions and our ability to move in and out of them at will. That's not to say there aren't other films based on the same concept, but these two tend to stand out as the best examples. While there is some amount of similarity between the plots of the two films, it really isn't fair to compare them to one another. And yet, this is precisely what critics did when "Inception" landed in theaters. The differences (the important ones, at least) are more obvious than not, and by the end of "Inception" we're left feeling that we saw a film much more visceral and emotionally poignant than "The Matrix". Though "Matrix" broke ground with new special effects techniques ("bullet-time" and significant developments in wire-acting), the series just can't stand up to the depth of what "Inception" offers technically and creatively. Besides, who doesn't love a movie with a great twist at the end?

"Inception" also won 4 Oscars (Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Visual Effects). That can't hurt, either. Very well done, Mr. Nolan.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Content to Caution:
V-3.5 - Fighting (fist fights, gun battles, etc.) and violence throughout.
L-2.5 - No comment.
DU-1 - Some characters drink.
RT-0 - No comment.
H/S-3 - Nolan is in good form here, revving up the intensity and holding us in suspense.
CH-.5 - No comment.
S/N- .25 - Mal wears somewhat revealing clothing.

The "Reel Revelation": "Follow The Melody"

Hear the music.
Find the melody.
Follow it.

Melody is to music what plot is to film. No doubt you can think of several melodies and whistle or hum them to yourself right now. From songs you learned as a child to tunes you might have fallen in love with just recently. You might not be able to reproduce the whole song, but you're almost certain to sing the melody line; the part of the song which demands our attention, the part of the song we follow.

In his book "What to Listen for in Music", 20th Century composer Aaron Copland offers a word of explanation regarding melody:

"A beautiful melody, like a piece of music in its entirety, should be of satisfying proportions. It must give us a sense of completion and of inevitability. To do that, the melodic line will generally be long and flowing, with low and high points of interest and a climatic moment usually near the end." (Chapter 5 - Pg. 42)

Sounds a bit like life, doesn't it? High points, long and flowing... That is precisely what a melody represents within any given piece of music; the very life of the piece. Large-scale works like symphonies, concertos, or operas will make use of several melodies (sometimes hundreds!), but the melodies must always serve to help get the listener from the first downbeat to the final cadence. The very same is true of film, for as a melody serves a piece of music, the plot-line serves the film in the most critical way. The plot can be dramatic or plain, predictable or erratic, but it must get the viewer from the opening credits to the closing credits. It's what we hold on to when we go to see a movie. It's what we follow to make sure we get the most out of our movie going experience. In films like "Inception" a solid plot-line is critical, especially when there are so many changes in reality and dimension. Good film-makers know the secret to cinematic greatness is plot. Actors decorate it, music scores it, editors shore it up, but the plot remains key.

But music is music and film is film. What about life? What is the melody of your life? What is your plot-line? That is, what is the guiding line you watch or follow to make sure you're "in the game" or "with the show"? Here's a short story about a young man who was following the wrong melody line:

"A ruler questioned Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.You know the commandments, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.'"And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth." When Jesus heard this, He said to him, "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. And Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!" (Luke 18:18-24)

At first the rich young ruler seems to be on top of things. Not only does he have a solid grasp on the Scriptures, he comes to Jesus in person to ask questions about everlasting life. Well done! But when Jesus challenges him to give his riches away and become His disciple, we see what this young man was really about; money. He tried to live righteously, but try as he might he was bound to follow his finances. He'd made them into the melody of his life, the guiding line by which he'd discern every move and decision. Jesus even used financial language to draw the young ruler to Himself; "you shall have treasure in Heaven". How Jesus' heart must have broke for this young man.

The young ruler couldn't turn away from the distracting melodies of his life and follow Jesus. Can we? We won't have to wait long to find out, for we are faced with the same invitation and decision each day; to turn our eyes away from the stuff we've been following and to go after Jesus and Jesus only.

When you listen to a new piece of music, you're likely to catch on to the melody fairly quickly. Try as you might, you really have no idea where the melody is going to go. It might rise and rise then drop suddenly, or pass through all sorts of dissonances only to transform into a brand new melody in a new key or musical passage. That is the magic of melody; getting to follow after it until it is completed and all is laid to rest. How much more lovely is Jesus, the most beautiful melody of all. And we do not know where He is going to lead us, either. But if we trust Him today and choose to set our sights on Him and Him alone, not only will we have "treasure in Heaven", we'll "enter the Kingdom of Heaven" with the Son of God and enjoy the song of His glory forever and ever.

Hear the music.
Find the melody.
Follow it.

See you tomorrow- E.T.

P.S. - I should like to dedicate tonight's review to my very good friend Michael who has been a reader of the Lenten Film Review from the start and is a welcome companion on the great melody-chase of life.

Deserted Island Poll

A new poll has arrived! Cast your vote for which motion picture icon you'd spend a week with alone on a deserted island. Choose wisely...

"Grease"

Title: "Grease"

Director: Randal Kleiser
Producers: R. Stigwood and A. Carr
Editing: John F. Burnett
Composer:
Score: Michael Gibson
Songs: Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
Starring:

Main Cast
- John Travolta as Danny Zuko (Leader of the T-Birds)
- Olivia Newton-John as Sandy Olsson
- Stockard Channing as Betty Rizzo (Leader of the Pink Ladies)
- Jeff Conaway as Kenickie

The T-Birds
- Barry Pearl as Doody
- Michael Tucci as Sonny LaTierri
- Kelly Ward as Putzie

The Pink Ladies
- Didi Conn as Frenchy
- Jamie Donnelly as Jan
- Dinah Manoff as Marty Maraschino

Plot and Critical Review: During summer vacation of 1959 Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson meet at the beach and fall in love. When the summer comes to an end, Sandy, who is going back to Australia, frets that they may never meet again, but Danny tells her that their love is "only the beginning." The animated opening credits follow (Grease).

On the first day of school at Rydell High, Danny, a greaser, is reunited with his friends, the T-Birds: his bad-boy best friend Kenickie and their three bumbling sidekicks, Doody, Putzie, and Sonny. The Pink Ladies, the T-Birds' female counterparts - raunchy leader Betty Rizzo, sophisticated Marty, and juvenile Jan - arrive and claim that they're going to "rule the school" in their senior year. Sandy, whose family had unexpectedly cancelled their plans to return to Australia, enrolls at Rydell and is shown around the school by Frenchy. At lunchtime, Danny and Sandy share memories of their summer romance with their respective friends, unaware of the other's presence (Summer Nights). Rizzo is surprised when Sandy reveals Danny's name on the way to class, but the Pink Ladies keep quiet about Danny's presence at the school.

The Pink Ladies decide to reunite Danny and Sandy. Initially ecstatic upon seeing Sandy again, Danny quickly attempts to cover his excitement and maintain his cool image in front of the T-Birds, which upsets Sandy. Frenchy decides to cheer Sandy up by inviting her and the other Pink Ladies to a slumber party at her house. However, Sandy's naive behaviour irritates the other girls and Rizzo leads the girls in mocking Sandy (Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee) after Sandy leaves the room. When Sandy returns, she is embarrassed to find her new friends making fun of her. Later, Sandy wanders outside, where she confronts her feelings about still being in love with Danny (Hopelessly Devoted to You).

Rizzo (who left the sleepover) and Kenickie park in a rundown part of town and make out in the back seat of his car. They have sex, during which Kenickie's condom breaks. The couple are interrupted by Leo - leader of the T-Birds' rival gang, the Scorpions - and his girlfriend, Cha-Cha. Leo damages Kenickie's car. Kenickie takes the car to the school's workshop for a tune-up, and despite the fact that it is a "hunk o' junk" (according to Danny), Danny manages to convince the boys that it could become a top-of-the-line sports car (Greased Lightning).

Soon afterward, Danny sees Sandy having a milkshake with a jock named Tom Chisholm. Regretting his unkind behavior, Danny attempts to win Sandy back by taking up sports. Coach Calhoun suggests he try his hand at track. Although Danny has a natural ability for running, he injures himself while Sandy is present. Sandy goes to see if he is all right and, after discovering he is not badly injured, she consents to date him again, and even considers letting him take her to the school dance. Unfortunately, their date at the Frosty Palace is interrupted when the T-Birds and Pink Ladies show up. Meanwhile, Frenchy, who left Rydell to pursue her dream of being a beautician, has had difficulty in all her classes at beauty school. She is at odds with what to do until her guardian teen angel appears to her and suggests she return to Rydell (Beauty School Dropout).

Rizzo and Kenickie break-up. During the school dance, which is also being broadcast live on national television, Rizzo attempts to get at Kenickie by going to the dance with Leo. Kenickie retaliates by going with Cha-Cha. Danny takes Sandy and Doody takes Frenchy. During the dance competition, Danny and Sandy are the last couple left, but as Sandy is dragged away by Sonny, Cha-Cha, who used to date Danny, begins dancing with him. Danny and Cha-Cha ultimately win the contest. In an attempt to make up with Sandy, Danny takes her to a drive-in movie, where he gives Sandy his ring which she interprets as a sign of his love for her. Danny makes several passes at Sandy which cause her to run off. (Sandy).

Rizzo tells Marty and Sonny that she might be pregnant, but makes them promise not to tell anyone. The rumor is soon spread around school, and when Kenickie offers to help, Rizzo rebuffs him, claiming that he isn't the father. A couple of days later, Kenickie and the T-Birds meet the Scorpions for a race at Thunder Road. Everyone comes to watch except Rizzo, who can't face seeing Kenickie. Patty Simcox and her friends joke about Rizzo's reputation, inciting Rizzo to vindicate her bad-girl image (There Are Worse Things I Could Do). Sandy, who misses Danny dreadfully, decides to try and patch things up between them at the race. Kenickie is knocked out when his own car door swings and hits him in the face, forcing Danny to race in his stead. Danny beats Leo and wins the race. Sandy is delighted but realizes she and Danny are still a world apart unless she takes drastic action (Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee (Reprise)).

As the school year comes to a close, the group enjoys a carnival at the school. Rizzo reveals that she is not pregnant after all and she and Kenickie are finally reunited. Danny has earned a letter in track, but the T-Birds resent his new image, viewing it as desertion. Sandy suddenly appears in a tight black outfit and leather jacket, looking more like Rizzo than herself. She tells Danny that she has done it all for him, and he reciprocates, (You're The One That I Want). As they climb into Danny's car, it takes off into the air (We Go Together).

Reviewing a musical is a real treat as it combines two of the things I love the most; music and cinema. Not all musicals that have been made into films have done as well as "Grease" did, however. Sometimes the transition and re-formatting causes much of the magic of the stage to be lost. Yet the risk doesn't stop filmmakers from at least trying. Most of the time they do alright and in this instance they did really well! Some of the more popular (and lucrative) musical films include (but are not limited to):

"Phantom of the Opera"
"The Sound of Music"
"West Side Story"
"Mamma Mia!"
"Hairspray"
"Chicago"

The list goes on...

While their place in the cinematic cannon is contested (critics wonder if they're really films or just musicals acted out on sound stages and filmed), they have formed a beloved category in the universe of the motion picture, and will no doubt remain an endearing form of film for quite some time.

My Rating: 6.5/10 (I'll throw in an extra .5 seeing as I cry every third or fourth time I hear "Hopelessly Devoted To You")

Content to Caution:
V-1.5 - A scuffle here and there.
L-2 - High-schoolers at their best, as always.
DU-1 - Some characters (mostly minors) smoke and drink.
RT-1 - No comment.
H/S-1.5 - Thunder Road!
CH-2 - No comment.
S/N-2.5 - Several kissing scenes, one depicting couples making out or having sex ("parking") in their cars.

The "Reel Revelation": "Love Songs"

Successful musicals do well for a reason. There have been books written on the great musicals and why they "work". In the same way that Beethoven's Symphonies or Michelangelo's sculptures are studied and scrutinized, musicologists and music critics have tried to unravel the secrets of the great musicals. They've found that there is a certain sort of "format" that seems to be at work when musicals rise above the rest. Among many elements (too many to list here) that make a musical great, the love song is key. In some musicals you may only have one love song;one sacred moment when the lovers embrace and share their feelings in song. While most musicals make use of several love songs, you can bet that they'll be among the sweetest and gentlest tunes in any given show. The very same is true when considering the love songs of "Grease", especially "Hopelessly Devoted To You".

Guess mine is not the first heart broken,
My eyes are not the first to cry.
I'm not the first to know,
There's just no gettin' over you.

Hello, I'm just a fool who's willing,
To sit around and wait for you.
But baby can't you see,
There's nothin' else for me to do.
I'm hopelessly devoted to you.

A simple and unencumbered love song. In the first verse (above), Sandy makes her intentions known and begins the heartbreaking process of confessing her love for Danny. She doesn't even confess her feelings to him directly, but to herself! I can't hear a love song like this and keep myself from thinking 'Do I confess my feelings as truly when I sing of my love for God?' On one hand there's no way to compare our love for our Heavenly Father to the love shared between two people, especially in the context of a musical. On the other hand, the soaring sentiments of crooning lovers seem, at times, more convincing than the solemn hymns we offer during our sacred services. Even if you worship in a community that employs contemporary music, you might feel the same way.

Is not our love for God more dynamic and vibrant than our love for another? Does it not overshadow all other emotions, especially the sort of romantic love such as is expressed in "Hopelessly Devoted To You"? We might not feel it in our hearts the same way as we do humanly love, but it is higher and greater than any other love we might experience during this life. Let our music reflect that. Christian artists have been striving to express that love (God's love for us, first and foremost) through music for a very long time, and we can give thanks to God that they'll continue to do so. As a composer I've tried my hand at writing "sacred love songs". I'd like to share the lyrics from one of them here.

“Adoration”
Words and Music by E.D. Thompson
Based on “Adoration”, a poem by Priscilla Rose Wyatt

It seemed like just a whisper; the echo of Your voice
I’ve fallen to my knees O God; my heart is here by choice.
I wouldn't trade a moment for a moment shared with You,
The silence of Your presence falls around like morning dew.

I adore You, Savior and King!
Will You turn Your ear and listen to my humble offering?
I adore You, Savior and King!
I will not fear, for You are near;
Your praises I will sing!

I ask You for the blessings of patience, peace, and love,
That I might serve those who don’t know the One sent from above.
They go about their busy ways, they walk upon the wire
They hunger for Your perfect grace that they may never tire.

Chorus

I know there will be seasons of grief, and sin, and shame
Oh may Your promise cover me and see me through the pain.
Your presence overwhelms me, and confounds my mortal fear,
The worries of this passing life dissolve when You appear.

Chorus

"I wouldn't trade a moment for a moment shared with You,
The silence of Your presence falls around like morning dew."

No hugs or kisses needed in that sweet fellowship. It is more than enough to be with Him and to know His presence, falling around us like the dew of morning. God be praised.

See you tomorrow- E.T.

"Good Will Hunting"

Title: "Good Will Hunting"
Director: Gus Van Sant
Producers: L. Bender, S. Mosier, K. Smith, etc...
Editing: Pietro Scalia
Composer: Danny Elfman and Elliot Smith
Starring:
- Matt Damon as Will Hunting
- Robin Williams as Sean Maguire
- Ben Affleck as Chuckie Sullivan
- Stellan Skarsgård as Professor Gerald Lambeau
- Minnie Driver as Skylar
- Casey Affleck as Morgan O'Mally

Plot and Critical Review: 20-year-old Will Hunting has a genius-level intellect but chooses to work as a laborer and spend his free time with his friends Chuckie Sullivan, Billy McBride, and Morgan O'Mally. He also works as a janitor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where Fields Medal-winning combinatorialist Professor Gerald Lambeau has posted a difficult problem for his graduate students to solve. Will solves the problem quickly and anonymously, leading Lambeau to post a much more difficult problem. He chances upon Will solving it, but Will runs off.

While out drinking with his friends, Will meets Skylar, a British student about to graduate from Harvard and preparing to go on to Stanford University School of Medicine in California. The next day Will gets in a fight in which he attacks a police officer and is subsequently faced with incarceration. Lambeau arranges for him not to serve jail time if he agrees to study mathematics under Lambeau's supervision and to see a therapist. Will agrees, but treats his first few therapists with contempt and they refuse to work with him. In desperation, Lambeau calls on Sean Maguire, his estranged college roommate. Unlike the other therapists, Sean pushes back at Will and overcomes his defense mechanisms, and after a few unproductive sessions Will begins to open up. Will is particularly struck when Sean tells him that he gave up his ticket to see the Boston Red Sox play the sixth game of the 1975 World Series after falling in love at first sight with a stranger who later became his wife. Sean doesn't regret his decision, nor does he regret the final years of his marriage when his wife was dying of cancer. This encourages Will to try to build a relationship with Skylar, though he lies to her about his past and is reluctant to introduce her to his friends or show her his run-down neighborhood (South Boston).

Will begins to chafe under Lambeau's high expectations and makes a mockery of job interviews that Lambeau arranges for him. Sean cautions Lambeau against pushing the boy too hard. Will walks in on a heated argument between the two over his future and is greatly upset. When Skylar asks Will to move to California with her, he panics and pushes her away, revealing that he is an orphan and that his foster father physically abused him. Skylar tells Will that she loves him, but he says that he does not love her in return and leaves the relationship. His behavior escalates when he storms out on Lambeau, dismissing the mathematical research he has been doing as "a joke". Sean points out that Will is so adept at anticipating future failure in his interpersonal relationships that he deliberately sabotages them in order to avoid the risk of emotional pain. When Will refuses to give an honest reply about what he wants to do with his life, Sean shows him the door. Will tells Chuckie that he wants to be a laborer for the rest of his life; Chuckie responds that it would be an insult to his friends for Will to waste his potential, and that his fondest wish is that Will will leave to pursue something greater. Will decides to accept one of the job offers arranged by Lambeau.

At another therapy session, Sean and Will share that they were both victims of child abuse, and Sean helps Will to realize that the abuse he suffered wasn't his fault. With nowhere else to hide, Will breaks down and weeps. Having helped Will to overcome his problems, Sean reconciles with Lambeau and decides to take a sabbatical to travel the world. When Will's friends present him with a rebuilt Chevrolet Nova for his 21st birthday, he decides to pass on his lucrative job offers and drive to California to reunite with Skylar.

Watching this movie is like coming back to a song I used to love. While I still love the song, there's something sweetly refreshing about hearing it again after a bit of a break. That's precisely how I felt when I re-watched "Good Will Hunting" for this year's Review. What a breath of fresh air, for here we have a prime example of American film-making. Should we ever create a time capsule and fill it with great American films, I hope you'd agree with me that this would have to go in. The acting is impeccable, and almost immediately we sense that Damon, Affleck (x2), Driver, and Williams had been carved out for these roles. It was an exceptionally dynamic casting (and leap of faith, some would say) for Williams who had been known, more or less, for his comedic performances.

But did it receive the recognition it was due? I do not think so, although it's no great mystery as to why. One film in particular sort of took over the cinematic world in 1998, a highly anticipated historical film called "Titanic". At the time of the Oscars, "Titanic" was still #1 at the Box Office! James Cameron and cast/crew took home 11 Oscars that night, leaving the competition with nothing but the scraps. "Good Will Hunting" managed to grab two statues, and they made their winnings count, receiving awards for Best Original Screenplay (Damon and Affleck) and Best Supporting Actor (Williams). We know that this film will live on, as will these two special moments from the 70th Academy Awards:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8RIS5GJqAg (Best Original Screenplay)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6Egi5V_jNU&feature=relmfu (Best Supporting Actor - Watch for the triumphant embrace with Crystal toward the end.)

My Rating: 8/10

Content to Caution:
V-2.5 - An intense street fight, some rough-housing, and one instance of strangling.
L-4 - Almost constant cursing.
DU-2.5 - Many of the characters smoke and/or drink throughout.
RT-1 - No comment.
H/S-.5 - No comment.
CH-2 - "Southie" jokes and humor of the same vain persist throughout.
S/N-1.5 - Will and Skylar share kisses and a romantic evening, but there is no nudity shown.

The "Reel Revelation": "Perfect For The Part"

Sensing the impending success of "Good Will Hunting", production companies Castle Rock and Miramax (Miramax ended up buying the film rights from the prior) entered into a financial war trying to determine who would play the pivotal roles of Will Hunting and Sean Maguire. There was a time when Leonard DiCaprio and Brad Pitt were considered. The same sort of contest was also waged over who would direct the film. Directors being considered? Mel Gibson, Steven Soderbergh, and Kevin Smith (whom was asked by Affleck as a personal favor and probably not on an official level), to name a few. Can you imagine "Good Will Hunting" if any of these folks had participated? For good or bad, we know it would not have been the same film at all.

Damon and Affleck forged the script themselves, basing it strongly on their childhood friendship. They knew what they wanted, and they did well to insist that they play two of the leading roles. In rehearsals they improvised heavily, and their improvisation (I don't have to tell you that Williams fit right in once the script went out the window) led to some of the most memorable scenes in the film. The actors, actresses, director, and production crew really were perfect for the part. That's precisely what we wait for in the cinematic world, a sort of mystical convergence when the right people with the right gifts gather and work together to create something beautiful. To say it happens 1 out of 100 times is almost pushing it.

Have you ever been part of a project where you felt like you were "perfect for the part"? If not a project, perhaps you joined a team or got a new job or even met a new friend with whom you felt immediately connected. The chances of landing in such a situation are just as steep as the "mystical convergence" of actors and directors in the cinematic world. But it does happen. We see it in sports teams, especially when the Olympics come around and nations form teams with the highest potential for victory based on collected talent. We see it in the arts when composers and choreographers work together to create music and movement that seem to have always belonged together. But there are few moments as blessed as when a Christian finds the place where his or her God-given gifts can be put to work; when they find the place where God deigned them to be "perfect for the part".

If you've not experienced that moment yet, do not be discouraged, for we see in Scripture that God has a "part" for all of us.

"This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain..." (John 15: 12-16a)

Love. We're all "perfect for the part"! See that the God of love who dwells within our hearts has sent us out to love one another, to love all people, and to draw people to Himself through love. Love should never be our "Plan B", but our primary goal in every moment.

If you're out of work...LOVE.

If you're shopping for groceries...LOVE.

If you're making a daily commute...LOVE.

If you're ready to storm out of a meeting...LOVE.

If you're playing PS3...LOVE.

Jesus doesn't suggest, recommend, or refer us to the idea...he commands it!

I've had many conversations which have included the troubling phrase, "I don't feel like I have any worth...that I don't have anything to offer." I've said that myself! Perhaps you have too. The feeling is genuine, but the thought is misguided for in the Gospels we discover that we have everything to offer in every moment...Jesus! And what is our worth to His? What can we give to someone else that He cannot give 1,000 times over, and 1,000 times over again? Does that mean we're worthless? Without Christ...yes. But with Christ...

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15: 1-5)

Perhaps some of you lay awake at night and wonder when your "mystical convergence" (I use the term "mystical" very loosely) will happen. Place your trust in God, for He will lead you to it. "Abide" in Christ. In the meanwhile, pray for your eyes to be open to the opportunities right in front of you, opportunities to bear one another's burdens, bind up wounds in Jesus' name, and lead others to the Lord of Lords. What else could we ask for? What greater opportunity is there than to share the love of God with another person, and see that person come to love God, to know Him, and to serve Him? That's as "good (of) fruit" as we're likely to find.

See you tomorrow- E.T.

"Gone With The Wind"

Title: "Gone With The Wind"

Director: Victor Fleming
Producers: David O. Selznick
Editing: H.C. Kern and J.E. Newcom
Composer: Max Steiner
Starring:
- Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara
- Clark Gable as Rhett Butler
- Leslie Howard as Ashley Wilkes
- Olivia de Havilland as Melanie Hamilton Wilkes
- Thomas Mitchell as Gerald O'Hara
- Barbara O'Neil as Ellen O'Hara
- Evelyn Keyes as Suellen O'Hara
- Ann Rutherford as Carreen O'Hara
- George Reeves as Stuart Tarleton
- Fred Crane as Brent Tarleton
- Hattie McDaniel as Mammy
- Oscar Polk as Pork
- Butterfly McQueen as Prissy
- Victor Jory as Jonas Wilkerson
- Everett Brown as Big Sam

Plot and Critical Review:

Part 1

The film opens on a large cotton plantation called Tara in rural Georgia in 1861. Scarlett O'Hara is flirting with the two Tarleton brothers, Brent and Stuart, who have been expelled from the University of Georgia. Scarlett, Suellen, and Careen are the daughters of Irish immigrant Gerald O’Hara and his wife, Ellen O'Hara, who is of aristocratic French ancestry. The brothers share a secret with Scarlett: Ashley Wilkes, whom Scarlett secretly loves, is to be married to his cousin, Melanie Hamilton. The engagement is to be announced the next day at a barbecue at Ashley's home, Twelve Oaks.

At Twelve Oaks, Scarlett notices that she is being admired by a handsome but roguish visitor, Rhett Butler, who had been turned out of West Point and disowned by his Charleston family. Rhett finds himself in further disfavor among the male guests when, during a discussion of the probability of war, he states that the South has no chance against the superior numbers and industrial might of the North. Scarlett sneaks out of her afternoon nap to be alone with Ashley in the library, and confesses her love for him. He admits he finds Scarlett attractive, and that he has always secretly loved her back, but says that he and Melanie are more compatible. She accuses Ashley of misleading her to think that he did love her and slaps him. Ashley silently exits and her anger continues when she realizes that Rhett, taking an afternoon nap on the couch, overheard the whole conversation. "Sir, you are no gentleman!" she protests, to which he replies, "And you, miss, are no lady!" Nevertheless, Rhett promises to keep her secret. Scarlett leaves the library in haste, and the barbecue is disrupted by the announcement that war has broken out. The men rush to enlist. As Scarlett watches Ashley kiss Melanie goodbye from the upstairs window, Melanie’s shy young brother Charles Hamilton, with whom Scarlett had been innocently flirting, asks for her hand in marriage before he goes to war. Despite not loving Charles, Scarlett consents in order to get close to the family and make Ashley jealous. They are married before Charles leaves to fight.

Scarlett is quickly widowed when Charles dies from a bout of pneumonia. Scarlett's mother sends her to the Hamilton home in Atlanta to cheer her up, although the O’Haras' outspoken housemaid Mammy knows she is going there only to wait for Ashley’s return. Scarlett and Melanie attend a charity bazaar in Atlanta. Rhett, now a heroic blockade runner for the Confederacy, makes a surprise appearance. Scarlett shocks Atlanta society even more by accepting Rhett's large bid for a dance. While they dance, Rhett tells her of his intention to win her, which she says will never happen as long as she lives.

The tide of war turns against the Confederacy after the Battle of Gettysburg in which many of the men of Scarlett's town are killed. Scarlett makes another unsuccessful appeal to Ashley’s heart while he is visiting on Christmas furlough, although they do share a private and passionate kiss on Christmas Day.

Eight months later, as Atlanta is besieged by the Union Army in the Atlanta Campaign, Melanie goes into a premature and difficult labor. Staying true to a promise Scarlett made to Ashley to "take care of Melanie", she and her young house servant Prissy must deliver the child without medical attendance. Scarlett calls upon Rhett to bring her home to Tara immediately with Melanie, Prissy, and the baby. He appears with a horse and wagon to take them out of the city on a perilous journey through the burning depot and warehouse district. He leaves her alone on the road leading to Tara. She repays him rudely with a slap, to his bemusement, as he goes off to fight with the Confederate Army. On her journey home, Scarlett finds Twelve Oaks burned out, ruined and deserted. She is relieved to find Tara still standing but deserted by all except her parents, her sisters, and two servants, Mammy and Pork. Scarlett learns that her mother has just died of typhoid fever and her father's mind has begun to crumble under the strain. With Tara pillaged by Union troops, and the fields untended, Scarlett vows she will do anything for the survival of her family and herself, exclaiming, "As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again!"

Part 2

Scarlett sets her family and servants to picking the cotton fields. With the defeat of the Confederacy and wars end, Ashley returns from being a prisoner of war. The dispirited Ashley finds he is of little help to Tara, and when Scarlett begs him to run away with her, he confesses his desire for her and kisses her passionately, but says he cannot leave Melanie. Gerald O'Hara dies after he is thrown from his horse. Scarlett is left to support the family, and realizes she cannot pay the rising taxes on Tara implemented by Reconstructionists. Knowing that Rhett is in Atlanta and believing he is still rich, she has Mammy make an elaborate gown for her from her mother’s drapes. However, upon her visit, Rhett, now in jail, tells her his foreign bank accounts have been blocked, and that her attempt to get his money has been in vain.

As Scarlett departs Rhett in jail, she encounters her sister’s fiancé, the middle-aged Frank Kennedy, who now owns a successful general store and lumber mill. Scarlett lies to Kennedy by saying Suellen got tired of waiting and married someone else. After becoming Mrs. Frank Kennedy, Scarlett takes over his business, and with the profits buys a sawmill which becomes very profitable during the rebuilding of Atlanta—in part because she is willing to trade with the despised Yankee carpetbaggers and use convicts as laborers in her mill. When Ashley is about to take a job with a bank in the north, Scarlett preys on his weakness by weeping that she needs him to help run the mill; pressured by the sympathetic Melanie, he relents. One day, after Scarlett is attacked while driving alone through a nearby shantytown, Frank, Ashley, and others make a night raid on the shantytown. Ashley is wounded in a melee with Union troops, and Frank is killed.

With Frank’s funeral barely over, Rhett visits Scarlett and proposes marriage. Scarlett accepts, partially for his money. After a honeymoon in New Orleans, Rhett promises to restore Tara to its former grandeur, while Scarlett builds the biggest mansion in Atlanta. The two have a daughter. Scarlett wants to name her Eugenie Victoria, but Rhett names her Bonnie Blue Butler. Rhett adores her as a symbol of the spirited girl Scarlett was before the war. He does everything to win the good opinion of Atlanta society for his daughter’s sake. Scarlett, still pining for Ashley, lets Rhett know that she wants no more children and that they will no longer share a bed.

When visiting the mill one day, Scarlett listens to a nostalgic Ashley, and when she consoles him with an embrace, they are spied by two gossips including Ashley's sister India, who hates Scarlett. They eagerly spread the rumor and Scarlett’s reputation is again sullied. Later that night, Rhett, having heard the rumors, forces Scarlett out of bed and to attend a birthday party for Ashley. Incapable of believing anything bad of her beloved sister-in-law, Melanie stands by Scarlett's side so that all know that she believes the gossip to be false.

At home later that night, while trying to sneak a drink for herself, Scarlett finds Rhett downstairs drunk. Blind with jealousy, he tells Scarlett that he could kill her if he thought it would make her forget Ashley. Picking her up, he carries her up the stairs in his arms, telling her, "This is one night you're not turning me out." She awakens the next morning with a look of guilty pleasure, but Rhett returns to apologize for his behavior and offers a divorce, which Scarlett rejects. Rhett decides to take Bonnie on an extended trip to London. However,one night, when Bonnie cries in a nightmare and asks to be reconciled with her, Rhett realizes that Bonnie still needs her mother by her side. Rhett returns with Bonnie, and Scarlett is delighted to see him, but he rebuffs her attempts at reconciliation. He remarks at how she looks different and she tells him that she is pregnant again. Rhett tells her "Cheer up. Maybe you'll have an accident." Enraged, Scarlett lunges at him, falls down the stairs and suffers a miscarriage. Rhett, frantic with guilt, cries to Melanie about his jealousy, yet refrains from telling Melanie about Scarlett's true feelings for Ashley.

As Scarlett is recovering, little Bonnie, as impulsive as her grandfather, dies in a fall while attempting to jump a fence with her pony. Scarlett blames Rhett, and Rhett blames himself. Melanie visits the home to comfort them, and convinces Rhett to allow Bonnie to be laid to rest, but then collapses during a second pregnancy she was warned could kill her. On her deathbed, she asks Scarlett to look after Ashley for her. Outside, Ashley collapses in tears, helpless without his wife. Only then does Scarlett realize that she never could have meant anything to him, and that she had loved something that never really existed. She runs home to find Rhett packing to leave her. She begs him not to leave, telling him she realizes now that she had loved him all along. However, he refuses, saying that with Bonnie's death went any chance of reconciliation.

As Rhett walks out the door, planning to return to his hometown of Charleston, she pleads, "Rhett, if you go, where shall I go? What shall I do?" He famously answers, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

What could I possibly say about this movie that hasn't been said a hundred times over? I'd like to give the floor to Roger Ebert, who says it pretty well in this excerpt from his Sun Times review:

"As an example of filmmaking craft, ``GWTW'' is still astonishing. Several directors worked on the film; George Cukor incurred Clark Gable's dislike and was replaced by Victor Fleming, who collapsed from nervous exhaustion and was relieved by Sam Wood and Cameron Menzies. The real auteur was the producer, David O. Selznick, the Steven Spielberg of his day, who understood that the key to mass appeal was the linking of melodrama with state-of-the-art production values. Some of the individual shots in "GWTW'' still have the power to leave us breathless, including the burning of Atlanta, the flight to Tara and the "street of dying men'' shot, as Scarlett wanders into the street and the camera pulls back until the whole Confederacy seems to lie broken and bleeding as far as the eye can see.

And there is a joyous flamboyance in the visual style that is appealing in these days when so many directors have trained on the blandness of television. Consider an early shot where Scarlett and her father look out over the land, and the camera pulls back, the two figures and a tree held in black silhouette with the landscape behind them. Or the way the flames of Atlanta are framed to backdrop Scarlett's flight in the carriage.

I've seen "Gone With the Wind'' in four of its major theatrical revivals--1954, 1961, 1967 (the abortive "widescreen'' version) and 1989, and now here is the 1998 restoration. It will be around for years to come, a superb example of Hollywood's art and a time capsule of weathering sentimentality for a Civilization gone with the wind, all right--gone, but not forgotten." (http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980621/REVIEWS08/401010323/1023)

My Rating: 9/10

Content to Caution:
V-2 - Quite a bit of slapping and some street-violence as a result of war-related looting.
L-1.5 - Southern sophistication manages to divert too much cursing.
DU-2.5 - Many of the characters (especially men) drink and smoke. In Part 2, several characters drink in order to forget their troubles.
RT-2.5 - In a movie set before and during the Civil War, it is impossible to avoid racial themes, but there is little outright slander against or mistreatment of African Americans. Their portrayal as slaves (and more importantly, as members of the family) seems accurate.
H/S-1 - No comment.
CH-2 - No comment.
S/N-1 - You got your kisses on the forehead, kisses on the hand, and a few kisses on the lips.

The "Reel Revelation": "The Greatest Ever"

No doubt you've been asked, "What's your favorite movie?" As a musician I'm often asked what my favorite song is, or musical, or composer. Try as I might to give an answer reflecting my feelings, I'm sure to give a different answer to the same question were I to be asked again a week later. I'm fickle like that. We are fickle like that. Our fancies change so often it's a wonder can keep track of what it is we do and don't like. But there are some things that most people are willing to agree on..."The Greatest Ever". "Gone With A Wind" is one of the very few films that has won this title. Other films stand beside it, for in the cinematic world multiple films can share in the everlasting glory of stardom, but it is rare to see such consensus on any subject when it comes to "The Greatest Ever." So why is it that "Gone With The Wind" has lasted so long and become a treasure to lovers of film all over the world? It might help to look at over films which have also gained "Greatest Ever" status. Let us employ AFI (American Film Institute) for some help. In 2007, AFI updated their Top 100 Films Of All Time list, and here's how the Top 10 unfolded:

1. "Citizen Kane"

2. "The Godfather"

3. "Casablanca"

4. "Raging Bull"

5. "Singin' in the Rain"

6. "Gone With The Wind"

7. "Lawrence of Arabia"

8. "Schindler's List"

9. "Vertigo"

10. "The Wizard of Oz"

What is the common thread? We've got everything from German concentration camps to talking apple trees to horse heads to guerrilla warfare and some nice fella singing during inclement weather. It doesn't seem like there's any common thread here at all! But there must be...there must be something in all of these films that has caused them to reach such heights of popularity and fame. Since we must try and find something common in all of them, we'd better start with what is most obvious:

Love - This is at the least the easiest of plot devices to locate. Even in the horrific scenes of "Schindler's List" we see a love enduring all persecution and suffering. Love abounds.

Coming of Age - It might be a stretch in a couple of the Top 10, but "The Wizard of Oz" and "The Godfather" have strong coming-of-age elements, and we almost always identify with characters who have to suffer the trials of adolescence. This is also why actors who portray said characters become so endearing...we see ourselves through their performances, even if we never grew up in mafia families or were transported to parallel realities.

Good v.s. Evil - This plot device might be easier to discover than love. You know it when you see it, and you almost always feel the fight inside of you as you watch it taking place on the screen.

Truth - All of these films deal with the pursuit of truth. They may do so in different ways and to different ends, but it's certainly there. Just as our personal search for truth can sometimes end in frustration, some films get quite near the presence of truth but withhold an obvious revelation.

We're likely to relate to/identify with these four elements above all others because they permeate every part of human life. We find ourselves involved in these different emotional experiences at all times. We're always falling in and out of love, discovering ourselves as we continue to grow and mature, struggling against the forces of evil in the world while trying to do good for God's Kingdom, and we are ever searching for what is true and will remain true forever.

But even films (love them as we do!) fall short of what is truly "The Greatest (Story) Ever"...the story of Jesus, the Messiah. His life was wrapped in these elements from the very beginning. He was born out of God's love for humanity, and was Himself the incarnation of the most righteous and brilliant love of all. Jesus "came of age" in human form, that we might know and believe in a god who cares for and understands us, not a distant god who doesn't sympathize or care about our sufferings and challenges. Jesus walked this earth and died upon the cross to settle the score and end the battle raging between good and evil. Though that battle still rages on, the victory has been confirmed and Jesus is our heavenly champion. And Jesus spoke words of truth that had never been heard before, words of revelation and challenge, both admonishing us to faithful service and instructing us in the way to live. But he did not only speak the truth, for he said "I am the way, the truth, and the life..." (John 14:6a)

There may be great movies, and great songs, and great heroes, and great events, and great inventions, but there will never be another Greater than He who overcame death and the grave for our sake. He is Jesus. Worship Him today, my friends, and give Him thanks and praise.

"Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised,

And His greatness is unsearchable." (Psalm 145:3)

See you Monday - E.T.

P.S. - My apologies for getting this post up a day late. I felt I needed the extra time when dealing a motion picture as monumental as this one is.

"Eat Pray Love"

Title: "Eat Pray Love"
Director: Ryan Murphy
Producers: B. Pitt, D. Gardner, J. Kleiner, S. Wlodowski, etc...
Editing: Bradley Buecker
Composer: Dario Marianelli
Starring:
- Julia Roberts as Elizabeth Gilbert
- Javier Bardem as Felipe,
- Billy Crudup as Steven
- Richard Jenkins as Richard
- Viola Davis as Delia Shiraz
- James Franco as David
- Sophie Thompson as Corella,
- Mike O'Malley as Andy Shiraz

Plot and Critical Review: (For whatever reason, the plot synopsis provided on Wikipedia is only two sentences long. Insufficient. Here's a synopsis from pluggedin.com, a ministry of Focus on the Family. URL Link at the end.)

How would you feel if you could live the life you've always dreamed of? A great house. A devoted spouse. Adoring and well-behaved children. Interesting friends. Fun activities. A successful career. You'd be deliriously joyful, right? Grateful? Maybe a little relieved?

In Liz Gilbert's case, she already has many of these things but is crying-on-the-floor-every-night miserable. Nothing she has carefully constructed her life to be meets her expectations. And now she feels as if she's trapped in her New York City dream house. Stuck with her committed husband. Floundering among all the color-inside-the-lines clichés she feels her life has become.

She used to marvel. Now she broods. She doesn't even think she has a pulse anymore. Her once voracious appetite for life now nibbles on the endless everydayness of the world she once dreamed of. Her solution? To bolt.

Based on the real-life Elizabeth Gilbert's best-selling memoir, Eat Pray Love is one woman's year-long attempt to find unparalleled food and spiritual self-actualization. First, she finds a lover, David. Then she divorces her husband, Stephen—even though he begs her to work on the relationship with him. Then she leaves David, too, and goes to stay with her friend Delia. Eventually Liz jets around the planet to Italy, India and Indonesia to experience life as she thinks it should be lived—with adventure, gourmet goodies, reckless abandon, personal enlightenment and freedom.

In Italy she crams carbs until her new spare tire must be maneuvered into her skinny jeans. At an ashram in India she meets a whiskered Texan named Richard and learns how to "forgive herself" and let go of regret. And in Bali a medicine man named Ketut, a healer woman named Wayan and a sensitive Brazilian lover named Felipe finally lead her to what she believes is peace. (http://www.pluggedin.com/videos/2010/q4/eatpraylove.aspx)

What "Eat Pray Loves" lacks in storytelling and plot it makes up for in visual beauty. Roberts is as beautiful as she's ever been, and she glows in the exotic places she visits. Alas, the film doesn't quite reach the same depth of spiritual and emotional discovery which permeated Gilbert's best-selling book. It isn't the first film to fall short of the source of inspiration, but "Eat Pray Love" disappointed many hundreds of thousands of viewers who had hoped for an emotionally faithful representation of Gilbert's text.

My Rating: 4.5/10

Content to Caution:
V-.5 - No comment.
L-2.5 - No comment.
DU-1 - Some drinking, and drinking unto drunkenness.
RT-1.5 - An American in a foreign land is bound to get picked on.
H/S-0 - No comment.
CH-2 - Sex and sexual preference is joked about several times, and certain body parts are mentioned using slang terms.
S/N-2 - Some kissing. Gilbert and a man are naked in a pool, but nothing is shown.

In September of 2010 I did an initial review and reflection of "Eat Pray Love" which I posted on Facebook. The response to my review was tremendous. Some adamantly disagreed with me and said they would boycott the movie entirely. Others were genuinely moved by the experience they had when they saw the film and felt that it truly expressed elements of the human experience. I appreciated everything that was said, even if some of the comments bordered on being personally abrasive. The responses of all who got into the conversation helped me to gaze into but one side of the film, and i'd like to present another "take" in this format.

The "Reel Revelation": "Journeying"

Have you ever heard someone say, "I need to go for a walk to help clear my mind"? It seems to help, doesn't it?! Perhaps it's the release of endorphins, the gentle cadence of one's feet on the pavement, or maybe there really is some sort of brain-clearing property in fresh air! Whatever it is, getting out and taking a stroll does help to sort things out and get our focus on the task at hand. A walk! How much more good would an extended "walk" do us. Many people from many backgrounds and faiths have felt called to do just that; take an extended trip to help find themselves, reconnect with God. and renew their purpose in life. Such a venture is often called a pilgrimage, although here we'll simply call it a journey.

In trying to define what a journey of this type looks like, we can probably agree it's not going to be like a vacation. We might go somewhere we've never been before and see new things, meet new people, and have new experiences, but vacations are almost always taken solely for pleasure. That's not to say that vacations can't include elements of spiritual discovery (my vacation to Italy in 2002 was overflowing with it!), but based on the way we crowd vacations with itineraries and "places of interest", it's probably not the sort of journey we're looking to take in order to reconnect with Christ. Indeed, a spiritual journey is one we don't even plan ourselves but are called to take.

Herein lies the great difference between Elizabeth Gilbert's journey and the one we might take in order to renew ourselves spiritually. Gilbert planned her trip based on the experiences she wanted to have; in Italy she'd eat, in India she'd pray, and in Indonesia she'd find romance and true love. Sounds like a great vacation! But a spiritual journey is based upon going where God calls us to experience Himself, not the other way around. Have you ever taken such a journey?

By now it seems that spiritual journeys have to happen somewhere else, in a new environment. While that's not entirely untrue, we can't put God in a box and presume that He'll only meet us in a place far away. This is where our concept of journey is challenged, for we have thus far operated on the presumption that a journey takes us to another physical location. What about a journey through your conscience, your passions, your dreams, or your past? You don't have to go far to step into those places! And while going to a distant place can help us to clear our minds in order to fully address the issues within, God is just as likely to take us on a journey of discovery and discernment precisely where we are. There's no better time to go on such a journey than during the season of Lent.

And what can we expect on such a journey, regardless of where we take it, or how? There are probably a thousand books on self-help and modern spirituality which will suggest ways to "make the most of your spiritual journey", but I don't think we have to look any further than the example of Jesus, who took a very special journey Himself. You probably remember the story of when Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days (or so) immediately following His baptism in the Jordan River. And what did Jesus do out there?

- He fasted, and His fasting gave way for purification of self. Even the One who was without sin needed time to get rid of distracting thoughts.

- He prayed, and His prayers led to renewed courage and confidence in the will of His Father. Even Jesus needed to be reminded of His purpose, for there would be many who would discourage Him and try to throw Him off course.

- He was tempted by the devil, who challenged His authority. Jesus didn't try to reason with the devil or...He stood on God's Word alone and disrupted Satan's attack.

Whether we go into a literal wilderness or journey through the unknown lands of the self, we can expect the same of our own spiritual journey:

- We will fast from worldly pleasure, that our hearts might be purified for God's purposes. (Titus 2:11-14)

- We will pray to our Father, and He will come to us and minister to us, giving us direction and assuring us of His unwavering love. (Deut. 4:29)

- We will be tempted and pressed by the devil to sin against God. We will face the choice to stand on God's Word or to navigate the twisted corridors of temptation by ourselves. (Hebrews 2:14-18)

If it sounds like a lot of work, don't be discouraged. This sort of labor is blessed by God. Will it be tough? Yes. But in "working out" our salvation with "fear and trembling" (Phil 2:12), we grow closer to God and nearer to the heart of Jesus. We learn about ourselves and learn how God is active in our lives and in our world. By God's grace we also learn how to live in peace with those around us, and thus extend God's Kingdom. Whether God calls you to an exotic destination or summons you right where you're sitting as you read this, those are all results which make a spiritual journey of any type more than worthwhile.

Safe travels!

See you tomorrow- E.T.

And The Podium Belongs To...

John Williams! Defeating fellow composers James Newton Howard, Hans Zimmer, and Harry Gregson-Williams by a narrow margin of just one vote (is that all you've got, readers?!), John Williams has won the first poll featured on E.T.'s Film Review. To celebrate, here's a little medley he conducted at the 2002 Oscars:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEsKD5PPs2I

See you tomorrow - E.T.

"Easy A"

Title: "Easy A"

Director: Will Gluck
Producers: W. Gluck and Z. Devine
Editing: Susan Littenberg
Composer: Brad Segal
Starring:
- Emma Stone as Olive Penderghast
- Aly Michalka as Rhiannon "Rhi" Abernathy
- Amanda Bynes as Marianne Bryant
- Penn Badgley as "Woodchuck" Todd
- Thomas Haden Church as Mr. Griffith
- Patricia Clarkson as Rosemary Penderghast
- Stanley Tucci as Dill Penderghast
- Lisa Kudrow as Mrs. Griffith
- Cam Gigandet as Micah
- Malcolm McDowell as Principal Gibbons

Plot and Critical Review: Olive Penderghast lies to her best friend Rhiannon about going on a date in order to get out of camping with her and her hippie parents. The following Monday, pressed by Rhiannon, Olive lies about losing her virginity to a college guy. Marianne, a girl at their school who is a zealous Christian, overhears her telling the lie and "leaks" the lie into the rumor mill. Soon everyone at school knows.

The school has a conservative church group run by Marianne who decides Olive will be their next project. The group's harassment, disguised as concern, comes to a head in English class as Mr. Griffith leads a discussion on The Scarlet Letter, a novel about adultery and shame. When one of the girls from the church group makes a snide comment to Olive, Olive curses her and Mr. Griffith sends her to the Principal's office. During her detention she tells her friend Brandon the truth, that she didn't have sex, and he in turn explains how others bully him because he's gay.

Brandon comes over later and asks Olive to pretend to sleep with him so that he will be accepted by everyone at school. That weekend they pretend to have sex at a party. After she finished with Brandon she bumps into Todd, whom she has had feelings for since the 7th Grade.

After having a fight with Rhiannon over Olive's new identity as a "dirty skank", Olive decides to counteract the harassment by embracing her new image. She begins to wear more provocative clothing and stitches a red 'A' (a la Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter) to everything she wears. Boys who usually have had no luck with girls in the past begin to give her gift cards and money to say they had sex with her in order to increase their own popularity, which in turn increases her reputation.

Olive comes to a short-lived understanding with Marianne, but it is ruined when Marianne's boyfriend Micah gets chlamydia and says (in a lie) that Olive gave it to him. Olive sees Mrs. Griffith, the guidance counselor and Mr. Griffith's wife, who tearfully confesses that she slept with Micah. Olive promises to take the blame to save Mrs. Griffith's job and marriage.

The following day at lunch, Anson comes up to Olive and asks her out. The date goes sour when Olive sees Rhiannon at the restaurant and remembers she has a crush on Anson. In the parking lot, Anson attempts to pay her off; Olive asks what they will say happened but Anson thinks he will actually get sex and tries to kiss her several times. She resists and Anson furiously drives off. Todd sees her and offers to drive her home.

On the ride home Todd tells her that he does not believe the rumor mill, and that he remembers when she lied for him because he wasn't ready for his first kiss. He says he wishes she actually was his first kiss, and not Rhi. Todd then asks for permission to kiss Olive but she says no, wanting to wait until she sorts out her life.

Olive goes to the boys that propositioned her and demands they admit that the rumors are all lies but they refuse. When she goes to Mrs. Griffith to force her to come clean about sleeping with Micah, she refuses and implies that no one would believe Olive over her. Olive runs to Mr. Griffith and tells him the truth but immediately regrets it, knowing she likely destroyed their marriage.

To get everything in the open, she does a song and dance number at a pep rally and pretends she will be doing a sex show via web cam with Todd. In actuality she confesses what she has done. She also makes up with Rhi, apologizing for lying. Just as she is finishing her web cast, Todd appears outside her window, standing by a riding lawnmower and holding two speakers. He asks her to come outside. She leaves the house to kiss him and they ride off on his lawnmower.

"Easy A" flows well for a film of its type. Credit ought to be given to sharp editing and lively music to help convey the youthful spirit of the plot, but in the end it all boils down to Emma Stone's ability to hold the film together with her vulnerable and "sweetheart" acting style. The star of this film really is the star, Emma Stone. Aside from her, I don't have much to offer in the way of technical critique. She does so well, and in marvelous fashion. Stone is an actress we can certainly expect to rise to even greater heights. Her next big step? Filling the role of Gwen Stacy in the upcoming "The Amazing Spider-Man". Said film will premiere on July 2, 2012 if you care to get in line early.

My Rating: 5.5/10 (Would have been 5, but i'll give an extra .5 to any movie starring Stanley Tucci.)

Content to Caution:
V-1 - Slapping.
L-1.5 - No comment.
DU-1.5 - Rhi's parent's are seen smoking pot, and some minors drink at a party.
RT-1 - Jokes made about homosexuality may be offensive to some.
H/S-0 -No comment.
CH-2 - Several instances of crude humor relating to sex and general adolescent struggles.
S/N-2 - Oliver wears revealing clothing for the second half of the film. There is a modest amount of discussion about or surrounding the topic of sex.

The "Reel Revelation": "Lies"

It'd have been equally fitting to title this reflection "Escalation", because that's exactly what we watch unfold throughout the course of "Easy A"; Olive's "little lie" growing more and more complex. By the end of the film when the viewer's natural inclination is to feel happy for Olive, at long last in the arms of her beloved, I wonder if we actually remember where the whole chain of events began... It wasn't with Olive's lie (in action) about having sex with Brandon, but when she told Rhi that she had sex with a guy from the local community college. Do you remember the scene? It was only a few minutes long, but within the film's first 10 minutes the seed of deception had been planted.

And why did Olive lie in the first place? What did she have to gain from conjuring up a story of passion and reciting it to her best friend? Olive said it herself; to feel like she had some advantage or level of superiority over Rhi, who seemed more experienced and versed in womanhood than Olive. Rhi initially welcomed Olive's loss of her virginity, but eventually Olive's continued sexual behavior (or what Rhi thought was sexual behavior, even though Olive never touched anyone) drove the two apart. A lie can seem small, even tiny, but it can lead to consequences far beyond our vision. This process, the escalation of a lie, is wonderfully expressed in the song "Lies" from the film "Once". Here's an excerpt:

"I think it's time, we give it up
And figure out what's stopping us
From breathing easy, and talking straight
The way is clear if you're ready now
The volunteer is slowing down
And taking time to save himself

The little cracks they escalated
And before we knew it was too late

For making circles and telling lies." (Words and Music by Glen Hasard)

Is there a better way to say it? "The little cracks they escalated, and before we knew it was too late..." Have you ever been in that sort of situation, when you suddenly realized a little fib you told a few days before is about to blow up in your face. It can be something simple, even seemingly harmless..."Oh yeah, honey, I got milk when I went out this afternoon." Two days pass and it's your kid's birthday. The party is only a couple of hours away and your sweetie starts to bake the cake. They reach for the milk and, sure enough, it's nowhere to be found. "I thought you said you got milk! We won't be able to finish the cake in time!" Maybe you rush out and buy a cake from the bakery, but you didn't know that that was the last straw, the last "little fib" your sweetheart could stand. You might get a piece of that cake, but you're going to get an earful of something not quite as sweet later on. Uh-oh..."the little cracks...they escalated".

I recognize that is a tiny example, but it does bear witness to how even a seemingly harmless lie can end up doing far more damage than you could have imagined. What about when drastic times call for drastic measures and you're tempted to tell a big lie? Start keeping the truth straight in the small things...you'll find the exercise will help you to move those bigger barriers when you come to them.

Alongside the demon-possessed, crippled, poor, and outcast, Jesus encountered liars. But these liars weren't people on the street trying to make excuses for their sins. They were the intellects and philosophers of the Jewish culture. Here's what Jesus said to a group of them in the Gospel of St. John:

"I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father." They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father " Jesus said to them, "If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham. But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do.You are doing the deeds of your father " They said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God." Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8: 38-44)

Jesus speaks strongly here, but not so strongly or harshly that we can't hear His loving admonition; if God is our Father we will love the Lord and serve Him. Do you know that God is your Father? Reach out to Him, and ask Him to fill your heart with truth, with the glorious light of His word, and ask Him to shatter the shadows and dispel the darkness of sin within your life. Pray that God will lead us all to the Truth, and grant us the grace and strength to share it in a world of misrepresentation and deceit. He'll do it! He cares you and for all of His children. So pray, and remember that Jesus prayed for you:

"But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth." (John 17: 13-17)

See you tomorrow - E.T.