Night Crossing is an older movie (1981), about a time that should never be forgotten but could easily be. It is based on the true story of two families, the Strelzyks and the Wetzels. They lived in Germany when it was divided into east and west and the people in the east (where these families lived), weren’t allowedContinue reading ““I’m Glad We Tried” (Night Crossing)”
Category Archives: At the Movies
How Much Is Too Much? (The King’s Speech)
I wanted to like The King’s Speech. I had heard good things about it, I like period pieces, I love period pieces having to do with England (Atonement, Remains of the Day, Howard’s End, etc). Plus, our youngest daughter is pursuing a degree in speech pathology. Everything seemed like it was lined up. It just didn’t happen. ItContinue reading “How Much Is Too Much? (The King’s Speech)”
Honoring Marriage
Disclaimer: this little piece is less about the movie Australia and more about how sexuality is portrayed in the movies. Australia is too much for my tastes: too long (at about 2 hours and 40 minutes), it’s too predictable, and it tries too hard to incorporate and pattern itself after two great movies made in 1939 (Gone with theContinue reading “Honoring Marriage”
Hope And The Upward Pull (Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close)
Hope is like a swing that pulls us upward. At least, that’s what the movie Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close would have us to believe. Oskar Schell is a nine-year-old boy who lost his father and his way in the events of 9/11 or as he refers to it, the worst day. He has some form of autismContinue reading “Hope And The Upward Pull (Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close)”
History And His Story (Be Kind Rewind)
Be Kind Rewind is a quirky sort of movie that has something to say about change, nostalgia, and community. What I have to say here is really less about the movie itself and more about the modern mindset reflected in one of the movie’s pivotal scenes. The setup is that some people in the town of Passaic,Continue reading “History And His Story (Be Kind Rewind)”
Great Expectations (My Sister’s Keeper)
We went to see a movie that was adapted from a popular novel. Of the three of us, only one had read the book. It wasn’t a great movie and when I was told how the novel ended, it was puzzling to me why the movie deviated so significantly (the books’ ending sounded much moreContinue reading “Great Expectations (My Sister’s Keeper)”
Going Viral (Contagion)
The movie Contagion reminds us where the phrase going viral comes from. Set in the present, it tells the story of two organizations (the Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization), trying to control the rapid spread of an unknown virus. But it’s not a sensationalistic, techno-thriller, with a single storyline of man vs. mutating virus. Instead, it’s severalContinue reading “Going Viral (Contagion)”
Getting In The Way Of God (Freedomland)
Freedomland is a gritty little picture about people in need of redemption (are there any other kind?). There’s a woman named Brenda, whose young son has died as a result of her negligence. Rather than admit to this, she has secretly buried his body and concocted a story about having her automobile carjacked while her son was inContinue reading “Getting In The Way Of God (Freedomland)”
Feeling God’s Pleasure (Chariots Of Fire)
You’d have to go a long way to find a better movie, or better subject for a movie, than Chariots of Fire and Eric Liddell. Though he was born in China (his parents were missionaries there), Liddell was Scottish. He had a heart for God that shined through absolutely everything he did. The movie focuses primarily upon Liddell’sContinue reading “Feeling God’s Pleasure (Chariots Of Fire)”
Consider Yourself At Home (Oliver)
Oliver! is the stage adaptation of the Dickens’s classic, Oliver Twist. It was later made into a movie which won several academy awards, including picture of the year. Whether it’s the book, the play, of the movie, the gist of the story concerns a nine year old orphan named Oliver and his struggle to survive. As the story begins,Continue reading “Consider Yourself At Home (Oliver)”
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 