Another Earth
(5 out of 5)
Another Earth
I have always believed that the best movies are ones you discover when you weren’t looking for them. Another Earth, the movie, was one of those surprisingly quirky, thoughtful, and heart moving tales of people finding themselves in difficult situations. It is packed mildly in science fiction genre packaging – but it is a tale of young idealistic hope and promise that is immediately slapped down with the existential reality of life and tragedy. All of that happens within the first 10 minutes – and the rest of the movie is a tale of redemption, self -discovery, forgiveness, reconciliation, hope, starting over and sacrificial living.
It is artfully done - slower and thoughtful, philisophical. If you want action - this is not the movie for you. If you want a kind hearted movie that is also realistically painful and full of redemption and hope - then you will like this movie.
There is no nudity or foul language but some suggestively intimate moments - and an attempted suicide.
If you don’t want any more spoilers stop reading now.
The story begins with a radio DJ announcing there is an “earth-like,” planet that has just become visible in the night sky as a small blue light. Over the next four years the planet gets closer and closer to our earth – and it is discovered that it is exactly like our earth. It has the same landmasses, the same buildings and ultimately the same people – a parallel earth. Throughout the movie people discuss what it might be like to encounter your “other you.” Questions are posed: What would we ask ourselves? Would our lives be different there based on the choices we made?
In this story, when the earth first appears a newly graduated high school student is driving drunk and kills a man’s whole family. She goes to jail for four years and gets out and goes to the house of the man whose family she killed. She goes to apologize but is too afraid to do it – so she instead claims to be a maid and offers services. Soon, she is caring for him and falling in love with him.
There is a side character who is also fighting demons of his own – and the solution to all of them is wrapped up in “forgiveness.” Specifically, this is a tale of learning to forgive yourself for not being “perfect.”
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HUGO
(3 out of 5)
HUGO
Hugo is a cinematic beauty, with a slow thoughtful pace, a gentle spirit and just enough conflict to keep you concerned without being stressful. It is PG but not action packed really enough for young kids to keep interested, I would guess. The seven 8th grade kids I took enjoyed it enough but did NOT walk out of the theatre saying “wow, that was great.”
It is a thoughtful movie with the main themes being:
1. Everyone has a part to play in this world
2. When people fulfill their purpose in this world they help others
3. People may not appreciate you in the short run, but those who are faithful will one day be looked on with appreciation and thankfulness
4. We all need somebody to care enough about us to help us with the wounds that we carry.
There are plenty of stories of redemption here.
No foul language, violence, sexual situation - and a little brief intense action.
Yours,
Pastor Ben
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X Men First Class
(3 out of 5)
 Set during the Cuban Missile Crisis there have been a group of humans that have been mutating (presumably a result of environment, stress, nuclear experimentation, and evolution). Each of the mutants have certain gifts that are unique to them. Some have the power to send huge energy blasts, while others can absorb energy. Others have the ability to fly, read minds, or disappear or reappear.
As with all super heroes – with these new powers comes great responsibility. Yada, yada, yada. I think we have all heard or seen this premise done before in countless movies. In this case, we have the added tension of the government wanting to control the special power because clearly some of the mutants are out not to help people but to bring them harm. And the quickest way to solve this problem is to regulate the use of superpowers. One group of mutants are deciding to work with the government while another group is clearly against the government. There is a third group that develops which is neither for, nor against the government –but doesn’t trust it. Here we have echoes of the republican, democratic and libertarian views of power and its ability to corrupt.
All this leads me to ask – how does it relate to the church and community. Do we as a church see people’s spiritual gifts as something to be controlled and fearful of? What do we do when people take truly God given gifts and then use them to abuse others? Should we limit them? Control their ability to influence the greater community and church? What do we do about an abusive church leadership structure? How does a church of elders lead and guide one another while being neither heavy handed or negligent in empowering leaders and laying on of hands?
I think we must continually guard our hearts and manage them by the power of the Holy Spirit. We must not ignore wise counsel, nor seek to consolidate all the power in the hands of a few? We must not control others, yet we must protect the flock God has given us. We must also empower people to use their God given gifts if we value the whole body of Christ. We must empower those who are humble, kind, and willing to be faithful in the small things. If humility and love is our main aim, we may not be perfect but we will have a great likelihood of being successful in working together.
Xmen is fairly clean, has some language and intense action and violence. If you are looking for typical super hero fare without much of anything new under the sun I think you will enjoy this movie.
~Pastor Ben
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True Grit
(5 out of 5)
TRUE GRIT
The wicked run away when no one is chasing them… Proverbs 28:1
True Grit is a movie about a young lady named Mattie who wants justice. The main character is a 14-year-old girl who seeks to capture and prosecute her father’s murderer and sort out some loose ends related to her father’s estate. Mattie Ross seeks to hire a law officer named Rooster Cogburn because of his effectiveness in getting his man. Rooster Cogburn is a drunk but is also fearless. Rooster initially dismisses this young girl because he doesn’t take her seriously.
Strangely, before this movie came out, I had been telling my son that I wish a good western movie would come out. When the movie came out, and I learned about the plot and how John Wayne had first starred in this movie, I had low expectations. It seemed like an implausible and probably silly concept. I, like Rooster, doubted the idea of a young girl seeking justice in the old west.
But my low expectations helped me REALLY enjoy this movie. Mattie is brilliant and surprisingly believable in her role. And, I wish all of us, as Christians, had such conviction and unwavering determination to fight for what is right in life, for what is just. All of us need tenacity and courage. Mattie shows us what this could look like.
Rooster Cogburn is funny, his lines are delivered dryly but with great humor. I laughed out loud many times and left the theatre feeling better than when I came in. The catharsis that comes from watching justice being done felt right.
The Cohen Brother’s let their understanding of faith come out throughout the whole movie. At one time in the movie it says, “You pay for everything in this world. There is nothing free, except the grace of God.” Since I grew up a good Baptist boy, I appreciated the hymns that were sprinkled throughout the movie. The movie did have some bad language and certainly a bit of violence. It is a classic tale of good verses evil.
~Pastor Ben
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The Men Who Stare at Goats
(1 out of 5)
Main Entry:
es·o·ter·ic
Pronunciation: \?e-s?-?ter-ik, -?te-rik\
Function: adjective
1 a : designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone
The Men Who Stare at Goats – Rated R
This movie is a strange movie. I think you might could really appreciate it if you are into conspiracy theories, new age bizarre-ness, or anti-military rhetoric. And the movie states at the beginning, “More of this is true than you would probably believe.” Well, I have listened to enough late night talk radio to know that there is a huge group of people who believe in such strange ideas as “remote viewing,” and other alien mumbo jumbo and new-age crap to find this movie compelling and hilarious perhaps. But for people who are grounded in reality this movie will mostly leave you scratching your head asking yourself, “now what was that really about.”
The film features George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey (appropriately named for this movie), and Jeff bridges. The main plot is about strange covert underground new-age warfare tactics that may or may not have been used to fight battles overseas. You would have to really have some “esoteric,” knowledge of new-age thought processes, and military research and development conspiracy theories to understand and appreciate this movie. Most of the people I was watching it with fell asleep. There was lots of foul language, some nudity, and a couple of really funny scenes – but not enough (funny scenes, that is) to make the movie worth watching. I loved the part about the little plastic tool that could be used to torture people in numerous different ways and even dreamed of it the next night. (Not of torturing people mind you, but of holding it my hand. Now the more I think about it - the more I think I shouldn't have admitted that.) I’m still laughing out loud thinking about it. That being said, “don’t waste your time like we did on this movie."
Oh one more thing. There was something creepy about the new-age method of "treasure hunting," that hit close to home with some of the stuff that charismatic Christians try to do - in order to "walk by the spirit." Taking guesses at what the Holy Spirit is saying and then going out and trying to do it. Made me squirm a bit.
~Pastor Ben
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