What's in a Movie?

Most people who know me, know that I enjoy watching movies.  As I think through what kinds of films are my favorite, it's hard to come up with a specific genre that I like best.  The best way to describe my favorites might just be saying something as simple as the films that are well-made and thought out.

Unfortunately, as simple of a statement as that is, it's hardly easy to come by in today's culture.  Maybe I shouldn't say that it's hard to come by but that you need to do some searching to find it.  You're not necessarily going to see trailers for these kinds of films during primetime television.  These films are not the ones with the highest weekend gross.  Oftentimes, these films are not the ones that are garnering major awards or critical reviews, but they are the ones that, in my opinion, can best be defined as "art."

I must admit that there are times when all I want to do is laugh.  Laughter is therapeutic, a salve for my wounded soul, and finding a silly or stupid comedy that can have me fully engaged in side-splitting laughter is a necessity at times.  But even the answer to the question of what is funny has significantly changed.  The latest string of "funny" movies seems to be more about sexual and gross-out humor than anything else.  Once upon a time, not too long ago, it seems that we could be a little bit more creative than that.  While Steve Martin had his fair share of crudeness, there are few things that can get me laughing like the line, "He hates these cans" from "The Jerk."  Once upon a time, we were able to be funny without having to delve into new and deeper levels of crudeness.

Recently, some friends of mine watched a film that stirred them enough to have posted to the Facebook world about what they had seen.  I was inspired when I saw these posts, realizing that they had been touched by creativity and art, they had experienced poignancy within film that does not happen as often as we would like it to.  It's helped me to realize the need to reboot my movie blog, where I would review films that moved me or inspired me in some way.

The problem is, there are crummy movies coming up on every side.  I won't even get into some of the movies that are offered by the Christian community as art.  Every time I think about those films, I remember back to history class when the center of art and culture was the church, providing creativity that set the pace for culture.  It can hardly be said that this is the case for today.  We're pulling decent films off of the shelf because of "objectionable content" and thinking that our own little whitewashed worlds paint more of a reality than someone who was born into circumstances far beyond their control.

To find good films, one has to look.  I have often been surprised, pleasantly so, at where I have found these kinds of films.  Sometimes I have found them in the bargain bin of a retail chain, other times it was through the recommendation of an acquaintance, still other times it was during a bout with insomnia on late night television.  Regardless of how I found them, they were there, waiting to be discovered and appreciated.

The advantage of living in an age of technology is that we don't have to settle for what some try to pass off as art when in reality is it just mindless drivel.  Instead, we can take to the internet and discover things for ourselves, branching out to find things of beauty and creativity, not with the latest actors making their millions, but with artists who simply have a story to tell.  If you seek it, you can find it.

Now, don't get me wrong, I like a good action film, comedy film, adventure film, or thriller just as much as the next guy, but sometimes, I actually want to watch a film that will stretch my mind and make me think.  Thankfully, they're out there waiting to be found.  I'm going on an adventure to see what's out there.

In the World

Lifeway’s recent decision to pull “The Blind Side” from their shelves has been troubling me since it started showing up in the press last week.  There have been varied numbers of people within the Christian community who have shared their views on this issue.  They have expressed themselves well and I would encourage you, if you are so inclined, to read them.  I have put links below:

http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/19736

http://rachelheldevans.com/christian-bookstores-chokehold

http://www.eyvonnesharp.com/what-i-dont-want-to-say/

http://www.christianpost.com/news/christians-upset-over-lifeways-removal-of-the-blind-side-77806/

http://www.christianpost.com/news/new-sbc-president-supports-lifeways-the-blind-side-removal-76920/

If you are not familiar with what happened, here’s the brief story.  The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) recently resolved at their convention meeting at the end of June to remove the movie, “The Blind Side” from their denomination’s bookstore’s (LIfeway) shelves.  As soon as the press got a hold of it, they all told the story, painting Lifeway and Southern Baptists as ignorant prudes who miss the point of a good, redemptive story by focusing on the “impure” aspects of it.

After doing some research on this whole story, I’ve discovered a different side of this story.  Turns out that the pastor who made a big deal about the movie, although I still don’t agree with him, began a resolution within his own state’s Southern Baptist Convention back in 2010, the same year that Lifeway began selling the movie.  So, in fairness to him, his objections to the film’s sales seem to have occurred fairly quickly after the chain began selling the movie.  But why did it take two years for it to get to the national level?  Other than selling tons of copies of the film, what else occurred during this time within Lifeway?

Like I said, I don’t have a problem if people choose to filter the things that they watch, listen to, and read.  In my opinion, we need to be careful about doing this as it can certainly promote a very one-sided viewpoint of issues.  But the removable of objectionable material within stores and especially homes, I understand and even support that.  To that end though, I question as to what caused Lifeway to have allowed the film to be sold in the first place.  If someone within the organization had viewed it prior to the chain agreeing to sell the film, would this whole situation have been eliminated?  Did someone watch it?  I would hope that Lifeway has learned a valuable lesson through all of this: monitor and approve what you are selling to avoid embarrassments like this in the future.

As I stewed over this situation and this post, I began to think about the things that the chain sells.  To be honest, there are things that are being sold in there every day that are objectionable to me.  Some of the T-shirts, bumper stickers, movies, and books are downright offensive to me as a follower of Jesus Christ, but that’s really another post.  Part of this Florida pastor’s objection was probably due to the store’s association with his denomination, which I can somewhat understand, but don’t be surprised when a world that desperately needs to hear about Jesus turns a deaf ear to Christ followers after instances like this.  While I’m not encouraging us to all go out and watch films depicting gratuitous amounts of sex, violence, and language, anyone who steps into a mall, a school, or even a place of business knows that things are far from sanitary in those places.  Depending on the neighborhoods where you reside, it might just be a matter of stepping out your front door to hear things that you don’t necessarily promote within the confines or your house.

My biggest struggle with this is that it comes across as a promotion for a “better time” when Leave It To Beaver and Father Knows Best ruled the airwaves, when family conflicts were resolved in half an hour.  Life can be very messy, I have experienced that firsthand over the last 18 months.  Things don’t always fit neatly into a box.  Sometimes things spill over and they’re not pleasant, they offend, they hurt.  Sometimes, while attempting to filter out certain offensive aspects of mediums like movies and books, we miss the greater story and the greater good that is being portrayed through it all.  As some of my fellow bloggers have written, there are some fairly objectionable stories within the Bible that could easily be sanitized and actually have been.  How much of the story of Jonah do kids really get?  It usually has a happy ending.  Ever read the end of the Book of Jonah?  It’s far from a happy ending?  Ever read the Book of Judges?  Tent stakes through a man’s head.  A knife thrust into the obese belly of a king and the fact closing in over it.  I just wonder what happens with these stories.

Throughout the narrative of Scripture, the people of God are called to be different, to act differently, to speak differently, and to live differently.  The New Testament writers speak of not being conformed to the pattern of this world.  Theologians have written books about Christ and culture.  There is to be a difference between those who consider themselves followers of Jesus and those who don’t.  My concern is that sometimes those differences look foolish not because of Jesus but because of us.  It’s one thing to look foolish over the radical and reckless message of the Cross, it’s another thing to look foolish because, well, we just look foolish.

There’s so much more to say on this and I hope to in days to come.  In the meantime, there are a few takeaways that I see from all of this.  First of all, be informed.  Make sure that you do your best to get the whole picture of the story.  It’s easy to think that everything I need to know I can learn from Fox News, CNN, CNBC, or even Yahoo! News, but we really need to explore further to get a broader picture.  If you own a store or promote something, make sure you are informed as possible about it.  Second of all, think about your reactions to things, they may look perfectly acceptable to you, but think about the message that might be conveyed through you reactions.  Not to say that you back down from reactions based upon how others view them, but there might be a different way of conveying it that maintains a witness without losing face with those who we are trying to be a witness to.

As long as we live in this world, we will constantly struggle with how to live.  I am sure that many of us will have our differences in this area.  The key in all of it is to try to keep the conversation going, we can all learn from each other in the midst of it all.

What's Going On?

At the risk of sounding like an old man, I write this post.  It’s kind of funny what sparks ideas and thoughts in my head.  Monday morning, I was simply perusing the movie times to see if I would be able to work out going to see “The Avengers” with a friend this week.  As much of a movie fan that I am, with three kids and nearing the end of my seminary education, I just don’t get to the theater as often as I would like.  Of course, if you don’t have the money to go to the “big screen,” you can wait a few months and catch it on DVD or Blu-Ray.

I was pretty disappointed to see that the movie times were not really conducive to someone who has little kids or a job that they need to get to in the morning.  My ranting on Facebook turned into a dialogue that really got me thinking about who is being targeted by Hollywood and the entertainment industry in general.  It seems that I am not really the one being targeted by this industry.

There are obviously the emotional elements that come with the realization that  one has moved past the targeted age range of a specific industry, but I don’t really think that was what was bothering me.  A friend made a valid comment on Facebook that,

It really got me thinking about the progression of the entertainment industry and where it has come from since its inception so many years ago.  We've come a long way, possibly in the wrong direction since some of the great music and movies of yesteryear.  I always find it interesting and encouraging to see the next generation embrace the classic rock of the 1960's that was quality.  There was some good acoustic rock that came out in the 1970's to counteract the disco movement.  Of course, there were even groups like KISS that embraced the disco movement, but we won't go there.

I'm not sure when it happened, but somehow, shock value took the place of actual value.  Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Shawn Colvin were replaced by the likes of Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and Nicki Minaj.  While some of the latter may be talented, it seems like they've set aside their talent for the things that seem to sell.  Have you seen videos of Lady Gaga before she got big?  When you strip away some of the glitz, she's got some talent.

Somehow, we've got all of these tools and instead of using them to enhance our creativity and a gifting, we use them to replace or overshadow them.  Seriously, have we been "Auto Tuned" to death?  Have you seen the latest Mr. Rogers Auto Tune extravaganza?  How about Antoine Dodson?  Are we tired of music that says nothing, put together with simplistic lyrics?  Have we had enough of a lack of creativity?

Then there's movies.  I was remarking to someone today that there are some classic movies out there that didn't have tons of special effects but their stories were phenomenal, with the ability to grip the viewer from the first moment on.  Instead of using special effects as the main gist of the movie and the plot, we need to use them to enhance the story and plot, not replace it.

It seems like this is nothing new though.  What are the first programs that get cut in schools when there is a budget crisis?  The arts.  We take away music classes and art classes, stripping away the opportunity for the next generation to use and enhance their creativity.  We don't create free and creative thinkers, we create robots who will strive to do things that will make them money.  While it might seem like money might make the world go 'round, it certainly doesn't solve the problems of the world.  Creative thinkers are the ones who turn the dreams of today into the realities of tomorrow.

While many musicians have protested the ability of music to be shared and stolen via the internet, it may have been one of the greatest things to spark our creativity.  No longer do artists need big recording contracts to get ahead.  With a few thousand bucks, they can put together a recording to get their name out there via the internet.  Some of the best new artists are the ones who have stripped away a lot of the fancy tools in favor of a more organic sound.

Check out John Mayer's new album, inspired by the Laurel Canyon artists of the 60's and 70's.  Have you heard The Civil Wars?  Mumford and Sons?  Midlake?  There's some quality music coming down the pike, and it's not all coming from the big name companies.  Some of the best stuff actually started as independent releases.  Go find any college town and you will find some quality music.  R.E.M., the Indigo Girls, Dave Matthews Band, they all started out playing to college audiences.  How far they have come.

The other day, I loaded my CD player for dinner (yes, some people still use CD players).  I thought to myself, what do I need to expose my kids to?  What did I choose?  Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, and Stevie Wonder.  If my kids reach middle school without being schooled in quality music, shame on me.

Sure, there are plenty of more important things that I need to instill in my children, but to me, creativity breeds creativity.  The opposite is probably true as well.  Some of the greatest musical moments that I have had in my own life have come after sitting through a concert that moved me and inspired me to write something that might inspire as well.

I refuse to build up the next generation in ignorance of what quality and creativity are all about.  I guess I've been pretty slack in this, but I have begun to see what happens when my kids hear music.  They've been going around singing a song from the latest Muppets movie, and if I'm around, I will generally join in.  It seems pretty cool to me that we've introduced a new generation to the Muppets.

There are plenty of things that our kids can learn from school, but there are certain things that they might only learn from us.  If arts and music gets cut in school, I want to be the one to teach those things to my kids.  They might not seem so important to you, but to me, they are what will breed the changes of tomorrow.  I think I need to go cue up some Marvin Gaye so I can tell my kids what's going on!

A Man and His Dog

I'm a pretty big movie buff, but my life has helped me to put that on hold over the past few years. I still enjoy a good movie, but the theater experience is a commodity these days, one that I don't get to experience as often as I would like. Of course, the cost of going to the theater to see a film rivals dinner at as moderately priced restaurant and when your time and dates are limited, the dinner usually wins out.

All that to say, I generally get a chance to see movies that are mainstream if I have the desire. Red Box and I are friends. I have also grown friendly with my local public libraries which not only give me a good dose of films but also offers them in HD with Blu Ray...for free. Unfortunately though, I movie browse the way that I shop, with an idealistic eye. In other words, knowing that movies are due two weeks later, I somehow always manage to think that I have more time than I really do to watch all of the movies that I check out.

Last time I was at the library, I checked out "Marley and Me." I had heard things about it when it came out, but never had the chance to see it. Frankly, there are some movies of which I know the outcome that are mood pieces, I just need to be in the right state of mind to view them. Tonight felt like the right night to watch "Marley and Me."

Now, I rarely ever go into movies "cold," not knowing the basic premise and plot. "Marley and Me" was no exception. Of course, anyone with kids knows how your perspective changes pretty drastically when you have that as the lens through which you look at life. So, I knew what I was in for, or at least had a vague idea that tears would most likely be involved with the viewing of this movie.

I nearly announced to my wife at the end of the movie, "And that's why we'll never have a dog." Thankfully, sometimes I actually think before I say something. I thought about it and even convinced myself that my mind was made up, but I have lived too much life to really think that I can say "I will never" and actually get away with it. After all, I grew up with a dog.

His name was Smokey. He was a German Schnauzer and we got him from a family in our church. He had had some issues with children in the neighborhood where he used to live, potentially having had them throw rocks and other things at him. He wasn't crazy about kids for that reason, but he took to my brother and I just fine. When my parents discovered that I had allergies, they were glad for a short-haired dog that did not shed. So we kept him.

One time, when we were on vacation, he stayed across town with some friends of the family. Somehow he managed to get loose and make his way across town to our house. Smokey was a smart dog. We always knew that he would come back when we let him outside.

My family went to Florida during a February vacation one year. When we arrived home, we let Smokey out to do what it is that dogs do outside. It was snowing at the time, and he didn't come home. My dad searched and searched. He called for him and heard nothing. This was so unusual. So we waited.

I don't remember exactly how long we waited, but it must have been long enough that winter was gone. One day we got a phone call from another family in our church. The railroad tracks that took trains from New Haven to New York ran behind our house, some kids had spotted a dog that they thought might be Smokey on the tracks. My dad took the call and hopped in his car.

It seemed like among the longest moments in my life. It also may have been the first time that I ever saw my dad cry. I remember that we were standing at the top of the stairs when he came home. I heard the downstairs door shut and there was a pause which seemed longer than usual before I heard the double doors to the upstairs open and heard my father begin to ascend. One look at his face gave us the answer that we had dreaded, the answer that we had hoped and prayed was not true. It was a pretty awful day.

Not too long ago, my dad brought Smokey up in a conversation. He actually mentioned his crying and the heartbreak that he experienced that day. Of course, we have all been through much more since then, but dogs capture your hearts, if you let them. We let Smokey into our home and he did just that, he was part of our family.

I don't know if I will ever agree to let my kids have a dog. As 40 looms in the not-too-distant future, I almost feel as if I would be backtracking. I mean, most people use dogs as their litmus test for kids. If you can take care of a dog, maybe you can take care of a kid. Now that I have 3 kids, getting a dog defeats that purpose. They usually can't let themselves out or feed themselves, no matter how old they get. You still have to get babysitters for them, no matter how old they get.

And one day, when the day arrives for them to come to the end of your life, they tear your heart out because they loved you unconditionally when the rest of the world kept telling you that you never measured up to what they thought you should be. Yeah, I could see myself having a dog, but I don't know if I could handle all that it means. I guess it comes down to whether or not I will believe the words of the great poet, Alfred, Lord Tennyson who said, "'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."