Where the Wild Things Are

Don and I celebrated my birthday today. We were hoping to go to the firing range or maybe to play putt-putt, but alas, the day was cold and dreary, so we decided to go to a movie. There were none we particularly wanted to see, so we chose “Where the Wild Things Are,” just because we thought it would be clean and wholesome.

Well, it was pretty clean, but that was about all either of us could say about it. It was loosely based on the children’s book by Maurice Sendak, but I realize now that it isn’t really a book that was ever meant to be a movie. The movie had a cast of depressed characters, who never really resolved their issues. Don used the words “existential” and “godless” to describe it. I wouldn’t consider it very suitable for children, but not exactly exciting for adults either.

Oh well. We had a fun date anyway, but if you’re thinking of going to see that movie, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it.

20 Movies

If you're friends with me on Facebook, I'm sorry you have to see this twice, but I thought it was an interesting little activity. I was challenged to, in 20 minutes, list 20 movies that have made an impact on my life. Here is what I came up with, in no particular order:

1. The Sound of Music
2. Mr. Holland’s Opus
3-5. Back to the Future (1, 2 & 3)
6. My Big Fat Greek Wedding
7. Steel Magnolias
8-9. Parent Trap (1961 & 2005)
10. Bucket List
11. Beaches
12. Cast Away
13. Dances With Wolves
14. Dead Poet’s Society
15. The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe (2006)
16. Music of the Heart
17. Titanic
18. Patch Adams
19. A Christmas Story
20. National Treasure (1)

What movies have impacted your life?

Hotel for Dogs

Don and I watched this movie recently. It was a comedy at times and a tearjerker at others. The only actor/actress I recognized was Lisa Kudrow, who was in “Friends” and “Mad About You.”

The story line, while a little silly, was also touching. The main characters are two kids, ages 11 and 16. Their parents died several years before, and they have gotten caught up in the foster system. The movie flashes a picture of them with their parents holding a white puppy. Apparently they wanted to keep the dog after their parents died, but were not allowed to, so they proceeded to try to hide him the whole time. This leads to the “dog hotel” concept, which you will understand when you watch the movie.

Rated PG, this movie was pretty clean -- I don’t remember any foul language (but these days mild ones sometimes go right over my head). There weren’t any sexual innuendoes or serious violence. There is a bit of slightly crude “potty” humor involving dogs.

I would recommend this as a lighthearted family movie, especially for dog lovers.

Fireproof

Don and I watched this movie last night.

Kirk Cameron (Caleb) is a fireman whose marriage is falling apart. Neither he nor his wife is willing to admit fault, and they are headed for divorce. Then Caleb’s dad steps in and gives his son a challenge that changes his life.

I won’t tell the whole story, but this is a movie that makes you realize the importance of your marriage vows and how easily things can slip in to destroy your allegiance. It is very realistic and hits on issues that commonly cause problems in today’s marriages: money and materialism, lack of communication, general self-centeredness, pornography, the temptation of infidelity and more.

One important lesson the movie reminded me of is that you can’t look to another person, even a spouse, to fulfill you. Only God can do that. I think if more people realized this, the divorce rate would probably be much lower. In making this point, the movie conveys the plan of salvation.

When things get too serious, it cuts to scenes that bring in a little humor. Don calls this "comic relief."

I highly recommend Fireproof, especially for married couples, though I would think single people would enjoy and benefit from it as well. It is both entertaining and thought-provoking and provides a very valuable message that every couple should be reminded of, whether your marriage is currently experiencing difficulties or not.

The Cost of Political Correctness

"He who refuses to study the past is destined to live it again." This was quoted to me by a history teacher in high school. I scoffed at it -- I didn’t enjoy history at the time -- but I never forgot it. And the longer I live, the more I see for myself that it is true.

Don and I watched the movie Song of the South (best known for the song "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah") last night, which someone loaned me. I didn’t ask questions. The movie has never been released for home viewing in the United States, so I knew I had a rare treasure on my hands.

Why has it never been released? Disney does have some quirks about what they release and when, but the word is that the racial issues in the movie are now considered politically incorrect.

The movie never states exactly when it is set, but it was apparently around the time of the Civil War. It depicts black people (now called "African Americans") as slaves, or possibly recently-released slaves who chose to stay on with their owner, who seems for the most part to show them kindness. They speak in a dialect that is rarely heard today and are basically subservient to the white people in the movie.

One of the main characters, a black man named Uncle Remus, develops a close bond with the children in the film, both white and black, captivating them with his stories, teaching them to laugh and be happy in spite of their circumstances, and to stand up for themselves. He eventually helps to save a white boy’s life, and is a hero when the story ends. The film was released in 1946, and at that time it was not considered controversial.

So why is it so controversial now? Our society seemingly can’t accept this movie now because it depicts black people as slaves. Though it may seem harsh, the truth is, slavery REALLY HAPPENED. The movie is fictionalized, but, as far as I can tell, historically accurate, though some may object that it glosses over the horrific aspects of slavery.

Are we denying the past in favor of political correctness? Do we not want our children to know what happened in the history of our country: how a race of people was wrongly treated, and what it took to correct the problem? This movie doesn’t directly depict all of this, but I believe that’s the essence of why it hasn’t been released.

Perhaps if we had studied that time in our history more closely, we would have been kept from making a mistake which, in my way of thinking, has many similarities to slavery: the legalization of abortion. Once again, we are regarding a group of people as less than human, treating them in heinous ways because we find it necessary to support our own way of life. I believe that somewhere in everyone’s heart they know this is wrong, but they are more afraid of losing their freedom than they are of having to answer to God.

It took some of the darkest days in our nation’s history to end slavery. A country divided, a horrible war fought in which over 1,000,000 soldiers were either killed or maimed. Many people lost all they had. Freed slaves found themselves without shelter or food. A president was assassinated. The country, though legally united afterward, still felt a huge rift for many years to come. I believe that even now, nearly 150 years later, we are still suffering the consequences of all this in some ways.

Will it take something so horrible to end abortion as well? What about all the other things going on in our country today that ignore God’s commandments?

I believe the breach between those who stand for what is right and those who stand for what is wrong is growing greater and greater. I don’t think it’s something that’s just going to work itself out. I hope and pray that it won’t take another civil war or something worse to bring our country back around to what it should be, that we will learn from history before it has to repeat itself. May God have mercy on us all.

An American Carol

Don and I went to see the movie An American Carol this weekend. Hmmm . . .

It was a takeoff on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. "Scrooge" was Michael Malone, who was a parody of liberal filmmaker Michael Moore. He was played by Kevin Farley. He is campaigning to banish the 4th of July because he hates America. He is visited by 3 spirits: John F. Kennedy, General Patton and George Washington, who basically whip him into shape.

Produced by the same person who produced The Naked Gun, it contains much of the same stupid humor, but unlike that movie (in my opinion), it actually makes some good points. The spirits show Michael Malone why war is necessary, both now and in the past, and what the consequences could be if we didn’t fight. They help him see that America really is a great country, and our freedom is worth fighting for. It takes jabs at Rosie O’Donnell, the ACLU, liberal universities, war protestors, universal healthcare, Jimmy Carter, homosexuality, higher taxes, and other liberal people and issues. (I’m sure there were some that went over my head.)

There were a number of celebrity appearances: Gary Coleman, Jon Voigt, Dennis Hopper, Bill O’Reilly, Kelsey Grammar, Trace Adkins and Paris Hilton, to name a few. This movie is endorsed by Rush Limbaugh. He suggests going to see it if, for no other reason, to support this kind of movie over the many liberal ones that are coming out.

Rated PG-13, there was quite a bit of vulgarity, mostly language, but if you can get past this and enjoy warped humor, I think the movie is entertaining, has a good message and is worth seeing. I left it feeling very patriotic and thankful for our country and the freedom we have.

Bella

Last night Don and I watched the movie "Bella." I really didn’t know what it was about but had heard it was good. Don was only convinced to watch it with me because Rush Limbaugh had recommended it on his website as one of his current favorites.

The rating was PG-13; it was clean, but there were some disturbing scenes – probably not for young children.

I was pretty well captivated from the beginning. Don got a little bored in parts of it (he prefers action), but he seemed to like it better as it progressed. The characters are very real and the story line, without being judgmental, demonstrates the sanctity of human life and the beauty of unselfish giving. It also portrays Latin Americans in a very positive light.

I won’t spoil it by revealing the ending, but let me say that Don and I both had tears running down our faces when it was over (he gave me permission to share this). The thing that’s significant about this is that I have known my husband for four and a half years, and I have NEVER seen him cry before.

If you’re looking for a wholesome movie that is a bit gut-wrenching, this is one to see.

P.S.: Happy 11th Anniversary Andy and Melissa!

Cool Thing to Know: The Metro (Nashville) Library has videos and DVD’s you can check out for a week at a time at no charge. They have almost any movie you would want, and will sometimes order one for you if you request it. I’m sure other cities offer this service as well.