Last night in Chicago's Grant Park, a bazillion people were enthralled by the old 1939 B & W "Young Mr. Lincoln." Really enrapt, laughing at all the jokes, enjoying the continuous melodramatic soundtrack, etc. Me, too.
YYY 1/2
A young woman who doesn't want to commit. A young man who's smitten. We usually think of it the other way around, but Summer (Zooey Deschanel—some of her best work to date) doesn't believe in "true love" or finding "the one," and Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) does.
"500 Days of Summer" is fresh, young, not-too-edgy, and uses a technique of showing scenes from the 500 days, numbered, but out of order. It works seamlessly and never feels choppy. The whole winsome-but-not-gooey romance is tied together with a soundtrack which often breaks into the story itself because Summer and Tom bond over a shared love of music (Deschanel, also a singer in real life, gets to perform—as she often does in her on-screen roles).
Where do Summer and Tom get their respective, conflicting ideas about love? A brief but important retrospective of their growing-up years tells all. Summer is the child of divorce, Tom is the child of pop culture with its hope-filled dreams. But their stubborn clinging to their fixed ideas blocks them both from facing reality. Although "500 Days" is a light touch (though not quite a romantic comedy), Tom's pain can truly be felt. Tom's advantage is that he's not alone. His buddies and his little sister all help interpret and even narrate his love life for him, with some not-too-shoddy advice. Love isn't just a private thing, it's a social thing. It's heartening to see how much the younger generation "gets right" about love. The disheartening part is the (all too true-to-life) complete trivialization of the body and sex. Even though Tom complains about the casualness of it all, it doesn't slow him down one bit. The emphasis is on the spiritual, finding a soul mate, almost to the point of a kind of "spiritualism" of male/female relationships.
I would have rated this "R" for the several coarse moments. It's true kids see this kind of stuff daily, but it's almost worse when it's portrayed in such a sweet, consequence-neutral manner. I wish I could say: "Fifteen-year-olds and up might actually benefit (with guidance for the objectionable parts and purely 'feelings' criterion for love) from the many age-old truisms and good pieces of advice regarding twenty-first century love relationships." BUT here's the problem: there's two very quick scenes (among other hopelessly dishonest scenes) of the two watching porn (we only see the video jacket). Summer says: "that looks do-able," and they try it behind a thickly clouded shower curtain. Porn is oh-so-quaint-and-harmless. No big deal. For couples. And this generation is so cool and media-jaded that they are completely in control and above-it-all when it comes to porn. Um, not. Porn is more addictive than crack cocaine. We must keep calling the bluff of this lie that is now firmly embedded in mainstream culture. There's a lot of money riding on the normalization of porn. We're supposed to nod like bobbleheads to the lie and not be shocked as we see it seeping in EVERYWHERE. Sorry, no can do. Those who work in porn prevention and recovery say that even so-called "soft porn" is a gateway drug. How unfortunate that this lovely film is marred in this most grotesque way, even though supposedly "everyone's doing it." It's such a shame that this well-crafted, sensitively acted movie is sugar coating dollops of poison.
The ambience of the movie incorporates a huge swath of influences from foreign films, the 60's, jazz, literature, art, architecture—in which we can feel the protagonists sincerely reaching out for meaning, authenticity and beauty. An attempt is made to make the city of Los Angeles a character in the movie, but it doesn't happen. The clichés ring true that the city of L. A. rings hollow (I lived there for five years): soul-less, history-less, community/communion-less. Instead, the city almost stands as a cautionary symbol of what can happen when we don't risk, don't commit, don't suffer in love.
Summer is reminiscent of the genuine-love-phobic Holly (Audrey Hepburn) in "Breakfast at Tiffanys" (a movie that many young people today are re-discovering and "trust"—in their own words!) A line from the movie states: "People DO belong to each other." We don't need movies from 1961 or 2009 to tell us so, but "Breakfast" and "500 Days" certainly reinforce our own conviction that love trumps all.
In the end, "500 Days" is Tom's fated/fatalist/determinist/magic-pixie-dust idea of love versus Summer's serious/troubled/sad/it-never-works-out-so-let's-just-have-fun idea of love. The truth about love is somewhere in between.
"Love consists of a commitment which limits one's freedom—it is a giving of the self, and to give oneself means to limit one's freedom on behalf of the other. This might seem to be something negative or unpleasant, but love makes it a positive, joyful and creative thing. "Freedom exists for the sake of love. Man longs for love more than for freedom—freedom is the means, and love is the end." --JP2G, "Love and Responsibility"
There's no God in the movie. BUT there is an attempt to match earthly events with some kind of cosmic significance. (The primal religious impulse. Which is good, but left to itself it becomes superstition.) I wanted to stand up in the theater and shout: "Yes! Yes! There is a cosmic significance to your relationships--and it starts with the body!" Theology. Of. The. Body. "The body and it alone makes visible the mystery: the spiritual and the divine." TOB #76.
An O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi"-style exchange of gifts is given and both Summer and Tom are better for it. At the beginning of the movie we were warned that this was not a love story. But it is.
Fr. Robert Barron Enters Year for Priests with an Online Mission to Spread the Gospel
Chicago, July 31, 2009 – Fr. Robert Barron is one of the world's great and innovative teachers of Catholicism. Chicago's Cardinal George calls him one of the Church's best messengers. He is a prominent theologian, author and sought-after speaker, and now the priest from the Archdiocese of Chicago is using today's technology to evangelize the culture. Barron founded Word On Fire Catholic Ministries, a global media organization, and hopes to attract millions into or back to the Catholic faith.
At the hub of Word On Fire is an interactive website (www.WordOnFire.org) with newly launched features which invite visitors on a journey and into a conversation about faith and life. "Our website is incredibly dynamic," raved Fr. Barron. "Every day, every where, visitors can visit our site to deepen their faith and bring the peace of Christ to their otherwise chaotic worlds."
Resources can be found in a variety of formats from articles and books, to CDs and DVDs, as well as YouTube videos, radio sermons and television programs. Visitors to the Word On Fire website can take a virtual pilgrimage with Fr. Barron as he films his most ambitious venture, The CATHOLICISM Project. A landmark epic series about the Catholic faith, The CATHOLICISM Project takes visitors to Rome, the Holy Land, Mexico, France, Poland, Germany and Spain.
"People spend a mammoth amount of time at their computers every day," stated Barron. "And just as Christ took the message of the Gospel to the people of his time, we have harnessed the use of emerging technologies to go out into the four corners of the globe."
The mission of Word On Fire is to draw people into the Body of Christ, which is the Church, and thereby gives them access to all the gifts that Jesus wants his people to enjoy. Word On Fire places an emphasis on the use of innovative communication technologies and contemporary forms of media. The website is a one-stop shop where visitors can learn about and be inspired by the Catholic faith.
"We have designed an interactive site where people can gain knowledge about the faith from not only our content, but they can also learn from one another," said Fr. Barron. "New content is being developed and produced every day and we invite people to visit WordOnFire.org and explore everything it has to offer."
The website was originally launched in 1999 and currently draws over 300,000 visitors each year from every continent.
Fr. Barron is available for interviews. Please contact Christine Schicker with The Maximus Group at 404-610-8871.
For Immediate Release
July 22, 2009
Hollywood Above the Line
Act One Mourns the Loss of Kerry Brown,
WP 2000
Please join us in praying for the repose of the soul of Kerry Brown, an Act One alum from the Summer Writing Program, 2000 and for his family.
Wake and funeral services were held last Friday in Chicago at the Gatlings Chapel, 10133 S Halsted, IL followed by the burial at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Chicago.
Brian Bird, part of the Act One Faculty and Mentor to Kerry remembers his friend in the following message.
When I received the email Sunday morning, July 12, I felt the universe tear a little bit. Just two weeks earlier, I had spent hours on the phone with my friend Kerry Brown, going scene by scene through his director's cut of his first independent film, "Leaders." We talked about pacing and how to cut around some not insignificant sound and continuity problems and moments where his actors felt they knew better than him how to play those moments -- which clearly they didn't. But mostly I told him how proud I was of him for not giving up on his 9-year dream to direct a film he first conceived in Act One as a member of the Class of 2000. It was a script I mentored him through way back then, and then again a year ago when he found an angel to put up enough money for him to make it more than a student film.
Kerry was a frail young man physically. He had suffered from a relentless pulmonary condition and congestive heart failure for a long time. But he was not frail of spirit or optimism. He was a spiritual lion. A devourer of scripture. Conan the Interceder. Because of his physical condition, he was not always able to work, so during his sick days and all those midnight oil hours, he wrote scripts. Several completed screenplays. Epics like his script about the rise and fall of Atlantis, and another battle royale between heaven and hell after the fall of Lucifer to earth. He learned the challenges of trying break through the iron gates of Hollywood from a Chicago vantage point. Sometimes his dream dimmed during his post-Act One years because nothing seemed to be working for him. He experienced what we all experience no matter what our level of achievement. That Hollywood is not called "Show Friendship," it's called "Show Business." That it's junior high with money. That you have to start out with the understanding that getting a film made is nearly always impossible. And that the only way anybody ever gets one made is by chipping away little by little at the impossibility until one day they wake up and they are saying, "Action."
"Leaders" is not a perfect film. Kerry was beset by all the problems any filmmaker is hit with, no matter what the budget. Production issues. Location issues. Weather issues. Actor issues. But there is a raw power to this little film because it bubbled up out of his heart as a young African-American man raised in marginal circumstances in a big American city. He had an unmistakably good eye for composing his shots and moving the camera. And there is an autobiographical thread here as his hero, "Hope," tries to survive the tides of sex, drugs and violence of life in the projects while clinging precariously to his faith in God. He did not shy away from the profane, or the sacred, so this is not a vanilla film. It's red. Red on white.
I told Kerry I wasn't sure if there would be a buyer for his film because it's a little too raw for a faith-based church marketing campaign. And it's a little too faithful for the schizophrenic home video distributors who can't decide whether they are in or out of the faith business. But I told him I would try to help him find somebody to take "Leaders" to market when it was ready for prime time. He didn't flinch at my long list of notes or that there was still a lot of impossibility at which we would have to chip away.
However, he did tell me that he might have to work with his editor, Joel Kapity, from a hospital bed. He was never quite sure when the lungs would fill or the fluid would build up around his heart. He said it with such a gleam in his voice, I thought he was joking. And then I received the email from his mother, Jayne Johnson, on Sunday, with the very sad news that Kerry had passed away on Thursday. His heart had finally given out at just days after his 29th birthday.
I don't know now how to compute why God takes some, and leaves others who don't deserve to stick around. Or exactly how to resolve the idea of a young man who fought great odds in his life to reach a dream that at least by the world's measure of success he didn't live to see finished. Or what becomes of his very personal little film. Perhaps the digital age will preserve Kerry Brown's eye in democratic cyberspace for a thousand years. But I do know this. He blessed my life more than I'm sure I blessed his. And I'll always be thankful for the way he signed off all our calls or emails: "I love you, Mentor."
Perhaps it is Show Friendship after all.
www.actoneprogram.com
The amazing half-blood death-eating princess actress HELENA Bonham-Carter!The Harry Potter juggernaut continues to delight with "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." This installment gets off to a slow start with lots of tangents and a lack of momentum. (This might be because it's an adaptation. Readers always say there is so much in the books that's left out in the movies.) But we don't much care because we know it's going to be good. The actors portraying the three main characters, Harry, Hermione, and Ron, continue to endear and manage to look like they're still in high school. We feel the screws tightening as Lord Voldemort's evil attacks mount and gain strength. Hogwarts School is now subject to tight security. But friendship and young love can flower anywhere and does.
Some of the funniest moments and sweetest touches are the budding romances. Young people should see HBP just for these parts! Too bad every romantic comedy doesn't charm like this. There are mispairings, jealousies, longings and general lovelornness. Ron Weasley eats too many chocolates infused with a love potion intended for Harry. Two girls fight over a recuperating Ron in his sick bed. All of this while being schooled in the intricacies of how to be a powerful wizard without ever resorting to the dark arts, black magic, wrongdoing, evil. Of course, here's "the rub" when it comes to HP.
As Christians, we know that NO magic is good magic or so-called "white magic," or "natural" magic like Wicca. Sorcery is not make-believe. It's real, comes from "below," and is never to be used, even for "the good." Thus, many Christians have shunned the HP books and movies all together. Other Christians maintain that lots of classic fairytales and folk stories contain witches, spells, etc., and that we just need to make sure children and youth know they must never dabble in it themselves. I'm somewhere in the middle on this, because HP presents the use of magic BY young people in such a modern and compelling way, that it seems to me extra precautions need to be taken. However, if I were a parent, I would definitely accompany my child through this cultural phenomenon (allowing them to read/watch), not because it's "inevitable," but because I would want my kids to be equipped to reach the culture, their peers with the Gospel, and that would mean engaging WITH the culture. J. K. Rowling says that she is a Christian, and she has certainly embedded Christian virtues in HP: obedience, love, kindness, truth, loyalty to friends and family, heroism, sacrifice, bravery, etc.
Many of our favorite characters re-appear. Snape (still looking like Trent Reznor twenty years on) is still a bit of a mystery, and we are introduced to all kinds of new gadgets, devices and creatures in Rowling's enchanted world. More and more layers of information and backstory are dispensed. There are some truly Tolkien-esque moments when Dumbledore seems more like Gandalf than himself.
There is a real apprenticeship going on with Dumbledore and Harry. Harry is "the chosen one" (chosen to defeat Voldemort's evil), but he is still young and has a lot to learn. The HP series teaches that none of us can go it alone. Each one plays their part, however humble. Everyone has a strength and a gift that the others need. The professors at Hogwarts know that evil is tricky and that constant vigilance is needed, but they also have to know and trust who is on their staff. They truly form their students to use their consciences and abilities well in difficult situations. HP teaches that love is greater than fear: Harry's mother sacrificed her life for Harry, and he stands ready to make the same kind of sacrifice. Harry is not afraid of his nemesis, Voldemort, or to say his name, as some of the adults are. Truly, our worst enemies are ourselves. As Dumbledore tells the students: YOU yourself can be the worst weapon of those who seek your harm.
Whenever I watch an HP movie, I reflect that there is a REAL spiritual warfare going on around us at all moments: angels, devils, sin, grace, death, eternity, heaven, hell, etc. Do we teach young people this reality in their religious education? Do we stress it? If not, it seems to me we do them a great disservice. They're clearly interested and up for the challenge.
YYY  |
| "Gran Torino" |
| By Maria Wiering | ||
| Tuesday, 16 June 2009 | ||
 As the Year of St. Paul draws to a close on June 29, the Cathedral of St. Paul is announcing its new designation as National Shrine of the Apostle Paul.The Cathedral is among about 100 U.S. Catholic churches that have been honored with the designation — and it's the only one dedicated to St. Paul the Apostle, said Msgr. Anthony Sherman, executive director of the U.S. bishops' Secretariat for Divine Worship. The designation comes from the Holy See and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops at the request of Archbishop John Nienstedt. The title 'shrine' recognizes the Cathedral's national importance and designates it as a pilgrimage destination for groups from across the United States, said Father Joseph Johnson, the Cathedral's rector. Already, visitors from beyond the archdiocese — Catholic and non-Catholic alike — tour the Cathedral when they visit St. Paul. Parish groups from around the Midwest have organized pilgrimages to the building, Father Johnson added. The shrine designation may result in more pilgrims, he said. Today, the USCCB wants a national shrine to be a place that can accommodate national pilgrimages — in this case pilgrimages intended to increase devotion to the Apostle Paul, Father Johnson said. Becoming a shrine
"We're hoping that . . . this shrine in particular might be an impetus for evangelization, that people will get the spirit of St. Paul and begin to want to try and reach out and proclaim the message of Christ," he added. The USCCB granted the designation on March 25, but it is now just being announced by the archdiocese. The shrine designation will add another layer to the many roles the Cathedral already plays in the community, Father Johnson said. It is a parish serving about 3,000 households; it is the mother church for the archdiocese; and it is a civic monument because of its impressive architecture and history. Because the Cathedral often hosts group pilgrimages, it has already played a role on the national scene, Father Johnson said. However, the designation will increase its "national spiritual significance," he added. To be considered for a shrine designation, a parish must complete a questionnaire and provide extensive information about itself, which is confirmed through a visit of a bishop on the Committee for Divine Worship. For the Cathedral, about 16 months passed from the beginning of the application process until the designation, Father Johnson said. National shrines are designated in the United States because of a specific devotion to a saint or the Blessed Virgin Mary, Msgr. Sherman said. This devotion draws more people to the church, he added. In the application process, the challenge lies in ascertaining whether or not a shrine designation might be able to make a unique contribution on the national level, Msgr. Sherman said. Increased devotionThe Cathedral began the application process when the Year of St. Paul was announced, Father Johnson said. He felt the Cathedral had a particular responsibility to heed the jubilee year's call to greater devotion to the Apostle Paul. He also thinks the national shrine designation honors the vision of the Cathedral's founder, Father Lucien Galtier, the first priest to establish a parish in the area in 1840. Because of his devotion to the saint, he named the log chapel he built after St. Paul, which led to the name of the city. "Father Galtier looked to the person of Paul when he arrived in this wilderness, and it's interesting that now the universal church has said we're all going to do that," Father Johnson said. Because of the shrine designation, the Cathedral will continue some of the programming it began during the jubilee year, including its First Saturday series, which featured speakers, prayer and reflection. It already offers several weekly tours. The new shrine has also established the Archconfraternity of the Apostle Paul to help people feel connected to the shrine, Father Johnson said. Members serve as the spiritual apostolate of the National Shrine of the Apostle Paul in five particular ways:
The designation as a national shrine does not affect its designation as the Cathedral for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Father Johnson said, since it hosts the chair, or "cathedra," of the archbishop. 'Cathedral' and 'shrine' are unrelated designations, he added. The design for the shrine's insignia was taken from a carved medallion in the bronze grails behind the sanctuary which features a sword and a wreath, both symbols of Paul's martyrdom. | ||
Keeping a Light on for Pauline Pilgrims
Archpriest Comments on Closing of Year of St. Paul
PRESENTER:LECTIO DIVINA—CINEMA DIVINA?
Our world loves movies. How can we use film to illuminate God's story?Not only are movies full of biblical themes, but we can use film as a springboard for meditation, prayer, and reflection on the liturgy. Lectio divina (sacred reading) can become “cinema divina."
THE MEDIA AND THE TRUTH
How can we decipher the truth in the myriad media messages we receive daily, especially in the news?
INTERNET SAFETY
In this age of Google, we now have the world at our fingertips! Along with this incredible gift
comes incredible responsibility. Along with the light, there’s a dark side.
Is it possible to for kids, teens and adults to be truly “safe” online? What about porn?
LEARNING NEW MEDIA
Need a quick tutorial on Facebook or Twitter? Want to know what the big deal is with social networking? Want to know where the future of media is heading? Get a handle while gaining confidence and insight.
FINDING TRUE LOVE IN THE MEDIA
What is true love? Can it be found in the media? We’ll use Pope John Paul II’s revolutionary “Theology of the Body” and Pope Benedict’s “God Is Love."
RELIGIOUS VOCATIONS AND THE MEDIA
What is the heart of a vocation to the religious life and/or priesthood?
How do you know if you’re called? Are there some clues in the media?
FAITH AND MEDIA WEEK
Create a “Faith and Media Week” for your parish or school! Custom-fit workshops for your parish or school. Book/media exhibits and bookfairs can also be included, as well as movie nights, etc.
TESTIMONIALS:
"The media presentations helped our teens experience the theme of hope."
--Paul and Tracy La Scala, Confirmation Coordinators, St. John Neumann, Irvine, CA
"The format was great for adult formation...a very comfortable environment in which to learn."
--Tish Petricca, Adult Education Director, St. Matthew, Schaumburg, IL
"Christianity has to be where the new generation is...."
--teen student, Toronto, ON, CANADA
"Excellent! A dynamic, engaging presentation that wowed the teens and parents...fun and thought-provoking."
--Mary Ann Snyder, DRE, St. Robert, Ada, MI
"I enjoyed your presentation very much. Usually I would fall asleep, but you have found a way to get to people."
--teen student, Toronto, ON, CANADA
“Fresh, relevant and informative. Brings the teaching of JPII to life is an easy to understand way for teens and adults.”
--Mike Zak, youth minister, St. Patrick's Church, St. Charles, IL
All workshops are highly interactive and can be adapted for teens and adults.
Each workshop uses TV, film, music video and other media clips.
For catechists: Ready-to-use handouts!
MISSION STATEMENT:
The Pauline Center for Media Studies was founded in 1993 to promote media literacy education in view of integrating human and Christian values in today's entertainment and information media culture.
"Glory to God and peace to people of good will." --Luke 2:14
FEES:
One hour: $200
Two hours: $250
Three hours (“full day”) or more: $500
Other expenses: (if distance) gas and lodging.
EQUIPMENT:
Almost all equipment is provided by the presenter. A large screen is usually the only on-site requirement (in a room that can be completely darkened).
RESOURCES FOR SALE
An exhibit of the finest topic-related media resources can be provided on request. Please provide two tables for display.
(OTHER TALKS)
PHILOSOPHY:
FAITH AND REASON--FRIENDS OR FOES?
Let's wrestle with this centuries-old riddle! What is the relationship between Faith and Reason?
Faith and Science? How can we and our youth respond to the "New Atheism"?
JOHN PAUL II’S PHILOSOPHY
Before he was pope, Karol Wojtyla was a poet, actor, playwright, athlete and…philosopher.
(The only thing that stopped Cardinal Wojtyla from teaching philosophy at the university level
was his election to the papacy.) How does JP2G’s philosophy continue to influence the Church?
What is phenomenology? Why did he insist so much on the dignity of the human person?
THEOLOGY OF THE BODY:
INTRODUCTION TO THEOLOGY OF THE BODY
Join the revolution! What does it mean to BE a body--not HAVE a body?
THEOLOGY OF THE BODY AND WOMAN'S IDENTITY IN CHRIST
Covers "The Dignity and Vocation of Woman," Mary, feminism, women and the Catholic priesthoood.
THEOLOGY OF THE BODY, VOCATIONAL DISCERNMENT AND CELIBACY
Covers religious life, priesthood and single life.
"My Sister's Keeper," much-loved novelist Jodi Picoult's first book-into-movie, is about death and familial love. It looks death straight in the eye and comes up blank. As it should. The film's conclusion is that we don't know much about death or the afterlife, but we do know about love.
I was immediately grabbed by the book's premise when it came out, meant to read it, and never did: A very determined mother is impregnated with a daughter who is specifically designed by medical science to be compatible "spare parts" for her sick older daughter (leukemia). At eleven years old, the younger daughter sues for control over her own body. Sound like creepy sci-fi? It's not at all portrayed that way. As these technologies become commonplace (think: Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's twins, recently carried and birthed by a surrogate mother; Octomom; the widespread use of IVF; sperm and egg "donation"; frozen embryos; etc.), emotional, home-y narratives will accompany these decisions/choices/actions, and thus, these stories will become just "normal."
As is well known, the Catholic Church sees the above-mentioned "solutions" as disrespectful of human dignity. Anything that treats human beings as objects, things, products, tools, "rights," possessions, etc., is not in keeping with that dignity. (Certain technologies to aid fertility ARE approved, as long as it's within the context of the nuptial act, aiding the natural process. Contrary to popular belief, the Church wants you to have sex, and is very back-to-nature, crunchy granola.)
"My Sister's Keeper" is really a bio-ethical drama, but I've never heard anyone put it in that context which is kind of scary in itself. It's also a legal drama—what are the little girl's rights, if any? While watching the film, one is acutely aware that this is simply the state of the question/problem FOR NOW. Things are only going to get weirder.
Lots of great ponder-this statements and questions surrounding the issue are posed by characters:
"I'm important, too!" –the younger daughter, Anna
"We went against nature. It's our fault. Anna's reaction was bound to happen. If we force her to give her kidney, will she look at us from now on as though we used her? Maybe we just wanted what we wanted."—Dad
"I was engineered." –Anna
Mom to Anna: "You don't have a choice [to give kidney to sister]." Anna: "I do have a choice!"
"Who stands up for Anna?" –Lawyer
The action starts off with a bang—Anna's voice-over brings us up to speed in just a few minutes: how she came to exist and why, and then off she goes to the lawyer. But MSK is an uneven ensemble piece. In the beginning, we hear the thoughts of each character, but that stops abruptly and we switch to Anna's thoughts alone and we think she's the main character, but, no—suddenly it's Kate for a long stretch, including visual meditations of her illness and a budding romance with a fellow teen cancer patient. Perhaps this asymmetry is intentional—to defy expectations and remind us of the unevenness of life. And death. However, each family member, even the devoted, ditzy aunt, has their moment, gets their say by the end.
The conclusion-twist, although altogether a probability, clever, generous and heroic, felt like a bit of a cop-out (much like the miscarriage in abortion movie "Citizen Ruth"). Why NOT follow the real question through to the end? Actually, we know such cases have already happened (families having a child for the therapeutic purpose of healing another child). What ARE the rights of these too-young-to-speak-for-themselves-de-facto donors? Should this ever be done? (Starting from babyhood, Anna has been through many painful procedures with side effects that compromise and jeopardize her health.) Picoult sets her dilemma in the State of California, so she refers to CA law, and also federal law and precedents which I assume are real.
What side does Picoult come down? Hard to tell—if she's even taking sides. Is she trying to "accomplish something" through her literature? Picoult is a graduate of Princeton, does extensive research on her books, is the mother of three teens, and tends toward what is being called "child-peril lit." She does mention in a New York Times Magazine interview that she feels she is somewhat superstitious and hopes that by dragging these possible family disasters out into the light, maybe somehow they won't happen to her family.
This film is quite well done (director Nick Cassavetes, "The Notebook"), and only treads the edge, but never falls into the chasm of sentimentality. This is not to say that you won't be sniffling.
The actors are all outstanding and really mesh: Cameron Diaz (the control-freak, blinded-by-smotherlove Mom--we ALL know women like this, who have complete confidence that they alone know what's best for every member of their family), Jason Patric (the strong, often silent, makepeace fireman Dad), Anna (the strong-willed-as-her-mother fighter, who also loves her sister, literally "to pieces"), Evan Ellingson (the lost-in-the-shuffle middle child), Sofia Vassilieva (the dying-to-live but otherwise typical teen who bounces from highs to lows, from consoling her family to needing their consolation), Alec Baldwin (the slick personal injury lawyer doing one good thing in his life), and Joan Cusack (the judge, but why can't we have a Joan Cusack movie? A series of Joan Cusack movies? All Joan all the time? Why don't we see more of this consistent-bullseye, scrumptious actress with her thick as pea soup Chicago accent? OK, I'm done.)
MSK is like one of those really good "Lifetime" movies. There's not a lot of humor, but the overall tone of the movie is gentle, light, touching. The lack of laugh-out-loud-laughter feels right. Too many movies seem insecure by trying to make us laugh too hard, too often.
The everyone-talking-at-once, rollicking extended family dynamic feels unscripted. Watch the scene where Dad tries to take Kate (the sick older daughter) to the beach. Ugly to watch, but boy, is it true to life! (People clapped for the Dad in my theater.)
In the courtroom, Anna's lawyer comes close to asking: "Where does our 'culture of absolute choice' end?" We pretend it ends when my rights crash into yours, but that happens early on in many cases, and I'm afraid we've learned to deny, justify or just force our way.
OTHER STUFF:
--Abigail Breslin--forever our little Miss Sunshine!--is still totally natural and fluid and "her-age" and tripping the light fantastic. A pox upon Hollywood if they ever destroy her. Amen.
--Director Nick Cassavettes' daughter was born with a congenital heart condition, so he knows of what he directs.
--Bittersweet old and new soundtrack which includes Don Ho! Remember him, my FOFs?! (fellow old farts)
--Way too many fade-to-blacks
--Seamless flashbacks
--People in my theater were laughing at the wrong times, which made me wonder if they were just nervous because they would do the same thing to Anna if they had a Kate?
--When hip Mom (Cameron Diaz) calls the hospice lady "broad," and "sister," it felt like false notes—the words of a much older woman
--The full attention on Kate (and hardly anyone else) felt long and drawn out
--The "culture of absolute choice" and "doing what I want with my own body" comes back to butt-bite when the designated-designer-donor-daughter uses the same rhetoric!
--Just exactly was Jesse (the son) doing in Hollywood late at night?
--Problematic theology: Anna thinks souls pre-exist, floating around in heaven looking for bodies on earth....
--Wouldn't Anna's relationship with parents be MUCH more strained?
--There's no God in the movie. But there's lots of genuine sacrificial love.
Speaking of "The Insider":
"The word 'God' was not there but the Reality was; when someone lays down his life for another, God is present."
-- Fr. Bud Keiser, CSP (1929-2000)
"Up," the new Disney/Pixar gem, takes the unusual tack of making a senior citizen the main character and hero. Kid-oriented films almost always have a kid as the protagonist. The kid in "Up" is the grumpy old man's sidekick, but becomes every bit as much a hero by the end. Carl (Ed Asner) and his beloved wife, Ellie, had always planned to go adventuring, but never did. Ellie dies, and Carl continues to talk to her regularly. The house they shared becomes the presence of Ellie for Carl, so when adventure calls, of course, the house must go with. A young adventurer, Russell (Jordan Nagai), inadvertently comes along for the ride (Carl's balloon-borne house sailing to Paradise Falls, South America), and Carl resents him until he discovers that Russell doesn't have the love of family that Carl once had. Two more companions join the unlikely duo: a gigantic, rainbow-colored, ostrich-like bird that is supposedly non-existent; and a friendly mutt with a collar that reads his simple, happy-go-lucky dog thoughts and interprets them out loud: "I have just met you, but I love you!" "Squirrel!" Everyone's mettle is tested by the hardships of the jungle and a dastardly plot to capture the bird (named "Kevin" by Russell). The animals are truly hilarious. Raucous laughter is in order. Sample: To the dogs, all humans are just different kinds of "mailmen," Carl is known as the "one who smells of prunes."
Everything is just right in "Up." The animation is uber-realistic, while at the same time being very much caricature-esque (balloon-y, block-y and button-y all at once). Due to the careful craftsmanship and artistry of the Pixar gang (director Peter Docter, Bob Peterson, Andrew Stanton, Brad Bird, etc.) the voice-acting is perfect, never sounding a false, disconnected-from-the-visual note as often seems to happen in other animated flicks (think: "Horton Hears a Who"). The narration is recorded first, so actors are basically sitting around a studio reading from a script, trying to imagine the action. The child performances are especially well done, with a big shout out to the young Ellie (who happens to be Elie Docter, the director's daughter), a half-toothless seven-year-old, who sounds like a youthful Granny from "The Beverly Hillbillies." (Incredible expression and dynamics. This young lady is going places.)
The Disney/Pixar ethic allows the artists at the helm to do their thing. Loving attention is paid to each detail. The filmmakers actually went to South America to sketch the flora and fauna and get ideas. The crew also play music, so they performed Tin Pan Alley gigs at old folks homes just so they could watch the mannerisms and movements of the residents. You'll be saying to yourself throughout the movie: "How do they think of these things??" Case in point: the sound that Russell's face makes as it slides across the windshield of the dirigible. At Disney/Pixar an old-time sensibility, the sense of wonder, remembering what it's like to be a kid, and the spirit of adventure are all alive and well.
Much has been made about the image of Carl dragging his house behind him, or rather, above him, held aloft by balloons, and tethered to earth by Carl's living in the past. It is not a burden for Carl, but a labor of love. It makes us instantly reflect: What am I carrying around that is ridiculously too old and large? The fact that Carl was able to remove the house at will by tying it to a tree for a rest, reminds us how easily we can let go what needs to be let go, if only we will.
Carl was a devoted husband, but seems to think that that's all life asks of him. His answer to everything else is: "That's none of my concern." As the saying goes: "Old dreams kill new ones." And sometimes we just can't have both. But Carl uses his ingenuity to incorporate the old into the new. He transforms his comfortable nest into a vessel of rescue for the living. And he knows Ellie would have approved.
OTHER NOTES:
--The old guys' fight!
--Some dreams turn deadly (Charles)
--Russell is the fat-kid hero!
--Afraid of heights like me? You're palms will be totally sweaty since much of the action takes place at 30,000 feet above sea level.
--Reminded me of the "island of misfits" from "Rudolph."
--There was a yellow house that looked JUST like Carl's house in downtown Toronto in the 90's, surrounded by skyscrapers, holding out against development. It was uninhabited but you could still see the old lace curtains in the windows. Would love to get a picture of it. It's gone now.
--Tons of production babies in the credits!
--Film dialogue/plot understatement of the year: "Assisting the Elderly" badge.
--A charming, waltzing, muted brass soundtrack peppered with way-south-of-the-border bold brass dance music. It's on my wishlist of movie soundtracks.
--Coming full circle for Pixar: didn't they start with a short of old guys playing chess??
