My confession: I just watched the Star Trek movie...and enjoyed it.
Now, I will admit that the only reason why I watched the movie is because I am a LOST fan, and Kristin and Bard had an extra ticket and asked me to come. I hesitated because I had never seen a Star Trek episode in its entirety before this moment and I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it.
I'm glad I was wrong.
My friend Amanda says that JJ Abrams puts crack in all of his shows. She may not be wrong, because I think one of the reasons why I enjoyed the show is because he is the man behind the curtain.
The other reason I enjoyed the movie is because I have a soft spot for heroes who don't know they're heroes. (For this, I blame Joss Whedon). I love the heroes who keep going even though they are getting beat up by someone who is stronger, smarter, and more invested in winning than they are. I love the heroes who are engaged in a war that they didn't know they were in the middle of but don't turn away because they can't ignore the new knowledge they had just attained. I love the heroes who do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.
Basically, I love the heroes who get up from the mat and keep fighting merely because they fully believe (at times foolishly) that they must win a battle they didn't know they were supposed to lose.
I don't know...I guess I am inspired by those who have the ability to ignore those who tell them they can't do something...and do it anyway. And I love it when they win.
JJ Abrams didn't make this formula up (and neither did Joss Whedon) and there isn't anything new under the sun...especially movie plotlines. But it's nice to be reminded of the heroes and the qualities we would most like to see in ourselves and in others.
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Lessons from the Wizard...of Oz
First of all, I love the movie, The Wizard of Oz. Now that I'm a little older than when I first loved it, I find it to be such a smart and entertaining movie. I could probably devote a million blogs on this movie alone, but I will spare my two loyal readers. :-D
But for the moment, I will share only three observations. In lieu of my last marathon entry, I will keep this brief...er.
1. The Yellow Brick Road. It was the instruction Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, gave Dorothy when she began her journey home: follow the yellow brick road. It seemed simple enough, and Dorothy had to trust that it would not lead her astray.
But when Dorothy came to the fork in the road where she met the Scarecrow, she hesitated. Doubt plagued her...which road should she take? Was she lost? What happens if she went to the right or to the left?
Paralyzed by her fear of being lost, she neglected to notice that both roads were made of yellow bricks, and so forgot her only instruction: follow the yellow brick road. If Glinda was right, and all she had to do was follow the yellow brick road, she would find her way home...and either road would take her there...that is, if they were both yellow.
I often forget my instructions when faced with a hard decision. Paralyzed by fear and failure, I forget that no matter road I take, if I follow Jesus, I will get to where I am going.
2. The Wicked Witch of the West. When the Wicked Witch threatens Dorothy in Munchkinland, Glinda wraps a protective arm around Dorothy and says laughingly to the Wicked Witch:
"Rubbish! You have no power here! Begone!"
Wicked Witch, though quite a fearsome creature to behold, had no real power under real authority. How often I forget that Satan, though powerful enough, has no real power where God resides. And with a simple reminder under the full authority of God, he'll leave me alone, too.
3. Brains. One of my favorite quotes come in the scene where Dorothy meets the Scarecrow. He admits to her that he doesn't have a brain. She asks how he was able to talk if he didn't have a brain. His reply:
"But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking."
I tend not to be cynical when it comes to the Presidential Election, but a person can only take so much! Yes, there is a lot of talk out there. We tend to make stupid decisions, individually and as a group, but we are not stupid. We have the ability to make our own minds, and all we are asking is for the facts, not spin. Now, I can't say that people don't do stupid things (because many people do) but I am tired of a governmental leadership assuming that we cannot make an informed decision if we are given all of the facts.
Sadly, we can't fix the problem with a broken system. Talking heads are what we left with, and the Presidential Election will appear again in four years when, again, change is all we talk about.
I hope, with or without an Presidential election year, that we never stop talking about change. But I also hope that we do more than talk, that we would continue working toward a better world for our children and reaching those for the glory of God.
4. Puns. I hate puns. But this movie gets away with it. When Dorothy and the Scarecrow meet the Tin Man, he mumbles...
Dorothy: [to Scarecrow] He said oil can.
Scarecrow: Oil can what?
As a child, I didn't get it. Now that I do, I can't stop laughing.
But for the moment, I will share only three observations. In lieu of my last marathon entry, I will keep this brief...er.
1. The Yellow Brick Road. It was the instruction Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, gave Dorothy when she began her journey home: follow the yellow brick road. It seemed simple enough, and Dorothy had to trust that it would not lead her astray.
But when Dorothy came to the fork in the road where she met the Scarecrow, she hesitated. Doubt plagued her...which road should she take? Was she lost? What happens if she went to the right or to the left?
Paralyzed by her fear of being lost, she neglected to notice that both roads were made of yellow bricks, and so forgot her only instruction: follow the yellow brick road. If Glinda was right, and all she had to do was follow the yellow brick road, she would find her way home...and either road would take her there...that is, if they were both yellow.
I often forget my instructions when faced with a hard decision. Paralyzed by fear and failure, I forget that no matter road I take, if I follow Jesus, I will get to where I am going.
2. The Wicked Witch of the West. When the Wicked Witch threatens Dorothy in Munchkinland, Glinda wraps a protective arm around Dorothy and says laughingly to the Wicked Witch:
"Rubbish! You have no power here! Begone!"
Wicked Witch, though quite a fearsome creature to behold, had no real power under real authority. How often I forget that Satan, though powerful enough, has no real power where God resides. And with a simple reminder under the full authority of God, he'll leave me alone, too.
3. Brains. One of my favorite quotes come in the scene where Dorothy meets the Scarecrow. He admits to her that he doesn't have a brain. She asks how he was able to talk if he didn't have a brain. His reply:
"But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking."
I tend not to be cynical when it comes to the Presidential Election, but a person can only take so much! Yes, there is a lot of talk out there. We tend to make stupid decisions, individually and as a group, but we are not stupid. We have the ability to make our own minds, and all we are asking is for the facts, not spin. Now, I can't say that people don't do stupid things (because many people do) but I am tired of a governmental leadership assuming that we cannot make an informed decision if we are given all of the facts.
Sadly, we can't fix the problem with a broken system. Talking heads are what we left with, and the Presidential Election will appear again in four years when, again, change is all we talk about.
I hope, with or without an Presidential election year, that we never stop talking about change. But I also hope that we do more than talk, that we would continue working toward a better world for our children and reaching those for the glory of God.
4. Puns. I hate puns. But this movie gets away with it. When Dorothy and the Scarecrow meet the Tin Man, he mumbles...
Dorothy: [to Scarecrow] He said oil can.
Scarecrow: Oil can what?
As a child, I didn't get it. Now that I do, I can't stop laughing.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Red Shoes
I am on a mission.
In a random series of events, I've been thinking a lot about The Wizard of Oz. It was my favorite movie growing up, and I have this vague memory of waking up and immediately asking my grandparents to put the videotape in the VCR.
I own that tape to this day, complete with the CBS logo and the commercials of a time long gone by. (Ask me about the McDonalds ad. Sigh. I don't miss the jingle at all.) I have long debated purchasing the DVD version that would fully capture and preserve the movie in all its Technicolor beauty. I'm afraid it just won't be the same without the commercial interruptions.
Also, growing up, I wanted to be Dorothy. From the curly hair, to the blue dress with a bow in the back, and of course, the ruby slippers--I wanted to be her.
Of course, my dreams were dashed when someone in school told me that I could never be Dorothy because my skin color didn't quite match.
Silly Kindergartners.
Which brings me back to my mission. I won't buy the blue dress, but I am going to find a pair of red shoes. I don't think I have ever bought a pair of shoes that wasn't black or brown. But I will get some color in my life. I will own that pair of red shoes.
Gotta love the silliness. Thanks for indulging me!
In a random series of events, I've been thinking a lot about The Wizard of Oz. It was my favorite movie growing up, and I have this vague memory of waking up and immediately asking my grandparents to put the videotape in the VCR.
I own that tape to this day, complete with the CBS logo and the commercials of a time long gone by. (Ask me about the McDonalds ad. Sigh. I don't miss the jingle at all.) I have long debated purchasing the DVD version that would fully capture and preserve the movie in all its Technicolor beauty. I'm afraid it just won't be the same without the commercial interruptions.
Also, growing up, I wanted to be Dorothy. From the curly hair, to the blue dress with a bow in the back, and of course, the ruby slippers--I wanted to be her.
Of course, my dreams were dashed when someone in school told me that I could never be Dorothy because my skin color didn't quite match.
Silly Kindergartners.
Which brings me back to my mission. I won't buy the blue dress, but I am going to find a pair of red shoes. I don't think I have ever bought a pair of shoes that wasn't black or brown. But I will get some color in my life. I will own that pair of red shoes.
Gotta love the silliness. Thanks for indulging me!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Struggling with a Sure Thing
You'll never be a better kind if you don't leave the world behind.
--Weezer, "Keep Fishin'"
Right now, I'm watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (the Johnny Depp version)...and apparently listening to Weezer.
As most of you know, my very first chapter book was a hardcover edition of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It was a well loved book--despite the scary illustrations from the original illustrator. (Believe me, the new editions now available in bookstores pale in comparison). My copy is still on my bookshelf.
At any rate, I'm watching the scene that is not part of the original story. In Tim Burton's version, Charlie, after a once-in-a-lifetime visit to the infamous chocolate factory, turns down Willy Wonka's offer to live with him and inherit the factory.
Charlie loved his family so much, that he could not bear to be apart from them, even if it meant having everything he had thought he had wanted. His wildest dreams were about to come true--but without his family, it meant nothing.
In other words, he walked away from a sure thing because other things matter more.
Of course, because this is a children's story, there is a happy ending. Sweet Charlie Bucket wins Willy Wonka's heart and they end up with a shared family and a chocolate factory. Not bad for a young kid with exceptional sense of integrity.
If only integrity was that easy to come by. If only life could be tailored to such happy endings. But it's not always the case. The decision isn't always as easy as they make it in the movies. At times, it is a struggle to obey.
However, I'm convinced that if we forget what really matters, we are likely settle for the sure thing and miss out on the real treasure that awaits us.
We may not always get the chocolate factory on this side of heaven.
Can we surrender our concern for the things that don't matter and live the rest of our lives for the things that do? --Tony Snow
--Weezer, "Keep Fishin'"
Right now, I'm watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (the Johnny Depp version)...and apparently listening to Weezer.
As most of you know, my very first chapter book was a hardcover edition of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It was a well loved book--despite the scary illustrations from the original illustrator. (Believe me, the new editions now available in bookstores pale in comparison). My copy is still on my bookshelf.
At any rate, I'm watching the scene that is not part of the original story. In Tim Burton's version, Charlie, after a once-in-a-lifetime visit to the infamous chocolate factory, turns down Willy Wonka's offer to live with him and inherit the factory.
Charlie loved his family so much, that he could not bear to be apart from them, even if it meant having everything he had thought he had wanted. His wildest dreams were about to come true--but without his family, it meant nothing.
In other words, he walked away from a sure thing because other things matter more.
Of course, because this is a children's story, there is a happy ending. Sweet Charlie Bucket wins Willy Wonka's heart and they end up with a shared family and a chocolate factory. Not bad for a young kid with exceptional sense of integrity.
If only integrity was that easy to come by. If only life could be tailored to such happy endings. But it's not always the case. The decision isn't always as easy as they make it in the movies. At times, it is a struggle to obey.
However, I'm convinced that if we forget what really matters, we are likely settle for the sure thing and miss out on the real treasure that awaits us.
We may not always get the chocolate factory on this side of heaven.
Can we surrender our concern for the things that don't matter and live the rest of our lives for the things that do? --Tony Snow
Sunday, August 3, 2008
It's Gotta Be the Accent
I think I'm in a James McAvoy kick.I recently watched the movie, Penelope, with Christina Ricci and James McAvoy. Cute story, if you like modern fairy-tales. (Which, admittedly, I do.)
The movie isn't spectacular, but fun. It was short, too, so its quite painless. :-) And although the accent used isn't James McAvoy's original accent, I love it just the same.
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