Movie Reviews

I've always known I could never be a movie critic. Number one, I couldn't watch all the sleaze, gunk, and slash-em-up movies that they have these days.  Number two, I just don't have the killer critic instinct.  You know what I mean... Even on a movie that has four stars, a movie reviewer will throw in some cynical jab just because they can (at least that's the how the Standard Examiner guy does it). As a hypothetical example:  "Easily one of the best films of the year... If you can get past the sappy romance between Actor A and Actress B." See what I mean?  They've generally got to have the last biting word.

That's just not in my nature.  Even in the poorest movies, I'm more likely to try and smooth things over for the actors' sake.  Exhibit A:  Ella Enchanted.  Possibly one of the most tragic travesties* to ever cross the movie screen in my opinion. Seriously, it was hurtful to any lover of the book. If you haven't seen it, DO NOT. If you haven't read the book, DO, and imagine the perfect movie that book inherently could have been.

Anyway, I feel bad for the people involved with the movie.  It wasn't Anne Hathaway's fault--I'm sure she skillfully did as she was directed and filled her role with exactness. She didn't write the script and mess up the book, she didn't do the screenplay or whatever... And I'm sure their were a whole host of little girls who had never read the book that ranted and raved over the movie, put it on their Christmas list, and watched it every day for several weeks after receiving the movie.

Conclusion:  I couldn't be a movie critic.

BUT, I do have some movie reviews I would like to submit in hopes that you might reap the same joy/thrill/inspiredness/fill-in-the-blank that I did upon watching these.

#1:  The Hunt for Red October

WHY had I never seen this?!?!  I think it's because I thought it was a boring "Mom Movie" growing up. (Which is so ironic, because I've always been the one to watch Mom stuff with Mom--e.g. The Antiques Road Show, Nature episodes, Masterpiece Theater, etc.)  Anyway, Blake and I watched it the other night, and may I just say...

HOLY.   MOLY.

It's incredible! Not to mention it has Sean Connery in it!  I used to scoff at people (mainly boys) who gushed and mushed about Sean Connery being the manliest man alive, but I take it all back.  And the story line! I found myself desperately wishing that the story weren't fiction, but alas, it's based on a brilliant novel by Tom Clancy.  I've never read anything of his, but just from the plot of this movie, I'd say he's a captivating genius.

Give it a shot--I loved that it had the intensity of a suspenseful war movie, but lacked a lot of the gore and violence that I usually have to cover my eyes for. This was excellent.

#2:  Courageous

I think the best review I can give this is a quote from my Mom while I was watching it with her:

"Every person should be made to watch this movie."

Courageous is made by Sherwood Pictures, a film production started by a Christian Community out of Sherwood Georgia whose "goal from day one has been to make family-friendly movies that build on the Judeo Christian ethic and communicate the gospel without compromise." (For more, see here.) They're unabashed in their presentation of faith and truth, and unapologetic about their (and our) conviction that men and women are "have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. . . Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations."** Stated in the Proclamation on the Family, but supported in the media through Sherwood Pictures.

Producer Alex Kendrick said, “I want to make movies, but no church is going to let me stay on staff and do that.”  Pastor Michael Catt replied, “Why not? Bring me a script and a budget, and let’s see if God is in it.”  That was the beginning of Sherwood Pictures, and I can witness to you that God is in this film.
 
"If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."***



Go and seek.  You can even find Courageous in Red Box these days.  This will certainly be worth $1.15 and a few hours of your time.  Let it change you and reaffirm your unwavering commitment to honor, duty, and virtue.


*travesty: a literary or artistic composition so inferior in quality so as to be merely a grotesque imitation of its model
**The Family: A Proclamation to the World
***Articles of Faith

"This is My Country - Land that I Love"

Uncle Sam put me up to this post. ;)

My feelings for this country have been poignant and mixed that last several weeks, so The Fourth of July was a unique holiday for me. I just wanted to share some thoughts with you.

I love this country.  So dearly.  The more I study and become involved in its affairs the more I am certain that this land really is "promised".  There are so many admirable things being done in the United States--so much to praise and be proud of.

As an example, I attended a fireside just before the Fourth where they played the Armed Forces Medley and asked all those in the audience that were veterans or family of veterans to stand.  This easily ranks on my Top 50 list of Favorite Things Ever.  I get choked up as I see quiet old men with backs bent by age stand as they hear "Off we go into the wild blue yonder..."  To any who may be reading that have served or have had a parent, grandparent, sibling, or especially spouse serve, thank you.  Your gift is sacred and I appreciate it more than I can express.  Readers of this blog may not know that my grandpa served in WWII.  I've never stood during the Armed Forces Medley because I have felt myself too far removed to really be worthy to stand.  But Grandpa Pike passed away a year or so ago, and shortly before The Army Goes Rolling Along, I had a very clear thought:   

Stand.  Just in case Grandpa is watching.

As the music started, I stood tall and straight with my head held high and a smile on my face.  As I stood, I felt that somewhere, maybe even close by, my young, handsome, robust Grandpa was standing the same way in salute.

Again, there is so much to be proud of.

But as I said before, my feelings have been so mixed.  While there's so much to be proud of, there have been many issues recently that concern me and make me hang my head.  I'm concerned about the integrity of some (not all) elected government officials.  I'm concerned about the recent Supreme Court ruling that upheld the mandated Health Care law and passed it as a tax. I'm concerned about the upcoming election, and the potential ramifications of the outcome.

I have also become increasingly concerned about the filth that is not only tolerated, but embraced and loved and worshiped in our country.  Just prior to the Fourth, a "box-top hit" was released called Magic Mike. This proved to be the straw that broke my back.

The picture below was one of many posts like this on the facebook wall of one of my friends.  

We went to high school together.  And Girl's Camp.  And church.

Actually, Unnamed Individual, I think it does matter what this movie's about (for those of you who don't know, it's basically about male strippers). And it matters that it's full of half- or full-naked men. Or that it contains pervasive sexual content and graphic nudity*.  Or that it also includes approximately 156 F-bombs.**  It's no surprise that Hollywood would come out with something this seedy--they've been doing it for years. The shock came as I saw all the people that I know that were heralding the coming of this blockbuster with a kind of crazed reverence. Unnamed Individual was not the only person raving about this movie for weeks prior to and following its release. A friend I had in seminary went and saw it with her mother.  That breaks my heart.

What are we thinking?

This and other incidents had been weighing heavily on my mind as the Fourth approached.  It did nothing to comfort my heart when on the Fourth of July, I happened upon this during my daily scripture reading:

Mosiah 7:29-31

"For behold, the Lord hath said: I will not succor my people in the day of their transgression; but I will hedge up their ways that they prosper not; and their doings shall be as a stumbling block before them. And again, he saith: If my people shall sow filthiness they shall reap the chaff thereof in the whirlwind; and the effect thereof is poison. . .which bringeth immediate destruction."

How's that for a pick-me-up?  In surrounding verses it says, "The promise of the Lord is fulfilled. . . Who wondereth that they are in bondage, and that they are smitten with sore afflictions?" My mind was cumbered with heavy thoughts on the Fourth of July, wondering if America--this country that I love and revere and cherish--would need to fall before or at the coming of the Savior. Wondering about the Constitution potentially hanging by a thread.  What do you think?... Are the American people ripening for destruction?

I promise, I don't want to be a dooms-dayist or a doomsayer.  I don't want to have a fatalistic, all is lost, "eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we burn" attitude.  That won't help anything.

But what is to be done?

Like any smart girl, I went to my eternally smarter mother who has done 36 years more reading, more studying, and more living than I have to see if she had any words of wisdom.  As always, she did.  She led me to a talk/booklet by President Ezra Taft Benson entitled The Constitution--A Heavenly Banner.  If you've made it this far in the post, I would strongly recommend you read it. It can be bought at the BYU Bookstore, Deseret Book, or on Amazon.com for just a few dollars.  Or you can read a much less pretty version here.  Either way, it'll take less than an hour to read but it will leave you filled with fresh insights on freedom, agency, and our country.  Even more, I hope you'll have a greater understanding, as I did, of what you can do to fulfill the duty you owe to your country.

The closing lines of President Benson's address left me feeling the peace, hope, and determination to press onward that I had been searching for:

"I testify that the God of heaven sent some of his choicest spirits to lay the foundation of this government, and he has sent other choice spirits—even you who hear my words this day—to preserve it.  We, the blessed beneficiaries, face difficult days in this beloved land, "a land which is choice above all other lands" (Ether 2:10).  It may also cost us blood before we are through.  It is my conviction, however, that when the Lord comes, the Stars and Stripes will be floating on the breeze over this people.  May it be so, and may God give us the faith and the courage exhibited by those patriots who pledged their lives and fortunes that we might be free."

May it be so.

Oh, thus be it ever, when free men shall stand

Between their loved homes and the war's desolation.

Blessed with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto:  "In God is our trust."

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

*MPAA Rating
**KidsinMind.com

Somewhat Serious Musings

So I'm trying out a new blog title rather than Blog Title.  It's subject to change (as we all are) in case I have a mid-night epiphany sometime soon.

Another item of business... I think I need to post something right when I write it. It's my habit to start posts and leave them in a mostly-finished state but still not post them. When I come back to my blog to review the post, I chicken out and decide I don't want to post what I wrote after all. Instead, I then come up with a superficial substitute to blog just for the sake of blogging.

I think it's important to note that people blog for different reasons. For some, it's a life-log, travelogue, or baby-log--they keep people updated on the objective happenings in their life. Some people blog for a job. They write wittily on topics pertinent and interesting to certain audiences and seek to expand their pool of readers, and thus, their personal revenue. Some bloggers present life in a delightfully amusing way; others provide intellectual stimulation.

So I asked myself... Why do I blog? I blog because writing is so good for me. Writing what I think and feel is one of the small things in life that consistently has a salient power that fosters my change and growth. It adds a richness and a dynamic to my life that just feels so good. I feel fulfilled when I write. But I do not feel fulfilled when I write only what I think is safe for people to hear.

It's in my nature to be a little leery of sharing my writing because (a) I don't know really who I'm sharing with, as this is not a private blog, and (b) my writing tends to be a reflection of the deeper parts of me, for better or for worse. I know I shouldn't care about what people think, but a lot of times I do. Upon further reflection, though, I think that it's not so much that I care what people think of me, it's that I hate the ambiguity of not knowing what people think. If I know exactly where I stand with someone and know that they despise and loathe me more than rocks in shoes, twenty-page research papers, Spam Stew, and other atrocities, I can handle that. It's the not knowing that drives me crazy. What if someone I know, admire, and love reads this and thinks, "Oh my heck, will you please lighten up? What is your deal?" ... "I am so glad I don't have to live with you anymore," or "Thank goodness high school's over." ... "Why do you always have a bone to pick with life? Don't you know that people don't want to hear the deeper side of things? There's a reason our culture doesn't open up... nobody wants to hear it."  See, if I knew for a fact certain people felt that way, I'd be okay. People are entitled to their opinion, just as I'm entitled to mine. But for some reason, the not knowing is so hard for me.  It's the same way with the papers I hand in at school. I can have spent hours drafting and re-drafting a paper, only to hand it in with literally no idea of what the professor will think. (This happened multiple times last semester in my English 313 class.) She'll either absolutely love it or think it's one of those mediocre, almost-hit-the-mark papers. Either way, I'll be surprised because I have NO IDEA what she'll think.

So why don't I just keep my writing to myself and spare the world my sentimentality, quirks, rambles, and muddles? Why don't I play it safe with superficial topics for school papers and blog posts and spare myself any stress not knowing how me and my writing are being received?  Answer:  In a world and culture that hides behind defense walls of humor, sarcasm, and automatic answers to equally automatic questions---e.g. You see a good friend on campus and they say, "Hey! How are things going?" Your dog just died, your apartment just collapsed with all of your stuff inside, and you're on your way to have an emergency appendectomy, and you say, "Good. You?" "Good!"---I have always been a person who wants real connection. Superficial relationships drain the life out of me. I want something real, something human, something you can touch and hold and laugh with and cry with and burn your finger on and splash in rain puddles with. I want that realness and that humanity.

I had an excellent class last semester that taught me a lot about life. One of the things that resonated with me the most was this quote:

"Without vulnerability, there is no connection...

Without risk, there is no intimacy."

That's why I blog. That's why I take the risk to be vulnerable. I want connection in any way I can have it. I want to reach out to anyone who reads--stranger or lifelong friend--and hope that in a moment of vulnerability, the brokenness in me can speak softly to the brokenness in you. Or that in a moment of triumph, the strength in me can speak to whatever part of you would benefit most by hearing it. For those of you who have been following this blog, I think that's what I was going for in my very first post back in February 2011. In a way I was reaching out and saying, "Hey [Reader, Roommate, Parent, Friend, Sibling], I'd like to share myself with you. Can I connect with you?" My original blog title was The Dauntless Debut of Miss Anne Caroline. While my blog has by no means been dauntless (even now, it's taking all the courage I can muster to click the Publish button), this post is an effort to hold true to that initial pursuit of connection.

I know allowing ourselves to be vulnerable can be hard and scary, but I humbly suggest that in whatever way you can manage it, give it a shot. Just once. Sometime this week, reach out and offer a piece of yourself to someone, even if it's just your mom. You will not always be well received--someone may look at that piece that you hold out in offering and laugh at it, spit on it, mock it, or throw it in the dirt. But the times that someone takes your offering, holds it, cherishes it, and guards it as their own make all other futile attempts worth it.

Let's give vulnerability a try.

Connection and intimacy are well worth the risk.

"It's not personal. It's business."

"What is that supposed to mean?  I am so sick of that.  All that means is that it wasn't personal to you.  But it was personal to me.  It's *personal* to a lot of people.  And what's so wrong with being personal anyway? Whatever else anything is, it ought to begin by being personal."

Thank you, Kathleen Kelly.  I couldn't agree more.

Challenge to anyone reading:  Be more personal today.  Life is personal.