I hate to say I told you so. But way back when Madonna was embracing Kabbalah and taking my name as her own, I knew instinctively that Britney--who would have been a Wannabe, had she been a teenager in the 80s--would not be far behind her idol. And then suddenly Brit wore red string bracelets and toted copies of the Zohar (the primary Kabbalah text) poolside, and I was right: If Madge tries it, it's good enough for Britney.
But now Britney's gone beyond Madonna in her embrace of faux-alterna-Judaism, by dating Jewish model Isaac Cohen and sporting what tabloids claim is Cohen's Magen David (star of David) necklace. While Jews everywhere are echoing Kapped's prayer ("not a Jew, please"), and speculating that the necklace (and her new hair color) indicates an imminent conversion, pop culture historians should point out that we should probably blame Madonna for this, too: Remember her song from "Confessions on a Dance Floor" that might have been about a storied Kabbalist? It was called "Isaac."
And Britney's attempt to catch up with Madonna--and maybe find her own spirituality, or self, in the process--continues.
posted by Esther Kustanowitz @ 5:26 PM | Permalink |
Nowhere on television is God's existence more consistently, vigorously, and eloquently debated than on Fox's medical series "House," and in last night's episode the acerbic, cynical doctor's faith--or lack of it--was once again put to the test in almost Shakespearean fashion.
As Gregory House is treating a series of patients with STDs , he encounters Eve, a woman who has been raped but refuses to talk about it. She also refuses to leave the hospital and won't let anyone treat her but House. When House then finds out thar Eve is actually pregnant from the rape, a fiery philosophical debate ensues about abortion, justice, and whether or not the choices in life matter at all.
Eve believes she should have the baby because life is sacred. She argues with House that "eternity is what we live for" and that she has to believe in God because she has to believe there are ultimate consequences for our choices. House counters by telling Eve to have an abortion and that "either God doesn't exist or he is unimaginably cruel" for allowing this to happen to her. She also challenges House's personal motives for always finding an excuse for not feeling comforted by a belief in the possibility of a higher power.
In true "House" fashion, the ending of the story is a little morally cloudy, as Eve does, in fact, choose to abort the baby, but House wonders whether or not he gave her the right counsel, leaving the man who declares he loves questions more than answers with even more questions still.
To those following the coverage of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' recent paparazzi-chronicled nuptials, the attendance of Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony probably wasn't much of a surprise (unlike Brooke Shields and her husband). Lopez has been best friends with "King of Queens" star and Scientologist Leah Remini for years. But Lopez surprised gossip columnists (yes, you Perez Hilton) when she told a local Miami television station that her father has been a Scientologist for 20 years.
When asked by NBC 6 about the Cruise-Holmes wedding and her thoughts on peoples' negative perceptions of Scientology, she replied, "I, myself, am Catholic. But it's just sad that people would look at it (Scientology) in that way."
"My dad has been a Scientologist for 20 years. It's weird people want to paint it in a negative way."
Although speculation has been rife that Cruise has been courting Lopez to join the Church of Scientology, and that she has allegedly turned to the religion to help conceive, her spokesperson Leslie Sloane Zelnick continues to deny that the singer/actor is abandoning her Catholic faith, saying that "the fact that Lopez socializes with friends who happen to be Scientologists doesn't mean anything more or anything less other than she enjoys their company."
So, why is it that she's kept this tidbit about her father on the down low? It's true that her father is not a clebrity and therefore shouldn't be exposed to the harsh light of public scrutiny. And, yes, this would be a non-issue if he had turned out to be, say, a Congregationalist. But for better or worse, the mix of secrecy and celebrity that the Church of Scientology promotes makes this a "bombshell" of a story.
So you think that Muhammad Ali is the most famous convert to Islam? Well the "fastest-growing religion" may be welcoming a new brother to the fold, and brother, this potential convert would be a thriller.
It seems that Jermaine Jackson, who finished as runner-up on the British "Celebrity Big Brother," believes that his ultra-famous little brother, Michael Jackson, has given "serious thought" about converting to Islam. That's right folks. Brother Jermaine, a convert himself, said on Monday that he would like the King of Pop to consider Islam, saying that the religion would be "a great protection for [Michael] from all the things that he's been attacked with, which are false."
In an interview with BBC's Asian Network, Jermaine Jackson said there's strength and protection in Islam, adding that his faith kept him sane during his confinement in the Celebrity Big Brother house: "If I didn't have Allah and my prayer rug, I would not have survived and the reason why is because it kept me focused, it kept me calm."
Brother Michael, who now lives in Bahrain in the Middle East, has thought a lot about Islam during his long stays in the country, Jermaine said. Jermaine, in fact, takes credit for Michael moving to Bahrain, saying he "wanted him to get out of America and just go somewhere it's peaceful and quite and people pray five times a day, which is beautiful."
Having visited Western-loving Middle East countries myself (I spent a lovely vacation in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates a few years back), I can see how this part of the story could be true. Countries like Bahrain and the UAE are the near-perfect union of Western modernity and hipness with Muslim faith and morality.
But I'd be really, really surprised if Michael Jackson did indeed convert to Islam. After all, if some of his bizarre behaviors (not to mention his unfortunate trouble with child molestation accusations--though he was acquitted) don't fly in the U.S., it would be doubly the case in the Muslim world.
But like all major religions, Islam believes in fresh start if a person is really sincere about it. So maybe the King of Pop, if he really wanted it, would have a better life as a Muslim. Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) sure has (in my humble opinion), made a success of it.
The only double award winner for drama at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival was James C. Strouse's powerful debut film, "Grace is Gone." John Cusack gives a remarkably restrained performance as Stanley Philips, a father of two girls, confronted by a shocking reality. Stanley's wife, Grace, dies serving as a soldier in Iraq. How and when should Stanley communicate such horrible and life changing news to his daughters? "Grace is Gone" presents a profound, de-politicized portrait of grief. It is about the human cost of war.
Unable to find words to express his pain, Stanley takes the girls on a road trip. The fun promised by "Enchanted Gardens" gives Stanley a tangible goal during a time of boundless confusion. The oldest daughter, Heidi, has difficulty sleeping, often wandering outside in the middle of the night. As 12-year-old Heidi, actress Shelan O'Keefe displays a wisdom and woundedness far beyond her age. Younger sister, 8-year-old Dawn, brings a bouncy enthusiasm to the family, despite missing her mother. Dawn synchronizes her watch with her mother, promising to think about each other at the same moment, every day. As Dawn, young thespian Gracie Bednarzyk combines humor and longing. Alessandro Nivola plays Stanley's irresponsible brother, a counterpoint to the unquestioning patriotism of Stanley.
The emotional heart of "Grace is Gone" resides in John Cusack's muted portrait of Stanley. Cusack alters his walk, his appearance, his entire persona to inhabit Stanley's decency and despair. The Weinstein Company purchased "Grace is Gone" at Sundance for $4 million and are already slating Cusack's performance to contend for next year's Academy Awards. It is that soul-achingly good.
Why did a star of Cusack's magnitude sign onto a modest, independent film directed by a novice director? During the post screening question and answer session, Cusack praised James C. Strouse's "restrained, economical, powerful piece of writing." "Grace is Gone" builds upon Strouse's laconic screenplay for the Sundance 2005 film, "Lonesome Jim." Strouse graces his Midwestern characters with moments of stillness, reflection, and familial love. From the girls fighting in the car to a father taking his daughters to get their ears pierced, "Grace is Gone" is loaded with precise and touching observations. Strouse quite appropriately won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting award.
Cusack called "Grace is Gone" "a big, small little movie." It is an important piece of work that cuts across our overly politicized era. Cusack noted our sense of helplessness surrounding the war in Iraq. He said, "We can get involved politically, we can pray or we can grieve." "Grace is Gone" is a film about grief. It puts a lump in your throat at the start of the film that never leaves.
"Grace is Gone" also won the Audience Award at Sundance for Best Drama. It is more cathartic than depressing. Audience members around me came prepared to cry, distributing Kleenex all around. I found myself reaching for a tissue, wishing that my tears could somehow bring peace to Iraq and the soldiers' home to their families. Afterwards, Cusack quoted Arthur Miller, suggesting, "An era is over when its illusions have been exhausted." "Grace is Gone" serves as both a wake and a wake up call. In poetically understated fashion, filmmaker James C. Strouse concluded, "I'm just trying to tell an honest story."
In business these days, children are a fact of life. Working from home to stay with a sick child is an allowable indulgence. If anyone remarks on a small voice in the office or in the background on a conference call, it's most often to note it warmly. In 1973, when Roe v. Wade was being decided by the Supreme Court, children and business--and therefore women and business--never mixed. In order to get or keep a job, a woman could not get, or stay, pregnant.
This isn't an argument for or against the need for legal abortion in 2007. But it is one of the fascinating perspectives offered by PBS's excellent two-part history of the Supreme Court, which debuts tomorrow night and Feb. 7th. The documentary does much to humanize the Court and the implications of its decisions for real people. It reports the standard Roe lore that Justice Harry Blackmun's opinion was heavily influenced by Blackmun's wife and four daughters, who assailed him with their pro-choice views at the dinner table. More than that, though, the show reminds us that the Court's decisions can change our workaday lives so fundamentally that we forget why they seemed imperative at the time—leaving us to debate only abstract principles.
Not that the film trivializes the purpose or power of the court. The greater movements of history are also given their due: the civil-rights battles of the post-WWII era and the broad expansion of individual rights that followed, we learn, were the result of an opposition to totalitarianism that defined all American politics, including the Court's, and redefined our values.
But the personalities and human foibles are what make these four hours of talking heads and decorous re-enactments compelling. Even Marbury v. Madison, the 1803 case that established the justices' power to quash legislation, involved a political battle between two second cousins, Thomas Jefferson and Chief Justice John Marshall, and hinged on Marshall's brother's failure to deliver an important document to would-be justice-of-the-peace William Marbury. That kind of detail dissolves the mist of highflown principle and tradition that swirls around any institution like the Supreme Court. And that's what good history does.
Who would guess that the Sundance Film Festival would offer not one, but two compelling stories of life inside Russian Orthodox monasteries? "The Island" is a dark, foreboding, but ultimately transcendent film set on an icy Russian setting. "The Monastery: Mr. Vig and the Nun" is a Danish documentary filled with eccentric humor and profound beauty. I caught both films on the same packed day of Sundance screenings.
Director Pernille Rose Gronkjaer invested five years (and her own money) chronicling Mr. Vig's 50-year effort to transform his Danish castle into a monastery. A former Lutheran pastor, Mr. Vig wants "to create something enduring, something of quality." As a student of world religions, Mr. Vig had initially tried to establish a Buddhist monastery on his Hesbjerg estate. But when Sister Amvrosya and a team of Russian Orthodox nuns come to inspect the castle, it is out with the Thangkas, in with the Icons. This is the first of a series of comedic clashes between the monkish Mr. Vig and the determined Sister Amvrosya. Mr. Vig must fix the heater and repair the roof before the nuns will embrace Hesbjerg as their new home. The nuns bring a literal warmth to Vig's dilapidated castle.
As the story evolves, the filmmaker Pernille Rose Gronkjaer, also enters the drama, asking telling questions to Mr. Vig about his love life. He has practiced poverty and chastity, but clearly he struggles with obedience to rigors of the Orthodox Church. In an exclusive audio interview, Gronkjaer talked to students from the WindRider Forum about the fairy tale elements of the story.
With his imposing beard and furry hats, Mr. Vig looks like a character straight out of a Hans Christian Anderson story. The beauty of the Danish countryside is contrasted with the crumbling castle. Gronkjaer salutes the persistence of Mr. Vig and Sister Amvrosya as they overcome the elements and their personality clash to create a rare and humane love story. By the time Mother Amvosya leads Mr. Vig in a procession around the property, there wasn't a dry eye in the theater.
"The Island" (Russian title, "Ostrov") also follows a long procession, from cowardly acts in World War II, to profound moments of contemporary healing. Under pressure from the Nazis, a young sailor, Anatoli, shoots his ship captain, Tikhon. Washing ashore on a remote Russian island, Anatoli is rescued by Orthodox monks. Thirty years later, Anatoli has become a revered holy man, working out his salvation by digging coal and stoking fires for the monastery. Father Anatoli has become a source of prophecy, healing, and hope. Despite his spiritual power, Anatoli veers along the edge of madness, still haunted by his dark past. He walks "The Island," begging for forgiveness.
Building upon the celebrated legacy of Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky, filmmaker Pavel Lounguine has crafted a classic story of redemption. Anatoli pushes the Russian Orthodox priests to purge themselves of material goods and distractions. Lounguine comments upon post-communist Russia and its uncritical embrace of commerce. Anatoli also performs an exorcism with nothing but a simple prayer and the sign of the cross. It is a memorable moment of pure, transcendental cinema. But will Anatoli find rest for his weary soul? "The Island" offers haunting answers to his fervent prayers. Amidst a dark and dreary setting, "The Island" concludes with a symbol of eternal hope--a slow, dramatic fade to white.
--Posted by Craig Detweiler
Screenwriter Craig Detweiler directs the Reel Spirituality Institute (www.reelspirituality.org) at Fuller Seminary.
It couldn't have gotten any worse on "24" when the first of five nuclear bombs was detonated, presumably by Muslim terrorists. And so the eagerly anticipated season began, with Muslim extremists as the villain this time around. There's been a venerable smorgasborg of baddies on "24," the popular Fox drama that follows agent Jack Bauer, a one-man terrorist-fighting machine who each season races madly to try and avert some major disaster over the span of just 24 hours.
"24's" mix of bad guys has included "shadowy Anglo businessmen, Baltic Europeans, Germans, Russians, Islamic fundamentalists, and even the Anglo-American president of the United States," the network said in a press release. But the American Muslim community is up in arms again this year over the bad guys being Muslims, as was the case two seasons earlier.
But is it really that big a deal? Of course being Muslim myself, I cringe when I see Muslim terrorists being trotted out as the villain du jour in any movie or television show. But many Muslim advocacy groups are taking this a step further: "The overwhelming impression you get is fear and hatred for Muslims," said Rabiah Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
"After watching ["24"], I was afraid to go to the grocery store because I wasn't sure the person next to me would be able to differentiate between fiction and reality," Ahmed said in a CNN.com article.
Come on. I will probably draw the ire of many Muslims and Islamic groups by saying this, but we may be taking the power of a television show too seriously here. Granted, in a time when Muslims are sensitive to negative depictions of their faith and people--and rightly so--I can see why CAIR and other groups are wagging their finger at Fox for making Muslims the villains of the show again this season.
But at the same time, the choice of the typical villain in film and television follows the trajectory of who is deemed the "enemy" during that time. So in the 1980s, when we were in Cold War with the former Soviet empire, Russians were the bad guys in most films. At other times, when there was much attention on the growing illegal drug problem in the U.S., television and film gave us stereotypical Hispanic drug dealers to hiss at.
And now, sadly, Muslim extremists get those roles. It's not the way I, or millions of other non-extremist Muslims want it, but that's what happens in Hollywood. Does this mean we should just accept every show and film that chooses to make Muslims the bogeyman? No. We just have to pick our battles--fight the fight where there will be an impact. Like when Muslims protested Bruce Willis's 1998 movie, "The Siege."
"24" is not a one-season show. Jack Bauer is in it for the long haul, and through the years he has fought a whole slew of dastardly demons. Some years it is a devious U.S. president and other years it is Muslim extremists. Let's be fair: The show does cover some topics of importance to Muslims, including the detention of terror suspects in Guantanamo-type detention centers, the loss of Muslims' civil rights, and racial profiling.
The bottom line is that, like many other Muslims who take pride in their faith, I hate to see the minor, extremist population of Islam get face time. But that's what Hollywood does, and it's not the biggest battle Muslims have to fight. There's a lot more there to worry about than "24." And Jack is an awfully compelling hero to watch.
The fake controversy surrounding Dakota Fanning's new film, "Hounddog"--in which the child actress plays a victim of abuse who, in one much-discussed scene, is raped--demonstrates the unfortunate and continuing power of a press release. Political activists on both sides of the aisle have learned that well-timed (and unsubstantiated) accusations can be an effective fundraising tool with their constituencies. Such calculated (and often groundless) attacks demonstrate why celebrities are so dependent upon publicists to navigate volatile and tiresome cultural wars.
In feigning concern over Dakota Fanning's on-set abuse, those who shined a spotlight upon "Hound Dog" stirred up substantial interest in the small, Southern gothic film. Tickets for the premiere became hard to acquire. Accusations flew across newspapers and the Internet. But the few who were able to squeeze into the packed theater reported that the rape scene in question was handled with restraint. Moreover, film critics considered the film itself a fairly unoriginal revisiting of trailer trash stereotypes. The end result: much ado about fairly little.
Overlooked at Sundance amidst the pseudo-event were transcendent dramas about children threatened by genuine dangers. "Trade" focuses upon human trafficking, particularly upon children sold into sexual slavery. "Ezra," "The Devil Came on Horseback," and "War Dance" deal with civil wars in Africa, where kids are all too often abducted and turned into soldiers. "Ezra" reports from Sierra Leone and "The Devil Came on Horseback" follows the transformation of a soldier into an activist in Darfur.
"War Dance" documents the dire situation facing war refugees in Northern Uganda. Over two million members of the Acholi tribe have been exiled from their homelands because of the ill-named Lord's Resistance Army. "War Dance" follows the stories of three children amidst the 60,000 refugees gathered at a "displacement camp." It is set against the backdrop of a national music competition, where war orphans from Patongo Primary School hope to compete. Produced by Shine Global to raise awareness and funds for the refugees, "War Dance" celebrates the power of music and dance to overcome the most overwhelming conditions.
For "War Dance," the husband and wife team of Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine won the award for best documentary directing at Sundance. Jeff Consiglio's editing juxtaposes the horrors of war with the lush colors of the African bush. The sounds and images are beautiful and haunting. The camera also serves as a confessional for three children, a safe place to reveal the painful realities they witnessed.
We see the prayers of Nancy, as she takes on the role of mother to her brothers and sisters. Dominic wants to grow into Uganda's finest xylophone player. Rose suffers under the hand of her aunt, pining for her mother and her old life. Despite their devastating circumstances, the children practice and perform the traditional Bwola dance with profound hope and joy.
"War Dance" reminds us where the religious leaders who claim to care about children should focus their efforts. It is the real story emerging from Sundance that the press needs to follow. Thankfully, Think Film has plans to release "War Dance" in theaters, making it an early contender for next year's Oscars. The movie going public will ultimately decide which films and stories to dignify.
For more info about War Dance or how to support children in Patongo, Uganda, go to www.shineglobal.org.
-- Posted by Craig
Detweiler
Craig Detweiler works for the Brehm Center for Worship, Theology and the Arts (www.brehmcenter.org) at Fuller Theological Seminary.
Don't mistake "Eagle vs. Shark" for your average love story. This "romantic comedy turned on its head" by New Zealand director Taiko Waititi was one of the most talked-about premieres at Sundance. I heard at a previous screening someone called it "the best movie ever made." When I arrived at the line early, the waiting list for stand-by admission was already sold out. At the opening shot, before anything really funny even happened, half the audience was already laughing out loud.
Think "Napoleon Dynamite" meets "Pride and Prejudice" with a dash of "Monty Python" and "Homestar Runner." She is a shy but charming, guitar-playing underdog; he is a brooding, self-absorbed nerd at the top of the video gamers' social ladder. Imagine Mr. Darcy with taped-up glasses, martial arts T-shirts, and an old-school game console. But the resemblance to Jane Austen's famous couple ends there.
Instead of fluently witty banter, their interactions are rather awkward. The premise of two geeks clumsily falling in love was the film's selling point, but what makes "Eagle vs. Shark" great are the layers within it. What Lily and Jarrod are unable to articulate in words arrives via subtext and symbolism. They express themselves through their favorite animals--Jarrod is the eagle and Lily is the shark--reflecting their different personalities (perhaps a reference to "air" and "water" in ancient temperament theories).
Jarrod (Jemaine Clement) has his head in the clouds and an ax to grind. He is so hung up on a grudge with the old classmate who used to beat him up that he forgets what he has in front of him. Lily (Loren Horsley) is not the aggressive extroverted personality one would associate with a shark, but in her own quiet way she is determined to catch Jarrod, and her piercing eyes express much more than she is able to say.
At the heart of "Eagle vs. Shark" resides the desire for love and acceptance. Jarrod has a tense relationship with his family and exaggerates Lily's accomplishments in an unnecessary effort to get them to like her. He makes himself feel good about his catch. He also feels like his past defines him, and he gets preoccupied (hilariously) preparing for a "duel" to defend his "honor." Lily also wants acceptance. In one image, she feels the weight of staggering rejection. Later, the same image results in sudden popularity.
A stop-motion subplot carries the symbolism further. Wistful colors and beautiful shots of New Zealand are mixed with abstract imagery and computer technology of questionable age. As in the breakout Sundance hit, "Napoleon Dynamite," it is hard to tell when "Eagle vs. Shark" takes place... but you're laughing so much you don't care.
"Eagle vs. Shark" is unlike any other romantic comedy I've seen. It already scored a distribution deal with Miramax and is slated for a summer release. I can see the Hot Topic merchandise already. But don't mistake this for mindless entertainment. While "Eagle vs. Shark" may not inspire late-night coffee shop conversations on social justice, it still hits close to home regarding human nature. This New Zealand comedy inspires laughter--and even healing.
-- Posted by Rachelle Klemme
Rachelle Klemme is a film major at Biola University (www.mcom.biola.edu) in La Mirada, California.
I finally saw "The Aristocrats" this weekend, and will refrain from adding--at this late date--to the reams of commentary on this documentary about the telling and retelling of a single, legendary, vile joke by professional comedians. In a completely unrelated aside, however, Robin Williams did offer this gem, which may be old news for lots of people, but I'd never heard it:
A rabbi walks into a bar with a frog on his shoulder. The bartender says, "Where'd you get that?" The frog answers, "Brooklyn. There are hundreds of them there."
Last week my husband returned from Seattle on Delta Airlines, and told me he had some "Idol Chatter blog-worthy" news: As they crossed the country at 35,000 feet, they were treated to quite the interesting version of the Golden Globe-winning "The Queen." All the references to "God" were bleeped out, he explained in shock. And not just the "Lord in vain" kind--but the "God save the Queen" kind too. As one after the other reference to God was edited out of the film, people all around him began questioning whether or not it was just them, or had somebody censored the film.
Turns out, they weren't imagining things!
The Washington Post reports that yes, it's true, "all mentions of God are bleeped out of a version of the film distributed to Delta and some other airlines," and passengers have been hearing characters delivering lines in the following manner: "(Bleep) bless you, ma'am." God is edited out a total of seven times.
Their explanation? It was a rookie employee blunder:
Jeff Klein, president of Jaguar Distribution, the Studio City, Calif., company that supplied the movie to the airlines earlier this month, said it was a mistake, committed by an overzealous and inexperienced employee who had been told to edit out all profanities and blasphemies.
"A reference to God is not taboo in any culture that I know of," Klein said. "We excise foul language, excessive violence and nudity.
For the most part, there isn't always a lot of grace shown at “Grey’s Anatomy’s” Seattle Grace Hospital. The show dabbles with the “diseases” of the human condition, those murky, dirty, selfish gray areas of torrid love affairs, ruthless competitiveness, the keeping of dark secrets, and cutting the LVAD wire keeping your boyfriend alive so that he can get the next heart on the list. But last night’s episode was different, offering a glimpse of real grace. We meet two young women who seem to have a dying devotion to one another. “From cradle to the grave,” they keep saying about their bond.
Unfortunately, one of the women has a massive uterine tumor and needs to have a radical hysterectomy immediately. When the doctor suggests she might want to call her parents, her friend begins to freak out, saying that she only needs her and that the situation is complicated and that neither of them speaks with their parents anymore. This friend is wild eyed, jumpy, and quite zealous, leading viewers to think that either something is not quite right with the situation or that she has been partaking of way too much Starbucks.
Unexpectedly, the parents of the dying girl arrive at the hospital and start asking questions in Pennsylvania Dutch. That’s right--the girl’s parents are Amish. Her friend continues to become even more agitated, accusing Izzy of calling them. We later find out that this young woman had been baptized but then decided to leave the Amish community, resulting in her being shunned by all of her family and friends. But the girl with the tumor refused to turn her back on her best friend and ran off to the big city to support her. However, having not yet been baptized, she has not been shunned.
During the operation, the surgeons discover that the tumor is, in fact, end-stage and inoperable. And we discover that the sick girl called her parents herself, wants to go back and spend her last days with the community, and be baptized. Her friend is inconsolable, knowing that her best friend will have to shun her; but, in the end, she accepts that letting her friend go back is the ultimate embodiment of “from the cradle to the grave” friendship.
In turn, the dying woman’s mother tells the heretofore fully shunned friend that she will let her mother know that she is alive and a good person. They hug and the friend leaves.
While not given as much screen time as the storyline about George becoming the “Love Doctor,” it affected every other storyline of the evening. George runs from the girl’s surgery after they determined she has end-stage cancer, mirroring the recent death of his father. And Izzy learns that she, too, must “let go” of best friend George in order for him to really be with Callie.
Many year’s ago, a relative of mine joked that she may have to induce the birth of her third child since the expected due date was the same as the Super Bowl and she wanted her husband to be there for the birth. Luckily, said child arrived naturally three days before the big game, and we never had to witness the eventual bludgeoning that would have ensued when the football-watching father didn’t realize that mama’s comment was meant to be funny, not factual.
But don’t tell that to Colleen Pavelka a Homer Glen, Illinois, woman who opted to be induced last Friday so that her husband wouldn’t miss the Chicago Bears’ NFC playoff game against the New Orleans Saints.
With a due date set for January 22, Pavelka was scared that she might go into labor at Soldier Field and ruin her hubby’s big day:
"I thought, how could [Mark] miss this one opportunity that he might never have again in his life?" she told the AP.
Sure, inductions are on the rise and are being schedule for all sorts of debated, convenience-driven reasons these days. And having grown up in Chicago Bear’s territory, I understand the rabid nature of the Soldier Field faithful. (Mr. Pavelka wore a ‘Monsters of the Midway’ shirt during the delivery, reports the AP.)
But it strikes me as wrong to induce the birth of your child, to ask him to leave the comfort of the womb before he’s ready, and to take on the inherent risks of induction, just so your husband can attend a football game. Sure, it’s a playoff game, but isn’t witnessing the birth of his child, even a second child, also “one opportunity that [Mr. Pavelka] might never have again in his life”? (Then again, discounting the Bears’ recent comeback, he could have been waiting a while.) Besides, what would have been better than Mrs. Pavelka going into labor at Soldier Field on the day Da Bears made it to their first Super Bowl in over 20 years?
What do you think? Is scheduling the birth of a child in order for yourself or your spouse to attend a sporting event a reasonable thing to do? Or would you throw a flag on that play? Let Idol Chatter know.
I may not be a comic book junkie, nor have I been swept up--at least in any lasting way--into the graphic novel craze that has hit the bookshelves of late, but I couldn't pass by "Persepolis," Marjane Satrapi's vivid (literally) graphic memoir of growing up in Tehran during the Islamic revolution. I was captivated by this comic strip-like portrayal of a girl from a liberal family--once free to run and play like any Western child--suddenly struggling with having to wear the hijab and with new restrictions on education for young Muslim women.
Ms. Satrapi has drawn herself thousands of times. But she found it initially overwhelming to watch her own vivid gestures animated on computer screens in the skylighted atelier that is the film’s headquarters in the 10th Arrondissement. Eventually, she said, she learned to put emotional distance between herself and her character. “From the beginning I started to talk about ‘Marjane’ and ‘Marjane’s parents,’ ” she explained, “because you cannot do it otherwise. There are people, for example, drawing my grandmother. My grandmother is dead. Here not only is she moving, but I have to look at her, image by image."
Though the process of animating her story and remaining true to its original images, style, and life growing up as a "girl rebel" in an strict Islamic regime has been challenging. Now that it's finished and soon to release in France (and eventually the U.S., since they have found a distributor), Satrapi commented with embarrassed pride, "It is hard for me, for my ego, to say this: For me, the movie is better than the book."
If you've somehow missed "Persepolis" the graphic memoir, go right now to your local bookstore and buy it. It's an amazing read.
Philip Yancey, author of "Where Is God When It Hurts?", once said that if the church was more present in this world and attending to its pain, people would be asking the question that is the title of his book with much less frequency.
Love God. Love your neighbor. Both the Old and New Testaments proclaim this simple frame work in which all of humanity was intended to live. In the United States we have hundreds of thousands of people who profess to hold these scriptures as the holy text of their life. And yet a film like Trade is made and it isn’t fiction.
Trade is a film about the sex trafficking that is happening between Mexico and the US. It is a gut-wrenching look at the horror of what happens when people let evil go unchecked. Abduction, deception, rape, greed, hate, murder – these are the fruit of the sex trade. Trade expertly depicts the hell of this world with out making the film unwatchable.
While the whole of the biblical text makes it clear that the term neighbor is be to applied to all of humanity, not just those who are physically living next to us, this is a moment where neighbor should be taken very literally. What is more of our neighbor than Mexico? While our country works hard to build a wall between itself and this neighbor, people of faith need to be asking if this wall is doing more than keeping Mexicans out. A horrible consequence of this wall could be further insulating us from the lives of those who need us the most. As Trade shows, this business is being done on the Internet. While a wall might make it harder for people to be smuggled into our country, the Internet will make this a very low hurdle for these evil people to jump.
People looking to God through prayer for deliverance fill this film. Many of these prayers are answered when people – normal people just like you – take the dangerous step to love. And as we have been shown through the life of Jesus, love that saves is a love that will cost us our life.
The producer, Rosilyn Heller, said in a Q&A session with the Windrider Forum, that the topic of sex trade is not a religious issue – and I would agree with her. But, I would add that this is a deeply spiritual issue. If we, as people of faith do not stand apposed to this evil, I am not sure what we are standing for.
After His resurrection Jesus appeared to those who were His followers and said, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
Thanks to Marco Kreuzpaintner (director) and Jose Rivera (screenwriter) for showing us how we have closed our ears to those words of Jesus. It is time for the body of believers around this world to demand that this evil be banished for this earth. It is time for us to not just pray, but be the answer to the prayers of those being devastated by the sex trade. Isn’t this exactly what Jesus was talking about when He taught us to pray, “on earth as it is in heaven?”
- Eric Kuiper
Eric Kuiper is a Fuller Theological Student and a Windrider participant.
Filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi's HBO documentary "Friends of God," which premieres tonight, promises a behind-the-scenes look at the "broad tent" that is evangelicalism in this country, but instead, the film simply follows the same unimaginative formula of other documentaries, like "Jesus Camp." The formula goes like this: After stating that you are going to provide a thoughtful and fair-minded look at the millions of Christians in the U.S., you show extensive footage of Ted Haggard and Jerry Falwell interwined with interviews with Southerners who have various Jesus slogans on their vehicles and t-shirts and who homeschool their children. For good measure, in case anyone misses your point, you make sure you edit your film footage to show these people in the most unattractive way possible.
Such a static treatment of Christians is frustrating, but it is not even remotely the most annoying part of this documentary. Even if I give Pelosi (daughter of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi) the benefit of the doubt and assume that more moderate, socially-conscious evangelicals like Jim Wallis, Rick Warren, or Rob Bell were wisely unavailable for comment, that doesn't excuse Pelosi's simplistic interviewing skills. "Friends of God" doesn't give any insight into Christianity in our culture, but it sure does give us a good glimpse at Pelosi's lack of professionalism as a journalist.
When she attends a church service in Texas, she approaches three young men in amazement, asking them what a group of "swingers" like them are doing in a church on a Saturday night. That's the extent of the interview, but then she moves on to chatting with motivatinal speaker/pastor Joel Osteen. She asks Olsteen in mock astonishment how he could possibly fill a stadium with Christians. And that's as far as that interview goes.
But then there is the most uncomfortable moment of the show, when she talks with Ted Haggard--who had not yet been enmeshed in his very-public sex scandal--about sex. He and a few of his parishoners tell her that evangelicals actually have better sex lives than other people--and she giggles, saying she had no idea she was with a such a group of "studs." In between listening to all of these fascinating soundbytes, I tried counting how many times Pelosi says in sarcastic bemusement, "Wow, we don't have that in New York" whenever she is talking to a Christian or looking at a Jesus slogan on a billboard, but I eventually lost track.
But just in case any Idol Chatter readers think I am responding to one bias with a bias of my own, the national trade paper Variety also criticizes the way Pelosi treats her subject matter, saying she displays "thinly veiled condescension" of Christians. The Variety article goes on to wisely suggest it is foolish to lump all evangelicals into one mold and to assume there is no common ground. Variety defending Christians against a New York liberal? Now that's what I call progress.
NBC's fantastic new show "Heroes" finally returned this week after a too-long holiday hiatus, premiering with the episode "Godsend" and leaving viewers with some interesting ideas to ponder: Are the heroes' special powers gifts from God?
At least one of the heroes thinks so. D. L. Hawkins--right-hand man of Claire's (the cheerleader) father, whose power is to block all use of a hero's ability with his presence--played the role of spiritual sage to Claire's doubts and struggles about what she thinks are her "freakshow" abilities. As Claire expressed her wish to go back to a life where things are "normal," Hawkins urged her to be grateful for the gifts bestowed on them. "Gifts?" she replied with disdain and skepticism. For Hawkins, not only are their superpowers gifts from God, but they are God, he expressed with conviction.
Hawkins isn't alone either. Hiro (the most adorable character on television)--who can bend space and time--received a special sword last episode, which is literally meant to represent his "divine" talent. And in keeping with Hiro's wide-eyed, child-like wonder about all that is happening to him, he accepts this divine symbol with a kind of blind faith.
Given that some of the "heroes," like creepy serial-killer Sylar, use their powers for utter evil, the idea that all superpowers are divine is up for debate. Is it the power itself that's divine? Or how a person receives and wields the power an act of God?
What is a Sundance Film? This was one of the writing prompts for an article review I wrote for a class in conjunction with the Sundance Film Festival. I said it was simply the absence of a studio backed film - independent, sans Hollywood. This could be a wide range in styles carrying an even larger number of themes. I recently watched two movies that spanned this spectrum.
Waitress, with Kerri Russell is about a woman trapped in an horrible marriage who finds solace in making crazy pie creations. Enter unwanted pregnancy and the new cute town doctor, paired with hilarious dialogue and pie recipes along with real questions about happiness and responsibility. I walked out with a new favorite. Thanks to a good reaction plus a few newspaper articles in town, it's becoming a festival favorite, and has been picked up for 3 million (meaning it has studio backing and will get distributed to theaters and DVD).
There are a few films at Sundance that deal with homosexuality and Christianity, one of which is the documentary For the Bible Tells me So. It deals with the way the American church is treating homosexuals. Whew - hot topic. Watch out, the water’s just getting warm.
Another film that is getting a fair bit of attention (and previously reviewed here on Beliefnet) is Save Me, which also deals with homosexuality and the church. Chad Allen (who recently played Steve Saint in End of the Spear) plays a gay drug addict who hits rock bottom, finds healing at a Christian gay rehabilitation retreat center, and falls for one of the guys at the center.
The cool thing about getting into a premiere at a place like Sundance is the dialogue since most of the cast and crew are there. The opening comments by the director of Save Me were poignant: “This is not a gay movie. This is not a Christian movie. This is an American movie.” While the film itself was about average, it is definitely worth seeing for a timely message, which was summed up by an audience member during the post-movie Q&A: “This is a movie about love!”
This movie was written and produced by both gay and pro-gay filmmakers, but the irony is it’s not for the gay community - its for the rest of the country, especially those who would condemn and judge homosexuals.
Judith Light, plays the stanch conservative Christian who seeks to ‘cure’ these men of homosexuality, and really more selfishly, find her own redemption and make peace with God in the process. Instead she is shown love by those she condemns. It portrays all sides in a real way without going over the top. I felt I could walk away from this film and enter into dialogue - it’s building bridges.
Yet honestly, I winced and wrestled during this movie. Am I endorsing something I don’t agree with by being here? How do I feel about this issue? But I needed to be there, and glad I was. I walked up and talked to three of the producers afterwards and told them that I was a theology student here to study spiritual themes in films. We said we appreciated the film, but especially their dialogue and approach with it afterwards.
They responded with authentic gratitude. I left blown away with the irony of the gay community producing a film with such real, but respectful, portrayal of how they are treated by the church.
- Kristin Myers
Kristin Myers comes from Southern California, is a Fuller Theology student and is currently participating in the WindRider Film Forum
Upon viewing the film "Trade" (2007) by Marco Kreuzpainter, the scales have been removed from my eyes by this frightening film, which portrays the horror that goes on with in the world of sex trade. Jorge (Cesar Ramos Ceballos) is an older brother in a pursuit to rescue his kidnapped 13-year-old virgin sister Adrianna (Paulina Gaitan). During his relentless pursuit through Mexico he comes across Ray (Kevin Kline), a husband and Texas police officer who is also in search for something or someone. The alliance between the two to save Adrianna from a life of sexual slavery takes them from the underground life in Mexico to suburban New Jersey, in an attempt to find her before she can be sold through an Internet sex slave auction.
The film begins with an amazing array of colors, as the camera zooms in and out of various shots from with in Mexico City. The lighting and juxtaposition of each shot communicates the piece of art that Marco has created with in the first five minutes and prepares the viewers for what they are about to see. Although the color and cinematography are well done, the strongest part of the film lies in the content and the message, which is being communicated to the viewers. Marco does a fine job of building tension to a point in which it becomes hard to watch and then releasing the tension throughout the film. The dialogue between Jorge and Ray communicates a message about today’s youth and their lack of trust in adults however, as the film progresses their interaction is heart warming and comedic at times providing an emotional break for the viewer.
The truth that lies behind such a horrific act by perverse men and women who are engulfed in a life of sex trade is difficult for Americans to believe. For so many, including myself it is easy to believe it is happening everywhere else but America; however, there are an estimated 50,000 - 100,000 children sold each year within the United States.
There are amazing moments of hope and beauty throughout the film between Adrianna and another slave Veronika (Alicja Bachelda-Curus). Veronika’s character becomes a figure of strength in which the other slaves lean on and view her strength in standing against the henchmen who are delivering them to their destination. Hope is also communicated in which stands out between Veronika and Adrianna one morning when Adrianna roles over in bed, smiles at Veronika and says good morning amidst the pain, and evil around the two of them. The second reason for hope is conveyed by the religious tones throughout the film as a heavy Catholic emphasis is spoken of as well as the symbolism in different shots through the film. Even one of the henchmen is seen praying to the cross leaving the viewer with a mixed set of emotions on what prayers will be listened and or answered by God.
There are so many amazing moments in this film one cannot begin to bring it any justice from one review. Go see the film, dialogue with others about this topic and then look for a way to become more educated on this incredible tragedy going on with in our country and many others. For more information on sex trafficking see stopthetraffik.org --Posted by Drew Girton
Drew Girton comes from Pasadena, California, and is a Fuller Theology student and current Windrider participant.
I hate to say I told you so. But way back when Madonna was embracing Kabbalah and taking my name as her own, I knew instinctively that Britney--who would have been a Wannabe, had she been a teenager in the 80s--would not be far behind her idol. And then suddenly Brit wore red string bracelets and toted copies of the Zohar (the primary Kabbalah text) poolside, and I was right: If Madge tries it, it's good enough for Britney.
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