Random Movie Quote:

"Meeting an insurance agent the day your policy runs out is coincidence.

Getting a letter from the emperor saying that he's visiting is plot.

Having your apartment eaten by a wrecking ball...

...is something else entirely."

--Dr. Jules Hilbert in Stranger than Fiction

Must "Strong Women" be Masculine?

"A good man's work is effected by doing what he does, a woman's by being what she is."
--G.K. Chesterton

In film, if one is to be a "strong woman", one must generally be armed and wearing a very tightly-fitting outfit, or a highly successful career woman with a figure-flattering suit.  Or both, if possible.  Entertainment media and society in general define strength, success, and power solely in masculine terms (position, wealth, aggression, and command of others). This is often done without attention to reality, genuine human nature, and real differences between men and women.


In a recent New York Times article, Carina Chocano, who is fed to the teeth with what she calls "A Plague of Strong Female Characters" in film writes:

“Strength,” in the parlance, is the 21st-century equivalent of “virtue.” And what we think of as “virtuous,” or culturally sanctioned, socially acceptable behavior now, in women as in men, is the ability to play down qualities that have been traditionally considered feminine and play up the qualities that have traditionally been considered masculine. “Strong female characters,” in other words, are often just female characters with the gendered behavior taken out.

(Read her entire article. It's worth it. Really.)



Instead of a movie universe populated by heroines "who are tough, cold, terse, taciturn and prone to scowling and not saying goodbye when they hang up the phone", she suggests a greater emphasis on female leads who actually have to struggle with a few human (and even distinctly feminine) weaknesses. Hmmm. Less spandex and more substance. Now, there's a thought.

Movie and Book Recommendation: "Flipped"

We literature nerds will always tell you that the book is better than the movie.

In the case of Flipped, I'd say it's a toss up.

Written by Wendelin Van Draanen, the author of the Sammy Keyes mysteries, Flipped tells the story of Bryce Loski,  Juli Baker, and their first real crushes--on each other.  As readers, we get to experience our two protagonists' changing attitudes toward each other as the novel deftly switches back and forth from Bryce's point of view to Juli's. 

Bryce is very much concerned with surface appearances and fitting in, something he learns from his parents, especially his father. When they meet he finds Juli's open and unguarded manner to be bewildering and embarrassing, just as his father is annoyed with her family's unkempt lawn, her brothers' noisy band, and her father's painting hobby.  

Juli, who, like her father has an innate love of beauty, is at first infatuated with bryce when she sees his "dazzling eyes".   Each character has a distinct and believable voice, and as each learns to see beyond his or her own point of view, the reader is reminded by their differing perspectives that there is always more than one side to any story. 

Like any child's life, the novel is populated with quirky parents, irritating but lovable siblings, friends, rivalries, and plenty of amusing and yet painfully awkward moments.

As Juli and Bryce awkwardly navigate the social minefields of early adolescence, their school and their suburban neighborhood, they take their families and the reader with them. 

The film follows the book very closely. The only significant change is a shift in the setting. The novel takes place in the late 1990's, while the movie has a nostalgic 1950's backdrop.  Rob Reiner did an absolutely remarkable job of preserving the integrity and universality of the original story.  In translating the book to film, and with the help of a talented cast, Reiner artfully captures the realism of Van Draanen's characters and their complicated lives, which is central to the story's appeal.  The result is a visually captivating, deeply moving, and universally appealing story that manages to be wholesome without being saccharine or pedantic.

So, if you're looking for something to do over the Independence Day weekend that smacks of wholesome all-American goodness, grab a copy of the novel and watch the movie. Hey, it's a holiday weekend. You'll have time for both. 


The MPAA rating for Flipped is PG. Because of some very tense family situations, and a few instances of crass dialogue, the Catholic News Service gives this film a rating of A-III (Adults).  I have to say, however, that I believe the movie is also appropriate for older teens. The novel is intended for readers who find themselves anywhere between middle school and middle age (and even beyond). 

For artfully rendered characters and themes and fantastic writing, this schoolmarm gives both book and film an A+.

Movie Review: "Super 8"

Over the weekend my husband and I went with some friends to see this latest addition to the pre-teen-boy-adventure-movie genre.  Some people are already comparing Super 8 to films like Stand by Me and The Goonies.

The plot line of Super 8 certainly has much in common with its two predecessors.  All three movies feature as a main protagonist a fresh-faced young boy in his early teens facing a significant personal loss or problem (in this case, the death of his mother in a horrific industrial accident). He is accompanied by his small cohort of quirky friends, each with his own issues (in this case, one overweight boy with attention and control issues, another who has a strange fascination with explosions, and another with a tendency to be sick every time he is frightened).  An event ensues that sends them all down the road to an adventure (In this case a dramatic train derailment, which releases a mysterious and dangerous extra-terrestrial creature and uncovers a military conspiracy to keep the alien being captive and secret). The boys face danger together, grow up a little (at least, to a point), and are never the same again.

For a fuller synopsis--with spoilers--hop on over to Wikipedia.

While parents are largely absent in The Goonies and Stand By Me, they occupy a more prominent place in Super 8.  Deputy Jackson Lamb, the father of the main protagonist, has a difficult time coping with the loss of his wife and with single fatherhood.  He has an even more difficult time coping with his anger toward Louis Dainard, his wife's alcoholic coworker, since she was killed while covering a shift for him while he was drunk.  Dainard's daughter, played by Elle Fanning, occupies the novel place of token girl in a pre-teen-boy-adventure-movie.  Her own guilt and embarrassment over her father's behavior adds dimension to her budding friendship with the central protagonist, giving their relationship more depth than the typical "first crush".  Dainard himself is coping with guilt over his own actions, and anger at his wife for leaving him. Naturally this puts a strain on his relationship with his daughter.

The film revolves around the question of how to handle personal loss, and the importance of allowing one's own pain to turn into compassion, rather than destruction of self or others.  Even the mysterious alien creature is coping with its own grief and anger at its captivity at the hands of the military.  As the plot unfolds, each of the emotionally injured characters is forced to confront his or her own pain, and in the process, they help each other find healing and forgiveness.

Given that Stephen Spielberg is one of the producers, one would expect the special effects to be interesting, and these should satisfy anyone who enjoys action, noises, some gore, and (much to the satisfaction of one of the characters) spectacular explosions. Even with the very current nature of the effects, the atmosphere of the film, aided by the retro 1970's setting, hearkens back to earlier movies.  The alien creature is handled in a way that prefers suspense over spectacle.  The film's reliance on effects does diminish its opportunities for character development somewhat.

A roll of super 8 film.

If you do go to see the movie in the theaters, don't forget to stay for the end credits. They feature the amateur film the boys make using the Super 8 film from which the movie gets its title.

Due to frightening situations, some profanity, and one instance of less than glamorous drug use by an empty-headed store clerk, I'd say this film's PG-13 rating makes sense.  Young children would probably find the movie excessively frightening. Parents of younger teens should exercise their own discretion before allowing their youngsters to see this movie. Older teens and adults should  be able to watch the film with no trouble.

With its entertaining performances, well-timed scares and laughs, and relevant, if predictable, themes, I found Super 8 to served very well as weekend entertainment. The Catholic News Service gives this film a rating of A-III (Adults). This schoolmarm gives it a grade of B+.

Conan Does Dartmouth

If one has to invite a speaker to talk for half an hour at a graduation ceremony without putting people to sleep, an accomplished comedian is a good choice.

Conan O'Brien's commencement address this year at Dartmouth is probably one of the most honest and entertaining commencement speeches I have ever heard. It is worth a listen.

(Warning: Some profanity.)

Fashion Trend Trivializes Rosary

One of my favorite gifts that I received for my confirmation was a beautiful rosary bracelet.  I felt that wearing it provided me with  a way to express my faith publicly but not ostentatiously, and on occasion it became a conversation piece that allowed me to share my faith with others who do not know what the rosary is.  It also came in very handy if I happened to forget to bring a full-sized rosary with me when I might have need of one.

(Photo Source)

Those who wear their beads with genuine devotion are in good company. After all, many religious wear their rosaries in their cinctures, keeping them available at all times.  In our human frailty, keeping our rosaries where we can see them is probably the best way many of us have to remind ourselves to actually use them.

But, we have to be careful about how we do so, lest they become Pharisaical display or mere superficial ornaments.

I have noticed over the past few years that many more people, especially teens and young adults, are wearing rosaries as fashion statements.  Even Justin Bieber has jumped on this bandwagon.

Unfortunately, the comportment and dress of some of some forces me to doubt that they are wearing rosaries as devotionals.  Many celebrities whose public behavior is, shall we say, less than in line with Catholic morality,  have popularized rosary beads as superficial fashion statements.   Britney Spears and Madonna are among the most prominent examples.

At the most extreme end of this problem is the inclusion of rosaries worn around the neck in the attire of gang members.  This has even caught the attention of schools, law enforcement, and news media. The San Antonio Police Department Youth Crime Service Unit "Gang Awareness" handbook and USA Today both report that rosary beads are now common components of gang-related attire.


More recently I have seen items labeled as "rosary necklaces" for sale in shops that cater to the more unsavory trends in youth fashion.  These usually have features that are rather different from the real thing.  Hot Topic, a mall chain that features some of the more edgy fashions popular among suburban teens, offers a so-called "rosary necklace" with a charm that looks like a pair of brass knuckles where the crucifix should be, and a gun-shaped center.   Such items are especially appealing to teens and young adults who buy into the glorified images of street culture so common in entertainment media. 

On the one hand, it could be argued that if  someone is going to wear a rosary as a mere fashion statement, it is less disrespectful to wear a bad knock-off than an actual sacred object. On the other hand, calling the bad knock-off a rosary, instead of something else, mocks the real thing and suggests that it is OK to pervert an item that is sacred into a profane fad.  Either way, this trend displays a great lack of respect for Catholic beliefs and practices, especially when worn by those who have no interest in even the appearance of using them for actual prayer or following Catholic teaching.  This public trivialization of one of our most distinctive spiritual tools should be of great concern to those who understand its true value.

Pope John Paul II called the rosary "an effective spiritual weapon against the evils afflicting society" (Rosarium Virginis Mariae).  No weapon, whether temporal or spiritual is of any use if we do not understand it or know how to use it.

It may seem like I am splitting hairs here. It may seem like I am nitpicking when I express concern about this. After all, we have much to be concerned about when it comes to our kids and what they do and what they see on television.  The fact that Lady Gaga wears something resembling a rosary around her neck (or eats one) may seem trivial compared to everything else she wears (or doesn't) and the things she says and does.

But I'm not alone here. Even the bishops find this trend to be disturbing, and have encouraged efforts to catechize people who walk into Catholic shops looking for rosaries, and thinking they are merely buying a necklace. Some business owners have begun giving out free leaflets on how to pray the rosary to the customers who purchase them, hoping that this will at least encourage respect for it, and maybe even teach people something.

If prayer, and the rosary in particular, is the most powerful tool we have to combat all of those evils that threaten our children (and he who is behind them), we must be concerned if people begin to forget what the rosary is for.

Imagine if every celebrity, twenty-something, and teen who wore something like the absurd piece of jewelry above actually learned to pray a real rosary. 

Movie Recommendation: "Vision"

"Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to contemplation of the truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—in a word, to know Himself—so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves."

--Blessed Pope John Paul II

There are many who would be surprised to find faith and reason united in the life of an abbess living in the middle ages.  Such people cannot be familiar with the life of Hildegard of Bingen. She wrote books, music, and mystery plays, and also taught and practiced medicine. For an introduction to her, I highly recommend the recent film Vision.

After seeing a highly favorable review over at Tea at Trianon, I discovered that Vision was available for instant play on Netflix, so I naturally had to add it to my queue.

Elena Maria Vidal writes:

Resisting the temptation to make the film into a piece of feminist propaganda, Vision portrays Hildegard as an obedient daughter of the Church. Her obedience is by no means mere childish acquiescence, as the vow of obedience is too often misconstrued, but an expression of a vibrant faith. St. Hildegard is not afraid to take a firm but charitable stand against injustice. She will brook no infractions of the Rule which protects the serene and disciplined life of her nuns. She is a true mother ready to fight to the death for her spiritual children. (Read the rest.)

That sounded good to me!

I was never terribly familiar with her work before I saw this film, but I have to say that it has sparked my interest, particularly in her morality plays, one of which is shown in the film, and her hauntingly beautiful music, which is used extensively in the soundtrack. Here is an example of one of her compositions:








The film as a whole manages to show the beauty of monastic life alongside the inevitable human realities of internal politics.  It allows the story to tell itself, without excessive glorification of the heroine, or unnecessary demonization of the Church.  Barbara Sukowa's performance portrays a strong woman dedicated to the truth and beauty of her faith with a kind of radical orthodoxy that challenges those around her. She takes delight in the created world, and passes that on to the nuns in her care. At the same time, she is still a human being with human weakness who has to struggle to reach high ideals.  She is, like the rest of us, completely dependent on God for whatever abilities, strengths, or successes she has.

This film was, in short, a breath of fresh air.

Enjoy.

Affairs of Church and State.

I'll let this clip speak for itself.

Remembering California

A clever bit of satire from IowaHawk on the late, great state of California


Fans Flock to Mourn California

Tip of the schoolmarm ruler to American Catholic

Kirk and King Arthur

Let's have some fun!

Star Trek Meets Monty Python:

Python Trek:

Picard sings the 'Alphabet song'

Absurdity in Advertising

There have been some police chases in the news lately. These things always seem to be alike. This one is a little different. Different enough, in fact, that it makes for some fairly memorable advertising.

The video speaks for itself:

I saw something cool on TV!

Remember this little line from Clarence the angel in It's a Wonderful Life?

"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"

I saw this on TV tonight, and it put me in mind of that:




Now, I can't claim to have helped anyone as dramatically as a firefighter. Teaching just doesn't require the same kind of heroism. I hope I have been able to have some positive effect in the lives of others. I'm certainly glad I had the opportunity.

I have to say, that I am pleased that they chose a female firefighter as the central character in this ad.

The advertisement is from the Majella Society of Austin and Houston, TX.

Hubris and Humor

From Greg Gutfield of FoxNews:

The backlash against Barack is starting, engineered mainly by envious critics accusing him of arrogance, as he flies around the world spreading hope across this troubled orb.

Some suggest the candidate acts as though he has already won the election, pointing to fawning world leaders and meetings with our own high-level officials. Some think Obama should practice a little humility.

I find this "Baracklash" disgusting. Any educated and decent person can see that Obama is the greatest human being we have ever seen since the beginning of time.

Actually, I'll go beyond that: He's the greatest human being ever, including the era existing before the creation of time. For it has become abundantly clear that the idea of Obama has always existed above and beyond some dumb measuring system.

Besides, time can only gauge mortal substance and we know that Obama can only be measured by our dreams. I mean, what is time anyway, but merely grains of sand in an hour glass? Obama, he's the whole beach. Yes, a whole beach of hourglasses endlessly sifting like an orchestra of hope using the very earth as its magical instrument.

Read the rest here.

Before metrosexual was a word...

...there was this:



Tip of the ruler to: Sue

Smoke and Mirrors...

...is the title of another Neil Gaiman book I picked up at Borders this weekend. This one is a collection of "Short Stories and Illusions" as the subtitle says. So far, I have read the first three selections, each of which has the virtue of being literary and entertaining, which keeps my nerdy little brain very happy.

The first is a story about an ordinary elderly woman who finds the Holy Grail under an old fur coat at a second hand store, and purchases it, knowing what it is, only because she thinks it would look good on the mantelpiece. Amazingly, her ordinary life, and her apparent determination to live it as such, is no further disturbed when a young knight, complete with shining armor, shows up at her front door, looking for it. Not exactly what one thinks of as a Grail adventure, but Neil Gaiman specializes in the delightfully unexpected.

The volume also contains a rather twisted version of the Santa Claus story, in only 100 words, excluding the title, and a story of a Black Cat who, rather than bringing bad luck, as might be expected, risks his own life to save a family from evil.

Maybe one of these days I'll post some more detailed comments about some of these little gems. In the meantime, I recommend having a read. :)

Magic School Musical...

...the Puppet Show!



Via Alive and Young

What to teach your kids about Myspace.

I think "Online" by Brad Paisely sums it up nicely. The video, complete with celebrity cameos, makes the message even clearer. (Click here to watch it on YouTube--there is some mature humor, by the way.)


Here are the lyrics:

I work down at the pizza pit
And I drive and old Hundai
I still live with my mom and dad
I 5'3 and overweight

I'm a Sci-fi fantatic
Mild athsmatic
Never been to 2nd base
But there's a whole nother me
That you need to see
Go check out MySpace

Cause online I'm down in Hollywood
I'm 6'5 and I look damn good
I drive a Mazarati
I'm a black belt in Karate
And I love a good glass of wine

It turns girls on that I'm mysterious
I tell 'em I don't want nothing serious
Cause even on a slow day I can have a three way
Chat with two women at one time

I'm so much cooler online
So much cooler online

I get home, I kiss my mom
And she fixes me a snack
I head down to my basement bedroom
And fire up the mac

In real life, the only time I
Ever even been to LA
Was when I got the chance with the marching band
To play tuba in the Rose Parade.

Online I live in Malibu
I posed for Calvin Kline, I've been in GQ
I'm single and I'm rich
And I got a set of six pack abs that'll blow your mind

It turns girls on that I'm mysterious
I tell 'em I don't want nothing serious
Cause even on a slow day I can have a three way
Chat with two women at one time

I'm so much cooler online
Yeah I'm cooler online

When you got my kinda stacks, it's hard to get a date
Let alone a real girlfriend
But I grow another foot
And I lose a bunch of weight everytime I log in

Online I'm out in Hollywood
I'm 6'5 and I look damn good
Even on a slow day, I can have a three way
Chat with two women at one time

I'm so much cooler online
Yeah I'm cooler online
I'm so much cooler online
Yeah I'm cooler online

Potential droolfest for fans of Peter Jackson

Today's "Spit Happens" moment is brought to us by Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema, via Jeff Miller:


Jackson and New Line have apparently just reached an agreement for Jackson to make "The Hobbit".

See, I warned you. I'll wait while you run for a bib.

...

Having enjoyed "The Lord of the Rings" very much, I would have to say that I am looking forward to seeing the results. I do have to admit, however, that my enjoyment was somewhat marred by the more drastic liberties good ol' "P.J." took with plot and character in "The Two Towers" and "Return of the King". I thought the story lost a little of its original depth. Still, the films were revolutionary in their special effects, unless I'm mistaken, and I absolutely loved the visual depiction of Middle Earth. While the changes took some of the meaning out, Jackson still made considerable effort to remain true to the thematic material--much more effort than most filmmakers, in my opinion. To be fair, it should also be said that it would be nearly impossible to capture the fullness of Tolkien's work in any movie.

I have to echo Jeff Miller's hope that Sir Ian McKellen will be willing to participate in this again. I also hope that there will be some continuity between Ian Holm's version of Bilbo, and whatever new performances may be in the new movie.

At the very least, this is a good opportunity for New Line to redeem itself after The Golden Compass.

At the most, this could be one butt-kicking movie. :)

When a bad film is a good thing.

I overheard a conversation among some younger (as in, old enough to go to movies semi-unsupervised, but not to drive themselves there) persons today who, after seeing it over the weekend, decisively proclaimed the new Golden Compass movie to be "soooo BORING!".

No apparent interest in the books for them, it would seem. I have yet to see interest in a book sparked by a boring movie.

Rumor has it that the movie isn't doing too well in the box office, according to USA Today and Reuters. Between the outrage in the Christian community, and reviews like this, how could it be otherwise?

I think I can leave the told-you-so's to my fellow bloggers.

Gossip Girl: "harsh realities" or low expectations?

Susan Vigilante over at Desperate Irish Housewife has an article in the current National Review about "Gossip Girl", yet another distorted television series about high school age kids. Click here to read the entire article, which is in Vigilante's usual conversational-satirical style.

Noticing excessive underage drinking in a famous New York hotel bar (among other moral issues) in the series, she called the director of communications at the New York Palace. Here are some parts of her summary of their conversation (with my favorites of his comments in bold)

I spoke to Peter Holmberg, director of communications at the hotel, and asked him what he thought about the New York Palace bar’s new identity as the easiest place in New York for teenager to score a martini.

At first, Holmberg seemed even more surprised by my call than I was that he took it. No one else, he said, had asked this question. But he was willing to discuss it.

First of all, he said, it’s important to remember that Gossip Girl is a fantasy. The hotel you see on the show “isn’t really our hotel. Our hotel is called the New York Palace; the one in the series is called the Palace. Our hotel is playing a character in the series. It isn’t really us. Did you see the show? That reception desk wasn’t even ours. It was a fake.”

“But that really was your bar,” I said. “And that really was your courtyard.” Besides, I went on to tell him, “The Palace” might be a slightly different name, but there’s no way anyone who had ever seen the place would confuse it with some other hotel. The place has been a landmark for a hundred years. There is simply no mistaking it for anything else.

“We are the New York Palace Hotel,” he repeated. “The ‘Palace” in the series isn’t really us.”

I said that was like saying “The cathedral” across the street wasn’t’ really St. Pat’s.

...

“Look,” Holmberg went on, “I read the script.” If it hadn’t included things like drinking and pot-smoking, he said, “it would not have rung true to me. This series illuminates some of the harsh realities of teenage life. It’s a quality program that touches on controversial issues.” But, he added, “If I felt it was endorsing [these behaviors] I would never have allowed it to film here.”

'Scuse me? Since when does a "fantasy", as he calls it, have to be true to life? And why does it have to teenagers trying to get into bars to score an illegal martini or five to "ring true"? What does that say about what he expects of teens?

Oh yes, and did we mention that Mr. Holmberg tires to placate Mrs Vigilante my mentioning that he himself is the uncle of teenagers?

Holmberg told me he has two teenage nieces. Thanks to Gossip Girl, he said, he has had some very “fruitful, in-depth” discussions with them about things like underage drinking

Oh, that makes me feel sooo much better.

Look, people. Teenagers already know that our expectations of them are pathetically low. But, believe it or not, there are plenty of them who manage to get through high school (and sometimes even college) without getting drunk, high, or pregnant, and who will probably never be cruel enough to put anybody in dire need of therapy.

Is there a lot of that going on? Absolutely. But even if destructive behavior is "normal" do we have to reinforce it? What's wrong with raising our kids to be a little better than that? If we're going to talk about "fantasy," what's wrong with the occasional TV protagonist who can rise above these "harsh realities"? That doesn't have to be a fantasy, you know. Most kids are capable of doing that, if given proper motivation. The trouble is, many adults don't believe this is true.

The other trouble is, many parents are afraid of rasiing kids that are different. Teenagers may get pressure to conform from their peers, but their fear of being different is reinforced by parents who lack the courage to teach their kids to be proud of what makes them distinct. Some parents are so afraid that they actually buy the kegs for their teenagers' weekend parties! They help their kids engage in destructive behaviors, assuming that if they get drunk and have promiscuous sex at home, they'll be safer because they are in a "safe place" being "supervised".

Note to concerned parents: If you want your child to survive junior high and high school, you cannot participate in mindless conformity yourself. You cannot make your first concern your child's social popularity. You must start teaching them not to follow the lemming hordes from an early age. Like, say, as soon as they start school. It really can be done.

And, by the way, if we really want teens to avoid underage drinking and similarly destructive behaviors, why are we going to such lengths to cultivate the "everybody 's doing it" myth with our popular entertainment?

So a big high five from this educator to Susan Vigilante, for her attempt to infuse some common sense into a world that needs it.


-----------------------------------------------------
Update: I wasn't kidding about parents providing alcohol for their minor kids' parties. This was a prominent enough problem at the high school I attended, that a local judge was actually invited to a parent meeting to explain the legal ramifications of it.

According to a post over at Catholic Mom, One parent in Rockville, MD just got in BIG trouble with the law for doing so. In my home state of California, you could be charged with "contributing to the delinquency of a minor", among other things, assuming anyone actually bothered to enforce the law. Unfortunately, most of this stuff goes unreported.

I should have added earlier that parents who put on keggers for their kids are not only guilty of being lemmings--they are also criminally negligent.