Awards: Golden Globes

Posted on January 16, 2012 at 8:24 am

And now, the Golden Globes. “The Artist,” “The Help,” Christopher Plummer. and Octavia Spencer are moving ahead in the race to the Oscars. The Globes give out twice as many awards by including television and having separate categories for comedy/musical and drama. Who do you think was the best presenter? Who gave the best acceptance speech?

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”
Best Actress TV Series – Comedy: Laura Dern, “Enlightened”
Best Miniseries: “Downton Abbey”
Best Actress – Miniseries: Kate Winslet, “Mildred Pierce”
Best Actor TV Series – Drama: Kelsey Grammer, “Boss”
Best TV Seres – Drama: “Homeland”
Best Original Score: Ludovic Bource, “The Artist”
Best Original Song: “Masterpiece,” Madonna from “W.E.”
Best Actor – Miniseries: Idris Elba, “Luther”
Best Actress – Musical or Comedy: Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn”
Best Supporting Actor – TV Series, Miniseries, Movie: Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones”
Best Animated Feature: “The Adventures of Tintin”
Best Screenplay: Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”
Best Actress TV – Drama: Jessica Lange, “American Horror Story”
Best Foreign Language Film: “A Separation”
Best Actress TV – Drama: Claire Danes, “Homeland”
Best Actor TV – Comedy: Matt LeBlanc, “Episodes”
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, “The Help”
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, “Hugo”
Best Comedy Series: “Modern Family”
Best Actor – Musical or Comedy: Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”
Best Actress – Drama: Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”
Best Picture – Musical or Comedy: “The Artist”
Best Actor – Drama: George Clooney, “The Descendants”
Best Picture – Drama: “The Descendants”

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Courageous

Posted on January 16, 2012 at 8:00 am

B+

Lowest Recommended Age:	Middle School
MPAA Rating:	Rated PG-13 for some violence and drug content
Profanity:	None
Alcohol/ Drugs:	Drinking, drugs, drug dealing
Violence/ Scariness:	Some violence, teen killed in an accident, shoot-out
Diversity Issues:	Diverse characters
Date Released to Theaters:	September 30, 2011
Date Released to DVD:	January 16, 2012
Amazon.com ASIN:	B0062NAVXA

Courageous is the story of men who confront danger every day as law officers but who discover that it is a bigger challenge to be good fathers and family men.

Sherwood Pictures, the faith-based film production company behind “Facing the Giants” and “Fireproof,” gets closer with each film to matching its skill to its vision. “Courageous,” written by brothers Stephen (co-producer) and Alex (co-star and director) Kendrick. It is the story of four cops in Albany, Georgia. At work, they work to stop a drug smuggling ring. But the sheriff reminds them that drugs can appear appealing to people who are vulnerable because they do not have the support and attention of their fathers. It is their task as crime-fighters and as men, he explains, to be involved as fathers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9qd1xw7uvg

Adam Mitchell (Alex Kendrick) adores his daughter but has a hard time connecting to his son. And he is too often “too busy” to be there for both of them. Nathan Heyes (Ken Bevel) loves his children and moved them away from the city to keep them away from bad influences. But his son is intrigued by a new friend with a flashy car and his strict rules have made his teenage daughter pull away from him. He is adopted and never knew his own biological father. Shane Fuller (Kevin Downes) is divorced and shares custody of his son with his ex-wife. He makes up for their limited time and his own hurt about his parents divorce by acting more like a pal than a dad. And David Thomson (Ben Davies) has never acknowledged or supported his daughter by an ex-girlfriend. He left when she refused to have an abortion. The men befriend Javier Martinez (Robert Amaya), an immigrant who is having a difficult time providing for his family.

When Mitchell’s family suffers a devastating loss, Heyes’ adoptive father brings the men together for a formal ceremony to commit to a “Resolution” to honor God in every aspect of their family lives and then they bring it to their church, calling on other fathers to join them. When one of them makes a terrible mistake that separates him from his son, the fellowship of his brother officers helps him accept responsibility and seek forgiveness. The men also take on father duties for teenage boys who need their guidance.

The sincerity of this series of films and their willingness to present flawed characters in a spirit of understanding, compassion, and forgiveness make up for some predictability and inconsistency in experience in acting and filmmaking. It is a tribute to their vision and dedication that their movies have found such enthusiastic support and I look forward to seeing what they do next.

(more…)

The Xbox Takes Over TV

Posted on January 15, 2012 at 3:56 pm

The line between gaming, internet, and television is dissolving fast. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer opened the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week with a big announcement: News Corp. content from Twentieth Century Fox Films, Fox Television, Fox News and The Wall Street Journal plus Xfinity and Sesame Street will be available on the Xbox device starting in February. 40 million Xbox subscribers will be able to access these programs via a Windows 8 upgrade that turns a gaming console into an entertainment hub that includes an interactive experience allowing users (it no longer seems right to say “viewers”) to create individual encounters with their favorite characters.

Martin Luther King: Movies to Celebrate His Legacy

Posted on January 15, 2012 at 8:00 am

Today we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King and every family should take time to talk about this great American leader and hero of the Civil Rights Movement. There are outstanding films and other resources for all ages.

Every family should watch the magnificent movie Boycott, starring Jeffrey Wright as Dr. King. And every family should study the history of the Montgomery bus boycott that changed the world.

It is important to note that he was not asking for complete desegregation; that seemed too unrealistic a goal. This website has video interviews with the people who were there. This newspaper article describes Dr. King’s meeting with the bus line officials. And excellent teaching materials about the Montgomery bus boycott are available, including the modest and deeply moving reminder to the boycotters once segregation had been ruled unconstitutional that they should “demonstrate calm dignity,” “pray for guidance,” and refrain from boasting or bragging.

Families should also read They Walked To Freedom 1955-1956: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Paul Winfield has the lead in King, a brilliant and meticulously researched NBC miniseries co-starring Cecily Tyson that covers Dr. King’s entire career.

The Long Walk Home, starring Whoopi Goldberg and Sissy Spacek, makes clear that the boycott was a reminder to black and white women of their rights and opportunities — and risk of change.

Citizen King is a PBS documentary with archival footage of Dr. King and his colleagues. Martin Luther King Jr. – I Have a Dream has his famous speech in full, still one of the most powerful moments in the history of oratory and one of the most meaningful moments in the history of freedom.

For children, Our Friend, Martin and Martin’s Big Words are a good introduction to Dr. King and the Civil Rights movement.

‘Red Tails’ — The Real Story of the Tuskegee Airmen

Posted on January 15, 2012 at 8:00 am

George Lucas wrote the story for this month’s release, “Red Tails,” about the heroic WWII fighter pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen. It will be in theaters on January 20.

The American armed forces were not integrated until 1948, so throughout WWII they were still segregated. The 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps, informally known as the Tuskegee Airmen, were the first African-American military aviators. The historically black Tuskegee Institute initiated a flight training program. When First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited for an inspection and was taken for a ride by one of the instructors, it brought some visibility and support to the program and the work of civil rights pioneers like the NAACP’s Walter White and labor leader A. Philip Randolph led to the passage of legislation specifically allocating funds to train African-American pilots.

The pilots and support crew of the Tuskegee Airmen had an extraordinary record of skill and heroism.

According to Wikipedia:

In all, 996 pilots were trained in Tuskegee from 1941 to 1946, approximately 445 were deployed overseas, and 150 Airmen lost their lives in accidents or combat. The casualty toll included 66 pilots killed in action or accidents, and 32 fallen into captivity as prisoners of war.

The Tuskegee Airmen were credited by higher commands with the following accomplishments:

15,533 combat sorties, 1578 missions

One hundred and twelve German aircraft destroyed in the air, another 150 on the ground

Nine hundred and fifty railcars, trucks and other motor vehicles destroyed

One destroyer sunk by P-47 machine gun fire

A good record of protecting U.S. bombers, losing only 25 on hundreds of missions.

Awards and decorations awarded for valor and performance included:

Three Distinguished Unit Citations

99th Pursuit Squadron: 30 May–11 June 1943 for the capture of Pantelleria, Italy

99th Fighter Squadron: 12–14 May 1944: for successful air strikes against Monte Cassino, Italy

332d Fighter Group: 24 March 1945: for the longest bomber escort mission of World War II

At least one Silver Star

An estimated one hundred and fifty Distinguished Flying Crosses

Fourteen Bronze Stars

Seven hundred and forty-four Air Medals

Eight Purple Hearts

An excellent made-for-television film, The Tuskegee Airmen, starred Laurence Fishburne and Cuba Gooding, Jr., who appears in this film. “Red Tails” also stars Terrence Howard, who played a downed Tuskegee airman taken prisoner in “Hart’s War.” There is a PBS documentary, The Tuskegee Airmen, with the pilots and crew of the 332nd and those who are working to tell their story and restore one of their planes.

There are also many books, including The Tuskegee Airmen: An Illustrated History: 1939-1949 and the oral history Freedom Flyers: The Tuskegee Airmen of World War II and the children’s book, Tuskegee Airmen: American Heroes.

More “The Real Story” posts:

We Bought a Zoo

Unstoppable

Soul Surfer

Sanctum

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