“God’s Not Dead” — Trailer and Clips
Posted on March 15, 2014 at 8:00 am
Here’s star Kevin Sorbo — interview with him coming next week.
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Tablet Says The Best Movies Are Religious (Even If They Are Not Bible Stories)
Posted on March 5, 2014 at 3:55 pm
In the midst of the silly battles over “Noah,” Liel Leibovitz has a superb piece on the Tablet website about how the best movies always have a religious component.
As is often the case when we strive to talk seriously about popular entertainment, we’re asking all the wrong questions. Rather than fretting about whether Hollywood gets religion—it does, gloriously so, and to great effect—we should wonder why, given its stratospheric success with religious-themed films, is Hollywood so reluctant to give its audiences what they so clearly desire.
This, first and foremost, is a question of definitions. Who’s a religious person? And what kind of film might he like? To hear marketers, in Hollywood and beyond, tell it, a religious person is someone whose cultural horizon begins with Genesis and ends with Revelation, some sort of sniggering simpleton who grows suspicious unless his entertainment features swords, sandals, and the heroes he’d read about in Sunday School. This lazy and skewed approach is no less offensive than the efforts to market products to women simply by slapping on pink packaging, and no less ineffective: Women, like religious people and members of minority groups and the young and the old and people with terrible nut allergies and anyone else who was blessed with the breath of life, are complex and nuanced people whose tastes and predilections run far deeper than a single, simple note.
I like the way Liebovitz understands that movies like “Groundhog Day” and “2001” are religious movies because they engage us in the deepest questions of meaning and purpose. People of faith — whether those who are confident in their beliefs and affiliations or those who are seeking a better understanding of our connection to the infinite — are drawn to stories that explore those themes, and not just reiterations of Bible chapters.
In the 1950’s and 1960’s, Bible stories were a staple in Hollywood, with big, star-studded, prestige movies like “King of Kings,” “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” “The Bible,” “The Ten Commandments,” and “Song of Bernadette.” It is interesting to think about why that changed. There are a lot of theories and the answer probably encompasses most of them. The controversy over “Noah” is at least one indicator of at least one of the reasons. As mainstream audiences have shown less interest in explicitly religious films, those who strongly identify as observant are
This year, in addition to Son of God and “Noah,” we will also see Christian Bale as Moses in “Exodus.” I hope that both self-described faith-audiences and those who do not define themselves that way will give these films a try — and look for the spiritual themes and inspiration in whatever movies they attend. The wonder of the Bible is that it gives us so much to ponder, and it can be a joy to share the way it speaks to each of us, even if those ways are different. I hope these films get more people interested in reading and discussing the Bible and considering its lessons more deeply.
Trailer: The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life
Posted on March 5, 2014 at 8:00 am
One of the most touching moments of the Oscars was the award for a documentary short called “The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life.” It is the story of Alice Herz-Sommer, the world’s oldest Holocaust survivor, who died at age 110 just before her story was celebrated at the Oscars. She was born in Prague. Her parents’ friends included Kafka and Mahler. After the Nazis invaded, she was sent to Theresienstadt with her son. That camp was notoriously used to mislead Red Cross inspectors and others and she performed in over 100 concerts for visitors.
Her husband died in Dachau. After the war, she emigrated to Israel, and later lived in London. “I am Jewish,” she said, “but my religion is Beethoven.” A book about her life, A Century of Wisdom: Lessons from the Life of Alice Herz-Sommer, the World’s Oldest Living Holocaust Survivor,
Malcolm Clarke and Nicholas Reed accepted their Oscar for the film on Sunday night and spoke movingly of their admiration and affection for Herz-Sommer. I hope this award helps make their film widely available.
Contest: Bible Secrets Revealed
Posted on March 4, 2014 at 8:00 am
The History Channel’s Bible Secrets Revealed
The series covers the history of the Bible and its translations and editors over the centuries, from the moral codes of the Old Testament to the apocalyptic predictions of the Book of Revelation. Over the course of six episodes, scholars, archaeologists and religious leaders share their knowledge about the Biblical text on sex, prophecies, the life of Jesus, the portions of the original documents that have been removed, and the state of Israel, with on-location photography and compelling reenactments. Professor Robert Gargill, consulting producer of the series, understands the sensitivity of the material. He says that “the show isn’t attempting to ‘debunk’ anything. The show is attempting to show how scholars read some of the more significant texts in the Bible. The divinity of the Bible is up to the reader to conclude or not. What we’re trying to show is that the text isn’t always as simple as it appears, especially in multiple translations.” If, as some people of faith believe, the various translations and amendments to the text were divinely inspired, it is all the more reason to study the changes and ponder the reasons. The series features scholars from conservative Christian schools, as well as state schools, private Christian and Catholic colleges, and private secular colleges, including Bob Mullins (Azusa Pacific), Jeffrey C. Geoghegan (Boston College), Bryan Givens (Pepperdine), Chris Keith (St. Mary’s University College), Candida Moss (Notre Dame), as well as Muslim, Jewish, atheist, and agnostic scholars, to provide a broad spectrum of how scholars of different viewpoints read the texts.
If you would like to win a copy of this thought-provoking series, send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with “Secrets” in the subject line and tell me a teacher who inspired you. Don’t forget your address! (US addresses only). I’ll pick a winner on March 10. Good luck!
Son of God
Posted on February 27, 2014 at 6:00 pm
B| Lowest Recommended Age: | Middle School |
| MPAA Rating: | Rated PG-13 for intense and bloody depiction of The Crucifixion, and for some sequences of violence |
| Profanity: | None |
| Alcohol/ Drugs: | Wine |
| Violence/ Scariness: | Intense and graphic torture and abuse and disturbing images in depiction of crucifixion, swords |
| Diversity Issues: | Religious diversity issues |
| Date Released to Theaters: | February 28, 2014 |
| Date Released to DVD: | June 2, 2014 |
| Amazon.com ASIN: | 1455585831 |
“Son of God,” re-cut and expanded from the popular miniseries produced by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, “The Bible,” tells the story of Jesus from birth to crucifixion and resurrection in a thoughtful, reverent, and dignified manner. This is a movie made by believers for believers. It expects viewers to be familiar enough with the story to fill in some of the gaps and devout enough to assume the significance of each moment. It tells the story in a westernized, conventional manner that can seem superficial at times, more a cinematic Sunday School lesson than a movie. It is unlikely to persuade anyone, but it is undeniably moving and many believers will find it inspiring.
The production values are high, with Morocco providing the Biblical landscapes, elaborate sets and costumes, and a stirring Hans Zimmer score. Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado plays Jesus with dignity. He is very handsome, though his western features seem out of place. The portrayal of the Jews is always a sensitive issue in the depiction of the New Testament story. This version is more sympathetic than some, showing the political pressure that gave the Jewish community in Rome-occupied Jerusalem little choice. But it seems odd that Jesus and his followers, who considered themselves Jews, show no evidence of Jewish practice other than the Hebrew prayer for he dead following the crucifixion. Even the Last Supper, which has no elements of a Passover seder, though the Gospel of Mark says that Jesus prepared for the Last Supper on the “first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb.”
The movie also reflects its source with some odd re-cuts and deletions. Those who are not familiar with the details of the Gospels may have trouble understanding who some of the characters are and how they fit in. The death of John the Baptist is mentioned briefly without making it clear what his contribution was and how he died. Roma Downey has explained that they chose to literally cut the devil out of the story, in part as a result of some claims that the actor cast in the role for the television version bore a resemblance to President Obama. But that means eliminating a key element of the story, the Garden of Gethsemane, which is an important part of understanding the way Jesus saw his role and his sacrifice. This is an accessible version of the story, but it is also a simplified one.
Parents should know that the New Testament storyline includes illness, bigotry, and graphic and disturbing images of torture, abuse, and crucifixion.
Family discussion: How does this differ from other versions of the story? What was Jesus’ most important statement and why?
If you like this, try: the rest of “The Bible” miniseries and other depictions of the life of Jesus including “The Gospel of John” and “King of Kings”