Posted on May 21, 2008 at 4:19 pm
As Indiana Jones embarks on his fourth adventure, Beliefnet offers a quiz on some of the details of the past three films, which, like the new one, draw on myths and religious beliefs from a wide range of world faith communities. Test your recollection of the movies and your knowledge of world religions!
(P.S. I scored 10 out of 12)
Posted on May 15, 2008 at 11:00 am
David J. Bookbinder of the Flower Mandelas blog has a post titled “How Movies Saved My Life.”
“Star Trek” and “Twilight Zone” opened my eyes to fundamental truths of human behavior and the workings of the human heart, filtered through aliens and time travel so they could get past the censors. “Ground Hog Day” sustained me for the first few months following my near-death experience, a time in which I had to learn everything over again and again. As noted in an earlier blog post, “The Matrix” broke me out of a mental deadlock and spun me into a strange new world of legal labyrinths, from which I brought back a keen sense of the difference between vengeance and justice. But one movie literally saved my life — not once, but twice.
That movie? The Road Warrior
Posted on April 26, 2008 at 8:00 am
Opening day for the second film in the Narnia series is less than a month away, and Beliefnet has created some wonderful resources to help families get ready for it. Take a quiz to find out which Narnia character most resembles you. Enter a contest to win a Narnia prize pack. Learn and discuss the top 12 spiritual lessons from the book. Watch a featurette about the making of the sequel. Test yourself with a Narnia quiz. Read the thoughts of a Jewish and Muslim fan of this Christian parable. Join groups to share your thoughts and artwork with other Narnia fans. And start crossing the days off the calendar until May 16.
Posted on April 7, 2008 at 8:00 pm
From the opening shots of the American flag fluttering gracefully from a barn in the Iowa morning mist, to the closing scenes of cheering crowds at the baseball field, The Final Season is one great big corn-fed cliche.
The movie tells the story of the small town of Norway, Iowa (population 586) which, despite its small size, consistently manages to field a winning baseball team due to pluck, hard work and good Iowa values. As one crusty old timer puts it, “In Norway, our baseball tradition is as rich as the Iowa soil.†The school is going to be closed as a result of some nasty legal tricks and budget cuts by people far away who don’t appreciate the special character of a small town. So this is to be the last hurrah for the Norway Tigers.
Despite its small size, Norway is large enough to contain every stereotype known to man: the tough and disrespectful city kid whose life is transformed when he is exposed to good country values; the sharp city slickers who want to shut down Norway’s school (including the beautiful young professional woman in a business suit who succumbs to the homespun charm of the team coach); the father who made the crucial play in a ball game many years ago, watching his son step up to the plate in the exact same situation; the aging coach who hands over his team to his young and unsteady replacement, and many more. Yes, you’ll meet them all here in Norway.
The plot of “The Final Season” does not have much to commend it; this same story has been told better hundreds of times before. The script is often unbearably hackneyed. (“Every player who ever wore a Norway uniform is going out there with you today…â€) The characters are so stereotyped that there is not much room for quality acting. Norway is a Nuance-free Zone.
But what this movie does have is montages of healthy, graceful teenage boys leaping, running, catching, and playing under the big Iowa sky. It shows them working as a team. It has baseball. And sometimes, that can be enough.
Parents should know that there is brief strong language, smoking, and a drug reference, all disapproved of.
Families who see this movie should talk about the role of sports in community-building.
Families who enjoy this movie will also enjoy “The Sandlot.”
Posted on March 2, 2008 at 8:00 am
Beliefnet’s Crunchy Con asked readers to fess up — which “great” movies don’t work for you? Many certified classics show up on the list, from Citizen Kane
