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WandaVision Episode 7: “Would You Rather Be Feared or Loved?”

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I’ll keep this short and sweet. 

I haven’t had a show that has kept me in a perpetual state of “what the heck is going on and what the heck will happen” since season 5 of Bones the way WandaVision has. (To be fair, that’s actually the last season I watched – another story for another day.) Most of my conversations over the weekend involved episode 7: “Breaking the Fourth Wall,” and, if they didn’t, I was googling #allthethings.

Friday’s format was my favorite yet. The show’s use of The Office and Parks and Rec interview style and direct character-to-audience engagement was hilarious. Kat Dennings’ Darcy Lewis gets funnier by the minute, and I squealed at those scenes with Monica. Of course, the ending blew me away (I’m still humming the tune), and be sure to stay tuned during those credits as the powers that be finally pulled a classic MCU move with a bonus scene. There was just so much to watch.

And so I ask one question: if you aren’t tuning in to WandaVision, just what are you doing?

While it’s no secret that this is leading up to the next phase of movies, there is still so much to enjoy on its own merit. Elizabeth Olsen’s acting is phenomenal, especially when Wanda’s control is slipping and sliding. Her comedic delivery in this most recent episode is just one more example of Olsen’s ownership of this character and personifying the depth of complication and humanity that is within Wanda’s psyche. So often we talk about what she is doing to others and her motivations, but these past two weeks especially have shown us the toll it’s having on her.

Now we know that she isn’t the only player involved, but it’s her relatability that makes her such a powerful character for me. We’ve talked a lot about her losses and grief and just how powerful she is, but something I don’t think we talk about is how normal Wanda can be. No matter how or why she is in Westview, at her core she just wants a happy life. She loves Vision. She loves her boys. She’s stressed and tired from being on her guard 24/7. Super human or not, she just wants peace. 

As we fly forward into the final two episodes that are sure to be even more riveting than the ones we’ve seen so far, I’m hopeful we remember this side of Wanda. I don’t think she wants to be feared. I think she just wants to be loved.

WandaVision is now streaming on Disney+

WandaVision Episodes 5 & 6: Coming Back from Cancellation

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[Caution: This post contains spoilers for Episodes 5 & 6 of WandaVision.]

Grief is a strange thing.

Whenever we lose someone that we love, our feelings can fly all over the place. Misplaced anger, sadness, relief or even joy can come at us in waves without prompting. We can fight with ourselves in disbelief or simply crumble under the weight of our emotions. Because everyone grieves differently, these feelings can be scary, causing us to ask whether or not what we’re experiencing is normal (or even acceptable). 

But WandaVision has taken this to a whole other level.

For those who aren’t keeping up (and, seriously, why wouldn’t you be?), WandaVision follows the marital bliss of beloved Avengers Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany). Playing out through the lens of classic television sitcoms, everything seems right in the world for the couple until cracks begin to appear in the façade that point to something more sinister.

Since it began, the show has literally stormed the globe. (Current reports suggest it’s the #1 series in the world.) What began as a history lesson in television nostalgia has edged ever closer into true horror with a conspiracy angle that’s driving the story forward. All this has blended together into something truly magical that has drawn in new audiences while connecting with those already heavily invested in the MCU. Regardless of your previous interest in Marvel, WandaVision has all of us asking the same question right now…

What’s going on with Wanda?

The most recent episodes have really leaned into the fact that Wanda is heavily involved in the machinations of this world. Neighbours ask her if she wants them to ‘take it from the top’ when things don’t go as planned. She can clearly control elements such as time and repair what’s broken when needed. She’s even brought back her brother from the dead (even if he’s not who she remembers). For her, Westview is a safe space where she has ‘everything that she wanted’ (as she indicated in her brief appearance to the S.W.O.R.D. installation).

But it still seems entirely connected with Wanda’s grief.

In the last few episodes, the series has specifically referenced Vision and Pietro’s deaths (even throwing Ultron’s name into the mix). When confronted with questions about her reality, Wanda attempts to ‘roll the credits’ in an effort to skip to the end of the episode and ignore the conversation (to no avail). And, of course, the sixth episode saw Vision almost vaporized in a Truman Show-esque attempted ‘jailbreak’.

What has become clear though is that Wanda can’t seem to bring people back from the dead. After the death of their dog Sparky, Wanda is called out by Agnes and the twins to ‘fix it’ yet she says she doesn’t have the power to do so. Although her resurrected brother and, of course, Vision seem free to live within the Hex, Wanda seems powerless (as of right now) to be able to keep those she loves from dying.

Apparently, in the Hex, there are rules about death. 

Rules we don’t understand, but rules nonetheless.

In many ways, there’s a strange comfort around death in this way. Though our grief may plead with us to keep people alive, there’s also a sense of freedom that comes from being able to let them go. Although he’s thriving within Westview, Vision feels trapped. Neither Vision nor Wanda seems at peace with this arrangement, even though Wanda seems the most willing to try to maintain the pretense of marital bliss. The loss of a loved one is never an easy experience but, assuming that Wanda is running this show, she seems to have lost all sense of objectivity. If she can have her husband and brother back, she is determined to make it happen. (Admittedly, this is still unclear. While the series is leaning this direction, I’m not convinced this is entirely her decision.) 

But, by being unable (or unwilling) to process her own grief and release her loved ones from her fantasy world, I would argue that Wanda’s really the one in prison. While her time with Vision and Pietro may have been cut short—saving the world comes at a cost—it is the time that she did have with them that matters most.

Like Wanda, we cannot control life and death… but we can celebrate the people in our lives when we have them.

Though the MCU has never hinted (officially) at any belief in an afterlife or specific faith, what seems clear is that Vision is being prevented from taking those next steps by being held on to by his beloved. In the same way, Wanda seems to have become a victim of her own marital façade. For her, hope appears to be deeply connected to her ability to release those she loves from her will by accepting the truth that they have already gone. Like any great series, there comes a time when the show needs to be cancelled. Though she cannot bear the thought of life without them, neither can she keep them alive by forcing them to stay in her fantasy world. In fact, this  release may be the greatest act of love that she can offer them (or herself).

When she does, maybe then the healing can begin.

Maybe then she (and they) can truly be free.

The first six episodes of WandaVision are currently streaming on Disney+ with new episodes airing each Friday.

Good Trouble and Bad Trouble

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Sometimes what is going on around us colors what we see when we watch a film. For example, today (I’m writing on January 6, 2021) I chose to watch the wonderful documentary John Lewis: Good Trouble. Part way through, my wife came out and told me to turn on the news, where a seditious mob was occupying the US Capitol. When I resumed the film, the seeming parallels were striking, but in reality, these stories diverge radically.

John Lewis, Baptist minister, civil rights leader, long time Congressman, spent his life in support of liberty. He was beaten on the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma. He was a Freedom Rider, beaten by the Klan in North Carolina. He took part in lunch counter sit-ins in Nashville. He was arrested over 40 times. His main focus in the civil rights movement was voting rights—the ability of all people to be able to vote freely. He understood the power of protest. He was also a strong believer in non-violence. He worked to make the world a better place for all people. His mantra when speaking to groups was that they should get in trouble, “good trouble, necessary trouble”, to do what is right.

I would submit that what I saw on the news today was really quite different from the kind of “good trouble” that John Lewis advocated. The protesters today claim they are there because the election was rigged, and they have been goaded on by the lies of President Trump. They are not being non-violent. They are doing damage. They are injuring others. Whereas John Lewis sought to bring light into the world, this group only brings darkness. Even after they have been denounced by members of both political parties, they continue their mayhem.

When the film I watched showed the events in Selma or other protests Lewis was involved in, the only violence was that which police or mobs used against the marchers. The Selma March was just that—people walking together along the side of the road. In sit-ins, the protesters did not do damage. They didn’t break the store windows or lunch counter equipment. They just asked to be served. (Lewis asked for a hamburger and a Coke.) Lewis and the others in the movement did not attack the institutions of government; they just asked to be able to transform government through the ballot.

Lewis understood what he was doing was a battle for the soul of America. The images on the news today make it very clear that that battle—which is as spiritual as it is political, continues. John Lewis was an optimist. (I think one had to have optimism to fight for Civil Rights.) His final message in the film, spoken directly to the camera, was “We will create the beloved community. We will redeem the soul of America. There may be some setbacks, some delays, but as a nation and a people we will get there. And I still believe we shall overcome.”

Photos courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

Baseball in the Time of COVID – A Fan Considers the Season

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So, a bizarre sixty game baseball season is about to start. It will be played with no one in the stands. There will be no sunflower seeds because there will be no spitting. No one will high five a teammate who just hit a grand slam. Managers will have to yell at umpires from six feet away (while wearing a mask). NL teams will have a DH. In extra innings teams start with a runner on second base.

But there will be baseball!

Before I go on, I should point out that I am an ardent baseball fan. Last year, I splurged on a twenty game package for Dodgers games. That allowed me into the stadium an hour earlier than plebian ticket holders so I could watch the Dodgers take batting practice. I did that a few times. I have played fantasy baseball for decades. When I go to a game, I keep score, because if I’m ever present for a super-rarity (e.g., a perfect game, hitting for the cycle, or unassisted triple play), I want a record of it. I love the rhythm of the game (what many people find boring). It is the perfect summer sport because you can relax as you watch it. Sure, it has its times of tension, but they are spaced throughout the game. I say all that to let you know that this all means something to me. (I won’t go into theologizing about baseball—that’s just too easy.)

My view for 20 games last year.

I have to say I have mixed feelings about this season. I can understand the owners and players wanting to get some sort of season in. For many that is a financial reason, but it also speaks to their competitive mindset. But I’m speaking as a fan. I could make the argument that baseball should close shop for the year. Sixty games seems like nothing when you think of the normal 162 game season. But at the same time, as a fan, I’m anxious to watch some games on TV (maybe even on my phone if I have to). Let’s face it, it’s been a hard year. We need something to take our minds off all the bad stuff.

At the beginning of World War II, there was talk of shutting down baseball. Some of the best player had already enlisted to fight. There were more important things for able-bodied men to be doing than shagging flies or turning double plays. But, in his ‘Green Light Letter’ to Kenesaw Mountain Landis (the Federal judge who served as Commissioner of Baseball), the President said:

“I honestly feel that it would be best for the country to keep baseball going. There will be fewer people unemployed and everybody will work longer hours and hard than ever before. And that means they ought to have a chance for recreation and for taking their minds off their work even more than before.”

FDR’s letter to Judge Landis

Of course, the employment part of this is reversed in our pandemic setting. Instead, we have been through times when parks and restaurants have been closed; movie theaters are still closed; we have hair that makes us look like hippies; we get excited about a trip to the hardware store. We also need “a chance for recreation and for taking our minds off” our hardships. So, yes, the baseball season, such as it is, is a welcome diversion from the boredom and depression that the last few months have made seem normal.

Of course, there are also some problems. A sixty game season doesn’t really test the mettle of the teams. A hot streak could be all it takes to push into the playoffs. In a normal season, there are some players who have slow starts.

This year, that could mean a really bad season.

On the other hand, there are also players who fade as the season wears on. For them this could be their only shot at MVP. Does that threaten the legitimacy of the season and the eventual World Series champion?

Let’s look again at World War II. Some of the best players (Joe DiMaggio, Bob Feller, Ted Williams, Hank Greenberg) enlisted. As more and more men went to the war, the minor leagues dried up, making the pool of players even smaller. By 1945, Pete Gray roamed the outfield for the St. Louis Browns, finishing the season with a .218 batting average. He lost his right arm in an accident as a child. Speaking of the Browns (the epitome of haplessness), they won their only American League pennant in 1944. (Even after they became the Baltimore Orioles it would be more than 20 years before that happened again.) And World War II was also the reason for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (cf. the movie A League of Their Own). Yes, World War II brought some strange things to baseball, but that is one of the things I love about baseball—it creates wonderful lore. The COVID season will probably add to baseball’s delightful mythos.

But there is also a dark side to this baseball season. The players, coaches, umpires, and various stadium personnel are all placing themselves (and their families) at a certain level of risk. Some players have opted out of the season because of that risk. Others may contract the virus in the course of the season. They (or their families) could get sick. Even if they are asymptomatic, they will have to stay away from the team until they are clear (which requires two negative tests twenty-four hours apart). To try to mitigate these risks players will self-screen before they leave home and be screened again at the ballpark. They will be tested every other day. For the players this is good precautionary action.

But this level of testing does raise one of the big problems in how I view the season. The owners are paying for this testing and have even hired their own lab so that the results are done quickly. But where I live testing is not encouraged unless you have symptoms or have close contact with someone who is positive. And then, you may have to wait a week or more for the results. It smacks of privilege for the rich (and most of the ballplayers easily qualify as that). While many people who need testing have to wait in long lines and then wait several days for results, baseball players get to go to the front of the line. I’m not against the players getting tested. But it reflects some of the flaws in our society that have been exposed by the pandemic.

(I should temper this accusation of privilege with a recognition that many of these very well-paid athletes have been very generous in giving to help people who have been affected by the pandemic—both in and out of baseball. It’s worth noting that for all the debating between owners and players about pay while the season was on hold, that many of these people assume an obligation to care for others out of the wealth the game has generated for them.)

Yet, even though there are things about this season that should make us think twice about affirming the idea of the COVID season, as a fan I’m ready for the shout of “Play ball!” Let’s appreciate the stillness that baseball brings. Let’s enjoy the skills on display. Let’s be thankful that the players are willing to go through the testing and risk for us to enjoy their game. But let’s also push for the changes that are so needed in the real world.

Schitt’s Creek: Bloom Where You’re Planted

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One minute you are comfortable. You have all you need and then some. You have freedom to go anywhere, anytime, with anyone. Secure and confident in your situation, you spend your days enjoying unlimited opportunities. And then one day, government agents are at your door, confiscating furniture, jewelry, and you’re frantically trying to pack your wig collection and designer clothes before you lose them forever.

Ok, so maybe that hasn’t happened to you, but that’s the hilarious premise of Schitt’s Creek; the Canadian sitcom gem that is currently topping multiple “feel-good” viewing lists as the world finds itself in the midst of crisis that has forced entire countries into lockdowns. So actually in a way, many of us can understand the day-to-day “rug” being suddenly pulled out from under our feet. Just maybe not while wearing $850.00 pants.

Legendary comedic duo Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara star as Johnny and Moira Rose, whom, along with their children David and Alexis (Levy’s son Dan and newcomer Annie Murphy), lose everything built upon their video rental-store success due to a thieving business manager. As such, they are exiled to the tiny town of Schitt’s Creek – a “joke” of a birthday gift from Johnny to David that becomes their only means of survival…that and determined perseverance to ignore the reality of their situation. 

As of today, Schitt’s Creek is two episodes away of closing out its 6 season run, having only recently garnered the attention and notoriety it so richly deserves. What started as a seemingly superficial struggle from riches to rags has morphed into a deeply personal story of a family rediscovering who they are, and who they are meant to be. Dan Levy’s inaugural foray into writing and headlining is the stuff Hollywood dreams are made of; he brings decency and relatability that is often elusive in mainstream television, especially without the added perks of exuberant budgets. However, Schitt’s Creek has the good fortune of being filmed and directed on a network that doesn’t live and die by instant hits and quick buy-in. It has had time to take root and grow into something special and pretty universal – how to live life from moment to moment. 

It’s pretty impossible to sum up the first 5 seasons and I probably can’t really offer anything “new.” We see the Rose family slowly open up to their unexpected reality, with hilarious “relapses” into old expectations, like David trying to sell his clothes in season 1, or Moira’s extravagance for dehumidifiers and premier gowns in season 5. They never really stop being the Rose’s, but they uncover just how resilient and fortunate they are. David forms legitimate relationships for the first time in his life with best friend and motel-worker Stevie Budd (played by Emily Hampshire), and opens himself up to a real-life understanding of love with business-partner Patrick (played by Noah Reid). Alexis may always be a little superficial with random catch-phrases (“love that journey for me”), but she too learns to look beyond herself and her wants. And through it all, Johnny and Moira cling to one another as the one constant of their ever-changing life together. 

The show addresses topics such as sexuality, prejudice, small-town life, disappointment, anxiety, love, betrayal, and then some, with gentleness and humor and bravery. Dan Levy’s writing matures with each episode and character arc, to where even the “smaller” roles like that of café-owner Twyla (Dan’s sister Sarah) are just as integral to the story as the main characters. I don’t think there has yet to be a character or a scene that felt gratuitous or random. For me, everything and everyone comes together to build this story. I feel like it was written for a time such as this, when we all feel lost and unsure of our next steps, to show us how there is always a glimmer of laughter and light if we let go of what was, and open ourselves to the possibilities of what can be.  

Darrel’s Dozen 2020 – and some bonuses

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It’s time for me to put up my favorite movies of the last year. So here’s Darrel’s Dozen for 2019 (with a few bonuses at the end). This year I’ll only rank the top film; all the rest will be alphabetical. Links are to my reviews, unless noted.)

The #1 film for 2019 (according to me) is A Hidden Life. Terrence Malick uses his visually poetic storytelling to bring a story of deep faithfulness and commitment. He tells the story of Franz Jägerstätter, an Austrian conscientious objector during World War II. It is also a beautiful love story of Franz and his wife Fani. Much of the narrative is taken from the letters they wrote back and forth while Franz was imprisoned. The story focuses on what it means to be faithful to God and stand up to evil. It’s three hours long, but well worth the time.

The rest of the best:

Amazing Grace. Footage of a 1972 two-night gospel concert by Aretha Franklin. The footage was unusable for decades, but now we get to see this marvelous entertainer as she returned to the roots of her talent. How good was the concert? How often do you get to see Mick Jagger rocking out in a church pew?

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (reviewed by Steve Norton). A cynical reporter is assigned to do a piece on Fred Rogers. It transforms his life. Based on a true story, it reminds us of the beauty we can find in other people and ourselves. While many people think this is a movie about Mr. Rogers, keep in mind that Tom Hanks is considered a supporting actor in this film.

The Biggest Little Farm (reviewed by J. Alan Sharrer). A documentary about a Hollywood couple who want to build a sustainable farm (and life). There are lots of  poblems along the way, but the results are uplifting. It is not just about growing food. It is about growing in harmony with the world around us.

By the Grace of God. A fictionalized version of a real-life scandal in the Catholic Church. A group of victims are not satisfied with the way the Bishop of Lyon has responded to issues of sexual abuse. They keep up the pressure until change is made. The real issue addressed in the film is how the institution, in seeking to protect itself, is really damaging itself.

Clemency. A prison warden who oversees executions must deal with the emotional and spiritual fallout of capital punishment. While she believes she is in control of her life, we see that in reality she is falling apart.

The Irishman (ScreenFish podcast). Martin Scorsese returns to the gangster genre with an epic story of a hitman, those he works for, and those he kills. It isn’t glamorous violence. It is the story of a man who has gained the wealth of the world, but loses his soul in the process.

Little Women. Greta Gerwig’s version of the Louisa May Alcott story of sisters and their journey to happiness. Although it is set in the eighteenth century, it has a very current feel for what it means to be a woman, especially a woman with ambitions beyond marriage. (Although it still affirms that as a way to happiness as well.)

Luce (reviewed by Julie Levac). It’s classified a thriller, but it’s a very thought-provoking one. It is about racial stereotyping from a very different perspective. A very intelligent black young man brings confusion to his black teacher and his white adoptive parents. Anger and violence is constantly just below the surface, but never truly erupts. But will it?

Parasite. Bong Joon-Ho’s exploration of the haves and have-nots in Korean culture. A mixture of comedy, tragedy, and horror, the film captured the Palme d’Or at Cannes. (That’s almost as good as making Darrel’s Dozen.)

Styx. The global immigration crisis becomes personal for a doctor on a solo sailing vacation. After a storm she discovers there is a stranded trawler filled with immigrants near her boat. She radios for help, but it never comes. How can she turn her back on dying people? How can the world?

Yesterday (reviewed by Steve Norton). A wonderfully enjoyable frolic in the music of the Beatles, but in a world in which the Beatles never happened.

And now for some bonus picks in special categories!

Something from a previous year that I just discovered this year: Dawson City: Frozen in Time. It’s a bit ironic that I didn’t see it when it came out because it’s a doc about the Yukon gold rush city that was the end of the line for movies in the early years of last century. Now they’ve found a treasure trove of unknown films. But it’s also about the life and trials of the gold rush days.

Best movie I hope you get a chance to see: Antigone (Canada’s official Oscar submission for Best International Feature Film). I give it this category because I saw this at AFI Fest, but as far as I can tell, it doesn’t have a theatrical release planned yet. It is an updated version of the Sophocles tragedy. An immigrant teenager hatches a plot to get her brother out of jail and ends up there herself. A story of the importance of family in difficult times.

Best TV binge of the year: Russian Doll. Think of it as an adult-only version of Groundhog Day. A young woman keeps dying and going back to a party, but each time there are minor changes. How does she break the cycle and move on with life (or death)?

[Movie] Moments that Mattered (2019 Edition)

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Film criticism is a funny thing sometimes. 

While some love a film that you hate (or vice versa), there can be pressure to acknowledge that certain films deserve to be held up as ‘best’ when you simply don’t connect with them. In the same way, a movie that you don’t enjoy can also have redeeming moments that shine through, allowing some aspect of the piece to connect with your heart.

With that in mind, while everyone pieces together their own Top 10 films of the year (or decade… or 2000s…), I feel like it’s worth taking the opportunity to call out the moments that mattered this year. Not just the ‘best pics’ but those brief instances when a film really impacted me. As a result, I offer to you my Top 10 moments of the year. Some are emotionally powerful. Some are random. 

But all of them mattered to me.

Honourable Mentions: Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (‘I try…’); Judy (‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’); Abominable (Violin for the Mountains)

10) Avengers: Endgame (TIE): Captain Ameri-Thor / Lady Avengers

After 23 movies and 10 years, the most impressive aspect of Avengers: Endgame was that it was able to stick the landing as a (Note: Not The) finale to the franchise’s multiple story arc. Say what you will about the Marvel Cinematic Universe—and there are many arguments against their dominance—but they have led the decade as a pop culture phenomenon. That having been said, Endgame walked the balance between ‘greatest hits’ from the last decade and moments of ‘payoff’ for long-time fans. 

In one of the more unexpected (and beloved) visuals within the film is its overwhelming set pieces was this moment when, in the midst of the climatic battle against villainous Thanos, Captain America wielded Mjolnir to an awe-struck Thor, proving that he too was worthy of the weapons awesome power. While the visuals in this final fight for humanity were often overwhelming—they admittedly had to be—this was one of those brief moments that sticks out in my memory

With this in mind, another important moment in the climax of the saga came during the same battle when almost every major female character stood together in unison onscreen. In a culture that is trying to recognize the strength of women to fans of pop culture, this moment gets points for the sheer recognition of its female characters (even if there was very little actual action together). Despite its limited female led films, there are a large number of female heroes that have mattered in the MCU and this brief moment allowed for them to shine briefly as the series moves into its next chapter.

9) Us: The longest drive…

While it never fully achieves the unexpected greatness of Get Out, Jordan Peele’s Us was definitely strong in its own right. Featuring a memorable performance by Nyong’o, Us is yet another smart social commentary disguised as an entertaining horror pic. Without giving away any spoilers (you truly don’t want to know them if you haven’t seen the film), the final moments as the Wilson family are driving home feature an important moment. As Adelaide Wilson looks into the backseat at her son, their unspoken silence speaks volumes and leaves the viewer with the best type of questions. 

8) The Irishman: Can you leave the door open…?

As one of Scorsese’s best films in years, The Irishman is an ambitious and bold character study of a man who sits next to the seat of power but never ascends to the throne. Frank Sheeran is a truck driver who quickly works his way up through the mob scene through the mid-20th Century. While the film is a stunning character piece, the largest question remains about Frank’s motivation. If he isn’t interested in claiming power for himself, what is he looking for? Stability? Protection for his family? 

Perhaps the most telling answer to that may come at the film’s conclusion when an elderly Frank is meeting with a local pastor. While he seems to leave the details of his life in question, Frank clearly desires to still matter. Having been always seen as the ‘up and comer’, Frank has always had the ear of the most powerful men in the city. While he struggled to connect with his family, he had always been important to more important people. As an older gentleman though, he has lost all of this. Family relationships are gone. The local pastor visits infrequently. Even the police barely have a passing interest in his story now. In the film’s final moments, as the pastor is about to leave his room, Frank asks him to ‘leave the door open a little’ in order to let the light into the room. In the briefest of scenes, this moment demonstrates the life not-well-lived and how public recognition is fleeting at best.

7) Knives Out: The Donut of Truth

With a sparkling script and entertaining cast, Rian Johnson’s Knives Out is some of the most fun I had in at theatre all year. One of the key reasons for that though stems from the performance of a British Secret Agent as a Southern Detective. As Benoit Blanc, Daniel Craig, is at his free-wheeling best, offering sage wisdom and random commentary at the same time. In one of his more entertaining speeches, Blanc frets over the mystery by comparing the truth to a donut, complete with a hole in the middle that needs to be filled. As he begins to spiral, that analogy becomes increasingly complicated and even he looks confused by his ramblings. For a man who’s known for playing the silent killer that is James Bond, moments like this are completely against type and show his comedic range. Just as importantly, however, this speech shows the complexity of truth in our culture as it constantly shifts and often has pieces missing as well.

6) Sound of Metal: Sitting in Silence

Telling the story of Ruben, a young rock and roll drummer who suddenly experiences hearing loss, Sound of Metal is one of the most engaging films that hasn’t received a wide release yet. (I saw the film in the Fall at the Toronto International Film Festival.) In one of the film’s most poignant scenes, Ruben is confronted by a mentor who has challenged him to sit in silence in the morning. Frustrated that Ruben is unable to perform such a basic task, his mentor remarks, “Of all those times you were silent, were you ever really still? In stillness is when the Kingdom of God shows up… and those are the moments that matter.” By indicating the complex difference between mere quiet and spiritual rest, this is a description of the Divine that simply doesn’t get spoken in film (even faith-based ones). Ruben’s journey, without being explicit, is a spiritual exodus in the wilderness that also speaks to the hope and healing that occurs when God shows up in the lives of the broken.

5) Joker: Butterfly on the Stairwell

In its marketing campaign, Joker is a film that embraced controversy, almost to the point of encouraging it. Featured on the poster and trailer, the scene where the newly crowned (or freed?) Joker dances down the stairwell is also a mixed bag of emotion. On the one hand, it is definitely the character’s “butterfly moment”, where he throws off the shackles of his identity as Arthur Fleck and embraces his wild new persona. In one brief shining moment, the film’s darkness gives way to what appears to be light. The music is joyful and the energy of the moment is palpable.

However…

The scene is also serves as reminder that this character is intrinsically evil. This isn’t a hero breaking free to do what is right. We know what’s coming as the Joker has truly been unleashed. As a result, there is an incredible irony to the moment which seems exciting and fun, yet also the beginning of a hurricane of violence and terror. (In fact, this irony is also encapsulated within the choice of song itself. Through his decision to use ‘The History of Rock and Roll Part II’, director Todd Phillips also chooses a song that, while fun and energetic, also comes from an artist who has been somewhat banned from popular culture due to his own criminal actions.) As such, this moment encapsulated the entire charm/harm of the film, by exposing our culture’s desire to see the Clown Prince of Crime do the damage he was meant to achieve. (The moment even became so iconic that it also became a tourist destination in real life, with people choosing to take pictures in the same position that Joker is featured on the poster.) 

4) Rocketman: Hugging your inner child

When Rocketman was announced following the [controversial] success of Bohemian Rhapsody, I admit I met the trailer with an eye-roll. After all, here comes the long list of ‘musical biographical films’ (and, for the record, I wasn’t wrong). However, Rocketman succeeds in virtually every way that other entries have failed. By using Elton John’s music to tell the story rather than telling the story of his music, the film is engaging and honest about the superstar’s struggles. By framing the film through a therapy session, Rocketman not only speaks to the trials of stardom but the depth of hurt than can happen along the way. [Spoilers Begin] In the final moments, as an adult Elton John embraces himself as a child, the film demonstrates the power of accepting one’s self and celebrating who God has made you to be. [Spoilers End] 

3) Toy Story 4: Farewell, boys…

The Toy Story saga has lived on far longer than I would have ever believed and, amazingly, really hasn’t had a bad entry into the franchise. (The quality has remained high enough that, with each new entry, I become increasingly worried that they’ll finally deliver a true stinker.) Toy Story 4 continues this trend and, while not as good as some of the other entries, still manages to surprise and delight. In particular, the film’s final send-off between Buzz and Woody achieved a new dimension to their characters in a way that I never saw coming. 

[Caution: Spoilers] As Buzz begins to listen to his own inner voice, Woody has now embarked on his life of mission. No longer attempting to live a life of self-preservation but living in order to help other toys have the life he once had with Andy. [Spoilers end] It’s a powerful recognition of the power of mission and service others that speaks to a new direction and life purpose for Woody that has never been hinted at before in the franchise.

2) Marriage Story: Being Alive…

Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story is both a searing and endearing film that tells the story of new life after the death of a marriage. Based on Baumbach’s experience as he processed his own divorce, the film features raw and relentless performances from Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver (and a potential Oscar winning one from Laura Dern). As the two parents fight ferociously for their son and their freedom, this is a film that attempts not to take sides, openly admitting the strengths and flaws of both characters. 

As the film draws to a conclusion, one of the film’s more powerful scenes features song performances by both leads as their character arcs come to conclusion. While Johannsen sings a song about breaking free from the shackles of her relationship, Driver’s tone is more subdued as he performs a song that speaks to ‘Being Alive’. Surprisingly, the film attempts to celebrate both parties, without demonizing either, and therein lies the power of Marriage Story. This is not a film that seeks to blame one person or focus on one particular item of pain but rather the humility, grace (and love) that’s required to step forward from the wreckage of divorce. As the film highlights the contrast between the two leads in song, it reminds the viewer that both people in a marriage have different stories that matter and that they both need to ‘feel alive’

1) A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: “Let’s pause for a moment…”

Wisely, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is not a ‘biopic’ of iconic children’s performer Fred (Mr.) Rogers. Rather, it’s a narrative that highlights the impact that one life can have on another. When reporter Lloyd Vogel meets Rogers on the set of his show, he is quickly stunned at his humility and grace. As a friendship develops between the two men, their relationship forces Vogel to re-examine the anger that drives him  within his own heart. In one of the film’s most powerful moments, Vogel and Rogers are seated in a diner eating together. As Vogel speaks of the pain of his past, Rogers pauses and slowly offers this statement: “May we pause for a moment and think of all the people that loved us along the way.” 

In one instant, the film breathes. Rather than focus on Vogel’s pain, Rogers reminds him that there is (and has been) love throughout this entire life, even if he was taking it for granted. As Rogers, Hanks completely invests in this moment and the entire restaurant slows to a halt. This is a testament that our story is more than the sum of our hurts. In a world where rage and division are the order of the day, this moment above all others stands out in my mind as the most counter-cultural moment of the year. Though hatred breaks us down, love breaks the chains.

Dear Cameron: A Letter of Thanks

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Dear Cameron,

First of all, congratulations on another successful festival! I can’t even imagine how much work goes into anything of this magnitude and I’m sure it’s involved many sleepless nights and stressful days. I know that you’re busy but I wanted to make sure that I sent you a message. We don’t know each other and, other than a couple of tags on Twitter, we’ve never spoken. What’s more, this is hardly the type of posting we place on our site but I wanted to make sure you had the chance to read it. Sometimes, you have to write to get things out–oddly, that seems to have been a theme in several of the films I’ve been watching this year–so I wanted to reach out to you.

I wanted to say thank you.

Not just for the festival or all your hard work, though that is well-deserved. (I’ve been a TIFF member and attendee for almost 10 years now and, every year, you and your team pull off a superhuman feat by managing an event of this scale.) Each year, you assemble films that challenge, inspire and reframe worldviews… but this year, you brought in one specific film that made such an indelible mark on my soul that I felt the need to attempt to reach out to you.

Last Saturday, myself, my wife and two dear friends attended A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood.

First, a little bit of backstory. In the briefest of descriptions of my own journey, I have been a pastor for 20 years. Over the past two decades, I have worked with children and youth from our church’s neighbourhood, challenging them to live lives that matter and can help change the world. In recent years, co-founded a website (ScreenFish.net) designed specifically to engage the voices of our culture through film. Like TIFF, I too am passionate about exploring the ideas and themes that matter to others and exploring how they shape our current cultural narrative and connect with my own faith. 

In recent years, however, things have taken a turn. As Lloyd asked Rogers in the film about burdens, my own ministry has faced incredibly difficult challenges, both personal and professional. As a result, over the last 18 months, I have been dealing with severe depression and panic attacks as a result of deeply rooted anger and hurt in my own soul. While I have been in therapy for over a year, the last few months have been extremely difficult on my wife, children and I and, as a result, I recently left my place of ministry due to mental health issues. (It would not be out of place to admit that there were moments of severe darkness, which remains out of character for me.) The purpose for my leave of absence was to begin with a time of sabbatical where I could begin to seek God for rays of light and hope for myself as we move into the next phase of our journey.

Then, as I said, we came to the premiere last weekend.

While I have been challenged and refreshed from a number of films at the Fest this year–this was my 6th film of 11 total for 2019–Beautiful Day is the one that has left the greatest mark on my soul. To sit in the theatre and experience Lloyd’s journey wasn’t merely just a great film, it was a moment of light and hope for me. Although forgiveness and grace aren’t exactly new themes for any film, this particular film presented itself in such a genuine and earnest manner that I found it a significant step towards my own healing. I believe the film speaks of forgiveness as “choosing to release our anger against another person” and, for me, that was a powerful moment of clarity. The fact that Mr. Ha… er… Rogers speaks to Lloyd to remind him that he isn’t broken and encourages him to ponder those who have loved him along the way is such a profound truth that is rarely spoken within our world. In short, it was another piece of my own healing experience. To take pause and reflect on truths like these (and more) in a film like this was a beacon of light in this tired and weary soul.

In short, I wanted to thank you for, not only all your hard work, but also bringing this particular film to the Festival of Festivals (#throwback). It should be noted that I do not expect a response to this letter nor am I asking for anything in return. You may share it with whomever you believe it might be an encouragement if you wish (or not). As I stated earlier, TIFF is designed to challenge the world through ideas of all types on a grand scale. However, I felt it was important for you to hear that films like this also offer hope and healing on a personal level as well.

So, thank you Cameron. To you and your team.

Thanks to you all, today will be a beautiful day in my neighbourhood.

21 Things You Forgot About Being a Kid: Learning from the Next Generation

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What can we learn from the generations coming up after us? Dr. Rick Stevenson shares what he has learned after nearly twenty years of interviewing children and adolescents.

21 Things book cover

I was introduced to Rick Stevenson through Greg Wright, a long-time internet friend and mentor. Greg was my boss for most of the time I was writing for Hollywood Jesus – somewhere back in the Dark Ages. (It’s hard to believe I left HJ nearly four and a half years ago.) Greg had introduced me to the Millennials documentary series which was shown on the Ovation network in 2016. Screenfish was kind enough to let us share my interview with Greg and my subsequent review of the documentary.

In 2001, Rick created the 5000 Days Project, which the website tells us

is a global organization dedicated to developing emotional intelligence (EQ). We apply the StoryQ method of deep inquiry combined with video journaling technology to bring a low-cost and easy-to-implement tool into schools and communities allowing all kids to self-reflect and process in a safe environment.

As of the book’s release as an ebook in July, Rick has “conducted over 5500 in-depth interviews” with school-age children up to high school. The Project stresses the importance of Social and Emotional Intelligence, and was developed in consultation with experts in the fields, including Stevenson’s friend Dr. John Medina, author of the Brain Rules series.

Coming from a conservative Christian environment, I have long been aware of the need to get a handle on my emotions so they do not rule me. Unfortunately, I think too many in conservative circles have misunderstood the role of emotions in our lives. Too often a stoic approach is taken, ignoring one’s emotions rather than dealing with them. What often seems to happen is that the hidden emotions are still controlling the person, largely because they refuse to acknowledge the effect emotions play in shaping our lives. For example, if you are making choices based on fear, and you refuse to acknowledge you have those fears, you end up making excuses for your beliefs and actions instead of honestly examining the role this emotion has played in shaping your beliefs and actions. Xenophobia can often be excused in this way. How often have we witnessed someone who has obvious prejudices insist they are not prejudiced?

Rick’s book helps us remember what it was like to be a kid, and that remembrance can be the start of understanding who we are. It can also help us better understand those around us. According to Jesus, our mission here on earth can be summed up in two commands: Love God, and Love one another. The agape love the Bible speaks about is not emotionless. It is more than an emotion, as it seeks the best for the one loved, but the concept does include emotion. Jesus’ mission on earth was to show us what God is like. The Gospels continuously tell us that Jesus was filled with compassion for for those around Him. His actions on behalf of others was not some kind of calculated stoic response based on some mathematical calculation of what is best for the person. His actions were precipitated by an emotional response to the need He witnessed.

We have gotten emotions exactly backwards. Some of us were even taught to make the brain the engine and the heart the caboose. That is not how it works. (See the animation video near the bottom of the page on The 5000 Days Project’s home page.) Putting the emotions in a “caboose” role causes us to ignore what our emotions are trying to tell us. Only by knowing what our heart is telling us can we examine who we really are. Certainly our emotions can be lying to us, but we cannot know that unless we are listening to them and examining them. As I asserted earlier, our emotions will still lead us whether we acknowledge them or not.

If any of the above has sparked an interest in Emotional Intelligence, or causes you to want to try to understand yourself and others better, Rick’s book would be a good place to start. Broken down into 21 quickly-read and easily-digested chapters, 21 Things You Forgot About Being a Kid is a delight to read. Be sure also to read the Foreword and Introduction, as these provide background and insight into what is to follow. 21 Things is available as an ebook on Amazon.com. (If you don’t have Kindle, you can download the PC or Android versions for free.)

Skin: Can We Change?

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“You have three choices: die young, life in prison, or start talking.”– Daryle Lamont Jenkins

Watching Guy Nattiv’s Skin is like watching brutally violent, incredibly profane lyrical poetry on screen. As white supremacist Bryon Widner, Jaime Bell delivers the performance of the year, re-enacting the racist, sexist, profane twenties of a real-life bigot. While a One People’s Project activist, Mike Colter’s Daryle Lamont Jenkins, watches with interest, Widner swears, beats, chokes out, and burns his way through minorities and sects. Others, including Widner, believes there is no hope for him, Jenkins believes there’s more to the young man than his face tattoos and his anger. And then Widner meets Danielle Macdonald’s Julie Price, and discovers a real family for the first time.

Widner isn’t really the son of Fred and Shareen Krager (Bill Camp and Vera Famiga), but they’ve given him a place to live, used his skills as a tattoo artist to raise money for their white power group Vinlanders Social Club, and kept him subservient with a constant barrage of verbal and physical abuse. The audience sees just how creepy the Kragers are as they recruit newer members, as they casually dispense their form of justice on those they deem unworthy, whether they’re white or minorities. The dread the film conveys builds, pouring on the depths of despair, the bottomless feeling that no matter what Widner does, he can’t change his ways or escape the web.

“If we could turn even one of these fascist assholes, then I’ll leave a crack in the door.”–Jenkins

Realizing that Widner received his first facial tattoo at fourteen, that his mother and father were drunk and abusive, that the Kragers “saved” him from one desperation and replaced it with another – none of that relieves Widner of responsibility. But while it shows the repulsive layers of the brainwashing that Widner had received, it explains the layers of socialization and de-socialization that Jenkins will have to help Widner overcome, if the white power adherent would ever listen.

We know that the bottom of the evil abyss is deep – and at times Nattiv’s film leads us to believe we’ll never see the bottom for Widner – the inclusion of Price into Widner’s life changes everything, slowly. It’s not just Price but her three daughters (Zoe Colletti as Desiree; Kylie Rogers as Sierra; Colbi Gannett as Iggy) who capture Widner’s attention and give him inklings of the way his life could be different. These three girls to varying degrees help Widner see his humanity, replacing the negative physical touching in corrupt affection and sex of the VSC with natural positive interactions between a husband and wife and their children. It’s the replacement of the real for the fake that serves as the course-changing purpose in his life to push him out of the arc of destruction that he was on.

“Is it true what Desi said, are you an evil man?”–Iggy

The Kragers make offers for community, for responsibility, and for opportunities that lure young people in, before replacing them with condemnation, epithets, and emotional abuse. (A psychologist could have a field day with this, but this is a film review, right?) While Widner has believed in the hope that one day he would surpass the trials and abuse, he’s come to see that the pattern doesn’t change, and he’s watching it happen to younger people as he meets Price’s family. While the littlest daughter challenges him to consider the good in himself, Widner isn’t sure that he’s actually capable of good, that he can change, even asking Jenkins, “What if I take all of this stuff off [my face] and I’m still a piece of s—?”

In its own way, Skin is a parable of the prodigal son being reminded of his worth, of his ability to be forgiven. Of course, in this parable, we meet the prodigal when he’s so deep in the grime of his new life that he’s almost forgotten what it was like to ever be whole – and then we watch his powerful, gritty bursting forth from his “lostness,” unsure what remains for him on the other side. Of course, in 2019 America, Skin is also a challenge to see how the prodigal finds his way home thanks to the one he considered his enemy, the one he deemed unworthy of his respect.

Skin may prove to be one of my favorite films of the year, but it’s also the hardest “watch” I’ve had in years, and a reminder that the road to redemption isn’t smooth, graceful, or perfect. Let’s be clear: Skin is a brutal, ugly film that dares us to blink, to look away, to give up before it gets… good. Skin is a reminder that redemption takes many paths, that help arrives in many forms, that salvation is always the path where love conquers hate with truth, persistence, and grace.

Skin is in theaters and On Demand on July 26.