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Editorial

Darrel’s Dozen – My Faves of 2021(ish)

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2021 was yet another difficult year for movies. Theaters were closed for part of the year; and even when opened, many people stayed away—because of COVID, or just because streaming has become so common. This situation has made it much harder to even figure what films belong in what year. Even the awards groups the last few years have had trouble. So some of these films, you may consider to be from 2020 or even 2022. My list, my determination.

As I said last year, “I have to admit that because so many streaming platforms were hungry for content, there are a lot of smaller films that found their way to the general public. Again. That’s both good and bad. It means some good films found audiences that they wouldn’t have reached. It also means that there was a lot of crap that made the cut. It doesn’t seem fair to give this year a grade, so I’ll just give it an incomplete.”

So for better or worse, here are the dozen (or so) films that I find to be of special note for 2021 (give or take a year):

1. Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (my review) – In 1969 (the same year as Woodstock), the Harlem Cultural Festival took place over several weekends. Some of the biggest names in music took part. The footage from that event has remained stashed away for over 50 years. This is an amazing record of the times and the music. (And yes, my generation did have the best music.) It can currently be seen on Hulu.

2. Nomadland (ScreenFish review) – Yes, it won three Oscars last year (Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Director), but it couldn’t really be seen until February. It certainly deserves those Oscars. This is a story of those who live at the edge of society, some by choice, others by necessity. They live in RVs and go from job to job or just take time away. They may seem rootless, but there is a strong sense of community to be seen here. It can currently be seen on Hulu or for rent on Prime.

3. Tender Bar (my review) – Wonderful coming-of-age story of a boy/young man who learns of life from his uncle and the barflies at his uncle’s bar. It is touching, but even more, it is a wonderful look at the values that are important in shaping life. It can currently be seen on Prime.

4. Mass (ScreenFish review)—Two sets of parents come together in a church basement several years after a school shooting. It is a time of pain, of rage, of sorrow. Can it be a chance for grace? Wonderful cast. Exceptional exploration of the emotional damage that can happen in a moment. Also, of the possibility of healing. It can be rented on Prime.

5. Drive My Car (my review) – This is a film about stories and their power. It is as characters tell their stories connections are made. Even when languages are different, the stories bring people together. Currently playing in theaters. (Wear your mask!)

6. The Power of the Dog (ScreenFish review) – For those yearning for a western, here it is! It is a story built around models of manhood—and how toxic they can be. I was tempted to make a double feature with this and Tender Bar for two different ways of seeing what it means to be a real man. This is in theaters and available on Netflix.

7. Between the World and Me – Come for the language (which is beautiful), stay for the insight. The words come from Ta-Nahisi Coates’s National Book Award winning contemplation of the Black American experience. It can be seen on HBO Max.

8. Tick, Tick … BOOM! (ScreenFish review) – The story of Jonathan Larson, the creator of Rent as he struggles for success as he nears turning 30. It is a story of artistry and ambition. But it is also about the frailty of life. It can be seen on Netflix.

9. Petite Maman (festival coverage of the film) – This is a charming time-bending coming-of-age story of a young girl who meets her mother at the same age in the woods. They even have sleepovers at each other’s homes –it’s the same house.

10. Judas and the Black Messaiah (ScreenFish review)—the story of the FBI’s infiltration of the Black Panthers and eventual assassination of a Panther leader, Fred Hampton.  While some may think this is about history, we also know that the racism behind this story lives and grows. It can be seen on HBO Max.

11. Holy Frit (my review) – I’m including this in spite of the fact that it has only played at festivals. I loved this doc about the creation of the world’s largest stained-glass window. The artistry is amazing. So too is the chutzpa of the guy who convinced the church he could do it, and had to learn how to along the way.

12. Nine Days (my review) – I mentioned this film is last year’s Dozen as one I hoped might be seen. And it did get a release. It is the story of several unborn souls being judged as to which one should get the chance to live. Along the way we are asked to consider what makes life important and meaningful. This can be rented on Prime.

Of course, there are a few other films worthy of the list, that I just couldn’t fit in. Nightmare Alley is a splendid trip into a noirish world of carnival life and a consideration of who really qualifies as a freak. The Tragedy of Macbeth is a beautifully done adaptation of Shakespeare’s play of ambition. One Second celebrates the love of cinema and its ability to create community. (This is another of those I hope you can see, but so far it’s only in festivals here.)

A couple of older films that I caught up with this year were The Wobblies (which was added to the National Film Registry) and the original documentary version of The Eyes of Tammy Faye.

Hoping the coming year brings more wonderful cinema.

[Movie] Moments that Mattered: 2021 Edition

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Sometimes, the year’s best moments don’t always happen in the best films. 

Even though we associate the best moments with awards-calibre films, that’s simply not always the case. The most memorable moments that hit us differently can happen at any time, whether we’re sitting in a blockbuster film with a giant bucket of popcorn or streaming an indie drama online. Whether or not awards are involved is almost irrelevant. The stories we hear all speak to us, if we’re willing to listen. 

With that being said, it’s time to examine the year that was through the moments that mattered (to me, at least). Interestingly, this year’s picks have some strange connections, including a surprising amount of cars and dinner scenes throughout my picks but there’s also a whole lotta grace. While many of these picks may not have made my Top 10 of the year, these were the moments that struck a chord with me for any number of reasons. So, let’s get to it.

As always, this article is rated ‘S’ for Spoilers…

Honorable Mention (without context) goes to:

  • The Final Concert – CODA; The Magic Trick – Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes; Conversation on a Chimney Stack – Poupelle of Chimney Town; Debating at the Dinner Table – The Eyes of Tammy Faye;

10.) Caaaaaaaars in Spaaaaaaaaaace – F9: The Fast Saga

Alright, a number of you are already ready to stop reading but hear me out. Over the years, the Fast and the Furious films have become their own unique franchise that celebrates insanity. From heists with cars dragging massive safes through city streets to world-saving spy escapades, the franchise that began about illegal street racing has become marked by over-the-top, adrenaline-fueled adventures in madness. Although the films themselves rarely makes any sense any more (if they ever did), they also continue to make money by the trunkload.

But F9 was the movie that connected in a different way.

For years, fans have been joking about the crazy logic-leaping effects that have been building in the series. Clamouring for more and more ridiculousness, the ongoing joke became that these would-be superheroes would make the jump to space. It was utterly preposterous.

And then they did it.

In F9, Diesel and Co. showed that they were in on the joke and wanted their fans to have their moment. By allowing their Ludacris and Tyrese to drive their car into space to destroy a satellite (!!!), the film demonstrated a relationship with their fans that few other franchises are willing to establish. In doing so, this non-sensical leap into the upper atmosphere validated their dedicated fans and included them in the process. Coming at a time where we’ve all been divided into our homes, this brought people together. (In fact, F9 was the highest grossing film during the pandemic until recently…) This brought fans into the process in a way that makes it noteworthy. (Now if the rumours of a team up with Jurassic World are true…)

9.) Blockade Drive – Beans

Back into an automobile but for an entirely different reason. In Tracey Deer’s Beans, Montreal’s Oka Crisis in the early 90s is put on display but tells the story from the eyes of the children and families that were affected. Conversations surrounding racial attacks on Indigenous populations are central to the film’s intensity but none of them are more terrifying than one simple drive.

As Lily attempts to gently drive through a blockade, their car is nearly frozen by angry protestors. With children in the car, Lily continues her efforts to get them to safety. However, as they move through the crowds, their vehicle is subjected to some of the most harrowing abuse that you will see onscreen. When their vehicle eventually reaches police, they find no safe harbour there either.

It’s a genuinely terrifying moment.

While simply being ‘terrifying’ isn’t enough to get on this list, there’s an honesty to this film which demands attention. Coming on the heels of the ‘Every Child Matters’ movement, Beans is a powerful film that serves as a reminder that history is almost always told from a perspective of power and inevitably means that others are suffering as a result. 

8.) Staring at the Mountains – The Power of the Dog

In Power of the Dog, Cumberbatch is garnering awards consideration for playing against ‘type’. As the gruff cowboy Phil Burbank, the ‘once and future Dr. Strange’ shows his incredible talents as an actor as he infuses his character with a mix of cruelty and timidity. Whether he’s bullying young Peter (Kody Smit-McPhee) or attempting to hide his inner yearnings, Cumberbatch is a sight to behold in the role. However, one of his best moments is also his most subtle.


Standing in the prairies and staring at the mountains in the distance, Burbank seems lost in thought. His friends push him to know more but they cannot penetrate his gaze. When he’s finally asked if there’s something specific that he’s staring at, Burbank simply remarks, “Not if you can’t see it, there ain’t”. To him, there’s a mystery in the mountains that few can comprehend. However, this also speaks to the turmoil that swirls within him as well. Knowing that he can never truly be himself, there’s a piece of him in those mountains that he wishes someone else could ‘see’. In a brief moment of humility, this brutish beast of a man expresses an inner struggle that he believes will never truly be fixed. Like the enigma of the rolling hills, Phil Burbank is one who believes he will never fully be understood and his character remains broken by loneliness.

7.) Walt Whitman – Nine Days

Directed by Edson Oda, Nine Days tells the story of souls who are looking for employment. In a premise not entirely dissimilar to Pixar’s Soul, Nine Days shows the process that it takes for a ‘pre-soul’ to get the job of a human person. However, unlike Soul, Days spins its focus to the employer (as opposed to the employee) and their dalliances on earth. 

As Will, an angelic creature broken by the sudden death of one of his chosen employees, Winston Duke spends much of the film attempting to understand the meaning of life because he’s never experienced it himself. As he weeds out the potential nominees for the new position, Will continues to be drawn to the seemingly reckless Emma (Zazie Beetz), a young woman who simply doesn’t ‘fit in the box’. As Will tries desperately to convince himself that nothing is of value, Emma seems to live in such a way that he cannot. 

In the film’s final moments, Will finally relents his anger and pain. However, his celebration of life takes the form of a recitation of Walt Whitman’s ‘Song of Myself’. As Will bears his soul through Whitman’s words that “every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you,” a rebirth slowly begins to break through his hardened heart. The power of Whitman’s art provides a moment of sheer joy that pierces the desert within him. 

Once dead, Will’s soul is now alive. 

In this brief moment, Duke demonstrates such energy that one cannot help but experience the ecstasy along with him. His playfulness becomes an infectious force of nature, highlighting the joy of life and the fuel of suffering simultaneously. While the film itself is a fascinating piece, it’s this finale that truly drives everything home and sparks life within it.

6.) ‘Therapy’ – Tick, Tick… Boom!

Andrew Garfield is having a moment in 2021. After three noteworthy performances in the last few months, Garfield has re-established himself as one of Hollywood’s most underrated performers. From entering the Spidey-verse to playing a corrupted televangelist, Garfield’s range has been on full display since the award’s season push began. But his performance in Tick, Tick… Boom! outshines them all.

As Broadway’s brightest son Jonathan Larson, Garfield demonstrated humility, passion and limitless energy all in the same performance. Perhaps the best example of this mix though comes through his performance of Larson’s ‘Therapy’. Fueling his performance with conflicted love and rage, Garfield attempts to navigate his relationship issues with his long-time girlfriend. In this moment, he feels focused, present and even honest. 

However, this performance is juxtaposed with his own live performance with Vanessa Hudgens where he displays an entirely different type of energy. Playfully bouncing around the screen, Garfield showcases the normalcy of these relationship struggles without ever taking away its impact. Suddenly, a moment that’s steeped in intensity and sadness is infused with joy and liveliness. By performing the song well after the event has finished, Garfield highlights the fact that so many of the things that we deem as important are often less so when we look back upon them. It’s an unbelievable juxtaposition that is simply incredible to watch unfold onscreen, unravelling the complexities of relationships while also revealing the fact that distance often creates perspective.

5.) Staircase Descent – Last Night in Soho

Edgar Wright has made a career out of creating gorgeous films with incredible soundtracks. But Last Night in Soho may be his best work to date. Co-written with Krysty Wilson-Cairns, Soho is a love letter to the 60s but also manages to hold them accountable at the same time. Though we tend to look back at our history with rose-coloured glasses, Soho reminds us that nostalgia isn’t always healthy. In fact, our love of an era could be covering up the suffering caused by a time of toxic masculine dominance. 

And it all begins with a staircase.

Here, Wright exemplifies and foreshadows much of the film’s ‘through the looking glass’ mentality. As Eloise (Thomasin Mackenzie) descends the steps into the nightclub as the soul of Sandy (Anya Taylor-Joy), Wright leans into the nostalgia love for the 60s while revealing that we’re going to see it through new eyes. Yes, Sandy is a stunning sight who captivates the room but Eloise’s reflection reminds us that there is a fractured image here. In one single shot, we are enchanted but also understand that all is not right. It’s a moment that may be visually stunning but, more importantly, it’s symbolic of the ride into revisionist history that we’re about to be taken on.

4.) The Hug – MASS

Written and directed by Fran Kranz, MASS feels like a one-act play and features four of the year’s best performances in its leads. Though much of the awards talk has centered on Ann Dowd, each star holds their own in captivating performances and a riveting script. 

Based on the simple but powerful premise of two couples (one couple, the parents of a victim and the other, the parents of the attacker) attempting to pick up the pieces after the tragedy of a school shooting, the film almost never leaves a single room and allowing the performers to go to work. Seemingly trapped in one small space in a church basement, these parents are left to hash out the complex and complicated feelings that come with tragedy of this magnitude, including all of its rage and uncomfortable silence.

But the final scene.

After the victims come to an impasse between them and grace finds its way through the pain, they begin to leave the church basement and return to their lives. But during that time, a hug between mothers becomes a sign of healing. Like a flower in the desert, life—uncomfortable life—returns where there was none. It is a symbol of hope and redemption unlike anything else you’ll see this year and breathes life into the moment in the most powerful of ways.

3.) The Last Supper – Pig

The ‘Nicolas Cage’ project has been a fascinating watch over the last decade. Fully willing to take on roles that dive into the ridiculous, the Oscar winner has become synonymous with and celebrated for B-projects and bizarre roles. 

But then, there’s Pig.

As a former chef forced back into his old life in order to find his lost pig, Cage’s performance here is nothing short of remarkable. On paper, the film seems like another entry into his crazy career. Bearded and disheveled, Cage’s Robin is a man who strikes fear into the other members of the culinary world. (In fact, structurally, the comparisons between Pig and John Wick are undeniable.) But then, the film goes in an entirely different direction. 

In what becomes one of the year’s best films, Pig takes an old trope and completely turns it on its head. Whereas these sorts of sorts of films always seem to end in a murderous rampage, Robin instead changes the world through the power of delicious meals. Without spoilers, the film’s final meal feels like it will fall into disaster but instead ends in a moment reminiscent of Babette’s Feast. This space around a dinner table opens the door for truth to be revealed yet never submits to the possibility of violence. In this role, Cage shows a nuance and courage that we have missed from him—and a grace that suggests there may be hope for us all. 

2.) Spider-Men – Spider-Man: No Way Home

And the grace line continues… With Spider-Man: No Way Home, expectations for Marvel were high. With old villains and cameos throughout the film, there was no doubt that No Way Home was gearing up to be a nostalgia-fest. So, we figured it was going to be fun, to say the least. But I wasn’t prepared for what we got.

Instead of just Spider-Madness, No Way Home‘s emotional arc and genuine character growth surprisingly gave us one of the best films of the year. Rather than simply use those cameos as stunt-casting, they actually felt like a necessary experience. Yes, it was undoubtedly fan service… but it wasn’t only fan service.

No scene summarized this more than the scene on the rooftop.

As all three iterations of Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland) met face to face on the roof, every fan revelled in the moment. But the scene illustrated the film’s powerful message of hope, grace (there’s that word again) and wrestling with guilt and pain. Maguire and Garfield provide Holland’s Spidey the chance to grieve while also feeling supportive and helpful. But they also help him to regain his perspective. This is a film about saving the worst of us, regardless of what we think they ‘deserve’. Here, Garfield & Maguire show their own emotional battle scars and still manage to remind Holland of his calling in the most loving of ways. 

I know that there are people who are clamouring for this to garner Oscar attention but that’s simply not going to happen. However, the moment—that moment on the rooftop—is easily one of the most special gifts that we were given in 2021. Nostalgia is fun… but this film understood that it’s meaningless without repairing the soul.

1.) Birth Story – Titane 

I really wrestled with this pick. Titane is one of those films which is difficult to recommend to the casual viewer due to its insanely graphic nature and wild premise. However, it’s also brilliant, touching and shockingly soul-filled. Brilliant performances from Agathe Rouselle and Vincent London take an example of body horror and elevate it into something truly special. As Alexia/Adrien, Rouselle fully immerses herself in the character with intensity and humility. However, the real story here is London. As grieving and broken father Vincent, London instills a grace-fuelled performance that breaks the heart and soul. As a result, what begins as the story of one young woman’s traumatic relationship with her car (yep, that’s real…) transforms into a modern representation of the Prodigal Son. 

Posing as Vincent’s long-lost son, Alexia manages to hide from her pain under his protection. Of course, eventually, the ruse is uncovered. Even so, although Vincent knows that Alexia is not related to him, he refuses to give up on her. In fact, it makes him more determined to fight for her. (“I am God to you,” he informs his staff. “And that makes him Jesus. If you harm him, you deal with me.”) 

As she gives birth to the child that exists solely as a result of her pain and trauma, Vincent accepts the child as his own. The film’s final shot of him holding the metallic-studded baby is easily the most touching and beautiful moment set to screen this year. It doesn’t matter that he has no relation to the child. It doesn’t matter how the child came to be. All that matters is that the child matters.

The love of this father changes their lives.

Horrifying and humbling, Titane’s Birth Story is one of those moments that leaves a mark on the soul. Even though the film is one of the most difficult watches in recent memory, the story of Alexia is also one of the most poignant and powerful experiences I’ve had in a theatre in some time. Coming at a time when we’re divided by so many issues and controversies, there is simply a stunning beauty to this moment that breaks through the most hardened of hearts.

To hear our episode of SF Radio that talks about our Top Movie Moments with Seeing & Believing‘s Kevin McLenithan, author Wade Bearden and several guests, click here (YouTube) or here (podcast).

This article has also been posted in partnership with InTheSeats.ca.

Judas & the Black Messiah: “I Want to Live”

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The film has been on HBO Max for about a month now. I knew watching it was gonna require courage, as historical dramas about Black pain and suffering only serve to make me angry. So, I avoided it as long as I could until I finally sat down to watch on the first Saturday in March.

And, as I figured, I got angry. Very angry.

I wasn’t angry at the acting or the story or the filmmaking process. I was angry at the reality that has not gone away 50 years later.

The thing that leapt off the screen for me as I watched: The SYSTEMIC racism. Emphasis on the word SYSTEMIC. I’m talking specifically those scenes within the FBI and their chessboard maneuvering.

Black mobilization is a threat. Always has been. Always will be. It’s why slaves couldn’t learn to read. It’s why the flame of Reconstruction was doused by Jim Crow. It’s why King, X, Medgar Evers, Fred Hampton and countless other Brothers and Sisters had their lives taken.

It’s why they label BLM as “communist” and “Marxist.” It’s why over 40 states are currently in the process of remixing voting laws – even drafting bills to make it illegal to serve food and water while standing in line for hours waiting to vote. 1969. 2021. Mobilization Is still a threat. And their greatest fear.

An IRRATIONAL fear.

J. Edgar Hoover in the film hypothetically asks Mitchell, the FBI agent handling Bill (Judas) O’Neal, what he’d do if his baby daughter brought home a Negro whom she was in love with. His point: Survival. Protection of their way of life. Fear of being conquered. Hoover’s words echoed the now famous Charlottesville Tiki Torch sentiment. Those marchers targeted Jews. But they could have inserted anyone in their war cry.

(WHOMEVER) WILL NOT REPLACE US!

REPLACE YOU? 🤣🤣🤣

For the record, we are not trying to replace Whites. We don’t want your throne. We don’t want your seats of honor. We don’t want your status or your authority. “New World Order” is laughable to us. Marxist regimes are the furthest thing from our collective minds.

Fred Hampton, MLK, BLM are all fighting for the same sentiment – a sentiment best expressed by a Jay Z song title:

CAN I LIVE?

Can I work for a livable wage to raise my sons and daughters without restriction?

Can I go to my job wearing the hairstyle I want, speaking my normal dialect without having to codeswitch? Can I get the opportunities to advance in my field without those previously stated issues being an issue?

Can I go to church without having to assimilate into a White Evangelical approved form of Christianity that denies my true expression of who I am? Can I sing, shout, say AMEN, embrace my African heritage in my expression of faith without it being a threat?

Can I buy a house in the same neighborhood as you and you not feel so threatened that you engage in non-neighborly microaggressions insinuating that I am not welcome there? Can my house get the same appraised value attached to it even with my photos of my African American family of 5 framed on the walls?

Can I just get a ticket for speeding? Can I just walk home from a store? Can I just drive to my new job? Can I do ANYTHING that results in me just getting a write up instead of a toe tag at the morgue? And can my expression of righteous anger and frustration not require the use of deadly force because you see Black anger as a threat?

If I CHOOSE to love your daughter, Agent Mitchell, is that enough? Can I not be subjected to jests about how dark the baby’s skin color will be? If other family members express their racist thoughts about my presence in the family, will you defend me? Or will we be ostracized from your family – and our children lose their birthright – because we won’t “play the game?”

Replace you? No, White community. It’s never been about that. We just want to live. All we want is our modern day equivalent of that promised 40 acres and a mile and we’ll keep living. Some of us will live with you in our space. Some of us won’t. That’s our choice.

You have a choice too. Let Hoover’s fear consume you. Let the irrational horror of what we might do take over your hearts and minds. Continue to mangle Scripture for your own benefit.

Or…you can live. With us. Lose your fear. Lose your terror. Lose your life…and find it again like Jesus said. When you’re ready, our arms are wide open ready to live with you and love you.

Thank you Chairman Fred.

The film is available now on Digital and out on Blu-ray and DVD on May 4. The Blu-ray combo pack includes “Fred Hampton for the People” and “Unexpected Betrayal” as special features.

Academy Awards 2021: Boseman Loss Shows Why We Still Do (and Don’t) Need the Oscars

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It wasn’t supposed to go like that.

After unexpectedly re-arranging the schedule to push Best Picture up and let the acting categories shine, the Academy clearly wanted to send a message. With the foregone conclusion that Chadwick Boseman would posthumously take Best Actor for his work in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, it was going to definitively celebrate a young man who was taken from us far too soon after losing his battle with cancer last year. 

An African-American man. 

Black Panther.

The significance of the moment was going to be a victory to end that night that would be both emotional and satisfying. After all, at a moment when Black culture is looking for heroes, a Chadwick victory would have been a symbolic statement in honour of a young man who had become a beacon of hope for many, sending viewers home with a truly feel-good moment.

Well, we all know how that went.

After Phoenix announced Anthony Hopkins as Best Actor to close out the show, the shock was palpable. The room was fairly quiet. Phoenix had to fumble through an awkward acceptance on Hopkins behalf as he was the only nominee not available. Of course, Twitter erupted. (In some ways, you almost feel bad for Hopkins. At home in Wales, even HE didn’t think he was going to win. If I were him, I likely would have slept through the ceremony as well.)

In a moment that felt like the reverse of the La La Land/Moonlight fiasco of a few years ago, the ‘feel-good’ finale completely backfired.

Within seconds, people took to their social media and responded accordingly. Outrage! Fury! Cancel! The response was completely understandable—and expected. After all, around this time, it’s almost tradition for people to take to the inter-webs to complain about the Oscars and the choices that they proclaim are ‘Best’. People decry from the rooftops that the films the Academy selects show their irrelevancy (and, sometimes, that’s a totally fair complaint). Comments like ‘this is why I don’t care about the Oscars’ flood social media with tsunami-like force.

But the irony is that same blow-up on the Twitter-verse shows that people still do care.

While people may either be happy or furious, the fact that the reactions to these awards are so strong suggests that there’s still an interest in the results. For over 90 years, the Academy Awards have been the ‘standard’ by which success in the industry has been measured. To win an Oscar is considered one of the highest honours in the industry and, even though culture has changed a lot in recent years (and continues to do so), there remains a respect for that golden statue that continues to endure. To win an Oscar still says something. 

They matter because they matter to us.

The reason people were upset about Chadwick losing the award is not because Hopkins didn’t deserve it but rather that it meant something to them. Hopkins turned in the performance of the lifetime in the role but a Chadwick victory would have felt not only poignant but powerful. With his career still reaching his potential before his death, Chadwick still felt like someone that people could relate to, especially amongst the Black community. A win for him seemed like it would have felt like another win for them.

And it might have.

But, if the awards truly didn’t matter to anyone outside the industry, no one would have cared. There would have been no outcry or frustration. It would have simply passed on from the cultural zeitgeist and landed on the entertainment pages… not the front page… 

The problem may be that we’ve given too much credibility to the Academy. Though filled with over 1000 industry professionals, with this responsibility comes the expectation that it will represent the values of the people and the time. The truth is that they don’t always. Yes, they strive for representation and want to speak the voice of a culture. That’s why these films matter as much as Marvel films or alien invasions. They connect with a heartbeat that speaks the cries of our world.

But they don’t always speak for you and I. How could they?

With this in mind, the loss by Chadwick shows that, maybe, we don’t need the Oscars to play the same role in our culture. The truth is that, while considered the highest heights of the industry, the loss to Hopkins does not take away from his performance (or career) in any way. So many of history’s best films and performances were never recognized by the Academy. Citizen Kane, Raging Bull, Do The Right Thing, Pulp Fiction and innumerable others were robbed of ‘Oscar glory’ yet remain the most influential films of the last century. (And let’s not forget Delroy Lindo from the list of snubs this year…)

Regardless of who the Academy chooses to take home the gold, Chadwick Boseman will be remembered.

He matters. And he’s as important as he was yesterday.

I admit it. I love the Oscars. I love the pageantry, the music and the speeches. Unlike many, I love the fact that winners use the platform to speak their hearts about issues that matter to them. (I mean, they’ve been given a voice. They should use it.) I even love my Oscar pool with friends.

Ultimately though, they don’t determine which films or performances matter most. Only the ones that mattered to these people. That’s why it doesn’t really matter in the end if Boseman posthumously took home the gold. His performance in Ma Rainey’s was a thing of brilliance and it will be remembered. (In fact, it should be remembered.) This year’s Oscars may have been the most diverse in the Academy’s history. Chloe Zhao. Daniel Kaluuya. Yuh-Jung Yoon. H.E.R. Soul. Jon Batiste. All of these winners from last night show that things are changing. This was not #OscarsSoWhite, even if it did feel like #OscarsSoWrong.

The loss by Boseman doesn’t change any of this… but it’s all anyone’s talking about.

Yes, it would have made an amazing story to see him cap off his young but incredible career with a win. It would have been an emotional moment for us all. But there’s a reason that they announce the winner by saying ‘the Oscar goes to…’ They don’t want the other nominees to feel as though they are someone lesser than the others.

Because they aren’t. Not Riz Ahmed. Not Boseman. None of them, regardless of category. They all achieved something great with their cinematic achievements. And, like Chadwick’s performance, their work lives on. 

The Academy knows that. We may have forgotten it.

Message received.

The Flash: Saviours, Sacrifice and the Speed Force

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By Seun Olowo-Ake

Like many shows, The Flash hadn’t completed its season before production shut down because of the pandemic. This means that us Flash fans were left without closure to the Mirror Master storyline of Season 6 and had to wait a whole 10 months before the Scarlet Speedster graced our screens again. So, to tide myself over, I resorted to re-watching old episodes.

Even though I would identify as a binge watcher, I had never actually binge-watched The Flash before. Watching all the episodes so close together like that made some character traits more obvious to me. For instance, Cisco (Carlos Valdes) is not afraid to call his friends out, Iris (Candice Patton) is always ready for combat and Barry Allen (Grant Gustin)–the Flash himself–has a saviour complex.

There are a few examples of this throughout the show. In every episode, it seems like Barry says some version of “I’m not fast enough to stop them”/ “this is all my fault”/ “I should have been there”/ “I can’t save them”. He also has to be told repeatedly by his friends that, “you are not God, Barry”. However, it’s the first half of Season 6 that really puts his complex on display.

The season opens with the Crisis where it was foretold that “the Flash must die”, which looms over Team Flash’s heads. At first, they think they can stop it from changing their lives, but after Barry pulls a Doctor Strange and sees billions of possible futures, he develops the conviction himself that he must die to save everyone. He spends a portion of the show trying to prepare his friends for a world without the Flash, training them so they can be heroes without his leadership and picking out who should lead the team when he’s gone. In this season particularly, I find that the show positions Barry almost as a Jesus-figure. He becomes a ‘paragon of love’ who is willing to sacrifice himself to save all of humanity.

My favourite episode of the season (and possibly of the entire show) is episode 7 “The Last Temptation of Barry Allen Pt. 1”. It plays with the choice between good and evil and, as the name implies, Barry is presented with the possibilities that his life holds if he chooses evil in an “all this could be yours if you bow down to me” type of situation. Aside from Grant’s phenomenal acting, the reason I love it is that we finally see that our hero has a dent in his armour. Still, even though he’s argued with his friends and family about the reasons for his conviction and has been preparing his team for his demise, Barry outrightly says to the Speed Force here that, “I don’t want to die.”

The Speed Force is a sentient, infinite source of energy that I like to think about as the speedsters’ God. It chose Barry to be the Flash and he only maintains his speed because of his connection to it (as of right now) and it frequently tells him of the sacrifices he must make as a hero. It even has laws that he must abide by, with repercussions for breaking them. The Speed Force shows up in this episode to help our hero make the right decision and Barry speaks to it about the trajectory of his life as a hero and as a man.

Since we’ve known him, Barry has developed close friendships with his co-workers (the aforementioned Team Flash), married the girl that he has had a crush on for over a decade, and even met his daughter from the future. He loves his life. So, even though he has always willingly adhered to the laws of the Speed Force and accepted its consequences when he broke them, Barry snaps when it states that it is just here to guide him on the path he has chosen. “A lightning bolt shot down from the sky and struck me!,” he cries out. “I didn’t choose this; this was done to me! … Why do I always have to suffer for you?”

I low-key relate to that resentment, feeling like I have to be strong for everyone–my family, my friends, even God–and then sitting in my bed going ‘I can’t do this’/’Can I just have a minute?’. Maybe you feel that way too as a parent, a guardian, a sibling, or a friend. It’s hard not to try to be strong when you have people who are depending on you. I mean the lives of millions of people rest on Barry’s shoulders! Yet, in this episode, he finally sees something his friends have been trying to teach him. Something we must all learn at some point in our lives:

We weren’t made to carry our burdens alone.

No matter how good or smart we are, we’re all flawed people who need help from our own Team Flash and from our Infinite Source.

The Flash returns on the CW on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2021.

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.