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Steven Spielberg

Animaniacs: Long May Insaney-ness Reign

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It’s not supposed to work this way.

Beloved shows are cancelled all the time and, occasionally, get revived by other networks or sheer fan support. However, because of the passage of time, aging cast or simply just changing cultural trends, these shows are rarely as good as the original incarnation.

So, how is Animaniacs managing to meet the massive expectations of the original series and (maybe) even surpassing it?

First incarnated from 1993-1998, Animaniacs is the animated adventures of the Warner siblings, Wakko, Yakko and Dot, who live in the Warner Bros. Water Tower on the WB Studio lot in Burbank, California. In a collection of short cartoons, the Warners move through time, argue with network executives, battle monsters and try to get their email working properly. At the same time, the show also features characters like Pinky and the Brain, two laboratory mice committed every night to ‘trying to take over the world’ and others who are involved in their own silliness along the way.

Confused? That’s okay. They promise in the theme song that they’re ‘totally insane-y’.

Produced by Steven Spielberg, Animaniacs has always banked on the ridiculous in order to set it apart from other animated fare. For a series that disappeared almost 25 years ago, it’s remarkable that it remains as frenetic as ever. Sharply written and furiously executed, the show has maintained a sort of ‘timeless’ quality to its storytelling. Taking the most basic of premises (‘trapped in a movie studio’ and ‘taking over the world’), Animaniacs remains somewhat disjointed from any particular place and time. As a result, they have maintained the ability to adapt to the moment, blowing up the cultural icons of the time with satire and silliness. With ‘Chuck Jones-esque’ vitality, this remains a series that wants to bombard the viewer with as much humour as possible, making it easily re-watchable as well. 

Interestingly though, while it’s not unusual for animated fare to include pop culture references that skew towards adults, Animaniacs almost feels like it has taken the opposite approach. Leaning into allusions to Donald Trump, Oliver Twist and even 90s sitcoms such as Cheers and Fresh Prince of Bel Air, sometimes the show feels like its writing for parents as its primary audience. That’s not to say that it’s not appropriate for children. This is very much a children’s product with its eye-popping animation and physical humour. (In fact, both my 6- and 11-year old boys find the show hilarious.) Even so, the series’ emphasis on meta humour (they remind you that they did ‘do meta first’) and political references still seem more targeted to parents as opposed to little ones.

What’s always been interesting about Animaniacs is the role of the Warners themselves. As the show’s central characters, they have always exemplified pure, borderline anarchistic joy and fun. (I mean, the whole premise of the show is that they refuse to remain trapped in a water tower…) Shattering rules in the name of youthful playfulness, Yakko, Wakko and Dot exemplify innocence… in their own way. However, there’s a question that arises during season two that I’d never considered before.

Are they heroes?

Held up against the hilarious maniacism of Pinky and the Brain, the Warners seem to be the ‘good’ characters of the series. Even so, the Warners are not types to proclaim any sort of pious values or virtue that they’re ‘fighting for’. Ultimately, their primary concern seems to be… well… fun. However, in the Oliver Twist parody, there’s a moment this season where they are asked to join Fagan as pickpockets and Wakko refuses. (‘Stealing is bad,’ he proclaims.) Although, when Fagan ‘reframes’ it—they’re actually redistributing wealth—they’re willing to participate. To them, that makes sense… and the activity still feels innocent. They may not be intentionally trying to make the world a better place… but neither do they want to hurt anyone either.

In this way, maybe ‘heroes’ is too specific a term for the Warners. With childlike inexperience and enthusiasm, they’re trying to learn about the world and why the things that we value are important to us in the first place. Their ‘insany-ness’ stems from an innate desire to explore and bust down the social barriers that we’ve constructed around ourselves. To the Warners, spoiled children, Roman empires and spam folders are all just opportunities to ask questions and push boundaries. 

When others are asking ‘why?’, they’re simply going to ask ‘why not?’

The truth is that, regardless as to the Warners’ true motivations, Animaniacs continues to sparkle with an innate and infectious joy. Despite their age, the adventures of the Warners and misadventures of Pinky and the Brain show no signs of rust. With that in mind, although the series technically was rebooted with the intent to create two seasons, these chaotic cartoons still definitely have a lot of life left in them should they (hopefully) decide to extend the contract. Even if it’s not ‘supposed to work this way’, it’s definitely still working.

So, long may insaney-ness reign.

To hear our interview with co-executive producer Gabe Swarr, and voice icons Tress MacNeille and Jess Harnell, click here (YouTube) or here (audio)

To hear our interview with voice icons Rob Paulson and Maurice LaMarche, click here (YouTube) or here (audio)

Animaniacs returns on Hulu on Friday, November 5th, 2021.

4.15 Finding your Oasis in READY PLAYER ONE

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Set in the year 2045, the global population seeks solace in the OASIS, a digital haven with limitless possibilities. However, when the creator dies, he challenges the world to unlock an Easter egg hidden somewhere in the game, giving them total control over the system itself.

Filled with pop culture references and stunning visual effects, READY PLAYER ONE heralds a return to the adventure genre for Steven Spielberg. Though one could argue the film is primarily a nostalgia bonanza, Spielberg imbeds his story with his own Easter eggs of truth. This week, Steve welcomes Jeff Baker and Benjamin Porter to discuss about the nature of identity in the digital world and the relationship between Creator and his creation.

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

4.15 Ready Player One

Thanks Jeff and Benjamin for joining us!

READY PLAYER ONE Giveaway!

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Are you ready?

In the year 2045, much of Earth’s population centers have become slum-like cities due to overpopulation, pollution, corruption, and climate change. To escape their desolation, people engage in the virtual reality world of the OASIS (Ontologically Anthropocentric Sensory Immersive Simulation), where they can engage in numerous activities for work, education, and entertainment.

Wade Watts (Sheridan) is a teenage Gunter (short for “egg hunter”) from Columbus, Ohio who frequents the OASIS and attempts to win “Anorak’s Quest”, a game created by the deceased creator of the OASIS, James Halliday (Rylance), by finding the Easter Eggs. The winner is to be granted full ownership of the OASIS, among other things.

To enter, simply like or share our post on Facebook and answer the following question in the comment section: Tell us your favourite Steven Spielberg film and why!

The winner will receive a copy of the original book for Ready, Player One, written by Ernest Cline.

For a bonus entry, like or retweet this post on Twitter.

All entries must be completed by 11:59pm on Thursday, March 29th, 2018.

 

Ready, Player One will be unleashed in theatres on March 29th, 2018

4.09 Digging for Truth in THE POST

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In his latest film, THE POST, Steven Spielberg and his all-star cast aren’t satisfied with merely retelling a chapter in American history. They’re on a search for truth and justice in our culture today. This week, Steve welcomes back Kevin McLenithan (Seeing and Believing) to dig into THE POST while also offering their Top 3 Movie Moments of 2017.

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

A special thanks to Kevin for joining us!

4.09 The Post

For those of you in Canada who are interested, you can donate to ScreenFish by clicking the link below and simply selecting ‘ScreenFish’ from the ‘Apply Your Donation…’ area. 

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/connect-city/

The Post – The Calling of Truth

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Directed by Steven Spielberg, The Post tells the story of Katherine Graham (Meryl Streep), the first female publisher of a major American newspaper, the Washington Post. Set in the later years of the Vietnam War, Katherine and her editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) suddenly find themselves in the possession of papers exposing the American government’s cover-ups. As her shareholders are growing anxious and question her ability to lead, she and Bradlee must decide whether they will put their careers—and lives—at risk by publishing the truth that they have uncovered in an effort to hold their elected leaders accountable for their actions.

Despite its 1970s setting, The Post feels like Spielberg’s most urgent film in years. With an energetic script, each actor within the film attacks their roles with a ferocity and passion that bleeds off the screen. While one could argue that the film looks on paper as simple Oscar bait (Spielberg! Hanks! Streep! Together at last!), the truth is that, regardless of the size of their role, every performer within the film appears actively invested in the project. As a result, the film sparkles, eliciting shades of classics like The Conversation or All the President’s Men yet seems entirely relevant to the current political landscape. Given the film’s message of freedom for the press and the courage of women, The Post is not exactly subtle with its intentions, arguably the film’s greatest flaw. (“Nothing less than the integrity of the presidency is at stake!” someone exclaims.) However, the intensity of the film coupled with truly remarkable performances across the board prevent it from being simply another ‘message movie’.

In light of this, one of the most interesting aspects of the film is its passion for truth. While it seems obvious that a film about revealing the flaws of the government would have an overarching theme of truth, The Post seems genuinely interested in offering the concept of truth as a universal construct as opposed to basing it on one’s subjectivity. Whereas many modern narratives, whether it’s The Last Jedi to Lady Bird, bases truth on one’s perspective or feeling, this film depicts truth as an objective, higher standard to which we’re all held accountable.

In The Post, truth is a calling.

Interestingly though, the film also manages to resist painting characters by the simple brushstrokes of ‘hero’ and ‘villain’. Whereas Spielberg could have presented characters like McNamara (Bruce Greenwood) or Arther Parsons (Bradley Whitford) as purely evil, he also shows

their desire to do good, albeit by their own standards. As a result, these characters aren’t considered bad because they actively oppose truth. Rather, their actions are bad because they seem naive—or worse, disinterested—in heeding what is objectively wrong. Issues ranging from accountability of government to women’s rights are highlighted by the outdated attitudes and morals of a culture that fears change and these are characters refuse to admit to themselves that they’ve become lost. These are not mustache-twirling criminals but flawed human beings whose misguided actions have real consequences. As such, there is a cost to truth as well. McNamara may argue that ‘it’s easy for the papers to paint us as liars…’ but, by these standards, that is who they are. While these sorts of realizations are painful at times—especially when you consider how we idolize people in authority (or historically)—they also create space for new beginnings when truth is objective.

The Post reminds us that there is still a place for recognizing an objective, external standard of right and wrong that is also imbued with hope. At a time in our culture where administrations trending movements such as #MeToo reveal the damage that has remained in the shadows and caused by people in power, this film is a reminder that there is hope that lies in the truth.

 

The Post is in theatres now.

 

Hail to The Post: 1on1 with Bruce Greenwood

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Set in the later years of the Vietnam War, Katherine Graham, publisher of the Washington Post, and her editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) suddenly find themselves in the possession of papers exposing the American government’s cover-ups. As her shareholders are growing anxious and question her ability to lead, she and Bradlee must decide whether they will put their careers—and lives—at risk by publishing the truth that they have uncovered in an effort to hold their elected leaders accountable for their actions.

Directed by Steven Spielberg and featuring an all-star cast, The Post brings a key moment of American history to life that showcases the damage that can be done to our culture through the misdeeds of the administration. Playing former Secretary of Defence, Robert McNamara, in the film, veteran actor Bruce Greenwood felt it was quite an honour for Spielberg to consider him for the role.

“It was just one of those miraculous things about planets aligning,” he begins, “and, for some reason, Steven thought I was the man to invite. He called me and said ‘Would you like to do it?’ and when I picked up the phone from the floor (laughs), I said okay!… We’d had a few brief conversations but I wasn’t that sure he even knew who I was. It was doubly surprising that he reached out to me for this. Then the research began and the conversations began. You get to the set and you look at the call sheet and the call sheet is a list of people that you could only dream to work alongside.

Greenwood’s enthusiasm for The Post is palpable, but he is far from alone. The film has an energy and heat emanating from the cast that is visual from beginning to end. Greenwood claims that the earnestness of the film stems from the current political climate.

“I think that Amy Pascal became aware of Hannah’s script, and it was a passion project. When she took it to Steven, it really began in earnest,” he recalls. “I think he had a project that he was in the midst of getting in motion and he felt strongly, from what I understand, that now was the time and not a moment too soon to make a movie about this. That urgency coupled with the political passion of everyone involved… but I don’t know if it’s just a political passion but a desire to do right by this country to remind everyone that democracy is a fragile, fragile bubble. It doesn’t take much to puncture it.”

However, Greenwood also contests that is importance of the film goes beyond simply the personal passions of the cast. Rather, the significance of these conversations relates to the heart of the current battle for truth itself.

“It’s the attempted smothering of the press and the maligning, the mocking, the calling into question the veracity of things being
reported on by the current administration [that makes this film so vital],” Greenwood explains. “If an administration chooses to malign, mock, diminish and otherwise impugn truthful reporting for long enough, eventually people may throw their hands up and say, ‘I can’t believe anything at all’. Then, the control of the press has been won over in that way. We the people are entitled to the truth but we don’t get it for free. We have to work for it.”

Given the current battle over the nature of truth, Greenwood is unsure what steps need to be taken in order to repair the damage that has been done in our culture when it comes to civil discourse.

“That’s a long question that requires a lot of dialogue to tease out the answer. A lot of news is incredibly partisan and the echo chambers that we all inhabit, to some degree, are dangerous places. I wish I had the answer to how we create civil discourse that allows penetrating reporting to keep us informed.”

One of the greatest strengths of The Post is the overall quality of the script. Although much of the film focuses on conversations as opposed to action, it’s astonishing how gripping the story becomes. Having found himself involved in a number of amazing projects over the years, Greenwood–who also stars in FOX’s upcoming medical drama, The Resident–feels that it’s that quality of writing that helps him know that he’s found a great script.

“The first clue is that you want to turn the page,” he clarifies. “That was what was so remarkable about this is that, even though I
knew the story at large and what was going to happen at the end, I was fascinated at how [writers] Liz Hannah and Josh managed to pull together all these arguably dry details into something in which every character had a passionate point of view and was pursuing that point of view with everything they had. This could’ve been told half a dozen different ways and not been nearly as compelling but they have a gift for endowing characters with an emotional point of view while their giving you information that you might otherwise is just plain information.”

“I think the perfect example in this movie is when Sarah Paulson, who plays Ben Bradlee’s wife, tells him what bravery is and puts in in the context of all the things that Kay Graham was up against to be taken seriously and in order to be heard. That can be just information but it was anything but information. It was a passionate pan from a woman who ultimately left her husband, describing the station of women at that moment in our history.”

Of course, his role as McNamara is far from Greenwood’s first opportunity to bring a historical character to life onscreen. Having played such real-life characters as John F. Kennedy and Jack Dunphy, Greenwood recognizes the amount of collaborative work that goes into preparation for these roles.

“[I do] a lot of reading, watch a lot of film and I continued to read throughout the shoot,” he recalls. “Of course, when you get onto the set, everyone is infused with information from their own research. Then, you start cross-referencing quotes and people and points of view with the other people that have been working on the movie and have done equivalent amounts of research that have been focused on other things. So, the dialogue at work was constantly about ‘Oh, did you know this? Did you know that?’ There was a tremendous about of cross-referencing information between all the people working on the movie. Everybody, right from the top of the call sheet to the last on the list, was made to feel like we were doing something that had to be done and had to be done right now.”

Though re-creating a historical figure onscreen can be intimidating, he also claims that there is room for an actor to bring their own perspectives to the role as well.

Says Greenwood, “I don’t think you can help but bring your own perspectives into the performance and the idea of being able to recreate somebody in a whole way will drive you mad. I can only hope to find a couple of shapes and colours in the kaleidoscope of who they were and hope that that reflects something of who they were and what they represented. I will say that, while I was talking to Carl Bernstein last night that, unsolicited, he said that watching Meryl Streep was like being in a room with Kay Graham. Some actors can do that utterly. Other actors like myself can only attempt. She’s otherworldly.”

Although McNamara would be considered one of the ‘villains’ of The Post, Greenwood believes that, despite his wrongdoing, that he still is a good man overall.

“I think he made some profound mistakes and was profoundly misguided,” he feels. “His mea culpa at the end of his life doesn’t absolve him of his responsibility of what happened in the 60s in Vietnam. But, to impugn him as a man for his profound missteps, [is] not for me to say.”

 

The Post is in theatres now.

The Post – Releasing the Truth

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“In the First Amendment the Founding Fathers gave the free press the protection it must have to fulfill its essential role in our democracy. The press was to serve the governed, not the governors. The Government’s power to censor the press was abolished so that the press would remain forever free to censure the Government.” (Justice Hugo Black, The New York Times v. The United States)

Steven Spielberg’s The Post is not really about the Pentagon Papers, the leaked secret documents that showed that the American government had lied to the people through four administrations from Truman to Johnson. The publication of those documents in 1971 brought the freedom of the press into the nation’s consciousness. The Post is really about the courage that is sometimes needed to serve the public good and to make sure the government is serving the people.

The film is set at The Washington Post, a paper that aspired to national importance, but hadn’t quite achieved it. When the New York Times published the first stories about the Pentagon Papers, Post editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) sets his staff to work trying to find a way to get a copy. Soon, one of them tracks down Daniel Ellsberg, the former analyst who leaked the documents. After the Nixon Administration was granted an injunction against the Times to stop publication, Bradlee and his team begin to create their own stories. But it falls on publisher Katherine Graham (Meryl Streep) to make the decision—one that could lead to charges of contempt of court and treason.

Bradlee, in this film, is a stereotypical hard-nosed journalist. He is in search of the truth and believes that the truth needs to be known. We get the sense that he and his reporters would easily be willing to face prosecution over the truth and free press. But it is Graham who is the focus for the difficult decision. Katherine Graham became publisher after the suicide of her husband. The paper had been in her family for decades, but she hadn’t really been involved in it. She was a wife, mother, and social hostess in Washington. She is just beginning to establish herself as a business woman (and really not accepted by some on her board). This decision could have devastating consequences for the company—possibly destroying the paper her father and husband had cared so much about. As deadlines loom, legal issues arise, her various advisors give many opinions, her past friendships with people like the Kennedy’s Johnsons, and Robert McNamara weigh on her. But she must finally choose the road the paper will take.

Spielberg is not new to making historical films. (Previous films include The Empire of the Sun, Munich, Schindler’s List and Bridge of Spies). One of the hallmarks of such films is that they are less about the historical events than they are about the personal stories we are seeing. That is true of The Post. The relationship between Bradlee and Graham is one of respect. They each have different priorities. But they each take their responsibilities—to the paper, reporters, and the nation—seriously. As they face the challenge represented in the Pentagon Papers, they push one another, eventually finding ways to help each to reach their bests.

It’s hard to think of a time when a film that highlights the First Amendment is not timely, but it certainly seems especially so with this film. The adversary relationship between the press and government seems to have grown ever more forceful of late. When tweets take the place of serious discussion, the people are not well served. When an administration dismisses negative stories as “fake news”, the people are not served. When governments seek to hide important information, the people are not served. As journalism continues to evolve (and often devolve) in the information age, we need to be able to depend on a free press to (as Justice Black said) “remain forever free to censure the Government.”

Photos Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Raiders of the Lost Ark: Use it or Lose it #TBT

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I’ll just come out and say it: I’ve never seen the Indiana Jones series. I don’t have a good excuse either. Maybe it’s my age (I wasn’t even alive in 1981 when Raiders of the Lost Ark released) or my over-active imagination (face melting – not a fan), who knows. But I am determined to rectify such blatant neglect on my part and am embarking on a #throwbackthursday journey through temples, jungles, and old flames.

Pretty much everyone knows that Harrison Ford stars as Indiana Jones: professor, archeologist, adventurer for hire…ruggedly handsome and charming while stone-faced in the midst of danger (except when there are snakes). Raiders of the Lost Ark is the inaugural event in the series from Steven Spielberg, introducing us to Indy’s mission to hunt down and acquire the ancient Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis do. Karen Allen costars as Indy’s old girlfriend Marion Ravenwood, daughter of a former acquaintance who has inherited a certain relic Indy needs.

With all the hype and nostalgia and admiration of the Spielberg classic, I was prepared to be knocked off my feet. I mean, it’s Harrison Ford in his prime, battling ancient booby traps, leveraging centuries’-old legends as guideposts through life-threatening jungles, all while maintaining a cool demeanor and reminding us just how bad Nazis are. It’s a formula for unprecedented success.

Yet it left me more unsettled than enamored. The story line is great, the acting superb and the visuals delightful (for the 80s). So I watched it again, thinking maybe I was missing a key element of enjoyment. While I still wasn’t blown away, I did realize it wasn’t the movie as a whole that bothered me. It was the situational pursuit of the Ark.

Walk with me.

There are three groups pursuing this ancient source of mystery and power: the Nazis, the American government, and Indiana Jones (technically on the behalf of the Americans).

Obviously, the Nazis want the Ark for its power. To them it is a super weapon that can wipe out hordes of people without resistance. With the Ark preceding any military force, their quest for domination would be uncontested.

Since the Nazis want it for its power, the American government wants to get to it first. They hire Indy to locate it, only to (spoiler alert) hide it away in a giant warehouse of classified government artifacts. If no one knows where it is, no one can use it incorrectly.

Then there is Indiana Jones. Now Indy wants to keep it away from the Germans, but he is also entranced by its historical significance. The Ark of the Covenant is an artifact from an ancient culture that has been wiped away by the sands of time. He doesn’t want to use it, he wants to study it. And all three mindsets bother me. Why?

As a seminary student, a Christian servant in the local church, and as human being, I am irritated when someone has an incredible resource and they knowingly misuse it, don’t use it, or even use it halfway. Power and privilege and influence can be agents of incredible change. And they are things we all have in unique, personal iterations.

Instead, many people use these gifts and means of influence to gain control over others. To hurt, to ridicule, to demean. Or, we don’t use them at all. We know they’re there, and we know we have a voice and opportunity, but we sit in stillness and silence. We lock them up and hide them away.

Or we only go but so far. We identify our areas of influence and our strengths. We use them at our jobs, or once a week at church, maybe during a mission trip. But we don’t take risk. We don’t go outside of what we know.  We use them in “safe” places where we can be congratulated and edified for doing a good job.

The task of the global Church of Christ-followers is to make disciples – people who grab hold of the Gospel of salvation and share it to the ends of the earth. But if we use our gifts like the Nazis wanted to use the Ark – if we use tradition and Holy words to elevate a certain people group at the expense of the other, we are not creating those Disciples.

If we don’t use any gifts at all – like the American government who locks up the Ark in a nondescript box and wheels it into a labyrinth of hundreds of other nondescript boxes – and instead horde the goodness and the compassion and the grace of God out of personal triumph or fear, we are not creating disciples.

And even if we act like Indy – if we limit what those gifts can do by only using them in a safe capacity – if we hold them only to intellectual expectation and avoid the possibility of divine intervention, we are not creating disciples.

Yes, I know that by using the Ark, the Nazis obliterated themselves. Yes, Indiana Jones was the hero. And yes, a key takeaway is that misuse of great power emanating from ancient archeological totems results in annihilation. But when we gaze beyond the theatrical veil, I think we can see that we must use the tools and gifts bestowed upon us with bold conviction and confidence.

Five Came Back – Hollywood Goes to War

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For those who enjoy film, the names John Ford, Frank Capra, George Stevens, William Wyler, and John Huston will be familiar. All are Oscar-winning directors (with a total of 14 Oscars between them). They were also part of the World War II war effort as military filmmakers. Five Came Back is a three-part documentary about these five directors and how they used their filmmaking expertise during the war. The series is streaming on Netflix.

When the U.S. entered World War II after Pearl Harbor, there were many people who left their worlds of safety and comfort to fight in this war. These five filmmakers knew they had talents that could be of import to the war effort. Each volunteered and spent the war in uniform making films for the military. Each had different approaches to the task. For some it took them directly into battle—on Midway and at D-Day, or flying on bombers on combat missions. Others made films that helped American understand why this war had to be fought. But each found a way to serve their nation with the skills they had developed entertaining people with film. Some of their work was essentially newsreel material, often with a good dose of propaganda included. It served to bring the war back to Americans in such a way to keep morale high.

There are some big name directors of today who relate the stories of these earlier filmmakers: Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Guillermo del Toro, Paul Greenglass, and Laurence Kasdan. They understand how difficult it is to make films under the best of circumstances. They relate the hardships and trials (which included pushing to make the films their way) faced by the early group.

The series introduces us to their work before the war, but the bulk of the film focuses on their wartime work. It also shows us how this experience changed them. For example, George Stevens (who filmed D-Day and, eventually, the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp) was known mostly as a director of comedies before the war; after the war he never made another comedy (but some marvelous serious films).

This is an excellent piece of film history, plus a nice bit of the history of the Second World War as seen by these filmmakers. Netflix is also streaming some of the wartime films so that viewers can not only learn the story of these men, but also the stories they brought back with them. Among the ones I’ve added to my list on Netflix are: The Memphis Belle (Wyler), The Battle of Midway (Ford), The Negro Soldier (Capra), Know Your Enemy—Japan (Capra), and Let There Be Light (Huston).

29 Aug 1943, London, England, UK — Image by © Bettmann/CORBIS

The BFG – Spielberg’s Take on Roald Dahl

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bfgI’ve read The BFG to my children twice, and of all of the Roald Dahl stories, it’s my favorite. Thankfully, Steven Spielberg must love it, too, because he delivered it in theatrical form this summer. Unfortunately, it didn’t do as well as expected, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a magical, heartwarming tale that will delight the whole family.

When the BFG kidnaps Sophie (Rudy Barnhill), a beautiful friendship is formed. Sophie encourages the BFG to fight off the bullying of his bigger, meaner compatriots like Fleshlumpeater (Jermaine Clement), the Bloodbottler (Bill Hader), the Butcherboy (Michael Adamthwaite), and the Bonecruncher (Daniel Bacon). The BFG allows Sophie to see her own worth and beauty as someone special (as an orphan, she’s left to fend for herself). And then, of course, there’s the mission the two complete that makes the story great.

bfg2

Dahl specialized at finding the everyman in every orphan he wrote about. He shaped characters who were misfits and leftouts who became heroes in their own time. Dahl’s stories – and especially this one – remind us not to judge books by their cover, but to also recognize the value in the smallest, the slowest, the most insecure. The BFG reminds us that we all have gifts and we can all add to the community we’re in. Unfortunately, while Dahl’s story is beautiful, it’s also not that speedy in its trajectory. The film fills in some spots, but still drags at times. Thankfully, it’s visually captivating enough that kids (and adults who love the story) will hang in there.

Walt Disney’s special features on the Blu-ray combo pack include the making of featurette guided by Barnhill, while the various renamed pieces of Dahl’s world is explored in “Gobblefunk: The Wonderful World of The BFG.” The fearsome villains of the story get their own feature in “Giants 101” with Clement, Hader, and the others. The addition of a tribute to Melissa Mathieson gives special notice to the screenwriter behind this second film adaptation, who adapted The Black Stallion and wrote Spielberg’s E.T.