ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

Thanksgiving

Plot Twist! Why We’re Thankful for 2020

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Between the pandemic, social upheaval, political turmoil, etc., 2020 has obviously been a challenging year. In this Thanksgiving episode of the Your Sunday Drive podcast, we flip the script and explain why – plot twist! – we’re thankful for 2020.

We start with some reactions to the current election drama and positive spins on this year’s political and media-related issues. Then we discuss a bunch of things we’re thankful for, such as kids’ resilience, the goodness of people, possible fruitful changes to work culture, and “small things” to appreciate such as video games (including an impromptu aesthetic discussion about the definition of art 🙂 ).

Finally, we examine how hard times, our view of God, trust and thankfulness are all intertwined in the Bible.

Come along for Your Sunday Drive – quick conversation about current events, politics, pop culture and more, from the perspective of a couple of guys trying to follow Jesus.

Hosts: Matt Hill and Nate Polzin. Presented by the Church in Drive of Saginaw, MI, as often as possible. Please visit churchindrive.com and facebook.com/thechurchindrive

Home for the Holidays: 1on1 with Rob Mayes (MY CHRISTMAS INN)

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With the holiday season fast approaching, young ad executive, Jen Taylor (Tia Mowry-Hardict) is on the verge of the promotion that she’s been waiting for. Still, her life take an unexpected turn when her aunt dies, leaving her a cozy Alaskan inn in her will. When she takes a trip to inspect the property, she meets handsome town attorney Brian Anderson (Rob Mayes) and is surprised to find that all her assumptions about the town were wrong. As she grows closer to the townspeople and discovers the magic of the holidays, Jen begins to wonder if this is the place where she belongs.

Offered the role to play the film’s charming hometown attorney, star Rob Mayes couldn’t turn down the opportunity. With My Christmas Inn’s charming setting and fun script, what excited him most was the film’s interest in exploring what it means to genuinely fall in love.

“They gave me a call and said that ‘[They had] this Christmas movie that [will film] in Utah,” he begins. “I sat down, read the script and just loved it. It was so much fun and heart-warming. I love stories like that because, in this world, people are going to go to San Francisco, take the job, and make the money. Then, even if they’re in love with somebody, they say they’ll find somebody else. But these are stories where it embraces the hope and the magic of [falling in love for real]. That’s what I love. That’s what I like to see and watch. That’s feels good stuff and that’s pretty much what this was all about”

Another appealing aspect to the project was the opportunity to work with Tia Mowry-Hardict. As he thinks back on the experience of teaming up with the beloved actress, Hayes’ love and appreciation for his co-star is palpable.

“She’s so cool. I cannot say enough about her,” he beams. “[For] somebody who’s had that kind of career and who’s got such a huge fan base, it would be so easy to be so jaded. Who knows what that does to a person? She is like the most grounded, funny, sweet, beautiful, and amazing woman. She was so welcoming and so down to earth. We just had the best time… It seriously felt like a family and it was so welcoming. We literally just had fun every scene. Every day was just a blast. It really was.”

Additionally, part of the fun for Mayes was shooting off season. Bundled up in winter clothes but shooting in the height of summer, he surprisingly thoroughly enjoyed the experience of working in faux winter.

“We shot in Provo, Utah,” Mayes recalls. “I’d been there a couple times before growing up [to go] skiing there as a family in Park City… We shot this in August of this year in the height of summer, when it was literally 97 degrees every day. Fake snow. I’ve never dealt with that kind of thing before and it was a crazy cool to see. They got these huge blowers and they’re blowing this fake, finely-ground paper that looks like snow onto the trees, covering all the brown and shrubbery and bushes and grass with it. But that was cool. Here we are wearing scarves, hats and coats in 90-something degree weather.”

Filled with a deep love for Christmas films, Mayes is excited to be a part of Lifetime’s legacy of original holiday offerings. Asked what he believes defines a true ‘Christmas film’, Mayes argues that the core of the story must embrace the magic of the season.

“To me, a good Christmas movie embraces the hope and the magic of Christmas,” he claims. “That’s a special thing because it’s powerful stuff to believe in something and to have that faith, hope and magic. We know that story with Santa, [but] to still embrace that keeps the youthfulness and the magic alive. So, for me, that’s a huge part of it.”

Although there are some who find it difficult to go home for the holidays, Mayes feels the opposite. Similar to his character from My Christmas Inn, he also loves the opportunity to go home and spend the holidays with the people that he loves.

“I love it. I’m proud to be from Cleveland,” says Mayes. “It’s a great town with just amazing people. I’m so happy to have been raised there and for me to go home once a year, it’s a special thing. I can’t help but think about, when I grew up and memories of my childhood. I moved up to LA [about] a decade ago. It’s pretty much me and my brothers out here, which is the coolest thing ever. We hang out and most weekends we’re all together. Then, once a year we hop on a plane and spend a week or 10 days (or whatever it is) back at the house with my folks. We kind of just hole up, drink some wine and watch Home Alone. It’s awesome to see my old buddies and then, in recent years, hope for snow. [laughs]”
With this in mind, Rob also believes that it’s important for everyone to have a place where they feel like they belong. Once one feels accepted and validated, he feels that it leads to a greater desire to live unselfishly and put others’ needs before your own.

“I think [that knowing you belong] is just intuitive feeling and also having a sense of duty,” he reflects. “What’s cool about that is that, in terms of perspective, knowing that you belong
 is a pretty selfless thing. In the case of Brian, he could have gone off and become an attorney in some big city or whatever but he chose not to. I think he made that decision based on his family being there… and realizing that like this was a community that supported him, and that he supported. He really didn’t want to turn his back on that… To grow up in a place, be in that place, work in that place… That’s where you were created, that’s where you work, that’s where you live, that’s where you die: There’s something really steadfastly cool about that to me. In this day and age, it doesn’t really happen so much anymore, but it’s that sense of duty that I think is a throwback to older times. That was the thing about Brian [I appreciated] and I had to give props to this guy.”

What’s more, Mayes’ interests have begun to extend beyond the acting realm as he prepares for his first album as a solo artist. Having been interested in country music since his childhood, he is very excited to share his passion and voice with the world.

“I love country music. I’ve always loved it. Ever since I heard it the first time when I was a young kid in the car with my dad back in Cleveland and heard a song that told the story with amazing harmonies. Ever since then, that’s what I wanted to do with my music. I finally decided just about a year ago to pull that trigger and booked the flight and went to Nashville… I released stuff in the past but… now I’m trying to deliver something now that I really want the world to hear.”

“It’s been a crazy ride. I’ve reached out to some of the most iconic country songwriters of all time and, for whatever reason, they’ve responded [and want to] write together. I was writing the song just a couple months ago was with Bud Lee, who wrote Friends in Low Places. Another one was Wood Newton, who’s a legend. We were sitting there in his writing space at legendary RCA Building. [It’s been] just incredible. It’s such a community. There [are] some parallels between the country music world and My Christmas Inn, like the [sense of] hope, duty and community.”

 

For full audio of our interview with Rob Mayes, click here.

My Christmas Inn airs on Lifetime on November 21, 2018.

My Christmas Inn: Staying Where You Belong

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With the holiday season fast approaching, young ad executive, Jen Taylor (Tia Mowry-Hardict) is on the verge of the promotion that she’s been waiting for. Still, her life take an unexpected turn when her aunt dies, leaving her a cozy Alaskan inn in her will. When she takes a trip to inspect the property, she meets handsome town attorney Brian Anderson (Rob Mayes) and is surprised to find that all her assumptions about the town were wrong. As she grows closer to the townspeople and discovers the magic of the holidays, Jen starts wondering if this is the place where she indeed belongs.

Another entry into the Lifetime Original Christmas Movie pantheon, My Christmas Inn offers the simple pleasantness that one expects from the genre (and, yes, it is its own genre at this point). Like a cup of hot chocolate by a warm fireplace, the film is almost the cinematic equivalent of comfort food. Featuring enjoyable characters in a holiday setting (especially stars Mowry-Hardict and Mayes), My Christmas Inn is an fun experience that fits well into the canon.

Rather than a simple holiday love story, My Christmas Inn also speaks to the question of what it means to find a place to belong. Although Steve has had several opportunities to leave their small town, he has opted to stay where he is. When questioned by Jen as to why he never left, he simply responds that he knew that that ‘was where he belonged’. Despite the fact that he may have had the opportunity to make more money or achieve more success, there is something about this place that validates who he is that he cannot find anywhere else. Here, he knows that he fits in the puzzle. This provides an interesting moment of reflection for Jen’s character. Although she’s confident in her dreams and profession, her life has consisted of focusing on her career and reaching for the ‘big promotion’. For her, success has remained deeply connected to notoriety as opposed to intimacy. Her connection with Steve challenges reveals what is lacking in her soul and may draw her into something that could change her life forever.

My Christmas Inn is a fun, family-friendly look at what connects us and feeds our soul. Stars Tia Mowry-Hardict and Rob Mayes are clearly enjoying themselves together and provide the story with a light-hearted tone. For those who are fans of the genre, this is an inn that they will likely be glad they’ve checked into.

For audio of our interview with star Rob Maye, click here.

My Christmas Inn airs on Lifetime on November 21st, 2018.

Mars (Ep. 4) – Learning From The Past

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(photo credit: National Geographic Channels/Robert Viglasky)
Leslie and Paul Richardson join the crew (photo credit: National Geographic Channels/Robert Viglasky)

The Pilgrims’ journey to the New World in 1620 was not an easy one.  The trip itself was fraught with peril where one wrong turn could shipwreck the crew.  Upon arrival, there was no opportunity to rest as the harsh environment was not conducive to easy settlement.  Shelters had to be constructed, new locations had to be scouted out and claimed, and preparation was necessary to combat the difficult weather conditions.

Thus far, the National Geographic miniseries Mars (9 PM/8 CT Monday) has offered a similar look at a possible colonizing attempt on the Red Planet.  To summarize the series thus far, just substitute the crew of the spaceship Daedalus for the Pilgrims in the first paragraph.  In the fourth episode, we see yet another similarity between the two groups: power struggles.

It’s now 2037, four years since the original crew of six arrived on Mars. Mission Commander Hana (Jihae) leads the staff after their last-ditch effort to find a suitable location for Olympus Town succeeded.  There is a normalcy that settles as the first group of scientists arrive to help out and conduct experiments.   However, this feeling is short lived as the next rocket brings Leslie and Paul Richardson (Cosima Shaw and John Light) into the fray.  She’s a world-class nuclear physicist (on Earth, at least); he’s a respected botanist. The crew is thrilled to have them on board to help out and continue the colonization process, but Leslie wants to speed up the process significantly and basically take over the place.  Ed Granz (Olivier Martinez), head of the for-profit MMC (Mars Mission Corporation) on Earth, is the instigator for the faster expansion, but is that a good thing considering there are still so many unknowns about the planet?  One of the crew members discovers the answer to this question the hard way.  The fourth episode leaves the viewer with two different and lasting images: a) a budding romance between original crew members Javier (Alberto Ammann) and AmĂ©lie (Clementine Poidatz), and b) an incredibly bad-looking storm.

Back on Earth in the year 2016, the episode looks at how we’re attempting to prepare for the conditions of Mars.  It involves the McMurdo Station in Antarctica, an incredibly harsh and unforgiving environment (consider Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin was recently flown from there due to health issues). The scientists there conduct experiments, cycle people in and out on a regular basis, and learn how to make things work in an isolated community.  The lessons learned there will serve the first groups of Martian explorers well.

(photo credit: National Geographic Channels/Robert Viglasky)
(photo credit: National Geographic Channels/Robert Viglasky)

In many films about space, there’s a focus on the landing and (perhaps) the early forms of exploration, so I appreciated the deeper dive into what life might be like once things settle down.  In this episode, the humanity of the characters finally begins to break through—Hana struggling with the potential change in power structure, Javier’s frustration over others’ incompetence, Leslie’s stern demeanor. It makes me think the next episode could be a bit volatile. I also appreciated the occasional science focus as an effective way to lessen the tension.  Besides, who doesn’t want to learn a learn a little about Antarctica in the process?

Hana’s opening voiceover was intriguing: “They say that science and faith don’t mix. But when everything is telling you you’ve already lost, there’s nothing you can do but believe.” For me, this is where the Pilgrim/Martian comparison comes into play. Just because you’ve made it to a new land doesn’t mean the battle is over. The Pilgrims had a Thanksgiving to celebrate but then had to endure a brutal winter that threatened the colony’s existence. On Mars, the celebration time existed after the team discovered the location of Olympus Town, but that storm looks like it’s about to put the crew to the ultimate test.

It’s also a reminder of what the disciples had to deal with when one of their own betrayed Jesus, sending him to the cross to die.  Even though Jesus had told them repeatedly not to fear, his betrayal, arrest, and death must’ve made them feel the game was over.  It was eleven disciples against a world that was possibly coming for them next.  But if Jesus was telling them the truth, they had no other option but to believe it.  Three days after the crucifixion, they found a previously sealed tomb opened with no one inside.  And within the next few days, they would all see him again.

Belief can be an incredibly powerful thing when it’s all a person has to lean on.  I have a feeling we’ll find out how next week–stay tuned.

We’re Giving Thanks for You (and 6 Other Things)

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Out of AfricaOnce a year, people in America gather around tables laden with food and spend time sharing what they’re thankful for. Of course, we should be thankful for life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, sustenance, shelter, clothing, and much more.

Although we at ScreenFish don’t celebrate Thanksgiving on the same day (we have a resident Canadian on staff who celebrated on October 12), we’re quite thankful as well.  Here are a few of these things, in no particular order:

* Movies – We find film to be not only a wonderful distraction from the hustle and bustle of life, but a fantastic way to share life lessons and relate them to the truths of Christianity.  Movies should not be shied away from, but rather embraced, viewed, considered, and discussed among those we come into contact with daily. Perhaps that scene in Mad Max: Fury Road brought to mind something about taking a stand or working together and is worth a talking about with someone while in line for overpriced coffee.

* Television – Yes, people watch TV for more than football games and various music award shows. There are a number of series that are worthy of discussion in the same vein as the latest film.  The added bonus involves the ability to spend more time watching the characters transform.

* Streaming Platforms – Some of the best material coming out of Hollywood never makes it to the theater or a major network. Instead, it resides on streaming platforms such as Netflix and Hulu. Give the series Daredevil a try and see if you agree.

* Actors and Actresses – We are blessed to have access to many of the characters in the films and shows you enjoy (even if it’s only for five minutes).  These opportunities allow us to get a deeper glimpse into both the character and the person playing a particular role. As an example, there was a recent article about Billy Zabka (the villain in The Karate Kid) speaking out against bullying.  We knew about this earlier in the year when we talked with him as part of a roundtable interview for Where Hope Grows, a staunchly anti-bullying film featuring an actor with Down’s Syndrome.

* Public Relations Folks – These guys and gals are the unsung heroes for people in the entertainment industry. They set up interviews, send out promotional materials, and even provide time to talk one-on-one with the actors and actresses.

* Faith – Without Christ, all of our efforts in sharing articles and podcasts with you inevitably fall flat. After all, there are thousands of other sources people can get their reviews from, but only a few that tie the Christian faith into what is broadcast.  We at ScreenFish also seek to provide tangible ways for you to put what you see on the screen into action on a daily basis.

* You – When we started the site six months ago, we had no real idea who would be interested in such an idea—intertwining faith and film. We’ve learned that there’s quite an appetite (yes, a food reference!) for it in the world and are seeing it as people read, consider, and share our articles with others.  We are incredibly thankful for you.

As we continue on this journey, we pray that God would use something on the site—anything, really—to help you consider His truths and how to make them relevant in a society that seems to be reinventing itself on a daily basis. We’re not going to give up on relating faith and film to life—and we hope you’ll do the same.