Are We There Yet

—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections

There really isn’t much difference between “Are We There Yet�, and the typical, run of the mill Disney comedy. It’s a simple premise: two kids get a grownup into all kinds of mischief and slapstick situations. There are vomit jokes, car accident gags, and grownups making huge pratfalls and being pummeled by kids and farm animals. Kids will laugh their heads off while their adult companions will either laugh with them or shake their heads in disbelief.

However, there’s a very big difference between this film and those other films. This is one of the rare occasions where an African American character is called to take those pratfalls and pummels to the delight of young moviegoers. Ice Cube, who has made a living making music and movies targeted for teens and adults to enjoy, has now expanded the level of his game by making a film for children to enjoy. In the film, Cube plays Nick, an owner of a sports memorabilia store who is instantly smitten by party planner/single mother Suzanne (Nia Long). Nick’s efforts to smoothly slide his way into Suzanne’s good graces eventually land him in the dreaded “friend zone�. Once he finds out that Suzanne has 2 kids-the smart aleck, diva-in-training Lindsey (Aleshia Allen) and the mischievous Kevin (Philip Bolden), and also considering the fact that he’s not too crazy about kids (as shown in a funny scene inside Nick’s store), he decides that the “friend zone� would probably be the best place for him to be.

But, as fate would have it, Suzanne ends up with a jam when her kids’ father flakes out on picking them up on New Year’s Eve, potentially threatening her job (planning a big New Year’s party) because no one will be available to take care of the kids. As Nick sees Suzanne’s huge crocodile tears on her beautifully made-up face, he decides to save the day by volunteering to (safely) bring the kids to Suzanne’s New Year’s bash. It sounds like a brilliant and simple plan, give or take a few glitches…like the corkscrew incident at the airport, Nick falling off a moving train, numerous incidents on the road in Nick’s new souped-up Lincoln Navigator involving mad truck drivers, truck stop marquees with 12 foot tall lumberjacks, the aforementioned vomit, and, most of all, Lindsey and Kevin’s nonstop attempts to sabotage, ditch, and ultimately wreck havoc upon this good Samaritan who’s got the hots for their mom. Over the course of the next few hours (but only 90 minutes of screen time, however), hilarity…as the saying goes…ensues.

In Ice Cube’s earlier comedies (the two Barbershop films, the 3 films in the Friday series), Cube usually plays the straight man who reacts to everything around him while his co-stars carry the brunt of the laughs. This time, Cube’s the fall guy. He’s thrown across a road due to an electric shock, he takes countless shots to the “you-know-where� at the hands of children and that aforementioned 12 ft tall lumberjack, and he even gets his butt kicked by a deer. As I said before, you’ve seen that kind of abuse taken in countless movies. It’s silly, but the kids laugh in their popcorn buckets. In the end, that’s what matters most: the kids in the theatre laughing. Cube definitely gives them plenty to laugh at.

We’ve seen Cube battle gangstas in the hood, snakes in the Amazon jungle, and unscrupulous businessmen. However, he has clearly met his match with these 2 kids! They’re bold, brassy and sassy (my grandmother could’ve easily handled them, but this ain’t reality, this is Saturday afternoon matinee-land!) they fight hard and dirty. But it’s for a good purpose: protecting the heart of their dear mother…while clinging onto a childlike hope for a happy ending between their mom and dad. Reality eventually sets in, and Cube is there to soften the blow. These kids make Cube’s character work triple overtime to win their respect, trust, and eventually, love. Some may find that hokey and formulaic. I find it sweet…and very necessary in light of how African American men have been portrayed in both film and real life.

A few folks have questioned Ice Cube’s motivation for making a film such as this. They still perceive him to be the angry ghetto prophet in his NWA days. Many still see him as the down and dirty soldier in the hood (like his character Doughboy in “Boyz N The Hood�) and have made statements denigrating his desire to make a family friendly film (even going so far as to accuse him of “selling out�.) This sort of attitude implies that those artists in the hip-hop community have the inability to grow up and transition into a more mature stage of life. Just as the teenagers who flocked to see “Boyz N The Hood� 14 years ago have now grown up, gotten married, had kids and gone on with their lives, Ice Cube and other hip-hop artists have done the same thing. That 18 year old crazy so-and so named Ice Cube has evolved into a 30-something year old businessman with a wife and kids of his own. Those of us who grew up with his music now get to take our children to see this flick. That’s a testament to Cube’s personal growth and evolution as an artist as well as a man. This film will expand his audience even further. For those who like the rough and rumble Cube portrayed on his records, don’t worry. The XXX sequel will be in theatres in a couple of months. Hold your breaths till then!

Furthermore, it must be noted that there have not been many films created with African-American children both in cast and target audience. African American artists have remained in a critical fight to see their images displayed alongside other artists on the movie screen. I saw this film in an audience full of African American children and their parents. I was very proud as I saw their little faces laughing at the screen. This film is one of the few times where our children get to see an image of themselves on screen. “Are We There Yet� is by no means a 4-star film, nor is the behavior of the kids in the film one for our kids to imitate and emulate. But, if our kids can laugh at Disney comedies and other films like “Problem Child�, “Home Alone�, or even Bart Simpson on TV for that matter, why can’t they laugh heartily at this film? “Are We There Yet� is a welcome sight and gives me hope for the future. Hopefully the same audiences-regardless of race or color-who flock to Disney comedies, will flock to this one as well.

—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections

Fat Albert

—Review
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film pdf
—Spiritual Connections

There probably isn’t a 30-something year old person alive who can’t reminisce about watching Fat Albert every Saturday morning on CBS. Just about all of us can sing the theme song word for word. In the recesses of our minds we can still see that portly character declaring he’s “gonna sing a song for yooooouuu� with his fat finger pointing directly at the TV. We ate our cereal; we dug the funky music and had lots of fun. And, because we weren’t careful like Mr. Cosby warned us, we learned a thing or two before we were done.

32 years after that classic cartoon hit the airwaves…and nearly 40 years after Bill Cosby first introduced us to Fat Albert and the gang through his classic stand-up routines, this film has hit the screens. Opening on Christmas Day, the film has overcome some pretty harsh reviews to post a modest box office gross of nearly $50 million dollars. I find that interesting. I have some friends who told me to brace myself because the film was going to be a major flop. I believed them and became afraid…very afraid.

Walking out of the theatre, however, I felt…weird. I couldn’t put my finger on my reaction to the film after seeing it. After a couple of weeks of thinking about the film, a few words popped into my mind: virtue, truth, purity, love…

Philippians 4:8 reads “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.� The more that I meditate on this passage of Scripture, the more I think of my experience of watching Fat Albert the movie.

My initial reaction was that some of the characters that came to life didn’t match the cartoon counterparts that I fully remember. The filmmakers got a few of them right: Mushmouth was truly a mush mouth. Dumb Donald was really dumb. Weird Harold was weird enough, and Fat Albert truly had a heart as big as his body. But I remember Russell (Bill’s little brother) being more of a pest in the cartoon than he was in the film and Rudy (the guy who wore the cool cap) being more of a pompous show off. However, in the film, they all were the nicest guys you’d ever want to meet. They all were really good kids

For me, in 21st century America, where negative stereotypes seem to follow teenagers everywhere they go (double that for African American teenage young men), this depiction was weird. It was almost like I was in a sort of parallel universe! I’m not used to seeing a bunch of guys with virtuous hearts as these kids. I dismissed those guys…and the film…as being unrealistic.

But, when I remember what Bill Cosby was trying to teach me back when I was a child watching that show on Saturday mornings, I remember that every lesson taught on that show was based on virtue and purity and strength of character. 30 years later, Mr. Cosby finds himself in the newspapers for making a bold and courageous stance for purity and character within the Black community. Why wouldn’t I expect the film to echo the same message?

And that message is echoed loud and clear in the film. Fat Albert and the gang truly want to help their new friend Doris to solve her problem. Doris spends most of the film declaring that she doesn’t have a problem; however when the gang is introduced to her school community, her problem becomes quite clear. A tragic loss in her family has caused her to lose her confidence and self-esteem. Through their connection, Doris eventually finds the strength she needs to continue with her young and promising life. We also learn the connection between Fat Albert the cartoon character and one of Doris’s family members as well.

Mr. Cosby does make a cameo…a quite brief one…in which he tries to convince Fat Albert to return back to TV land where he and the gang belong. Fat Albert doesn’t want to leave because of the bond he’s formed with Doris’s adopted sister. Even that plot thread is handled very lovely and admirable.

Fat Albert, the film, is one of the living personifications of Philippians 4:8. The world (and many film critics) may scoff at the film for its simplicity and old fashioned style and message. But it’s a message that barely anyone can find fault in. Both kids and their parents are gonna have a good time watching this film.

To paraphrase our hero, Hey Hey Hey, see Fat Albert! It’ll truly make your day!

—Review
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film pdf
—Spiritual Connections

In Good Company

—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections

(slight spoilers included)

50-something year old Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid), hard working advertising sales executive for Sports America magazine, is forced to readjust his life to an ever-changing world. A large corporation purchases his magazine’s parent company and Dan (and his sales team) gets a hard and swift introduction to the business concept called “outsourcing�. After 20-something years at his post, Dan is now forced to be the “wingman� for his new boss: 20-something year old Carter Duryea (Topher Grace), who made his ascent up the corporate ladder marketing cell phones for kids in one of the many subdivisions of the large corporation. Carter’s mission: to groom Dan in the concept of “synergy�—cross promotion of various products made and manufactured by the same company (in layman’s terms, synergy would be a Universal Pictures film starring actors from a Universal TV series with commercials for the film being advertised endlessly on NBC and watched on a TV made by General Electric. The catch: General Electric not only makes the TV, but they also own Universal Pictures, Universal Television and NBC). To the new owners, Dan and his team are as ancient as dinosaurs. They are the last of a dying breed and need to be put out of their misery. Its Carter’s job to insure that said misery is fulfilled. Not bad for a 20-something hot shot that’s just purchased a new Porsche.

But, at the end of the day, when the meetings are over and sales pitches are concluded for the day, Carter’s life is in shambles. The aforementioned new Porsche? Hit by a truck while driving it off the showroom floor. His wife of 7 months has her bags packed and divorce papers in hand. Carter is a public success but a private failure. Dan, on the other hand, has a lovely wife and 2 daughters-one of which, Alex, (Scarlet Johansson) has recently been accepted to NYU. On top of that, much to his shock, his wife is pregnant with yet another child. Dan may be viewed as a dinosaur in his new corporate environment, but his home life is seemingly perfect…so perfect that that his oldest daughter labels their family as “cursed with the gift of functionality.�

One night, after a Sunday afternoon marathon sales meeting, Dan accidentally invites Carter over for dinner. This accidental invitation gives Carter a first hand glimpse of Dan’s happy life. Carter is immediately taken by what he sees…especially Alex. Much to Carter’s delight, the feeling is mutual. That’s synergy on a whole new level! How will they keep their budding relationship from Dan? How will Carter’s intrusion into Dan’s life affect their business relationship? How much will these men learn about themselves and each other in the process?

One could label “In Good Company� a “chick flick� for guys. That’s not a far-fetched description. It’s also an excellent and enjoyable film. Writer/Director Paul Weitz (he and his brother Chris are also responsible for “About A Boy� and the first “American Pie� film) continues his exploration into the deeper places of the masculine heart and mind through this film. Many men in the world find themselves caught between the push-and-pull between public and private success. We see guys who have worked diligently and faithfully in the workforce find themselves and their colleagues forced out of their position and replaced by younger talent. They wrestle with rejection and their confidence takes a major blow. We also see guys who have not achieved the pinnacle of financial and professional success yet have wonderful marriages and families that have managed to stay together for better or worse. The successful guy often finds himself making the statement “I’d give up all of this money and success in a heartbeat if I could have the life and the love that he has�.

This juxtaposition is the thing that struck me the most regarding this film. It’s clear through the film that Dan and Carter want to trade places…to a certain extent. Dan has already achieved a level of professional success in his career. The film does not show Dan being envious of Carter’s money. It does show Dan’s frustration with the changing mentality of the business world. Dan’s prescribes to the “old school� way of doing business where a man’s word is his bond. It’s about building relationships and giving customers the space to make their own decisions without being pressured and pestered. The new business world is shown as one where decisions are made without consideration of the lives and careers of those whom they affect. The only thing that matters is the bottom line. And the bottom line is $$$.

While Carter is a product of this new school business model and has the professional and external trappings of success, he finds himself making the aforementioned statement about trading away that success for a life similar to Dan’s. His attraction and relationship with Alex is symbolic of this longing. He finds himself sharing information about himself that he could never share during a power lunch. Ultimately he makes the statement that, whenever he’s around Alex, he finds the incredible urge to be honest. Their connection awakes his desire for what is real. The money & success pale by comparison to the feeling of being known, being love, and finding your place in the world. I truly enjoyed watching Topher Grace’s performance. He truly convinced me that I was taking the journey alongside him.

Ultimately, Carter’s destination takes him to a final outcome that is, wisely, the antithesis of the typical Hollywood ending. The film’s ending may not sit well with those viewers who shell out matinee prices to dream for 2 hours, but the ending is steeped in reality. God puts people in our lives to help us find our path in life. Similar to the close of this film, our path may not be the exact path of the person whose life we’re studying, but the most important things we learn from our experience are: 1. God & Jesus do want us to find our path in life; and 2. They want us to learn as much as we can from our life’s mentors and teachers. Dennis Quaid does an excellent job showing us Dan’s transformation from being Carter’s employee to becoming Carter’s mentor. Through this unplanned and unwanted circumstance, Dan becomes a role model, a source of wisdom and guidance, and ultimately, a father figure that Carter desperately needs. Watching Dan and Carter still makes me thank God for the mentors and teachers and father figures in my life…and also makes me long for more of the same.

“In Good Company� is worth checking out. Complex, funny, and real, it’s a film about finding our way and it’s a tribute to those who have helped us to find it. It’s not a bad way to start the new year!

—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections