A Lot Like Love

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For a predictable, standard run-of-the-mill Harry Meets Sally storyline, this flick was pretty good. The movie opens with a promiscuous Emily (Amanda Peet) making a move on Oliver (Ashton Kutcher); which should have given me an indication of the fast-paced activity that was to follow.

To keep the movie going, Oliver pursues Emily through New York City to establish a connection between them. From this point on the movie progresses with the characters being presented to us again, in new stages of their lives, after various intervals of time. This periodic separation and reconnecting not only helped the flow of the movie, but I think is also indicative of the rapid and sometimes drastic changes that people (particularly younger adults) go through in their lives. It also brought out the main theme of the movie which was that love isn't always obvious, especially to those who are in the midst of it. Both main characters seemed to spend much of their time denying their feelings for each other, or at a minimum, found the most inopportune times to express them. The movie also does a good job of reflecting how our lives, in today's world, can throw many obstacles into the path of what is really important -- relationships.

The movie had several humorous spots that kept you laughing and after each break in time I found myself eagerly waiting to see how the main characters lives had changed. How was Oliver doing in achieving his "plan"? Was Emily still chasing after musicians? This added a little suspense that helped separate this movie from similar Harry Meets Sally genre.

Overall I enjoyed the film. After all, at a minimum, who could not be mesmerized by Amanda Peets' eyes? I particularly liked the desert scene as I thought the nudity was handled well and I believe this scene really contributed to our understanding of the characters and their continuing dilemma.

I was somewhat disappointed by the director's predictability. There were few scenes that I did not know how they would end within a few moments of their beginnings. I realize that the film was not designed to be a major thought provoker, yet I had hoped for a bit more originality in how the scenes played out. This is generally irritating to my daughter as I sit there in the dark of the theater, munching on popcorn, and proceed to tell her how each scene will end.

Though I was annoyed with the predictability of the plot, I did enjoy the film. Kutcher was acceptable and Peet exceeded my expectations, bringing better acting that I would expect in a threadbare plot. The reality of life and its changing nature over time, along with the miscued love story, was worth the price of admission and would make a good date night flick. But don't look for any deep message in the movie. It is pretty straight forward and requires little intellect to stay up with the plot.

—Overview
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Star Wars, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

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First off, let me begin by saying that I truly and unabashedly just plain loved this film. It tied the entire series of six movies together for me and brought out several messages that I think are important for all of us in the here-and-now and in a galaxy far-far away.

I have to start by admitting that I am old enough to have attended the first Star Wars movie, in my 20’s, when it first came out in May of 1977. Then it was just called “Star Wars� (before being re-titled to “Star Wars: New Hope� in 1981). I had read George Lucas’ book even before the movie came out and could hardly wait for the movie’s release. Though I tried not to let myself get too excited, as I had not really expected the movie to live up to the book’s storyline, I was pleasantly surprised as I sat glued to the screen from the opening shots by the Imperial Star Destroyer to the final scene where Luke Skywalker and Han Solo are awarded metals by Princess Leia and General Dodonna for destroying the Death Star. I have been hooked ever since.

The range and depth of characters in all three of the original trilogy movies made these more than just your run-of-the-mill 1970’s sci-fi flicks about futuristic technology. And when the second trilogy was announced I was ecstatic. Admittedly, Episode I was not everything I had hoped for, but then again, Lucas probably had one of the toughest jobs in the industry. He not only had to produce a fourth movie based upon a subject already exposed in three previous movies, but he had to provide all the functions necessary for a good story (build-up, climax, suspense) when everyone already knew what was going to happen in the end.

Regardless, I felt that while Episode I and II had not lived up to my expectations, I have to disagree with most Critics who complain that in the three Episodes Lucas did not develop his characters and instead just focused on the special effects.

I believe that Lucas has accomplished, with the three Episodes, exactly what was needed to flush out the entire series. It is true that in the original trilogy we learned to love (or hate in some cases) the many characters, but in the end we were left to only guess at how the situation came to be in the first place. How did Darth Sidious, Lord of the Sith, become the Emperor? Why was the bounty hunter Boba Fett so intent on hunting down Luke’s friend Han Solo? What would have driven Darth Vader to the Darkside? What was the relationship between Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader, and Luke (not to mention Yoda)? These are all left unanswered at the end of the original trilogy, yet Lucas comes back to answer all these questions, and more, in the new trilogy (Episodes I – III).

And to answer the question about character development, through intense painful scenes we see how Anakin in Episode I is faced with the loss of the only person he had truly loved until then, his mother, and how this carries over into Episode III as a driving factor in his transition to the Darkside. We see that it isn’t just an instant conversion from Jedi to Sith. There are many stresses in his life; which are brought to light in great detail throughout all three of the Episodes.

We are shown the relationships between all the main characters and are led to understand how the interactions between them mold the various characters’ personalities and subsequent actions. What more could you ask for in a series of movies! And speaking of interactions between characters. The biggest complaint I have heard is that the dialogue was stiff, especially between Anakin and Padmé. Well, give me a break, they are teenagers. And though we all know how verbally adept Romeo and Juliet were; it would not have been believable for our Star Wars’ teenage lovers to drone on about the depth of their love and passion. For one thing, it would have been totally out of character for Anakin who through the first two Episodes was a boy/man of action, not of words.

SPOILER WARNING

Rather than dialogue, it was much more in Anakin’s character to see his reaction when Padmé tells him that she is pregnant. One of my colleagues saw the movie at 12:01 the night it opened in a theater full of college students. He told me that when Padmé broke the “exciting� news, the audience burst into laughter after seeing Anakin’s expression. My friend heard several of the people around him making comments like “Oh geez, he’s probably thinking now – I have to get a real job!� The typical reaction you might get from a teenage or young adult male who finds themselves in the same position. But definitely not a lot of “dialogue�.

END OF SPOILER

So beyond the quality of the film; which is up for individual interpretation, what else might we get out of the movie? Back to the old question of what is the Message in the Movie. In this case, to get the full set of Messages, you need to look across the entire spectrum of the six films. Assuredly, for anyone who has seen Return of the Jedi there is the concept of redemption. After everything that Darth Vader has done in his life he finally comes to the realization of what is truly important. Love, duty, truth. In this moment Vader disappears and Anakin returns momentarily before his death (i.e. Return of the Jedi). Redemption is confirmed when Anakin is revealed to Luke from the beyond along side Yoda and Obi-Wan, Anakin in his pre-Vader state (an important symbolism here). Joining his mentors and friends, he is finally forgiven and at peace. And after seeing his dastardly deeds in Episode III, you must truly believe that no matter what I, or you, have done, there is always the hope of forgiveness and love out there waiting for us.

Beyond the redemption factor (though not something to lightly be glanced over), there were other major Messages to be found. But to focus on just Episode III I wanted to bring up something that struck me personally and is probably one of the reasons I really got into Episode III. It’s a little thing called stress. I asked earlier how could someone like Anakin transform into Darth Vader. There were many factors that contributed to this, but one is definitely the stress applied to him by everyone around him. Friend and foe alike. Anakin felt trapped in a world not of his making. The difference between him and many of us is how he responded. He felt he had no outlet except for the one offered by the Darkside. A quickly made decision, and unfortunate mistake for everyone concerned, especially himself. This struck a chord with me as it related to one of my favorite verses from Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.� Remember, there is another avenue then the Darkside. We just need to turn 180 degrees and look for the Light! “Come to me…I will give you rest.�

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Fever Pitch

—Overview
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—About this Film pdf
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My wife and I had a “date afternoon� and decided to catch Fever Pitch. It was one of the better decisions we have made recently. Not just because we were the only people in the entire movie theater, and it was like having a giant screen TV in our living room, but because it was a really good movie for a couple to see together. Unfortunately, if you read many of the “Movie Critics� comments on this film you would probably never go see it. The general opinion from many of these “Critics� is that the movie is just a remake of older, and better, romantic comedies (particularly the 1997 Colin Firth film about the conflict a British schoolteacher faces when having to choose between his dearly loved Arsenals [soccer team] and his girlfriend. However, canvass most “Movie Goers� and you will hear a very different story. They love it. And their not all Red Sox fans either. The general consensus I have heard is that this is a fun movie and a great film to take your date, though it might spark some interesting conversations about male and female relationships and priorities. And I can’t agree more.

Though Critics review movies for a living, I have found that when it comes, at least to romantic comedies, that my wife is a better judge of what is a good date movie versus most Critics. She loved it. And so did I.

The movie opens with a quick description of your standard Red Sox fan; which is to say a crazed maniac who, as Jimmy Fallon’s character (Ben Wrightman) is quoted later in the movie as saying, prioritizes life as
1) the Red Sox;
2) sex; and
3) breathing.

Ben is a school teacher who meets the incomparable Drew Barrymore’s character (Lindsey Meeks), a high powered business woman, on a school field trip to her office. Consistent with Fallon’s sports fanatic character, his competitiveness takes over when his students insinuate that Barrymore is out of his league. At first Lindsey turns Ben down. Her normal dates are high powered businessmen, as one of her friend’s points, sort of like dating herself, and is probably why she hasn’t found someone she could have a lasting relationship with. Taking a chance, Lindsey and Ben go out.

The movie continues as Ben, the consummate fan, transforms reminiscent of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as baseball’s Opening Day approaches. As Lindsey says later, she knows and loves Mr. Winter, it is Mr. Summer (corresponding to the baseball season) that she can’t deal with. I believe anyone, whose other half has any sort of interest in sports, can probably relate at some level to this situation. The conflict escalates and while Lindsey believes she can deal with Ben’s obsession, it eventually becomes a barrier in their relationship. One factor that makes this film standout from your run-of-the-mill romantic comedies is that it doesn’t as much explore male-female differences, a common conflict in romantic comedies, as it highlights the differences between die-hard fans and, well, everyone else.

How the conflict resolves itself is what makes this movie really worth seeing and provides the true message that, anyone looking close enough, will come away with. Yes, the movie is about fan obsession, but this is just an analogy for passion; which we all have in one form or another. True, this passion may not be sports related, but may instead be a passion for money and material possessions, power over others, or all too common today, an obsession (addiction) with pornography. Yet, while Ben is obsessed with the Red Sox, and Lindsey is obsessed with her work, both learn that where the real passion exists...is in love and sacrifice.

It is only after Ben and Lindsey grasp the extent of their love for one another and are willing to sacrifice what they thought was the focus of their lives for this love, are they able to truly realize the full extent of their passion. That the passion they had was only a placeholder for true passion, love. And this could only be achieved through sacrifice. This truth parallels our own lives. In the midst of all our daily trials and tribulations, our ability to not only survive, but to flourish, comes down to where we focus our passion. We spend our entire lives searching…searching for something to be passionate about that. An object that will respond in kind and return the love and passion we expend. Yet, so often we overlook what is right in front of us. Let me help you here with this. Few people would disagree with the statement that sports fans are some of the most passionate people on the planet. If you watch any college or professional sports event you will assuredly see these same passionate sports fans holding up a variety of signs. And I bet if I asked you what sign is displayed at these events more than any other, you would probably be able to tell me. John 3:16. But can you tell me what this verse is: “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.� Talk about true love and sacrifice! And what makes it even more amazing is that it is available to every single one of us regardless of our past or where we are in our life’s journey.

—Overview
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—About this Film pdf
—Spiritual Connections