This summer I decided to become a man. I'm not sure how I decided it, or even why, but I just realized that I was not a man, and at 23 years old, I had better stop doing things boys do and become a man, or else I may end up 35 years old with a Cubs bedspread, unemployed, living with my parents, and still thinking that I have a chance to succeed in life.

Enter The Break Up, a seemingly perfect movie in my manhood quest, because it really is more about becoming a man than anything else. The movie features the perfect leading man (Vince Vaughn), a credible supporting lady (Jennifer Aniston), and a supporting cast that was phenomenal. Unfortunately, the movie really did not end up amounting to much. And, because real don't like bad movies, I must refrain from trying to throw unwavering support behind the movie. After all, it did feature the Cubs, Wrigley Field, Vince Vaughn, and Jon Favreau.

The majority of the comedy centered around three supporting characters, including Jon Favreau (Johnny O), Vincent D'Onofrio (Dennis), and John Michael Higgins (Richard). This leaves out Jason Bateman, whose comedy I love (see Arrested Development), but even Bateman's character really did not have enough to save the movie.

The Break Up is proof that Vaugh is becoming a big star, because much of the dialogue appears to Vaughn's quick witted improv. Most of the lines miss, and Vaughn has so many lines, that I actually got tired of hearing him talk, and that is saying something, because I think Vince Vaughn is hilarious.

Jennifer Aniston said nothing funny the entire movie, and neither did the entire female cast. Granted, I know I am a male, but I was in the movie theater full of females, and none of them laughed at anything that was said from a female. The movie had funny parts, but far too few to be recalled or to make me feel justified in having spent $8 on the movie.

With the disappointment beside, this movie was about becoming a man. Gary (Vaughn) did what he wanted to do. He came home from work, kicked off the shoes, had a beer, and turned on the Cubs, my dream life, I might add. The problem is, often the girlfriend was home cooking dinner, cleaning, or preparing for some guests on the way, and her work day was no easier. Gary constantly faced this question; Do I do want to do, or do I lose myself and do what others need or want me to do?

All dudes face this question, because only a few dudes like to go to the ballet, or have the same taste in music as their significant other, and let's face it, no one likes to clean or do dishes. But sometimes our own freedom is not really as freeing as we think. As good as baseball, beer, and rest are, they will never give us the joy that serving others gives us. And real men are servants...

Power. It is something we all want, we all strive for, and when we get it, we promise to use it for good. Politicians constantly promise to fight for the poor and the oppressed, but once in office they tend to do whatever will get them reelected. So often I hear people say that if they ever become rich, they will give millions away to charity, but statistics consistently show that the more money someone makes, the less they give away. Power. Will it be used for good or for evil?

X-Men 3: The Last Stand centers around that question, but it also brings up another important point. We all have to choices to make, but will we use those choices to do good or to do evil? To be selfish or work for the good of others? Ideally, we would all work for the good of others, but that begs the question. Why does it seem that in this world people watch out for themselves and their own interests instead of the interests for others?

Wolverine's character wrestles with this tension, and he sees first hand that self-interest will result in the death of others, so what is there to do? I will let you watch X-Men 3 to find his answer to that question, which you definitely should do.

X-Men 3 is not a great, but a good movie, and it certainly beats all the other supposed summer blockbusters for 2006 so far. The action is exhillirating and gives pace to the story. Plus, the addition of the Beast is wonderful addition, and his action scenes are some of the best in the film. Wolverine, of course, does not disappoint. Storm has more chances to show off her ability than the first two movies combined. Overall, the movie had the makings of everything it needed to be great.

Unfortunately, some of the most important parts of the story lacked emotion, punch, and the weight of the importance of the different decisions that were made. But do not let this deter you, this is still a movie worth seeing, especially if you enjoyed the first two installments.

One interesting theme in the movie is this idea of 'being who you are.' The mutants are given a supposed 'cure,' a shot that will make them normal human beings. This obviously does not seem right, both to the moviegoer and to the mutants in the movie. After all, these people have been created this way, and their gifts and talents are as much a part of them as their hands or eyes.

This is an idea very prevalent in our culture today, the idea of 'being true to yourself.' After all, if you are made a certain way, just be that, and there is no need to change. But before you think that X-Men is giving on this idea, it is not. The Pheonix, Jean Gray's alter-ego (so to speak), wants to come out and take complete control of Jean's body. The problem is that the Phoenix is ultimately rage-filled and does not control her powers, bringing death to innocent people. Professor Xavier wants to harness this power, so that it can only be used for good, where Magneto wants to let this power be unleashed, in order to use the Phoenix to accomplish his goals.

Magneto's main argument is that Jean Gray has all this power, so why hold it back? This is who she is, and she should be allowed to be that. This brings up such a powerful point, a point that goes against a culture that says you need 'to be who you are.' Sometimes, who we are, brings pain and death. And although this may not be to other people, often it brings those things in to our own lives.

What is it, in who we are, that brings death? Sin. Let's face it, some of the time, OK, for me, most of the time, it is so much easier to do evil things. To just be true to the fact that I'm a dude, and dudes like sex, so I should just sleep around. But that would bring pain into the lives of so many people, not to mention my own. Sin. It is such a tired word, but it is the line between good and evil, and crossing over that line leads to death. And, we have all crossed that line...

Being 'true to yourself' can lead to death if 'yourself' is a sinful being. Which, unfortunately, that includes every person. And when we live our lives in a way that is selfish and self-serving, then we become a force for evil in this world. But when we live our lives in service to others, putting our very lives on the line for others, then we become a picture of the best. One of my favorite things Jesus was Mark 10:45, where he reminded his disciples that "...the son of man did not come in to the world to be served, but to serve, and give his life as a ransom for many..." Not only did Jesus try to get us to change who we are to serve others, but he also provided the answer to the death and pain our sin creates. There is no need to wallow in sin, its been paid for with Christ, all we need to do is trust Him, and take on the life of a servant.

X-Men shows the fruits of sacrifice, but it also points out that sometimes who we are need to be changed. Wolverine, the Phoenix, Storm, Scott, all the characters are faced with decisions about either being true to themselves, or putting down their power, their selfishness, or their inhibition to serve others. Either they will serve others, or die serving themselves, which makes for an entertaining movie...

—1. Overview
—2. Cast and Crew
—3. Photo Pages
—4. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack
—5. Posters (Tom Hanks)
—6. Production Notes (pdf)
—7. Spiritual Connections
—8. Presentation Downloads

Well, Jesus Christ had a daughter. The Church is full of liars. Christianity is actually based upon pagan religions. Jesus died 'for the betterment of humanity.' So, what question is left unanswered. Perhaps this one: What is the worst part of The Da Vinci Code? There are several possibilities, so let me sift through some of them for you.

1. The Sermon Nature: For a book that seems to have much trouble with the authoritative nature of the church, it sure seems to claim a whole lot of authority. In all honesty, I do not care about heresy or inaccurate pictures of the Church. That is to be expected and the thing that the Church needs to do is be an institution that is above reporach, that serves humanity and proclaims a risen Savior. Unfortunatley, the Church has often fallen in these regards, which means that the Church is going to get attacked. But the Da Vinci Code does not just attack the Church, but it tells you what to think. And what are we supposed to think? Well Ron Howard has clued Christians into the fact that Christianity is in fact New Age Pantheism where "what you believe is all that matters" and "maybe the divine is in all of us."

2. Tom Hanks Hair: I might have fallen asleep at how slow this movie was, but Tom Hanks' hair kept me awake the whole time. Frightening.

3. Ian McKellen's Anti-Church Rant: I know I am supposed to be objective here, but someone else should have had this roll. Granted, McKellen was perhaps the best actor in the movie, but the whole time I felt like this was a shot at Christianity, with no Christian to stand up and give any defense. Tom Hanks did what he could, but Ron Howard clearly was not too interested in Christianity giving any legit response to the ranting of McKellen. I know I am expecting too much here, but this did not appear to be any sort of humble approach to getting at any kind of truth, which I think hurts the movie's point that truth does matter.

4. The Absence of Jesus: Jesus was talked about, but the age old thought that the nice guy Jesus walked around blessing people and never said much else comes out again. One of the worst lines of the whole film is when Tom Hanks said that Jesus died 'for the betterment of humanity.' What does that even mean? Seriously, if a dude started walking around Bloomington, IN (where I live) saying he was God and that we should eat his flesh and blood (as Jesus said in a figurative matter) then I don't think we're going to start saying he's a good dude we should listen to. No. I have seen guys that claim to be God walking out on the streets, and they are CRAZY! I agree with C.S. Lewis when he reminds us not to patronize Jesus be turning him into a good teacher or an old pal. Either he's an insane liar or he's God. He's not a decent guy with some good things to say.

5. The Rejection of Scripture: This is the point that scares me the most, because many Christians today have started to question the authority of Scripture. Rob Bell's Velvet Elvis and the Emergent Church Movement are examples, and this is scary, scary stuff. The movie makes it sound like no one could decide what should be Scripture and that there were many credible Gospels to choose from. So, the movie quotes from the Gospels of Margy Magdalene and the Gospel of Philip, two crazy documents that NO ONE though should have been Scripture at the Council of Nicea. I recommend people study how Scripture came together because it is pretty amazing what both Scripture says about itself and how early on people were quoting what would eventaully become the N.T.

6. Anti-Climatic Actions Scenes: There is one action scene where Langdon, Neveu, Leigh, and his manservant (whatever his name is) are quickly driving away from the police who is chasing them. They are on their way to a plane to get away, and then, the next thing you know, they are in the air safely. Disappointing. There are two scenes then when Langon and Neveu are about to get shot, and a bullet casing and a flock of doves or something saves them. Stupid. Let's see, I'm sure there were other scenes, but honestly, they aren't worth recalling.

So, yea, pretty negative response, I know. Please know this is not an attack on Dan Brown, who's Angel and Demons is much better than The Da Vinci Code. This is an attack on a bad movie that attacks everything I hold dear. Granted, there are other movies like this that I have loved such as Jesus of Montreal and Jesus Christ, Superstar. But The Da Vinci Code was almost not even bearable to watch. Even if it didn't attack Christianity turning it into a pagan pluralistic religion, it was still a bad, bad movie. But, it will make a lot of money, and in that regard, I guess it is a success.

But there is one thing I love about this movie. It calls Christians out. It challenges us to think, act, and produce a people that are not liars, cheaters, and thieves. So often it just seems Christians are just like the rest of the world, which is so disappointing. There is power in the line of Christ, but not because we are some ancient royal bloodline. We are the adopted children of the Living God, with the Holy Spirit empowering us to live changed lives. Imagine if Christian's lives showed that.

—Overview

—1. Overview
—2. Cast and Crew
—3. Photo Pages
—4. Trailers, Clips, DVDs
—5. Posters (Robin Williams)
—6. Production Notes (pdf)
—7. Spiritual Connections
—8. Presentation Downloads

Special:
Faith in Hollywood: Up Close with Kristin Chenoweth

Spiritual insights by Mike Furches

Oh...the good ole days. The days with dinner at 6 o'clock sharp, where kids' biggest problems consisted of which girl to ask to a dance or how to talk your teacher into no homework for the weekend. The days when moms wore pink dresses, dads played catch with their kids, and gas was like 25 cents a gallon. Compare that with today, and it seems that as cheesy as I think the 50's culture might have been, there is something missing.

Today we have suburbs where you drive everywhere so you don't have to talk to anyone, IPods to listen to while you shop (so you don't have to talk to anyone), and power windows so that they can roll up quickly in case a neighbor is trying to flag you down. Gone are the days when the front porch was where the family spent their evenings, catching up with the neighbors, providing a helping hand or a word of encouragement. Granted, the 50's were hardly perfect, but there is something about our corporate, money-focused, success-driven society that misses the finer things in life; like family, service, and love.

OK, enough of thinking of those good ole days, especially considering the fact that I was born 30 years after they happened away. But after watching the movie RV, it is hard not to think where we have gone wrong, why our families seem so fragmented, the divorce rate so high, and children so ashamed of their parents. R.V. is a social commentary on some of these things, complete with some great laughs (although some laughs missed pretty hard) and a nice ending.

Robin Williams plays Bob, a frustrated father seeking to have one week with his family in Hawaii before his family splits up for the summer. Not surprisingly, this idea quickly falls through, and even though Bob is the one guy in the family really looking for some quality time with the fam, he ultimately cannot even be honest with his family, thus producing an RV trip instead of the promised trip to Hawaii...how disappointing.

What follows is a family searching for love and searching for meaning in a world that seems to lack it. Please don't read into this too far though, its not like RV is going to have anyone finding meaning in life, but it may make you think about your family, how you treat your kids, parents, etc.

Bob's family runs into another family, with Jeff Daniels playing Travis, the Father of this family. Travis runs a homeschooled RV full of a family that seems to have been exported straight out of the 50s. Travis' family is completely unable to understand the struggle of Bob's family, mostly because they have not bought the lie that money, success, and more things bring happiness. There are greater things in life than this, and Travis' family shows it, because their family lives a life basically unconcerned with those things.

Bob's family is, and the rest of the movie is focused in on this struggle between what the world tells you to value and what Bob begins to value. It is obvious that one thing is true here...Bob has come into contact with all the world has offered him...and all he wants is a family that loves him. How refreshing. And, in the end, Bob will back this whole thing up with his actions. But, that is for you to go see. R.V. may not reach into 'classic' status with other road trip family movies, but it will make you laugh, think, and drive home either appreciating the family that loves you, or wanting a family that wil love you...

—1. Overview

—1. Overview
—2. Cast and Crew
—3. Photo Pages
—4. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack
—5. Posters (Dance)
—6. Production Notes (pdf)
—7. Spiritual Connections
—8. Presentation Downloads

I was pleasantly surprised with Take the Lead, a movie that quite honestly, looked like a cheese-fest when I saw the previews. Dancing? Ballroom dancing? Antonio Banderas? I mean this is the guy who can box and shoot people up with a guitar case gun, but now he is teaching ball room dancing? Disappointing, right? Well if these thoughts have ran through your mind, then believe me, I thought the same things, but Take the Lead is a really good movie.

Take the Lead is the inspiring story of Pierre Dulane, a ballroom dance teacher who, after witnessing a crime committed by a high school student, wants to teach ballroom dance in an inner city high school that is pleased enough when students are not caught in drugs or dead. Ballroom dance seems to be the last thing on anyone's mind, yet in walks Dulane, stressing he really intends to teach the foxtrot, the waltz, (put whatever ballroom dance you know here), etc. The teachers laugh at him, but the principle decides to allow him to fill a teaching vacancy, detention.

This begins the story that is surprisingly funny, smart, and entertaining. I was truly shocked at how much I laughed and thought through a movie that was supposed to be about dancing (lame...). But this is movie is about one thing: Choices.

At one point in the film, the students had learned a few dances, were getting pretty good, but after watching the richer, white students of Dulane, they were convinced they could not ever be that good and that Dulane had misled them. Out of this comes the best line of the movie, when Dulane tells them, "When I look around the room I don't see a bunch of rejects, I see choices."

Choices. Lahrette (DaCosta) lives with her mother, a prostitute, and younger siblings. Rock (Brown) lives with his drunk parents, who he must support because they do not work. The list could go on, but Dulane offers them a choice; a choice to do something that matters. But Ballroom Dancing? Come on.

But this is where the power in this movie really shines. If something as seemingly pointless as Ballroom Dancing can become a passionate pursuit for people that lead them away from drugs, crime, and hopelessness, then only a lack of opportunity prevents people from such the pains of the streets.

Choices. We all have them. It is so much easier to blame our parents, our lack of intelligence, or whatever, but Take the Lead encourages to make a good choice. Serve, respect, and love others. That is the message of this movie, and it is one worth seeing.

People today have so many different types of gifts, and it is a shame that those gifts are often focused in the suburbs or to well-paying clients. I pray that there are more people like Dulane out there, with gifts, passions, and a heart to teach, that will consider moving to inner city to reach kids who are caught in families that are less than caring, neighborhoods that are less than safe, and schools that struggle to teach. Imagine if instead of expecting our government to fix the schools, people saw their gifts and used them for others, instead of themselves.

Take the Lead points us in that direction, and it begs the question: Are you willing to use your gifts for others, or for yourself? It is a tough question, but a question worth discussing. For that reason, Take the Lead should be commended.

— Overview

Augustana may take you to Boston, Los Angeles, the midwest and back to California, but their music is unlikely to take you anywhere but to great disappointment. Granted, in a strange way, this is a compliment for their first effort, All the Stars and Boulevards, an album that starts out with great promise, but ends in a formula that becomes noticeable early in their writing.

Their writing is predictable, with the chorus building, the verses being more laid back, finally building into a bridge that soars higher than the verse or chorus. It is the same formula that many bands have used to bring much commercial success (see Coldplay, Creed, and Nickleback). Unfortunately, as a lover of music, it leaves me bored, which is so disappointing because tracks like "Mayfield," "Bullets," and "Boston" are good songs, a great start to what I believe is a promising career for Augustana.

However, after Boston, things take a drastic turn for the worse, where it seems that the same thing is being sung over and over and over...and over again. Dan Layus apparently is focused on failed relationships which have turned him to loneliness and alcohol. And artistically speaking, this is not necessarily a bad thing, because for many artists, these moments lead to soul searching, to asking the basic questions of life, to finding meaning or finding none. It is these situations when art transcends into being able to speak into people's lives in a profound way, something Augustana is simply unable to do.

So, what is my recommendation for Augustana? It is hard to say. Because I am glad I picked up their album, because their potential is limitless. However, this is just another pop/rock album that will make them money but is really nothing artistic. Having said that, this is not a bad album to pick up, but do not expect too much.

Here is a run down of the tracks:

"Mayfield": A great start to the album, a track that deals with growing up, and dealing with a failed relationship wondering..."Are we gonna make it?" A song that I am sure they will be playing for years to come. (ITunes Rating: 3 stars)

"Bullets": More proof that Layus can write great songs, even if lyrically the songs are not that deep or lacking. His spacing and voice make Bullets a much better song than what it would have been. (ITunes Rating: 3 stars)

"Hotel Roosevelt": Again, lyrically the song just lacks. Plus, it is now the third song about a relationship, and it is starting to get a little old at this point in time. There is some good music potential here, but the finished product is all I have to go on. (ITunes Rating: 2 stars)

"Boston": No doubt their strongest song on this album, despite the Coldplay'ish style. Finally, the lyrics are going somewhere that could connect people with this song. Lines like "In the light of the sun, is there anyone?" and "You dont' know me/You don't even care/You don't wear my chains" could very well connect with a younger generation that very much feels broken off from any type of true community. Vocally the song soars, and there is a lot of good to take from this song. (ITunes Rating: 4 stars)

"Stars and Boulevards": This is where you begin to wonder when Layus is going to realize that he is writing the song over and over again. He is in some disconnected relationship where he hopes it will work out but probably knows that it will not. (ITunes Ratins: 2 Stars)

"Feel Fine": This is where I began to wonder, "Was 'Boston' really just two tracks ago? If you want to see what this song is about, look at any of other songs I listed. (ITunes Rating: 1 star)

"Wasteland": A very dark song with lines like "Here we're nothin more than fools and whores and sad highs/through the summer sand we're living in the wasteland." Again, the music here is really good stuff, and Layus brings you into the darkness of the world, the darkness of sin. (ITunes Rating: 3 stars)

"Lonely People": At this point I was really tired of the drinking references (like 6 or 7 now). Not just because I think drinking should not be sung about, but because it is a cop out from really thinking through issues, something an artist should do. There is no doubt in my mind that there are many people in this world that drink away their nights, never thinking about anything besides that. However, as an artist, Layus should not fall into that trap with his songwriting, and unfortunately he does. Artists should always seek to ponder the question "Why..." a question Layus has not gotten to yet. (ITunes Rating: 1 star)

"Sunday Best:": More good music, but the formula has been put in place, and because of that, by now the album is not what it could have been. (ITunes Rating: 1 star)

"California Burning": More isolation and having broken from any type of community. Layus writes "and I'm here, wondering where the sun has gone/driving through a midwest storm/asking why there's no one home." Layus sounds like one longing for something real, and if he thinks a little deeper, he could have some good stuff, but he has not yet, which leaves songs like 'California Burning' as more or less having great potential, but not possessing any. (ITunes Rating: 1 star)

"Coffee and Cigarettes": Not much here. (ITunes Rating: 1 star)

Augustana could become something great, the same thing I once thought about Coldplay (and still do). Augustana could move beyond the surface level lyrics into something deep, and if they do, this could be a truly great band some day.