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Movie of the Week: The Blind Side
20
May
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Probably, by this point, about 90% of America has seen this film.  So it’s fair to guess that this review and recommendation is nearly worthless.  Oh well.  I’m going to tell you about it anyway because it is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long, long time, and I don’t really have anything else to blog about today.

The Blind Side is a movie based on the intersection of lives of the Tuohy’s, a deep South, church-going, rich, Republican family, and Michael Oher, a huge, African American, mostly homeless teenager from the projects of Memphis.  I truly hope this isn’t a spoiler, but Michael Oher is currently going into his second season as a starting player for the NFL team, the Baltimore Ravens.  The movie is about how the Tuohy’s find, help, and set Michael on his path of success through their love, acceptance and provision.  But the really glorious thing about the film is that it is also about how the Tuohy’s experience healing and renewal as a family as a result of knowing and caring for Michael and allowing his gentle prescence to influence their lives.

Ultimately, The Blind Side, is about finding and nuturing our own “blind sides.”  It is about reaching out beyond check writing and volunteering at soup kitchens.  It is about getting dirty, getting uncomfortable, getting right in the lives of people and loving them unconditionally, regardless of the consequences.  It is about seeing needs and then doing our best to help meet them.  Shoot…I guess it’s about being like Jesus.  And this movie was made in Hollywood.  It won awards.  Imagine that.

Higlights:

  • Knowing that this is a true story makes the film all the more enjoyable and applicable and worthy of discussion with your kids.  It truly is an amazing and challenging story.
  • Sandra Bullock has always been one of my favorite actresses, and her performance in this movie just further sealed the deal for me.  She was fantastic, as were many of the other lesser known performers.
  • It’s a sports story.  I love a good “Bad News Bears” -ish sports story.
  • It was sort of fun to see the actual college coaches playing themselves in several scenes.
  • While the movie is inspiring and touching, it also manages to be laugh-out-loud funny.

Low points:

  • The movie is rated PG-13 for some content and some language, which makes it not okay for a younger set.  I previewed it, and then decided to let my kids watch it, and they are 10 and 13.  While there are some gritty scenes, they are not gratuitous, and the good of the film far outweighs the bad.  The PG-13 material, I feel, is somewhat necessary to accurately tell the story of Michael’s background.  If the writers had pulled back any more, it would have almost felt like they were glossing over the details, and perhaps the story would not have been as powerful.
  • As I said earlier, ultimately Michael Oher was drafted by the Ravens, and I can’t stand the Ravens.  After seeing this movie, I want him to succeed, but I’d like for him to do that without the Ravens having any success.  I know that’s not logical, so I can only hope that a more worthy team will pick him up in free agency when his contract expires in a few years…preferrably the Chicago Bears or the Tennessee Titans.

The Blind Side…if you’re one of the twelve or so Americans left that haven’t seen this film yet, you need to remedy that soon!

 

Category: Movie Reviews, Movie of the Week  Tags: , , ,  7 Comments
Movie of the Week: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
11
March
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This week I got to see a  movie in the theater.  I saw it with Dirty Harry and a friend of his, and despite having to break up a disagreement at one point about a box of Nerds candy and having to sit on the very top row of a large theater (meaning long walks to the bathroom), it was a totally enjoyable experience.

This movie is the first based on the Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan.  Dirty Harry just started to read the first one when we started seeing the movie trailers appear on TV about a month or so ago.  He loved the book and was excited to see the film version.  I had not read the book and was not overly excited about seeing the movie, but the excursion gave me a three-hour Captain Jack Henry break, and I was in need of one,  so I was game.

I was inordinately surprised at how much I ended up enjoying the movie!  The premise is that Percy Jackson is a demigod (half mythological god, half human), but has been living the life of a normal angst-filled teenager, unaware of who his real “divine” father is.  The action gets rolling rather quickly, and through a fantastic and a bit alarming change of events, discovers that his dad is Poseidon, his best friend is a satyr and his protector, and his wheel-chair bound history teacher is Charon and director of Camp Half-Blood, a training ground for demigod children.  The action of the film centers around the theft of Zeus’ master lightening bolt.  For reasons that I found somewhat vague, everyone thinks that Percy has taken it, so Hades, who would greatly like to have the bolt for himself, kidnaps Percy’s mother to the Underworld, in hopes of luring him there.  Percy, with the help of Grover (best friend/protector/satyr) and Annabeth (romantic interest/fellow demigod/daughter of Athena), go on an adventure-filled quest to rescue Percy’s mother and solve the mystery of the missing bolt.

Highlights:

  • This movie is just plain entertaining.  I thought I was in for a pre-teen snooze fest and was completely surprised at how taken in I was by the plot and action.
  • The acting is decent.  The teens are pretty much a bunch of unknowns (although I thought for half the movie that the main kid was Zac Effron…no, just a look-alike), but they hold their own amongst the big guns of Pierce Brosnan playing Charon, Uma Thurman playing a convincing and creepy Medusa, and Sean Bean as Zeus.
  • While it is certainly not a replacement for reading the real Greek myths, it might be a good springboard if your kids are uninterested in this type of literature.

Low points:

Overall I was a little disappointed and surprised that this was given a PG rating because it felt more like a PG-13 in some parts. 

  • First of all, at many points, this film is a bit intense.  The violence isn’t bloody, but young or sensitive kids would definitely be scared of Hades or the hydra or Medusa.  In two of the scenes, creatures are beheaded.  If you’re familiar with Greek mythology, then hopefully that’s not a spoiler.  Again, the scenes are not bloody, but are too intense for a PG rating, in my opinion. 
  • Secondly, the….ummmm, how do I say this?…well…the sexual tension was a bit much for a kids’ movie.  I realize when you’re dealing with Greek myths and the whole demigod situation, that there are some understood situations that have occurred, and the movie does a fairly good job of glossing over those facts.  However, by making Percy and his friends older than they are in the books (he’s about 12 in the books and about 17 in the film), they have introduced some unnecessary romantic situations.  Grover is girl-crazy and this comes up in about three different brief scenes during the film and involves a distant scene of bikini-clad girls (apparently the daughters of Aphrodite), a group of girls dressed in short, tight dresses in a Vegas casino, and Perspehone (played by Rosario Dawson), the companion of Hades, who makes semi-aggressive overtures towards him in a cleavage-showing outfit.
  • There is some language in the film…not a lot, but still unnecessary for a kid movie.

All in all, I rank this as a good movie-going experience with my almost ten year-old son who has seen movies like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, so wasn’t bothered by the intensity of the scary scenes.  We actually had a good discussion about the other issues I brought up above and why the movie makers alter books when they bring them to the screens.  While I wish they hadn’t added those parts, I don’t think Harrison was greatly affected by them either as altogether they probably took up less than ten minutes of a two hour film.

If you get a chance, see it on the “Big Screen” while it’s still out.  Some of the scenes are worth it.  Enjoy and let me know what you think!

 

Category: Movie Reviews, Movie of the Week  Tags: , ,  5 Comments
Movie of the Week: Faith Like Potatoes
04
February
admin

Last Sunday we couldn’t make it to church because our driveway, which is at least a 45 degree angle, was a solid sheet of ice.  Even if we could have managed to slide safely down the drive, all the roads we take to our church were also covered with ice because we live in the state of Tennessee which owns all of about five snow plows.  So, we all grabbed our Snuggies and cuddled on the sofa to watch this film, which I had picked up before Christmas at a Christian bookstore for $5.

Faith Like Potatoes is based on the true story of a Scottish farmer, Angus Buchan, living with his family, first in Zambia and later in South Africa.  The movie follows the ups and downs of his farming and family life in a land that is wrought with hardships and violence.  It also highlights the spiritual journey of Angus, a man who struggles with doubt, substance abuse, and a hot-headed Scottish temper.

I will fully admit that I was not expecting to like Faith Like Potatoes as much as I did.  While the film is simply made, with no well-known actors or over-the-top special effects, the simple, believable story draws you in early on, and you find yourself cheering for Angus and his family to ultimately “make it”.

Highlights:

  • Even without the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, the movie doesn’t feel cheap and the acting was decent.
  • The cinematography of the landscapes is beautiful.
  • The story is the real gold nugget of this movie.  It is inspirational, and I’d be surprised if you don’t find yourself talking about how it has challenged you and your own family in the matters of faith, prayer, and evangelism.

Low points:

  • The film feels a little sluggish in parts and overall, it’s just a bit long.  It simply needed better editing but is still worth watching despite that criticism.
  • Sometimes I found it a little difficult to understand what some of the characters were saying with their Scotish and South African accents.  This was minimal for me, but kids in particular, might struggle with this.  I guess you could always turn the subtitle option on if it got too distracting.
  • As far as watching with your kids, the movie is free from any bad language or any inappropriate material.  I don’t want to give away anything, but towards the end of the movie, there is one scene of violence that might bother some children.  I’d advise that if you’re unsure, to preview it first.  The scene could be easily skipped on a DVD player, and one would not necessarily lose the essence of the story.

This movie is might be a little hard to find in your local video store, but it can be purchased in many places on-line, and like I said earlier, I got my copy at a Christian bookstore.  It’s definitely worth the hunt!

Related links:

Category: Movie of the Week  Tags: , , ,  4 Comments
Movie of the Week: Julie & Julia
18
January
admin

I hardly ever go to the theater to see a movie anymore.  So, my former endeavor to give you a movie review of a current, in-the-theater-now film, is obviously not working.  But since I still love movies and like to talk about them and pretend that I work for World magazine, I’ve just changed my format a bit.  I’ll be bringing you “The Pirate Mom’s Movie of the Week,” which will feature my take on a recent movie I’ve seen.  It might be, occasionally, one that’s in the theater, or it might be one that’s new to DVD, or it might be Gone with the Wind.  You just never know, and that’s fun.  Right?  Right?!

And with that, I bring you my very first movie of the week….

Julie & Julia is, like the tagline says, based on two true stories:  Julia Child’s book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and how it came to be, and Julie Powell, who blogged about cooking her way through said book in a year and later wrote a book about that experience. 

Highlights:

  • The unique storyline.  This is not your tired, predictable romantic comedy.  It is quirky, fun and smart, and it draws you in and makes you a part of this story, until you feel like a stick of butter melting over low heat in a skillet.  What?  Doesn’t everyone want to feel that way?  Seriously, the film seamlessly goes back and forth between the pre-famous days of Julia Child and Julie Powell, mirroring their experiences, triumphs and failures alike.  While you may find yourself wishing there was a little more Julia and a little less Julie, the story just works…plain and simple.
  • The acting.  Somehow, once again, the amazing Meryl Streep, makes us forget that she even exists and flawlessly pulls off the quirky, lovable essence of Julia Child.  She totally deserved her last night’s win of the Golden Globe for this performance.  I’m quickly becoming a big Amy Adams fan.  She brings a sort of likable, wide-eyed innocence to the characters she plays, and her portrayal of Julie Powell is no exception.  Stanley Tucci plays Julia’s husband hysterically and believably.
  • The portrayal of marriage.  Surprising, I know, from a movie about cooking and from Hollywood in general, but the marriages of Julia and Julie with their husbands are portrayed as important and sweet and worth fighting for.  The dialogue both couples share are both comical and real, and it made it extra fun that I was watching with my own husband, Big D (who also, by the way, liked this movie a lot, guys!).
  • The food.  Don’t watch this movie when you’re hungry.  Before you pop this in your DVD player, make sure you have enough popcorn and Snow Caps on hand to keep your mouth from watering, because the food in this movie is pure, unadulterated sin.
  • Blogging.  I think it’s safe to say that, so far, there are not many movies about blogging.  So, it was very poignant and fun for me to see Julie Powell’s journey as a blogger unfold.  I could relate some to her struggles and thoughts as she struggled over her entries and reader comments.

Low points:

  • The brief, strong language and sensuality.  The movie is rated PG-13 for such.  I feel if they had edited one word, unbelievably uttered by Julia’s husband, and about three minutes of a scene between Julie and her husband, the movie could have been rated PG, and one could have even watched it with their young children.
  • The influence.  You will find that after watching this movie, that you too will want to cook your way through Julia’s book, and if you do, you’re likely to gain about twenty pounds.  The character of Julie remains rail-thin through her adventure with no treadmills in sight, and you will think bad thoughts about this while you watch.

Julie & Julia…you butter….er, I mean better…see it!

Related links:

Julie Powell’s actual Julie/Julia project blog  (Warning:  She uses some R-rated language occasionally.)

Julia Child on PBS Read about and watch videos of the  most infamous, fun, real cook of our time!

Category: Grub, Movie of the Week  Tags: , , , ,  6 Comments

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