Night Out

I went out to dinner and a movie with friends tonight. I was at home by 10 p.m.

The roommate went to a wine bar with friends and her night started at 10 p.m.

Gotta love old age, I’m well rested.

Filed under: About Me

Facing the Giants [2006]

Tonight we went to see a movie made by a church in Albany, GA.

Facing the Giants is about a losing football coach down on his luck at a Christian school. His house is falling apart. He doesn’t make enough money to have a decent car or even really afford the fertility treatments he and his wife need to get pregnant. Oh yea, life is that bad, but wait, then he overhears that some of the parents want to railroad him right out of his position. His assistant coach is even in on it. He feels like a failure and just wants to give up.

Just in time he receives an encouraging word from a local man that regularly prays through the school. So he decides to devote his team, life and dreams to God, deciding to praise him no matter what happens. This inspires him to give his team a new philosophy  – it’s not about winning, they need to play their best and give honor to God. Of course then everything turns around, the team starts winning, he is given a new car, revival breaks out, people are saved and they win the state championship. Oh yea, then his wife gets pregnant and all is well.

• Is the acting cheesy and awkward? – yes
• Does the music obviously manipulate your emotions? – yes
• Is it shot like a Lifetime Network movie or some other B cable station? – yes
• Does it feel like a Jesus after school special? – yes
• Is it wholly predictable? – yes
• Did I like it? – I have to admit I did.

I know some will poo-poo the simplicity and overly preachy nature of this movie,  but there are lots of truths conveyed. I was moved by some very dramatic moments and I cheered for them during their state championship like I was one of the hometown crowd. It’s about the moments of life when we feel overwhelmed, underappreciated, stacked against and inadequate. Where do we go? What do we do? Some turn to vices, others turn to their own power and some turn to God.

This film is an uplifting movie about the power of not giving up, facing your fears, recognizing your own limits and realizing when you need to tap into the supernatural power only offered in one source. The overarching message of the movie is to realize that nothing is impossible with God, and they make that very clear.

You can’t go to this movie expecting it to be Hoosiers, Field of Dreams or The Natural. Instead it is the very big dream of one church accomplished with the help of their entire community. Those people give their heart and soul to promote it and it is getting screen time in a major US market, that is something right there. The film itself is an underdog just like the team in the movie. I applaud their passion and effort.

Christian movies have come a long way from the doomsday horrors of the 80s like Thief in the Night. Though most of the people in our showing were middle-aged and already Christians. The teenagers at the theatre were trying to sneak into Jackass 2.

What will the results of this movie be? Honestly, I have no idea, but nothing is impossible with God.

Filed under: Pop Culture, Spiritual Formation

Meredith vs Carrie

I love Grey’s Anatomy, there is no question it is one of the best written, acted, directed and produced shows on television.

But this McDreamy/Meredith/Finn storyline is killing me.

The whole dating game she’s playing is just silly. Are they fighting for Meredith or are they just competing with each other? Is this like the last two bachelors in the race, they don’t want the girl they just want to win.

Just pick already Meredith. In fact I’m beginning to see parallel’s to Sex and the City when Carrie had to chose between Big and Aidan. She chose wrong, she picked Big and suffered years of heartbreak. Here is hoping that Meredith chooses better.

Filed under: Pop Culture