Yes Man

*** Before I begin today's entry, I did want to take an opportunity to thank all of those military veterans who have server our country. You did so much for the safety of our nation and you did so much for the preservation of freedom throughout the world. Thank you and God bless you! ***

Last night, Christa and I watched the movie Yes Man. When I saw the previews for the movie, it didn't exactly stand out to me. It wasn't a movie I would have seen in theaters, but when it came up as being available on DVD I added it to the queue. Christa and I were both quite surprised by this movie.

First off, Jim Carrey was hysterical in this movie! There were a lot of B level actors that turned in quality performances. It was well-written and well-paced and it kept my attention the whole time. I also thought it had a good message as well.

Carl struggles with life because he says, "No" to everything and everyone. His life wasn't all that good. So he attends a seminar that tells him to say, "Yes" to everything. His life is certainly more exciting, but it still ends up creating a life that is fulfilling. What's the solution? Well, at least be open to possibilities and think about the opportunities involved. You have a choice!

OK...that sounds pretty simple, but I did appreciate the message. You want to avoid the extremes in life and be rational about the decisions that you make. In all decisions, we should be thinking from the perspective of how we can best love God and love one another. It may involves some "yes" and some "no" responses, but it should always involve thought...not blanket responses.

Charlie Wilson's War

Last night Christa and I watched Charlie Wilson's War. It's certainly not a kid's film, having plenty of bad language and sexual content. Despite all of that, I think this movie has a few powerful messages for the viewer:

(1) Flawed folks are capable of doing good - Charlie Wilson accomplished some pretty amazing things in the movie, but he wasn't the most likely hero. He had a drinking problem. He didn't really care about his constituents, besides getting re-elected. He did drugs. He hung out with some seedy individuals. Yet, he paved the way to some amazing successes for Afgahanistan...as shown in the movie.

(2) Sometimes you need to a see problem before you're willing to do something - It wasn't until Charlie Wilson saw the effects of war on the Afghani people did he realize he needed to do something. I think this applies to us as well. It's easy for us to dismiss some of the world's larger problems...hunger...poverty..sickness. I imagine my worldview would change if I saw the looks of children who were hungry or those who were sick. It might be a little higher on my priority list.

I encourage you to see the movie. It's a movie that makes you think...and that's a good thing.

Eagle Eye

Last night Christa and I watched the movie Eagle Eye. It came out last year, and with Netflix we have been making our way through recent major movies.

If I've noticed one habit that I have developed as a pastor, it is that I can encapsulate any book or movie that I read into one statement that opens itself up to dialogue. Eagle Eye was no different.

Watching this movie makes you wonder about the role that computers play in our lives. The movie itself combines plots similar to movies like WarGames and 2001. It brings up the following discussion points:

1. How much are we going to allow computers to in our lives?
2. Computers can be more efficient, but what are the drawbacks?
3. What is the potential gains and risks in Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

Whenever I watch a movie like this, I think about these questions. Although computers have made our lives easier in many ways, I feel as though our lives continually get more complicated and stressful. Plus, you deal with computer breakdowns and server outages which can also be very frustrating.

Christa and I gave the movie a: ****. It has good action and keeps you moving, given that the plot line is completely improbable. In all movies, there is a message. I encourage you to reflect on the ones I listed above.

The Soloist

Christa and I have a membership for Netflix. Living in Oakfield, this has actually worked out well because we are at least 15-20 minutes from a rental place. The mail service also works remarkably fast here, so we get movies pretty quickly.

We watched The Soloist last night. Christa and I both look for different things in movies. Generally, we see to eye to eye on our ratings. Netflix gives you the option to rate the movie on a five star system. I think we have a system down. Let's put it this way:

* = Nothing redeeming. This movie is just absolutely awful. (We jhave yet to give a move this)
** = May be a glimmer of hope, but pretty bad.
*** = Average, entertaining movie.
**** = This was a very good movie with a lot of good qualities.
***** = Nearly flawless. This movie kept our attention. We'd want to see it again and again.

I find now that, as a pastor, I can't help but view movies from a religious and theological perspective. For instance, a movie like Knowing (***) took on whole different meaning when you think about it theologically. Same with Seven Pounds (****).

Today, however, let's focus on The Soloist. I do recommend the film and there's a few things I'd like you ponder as you watch:

• Check out the portrayal of the cello player, Graham Claydon (played by TomHollander), as a Christian.
• There is a moment when Nathaniel Ayers (played by Jamie Foxx) says that Steve Lopez (played by Robert Downey, Jr.) is God. As you learn about their relationship, it is an interesting point of discussion.
• There is an overall message in the movie about what one person is capable of doing to make a difference in the world. With its focus on the homeless in Los Angeles, you can't help but be moved and saddened.

The overall story is that Lopez is researching stories for the LA Times. He finds Ayers who was a Julliard dropout suffering from schizophrenia. Ayers is homeless and estranged from his family. Lopez works with Ayers to get back his gift for playing the cello. I'll leave the rest for you to find out. Let me know what you think of the movie.