Les Miserables

[a bishop has just spare the life of Jean Valjean.  Valjean had stolen from the bishop when he gave him shelter, and yet the bishop showed love instead of the law.]

There is really not a whole to add to this scene.  This movie as a whole is beautiful.  It is the showing of mercy by the bishop that has rescued the soul of Valjean.  Valjean had been a criminal for stealing a "mouthful of bread."  He was sent to prison 2o years ago.  He was lost in this world in which so much injustice happened.  He was content to be in the old testament, a tooth for a tooth.  At the witness of the bishop though he learned that there is more to our life than simply revenge.  

Valjean recognizes how indebted he is to the bishop, and recognizes the evil of his actions, he is ashamed by his life.  Yet he believes in the words the bishop had told him, that he has a soul, and that he is somebody good.  How often do we need this in the world?  Somebody to take the time to look at us with love, and call us brother (or sister)?   I remember I had a teacher who used to talk about this similar experience.  He came to teach at a poor inner city school.  He had to leave the classroom for a little while on his first day and he put this kid in charge.  Later he found out that a lot of the teachers at the school thought this kid was trouble.  This kid for my teacher became a really good, and noble student.  The teacher eventually asked the kid about this experience, that for him he was a great kid, but all these other teachers thought so poorly about him.  The kid had said it is because you treated as if I was good.  You believed in me.  

If we start with not trusting people, what makes us any different from the average person.  We are called to something more.  This clip educates us in the line from Scripture..."This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Jn. 13:35

V for Vendetta

[the government has created a totalitarian regime, under the guise of piece.  A "terrorist" by the name of V gives a speech.] 

He begins by talking about the things that we enjoy, rhythm and routine.  We do enjoy these things since it is by these systems that we can operate on a day to day basis, although the question is what to degree.  V suggests something far greater about humanity, that we are autonomous, and free and that we ought to be.  He talks about censorship, and systems of thinking and thought that left unchecked hamper our freedom.

Here in America we know this desire all to well since it was one, if not the, finding principle to our country; "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."  We are made to be free beings, able to make decisions for ourselves.  Sometimes we will make bad ones, and sometimes good ones.  So in this fictional world the citizens had given up a lot of their freedom for protection and safety.  The question though is at what cost did they give up this freedom.  All things require sacrifice.  We choose to do something, and in return we are not doing something else.  We are finite beings, and we can attend one action at a time.  There is a great point to made about our culture in regards to this fact, but that is for another post.

The thing that this country in the clip sacrificed is words.  Words have meaning.  We can never ignore for great length the meaning that words have.  Why is that the words I love you carry so much weight?  If words meant nothing, with a happy demeanor I could say I hate you, and it should be something nice.  Words have the power to stir among us something greater, and it is the means by which we communicate effectively with one another.  The better you are with words, vocabulary and grammar, the more effectively you shall communicate exactly what you mean.  And to communicate at all presupposes a relationship with a subject, not an object.

We can pull from this clip the concept of structural sin, or even collective sin.  At the end of time we will not be held responsible just for our actions, but the actions of our neighbors.  Ultimately you could say they are your individual actions, but we are not a solitary creature.  We are in relationship with those around us.  It is these relationships that we must take the time to evaluate, which is why politics today is so terrible.  Politics ought to be about people, how we govern and relate to one another.  However, we have ceased to see it as about people, but rather policies, and stances.  Think how often that you decide about who to vote for on how they stand on certain issues, even well meaning people in our Church do the same thing. We need to look beyond the issues to the people at hand.  It is about the people, not the policies, those come later.  Our actions ought to be a response of the relationships we have.

Lilo and Stitch

[Stitch (blue alien) was a "criminal" from an intergalatic federation.  He is being arrested in this clip.]

So Stitch is "soft, and fluffy", and polite, how could he be a criminal?  Throughout the movie you see a transformation in Stitch from a terrible person, to a sweet person.  What is it that changes him?  It is the family that he has been adopted into.  As you see at the end of the clip Stitch was bought, but brought into the family.  He belongs to Lilo and Nani (the Hawaiian girls).  It is their family.  It is this "small, and broken" family that made this creature civil.

The thing that I find so important from this clip is that Stitch responds so adequately to the question who are you.  In the beginning of the movie he was referred to as an abomination, and now to the question of who he is, he responds "this is my family."  He is claiming that the reason for his existence, the things that most define him is his family.  Stitch became part of this family even though it was not an easy process.  It is these people, his family that has transformed him, and gave purpose to his life.

This is hopefully what our families do for us as well.  I hope and pray that our families are that profound foundation for and being of our understanding of who we are.  It is a testament to how families should love.  They have a great phrase in this movie. "Ohana, Ohana means family, family means no one gets left behind, or forgotten."  I pray that we all have families that make us believe in this word, Ohana.  Just because people are stupid, or treat us bad, or destroy things as Stitch does throughout the movie it was not reason enough to exile him from the family, because of what Ohana is.  We need to care, and look out for one another.  Only love, not hate, frustration, or those negative responses breaks down barriers.  It is only love that has the power to transform into something beautiful, which Stitch is very much.  (granted of the more soft and fluffy variety.)

Moneyball

[Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) is the general manager of the Oakland A's.  They just lost 3 great players from their line up because they were unable to offer them as much money as the Boston Red Soxs, or New York Yankees]

(edited to eliminate a cuss word)

Billy Beane brings up a great point that often times we forget.  We get so bogged down by our circumstances, and we think we know exactly what we need.  The guys in the room are very skilled at baseball knowledge.  They know a lot of what they think they need to do.  I can be very knowledge about my job as a minister of the Church, but sometimes I can fail to see the real problem, just as the men in the room were failing to see the real problem.  

Often times we look at our life in a way that these guys do in the room, if only we do this, or that then we will have a good team.  We look with a "if only" mentality.  I do this all the time so I know how easy it is to fall into it.  If I only I can get more kids to youth group, if only I could work an hour longer, if only I get that promotion.  These do not hit at the problem.  Thankfully I have people in my life who are like Billy Beane, and remind me of what the problem is.  They are the people who help us take a step back and actually look at the full situation not part of it.  

How many times do we plunder away at trying to button down this side of the tarp only to realize after we are done the other one is now undone?  It is racing around putting out fires, rather than stopping and asking how are the fires starting in the first place.  We need to often step back and look at the big picture of life.  What is it that we truly need in life?  If I get that promotion, will my life really be any more fulfilled?  If I get that nicer car, will life be better?  Our life can only find mean in the Presence of Another.  If we do not step back and actually look at the problem then we will claim to be Christian, but forget Christ.  As is stated later in the film "You're goal shouldn't be to buy players, but to buy wins, and to get wins, you need runs."  Our goal should not be tasks, but our goal should be seeking Him.  If we forget that goal we need to remind ourselves of the bigger picture, Him.  

Shawshank Redemption

[Andy (Tim Robbins) is talking about his dreams after being in prison for about two decades to his friend Red (Morgan Freeman)]

This movie clip provides us with a very good analogy, one of prison.  Often times we feel as if we are locked inside a prison of ideas.  Like materialism (only the physical word exists) or nihilism (there is no point to life), or even relativism (you have your truth i have mine).  There is more than the prison that these people who construct.  Just because we exist in a world of these philosophies does not mean that there is more than that.  Imagine trying to convince a man in prison that there is no outside world.  It is preposterous right?  Yet that is exactly what Red confesses too, I am an institutional man now.  He cannot function in the world as a standard citizen, he needs the confines of the world he has become so accustomed to.  

Andy believes in his friend far more than that, he believes that there is value, and joy to be had outside the prison.  Red at the end of the clip even tries to convince Andy that there is no reason to think of anything beyond the prison.  The amazing thing is that Andy is well aware that there is more to life than prison, and once more he knows how to accomplish that goal.  This conversation about dreams and the point beyond the current circumstances happens in the context of a relationship.  

This could be imagined as if Christ is Andy and that Red is us.  Christ comes to speak to us, reminds us that there is more to life than what we see in front of our eyes.  Andy did not deny that the prison was in front of them, but that he wanted to continue their friendship.  Andy wanted to bring Red along and share in his hope.  This is what Christ wants for us.  He knows that Red may not be the "man who gets things" out in the non-prison world, but he is still Andy's friend.  God wants us to be with Him in His plans, in His hobbies, business, dreams.  He is good friends with us, and wants to share the life He has created with us.  

As Andy said "get busy living or get busy dying."  Christ wants us to make a decision and not just sit on the fence.  "I wish you were either cold or hot.  So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." Rev. 3:16.  If today you hear His voice harden not your hearts.  Come along with Christ, experience His dreams, and His hope and plan for your life. 

Remember the Titans

[the team is facing racial tensions as they try to compete well as a high school football team during the early 1970s]

As Blue so adequately put it, "And y'all fools think that's something?...man, that ain't nothing y'all."  He was addressing his team reminding them that what they are facing is something greater than the team realized.  As is said in the clip, the team came together at camp, but then the real world is not as easy as camp.  Camp was not easy either.  It is only experiences that are borne from hardship that mean something to us.  Imagine winning a trophy and having put no hard work in, it doesn't really mean anything.  It is the hard fought battle that means something.  That is why when you study really hard for a test, or you work really hard at your job that you feel the joy of success.  

Blue is touching not only on fighting through adversity for the sake of the joy to be had after all the hard work, but also a choice to be made.  It is a great parallel for a Confirmation.  It is an accepting of the faith that somebody professed for us at Baptism.  So our parents, "Coach Boone," spoke for us when we were younger, but now it is time for us to take on what we believe, to speak for ourselves.  Coach Boone could not make the players get along, or think that working together will make them better people.  It is a choice that they themselves had to make.  It was something that the team had to answer, the question of whether or not they were going to let race get in the way.  

The question becomes for us, is that when the going gets tough are we going to accept the faith, that we have proclaimed thus far, or will we give up, and let the world dictate what we believe.  The camaraderie that the team felt coming back from camp was a true experience that they should not ignore, but rather embrace, which is the same of what we should do.  We should not deny the experience of faith we once had, or explaining it away.  It is real. 

The Princess Bride

[ The Dread Pirate Roberts (Carry Elwes) in black has just climbed the cliff.  Inigo Montoya and Roberts just had a heartfelt conversation about Inigo's past to give Roberts time to rest before the sword fight. ]

So this is just another fun fight scene right?  Well, yes, but it is far more than that.  So Roberts (the man in black) is pursuing these people who have have captured Princess Buttercup.  Inigo is there to stop him, but they begin with pleasantries which is odd concerning they are going to a fight to the death soon.  So why do you think that Inigo gave Roberts time to rest?  We have multiple answers.

The first answer is that Inigo is a sportsman, he believes in fair play.  This is something that is sorely needed in our culture today.  So many people play sports and other games for the soul point of beating their opponents mercilessly.  Inigo knows he himself is an excellent swordsman so he wants to give Roberts as much time to rest so that Roberts can give his full effort back.  Inigo wants a good match all around.  This is how my dad taught me to be at sporting events.  I have always wanted hard fought, good matches of strength and skill.  When one team is amazing it doesn't make for a fun event for anyone involved.  This is one of the reason it is never alright to run up the score on a team.  

The second answer is that Inigo wants to challenge himself.  It is no fun fighting against an opponent that you could dispatch easily.  Where is the honor, or glory in that?  We should seek to push ourselves to ever greater endeavors, which is why Inigo and Roberts both start left handed.  They fight hard with there left hands, and then switch to their dominant hand.  They start with their weaker hand to try and make it fair contest as stated above. 

Notice that they compliment each other as they fight as well.  This is the sign of a noble man, a man who pays credit where credit is due.  Notice they never say anything negative to each other.  They do not boo, or even make jeers.  This is something that our sports culture very much needs to learn.  In any event it does nothing other than detract from the game when you jeer or boo an opponent.  They are there to compete just like the other team.  

And at the end of the scene they are left with respect for one another.  Roberts does not kill him because he finds honor, and dignity in the way that he fights, and carries himself.  And who knows what tomorrow could bring.  When we approach with a rational and open mind and close on the facts we have unexpected fruits later.  Roberts and Inigo become friends by the end of the movie. 

Singin' in the Rain

[Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) was insulted earlier by Kathy Sullivan (Debbie Reynolds) about being a movie star.  Kathy claimed that she was a stage actor, which in her mind and her argument earlier was more noble than movie stars. Now we get to see Kathy's profession.]

As is explained above Kathy, had expressed that movie actors were not real actors, that theirs was not a noble profession.  So Don then had asked what Kathy was and she said a stage actress.  Don jokingly talked about the greats of Shakespeare and the like. 

So Don sees Kathy in her profession which he wants to rub in, and yet at the same time it is all in good fun.  Don is not being condensing, but simply reminding Kathy of her unjust treatment of Don.  It is really rather fitting that Kathy is exposed like this.  We need to be reminded of the cliche "people in glass houses should not throw rocks." Kathy was demeaning Don's profession when she really knew nothing of what he had done to get his job, and the hard work involved.  Kathy got served a case of humble pie (pun intended).  

Often times we ourselves talk about things we are not fully acquainted with which leads to us putting our foot in our mouth.  We should not presume to think that any profession is somehow more noble, or worthy than anybody else's.  I should not look down on others simply because they apply a trade that is easy for me, or that I think is rather stupid.  We should reserve our judgment into all the facts are in, and make sure that we are not being hypocritical as Kathy was.   Not to mention we are all one body, though many parts.  I need the hand just as much as my foot, or eye.  Granted some parts are critical, but each provide the wholeness of society.  

Even though he had been made fun of earlier by Kathy, Don still treats Kathy kindly.  His compliment about Kathy being great was heartfelt.  He really did mean what he said, and she was an amazing dancer, and signer as we will see later in the film.