Conference lgp30::christian-perspective

I rented this thinking it was just another televangelist-trashing comedy, but
it turned out to be a much better movie than I expected.  It was funny but
it was also thought-provoking.

Richard "John Boy" Thomas is a young who has just inherited his father's
multi-million dollar televangelism ministry.  His problem is that, unlike his
father, his sermons are too intellectual and put people to sleep, and the
ministry's once plentiful income drops sharply.  To liven things up he recruits
a secular rock singer and her band as his warm-up act.  Soon "Sister Ruth" is
making her mark in the Billboard charts, and the televangelism show goes on
network TV.  One compromise leads to another, though, all for the glory of the
Lord, of course, and things get out of hand.  When an investigative reporter
starts to uncover all the gory details, the televangelist and the rock star
are confronted with difficult moral choices.

A warning to our evangelical friends: this movie is rated R for language and
a certain amount of sex.  If you can get past that, maybe you'll enjoy the
movie (although you probably won't agree with its conclusions).

				-- Bob

    Bob,
    
    Since I won't be seeing the movie, what *are* its conclusions (hidden
    by spoiler warnings of course)? Would they warrant discussion here?
    
    	BD�

    
    Naturally there won't be a long list of such (contemporary) movies.  
    And there probably aren't any that portray clearly a Christian morality or
    lifestyle that  have been seen and enjoyed generally.  The Mission and
    Chariots of Fire are notable exceptions. 
    
    On top of the lack of Christian movies add the insult that treatments
    of the subject dwell on the darkest sides of humanity (not
    Christianity) or on totally inaccurate depictions of Christianity (like
    The Last Temptation of Christ).
    
    jeff
    
    

    Jeff,
    
    The Mission was indeed an excellent movie!
    
    Can you easily summarize the ways in which you felt that
    The Last Temptation of Christ was totally inaccurate.
    
    I know it engendered a lot of "hoop-la" within some facets
    of the Christian community, but I never became familiar
    with what the specific outrages were.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Karen 

    One of my all-time favorite movies is "Brother Sun, Sister Moon," a
    glimpse of the incredibly Christ centered life of Francis of Assisi.
    I've seen it 5 times and wouldn't mind seeing it 5 times more.
    
    It is out on video cassette.
    
    Also, I've seen "Romero" 3 times.  It's not a great film, but it is
    a film about a truly great soul.  It, too, is out on video rental
    shelves.
    
    I'm looking forward to seeing "Glory, Glory."  So don't spoil it for
    me, Bob.
    
    Peace,
    Richard

    Thanks Richard,
    
    I'm going to pick up "Brother Sun, Sister Moon," as I am just coming
    to know more about the life and works of Francis of Assisi, whom I
    find inspiring.
    
    Karen

Karen,

The major problem with The Last Temptation of Christ is that it portrayed
Christ as a sinner.

Other problems include portraying Christ as a wimp and Judas Iscariot
as a man of strong will and convictions.  Also, the dream that portrays
Jesus as lusting after Mary is, to say the least, inappropriate.

The Jesus of the Bible had nothing in common with the Jesus in the
picture, other than they did some of the same things.  This is why this
picture is so offensive (and heretical) - because it demeans in a very
graphical and explicit way the Lord God, the Savior of the world.

Collis

Re: .2  Barry

"Conclusions" was probably the wrong word.  Different characters do various
things and say various things, but that doesn't mean that the filmmakers
were endorsing those actions and statements.

I doubt that I'll be able to capture the flavor of the movie for you, but
I'll give it a shot (after the form feed).


In the first place, you have to suspend your disblief in order to get into
this movie, because the televangelists don't act like televangelists.  No
real televangelist would let a secular rock perform on their show. I think
the underlying message the film was trying to put across is that all too
often what attracts people to televangelism is its entertainment value,
such as the fire-and-brimstone rhetoric and the fancy churches, rather than
a genuine love of God and love for their fellow man.  The televangelism
ministries seem to exist for their own sake, their main goal being to
increase their number of viewers, and in that sense they're in the
entertainment industry just as much as the TV networks are.

The televangelist and his financial advisor commit all kinds of sins, using
as their excuse the argument that the end justifies the means.  Of course
this isn't something that Christianity teaches, but looking at the Bakker
and Swaggart scandals, for example, it's true that some televangelists say
one thing in public and act the opposite way in private.

To pull in a bigger audience, the ministry's media consultants decide that
"Sister Ruth", the rock singer, should perform miraculous healings during
the services.  They hire three actors to fake ailments that Sister Ruth can
"miraculously" cure.  During the show, though, a mother manages to get her
wheelchair-bound daughter past the security guards and on to the stage.
Sister Ruth goes through her healing routine, not thinking that it would
work.  Surprisingly, though the girl does get up and walk.  Sister Ruth
starts to believe in God, who had given her the power to heal.  Over time
she heals a large number of people, including people who are healed just
by watching the TV show.  This boosts the show's ratings, making it one of
the most popular shows on TV.

Later on Sister Ruth is interviewed by an investigative reporter, who
shows cases where the people she healed were only cured temporarily, and
two weeks later appeared on a different televangelism show.  The reporter
pulls in a medical expert who says that of the hundreds of cases he
investigated, all of the healings had medical explanations.  The healings
were due to the placebo effect.  This shakes Sister Ruth's faith, since it
appears that she was merely performing a parlor trick that anyone off the
street could do just as well.

The movie's crisis comes when the investigative reporter learns that Sister
Ruth had an abortion, paid for by the ministry, *after* she started performing
on the gospel show.  Presumably if this story leaks out the ministry will
be doomed.  The televangelist and financial advisor use blackmail to prevent
the reporter from using the abortion story.

During the next gospel show, though, Sister Ruth confesses her sins to the
audience, and the televangelist admits his own guilt.  Apparently the audience
forgives them and the movie ends with all the characters, including the
televangelist's dead father and someone dressed up as Jesus, holding hands
and singing together on stage.

				-- Bob

    
    re: .7 (Collis)
    
    concerning The Last Temptation:
    
    I didn't think Christ came across as a wimp at all.  I understood
    both Christ and Judas as just being very dedicated to following
    God's plans for them.  I imagine what is offensive is that Christ 
    was portrayed as *human*.  I see nothing wrong with that from my
    perspective, but realize others will inevitably disagree.
    
    And along the lines of being human - does the Bible say anything 
    about Christ having never had a human urge of his own?  In my opinion,
    Christ did not lust after Mary at all.  And the movie was probably 
    intending to present some ideas that went beyond the scope of whether
    or not Christ was sexually aroused in the presence of Mary.
    
    I'd have to watch it again to get into just what those ideas were....
    
    guy

Can't quite say that these portray Christianity per se, but I found them quite 
thought provoking along those lines anyway....

First one is titled (I think, it's been a while since I saw it) _Ressurection_, 
about a woman who is given the ability to heal via laying on of her hands.  
Her questions about where this power comes from, why her?, what she is to do
with it, and trying to avoid exploiting it (or having it exploited by others) 
raised some very interesting questions and perspectives.

The other one, which I seriously believe to be an excellent movie covering 
religion, spirituality, and the difference between the two is Monty Python's 
_Life of Brian_.

From the portrayal of various splinter groups (one having a single member), to 
the followers looking for a positive sign that this messiah was the One ("...I 
should know, I've followed a few!") to Brian's addressing the multitude
outside his window ("You all must think for yourselves"  [response in unison]
"Yes, we all must think for ourselves.....Tell Us More!") it takes a serious, 
if humorous, look at many pertinent issues and foibles in the church, and in
the Church.  (And the spaceship scene is out of this world!!.-) 

Oh, and _Saving Grace_, starring Tom Conti as a pope who wanders away from all 
the "protection" foisted upon him and finds himself in the middle of a 
struggle to save a small village.  Don't remember a lot about it, I think I'll 
look for it at my local tape rental service this weekend...

Peace,

Jim

    Collis,
    	one of the things that attracts me to the teachings of Christ is
    the fact that he says it's OK to be a wimp - maybe MORE than just OK.
    Does "turn the other cheek" sound macho to you ?  Check out the
    Beatitudes for an advocacy of wimpiness. You can have convictions
    without forcing them on others. You can believe without absolute
    security in what you are doing. Even if you KNOW that what you are
    doing is right you should have second thoughts if there are also
    negative consequences (like getting yourself killed) to your actions.
    	Was Christ a sinner ?  Well, he was human - as was pointed out
    already - and he IS the one who supposedly defines what you believe to
    be good and evil. If he did it, must it not be good ?  You mentioned
    the dream in which Christ "lusts after Mary". You call it
    inappropriate. Just why is it inappropriate for Christ to love one of
    his followers ?  Or would you hold him above such things ?  Who do you
    know who is above love ?  Is not love the basis for christian thinking?
    	The book wasn't much and I suspect that it became a movie mainly to
    apall the Christian Right. Neither offers much other than an insight
    into the humanity of Christ and a starting point for an argument.
    	Oh, Judas as a man of strong will and convictions; sounds like some
    modern-day religious I know of. Including the not-so-dear departed
    Ayatollah, Sadam Hussein, and a number of televangelists. At least the
    characterization was right.

    The "dream" sequence involving Mary Magdelene was not a dream at all,
    but a temptation.  In the movie, Jesus was tempted with having the
    opportunity of living out a normal family life instead of continuing to
    suffer and then die on the cross.  It was a temptation that he
    ultimately rejected, with difficulty.  Thus the movie portrays Jesus as
    having resisted temptation, not as having succumbed to it.

    The fact that the movie portrays Jesus as having struggled with the
    issue before ultimately rejecting the temptation probably offends
    certain docetist sensibilities often found within Christianity, despite
    the fact that docetism has long been considered a heresy by orthodox
    Christian theology.

    -- Mike

    re .11, Dave,
    � Does "turn the other cheek" sound macho to you ?
    
    In fact, I would suggest that it takes *more* machismo to "turn the
    other cheek" than is required to ``deck'' the person who struck you. 
    I've just reviewed the Beatitudes in Luke 6:20ff, and I really don't
    see anything in there that could in the slightest way be called
    `wimpiness'.  In fact, I see a call not for =physical= strength, but
    rather =spiritual= strength.  A complete turn around from the world's
    attitude of handling life.
    
    You then ask about the appropriateness or otherwise of Christ loving
    one of His followers.  I John 4:8(b), says that "God is agap� (love)",
    and (assuming the Traditional Christian Theology of Jesus actually
    being God), that means that Jesus is the embodiment of Love (agap�). 
    Now, loving (agap�) is different from loving in the sexual (eros)
    sense.  So, it is *most* appropo for Jesus (God) to Love (agap�) His
    disciples, but very definitely in-appropriate for Him to eros one of
    His disciples (male *or* female).  One (agap�) is His very Essence
    ("God is Love"), the other (eros) pertains to sexual desire  (lusting
    in your heart ? - Mt 5:28), i.e. sin, and we know that Jesus didn't 
    sin !
    
    	My own opinions, obviously.  Much agap�,
    						hazza :*]

    
       This is a interesting and visually stunning film that explores
      the nature of faith as the means of salvation and the sacrifices
      that one must make because of faith. It could also be viewed as
      an allegory of Christ's life.
        It is also a pretty good Sci/Fi time travel film.
       There is a brief plot outline and a discussion of this film
      in note 2250 in Zendia::Movies.
        Without a doubt one the the best films I have watched this year. 
                  
                                                       Mike                  
    

    
    re: .13 (Mike Velanza)
    
    That's pretty much what I got from the movie too.
    
    
    guy

    
    
    Richard...thanks for the reminder about "Brother Sun, Sister Moon".
    I've been wanting to see this movie for some time, but have not
    found it in the rental stores.  I'll take a look again!
    
    RE: The Last Temptation of Christ
    
    To me, this was a beautiful movie.  It helped to break through some
    some defenses around my heart, and it also raised some good questions
    within me.
    
    RE: Resurrection
    
    I thought this was an excellent movie.  It is a source of inspiration
    for me in working with healing.
    
    
    Carole

    I saw "Glory! Glory!"
    
    I had difficulty swallowing the premise.  But, aside from that
    I really enjoyed it, particularly the use of humor which is
    injected unexpectedly into some scenes.
    
    My wife, Sharon, says she really like the movie, also.
    
    Peace,
    Richard

    I would like to recommend Shadowlands.  It is a movie about C.S. Lewis.
    
    It's on video I believe, I don't think it was ever shown as a theatre
    film..  It's a wonderful movie.
    
    I'd also like to recommend Jean de Florette and Manon of the the
    Spring.  They need to be seen together.  They are a vivid portrayal
    of the falleness of man and wonderful movies.  
    
    Beth

< Note 15.9 by BTOVT::BEST_G "that's the Law 'round here!" >
    guy

RE The Last Temptation of Christ.

I agree with you. Most of the opinions that I have heard from the
local protestors here in Colorado Springs is that Jesus was a
whimp and that Judas was strong willed. The local theaters were
persuaded to cancel the movie after a few days.

I finally saw it on rental video. I believe that the portral of
Jesus is plausable, is not the image of Christ that I learned.
However, the personal thoughts of Christ was never written. There
has been various studies of the actions of Judas; from a man tied
to his Jewish roots (and hence the need to betray Jesus to the
Sanhedran), to a greedy person who would sell out a close friend.
I personally, think that Judas was torn by his faith in Jesus as
well as his Jewish teachings that he must obey the lawyers of the
temple (which, by the way shows up in the movie).

I believe that it would be offensive to those who cannot accept
that Jesus was a human, living amongst His people.

calvin

    Cal, it was unfortunate that the local theaters caved in to pressure
    and decided not to show it, but at least Poor Richard's was able to
    show it at the Unitarian Church.
    
    -- Mike

    A friend of mine saw LTOC at the Unitarian Church.  All the publicity
    made him curious.  His opinion was that LTOC was a terrible movie
    (bloody, boring, etc..), and that had there not been such an uproar
    surrounding it, the movie would have died of box office neglect.
    
    Richard

    
    I read an article in "Reader's Digest" called "Why Hollywood Hates 
    Religion" that discussed the portrayal of religious themes and leaders
    in movies that were made in the last few years.
    
    The author couldn't understand why these movies are continually made
    since all the ones he mentioned were not financially successful.
    
    To my mind the author's interpretation of the "themes" (as he saw them)
    were a bit two-dimensional and lacked any evidence that he had been in
    any way objective in his criticism of the contents of the films.
    
    Offhand, I can't remember what possible purpose the author could have
    come up with to explain why Hollywood insists on making these movies.
    
    Maybe it's because they thought they had some good ideas that might 
    actually interest people?  Is this so different from any other kinds
    of films?
    
    guy

    
    re: .23 (me)
    
    Oops - an important point to what I was saying was that the author
    thought that only *negative* themes were portrayed in films concerning
    religion (mostly Christianity).
    
    guy

    
    Re.23 and .24
    
    Guy,
    
    Reader's Digest is an incredibly conservative, right-wing magazine.
    (;^)  And yet I subscribe to it.
                 
    Cindy

    A film starring Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner called "On the Beach"
    comes to mind.  Not a 'Christian' story per se, it's a 1950's movie
    that takes place, for most part, after the nuclear holocaust has been
    unleashed.
    
    One scene keeps being reintroduced where a crowd is gathered to hear
    a stormy evangelist's message beneath a banner which reads: IT'S NOT
    TOO LATE!
    
    It is also the last scene in the movie.  But in the last scene, there
    are no people.  There is no evangelist.  There's only the wind swishing
    papers about and furling that same banner ironically proclaiming that
    IT'S NOT TOO LATE!  It's haunting.
    
    Peace,
    Richard

	One of the most powerful movies I've ever seen was "Born on
the Fourth of July," based on some experiences of Ron Kovic.  The film
depicts young Kovic as idealistic and certain of the goodness and
rightness of warfare in fighting Communist forces in Viet Nam.

	It's difficult to erase from memory young Ron kneeling in
deep and longing prayer before a crucifix mounted on a bedside wall,
and another scene, where an inebriated and deeply bitter Kovic vocalizes
his resentment against God and his religious upbringing.

Peace,
Richard

    Channel Four here in the UK has been running a "BANNED" series, showing
    films that were at some stage banned.
    
    "Life of Brian" was one film that was banned here in the UK on TV. The
    producers say that it pokes fun at established religion - the religion
    it portrays is Christianity.
    
    "Inherit the Wind" was a true story based on a court case - the "Monkey
    Trial". A teacher tried to teach Darwin's theory of evolution in school
    - however in that State it was illegal, so he found himself arrested
    and in jail.
    
    In the court case, he was found guilty and fined $100, but the defence
    decided to take this to the Supreme Court - the prosecutor died trying
    to make a speech once the court had closed.
    
    How accurately this film portrays the events is difficult to say - the
    prosecutor put the teacher's girlfriend on the witness stand after she
    came to him in confidence and put words into her mouth. It appeared he
    simply wanted the bible to come out smelling roses despite the cost to
    a human being.

    I *loved* "Life of Brian!"  
    
    For example:
    
    In chasing Brian, whom the crowd *thinks* is Jesus, the crowd finds a
    sandal of Brian's that he lost while trying to run away from them. 
    They then proceed to discuss the possible *meaning* of that sandal! 
    Does the Lord want them to go barefoot?  To wear only *one* sandal? 
    Etc.   
    
    I think the film really points up our human foibles and foolishness
    and our overwhelming ability to miss the point of Jesus' teachings!
    
    Nancy

>    I *loved* "Life of Brian!"  

Me, too.  In fact I think it to be one of the best and most insightful movies 
about religion, and how that differs with faith.

As one of the sandal worshippers said, "he IS the Messiah, I should know, I've 
followed a few..."

Or Brian speaking to the masses: "you all have to think for yourselves!"
(and the crowd responds "yes, we have to think for ourselves....tell us more."

Wonderful stuff.

Peace,

Jim

     
      Just to add a bit of balance to this let me say that I loved
     "Inherit The Wind" It was originally done on Broadway and won
      a Tony award and a Pulitzer prize. It is a very thought 
      provoking drama.

       I would guess the "banned" version was the Hollywood version
      with Spencer Tracy and not the more recent made for TV movie.
      In the original film Tony Randall recreates his Broadway role
      of the cynical reporter E.K. Hornbeck which is a very thinly
      disguised portrayal of H.L. Mencken as kind of a Shakespearean
      narrator in the play.

        This is really a fine film purely from the aspect of being a 
      well written and very well acted drama. Some controversial works
      are only controversial and have little artistic merit, but "Inherit
      The Wind" is quite successful in this aspect.

                                                               Mike

    Re: .32
    
    Ahem....
    
    In the movie with Spencer Tracy, it was Gene Kelly who played the
    part you attribute to Tony Randall.  Is there another one I've yet
    to see?
    
    Peace,
    Richard

     Richard:
              At the risk of being argumentative, my film guide at
        home says Randall played Hornbeck. Not that it matters a whole
        lot. Guess it's time to rent again and see if you or the film
        guide is correct.

                                                              Mike

    Re: .34
    
    	I have been in error before.  I shant be surprised to be in
    error again.
    
    	The version I am familiar with had Fredrick March as the
    prosecuting attorney with presidential aspirations, and Harry
    Morgan as the judge.

    Richard

	... was a Dayton Tenn. teacher in the '20s.  William Jennings Bryant
was the prosecutor, and Clarence Darrow the defense. Darrow essentially made
Bryant look silly during the trial, and Bryant's health fell apart in the 
following months.

	I wish I could remember all the players in that movie!

I saw the movie _Robin Hood_ last Saturday.  I found the interplay
between Christian and Muslim, mortal enemies brought together
as allies, an interesting dimension in the classic legend.

The film accurately portrays the Muslim culture as the more technologically
advanced at the time, having knowledge of telescopic lenses and Caesarean
births.

Peace,
Richard

    Yeah, too bad for the most part they stayed locked in that time period.

    I seen the movie when it first came out. As I watched it, I felt like
    something was missing, then at the end of the movie, when Sean Conry
    comes riding in, I knew what it was. Americans shouldn't make movies
    about English people with American actors. The British accent was
    missing. Sean Conry took to whole scene with his charisma I thought.
    In fact I think he would've made a better Robin Hood. I all I thought
    the movie was fair.


    Jim

> In fact I think he would've made a better Robin Hood.

	Actually I think he *did* make a better Robin Hood in "Robin and Marian"

	While the Moor character, played very well by Morgan Freeman, was more
	cultured and advanced in many ways than the Christians there was the
	contrast in the opening of "Moslem justice" as still practiced today.
	The cutting off of a hand for stealing. Often concidered barbaric
	in "Christian" lands. A balanced movie for the most part.

			Alfred

A few weeks ago I rented the movie _MATEWAN_, which is a dramatization of the
events leading up to the infamous Matewan massacre.  Matewan is a mining town
in West Virginia which is probably most widely known as the regional home of
the feuding McCoys and Hatfields.

The religious dimension of the lives of the people in the Matewan community
during this period was of no small significance.

There's one particular scene where a teenaged boy, recognized for his gift
of preaching, cleverly reveals a plot against the life of a union organizer
through the telling of a humorously bizarre variation of the story of Joseph
of the Old Testament.

In another scene, the union organizer tells of the time he served in prison
and of the inspirational endurance of Mennonites who repeatedly withstood
severe torture rather than to betray their beliefs.

I would describe the movie as riveting and intense.  And for the sake of those
who think movies should end a certain way, this is one of those movies that
doesn't have a happy ending.

Peace,
Richard

    _Matewan_ is directed by one of my favorite directors, John Sayles.  He
    also directed _Eight Men Out_, _The Return of the Secaucus Seven_, and
    _Brother_From_Another_Planet_.
    
    -- Mike

    
    Mike,
    
    Isn't there a new movie out right now by this director?  Something
    with the word 'city' in it?
    
    Carole

    Carole, I think you may be right, but I haven't been following the
    "film scene" very much for the last few months.
    
    -- Mike

    
    John Sayles is also one of my favorite directors/writers...
    
    although i'll admit that some of his appeal for me is purely
    physical   %^ )
    
    peter

    
    <-----  hmmmm.....I kind of liked him too! ;^)
    
    Carole

	"We're gonna have an orgasm like you can't even comprehend!"

This is one of the many memorable quotes from "Heaven," a film by Diane
Keaton.  The influence of Woody Allen is evident in this montage of
interviews and vintage movie clips.

None of the people interviewed were celebrities.  They ranged from the
fundamentalist to the esoteric in perspective.  A lot of the things said,
and often *how* they were said, were very humorous: "Every time I think
about it, I get Jesus-bumps all over my body!"

At times I got the feeling that Keaton bordered on making fun of seemingly
sincere people.  Yet, at the same time, she offered more than a few strains
of sympathy for her characters and compassion for the human condition.

While "Heaven" may seem too "artsy" for some, I thoroughly enjoyed it and
wouldn't mind seeing it again.

Peace,
Richard

I rented and watched the "Amityville Horror" over the weekend.  I thought
the movie a superior one for it's genre, of which, I confess, I am not an
avid fan.  As suggested by its title, "Amityville Horror" will be found
in the horror section of your video store, along side slasher and chainsaw
massacre movies.

The story is based on the accounts of the Lutz family, who began to have
some bizarre and frightening experiences upon moving into a house in
Amityville, New York.  Prior to their taking possession, the house had
been the site of the unmotivated slaughter of an entire family.

As usual, Rod Steiger gives a powerful performance.  In a supporting role,
Steiger portrays a priest who is the first one to recognize the presence of
profound evil in this otherwise charming New England domicile.  He is one of
two Catholic religious who are hastily repelled while visiting the property.
Though considered a highly rational person, Steiger's experience is dismissed
as just too fantastic by his peers in the church.  Not without some reluctance,
the priest makes repeated attempts to contact the Lutz household and warn them.
For his efforts, he mysteriously loses his sight while saying Mass.

The Lutz family does eventually come to the realization that all their lives
are in jeopardy as long as they remain on the premises.  In the end, they do
hastily abandon the property, never to return.

I would recommend this movie, but it is chilling.  So don't see it alone. ;-}

Peace,
Richard

Over the weekend, I rented "The Execution of Private Slovik".  The movie
is a account of the events leading up to the only U.S. soldier to be
sentenced to death by firing squad during WWII, Pvt. Edward Donald Slovik.

One gets the feeling that the movie is painstakingly accurate at the
expense of some of the drama.  It tends to drag a bit in portions.

Slovik, played by Martin Sheen, had had some minor scrapes with the law
in his younger years (stealing candy and small change) and had served time
in a penal institution.  This automatically made his draft classification
4F.  For those who don't remember, 4F means they'll draft women and children
before they draft you.

After he courted and married a woman who had a very stabilizing effect on his
life, he received notification that he had been reclassified A1 and was
immediately drafted.

From the outset, Slovik tried to convince the military that his nerves couldn't
take combat.  He knew he would freeze up.  And the only time Slovik saw action
is when he was pinned into a small hillside cave by nighttime enemy shelling.
Slovik and one other GI became separated that night from their unit.  They
were picked up the next day by Canadian troops who were assigned duties far
from the battlefront.

Both GI's were eventually returned to their unit.  Upon reporting to their
commanding officer, Slovik surrendered his rifle and announced that he could
not and would not use it.

Slovik wanted out.  He wanted a court martial.  He was willing to do the time.

I hesitate to say more at this point, because the situation becomes subject
to personal interpretation and judgment.

I will say that Ned Beatty delivers an uncharacteristically superior
performance as a Roman Catholic Army chaplain.  The chaplain very neatly and
believably defers moral responsibility away from the troops assigned to
Slovik's firing squad.  And in Slovik's final hours, he hears Slovik's final
confession, grants Slovik absolution, and holds Mass.  He stays with Slovik
to the end, praying with Slovik, "Hail, Mary, full of grace...." over and
over, without pause and at a furious pace.

I would give this movie a higher rating for informational value than for
entertainment value.  There are no easy answers to be found in this film.
The film testifies to the fact that war creates a complex multitude of victims.

Peace,
Richard

	I rented a movie this weekend that I judged to be outstanding
in a variety of aspects.

	The movie is called "Switch."

	The premise is basically this:  A successful advertising man who
has a well-deserved reputation for using and abusing the affections of women
is murdered by three of his victims.  Our dishonorable hero finds himself in
Purgatory and in the Presence of the Great I AM, Who, interestingly enough,
speaks with both a male and female voice!  With our hero caught between Heaven
and Hell, the Almighty decides to send our hero back to find just one member
of the opposite sex who really loved him.  This would be the determining
factor -- his ticket to Heaven.

	A little reminiscent of Job, the Devil proposes that our hero's
mission not be made too easy.  The Devil persuades God to make our
regenerated macho man.......a woman.

	Ellen Barkin gives an astounding portrayal of a chauvinist male
who finds himself suddenly inhabiting a female's body.  It's so believable
that one tends to forget that this is really Ellen Barkin inhabiting Ellen
Barkin's body.

	I won't spoil the plot for you by supplying more details.  But I
will recommend this movie especially to anyone who has an interest in gender
communications, gender politics, or gender roles.

Peace,
Richard

	Rented a classic last weekend: "Boys Town"

	Yep, the one with Spencer Tracy as Father Flanagan (Any relation Pat?)
and Mickey Rooney as Whitey Marsh, a kid on his way to a life of crime.

	I didn't remember the movie as being so schmaltzy.  But schmaltzy it
was and there was nary a dry eye in the house.

	My spouse, Sharon, had just read a book on the life of Father Flanagan.
According to her, the movie had been injected a strong dose of Hollywood.
However, it wasn't entirely fiction.  Father Flanagan really did say, "There's
no such thing as a bad boy."

	Not mentioned in the movie, Father Flanagan did considerable research
in psychology and human character development.  He determined that the two
ingredients missing most from the lives of boys and young men chronically in
trouble were 1) love and 2) religion.

	A fascinating true story Sharon related from the book was of a boy
who kicked a nun and then ran to Father Flanagan and asked, "*Now* am I a bad
boy?"

	Father Flanagan said, "No, you are a good boy."

	"What would it take for me to be a bad boy then?" he persisted.

	"Disobedience to what you've been taught" answered Flanagan.  "And
you're doing precisely what you've been taught."


Peace,
Richard

	I watched most of Cecil B. DeMille epic - "The Ten Commandments"
once again Sunday evening.

	This is a real memorabilia movie.  My spouse and I both enjoy
reminiscing about the naive thoughts and feelings we had when upon first
viewing this film.  We were awe-struck.  But now - as our comparatively
sophisticated 12 year old son verbalized - the acting is terrible.  It's
partly the dialogue's fault, but not entirely.  Edward G. Robinson managed
to pull his lines off quite believably, as did Yul Brenner to a lesser degree.

	That poor Charleton Heston -- I can't remember a single movie
where that man wore pants.  The women's hairstyles and makeup were
so obviously '50's.  Scene after scene was shot against a painted studio
background flooded with shadowless light.

	The story loosely follows the biblical account of the life of Moses.
Some of it, like the entangling relationship of Moses with the scheming
Nephrateri, was purely Hollywood fabrication.  And though the opening
credits would have you believe that every detail was verified by historical
accounts, there were loads of errors; such as, the snippets of dialogue lifted
liberally from later Scripture and the incorporation of post-exilic
theological concepts.

	The special effects have not withstood the test of time.  Such
effects as the burning bush, the parting of the Red Sea, and the pillar of
fire no longer capture the cinemagraphic credibility they once held.

Peace,
Richard

    
    <----  For it's time though, it wasn't bad.  I was about 12 or 13 when
    it was playing at the Capital Theatre in West New York, NJ.  Movies
    were inexpensive for kids then, and I went to see it every afternoon 
    while it was there.  This was in the summer, of course.  I *loved*
    this movie.  I was also still very caught up in Roman Catholic beliefs
    at the time and was very impressionable.
    
    Carole

	I rented _The Last Temptation of Christ_ from my local video store
over the weekend.

	I recall the tremendous uproar this film caused even before its
release.  I recall when the fundamentalist faction in my community waged
a successful campaign to prohibit the showing of this film in any of the
local commercial theatres.  In retrospect, the furor of yesteryear seems
so silly and meaningless, so concerned with shadow rather than substance.

	The film is not based on the gospels, as it clearly indicates at the
outset of the movie.  It was not intended to replace, supplement or augment
the gospels as contained in the New Testament.  It is based instead on the
book, _The Last Temptation of Christ_, by Nikos Kazantzakis, who I understand
also wrote _Zorba the Greek_.

	I, personally, found the concepts put forth in the film intriguing
and thought-provoking.  But, allow me to also add that I found the film
tedious at times, and I felt a little overwhelmed by all the blood.

	I thought Willem Defoe (Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July) turned
in a characteristically good performance as Jesus.  Barbara Hershey, though
less convincing, was haunting as Mary Magdalene.  And David Bowie as Pontius
Pilate, though not bad in the role, almost caused me to chuckle out loud.  I
half-expected Bowie to break into song.

	I especially enjoy those movies which tend to linger in my mind hours
and even days after I've seen them.  Such movies, for me, include _JFK_,
_Fried Green Tomatoes_, and now _The Last Temptation of Christ_.

Peace,
Richard

	Rented the video _The Fisher King_ over the past weekend.

	While I was viewing it I felt myself very much drawn to it for
its humor, which at times is no less than outrageous.  But the qualities
which now linger have to do with the poignant and the profound.

	It a movie which ultimately celebrates life and the goodness
of life, but does so without pushing aside the devastating and the
deeply tragic.  It is the story of the quest for the Holy Grail, "the
symbol of God's grace."  It is also a story of haves and have-nots,
of living in the margins, of the interconnectedness of human events,
of responsibility, of unselfishness, and of divine madness.

	It is a story of finding oneself through losing oneself, a message
we've not often heard in the last couple of decades.

	Oh yeah, it's also a love story.

Peace,
Richard

	Something I forgot to mention in 15.54, the woman who played "Ann,"
opposite Jeff Bridges in _The Fisher King_, I thought bore a striking
resemblance to our own Karen Berggren.  Only Karen is the more attractive
of the two.

Peace,
Richard

    Aw gee shucks.... :-)
    
    Thanks for providing the review, Richard.  Carole and I were just talking 
    about The Fisher King this past Sunday and I plan to rent it, probably this 
    weekend.
    
    Karen

"The Rapture"

	One of the most unusual films I've ever seen.  It's ultimate
outcome is nearly 'Twilight Zone-ish.'

	It is the story of Sharon, an attractive directory assistance
operator, who, after a time of exploring sex as a social function, finds
it to be less than satisfying.  Some scenes, I feel I should warn, are
fairly sexually explicit.

	In time, and not without moments of desperation, Sharon comes
to know God.  She becomes a Born Again Christian and joins a cult-like
fellowship which emphasizes the coming of the end times.  She marries one
of her lovers, apparently converting him somewhere along the line, and she
has a child, Mary.

	At this point, I am reluctant to share much more as it might spoil
the story.

	Surprisingly, at least to me, the Rapture does occur.  But I'm
still wrestling with whether or not it was genuine or a hallucination.  The
movie gives no hint.  And I suspect very few other viewers would share my
doubt.

	Speaking critically, it is not a superior motion picture.  Some
of the dialogue seemed comic-bookish, which may have been intentional.  But
to me, cliches need no augmentation.  Some of the acting was pretty poor,
also.  Still, the story was intriguing and just unpredictable enough to hold
my interest quite firmly for nearly 2 hours.

Peace,
Richard

	RE: .57 Is this at theaters, video stores, or somewhere else? Who
	put it out? (Production co. etc)

			Alfred

    Alfred .58,
    
    I rented it from my local supermarket.  "The Rapture" was a new
    release in the video section.  Don't recall the production company.
    The main actress was Mimi Rodgers.  I personally never heard of her
    before.
    
    Richard

    It made the news a lot when it was first released, sometime during
    the past year, I believe.  Haven't seen it, but it's nice to know I
    might find it in my local video store.
    
    Nancy

	"At Play in the Fields of the Lord," is a story of interference;
cultural interference.

	The rain forest of the Amazon offers virgin potential for both
the hardened mercenary and the zealous missionary.  But the primitive paradise
becomes a living Hell for the forest's inhabitants when contaminated by
outsiders, even well-intentioned outsiders.

	"At Play in the Fields of the Lord" features an impressive cast:
Tom Berrenger, John Lithgow, Aidan Quinn, Daryl Hannah, and Kathy Bates.

	Berrenger plays Lewis Moon, an North American Indian who sees part
of himself in the faces of the primitive people of the Amazon.  He eventually
abandons "white" culture altogether and becomes an integral part of one of
the most feared tribes in the jungle.

	Lithgow's character was a little too stereotypical to be credible.
Then again, the genuine article from whom the stereotype is derived is a pretty
hard to swallow character, too.  He's the loud and insensitive senior Protestant
missionary who attributes anything unfamiliar or contrary to his liking to
Satan.  He calls the Roman Catholic presence "the competition" and has few
kind things to say about anyone who is not unreservedly aligned with him.

	Daryl Hannah plays Lithgow's flawlessly attractive wife.  (Well,
what didja expect?  It *is* Daryl Hannah after all!)

	Quinn is the Protestant mission's new arrival, fresh from the States.
A bit on the mild and naive side, he sees the opportunity to bring the word of
the Lord to those who've never heard it as the fulfillment of a dream.  But it
doesn't take him long to begin to see through his missionary mentor (Lithgow)
and he comes to respect and honor the ways of the natives, the very people he
came to proselytize.

	Bates, as Aidan's overweight wife, is definitely out of her comfort
zone in the untamed, uncivilized jungle.  Mind you, she has a desire be her
husband's helpmeet in the Lord's work, but this is not her cup of tea.

	I should warn the viewer that the film contains a considerable amount
of nudity, but it's the National Geographic kind of nudity, which I personally
find neither offensive nor arousing.

	Epic in duration, the 3 hour and 6 minute movie is the story of
disillusionment, loss of innocence, and simultaneously, the tenacity and
the fragility of life.

Peace,
Richard

    Richard,
    
    I hadn't heard of this movie.  Is it now playing at the movies or is it
    available for rent?
    
    Ro
    

Ro .62,

	I rented "At Play in the Fields of the Lord" at my friendly
neighborhood supermarket.  I first noticed it a few months back playing
at a local art theatre (Poor Richard's Theatre), one which typically
shows films that do not have a very broad appeal.  It never made the
megatheatre circuit.  I don't know why.

Richard

    
     I recently saw a movie called "April Morning". It was on TV, an older
    movie. It was set at the beginning of the Revolutionary War at
    Lexington Mass. It was interesting in that they used God's name very
    freely in pray, in contrast to many today. Also, for those looking for
    it, there was quite a bit of involvement by the "church" in the
    revolution. The church bells called the folks together, typically the
    church was the meeting place for town meetings, there was even a scene
    where the pastor was actively involved (carry a gun).
    
    I don't know if it's available on video or not but it's a decent movie.
    I found it kind of sad though.. seeing people killing one another and
    thinking it was OK in God's eyes.
    
      robin

	One of the Indianna Jones films, which is called something like "The
	Last Crusade", mentions God's name . From what I can remember ( my
	memory is not that good) of the scenario is that Indianna Jones has 
	to get across the room by walking on stones or slabs that have a 
	letter on each one. He has to choose the right letters to walk on 
	or face possible disaster. He has a riddle to answer which tells 
	him which are the correct stones to walk on. He realises the answer
	to the riddle is God's name and procedes to walk onto the slab that
	has a "J" , this caves in and some how he saves himself by somehow
	clinging on and then dragging himself up. He then realises that in 
	latin God's name begins with an "I" and precedes to cross the room
	safely. 

	Phil.
	
	

.65 Phil,

Yes, and in "Raiders of the Lost Ark," you'll recall, the Ark of the
Covenant that's spoken of in the Old Testament was integral to the plot.

Peace,
Richard

	Produced and directed by Stanley Kramer, "The Runner Stumbles,"
a 1979 film, features Dick Van Dyke in the only non-comedic role I've
ever seen him in, as a priest accused of the murder of vibrant and
charming young nun (Kathleen Quinlan) in a small town gripped by gossip
and pettiness.  Beau Bridges plays Van Dyke's inexperienced and
far-from-slick defense lawyer.  Maureen Stapleton is the rectory's
hypersensitive housekeeper.  Another veteran of light musicals, Ray
Bolger, plays it straight as Van Dyke's episcopal superior.

	When the bright, buoyant nun arrives in the sleepy burg she not
only revitalizes the church-operated school, but she stirs the heart of
the priest who had all but resigned himself to his lack-luster existence.
She loosens the straight-laced and challenges oppressive strictness.  She
says it's okay to pray standing, not just kneeling.  She tells a lonely
and plain-looking woman that it's okay for her to attend functions at the
local Methodist church where there are unmarried men her age, telling her,
"It's more important to be a good person than a good Catholic."

	In the minds of the townspeople, she spends too much time enjoying the
company of the priest for something not to be going on.  And it's not surprising
that the priest and nun do begin to feel amorous towards each other.

	From the outset the viewer is convinced that the priest is not the
murderer, though he does agonize with guilt over her death.  The real mystery
becomes a question of who and why.

	I thought Van Dyke gave a good performance.  It's just that I had
a hard time erasing the powerful image of a lovable chimneysweep and "Chitty-
Chitty-Bang-Bang" out of my mind.

Peace,
Richard

I rented "The Black Robe" over the weekend.

Comparing it to "Dances with Wolves," which it does right there on the cassette
sleeve, set some inaccurate expectations for me.  Indeed, both films have to
do with accounts of European males penetrating Native American cultures.  Both
capture the cinemagraphic splendor of nature.  But, to me, this is where the
parallels end.

"The Black Robe" is truly an eye-feast, sometimes even at the expense of the
story.  The characters are underdeveloped.  They lack subtlety and dimension.
Distinctiveness is achieved all too visually.

"The Black Robe" is the story of an early Roman Catholic missionary to the
Native American peoples of what is now Canada.  The handsome young priest who
bears the title garment risks severe hardship and life-threatening encounters
as an acceptable part of his calling to win over to his true God the souls of
the indigenous savages.  His courage and sense of commitment are inspiring,
but his presumptuousness is not.

The movie does make clear the enormous lack of cultural understanding which
prevailed on all sides.  Native Americans refer to the French as stupid
and ugly.  The attitudes of the French toward the aborigines are no better.

The story ends in both triumph and tragedy.

I warn the viewer the violence is graphic and sexual acts are undisguised.

Peace,
Richard

    The missionary was a Jesuit, a member of the Society of Jesus.
    That part of French Canada included much of today's New York and was in
    dispute between Catholic France and the Protestant Netherlands.
    
    The French converted the Hurons.  The Dutch armed the Iroquois.  The
    Iroquois slaughtered the Huron people.  Later the Dutch were expelled
    by the English from the Hudson Valley.

Well, I saw "Steel Magnolias" last Saturday evening and cried through most of
the last half of it.

It's an outstanding film, largely due to superior performances.

Daryl Hannah's character is an interesting one.  She plays a rather plain
young woman who, through ill-placed trust and misfortune, has wound up alone
and on her own, directionless and abandoned in a small town in the South.
The filmmakers had to keep Ms. Hannah in those '50s style horn-rimmed glasses
just to sustain an illusion of plainness and dweeby-ness.

A high-strung, but pleasant beauty school graduate, Hannah is taken under
the wing of Dolly Parton, the proprietor of a home-business salon.  Somewhere
along the line, Hannah acquires an acutely Christian demeanor and set of
principles.  At a funeral, towards the end of the film, Hannah explains how
what she believes "may sound simple and stupid, and maybe it is," but it helps
her to make sense of things.  It served to remind this viewer that much of the
reason for having a faith, any faith, is to help make sense of things; to cope
with those things we don't understand, and perhaps may never understand.

If you've yet to see "Steel Magnolias," I would recommend it highly.  While
the lines and situations that are supposed to be funny frequently fall short,
the characterizations and drama more than redeem it.

Sally Fields, an actress blessed/cursed with an perpetually youthful
countenance, reinforced my opinion that she is really one of the finest
actresses of our time.  Julia Roberts adds another jewel to her crown of
accomplishments as Fields' scrappy and independent-minded daughter.

The interplay between Shirley MacLaine ("I've just been in a bad mood for forty
years, that's all.") and Olympia Dukakis ("If you can't say anything nice
about someone, then come sit by me!") is a delight.

Keep tissues within reach.

Peace,
Richard

    I hope that my Catholic friends are not offended by this ....

    "Sister Act":  I have not laughed as much in a long long time. 
    STRONGLY recommend it if you need a lift .... hey ... if I could go to
    church and hear music like that ... I'd turn Catholic!

    Another one .. you've probably never heard of it but look for it in
    your video store....

    "Scarlet and the Black":  Gregory Peck made for TV movie.  It's a
    (true) story about a Catholic priest who donned the uniform of an
    SS officer during WWII so that he could help people to escape the
    Nazis.  I found it to be EXCELLENT.  If you see it - let me  know
    what you think of it.

    Bubba

re: Note 15.61 by Richard "Peace" 

>                     -< At Play in the Fields of the Lord >-

I finally saw this on laserdisc.  I liked it, it's in the same general genre 
as _Dances with Wolves_, _The Mission_, and _Quigley Down Under_.

I think Richard's review is quite accurate.

Beautifully photographed, it's enjoyable simply for the Amazonian landscape.

If I had to sum the movie up in two words, they would be Pride and Epiphany.

Peace,

Jim

    I too saw Sister Act and thought it was wonderful.
    
    Not only was it hilarious but I felt a real strong social gospel
    component to the movie.
    
    I also liked the subtle(when perhaps not so subtle) way that sexuality
    and spirituality were interwoven in the movie.  
    
    I felt the author did a suburb job of presenting his/her view of religion
    and its potential impact on the modern world.
    
    But then my friend who went with me thought I put too much theological
    interpretation into the movie.
    
    Patricia
    

    I saw Sister Act with our church choir director.  She and I started the
    choir and, well, let's just say we identified strongly with the
    character.  We laughed ourselves silly!  :-)
    
    Nanci

.73> I also liked the subtle(when perhaps not so subtle) way that sexuality
.73> and spirituality were interwoven in the movie.
    
    I guess I'm dense .. how was "sexuality" woven into "Sister Act"?
    
    Bubba

    In my opinion sexuality and spirituality were interwoven through song. 
    By expressing the relationship between the nuns and their God using the
    same songs as express the romantic relationship between men and women.
    
    By showing the deep spirituality of the Whoopie Goldberg character in
    spite of her worldliness.
    
                                 Patricia

    Like the song, "My Guy"

.76>  ...in spite of her worldliness.

    Does that translate to "in spite of the fact that she was a lady of the
    evening"?

    Bubba

    It translates into "in spite of the fact that she enjoyed her own
    sexuality."

    My stepson (to-be) treated us to that movie last month.  We all enjoyed
    it and found ourselves singing on the way home.
    
    Ro
    

	"Sarafina!" is the story of the involvement of school children in the
movement to liberate the country of South Africa from the domination of the
White minority.  Seeing "Sarafina!" this past weekend within 24 hours of
viewing one of the episodes of "Eyes on the Prize" revealed, for me at least,
some interesting similarities.

	Music had a powerfully unifying and strengthening effect for both
the people of the anti-apartheid movement of South Africa and of the civil
rights movement of the United Stated.  Allow me to add here that I have never
witnessed the Lord's Prayer sung and danced to with such verve and vitality
as was presented in "Sarafina!"

	And in both, school students played a pivotal role, mostly because they
were not yet economically tied into the system.  School students are not
typically fearful of losing their job, which may be the sole source of income
for the family.

	In "Sarafina!" Whoopi Goldberg plays Mary Masembuko, an unconventional
history teacher in Soweto who serves up her students an extraordinary blend of
uncompromising truth and lively humor.  The title role was played by an
engaging young actress whose name completely evades me.

	Sarafina is a popular student in the Black township of Soweto who
dreams of becoming a movie star and who speaks conversationally to a portrait
of her hero, the recently imprisoned Nelson Mandella.  Her mother, a widow,
is a household maid of a White family who lives in a "big white house" in a
city where "the streets are kept clean."  Sarafina must take a long train trip
each time she wishes to visit her mother.

	There is an upsetting amount of violence in this film.  It was
particularly upsetting to me because it resembled so much newspaper photos I'd
seen in the last 2 weeks that came out of South Africa; images of the militia
firing automatic weapons into an unarmed crowd; images of anger and of terror.

	Yet as upsetting as I found it, I would recommend it.  "Sarafina!"
is ultimately not about cruelty and death suffered by one people at the
hands of another, but about hope -- hope that is yet to be fulfilled.

Peace,
Richard

    does it show the killing between the ANC and IFP?  If not, it is not
    authentic and is an example of the falsehood and its effect on the
    masses as often shown in the movies.  I believe the ANC and IFP have
    killed each other considerably more than the govt has killed either the
    ANC and IFP combined.
    
    jeff

    .82
    
    To my knowledge the film uses neither of the acronyms you've selected.
    It does not just depict the South African Whites killing South African
    Blacks, if that is what you mean.
    
    It should not be construed as a documentary.
    
    You haven't reached a judgment about the film before even seeing it,
    have you, jeff?
    
    Richard
    

    
    Maybe I have Richard.  Fictional movies based on fact (however loosely)
    have this uncanny ability to be construed by the masses as documentaries.
    
    jeff

I watched a movie this weekend that I'd seen once before.  And I thought
"Mass Appeal" was better this time.  The second time I was not so caught
up in the storyline.  The second time I came to an appreciation of the
exquisite love and agony with which this must have been written.

"Mass Appeal" stars Jack Lemmon as a popular parish priest who finds himself
in the position of mentoring a young and radically idealistic deacon.  The
headstrong deacon is known for his uncomproming honesty and for posing
upsetting questions.  He's a real eyebrow raiser with a reputation for
making disturbing proclamations like:

	"You're shackled by your possessions!"

	"The purpose of the church is to become obsolete!"

"You're not going to preach any kick-ass sermon in my church," demands Lemmon
at one point.  "Better kick-ass than kiss-ass," the young man retorts.

The characters are sharply drawn, complex, multifaceted and very human.
There are glimpses of humor, but this is definately a drama.   One I would
recommend seeing -- twice!! :-)

Peace,
Richard

"Are you ready for a miracle?" asks the poster promoting the movie "Leap of
Faith," a film starring Steve Martin and Debra Winger.

Jonas Nightingale (Martin), a clever, evangelistic showman, and his caravan
become stranded in a small drought-ridden farming community in Kansas when
one of the vehicles breaks down.

Rather than waiting it out for replacement parts, Nightingale decides to pitch
his giant revival tent and to go to work on the already impoverished and
desperate rural residents.  The local sheriff, spotting a phony, attempts to
prohibit the razzle-dazzle scam from proceeding, but without success.  The
sheriff does manage to fall in love with Jane (Winger), Nightingale's behind-
the-scenes accomplice.

Nightingale puts on a glitzy, high-powered show, brimming with up-tempo gospel
music and spectacle.  The film exposes how modern charlatans can create a
convincing illusion of Divine revelation and miracles.

Eventually, a genuine miracle occurs.

I won't tell you how it ends.

I will tell you that "Leap of Faith" was a much better movie than I expected.

Peace,
Richard

    Also saw the movie....liked it a lot!  Quite a new role for Steve
    Martin...eh?
    
    Marc H.

Re: 15.87  Regarding Steve Martin's role - indeed, a departure for him!  A
different kind of "wild and crazy guy!"

Shalom,
Richard

"Hot Under the Collar," a 'B as in Bimbo' movie.  The kind of thing I'd
expect to see on USA's "Up All Night" with Gilbert Godfried.

It's a slow and obtuse comedy about a young guy trying to seduce his
girlfriend through the use of post-hypnotic suggestion.  It backfires on
him when his girlfriend receives another suggestion to devote her life to God
while in a hypnotic trance and she runs off to join a convent.

The rest of the movies has to do with our hero dressing as a priest and a
nun trying to get his girlfriend back and encountering a stereotypically
stoney-countenanced Mother Superior, an assortment of geeky sidekicks,
scantily-clad and highly curvaceous young women, thugs and jewel thieves,
and, Oh yeah, the pope.

Not a movie I'd recommend highly.

Peace,
Richard

"China Cry"

This was a surprise.  It was a surprise because I thought this was a movie
that I'd seen previews of and it was certainly not the one I thought it was.
It was also a surprise to me because it was very well done and it was
apparently produced by a religious group - TBN and Parakletos Productions.

A true story, "China Cry" is atypical of the genre of Christian-made films.
It is not thick with a religious message.  The Christian element is almost
matter of fact.  Dogma and biblical teachings are kept at a refreshing minimum.

The story is of the life of Song Nang Yee, the daughter of a medical doctor,
who, until Communism came into power in China, enjoyed a childhood of privilege
and relative luxury.

She grows into a bright, idealistic, but independent thinking, university
student who favors the cultural revolution and the efforts of Mao to create
a utopian society.  Nang Yee marries the young man she'd been attracted to on
campus and had conspired to meet and win.  Upon graduation, she becomes a
teacher.

But before long, Nang Yee becomes the object of suspicion and harsh
interrogation.  It seems Nang Yee had been educated for a time in a private
school operated by the Presbyterian church.  It is feared that she may be
carrying the contamination of Christian thought, and therefore, she might be
a subversive element to the Revolution.

The fear is not without foundation.  Because, though she denies it at first,
indeed the seeds of her Christian education had germinated.

Nang Yee and her family suffer severe persecution and cruelty at the hands
of the Communists.  But God has reveals to Nang Yee that her third child will
be born in freedom, and that her mother will somehow escape to freedom.

My wife, Sharon, is currently reading a book called "Wild Swans" which served
to verify the conditions under Chinese Communism depicted in the film.

*This* is a good movie.  *This* is a movie I'd recommend.

Peace,
Richard

Well, I finally got around to seeing "Sister Act" last night.  It is lively
and humorous.  Sharon and I chuckled all through it.  And even though we had
a pretty good idea of what to expect, we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Whoopi can director our choir anytime!

Peace,
Richard

    My wife and I saw Sister Act a few weeks ago. One of the things I
    particularly liked is that the Nuns showed a serious belief in and
    love for God that was never put down. Their joy in singing to serve
    the Lord was uplifting. That the writers and director were able to
    have that sort of thing come across is probably why so many real Nuns
    liked the movie.

    		Alfred

>.76>  ...in spite of her worldliness.
>
>    Does that translate to "in spite of the fact that she was a lady of the
>    evening"?

    Just noticed this. I think it was written before I'd seen the movie.
    The character played by Whoopee Goldberg was not "a lady of the
    evening." She was a Las Vegas lounge singer. She was worldly in the
    sense that she lived life in the fast lane, knew a bit more of the
    seamy side of things, and had a more secular less naive set of
    experiences and life style then the average country bumpkin. 

    		Alfred

    re: Sister Act
    
    I saw this with our church choir director after one of the basses came
    in raving about this movie that had a bunch of "musically disadvantaged
    nuns" in it.  He was right and the parallels to some of our own choir
    members were hilarious.  :-)
    
    Nanci

    
    re: Sister Act
    
   I rented the tape recently as I like Whoopi's acting skills and enjoy
   her in everything I've seen.  That was a great movie, very funny but
   without running down the church in any way.  I also had the experience
   of being one of the musically disadvantaged in a choir, I could laugh
   at the flubbs and recognize my own.  I still like the more traditional
   music myself however, my housemate had laughing fitts when I sang
   along.

   Allison
    

    To *wonderful* movies last night!!  Wonderful wonderful wonderful.

    "A Man Called Peter", with Richard Todd.  The story of Peter Marshall.

    "Heaven Knows Mr. Allison", with Robert Mitchum.  A Marine and a nun on
    an enemy held island during WWII.

    Even for an ol' reprobate like me .. these two movies are quite
    inspiring.  If you haven't seen both of these - I highly recommend
    them!!

    Bubba

    Peter Marshall?  Did they make a movie about the host of Hollywood
    Squares?  Or is this a different Peter Marshall that we are talking
    about?
    
    -- Mike

Peter Marshall was a missionary to some tribe (I forget
what tribe) in South America along with his wife Elizabeth.
I think the book his biography is written in the book
"Through Gates of Splendor".

After establishing some contact with this tribe through
dropping supplies and other stuff from a plane (actually,
the plane circled and things were let down on a rope that
stayed in the middle of the circle), 5 men including
Peter Marshall took the step of landing in order to
establish face to face contact.  They were massacred.

Efforts persisted and the second group of people who
attempted to meet the tribe were warily accepted with
large numbers of the tribe eventually deciding to accept Christ.
Peter Marshall's wife, Elizabeth, perservered and accepted
into her home one of those that had killed her husband.

Eventually Elizabeth remarried again losing her husband,
this time to illness.  Another remarriage and another
husband who died.  Elizabeth Eliot lives on the North
Shore in Massachusetts and is a very active witness for
Christ.  I've had the opportunity to see her speak several
times; she also has a radio program for women (I don't
know if it is just a local program or if it is national)
which airs at something like 6:00 in the morning here
(so I never get to hear it :-) ).

    Collis that sounds really familiar.  I wonder if it's the same 
    couple I heard about through HCJB (Heralding Christ Jesus' Blessing)
    which is a radio ministry that started out of Quito, Ecuador.  
    (Not that I've heard their program, just about their program)
    I'll check some of the literature.  I think I just got their
    latest magazine.
    
    Jill

	... there are two different Peter Marshalls we are discussing here!

	In "A Man Called Peter", adapted from the book by Catherine 
Marshall, his widow, Richard Todd plays a Scottish immigrant preacher who 
spends some time pastoring in Atlanta, meets Catherine at Agnes Scott College, 
marries and goes to Washington, DC to pastor. There, he draws the attention of 
several Senators who persuade him to become the Senate Chaplin, which makes 
him more well known to the public. Unfortunately, he is felled by a heart
attack in his forties, leaving a widow and son.  Catherine wrote the book
after his death, and has written many more since.  I think she is still
living. And yes, Bubba, it is one of the BEST movies ever made!

	Game show host Peter Marshall did have a missionary son killed by 
South American Indians, and his widow did return there, leading several of the 
tribe to Christ.  That's about all I know of that story.

    I'd love to find the text of some of his sermons ... if anyone
    sees/hears of such a book - let me know.
    
    Bubba

Oops!

Something didn't seem right and now I know what it
was.  I was describing Jim Eliot, not Peter Marshall.
Both left widows who became well-known in their own
right.  Sorry for the misinformation.

Collis

    Speaking of HCJB, I have picked up that station on my shortwave radio
    (probably everyone who has ever owned a shortwave has picked them up at
    one time or another--they usually come in very strongly and clearly,
    and they are hard to miss.)  I once heard the announcers use a Spanish
    phrase, "Hoy Christo Jesus Benedice", which means "Today Christ Jesus
    Blesses", but I had not heard the English language version of the
    acronym that Jill mentioned ("Heralding Christ Jesus' Blessing".)  I
    haven't heard the station in ages, and I hardly ever listened to it, so
    I wouldn't be surprised if they used that phrase often and I simply
    missed it.

    -- Mike

Elizabeth Elliot's first husband was Jim Elliot. He was martyred by the Auca
Indians. Elizabeth leter returned and lived with the Aucas.

--
---
Paul		[email protected]
Gordon		[email protected]
Loptson		databs::ferwerda
Ferwerda	Tel (603) 884 1317



			
[posted by Notes-News gateway]

	I saw "The Crying Game" this past Saturday afternoon.  It was nothing
like I expected.  Since I'd heard this film was of a "liberal" bent, I expected
it to be an indictment against the age-old violence in Northern Ireland.  In
a way it was, but that certainly was not a central theme.

	I did notice at least 2 Scriptural references: "When I was a
child...," from Paul's famous essay on love contained within the 13th
chapter of First Corinthians, and Jesus' statement, "No greater love than
this....".  But what most viewers will probably recall is a fable about
a scorpion and a frog.

Peace,
Richard

    
    I saw "Jurassic Park" this weekend and I thought it had some
    interesting lines about "control being an illusion" and my favorite
    "your scientists were so busy thinking about whether they could do
    it (clone dinosaurs), that they never took the time to think about if
    they should do it!"  Isn't that true of people in general!?!!?!?!?!!!!
    We're so hung up on having the right to do things, that we don't stop
    to think if we should do them.  There is one more line about the 
    cycle of creation and death that's hysterical.
    
    I liked it.  I thought it was more suspenseful than scary, not that
    it didn't have some scares.  The dinosaurs were amazing.  There's
    been a lot of talk about kids not going to see it.  My sister let
    my 10 yr old nephew who is usually gets scared at just about anything
    and he was fine.  Then they decided to have me take my 7 yr old niece.
    I had already seen it.  So I prepared her for the worst parts and
    nudged her when they were coming up and she did okay too.  But...
    and this is a big one...I think it's really dependent on the child
    as to whether you should take them.  It is rated PG-13 because of
    a few chomping scenes by dinosaurs and the 2 kids in the movies are
    attacked a few times...so that can be scary.  I don't know if I would
    take them cold without being able to warn them of what was coming.
    Although, I forgot to tell Megan about one scene where the kids were
    attacked and she wasn't afraid at all.  I'm happy to report both have
    slept well and there have been no reports of nightmares.  I have 
    another niece, also 7 yrs old, that we won't take because she gets
    way scared at the drop of a hat.
    
    Happy Movie Going...
    
    Jill

    Jill -
    
    Emily, my 8 - almost 9 year old, told me her Dad took her to see
    Jurassic PArk this weekend.  She said it was "kinda scary" but she
    wants to see it again.  I think you're right.  It depends on tha
    maturity of the child, not the chronological age.
    
    Nanci

I, too, saw _Jurassic Park_.  Another memorable moment was when the boy
exclaims, "God bless you!" in response to a dinosaur sneeze.

It's a very exciting action film, if you can get past the improbability
of the premise and all the unanswered questions.  It reminded me a lot
of the cliffhanger serials Spielberg and I used to watch as kids on
Phoenix television.

There's plenty of room for a sequel, too.

Richard

I was disappointed with "The Nightmare Before Christmas."  It didn't
live up to the critical accolades heaped upon it, as cited in TV
advertisements.

The characters were unique in appearance, but trite in other ways.
Visually, it was a stunning Gumby cartoon.  The film had a dark
and brooding tone, not unlike Tim Burton's other works, "Edward
Scissorhands," and "Batman."

Jack the Pumpkin King, weary of the Halloween routine, accidentally
stumbles upon Christmas and is thrilled with the sheer joyous energy
of it.  He tries to convey the Christmas experience to the mischievous
subjects, but the paradigm is beyond them.  Jack keeps trying to get it
right, resorting even to "Scientific Method."

The only biblical reference I noticed was from Luke: "Peace on Earth;
goodwill to men."

Richard

I highly recommend "Shadowlands."  It's a story about what happened
when tidy reasoning encountered the messy realities of the heart.

Based on the true story of famed author C.S. Lewis and his relationship
with an American woman, Joy Gresham.  It is powerful, complex, and
uncontrived.  ****

Peace,
Richard

The Omen

Gregory Peck
Lee Remick

Directed by Richard Donner

	An intriguing chiller based on the notion of the birth of the
anti-Christ of the Apocalypse and his early years as the adopted child
of an ambassador.  Some of the effects, which I felt were often distasteful
and unneccesary, will be found lacking to the more sophisticated viewing
audience (We've been spoiled by Spielberg, I guess).

Richard

    .111
    
    Old Movie... it was done I believe in th early 80's.
    
    I don't think it was very factual, but was a good thriller.

    .112
    
    Close -- 1976.
    
    Richard
    

    I almost said late 70's, but there were so many of those types of
    movies being done in hollywood back then.... :-(

"In the Name of the Father"

Daniel Day-Lewis
Emma Thompson

	Powerful, interesting and based in fact.

Peace,
Richard

    I'm not much for reading movie reviews.  Would you mind giving the
    premise, and rating, of this movie?

    Thanks
    Debby

    Yes.  Several people, including the character played by Day-Lewis,
    are imprisioned for the bombing a London pub, a terrorist act of
    the Irish Republican Army.
    
    Day-Lewis' father is also imprisioned for his part in the conspiracy.
    
    The thing is that all them were "scapegoats" and innocent of the crime.
    "Confessions" were coerced, evidence was concealed, and the system was
    fraught with ambitious corruption.  Even when the true bomber was revealed,
    government officials could not bring themselves to admitting error and
    did nothing to rectify the situation of imprisioned innocents.
    
    I don't recall the rating.  The language is strong and vulgar.  No
    gratuitous sex, thankfully.  Some violence -- not life-cheapening like
    Rambo though.
    
    Peace,
    Richard

    
   >No gratituous sex...
    
    Bummer.  (;^)    
    
    One of my favorite lines in a movie is from "Never Say Never Again",
    Sean Connery's last Bond film.  When he joined the force again, the
    other fellow said something like, "And I trust we can look forward to
    gratituous sex and violence?"  (;^)  
    
    Cindy

.118  Cindy,

I'm not against sex, mind you.  It's that so many times it's just there,
whether it fits the story or not.

Peace,
Yer Cuzzin

    thank you, Richard, for a description of the movie

    .120  You're welcome.  In case you're thinking about taking a child,
    I think most under 17 would find "In the Name of the Father" boring.
    
    Shalom,
    Richard
    

Often during the pre-Easter time of year, we might take in one of
the Jesus movies.  There are a few of them, and they vary in level
of detail, historical accuracy and spectacle.

My personal favorites:

1.  Jesus of Nazareth

2.  King of Kings
    (Even with blue eyes, Jeff Hunter made a great Jesus)

3.  The Greatest Story Ever Told

4.  The Last Temptation of Christ
    (This is not intended as a film rendition of the Gospel accounts)

5.  Jesus Christ, Superstar

Shalom,
Richard

    I have no clue haven't seen any other Jesus of Nazareth.
    
    I tend to think these things can be more theatric then accurate.

   I loved Jesus of Nazareth...the line "It is accomplished" as Jesus hung
   on the cross had me in tears..as did his appearance with the disciples
   upon His resurrection.


   "Jesus", IMO was excellent, and between the 2 I believe I like it the 
   most.




 Jim

"Kalifornia"

Brad Pitt
Juliette Lewis

	This movie had me shaking at the end.  I became nervous and irritable
from viewing it.  Like "Silence of the Lambs," "Kalifornia" drew me into a
realm of dark and disturbing feelings.

	"Kalifornia" is about 2 couples - one couple is educated and liberal,
the other, coarse and crude.  They team up to share expenses on a road trip
to California.  The former couple is stopping at sites of murders of serial
killers to gain a personal dimension and photographs for a book they're
compiling.  Of the latter couple, Early Grace (Pitt) is violating parole
and has just murdered his landlord; Adele (Lewis) is his submissive and
occasionally abused lover.

	Religion is somehow not far from superstition for Grace.  He plants
a plastic St. Joseph on the car dash.  He also believes in doorways into
other parts of the universe.  He forbids his women to smoke or drink or
cuss.  And he is without conscience when it comes to killing.

Richard

Gentlemen's Agreement

Gregory Peck
Dorothy McGuire
John Garfield
Celeste Holm
Dean Stockwell
June Havoc

Producer: Daryl F. Zanuck
Director: Elia Kazan

Based on a series by Laura Hobson which appeared in Cosmopolitan magazine.

Academy Awards: Best Picture, 1947
                Best Director
                Best Supporting Actress (Holm)

	An interesting piece about a non-Jewish writer assigned to a series
of magazine articles on anti-Semitism.  The story doesn't probe anti-Semitism
in its blatant and most dismissible forms, but rather, when it is subtle,
silent, and perpetuated by good and decent people, even "liberals."

	These were the days of apartment elevators that opened like closets,
of straight handset cords on telephones, and of course, no touch-tone buttons.

	The expressions of the day sound a little silly now, "You big dope!!"
etc..  However, the central issues explored make viewing this classic well
worthwhile.

Shalom,
Richard

"A Perfect World"

Kevin Costner
Clint Eastwood

Director: Clint Eastwood

	A prison escapee kidnaps and befriends a young boy who is being
raised a Jehovah's Witness.

	It is not so much a violent movie as it is a movie about violence.

	This action drama is currently out on video.  Siskel and Ebert
gave it 2 thumbs up.  So do I.

Shalom,
Richard

Heaven and Earth

	The third in Oliver Stone's film trilogy revolving around the
Viet Nam War.  Certainly the other two, "Platoon" and "Born on the Fourth
of July," enjoyed greater acclaim and public attention than "Heaven and
Earth."

	An interesting interplay between the Asian Buddhist and Euro-American
Christian cultures accompanies the stories of the central characters.  It
seems the Vietnamese people were quite skeptical of Catholics because the
French, who had occupied their country for so many years, were Catholic.

	The most memorable line of the movie for me:  "If there's something
war produces it's cemeteries.  And there are no enemies in cemeteries."

Shalom,
Richard

I'm still reeling from seeing "Forrest Gump."

This movie touched so many of the tenderest places in me, I actually ached
after seeing it.

Shalom,
Richard

	In the course of an exchange of correspondence with former C-P noter
Deacon Marc Hildebrant, the movie "Friendly Persuasion" came up.  Having
spoken of it, I rented it over the weekend and was once again impressed
by its tenderness and timelessness.

	Gary Cooper and Dorothy McGuire star in the 1956 film based on
the Jessamyn West book about a southern Indiana Quaker family touched by
the War between the States (the so-called American Civil War).  Some may
not know that the author, Jessamyn West, was related (a cousin or something)
to the late former U.S. President, Richard M. Nixon.  And some may not
remember that President Ronald Reagan presented a videotape copy of
"Friendly Persuasion" to Mikael Gorbachev during one of their historic
meetings.

	The music, including title song, "Thee I love," sung by Pat Boone,
was composed by Dimitri Tiompkin.

	The classic also stars Anthony Perkins in his pre-"Psycho" days.

Shalom,
Richard

"Promised a Miracle"

Judge Reinhold
Roseanna Arquette

	"Promised a Miracle" is the story of faith in a miracle that
didn't happen.  Believing their son had been healed of diabetes during
a church service, a young couple ceases sugar-level testing and insulin
injections for the child.  When the boy experiences negative episodes,
Larry and Lucky Parker believe Satan is testing them.

	Has anyone else seen this film?

Shalom,
Richard

Little Women
============

Winona Ryder
Susan Sarandon
Claire Danes
Samantha Mathis

	A surprise -- and an exquisite one at that!  No vulgar language
to speak of, no sex beyond a kiss, no explosive violence, no scandalous
promiscuity, no nudity, no dazzling high tech special effects.  I frankly
expected boredom.  I expected dreary, verbose, sentimental tedium.  I was
wrong.  This movie moves.  It is lively.  And gripping.  And worth the bucks
to see it.  Not very many flicks you can say that about these days.

Shalom,
Richard

    Re -1 Richard
    
    Is this (Little Women) a filming of the novel by L.M. Allcot (Alcott?
    Allcott?), Richard?
    
    Greetings, Derek. (Back from convalescence).

| <<< Note 15.131 by URQUEL::J_CHRISTIE "Unquenchable fire" >>>

| -< Promised a Miracle >-


	Richard, I did see part of that movie once. I remember the death scene. 



Glen

    .134
    
    The parents thought all they needed was enough faith.
    
    Even when their son died, they thought he would be raised.
    
    Shalom,
    Richard
    

    .133
    
    Yes, Derek, "Little Women" is based on the book by Louisa May Alcott
    (1832-1888).
    
    Shalom,
    Richard
    

Graham Faulkner
Judy Bowker
Alec Guiness as Pope Innocent III

Director: Franco Zeffirelli (Jesus of Nazareth, Romeo and Juliet)

I recently purchased a copy of "Brother Sun, Sister Moon."  $14.95.  Not
a bad price.  A catalogue of religious films sent to my home priced it
at $19.95, not including shipping and handling.

The early '70s portrait of a young Francis of Assisi has become something
of a cult classic.

Academy Award nominee.

Little violence.  No graphic sex, frontal nudity or foul language.  Rated PG.

Shalom,
Richard

"The Shawshank Redemption"

Timothy Hutton
Morgan Freeman

	"Give your trust to Jesus.  Your ass belongs to me!"  These were
the words of the fanatical prison warden in his first speech to the new
arrivals at Shawshank.

	Not a typical work of the author, Stephen King's disdain for
oppressive authority imposed in the name of religion, particularly the
Christian religion, is nonetheless a familiar mark.

	Faintly reminiscent of the story of Joseph in the Hebrew Bible,
'The Shawshank Redemption'' is about an imprisoned man who uses his abilities
and intelligence to make the best of a bad situation.  It's a story of time
and pressure.  It's also a story about hope and friendship.

	Nominated for 5 Academy awards.

Shalom,
Richard

    I believe you mean Tim Robins (The Player, Bob Roberts), my friend...
    not Timothy Hutton
    
    	Eric

    .139
    
    I stand corrected.
    
    Richard
    

"Rudy"

	A surprisingly interesting story of a young man who pursued his dream
to play football for Notre Dame in the face of overwhelming obstacles.  Based
on a true story.

	I've got a feeling this may be one of those movies we'll see over and
over again through the years.

Shalom,
Richard

    	I'll second that review.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer - Memories and Perspectives
-----------------------------------------------
1983, black and white, 90 minutes
produced by Trinity Films, Inc.
ISBN 000-669-9456

	This documentary features people who actually knew Bonhoeffer, his
relatives, friends, and students, providing an unparalleled insight into
the struggles, growth and convictions of the man.

	Bonhoeffer was a severe critic of Nazism and a pacifist.  This
film finally answers Bonhoeffer's critics, explaining the apparent
inconsistency of Bonhoeffer's involvement in a conspiracy on the life
of Adolph Hitler.

	This coming Sunday, April 9th, will be the 50th anniversary of
Dietrich Bonhoeffer's execution by hanging at Flossenburg, a concentration
camp.  Hitler committed suicide about 3 weeks later.  Since his death,
Bonhoeffer has challenged and inspired countless men and women by his
life story and writings.

"The War"

Elijah Wood
Kevin Costner
Mare Winningham

	This movie is not cinematically spectacular.  In less glitzy ways,
however, "The War" is quite outstanding.

	There is no blatent, gratuitous sex and only a little strong language.
There is riveting, gut-wrenching violence.  But such is the nature of war, is
it not?

	Yes, the film deals with war.  But more, it speaks of love, family,
and the preciousness of human life.

	My only caution is that the Mississippi accents are pretty thick
and take a little getting used to.  Don't watch it if you're going to be
interrupted or if there's a lot of noise in the environment.

	"The War" didn't receive much attention while in theaters.  It's now
on video.  Hopefully, it will get the attention I think it deserves.

Shalom,
Richard

    
    A movie that will make the hearts of the "we're coddling the
    criminals" types wax nostalgic. :^(
    
    Eric

Murder in the First
-------------------
Christian Slater
Gary Oldman
Kevin Bacon

This is no waltz in the park.  This movie disquiets the soul.  Don't see it
with the kids, but do see it.

Based on a true story, Henry Young (Bacon) is sentenced to Alcatraz, where
after over 3 years of physical punishment and solitary confinement, he kills
another inmate in front of guards and other witnesses.  A young, idealistic
attorney (Slater) is stuck with defending Young, considered a lost cause.

Shalom,
Richard

    So which one is the Christian in this movie and when was he saved?
    
    thanks,
    Mike

re Note 15.147 by OUTSRC::HEISER:

>     So which one is the Christian in this movie and when was he saved?

    What was the scene like where Slater professes his committment to
    Christ?

    
    The scene where he loses his job and risks his life for the sake of a
    man who is considered unworthy of compassion by everyone else.

    Eric

"Murder in the First" has much to do with standing up for justice
and mercy as opposed to merely reinforcing the institutional status
quo.
    
Now, one might insist that such a notion has nothing to do with authentic
Christian faith and practice.  Some have, I realize.

Shalom,
Richard

    I shall begin a new topic:
    
    See Note 1150, "Movies that may be of interest to Christians."
    
    Richard
    

>    The scene where he loses his job and risks his life for the sake of a
>    man who is considered unworthy of compassion by everyone else.
    
    What does this have to do with professing your faith in Christ and
    experiencing salvation?  It sounds more like being a Good Samaritan
    (which can be done by Christians and non-Christians) rather than 
    professing your faith unto salvation.  I still don't see evidence that
    this is a Christian character.
    
    Mike

    We are still wrestling with the same question.
    
    Does faith in Jesus mean faith in the sacrifice of Jesus' Body and
    blood to provide the necessary ingredient for God to forgive humankind
    or  does Faith in Jesus mean modeling our lives after Jesus and living by
    his teachings and revelation of God's commandments.
    
    Now I can see a lot of connection between a young professional risking
    his life out of compassion for one considered unworthy and the young
    man Jesus risking his life for his love of imperfect humanity.
    
    
                                         Patricia
    
                                          

>    Does faith in Jesus mean faith in the sacrifice of Jesus' Body and
>    blood to provide the necessary ingredient for God to forgive humankind
>    or  does Faith in Jesus mean modeling our lives after Jesus and living by
>    his teachings and revelation of God's commandments.
    
    Yes!  This is not an "or" question.  It's both.
    
    Mike

As a correction to 271.343, the motion picture "Dead Man Walking" stars
Susan Sarandon and is directed by Tim Robbins.  I'm looking forward to
seeing it.

Shalom,
Richard

================================================================================
Note 271.343           Christianity and Capital Punishment            343 of 404
CSC32::J_CHRISTIE "Unquenchable fire"                18 lines  23-MAR-1995 13:52
                             -< Dead Man Walking >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The best book I've ever read on the subject of Christianity and capital
punishment is:                                 ^^^^^^^^^^^^     ^^^^^^^
^^^^^^^^^^

	Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty
	in the United States

	by Helen Prejean, CSJ (member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille)

	ISBN 0-679-40358-2
	$21 (278 pages, hardcover)

	The book is being made into a motion picture.  I understand the film is
presently in production and will star Susan Saradon and Tim Robbins.

Shalom,
Richard

================================================================================
Note 271.365           Christianity and Capital Punishment            365 of 404
CSC32::J_CHRISTIE "Unquenchable fire"                13 lines   4-MAY-1995 12:10
                             -< Dead Man Walking >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The author of the non-fiction Pulitzer prize nominated book, _Dead Man
Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States_,
(see 271.343) Sister Helen Prejean, lives and works in Louisiana.  Ever
heard of Angola?

I would love to be able to send you a copy of her book, Jack.  The price
prohibits me.  I'm certain the public library would have a copy.

I had the privilege and honor of meeting Sister Helen last year.

Shalom,
Richard

"Dead Man Walking"

Susan Sarandon
Sean Penn

	An outstanding drama about a Louisiana nun who becomes a spiritual
advisor to an inmate on death row.  Easily one of the best films of 1995,
it is showing only now in many theaters across the country.

	The film takes no strong stand for or against the death penalty.
This is not to say, however, that it will not give you cause you to think.

	The real Helen Prejean makes a brief appearance as part of a
candlelight vigil being held outside a prison where an execution is about
to take place.  She is the one wearing glasses.

Shalom,
Richard

"The Scarlet Letter"

Demi Moore
Gary Oldman

An interesting variation on the Nathaniel Hawthorne classic.

Richard

RE: "The Scarlet Letter"

I read somewhere they took a few, err.. "liberties" with
the ending.

    .159
    
    I suspect that is true.  Our story-telling heritage (including film)
    is full of myths punishing women who are strong and unyielding.
    
    Shalom,
    Richard
    

Actually, I read that it ends with Dimsdale and Hester 
running off into the woods together - presumingly to
live happily ever after.

Oh well :*)

Tom

    .161
    
    Yes, that's the ending which counters our traditional understanding of
    what is *supposed* to happen.
    
    Richard
    

    I recently saw "Corinna, Corinna" with Whoopi Goldberg and would like
    to recommend it.  It has some interesting lessons in it about after
    life and the eternal hope vs. atheism.
    
    Mike