Bucket List

Good story telling trumps special effects. It almost seems like a lost art. Well not to writer Justin Zackham. We have two opposite personalities, one I relate to (Carter Chambers by Morgan Freeman), the other a polar opposite (Edward Cole by Jack Nicholson). Carter is a Christian who devoted his life to the well being of his family, while Edward is the classic agnostic that has spent his entire life amassing a fortune. Both are confronted with a closing expiration date and seek to cram in "all the things they wanted to do but never did" moments in life within this small window. This became the impetus for the Bucket List. What endeared this movie to me, though there is foul language, is the non-pushy and very real witness of Carter. At times I almost heard myself talking! Carter was very real. He had real flaws, believable fears, and an understandable assurance of eternal salvation. He understood the nature of faith, while Edward looked on, though not able to "get his head around it". To whit Carter would reply, "Maybe your head is in the way?" Priceless.

Bella

Bella is one of those movies that take a little time to get going for me. However, as the movie progressed, I began to fall in love with all the characters. There is not a single negative for this great film, and super positives including an extremely wonderful ending. A rare movie with exceptional story-telling. It is a true saying, and begins the movie, "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." Things happen, and many times our healing comes through His work, not ours—many times from a source we never expect.

Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump surprised me. I never thought I would like it as much as I did. As I was watching the wonderful portrayals by both Tom Hanks and Gary Sinise as Lieutenant Dan, toward the end of the film, as Forrest had Jenny's old house razed, I looked to my wife and notice she was crying. At dinner, I asked her why. She said that this is what Jesus had done with her old life--bulldozed it to the ground.
That made me think. Forrest Gump is a very spiritual movie. There were two prayers made, and both were answered in time. Jenny prayed the God would turn her in to a bird so that she could fly away. At her new graveside, birds were seen flying away. When praying for shrimp to save their shrimpin' business, the answer came in a whirlwind. Like Jesus, everyone who comes in personal contact has their life changed. Sometimes even destinies are changed such as the pattern of servitude of Bubba's mother, or even the "die in war" of Lieutenant Dan's family line. The powerful are brought low, and the humble are lifted up. As it says in Proverbs, "A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor."

Regarding Henry

What intrigues me most about Regarding Henry is how well it illustrates a "born again" experience. Though in this world you may have everything together, you are well respected, you are good at what you do with no regard for anyone else, you think yourself a great parent and husband--yet underneath the surface, there is disintegration. With a single, sudden event your life can radically change. At first this change is difficult and painful. Trials and tribulation have become a part of your life, where before, a turtle table would cause you distress. However now, on the surface, your marriage is brought from the brink, you have become a real parent to your child and all your priorities are now arranged in proper order. Watch this movie with the salvation experience in mind. Also, you will notice something very clever with the opening titles regarding this sudden change theme.

First Knight

If you are looking for an authentic recreation of the tale of King Arthur and his knights of Camelot, this is not the movie to watch. However, this review is from a Christian perspective, and it will not take long to see the parallel between Arthur and Christ--even down to the wounds in his hands. I was sorry to see only a minor cameo by Sir John Gielgud, however age might have prevented further screen time.

Toy Story 1 & 2

Toy Story was a fantastic animated movie by the pioneers at Pixar. Having been a fan of John Lasseter during his early "film short" days, I was very excited about this feature-length movie, and I was not disappointed. Every moment of this story, like many Pixar films, is just plain fun and moving. The only criticism I have is that the "good family" is a single parent home, and the "bad family" is a two-parent home. I think children's film should promote a strong family unit such as that seen in The Incredibles. This is a minor flaw that is far outweighed by the brilliant writing behind Toy Story.
What really floored me is that a sequel could actually be better than the original! It is possible, and Toy Story 2 proved it! They did not capitalize on the original characters or try to repeat the gags of the first movie. Rather, they introduced new characters and created a whole new story. I have wished, many times, that I had some kind of clout to do voices for Pixar. Their work is so much fun.

Arthur

I always know great writing when I find myself repeating favorite lines decades after the film is released. That is the case with Arthur. I cannot stress the brilliance of this ensemble, especially with an actor like Sir John Gielgud, who I am convinced can play just about any genre out there. It is a pity that writer/director Steve Gordon died just one year after the release of Arthur in 1982. What wonderful films have we lost in his untimely passing?