Unbroken

I love movies, so much so that on occasion I will drive 3 hours through rush hour traffic in a major city to see one. Such was the case recently when I drove to Kansas City for an advance screening of Unbroken, a film meant to inspire and reflect the power of forgiveness. A wonderful concept if you will, especially when considering the film is to be released on Christmas day.

Unbroken follows through the use of flashbacks and narrative filming to tell the story of Louis Silvie “Louie” Zamperini. An Italian American growing up in California during the 1920's and 30's. He escaped his troubled youth through track and field distance running where he went on to run in the German, (Hitler) hosted Olympics of 1936. He later joined the U.S. Air Corps where the plane he was in crashed in the Pacific Ocean where he would spend 47 days at sea prior to being 'rescued' by Japanese forces. He remained a prisoner for the duration of the war.

Unbroken is directed by Angelina Jolie and the script is written by the Coen Brothers, Joel and Ethan. I must give kudos to Jolie for a well crafted effort that uses little dialog, especially from the principal actors and weaves the story together rather nicely. One of the things I was not certain of though was the way the story was weaved together by what appears to be the script. I am going to say something I hope others don't take wrong, but a huge part, if not the primary part of Zamperini's life and the thing that gave him the ability to endure the difficulties he went through was his faith, while there is brief mention of this, we never hear much dialog about it in the film. Instead the movie depends largely on images to present his ability to remain Unbroken. I have to wonder if the script writers and direction in the film truly understood the importance of this in Zamperini's life as it isn't evident to the viewer until the closing scenes where we see written narration on screen? This doesn't mean there aren't impressive qualities about the film, there absolutely is and in many ways the movie comes across as a reminder to the human ability to overcome. It shows the strength of a man, in an alluded way, through faith in a kind of Passion of the Christ movie kind of way without the bloody violence as displayed in The Passion of the Christ. It isn't to say Unbroken isn't emotional though, there was one lady during one particular scene in the theater I was in that had to literally run out of the theater weeping because she could not deal with what she was seeing on screen. There is brutality expressed in a haunting, and if you will, from a filmmaking perspective beautiful way. I would have just liked to have seen the character dealing with his faith through the process as it was a part of what made the man in real life who he was.

The two primary leads in the film do a surprisingly good job since they are not well known in film
circles as lead actors. Jack O'Connell does a very nice job in the lead roll of Zamperini. He actually has very little dialog and has to tell his story primarily through narration and living out the scenes on screen. His facial expressions and what times he does use dialog are very impressive though. The other example of little dialog from the actor is Takamasa Ishihara who plays the part of Mutsushiro Watanabe, known to the prisoners of war as The Bird, the overseer of the prisons where Zamperini spent his time during incarceration. Ishihara is so good I will be surprised if he doesn't receive an Academy Award nomination. The Bird was a brutal man who literally had Zamperini live through Hell on earth. The acting, all the way around, with no major movie stars is very good. Unbroken based on the quality of filmmaking alone, complete with cinematography, sound, etc... is worth seeing. I have to wonder though, will a story of this type, released on Christmas day, be well received?

Zamperini was a deeply spiritual man who made it very clear in his life that his faith and commitment specifically to Jesus Christ was what enabled him to remain unbroken during his time at sea and while imprisoned in Japan. Yet, while we see glimpses of this, allusion if you will, we don't have clarity as to that in the film. The imagery is definitely there though, from the struggles of a young man growing up in a deeply religious family, attending church, losing focus during church to ultimately being inspired by those around him through their faith in God. We even see him in a desperate situation, which resonates with the way it was for him to make a commitment to God while in a dangerous place. Here, he isn't just asking for spiritual salvation, he is asking for salvation from the situation he is in. We also see Zamperini in an almost supernatural way have the strength to endure and overcome situations that most of us watching wonder how could he overcome?

While a prisoner of war movie, Unbroken resonates with what I believe is the greatest illustration of the power of Christianity and faith in a movie I have seen on the topic, the 2001 movie, To End All Wars, starring Kiefer Sutherland. I have to compare these films because they seem to be so close in intent. To surmise the two; one, To End All Wars, is a great movie, Unbroken is a very good movie. I personally appreciated the intentional, and clear reminder of the importance and struggle with faith in To End All Wars much more as it seems a a more honest approach to the struggle one may go through in these situations.

Unbroken is however a powerful reminder of the need to overcome, especially for people who profess to believe in a God that gives the ability to overcome. It is a powerful reminder of the need to love, without retaliation and the powerful witness that can display for others. While watching the film one quickly sees what a hero is. Zamperini was undoubtedly a hero who was given strength by God to endure and overcome. In his ability to endure, there is no doubt of his witness to the strength and power of God but also the inspiration it gave others who witnessed what he went through. Unbroken, clearly on the topic of inspiration, gives clear witness to the ability of God to change a human life. From a young boy who wouldn't give up the fight, to a man dedicated to God who in the end, refused to fight in order that he may save lives, Zamperini was clearly a man who experienced God in his life, whether the film clearly speaks to that point or not.

Many from reading my review may think I didn't think highly of Unbroken, that is a mistake. It is a worthy film and one I believe that if thinking of the attributes of faith and what gives the strength to maintain that faith. If reminded of these concepts prior to seeing the movie one can clearly see the inspiration the movie can provide, even on Christmas day. Otherwise, as good as it is, it is also a message that could be overlooked by those seeing the film. I suspect the diehard, gun toting, blow the hell out of them 'christians' will take issue with the concepts of peace and nonviolence portrayed in the film, especially the efforts of Zamperini after the war but it is what it is. The mans life inspired multitudes, not by the act of war but the willingness to love and respond to violence with non violence. A concept many Christians have forgotten about, but an example once again, portrayed in a powerful way on screen. It is hard to forget about the sacrifices of men of this era, especially men like Zamperini, a true hero, who in the end, practiced forgiveness and love, not retaliation, certainly not in his personal life. While he understood the role of governments if you will, he also showed, by his actions and words, that he also understood the role of loving others and forgiveness as a bi-product of his faith. That is also a reminder for each person to consider, on the release of the film on Christmas day which celebrates the birth of the one called, The Prince of Peace.

I do feel compelled to make a closing comment, apparently according to the book, and comments by Zamperin, his conversion to Christ did not come until after WW2 via a Billy Graham Crusade. That said, the review is from the presentation of the film, but I think appropriate to get that concept worth mentioning to give the man the respect he deserves for the things he went through. I still think the review is appropriate though as to impression this reviewer felt and experienced from the movie. 

While not perfect and falling just short of To End All Wars in my humble opinion, this is a very good, well worth watching, confrontation of faith in action movie. For that reason, for the number of letters in Zamperini, I give a very deserved 9 on a scale of 1 - 10

The following is a short documentary on the Real Louis Zamperini, to see the video simply click on the video, if that doesn't work, click on the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEGL-wyz1yk



The Virtual Pew and our other work is supported solely by the kind contributions of others. You can click on the donate button below to give any amount to this work that does so much more than just post articles on the net; I draw no ongoing salary from the church I pastor, Mosaic Wichita which is predominantly a homeless church; I am grateful for any small amount you can contribute to help with this ministry.  Believe me there is much more going on than most realize. I will also provide information to verify the ministry and income that comes into this ministry and work.  Thanks and feel free to share any material from The Virtual Pew, I only ask that appropriate credit is given and a link to the original site with the materials provided.


Click here to read about, and order the book, The Keystone Kid 


Click here to visit the web page The Virtual Pew

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There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free audio book link of The Keystone Kid at mike@furches.org You can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/.

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Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word. Here is our contact information

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The Wizard of Oz, 1939

How does one even begin to write a review of a movie, that is considered one of the most popular movies ever made and most will say, the most watched movie of all time? The movie Wizard of Oz is based on the book by L. Frank Baum. He went on to write 15 books on the Wizard from 1900 - 1920. Additional 'Official' books continued by author Ruth Plumly Thompson who went on to write 20 more books published between 1921 and 1976? One of the top movies of all time starred the legendary Judy Garland and was so popular that multitudes of movies, documentaries, and even other books have been written. What an honor to review a movie that brings back some of my earliest memories regarding the movies. One I have seen many times, own various renditions, edits, and remastered versions. I also own all of the official books written by Baum and Thompson, although I haven't read all of them. 

The Wizard of Oz is noted for many things, most see it as a children's story and while it is that, it is much more. When the movie was made by MGM it was the most expensive movie ever made. It made minimal profits during its original release, some will say even lost money, but, we all know now the power of legs and the importance of television. When the film was shown some years later, in the 1950's on television, the film took off and viewers everywhere took notice. The movie received critical praise, although some critics didn't like it. During the theatrical release in 1939, it was nominated for numerous Academy Awards in a year considered by many until this day as the best year ever for movies. It lost The Best Picture Oscar to eventual winner, Gone With The Wind. The Wizard of Oz won other awards including Best Song, Somewhere Over The Rainbow which is considered by many as the best song in the history of film.

One little known fact is the 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz was not the first movie release of the story. Others based on L. Frank Baum's work was released in 1910, 1925, and 1933. Baum even commissioned a theatrical musical of the story released in 1902. The movie for me has lasting memories for other reasons though. I live in Kansas, the lasting references to the Land of Oz and not being in Kansas anymore is something I endure if not on a regular basis to this day. Kansans because of the love of Dorothy for her home has most Kansans sympathetic to the movie.  

While there are many things to notice in this classic fantasy, from the incredible, lasting special effects, the use of color, the terrific direction, cast and music one can't get away from magical moments that exist from the opening scenes in black and white to the color transitions to the closing scenes. There is everything in between from a horrific witch to singing Munchkins and flying monkeys. Along the way are friendships that give example to the things each of us have the potential to possess. A brain that gives the ability to think, courage that allows one to stand on their convictions and a heart that allows one to love and care for others. Dorothy is if you will a sort of savior who has come from another land to rekindle hope in this place called OZ. She does so by helping instill dreams for a Cowardly Lion who needs a courage, a rusty old Tin Man who needs a Heart, and of course a Scarecrow who needs a brain. Each of these characters, in some ways represent all of us. They take on attributes that ultimately defeat evil and provides Oz the salvation it needs. After accomplishing her purpose, just like the Savior Jesus,  Dorothy goes home to the place she loves, Kansas.  She departs much like Jesus, into the Heaven's with those she has saved looking on and declaring her glories.

Dorothy represents the need to sometimes help and inspire others. We can see ourselves in this beautiful story. Psychology Today did a piece on the story in the June issue of 2010 that stated the movie is the most popular movie of all time, (viewed by more people of any movie in history) because in part, "...it embodies some of our most enduring values. At the same time, it also raises some provocative ideas." Within those ideas are reflections that each human can relate to, a place to call home, we are powerless and in need of a redeemer or savior if you will and the realization that our strengths and weaknesses come from within ourselves. (June Issue 2010, Psychology Today, The Narcissus In All Of Us, Why 'The Wizard of Oz' is the most popular film of all time)  Of course as a person of faith, I believe the ultimate answers to our problems come from God. Just as Dorothy illustrated the need of Oz to have a savior, Jesus is the embodiment of the savior we need. It is clear that some of Baum's early Methodist and Episcopal roots are evident in his stories, although he converted to a free thinker train of thought through  theosophy, at many points even confronting Christian theological aspects, that said, it is hard to escape the need of a savior as presented in The Wizard of Oz. Whatever the perspective, there is no doubt of the influence of faith on the writings of Baum, whether they be to promote or tear down religion.

As movies go, The Wizard of Oz about covers everything, excitement, story, great acting, music the whole bit. I also find it beautiful as it also opens up themes you can talk about with children and grandchildren. The themes are universal and can give examples on how God gives gifts, abilities and the special things that allow each of us to contribute to the world around us. These lessons aren't just for children though which is why I suspect so many still find the movie so touching, even after watching it year after year on television as it still makes its annual broadcast. We need those innocent reminders of home, value, conflict, purpose and more. 

While our Summer Blockbuster features focus on Summer Blockbusters, truth is, initially, The Wizard of Oz just doesn't fit into that category. What it does fit into though is a movie with legs, a movie that inspires, one that went on to become the most watched movie in the history of Cinema. It is a lesson for each of us, it isn't always how we start that matters, it is how we finish. Run the race well, and be prepared to win, for no matter how we do in this life, for the follower of Jesus, in the end we gain everything, including eternity with a Savior in a heavenly place that is better than Oz, a place called Heaven that will be appear as; the Land of Ahs!  While that may not have been the intent of L. Frank Baun and his  theosophy beliefs, it is what I as a follower of Jesus can take out of it and on that matter, I can find cause and reason to celebrate a classic, called The Wizard of Oz.

For a rare treat, click on the following video to watch the first full length OZ film, The Patchwork Girl of Oz from 1914 in its entirety.  If the video doesn't work, click on the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z9AY741gGs

The Virtual Pew and our other work is supported solely by the kind contributions of others. You can click on the donate button below to give any amount to this work that does so much more than just post articles on the net; I draw no ongoing salary from the church I pastor, Mosaic Wichita which is predominantly a homeless church; I am grateful for any small amount you can contribute to help with this ministry.  Believe me there is much more going on than most realize. I will also provide information to verify the ministry and income that comes into this ministry and work.  Thanks and feel free to share any material from The Virtual Pew, I only ask that appropriate credit is given and a link to the original site with the materials provided.


Click here to read about, and order the book, The Keystone Kid 


Click here to visit the web page The Virtual Pew

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There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free audio book link of The Keystone Kid at mike@furches.org You can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/.

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Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word. Here is our contact information

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Email: mike@furches.org

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Ragamuffin, The True Story of Rich Mullins

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There is little doubt, three artists, each deceased, Keith Green, Larry Norman and Rich Mullins left more of an impact on the Christian music scene than likely any could ever imagine. These three, all unique, all different, all with their own unique style had something different about them, for Rich Mullins it was his simplicity and willingness to go against the grain of what Nashville wanted in their sound. For Rich Mullins, as presented in this film, it was his honest search and struggle to experience Jesus. He ultimately decided to reside in Wichita Kansas. Wichita is the town I currently reside in, the town where I have developed relationships and friendships with many of those who knew Rich. Yet the story of Rich Mullins, much like the story of many like Lonnie Frisbee is one of brokenness. It is a story that resonates with biblical themes of how God uses brokenness to reach the world. 

The new film company Color Green Films in association with Kid Brothers of St. Frank Co. have come together to make their first film, Ragamuffin The True Story of Rich Mullins. Directed by David Schultz, and starring Mike Koch, David Schultz, Wolfgang Bodison, James Kyson, Mitch Mcvicker among others is quite an accomplishment, especially considering it is a first effort by largely unknowns. The film in short weaves much of the story of Rich Mullins quite nicely in dramatic form. Koch who plays Mullins does an admirable job.  Schultz, the director and others did quite nicely when deciding to use a musician to play the part as opposed to an actor. Schultz, while not looking much like Mullins, transforms his persona quite well, Schultz also does a very nice job in performing all of the Mullins songs. There is much more to like about Ragamuffin, it is a first rate movie and far better than most independent efforts. To be short and blunt to this point, Ragamuffin is deserving of a theatrical release where it would have maximum impact on transcending and telling the story of a true troubadour, not so much because of his music but his honesty, love and search for God, despite his obvious weaknesses. 

Ragamuffin starts off with Mick Mcvicker (who plays himself) and Mullins stopping off at an old abandoned church to record what Mullins thought would be an important contribution to his music, The Jesus Record. The story moves to Mullins telling his story to a radio announcer, a story that included everything from at times, apparent neglect and the desire to feel love from his father to lost love in college and more. The DJ Rich is telling his story to is played by Mullins real life brother, Randy Mullins who asks questions that has Rich Mullins character flashing back to various points in his life.  While flashbacks can be disrupting, Schultz does a nice job using this technique. The story flows and we see Rich Mullins in a way many didn't know about, a broken man, with faults that included depression, a temper, alcohol issues if not alcoholism, and an apparent chain smoking habit. I mention this because we see a side of a Christian Music 'icon' that many didn't know existed. Even on the way out of the sold-out world premiere at the Orpheum Theater in Wichita the first comment I heard from another spectator was, "I never knew he was as messed up as he was." Herein lies a big problem, how will the church and Christians who placed him up on a pedestal respond to the real man. Rich Mullins isn't the first in this predicament, it is likely he won't be the last. Often times it seems as if Christians and the church put people up on pedestals without realizing they are simply, broken people having the same hurts and struggles as everyone else.

Despite having a cast virtually unknown, including band mates of Mullins, relatives, and friends, this movie plays out very nicely. The cinematography, story, everything plays out very well. It was one of several areas I was surprised. I have to give credit where credit is due, Schultz does a more than admirable job at directing his first feature. If he hasn't considered this as a career, he should.

One of the things I loved about Ragamuffin was its willingness to be honest. It is likely the area that will cause some problems. It is sad, that many within the established church will have serious issue with this film. Even on the current advance screening tour, the film is scheduled to play in many churches I suspect where some attendees will have problems in the end.  It has been my experience, that many within Christian circles don't want to accept the reality of what is really going on in the "Christian" industry. Ragamuffin shows is quite honestly and while holding back on some issues related to Rich, it does a very good job at showing his brokenness and struggles. For those that relate and are searching for truth, this movie does as good a job at presenting the real life, honest to God struggle of walking in faith better than anything I have ever seen put on screen. I suspect that even after reading the warnings, giving the information in advance, there will be many who will doubt these stories and issues related to Rich Mullins, until seeing the film. They will then have one of three reactions, 1) doubt, 2) serious displeasure in supporting him, or 3) feel the grace of God, knowing that God loves us while we are yet sinners. It is here must remember, just as Mullins would state, it is important to remember that God not only loves us, he likes us. For some it seems as if the search for honesty, one with real questions and a sincere heart, has to be glossed over, or for some reason, conclude with the spiritual answers that many of us know aren't anything more than clichés. Yet for many of us, who are in fact, Ragamuffins, we know the answers are in some ways more complicated than that, and in others, more simple than that. 

While there was a great deal I liked about this film, there was also some things I disliked.  Unfortunately many key players, their stories and more were left out, entirely. Gay Quisenberry was the long time manager for Mullins. Despite numerous efforts to find out why she was left out of the story, including attempts at speaking to the Director the night of and after my questions regarding several issues went unanswered. Gay was a vital  part of Rich's life, from his ministry to many other areas, including even his involvement in the Navajo ministry.  I have known Gay for some time, appreciate and value her, I have learned multitudes about Rich from her, that said, I know of her love for him and apparently, to have not been contacted in regards to this story, to have shared her memories, experiences of Rich recorded is somewhat troubling. There may be reasonable explanations as to this but I have no idea as I have yet to get a response from the filmmakers on this issue. The last response after asking via a pm at FB, leaving a phone message last night, from the director this afternoon was, "Hey man sorry we didn't connect. crazier last night that I could have imagined. I unfortunately just don't have any open time today. So do what you need to do my friend. Thanks for coming!"

I could go into more detail here, but will simply say, it would be nice to work together to try and support a film of this nature which is so deserving. If I was one that was from the typical "press" that would be one issue, being the Ragamuffin I am, (those that know me know the absolute truth to this) I have a hard time accepting the reasoning for not making some time despite the months of effort in this. It is the hardest I ever had to work to get any information from the filmmakers only to only get nothing.  BTW my efforts to try and obtain information started in August of 2013, so it wasn't like this was a first attempt. It is especially sad here as this is a very promising, good film, one deserving of people seeing but one also deserving of truth a truth that many will want to know about.

As to the film, for the content, and the praise I will give the director and cast, in fact all involved with this movie a huge two thumbs up.  I am confused though with such a good, quality, much better than expected film, doesn't it deserves all of the effort it can to reach people? There was some discussion prior to the film in a constructed Q&A, about the film not being that big of a deal, to that I say, Hogwash! This movie has the potential to help people understand their own walk, I know because I am one who can relate to the struggles, the difficulties of life as exemplified in Ragamuffin whether it be never living up to the expectations of others, feeling rejection for feeling what you feel, the aspect of having a broken heart to the ultimate need of feeling and experiencing Christ love and grace. So many within this institution we call church hurt, they in a way become Rich Mullins all over again because they are lonely and are starving for the answers. Some question the search, even condemn those who are searching, this movie though, it speaks truth. The message of Ragamuffin is that Jesus loves you, he cares for you, he likes you, no matter your circumstance, no matter your sin. That God would choose to use the broken to illustrate his love for others and communicate His truths; that is a message we all need to hear, even the church who seems to at times have forgotten that message.  This movie is powerful. It can and will reach many in their own lost and hurting world.  Why not take advantage as a film company and make that happen? There are many studio films which have clearly failed at the effort of telling a good story with a message that can change the world, this one has the potential to change a life, a life God cares for, loves, and likes. Why not do everything possible to make that happen.  Seldom have I ever done this, but this is a movie that is worthy of the cry from the fans who see it, it is worthy because for many of us, we are Ragamuffins walking on this path called life, hand in hand with a savior named Jesus.

On a scale of 1 - 10, for the incredible nearly perfect recognition that those of us who hurt can still be loved and liked, minus the one individual who is in body now gone, for the powerful life of Rich Mullins, minus that life, I give this a very surprising and insightful 9

Photos from the film:

 

 

Rich Mullins:

 The following is the trailer for the movie, just click on the video, if there is trouble, click on the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF7qbCTFja0  


The Virtual Pew and our other work is supported solely by the kind contributions of others. You can click on the donate button below to give any amount to this work that does so much more than just post articles on the net; I draw no ongoing salary from the church I pastor, Mosaic Wichita which is predominantly a homeless church; I am grateful for any small amount you can contribute to help with this ministry.  Believe me there is much more going on than most realize.  I will also provide information to verify the ministry and income that comes into this ministry and work.  Thanks and feel free to share any material from The Virtual Pew, I only ask that appropriate credit is given and a link to the original site with the material is provided.

Click here to read about, and order the book, The Keystone Kid

Click here to visit the web page The Virtual Pew 

Click here to follow The Virtual Pew on Twitter

Mike Furches on Faceboook.

Click here to visit Mosaic Church where Mike is Pastor

The Keystone Kid/Virtual Pew Message Boards

Click to subscribe to my blog

There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free audio book link of The Keystone Kid at mike@furches.orgYou can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.

Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.Here is our contact information

The Virtual Pew

1249 N. St. Francis

Wichita Kansas, 67214

Email: mike@furches.org

Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew

Donations to The Virtual Pew

The Virtual Pew Blog

Personal Furches Web Site

Hollywood Jesus

Reviews With Mike

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The Virtual Pew News

Interview with Kirk Cameron

Over the years I have had the opportunity to interview and meet many celebrities, sometimes athletes, actors, musicians and I have to admit, there are times I get a little giddy. I heard about an opportunity with Kirk Cameron and to be honest about it, it was at first a so so moment. I have never really been a fan of Cameron’s, never seen an episode of Growing Pains and haven’t been the biggest fan of The Way of the Master. Unfortunately, the movies I had seen him in with Christian themes were disappointing. I was among the throngs of people looking forward to the release of The Left Behind movies and was extremely disappointed with the overall quality of the movies once they were released. While Cameron did a fair job in his biggest hit, Fireproof, I was still disappointed with other components of the film including the many in the supporting cast. It was watchable though which was more than I could say about The Left Behind movies. Despite my own feelings about Cameron’s work which I had seen what I soon learned when releasing the news of my upcoming interview with him was that he had a huge following. It wasn’t that I didn’t like him; I just wasn’t a fan. 

His new project Unstoppable was something that looked interesting to me; it is to be a one night only theatrical event which focuses on the question of when bad things happen to good people in a documentary style. In my own experiences in sharing my faith it is without a doubt one of the most asked questions of people who are going through tough times, or seeking to question the reality of God. The trailers for this project look promising and Cameron is intriguing in the small bits of the film I have seen. So I begin my efforts to prepare for the Cameron interview. I asked my friends what they would ask, complied some of their questions with mine and proceeded to talk to him. While the interview started off a little rough, (I felt his answer to the question regarding his evangelical techniques with Way of the Master was scripted and came off as if he were reading it) the interview shortly moved into more of a positive place, including laughter and what I felt was a sincere Kirk Cameron, a guy I could like and enjoy spending some time with.  What follows is a part of that interview that starts off with Kirk giving me a phone call.

Kirk Cameron (KC): Hi Mike Kirk Cameron here.

Mike Furches (MF): Hi Kirk, how are you doing?

KC: Doing great, how about you?

MF: Doing good, real good in fact.

KC: I’m out here on the West Coast, where are you at?

MF: I’m in Wichita Kansas.

KC:  Oh My!

MY: Yeah, I write for 3 web sites, The Virtual Pew, Spirituality in Film and of course the biggie and granddaddy of them all, Hollywood Jesus.

I’m looking forward to the interview, some of the folks and friends at Facebook and other places have indicated that they think I am a good choice to speak to you because I tend to be blunt and to the point. I’ve also seen enough interviews with you to know that you can handle it. (Laughter from me and Kirk)

KC:  Well that’s good and I’ll try not to go out to be too rough on you either.

MF:  You don’t have to go rough on me; you don’t have much of a reason to be that rough.  (Again laughter from the two of us)

 Anyway, I do have a few questions and I certainly want to respect your time, so I’ll jump right in if that is okay.

KC: Certainly, I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me.

MF:  I’m glad to do it.

This is a question I have had from another individual to ask you. It seems that a lot of your methods from WOTM are controversial, even among strong evangelicals, some say they are manipulative at times and are disrespectful, your thoughts as you are a great person to answer this question or thought?

KC: (laughter) Well, let’s see, I can tell you that my goal is to always be kind and to be gracious to always be willing to speak in kindness of what I  believe to be the truth, again, in a loving and gracious manner. So obviously I had a major change of heart and a major change of in my life when someone shared the Gospel with me. Today, I am a recovering Atheist and I am so grateful today that someone took the time to expose my sin and point me to the cross and my need for a Savior. Now some might say that the person who did that with me may have been disrespectful toward my lifestyle or intolerant of my previous beliefs, but I look at that persona as a hero. They were somebody who helped me to pull my head out of the sand and to smell the coffee so to speak. They helped me lift my eyes to Heaven and to begin to live my life saying ‘Thank you God for being so kind to me. Thank you for pulling me off this path that was leading no where good and for putting my feet on higher ground.’ Today I am so thankful; you look at most of my contemporaries that I grew up with and tragically I can’t even hang out with some of them anymore because their dead or they’re in a lock down facility. Why? Because they continued down a path that seemed right in their own eyes and it’s that Hollywood path that often leads to shame, guilt, fear, destruction and tragedy. I’m so thankful that I’m not there and it started with someone sharing the Gospel with me in a way that I attempt to share with others in my life.

MF: I’ll stray from some of my questions and you gave me a good follow up here.  Have you seen the video of Penn Jillette getting the gift of a bible?  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhG-tkQ_Q2w

KC: I sure have.

MF:  So what you are saying is in some ways, the same thing Penn is saying in the video? That if we really
believe in our faith, in a Heaven or a Hell, then it becomes critical and important to share our faith without compromise?

KC: Yes, and Penn went even further than that by saying and trying to convict people of faith to say, ‘If your not sharing your faith with someone that you believe is in danger, then how much do you really have to hate someone to not share that which you believe can help them?’ That would be the most unloving thing that you could do in other words, that is, to not share your faith with them. I can tell you right now that Penn the Atheist really convicted me and Ray Comfort saw his video. It made us feel like, you know what? We need to do this even more in life!

MF: So the conviction of an Atheist to do even more when it comes to spreading the Gospel?

KC: (Enthusiastically) YES! (Laughing now) that is the irony of that we agree, he is right.

MF: One of the things I have always tried to do is to respect my friends and readers, so this one is another question that comes directly from Facebook. What are your thoughts on Christian film and the criticism that there normally put out there including there isn’t much of a story, poor acting, poor special effects etc...  Do you think the future looks better for Christian film, and can you give some examples that give indication of that?

KC:  That’s a really good question and I have to think about it. (About 15 seconds of silence before he responds) Let me tell you something; first are you recording or writing?

MF:  I learned a long time ago to record.

KC:  That’s great, so let me tell you something about Christian film. You know, film is film. It is a very interesting discussion to talk about what makes something a “Christian” film. I’m looking at your web site, Hollywood Jesus right now and I see “Man of Steel, Jesus in Chains.” You can also look at The Chronicles of Narnia, The Passion of the Christ and a thousand different movies about heroes and damsels in distress, killing the dragon, rescuing the woman, stories about war and redemption, betrayal and sacrifice, death and resurrection, good overcoming evil and these are all universal story themes that make for exciting experiences in books, in movie theaters, music on stage, and all the best stories really come out of ancient themes that are best told in the scriptures themselves. So there is an argument that could be made that every great movie is a “Christian” movie at heart because when good overcomes evil or someone kills the dragon and wins the beautiful woman and restores her back to safety, or a man is providing and protecting those who trusted him, these are Biblical themes, not really revolutionary ideas. These aren’t pagan ideas! Pagan ideas are stories about how the guy rolls into town, kills everyone, throws the woman on his back and rides off into the sunset to enjoy all of the spoils of war for himself. Those are the anti heroes, so “Christian” films, I think, are the best kinds of film because they are faithful to the story and people are doing their job of being good story tellers. I’m getting a little philosophical there so I’ll try to be more direct in what I’m saying.

With technology today, those who understand how to tell great stories are able to make them look better.
We’ve got red camera’s we all have our DSR’s, our Final Cut programs, and we can all make movies, even if you’re 15 years old you can make a great movie. So, I think all films will be getting better in terms of the visuals, the effects and the way things look and sound, but storytelling is going to be good and bad everywhere you look. The best stories will always be the ones that resonate in the hearts of people, where those things are always rooted in the ultimate story, which is the story of God and His creation and creations rebellion against Him and of Him sacrificing in order to restore that which He loves back to Himself. There are also the stories of God putting the beast under His foot and beautifying the bride. Those are always going to be the best stories and movies and that’s why you see movies with those themes always do the best at the box office.

MF:  There are a few other areas I want to make sure I touch on. What about the controversy of Facebook and Youtube, in your words, what happened and was their a conspiracy or effort to stop the promotion of your work? Some are especially wondering this when it seems as if it was presented as an effort of these groups to stop your work, when in reality, both mediums contain a great deal of conservative Christian views. Why the Kirk Cameron effort and not the others who speak with a conservative voice?

KC: Well, do a search yourself. You can look on Facebook or YouTube and you can find videos of extremist cutting the heads off of live people, I would say that might rightly be categorized as unsafe or abusive. You can find pages about killing someone, say killing police officers, and maybe even another one that says the Virgin Mary ought to have aborted. Those things aren’t shut down. Why my movie about Faith, Hope and Love and finding God in the face of tragedy would be blocked from having people being able to post the trailer or link to the content? I have no idea who would do something like that or why they would do it. My guess is that there is enough people who don’t like that message that perhaps they just clicked that report a problem button that you can click, and if enough people do it that it would shut it down. I imagine it was not someone inside of Facebook or YouTube but probably groups of people on the outside who wanted to cause trouble, that would be my guess and that is a good safety mechanism that Facebook has in place. I’m thankful for that, nonetheless, there are millions of people who want to see my movie because they love God and they want to know where He is in the midst of their tragedy and suffering. I’m glad they spoke up and I’m grateful that YouTube and Facebook reinstated us rather quickly.

MF: Regarding your new film, Unstoppable, it looks promising, tell us some about it and why you are using a one night only concept for the showing of the film in theaters? Also, for those that want to see Unstoppable, will DVD options be available in the future?

KC: First, the premise of the film, from where I sit, I have been volunteering at a camp that my wife and I
started 23 years ago for terminally ill children.

MF:  That’s Camp Firefly?

KC: That’s right, and for 23 years we have been bringing families to a one week all-expense paid vacation. You can look that up at campfirefly.com. We’ve had over 160 families come and we got to be very close with them and when these children pass a way and die, the question always comes up and in fact is one of the top 5 questions in the world, it’s the question that wrecks peoples faith quicker than anything else, “Where is God? If God is good where is He in the midst of my tragedy? Where is He, why does He allow evil in the world?” This is the type of questions that skeptics love to throw, my God, my God like a fiery Molotov into faith communities to scatter God’s people to leave their churches. So, I want to face it head on, not only for those reasons but my own personal reasons. This is personal to me, one of my friends died and I was praying that God would heal him. I would like to know the answer to that question. So that’s why I did Unstoppable. I know God is there and I have the desire to know why He’s not doing, and doing the things that He is.

As far as a one night release: This is a very unique release of a film and I did the same thing with my last film called Monumental. It was terrific, fun and tens of thousands of fans and families gathering in movie theaters all over the country, all on the same day at the same time and we all watched the film simultaneously as its being broadcast live as a part of an event from Liberty University. Liberty University is the largest, private, non profit university in the country. It’s the largest Christian university in the world, and we are going to have 10,000 students, live and in attendance listening to musical artists like Mandisa and Warren Barfield and some other special guests. Part of that evening will be the Unstoppable movie which will be watched live via satellite. That gives us the opportunity to watch together and then start the conversation together.

As to the third part of the question, as to when can people see it afterwards, to tell you the truth, there will be opportunities 3 months later where people will be able to get it on DVD. There may be some other opportunities in between that but that’s not something I can really talk about. 

MF: Last thing Kirk, It seems as if Kirk Cameron has in some ways become the face of Christianity, are you comfortable with that?

KC:  Whoever is saying that better take a picture because my face is changing constantly (both of us laughing here) I’m getting older by the day. (Lots of laughter) Every grey hair and every wrinkle is proof to me that time is marching on.

MF:  I think the Miami Vice look with the beard stubble is quite fetching, (Both laughing) the stubble and all.

KC: (both still laughing) That’s too much, too much. Yeah, well take a picture now because I’m not going to look like this for long. You know, I’m just thankful to be alive. I’m still alive and kicking and I want to do everything I can to present a cutting edge, fresh perspective, offering hope and strength, faith, joy, and perseverance in a world and in a life that is very challenging. The good news is that I believe we have victory written all over us through the Gospel. The Gospel doesn’t loose. The Gospel wins and is winning. I want people to understand, there is victory in the midst of temporary tragedy. I want to show them where it is.

MF: As one who believes they are called into the gift of evangelism, specific to plant seeds, it is nice to know there are those who are called to close the deal and be a part of the process. So from that perspective, keep up the good work of telling others about Jesus.

KC: Thank you Mike, and you as well, I look forward to reading the story on Hollywood Jesus when it is done. 

MF:  Thanks to you Kirk, God bless you.

KC:  Thanks to you again as well Mike, and God bless you.

To see the trailer for the new project, Unstoppable, click on the video below, if the video doesn't appear, click on the following link:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzKijw7v6AM&noredirect=1

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Life of Pi in 3-D

Life of Pi

One of the films creating buzz this Holiday Season is the Ang Lee directed film Life of Pi. While some are comparing this film to Avatar visually, I personally found that comparison ridiculous. While strong visually, Life of Pi is far from Avatar, especially in the 3-D version but the story and plot is deeply moving and the film is exceptionally made. While I believe Ang Lee has been overrated as a director, he shines in this movie about a young man cast into difficult circumstances, by being on a life boat in the middle of the ocean with a hyena, zebra, orangutan and ultimately the fiercest of all, a Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker. The story starts with the young Pi struggling in school and ultimately at a young age starting a spiritual quest that has him appreciating and following concepts within Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. Throughout the film, the prevailing theme is on his search for God thus making this film, in my opinion, one of the most spiritual films ever released.

 Life of Pi is technically brilliant. It is a feast for the eyes and in some early sequences involving the storm that sinks the transport ship Pi and his family are on one can almost become physically sick, especially if seeing this movie on the big screen and in 3-D as it should be seen. The strength of Life of Pi over movies like Avatar and others which have focused in the past on the technology is the inclusion here of a deeply moving story. The movie outside of a few visual sequences is story and dialog focused, but don’t let that fool you. For those able to focus and appreciate story, it is also thought provoking and incredibly entertaining with some heart pounding sequences thrown in. In its entertainment value is the willingness to openly address the spiritual search of Pi. The screenplay is close to the book of the same name which has received a great deal of recognition and acclaim. I have seen few films that are as special effects driven with as much story and plot. Pulling this off is difficult to do especially when considering the CGI and Animation used in the film. It is so good that most of the time, you can’t tell what is real and what isn’t. It is that quality which also helps add to the credibility of the film. The moving score and music used also contribute to the beauty of Life of Pi.

Lee directs this film brilliantly as we see the struggles of Pi as he grows up. We see his search for spiritual truth. He grows up in India and is subjected to Hinduism. He has aspects of it that he appreciates and tries to follow, it is the faith of his mother, but his father, a man of science largely rejects all religion in favor of his view of science. It isn’t that he is opposed to Pi’s search, he even makes his point clear, he would rather Pi believe in one thing as truth than to believe in all things that can’t all be true. As Pi grows older he is challenged to drink Holy Water out of a Catholic Church by some young friends. He goes in and has an encounter with the Catholic Priest. While there he observes the life of Jesus in the murals in the church. He asks the priest the question of how it is that a loving God could do what He did to His son in the crucifixion of Jesus. As the youth contemplates the answer from the priest he goes on to become what he calls a follower of Jesus. We see him throughout the film praying and reflecting on God and the person of Christ. Later on Pi also comes into contact with Islam and finds aspects of that faith that he also appreciates and chooses to follow. Through out the film we see this struggle and dedication to God from Pi, especially in the later years as he goes through the growing pains of a teenage boy and later on in the ultimate struggle of being stranded alone on a life boat for almost a year with a Bengal Tiger. We also see this in his adulthood from the beginning of the film. We always know of Pi’s survival as the story has him sharing his life as an older man with a Canadian reporter. Pi is older, had time to reflect on his life and God and shares his story which has been told and known by many as a way to ultimately prove the existence of God. It is here the prevailing plot has the viewer reminded of the reality that Pi his story to show others the reality and existence of God.

I have seen some prominent Christian reviewers critical of this film because they don’t like that Pi adopts and has appreciation to three religions. I found the film outstanding for its honest search into truth from all religions, certainly these three. The person of Jesus and his example of love is one that has the most lasting impact on Pi’s life. The issue for me is the willingness to address that search in an honest way. While I may not agree with or accept the final decision Pi makes, a kind of acceptance of all three religions, the concept of understanding and an honest search is something we should all encourage. As a person of faith, it is critical that I have a belief in God honoring the promise that he will reveal himself to those honestly seeking. I also hold that from a spiritual, Christian, and intellectual way, it doesn’t take much of a search in real life to understand that the deeper concepts of God can’t all be true in such diverse belief systems. That isn’t to knock other belief systems in any way, but the words of Jesus at various points, the emphasis on the Bible in many places that all indicate the individual salvation offered only by Jesus and him alone is difficult and I believe, impossible to negate. One has to seriously search what Jesus meant when he said “No one comes to the Father except through me.” Or the Bible says, “There is no other name under heaven which can provide salvation other than the name of Jesus.” Pi, even addresses this as he reflects on God and Jesus love and quotes John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” I find the challenge in this search as to which belief system to follow appropriate and insightful. While not all viewers will come to the same conclusion, they will have to do something with the implications from the Bible and the words of Jesus, even the quote from the Bible Pi uses. I found an appreciation for the willingness of Pi to respect other religions and to seek out knowledge of those religions. I also appreciated his honest search in both the good and bad times as he says finding God, “In the most unexpected ways.”

While Life of Pi may not be a perfect film, it is strongly moving and thought provoking, wait, I have already said that, but let me also say again, the search for spiritual truth has likely not been addressed as well in any major theatrical release in some time. There is definitely something going on in our society. Just as Life of Pi addresses the spiritual search, we are seeing other movies, doing the same thing. While others will have different tactics and methods, it is hard to imagine any presenting the search as directly and as honestly as doe Pi. While some Christians are already upset at the conclusion, let me ask, why? Are we afraid of our own inability or the inability of others to discover truth? I would challenge even further, do we doubt the ability of the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself in ones search for truth? I don’t! I fully expect this film will not only entertain, it will become a modern day parable that points others to an honest search of God. It is as Pi indicates later in life; it is a measure of faith, but a faith that has done its search and one that relates to life experiences. God is around us, touching us, speaking to us, we just have to listen to hear it. While God speaks, I believe that sometimes He chooses to use us to speak His truth. That said, imagine having a discussion about Jesus with another who is seeking truth that has seen this movie. We can see God in his words, provisions; and His creation. As for me, I think we can also see him in film, including films like Life of Pi.

Life of Pi isn’t a perfect film, but it is close, it is very good and well worth the cost of seeing it in 3-D. On a scale of 1 – 10 for the near perfection that is contained, I give it a very enthusiastic 9. Now make sure to see this sure fire block buster film likely to receive multiple Oscar Nominations, I suspect from 4 – 7 and an outside chance at even more.

To see the video below, just click on it, if for some reason the video doesn’t appear or is distorted or not in full frame, click on the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/user/thelifeofpimovie?v=mX2HBsHbNZM

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