Hostiles

There was a the day, not so long a go, where many of us will remember that the Western ruled the box office, whether it be a smash hit at the theater , a Saturday matinee or even a program on television. The Western was a format that looked at the old west in America, (sometimes in other countries) and the story featuring the old west incorporated the challenges of either settling the west, bank robbers, or battles between Cowboys and Indians or gunslingers trying to kill someone. There were the black hat Cowboys who were always bad and the white hat Cowboys which were always good. In the simplicity of some of those Westerns we could watch John Ford movies and enjoy the pop-corn; then there was popular director William "Wild Bill " Wellman who gave us Westerns like The Ox Bow Incident that ended up being a full course steak dinner. While some always put Ford in  pop-corn category he also did meaningful Westerns that were like a fine meal ordered at a fine restaurant with tons of social commentary along with a great story such as The Searchers. Unfortunately, over the last number of years, while there have been Westerns released on the big screen, some quite good such as Tombstone, Unforgiven, Dances with Wolves and Open Range among others, those are rare and few between.  All of that said, thankfully, a new classic, one that could also be considered epic, has just entered the genera. That movie is directed by Scott Cooper from Crazy Heart fame is Hostiles.

Hostiles opens with a masterful, cinematic image of a homestead in the wild frontier of New Mexico. The homestead faces the potential of an Indian attack from a brand of Comanche whom have not given into the treaties which placed them under supervision of the United States who had moved them onto a reservation in Montana. The homestead is attacked in a brutal way and we see the hostility and hatred these Indians have for Whites and other settlers in the area. We jump next to a scene of Fort Berringer in New Mexico. where Captain Joseph Blocker, played brilliantly by Christian Bale, has captured some Apache up risers and is taking them back to the fort. Shortly after his return he discovers that he, along with some of the soldiers who have served with him for years are given the orders to escort Comanche dying war chief, Yellow Hawk, played brilliantly by Wes Studi and his family to Montana where his people liveand call home. One thing is clear from the directives given and Berringer's response, he hates Indians, especially Yellow Hawk. While reluctantly following orders under the pretext of losing his pension, he ultimately agrees to provide the escort as long as he can pick the solidiers of his choosing to go along with him. 

The journey of Blocker and his crew escorting Yellow Hawk and his family ultimately has him meeting up with loan survivor of the attack on their homestead, Rosalie Quaid, also played brilliantly by Rosamund Pike. We see her struggles with her own PTSD and the response given toher by not  only the soldiers escorting her, but also Yellow Hawk and his family. One thing both groups understand is the grief and loss of someone like her and the struggles she is going through as a result of such suffering.  Here, you can see influences from directors like John Ford from movies like The Searchers, but Hostiles delivers as much as The Searchers and a whole lot more.

This movie is beautiful to watch and while seeing the opening on a early late night release, ending way after midnight, I was never bored, never tired, and not only entertained but challenged to think throughout the duration of the movie. My wife, a Western buff who had several hours in college graduate studies on Westerns was also entertained while watching the incredible, well crafted story portrayed on screen before us. There were a number of things that made this movie even more incredible for us.

Not only is the story well told in Hostiles but the imagery on screen is also incredible. I have seen most of the Oscar Contenders for the year 2017/18.  Of all of the movies I have seen this last year, if in the same awards categories, this movie would have garnished my vote in numerous categories including, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Original Screenplay, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Make-Up and Hairstyling, Directing, Actress in a Supporting Role, Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Actor, and Best Picture.  This movie is that good, and that deserving. It is as excellent as anything on screen during the 2017 Movie year, and frankly, one of the best Westerns ever made in my, (in this case) not so humble opinion.

There are several aspects of Hostiles that I was blown away with, not only is there an entertaining story over the 2 hours and 14 minutes of the film, there is ample social and spiritual commentary throughout the film. We see a strong religious connection between many of the characters in the movie, likely, the strongest men of faith in the film are the soldiers on the escort. There are poignant scenes where there are discussions about such themes as where is God?  How does one grow in their faith and life despite tragedy? There is much more but we also see portrayed in a powerful way, the power of forgiveness and what it means to be a brother or sister to someone. I haven't seen a movie that shows the power of forgiveness as strongly as this one in several years. The possibility that exists from getting to know your enemy, learning to love them as opposed to always hating them and finding a way to hate is powerfully portrayed. One of the beautiful things about Hostiles though is this is portrayed in the simplest of ways, yet, it is in that simplicity that we ultimately see the power of these themes. In the end, we discover all men and women are capable of evil, and in many ways, have done evil. We also see though that God loves all and that we have the potential to love all people, whether they be red or yellow, black or white. These are not just realities regarding God though, they are possible for humanity. Not only are these things possible amongst those who have loved or hated little, they are available for those who have loved and hated much.

The Bible reminds us of such themes, that all are accepted to God in many areas, we can read for example that illustrate this such as Colossians 3: 10 - 14: 

Each of you is now a new person. You are becoming more and more like your Creator, and you will understand him better. It doesn’t matter if you are a Greek or a Jew, or if you are circumcised or not. You may even be a barbarian or a Scythian, and you may be a slave or a free person. Yet Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you.  Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together.

These words, these themes are played powerfully in the movie Hostiles. I for one am glad I was reminded of them, of the need to live them and better yet, challenged to learn to love, even those I may have perceived in the past who have been my enemies.

On a scale of 1 - 10 for the letters in the "rare nature" of me to call a film epic, of which I call this movie, an Epic film and among the best Westerns ever, I give a rare and deserving 10.  

To see the trailer for the movie, click on the video below, or you can also click on the link, also please note, subscribe to the videos put out by The Virtual Pew when checking them out on Youtube, we really do appreciate it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrD0I-vLsXM

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When Movies Do Good, A Response To Hollywood

To see this article click here to be redirected to its original posting:

http://thevirtualpew.blogspot.com/2016/02/when-movies-do-good-response-to.html

Movies for Lent, Schindler's List

As I was growing up I never really thought about the concepts of Lent as it was a Christian tradition for many that was unique to what little I understood about church. As I got older and became active in church it was something not typically practiced in the churches I attended. In my late 30's and early 40's I started looking at concepts of faith practiced by many, including Lent. As I became aware of the Lenten practices leading up to Easter Sunday I would give up something in my life to help me in my walk with God. As I gave up something of meaning it helped me to rely more on prayer and God. The concept of sacrifice and offering of something in my life became a key concept of my regular prayer and fasting, not just at Easter but throughout the year. I can think of few movies that emphasized the concepts of sacrifice more than the wonderful landmark film by Steven Spielberg, Schindler's List.

Schindler's List is the powerful biopic and Oscar Winning 1993 film that follows the life of Oskar Schindler during World War 2.  Schindler a Nazi sympathizer and wealthy businessman becomes aware of the atrocities against the Jewish people while in Poland. During an epiphany moment for Schindler he decides to do all he can to save as many Jewish people as he can from the atrocities they experience during the Nazi regime. He makes sacrifices in all aspects of his life by giving away virtually all of his wealth to purchase the lives of Jewish people to work in his factory saving them from the various methods of death they would likely face in the German Concentration Camps. Schindler saved over 1,000 Jews and lost virtually all of his fortune as a result. The movie shows the consequences of his sacrifices. The movie, an American Classic won 7 Oscars including awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Writing, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design and Best Actor in a Leading, and Supporting Role.

Technically, this work is brilliant. Filmed in black and white Spielberg known largely at the time as a 
Director of fluff entertainment, albeit great fluff entertainment took the serious story of Schindler and made it entertaining, yet powerful. Despite the serious subject matter, this film flows quickly and seems to be much shorter than its 3+ hours and leading actor Liam Neeson is brilliant along with costars Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes and others. The real star though, is Spielberg in his direction and ability to tell a heart wrenching, compelling story based on the real Oskar Schindler.

This movie challenged me to contemplate my own willingness to sacrifice for the hurting, the abused and those in need. Few movies have likely ever moved the audience to contemplate their own sacrifice to help people in need. We are moved after seeing this portrayed in such a powerful way and then towards the end of the film seeing the attitude of Schindler in realizing that in his incredible sacrifices, he sees only how he could have done more by selling this car, or this or that, if he would have only made more money he could have saved more people. Schindler was aware not of what he had done but what more he could have done.

As followers of Jesus we often make excuses to ignore the pains and realities of others around us, we especially notice this when we ourselves are going through difficulties and there are few around us who seem to care. While the pain those Schindler helped was as deep as any pain one can experience, the pain we so often feel is none the less our experience, hurts, needs and pain. The need to help others is exemplified throughout the the Bible, unfortunately, sometimes we need reminders, from real people, examples, even sometimes a movie that presents the lives of other people like Oskar Schindler. 

There are many moving pictures but this Lent season, for reminder of what it means to sacrifice, have a right spirit in that sacrifice and the importance of loving and caring for others, few movies present this as brilliantly as this Spielberg classic. Of course one of the beautiful things we also see is one we may or may not see the appreciation of those who are helped. While we may not know the impact of the sacrifices we make, others will still be touched and helped. 

When Jesus was asked about entering the Kingdom of Heaven, He spoke of the importance of loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, and in that process the importance of loving our neighbor as ourselves. We are also told, of all the commandments, there are none greater than these two, because when we keep these two, we have kept them all. In the process of loving our neighbor, Spielberg presents Schindler as among those in history who can inspire like few others. For those observing Lent, realize that among the best ways to show God you love Him is by the way we love others. That love when made with sacrifice is a love that will have an impact on not just those we are helping, but those looking in at our lives and examples.

To see the trailer for Schindler's List, click on the video below, if the video doesn't appear, click on the following link:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwfIf1WMhgc

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.


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Dead Man Walking, 1995, 2011 on Blu-ray

In 1998 I personally sat across the table of the man who had just murdered my aunt who had helped raise me. He had killed another person, and shot and intended to kill my cousin. I was supposed to be at the residence when this tragedy took place but wasn’t due to my daughter having a knee injury from soccer. As I sat across this man, I came face to face with my own challenge, to follow Jesus example of love or to follow my desire to at the moment hate this man. I found it in me to share with him that I loved him and that I could call him brother if he accepted Christ. It was a hard thing to do but over the years I have told people, it wasn’t nearly as hard as the ability to continue to love him after he said after my offer, exactly these words that still burn in my mind, ‘That Bitch deserved everything she got.” Loving with an unexplainable love after that was among the hardest things I have ever done, but I can now speak with conviction, it is possible to love the unlovable in even the most difficult of situations.

Dead Man Walking is the critically acclaimed film by Tim Robbins from 1995 where Susan Sarandon won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Sister Helen Prejean, a nun who developed a relationship with convicted murderer and death role inmate Matthew Poncelet, played by Sean Penn who was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. This riveting tale, based primarily on meetings and conversations between Poncelet and Prejean challenges the viewer to think outside the box of their own beliefs regarding capital punishment and the role faith can play in the debate. The brilliant direction by Robbins, also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director, has a very nice mix of thought provoking dialog and perspectives on the issue of the death penalty and the role of faith, specifically Christianity. The story follows the true story of the relationship and friendship that developed between these two seemingly different characters. The movie now released on Blu-ray DVD will hopefully pull in new viewers like me for the first time. While the movie is some 15 + years old now, the story and debate are still relevant.

Robbins pulls no punches in his screenplay based off of the real Prejean’s book. He holds no punches in letting us know that Poncelet’s character was someone who was in many ways evil and in fact committed heinous crimes. Robbins also does a wonderful job in directing Sarandon in her struggles with not only the concept of the death penalty, but in her friendship and obligations as a Christian in loving and trying to reach Poncelet. She is presented as a real person of faith, with a genuine love, not just for the victims, but the perpetrator. As the relationship between the two characters develop, we the viewer come to ask questions as to the appropriateness of the death penalty, and for Christians, how far does one go to love another.

It is in the concept of loving even the unlovable that people of faith, especially Christians will find not only debate, but likely struggle. Just as Prejean is questioned in one scene about her willingness to support and care for a murderer, she is challenged by an inmate, ‘How can you support this murderer? Don’t you know what he did? Don’t you know that bible of yours talks about an eye for an eye?’ To which Prejean questions the man about the call to love even your enemies and the acts of Jesus. She also brings into question the other things where the Old Testament in particular calls into reasoning the right to execute for things which many would never consider the death penalty. The jailer then responds, ‘Well I’m certainly not going to get into a debate about what the Bible says with a nun.’ In some ways, that is the heart of the problem, not so much what it is that Prejean quoted, but the reality that it is evident, that even if one supports the position of the death penalty from a Biblical perspective, it becomes very difficult to defend in the way it is carried out, especially so when taking the words of Jesus to task with his commands of loving our enemy. Of course many Christians may support and recognize the rights of the state to carry out justice, while also recognizing their own responsibility to separate themselves and their requirements as a follower of Jesus from the responsibility of the state. This debate related to faith is at the crux of the plot and dialog. While a tough and controversial subject, it is one of the most spiritual, thought provoking movies I have seen in some time. Unfortunately, because of the dogmas of many, they likely won’t watch the movie, or allow themselves to engage in serious discussion related to the themes of the movie.

This movie is certainly worth a revisit, especially after recent headlines in America. The praise of such actions has caused many to question the responsibilities of the Christian. Dead Man Walking seems to take the perspective that the real power of love, is not in the ability to love the loveable, but the willingness to get to know and love the unlovable. In that love change takes place and redemption can occur. The Bible is filled with characters that were murderers, rapist, and other less than desirable personality traits that found God, and were ultimately used by God. There are also passages where Jesus complicates things by saying things like, if we hate or are angry at another, then we are guilty of murder. I love themes that cause me to struggle, and while I have struggled in the past on this issue, I personally know of the ability to love even those we seemingly have reason to hate. I also believe that growth takes place through struggle, and Dead Man Walking will help one struggle with their beliefs on this issue.

The only think I didn’t like about this DVD was the lack of special features. There is a director’s commentary but no other features. While the sound and image transfer is nice, I don’t know if it is worth the extra cost of the Blu-ray. I would recommend finding another regular DVD with more features. Robbins in his commentary does bring out some nice bits of information but it needs more.

This is a very good movie, well worth owning despite the flaws. The questions, and thought process, especially for Christians, is certainly worth struggling through. Dead Man Walking is an example of how good movies can be, and the meaningful discussions that can take place, if given the chance.

To see the video posted below click on the video. If the video isn’t at full scale or doesn’t show up, click on the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg-GMqPHIPQ


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Blue Valentine, A Love Story on Blu-ray

Blue Valentine is one of those movies I have wanted to see for sometime. I have heard a great deal of good things about the movie, from the acting to the direction, and from the editing to the story. I had heard there were reasons this story had received the Oscar Buzz it did in 2010. With the release of the DVD on Blu-ray, I had a good reason to finally catch up and see if the performances by Ryan Gosling and the Oscar nomination for Best Actress for Michelle Williams.

One of the unique and wonderful attributes of Blue Valentine is the uniqueness of the story being told. This brilliantly directed story by Derek Cianfrance does something unique these days. It tells a real story of romance and relationship in a way most people can unfortunately relate to. I say unfortunately because it holds back no punches in the reality of relationship for many people. Unique in its style is its wonderful cinematography and top-notch script that goes back and forth from love found to love lost. The editing is also a wonderful attribute as it is extremely difficult to edit a film coming from two points in time to a place of cohesiveness. While the editing, along with the direction is brilliant, so are the performances by Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams.

Dean, played by Ryan Gosling is a high school drop-out that is a hard working underachiever. He has a great heart though and on a particular job where he has just moved in an elderly man into a nursing home, he meets a young lady, Cindy, played by Michelle Williams who is visiting her grandmother. For Ryan, it is love at first site and he pursues Cindy with the hope of love. Cindy on the other hand has come from difficult relationships. Under the direction of Cianfrance we go back and forth in time to see the characters at different stages in their life. Through the experience Cianfrance does a terrific job at drawing the viewer into this touching, honest and real relationship, not with just the good, but the bad and difficult.

I suspect people who watch Blue Valentine will have different reactions; the perspectives of the viewer will likely depend on the sex of the viewer. One of the brilliant aspects of the film, driven largely by the story, and acting, is the ability of the film to hit home with the viewer. It isn’t as if we are watching a movie but are watching the real lives of people we know. This isn’t to say we always enjoy those people, there are moments of reality that makes viewing the film difficult, not because it is poorly done, but because it is done so well. I found myself hurting for Ryan, while getting angry at Cindy, and at other times, feeling sorry for Ryan, wondering why he is so cruel and then thinking that Cindy is the glue that holds the family together. Of course I eventually discover there are no right or wrong answers to the observations, in fact, at times, I found myself discovering that I was wrong about the characters.

While not obvious on first appearance, the more I think about Blue Valentine, and it is one of those movies that will stick with you, I was deeply moved at how spiritual the film is. While there are no blatant prayer scenes, church scenes, or even overt spiritual discussions, in fact there are none of those in the final film, (although there is in the deleted scenes,) there are issues of love, relationship, and servitude that come into play. In Ryan we see a man who is so deeply in love that he has given up his dreams and aspirations to find out that to love his wife, and be there for his daughter are really the dreams that matter. His wife doesn’t understand though, she wants him to live for himself and much like her past, she has trouble with relationship, trouble that she has seen lived out in her own home while growing up. We see the importance of not just love in marriage, but the importance of maintaining that love through the development of relationship. The relationships we are a part of should be nurtured and developed not just at the start of that relationship, but throughout the relationship. I was reminded of my own relationship with God and the importance of not just experiencing the love relationship in the early days of faith, but the importance of maintaining that relationship, to grow together, to maintain the love that was there in the beginning. That comes with understanding and spending time with each other. In Blue Valentine, while we see the beauty of that love, we also see the heartache of what can and often does happen when relationship is not maintained.

There are times I didn’t much care for Blue Valentine because it was too real, not because it was a bad movie, but a very good movie with great performances. This movie is a Catch-22 of sorts, so good that it is disturbing. For a fan of the art of film, this is a must see, for those who want happy endings or a movie where everything is tied up and entertainment abounds, this could be a let down. As for me, I found the movie one of the best from 2010, and a must view, not just a must view, but a movie deserving of ownership. The DVD has some wonderful special features including a making of documentary and a number of deleted scenes and commentary from the Director and Editor of the film. For film buffs there is some tremendous information available in the commentary. I for one found the film sexy, intelligent, and worthy of another watch. I saw the film without my wife and am contemplating watching it with her, not just for her opinion, but to share a wonderful moment with a very enlightening movie.

To see the video posted below click on the video. If the video isn’t at full scale or doesn’t show up, click on the following link:

The following is an interview at Sundance with the Cast and Director of Blue Valentine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdbVdFocSX0


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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

The Virtual Pew
6441 N. Hydraulic
Park City Kansas, 67219

email Mike at: mike@furches.org

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

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The Oscar's Review 2009

I haven’t done an Oscar Review in the past because I frankly didn’t care much for watching the Oscars AKA as the Academy Awards over the last few years. I would tune in of course, but I just wasn’t that interested. This year, Slumdog Millionaire gave me a movie to root for and Hugh Jackman gave me a host to want to watch so, I tuned in with intent and thought I would jot down my thoughts this year.

First, I have made it clear, I love the movies, and I have since a small child. I also love finding spiritual components to think about when watching the movies. It isn’t really that different than Jesus telling stories in the Bible known as parables. In fact, the Bible states about Jesus, “He never taught them anything without first telling them stories.” Movies today are the most popular form of story telling, and just like Jesus, if we look, we can find spiritual truths in those stories we see portrayed on the big screen. Seeing those movies is something I do quite a bit of, to watch the program known around the world as the award show honoring those stories is a celebration extraordinaire.

This year I was actually pleased with the production that was a throw back to the “Golden Age of Cinema” which featured song and dance and then some. The show started off in a terrific way with actor Hugh Jackman.

Jackman is likely the surprise for many who watched the show. He did a wonderful job and it didn’t take long for him to get off on the right foot as he did a terrific montage tribute in song and dance. Jackman may have been one of the three huge winners of the night. He was entertaining, fun to watch, full of wit, and moments of humor and intriguing commentary appropriate for the format he was in. Jackman has this likeable personality, but seeing his ability to perform in the opening segment as well as his duet and tribute with Beyonce was impressive to say the least. We saw a reminder of the “Golden Age” that was well fitting, and entertaining from a popular actor that many of us didn’t realize had the ability to pull it off.

Another winner at the Oscars was the movie Slumdog Millionaire. The winner of 8 awards from 9 different categories, (It had 2 songs in the best song category.) The winners of multiple awards including Best Director, and Best Picture this thriving, emotional movie leaves the viewer with hope, and the underdog story from the slums continues to overcome. To think this movie was almost released directly to DVD because of its inability to find funding to end up garnishing the accolades it has is amazing. In a world where multitudes of people are losing hope, we can watch a movie like this and find hope because the movie has as a main point of its theme, hope.

One of my favorite moments in the Oscar’s this year was the acceptance speech from A.R. Rahman for one of his two awards for Score and Song for Slumdog Millionaire. His acceptance speech was short in length, but deep in meaning. He simply said: “My whole life I’ve had the option of hate or love, I chose love and here I am now.” What a reminder of the importance of love, a sweet comment with a reminder to all of us that there are rewards for letting love drive our actions and lives.

Other moments that moved me and had me personally enjoying the awards this year were varied. The simplicity of the awards were pretty good and enjoyable this year, more so than in recent past years. One of the features used by the Academy was to use past presenters to announce each of the nominees. They had short speeches and would add personal moments to the nominees mention. It was a pleasure to see the emotion in the eyes of not only the presenters but those receiving the nomination. While these are actors and actresses, we forget they are real people with real emotions. To see this has always been one of the pleasing moments of this and virtually every other Oscar program.

I was also pleased to see the Jerry Lewis tribute this year. Mr. Lewis has done a lot of quality work to help “Jerry’s Kids” over the years. This award shows that many of the great stars do give back to their communities and bless in some ways those who have blessed them with a good living. Lewis looked much better than he has in the past and to see the expressions between his wife and daughter was touching. While his speech was short, he made a point to recognize his kids in his speech. He was also kind in his comments to his fans and the members of the Academy.

There were also funny moments at the Oscars, although not as many as in some past shows but the impression of Jaquim Phoenix by Ben Stiller via reminding us of the recent David Letterman appearance was spot on and really funny. What was even funnier was the crowds and audience response. There were literally tears coming from the eyes of many of the Hollywood crowd and stars.

With all of the good moments, I have to make mention for at least me, some of the disappointing moments of the awards.

While some may not think the award deserving the Supporting Actor award for the late Heath Ledger was to me very deserving. It may have been the one single award most people were looking forward to. The acceptance of the award by the family of Heath Ledger was somewhat of a let down. I mean no disrespect, but for some reason I expected more.

I was also disappointed in the presentation by Bill Maher. His comments against religion during the documentary awards announcements were in my opinion, disrespectful. He was one of the few who used the platform to push his agenda. I have a love hate respect for Maher, and he lost more respect from me. Of course, I don’t think he cares what I think. I think the comment regarding choosing to love or hate by Rahman of Slumdog Millionaire is something Maher could learn from.

There was another moment where politics worked its way into the presentation that was with the award for Best Actor given to Sean Penn. Penn love him or hate him, has been outspoken about his political views for some time. I am not as offended at that as many may be because at least Penn chooses to act on his convictions rather than just talk about them but I have to admit, I wasn’t pulling for this former Ridgemont High student. I was pulling for Mickey Rourke who really was the comeback kid this year. So my disappointment here wasn’t so much against Penn’s political commentary, as it was I wanted Rourke to win the award.

The biggest disappointment of the Awards may have gone unnoticed by some, but it had me in my recliner, yelling at the producers and directors of the television program. One of my favorite moments of each Oscar presentation is the tribute paid to those who have died during the previous year. This year, I thought the formula, the camera angels, was not only disrespectful to those who had died, but disrespectful to the viewer. I have a large screen television, but the cut backs, the angles prevented us from seeing many of the individuals who had died. I had seen enough of the staging during the performance; I didn’t really care to see more of it during this segment while seeing a small screen on my screen paying supposed tribute to these great Hollywood elite. I would hope, in the future, when showing the tribute segment, let us see a front on view of those who have passed on, just show the full screen to us the viewers at home. I would like to see honor given those individuals and an awareness of their work presented in a way that those who may not have known them, can at least read and see their names to maybe encourage some of them to go out and check the work these individuals had given to us in the past.

I must also make mention of my happiest moment during the Oscar presentation, that is the announcement of Slumdog Millionaire as the best picture of the year. I simply loved this movie and hope the award inspires others to see it. For many, it is likely to enforce the view I have, that movies can inspire hope. Slumdog Millionaire may very well be the movie that inspires people to not give up in this time of discomfort for many on our planet.

There was another big winner this year. While the critics can find reason to be critical, I believe most who watched the Oscars enjoyed the show, it is therefore, the viewer who also won. In a time when we worry about jobs, the economy, war and much more, it is important to find moments of escapism. Sometimes that escapism can inspire us, move us, touch us, and help us know more about God, through story. Whether the commentary of one critical of religion, one who comments on the concepts of love and its power over hate, or a sincere aspect of speaking out for another, whether we appreciate it or not, movies can touch us, and the Oscars this year reminded us of how powerfully they can touch us.

The following is the video for the winner of the best song award, Jai Ho. Click on the video to watch, or if the video don't appear, click on the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEsMNODj8YU


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