42 and the Sermon of a Lifetime

'You're the sermon, Jackie.'

This is the message of Dodgers owner Branch Dickey (Harrison Ford) to a young and fiery Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) in 42. Examining the early career of Robinson as he broke the colour barrier in the era of 'white baseball' in the late 1940s, 42 demonstrates the character and courage of a man who simply wanted to play baseball on equal footing with everyone else.

As a film, 42 turns out to be an inspirational, engaging piece that establishes Jackie as a man who is "strong enough not to fight back" when the evils of cultural oppression attempt to crush his spirit.  Admittedly, it's not a perfect film as pacing can be an issue and character development can be lacking at times.  Still, 42 offers us a picture of a man who found himself in a position to change his culture and takes the opportunity.  In terms of tone, as I expected, this is one of those films that makes you want to stand up and cheer.  Nevertheless, there was an element to the film that surprised me.

It was the clarity of their faith.

Interestingly enough, I have also heard the comment that the film doesn't accurately portray the power of their faith.  Scenes where Robinson calls forth his faith as the strength against adversity are in short supply.  (To be honest, most of the Christian conversation comes from Dickey himself so I do understand this complaint.)  As a result, arguing that the film appears shy on 'explicitly Christian' material could be considered accurate on one level.

Personally, however, I feel that to make this is to not fully realize the impact of this storytelling.  For instance, this film was not produced by Provident Films -- and nary a Kendrick brother was to be found.  No, this film was financed and produced by Legendary Pictures, the same company that's producing The Hangover Part III and 300: Rise of an Empire.  Yes, this is a decidedly non-Christian company telling a story that includes the importance of the faith of two men as they battle social injustice.  To be honest, the fact that the faith of both Dickey and Robinson has such an onscreen presence is remarkable -- and a testament to the respect that they wield in a secular society.  These are Christian men who really did something to change modern society and the power of their faith is acknowledged by non-Christians.  (Heck, the film was both written and directed by Brian Helgeland, the same man who wrote the screenplays for Nightmare on Elm Street 4, The Order, and The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3.  Without any judgment against him personally -- and certainly no indication where he is spiritually -- I still find the authority that he gives to the power of Christ in one's life remarkable.)

How can we, as Christians, not celebrate that?

In the hands of a Christian production company (and writer?), the film would have indeed looked differently.  There would likely have been more openly spiritual discussion to be sure. However, assuming that Mr. Helgeland does not have such spiritual leanings--not to mention Legendary Pictures itself--42 demonstrates the power of one's faith in a way that is both humble and compelling.  Compared to a film like Walk the Line that muted the faith of Johnny Cash to almost an afterthought, 42 powerfully proclaims the truth that the Gospel transforms culture and brings healing.  Further, it reveals that, when Christians honour God in the world with courage and humility, they are noticed by others in a way that changes the landscape.

In essence, as Dickey points out, Robinson is the sermon.

Yes, it might have been nice to hear a Scripturally-grounded diatribe from Robinson speaking out against injustice. (Although Dickey's tirade against the owner of the Philadelphia Phillies moves distinctly in this direction.) However, 42 takes a decidedly different approach and, arguably, one that's symbolic of being far more effective.  The impact of both Robinson and Dickey's strong faith is demonstrated by the fact that even those that have limited spiritual interest had to ensure that it was woven into the fabric of the script.

And hey, it's a pretty good movie as well.

42
Starring Chadwick Boseman, Harrison Ford
Written and Directed by Brian Helgeland
*** 1/2 out of 5

Why SciFi Matters

(NOTE:  The following post has already appeared live at Hollywood Jesus.com.  However, in an effort to build content on my blog, I've decided to post some of my more general postings on Movio Dei.  I just thought it'd be a good way to continue the discussion.)

“…if all others accepted the lie that the Party imposed—all the records told the same tale—then the lie passed into history and became truth. ‘Who controls the past,’ ran the Party slogan, ‘controls the future:  who controls the present, controls the past.’… ‘Reality control’, they called it...” (George Orwell, 1984, p87)

Taken from George Orwell’s most famous science fiction piece, 1984, this quote speaks directly against a world where the blurred lines between media and reality can wage war on the minds an the unsuspecting public. In it, Orwell argues that, by attempting to control the manner in which people understand the world through constant bombardment of imagery and propaganda, it is entirely plausible for the human race to lose their sense of self and have their needs and wants dictated by some other person or group. It’s a theme that resonates strongly in our constantly plugged-in and media saturated culture.

And it was written in 1949.

In truth, much of Orwell’s tale of rebellion stands to be believed in our current culture. Motifs such as the ‘Thought Police’ and ‘Big Brother’ speak to a world where the people constantly are being manipulated and can be viewed as metaphoric of a culture that prides itself on being fed constantly by media outlets. Every day, we allow our ‘likes’ to be monitored by faceless Facebook operatives, invite others to judge our activities on Twitter and YouTube, and watch CNN on our cell phones during the morning commute.  (Hey, we even have a popular reality show named after Big Brother…)

Now, this is not to point out anything particularly prophetic about Orwell’s work. (In fact, the book really makes the most sense once one considers that it was written immediately after Hitler’s use of propaganda to control the German public during World War II.) Although it is safe to say that there is truly something remarkable about science fiction itself. By using future landscapes, screenwriters and authors have often been able to tackle contemporary issues within their culture and speak about them in manner that seems more palatable in some way. Whether it’s the Cold-War paranoia of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the redefinition of humanity in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, or the examination of genetic experimentation in Splice, science fiction films frequently explore the core questions that plague society but manage to keep their audience at a safe distance by placing them in an unrealistic setting.

In light of this, the depth of this style of filmmaking should be of extreme interest to us from a spiritual perspective as well.  As our culture wrestles with post-modern ideologies and political realities, one recognizes that these issues have profoundly spiritual implications as well. How does the church respond to the very real social injustices that are depicted in films like Neil Blomkamp’s District 9 or the Wachowskis’ The Matrix? Or the theological concepts in films such as James Cameron’s Avatar?

Let’s take Blomkamp’s latest directorial effort, Elysium, for example.

Taking place in 2159, this highly anticipated film depicts a world where two classes of people exist: the ultra-wealthy, who live on a utopian space station called Elysium, and the rest who reside on the overpopulated and desolate Earth.  Although the majority of Earth’s population is desperate to escape the violence of their home planet, they are refused entry into Elysium due to their aggressive anti-immigration laws. In an effort to bring equality to this system, Max (Matt Damon)—an ordinary guy in desperate need of Elysium’s resources—reluctantly takes on a dangerous mission that could also bring freedom to millions of Earth residents as well.

Featuring a sense of restlessness and rebellion at its heart, the story of Elysium feels as though it has been stripped from the political headlines as issues such as the Occupy Movement and global financial crisis gain huge press. However, Blomkamp seems to believe that his film is not merely about one particular movement but rather a larger state of cultural unrest. In a recent interview, Blomkamp addressed this claim when he said, “I think if there are topics that are just on people’s minds, things manifest into reality, the sort of global consciousness being aware… So separate from the 99% and the Occupy movement I was thinking about this [already]…” As such, regardless of whether or not the film is directly influenced by Occupy, Blomkamp argues that Elysium is tied to an idea that is socially engrained in contemporary culture.  The questions he’s asking are already being asked privately by others and he’s speaking up. Often in the case with sci-fi, art imitates life but then calls us to reflect and be different. As Christians, it’s essential for us to be aware of the issues that these types of films address and actively contribute both Kingdom values and actions to the global conversation. 

With this in mind, one can see that this spiritual and cultural connection isn’t limited only to Elysium.  Science fiction films never exist in a vacuum but rather connect deeply into the heart of the culture and time from which it is produced.  As we journey towards the release of Blomkamp’s Elysium (August 9^th), Hollywood Jesus also plans to explore some of science fiction’s great political films and their spiritual implications.

To paraphrase Morpheus, let’s see exactly “how deep the rabbit hole goes”…

Not Another Top Ten List...

It's been a long time since I've posted here.

Too long, in fact.

Interestingly, my last post indicated an in-depth synopsis of TIFF 2012 was coming--and, believe me, it was intended.  I had a lot to say.  However, the week was tainted by a painful family tragedy that essentially killed my ability to think for a while.  I actually have a post that I began during that time that  explains a great deal.  Maybe I'll release it sometime.  (Besides which, my commitments to Hollywood Jesus have simply kept me too busy to revisit my personal site.)

Nonetheless, with the end of 2012 over and done, I've come up with the completely original idea of my Top 10 favourite films of the year.  I'm certain that this has never been done before and I'm even more sure that you will be amazed at the fact that ten films in a compiled list can speak so loudly.

Obviously, I'm kidding.  (In fact, the last thing the world needs is another Top 10 list.)

What's more, there are also huge holes in my comprehensive viewings right now.  The truth is that I've yet to see some of the most anticipated films of the year.  Silver Linings Playbook, Lincoln, Life of Pi, Zero Dark Thirty, et al. are some of the titles that I have yet to see and so, admittedly, this list is unfairly compiled at this time.  As such, there's still a chance this list could be changed.  Still, I think it's a solid exercise in reflection over the year.

Most Overrated:  The Amazing Spiderman -- Kudos to director Marc Webb for generating some fabulous chemistry between his leads (Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone) but his heart clearly lies in independent filmmaking.  Webb excels at developing characters and building emotional tension but that's just not enough for a tentpole superhero pic like this.  Action set-pieces were lacking and a relatively bland villain holds the film back from greatness.  Ironically though, it's not that this film is bad.  It's not.  It is, however, unnecessary.  I believe it was the Toronto Star that stated that the greatest enemy to this film was 'time'.  This feels accurate to me.  With the well-received Raimi Spiderman films so recently in our memory, it's hard to simply retread the same ground so soon.  Still, this is not to say it's terrible.  Simply overrated.  (Possible Alternate:  The Hunger Games.  Yeah, I said it.)

Most Underrated:  Cloud Atlas -- Time Magazine went on record as saying this was the worst film of the year, placing above films such as (I kid you not) One for the Money and John Carter.  I simply don't agree.  Yes, the film is dense, heavily layered and difficult to penetrate but the script offers so much to say about the human condition and the nature of our development that it doesn't deserve to be written off.  The problem is that the film requires effort to understand that most aren't willing to put into their viewing experience.  This doesn't mean it's a bad film.  Quite the contrary, I think.  It becomes more compelling.  Not in my Top Ten but certainly does not deserve what it's gotten.

Top 10 Favourites of 2012:
10)  Prometheus -- The most dangerous science fiction is that which has something powerful to say.  Of course, this also means that it should know what it is that it wants to say.  This is the most difficult challenge to Ridley Scott's Prometheus.  The sheer scope and effort is impressive and the issues that it raises is definitely worth the effort, especially spiritually.  As such, I loved the film personally.  It engaged me in a way that not a lot of other films did this year.  Nonetheless, the problem I found was that it also didn't really seem to know where it landed on these issues--or what type of movie it was.  (Horror? Philosophy piece? Sci-Fi?)  That's not so much a criticism as it is an observation.  It certainly made the film divisive.  For every person who loved the philosophy and felt the gore was excessive, there was someone who felt the opposite.  Nonetheless, I confess that it was one of my most beloved films of the year to be sure.

9)  Chronicle -- The 'found-footage' film is most definitely a fad--and an increasingly tiresome one at that.  With that in mind, it's refreshing to see a film that breathes some new life into the genre.  This 'little' film didn't get much fanfare when it came out but it really does deserve your attention.  If you're a fan of the superhero film (arguably, another tired genre at this stage), this vision may be of particular interest as it manages to ground the content in a way that's almost relatable.  The story of three young men who begin to experience superpowers after encountering an alien meteorite, Chronicle examines what happens when great power is thrust upon someone that isn't a "billionaire playboy philanthropist".        With the exception of the third act--that gets a little too big in some ways--the film keeps the men human, despite their superhero tendencies, and examines the motivations that one wrestles with when power is thrust upon them.

8)  Safety Not Guaranteed -- This little sci-fi/drama/comedy probably isn't on many people's radar when it comes to their 'best-of' lists.  In fact, I'm not even sure that I know anyone else that's seen it.  Based on a real-life situation, the film follows a crew of reporters investigating an out-of-the-ordinary ad placed in 1997 in Backwoods Home Magazine:  "WANTED:  Someone to go back in time with me...  Must bring own weapons.  Safety not guaranteed."  The film is both fun and engaging, while grappling with issues such as coming to grips with our past and healing.

7)  Much Ado About Nothing -- Admittedly, this is a bit of a cheat.  Not receiving a wide-release until June of 2013, my wife and I were fortunate enough to attend the world premiere at TIFF this past September.  Written, directed and scored by Joss Whedon, this modern day retelling of Shakespeare's play is nothing short of brilliant.  Not only is it genuinely funny and well-acted, it actually presents the material in a way that makes it accessible to the average viewer.  There's also an emphasis on light and dark that offers much to discuss afterwards as well.  What's most remarkable?  It was filmed in Whedon's home (!) over a mere two weeks (!!!) -- in fact, the entire production took a scant four weeks from script stage to completion.  It was, without a doubt, one of the best cinematic experiences I had all year.  June 7th, 2013 for wide release, btw...

6)  Les Miserables --  This is a film that hasn't appeared on any Top Ten lists that I've seen thus far.  I'm a little surprised by that.  Yes, I understand the criticisms--especially Tom Hoopers face-focused directing--but there is so much good in this film that it needs to be recognized.  Hathaway is an all-but lock on the Supporting Actress Oscar next month.  Jackman is solid as Jean Valjean.  Russell Crowe isn't horrible (as I expected he would be).  Even Bora... I mean Sacha Baron Cohen manages to do his job.  In addition, the themes of grace and redemption that penetrate the story are potentially life-changing as well.  Without question, the most moving cinematic experience I've had this year.

5)  The Avengers -- Many will be surprised how 'low' this is on my Top Ten.  Hear me out.  Absolutely shattering box office records left, right and centre, The Avengers was a fantastic superhero film with much to discuss theologically as well.  (Start with 1 Corinthians 12 and go from there...)  BUT... it's not a perfect film.  The first act drags a little and the third is a little 'super-epic' in some ways.  Don't get me wrong.  I love the film.  Without a doubt, I had a blast.  Still, as great as it is, I don't think it can be much higher on this list given the strength of the competition this year.

4)  The Dark Knight Rises -- This will forever be compared to The Avengers as if they're somehow incompatible.  In truth, they're very different films.  No, it doesn't quite live up to The Dark Knight but that's really a testament to Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker.  Nevertheless, Rises is one of the more intelligent films of the year--and that's saying a lot for a tentpole.  It has an incredibly ambitious scope to it both in scale and in its ethical themes.  No, it's not without it's problems.  However, I give it a higher rating than Avengers simply because it offered so much more than just being 'a ride'.

3)  Looper -- I don't think I can think of a film that surprised me more this year than Looper.  Yes, the premise looked intriguing and the presence of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis gives it street cred... but I was not prepared for the film's quality and intensity.  The time travel genre has been done to death, making it extremely difficult to bring anything new to the genre.  Despite borrowing plot points from multiple sci-fi films, Looper manages to break the mold by weaving a story around deeper issues, rather than merely action set pieces.  Without flinching, Looper becomes a morality play that causes you to empathize with both points of view.  It's raw, gritty and simply excellent.

2)  Monsieur Lahzar -- Similar to Much Ado, this is also a bit of a cheat.  Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film (Canada) this past year, it technically was released in 2011.  However, it didn't receive a wide release until April so I decided to count it.  In fact, my list would be incomplete without it.  Taking place in Montreal, this film tells the story of an immigrant substitute teacher who steps into a grade school classroom following the suicide of their homeroom teacher.  There is a strong sense of commitment to the broken while grappling with one's own brokenness as well.  Directed by the creator of Incendies, Lahzar is complex and moving in a way that most films simply do not accomplish.  Without question, one of the finest films that I've seen in a very long time.

1)  Argo -- In truth, I simply don't think I could select any other film than Argo as my number one film for 2012.  Yes, there are others I haven't seen but this was simply filmmaking at it's best.  I heard someone recently describe Affleck as a man who "has made three films but directs like he's made twenty".  I completely agree.  I honestly can't believe I'm saying this but Ben Affleck has quickly become one of our premiere storytellers.  By leaving behind films like "Daredevil" and "Sum of All Fears" and focusing on direction, Affleck has shown that he actually does better behind the camera than in front of it.  His acting has improved but, really, he shines in telling stories.  What's more with Exodus-ian themes of redemption and sacrifice (yes, with Affleck playing Moses), the film offers a great deal of subtext that is worth our time and effort.  Although I've yet to see Zero Dark Thirty, don't count this film out yet come Oscar time.

Honorable Mentions:  End of Watch; Skyfall; The Grey

What do you think?  Please feel free to make comments and share your favourite film experiences of the year as well.

The Return...

For those of you who are interested, I will return shortly with my 2012 edition of TIFFology.  This year's edition will include reflections on:

• Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing
• David Ayer's End of Watch
• Snoop Lion's Reincarnated
• Renga - yeah, you heard me...
• The Wachowskis' Cloud Atlas
• Terrence Malick's To The Wonder

More to come in the coming weeks.  Let's see what happens.

Possible Divine Moments: Summer 2012 Edition

Welcome to Summer 2012.

Yes, I know that it's only May 1st... but this time of year always feels like an early summer for me.  And the reason is simple.

The summer movie season begins.

For a film-lover, I can rejoice that--finally--we can move out of the dead zone from January-April that rarely offers anything of significance (other than the Oscar nominees and winners which we released last winter).  Too early for films to be noticed for next year's awards and the least opportunity in terms of financial success, it's a dark few months in terms of quality.  Yes, occasionally, The Hunger Games or The Matrix raises eyebrows but really the winter months usually brings little value in terms of selection.

Now, don't get me wrong.  The summer box office is often filled with below average tripe that makes more money than it should.  It's the time of year when studios put forth their most marketable projects in an effort to draw moviegoers out of the heat and into the air conditioning.  Still, there's something to be said for the thrill of Hollywood's big budget projects--and the lesser known films--that are released during the next three and a half months.

As such, I have decided again to offer some of my picks for the most intriguing films of the summer.  Now, as a caveat, I would state that these are not necessarily the films I'm most excited about seeing, though there is certainly some of that here. (Prometheus, anyone?)  Rather, due to the focus of this blog, I feel it important to mention some films which may have some of the most relevance to my faith and spiritual journey.  In other words, the purpose of this post is to look for what could be moments of God's Kingdom breaking through in our cultural zeitgeist.

So, let's get started...

Marvel's The Avengers - May 4th, 2012

'Wait?  There's an Avengers movie now?'... is what you'd be saying if you had just emerged from living in a cave for the last 4 years.  In truth, ever since Samuel L. Jackson announced that 'they were going to put a team together" at the end of the first Iron Man movie, Marvel has been building to this Friday.  That's four years and five movies... promoting one movie.

To say that this isn't going to make buckets of money is to live in denial... but will it be good?  Early reviews have been extremely positive (96% on Rotten Tomatoes!?) and it's been doing VERY well overseas already--something which happens rarely for superhero films.

Nevertheless, what interests me more than whether or not I get my money's worth in explosions is the content of the film.  Since it's directed by Joss Whedon, I expect that The Avengers could carry with it some emotional depth.  Whedon is known for caring about emotional story arcs while balancing it well with action set pieces so this will be interesting to watch unfold.  How does God figure into a story like this?  Personally, I expect conversation about the value of living in community but, with Whedon at the helm, a film like this could very much surprise us.

Safety Not Guaranteed - June 8th, 2012


When I first heard about this film, I was intrigued.  Based on a true story, the story centres around a team of journalists tasked with getting to know a man who recently took out an ad in the newspaper who was 'looking for someone to go back in time with [him]'.  (Incidentally, the fact that the ad really took place is the only grain of truth in the story.)

Why include it on the list?  Truthfully, I'm simply intrigued.

An independent film, Safety seems free to explore things other than one man's belief that he's a time traveller.  Based only on the trailer, there appears to be hints of the exploration of the reality of the human experience.  If that's the case, then Safety could provide some insight into our understanding of how the world views the image of God or simply our culture's quest for hope.

Though, to be fair, that's 'not guaranteed' either...

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World - June 22nd, 2012

Since the turn of the millennium, end of the world movies have almost become a genre unto themselves, with mixed results.  (Actually, the same can be said about Steve Carell's movies...)  Still, there seems to be something earnest in this effort that appeals to me.  Carell seems to bring an emotional groundedness to this film and yet, also guarantees that this will be decidedly lighter in tone than, say, Von Trier's Meloncholia.

The questions that films like these ask are always interesting as they inevitably explore what one would do with the remaining hours of their lives.  In this case, Carell and co-star Keira Knightly's road trip appears to search for family and the meaning of love.  Still, whatever the focus of the journey, films like this can provide valuable insight into the values of our culture.  It may be one to watch.

Katy Perry: Part of Me 3D - July 5th, 2012

Wait a minute.  Hear me out.

I'll explain myself.

I don't think I've entirely lost my mind by including this.  Love her or hate her, Katy Perry has emerged as this generation's Britney Spears (as opposed to the Britney Spears, circa this generation).  In a few short years, she's quickly become a cultural icon.  Over that time, through songs like 'Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)' and 'California Gurls', she has shown herself to be both controversial, divisive and even somewhat endearing as a celebrity.  The interesting thing to me is that she has strong Christian roots.  Growing up in the Church, she actually began her recording career as a gospel singer known as Katy Hudson.  However, when her albums failed to chart, she 'kissed a girl', changed her name to Katy Perry and the rest is history.

Why does this interest me?  Mainly because I'm interested to hear how a change like this took place.  Not to judge her at all.  I would just like to know what happened and what place her faith remains in her life.  No, I'm not entirely sure that the film will deal with these type of issues... but the trailer does indicate that it will wrestle with her Christian roots.  (The film was also directed by the same team that put together the Justin Bieber doc, Never Say Never, which was truthfully quite well done.)

Hopefully, that helps to explain myself.


The Dark Knight Rises - July 20th, 2012

Maybe including this film on the list restores my credibility... lol.

Similar to Marvel's The Avengers, this film has been a long time coming.  Building Christoper Nolan's Batman trilogy to a climax, expectations for this film are higher than most other superhero films.  Why?  Quite simply because Nolan's trilogy alway seems to be about something else.  Although the content is about Batman and DC Comic universe, the context is always much deeper in its scope.  For instance, even though The Dark Knight was promoted as an action film (built around Ledger's Oscar-winning performance as The Joker), it was really about living outside of the moral black and white and the nature of true justice.

Ever since Memento, Nolan's films have proven themselves to be intelligently written and directed, often in a way that other filmmakers seem to be missing right now.  There is absolutely no reason to suspect that this will change here.

So, circle the date on your calendar.

And do yourself a favour... see it in IMAX.

(BTW, as I was writing this the long-awaited third trailer was released online.  If you haven't seen it a hundred times already, you can see it here.)

The Bourne Legacy - August 3rd, 2012

Personally, I see this as an interesting film.  Neither starring Matt Damon nor helmed by Paul 'Shaky Cam' Greengrass, The Bourne Legacy arrives with expectations of failure.  Still, a solid first trailer led by a fierce looking Jeremy Renner appears bring with it a bit of hope.  Why include it on the list?  Mainly because I have a feeling that this film may surprise us with some depth.  Although this is Tony Gilroy's first turn as a director in this series, he did write the first three scripts so he clearly understands the world.  What's more, Gilroy even has shown himself adept behind the camera already, receiving an Oscar nomination for his directorial debut, Michael Clayton, in 2007.

In light of this, I am extremely curious to see where this film attempts to go.  The first three Bourne films were well-written characters pieces about a man attempting to wrestle with the events of his past.  If the same holds true here, we could be looking at a fascinating exploration of how one's history affects their present and future.

Or we could just end up missing Matt Damon.

The Giant Mechanical Man

Starring Jenna Fischer, Chris Messina, Topher Grace            By Steve Norton

Rated PG-13 for some language                                                Rating: ***1/2 (out of 5)

Official Selection: 2012 Tribeca Film Festival

Currently available on iTunes

What do you do when you feel alienated from your own life? 

At least, that’s the key question being asked in Lee Kirk’s new dramedy, The Giant Mechanical Man.

If you haven’t heard of the film yet, you’re not alone.  In fact, Mechanical Man only premiered a couple of weeks ago at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York and, as far as I’m aware, has yet to score a wide release date.  However, this case is unique in that Mechanical Man is also one of several independent films that are taking a new approach to film distribution by offering itself for rent on iTunes prior to its wide release.  (Personally, I think it’s an ingenious idea that I hope continues to develop, especially for smaller films of this nature.)

As for the film itself, The Giant Mechanical Man follows the journeys of both Tim (Chris Messina) and Janice (The Office’s Jenna Fischer, who also serves as the film’s producer).  Considering himself an artist, Tim spends his time by mounting stilts, covering himself with silver paint and openly performing as a robot for the general public.  When his girlfriend becomes disenchanted with his art and breaks up with him, Tim is forced to look for work and starts to rethink his place in society.  Similarly, Janice’s story begins when she loses her job and is forced to move in with her domineering sister, Jill (Malin Akerman).  Jill believes wholeheartedly that her sister ‘lacks confidence’ and attempts to push her into a relationship with popular motivational speaker Doug Duncan (Topher Grace) in order to fill the perceived void.  As a result, Janice becomes caught between her sister’s expectations and her own beliefs about self-fulfillment.

In some ways, both Janice and Tim have opposite problems.  Tim’s art demands attention but people refuse to hear his voice while Janice appears to identify most with a small plastic figurine and seeks constant approval from others.  When they take menial jobs at the zoo, both Janice and Tim’s stories begin to intertwine.  Through their connection, they soon start to explore what makes life really meaningful while, at the same time, wrestling with their personal situations as well.

At its heart, Mechanical Man is really about struggling with a sense of powerlessness.  Tim’s ‘mechanical man’ is performance art and draws a crowd, yet he remains safely anonymous due to his make-up.  Janice works hard yet lives under the thumb of everyone in her life, be it employers or family.  Even the nature of their jobs at the zoo suggest an atmosphere of fading into the background.  (For example, although they are ever present amongst zoo patrons, they go relatively unnoticed by those who came to view something else.)  Invisible, Tim and Janice live in a silence imposed upon them by their friends, family and society at large.  They are the ones who don’t exist.  One poignant example of this comes when a reporter takes note of Tim’s performance as the mechanical man and invites him for a televised interview.  Excited by the opportunity to share the vision and purpose for his art with others, Tim becomes frustrated when the reporter deflects from his candidness in order to speak about his dance moves.  In other words, despite the fact that Tim is willing to bare his soul to the world, he finds himself muted by a culture that wishes to sweep his heart into the background.

With this in mind, Mechanical Man also heavily emphasizes the search for wholeness.  Both Janice and Tim are people who seek meaning in their lives yet find themselves stifled by the expectations of others.  In the majority of their encounters with people, they are pressured to believe that they must fill their void with success, relationships or simply “confidence”.  This notion is best exemplified through the character of Doug.  The author of several self-help books, Doug is worshiped by his adoring fans and appears fully satisfied with himself (literally).  Nevertheless, Doug’s ramblings contrast with Janice’s groundedness, causing him to appear vapid and empty despite his notoriety.  There’s no question that both Janice and Tim are realistic in their beliefs insofar that they understand their need for work to survive.  They simply do not wish to be limited by this view of success.  They seek a sense of completeness and purity to life that appears distant from them. 

As a Christian, it’s here that I most connect with this story.  Living within a culture that attempts to satiate our natural human desire for wholeness with financial success and relationships, one can easily lose sight of their own sense of humanness, creating feelings of isolation amidst the chaos.  Only by seeking a clearer understanding of God and his relationship to our world and ourselves can we begin to rediscover the true nature of our own humanity.  It is here that we experience true wholeness, regardless of whether or not society considers us ‘powerful’.  (Besides which, that recognition of our own powerlessness also puts us in greater position to be used by God as well.) 

Having said this, it’s true to say that The Giant Mechanical Man isn’t going to win any Academy Awards next February.  With a fairly standard premise, the film operates primarily upon the level of romantic dramedy.  However, its sweetness and authenticity won me over quickly and I found it to be an unexpected gem that was well worth the cost of the rental.

After all, sometimes the most satisfying films are the titles that you’ve never heard of.

Hungry for the Games

In prior conversations about the next pop culture phenomenon, The Hunger Games inevitably rose to the top of the list… but I remained skeptical.  After all, these things have a way of appealing to a certain fan base and then disappearing into the Twilight.  (See what I did there?)  

It’s amazing how quickly someone can be proven wrong.

Grossing an incredible $152.5 million in its opening weekend, The Hunger Games has already shattered numerous box-office records:  

Highest grossing weekend for a non-sequel. 

Third highest opening weekend of all-time.  

In fact, it is already the highest grossing film in Lionsgate’s history, easily overtaking Fahrenheit 9/11 (which amassed a mere $119.2 million in it’s entire run). 

Nevertheless, what impresses me more than the final total is the manner in which The Hunger Games made that much money.  According to Box Office Mojo, the movie held up incredibly well on the Saturday of its release, suggesting that the demand “exists across a wide array of moviegoers, and isn't just rooted in the type of rabid fans that drove the front-loaded openings for recent Harry Potter and Twilight movies.”  With this in mind, reports also suggest that an incredible 51% of the audience held an average age of over 25, further revealing that the film’s appeal was not limited to pre-teens.  In fact, the Chicago Tribune even went so far as to call the series a ‘uniting force’ in our culture. 

In other words, The Hunger Games has become a full-blown pop culture phenomenon.

The question that I have is ‘Why?’

I think that the obvious first response to a question such as this is the film’s well-planned marketing strategy.  Rather than taking the more traditional route of focusing on the book’s legions of fan, Lionsgate opted to take a much broader approach in its marketing.  By emphasizing the intensity of the tournament,  Lionsgate was able to help the film seem more accessible to a wider audience.  All of a sudden, The Hunger Games wasn’t simply the latest ‘must-see’ event for ‘tweens.  Instead, the film also started to gain interest to the average ticket-buyer.[i]  (Although, to be fair, the plan was far from perfect.  For example, a major misstep appeared to occur with the release of the film’s first footage.  Releasing a teaser with a tone akin to ‘Twilight’ in late August of last year, the early buzz was decidedly negative and actually appeared to work against the film.  Still, it’s also possible that this error inadvertently aided the film in that it slowed the hype machine temporarily, ensuring that the general public were not experiencing Hunger Games fatigue by the time of the actual film’s release.)

To be honest though, I am not one to simply buy the excuse that ‘the marketing paid off’.  I’ve seen tonnes of examples of films that tried all the same strategies and failed to catch fire with audiences.  People don’t rush out to the movies in numbers like this simply because a promotional campaign tells them to do so.  

They have to care about the story.

Truthfully, I believe that the primary reason that this story has connected with such a broad base is due to the relevance of the narrative in our current cultural climate.  Obviously, our North American culture has yet to resort to watching teenagers hunt each other for sport.  (Although, that would probably be a step up from watching the Jersey Shore.)  Nevertheless, this series of stories really manages to capture the atmosphere of a world that feels trapped.  It’s true to say that dystopian narratives are far from new ideas.  Still, Katniss’ emotional journey somehow feels relevant to 21^st Century North America.  Like the rest of the people of District 12, we too cry out for freedom in a social climate that threatens to break us down.  Does hope really exist? If so, where does it come from? 

Angered over the callousness of the Capitol and the cruelty of the Games themselves, Katniss provides a voice for all audiences, regardless of age.  Her angst is more than a deep-seeded yearning for someone to save her from this life (read: Bella Swan).  Katniss’ journey is filled with a desire to see things change.  Yes, she feels helpless… but she is willing to challenge the system.  In a world such as ours that is battling global economic collapse and demonstrating ongoing protests, Katniss’ desire for freedom reveals itself as a universal ‘cry’ on behalf of everyone who feels as though they’ve been bullied by the system.  (Yes, even you, Harvey Weinstein.) Her situation may be foreign to us… but her feelings and quest for hope in a broken society are all too relevant.

Therein lies the incredible secret of the vastness of Hunger Games’ success.  On the surface at least, this series appears as though it should only appeal to a very limited age group.  Yet, at the same time, the depth of the thematic content also connects with an audience that is much more broad in its scope.  As a result, The Hunger Games manages to find an audience that consists of a hybrid between die-hard fans and the average filmgoer.  Will it flame out by next week?  It’s possible.  However, given the numbers that have been reported—and the film’s strong ‘A‘ Cinemascore average— I suspect that these Games will have an impact for some time.

At the very least, the odds are certainly 'in their favour'..

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[i] http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3401&p=.htm