Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Rating: G Run Time: 47 minutes

If you didn’t catch it the many times it’s been on television, no worries – it’ll be on again next year. This is the classic story of Rudolph, who was born with a red nose, and shunned by the other reindeer because he was different. Then, one Christmas Eve, it was so foggy that Santa Claus and his sleigh were in danger of being grounded, but Rudolph came to the rescue to make Christmas happen. This movie is so endearingly sweet that I find myself watching it every year and enjoying it each time. Not only does it tell a wonderful holiday message of acceptance and love, but it is something that everyone, no matter their age, can watch and enjoy. If this is not a part of your Christmas movie collection, it should be!

I welcome any comments or thoughts you’d like to share regarding this movie, or any of the other film reviews I’ve posted.

Recommendation:  

Recent Releases

Higher Ground

Rating: R Run Time: 109 minutes

The time has come again for interesting, independent films to make their mark at the annual Sundance Film Festival. As I began reading and hearing about this year’s movies, I was reminded of a movie I heard about at last year’s event. “Higher Ground” was first shown last January and is now available On Demand.

“Higher Ground” is the directorial debut of actress Vera Farmiga, and tells the story of a woman’s struggle with her faith over the course of several decades. Farmiga’s character Corinne gets saved as a young girl, but doesn’t really understand what that means, and this event appears to have little impact on her life. From her childhood, the film leads forward to her teenage years where we see her fall into an adolescent relationship with an aspiring rock musician. She and this young man, Ethan, get pregnant and then get married – yes, in that order. After they and their infant daughter are in a near tragic auto accident, Ethan turns toward God and begins living a very Christ-centered life. Flash forward a few years and we find Corinne and Ethan as cornerstones of a small, theologically conservative church. Corinne is baptized through immersion, welcomed in to the church family, and seems to find peace in her family and faith. Over the course of the next years we see Corinne raise a family, grow more distant from Ethan, lose a close friend, and profoundly struggle with her Christian faith.

One of the most interesting aspects of this story is Corinne’s deep desire to have a strong faith. She wants the faith she witnesses in others. When her friend prays in tongues, Corinne is envious – she desires the openness and peace of spirit that comes from speaking in tongues. In reading the Bible, she longs to gain a better understanding of what the Scriptures means, and seeks help in her learning.

“Higher Ground” is not the story of someone who loses faith, but of someone whose personal failures and disappointments with life makes it difficult to develop a deep and abiding faith. Corinne is an intelligent, artistic person who loses this aspect of herself – she is not who she imagine herself to be. She is also disappointed in her marriage – she is not satisfied intellectually or sexually in her relationship with Ethan. We get the impression she never was. She is an excellent, loving mother, but the film gives the impression that this is not enough to fill her spirit with contentment.

The editing is a little rough, but the music is absolutely wonderful and the story is powerful. Everyone travels a different path on their faith journey, with some experiencing more trials than others. “Higher Ground” is a compelling story of one woman’s struggle with the expectations she has for herself and the difficulties she experiences in living a faith-full life. Though she stumbles and questions her purpose, the joy of “Higher Ground” is that Corinne continues to open her heart to receiving the peace of God’s presence.

I welcome any comments or thoughts you’d like to share regarding this movie, or any of the other film reviews I’ve posted.

Recommendation:  

Joyful Noise

Rating: PG-13 Run Time: 117 minutes

“Joyful Noise” is an uplifting, though somewhat tepid movie about a church gospel choir heading to a national competition. Rife with funny one-liners, and several wonderful musical numbers, this film tells the story of two strong women who butt heads over the artistic direction of the choral group. Starring Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton, “Joyful Noise” has a solid message of faith in times of struggle.

At the outset of the movie, we find the long-time choir director dead and his widow G.G. (Parton) disagreeing with the appointment of the new director Vi Rose (Latifah), both of whom are strong-willed, family-oriented women. Adding to their contention is the appearance G.G.’s grandson Randy who immediately focuses his attention on Vi Rose’s teenage daughter. These two teenagers form a nice connection, but their romance causes friction between mother and daughter. Randy soon joins the choir, but his musical arrangements, which lean toward incorporating more pop songs, clashes with the more traditional style of songs Vi Rose has in mind for the group. While it’s a bit of a bumpy road on the way to the national final competition, the group finally makes it there and delivers a stunning number that is truly joyful noise.

While the story itself is nice and family-friendly (though I wouldn’t take small children to see this movie), the lackluster editing and underwhelming character development made me have my tepid response to the film. If it weren’t for the music – which elevates the film tremendously – I would hesitate recommending “Joyful Noise”. A good example of one of the deficiencies of the film is its inability to explain why G.G. and Vi Rose dislike each other. Another area of concern for me was the lack of smooth story telling – there were several scenes that felt like vignettes (snippets of information thrown in) rather than fully integrated aspects of the story.

Those elements notwithstanding, “Joyful Noise” depicts the reality of life in a rural Southern town experiencing our current economic recession. The church choir is an inspiration to the town. Though the members of the choir have their own issues and crises of faith to deal with, they recognize the role they play in their town and remain dedicated to each other and to the cause of singing for the Lord. “Joyful Noise” has a wonderful message of faith and friendship that is especially heartwarming to see during these times when it’s easier to feel down than feel uplifted.

I welcome any comments or thoughts you’d like to share regarding this movie, or any of the other film reviews I’ve posted.

Recommendation:  

The Muppets

Rating: PG Run Time: 103 minutes

It had been so long since the Muppets had come out with anything good that I must admit my expectations were not very high for their latest offering “The Muppets”. I was more than pleasantly surprised – I was flat out, highly and solidly entertained from beginning to end with this new movie from our beloved felt-covered friends. Featuring fun and funny song-and-dance numbers, a good story, as well as the Muppet characters we love – including a new one – “The Muppets” is a great movie for the whole family.

The story starts with Gary (played with sincere earnestness by Jason Segel) and Walter (the new Muppet), brothers in Smalltown, who grow up loving The Muppet Show and as adults finally get the chance to go to Los Angeles and visit the Muppets studio. Joining them on this trip is Gary’s girlfriend Mary (played by the always charming Amy Adams). They find the studios deserted and in disrepair. While on the studio tour, Walter unwittingly discovers a nefarious plot hatched by an evil oil tycoon to buy the studio, tear it down, and drill for oil. Hearing this, Walter, Gary, and Mary go to find Kermit the Frog to tell him and urge him to save the studio.

When the trio finds Kermit, they learn that the Muppets have disbanded. The three convince Kermit to get the whole group back together, and thus ensues a hilarious montage of locating all the Muppets. Once together, they must put on a show to raise enough money to keep the studio out of the hands of the oilman (played with obvious glee by Chris Cooper).

Though silly and slightly absurd, “The Muppets” is also laugh-out-loud funny, good for children and adults, and features a couple of songs you’ll find yourself remembering again days later. My family and I went to see this movie over the holidays, and it was a perfect outing for everyone from age 7 to age 60. With themes of friendship, loyalty, and love, “The Muppets” is not just mindless entertainment but a story with an uplifting message great for any time of year.

I welcome any comments or thoughts you’d like to share regarding this movie, or any of the other film reviews I’ve posted.

Recommendation:  

The Descendants

Rating: R Run Time: 15 minutes

“The Descendants”, starring George Clooney, is a powerful movie of a family facing a grief strong and complex enough to either pull them apart or bring them closer together. Set on the beautiful Hawaiian island of Oahu, this film starkly shows that the realities of life – love, anger, joy, confusion, and frustration – are everywhere, even paradise.

Clooney plays Matt King, a husband and father of two young girls whose wife we see at the beginning of the movie has recently had a boating accident and is lying in a coma. It quickly becomes clear that making this situation even more fraught with tension is the estranged relationship with Matt and his wife were currently in, as well as Matt’s distant parenting with both daughters. The story soon takes a turn for the tragic when, in brining his teenage daughter home from boarding school to be with the family, he learns that his comatose wife was engaged in an affair and had fallen in love with the other man.

Amidst this drama is another subplot, also involving Matt. He is a descendant of Hawaiian royalty and his family still holds thousands of acres of untouched Hawaiian land. Matt is in the unenviable position of being the trust of this estate. Due to legalities surrounding the estate, the King clan must decide whether or not to keep the land or sell it to a developer. While each member of the family, consisting of a large myriad of cousins and such, will vote on their preferences, Matt will ultimately make the final decision.

Faced with his wife’s infidelity while also struggling with this grief in knowing she’ll soon die from her injuries, being the primary parent and caregiver to his grieving daughters, and handling his role as the trustee for his family’s estate, one can only imagine the burdens on Matt’s heart and mind. The movie touches on these many complex emotions, never shying away from the harshness of what this family, and especially Matt, is going through.

At heart, “The Descendants” is a love story – not the romantic kind of love, but the complicated and multi-faceted love we have for our family. The real tragedy portrayed in this film is not in finding that Matt’s wife is dying, leaving in her wake heartache and pain, but in recognizing that many of us could easily find ourselves in Matt’s position. Without taking the time to talk to each other - truly communicate - but instead burying our head in the sand and assuming problems will resolve themselves, it would be easy to find oneself in a position of helplessness where what was left unsaid will remain so. The redemptive message of “The Descendants” is that in the end, the King family finds itself a tighter unit than at the beginning of the story, showing again that love can overcome destructive emotions that can threaten to destroy us.

I welcome any comments or thoughts you’d like to share regarding this movie, or any of the other film reviews I’ve posted.

Recommendation: