The Crucible

I just watched the movie, The Crucible, starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Ryder. To be honest, I didn't know anything about the movie, or couldn't remember, but I didn't need any prior "setting up". After watching the movie, I can safely say that this was a great movie. A movie is great in my opinion when it not only gets me thinking but effects me physically. I can say that during the movie and even now, I feel anger towards the girls, led by Ryder's character, that caused the death of innocent people deemed practitioners of witchcraft. Really sad display of religious fervor. This would make a great discussion starter I think. This movie has made my favorites list.

Star Wars Strikes....Again

I recently cancelled my Blockbuster online membership, so I have been low on movies to watch. I decided a few nights ago to watch the original Star Wars trilogy. I made it through the final episode this morning and in that episode was a great nugget of spiritual truth. You know, it seems to me that no matter how many times I watch certain shows, I find useful information along the way. Well...out with it!
Yoda has gone on to "join the force"(at least that is what I interpret he does when he vanishes before Luke) and Luke is struggling with going on to meet his destiny, which is to confront Lord Vader. Obi-Wan appears to Luke and they begin a conversation about Luke's recent discovery that Darth Vader is his father. Obi-Wan had told Luke that Vader betrayed and killed his father, and Luke is questioning this statement.
Obi-Wan:"...So what I told you was true, from a certain point of view."
Luke:"A certain point of view?"
Obi-Wan:"Luke, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."

I have been down this road before, but somehow it seems more poignant this go 'round. Now I have literally watched Star Wars, both completely and in pieces, a hundred times, why didn't I see this truth...years ago? Why did it take so long to begin to understand the journey I was "destined" for? Who knows?
I guess the important thing is that I have now discovered a great truth. Next...use it.
The truths that I have clung to most of my life, adolescence to adulthood, have been from a "certain point of view". I have believed things, spiritually speaking, without question due to my rearing. I suppose that this is a good thing, no, scratch that, it is a good thing. My parents passed on to me what they believed to be the truth and for that I am grateful. Now, however, I am beginning a journey in a new direction and my point of view is...different. Knowing that my point of view is different doesn't take away the pain of uncertainty as new ideas and ideals are being "tried on". The struggle is there. The questions remain and even the point of view moves about. One day, one thing. Next day, different thing. Its really hard to find what it is that is unchanging. It has been suggested that which is unchanging is inside all of us. This may be true, but what does that mean?
Ahhh, the wonderful world of "Certain Point of View"! Is it something that can be shared with others? I guess so or else there wouldn't be a single congregation of folks anywhere. But do they really share a certain point of view? Or is it simply a lack of the majority to search out there own point of view? One certain point of view is offered by a few dominant people and others join in. Does this make it a true group of congregates? I don't know.
Well, here's to Lucas' legendary Star Wars dialogue, who would have known it to stir up so many questions?

Conversations with God

I watched the movie based on the popular (until about noon today had never heard of them) books and/or following today and I really liked the movie. I was very naked coming into the viewing. I was completely in the dark. For this reason, I had no prejudice for or against. Here is what I thought.
I liked the main character, played by Henry Czerny. He was to me very believeable. There were a few other characters but none as memorable.
The story line was pretty easy to follow. There were several flashbacks that I think played well into the whole story line.
Another cool thing about the movie was the trailer for What the Bleep?. At that point I was really excited about the movie maybe being something that would challenge my thinking and I wasn't let down. This movie did challenge me to check my beliefs at the door and listen and hopefully learn from the experience. Not many movies that I have watched (and I have watched a few) have left me with such a feeling of being lost in thought. Good movie to discuss God and spirituality.
With all that said, I went on line to find out about this author and the following. I was a bit suspicious of Mr. Walsch. It is very New Age (I didn't really pick this up in the movie). There are some nuggets in the philosophy but I don't believe they are solitarily found in this spiritualism (?). I guess the spectator is left to make his own judgements, I believe, as it should be.

Break Time

I decided to take a break for a little while. I have been writing about motivation and decided to keep it light in this entry.
I have been watching a butt load of movies, mustly DVD's. I thought I would rate a few movies. I don't want to make a list from 1 to 10 are anything like that, just rate 'em likes I sees 'em.

I'll start with Babel starring Brad Pitt. This movie reminded me of Crash. There were four different story lines going on at the same time with all of them sharing a common thread. The order is not chronological but I was able to follow enough to keep up. I liked the movie because of its complexity. I would not buy the movie and probably will not watch it again, but a good way to burn up 2+ hours.


The Prestige is next up. I was really intrigued by this movie based on what Mike said at Gotthammer . It had the same feel as The Illustionist, same time period, etc. but is was a darker movie. This movie had a rich complexity also. It reminded me of a coil of wire tightly wound until the end and poof! it all comes together. This is a movie I will definitly watch again. One time is not enough I don't believe to catch all the subtleties. Excellent movie.

Castle in the Sky. What can be said about this animated movie about a floating castle and a quest by both nations and pirates to possess the power of the castle. A pretty good movie for both child and adult alike. It is pretty long for some small kids, but my 8 and 5 year olds were very captivated by it and watched from beginning to end. Good family flick.

Driving Miss Daisy. I have never seen this movie. I know I am a weird-o, but I never have. I was thinking about Morgan Freeman movies that I have never seen and this was one of the only ones. This was a feel good movie. A good movie though. The acting was great. The characters were excellent. I don't know if I will ever watch this movie again, but I will probably not forget it.

Bridges of Madison County. Here we go again, a movie that I probably should have watched long before this past week but just never have. The recommendation by Lyndon at WLS really pushed me to see it. I really liked it. Clint Eastwood in a romantic movie, odd but good. Meryl Streep played a very sensuous lady from Italy transported to Idaho through marriage to a vetern. The movie is very thought provoking. What is marital love? Dedication to a spouse both mentally and physically is difficult if you entertain certain notions. Good movie to help you answer those questions or at least start the process of discovery.

2001: A Space Odyssey. I watched bits and pieces of this through the years but have never sat down and watched stem to stern in one sitting. This movie is puzzling, at times gut-wrenchingly quite, bizarre, thought-provoking, and terrifying. I am not the sharpest tool in the shed, so it took some time and research on line to figure out what was going on. After a better understanding, it really is a movie ahead of its time. Certainly a good sci-fi, or should I say "sci-non"?

Running with Scissors. I listened to the audiobook some months back and found out later that they were making it into a movie. Augusten Burroughs is laugh out loud funny to me. He may not be that funny to everyone, but to me he really is. He did the book narration so I was able to hear his voice. Until you hear his voice, you really can't appreciate the fullness of his comedy. Running with Scissors the movie helped me to enjoy the characters better, but it was more supplemental to the book to me. The movie may be OK by itself, but I don't know.

The Departed. There is no doubt this movie won Best Movie at the Academy Awards. It has been my experience with all star casts (all star sports is the same) that there is too much ego to make the movie (sports) work. This is certainly an exception to the rule. This was a movie that was very complex, layered. There was some questions that didn't get answered till the end of the movie. I like movies like this. It keeps me interested till the end. If I can figure out the end in the first half hour, I lose interest quick. Well worth your time to watch this one. I will probably watch it again and appreciate the characters more.

I will continue later with more movies as I watch them.

Crash

I know. I know. This movie has been out for a while, but I finally watched it. I had heard that it was hard to follow, but it wasn't. I now wish that I had watched it before last night.
I won't go into great details about the movie for those that have not seen it, but it really follows my whole motivation journey. It deals with prejudices between all people groups. The good, the bad, and the ugly are represented. I will definitely watch it again because I would like to dissect it a little more, but suffice it to say, really a great movie.
I am glad that this story was told. I am glad that it is being watched by so many people (based on it being the number 1 rented DVD since it came out on DVD). Maybe we are headed in a positive direction. Maybe we will get to a point, soon where we will be able to sit at table with all "makes and models" and be able to have a conversation that doesn't end in hate and prejudice. I don't agree with all things, but I do have an open mind. I want to know what makes others "tick". What is their point of view? What is their motivations?
Maybe this motivation journey is more a journey into culture differences than anything else.
I've mentioned this before, but it needs repeating. When watching the Behind the Scenes of the Syriana DVD, George Clooney observed while on location in the Middle East that no matter how hard we want to, "we cannot bomb this (cultural religiosity) out of them!" No matter how much we think we don't agree with others, we don't possess the right perspective. We haven't walked a mile in their shoes. We haven't even had the guts to try the shoes on. Until we can see through their eyes, we have no base on which to condemn.
I don't know where this journey is going, but watching Crash really helped me see a little more clearly.