by Michael Foust | Sep 1, 2017
Roy Neary is a husband and father of three young children who knows he’s been acting a little strange lately. But he just can’t help it.
It all started late one night when an other-worldly flying saucer briefly hovered over his car at a railroad crossing. He was terrified – yes – but also was forever changed. No longer does he wish to hold down a job and support his family. Instead, he wants to hunt for UFOs. That is, if he isn’t first admitted to a mental institution.
Ever since that wild night, he has had visions of a large butte protruding from the Earth. He draws pictures of it. He sculpts models of it.
“I can’t describe what I’m feeling,” Roy tells his family. “… This means something.”
He built his latest butte replica using dirt, bricks and shrubbery, combined with some chicken wire he stole from the neighbor. He piled it all over the kitchen during a mad-scientist-like escapade that scared his wife and kids. They left him.
Soon, though, Roy connects the dots. The butte is Devil’s Tower (Wyo.), a middle-of-nowhere landmark that he thinks will host another UFO visit. And he’s going.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (PG) was released 40 years ago but is being re-released in about 900 theaters this weekend as part of a commemorative anniversary edition. It was nominated for eight Oscars (winning one) and still ranks in the Top 100 grossing movies of all time (No. 77) when adjusted for inflation.
It stars Richard Dreyfuss as Roy; Teri Garr as his wife, Ronnie; and Melinda Dillon as Jillian Guiler, who also experiences a UFO encounter.
Warning: Major spoilers!
Violence/Disturbing
No violence. But the aliens’ encounters with people take place at night and are the stuff of nightmares. Roy sees a UFO at a railroad crossing; it shakes everything violently – the mailboxes, the car, the railroad signs. Later, a UFO abducts a young boy, ripping him from his terrified mother. Yet when we finally do see the aliens, they are calm, peaceful (albeit weird-looking) creatures.
Sexuality/Sensuality/Nudity
Minimal. A man kisses a woman who isn’t his wife (more on that below). A woman, after she gets a red burn from a UFO, wears a slightly revealing shirt.
Coarse Language
Moderate. I counted 23 coarse words: h-ll (6), misuse of “God” (4), d—n (3), misuse of “Jesus” (2), a—(2), GD (2), s—t (1), ba—rd (1), misuse of “Lord” (1), misuse of “Christ” (1).
Positive Elements
Ronnie is devoted to her children, as is another woman whose child is abducted. We also see a Catholic priest pray for a group of people who are scheduled to board a UFO.
Other Negative Elements
Stop reading now if you don’t like spoilers. (OK … you’ve been warned.) Close Encounters is an entertaining movie, but at its heart it’s about a man who abandons his wife and three children to board a UFO. Granted, he was brainwashed, but he also left behind a family who missed him.
Life Lessons
It is painful to watch Roy’s family suffer as he chases his UFO dream. Once a fine husband and father, he becomes a lunatic. True, it is only science fiction, but it nevertheless can serve as a warning to parents who have placed the world ahead of their families.
Worldview
It’s impossible to discuss the worldview of Close Encounters without asking: Is there intelligent life elsewhere in the universe? Scripture does not provide a definitive answer, although it strongly implies that the answer is “no.”
First, consider the Genesis order of creation. Mankind was created last and was the pinnacle of creation. It wasn’t until God made humans that He proclaimed His creation was not just “good,” but “very good.” Where would aliens fit in the creation account?
Second, consider the size of the universe – and its purpose. Mainstream scientists posit that it would be virtually impossible for intelligent life not to have evolved elsewhere in such a vast space. But the Bible tells us the universe has one purpose: to declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1). In other words, it appears God made a universe with billions of galaxies and trillions of stars simply to give us an idea of His size and glory – and to lead us to worship. It’s as if He said: See that universe? I made it. And I’m bigger than that.
Third, consider the redemptive work of Christ. Jesus was born on Earth. He died on Earth. He was resurrected on Earth. That was God’s plan before He even created the universe (1 Peter 1:19-21). He didn’t do any of that on another planet.
Family-Friendly?
Close Encounters has too many disturbing elements and too much language for young children.
What I Liked
It has everything that made the 1970s (and previous decades) so cool: Paper maps. Sideburns. Gigantic cars. Rotary phones. Cameras with film. Huge TV sets. Additionally, the special effects – despite being filmed in 1977 – have held up well for 40 years.
What I Didn’t Like
The kiss between Roy and a woman who is not his wife.
Thumbs Up … Or Down?
For pure entertainment value, thumbs up.
Discussion Questions
- Do you believe intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe?
- Why are humans so enamored with the thought of alien life?
- Did you like the ending? Why or why not?
- Did you ever feel sorry for Roy’s children? Why or why not?
Entertainment rating: 3 out of 5 stars. Family-friendly rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind is rated PG for some intense sci-fi action, mild language and thematic elements.
by Michael Foust | Aug 25, 2017
Felicie is a free-spirited young redhead who has one goal in life: to become a ballerina. She dances when she works. She dances when she plays. And when she sleeps? This tween girl is dreaming of dancing.
Felicie, though, lives in an orphanage that continually squashes her aspirations.
“Dreams are not reality,” a nun tells her.
It seems Felicie is destined to a life of fantasy – that is, until her best friend and fellow orphan Victor hatches a wild escape plan that involves running away in the dead of night and hopping on a train to Paris, the home of a world-famous dance school. Once there, she’ll enroll, impress everyone and become a world-famous ballerina! Well, that’s the plan.
They do escape, but the Paris they discover in 1880s France is one that shuns orphans and has little taste for children without homes. Perhaps that nun was right.
It’s all part of the animated movie Leap!, (PG), which opens in about 2,000 theaters this weekend and tells the story of a talented-but-poor girl who follows the dreams that her birth mom – a mom she never met – planted in her. It seems that Felicie’s mom left her daughter a miniature, ballerina-themed music box.
“Ever since I can remember, I’ve wanted to dance,” Felicie says.
It stars Elle Fanning (Maleficent, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) as Felicie; Dane DeHaan (The Amazing Spider-Man 2) as Victor; singer Carly Rae Jepsen as Felicie’s teacher, Odette; Maddie Ziegler as Felicie’s ballerina rival, Camille; and Mel Brooks as Luteau, the orphanage supervisor.
Leap! is an entertaining, mostly clean film that has plenty of fun moments but also a couple of ethical/worldview concerns.
Let’s examine the details.
Warning: minor spoilers!
Violence/Disturbing
Minimal. Luteau chases Felicie and Victor out of the orphanage; although he doesn’t intend physical harm, he ends up placing everyone’s lives in danger. Later in the movie, though, Camille’s wicked mother Régine does try to hurt Felicie in a page straight out of the Nancy Kerrigan-Tonya Harding saga. Also, we see a boy punch another boy.
Sexuality/Sensuality/Nudity
None. Felicie has two suitors: Victor and a French dancer named Rudolph. The romance angle is a major part of the film, although Felicie never kisses either of them on the lips. (Victor does try to do so once.) She later kisses Victor on the cheek.
Felicie and Victor end up in a pub where she performs an Irish step dance on patron tables.
Coarse Language
None. (Although one character does say the word “sucks.”)
Other Positive Elements
Odette, a servant to Régine, initially shuns Felicie but soon sacrifices her time and energy to become her mentor. Later, another character who had ridiculed Felicie changes his mind and decides to help her. Also, Felicie’s positive outlook on life is contagious to those around her.
Other Negative Elements
The movie’s biggest ethical problem: Felicie steals Camille’s identity to get into dance school. She does get caught, but she is allowed to stay in the class due to her talent level and – perhaps — her background (She is an orphan. Who wouldn’t feel sorry for her?). Perhaps the instructor made the right decision, but it’s something parents should be ready to discuss.
Régine and Camille constantly belittle Felicie (Camille calls her a rat and tells her, “You’re nothing” – a reference to her social status).
Life Lessons
There are solid lessons on hard work (Felicie), forgiveness (several characters), kindness (Odette and Victor) and mentoring (Odette and Felicie). Régine and Camille give us lessons on how not to treat someone. Their dehumanizing of Felicie is painful to watch, and we immediately feel compassion for Felicie.
Worldview
“You should always follow your heart and never give up,” a character tells Felicie in a pivotal moment. This theme is popular among Hollywood films. It’s also unbiblical.
Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us not to follow our own will: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Jeremiah 17:9 describes the heart as “deceitful” (ESV) and “wicked” (KJV).
In other words, we’re in trouble if we follow our heart. We better make sure our desires align with God’s will.
That said, God does give each of us unique talents, and those talents often spark a natural desire to use them. Scripture tells us not to waste our talents (Matthew 25:14-30). But we’re also not guaranteed fame. Consider: God just might want a girl in your church to be a world-famous ballerina. But He also might want her to use her talents locally. Either way, He is glorified.
Follow your heart? No. Use your talents for God’s glory? Of course.
Family-Friendly?
Leap! contains no language, no sexuality, and minimal violence. The ethical/worldview concerns can be corrected in a post-movie car discussion. It’s family-friendly.
Movie Partners
None that I could find.
What I Liked
Leap! is a beautiful film that displays the marvels of 1880s Paris. We see the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower being built (even though they were constructed a few years apart). We see the grand buildings and the marvelous museums. It’s easy to turn the film into a history lesson.
Meanwhile, I also enjoyed watching a young girl turn down a kiss. How often does that happen on the big screen?
What I Didn’t Like
The dehumanizing of Felicie. It was a bit too much.
Thumbs Up … Or Down?
Thumbs up.
Discussion Questions
- What does the Bible say about following your heart and your dreams?
- How are we to find the will of God for our lives?
- Was it OK for Felicie to lie? Should her punishment have been more severe?
- Have you ever seen someone make fun of another person? How did you react? How should you have reacted?
Entertainment rating: 3 out of 5 stars. Family-friendly rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
by Michael Foust | Aug 18, 2017
It’s one of the few Hollywood comedies that avoids sex jokes and crude, bawdy pranks. Still, there are several content problems
Jimmy Logan is a hard-working divorced father who only wants what’s best for his elementary-aged daughter Sadie. When he’s not donning the hardhat at his job or spending a few minutes with his brother Clyde, he’s picking up Sadie from his ex-wife’s house for some daddy-daughter time.
Their fun runs the gamut: fixing cars, eating ice cream, and even getting darker with a spray tan session (yep).
He seems content with his rural West Virginia life, but when he gets laid off from his construction job at Charlotte Motor Speedway, he grows discouraged and desperate. Suddenly, his long-forgotten handwritten list detailing the “10 rules for robbing a bank” seems like a good idea.
Jimmy, though, doesn’t want to conduct the heist by himself, so he convinces Clyde, his sister Mellie and three other men to help him. He also decides a bank isn’t a big enough target. He has his sights set on – you guessed it – Charlotte Motor Speedway. That’s because his former job taught him that on race day, all the cash from concession sales is collected at an unguarded underground location. And with his knowledge from his former job, he knows how to get it.
The comedy/action film Logan Lucky (PG-13) opens this weekend, delivering the latest Hollywood robbery film in a long line of robbery films. It stars Channing Tatum (21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street) as Jimmy Logan, Adam Driver (The Force Awakens) as Clyde Logan, and Riley Keough (Mad Max: Fury Road) as Mellie. It was directed by Steven Soderbergh, the same director behind Oceans 11, 12 and 13.
Jimmy’s initial plan is to rob Charlotte Motor Speedway during a low-attendance event when security will be minimal. But he is forced to change his plans and target the speedway during the Coca-Cola 600 – the highest-attended and most security-laden event of the year. The plot is further complicated because he wants to take along the veteran bank robber Joe Bang (Daniel Craig – Spectre and Skyfall), who just happens to be in prison. Jimmy draws up an elaborate scheme that will allow Bang to break out of prison for a few hours and break back in without anyone knowing.
Sounds impossible, doesn’t it? Of course!
Logan Lucky is a quirky, creative comedy that is part Napoleon Dynamite, part Dumb and Dumber, and part Hee Haw. During its best moments, it’s hilarious. It’s also one of the few Hollywood comedies that largely avoids sex jokes and crude, bawdy pranks. For that, it is to be commended.
Despite those positive traits, it has several content problems that will concern most parents. In other words, it’s not as clean as Napoleon Dynamite.
Warning: minor/moderate spoilers!
Violence/Disturbing
Jimmy and the slow-witted Clyde beat up three men in a bar and then set their car on fire. Several dozen men in a prison café start fighting, although it’s pre-planned and part of the heist plot. Later, a warden kicks an inmate.
Sexuality/Sensuality/Nudity
Mellie dresses immodestly throughout the movie, wearing either low-cut blouses, belly-revealing shirts or fishnets. It’s seemingly played for laughs, and the camera doesn’t ogle her, but it’s unnecessary. Joe Bang also changes clothes in the back seat of a car after he escapes, but we don’t see anything.
Coarse Language
I counted 26 coarse words: s—t (10), h-ll (8), d—n (3), GD (3), f-word (1), a—(1). A child also says “vagina.” The first half of the film contains little coarse language; it’s sprinkled more heavily on the back end.
Other Positive Elements
The relationship between Jimmy and his daughter is truly special. It’s obvious he loves her and that she loves him. Yes, he plots a major heist (more on that below), but elsewhere he makes good choices – like when his ex-wife’s husband decides to take their kids to a Fast and Furious movie (Jimmy says it’s too intense for children).
Throughout the film Jimmy defends his brother, who lost half of an arm in Iraq.
Other Negative Elements
Joe Bang’s hillbilly brothers agree to help rob the speedway, but only if they can find a “moral reason” to do so. “We’re living for the Lord now,” one of them says. It seems to be a throwaway line, as they will say anything to impress people. Joe Bang also flips off people twice.
Life Lessons
Jimmy seems to have a decent relationship with his ex-wife, although I wouldn’t call it exemplary. Yet they find a way to balance their needs and desires for Sadie’s sake.
Perhaps the biggest lesson involves the movie’s theme: theft. Is it ever OK to steal to take care of your family? Novels and movies like Les Miserables tug on our hearts as they broach this topic, but Logan Lucky is no Les Miserables. Jimmy is wanting millions. He wants to be rich. Besides, Jesus said He would feed us and clothe us (Matt. 6:25-34). I’m certain His plan doesn’t include breaking the Ten Commandments.
Worldview
Should Christians watch comedy heist movies? After all, the protagonist often is someone who steals and robs. We end up cheering for him. Yet some of these movies are downright funny (see 1975’s The Apple Dumpling Gang).
Here are a few questions that I ask while watching these types of films: Do the robbers succeed? If so, are they caught? Do they show remorse? Are they punished? Is stealing and robbery glorified? Are we taught that crime pays? Or are the robbers simply presented as bumbling idiots who shouldn’t be imitated?
In Logan Lucky, we get the wrong answer of most of these questions. Still, most of the robbery plot is played for laughs. The inmates hold security guards as ransom so they can get … more DVDs and books. Joe Bang builds a bomb out of gummy bears and bleach pens. And so on. We end up laughing at them even though – sadly – we’re often cheering for them, too. But don’t fret too much. The movie’s final minute tosses us a curveball that just might solve any worldview concerns.
Family-Friendly?
There’s too much language and violence in this one for children. For teens, it is a “maybe.”
What I Liked
The comedy. It truly is original and funny. In a movie world where “comedy” is synonymous with “raunchy,” Logan Lucky stands out. It’s a comedy about a few Southern boys who are – as the saying goes — “missing a few screws.”
What I Didn’t Like
The language. Yes, Logan Lucky has fewer words than, say, Will Ferrell’s The House (110-plus), but it would have been even better without them. Hearing God’s name abused three times is particularly disappointing.
Additionally, some of the Southern accents seem fake.
Thumbs Up … Or Down?
For entertainment value, thumbs up.
Discussion Questions
- Is it ever OK to steal? Did Jesus ever steal?
- When is a heist movie OK to watch and not OK to watch?
- Is it OK to cheer for the robbers in heist films?
- Did you like the ending? What do you think happened to Jimmy and his friends?
Entertainment rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars. Family-friendly rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars.
by Michael Foust | Aug 11, 2017
Surly is a big-city, bombastic purple squirrel who is living in, well, squirrel heaven. At least, that’s how he and most other squirrels see it.
It all started when the local Nut Shop business closed its doors and left a lifetime supply of nuts in the basement. No longer would Surly and his companions be forced to search for nuts. Instead, they could sit around, cook nuts all day, and party. Sure, they’ll eventually lose their natural instincts, but who cares?
“This is the life – literally doing nothing,” he says.
But laziness has its downsides – like when a fellow squirrel fails to shut off a boiler. That, in turn, causes the Nut Shop to explode, which, in turn, vaporizes their food supply.
“Where are we going to find food?!” one young squirrel asks.
Andie – an optimistic female squirrel – has an idea: They’ll hunt for their food in the local park.
“Hard work always pays off,” she says.
But the crooked mayor has other plans for that lovely patch of greenery: He wants to turn it into an amusement park because, as he sees it, amusement parks provide more rides, more fun, and more profit. You can’t make money from children playing on the playground!
It’s all in The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature, which opens this weekend and continues the crazy antics of Surly (Will Arnett), Andie (Katherine Heigl) and Precious the dog (Maya Rudolph). Actor Jackie Chan voices a new character in Mr. Feng, the leader of a street mouse gang. 
Although Mayor Muldoon (Bobby Moynihan) has the power of the city behind him, Surly and his squirrel posse aren’t going to give up without a fight.
The Nut Job 2 is one of the more entertaining animated films of 2017. It also has several life lessons. Let’s look at the details …
Warning: minor spoilers!
Violence/Disturbing
Minimal/moderate. The desperate squirrels resort to violence to ward off the mayor’s construction crew. No one gets hurt, but it made me a little uncomfortable. They cause a tractor to wreck. They tear up a construction trailer (and the money in it, too). They throw a portable toilet in the river. They toss a swarm of bees in the cab of a tractor. Later, the mayor decides that violence is necessary to remove the animals, and dynamite is used to try and kill them (It fails). The squirrels and some of their animal friends attack the amusement park, starting ketchup and mustard “wars” and hitting someone who is playing whack-a-mole over the head with the mallet. The mayor’s bratty daughter is the most disturbing character in the movie, pulling heads off dolls and also forcing her dog to play dead (she play-shoots it) before she feeds it.
Sexuality/Sensuality/Nudity
Minimal. Frankie, a male dog, says to Precious, “I know this relationship is moving fast, but when it’s right, it’s right.” The same dog also drools while looking at his female crush.
Coarse Language
None, other than “jeez” (2) and an unfinished “what the ….”
Other Positive Elements
Andie emphasizes the importance of hard work over laziness (see Worldview, below). She also shares the nuts she had stored for winter with others. Characters do commit crimes, but they are caught and pay the price. The squirrels who had lived in the Nut Shop basement learn to appreciate the outdoors.
Other Negative Elements
Frankie tries to impress Precious by regurgitating his previously eaten food, supposedly so she can eat it, too. Later, she tries to do the same thing. Yuck.
We briefly see the mice meditating, with their hands in a Gyan Mudra position.
One character says, “If you don’t help me save my friends, I’ve got nothing to live for.”
Life Lessons
Unlike some animated films (say, The Emoji Movie), The Nut Job 2 is full of lessons. We learn about hard work, generosity, self-sacrifice and teamwork. There’s even a brief lesson about waking up early!
The movie flirts with the notion that animals are good and humans are bad, but it stops just short of that and delivers a satisfying ending. Surly even says in the end: Many humans are good. Besides, the mayor was an awful guy. And, it is a bad idea to turn a nature park into an amusement park.
Worldview
Scripture has a lot to say about work and about laziness: “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (2 Thess. 3:10). “The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor” (Prov. 21:25). The Bible begins with a story of God working, and then it tells us that God commanded Adam to work (Gen. 2:15).
The Nut Job 2 give us one character (Andie) who believes squirrels should work for their food, and one character (Surly) who wants the easy path.
“We work hard. We store. We save… ‘Easy’ doesn’t build character. ‘Easy’ doesn’t last,” Andie says.
She wants everyone to rise early and hunt for food, but Surly wants to sleep in.
“There are no shortcuts in life,” she adds.
In the end, Andie’s ideas prevail.
This lesson about hard work is underscored in the mayor’s amusement park. He wanted to cut corners. It was a bad idea.
Family-Friendly?
Most of the violence is of the Looney Tunes variety, but I wish it would have been dialed back a bit. Still, it has minimal potty humor (a big achievement in 2017) and it has no language. For little ones, it’s mostly family-friendly.
Movie Partners
Hardees, Carl’s Jr. and Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt are the three most well-known partners (at least for kids).
What I Liked
The Nut Job 2 is genuinely funny, even if it doesn’t rise to the level of, say, Despicable Me. The lesson on hard work is a good one.
What I Didn’t Like
Does anyone find jokes about regurgitation funny? I don’t. Also, the mayor’s bratty daughter is too bratty. Simply put, she’s annoying.
Thumbs Up … Or Down?
I didn’t expect much out of The Nut Job 2. But I was pleasantly surprised. Thumbs up.
Discussion Questions
- What does the Bible say about work? About laziness?
- Andie says, “Hard work always pays off.” Is that true?
- Did you think Surly’s actions against the construction crew were morally permissible?
- What did you think about the movie’s animals-vs.-people plot?
Entertainment rating: 3 out of 5 stars. Family-friendly rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.
The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature is rated PG for action and some rude humor.
