by Michael Foust | Apr 19, 2019
Disney’s Penguins opens this weekend, telling the “coming-of-age” story of Steve, a two-foot-tall, 15-pound Adélie penguin.
Steve is a male Adélie penguin on a 100-mile annual
expedition to Antarctica’s shore.
For the past few months, he’s been out at sea with his
fellow Adélie penguins, simply trying to survive. But now that spring has
arrived, he’s heading to the place he was born—the place where every penguin he knows was born—in order
to breed.
It’s not as simple as it sounds. For starters, Steve just
entered adulthood (He has never had to find a mate). Then there’s the problem
of locating a spot on a shore with millions of other penguins (All the good
spots are taken). Finally, there’s the pesky problem of protecting the egg and
then feeding the chick (How do you do that?).
But Steve is ready to learn. He’s also ready to rely on his
instinct—which comes in handy when he has to barf food into the mouth of his
hungry chick.
Disney’s Penguins
opens this weekend, telling the “coming-of-age” story of Steve, a
two-foot-tall, 15-pound penguin who is slower than most other Adélie penguins
but who makes up for it with a resolve and determination to keep his babies
alive.
It is the 10th movie from Disneynature, which releases a
kid-friendly, nature-themed film every year or two, often around Earth Day. Penguins (G), though, contains nothing
controversial, and all sides of the environmental political debate can enjoy
it. Actor Ed Helms directed it.
It gives us the same type of awe-inspiring cinematography
seen in Planet Earth or Frozen Planet, minus the evolutionary
talk that concerns many parents.
My 3-year-old son tagged along with me, cackling from
beginning to end. I laughed a lot, too. It is nearly the perfect kid-friendly
nature film.
Warning:
minor spoilers!
Violence/Disturbing
Minimal. Penguins hit one another. Birds eat one or two
penguin eggs. Killer whales and leopard seals hunt penguins (We see a leopard
seal pull a penguin underwater). All of Steve’s family members survive.
Sexuality/Sensuality/Nudity
None. The word “mating” is heard a few times. Steve wonders
if he’s “attractive” enough. We hear the phrase “love birds.”
Coarse
Language
None. Oh my gosh (2), geez (2).
Other Stuff
You Might Want To Know
A penguin throws up. We hear two popular mainstream songs:
REO Speedwagon’s Can’t Fight This Feeling
and Whitesnake’s Here I Go Again.
Life Lessons
Steve teaches us about determination, perseverance, caring
for your family and fatherhood.
Worldview/Application
It’s hard to watch Penguins
and not see God’s handiwork in a creature—the Adélie penguin—that survives and
thrives in a harsh climate.
These penguins (there are millions of them!) return to the
same shore every year. They set up camp at the same spot. Often, they find the
same mate. Perhaps like Steve, it’s all new to them. Yet they work by instinct.
They build a nest out of rocks. They regurgitate food to feed their young. They
play dead when caught by a predator, hoping it will get bored and let them go
(It works!).
And let’s not forget their value as champions of comedy.
It’s as if an intelligent designer created them, simply to make us laugh.
Random chance caused all of this? I’m not buying it. The
penguins operate the way an all-powerful God designed them to work (Luke
12:24).
What Works
The cinematography. The drone shots. The underwater scenes.
What Doesn’t
I prefer my nature documentaries without Whitesnake rock
songs, thank you.
Discussion
Questions
1. Name three positive character traits of Steve.
2. Was Steve a good father? Why or why not?
3. Name three things you learned about penguins.
Entertainment rating: 4 out of 5
stars. Family-friendly rating: 4.5
out of 5 stars.
by Michael Foust | Apr 19, 2019
The animated film “The Pilgrim’s Progress” plays in theaters Saturday, telling the story of Christian’s dangerous-but-determined journey to the far-off land that has everything he’s never experienced.
His name is Christian, and he’s just read a life-changing
book.
It describes a grand far-off land, the Celestial City,
that’s ruled by a peaceful and loving king.
It also warns of a future war that will destroy his
hometown.
Christian wants to journey to the other city and escape the
coming destruction, and he wants to take his family, too. But his skeptical
wife doesn’t want to go. She laughs at him.
“Ever since you started reading that book a few days ago
you’ve gone on and on like some lunatic,” she says, telling him to choose
between his family and his fantastical dream.
Christian tries one more time.
“I only want what is best for us all,” he tells her. “If the
city is destroyed, I don’t want you, the children or anyone else for that
matter to perish.”
But she’s still unpersuaded, and so Christian sets off, on
his own, to the Celestial City with the goal of returning someday and taking
his family with him.
The animated film The
Pilgrim’s Progress plays in theaters Saturday, telling the story of
Christian’s dangerous-but-determined journey to the far-off land that has
everything he’s never experienced. It is based on John Bunyan’s classic 1678
allegorical work of the same name and is the first theatrical adaptation.
It stars comedian and voice actor Ben Price (Australia’s Got Talent) as Christian,
John Rhys-Davies (The Lord of the Rings series,
Raiders of the Lost Ark) as
Evangelist, and Christian singer Kristyn Getty as the narrator. It was directed
by Robert Fernandez, who also helmed more than a dozen of the popular Torchlighters Christian heroes series.
The story—if you’re new to it—is allegorical. Christian
represents the typical believer on the Christian walk. His friends represent
Christian and non-Christian friends around us. The Celestial City represents
heaven. The king, of course, represents Christ.
The animation is far from Pixar-quality—what is?—but the voice acting more than makes up for it. Price and
Rhys-Davies are truly talented, and Getty does a fine job, too.
Yet the story is what makes the movie soar. It’s engaging,
entertaining and—for children—funny.
Most of all, it’s allegorical.
An annoying friend named Obstinate urges Christian to turn
around and come back to the City of Destruction (I’ve had friends like that).
An encouraging friend named Evangelist tells Christian to stay on the straight
and narrow (I’ve had friends like that, too).
He falls into the quicksand-like Swamp of Despondency. He
travels through the easy-to-get-lost-in Worldly Woods. He stumbles upon the
legalistic Morality Hill. One of his final hurdles is the theme-park-like
Vanity Fair, which has everything our modern world has to offer. When he’s
asked what the Celestial City has that Vanity Fair doesn’t, he responds,
“Peace, joy, love, unselfishness, patience, contentment and a crown that never
fades away, among other things.”
“Do we sell those kind of things?” the Vanity Fair prince
asks.
“Of course not,” the prince is told. “This is Vanity Fair.”
It’s convicting to watch Christian persevere despite
countless obstacles and temptations. He’s living life the way Jesus called us
to live. But too often, we get lost in the Worldly Woods or enamored with the
Vanity Fair. Too often, we don’t want to journey toward the Celestial City. Too
often, we fail to keep our eyes on the eternal prize.
The
Pilgrim’s Progress
is a film children will enjoy watching … and families will enjoy discussing
again and again.
For a film based on a classic, it hits the allegorical
bullseye.
The
Pilgrim’s Progress is unrated.
Content
warnings: ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’ contains no sexuality or language but a few
disturbing scenes that may trouble sensitive children. Giant people place
Christian and a friend in a cage. Demonic-like dragon creatures (symbolic of
Satan) chase Christian. Christian stabs a creature with a sword.
For theater
listings and times, visit Pilgrims.Movie.
Discussion
Questions
1. How is Christian’s journey similar to your own Christian
walk? How is it different?
2. Why is it so easy for us to become distracted by worldly
things?
3. Why was Christian determined to make it to the Celestial
City?
4. What can we learn from Christian’s journey?
5. For fans of the book: What did you like most about the
film adaption? What did you not like?
Entertainment rating: 4 out of 5
stars. Family-friendly rating: 4.5
out of 5 stars.
by Michael Foust | Apr 12, 2019
The faith-based film ‘Breakthrough’ (PG) opens next week, telling the real-life story of a boy who was thought dead after not breathing for 45 minutes
John Smith is a typical 14-year-old Missouri boy who loves
basketball, video games and pizza.
He loves his parents, too, but he has trouble expressing it.
He rejects his mom’s affection. He turns down her food. Occasionally, he even
calls his dad by his first name.
“It’s just a phase,” Brian Smith tells his wife, Joyce.
“He’s just trying to get a reaction.”
John also is trying to find his place in this world. He was
adopted as a child from Guatemala and never has understand why his biological
mother didn’t keep him. Maybe that’s why his relationship with his mom has
suffered. Or maybe it’s just because he’s a teenager with an attitude.
But John does get
along with his classmates, and one winter day he and two boys walk onto an icy
pond to test their bravery. They’re told by a stranger to get off the pond—it’s
dangerous, he says—but they ignore him. Seconds later, they plunge through the
ice and frantically begin fighting for survival. Two of them make it back to
the surface, but John—in the confusion—is kicked even deeper.
First responders raise his lifeless body to the surface 15
minutes later and transport him to the hospital, where doctors perform CPR and
shock treatment in an attempt to restart his heart. Both fail. Forty-five
minutes have passed since he fell into the water and stopped breathing, and
John is considered dead.
Then his mom prays. And then his heart starts beating again.
Doctors are amazed, but they deliver more bad news to his mom: He likely has
severe brain damage.
Joyce, though, isn’t giving up.
“I believe God can heal our son,” she says.
The faith-based film Breakthrough
(PG) opens next week, telling the real-life story of a boy who survived a
tragic incident that captivated a corner of Missouri in 2015 and eventually
captured national attention. It stars Golden Globe nominee Chrissy Metz (This Is Us) as Joyce Smith; Topher Grace
(Spider-Man 3) as her pastor, Jason
Noble; and Dennis Haysbert (24) as
John’s doctor. Marcel Ruiz (One Day At a
Time) plays John.
DeVon Franklin (The
Star, Miracles From Heaven) produced it, and Roxann Dawson (This Is Us, House of Cards) directed it.
NBA star Stephen Curry is an executive director.
The movie involves three parts: 1) John’s struggle with his
identity as an adopted child, 2) Joyce’s never-give-up, faith-filled outlook on
his recovery, and, finally, 3) The town’s questioning of why God spared John’s
life but didn’t spare others.
It seems unfair to call Breakthrough
one of the best faith-based films I’ve seen—even though it belongs in that
conversation. That’s because Breakthrough
is simply a great movie. Period.
Metz is magnificent. Dawson’s veteran skills as a director
are evident. The script is entertaining and inspiring. You know how the film’s
going to end, but you’re still enthralled.
Most of all, Breakthrough
is a great film because it’s based on an amazing true story written by a powerful
God.
“I wanted to stay really true to the story,” Dawson told a
panel of Christian media members. “So I did a lot of research.”
John Smith’s miraculous recovery is documented in 301 pages
of medical records. Doctors saw it. Nurses saw it. First responders did, too
(And if you’re curious, John doesn’t visit heaven).
Warning:
moderate/major spoilers!
(Scale key:
none, minimal, moderate, extreme)
Violence/Disturbing
Minimal. The scene where John and his two friends fall
through the water might frighten sensitive children (Although my 7-year-old
wasn’t troubled). We see medical personnel perform CPR and shock treatments on
John.
Sexuality/Sensuality/Nudity
None. Boys talk about a girl being “hot.”
Coarse
Language
Minimal. H-ll (2), OMG (2). We hear John say “h-ll” in his
home prior to falling through the ice. His mother corrects him. Later, we hear
the pastor say the same word in excitement when John shows signs of recovering.
Other
Positive Elements
John’s family prays together before a meal. We see them in
church. The entire town begins praying when they learn about John’s
accident.
Joyce and her pastor don’t get along—he’s too edgy and
modern for her tastes—but they set apart their differences and join in prayer
when John is in the hospital.
Other Stuff
You Might Want To Know
We see a young John ask his mom about his biological mother,
“Why didn’t she want me?”
One of his school assignments involves a report on each
student’s family tree. John doesn’t want to do it.
Life Lessons
Breakthrough gives us lessons on forgiveness and
reconciliation (Joyce and the pastor, and others), the power of prayer (Joyce
and others), supporting and encouraging one another (church members and
townspeople) and patience (Joyce). It also raises questions about church styles
(Joyce’s pastor says he changed the music to attract a younger crowd).
Worldview/Application
Corrie ten Boom once asked, “Is prayer your steering wheel
or your spare tire?” For Joyce Smith, the answer is obvious. She prayed
constantly—or without “ceasing,” in the words of Scripture (1 Thess. 5:17).
Jesus told us to pray. He even told us prayer works (Mark 11:24).
That is the message of Breakthrough.
Like War Room, it displays the power
of prayer. John was thought dead. Less than a month later, he walked out of the
hospital as a healthy, normal kid.
Breakthrough also examines the unanswerable
question: Why does God heal some people and not others? Ultimately, we don’t
know. But we do know that God’s glory is displayed in both healings and
weakness (Rom, 8:28). It’s all part of His plan. Remember: This world is not
our home. Eventually, all of us—John included—will die (Heb. 13:14-16).
So, why did God
heal John? Maybe it was to show miracles still happen. Maybe it was to remind
us that prayer works. Maybe it was to display the power of God and to show
others that He is real. Or maybe it was to give John himself a platform for
future ministry (The real-life John Smith wants to become a pastor). Maybe all
those possibilities are true. Only God knows.
Discussion
Questions
1. Do you believe Joyce’s prayer led to John’s heart
starting to beat again?
2. Do you believe miracles still happen today?
3. Why does God heal some people but not others?
4. What did you think of the church’s worship service? What
did you think of the pastor’s explanation for modern worship?
5. What lessons can we learn about God from miraculous
healings? What can we learn about God when people aren’t healed?
Entertainment rating: 5 out of 5
stars. Family-friendly rating: 4 out
of 5 stars.
Breakthrough is rated PG for thematic content including peril.
Photo credit: 20th Century Fox
by Michael Foust | Apr 5, 2019
The DC Comics film ‘Shazam!’ opens this weekend, telling the story of an insecure young teen boy who learns how to be a superhero by trial and error.
Billy Batson is a 14-year-old foster kid searching for his
identity in life. And to discover that, he’s going to find his biological mom.
“I’ve got a mom… She’s out there. I know it,” he tells a
social worker.
But so far, all he’s finding is trouble—with his foster
parents, with the police, with the system.
He’s run away from all six foster homes that have taken him
in, causing so many problems that they don’t want him back. Now he’s moving in
with number seven. The names of his new parents are Victor and Rosa Vasquez, a
couple who began their own lives as foster kids. They have a big home and a big
heart for at-risk kids. Billy, in fact, will be the sixth foster child in their
house.
He likes his new home. He likes his new siblings, too. He
even likes his parents.
Yet his search for his biological lineage soon takes a
backseat to a supernatural event. Billy is riding home from school when he’s
transported to another dimension, in the presence of a wizard known as Shazam.
This wizard is looking for a replacement who is “strong in spirit” and “pure in
heart.” You know—a “truly good person.”
“I’m not one,” Billy responds. “I don’t know if anyone is,
really.”
Yet that doesn’t matter. Billy is Shazam’s only hope, and
within seconds, he is given the powers of a modern superhero—complete with a
muscular frame, tights and a cape. He becomes “Shazam,” a 20-something common
man of steel who can fly, run faster than a bullet and—yes—leap tall buildings,
too.
The DC Comics film Shazam!
(PG-13) opens this weekend, telling the story of an insecure young teen boy who
learns how to be a superhero by trial and error. To gain his strength, he only
needs to say one magic word (You guessed it: “shazam”).
It stars Asher Angel as Billy Batson, Zachary Levi (Thor: The Dark World) as Billy’s
alter-ego Shazam, and Jack Dylan Grazer (Beautiful
Boy) as Billy’s brother and good friend, Freddy.
The movie follows two angles: Billy’s crash course on how to
be a superhero (at first, he uses his powers for selfish reasons), and the evil
Thaddeus Sivana’s hunting of Billy in hopes of stealing his powers.
Shazam! is as funny as it is original, as
we watch our superhero learn how to fly, jump and fight—just like an immature
14-year-old boy would. Each step is accompanied by wonderful wide-eyed
giddiness, with Shazam and Freddy (who is filming him for YouTube videos)
laughing in disbelief at their stroke of fortune.
The film has plenty of PG-13 content, but it also tackles
some heady questions, too, such as: What is family? What is home? How are we
shaped by our parents’ decisions?
Overall, Shazam!
is a fun ride, even if it may not be for small kids.
Warning:
minor/moderate spoilers!
(Scale key:
none, minimal, moderate, extreme)
Violence/Disturbing
Moderate: The film has its share of superhero punching and
fighting, but its inclusion of demonic, ogre-like creatures is what will
trouble some parents the most (not to mention give children nightmares). The
creatures are Sivana’s sidekicks and accompany him wherever he goes. The most
disturbing moment involves them killing two of Sivana’s family members (one is
tossed out a window, the other eaten). We also see a creature bite off
someone’s head. Earlier in the film, we see a truck crash into a car, nearly
killing one person. Bullies beat up a tween boy outside school.
Sexuality/Sensuality/Nudity
None.
Coarse
Language
Moderate. OMG (11), s–t (5), a– (3), h–l (3), misuse of
“God” (2), d–k (1), JC (1). The film includes a handful of inappropriate
references to the male anatomy
Other
Positive Elements
Shazam and Freddy show mercy to the bullies.
The film’s positive portrayal of the foster care system is
commendable.
Other Stuff
You Might Want To Know
Twice, Shazam and his friends end up outside a strip club
known as “The Booty Club.” We never see inside the building, but the film would
have been more family-friendly without either scene.
Shazam and Freddy also buy and drink beer. They hate it—Shazam
says it tastes like “vomit”—and they eat candy and chips instead.
We see Billy’s brother bullied for being adopted.
Life Lessons
The film’s ads and promotional materials tell us that “we
all have a superhero inside.” Perhaps that’s true on some level, but it’s not
the movie’s major theme.
The film’s theme is this: Families matter. A home does, too.
Sivana hates his father because of how he was treated and
ridiculed as a child. Billy has positive feelings for his biological mother but
has never met her; he got lost in a crowd at a young age and was never found.
Both instances, though, show how the verbal abuse or absence of a parent can
impact a child for life.
Shazam! provides positive (even Bible-based)
answers on the film’s two questions: What
is family? and What is home? The
film comes down squarely on the side of love—that is, Billy’s love for his
foster parents and their love for him. Faith is never discussed, but we do see
them pray before meals.
It may have been the first time I shed a tear during a
superhero flick.
Worldview
Wizards, demons and mythical gods form the film’s backdrop.
Shazam the wizard tells Billy he will be as powerful as Atlas, Zeus and others.
Sivana’s powers come from seven demons, each of which represents one of the
seven deadly sins.
Sponsors
Xbox, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Zaxby’s, Watz, Stewart Haas
Racing.
What Works
The plot. The family-centric story. If you’re curious, it
ends with a cliffhanger, guaranteeing a sequel.
What Doesn’t
Shazam! seems to be partially aimed at
children and tweens. If so, some of the content (the scary creatures, the strip
club, the language) should have been excluded.
Discussion
Questions
1. What caused Billy finally to accept his new parents?
2. For children: How should you treat your friends who are
adopted?
3. Do we all have a “superhero inside”?
4. Did you like the film’s foster care message?
Entertainment rating: 4 out of 5
stars. Family-friendly rating: 2.5
out of 5 stars.Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action, language, and suggestive
material.
by Michael Foust | Apr 5, 2019
The inspiring historical drama ‘The Best of Enemies’ (PG-13) opens this weekend, telling the unlikely story of a civil rights activist who befriended a KKK president
Ann is an outspoken civil rights activist who has never had
an opinion she didn’t want to share.
C.P. is a low-keyed Klu Klux Klan president who has never
seen a black person he didn’t hate.
They come from opposite sides of town and opposite ends of
the ideological spectrum, and now they’re being asked to find common ground on
an issue—school integration—that has divided the city of Durham, N.C.
The inspiring historical drama The Best of Enemies (PG-13) opens this weekend, telling the
unlikely true story of how a black woman (Ann Atwater) and a white racist (C.P.
Ellis) helped end school segregation in a corner of North Carolina in 1971 when
hatred and racial strife were dominating local politics.
One of the city’s black schools had been damaged in a fire,
forcing Durham officials to try to find a new home for hundreds of black
students. With white city officials dragging their feet in integration and
neither side willing to budge, a judge ordered a 10-day charrette—a forum in
which two sides come together to try to forge an agreement. The 12-member
council included six black people and six white people, with Atwater and Ellis
leading their respective sides. At the end of the 10 days, they voted.
The film stars Taraji P. Henson (Hidden Figures) as Atwater, Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) as Ellis, and Babou
Ceesay (A.D. The Bible Continues) as
charrette organizer Bill Riddick. All three are spectacular.
The Best of
Enemies
is historical drama at its finest, although its inclusion of racial slurs and
other strong language may repel some moviegoers.
The movie’s spiritual themes (reconciliation, redemption and
standing up for righteousness) shine through the hate-filled rhetoric. Ann
Atwater had a salty tongue—in the film and in real life—but she was a
churchgoer, too.
“Same God (that) made you made me,” Ann tells C.P.
Warning: moderate/major
spoilers!
(Scale key:
none, minimal, moderate, extreme)
Violence/Disturbing
Moderate. We see KKK members shoot into a single woman’s
home after they learn she is dating a black man (She survives). Later, they
break into her home and threaten to harm her unless she says she’s not friends
with black people (They make her use the n-word).
Sexuality/Sensuality/Nudity
Minimal. A woman is seen in a bra.
Coarse
Language
Moderate. N-word (19), h-ll (6), d–n (3), a– (2), s–t
(2), misuse of “Christ” (1), GD (1).
Life Lessons
It’s difficult to watch The
Best of Enemies and not see parallels to our modern-day divided society,
where hostility is the norm, goodwill is rare and trust is nearly
nonexistent.
Thankfully, Ann and C.P. demonstrate a better way, even if
they do get off to a rough start.
We learn lessons about loving your enemy and doing good to
those who hate you (Ann goes out of her way to help C.P.’s mentally challenged
son, who is institutionalized).
We learn that hate-filled hearts can change, if we are
patient (C.P., by the end of the film, views black people in a different light).
We learn the benefits of relationships, community and
conversations (Both sides watch their preconceptions disappear when they are
forced to talk to and work alongside one another).
We learn that talking to one another—instead of about one
another—can solve problems (Imagine that!).
It’s easy to hate a person you’ve never met. It’s much more
difficult when you’re face to face, learning about their problems, their
weaknesses. Pretty soon, you discover you have a lot in common.
Perhaps America could benefit from a charrette in 2019.
Worldview/Application
Jesus commanded us: “Love
your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27). We see that
demonstrated in The Best of Enemies—so
much so that C.P. begins doubting what he’s been taught about other races. “I’m
the president of the Klan. I’m supposed to hate black folks,” he says.
It isn’t a faith-based film, but it has more spiritual
themes than seen in most mainstream movies.
The final 15 minutes drove me to tears and had me clapping,
too.
Discussion
Questions
1. What led C.P. to change his views about other races?
2. Do you think a modern-day charrette would work?
3. Name three biblical lessons from The Best of Enemies.
4. Was Ann’s outspokenness helpful or harmful?
Entertainment rating: 4 out of 5
stars. Family-friendly rating: 3 out
of 5 stars.
Rated PG-13 for thematic material, racial epithets, some violence and a suggestive reference.
PHOTO CREDIT: STX