How to Be a Superhero

Ephesians 6:10-18

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

A few weeks ago Pastor Greg talked about how lots of movies try to destroy the world.   In most of these movies usually a hero or superhero steps up to save the day. 

What’s going on?  Why do we keep telling stories about destroying and saving the world?

Even if we don’t define it in spiritual terms, we know that there is a battle of good versus evil in our world.  We know that we are part of this battle.   Somehow, deep inside, we know that there are forces of darkness and evil in this world that are stronger than us, bigger than us. 

We know that we need help from someone bigger, someone stronger, someone more awesome than we could ever be.  We know we need a hero.  And so we have a whole genre of fiction and movies with superheroes.  

Today, as we continue our Family Movie Series in the month of August, we’re looking at the movie THE AVENGERS.  

Akeela and the Bee - Movie Review

My friend Matt has been recommending this movie for a long time.  Despite it's potentially nerdy and boring main event (a national spelling bee), Akeela and the Bee is moving and poignant, hopeful and provocative.
Akeela attends a substandard school in South Los Angeles, but she is an exceptional speller.  With encouragement from her teacher, she enters the school's spelling bee.  Her principal sees her as an opportunity to rejuvenate the school and enlists an outside expert (Samuel L. Jackson) to coach her.
As Akeela slowly studies and advances in the national spelling bee, she, her coach, her family, her school, and her broader community are slowly drawn into a beautiful process of healing.  One of the most moving bits of the movie is when the community comes together to help Akeela practice.  It really demonstrates the power of community and the power of one person to make a difference in the life of others.
This may not be Oscar worthy, but it is hands-down the best family movie I've watched in a long, long time.  The Josh rating here is a little difficult.  It barely inches into 5Js: JJJJJ - mostly because I think we should all watch it and be inspired to go and love-likewise.

Annie Hall - #35 Greatest American Movie of All Time

Thanks to Itunes and loaners from friends, Sarah and I are slowly working our way through the American Film Institute's Top 100 Movies of All Time.  This week we watched Annie Hall, a 1977 movie, co-everything (writing, directing, staring) Woody Allen.
It's a semi-biographical, romantic comedy, telling the story of Alvi (Allen) and Annie Hall (Diane Keaton) and their on-again, off-again relationship.  It has lots of flashbacks, in which the lead characters are present on the sidelines of the flashback - much like the Ghost of Christmas Past or It's a Wonderful Life.  Except that here, to great comedic effect, the present day characters are able to interact with or even interpose themselves into the flashback characters.  The whole movie has this playful disconnect with reality that allows the characters to move in and out of each others' stories and even to step toward the camera to address the audience directly.
Overall, I found it an interesting mixture of funny and sad, but not overwhelmingly good.  I was particularly disappointed that Allen's character didn't seem to make any progress in dealing with his own issues.  The Josh rating: JJJ.

The African Queen (Best Movie #17) - Review

The African Queen, starring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn, ranks as the #17 best movie of all time on the American Film Institute's top 100 list.  This is one of the few older romantic comedies that we didn't find supremely cheesy.  Sure, it has its moments, but overall, this is a movie about one person coming out of her shell and two people falling in love.
Katherine Hepburn is a missionary in Africa when World War 2 breaks out.  The colonial territories of Germany and Great Britain are caught up in the conflict.  When her brother dies, she must ride to safety on the old river boat of the kind but rough Humphrey Bogart.  She slowly develops respect for him and freedom to be herself, and eventually they fall in love.  Without giving away the ending, there is an over-the-top but artistic ending that wraps the movie in a pretty bow.
One refreshing element of this movie was the modesty.  If this movie was made today, it would have been filled with nudity and sex.  However, The African Queen  has them taking dips into the river in their boxers and bloomers.  That might not be as realistic, but it was nice to be able to watch a movie without having to deal with that temptation.
The Josh rating: JJJJ.

X-Men First Class - Review

Sarah and I took full advantage of our Friday night babysitter (somewhat of a rarity these days) and saw X-Men First Class at the Yaoori-14 Cinema here in Cheonan.  We're not huge comic or fantasy fans, so we weren't excited like some of our aficionado friends.  However, we weren't disappointed.
The basic story line is that this is a prequel to the X-Men series, explaining how Professor Xavier's school for mutant superheros developed.  This movie also lays the foundation for some of the other basic themes of the X-Men series primarily - how will normal humans treat mutants and how will the mutants engage a society which engages them with mixed hostility and deference.
I appreciated a few basic things about this movie. 
1. Xavier's relationship with the mutants is significant.  He is helping each of them harness their own personal power and fulfill their potential.  Sometimes he does this through encouragement, sometimes through technical development, and sometimes through deep empathy - helping them to tap into their own heart-level feelings.
2. This is the classic story of people who don't fit social norms, only this the cause of the maladaptation is exaggerated into actual physical (or mental) mutations of super-human powers.  However, within this exaggerated story, we can see a depiction of very common social exclusion for very common reasons: appearance, finance, social awkwardness, mistakes, choices, preferences, diseases, etc.  As I see it, one of the basic undercurrents of the X-Men series is that all people are genuine human beings and worthy of love and affection - despite our various differences.

At various times, the plot, directing, or dialog struggled.  January Jones' acting was pitifully subdued; she seemed almost robotic sometimes.  Some of the plot movements seemed forced and unnatural.  And on occasion, the comic book dialog shone through - and not in a good way. 

Overall, unless your a big comic fan, it's worth a rental, but it's only worth full-ticket price if you don't have other good options (like us).  The Josh rating: JJJ.

Children of a Lesser God - Movie Review

Children of a Lesser God is a 1986 romantic drama, telling the story of James (a speech therapist at a deaf school) and Sarah (a former star student who is now the school's janitor).  Marlee Matlin, who is actually deaf, won a well-deserved Oscar for her role in the film.  She is both the youngest actress ever to win and the only deaf actress ever to win.
James is a passionate, effective, innovative, nomadic speech teacher.  Some of the best scenes of the movie are when he is helping his students reach beyond their hearing deficits.  He helps them engage pop music through "feeling" the music in their bodies.  When one student curses at him, James corrects his pronunciation - which leads to repeated greetings with newly learned (but accurately pronounced) profanity.
Sarah's fiery attitude and good looks draw James's attention, and he soon discovers that she is basically hiding from the world by serving as a janitor at the safe deaf school.  The hearing world represents mocking and danger and failure for her.  She persistently refuses to read lips or to speak as an intentional effort to isolate herself to people who are safe.  She rebuffs James' efforts to teach her to use her voice.
Eventually, as one might expect, the two fall in love.  However, the path forward is complex as they each learn to accept each others' weaknesses and strengths.  They must both give the other person space to change or not to change. 
This is a beautiful and poignant film.  The only major downside is the borderline (from behind) nudity, which does serve an artistic point, but nonetheless detracts from the film for me.  (Also, be warned.  For those who are sensitive to profanity, this film has a lot.)
The Josh rating: JJJJ.

Korea Tip 111: Take Off (국가대표) - Review

국가 대표 (Korean for "National Team") goes by the English name "Take Off."  Both are reasonable titles, since it is about Korea's first Ski Jump National Team.
The basic storyline is that Korea is making a bid to host the winter Olympics.  However, on their previous bid, one of the disqualifying factors was Koreans' lack of interest in winter sports.  This time around, they try to remedy that problem in part by building a national ski jump team.  However, the sport is so dangerous and so new that they can only gather various misfits and screw-ups.  The basic story of the movie is how this group of young men (and their over-the-hill coach) learn the art of ski jumping and - in the process - come into their manhood.
Although I'm not a big fan of the movie overall, I did appreciate a few parts.
First, hosting the winter Olympics is a longstanding unfulfilled dream for Korea.  PyoungChan still ramps up their Olympic hopes every few years, only to be dashed again and again.  This movie touches on how far Korea will go to host that major event.
Second, the father-son relationship of one of the team members gives a good look into the tension Korea has between traditional success and alternative personal expressions (like sports and arts).  For many parents there is only one path to success: academics and making money and business.  However, Koreans also have a deep national pride and a corresponding desire for international fame and recognition.  These two conflicting desires naturally lead to conflict at home for many would-be athletes or artists.
Third, despite all the cheesy-ness and downsides, the team basically succeeds.  They become successful ski jumpers, earn a place in the national pride, and get a second chance at manhood.

However, two glaring plot weaknesses basically ruined the movie for me.  Both of these are total spoilers, so be forewarned.
First, the lead character joined the national ski team to claim his moment of fame and find his birth mother (who gave him up for adoption at around age 6).  His plan is to earn enough money ski jumping to buy her an apartment.  The first part of his plan succeeds; he finds his mother.  However, shockingly, he walks away from her because he is not able to provide an apartment for her.  Maybe this is a cultural thing.  I know Koreans really like melodramatic story lines.  But this seemed completely pointless and gave me a sour taste for the whole movie.  (On the other hand, perhaps this is also a bit of cultural insight into Korean culture regarding the deep importance of providing for the material needs of the family.)
Second, the national team's substitute ski jumper is one team member's mentally challenged little brother.  They rationalize this ridiculous proposition by saying that he'll never have to jump.  However, when one team member (the older brother) is injured, they talk the little brother into jumping for the sake of national pride.  This gave me a sick feeling inside.  I want to give the movie a little grace as they created an unrealistic scenario to develop the plot, but this was blatant reckless endangerment, and I couldn't get past it.

So, unfortunately, we didn't really enjoy the movie.  On the other hand, I would say it could still be worth a watch for the cultural content.  The Josh rating: JJ.
(Sorry W.)

12 Angry Men - Review (Greatest Movies of All Time #87)

Over the weekend, Sarah and I watched 12 Angry Men, #87 on the American Film Institute's list of Greatest Movies of All Time.  It did not disappoint.
12 Angry Men tells the story of a jury in a murder trial.  Except for the a total of 3 minutes (at beginning and end), the entire movie takes place in the jury's deliberation room (and the attached bathroom).
At the opening of the movie, the judge - with great boredom in his voice - gives the jury their instructions.  A. They must be unanimous.  B. If they render a guilty verdict, by state law, the defendant will be given the death penalty.
Within the first few minutes, the group takes an opening vote.  On the surface, it is an open-and-shut case, so the results are 11 for guilty and 1 for not guilty.  Only one person, for reasons he can't exactly name himself, believes that they should carefully weigh all the evidence before giving a guilty verdict.  His resistance to a quick decision leads the jury on an odyssey of discovery - both in terms of the evidence and in terms of their own group dynamics.
The rest of the movie is a case study in group process, consensus building, team dynamics, group synergy, and individual psychology.  The group wrestles with the meaning of the American judicial system, how to weigh conflicting or insufficient evidence, prejudice, inner psychological pains, and how to overcome divided opinions.
If I were teaching a class on church leadership, I would have my students watch this movie and write a paper about what it teaches us about church board meetings.  Some of the most beautiful lessons I saw are:
(a) Minority voices are extremely important, so we need to give dissenters the opportunity to speak and to be heard.  One of the most important supporting characters makes the valuable contribution of demanding that the minority voice be heard.
(b) Our collective intellect can be either disastrous (as when group think leads us toward a hasty and misguided decision) or helpful (as when we each bring our insights and experience to bear on the discussion and come up with a more helpful solution than any of us could have imagined on our own).
(c) Sometimes the most passionate defenders of a position hold that passion for reasons independent of the facts (prejudice or personal pain).

I highly recommend this movie.  It's a bit slow and heady, but it ekes into the full 5 Js.  The Josh rating: JJJJJ.


(Thanks for the loaner Michael.)

Greatest Movie #1 (Citizen Kane) and #5 (Singing in the Rain)

Our friends Terry and Anne Cave have a treasure trove of great movies, maybe 30 or more of the top 100. Terry started us off Friday with two from the top: Citizen Kane and Singin' in the Rain.
Surprisingly, we liked Singin' in the Rain much better than Citizen Kane. I would have to concur with Terry. Citizen Kane is a movie people respect more than they like. It tells the story of a boy thrust into riches. He grows into a man who gets whatever he wants whenever he wants it. He collects and collects for the sheer joy of possession. He lives the life of ultimate selfishness. Finally, he dies alone and emotionally destitute surrounded by his stuff. In this respect, it shows the extreme cost of selfishness and materialism. However, over all, I didn't find the movie all that satisfying. I'll give it 3j's.

On the other hand, Sarah and I (and Emma too) enjoyed Singin' in the Rain. I expected to be disappointed because I'm usually not all that fond of musicals. Maybe I was partly relieved to see an uplifting movie after the epic of self-destruction (Citizen Kane). However, I enjoyed most of the musicals, a bit cheesy at times, but over all enjoyable. The dancing was kind of amazing too. Donald O'Connor, who was Gene Kelly's sidekick, was basically a 1950's singing and dancing Jim Carrey. The story line was definitely old school, but some how it worked for me.

I wonder how much of my opinion of these movies is based on my personal mood when I watch them? I'm not sure, but anyhow, I'll give Singin' in the Rain a solid 4js.

Greatest Movie #83: Titanic

Last night Sarah and I watched the modern classic romance Titanic. (Thanks KyungRan for the loan.)
However, I have to say that this time, both Sarah and I found the movie to be more about social critique than romance. Sure there is the steamy 24 hour romance between Jack and Rose, but that is kind of an overlay on a deeper social commentary. And even that romance serves a salvation function to rescue Rose out of the dead-end, dead-life system of the upper class rich folk, with all of their arrogance, gossip, indulgence, mutual expectation, and prejudice. Jack opens her eyes to a whole new world of possibilities, a whole new realm of experiences, free from the limiting system in which she felt trapped.

The ship itself is a microcosm of society. The different levels of the ship are stunning in their representation of our world. At the top are the first class passengers. They experience the height of luxury, prestige, and arrogance. Their rooms are suites. They travel with their own armies of servants and gear. Next come the second, third, and steerage class passengers. They are the middle class folk who somehow managed a ticket on this historic venture. They share rooms in bunk beds and eat in large dining halls where social rules are nearly non-existent. Next comes the engineering level. We see stunning shots of the machinery which makes this ship go and also of the neatly uniformed people who manage these well oiled pistons and levers. Finally, in the belly of the ship are the coal ovens. Here people labor in swealtering heat shoveling coal to fuel the massive steam engines, which fuel the pistons, which turn the propellers, which enable this voyage involving such luxury hundreds of feet above. This class of people sweat and ache and struggle 12+ hours a day covered in dirt and grime for the express purpose of enabling the frivolity of the people several stories above them.
This is a humbling and sobering picture of our world. Instead of being separated by levels of a ship, we are separated by levels of society, national development, careers, education, opportunity, etc. The people on the different levels do not have different values - despite the explicit claims of the first class passengers. Yet the underclasses labor away at jobs that serve the express purpose of making luxury possible for the people who were lucky enough or well positioned enough to make it to the first class seating.

A few other metaphors struck me as I watched this movie. I won't have time to flesh them out fully, but here they are in a nutshell.
1. Jack is a Christ figure - wooing us out of our broken systems to experience true life. His venture to help us experience true life and to win our love costs him his own life, but finally wins the reward of the affection of his beloved and her freedom to experience true life.



2. The Titanic is an emblem of our broken systems, including the church. The old ship is going down. The old systems are broken, but people are complaining about the cold and noise involved in getting into the lifeboats. Also, we request that our people keep playing, keep serving brandy, and keep up all appearances that everything is OK. This desire for stability is a direct contributor to the losses we will necessarily experience for not heeding the warning signs to adapt to change and to abandon the sinking ship.

3. 2,200 people were aboard the Titanic. 700 people made it into 20 lifeboats, which could have accommodated 1,400 or more. However, after the ship sank, only 1 boat came back to collect more passengers, and that was only after so much time had passed that most of the passengers had frozen to death in the icy waters. The boats had the potential to save 700 or more additional people, but they only pulled 6 live people from the water. Most of the boats stayed away from the swimming passengers because they were afraid the other passengers would swamp their boats and sink them all. The great irony is that most of the boats were only half full, and there was little risk of them being swamped. So they stayed at a comfortable distance listening to the screams and whistles of hundreds of dying people, knowing they could help, but afraid of the potential cost to themselves. This is SOOO like our world, where we are afraid to get involved in the plight of our starving, struggling neighbors because we are afraid they will swamp our boats. "We can't save the whole world, right?" Maybe, maybe not. But there are sure hundreds of people out there in the water who can get into our boats ... if we don't wait too long.