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fgoodwin
Reviews
An American Carol (2008)
Disappointing
I'm a card-carrying conservative, a red-state Republican red-neck, who hates Michael Moore as much as the next guy.
But as much as I wanted to like this movie, I'm afraid I didn't. I thought the idea was good, but its hard for me to pinpoint just what was wrong with it.
It had its funny moments, but the scenes of Patton and his men shooting the ACLU zombies (with the judge joining in) just seemed dumb to me, rather than funny. I understand the point, and I feel that way myself many times about the un-American things the ACLU does, but for movie characters to say it was fun seemed a bit much for my taste.
I'm glad to see the opening weekend box-office beat "Religulous", but given the few theaters showing the Maher movie, I'm not surprised.
Reveille (2004)
Patriotism and respect for the uniform
What an awesome film!
Its amazing what can be said, without a word spoken, in just over ten minutes. A Navy veteran (Huddleston) starts his day by posting the colors in his retirement community. Soon, an Army veteran (McEachin) moves in, and they begin a friendly competition to see who can post the flag first, and things escalate from there.
Like "Sleuth", all the action is limited to these two characters, and the bond that develops between them. The ending, though sad, is poignant and appropriate.
Definitely a "ten" if there ever was one! See it here: http://tinyurl.com/zbmm8
Room for One More (1952)
Heartwarming family film
I loved this film. It is the story of a family (Cary Grant and Betsy Drake starring as "Poppy" and Anna Rose) who take in a couple of orphaned children, and the various mi-adventures and calamities that result.
I enjoyed the way the film dealt with some real-life issues, like how the financially-strapped couple would deal with the added costs of taking in another child, how "natural" children deal with adopted children, and how "normal" children deal with disabled children. Some of the scenes aren't pretty; in the current era of political-correctness, we sometimes forget how mean children could be to one another back in those days.
There are several scenes in the movie that involve the Boy Scouts. As a Scouter myself, these were my favorite parts. I especially liked the Eagle ceremony, and I really noticed how the Pledge of Allegiance, as said in 1952, omits "under God", which wasn't added until 1954! Another thing I noticed: George Winslow, who played "Teenie" in this movie, later played a Cub Scout in "Mister Scoutmaster" (1953) starring Clifton Webb and Frances Dee.
Scouting played a prominent role in both films, which evidenced the place of Scouting in American society of the 1950s. For those of us currently involved in Scouting, we can only look with nostalgia at how Scouting was viewed at that time: as a wholesome activity for boys, unburdened with all the baggage of the political-correctness of our times.
Whether you're a Scouter or not, I think (unless you're totally jaded) that you and your children will really enjoy this heartwarming story of Scouting in an extended family.
The Visual Bible: The Gospel of John (2003)
Faithful retelling
I just saw the Gospel of John, and found it to be a breathtaking, graphic, yet beautiful portrayal of the life & ministry of Jesus as told by his disciple, John. The movie runs three hours, but I never felt bored or distracted.
I've read there are fears the movie may be seen as anti-Semitic -- like the charges being leveled at Mel Gibson's "The Passion" (how can anyone really know since it hasn't been released yet?). One could claim the "Gospel of John" is anti-Semitic only if you believe the gospel account itself is anti-Semitic. I don't think it is, but Jewish viewers may feel differently. The movie is faithful to the gospel, so the charge stands or falls based on how one reads the gospel.
In any event, I think this is a movie that can be enjoyed by believers and non-believers alike.