December 2006 Archives

While I am still on a movie-watching spree so I can finish my list of Top Ten Films of 2006, I thought I would share with Idol Chatter readers the books and music that are some of the best of this past year, but which, in my estimation, are also the most overlooked. So it's not too late to return that "Left Behind" videogame or that "Purpose Driven Life" coffee mug that you found under the tree and pick up one of these titles instead to start the new year off right.

Books:
"Secrets In The Dark" by Frederick Buechner: No one reflects on the mysteries of the Christian journey more eloquently than Buechner. He is perhaps the first author I have ever read who seems more comfortable with questions about faith than he does with answers. This book is a compilation of some of his sermons from years past on a variety of topics and makes for a great devotional for the new year.

"Accompanied by Angels" by Luci Shaw: Shaw has always been adept at combining the earthbound and the sacred in unusual ways, and in this latest anthology, the focus is on man's relationship with angels. Specifically, many of the poems are related to Christmas and the birth of Jesus. If you haven't read any of her work, this is a great place to start

Who's Afraid of Postmodernism? By James K.A. Smith: Calvin College philosophy professor James Smith takes a sharp, insightful look at some of the tenets of postmodern philosophy and various Christian responses to it. In particular, I appreciate that he articulates some of the flaws in certain factions of the emergent church movement, as they adhere to postmodern thought in an attempt to be "culturally relevant." What's impressive is that he does all that in a very accessible, reader-friendly way.

Music:
Ashley Cleveland "Before the Daylight's Shot": Mix Bonnie Raitt, Diane Krall, and a tiny bit of Aretha Franklin together, and you will come close to describing the talent of Ashley Cleveland. She's always been too raw for the contemporary Christian music crowd, and she's never been a commercial sell-out, so mainstream success has eluded her, but the smoky, soulful-voiced Cleveland has been my favorite female singer/songwriter for years. She finally has a new recording out this month--available only on her website--with more songs about her passionate longing to grow deeper in her faith in spite of her failings. Her song "The Blessing" is probably going to become my anthem for 2007.

T-Bone Burnett: "The True False Identity": As a little girl I just knew T-Bone as the guy who married contemporary Christian singer Leslie--now Sam--Phillips. Most music buffs know him as the award-winning producer of numerous soundtracks ( "O Brother, Where Art Thou?") and many other hits. But his latest solo recording is a reminder that he is a genius as a singer/songwriter who mixes so many different but awesome spiritual metaphors together it just might make your head hurt.

One of the most interesting--albeit meaningless--awards of the year comes from CNN Headline News' "Showbiz Tonight," which names its "Most Controversial Celebrity" of the year. For 2006, Britney Spears won out over the likes of Mel Gibson, Michael Richards, Tom Cruise, Anna Nicole Smith, Naomi Campbell, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Madonna, and Star Jones.

I say it's interesting because it says something about how truly un-interesting celebrity news has become these days. I think someone should have to accomplish something truly amazing to even be considered as a "star," and then have to do something really controversial to be considered for such a list. Given that, I'd eliminate Britney, as well as almost everyone else on the list. What has Paris Hilton actually done to make her a "star." For that matter, what about Lindsay Lohan or Anna Nicole Smith? Sometimes the whole Hollywood thing reminds me of a junior high, full of a few people who trying to be popular, a few others who get them to believe it, a few who are envious, and the largest part of the crowd hiding in the safety of anonymity with something to talk about.

Of course, this prestigious award is not merely selected at random. CNN employs four primary criteria:

1) Does the mention of their very name spark a visceral reaction?

2) Which celebrity provoked the most continuous shock and outrage from their antics over the course of the entire year?

3) Which celebrity generated the most continued interest through the year?

4) Did their actions leave any lasting impact?

I think the real stars are people who step up and step forward. The real controversial ones are those who assume leadership roles, and do it in ways that others either don't agree with, don't respect, or don't even notice.

Mel Gibson made a wonderful impact upon the world with his depiction of Christ's passion, and the comments he made during an arrest were as disrespectful as they were embarrassing and career-threatening. After that, the list falls apart, in my book. These stars' names don't spark a visceral reaction--despite what you'd think from watching or reading the media that tries to make stories out of who they are and what they do, just for the purpose of, well, having something to talk about in the gobs of TV time and printed column space given over to celebrity "news."

For all the time young people buy magazines, read papers, watch shows, listen to podcasts, read blogs, etc., I wish someone could succeed at engaging them in something truly controversial and relevant--like how to feed the under-resourced people of our world, starting in our own communities. Or how about how to use technological advances to contribute to the future rather than just watching it, listening to it, or reading about it? Or how about how to pick part of the world that is not us (any nation in Africa or Asia or Latin America) and engage young minds and hearts with the question of how best to help?

Whether they succeeded or failed, those who tried would make two of my lists: not only the Most Controversial, but the Most Inspirational as well.

If you've seen all the other family movies this season--or even if you haven't--take your teens or even your grown kids to see "Rocky Balboa." It may end up being the kind of bonding that goes beyond inspiration to transformation. "Rocky Balboa" starts a little slow compared to most action flicks, but the teens I've watched in two screenings are curiously drawn into the story of a father figure-older guy with a way about him that's endearing. They seem to get his humor, and end up rooting for him for completely different reasons than those of us (like me) who were alive when the original "Rocky" burst onto the scene and became iconic.

I didn't like "Rocky Balboa" as much as I respected it, and was surprised by its impact on younger people. Its message went beyond the typical underdog or one-in-a-million themes of the first "Rocky," and it also went beyond the sloppy sentiment of a lot of father-son stories as well. "You cast a big shadow" is as real and un-syruppy a line as I've heard, and Rocky's "victim" speech to his son is the kind of thing executives and H.R. departments spend big bucks to communicate to a generation that knows more about how to blame than how to work.

For those who enjoy comparisons and contrasts to the prior movies in the series, there's plenty in "Rocky Balboa" for you, too. This "Rocky" manages to blend the depth of the first two with the faster movement of the next three. It doesn't labor along (once it gets going). Pedro Lovell's "Spider Rico" ends up being a born-again Christian, as surprisingly as "Mick" ended up being Jewish, as we found out at his funeral in "Rocky III." Talia Shire is credited as "Adrian" even though she's passed away, which is probably about the only believable way to remember her understated and powerful humanity from "Rocky" and "Rocky II."

Antonio Carver's "Mason Dixon" is reminiscent of Mr. T's "Clubber Lang" from "Rocky III," but only in the ring. He's as socially connected and savvy outside of the ring as Lang was reclusive and withdrawn. And the cameo of Mike Tyson is sort of a real-life version of Rocky's empowering Burt Young's "Paulie" to make a few bucks off of Balboa's success.

In the end, "Rocky Balboa" is much like the great fight of the original: It may not rank as an all-time classic, but it goes the distance and has the crowd--including me--rooting it on.

So I'm adding "Rocky Balboa" to my all-time list of Christmas movies with a message--not the ones that preach but ones that go beyond mere inspiration to potentially have a real impact. I've written in the past about my all-time favorites, which include the obvious ("It's A Wonderful Life," "Miracle on 34th Street") as well as the less-obvious ("Home Alone II," Ron Howard's "The Grinch"), and the stretches ("Die Hard 2," "Fitzwilly), where significant wrongs are righted at Christmastime.

"Rocky Balboa" belongs, and when we gather to watch it next Christmas, it won't be me bringing it up--it'll be my teens, and I'll be glad they're listening to its message.

Like a lot of people, I love lists, and I love the Beliefnet team of gifted bloggers, writers, and editors, but I have to say it's a glaring oversight that "The Nativity Story" doesn't make the list of Top Ten Family Films of 2006, which Sharon Linnea--Beliefnet's Reel Inspirational columnist--compiled.

For years, young people have not had a definitive version of the Christmas story to watch, rent, buy, or give. The closest we've had is the Peanuts special, which at least recites the story. The makers of "The Nativity Story" may not have made an Oscar winner or even an all-time classic, but they made the best we have so far, bringing the drama of the story to life on a screen much bigger and with a sound much broader than the classic Sunday School flannel board lesson. And in our media culture, kids deserve this.

When some people think of classic love stories, they think of Romeo and Juliet, or perhaps something they saw with their first boyfriend. But I think the Christmas story is the greatest love story of all time. Jesus left heaven, became one of us to show us a visible image of an invisible God, lived among us for awhile to know us and to be known, died to make a relationship with God possible and rose from the dead to prove it was all true.

I'd love it if future Christmas seasons brought us sequels that focused on each area of his life, death, and resurrection. Movies have an ability to transcend denominations and sectarian biases and just tell a story, and families are well-served to have something so meaningful to then discuss together.

"The Nativity" may not have some of the accoutrements of the typical feel-good holiday flick, but it's content alone makes it an essential for the spiritual seeker.

'Tis the season of year-end best-of lists, and Beliefnet is no exception. Check out our Top Ten Family Films of 2006 gallery here, compiled by Sharon Linnea, our Reel Inspirational columnist. Sharon's kids also made their own best-movies lists here.

You can join the debate by clicking here to let us know what your favorite movies of 2006 were.

I finally bit the bullet and went to see "Eragon," the first of three films based on the bestselling "Inheritance" trilogy by Christopher Paolini. Paolini is a shockingly young (i.e., born in 1983) author who took the book world by...

Christmas may be behind us, but it's never too late to enjoy Twisted Sister's take on Christmas classics. Here's an animated video of their "Come All Ye Faithful": For more celebrity Christmas carol fun, click here....

Along with many other critics and fans, I winced when I first heard the news that Sylvester Stallone was going to add one more chapter to the "Rocky" franchise. And the cynic in me became even more nervous when I...

"All-Time Worst Christmas Movies" is not just a list, but a debate. Readers of the movie-ga-ga website Pearl and Dean recently voted "Jingle All the Way," a 1996 flick starring the current governor of California, the worst Christmas movie ever,...

Since it's common knowledge that nothing sells a paper like a good scandal, could the same work for pageants?The latest news in the Miss USA underage-drinking/alleged drug use/inappropriate behavior kerfuffle is that Miss Teen USA--whom current Miss USA Tara Conner...

As my fellow Idol Chatterer Paul O'Donnell recently mentioned, there has been a big marketing push by Motive Entertainment to get faith groups out to theaters to see Sylvester Stallone's just-released "Rocky Balboa." As a participant in a recent conference...

Meant to evoke the salaciousness associated with films, TV shows, and books about the desperate lives of housewives, the latest installment of National Geographic Explorer, "Secret Lives of Jesus," doesn't disappoint. This exploration of alternative gospels, those not included in...

In one of the most subtle yet daring movies of the year, director Stephen Frears ("Dangerous Liasons," 'The Grifters") examines the death of Princess Diana with a unique and thoughtful prespective in his drama "The Queen." There's no conspiracy theories...

Last night, the German Opera's production of Mozart's "Idomeneo" went on in Berlin without incident, albeit two months late and with more than 100 green-clad cops on hand. The heavy security was deployed to protect the artistic freedom of the...

The holiday season means it's busy time here at Beliefnet, and there are a couple of new features that we think Idol Chatter readers will love. The first is Caroling with the Stars--music from some of the year's best celebrity...

Dimension Films is doing a little re-gifting this holiday season--and certain religious groups are responding with a loud "return to sender."Dimension, a division of the Weinstein Company, is releasing a remake of the 1974 horror classic "Black Christmas," a tale...

His congregation meets weekly at a bar, he runs operations out of an auto body shop, and holds staff meetings at a local cafe. After some angry teen years and recovery from drug addition, Jay Bakker, son of the infamous,...

What if the "X" in "X-Files" stood for Christ?It wouldn't be a surprise to those who believe that the Bible is full of evidence of extraterrestrial visitations and manipulations. But while it's true that Erich Von Daniken's 1974 book "Chariots...

I not only grew up reading E. B. White's classic "Charlotte's Web" together with my mother, but each year my family gathered to watch the animated movie version of this story about rescue, friendship, and the circle of life (and...

A pig and a spider were no match for the charisma of Will Smith, as his inspirational movie "The Pursuit of Happyness" topped the weekend box office. Based on the life of rags-to-riches stock broker Chris Gardner, the movie is...

In the article "The Grinch Delusion: An Atheist Can Believe in Christmas," New York Times reporter Randy Kennedy looked into what some of our most famous public intellectual-atheists are doing (or not doing) this holiday season. The article explores what...

Yoga and chocolate I totally get. The sensuous feel of that delicious substance melting into your fingertips, that burst of flavor on your tongue, all in a bite-sized portion perfect to put your thoughts into that ideal mindful state. Chocolatier...

Think of video games. If you're of a certain age, it's Pac Man and Donkey Kong. If you're younger, maybe you think of Grand Theft Auto or The Fast and the Furious. Religious Christians who have faith in the Rapture...

So I caved. It's utterly predictable, and I can't stand Cameron Diaz (I mean, really can't stand), not to mention Jack Black, who is about as un-McDreamy as you can get in a guy lead. But due to the slim...

She’s a far cry from Meredith Viera, but she sure makes the show interesting. The addition of comedian-actor Rosie O’Donnell to "The View" was genius in some ways, as it gave life to a show that was heading south when...

I liked "Blood Diamond" for a lot of little reasons and one big one. I liked it because Leonardo DiCaprio seemed more like a man's man--or at least an adult--than he did as Howard Hughes in "The Aviator" or other...

December 25 may be the day that all Christian boys and girls wait all year for, but for Jews, celebrating Christmas often takes a different approach, which often includes some or all of the following elements:1) Stand-up comedy, featuring Jewish...

Only two months after 20th Century Fox announced plans to aggressively target the Christian market with a new FoxFaith label, the Weinstein Company--whose predecessor, Miramax, produced such edgy fare as “Fargo”--has announced that they will also create a faith-based movie...

One man is chosen as a sacrifice to suffer unbelievable torture to save others. That's one way to sum up Mel Gibson's work in "Braveheart," "The Passion," and now Gibson's latest effort, the Mayan action-adventure film "Apocalypto." "Apocalypto"--which follows a...

Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto" is a story about pagan Mayan Indians who offer ghastly human sacrifice to their gods, hunt tapirs to bloody deaths, and fill their leisure hours playing bawdy practical jokes on each other. It is also a deeply...

Full disclosure: I have run to the top of the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, extended my arms, and bounced on my toes while da-da-dah-ing "Gonna Fly Now," the theme to "Rocky." I felt ridiculous and, yes, exhilarated,...

Paris Hilton was plagued last year by the wide-spread internet distribution of a private video, as was Pamela Anderson more than 10 years ago. But while these actors (if you can call them actors) faced humiliation, the loss of privacy,...

A funny (if somewhat low-blow) fake movie trailer from SNL explains what those Mayans are really saying:...

The wonderful payoff of "American Idol"--it's the most successful reality show, with record deals and American Music Awards all tallied--is that the show finds actual talent amid all those "Gong Show" rejects and braying, overtanned blondes tarted up like...

After getting a late start as part of the new TV season, the NBC sitcom "Scrubs" has found its sweet spot. Last night’s episode didn’t look to the caustic Dr. Cox or the goofy antics of the hospital janitor for...

In this post-"Sex and the City" era, people dissect relationships a lot. There's so much to navigate that some daters might wish they had been born in an era when there wasn't so much choice--a time when a man saw...

Looking for a holiday feel-good movie with an inspirational message? A family-friendly tale of father-son devotion that uses the F-word in a heartwarming way? A spiritual flick that embodies some of the highest ideals of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism,...

A few weeks ago, Nicole, my fellow Idol Chatter-er, blogged about the premiere of "The Real World Denver." Specifically, she wrote about the clash between housemates Stephen and Davis, both Christians. Davis announced he was gay and criticized Stephen's anti-homosexuality...

If you are looking for repetition (You are what you think! You are what you think!), unintentional comedy (think Parker Posey's Libby in "Waiting for Guffman"--but real), a reason to roll your eyes a lot, and are hoping to "get...

What happens when you're a time lord--a humanoid race that can, in simplest terms, manipulate time and acts--and you meet another being who claims to have existed before time even began? If you're Doctor Who, the last of the time...

I confess: I used to be a terrible tipper. My father tried to teach me well, explaining that every doorman, porter, cabbie, waitress, and mail carrier deserved a tip for their services and that the bulk of their earnings depended...

Life in elementary school is hard. Even if you've got Lil' Condi Rice to do your homework, Lil' Dickie Cheney to growl at your enemy cafeteria workers who are trying out a multicultural menu, and parents who live in the...

Ever wonder where all those Buddha statues in your favorite Asian-fusian restaurant come from? Chances are, if you live in New York City, Los Angeles, or Las Vegas, a man named Richard Wolf (The Buddha Wrangler) retrieved them from a...

Celebrities may have personal assistants, trainers, make-up artists and stylists, but many of them are just like their average American counterparts--they have a hard time conceiving. In 1995, "Days of Our Lives" star Diedre Hall chronicled her struggle with infertility...

I’m writing this after having just turned off the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) Selection Show, that is airing in prime time on the FOX, even though there's still a half-hour left to go. The show's now on its fourth commercial...

I had high hopes for "The Nativity Story." While there were a few moments worthy of praise, I have to say that this film was disappointing.I won’t waste time quibbling over historical discrepancies in this adaptation. After all, the best...