January 2007 Archives

I hate to say I told you so. But way back when Madonna was embracing Kabbalah and taking my name as her own, I knew instinctively that Britney--who would have been a Wannabe, had she been a teenager in the 80s--would not be far behind her idol. And then suddenly Brit wore red string bracelets and toted copies of the Zohar (the primary Kabbalah text) poolside, and I was right: If Madge tries it, it's good enough for Britney.

But now Britney's gone beyond Madonna in her embrace of faux-alterna-Judaism, by dating Jewish model Isaac Cohen and sporting what tabloids claim is Cohen's Magen David (star of David) necklace. While Jews everywhere are echoing Kapped's prayer ("not a Jew, please"), and speculating that the necklace (and her new hair color) indicates an imminent conversion, pop culture historians should point out that we should probably blame Madonna for this, too: Remember her song from "Confessions on a Dance Floor" that might have been about a storied Kabbalist? It was called "Isaac."

And Britney's attempt to catch up with Madonna--and maybe find her own spirituality, or self, in the process--continues.

Nowhere on television is God's existence more consistently, vigorously, and eloquently debated than on Fox's medical series "House," and in last night's episode the acerbic, cynical doctor's faith--or lack of it--was once again put to the test in almost Shakespearean fashion.

As Gregory House is treating a series of patients with STDs , he encounters Eve, a woman who has been raped but refuses to talk about it. She also refuses to leave the hospital and won't let anyone treat her but House. When House then finds out thar Eve is actually pregnant from the rape, a fiery philosophical debate ensues about abortion, justice, and whether or not the choices in life matter at all.

Eve believes she should have the baby because life is sacred. She argues with House that "eternity is what we live for" and that she has to believe in God because she has to believe there are ultimate consequences for our choices. House counters by telling Eve to have an abortion and that "either God doesn't exist or he is unimaginably cruel" for allowing this to happen to her. She also challenges House's personal motives for always finding an excuse for not feeling comforted by a belief in the possibility of a higher power.

In true "House" fashion, the ending of the story is a little morally cloudy, as Eve does, in fact, choose to abort the baby, but House wonders whether or not he gave her the right counsel, leaving the man who declares he loves questions more than answers with even more questions still.

To those following the coverage of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' recent paparazzi-chronicled nuptials, the attendance of Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony probably wasn't much of a surprise (unlike Brooke Shields and her husband). Lopez has been best friends with "King of Queens" star and Scientologist Leah Remini for years. But Lopez surprised gossip columnists (yes, you Perez Hilton) when she told a local Miami television station that her father has been a Scientologist for 20 years.

When asked by NBC 6 about the Cruise-Holmes wedding and her thoughts on peoples' negative perceptions of Scientology, she replied, "I, myself, am Catholic. But it's just sad that people would look at it (Scientology) in that way."

"My dad has been a Scientologist for 20 years. It's weird people want to paint it in a negative way."

Although speculation has been rife that Cruise has been courting Lopez to join the Church of Scientology, and that she has allegedly turned to the religion to help conceive, her spokesperson Leslie Sloane Zelnick continues to deny that the singer/actor is abandoning her Catholic faith, saying that "the fact that Lopez socializes with friends who happen to be Scientologists doesn't mean anything more or anything less other than she enjoys their company."

So, why is it that she's kept this tidbit about her father on the down low? It's true that her father is not a clebrity and therefore shouldn't be exposed to the harsh light of public scrutiny. And, yes, this would be a non-issue if he had turned out to be, say, a Congregationalist. But for better or worse, the mix of secrecy and celebrity that the Church of Scientology promotes makes this a "bombshell" of a story.

So you think that Muhammad Ali is the most famous convert to Islam? Well the "fastest-growing religion" may be welcoming a new brother to the fold, and brother, this potential convert would be a thriller.

It seems that Jermaine Jackson, who finished as runner-up on the British "Celebrity Big Brother," believes that his ultra-famous little brother, Michael Jackson, has given "serious thought" about converting to Islam. That's right folks. Brother Jermaine, a convert himself, said on Monday that he would like the King of Pop to consider Islam, saying that the religion would be "a great protection for [Michael] from all the things that he's been attacked with, which are false."

In an interview with BBC's Asian Network, Jermaine Jackson said there's strength and protection in Islam, adding that his faith kept him sane during his confinement in the Celebrity Big Brother house: "If I didn't have Allah and my prayer rug, I would not have survived and the reason why is because it kept me focused, it kept me calm."

Brother Michael, who now lives in Bahrain in the Middle East, has thought a lot about Islam during his long stays in the country, Jermaine said. Jermaine, in fact, takes credit for Michael moving to Bahrain, saying he "wanted him to get out of America and just go somewhere it's peaceful and quite and people pray five times a day, which is beautiful."

Having visited Western-loving Middle East countries myself (I spent a lovely vacation in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates a few years back), I can see how this part of the story could be true. Countries like Bahrain and the UAE are the near-perfect union of Western modernity and hipness with Muslim faith and morality.

But I'd be really, really surprised if Michael Jackson did indeed convert to Islam. After all, if some of his bizarre behaviors (not to mention his unfortunate trouble with child molestation accusations--though he was acquitted) don't fly in the U.S., it would be doubly the case in the Muslim world.

But like all major religions, Islam believes in fresh start if a person is really sincere about it. So maybe the King of Pop, if he really wanted it, would have a better life as a Muslim. Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) sure has (in my humble opinion), made a success of it.

The only double award winner for drama at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival was James C. Strouse's powerful debut film, "Grace is Gone." John Cusack gives a remarkably restrained performance as Stanley Philips, a father of two girls, confronted by a shocking reality. Stanley's wife, Grace, dies serving as a soldier in Iraq. How and when should Stanley communicate such horrible and life changing news to his daughters? "Grace is Gone" presents a profound, de-politicized portrait of grief. It is about the human cost of war.

Unable to find words to express his pain, Stanley takes the girls on a road trip. The fun promised by "Enchanted Gardens" gives Stanley a tangible goal during a time of boundless confusion. The oldest daughter, Heidi, has difficulty sleeping, often wandering outside in the middle of the night. As 12-year-old Heidi, actress Shelan O'Keefe displays a wisdom and woundedness far beyond her age. Younger sister, 8-year-old Dawn, brings a bouncy enthusiasm to the family, despite missing her mother. Dawn synchronizes her watch with her mother, promising to think about each other at the same moment, every day. As Dawn, young thespian Gracie Bednarzyk combines humor and longing. Alessandro Nivola plays Stanley's irresponsible brother, a counterpoint to the unquestioning patriotism of Stanley.

The emotional heart of "Grace is Gone" resides in John Cusack's muted portrait of Stanley. Cusack alters his walk, his appearance, his entire persona to inhabit Stanley's decency and despair. The Weinstein Company purchased "Grace is Gone" at Sundance for $4 million and are already slating Cusack's performance to contend for next year's Academy Awards. It is that soul-achingly good.

Why did a star of Cusack's magnitude sign onto a modest, independent film directed by a novice director? During the post screening question and answer session, Cusack praised James C. Strouse's "restrained, economical, powerful piece of writing." "Grace is Gone" builds upon Strouse's laconic screenplay for the Sundance 2005 film, "Lonesome Jim." Strouse graces his Midwestern characters with moments of stillness, reflection, and familial love. From the girls fighting in the car to a father taking his daughters to get their ears pierced, "Grace is Gone" is loaded with precise and touching observations. Strouse quite appropriately won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting award.

Cusack called "Grace is Gone" "a big, small little movie." It is an important piece of work that cuts across our overly politicized era. Cusack noted our sense of helplessness surrounding the war in Iraq. He said, "We can get involved politically, we can pray or we can grieve." "Grace is Gone" is a film about grief. It puts a lump in your throat at the start of the film that never leaves.

"Grace is Gone" also won the Audience Award at Sundance for Best Drama. It is more cathartic than depressing. Audience members around me came prepared to cry, distributing Kleenex all around. I found myself reaching for a tissue, wishing that my tears could somehow bring peace to Iraq and the soldiers' home to their families. Afterwards, Cusack quoted Arthur Miller, suggesting, "An era is over when its illusions have been exhausted." "Grace is Gone" serves as both a wake and a wake up call. In poetically understated fashion, filmmaker James C. Strouse concluded, "I'm just trying to tell an honest story."

-- Posted by Craig Detweiler

Craig Detweiler is a screenwriter and co-author of "A Matrix of Meanings: Finding God in Pop Culture."

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