Donna Freitas: December 2006 Archives

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 storm as a teenager with the release of "Eragon," a novel he began writing at age 16. He quickly followed up that much-heralded debuted with "Eldest," Book Two of the trilogy. (Book Three is yet to come.) I haven't read the novel--unusual for me, given that I am an utter fantasy geek, but only because I've heard from too many trusted writer-reader friends that "Eragon" is an impressive piece of work, for a teenager. In other words, not the best read for an adult.

But I figured it was worth my money at the box office, at least.

"Eragon" the film has all the trimmings of a true fantasy epic: a young, handsome farm boy who has a great destiny before him and must rise to the occasion; a mentor who will help him get there; arduous journeys; the triumph of evil over good--for now (we know that all that will change, of course); a one-dimensional villain-king; an evil sorcerer; magical creatures; and, last but not least, a beautiful warrior-princess, whom we all know is destined for our hero.

So, in many ways it was fun as a film, but I couldn't help myself from checking off, one-by-one, the formulaic ingredients that Paolini made sure to include in his plot, making it clearly a member of the "classic" fantasy genre. At moments, I secretly delighted in thinking: A-ha! This is the "Harry Potter" bit here (a scar that marks our hero's destiny and one that burns when danger is near). And a-ha! This is the "Lord of the Rings" bit now (well, basically the whole movie takes after Tolkien, complete with a Saruman-type bad wizard, his own dark stronghold with an army of weapon-building grotesque orc-like creatures, and lots of journeying across hills, etc. on horseback). And, no way! There's even some "Star Wars" moments thrown in for good measure (think: oh no! Not my uncle!).

But when you think this was all imagined by a teenager, you have to admit: impressive indeed. He included all the proper fantasy ingredients, with even a little imagination of his own thrown in. So the movie is a nice afternoon activity. But the book, weighing in at a hefty 538 pages--I'm not sure I am geeky enough to give it a go.

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, pioneering televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye, is now following in his father's footsteps--sort of. He's started a church of his own--the Revolution Church--and is the star of the Sundance Channel's new six-part series, "One Punk Under God: The Prodigal Son of Jim and Tammy Faye," a docu-reality show that chronicles Jay's efforts to get disaffected youth to follow Jesus in some seriously nontraditional ways.

In Episode 1, which aired last week, viewers Jay and his wife of seven years, Amanda (a striking woman covered in tattoos, with bright, dyed-red hair), hang out at home, lovingly deal with his mother's struggle with fourth-stage cancer, and make a pilgrimage to Heritage Christian Resort--the Christian "Disneyland" that his father founded, and which thrived as the largest Christian theme park in its day (and has yet to be duplicated in size and style). Jay is refreshingly honest about his own personal struggles with growing and running his ministry--a ministry that truly opens its arms to those people society tends to reject (Goth-like youth with multiple piercings seem to populate Revolution's services).

But most fascinating is Jay's openness as he reflects about life in the wake of his parents' shockingly public scandals--and the obvious affection and tenderness he holds for both Mom and Dad despite it all. The Christian ethic of forgiveness is clearly alive in this articulate, driven young pastor.

Five more episodes remain in this engaging series--which airs Wednesday nights--about Jay, Amanda, and their fellow Revolution staffers (including Stu, an older, perhaps alternative father figure for Jay, who now keeps the Atlanta branch of Revolution going). For those curious to attend Revolution, the church is now based out of Brooklyn, N.Y., but maintains outposts in Atlanta and Charlotte.

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 death) whenever it aired. Like many other children of my generation, I loved Charlotte and Wilbur. For at least a while after each exposure, I also refused to eat anything pork related (who could even think of eating Wilbur?), and rather than squash the occasional spider that hung from the ceiling in my room, I thought of Charlotte and let it live.

So, like many devotees of this beloved children's story, I was rather upset to learn that a new movie was being made. Now that I am older, films of favorite books tend to make me wince with dismay. ("Tuck Everlasting" the movie definitely didn't get it right compared to Natalie Babbitt's novel, and I shudder in fear about what they will do with Katherine Patterson's "Bridge to Terabithia," for which I saw the trailer before "Charlotte's Web" began.)

But fans of Fern, Charlotte, and Wilbur, that terrific, radiant, humble pig: Fear not. This version of Charlotte's Web keeps it simple, allowing its timeless themes to shine through--that life is for everyone, even the small (or of course, you could interpret this as "salvation" for everyone); that friends are loyal until the very end; and most importantly, that miracles not only still happen, but they come about in some of the unlikeliest of places and on behalf of the last creature you would imagine (i.e., a pig).

It's Julia Roberts's Charlotte who steals the show. Granted, child-actress prodigy Dakota Fanning plays Fern, but Fern's character--aside from her initial determination to save the runt piglet of the litter--takes a back seat to what happens at night between Charlotte, Wilbur, Templeton (the ultimately lovable rat), and their fellow animals. That voice! Roberts has the perfect maternal, loving, patient tone required of this gracious, intellectual, determined spider. Her Charlotte makes this film celebratory when she spins her first "miracle" to save Wilbur at Zuckerman's farm and people from miles around come to see her web, and she gives the story a beautiful complexity as she tells Wilbur of her "magnum opus" that will ultimately bring her through the full circle of life.

Christian feminist theology has long privileged the woman's voice, especially the written word, as precious and sacred--all the more so because of the many centuries of men who failed to listen, preserve, or even care to allow women something to say. Charlotte is not only a woman with a strong voice, but she is a writer who, through her words, saves a life and sacrifices her own. She speaks and speaks and speaks, until she is heard and Wilbur sees his first winter. I'd say she is quite the model feminist.

Feminism aside, bring a large box of tissues to the film because you will need it. Julia Roberts's Charlotte will surely have you sobbing, as will the animals' care of her "magnum opus" once she is gone.

(And before you go, click here to explore Beliefnet's full line-up of Charlotte's Web features, including a quiz that'll tell you which character you're most like, and a slide-show of other inspirational animals.)

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 both Sam Harris ("The End of Faith"; "Letter to a Christian Nation") and Richard Dawkins ("The God Delusion") have to say about question of how atheists celebrate this holiday--and both thinkers were rather funny (and celebratory) on the matter.

The skinny on Sam Harris:

The self-described "full-time infidel" (as he claimed with humor) does have a fully decorated Christmas tree in his living room--though not without some good atheistic resistance. Kennedy reports that it was really not his idea but a result “of a lost tug of war with [his] wife,” who likes Christmas trappings and insisted on buying it. But Harris said that his reluctance “was good-natured all the while.” Harris also added, “It seems to to be obvious that everything we value in Christmas--giving gifts, celebrating the holiday with our families, enjoying all of the kitsch that comes along with it--all of that has been entirely appropriated by the secular world.... in the same way that Thanksgiving and Halloween have been.”

As for Richard Dawkins:

Dawkins had similar feelings as Harris about the separation of Church and Christmas: “So divorced has Christmas become from religion that I find no necessity to bother with euphemisms such as happy holiday season. In the same way as many of my friends call themselves Jewish atheists, I acknowledge that I come from Christian cultural roots. I am a post-Christian atheist. So, understanding full well that the phrase retains zero religious significance, I unhesitatingly wish everyone a Merry Christmas.” (Insert deadpan tone here.)

All around, everyone seems to like going to all the parties, according to Kennedy. A humbug would simply miss out. Whether or not Dawkins also has a tree is left unmentioned in the article. But the article does have this to say about Harris' tree: "He wanted to assure his nonbelieving friends that it was a miniature: 'This is a tree that even an atheist would be comfortable with.'"

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 Katrina Markoff of Vosges Haut-Chocolat certainly convinced me that chocolate and yoga make a perfect pair when I interviewed her for Beliefnet a while back about reconciling these two spiritual practices (yoga and chocolate eating, that is).

But yoga and wine?

Yes, it's true. For those who'd like to be a little tipsy while attempting to hold the Crane Pose (careful, don't fall on your head), look no further: On your next trip to Sonoma, Calif., you can take wine-tasting to a whole new level.

In "The Days of Wine and Yoga," Cindy Price of the New York Times reports that yoga instructor Angela Gargano believes the next big yoga thing happens to be pairing it with wine:

Ms. Gargano, who owns Bliss Flow Yoga in Madison, teamed up with David Romanelli, Yahoo’s Mind/Body columnist, last August to stage a weekend-long yoga-and-wine retreat at the Fairmont Mission Inn and Spa in Sonoma, Calif., [which] was successful enough for Mr. Romanelli to schedule a lineup of seminars across the country for 2007. Tomorrow, Ms. Gargano will take the idea international with a retreat in Barcelona. And next year DeLoach Vineyards, in Sonoma County, will hold its own series of yoga-and-wine retreats.

Though Gargano may have gotten some interest, not every yoga practitioner is convinced this is a good idea.

Nancy Elkes, a New York-based yoga trainer and instructor who doesn’t necessarily condemn drinking--she just isn’t so sure it goes with yoga.... That sentiment is shared by the popular Web site Holistic Online, which states in no uncertain terms: “Yogis do not touch alcohol, since they consider it to lower the vibrations of their subtle body (astral body). This defeats the purpose of yoga, which is to increase the vibrational level so they can gradually unfold their Higher Self.”

For yogaficionado readers who have already perked up at the idea, apparently the key will be to drink in moderation. "For her part, Rosemary Garrison, the San Francisco-based instructor who will lead the DeLoach retreats, thinks moderation is the key.... The retreats will feature vegetarian meals from the 18,000-square-foot organic garden, cooking classes and twice-daily yoga sessions. The wine poured for dinner will come from DeLoach’s own vineyard, in the Russian River Valley."

No downing the entire bottle in other words--at least not by yourself. Click here for more information. Cheers!

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