Kris Rasmussen: November 2007 Archives

There has been speculation in the last year or two that Will Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, have become involved with Scientology via his friendship with Tom Cruise. Smith denied those rumors last year, saying that his deceased grandmother, a devout Baptist, would "get up out of her casket" if he became a Scientologist. But now those questions have resurfaced with Smith’s latest interview with Men’s Vogue . In the interview, Smith claims that he sees little difference between the Bible and Scientology, or in fact, little difference between Scientology and any other religion.

With “The Nativity Story” not exactly turning into a box office bonanza and the adaptation of Anne Rice’s novel about the early years of Jesus hitting some problems in production, you might think Hollywood would take a break from movies about the life of Christ. But Hollywood in all of its wisdom seems to think the way to tap into the Christian market is to green light projects that will put a revisionist spin on the life of Christ.

Variety reports that the director of the hugely successful self-help DVD “The Secret” will be the wunderkind who will direct “The Aquarian Gospel,” a movie that fills in the “missing years” of Jesus by having Jesus wander through India, live with Buddhist monks and Hindu mystics.The producer, William Keenan, has been quoted as saying that “Indian religions and Buddism…played a big part in Christ’s thinking.” Better yet, the movie will also feature a princess who may or may not be a love interest for Jesus.

It was my favorite movie of the summer, it will probably make my top ten list of movie favorites for the entire year, and now it is the perfect choice for a feel-good movie to rent this Thanksgiving week. Yes, movies about Big Important Issues are needed, and so are movies that Make Us Think, but sometime we need a break from cynicism, doomsday prophecies and pseudo- important social and ethical controversies. That’s why “Hairspray” stands out as a joyous, hopeful celebration of life that shouldn't be missed.

And best of all, if you rent the two-disc deluxe "shake and shimmy" version, you can work off your turkey day dinner learning those really keen "Hairspray" dances.

Whet your appetite with this clip, the opening song in the movie, "Good Morning, Baltimore."

One of the reasons I am proud to be associated with Beliefnet and this blog is that the Beliefnet community recognizes and discusses issues like the ongoing Writers Strike in the context of social justice as well as spirituality. I started the discussion on November 1st when the strike was looming, and editor Michael Kress has done a fabulous job in providing additional thoughts on the real-life implications of the labor dispute on the striking writers. But now, I want to take time to challenge you to become involved in expressing your support for the writers.

If you have ever been inspired by a single moment on the small or big screen in any way this year, perhaps you could take a moment to give thanks this week by going to the United Hollywood blog and joining their clever Pencil2MediaMoguls campaign to let producers and executives know you support the writers.

Yes, my DVD choices this week reveal the variety in my movie tastes as well as perhaps the scattered, unstable nature of my brain. While I laughed myself silly watching “Chalk”, I was deeply, emotionally disturbed as I watched “Pierrepoint”, a gripping drama about capital punishment. Stylish yet gruesome, “Pierrepoint” examines the life of England’s last official hangman, Albert Pierrepoint, as he tries to separate his life from his work, with his soul ultimately paying the price. “Pierrepoint” is not for the faint of heart, but it is my other DVD pick for this week.

If you love “The Office”, hate preachy teacher movies like “Dangerous Minds”, or you just need a holiday gift suggestion for your kid’s teacher this year, I have the perfect DVD for you. “Chalk’ ( I am guessing the title...

As her life has unraveled before our eyes, much has been made of the mother-daughter rift between Britney Spears and her mother, Lynne. One possible reason for the rift might be found in the recent news that Lynn Spears has...

Russell Crowe--who has long played heroic figures on the big screen while being portrayed off screen as nothing more than an angry brute--has told Men’s Journal magazine that he hopes to be baptized in the near future. The actor, who...

Just as I reluctantly entered the fray over "The Da Vinci Code" movie debate, I am not interested in giving more free ink to the film adaptation of Philip Pullman’s "The Golden Compass." I am not going to call for...

Modern documentaries usually rely on politics or social issues for cinematic inspiration, which is why “Into Great Silence” is such a surprising accomplishment. The movie has little dialogue and no significant action – unless you consider singing Gregorian chants significant...

Have you, like fellow blogger Donna, fallen in love with "Pushing Daisies"? Or are you like me, and you become a little anxious whenever "House" goes on hiatus? Or maybe you can't go to bed without your nightly dose of...