The Cathoholic

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

The third in the new series of Narnia films, The Voyage of the Dawn Treaderd is decent family fare but offers a slightly different spin from the book's author, C.S. Lewis. -- at least that's my argument here, in my column for Headline Bistro. Below is the thrust of my critique:

    "You and I have need of the strongest spell that can be found to wake us from the evil enchantment of     worldliness," C.S.  Lewis, the bestselling Christian apologist, author and academic, once observed.     And in his series of fantasy novels for children, The Chronicles of Narnia, this bestselling author of     adult spiritual classics helped generations of young readers to awake from “the evil enchantment”     before they were mired in its thrall.

    A spellbinding Christian allegory disguised as a series of adventure stories, The Chronicles of Narnia     are embedded with deep spiritual and moral insights that fly below the radar of the reader’s     skeptical, self-protective reflexes. For some fans, the seven-book series constitute the author’s     greatest legacy. Could we offer similar praise for the film versions of these beloved books, with the     most recent – “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” – released in movie theaters last week? The short     answer is: not likely.

    Setting aside the second Narnia film -- the ghastly “Prince Caspian” – both the first adaptation,     “Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe,” and the new “Dawn Treader,” offer acceptable family     fare. But these cinematic makeovers aren’t ambitious enough to stand up to “evil enchantment.” If     spiritual warfare is required, then these limited productions provide insufficient firepower.

Waiting for Superman

Waiting for Superman will transform your understanding of the problems that besest our broken public school system. In my two commentaries for Headline Bistro, I begin with the fight over the soul of public education led by Michelle Rhee and end with a look at the Catholic Church's own "superman" moment, as large nubmers of Catholic schools continue to close every year, a trend hitting inner-city students the hardest. After I posted my comments, I found tht Archbishop Dolan of New York had already made another connection with the documentry film: he suggested that Catholic schools provided an answer to the problems of inner-city schools.

Wall Street: The Money Never Sleeps

The new Wall Street: The Money Never Sleeps with Michael Douglas has some great moments, but mostly grabs our attention because we're in the midst of an economic crisis beyond the comprehension of ordinary mortals. When I saw the sequel to Wall Street, I was struck by the return to the theme of fatherless young men on the move, looking for an icon to imulate. I wrote about the film for Headline Bistro, noting that director Oliver Stone initially had been surprised to learn that his first film about Wall Street -- a movie he made to repudiate filthy rich investment bankers -- actually served as a recruiting vehicle for these same banks. Young men wanted to work at these banks, and the "greed is good" argument of the film's character didn't put them off. But there's something more that Stone has missed with these movies. The films are supposed to serve as an argument for tightened regulation of a greedy financial industry, but even if additional regulations are imposed on Wall Street, they can't save the industry from the problem of human freedom and sin. Stone has one solution for greed, but it's not the only one.

Never Let Me Go

When Kazuo Ishiguro's novel, Never Let Me Go, was published in 2005, i consumed it in one sitting. The story about a seemingly idyllic British boarding school, charged with the education of human clones, was absolutely enthralling. Like Ishiguro's novel, The Remains of the Day, Never Let Me Go is also sturctured to slowly reveal an evil reality cloaked in what appears to be humdrum daily rituals. Now the film version of Never Let Me Go is in U.S. theaters for a limited engagement and should not be missed. My commentary addressing some of the moral and cultural issues raised by Ishiguro appeared today on Headline Bistro. I applauded Carrie Mulligan's performance as "Kathy H.", the narrator and a central character. As usual, Mulligan is suburb.I note in my commentary:

For some of us, Kathy’s struggle exposes the moral contradictions inherent in our present use of contemporary reproductive technologies: methods of assisting fertility or curing diseases that are predicated on the destruction of human life. Kathy’s plight reveals the tragic limits of good intentions and the seductive power of scientific breakthroughs that give us power over life and death. Reflecting on Hailsham’s failed mission, we may find ourselves re-examining the culture’s incremental tolerance of attacks against nascent human life, from legal abortion to the laboratory creation of embryos destroyed during research.  Once moral absolutes are discarded, utilitarian equations, which employ a cost-benefit analysis to establish the value of individual lives, seem too fragile, or adaptable, to prevent future abuses of reproductive technologies.

Ishiguro acknowledges this grim truth, though he doesn’t belabor it. Indeed, some will reach very different conclusions about the moral dynamics at play here. After all, many desperate patients and their families have already accepted the necessity of employing embryo-destructive research to advance future cures. But Kathy’s story will move some complacent bystanders to grapple directly with the first of many difficult questions: Now that human cloning is achievable will it inevitably become desirable?

Go see the movie, and after you do, get the book. Kathy H. will haunt you.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Just reporting the facts, or exploiting women?

I recently finished reading the bestselling thriller, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It was a fast read. But lot's of graphic depictions of sexual assaults against women and ritualized sadism left me disturbed and rather regretful that I had subjected myself to the grisly activities of a serial killer. Friends of mine have expressed the same misgivings, and some have been surprised and even angry that those who recommended the book didn't bother to mention the searing descriptions of violence directed against women. Here's my take on the book in Headline Bistro. I've seen the film, too, and reached a similar conclusion regarding its mix of fast-paced narrative and scences of sadistic violence.

Winter's Bone

Winter's Bone, an indie film that takes place in southwestern Missouri, is now in theaters and well worth watching. Here's my commentary on the film in National Review Online. The story unfolds in a poor rural area decimated by the crystal meth plague. But the movie is also  a meditation on human endurance and it has special relevance for anyone living with problems that have no immediate resolution.

The Street Stops Here (documentary)

On March 31st, PBS will be airing a  documentary, "The Street Stops Here," about St.Anthony, a Catholic high school in Jersey City that educates inner-city teenagers, some of whom become top basketball players. Their strong work ethic and team spirit come together through the  dynamic influence of their coach, Bob Hurley, Sr.. I heard about the film today and plan to take a look at it soon.The Street Stops Here is based on Hurley, the central figure in the book,  “The Miracle of St. Anthony.” (Update: The film is not based on the book, but takes a fresh look at Coach Bob Hurley, Sr, a new team, and a new season).

It's a slightly strange coincidence, but today the New York Times published a story about a nun at Xavier University who helps to keep their basketball team focused on academics, and obtaining their diploma

The Times front page story begins:
"

( page of 4 )

By some measures, the success of the Xavier men's basketball team rests not with a sharpshooting guard or a ball-hawking forward. Rather, it rests largely with a 5-foot-4, white-haired 77-year-old nun not afraid to rap on dormitory doors or to call players before dawn to ask about missed classes or late assignments.

Xavier, a Jesuit university in Cincinnati, is entering the NCAA tournament seeded sixth in the West Region with a 24-8 record. But Sister Rose Ann Fleming is a perfect 77-0. Since she became the academic adviser for Xavier athletics in 1985, every men's basketball player who has played as a senior has left with a diploma."

UPDATE: Here's my review in the National Catholic Register of The  Street Stops Here. It airs tomorrow, March 31st. check local listings.

The Road and The Book of Eli

I don't know whether I would have enjoyed the film adaptation of The Road, had I not read the book first. Cormac McCarthy's deeply stirring prose stays with you, and when you see the film, it's easy to replay the language of the book in your head. In any case, I'd strongly recommend the book--though it's not for the faint-hearted), and encourage friends to see the film with some qualifications. More recently, The Book of Eli was released, and it also sought to present a post-apocalyptic world, in part, through the eyes of faith. Unfortunately, The Book of Eli didn't have a great book propping up the audience's expectation. Here's my commentary in the National Catholic Register that looks at the very similar themes addressed in both films.

The Oscars Celebrate Marriage

This past year, I've been struck by the number of movies that celebrate traditional marriage, rather than attack it. With the Oscars coming up, it's surprising to see how many nominated films and acting performances embrace married love: Up, Julie and Julia, and The Blind Side all celebrate married love. Other films inject a note of caution regarding modern values and practices that shifted away from tradition, like the excellent, An Education, another Oscar contender.  Here's my commentary on the subject for the National Catholic Register. Now let's sort out our Oscar predictions!

UPDATE: Speaking of marriage and that "note of caution" that leads many individuals to refuse the ultimate leap of faith, here's an article I wrote for Touchstone that looks a trend among baby boomer parents. Many discourage their twentysomething kids from diving into marriage. Why? Read the story!

Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"

Here's my post from The Catholic Thing on Cormac McCarthy's The Road. My advice: don't watch the movie until you read the book.