Film Flash: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

 

15 words or less film review (full review to follow soon)

Like most Christian movies: big on heart, short on good writing.  But still charming,
enjoyable.

New Evangelizers Post: The Truth of Myth

        

I have a new article up at NewEvangelizers.com.  

You will often hear that the Creation stories in the Bible are “myths.”

For some people, this is very challenging to hear. To the modern ear “myth” means “a story that is not true.” You can see this play out in popular shows like Mythbusters, where things that are false are labeled “Myths.” In fact, in a recent edition of the Catholic Study Bible it says: “‘Myth’ is an unsuitable term, for it has several different meanings and connotes untruth in popular English.”

However, I would like to take this time to reclaim the larger understanding of the word “myth.” On this view, the Christian should not feel threatened when hearing of myths in the Bible.

Instead, a myth is a story that conveys deep truths, but it is not necessarily written to convey facts. CS Lewis explains it thus: “In the enjoyment of a great myth we come nearest to experience as a concrete what can otherwise be understood only as an abstraction.” In other words, myths are stories that attempt to convey a deep, sometimes mysterious truth in the concrete method of story.

When I teach this concept of myth to my students, I begin by talking about the “Hero Myth.” The famous author Joseph Campbell wrote The Hero with A Thousand Faces in which he looked at the “Hero Myth” as it exists in all cultures over time. He found that there were common threads that held them together and that these concepts are true about the world.

In class, I have my students begin to list heroes that they know. We get an eclectic list sometimes that often includes:

Superman, Spider-Man, Batman, Iron Man, Daredevil, Harry Potter, Frodo Baggins, Luke Skywalker, Katniss Everdeen, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and so forth.

After they finish their list I ask them what they all have in common. Often my students cannot find a single common thread at first. But then I ask them: “How many of them are orphans?”

It then dawns on them that all of the people on the above list have lost one or more parents. When I ask them why, they struggle to find an answer. I suggest to them: “Don’t we know that it is true that a hero overcomes great obstacles? If your life is easy in every way, then you cannot be a hero. And what is the easiest way for a child to understand someone overcoming great obstacles than for them to deal with the loss of a parent?”

I then point out how they all have mentors who teach them how to be a hero: Jonathan Kent, Uncle Ben, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Dumbledore, Splinter, and so on. But I also point out that they all lose their mentors along the way. That is because heroes have to learn how to be heroic, but then they have to stand on their own. A hero must be the one to fight his or her own battles and not have someone fight them.

And with the above list, I ask them how many makes acts of self sacrifice. And most of them have clear example where they are willing to give up their lives for others.

This is a very oversimplified version of Campbell’s point, but you can see that a hero is someone who overcomes great obstacles, who learns to fight their own battles, and is willing to put others before themselves.

This is not a fable or a just-so story. This is a myth, which means that it is true.

The description of a hero above is a true description of a hero in the real world. When we saw the firefighters running up the steps of the Twin Towers on 9/11, we recognized them as heroes. This is not simply a matter of sentiment or opinion. We know that this is true heroism because he have encountered in our hero myths. Harry Potter, Frodo Baggins, and Luke Skywalker may not be historical people, but their stories open us to the truth about the world.

True myths touch on the deepest truths human life and the human heart.

When people say that the Creation story is a “myth,” I always take that to mean that it is true in the most profound sense.

You can read the whole article here.

Sunday Best: Live-Action Supermen

 With the conclusion of Superman and Lois, I thought it would be a good idea to see where star Tyler Hoechlin ranks in the canon of Live-Action Supermen.

To be fair, I have not seen every live-action portrayal in-depth.  I've only seen snippets of Kirk Alyn or Gerard Christopher, so I w uld not be able to give them a fair shake.  Also Nicholas Cage only had the very brief cameo in The Flash.  So I will stick to the ones that I have at least some familiarity with.

So here are the top Supermen

8.  George Reeves (The Adventures of Superman)

For his day, Reeves was exactly what Superman needed to be: the perfect hero all the time.  But, like the campy Adam West Batman, the flat nature of the character makes him much more a product of his day than something that can be enjoyed in all times.  But for his day, Reeves embodied truth, justice, and the American Way.

7. Brandon Routh (Superman Returns)

I don't fault Routh for being as low on this list.  Superman Returns did not give him a lot to work with.  On top of that, he was forced into a very narrow performance path where he had to do his best to imitate Christopher Reeve.  Given more time and a better script, I think there would be a lot more depth seen to his performance.

6. Dean Cain (Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman)

I like Cain very much.  But one of the things he failed to do with this performance is create a clear differentiation between Clark and Superman.  As a result, he sometimes felt like he was just Clark pretending to be a superhero.  However, he had enough charm to keep us watching.

5.  Tom Welling (Smallville)

He must have done something right to carry the show on his back for a decade.  The thing that he had going for him was that he could pull off the simple dececny of a man born to good parents while at the same time ramping up the teen angst of the man who would be Superman.

4. Brandon Routh (The Flash)

Routh is on here twice because he played two different Supermen.  On The Flash he had a chance to play the Kingdom Come version of the character, one who had been beaten down by tragedy.  While his time on the show was brief, it gave us a glimpse into what a good Superman he could have been if he had been given enough time.  Regardless, it was a joy to see him stick the landing.

3.  Henry Cavill (Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman, Justice League, Black Adam)

I loved Cavill's portrayal of Superman.  He was a man conflicted and forced into making dark choices while trying to find the idealism that would define him.  He made the part his own while taking some of the best character traits from previous performances.  A towering figure, you could believe he could bend steel.  And when he lost his senses, he was absolutely terrifying.  But he showed that all of that power was held in check by a decent soul.

2. Tyler Hoechlin (Superman and Lois, Supergirl)

When he first came on to the scene, I wasn't terribly impressed with him.  But I think that had more to do with the overall production team at Supergirl.  Once he was able to showcase his talents on Superman and Lois, Hoechlin was able to give us a deep, multi-faceted view of the Man of Steel.  He was a man of struggles, who could not cure his sick wife or fix all of his teenage sons problems.  But he was first and foremost a husband and father and those things informed his life as Superman.  As Superman he stood in the place of a father-figure: larger-than-life and ready to protect you with every once of his strength.  He was believably strong and resolute while showing us his complete simple vulnerability.  I was so happy with his performance.

1.  Christopher Reeve (Superman I-IV)

As good a Hoechlin, Cavill, and the others are, they will always be runners-up to the might Christopher Reeve.  As I've written previously on this blog: Many good actors have played the part, but he will always be THE Superman.  His performance is genius.  When he speaks about truth, justice, and the American way, he does so with complete conviction and authority.  He does not come off as naive.  He walks in his outfit not like its a costume but a royal garb.  He exudes confidence in everything but not arrogance.  Once again we see that simple virtue come forth that is so hard for modern people to understand.  The best display of Reeve's genius is when he picks Lois up for their date.  He takes off his glasses for a moment and we see the physical transformation Reeve goes through from Clark to Superman.  By simple facial movements and posture changes, he becomes someone else.  It is amazing.

Thoughts?

Superman and Lois: Finale Review

 

I remember writing about the pilot episode of this show.  I wrote:

When Superman was first introduced in the CW Arrowverse I was not terribly impressed.  No offense to actor Tyler Holchin, but with the iconic nature of the character, I just didn't think that they did the Superman justice.  On Supergirl, it felt like they were terrified that Kal-El would overshadow his cousin in her own show...

The concept for this show is the Lois and Clark are raising two twin teenage sons.  This is a side of Superman we really haven't seen.  His romance with Lois has been the subject of lots of stories.  And the idea of them raising a child has been explored in great detail by writers like Peter J. Tomasi.  But the dynamic of two teen sons is incredibly intriguing.

And now here we are at the end.  The show ran for 4 season and only had 54 episodes in total.

But that finale packed a wallop.

It was one of the best series finales I have ever seen.

This season, we saw storylines familiar to comic fans, particularly we had the classic Doomsday storyline.  Along with this we had Lex Luthor (Michael Cudlitz) placed front and center as the main villain.  And I have to say that Cudlitz knocked it out of the park.  He might very well be the best live-action Luthor I have seen.  When he stands toe-t0-toe with Superman, you can understand why he is terrifying, even without powers.  This season has been a long series of defeat with just enough victory to keep fighting.

I will do my best not to spoil the details of the episode, but the action was some of the best of the series.  Of all of the CW DC shows, Superman and Lois always felt the most cinematic.  While there are severe limitations on a series like this, the film makers do great work with what they have.  There is an amazing shot of Superman standing resolute in the middle of the street, with slow-motion explosions behind him that adds such a powerfully dramatic look to the final confrontation.

The performances are generally excellent.  I already called out Cudlitz.  But Tyler Hoechlin (Clark) and Elizabeth Tulloch (Lois) at their best.  Both of them face impossible odds and we can see the full emotional spectrum play out.  In one of the best moments, Superman is losing the fight.  Lois revives him and he finds out that she sent their sons into the battle.  Superman argues with her about how it is his job to protect them, but she argues that he needs their help and that they have to become men now.  My summary does not do justice to all the conflicting emotions of fear, pride, love, and resolve that are all at play in that scene.

And scenes like this highlight the wonderful thematic elements of the show.  The main conceit ("Superman and Lois Lane Raise Teenagers") was always grounded in primal truths about parenthood.  The show asks the question: how do you raise teens to become good people in a fallen world?  By placing it in the context of a comic book story, it elevates the question rather than denigrating it.  It shows that passing on virtue to your children is the most heroic thing imaginable.

This is true, even when the odds seem impossible.  To the show's great credit, Clark and Lois are not perfect Mary Sues who always get it right.  They are flawed, but their flaws are always grounded in one of their good qualities.  In the above example, Clark desperately wants to be a good father.  Men know in their bones that a good father will do everything he can to protect his family, even if it means he has to die.  But because of this, he is sometimes blind to the fact that he is not as strong as he used to be and that he has to accept help from his children.  How often do we see this this struggle play out in our own family dynamics as the years go by?

All of the stories with their plot-threads and themes find a good resolution in this finale.  But it is the 10-minute epilogue at the end that casts this finale into the stratosphere.

The pilot episode began with a prologue, narrated by Clark.  The finale ends with an epilogue narrated by him as well.  The symmetry of it is quite beautiful.  And here is also where the finale sets itself apart.  Most finales end with an ellipses, where you leave the story open to imagined further adventures.  

This finale ends on an exclamation point.  This is the definitive end to the story.

But even more than that, the show brings the focus back to what is at the heart of the story.  The big superhero flights of fancy are only there to protect the core.  CS Lewis wrote about the state and he said this:

“The State exists simply to promote and to protect the ordinary happiness of human beings in this life. A husband and wife chatting over a fire, a couple of friends having a game of darts in a pub, a man reading a book in his own room or digging his own garden--that is what the State is there for. And unless they are helping to increase and prolong and protect such moments, all the laws, parliaments, armies, courts, police, economics, etc., are simply a waste of time.”

The point Lewis is making is that all of the extraordinary powers should be at the service at ordinary life.  Superman and Lois uses all of its spectacular super powered adventures to remind us that the true meaning of life can be found.  And above all there is a focus on love.

I remember a story about St. John the Apostle.  Whenever he would give a homily, he would always preach about love.  When someone confronted him about why he was always preaching about love and John replied, "Because that's all there is!"

Superman and Lois reminds us about this truth.  There is something deeply profound about how the show sums up everything here.

And so we will end with the final words of the show:

And suddenly it came to me, what life is all about. Joy, hope, forgiveness, wonder, friendship, family, love... it was all because of love. It’s the thing that makes love worth living. Do everything you can to find love, to give it, to hold onto it, because life, it goes by so fast.”

New Evangelizers Post: Advent and the Apocalypse

       

I have a new article up at NewEvangelizers.com.  

Happy Advent!

We are now in that blessed season where we prepare for Christmas. Some you have already trimmed the tree and started your Christmas shopping. Everywhere you go, you are bombarded by the constant sound of Christmas music (probably sung by Mariah Carey). And Christmas decorations have been up in every store since after Halloween.

But with all of the festive ambiance, why did Sunday’s Gospel seem so dour?

From Luke’s Gospel it says:

“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”

Jesus is speaking here about the end of the world. Why would the Church choose such a reading in preparing for Christmas?

Because Advent points us to the end of the world.

Growing up, the end of the world was always something that freaked me out. I tried reading the Book of Revelation when I was very young and I don’t think I was prepared for the imagery. On top of that, stories about catastrophic extinction events would put a pit in my stomach.

It was only after a great deal of study of the Revelation that I understood what John was trying to say. I don’t mean to say that I have this entire mysterious book figured out. But I can now see some things that were opaque to me before.

All of the dismay in the Book of Revelation seems similar to our Lord’s words from Sunday’s Gospel. There will be great cataclysms before the end. This used to frighten me until something was point out to me in my study:

The cataclysms are happening now!

When John wrote Revelation, it was in the midst of a horrible persecution of Christians. Throughout the years we have seen other terrible scourges on the world. In the last four years alone we have seen a global pandemic, wars in Europe and the Middle East, terrible natural disasters, and political unrest of every kind. Perhaps in the relative peace and prosperity of our country, we do not feel these crises as keenly as the poorest in our world. Nevertheless we are constantly surrounded by times of trial.

Revelation tells us that we are to have hope in the midst of all of this: in the end Christ will come and give us victory!

And that is the message of Advent.

During Advent, we anticipate the coming of Christ into our world. He did so the first time through the humility of the manger. As we remember that great first coming, we are actually anticipating His glorious second coming. When He returns, it will be a day better than Christmas.

We prepare for Christmas by getting each other gifts. This is partly as a way to express to the people in our lives how we understand them and love them. This is also in emulation of the Magi giving gifts to our Lord. And it is also a reminder of how God gifted us with His only Son.

But on top of that, in a primal way, we experience a special joy at receiving a gift. I used to run a program at my school where we would bring underprivileged children from the community and they would spend the day with us having breakfast, playing games, making cookies, and getting a gift from Santa. Watching the children light up as they received their gifts made my heart swell. And it wasn’t about the material price of each gift. Each child felt special and loved because someone cared enough about them to do something that gave them joy.

When Jesus comes back, that joy will become permanent.

You can read the whole article here.

Sunday Best: Christmas Movie Watchlist 2024

    Most of the below article is from 2017, but for the most part, with some new editions.

This either speaks to the fact that these movies are so good that they still endure as the years go on or the fact that nothing in the last few years has been able to match them.  Or it could be both.

Anyway, enjoy the read and share your thoughts in the comments section.

And no, I don't talk about the Star Wars Holiday Special. 

No one should talk about the Star Wars Holiday Special.

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There are some movies that I only watching during the 25 days leading up to Christmas.  So at least once a year these movies will be played at the Catholic Skywalker house, especially during Christmas activities like putting up the Christmas tree and present wrapping.

(not surprisingly, a good portion of the choices below are from my previous Sunday Best list of best Christmas movies of all time).

Spirited

Since seeing this movie in the theater a few weeks ago, I have watched it a few more times and it has grown on me even more.  The music has woven its way into my consciousness and I find myself revisiting the musical numbers out of sheer delight.  There are parts I skip over, especially in the first half (not a fan of the Ghost of Christmas Past in this movie) and it is just a bit too vulgar for a holiday film.  But it is overall a heart-warming, feel-good Christmas tale.

8-Bit Christmas

Now, this could be simply because I am a Gen-X '80's child who grew up on 8-bit video games.  There was an authenticity to the world they created in its over-the-top strangeness.  But there is a reason why this movie is on here and not A Christmas Story

 As I will write in my upcoming review, A Christmas Story works because of how it never strays from its tone of utter irony and cynicism while cloaked in 1950's nostalgia.  It is utterly bold to never have Ralphie learn the lesson that material things are not the true meaning of Christmas.  For that reason, A Christmas Story tends to stand out.

8-Bit Christmas is almost the exact same movie, only set 30 years forward.  The movie is in many ways the opposite of A Christmas Story.  While A Christmas Story has the outward appearance of wholesomeness while inside is hollow cynicism, 8-Bit Christmas is packaged as a disposable, cynical Nintendo commercial, but I was literally shocked at the beating heart that was underneath.  The movie is not earth-shattering, but was surprisingly touching.

The movie is still fresh, so I will see if it lingers long enough in my memory to be back on this list next year.



Emmet Otter' Jugband Christmas

I remember seeing this back in grade school and it was unlike any other Muppet production I had seen. It was so… sad.  There was a melancholy to this movie that I had never really encountered in a puppet based film, let alone a Christmas movie.  But that is part of its amazing charm.  Nothing in the world of Emmet Otter is easy, but the smallest things are so heavily valued.

And I can't help but love the music.  It has a diverse range of emotions, from sentimental, to silly, to heartbreaking.  One of the things I love about it the most is that it reminds us that life is unfair, but often things work out for the best.  I remember as a kid hating the Riverbottom Nightmare Band and thinking about how they stole the prize from Emmet and his mother.  But the Nightmare didn't do anything wrong.  They simply won.

And Emmet and his mom got something better than a temporary prize.  They found something that could sustain them for life.  I think that is a beautiful reflection for Christmas: how it isn't just a single day of gifts, but a place to begin making life better.

White Christmas

What a great song and dance team Crosby and Kaye make.  This movie is just pure fun and heart.  And it has one of my favorite movie dance numbers of all time.  Danny Kaye is one of the true greats and I love him in almost anything he does.

 Love Actually.

This movie expertly interweaves seemingly disparate stories and reminds us that Christmas is about love.  Christmas is a time when love, any kind of love, should be made more manifest.

Men discover that they truly love their friends.  Lovers pour out their hearts to each other.  Parents and children dare to dream for each other.

There are issues with the film, though I will not try to argue against them here.  I could definitely do without the gratuitous nudity and vulgarity.

It also has one of my favorite comedic bits with Rowan Atkinson.  I always claimed that he played an angel in the movie and I think my theory has borne out to be true.


Expertly directed, sharply written, and splendidly acted.

Elf

What this movie gets right is that it captures the fun and heart of the old TV Christmas specials like Rudolph and Frosty, all the while setting it in our modern, cynical world.  But more than that, we would rather be Buddy in his boundless enthusiasm and love.

The laughs are big and it will leave you with a desire to spread Christmas cheer by singing loud for all to hear!

 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

This is, hands down, the best portrayal of Santa Claus I have ever seen.  He was big and beefy, with grey hair, but he was not slothful and slow.  He was a Santa Claus who was up to doing his yearly heroic mission. The gifts Santa Claus brings serve as a clarion call to fight on the side of the King of Christmas.

The Nativity Story

This is probably the best movie I have seen that is centered around the birth of Christ.   It is filmed beautifully by Catherine Hardwicke.  The landscapes, the homes, the costumes all feel so genuine.  And I love Oscar Isaacs' Joseph.  I love that he is portrayed as a young man who is still trying to find his place in this world.  He is a simple carpenter who just wants a simple life, but God has other plans.  I love how Isaacs performance of this man so overwhelmed that he almost buckles.  But he mans up and trusts in God and Mary.  For me, he is the real lynchpin of the movie.


I watch this movie every Christmas Eve to remind me of the heavenly peace of the Nativity.

The Muppets Christmas Carol

This is, hands down, the best screen adaptation of Ebenezer Scrooge's story.  It is also the move that the Muppets have made.

Michael Caine is perfect.  The music is fantastic.  And how can anyone not love the Ghost of Christmas Present?

 The Muppets make an excellent fit to the magical world depicted.  I also love that they did not eschew the explicitly religious elements, but brings out how essential Christ is in Christmas.

 Scrooged.

One of the reasons Scrooged works so well is that it is hysterical.  Bill Murray milks every ounce of humor from every quip and every glance.  To this day, I can't help but smile as the elves go for their automatic machine guns.

But what puts this movie over the top is the closing monologue.  The last 10 minutes of the movie are Murray preaching to the audience the meaning of Christmas.  It is one of the best performances of his life, if not the best.  It is almost exhausting to watch how he pours everything he has emotionally into that performance.

And it is a special movie that can get an entire movie theater of strangers singing at the end.

 It's A Wonderful Life

As a Catholic, I love that it starts with the collected prayers of the people of Bedford Falls.  This is ultimately, the story of a man whose prayers have been answered.  And I love the fact that God answers his prayers in a way that he doesn't expect.  God has a knack for doing the unexpected and better thing.

If God had simply given George the $8,000, then he never would have realized what a wonderful life he was living.  The point of the story is not the ending where the people give him the money (as the mighty John Nolte has pointed out).  When he returns from seeing the alternate reality, all of George's problems remain: he's deaf in one ear, bleeding from a punch, and he's going to lose his business and his freedom.  But even with all that, George is deliriously happy because he realizes that even with all of those problems, he still has a wonderful life: he has friends, he has a loving wife, and a treasure in his children.

The older I get, the more the worries and problems of the world begin to weigh on me.  But this movie is a reminder that our lives are not defined simply by the problems we face.  It is defined by the friends and family in our lives.  That is the real treasure of life and how sad it is for those who cannot see it.


In the movie, George has a plaque underneath the picture of his father that says: "The only thing you can take with you is that which you give away."  It's A Wonderful Life makes me want to be a better person.

I can't think of a better compliment to give a movie, especially the best Christmas movie of all time.

(ADDENDUM)



I also have to watch the claymation Christmas episode of Community

And maybe also the BBC Office Christmas Special.

And the Linus monologue from A Charlie Brown Christmas