Thursday May 15, 2008

Category: Beliefnet Movie Highlights

Life-saving Movies (Flower Mandelas blog)

David J. Bookbinder of the Flower Mandelas blog has a post titled "How Movies Saved My Life."

"Star Trek" and "Twilight Zone" opened my eyes to fundamental truths of human behavior and the workings of the human heart, filtered through aliens and time travel so they could get past the censors. "Ground Hog Day" sustained me for the first few months following my near-death experience, a time in which I had to learn everything over again and again. As noted in an earlier blog post, "The Matrix" broke me out of a mental deadlock and spun me into a strange new world of legal labyrinths, from which I brought back a keen sense of the difference between vengeance and justice. But one movie literally saved my life -- not once, but twice.

That movie? The Road Warrior. Not many people would look to that film for driving tips, but Bookbinder was able to use some of Mel Gibson's moves to avert two different accidents. Read the post for details.

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Thursday May 15, 2008

Category: Trailers and Previews

Igor

This animated film scheduled for release late this year looks adorable:

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Filed Under: trailers

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Wednesday May 14, 2008

Category: Contest

Contest: Indiana Jones Bullwhip

Get ready for the new Indiana Jones movie with your very own official Indiana Jones bullwhip! I only have one and it goes to the first person who sends me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with "Indiana Jones" in the subject line. U.S. addresses only. Good luck!

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Wednesday May 14, 2008

Category: Commentary

Welcome to The Responsibility Project

I am honored to welcome as a sponsor of this site The Responsibility Project from Liberty Mutual. I agree with them that "the more people think and talk about responsibility, the more the world becomes a better place" and I am very impressed with -- and inspired by -- their thoughtful website about responsible choices, with films, blog posts, resources, and community-building on a wide range of important topics. Is it responsible or irresponsible parenting to allow a nine-year-old to ride the subway alone? Are tattletale websites a way to ensure accountability or a descent into gossip and snarkiness?

I especially love the "what's your policy" section of the website, which asks visitors a series of questions about what responsible choices are for parents, employers, teachers, students, neighbors, pet owners, athletes, consumers, doctors, politicians, and a range of other categories that include and overlap us all. Each visitor to the site can think through a range of issues and assemble his or her own list of policies. You will be able to see mine as it develops -- for example, I said "yes" to the policy that a responsible boss does not multitask when talking to an employee (a good reminder that I do not always live up to this one myself).

When I began the first Movie Mom website almost 13 years ago, it was with the idea of not just helping parents make responsible choices about media for their children but about encouraging parents to use the movies and television shows the families viewed together as a starting point for important conversations about how the characters on screen and how we in our lives make our choices and deal with the consequences. It is a privilege to partner with Liberty Mutual and the Responsibility Project in their effort to help all of us think about what it means to make responsible choices.

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Tuesday May 13, 2008

Category: Contest

American Film Institute competition for young film-makers

The American Film Institute has invited 13-18-year-olds to submit entries for their ScreenNation website, which will:

- Build an online community of empowered 7–12th grade student filmmakers who give voice to their creativity while sharing ideas and feedback.
- Provide a focused online portal for millions of students using video in creative and educational ways, as well as thousands of schools, and other organizations which support these activities.
- Inspire and support students with instruction, challenges and tips from top movie professionals;
- Provide avenues of recognition for quality work;
- Become the definitive site for young people who create movies in the classroom and beyond;
- Provide educators with a safer online video posting and sharing site that integrates well with the increasing use of video in the classroom and related educational endeavors;
- Provide a tasteful, exciting media site for a select group of sponsors who wish to support the increased use of quality production by young people.

Submissions for AFI ScreenNation's 1st Challenge Hometown Claim to Fame are being accepted now thru June 30th, with the winner announced July 15th.

The winning video entry will receive a Sony DCR-SR45 ~ HDD Handycam Camcorder w/ 30 GB Hard Disk Drive and Tripod.

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Tuesday May 13, 2008

Category: Spiritual films

Why and when do we pray? -- "Then She Found Me"

Oscar-winner Helen Hunt returns to the screen in the upcoming "Then She Found Me," adapted from the book by Elinor Lipman. Hunt not only stars -- she co-wrote and directed the film, which is about a teacher who tries to cope with the immature husband who abandons her (Matthew Broderick), the sensitive single father of one of her students who cares about her (Colin Firth), the sudden appearance of her biological mother (Bette Midler) after the death of her adoptive parents, and overpowering desire to have a baby.

Hunt's character, April, is an observant Jew, like her adoptive parents. Her biological mother, Bernice, is not observant in any religion. At the doctor's office, about to undergo artificial insemination, Bernice suggests that April pray. April refuses. And then, almost unheard of in a Hollywood film (and not in the book, either), the two of them have a private discussion of the meaning and importance of prayer. Do we pray when we feel closest to and most trusting of God or when we feel most lost and bereft? One reason April cannot bring herself to pray at this moment is that it will require her to think about just how much it means to her and to think about the role the connection that God plays in her life. She does not want to think about either. She does not want to give up the notion that this thing she is doing is human -- and therefore controllable, not divine. We see for the first time how sensitive Bernice can be and how much she cares about April, how well she understands how much April needs to be more honest with herself about what is going on.

April does pray. But I wonder if the prayer she says is the one a real-life observant Jew would say in those circumstances. I guessed she would say Mishaberach, a prayer of healing, or Shehekianu, a prayer of gratitude and being in the moment. Instead, she says the oldest and holiest of prayers, the Shema. Perhaps the screenwriters use that prayer because it is the most widely recognized. Or perhaps, in her moment of greatest hope and anguish, April would reach back to the first prayer she learned, the one that reminds us that God is One.

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Filed Under: helen hunt, judaism, prayer, then she found me

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Monday May 12, 2008

Category: DVD Pick of the Week , For Your Netflix Queue , Movie Mom's Top Picks for Families , Rediscovered Classic

Gregory's Girl

Gregory (John Sinclair) is a gangling but amiable Scottish teenager who is mildly befuddled by just about everything, especially Dorothy (Dee Hepburn), who takes his place on the soccer team. In contrast, the girls he knows, including his ten-year-old sister, seem to understand everything (except why boys are so fascinated by numbers) in this sweet, endearing comedy with a great deal of insight and affection for its characters.

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Filed Under: gregory's girl, teenagers

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Sunday May 11, 2008

Category: Commentary

Movie trailers -- too many, too much information, or the best part of the show?

In honor of Mother's Day, my wonderful husband took me to...a movie (yes, my request). It was preceded by six trailers. That was fine with me -- I love to see what's coming. But many people don't like them. They think that they give away too much or that it's like paying to watch commercials. The Alliance of Women Film Journalists has a new survey on movie trailers.

I'll be posting my favorite new trailer on the site later this week.

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Sunday May 11, 2008

Category: Commentary , Shorts , Spiritual films

Pangea Day -- sharing stories worldwide

The fist Pangea Day was every bit as heart-warming, inspiring, and thrilling as I had hoped. I was privileged to participate at the Epicenter Church, a new Christian Faith Community located in Rosslyn, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington DC. Pastor Paul Nixon and worship leader Ward Ferguson gave us a very warm welcome. We were a very small group, only nine of us, but through the huge screen we felt very much a part of the thousands world-wide who came together around the modern-day equivalent of a campfire to share our stories.

Pangea Day was like a cross between Live Aid, Woodstock, Oprah, and the Disney park ride "It's a Small World After All." It was the dream of film-maker Jehane Noujaim to bring people around the world together by allowing them to share their stories via film. Anthropologist Donald Brown spoke about his inventory of "human universals," the things that connect all people in all cultures, from rituals and customs around meals, gift-giving, and life cycle events to sharing, insults, and the expression of feelings like mourning, competition, love -- even tickling. There were live appearances, musical performances, and interviews, some a little awkward, cheesy, or glitchy, but all well-intentioned, and the four-hour presentation centered on the sharing of stories from film-makers around the world.

Each of the films is only a few minutes long and all are well worth watching. One of my favorites was "The Ball," the first film shown, from Mozambique, about boys in need of a soccer ball. The funniest included "The Slap" and "Elevator Music," but the one that provoked the biggest reaction from our group was "Laughter Club," a mini-documentary about groups around the world who meet just to practice Laughter Yoga. The most poignant and moving films included "Dancing Queen" from India and brief segments from "Operation Homecoming," with commentary from an American soldier serving in Iraq and Noujaim's Combatants for Peace, with former soldiers from Israel and Palestine who are working together to find reconciliation and peace.

The most romantic included the wordless "A Thousand Words" and "Mutual Recognition," an excerpt from Noujaim's own film that includes an interview with a Sufi couple about what makes their marriage strong. Their message -- through words and through their expressions as they look at and listen to one another -- is deeply inspiring. Perhaps the film that best summed up the day's message was "Wallyball," a mini-documentary about a wall dividing a beach along the U.S./Mexican border. As helicopters and soldiers maintain national security by keeping these neighbors apart, the people enjoying their time on the beach develop a volleyball game across the divider. Be sure to watch for the ice cream truck. It reminds me of one of my very favorite short animated films, "The Hat," by John and Faith Hubley.

Many of the stories affirmed the universality and connection of human experience. Topics like anger, love, and hope were addressed with brief comments by people all over the world. Some of the stories were about experiences so devastating most of us are unable even to begin to contemplate the devastation and trauma they inflict. Ishmael Beah
spoke of his two years as child soldier in Sierra Leone and his struggle to recover his humanity and transcend the experience, to "learn to transform the war experiences to they were no longer a burden but instructional tools." Israeli Robi Damelin
and Palestinian Ali Abu Awwad held hands as they came on stage to talk about how the killing of their family members led them to forgive and seek forgiveness and to work for reconciliation and peace.

In a live interview with the former soldiers who appeared in the "Combatants for Peace" film, the Israeli veteran revealed that hours before his mother and brother were shot in a peace demonstration, a powerful reminder that there are daunting challenges ahead. But his appearance, even after that incident, with his new friend and former enemy was an even more powerful reminder that while it may be a long and difficult journey, we have taken the first steps.

Please take a moment to watch some of the films. And make some of your own to keep this conversation going.

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Sunday May 11, 2008

Category: Interview

Interview: Son of Rambow

Imagine Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn making a movie in 1970's England. Add a touch of Peter Pan, "The Goonies," and Sylvester Stallone and you begin to get the idea behind "Son of Rambow," a completely adorable film about two young boys who are so dazzled by Stallone's "Rambo" that they decide to make their own sequel. Based in part on the childhood of writer/director Garth Jennings, it is a completely charming love letter to movies, to childhood, and most of all to the power of imagination and the pleasure of story-telling. I spoke to Jennings and his long-time colleague and producer, Nick Goldsmith.

I'd like to start with how you found these marvelous young actors.

GJ: The kids are amazing and they're the reason that it worked. It's hard to find good young child actors. These had never acted or done anything before. It took us five months to find them. It was an instant decision when we found them. They were both self-confident but not arrogant, and just thought it would be fun to do. Putting them together was like a blind date. But kids find it easier to form friendships than adults. We got them together and made a short film with them in my back garden for them to meet us and each other. We knew from that day we were all going to get on.

The second day of the shoot we had to film the beginning and the end of the movie. I wondered how easy it would be for Will (Poulter, who plays Lee Carter) to show emotion. It was glorious. They had the best time. They spent their whole school holiday being action heroes in movies.

How did you first begin to work together?

NG: We met at art college in 1990 or 91. We took this art foundation course, when you get to try out all the different forms of art. It was the best year you'll ever have, experimenting with everything. We both ended up doing graphic design, then started making music videos. It was three years before we set up as a proper company. We started writing film scripts, eight years ago.

GJ: I started making films when I was 11 and the first one I ever made was inspired by "First Blood. Rambo was so self-sufficient, so exciting; he sews up his own wounds and takes on 200 men. It was everything you ever wanted from a film. It was the beginning of my liking making movies.

What was it like to adapt that experience into a screenplay?

GJ: As we worked on it, it was clear we had to add more dramatic structure. Making Will a kid who was so isolated from media and giving both of the boys some family issues gave the story more momentum.

NG: It had a feel-good factor, one of those films where you go out with a smile on your face, just feeling good about something.

One thing I especially loved in the film is that from the very beginning you get this sense of confidence that the boys are protected by the power of their imagination and passion. We know they are going to take all kinds of crazy risks but they are going to be fine.

GJ: That is how we felt about the memories of that time.

NG: You don't know that it's going to cause you harm.

GJ: We made it just a bit over the top so that people say, "Ah," where you look back and say "That shouldn't have worked." But it did.

NG: We both had similar experiences, that complete lack of fear for consequences.

GJ: There is one very indulgent joke, when Lee Carter says, "We're losing light," as a professional director would, even though he could not have known that. But you can sort of get away with it. When you're a kid you try to speak like the grown-ups do. They're always saying things that are slightly too big for them.

Another highlight of the film is the French foreign exchange student, Didier.

GJ: Again, that is a slightly heightened version of our real experience. He is an amalgamation of all of our French exchange student experiences. We all grew up being part of a French exchange program. We both remembered them being these exotic creatures that would step off the bus and looked older than us and had great clothes that fit them perfectly, the boys our age always had a little moustache and seemed so much older and more sophisticated. But his character was so big that it was very easy to get carried away. We had to make sure not to let him dominate the story. He had to serve the friendship of the two boys. He showed them something all movie-makers learn -- what happens when you get a star on board. It was nice to get something in that we knew about!

Was it a challenge to deal with the conflicts created by the very restrictive religious beliefs of Will's family in the context of a light film like this one?

GJ: I grew up next door to a Plymouth Brethren family and the kids went to my school. My wife's uncle teaches at a Plymouth Brethren school. A number of former members have written books and done interviews.

NG: In our story it was initially very peripheral. We are not trying to make a comment on religion. We wanted to get across on film what it feels like to see a film like "First Blood" for the first time for a creative kid. To give it to someone who has never seen anything before gives us a chance to show the impact. We are not belittling the religion. It was an amazing tool for us because it gave him everything he needed to have in order to change.

GJ: It creates a lovely dynamic between the two, one streetwise and and one religious.

NG: The religion is not the issue, the guy (one of the church leaders) is not right.

What are you working on next?

NG: Our next project is a jingle for a biscuit advert. And we're writing animated film. We haven't done that before.

GJ: We really loved making "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" but have no intention of ever doing it again. It's like a great wedding day, fantastic, but never need to do it again. We don't want to do another children starring movie but who knows?

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