More Than One Lesson

SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (1998)
Directed by: John Madden
Written by: Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard
Starring: Joseph Fiennes, Gwyneth Paltrow, Judi Dench, Geoffrey Rush

For many people, the name “Shakespeare” conjures up memories of dry high school classrooms, research papers, and dull three-hour theatre experiences. Many Americans are introduced to Shakespeare too early in life to appreciate his genius, and perpetually associate him with boring homework. 1998’s Shakespeare in Love was a film that attempted to take that stodgy English sonneteer and show him as a vibrant, lovelorn poet, embroiled in an exciting world of sixteenth century entertainment.

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THE HURT LOCKER (2009)
Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow
Written by: Mark Boal
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Briah Geraghty

So for those who don’t know, I’ve been writing a series on the films that have gained American film’s highest honor: the Academy Award for Best Picture. Since the Oscars themselves have caught up with me, I think it’s time to step away from the retrospectives and take a look at 2009’s winner, The Hurt Locker.

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In this episode, Tyler discusses what we can learn from Michael Haneke’s The White Ribbon.

EPISODE BREAKDOWN
00:00:43- Intro/hushed tones
00:01:10- Intentions for the podcast
00:05:35- New blog series on Job and Luke
00:06:56- The White Ribbon
00:29:58- The Sweet Hereafter
00:49:30- Episode wrap-up

Recently, I have become more and more fascinated with the time in which Jesus lived. The more I read about it, the more suffocating it sounds. There were so many rules, so many tiny, seemingly insignificant boundaries that a God-fearing person was expected to respect every single moment of every single day. If they didn’t, the local religious leaders would see to it that the person would be treated as a social leper. If they were lucky, that is. Death was also a frequent punishment.

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Oscar’s live action shorts give us a chance to see something outside of the Hollywood system. Most of these films are made with no studio connection, many outside of the US, with only occasionally recognizable actors. Films not held by the restraints of studio marketing and stars’ contracts can often find a certain artistic freedom. This Tuesday’s screening at the Academy was a chance to see some of 2009’s best shorts from around the world. Here’s an overview of this year’s offerings.

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In this episode, Tyler discusses what we can learn from Joe Johnston’s The Wolfman.

EPISODE BREAKDOWN
00:00:42- Introduction
00:01:03- The Wolfman
00:32:08- Ravenous
00:39:44- Episode wrap-up

This week I had the privilege of being able to attend the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ screening of Oscar-nominated shorts. If you’re ever able to make it there, you should. Held at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills with a posh reception beforehand, it’s an opportunity to see some of the Oscar-nominated work that gets overlooked by the general public. These are great films, coming from all over the world, and most people don’t ever get to see them. At the AMPAS Shorts presentation, you get the chance to see each one of the animated and live action shorts, followed by a Q & A with the filmmakers. Here’s a rundown on this years animated shorts, in case you don’t get the chance to see them yourself. […]

In this episode, Tyler is joined by filmmaker Cory Edwards to discuss being a Christian in Hollywood.

I am a Christian not usually moved by Church. What I mean is this: I go to church, I can appreciate the ideas and truth content of a sermon, but rarely does the experience – the packaging, if you will – itself move me. Oftentimes, I leave slightly fussy and have to get over myself on the car ride back home. This is not a film. This is not a novel. This is not art. This is proclamation on a 7-day cycle. Pastors don’t have teams of writers like sitcoms and anytime I think, “Well, hell, maybe they should” I am immediately struck by the stupidity and un-enlightened-ness of the concept. It is just possible that the sermon was not crafted with me in mind – and that it shouldn’t have to be for me to be willing to see what it’s saying. This is a lesson continually learned. For myself and people like me, small group meetings are more fulfilling: discussing verses, digging into them more than usually happens in a sermon. This is where His words come alive for me. […]

AMERICAN BEAUTY (1999)
Directed by: Sam Mendes
Written by: Alan Ball
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Chris Cooper, Thora Birch

1999 was a pretty heavy-hitting year for American movies. Several instant classics came out that year: The Sixth Sense, The Insider, The Matrix, Magnolia – and then there was American Beauty. A clear front-runner leading up to the ceremony, American Beauty was quite an off-beat choice for the Academy. Sure, there were a lot of great performers in it, and it was a character heavy drama, which usually got Oscar’s attention. But the storyline was anything but normal Best Picture fare. […]