Movies to ponder, remind, celebrate, and warn.
Boyhood 12 years. That’s how long it took Richard Linklater to shoot his movie. As a result we have a longitudinal look at a maturing young man. Sadness pervades the film; the emptiness of life without a whole family. A creativity unique film which won the Golden Globe Best Picture this week. [R, Language]
Words and Pictures My artist and literature friends will love the playful yet difficult relationship between a painter and English teacher struggling to connect. [PG-13, themes]
Calvary What if you knew you only had one week to live; your virtuous life was the very reason you are to be murdered? A genuine, caring, sacrificial priest whose life preaches forgiveness. [R, Language, themes, violence]
Chef Culinary artistry is a metaphor for life in this joyous celebration of a man who goes back, to get ahead. [R, Language, themes]
Begin Again The title says it all. A washed up producer. A rejected singer. Families ripped apart, sewn back together. Old musical spirits reinvigorated. An uplifting, creative, must-see film. [R, Language, themes]
Silver Linings PlayBook We are not always what we seem to others. The origin of mental disorder is a mystery; so is the origin of human acceptance. [R, Language, themes]
A Single Shot A life full of bad choices magnifies one fatal mistake. A man tries to make right what can never be repaired, attempting redemption through his own loss. [R, Language, themes, violence]
Labor Day An escaped prisoner finds refuge with a woman in her own prison. Lost time is replaced by a few days of hope. [PG-13, Themes, intense scenes]
About Time Changing the past does not guarantee the future. Long term commitments depend on finding, deepening, and keeping love. [R, Language, themes]
The Hundred Foot Journey Finding oneself happens when we accept others. “Home” is where we make it and what makes us; not just where we grew up but where we live now. [PG, Themes]
Blood Ties Cain and Abel. Cop and crook. Right and wrong. Blood and belonging. The choices remain the same. [R, Language, violence]
Joe Human kindness can come from a dark life, sacrifice from the place we least expect it. [R, Language, sexual situations, violence, intense scenes]
Mark’s latest book When the Lights Go Down: Movie Review as Christian Practice provides a framework for reflection. Mark advises ALWAYS to review the “parental advisory” section under each movie at imdb.com. Dr. Mark Eckel teaches a new course this semester entitled “Christianity in the Contemporary World” at Capital Seminary & Graduate School.