Best Picture Nominees Ranked AND My Favorite Move of the Year

I love story and how it is shared through film.  

2012 was a great year for movies.  Almost every movie I experienced caused me to think, feel, cry, laugh, long for God, and hate the broken world in which we live.

There were 9 movies nominated for best picture by the academy awards.  Here is how I would have ranked them 9 - 1 and a brief thought about each.  Also mentioned is the film in 2012 that impacted me the most.

9.  Amour

Love.  The story of love and pain between an aging couple.  In a word, the movie was excruciating but caused me to face the reality that death is coming some day.  Fun hugh?  Did I mention excruciating?

8.  Beasts of the Southern Wild

Very artistic in it's approach.  The 9 year old actress, Quvenzhané Wallis, stole the show.  As she goes on a search for her mom we get to learn about life through her young eyes.  It was also interesting to see how the story explored spirituality as all things fitting together.

7.  Django Unchained

Typical Terantino with exaggerated violence and story of vengeance.  Right or wrong I felt good about justice being done.  I know, kind of crazy.  It's funny how movies explore god like characteristics (justice) without a thought of the source.

6.  Lincoln

Unbelievable portrayal of Lincoln and others securing a constitutional amendment leading to the end of slavery.  Daniel Day Lewis was unbelievable winning best actor.  I found myself weeping at the reality of how slaves were viewed and treated.  Some unbelievable dialogue about leadership and seizing life and the moment for change that impacts millions of lives.

5.  Zero Dark Thirty

Compelling story of how one women led the charge to find and kill Ben Laden.  She never gave up even when the powerful around her doubted and flinched.  I'm not sure how true it is to historical fact but a great story never the less.  

4.  Les Misérables

Redemption, forgiveness, hope and love.  There are so many words that describe the incredible themes portrayed with passion in this musical.  And yes, I felt intense gratitude for how God has pursued and loved me.  I'm not sure if a movie this year caused me to connect with as many characters.

3.  Silver Linings Playbook

Another story of failure, redemption and new beginnings.  I particularly enjoyed the interaction with the love of parents for an older son struggling to find himself and start again.  And Jennifer Lawrence, wow!  She won and deserved best female actor of the year.

2.  Argo

Intriguing depiction of a CIA agent creating an elaborate scheme to rescue Americans during the Iran hostage crisis.  Ben Affleck was compelling.  Believe it or not I still remember the hostage crisis which made this movie particularly interesting to me.

1.  Life of Pi

Magical, spiritual, heartbreaking, surrender, beautiful are all words I would use to describe this incredible story.  The exploration of reality and fantasy was fascinating as well as it's depiction of spirituality in the midst of this pluralistic culture.  After watching it I woke up the following morning still thinking, feeling and questioning what I had experienced.  The story effected me personally at a deep level and gave insight into what many feel about spirituality today.

My favorite movie of the year

Or I should say the film that impacted me at the deepest level.  I care deeply for the next generation.  This particular film did an extraordinary job exposing what many middle school and high school students are experiencing every day.  I left the theater broken and with and extra longing to bring hope to those who are facing the complex issues of life in the teen age world.

If you care anything about the younger generation it's a must see.  It is perhaps the best window into the lives of teen culture since "The Breakfast Club".  

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

So there you have it.  How many of the nominees did you get to see?  How would you adjust the order?

I'm all ears.

3 All Time Greatest Clips for Student Talks

Back in the day (20 years ago) it seemed you had to have a video illustration for any youth talk you did.

Oh how times have changed.

Now it seems better to use almost nothing when you speak, however sometimes you find just the perfect clip that drives home an important point.

So, with that in mind I thought we would take a trip down memory lane. Here are what I believe are the 3 greatest clips of all time for youth talks. Yes, these are old school and yes, I'm old. But anyway...

When this movie came out I had young boys who played baseball. I love this movie and particularly this clip. Over the years I've used this to inspire students to pursue others who are different and help them feel welcomed.

Tomorrow morning I'm using it as an illustration of how God longs to use us and says to us, "just put your hand up, I'll do the rest". He does take the ordinary person and makes them extraordinary.

OK, beyond being unbelievably funny this is a great clip. It's a halarious illustration of how a hypocritical person says one thing but believes and feels another. It resonates with students because they all have "friends" (notice the sarcasm) who say one thing and do another.

It shows how ridiculous we as Christians look when we raise our hands and sing passionately but our lives show no reflection of that passion.

Ok, I didn't find the exact clip but this is a powerful movie. It illustrates how most of us live, as if God is not satisfying enough.

Seth, the angel gives up eternity and God so he can have Meg Ryan's character. The movie is the total opposite of "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere".

The best scene is at the end of the movie where Seth says he would rather have one kiss of her lips than eternity without it. He trades God for a girl. In a different way, we trade God for momentary pleasure all the time don't we?

No, I don't feel the pressure to find the perfect clip for a talk anymore, but it's still fun to think it through and very effective when the clip hits the bullseye. Just because the newness of technology has worn off doesn't mean we shouldn't utilize it when it serves the message.

Anyway, that's the best I have (or can remember).

What would be your top 3?

My Top 3 Horror Movies

I grew up in the 80's when slasher movies like Friday the 13th and Halloween were king. Even now I can hear the "che-che-che- / ha-ha-ha" playing as Jason closes slowly closes in on the stupid guy who can't get away. Why is it the car keys never fit into the ignition?

Scary movies aren't my favorite but every once in a while the suspense and euphoria of horror films is enjoyable. Now, gratuities violence of some horror films is ridiculous and unnecessary, but there's a lot to enjoy about a good psychological thriller.

Why do we love horror films? Psychologists say perhaps people are willing to endure the discomfort of fear to experience the euphoria of relief. In the theater or living room we're not really in danger, we simply experience some of the fear.

To be honest it's kind of difficult to list my top favorite scary movies.. I don't watch scary movies often but over the years I've enjoyed them from time to time. Here's my shot at listing my top 3.

3. The Ring

Ok, the girl is just simply spooky. It kind of makes your skin crawl when she crawls out of the television, but what I love about the movie is the tension it builds from the vhs. You see all kinds of random objects, a ladder, a circle of light, horses. As the film continues the mystery of the video begins to make sense.

The acting isn't great and the story has gaps BUT it builds great tension. After my oldest son saw this at the theater he took his tv out of his room for a few days. Enough said.

2. The Shining

One name says it all, Jack Nicholson. He has to be the greatest crazy person of all time. There's something really scary about being cut off from the world in a haunted hotel with someone you trust loosing it.

I can still see the look on his face when he breaks into the room and says "here's Johnny". If you want to be scared this Halloween this is a great place to start.

Here's a warning. The movie is rated R. I've only seen the tv version of the film but have been told there's some nudity in the unedited version. So, If it's on tv give it a shot.

1. Psycho

Here's the tagline for the movie.

"A young woman steals $40,000 from her employer's client, and subsequently encounters a young motel proprietor too long under the domination of his mother."

It's the classic horror movie. One of Alfred Hitcock's best movies which has been modeled over and over again by movie makers.

My favorite scene is the shower scene which still brings chills without showing everything. The tension and the music create an unbelievably scary experience.

And of course there's a great surprise ending.

What are your top 3?

At the Movies with Students Part 3

This is the third and final post on helping students think through movies, music and television. Messages from culture and media are more prominent today than ever before. Rarely do students unplug.

The word "amuse" is French and stems from the word "muse" which means "ponder" or "thought". The "a" negates thinking. So the word amuse basically means to be without thought or to simply put your brain in nuetral. We don't want students to simply be amused when they engage media. Our hope is they keep their thinking engaged as they interact with movies, television and music.

To help them better engage media there are seven questions we hope they will consider and utilize as they spend time watching or listening.

Here are the first 4...

1. Did I enjoy it. Why or Why not?

2. Does it teach anything about morality?

3. How does it portray authority?

4. Does it communicate anything about God?

You can check out the full posts at...

At the Movies with Students Part 1

At the Movies with Students Part 2

Now the final 3...

What is the "big point" in the movie, song or show?

Granted, not all media has a point but many times there is a theme, thought or philosophy that is highlighted. The other night I went to see "Thor". Not the greatest movie in the world, but I would say the strongest theme in the movie was that humility and teachability results in strength and wisdom. That's kind of a cool lesson to observe when perhaps going to watch what seems to be a thoughtless movie. Movies like "Crash", "No Strings Attached" and "The Kings Speech" all have strong central messages. It's fun and important to ask students, "what's that song actually about?" Same thing with movies and television. Most of the time they're not thinking about that because they've turned their brains off. We need to help them ask the right questions.

Can you find the "fingerprints of God"?

Most media is not directly about God but there are many examples that have echoes of his heart and plan. Again, "Thor". There are all kinds of references to sacrificial death and resurrection. Also, the strong theme of reconciliation with a father has God's fingerprints all over it.

The movie "127 Hours" is about a man who has an accident and has to take drastic measures to save his own life, but it's also about a person's independence and his admittance of his need for others. God made us communal and that truth comes out strong. I could go on but you get the drift. We need to help students sharpen their eyes and help them see that even people who don't now Jesus are made in the image of God and create media that reflects the deep longing of their heart which also often reflects the hand of God.

The final question,

What difference might this make in my life and the life of others?

Whether we like it or not, music, movies and television shape the lives of teens. Not every movie I've seen has impacted me, but many have. Some media opens the door for students to speak to other students about difficult issues. It's great when a show or song comes along that opens the door for conversation and reflection.

So there you have it. Some pretty simple questions to help them engage and avoid the temptation to simply be "amused". What are some questions I'm missing? If you serve students how do you help them fully engage and think through culture?

"Kick A#@" is in your youth group

So I finally watched the movie "Kick Ass". Can I say a*# on this blog? Anyway, there was much about the movie I didn't like (it's "r" rating is legitimate) the language was rough and there were some sexual situations that were over the top but beyond that I actually loved the story.

Dave Lizewski is lot like students in our youth groups. He's not extraordinary, in fact he's a little geeky. He's not the kind of student we would typically be drawn too and he definitely doesn't fit the old school, lame strategy of reaching the "popular" student and the rest will follow. But Dave longs for greatness. There's something inside him that wants to do and be more than he is, he wants to be a super hero.

"we see someone in trouble and we wish we could help, but we don't"

Dave Lizewski

A lot of our students feel the same way. They see devastation in Haiti and they want to help. They see friends at school who are rejected and something in them wants to help. The world is broken and they long to be a part of fixing it.

The story really gets going when Dave asks the question, "how come nobody's ever tried to be a super hero?". After being ridiculed by his friends for asking the question he follows through by ordering a ridiculous looking spandex super hero costume. For some reason not only does Dave have the desire to be more, he has the ability to do something about it.

To find out what happens next you'll have to actually watch the movie.

So here's the question.

When's the last time you sat down with a student and shared with them the potential you see in them? Not just the obvious kids who can play the guitar, light up a room with their personality or pray in front of others, but the ones that are kind of out of sight. We can see potential in students they can't see themselves.

God has uniquely wired and gifted students in our youth groups. He has given them "superhuman powers" to accomplish his work and build his Kingdom. Each of our students has a super hero inside of them that needs to be unleashed on the world.

As leaders of students we must help them...

* Discover their gifts

* Develop their gifts

* Utilize their gifts

They already have the desire, we need to coach them in following through on what God has already placed inside them.

Yes, "Kick Ass" is in your youth group, maybe you just don't know it yet. And here's a suggestion, maybe ask him to change his / her name?

Movie Reviews

Here's some ratings on movies I've seen this year, at least the ones I remember. This is out of 10.

Shutter Island - 8
Valentine's Day - 3
Despicable Me - 7.5
Robin Hood - 5.5
Green Zone - 5
Inception - 9

I've seen others, I've just started rating recently and to be honest I'm struggling to remember what I've seen. What did you think about these?