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.

Reminders from "Friday Night Lights"

About a month ago I got hooked on the TV series "Friday Night Lights". I know I'm a little late to the party but...

With good acting and great writing it's well worth your time, especially if you're interested or involved in high school culture. And oh yes, I live in Texas where high school football and mums are king. (show is set in a small west Texas town)

I'm in season 2 and being reminded of many issues. Friday Night Lights isn't a "Christian" show and there are themes that should concern those of us who care about students. It does a descent job depicting the highs and lows of high school culture. The series explores deep issues on parenting, marriage, friendships and integrity. It also gives great reminders for those of us who care about high school students.

Here are a couple that have struck me.

1. There is always more going on underneath the surface.

When a student "acts out" and displays bad behavior they're probably doing what makes sense.

Matt Seracen is the senior QB 1 of the Dillon Panthers and a very responsible kid. Out of the blue he begins to drink heavily and become irresponsible. In an effort to "sober" him up and get his attention Coach Taylor gets in his face and chews him a new rear end.

As Matt breaks, it becomes obvious there is a lot going on underneath the surface. Matt's dad is in Iraq and has left Matt with the responsibility of his grandmother struggling with dementia. At least 4 people important in his life have left him. The scene ends in a climax of Matt saying,

"everybody leaves me, what's wrong with me"?

If I were 17 and dealing with the pressure Matt was dealing with I'd probably act out the same way and worse. It makes sense that he is angry, hurt and stressed. Why wouldn't he want to medicate that kind of pain?

When dealing with struggling students we must always be willing to take the time and energy to "drill down" and find out what's going on. When confronting students let's do it with a heart of compassion and a desire to understand issues of the heart driving behavior or attitude. Then and only then can we apply the truth and love of the gospel to the heart.

Are you relating to a student right now that is difficult to deal with? Look beneath the surface.

2. Sometimes you have to pursue the individual

I'm very impressed and challenged by the Dillon Panthers head coach Eric Taylor. Sure he's rough around the edges but he often takes time from his ridiculous schedule to support and help his players.

Brian "Smash" Williams was a highly recruited star tailback. After injuring his knee in the playoffs it seemed his football career and chance to go to college was over. Coach Taylor met with Smash one on one to help him get in shape. He called college coaches and finally got Smash a try out at Texas Tech. He went way above the call of duty. He cared.



I love one scene in particular when Coach Taylor drives to Smash's house late at night to tell him he got the tryout. Sometimes a phone call or facebook message isn't sufficient. Presence is important.

What amazes me is his interest in the individual and the desire to sacrifice time and energy to be there.

Student ministry is a ministry of presence. No, he's not a youth pastor but Coach Taylor understands the power of relating one on one with high school students. He is able to see potential they can't see and cast vision for what they can become.

I want to be more like that.

By the way, it seems the only way we can see what's happening beneath the surface is to pursue the individual. It's very difficult to know what's going on in a students life if we're not taking the time time to invest.

So for all of us who lead some kind of student ministry, is our focus and attention on getting as many students as possible in one place at one time? OR do we work, plan and pray in such a way that gives loving adults an opportunity to invest life on life? Depth and life change happens more often from across a table than from a stage.

Something to think about

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?

At the Movies with Students Part 2

Over the next week we're continuing to think about how to encourage teens to approach media; especially television, movies and music.

As they live their lives in the middle of culture it's the parent's and pastor's responsibility to equip them to engage media through the lens of truth.

There are seven question I love teens to consider when engaging with media. For the first two questions check out

"At the movies with students part 1".

Here are questions three and four.

How does it portray authority?

Honestly, this question may stem from my growing up in the 80's, but it's still relevant for today. It seems that every movie in some way showed parents, principles, coaches and police as either stupid or evil. One of my favorite movies was "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". Remember how clueless the parents were and how vindictive the principle was? We all wanted Ferris to succeed in his rebellion. My son Zach gets up every morning 1 ½ early so he can watch at least 2 episodes of "Saved by the Bell". One thing about that show that’s very interesting is that you rarely see parents. All the time I ‘m watching it thinking “where in the world is mom and dad”? Recently movies like "The Social Network" subtly portray authority negatively.

Sure, much of authority is corrupt and disconnected, but authority isn't the "a" word. God has established it for our good. Students need to see it clearly and Biblically.

Does it communicate anything about God?

Not every movie talks about or mentions God but many do. From the "Book of Eli" to the" Adjustment Bureau" to "Bruce Almighty", there are many opportunities to watch and reflect on what media is saying about God and learn how our culture views him. One of my favorite "Glee" episodes is the one about "grilled cheesus".

"Grilled Cheesus Preview"

If you haven't seen it you should check it out. It's an episode that sheds light on how a student who is totally disengaged from religion might view God and prayer.

The point is when we go to the theater, turn on the radio or watch our favorite TV show, media is teaching us something about God. Our students must ask good quesions and filter what they're seeing / hearing with truth.

Students are living in a world where there they have more access than ever before. They are interacting with media on many different levels. May we be people that help them think through what they're seeing and hearing.

At the Movies with Students Part 1

A few weekends ago had the privilege of being with hundreds of high school students who were thinking about Kingdom and culture. Culture by definition isn't inherently good or bad, it's a reflection of a people's beliefs and habits.

John Frame says it well.

"Culture is an ambiguity, a mixture, of sin and righteousness, of good and bad, of love of Christ and hatred of Christ."

One area that greatly influences students and all our culture is media. By media I primarily mean movies, music and television.

Like culture, media isn't good or evil. Sure, there are many lies in movies and music that shape our beliefs and feelings but instead of simply saying we should avoid media, how do we interact with it in a way that is beneficial to us and honoring to God?

With that in mind we discussed 7 questions every student should think through when engaging the messages that flow from movies, music and TV.

Here are the first 2.

Did I enjoy it? Why or why not?

Let's face it, some movies don't really have any deep seated meaning, they're just movies. I love "Nacho Libre". In fact, it could be one of the finest movies ever made (ok, I'm exaggerating). I laugh my fanny off every time I see it and yes, sometimes I wear stretchy pants. Helping students understand why they enjoy a particular song or tv show is the first step in encouraging them not to simply turn their brains off when engaging media.

Does it teach anything about morality?

While listening to songs like "Teen Age Dream" or watching "Glee" it's important for students to at least be aware of the message that's coming through. Most high school girls love "The Notebook". Sure, it's a good love story but the problem is you find yourself hoping that Noah and Allie will hook up. It's absolutely sending a strong message about sex. My hope is that students will think that through a little as they watch.

As students engage with media they shouldn't turn their thinking off but actually look at the story or song through a Biblical lens. As they do the message might not influence their beliefs or feelings.

More to come...

Soul Pancake

One of my students just put me on to this website. I'm probably coming to the game late, but if you haven't checked it out it's really cool.

Here's a video from YouTube from Rainn Wilson describing the site.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV2cK0MsKMc

Check it out and let me know what you think. I'm still in process, well, I suppose that's always true.

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?