Thursday, September 20, 2001

Three Cheers for Peter Jennings!

ABC has been my main source for news for as long as I can remember. I eat my breakfast while listening to the latest feature on Good Morning America, which presents a balanced mix of hard news, fun stuff, and everything in between. I was, in fact, watching GMA on Tuesday, September 11. Charlie Gibson interviewed a young woman who had been raped while studying abroad. They had a feature on a man working for the Ugly Modeling company, after which Tony Perkins proclaimed, "Sign me up!" Charlie teased Diane Sawyer about the notes she had written on her hand in ink. And somewhere in there, I'm sure someone said something about Gary Condit. It was a typical morning at ABC.

I left the house at 8:15 and worked on the computer at school before going to class. I never saw the normal morning turn disastrous and deadly. I just heard at the beginning of class that some planes had crashed into the World Trade Center. When I left at 10:45, I joined the throng watching ABC in our school cafeteria. I then learned that the Pentagon had been hit, and my chest tightened. It would be several hours before I allowed myself to consider the full implication of this news.

I was reminded of the death of Princess Diana. I was reminded of the fiasco with the 2000 election. And I was reminded just how important television journalism has become. I stared at the screen for the next 45 minutes, watching the terror unfold. And yet, in the midst of the chaos, there was calm as the network made a coordinated effort to keep us abreast of the situation without causing us to fly into a panic.

I don't know how they did it. To be so close and to have to set aside their own fears and sorrow for the sake of our sanity... I admire the strength of every journalist, every photographer, every correspondent, every anchor. But one face stands out above all the rest. Peter Jennings. Somehow, as I kept my eyes glued to the television for the next week, he was always there. Always the model of composure, he stood at the helm and guided us through the days of uncertainty. Showing just enough of his emotion for us to realize how hard this must be for him, he never faltered for more than a moment or two as he told us what was happening and introduced us to yet another eye-witness or expert.

More than President Bush, more than Mayor Guilliani, more than Reverend Graham, I relied on the omnipresent Peter Jennings to get me through the week. I applaud his professionalism, his fairness, his gentleness. I am not ashamed to say how much I benefited from his forum with the children on Saturday. I have seen the healing power of journalism this week, the positive impact it can have when done well. I salute Peter Jennings and the rest of the ABC News team for their diligence and dedication, working for days on end with little or no sleep, little or no time to release their own emotions.

I really can't compare ABC to the other stations because I depended on ABC. I didn't change the channel. What I encountered was responsible and sensitive journalism presented by a group of people who, to paraphrase my favorite patriotic hymn, loved their country more than themselves. And in their own way, they were essential to keeping this country together in crisis.

America the Beautiful Should Be Our National Anthem!

I have always thought that America the Beautiful was a much more moving testament to the greatness of our nation, and certainly easier to sing, than The Star-Spangled Banner. But I never realized just how appropriate it was -- how appropriate it is especially now -- until Friday, when we sang it at the prayer vigil held at noon at my college. Although the most famous verse speaks mostly of the beauty of America's natural features, the other verses speak more directly of the beauty of the American people.

Ray Charles does, of course, sing the famous first verse in his rendition of the song. His soulful, classy cover of these lines was the highlight of the Superbowl for me. It floored me and stirred up patriotism within me. But when I managed to get ahold of a recording of his America the Beautiful -- which, to be fair, I should mention was part of a regular CD and not a single, which I was unable to locate -- I noticed that he begins not with the first verse, but with the third. I can't recall having heard the third verse before Friday. I recollect hearing the second and fourth verses before, but the third struck me like a bolt of lightning. It was as though that verse had been written specifically in response to Tuesday.

I don't know why Mr. Charles decided to start with that verse, but I'm glad he did. An eighteenth-century French historian observed that "America is great because America is good." I think we've forgotten that lately. We've forgotten that America is full of good people and we've forgotten to be good ourselves. We've allowed our nation to become the one described in Paul Simon's despairing American Tune. But Tuesday's tragedy reminded us that heroism is still alive and well here, and verse three honors those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their comrades. "O beautiful for heroes prov'd / in liberating strife, / who more than self their country loved / and mercy more than life."

Not only did many risk -- and some sacrifice -- their lives, the entire country has shown that we have realized what is truly important in life. We are willing to give up a little of our own comfort in order to help one another. I've seen it in our leaders, who never left their posts during this ordeal, but rather worked past the point of exhaustion in order to bring comfort to the nation. I've seen it in the American flags and other outpourings of patriotism. I've seen it in the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner at the changing of the guard in London and in other demonstrations around the world. I've seen it in the last-minute telethons that raise tens of thousands of dollars and in the mile-long lines at the bloodmobiles. It's here, and we are a part of it.

Charles does not sing the entire song in his version; he leaves out verses two and four, which both speak to us in different but equally important ways. Verse two concludes with "God mend thine ev'ry flaw, / confirm thy soul in self-control, / thy liberty in law." God has already used this horrendous event to mend our spirit and our sense of what really matters in life. We realize now how precious our lives are and how trivial so many of the concerns that plagued us a week and a half ago. But these words are also a warning. We need to exercise self-control and not allow ourselves to be drawn into the downward spiral of hatred that allowed those terrorists to do what they did. If we lash out against Muslims or Arabs or any other innocent group of people who have some identification with our attackers out of a misguided sense of vigilante justice, then the terrorists will have won. We must keep the moral high ground.

Finaly, where the second verse serves as a caution and the third as a tribute, the fourth verse declares hope. "O beautiful for patriot dream / that sees beyond the years. / Thine alabaster cities gleam, / undimmed by human tears." Right now, America is in a very dark moment in its history. It may be hard for us to think of America standing tall when we see the devastation in New York and Washington. But it will, and it has already begun to do so. As Mayor Guilliani said, "We're going to rebuild, and rebuild stronger." A terrible tragedy struck us last week, but the American spirit is stronger than ever. With that burning within us, we will make a better America, crowned in brotherhood. And that is the most fitting memorial for our fallen that we could ever hope for.

Monday, September 10, 2001

"Let's Free Willy!"

As soon as my dad and brother saw a preview for this movie at the movie theater, they knew I would love it. My brother eagerly told me about it when he returned home. So I was eager to see it, and I got my chance when Mom took me school shopping that August. After a morning of shopping and lunch at Chuck E. Cheese's, we settled in for one of my all-time favorite sappy movies.

Yes, I'll call it sappy. Free Willy has almost an E.T. feel to it, with a boy and a very non-human creature bonding and eventually the strength of that bond being tested when the creature's life is endangered. Free Willy begins with Jesse, a troublemaker who's spent his childhood in and out of foster homes, tearing up the town with a gang of friends. They eventually wind up at a run-down aquarium and proceed to decorate it with spray paint, until they are interrupted by authorities. Jesse is left holding the bag, and as punishment he must scrub off all the paint.

Meanwhile, he has been placed in a foster home with a couple who very much want to be a part of his life. They are eager to learn his interests and accommodate him, but Jesse takes a long time to warm up to them. And despite the statements of his kind-hearted but tough social worker, Jesse still believes that his mother is returning for him.

Jesse's life takes a turn for the better, however, when he encounters Willy, an orca who is the star attraction at the aquarium. The whale and the boy seem to understand one another, and Jesse is thrilled when Willy responds to the music of his harmonica and imitates his motions. All too soon his work at the aquarium is finished, and Jesse sneaks back at night to bid farewell to his friend. A slippery floor and panic at hearing footsteps lead Jesse to plunge into the tank, and miraculously, Willy comes to the rescue. Their bond is sealed, and Jesse's boss offers him a job working with Willy.

The plot thickens as Jesse learns that the park isn't making any money, and it will close down if they don't bring in some revenue soon. With the help of another whale trainer, Jesse is in a race against time to get Willy to deliver. And if Willy decides not to cooperate, the consequences will be far more dire than any of them could have imagined.

Free Willy is a fantastic movie about love. Love between two beings whom society has declared outcast, and how that love brings each of them home at last. The eventual conclusion is harrowing, bittersweet, and ultimately joyful, culminating in Michael Jackson's exuberant single, Will You Be There? All in all, a beautiful and heartwarming family film to be enjoyed by people of all ages.

"I Do Love Beach Balls...Especially the Round Ones"

Although I can't recall ever having seen this in the video store, it became a part of out video library years ago when my aunt taped it for us (along with Puff, the Magic Dragon, which I reviewed earlier). I'm not sure who produced this movie, and I rather doubt that it ever hit the theaters, though I do not know that for a fact. The Dragon That Wasn't (Or Was He?) is a cute cartoon complete with songs and an all-animal cast. (At one point in the movie, when the tumult over having a dragon in town has died down, a news reporter notes that dragons do indeed exist, unlike such mythical creatures as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and humans.)

The main character is a stately bear named Ollie who, amused by his butler Yost's fear of thunderstorms as a time for dragon breeding, reads an incantation from a book inviting a dragon to pay a visit to his estate. Yost is mortified, but his master laughs it off and goes to bed. He is befuddled but unpertubed the next morning when he discovers what appears to be a beach ball with brightly colored spots and a mind of its own. He decides to make it a gift to his lady friend, a squirrel whom he intends to invite to his dinner party as a special guest. His plans are averted, however, when the "beach ball" hatches, revealing a tiny, scaly green creature.

Infinitely adoring of his new son, whom he dubs Dexter, the bumbling bear does not see that the new member of his household is a dragon capable of great destruction when angered or frightened. Although he is cute and cuddly most of the time -- and, indeed, whenever his "father" sees him -- his occasional spurts cause him to grow enormous and fearsome. In the midst of this, he falls in with a no-good duo comparable to Honest John and his side-kick in Pinocchio. Under their tutelage, he becomes an accomplice in an extensive crime spree. Only Yost and the bears' friend and neighbor Miss Kitty know what must be done, and only Dexter's father has the power to do it. But Ollie refuses to consider the thought of returning his son to the land of the dragons, and it looks like turmoil for the whole town if something isn't done soon...

This entertaining movie is filled with endearing characters, from the bumbling hero to the paranoid Yost and practical Kitty, from the drunken duck to the Irish police dog, from the giddy squirrel to the gallumphing elephant. And of course there is Dexter, the sweet little dragon who only wants to please his father but keeps winding up in trouble. Although the songs are pretty forgettable and the movie seems to drag on a little at times, The Dragon That Wasn't (Or Was He?) is nonetheless a cute, action-packed cartoon which, like Free Willy, shows that love is not limited to members of the same species, even if the member of the other species is seen as a monster. And sometimes, love must also mean being willing to let go.

Dog Comedy is the Best of the Look Who's Talking Trilogy

I've seen all three Look Who's Talking movies, and I enjoyed this film more than its predecessors. All three are okay but not exactly great cinema. In this third installment, young Mikey and Julie are old enough to talk. Mikey is played by the young man from Phenomenon and Seventh Heaven, and while I don't recognize the actress playing Julie, I am relieved that she is old enough to talk here because Roseanne struck me like nails on a chalkboard in the second movie.

Kirstie Alley and John Travolta are still the parents, and this film introduces the new characters of Rocks and Daphne, played by Danny DeVito and Diane Keaton. At the beginning of the movie, Dad receives a very nice position with an airline while Mom loses her job of nine years due to cutbacks. Her new job working as an elf in a Santa display at the mall is less than ideal, but her kids are thrilled that she gets to work so closely with the big guy. Mikey in particular is impressed, and he is convinced that Santa is going to bring him the gift of his dreams: a dog. That is, until he wanders into the dressing room after hours and discovers that Santa is a fake.

Now faced with the disillusionment of his son which can't even be shaken by an entertaining lip-synching performance of The Chipmunk Song, Dad thinks it's time to take the dreaded step and get a dog. Behind his wife's back, he takes Mikey to the kennel and snatches a mutt right out of the jaws of the extermination chamber. But as if Mom isn't going to be mad enough already, Dad's attractive British boss shows up with her Radcliffe-trained poodle, accompanied by a steady stream of accessories. Now the family has two dogs and, increasingly, no dad as he continues to be called away for flights all around the world. As Christmas approaches, it becomes more and more clear that this boss has less than honorable intentions as she keeps him on the job, and the family begins to wonder whether Dad is ever coming back.

Meanwhile, Rocks is a holy terror, tearing up the household at every opportunity. Though initially met with great disdain by Daphne, the two eventually bond in a Lady and the Tramp-esque late-night adventure. But the frazzled mother has had enough of Rocks' antics, and it looks like he's headed straight back for the pound. Is the family doomed to an unhappy Christmas without dog or Dad, or is there just enough holiday magic to bring this family together?

I guess I'm just a sucker for dog movies, and that's probably why this is my favorite of the three films. I also appreciate the faithfulness of John Travolta's character to his wife and family. The kids are also now old enough to speak for themselves, and they do a fine job of it. This film still has a fair share of crude humor which I could certainly do without, but it you can ignore those parts then this is a decent movie to check out. It's not great, but it's not bad, either. If you liked the first two films, you'll like this one, and if you're like me, you'll agree that as far as this series is concerned, the third time's a charm.

Thursday, September 6, 2001

A Musical Journey Through the Life of Jesus


When I was in second grade, my uncle first introduced my dad to Michael Card with The Life. He proceeded to play it prolifically, and I soon fell in love with collection of spiritually stirring songs, to the point that I was scrupulously transcribing the lyrics into my notebook so I could carry them around with me all day. This was only the first of many albums which we would purchase. Additionally, my dad went on to get me two piano books -- one of which was for this album -- and to purchase several of Card's books. He even devoted a Bible study series to Card's music.

I continue to regard Michael Card as one of the most talented composers and poets I have encountered, not to mention a very powerful example of a Christian witness. In this album, Card chronicles the life of Jesus (hence the title), from before He was born until after He ascended. The two-disc album covers a variety of musical styles ranging from meditative to joyful to harsh to gentle. Each song is masterfully crafted, and it's a shame they don't get more air time. Admittedly, I more frequently listen to classic rock or oldies stations on the radio, but I've spent enough time on Christian radio stations to know I'm much more likely to hear Michael W. Smith, Jars of Clay, or DC Talk. And I don't think I've ever heard one of the songs from this album on the radio.

The album begins with Overture to the Trilogy, a long instrumental piece incorporating the melodies of several songs on the album and ending with Card cantoring the first lines of John a capella. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh (and the word became flesh) and dwelt among us." This segues directly into The Promise, a quiet tune about how Jesus was not what anyone expected. "The Promise showed their wildest dreams had simply not been wild enough."

Immanuel is a very long song, and one of Michael Card's most famous. While The Promise is more guitar-intensive, Immanuel leans heavily on strings to give the richest possible flavor to the message "our God is with us, and if God is with us, who can stand against us?". Also contains a classic example of Card's love affair with alliteration when he describes Jesus as "a human baby bearing undiminished deity".

Carmen Christi, To the Mystery and The Final Word all are pretty upbeat, dealing alternatively with the nature of Christ and our response to it. While To the Mystery acknowledges our inability to fully grasp who Jesus is, instructing us to "give up on (y)our pondering and fall down on (y)our knees", the others shed light on who Jesus is. "At Jesus' name every knee shall bow in Heaven and in all the Earth. To the Father's glory, each tongue cry 'Jesus is Lord'..." (Carmen Christi) "He spoke the incarnation and then so was born the Son. His Final Word was Jesus, he needed no other one." (The Final Word).

Spirit of the Age is one of the harsh ones, warning against the force of evil which seeks to draw us in. This song matches the mood of the final three selections, Scandalon, describing Jesus in prophecy as "the truth who will offend us one and all, a stone to make them stumble and a rock to make them fall", What Will it Take to Keep You from Jesus, which answers its question with "a simple excuse from a heart that is hard, a reason that's nothing at all", and The Lamb is a Lion, which shows God "roaring with rage at the empty religion that's filling His days".

Celebrate the Child, which follows Spirit of the Age, jubilantly proclaims the arrival of the savior who will bring the world out of darkness into light. Joseph's Song is a beautiful meditation sung in the person of Joseph, who wonders "how can a man be father to the son of God?". Jesus Let us Come to Know You is a simple but lovely lullaby expressing a desire to know Jesus as fully as possible.

Meditation/Baptism is the last track on this disc before the aforementioned three. This, like the album's first track, is instrumental, and it also refers to other songs on the album.

The second disc is concerned primarily with Jesus' ministry, death, and resurrection. The Wedding recalls the miracle of changing the water into wine at Cana while also working in a contemporary context, inviting Jesus to be present at the ceremony which signals the start of a new life for both man and wife. "Lord of Light, please come to this wedding. Chase the doubt and darkness away. Turn the water of lifeless living to the wine of gladness we pray."

The Nazarene is a fairly simple song which demonstrates how human Jesus was despite -- or because of -- his divinity. "The fact of his humanity was there for all to see, for He was unlike any other man and yet so much like me." The Gentle Healer is perhaps the simplest song on the album, and certainly very gentle. Sung in a cappela, it shows how the perceptions of His followers changed from their initial characterization of Him as a "gentle healer" to their ultimate conclusion that He is "the Truth, the Light, the Way".

Forgiving Eyes, is a gorgeous song for the piano whose verses start out despairing but eventually swell into the hopeful chorus, signalled by a key change. It is sung from the perspective of the woman about to be stoned for adultery when Jesus interceded. "Just when I saw Him, the hope I had lost became born again. I was not hopeless. Though I'd been lost, now I felt I was found when He looked at me with those forgiving eyes."

God's Own Fool is likewise an excellent piece for the piano, and it introduces one of Card's favorite themes: paradox. Additionally, it is one of the few songs in his repertoire which Card sings falsetto. I can, in fact, only think of one other instance, though there may be more. The song weighs the way Jesus must have appeared to His worldly contemporaries against His divine reality, encouraging us to embrace the latter. "So we follow God's own fool that only the foolish can tell. Believe the unbelievable; come be a fool as well."

Why employs the classic question-and-answer song format to demand why Jesus had to go through what He did, from the betrayal by his friend to the thorns to the cross. Each response provides an eloquent and convincing reason, culminating in the notion that "Jesus had come into the world to steal every heart away".

Known by the Scars and Traitor's Look are both pretty intense. The former refers to Jesus' appearance before the apostles and His method of convincing Thomas of His true identity. The latter is a diatribe against Judas which ends in the startling confession that many of us have betrayed Jesus ourselves in our ordinary lives.

Ride on to Die and In the Garden are the most mournful songs on this album. The first sees past the jubilation of the moment (Palm Sunday) to the agony that will follow, while the second hints at the jubilation that will follow the current agony in the garden of Gethsemane.

Come to the Table is neither gloomy nor harsh, but it encourages Jesus' apostles to savor this Last Supper together, warning that "the One who is breaking the bread soon will be broken". Cross of Glory progresses to the scene of Jesus death, noting with increasing joy the significance of His sacrifice.

Finally, He Was Heard, Crown Him, and Joy in the Journey are all triumphant in their own right, jubilantly acknowledging that Christ has won the victory. Crown Him is the most exuberant of the three, while Joy in the Journey, which concludes the album, is soothing and reflective, remarking on the happiness inherent in a life lived with the Lord.

Quite an impressive undertaking, not only for Card but for the listeners as well. Card's compositions challenge us to think more deeply about our faith and the events of scripture, encouraging us to visit our Bibles often. Other albums contain songs about the life of Jesus, particularly his Christmas albums, and Card has also extensively covered portions of the Hebrew Scriptures and of Revelation and Hebrews, not to mention some songs which are not taken directly from scripture. But I consider this the most essential of his albums. Start with The Life, and let the music continue to impact your own life.

Tuesday, September 4, 2001

The Scariest Thing About Critters 3 is That it Was Ever Made

A few weeks ago, my little brother and I were searching for a movie in order to remove from our immediate memories a few lingering nightmare-inducing remnants of a rather unsettling movie. Why, then, in order to wash out the taste of serial murder, did we allow our channel-surfing to lead us to a film involving a species of aliens with very large teeth who decide to mutilate the unsuspecting residents of an apartment complex? Because it was bad. Very bad. Bad enough that we erupted into sudden bursts of riotous laughter induced by the cheesy cinematography or the gag-me-with-a-spoon dialogue. Bad enough that it now ranks with The Swans on my hierarchy of bad movies. Doesn't sound convincing enough for you? Read my review of The Swans. It's that bad.

Okay, okay. So I think I've made my opinion regarding the quality of this movie rather clear. But what's really scary is that it is the third -- and, might I add, not the final -- film in a series. If Critters 3 is in any way indicative of the quality of its predecessors and successors, I can't believe the captains of this ill-fated ship didn't bail out early on. Speaking of ships, Critters 3 harbors a familiar face. Leonardo DiCaprio, whose role in Titanic briefly made him one of the most recognizable names in Hollywood, stars as a troubled pre-teen who hates his step-father. That is, until about half an hour into the movie, when his step-father is torn to shreds by the hairy new tenants of the apartment complex he owns. Then, little Leo's character is overwhelmed with guilt, but he doesn't have much time to think about it since he's too busy trying to avoid becoming fodder for the insatiable critters.

Throw into the mix another troubled pre-teen, this one a girl desperate for her absentee father's attention, and her brother, a tiny tot with a magic object given to him by an eccentric man he met in the woods. "When it glows green," he tells the boy, "that's the time to watch out for yourself." Then there's the elderly gentleman who believes in the stories that aliens landed nearby several years ago and the portly, spaced-out woman who narrowly escapes a brush with the "nasty things," which she alternately describes as beavers and porcupines.

I'll admit that I did throw the covers over my eyes whenever those malevolent tumbleweeds sunk their cast-iron choppers into some poor victim's flesh, but as I averted my eyes I giggled. The attacks had all the authenticity of that of the killer rabbit in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, but this time, they weren't meant to be funny. They were. And the descriptions of the assailants were equally amusing -- particularly the manner in which they were delivered. The acting in this movie is most abhorrent. It ought to be shown to a beginner's drama class as an example of what not to do.

And then there's the whole link to the other movies through the "expert" critter catcher, who is sort of a mix between Gomer Pyle and Steve Urkel. Through a series of bizarre and baffling flashbacks, apparently actual clips from previous movies, we learn near the beginning of the film that this freaky-looking fella who rises out of the ground to scare little children was abducted by aliens. At the end of the movie, while the credits are rolling, we watch the unexpected footage which freezes at the most inopportune moments and reveals that the aliens who have ordered him to annihilate the critters have now informed him that he cannot finish the job. It's illegal to destroy the last member of a species.

And so we are prepped for Critters 4. Will the anticipation never end? Will I spend my nights nervously nibbling my nails into stubs as I consider the prospects of a world inhabited by an infant critter? Will I ever learn not to be lured in by TBS' late-night B-rated movie? And where did that tumbleweed in the corner come from? I don't recall seeing it there befo....arghhhhhh!!!!!