As is all too common these days, there’s a limited number of offerings out there right now that seem appropriate for Christian audiences. However, here are two new movies to consider, along with a must-see oldie.
First: High School Musical Senior Year. This is the third installment in the series of Disney musicals about high school thespians, and the first one I’ve seen. I’d resisted seeing them up until recently but was pleasantly surprised after I decided it was time to give them a look. Here’s the gist of the picture, set at the fictional East High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The action revolves around the activities of the high school drama club and the school’s “royal” couple, Gabriella and Troy. No one wants to do a musical this year, but Gabriella somehow gets the ball rolling and enlists her sweetheart Troy as the male lead. Every story must have an antagonist, of course. Enter Sharpay, a laughably arrogant girl who thinks she is just about the best thing ever to hit the stage. She wants the lead, and she wants Troy, too.
The events proceed in fairly typical fashion, but as noted by another reviewer, High School Musical installments aren’t known for their impressive plots. Besides that, some of the musical numbers get a bit tedious at times. However, there’s lots to like here. The music and dancing are really just a backdrop to the movie’s themes of facing important issues and making wise choices. Troy’s father, the school’s basketball coach, wants Troy to attend the University of Albuquerque to play basketball, but Troy doesn’t want to do that. Gabriella and Troy are set to attend different colleges next year. In fact, Gabriella has been accepted at Stanford and has to leave school early, and this will certainly affect their relationship. The picture is essentially about the resolution of those and other issues.
High School Musical, rated G (how often do we find that these days?), is benign. It has no objectionable language or sexual situations. It gently satirizes arrogance and misplaced ambition. Worth a look.
My Rating: 2 ¾ stars.
Second: W. is about our 43rd president, George W. Bush. W. was directed by Oliver Stone, famous (or infamous) for his political films, namely JFK and Nixon. Stone is not known as an objective chronicler of people, as witnessed by this statement about Bush: “I think history is going to be very harsh on him. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t a good story.” That he is. Josh Brolin does an effective job of portraying George Bush the younger, and many well-known actors stand out in their renditions of current politicos: Richard Dreyfuss as a slimy Vice-President Dick Cheney, Ellen Burstyn as a brash Barbara Bush, James Cromwell as an overbearing Bush Senior.
Stone is fairly harsh in portraying Bush’s early party-boy image, his lack of drive, and his struggles with alcohol. As the movie progresses, however, his treatment of George W. becomes more sympathetic. He presents Bush as sincere in his conversion to born-again Christian, and there’s a wonderful scene with a fictional pastor who warns Bush that “the Christian life is not a constant high.” The worldly Stone apparently considers it dangerous to have a “religious” person in charge of the government, but Bush’s faith somehow shines through, perhaps in spite of Stone’s political views. It’s worth your time and effort to go and see this movie, but take it with several grains of salt if you do. Warning: there’s plenty objectionable language.
Film Rating: PG-13
My Rating: 3 stars
Finally: here’s the best recommendation for the Christmas season, now upon us: It’s a Wonderful Life, Frank Capra’s heartwarming picture about George Bailey, played by James Stewart. If you haven’t seen this one, you owe it to yourself to do so. This movie seems to get better with each viewing and is truly a classic.
The chances are that you’ve seen this picture, perhaps many times, but if you haven’t, here’s the plot in a nutshell: George Bailey is in major trouble. When his father died, George took over the operation of his family’s savings and loan in Bedford Falls, NY. All went well with the business for a while, but then George’s uncle inadvertently lost the money he was about to deposit in the local bank. The money fell into the clutches of Old Man Potter, the richest and probably meanest man in town. Potter will stop at nothing to gain control of the savings and loan, so he calls in the bank examiners. It’s Christmas eve, and George, at the end of his rope, is about to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge. Enter Clarence Oddbody, a rather befuddled angel second class who has been trying for decades to win his wings. Will Clarence save George and win his wings in the process?
The cast, composed of Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Henry Travers, and many other stellar performers, is remarkable. It’s a Wonderful Life powerfully shows how much our individual actions affect the lives of others. Highly recommended.
Film Rating: G.
My Rating: 4 stars.
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