Mattie: Hello Patty? Hey, my sister is visiting and we want to see a movie. I l liked the last one you recommended — Bruce Almighty, I think it was. Can you suggest something?
Patty: Well, sure. I’ve seen quite a few good things. What are you in the mood for? Comedy? Action-adventure? Heavy drama?
Mattie: A sweet movie that shows Christian values and is really about something. I’ve heard good things about Lost in Translation. Can you recommend that? If you’ve seen it, that is.
Patty: I’ve seen it, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
Mattie: Why not? Doesn’t it have good performances?
Patty: Yes, Bill Murray and Scarlet Johansson are good. But the movie ultimately doesn’t go anywhere. It’s about two people who are lonely and trapped in unhappy marriages, but there’s no resolution to their problems. They live empty, worldly lives. No Christian values there. How about Big Fish?
Mattie: Haven’t heard of that one. What’s it about?
Patty: It’s about storytelling. A dying father is always telling his estranged son about the fabulous exploits of his life. Each time he tells the story, it gets bigger — like a fish story, you know. The whole thing is touching and hilarious, and eventually the father and the son are reconciled. Albert Finney and Ewan McGregor do excellent jobs of acting.
Mattie: Hmm. I’ll keep that one in mind. Anything else you could suggest? I want to see a really moving movie.
Patty: Then I know just the thing — In America. It’s moving, to say the least, and it’s got some of the best acting I’ve seen in a long time.
Mattie: What’s the gist of it?
Patty: An Irish family crosses the border from Canada into the U.S. The family is made up of a mother, a father, and two sisters; there was a brother, too, but he died. At first we think they’re just coming to America for a vacation, but it turns out they’re slipping into the country illegally. They go to New York and look for a place to live, but they’re so down and out that the only place they can find is a filthy old building where drug deals go on all the time and hardly anyone has a job. Somehow, though, they manage to transcend their environment because of their love for each other and their determination.
Mattie: Why do you think it’s such a great picture?
Patty: Well, it’s real. It’s not a Hollywood effort. The family members have real dilemmas to deal with. And it definitely embodies Christian values.
Mattie: How so?
Patty: In lots of ways, but especially in the relationship between the older daughter and the father. He’s never been able to accept the death of his son and blames God for it, so much so that he refuses even to believe in God anymore. The older daughter convicts him of that. And then there’s a wonderful subplot involving the compassion of a neighbor.
Mattie: Sounds really good. I think that’s what we’ll see.
Patty: OK, but your sister is an adult, right? I wouldn’t take a younger person to In America. It’s rated PG-13 and has some pretty realistic scenes. There’s a romantic interlude between the husband and wife which is all perfectly appropriate given the fact that they’re married — but I don’t think it’s suitable for younger kids, even though the two daughters are almost the stars of the show. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
My Ratings:
Lost in Translation: 2 ¼ stars (R)
Big Fish: 3 stars (PG-13)
In America: 3 ¼ stars (PG-13)
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