Gran Torino

2000

Director: Clint Eastwood

Distributor: Warner Brothers

Key Elements: Story – Lines – Characters – Message – Symbolism – Music

My Review:

When this movie ended, my friends and I were speechless.

It’s dark. Really dark. But it's good writing and great acting.

But the best part is how it illustrates the Gospel.

[Spoiler]

Eastwood’s character lets himself get shot, knowing that his sacrifice will draw the attention of witnesses. This ensures that the gang attacking his friends will be arrested – the most decisive victory he can have over them.

His sacrifice frees his friends from the gang, satisfies justice, and incidentally gives his friend a new car. It reflects the way Jesus’ sacrifice frees us from sin, satisfies God’s law, and provides us with new life. Eastwood's body is even laid out as though on a cross ...with blood prominantly shown on his hands of all places (nail marks).

Amazing movie!

And listen to Eastwood’s song at the end.

Trailer:

Quotes:

• Ever notice how you come across somebody once in a while you shouldn't have fucked with? That's me.
• Get off my lawn!
• You should quit. Those things are bad for you.
  - Yeah? So's being in a gang.
• Take these three items, some WD-40, a vice grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone.
• Get me another beer, Dragon Lady!
• What was it like to kill someone?
  - You don't want to know.
• You're a good man.
• You know, Thao and Sue are never going to find peace in this world as long as that gang's around.
• What are you gonna do, Walt?
  - Whatever it is, they won't have a chance.
• And I'd like to leave my 1972 Gran Torino to... my friend... Thao Vang Lor. On the condition that you don't chop-top the roof like one of those beaners, don't paint any idiotic flames on it like some white trash hillbilly, and don't put a big, gay spoiler on the rear end like you see on all the other zipperheads' cars. It just looks like hell. If you can refrain from doing any of that... it's yours.

Stills:

Loser

2000

Director: Amy Heckerling

Distributor: Columbia Pictures

Key Elements: Characters – Message

My Review:

I feel like this movie shouldn’t be that big a deal to me, but there’s something I love about it.

It may be the way Paul mixes gentle naivety with steadfast character. He doesn’t know how to dress, act or talk. But he knows how to love a girl - respect her, appreciate her and protect her. He is at once, one of the dorkiest and coolest movie characters I can think of.

Or maybe it’s that Dora is completely adorable.

I think it’s both.

...And Paul's haircut.

Trailer:



Quotes:

• I love self-loathing complaint rock you can dance to.
• Do you have a girlfriend?
  - Ex-girlfriend. We dated in high school.
  Do you still see her?
  - She lost weight, so she's dating a lot more now.
• Oh yeah? Well if Kafka were alive I'm sure he'd say stop misinterpreting my novels you pretentious bonehead!
• It seems like this whole city is one big orgy and if you actually care about someone you're some kind of chump
• You know how there are couples that stay together just because they feel they can't do any better or there are people who are sad and miserable and live alone, but then there are this microscopically tiny group of people who get to be with the person they are madly in love with.
• I hope someday I get to be one of those lucky people.

Stills:

Requiem for a Dream

2000

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Distributor: Artisan Entertainment

Key Elements: Story – Visuals – Message - Music

My Review:

I hold this movie responsible for my avoidance of drugs. I don’t see how anyone could want to risk that habit after seeing this story played out.

Aronofsky again addresses obsession, this time looking at how addiction tears lives apart. In the end, Sara has lost her mind, Marion has prostituted herself, Tyrone is in jail, and Harry looses his arm. They’ve all had their lives ripped away, leaving them broken and isolated – completely alone.

But Aronofsky tells the story with a surreal, bizarre style – sometimes leaving the viewer as disoriented as the characters.

This movie also gave us an intense, classic movie score.

Oh... Don’t do drugs, kids.

Clip:



Quotes:

• Purple in the morning, blue in the afternoon, and orange in the evening. Just like that, one, two, three, four.
• Anybody wanna waste some time?
• Ma? Ya on uppers?
• I'm somebody now, Harry. Everybody likes me. Soon, millions of people will see me and they'll all like me. I'll tell them about you, and your father, how good he was to us. Remember? It's a reason to get up in the morning. It's a reason to lose weight, to fit in the red dress. It's a reason to smile. It makes tomorrow all right. What have I got Harry, hm? Why should I even make the bed, or wash the dishes? I do them, but why should I? I'm alone. Your father's gone, you're gone. I got no one to care for. What have I got, Harry? I'm lonely. I'm old. …Ah, it's not the same. They don't need me. I like the way I feel. I like thinking about the red dress and the television and you and your father. Now when I get the sun, I smile.
• I love you, Harry.
  - I love you too, Mom.
• Ass to ass.
• Did what? Some dumbass junkie did what? You mean, you fucked it up!
• No... she won't come.

Still:

The Miracle Maker: The Story of Jesus

2000

Director: Derek W. Hayes / Stanislav Sokolov

Distributor: ABC

Key Elements: Story – Visuals – Concept – Characters – Message

My Review:

I was blown away by this movie.

The makers chose a famous cast to voice the characters and did extensive research to ensure that the imagery be true to both western and eastern symbols of Jesus.

The story is masterfully told with stop-action puppets. I think this helps it somewhat in that it removes the hesitation some feel to watch an actor portray God. This approach allows people to suspend judgment and focus more on the story.

I also thought the use of drawn animation when spiritual things occur was a creative tool.
Overall, a work of art in both it’s visual beauty and its integrity.

Trailer:



Quotes:

• God is good.
  - Yes, whatever happens. He is good.
• Another call… My Father in Heaven. And I must answer.
• You are my beloved Son. I delight in you. My beloved Son. This is my beloved Son.
• There are battles which have to be fought alone.
• It is written in the scriptures…
• What is the Kingdom of Heaven like? …I’ll tell you.
• God is my life. Not man, not any man.
• I think we should listen to this Jesus. …No one ever lost his soul by listening to a liar. Only by believing him and following. But if he speaks the truth… we have nothing to fear of the truth. Do we?
• I’ve seen. I’ve seen him do good. …He has power.
• I will go to Jesus.
• Trust in the Lord you God with all your heart… and you must love your neighbor as much as you love yourself.
• Thank you Father.
• It’s true. It must be true. This man was a son of God.
• He’s alive!

Stills:

Gladiator

2000

Director: Ridley Scott

Distributor: Dreamworks

Key Elements: Visuals – Lines – Message – Symbolism – Music - Gospel

My Review:

Awesome.

This is the story of a man fighting for the integrity of an ideal. Rome could represent anything we love that is taken from us. Maximus represents our desire to fight to protect and restore.

For me, this applies to Christianity. My faith is the most important part of my life. It’s how I identify myself. But many evils have been done (and sometimes are still done) in the name of Christ. Christianity, like Rome, has been hijacked by those who neither love nor respect it.
Those who truly belong to Christ must fight (with love) for the integrity of the faith.

My favorite movie quote ever comes at the beginning of this movie. “What we do in life echoes in eternity.” This is the first message of the gospel. If we spend our life running away from God, we spend eternity apart from Him. But if we spend life seeking and loving him, we spend eternity with Him.

Trailer:



Quotes:

• Brothers, what we do in life... echoes in eternity.
• Strength and honor.
• I don't pretend to be a man of the people. But I do try to be a man for the people.
• I knew a man once who said, "Death smiles at us all. All a man can do is smile back."
• To my son - I tell him I will see him again soon. To keep his heels down while riding his horse. To my wife... that is not your business.
• Whatever comes out of these gates, we've got a better chance of survival if we work together. Do you understand? If we stay together we survive.
• Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained?
• Marcus Aurelius had a dream that was Rome, Proximo. That is not it. That is not it!
  My name is Gladiator …My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.
• The time for honoring yourself will soon be at an end.
• Today I saw a slave become more powerful than the Emperor of Rome.
• There was a dream that was Rome. It shall be realized.

Stills:

The Family Man

2000

Director: Brett Ratner

Distributors: Universal Pictures

Key Elements: Concept – Message

My Review:

This movie’s subject matter really grabbed my heart. It was the first time I really got excited about becoming a husband and father.

When I’m tempted to become cynical about the American Dream, this movie reminds me of the beauty and tenderness family life brings, and the importance of investing in the ones you love.

Trailer:



Quotes:

• Because you thought I was *cocky*, I'm now on a permanent *acid trip*?
• Don't screw up the best thing in your life just because you're a little unsure about who you are.
• How can you do that?
  - What?
  Look at me like you haven't seen me every day for the last 13 years.
• We have a house in Jersey. We have two kids, Annie and Josh. Annie's not much of a violin player, but she tries real hard. She's a little precocious, but that's only because she says what's on her mind. And when she smiles... And Josh, he has your eyes. He doesn't say much, but we know he's smart. He's always got his eyes open, he's always watching us. Sometimes you can look at him and you just know he's .learning something new. It's like witnessing a miracle. The house is a mess but it's ours. After 122 more payments, it's going to be ours. And you, you're a non-profit lawyer. That's right, you're completely non-profit, but that doesn't seem to bother you. And we're in love. After 13 years of marriage we're still unbelievably in love. You won't even let me touch you until I've said it. I sing to you. Not all the time, but definitely on special occasions. We've dealt with our share of surprises and made a lot of sacrifices but we've stayed together. You see, you're a better person than I am. And it made me a better person to be around you. I don't know, maybe it was just all a dream. Maybe I went to bed one lonely night in December and I imagined it all. But I swear, nothing has ever felt more real. And if you get on that plane right now, it'll disappear forever. I know we could both go on with our lives and we'd both be fine, but I've seen what we could be like together. And I choose us.

Stills:

Cast Away

2000

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Composer: Alan Silvestri

Distributor: Fox Movies / Dreamworks

KeyElements: Concept – Visuals - Music

My Review:

I heard Hanks say in an interview that the concept driving this movie was to give a realistic portrayal of being “shipwrecked.” We have plenty of romanticize tales of such things happening – Robinson Crusoe, Swiss Family Robinson, Gilligan’s Island. But the truth is that it would be a horrible experience. He lets us get a glimpse of that experience here.

While the driving concept is interesting enough, the message that comes across is what I really love about the movie. We see a man, stripped of everything for years, reintroduced to modern society. The things he missed most were basic necessities and people. He loves that he now has ice in his glass and bottled water at his disposal. And he loves that he gets to see Kelly again, even though he can’t have her.

We are surrounded by blessings and by beautiful people. I wonder how often we take that for granted. This movie made me consider just how good I really have it.

My favorite part of the movie comes, however at the end. We find Chuck at a crossroads in the middle of open country. He has nothing with him but what he needs, and no plans except to see what life brings him next. I found myself envying his freedom.

A couple last notes: The music by Alan Silvestri was beautiful. And the plane crash scene was intense. Excellently done.


Trailer:



Quotes:

• The most beautiful thing in the world is, of course, the world itself.
• I'll be right back.
• Hello! Anybody?
• If I'm here New Years Eve, then I'm here. If I'm not, I'm not.
• I added it up, and knew that I had... lost her. Because I was never going to get off that island. I was going to die there, totally alone. I was going to get sick, or get injured or something. The only choice I had, the only thing I could control was when, and how, and where it was going to happen. So... I made a rope and I went up to the summit, to hang myself. I had to test it, you know? Of course. You know me. And the weight of the log, snapped the limb of the tree, so I-I - , I couldn't even kill myself the way I wanted to. I had power over nothing. And that's when this feeling came over me like a warm blanket. I knew, somehow, that I had to stay alive. Somehow. I had to keep breathing. Even though there was no reason to hope. And all my logic said that I would never see this place again. So that's what I did. I stayed alive. I kept breathing. And one day my logic was proven all wrong because the tide came in, and gave me a sail. And now, here I am. I'm back. In Memphis, talking to you. I have ice in my glass... And I've lost her all over again. I'm so sad that I don't have Kelly. But I'm so grateful that she was with me on that island. And I know what I have to do now. I got to keep breathing. Because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?
• You look lost.
  - I do?
  Where're you headed?
  - Well, I was just about to figure that out.

Stills: