End of the Spear

I am a judge for the Indianapolis-based Heartland Film Festival. This feature film is a Crystal Heart Award Winner and is eligible to be the Grand Prize Winner in October of 2005. The Heartland Film Festival is a non-profit that honors Truly Moving Pictures. A Truly Moving Picture “…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life.”

The film, which is based on a true story, starts in 1956 in the Amazon basin in Ecuador. Five missionaries are savagely killed by a primitive tribe. But that is the beginning of the story and not the end of the story.

The missionaries’ wives and children take on the work of their fathers and husbands.
They and we, the audience, are forced to examine violence and how we react to violence and the possibility of forgiving the perpetrators of violence.

The missionaries and their families display incredible human traits. They display courage in the face of danger – they are willing to sacrifice a normal life to help others – they show respect and tolerance to primitive people. But most impressive of all, they retain their humility and do not look down on others.

The cinematography and music are stunning. The Amazon jungle becomes the third character along with the tribe and the missionaries. And all three characters relentlessly attempt to survive and prevail.

FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Crystal Heart winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.

The Ultimate Gift

I am a judge for the Indianapolis-based Heartland Film Festival. This feature film is a Crystal Heart Award Winner and is eligible to be the Grand Prize Winner in October of 2006. The Heartland Film Festival is a non-profit organization that honors Truly Moving Pictures. A Truly Moving Picture “…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life.”

This is a story of a very rich dysfunctional family. Red Stevens (James Garner) is a crusty, old billionaire who dies suddenly in an air crash. But, Red has planned for his death carefully. He has videotaped an elaborate will. His spoiled and unappealing adult children receive enough to be set for life, but the status of the bulk of the estate remains a mystery. For his grandchild, Jason (Drew Fuller) , Red has special and unknown plans. Jason, by the way, is the ultimate rich-kid, lazy, shallow brat. Through Red’s lawyer, Jason is given a number of elaborate, time-consuming tasks and challenges that Red calls “gifts.”

There are many of these “gifts.” The viewer has the distinct impression that these will either make Jason or break Jason. While doing these tasks in order to get an anticipated pot-of-gold, Jason is mentored and guided and even loved by a Texas rancher (Brian Dennehy), a wise lawyer, a single mother (Alii Hillis), her young daughter (Abigail Breslin) who has leukemia, and an Ecuadorian guide. Jason can’t make it without these true, unselfish friends.

The story plays out as a mystery. How many tasks are there? Will Jason tire of the time-consuming and dangerous tasks and quit? Why does Red choose Jason and not the many other numerous children and grandchildren? Is there a pot-of-gold at the end of these tasks? Why is everything shrouded in secrecy? It is profound and interesting storytelling. You want to know the answers to these questions.

As the film progresses, Jason begins to turn for the better, but you never know whether he will finally make it to become a fine human being; specifically, displaying traits like respect for others, sacrifice, heroism, humility, compassion, and fidelity. Or, will he go back to his playboy lifestyle?

The acting in this film makes the storytelling believable. The acting is outstanding and it is a toss-up whether the young people dominate your attention or the old people dominate your attention.

FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Crystal Heart Award winners as well as other Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.

Outlaw Trail

I am a judge for the Indianapolis-based Heartland Film Festival. This feature film is a Crystal Heart Award Winner and is eligible to be the Grand Prize Winner in October of 2006. The Heartland Film Festival is a non-profit organization that honors Truly Moving Pictures. A Truly Moving Picture “…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life.”

Remember the ending of the film, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”, when Paul Newman and Robert Redford are in Bolivia and they rush out the front door to escape many armed government troops? The story ends there and we just assumed that Butch and Sundance died and we were spared the gore.

“Outlaw Trail” assumes that Butch didn’t die and in fact came back to his home in the West to make amends for his life of crime. Or, at least that is what Roy Parker thinks. Roy Parker is a teenage boy whose great uncle was Leroy Parker, better known as Butch Cassidy. It’s 1951 and Roy lives in the same town as all the Parkers have lived, and Butch Cassidy has always been a major embarrassment to the family.

Roy is out to prove everyone is wrong about Butch Cassidy and he inadvertently gets help from the evil local museum director and his two criminal cohorts who Roy spots stealing artifacts from an old mining site. These three criminals are after the treasure that Butch Cassidy may have hidden and revealed in a map that is part of these stolen artifacts. But Roy is just out to clear his family name.

Roy and three friends alternately are chased by the three bad guys or chase the three bad guys in a plot that twists and turns all over Wyoming. The film plays like “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” It is complicated, full of adventure, farcical at times, and relentlessly entertaining.

But ultimately it is a story about Roy looking for the good in someone that was always thought of as an outlaw. It’s Roy’s faith in his family’s goodness that drives the story, and relying on this faith, Roy displays courage and heroism far beyond his age and experience in life.

FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Crystal Heart Award winners as well as other Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.

Lassie

I saw this film on August 24th, 2006 in Indianapolis. I am one of the judges for the Heartland Film Festival’s Truly Moving Picture Award. A Truly Moving Picture “…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life.” Heartland gave that award to this film.

Obviously this is an often-told tale about a boy and his beautiful and intelligent collie. But … this is an especially fine telling of that story and specifically of the loyalty and love that can happen between a boy and his dog.

The story is set in England prior to World War II. The boy, Joe, is from a working class family and the father loses his coalmining job when the coal peters out. Lassie catches the eye of a rich Duke played by Peter O’Toole and Joe’s parents reluctantly sell Lassie to obtain much needed cash. This causes Joe to go into a deep sadness. But to make things worse for Joe and his parents, Lassie regularly escapes the Duke’s dog handler and finds his way back to Joe. Over and over the dog is honorably returned to the Duke because a deal is a deal.

Finally the Duke goes off to his other home in Northern Scotland 500 miles away and takes Lassie with him. Lassie escapes again and the rest of the movie revolves around the impossible attempted journey back to Joe.

Lassie is obligated to steal the movie, but he doesn’t quite do this. There are too many other interesting things going on. Peter O’Toole is a great curmudgeon with a slowly revealed heart of gold. The English countryside is gorgeous. And the rich class- poor class dichotomy is adroitly told.

Honor and integrity and human dignity are human traits that can be shown by anyone despite their age or sex or income or social status in life. That’s a message worth communicating in a movie.

FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.

Flicka

I saw this film on July 7th, 2006 in Indianapolis. I am one of the judges for the Heartland Film Festival’s Truly Moving Picture Award. A Truly Moving Picture “…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life.” Heartland gave that award to this film.

Set in a stunningly beautiful ranch in Wyoming, Flicka is a story of a rebellious teenage girl and a naturally rebellious and wild, mustang horse.

The girl, Katie, is the only daughter in a long line of ranchers. She is a bad student, but it is because she is a dreamer and longs to be on the family horse ranch instead of at an exclusive Boarding School. Her father wants her to finish high school and go to college. She is constantly in a struggle with her father over her long summer break not only because of her lack of interest in academics, but also because she finds a mustang (she names Flicka) in the wild and wants to keep it.

She wants to break and ride the mustang, but her father insists that a mustang doesn’t belong on a quarter horse ranch. And, they are going through tough economic times. The ranch of many thousands of acres is worth a fortune to land developers. No one wants to sell out, but they may be forced to. Katie has an older teenage brother who works the ranch because he feels it’s his duty. He actually is the opposite of Katie. He wants to leave the ranch, go off to college, and experience the world.

It all sounds like a dysfunctional family. But it isn’t. The father, mother, daughter, and son love each other deeply. As they struggle with their economic problems and coming-of-age problems, their love and fidelity to each other are the only things that have a chance to keep them together.

The cinematography and art direction are exceptional. You are actually there in Wyoming and can understand why people never want to leave the remote and beautiful West, and why they love their horses.

FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.

Cars

I saw this film on May 31st, 2006 in Indianapolis. I am one of the judges for the Heartland Film Festival’s Truly Moving Picture Award. A Truly Moving Picture “…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life.” Heartland gave that award to this film.

The most famous streak in sports is probably Joe DiMaggio’s 56 game hitting streak. The most famous hit streak in film entertainment is probably Pixar’s feature film animation streak. With “Cars”, it’s seven in row for outstanding storytelling that is well executed and is (or will be) rewarded with blockbuster box office grosses. “Toy Story”, “Toy Story 2”, “Monsters, Inc.”, “Finding Nemo”, “The Incredibles”, and “A Bug’s Life” are the other six gems.

The story is about Lightning McQueen a rookie NASCAR-type racer. Of course, he is a car and not a human; or, he is a human in the form of the car. Take your pick. Either way, he is not an attractive persona. He is selfish, unappreciative, greedy, two-faced and has no real friends. But, he is a great driver and is tied for The Piston (read Winston) Cup annual championship with two other drivers. On the way to the runoff race in California, he accidentally gets off in a sleepy and forgotten town on Route 66 named Radiator Springs.

In this hillbilly hell of a town, he is punished for speeding and tearing up the road by the sheriff. As he serves his sentence with community work, he discovers the town is inhabited by rejects and misfits, who all have hearts of gold. Can they change Lightning and make him over to have positive traits like honesty, integrity, respect, honor, sacrifice, humility, and compassion? That’s the drama that unfolds. Lightning is a hard case, and the outcome is always in doubt.

The cars/people are incredible. Shortly into the movie you forget that the people are cars or the cars are people, you suspend disbelief, and you just begin to watch an engaging story about real people. The windshields are their eyes, and the grilles are their mouths, and they display emotions as well as any human actor. The story is serious and light-hearted at the same time. The puns are too numerous to catch. And this is a must-see-twice-to-get-it-all movie.

FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.

The Lake House

I saw this film on May 26th, 2006 in Indianapolis. I am one of the judges for the Heartland Film Festival’s Truly Moving Picture Award. A Truly Moving Picture “…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life.” Heartland gave that award to this film.

An attractive, educated, professionally fulfilled Doctor (Sandra Bullock) “meets” an attractive, educated, sensitive architect (Keanu Reeves) via letters and a past common residency of a particular lake house. What could be the problem? The problem is that they are currently living two years apart and then again at the exact same time in this romantic, heart-wrenching, dramatic fairy tale.

The Doctor leaves the lake house in rural Illinois in 2006 in order to advance her career and find happiness in Chicago. She leaves a note to an unknown-to-her new tenant, the architect, to forward her mail. They correspond to each other and slowly discover that he is actually living in the house 2 years earlier in 2004. And … they share the same dog. But somehow the viewer can suspend disbelief and get into the story because the two characters are believable and intelligent and are initially just as skeptical of the time riddle as the viewer.

Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock re-unite for the first time since “Speed.” The genre of “The Lake House” is completely different, but the actors are just as complementary and likeable in this fantasy tale. They both display a deep, patient, and profound love for each other. And they do so with grace and charm and a chemistry that can’t be readily explained.

Much of this film plays like a mystery with mothers and fathers, siblings, and boy and girl friends weaving in and out of the story in the present time of 2004 and the present time of 2006. But through it all, the Doctor and the architect ultimately never lose hope that they can solve this time puzzle and can actually be together at the same moment in time.

FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.

Saving Shiloh

I saw this film on April 5th, 2006 in Indianapolis. I am one of the judges for the Heartland Film Festival’s Truly Moving Picture Award. A Truly Moving Picture “…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life.” Heartland gave that award to this film.

This film is about a 12 year old boy growing up and coming of age in a small, picturesque town in the Midwest. Even though his family is of modest means, he has an ideal life with a loving family consisting of his father, mother, two little sisters, and his beagle dog, Shiloh.

The boy takes on a challenge. He befriends an old, cantankerous man who has no friends or family, and is rumored to be involved in everything from dog beating, to burglary, and even to a current murder investigation. This old man was abused as a child and seems to be a hopeless cause. His cause seems hopeless not only because of his behavior, but also because he is forever the victim of gossip. The boy looks for the good in the old man even though he is not sure if he will succeed or whether the old man is capable of change.

Along the way, the boy confronts other challenges closer to home. He has a senile Grandmother who appears to be an Alzheimer victim and is difficult to love. He also has a rebellious young sister who is a constant pain.

Displaying sacrifice and compassion well beyond his years, the boy learns valuable lessons about life. However, this is not a preachy movie. The morality statements are understated, and the children are surprisingly fine actors who mostly display the fun of being young and open and naïve. The whole family can enjoy this movie, which is part mystery, part adventure and part family drama.

FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.

Take The Lead

I saw this film on March 28th, 2006 in Indianapolis. I am one of the judges for the Heartland Film Festival’s Truly Moving Picture Award. A Truly Moving Picture “…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life.” Heartland gave that award to this film.

The setting is a rundown high school in a poor minority neighborhood in Manhatten.
The students have a challenging family environment. Their parents are depicted as mostly unemployed and drunks, drug users, prostitutes, and low-lifes. Their children reflect this environment. They hide their low self esteem with bravura, petty crimes, slang, rudeness, indifference and, above all, their love of hip-hop music.

By accident and fate, Pierre Dulaine (Antonio Banderas) walks into the Principal’s (Angela Bassett) office. He is challenged to work with the worst of the students as a volunteer in the detention hall after school. Pierre is an ex-professional ballroom dancer and runs a ballroom dancing school. He decides to get to the kids with ballroom dancing.
His competition is hip-hop music and hip-hop dancing and the ghetto, chip-on-the-shoulder attitudes.

Pierre tackles his assignment with presence. He is impeccably dressed, polite, and exudes intensity and confidence. Over time and with difficulty, he starts to bring the troubled teens up to his level. He never goes down to their level. And then he challenges the teens with a city-wide ballroom dance contest, and the story takes off.

Pierre attempts to give hope to the students by having them make good choices. Pierre’s tools are his own spirit, grace, sacrifice and charm. He wills his way into getting respect from the students.

The movie has the same inspirational feel as “Mad Hot Ballroom” but is much different. This film is fiction and about older students and is much more edgy and brutal.

While the film is occasionally edgy and dark, the music and dance makes this strangely a light and entertaining watch for most of the time. And the music and dance are eclectic – from Gershwin to 50 Cents and from Tango to slow motion Breakdance.

FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.

Sophie Scholl

I saw this film on February 14th, 2006 in Indianapolis. I am one of the judges for the Heartland Film Festival that screens films for their Truly Moving Picture Award. A Truly Moving Picture “…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life.” Heartland gave that award to this film.

The place and time are Nazi Germany of 1942-43. Germany is starting to have serious war setbacks like their huge loss and immense casualties at Stalingrad, and the allies, consisting of England, the United States, and Russia, are united in the destruction of the Third Reich. Within Germany, the opposition to Hitler, the Gestapo, and fascism is laughably small. Students with mimeograph machines try to educate and motivate other students to rally and protest. These students have to do this clandestinely because their activities are considered high treason and there is no freedom of speech or assembly.

Sophie Scholl and her older brother Hans are caught distributing subversive, anti-Hitler literature. The film focuses on the 21 year old Sophie, and she is NOT the weaker sex. She is interrogated for days and she is a spectrum of people far beyond her years; i.e., young, afraid, conniving, brave, docile, belligerent, religious, tough, tender, mature, etc.

The film is shot in color, but the color is heavily muted and it looks almost black and white. That is appropriate because the film plays as much as a documentary and as it does as a fictional drama. In fact, this story is based on a true story.

We live in a time when the head of Iran thinks the Holocaust didn’t happen. It is moving to see that at least some young people in Germany during World War II were ashamed and disgusted by their country’s murder of Jews, the mentally ill, gypsies, and women and children of occupied countries.

Sophie’s religious beliefs were inspiring. She did not blame her God and she did not feel forsaken. God was simply her strength that she humbly called upon when she needed it most.

This film appears to have been made with a low budget. But, the impact is as powerful as large-budgeted films with similar themes like “Schindler’s List” and “A Man For All Seasons.” It has been nominated for an Oscar as Best Foreign Picture this year. And…it deserves the nomination.

FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.