10 Day You Challenge - Day 8: 3 Films

In an attempt to keep to the brief of the 10 Day You Challenge and my own self-imposed 30 Days of Thanksgiving, here are 3 films that I am thankful for having seen, for various reasons:

1) THE SEARCHERS: My mother loved John Wayne, and this, in my humble opinion is the best John Wayne film bar none. He may have got an Oscar for "True Grit", but that was because of his larger than life performance, and if truth be told, the recent Cohen Brothers' version is probably better. But "The Searchers" is a wonderful story with beautiful cinematography. Some have condemned it as racist because of its portrayal of the Native Americans in it, but it was a film of its time and probably reflected real attitudes in the old west... and actually is much more nuanced than many other old westerns. But I'm thankful for this film, not only because of itself, but also because of memories of my mum.

2) IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE: If you don't like this Frank Capra classic Christmas fantasy please let me know so that I can take you off my list of friends... I discovered this as a teenager when it was on BBC2 one Saturday afternoon in the run-up to Christmas. I found myself sucked into it, and before I knew it, I found that my eyes were leaking... And it happens every time I see it... Anyone who doesn't cry at it must have a clockwork mechanism in place of a heart. And that is true of my final choice...

3) SUNSHINE ON LEITH: A real joy from start to finish. A modern musical with a bit of grit, and great performances by a cast that are not big names but can sing and act... Also it is based in one of my favourite places on earth, Edinburgh... It deserved a wider distribution...

Cheers

Comments

Psalm for Harvest Sunday

A short responsive psalm for us as a call to worship on Harvest Thanksgiving Sunday, and given that it was pouring with rain as I headed into church this morning the first line is an important remembrance that the rain we moan about is an important component of the fruitfulness of the land we live in: You tend the land and water it And the earth produces its abundance. You crown each year with your bounty, and our storehouses overflow with your goodness. The mountain meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are filled with corn; Your people celebrate your boundless grace They shout for joy and sing. from Psalm 65

Living under the Empire... (2) Where is Babylon?

We were driving back from school last week, talking about books that we had been reading and my younger son, Ciaran, asked me "Where is Babylon?" I have to confess that my history is better than my geography, and I said that it no longer exists as an inhabited city, but its ruins were to the north west of the current capital of Iraq, Baghdad. When I checked however, I discovered that it is actually about 50 miles south of Baghdad and the modern town is the administrative centre of the province of Babil... But just as the modern city is but a shadow of the historic capital of 2 ancient empires, first under Hammurabi in the 18th century BCE and then the "Neo-Babylonian" empire (under Nebuchadnezzar etc) in the 6th century BCE, so the earthly Babylonian empire/s was/were fleeting in comparison to the enduring metaphorical idea of Babylon. The original Empire under Hammurabi was probably the ultimate origin of some of the early Biblical stories, including the ...

A Woman of no Distinction

Don't often post other people's stuff here... But I found this so powerful that I thought I should. It's a performance poem based on John 4: 4-30, and I have attached the original YouTube video below. A word for women, and men, everywhere... "to be known is to be loved, and to be loved is to be known." I am a woman of no distinction of little importance. I am a women of no reputation save that which is bad. You whisper as I pass by and cast judgmental glances, Though you don’t really take the time to look at me, Or even get to know me. For to be known is to be loved, And to be loved is to be known. Otherwise what’s the point in doing either one of them in the first place? I WANT TO BE KNOWN. I want someone to look at my face And not just see two eyes, a nose, a mouth and two ears; But to see all that I am, and could be all my hopes, loves and fears. But that’s too much to hope for, to wish for, or pray for So I don’t, not anymore. Now I keep to myself And by that ...

Virtual Methodist

Search This Blog