Knowing

As in, the movie "Knowing." Hunk O Man and I had a date on Friday night, and we saw it. Hunk O Man was not impressed.

I wasn't sure if I liked it or not, at that point, just having seen it.

This is the kind of movie you really have to think about. I went to Roger Ebert's blog and read his commentary -- he LOVED it. This gave me pause; occasionally I value his opinion, but then again probably 60% of the time I disagree with him.

Anyway, Ebert's post about the movie "Knowing" is called "A Roll of Whose Dice?" I loved the title because I have been listening to Isaacson's biography of Einstein for a while now.

Before I go on, I need to tell you that one of my greatest fascinations is particle theory and astrophysics. I find documentaries on the net all the time and listen to them as I sew. And they're all in plain language, as I am no mathematician -- which all the great ones are.

So Einstein came up with the Special Theory of Relativity, and then spent the rest of his life fighting against its implications. The Theory opened the field of Quantum Mechanics, and in Quantum Mechanics, everything is measured in probabilities. Nothing is certain.

To this, Einstein replied, "God does not play dice."

Einstein was convinced that there was a mathematical answer that would unify and explain how everything happened and works. He spent the rest of his life in pursuit of it.

So this is why Ebert's post caught my eye -- he was paraphrasing Einstein. And his post is full of the questions that all philosophers ask -- why are we here? Is there purpose? Or is it random?
He even gives you a couple of videos at the end of the blog post where some well-known philosophers talk about all of it.

I listened. I thought they were missing the point. Philosophy is nice, but in the end, it's just all talking. It makes the simple very complicated. And truth is very simple in the end.

And back to the movie -- if you go to the movie's website, you'll find a sci-fi-ish end-of-the-world thriller. Well, sort of. I'm pretty sure at this point that I loved the movie. I've thought about it all weekend, and I keep thinking about it. I think it may be my very own adult version of Narnia.

Now if you haven't seen it and plan to see it, stop reading right here. In order to tell you what I thought about it, I have to tell you what happens.

Here is the best part for me: the good people, the ones who lived a good life not hurting anyone or doing anything much wrong -- they died. They were nice, they didn't kill anyone, they generally didn't sin much -- they were pretty good, according to their own standards. Still, they died in the end.

The ones who were saved were the ones who heard the message.

That's huge! Hollywood finally has validated the message of Christ, and the consequences of what will happen if we don't accept Christ!

Interestingly, the ones who died were the ones who were trying to make scientific sense of the message. They tried to understand it before accepting it.

The ones who lived simply heard, took it as true, and were saved.

Also, the ones who died were trying to prevent the inevitable. I wonder if this is what Satan is busy doing -- trying to prevent the inevitable. Trying to change the future.

Also, the message was given to a very unlikely person -- a child in class in a school, probably second or third grade. It was also passed on to another unlikely person -- another child the same age. By accident it fell into an adult's hand.

Ultimately, the movie proved to me that you can't just read the bible and try and understand it. You have to be quiet, and still, and listen for the Lord's voice. You have to hear the whisper of the Holy Spirit, and take it for what it is: truth.

You just can't try and figure it all out and then expect that to save you. I love the way the Whisper People looked, the vehicle in which they arrived, the way the earth was destroyed, and the look of the place where the children went.

Ezekiel's Wheel -- fire devours the earth -- fields of gold / streets of gold. And the tree of life.

And I loved that it reminded me that timing is everything, especially in the economy of God.

Did you see it? What did you think?

xoxoxox

Topping the List

Recently, I saw what I think is my favourite movie of all time.

This is no small thing.

My favourite movies are few, and a short list: The Abyss, The original Star Wars, Steel Magnolias, Fried Green Tomatoes.

But topping them all is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

I think it's the poignancy of the story that gets me -- along with the music, and the performances. It touched me in such a way that I think I haven't been in a long while.

It is a beautiful movie, both in story and in photography. It is a beautiful story of enduring love and the human frailties and experiences that forever seek to break the bond of that love.

I've seen it twice now, and could watch it again and again. For me, that's the mark of a great movie.

As for television, I noticed tonight that the History Channel is doing a bio on Einstein. Since I listen to his biography by Isaacson every night (narrated by Edward Hermann, whose voice I adore), I am anxious to see how it compares to the written biography. He was a fascinating man.

Critics have somewhat panned Benjamin Button. I find this a little sad. Do we not go to movies to be entertained, to be moved in some way? I've had it with all the blood and gore. I'm thankful for finally a movie that swept me away.

xox

Talk About Funny

GIVEAWAY IS BELOW --KEEP SCROLLING --

I watched this night before last. I nearly wet my pants I laughed so hard.

No kidding. I don't think I've laughed so hard at a movie since I saw Patch Adams.

Go rent Leatherheads right now.

(Try not to shoot Diet Coke out your nose, though,
and thereby get your popcorn all wet)

xox

Rambling on about Stuff

We had the most beautiful display last night -- a lightning show from an oncoming storm. Hunk O Man and I watched it as we drove home from the movies. We actually had a date.

We saw "The Dark Knight" and "The X-Files." I was disappointed in both movies. But the Light Show from God made up for it on the way home.

I am a huge fan of Sci-Fi. Although there isn't much good on television, there is great stuff in print and occasionally in movies. My favourite movie of all time is Star Wars -- the one that came out in 1977. I've faithfully watched all the Star Trek series until "Enterprise" -- just couldn't get into that one. I liked X-Files while it was on television, and liked the first movie. I loved the series "Beauty and the Beast" until the very last season, when it just got stupid. And my favourite television show currently is "Battlestar Galactica."

The thing I like about Galactica -- or virtually every Sci-Fi thing I read or see -- is that it's about everything familiar to me -- politics, human relationships, everyday life problems, parenting -- all put into an unfamiliar setting. I love the juxtaposition of these two things. Simple things like murder mysteries take on a whole new light when the victim has been shot out of an airlock into dead space.

My favourite episode of Star Trek: Next Generation is "The Measure of a Man," the one where some scientist from nowhere wants to disassemble Data, the beloved android crew member, and study him in order to recreate him. This opens up a huge discussion through the show about the rights of humans, the rights of non-humans, what constitutes a person, views on "disposable people" and slavery, who gets to be the judge when there is no standard judicial forum available, and ultimately, laying down one's life and will and identity in order to save a friend.

This was some of the best writing I have ever heard or seen in my life. I am not a fan of Whoopi Goldberg -- but she has some of the best lines in it. If you ever have the chance to see it, you should. That makes me wonder if it's on YouTube. I should investigate that.

This X-Files movie was supposed to be about all these sorts of things -- the complexities of human relationships amid a sci-fi setting -- but it failed me miserably. I left the theater thinking "that's it? Just a story about Frankenstein?" Of course Roger Ebert says it's much more -- but honestly, I thought all that sappy angst about when to give up was kind of trite.

The Dark Knight was just, well, dark. We didn't see the end of it. We left to catch X-Files.

I think I am getting to an age when I just don't want dark things in my brain anymore. I'm finished with that phase of life when I am curious about the darkness. I'm not afraid of it, especially after reading today when Paul says to the Corinithians "It's all right to have a childlike unfamiliarity with evil; a simple no is all that's needed there." (I Cor 14:20, from "The Message")
A simple no. Can you imagine? Just saying no to evil. I suppose that's what I want to do as I get older. Fill my brain with the things of God, like that lightning show last night. The amazing things are found in goodness, rather than the unseen mysteries of darkness. I wish I'd realised this when I was 20. I think I would be a better person today.

Ok, brief ramble is over. Back to the homemaking and parenting and sewing and decorating.

And praying for the latest folks killed and wounded in a bomb blast in an Istanbul marketplace . . .

And A Fun Day Was Had By All.

I played hookey yesterday. No kidding.

I NEVER do this. I am always saying, "No, not this time," or "I have a ton of things to do," or "I'll just stay home, you guys go and have a good time."

But yesterday was different.

I needed to make a trip to Rocky Mount, which is 35 minutes south. I thought JB would want to come so we could remedy her new swimsuit situation. I tried to talk Bunny into coming with, but she she said no. Everyone around here seemed out of sorts, except me. I was worried about it being one of those trips where you regret taking a kid because they are just a pain. So I tried not to be a talky-talky-pest-of-a-mom to JB during the trip down. We listened to praise music on our Christian station. It was nice. She perked up a little.

We did our errands and JB got a new swimsuit, even an additional piece to it that only cost $1 more. She perked up a little more.

So then we decided to sneak off and play hookey. We called Hunk O Man to make sure nothing was happening last night that necessitated our being home. JB told him we were shopping and it would probably take awhile.

We hit a dollar store for cheap Milk Duds and Skittles and Twix bars.

We loaded the candy and our water bottles into my purse that will hold half of China.

We felt very sneaky.

And then, we went to the movies! Wa-hooey!

We wanted to see Narnia, but it didn't start till 7:00PM and this was just about 10 past 5:00PM. So we bought tickets for Iron Man. Matinee prices.

(BTW -- GREAT movie. I loved it. I've always liked Robert Downey Jr and wanted to rescue him from his drug-addicted life. He is just an extraordinary actor. And Gwyneth Paltrow -- thank you, thank you, thank you for the form-fitting clothes that show you have a gorgeous figure and have obviously had two children!)

So we get the big popcorn and the big Diet Coke and head into the theatre. There is one guy in there, in the front row on the floor. We choose the higher-up section and go to the 3rd row. Nothing like a private showing!

I sneakily take my cell phone out, turn it off, and wave goodbye to it. JB waves too. We then begin devouring popcorn.

About 10 minutes into the movie, Elderly Sweet Southern Gentleman, probably in his late 70's, walks in. He is hunched over. He heads for the floor section -- but then decides to come up to the higher altitudes with us. He sits behind us one row, about 5 seats over.

Next thing I know, he's tapping my shoulder as I'm stuffing popcorn into my mouth.

And with that sweet, slow, southern accent, he asks,

"Hey, can y'catch me up? What's happened so far?"

Huh? (quickly swallow popcorn!)

I turn and explain what happened in the beginning of the movie.

"What?" He puts his hand to his ear.

I repeat the description. Then I tell him "this part is 48 hours earlier."

"Oh! So this is like a flashback."

He thanks me profusely and I turn around and smile. I LOVE IT! when this kind of thing happens. It makes me feel used by God and totally in the moment. Very cool stuff, that.

So the movie progresses and we get to the 48 hours later part, and I turn and say, "This is where they all get blown up."

He says "What?" and then "Oh! OK." and smiles.

** (brief aside) Now we are very sneaky in our movie going in the Wesner household. We always, always, always buy popcorn and a drink. We usually end up spending more on that than on the tickets. And then we go to our showing. And when it's done, we movie-hop until we are tired and go home. We usually see 2 or 3 movies. No, we do not actually pay for these movies. But the popcorn and drinks is where the theatres make all their money anyway, so we don't feel bad about that. Plus, there are 7 of us when we all go. Situational ethics, I know. I've gone round and round about this with Hunk O Man. He always wins. The theatres are still making money off us. **

So JB and I are watching the clock because you bet at 7:00PM we're heading over to see Narnia. In the meantime, I am whispering "He's the bad guy, isn't he?" She is just making that raised eyebrow face at me like she does. Bad guy is revealed. I whisper, "I knew it!" She laughs.

At 7:05, we get up to leave. Elderly Sweet Gentleman behind us says "You're not leaving, are you?" He sounds so sad. I feel bad leaving him. But not bad enough to stay.

I wave to him. We make a bathroom stop and sneak into Narnia just in time for one preview. The theatre is not deserted, but it's not even half full. Man o man o man did we ever choose the right day to go to the movies!

JB has already seen Iron Man, so she tells me how it ends. I am happy with that until the DVD comes out.

We devour the rest of the popcorn, almost all the Milk Duds, all the Skittles, one Twix bar, all the Diet Coke and half the water. I whisper to JB at the parts I remember. She whispers questions back. We leave at the end of Narnia talking about all the ways this story is just like God in our lives.

We drive home happy in the 85 degree heat with the sunroof and back windows open. We chat the whole way, and I only drive 65 because it makes the RPM's only go a little over 2, and that gets us better gas mileage.

When we get home, we talk about how light it is outside and how much we love summer. I thank JB for having such a great day with me. We both smile.

And a good day was had by all.