"The Vow": Classic Ephesians 5

In a country where the divorce rate is a whopping fifty percent, it seems we have lost our sense of faithfulness to one another, and most of the time, films reflect that - which is why The Vow is so refreshing to see.

Starring Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams, The Vow shows the beauty of a faithful marriage when loving a person isn’t easy. Leo and Paige are a newly married couple who end up in a car crash, resulting in Paige’s memory loss, and their vows are tested to their limits.

Leo is a heroic husband amid the tragedy, sacrificing his money and business to help Paige remember the last four years of their life together. In Paige’s mind, she is still engaged to her previous guy and is in law school instead of an art institute.

Despite Paige’s difficult situation, Leo upholds his role as an Ephesians 5 husband.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”

Although the Christian aspect of the true story isn’t in the film, Leo still lays down everything to help his wife through her confusion and pain. Even with his goodness, he’s still human, and at one point reminds Paige that she still needs to respect him as he tries his best to love her even when she’s difficult to love.

Leo never stops pursuing his wife. When Paige’s memory doesn’t return, he decides to try to make her fall in love with him again. He tells her, “You know when you read a good book, and you want a friend to experience the same excitement you had? Well, our life together was really great, and I want to share it with you, as if I’m lending you a book. So how about one date?”

Paige struggles with remembering the person she was when the accident happened, and it causes her to drift away from Leo until she remembers why she made those decisions in the first place. She ends up making the same decisions again, this time, after making peace with the broken relationships in her family.

While Leo’s self-sacrificing love is a beautiful example, in the end, it isn’t Leo and Paige’s marriage that is the best example of faithfulness to their marriage vows: it’s her parents, broken and imperfect. The most touching moment in the movie is when her mother shares why she never left her husband after he had an affair.

With tears running down her face, she tells Paige, “I chose to stay with him for all the things he did right, instead of leaving him for the one thing he did wrong. I chose to forgive him.”

As romance movies go, this one is surprisingly deep in an industry that thrives on stories about superficiality and infidelity. The script had some great lines, and while Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams weren’t their best, they had tremendous depth and emotion in their characters. Overall, the film isn’t perfect, but the message is worth the viewing.

This film shows the beauty of self-sacrifice in marriage, and that real love involves a daily choice. Real love is willing the goodness of another more than your own needs. Despite faults and failings, real love is to choose to love one another – especially in the times where the warm, romantic feelings are absent. Sometimes it isn’t pretty, but in the end, faithfulness is always worth it.

Adele Deserves Every Grammy She Got!

 

Adele's soulful pipes are mindblowlingly beautiful. Check out her performance at the Grammy's! 

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Review

9/11 is still a touchy subject, still too close for comfort. So any movie based on the event has heart-tugging potential, since every American was wounded that day, some more than others.

Oskar Schell lost more than others. In the book-turned-film Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, young Oskar lost his father in the Twin Towers on 9/11, or “The Worst Day”, as he calls it.

Having been raised by a wonderful father played by Tom Hanks, Oskar took his father’s death quite hard, though he doesn’t let it harm his earnest spirit. Oskar is the most persevering son/amateur pacifist/vegan/oxymoronist/martial artist/inventor, who will stop at nothing to find answers.

Oskar’s father taught him to search, to dive into his curiosity. Oskar will relentlessly search for the pieces of the puzzle that satisfy the questions of his heart. So when Oskar finds a key in his father’s room with the name “Black” on it, Oskar believes his father intended that he find what the key unlocks.

The journey sends Oskar on a wild goose chase, since there are over 400 people with the name of “Black” in one region of New York alone. Oskar even employs the help of an elderly man who can’t speak to help him, and learns from him the art of letting go.

Note that for this movie, as it is often in life, the point isn’t about the destination, as it is the journey. Along the journey, Oskar learns about himself, his family, and about loving family relationships. Most importantly, he learns that it’s okay to be sad and to hurt. It’s also ok to move on. At some point, we have to let go to move toward the future.

While the premise of the story is initially touching and relatable, the intense dramatization is a bit too much to bear without any happy moments mixed in. With such a heavy subject, the movie needed to be more balanced; it was all depression, all time, until the last few minutes.

Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks, who played the Schell parents, were raw and genuine. Their loving natures were believable, and their gestures and mannerisms unique. Thomas Horn, who played Oskar, was a bit too over the top personally, although in certain scenes in the movie, his emotion was spot-on.

While 9/11 is a heavy subject, it seems that the event and the people surrounding it should be portrayed in a hopeful light to reflect that, as a nation, we have let that grief go. 9/11 will never be forgotten. But I don’t think those who were lost would want us to wallow in depression, so Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close shouldn’t, either. We shouldn’t focus on the pain, but rather let its memory propel us forward, motivating us to live each day to the fullest.

Check out this movie review on Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close featured at MyBenedictineBlog.com!

How "The Help" Isn't So Different Today...

"Those who forget history are destined to repeat it."

In World War II, Adolf Hitler claimed Jews were not human beings. He brutally massacred them in The Holocaust. He sent them to concentration camps and committed horrendous crimes against them – unspeakable things. He tore their families apart. 

Not too long ago in our American history, we claimed blacks were not people and treated them as property - or worse - similar to what Hitler did to the Jews. 

In the recent book-turned-movie, The Help, we get a better taste of how white people treated black people. And look how far we’ve come – we had the Civil Rights movement, led by people like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. We’ve come a long way. While we still deal with racism, people of different color and creed are treated as equals now.

This movie was celebrated by critics. People who know the story agree it’s good. People know that it’s unjust to claim that other people are not human. 

We’re American. We’re all about equality. 

Or are we?

We have a new Holocaust on our hands, another claim of inequality, another horrendous injustice. By our votes, we legalized killing innocent babies in the womb, which is supposed to be the safest place.

We claim they are not people, and have no right to life - it's their mother's choice, not theirs. And they don't even have a voice to speak up and say they want to live. They can't even scream. 

Yet, science proves they have a heartbeat only a couple weeks after conception. At the moment of conception, they have the 46 chromosomes that make up a human person. Scientifically, they are persons.

So is there any good reason for killing an innocent child? Inconvenience, maybe? Grow up and take responsibility for your actions. How about rape? Does the crime of rape make it okay to commit another crime of murder? It’s not the child’s fault. 

When will we learn? How many more lives need to be claimed in the name of inconvenience, or “because of certain circumstances”?

We were born into the beautiful community of humanity – we are all equal and we are supposed to look out for each other, especially the innocent and those who cannot speak for themselves. 

Who are we to say they have no right to life? If we do, that makes us no different from Hitler. If you say, “It’s her choice, not mine”, it’s no different than saying, “It’s Hitler’s choice, not mine”. 

This kind of inequality is no different than a racist view – it’s worse. It’s threatening the entire human race, not just one kind.

We have blood on our hands, America. If we want to make a change, stop sitting on the fence and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

And it can be done. In The Help, Skeeter did something about the injustice she saw. One of my favorite scenes is where Skeeter’s mother tells her how proud she is of her daughter, that she had the courage to go against the tide, take a stand for what’s right and write the book. “Sometimes courage skips a generation,” she says.

I decided that I will be that generation that says, “Enough is enough”. 

I will not be silent. I will not be apart of our culture of death, apart of those who stand by idly and watch innocent lives die. I will not be claimed or owned by the world, who repeats its mistakes over and over. I will fight for life, even if it means losing my own.

Balancing R.A. Life

What a smile. Certainly not a placid one – it’s the smile of a ready, willing servant. One sincerely interested in others.

The smile belongs to Grace Ruedi, sophomore Resident Advisor in St. Scholastica Hall. She steps into the R.A. office, ready to face whatever challenges the night brings.

The clock ticks 7:30 p.m. She murmurs a quick prayer to start the night and pulls out her checklist. 

“Begin the night in prayer, asking God to give you the grace to do His will,” the list says. Check.

Doing God’s will –for the residents—is just one of the many duties listed under the job description of an R.A. A solid campus life at a Catholic, liberal arts college thrives on community.

That’s Ruedi’s favorite part.

“I enjoy getting to know the girls and building a better community with them,” she says, and then pauses to answer a resident’s question. Ruedi is ready to drop whatever she’s doing to help.

Helping might not always be fun, however. Her least favorite part about the job is discipline.

“Writing them up. I hate that,” she says.

To Ruedi, being an R.A. isn’t just a full-time job. It’s a vocational investment, and balancing it with social, academic and spiritual life is tricky.

Most R.A.’s don’t have a set plan on how to do it.

“I have a schedule and I stick to it. Like if I have Mass or Adoration scheduled, I make sure I get there,” said Ruedi.

Dain Finney, a junior R.A., adds, “You have to bring it to work – invite people to visit you on call. Get both checked off at once.”

Ruedi nods.

“And I make sure I get my homework done early so I have time for other things,” she says.

To be an R.A. is to strive for a balanced life, while serving others. Service, especially encountering it for the first time, leads to personal growth.

“I’m learning a lot about myself and how I handle things. I’m definitely working on my weaknesses in this job,” she says, with that same willing smile.

“When I look back, I want to remember the friendships I made. And the crazy stories about what people do.”

The Cultural Footprint of 9/11

On what started as an ordinary Tuesday morning on Sept. 11, 2001, two planes crashed into the World Trade Centers. The buildings collapsed, leaving over 2,000 people dead, hundreds injured and a gaping wound America’s heart.  Although the tragedy has unified our country, many Americans feel alienated as targets of racial hatred 10 years later.

Although very young when the event occurred, Maria Heroux, a sophomore at Benedictine College, was old enough to notice the deep impact it left on American society -- particularly racial profiling. Heroux sees it as both a necessity and a problem.

“Our security definitely changed after that,” she said. 

“It’s degrading to say, ‘You look like a terrorist’ – but sometimes, it’s necessary,” Heroux said.

Laurel Aaker, of Apple Valley, Calif., also noticed the nation’s heightened awareness of racial profiling. “It is … necessary, as long as it’s founded on good reasons,” said Aaker. “But we’re not always able to trust the government – there are always mistakes made.” 

Many people, especially from the Middle East, have been held in airports because security has incorrectly assumed a potential terrorist, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) racial profiling report. 

In the same report, ACLU states that over 5,000 Middle Eastern men were interviewed based solely on their ethnicity after 9/11. They were asked personal questions about their political views, faith, and family. None of them were actually connected to terrorism.

Professor Sharma, of India, writes that Jihadists make up very small percentage of all Muslims – a mere 15 percent. Most Muslims are not radical and follow their faith quietly.

Making such assumptions about Muslims may cause them to be defensive, says Mary Ellen Ostrowski, another sophomore at Benedictine College. 

 “The aftermath produced a lot of stereotypes...even on how the Muslims see us," said Ostrowski. "We’re Americans. We’re the ‘melting-pot’, we’re supposed to include other people."

"They probably feel misunderstood. I would,” she said.

In the Department of Justice Racial Profiling Fact Sheet, it states the potentially harmful effects of such discrimination due to racial profiling. “Race-based assumptions in law enforcement perpetuate negative racial stereotypes and are harmful to our diverse democracy,” one line says.

Some, like Laurel Aaker, believe the issues of personal liberties must be weighed against the greater good.

“Radical Muslims probably feel defensive because we constantly question their intentions,” she said. “It might not be fair, or 100 percent accurate, but it’s better than nothing.” 

The impact of the events of Sept. 11 is also depicted in entertainment. Many movies portray Muslims as mere radicals. Aaker doesn’t see it as a problem.

“Most Americans are intelligent enough to decipher that they’re not all terrorists. It’s entertainment. That’s the focus, so of course they’ll highlight the radical ones," she said.

While movies are entertainment, they also present stereotypes to audiences, which could lead to more harm than good. Heroux and Ostrowski see the imbalance of how Muslims are portrayed by the entertainment industry.

“It’s unfortunate,” says Heroux. “Movies portray those ethnicities as bad guys all the time, we’re led to believe that’s what we should expect,” she said.

At the same time, Ostrowski said, “They all have the same rigid customs and beliefs. It’s portrayed as, ‘They’re Muslim’, not as ‘someone who practices Islam’."

Whether Americans see racial profiling as a help or a hindrance, its effects are seen everywhere, from airport security to contemporary entertainment. Aaker said that with racial profiling, there lies a fine line between truth and distortion.

“The nature of our times and the high risk of terrorism make it necessary... but I’m glad it’s not my job to figure out that balance,” Aaker said.

Cowboys and Aliens...Really?!

Okay, I haven’t seen Cowboys and Aliens, so I’m not reviewing it, but I’d like to say something: in terms of coming up with plotlines, I think Hollywood has hit an all time low. 

Don’t misunderstand me. I love cowboys. Aliens, not so much, but there have been some good alien films. But together? I think that just shows that Hollywood isn’t creative enough to come up with simpler, more intriguing stories. Stories that rely on real talent and a good script, instead of special effects and subtle marketing.

It’s as if everyone sat down in a boardroom to come up with an idea that would sell buckets of tickets - by putting everything that’s ever been successful in a movie and rolled into one. Cowboys? Check. Aliens? Check. Pretty women? Duh. Harrison Ford? He’s cool, let’s throw him in. New James Bond guy? That’ll reel in the dudes. Cool gadgets? That usually sells. 

They make me sad. On the other hand, it makes me feel better, because if they can come up with ideas that a five year old could just as easily imagine, then I’m not worried about finding a job in the business.

Still, this kind of low class film making basically profanes its roots. Back in the Golden Age, films weren’t made to rack up dollars. They were seen as an art (for the most part), and stories were inventive and original. Take for example, The Philadelphia Story.

 

C.K. Dexter Haven marries Tracy Lord. They divorce. He tries to get revenge on Tracy by hiring Macaulay Connor to write a story on her new marriage, which doesn’t work out because she has a fling with Connor. But she has a conversion so to speak, and declines his marriage proposal, only to remarry Haven. It’s a hilarious jumble of characters, all vying for the same woman. 

Nowadays, the only films with interesting storylines are the ones that are remakes of older ones or books turned into movies. Except Eragon. That was terrible.

Get ready, guys. I can see it now - Cowboys vs...POKEMON!