Ken Jr

Despicable Me, “It’s fluffy!”

Thanks to a few friends of ours Caroline and I were able to enjoy a nice night out this week. The movie theaters don’t seem to have a lot to choose from these days (end of summer doldrums at the box-office I guess) so we didn’t feel too strange about using this precious opportunity to watch an animated film targeted at children.

After receiving some good directions from my very capable older sister, Jen, we headed down the interstate until we found Regal Cinema 20. It was hard to miss as it was the only building that looked like a neon-crown. We parked our car, went in and spent some time failing at arcade games in order to kill some time (I also heard the song “Butterfly” for the first time thanks to DDR).

Alright, so you want to know what I thought of Despicable Me, right? I have to warn you first though that my opinion of the movie may be somewhat biased. I didn’t have to put up with any shrieking children bouncing up and down in the front rows. In fact, we had the entire screen to ourselves that night. The advantage to having our own theater was that we could talk as much as we wanted and laugh like maniacs. And laugh we did.  Despicable Me is easily one of the funniest films of the year. The script-writers didn’t slack on the story either, which is quite refreshing in the age of Happy Meal (tm) movies. I won’t give away too much of the film, but let me just say that while the plot revolves around the actions of a (somehow) loveable super-villain named Gru, the audience begins to figure out very quickly that there are other, more menacing villains that the film wants to warn us about. These villains represent greed, selfish-ambition and vanity. We see all of these traits in Gru at the beginning of the film but by the end his interaction with three adorable little girls helps to change his perspective. As cheesy as this moral message seems I never felt like the movie was being preachy.

Overall feelings: Kids will appreciate the vibrant animation and almost constant slap-stick action. Adults will be able to enjoy the ins-and-outs of the plot as well as the overall moral message (and some of the jokes that will be going over their kids’ heads). If you haven’t seen Despicable Me yet and you’re looking for a fun movie pick-me-up before summer leaves, I definitely recommend it.

Reflections on Fatherhood - 1 Year

It’s almost hard to believe that I’ve been a father for just over one year. Actually, it’s somewhat hard to believe that I haven’t been one longer. You see, as much as I’ve been surprised and bewildered over the last year I’ve also felt a great deal of comfort and inner reassurance that this is something that I was made, something that gives me joy like few other pursuits in life and something that will continue to surprise me.

With that sappy introduction, I’d like to list off, in no particular order, some of the tidbits of wisdom that I’ve gleaned from my first year as “Da-da.”

• Changing diapers isn’t nearly as bad as I expected it would be. In fact, for awhile it was actually kind of fun as it was the main way in which I interacted with my son for several months. I mean, there aren’t a lot of games that a two-month old can play, but he did know how to grin when Daddy changed his diaper.
• Speaking of laughter, there is something musical about how baby’s laugh. I’ve discovered that even the most repetitive, lame antics on my part can be hilarious to a baby. If someone tried to eat my finger and toes for the 1000th time I’d probably be pretty ticked.
• Negotiation and sharing the responsibilities of child-care is key. I had to learn this one the hard way. Even if I was doing an equal amount of “work” and chores it still mattered that I took the time to watch and take care of Kenny on a regular basis, otherwise my wife would feel like I was distancing myself from the very large responsibility of caring for our son. When the trade-off is between my convenience and time and keeping our relationship operating smoothly, I’ll gladly inconvenience myself.
• Free time is more limited but more enjoyable.
• The most mundane items make the best toys. Some of Kenny’s favorites are paper, cardboard, sheets, buckles, and an old computer keyboard.
• Popsicles (all natural of course) make the best teethers.
• Learning new words is fun. Having to say no to a screaming, flailing baby who can tell you just what he wants isn’t so fun.
• Routines make parenting much easier, but sometimes you need to be very flexible.
• A cute baby is the quickest way to make friends with random strangers at the grocery store.
• Everyone has an opinion on how to raise a child.
• People love to try and amuse my child. I love it when he can amuse me.
• Children are truly a blessing and a joy. I wouldn’t trade away all of the tired nights, smell diapers, and crying fits that I went through (and will continue to go through) if it meant I couldn’t have known such a wonderful and unique little person.

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Inception: Thoughts and Reactions

Rumor has it that some people still read this blog, so I better post something.

Have you heard of Inception? If you haven’t, chances are that you don’t own a TV or have a computer connected to the Internet. Inception is Christopher Nolan’s latest epic film (the term movie really doesn’t do justice to what this man creates). If you’ve seen the previews you know that the plot revolves around a character whose job is breaking into peoples’ minds through dreams. If you haven’t seen the movie yet and don’t want anything spoiled, you’ll probably want to read the rest of this post later. If you aren’t sure about the movie and want to hear me review it let me just tell you that you won’t be disappointed. My only warning to you is this: pee right before you enter the theater and don’t chug a white-cherry Icee during the first half.

…OK, enough rambling, here are some of my thoughts on this mind-bending sci-fi thriller. Inception is a movie that looks very complex. Just like the final dream sequences, you can continue to peel back the layers and find meaning in every level. Nolan put plenty of thought into the script and it clearly shows.

As much as Inception can be dissected and debated, there is a very clear story that forms the core of the movie. DiCaprio’s character, Cobb, struggles with guilt over the death of his wife. He attributes her death to his actions and as much as he tries to hide his feelings and recapture good memories things in his head are clearly not “under control.” In the movie his subconscious acts out in very startling ways, trying to derail the other characters, inflicting random chaos and ultimately forcing him to confront his memories in the final climactic scene. What’s so great about Inception’s portrayal of Cobb is not just that he is a likable character, but that his guilt and inner struggle become a very believable part of this surreal escapade.

The film offers a sublime resolution to Cobb’s problems. He completes his final mission successfully and is reunited with his children at last. He is only able to do this when he definitively says no to living in the fantasy world of his dreams—the world where his dead wife still lives as a projection of his subconscious desires. Thus the final note in the movie is one of hope that despite the pain we may experience in this life, it is ultimately better to avoid the snare of “ignorance is bliss.” Limbo may be the place where anything is possible, but compared to the vibrancy of real human relationships it may as well be a crumbling wasteland.

Reaction:

So, having presented how the movie causes us to identify with Cobb’s guilt and the resolution of that guilt, what reaction should I have as a thinking audience member? The film of course simply offers its own vision and doesn’t work as much of a “sparring partner,” so I’m going out on a bit of a limb here. My take on Nolan’s world is that the resolution he offers to human pain and suffering (of the emotional and spiritual kind) isn’t satisfying enough. It seems like a warm elixir—pain must be overcome by struggle and inner confrontation, right? We have to face our fears and then learn to leave them in the past where they belong. The problem with such an approach is not its goals but its methods. In the Christian world-view there is only one way to erase the past, and that is through death. As much as we want to believe that we have the capacity to heal ourselves of the demons that haunt us, such power truly belongs to God alone. His means for having us realize that power is by having us participate, in a spiritual and incomprehensible sense, in the death and resurrection of Jesus. By being reborn as new creatures we can see that life isn’t all about the pain and sorrow that we experience now, but the glorious riches and fellowship that belong to those who are in Christ. When we have a heavenly focus we don’t feel attached to the things of this world and we also don’t feel bound by them. In the world of the film, however, the main character has simply traded his grief over the past for worldly happiness. His happiness is admirable but it is also something that will fade away and die in its own time. The benefit of choosing life in Christ is that though our happiness in this world may have its ups and downs, we know that the future holds full reconciliation with God and the peace that we ache for.

Anyways, those are some of my initial thoughts on the film. Please leave your own reactions below. How do you see Inception fitting in with your view of the world? Does Nolan do a good job of presenting inner character struggle?