Docter Strikes Again

I am a huge fan of Monsters, Inc. The creativity of the story, the characters, and the blend of humor, drama, and heartwarming moments have made it my favorite Pixar movie ever since I first saw it almost 15 years ago. It's written by Pete Docter, the same man behind Toy Story 1&2, Wall-E, Up, and most recently, Inside Out. I've been intrigued by the premise of Inside Out for months, and last weekend I got to see it. Though it's too early to tell for sure, Inside Out may be my new favorite Pixar movie.

We're taken inside the mind of 11-year-old Riley, a girl who loves her family, her friends, hockey, being a goofball, and Minnesota in general. Then everything changes when she and her parents move to San Francisco for her dad's job. Against this backdrop, the majority of the conflict and drama comes from Riley's five primary emotions (Joy, Fear, Anger, Sorrow, and Disgust) interacting with each other. Joy tends to more or less run the show, and most of Riley's memories end up happy. Not that the other emotions don't have their times occasionally, but it's apparent that they seem to be on board with Riley being happy most  of the time. Well, most of them do. Then there's Sadness. Not surprisingly, she and Joy aren't exactly best buds. Sadness wants to touch some of Riley's memories (making them sad in the process) and Joy is intent on keeping Sadness as far away from influencing Riley as she can. When an accident separates Joy and Sadness from Headquarters, they have to work together if they're going to get back. Along the way, Joy discovers that Sadness is far more important than she ever imagined.

Inside Out utilizes the emotional punch of Up and combines it with a complexity and scope reminiscent of the door system from Monsters, Inc. As usual, it's surprisingly deep for a "kids movie." While there are certainly plenty of moments that will make kids laugh, there's a lot of serious moments.  I am not a crier. I've cried at one book in my life, and prior to last Saturday, I never had in a movie. During one scene late in the movie I had to force myself not to actually cry, but I definitely teared up. It feels real. I know our emotions and memories don't work the same way the ones in the movie do. I know that. But the events that trigger the emotions and the reactions to those events could easily happen in real life. The people are believable.

There's a strong emphasis on family, a rarity in today's films. Riley's parents are portrayed as flawed but also loving, intelligent, and caring. Riley's connection to her parents is viewed as a key aspect of her life. And, unlike most other Disney movies, neither of the parents die, which was a pleasant change. In a society where family is being systematically devalued, it was really nice to see it shown positively.

I think what I liked best, and what I've thought about the most, is the message of the movie. It surprised me. In a world where happiness and pleasure are worshiped, the idea that happiness isn't the most important thing is wonderfully refreshing. All emotions are important, and they all make us who we are - even sadness. Sometimes, we need to be sad. It can be the most healthy thing for us, and the most helpful thing for others. I'm disturbed by the common opinion that being joyful equals being happy all the time. I often get the impression from people that if you're truly spiritual then you won't ever be sad, at least not for any length of time. But that's simply not true.

Emotions are a precious gift from God, and they're part of being made in God's image. No other creature in all of creation can experience emotions as richly and deeply as humans do. God Himself displays anger, disgust, joy, and sadness. Jesus was enraged at people turning His Father's house into a place to rip people off. He wept when Lazarus died. He was disgusted by Israel's insincere worship. He rejoices when sinners repent. We are commanded to fear God, rejoice in Him, grieve over our sin and mourn with those who mourn, and to be angry at and disgusted by the things that God Himself is angry at and disgusted by.

This isn't a Christian film. Not even remotely. But it makes me think and has a lot of great talking points about who we are and how God made us. By the way, this is probably a given, but the animation is solid. The score is supportive but not overwhelming. The morals are right. It's a bit heavy at times, but there are plenty of moments to make you laugh and smile. I greatly look forward to seeing it again and highly recommend it.

Not Your Ordinary Hiro

Over the course of the last few weeks, I've seen one movie more times in a short span than any other movie at any other time in my life. More than 50 people have come over to my apartment to see it and discuss it. Both it and its accompanying animated short took home Oscars. And it has become one of my favorite animated movies of all time. That movie is Big Hero 6.

I admit, when I first saw it, I had very few expectations. I knew I liked Bolt, Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, and Frozen, so I figured the odds were in my favor. I had seen a trailer or two, but not enough to tell me what the story was actually about. It's actually quite the mix: an action movie based on an obscure Marvel; a drama dealing with deep, personal issues; and part anime with a heavy Japanese influence. The setting is San Fransokyo, a futuristic fictional meld of - you guessed it - San Francisco and Tokyo. The main character, Hiro, is a robotics prodigy living under his potential. His older brother, Tadashi (a genius in his own right), encourages Hiro to do more with his intelligence. Tadashi introduces him to his college friends: GoGo, a girl obsessed with speed; Honey Lemon, chemical whiz; Wasabi, OCD plasma expert; and Fred, the zany school mascot. Determined to be accepted to study at the school, Hiro invents tech that could revolutionize society. But when tragedy strikes and his invention is stolen, Hiro retreats into a world of grief. Help comes from a thoroughly unexpected source: a medical robot Tadashi created named Baymax. Tadashi created him to heal the sick and injured; Hiro turns him into an armored battle machine for the sake of executing revenge on the man responsible for his brother's death and the theft of Hiro's invention. What follows I can't reveal much of for the sake of not spoiling the story, but Baymax and the four friends band together to help Hiro work through his pain and change his desire for revenge into a desire to help those in need.

As I watched, I was impressed by a couple aspects of the film specifically. One thing that really jumped out was the depth and ability with which the film handled some extremely serious subjects: the debilitating affects of grief and the destruction of revenge. Somehow, the movie managed to make me laugh without being corny and deliver truth without being preachy. For a movie that had no Biblical aspirations and leaves Christ out of the picture, there were some very Biblical themes: forgiveness, mercy, loyal friendship, and self-sacrificing love, to name a few. The moral center of the film is strong and the main characters are ethical. You can feel good rooting for them. Meanwhile, the villain is logical and understandable. You come to understand why he is who he is and why he does what he does. The icing on the cake is the production values. They are through the roof. The shots are gorgeous, the animation sharp, and the detail is incredible. The music supports the movie excellently. It doesn't stand alone as well as a score like How To Train Your Dragon, but it fits.

There are only a handful of movies I can see more than ten times and not be sick of them, but this is one such film. In my mind, it's entered the same tier as Monsters, Inc. and The Incredibles. It's that good. Where stunning visuals, a superb story, and a solid message unite, you find Big Hero 6.

Nate

The Game Is Afoot! But Not That One.

A house on a hill that was supposed to be abandoned. A mysterious millionaire many assumed dead. A place called Sunset Towers that neither has towers nor faces the sunset. Sixteen seemingly unrelated tenants. And two hundred million dollars up for grabs. This is the setting of the Westing Game.

As the story unfolds, we learn more and more about each of the main characters, and it becomes apparent they may be more closely connected than they had supposed. It wasn't mere chance that has placed them all in Sunset Towers. There is also more to each of them than meets the eye; hiding amongst them is a bomber, a bookie, a thief, and a mistake. And only one person will win the Westing Game.

I was introduced to the Westing Game (by Ellen Raskin) a couple years ago by a good friend and I've read it multiple times since. I will freely admit I am not a superb mystery reader. By that I mean that I am usually not very good at solving the mystery before the book solves it for me, and if I do solve it before then, it's usually not by much. But I think this one is rather well-written. There's so much going on that it's similar to discovering mini-mysteries within the greater story.

The characters are not as rich as the characters in some other works of fiction I've read. I suspect that's due to the fact there's about 20 people to keep track of, and there simply isn't enough time/space to develop each one to the highest level. However, we do find out a lot about many of them, and almost all of them develop and change over the course of the story.

The story is complex enough to keep me thinking all the way through, yet simple enough that's it's relatively easy to read. The conclusion is satisfying. It's fun to re-read the book after you know the ending to pick up on all the subtle clues you missed the first time(s) you read it. It also is short enough that it can easily be read in an afternoon (or a day if you read more slowly). So go check it out - the [Westing] Game is afoot!

Be Careful What You Wish For

First, I must confess I have never seen or read the play version of Into the Woods, so when I went to see it yesterday everything was new to me. I had barely seen a full trailer. But I'm very glad I went. The production quality was excellent, the music/songs fit the story beautifully, the dialogue was witty and clever, and the premise is intriguing. It's essentially an adult fairy tale; it weaves together the stories of Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, and Cinderella, but it's more realistic. There are fanciful elements, to be sure - magic is still a major factor. But it's not all happily ever after.

One of the things I love about the story is how it explores the necessity of being careful what you wish for. Each main character wants something, and the desires seem innocent enough: to keep a friend, have a baby, go to the ball, reverse a curse, etc. But those desires lead each character to make a mistake (or more than one). None of them seem terrible. Little things, really. But all of those mistakes combine and interact and cause a giant mess. Literally! In one musical number, several characters try to figure out who's really to blame, and it becomes apparent that all of them are in their own way. They all contributed, because they pursued what they wanted above what was right.

"You're so nice. You're not good, you're not bad, you're just nice. I'm not good, I'm not bad, I'm just right." So says the witch to a few of the characters at a crucial decision. I've pondered that statement a good bit. A lot depends on how exactly you define the terms, but I have observed that it can be a whole lot easier to be nice - be pleasant, not rock the boat, do what pleases the people you're with - than to actively do either good or evil. Because sometimes the right thing is extremely unpopular. It's not fun. It can be messy. I was reminded of Batman: "What chance does Gotham have if the good people do nothing?" But defining "good people" can be difficult, too.

Near the end of the film, some of the characters wrestle with a difficult choice and they sing a beautiful song ("No One Is Alone") containing the line, "Witches can be right/Giants can be good." I think most or all of us so often categorize people as either good or bad. We like them or we don't. Even if someone isn't a friend or an enemy, we have an opinion about them. But that's not the way people are. That's not the way the world is. No person is 100% good because we all have a sin nature. No one is 100% evil because of God's restraining grace. We all are capable of doing good or evil under the right circumstances, and many lies and false religions contain traces of truth. Sometimes what we most need to hear is said by someone we really dislike, and sometimes the people we love most mislead us. The exception of course is God, since He is incapable of lying.

In that same song, the characters realize that everyone makes mistakes, but the right response isn't blame; it's learning from our mistakes and the mistakes of others and being there for one another. We truly are never alone. Our actions always have a ripple effect. And God has designed us to live out Christianity with other people. When someone falls, we pick them up and help them move forward. We don't look for revenge; we remember that we've made more than our share of mistakes, too.

The movie does have a few negative elements. Some of the morality is questionable, not all the dress is modest, and there's a few off-color comments. But overall, I recommend watching it. There's a lot more to be gleaned from it than my few thoughts. Venture Into the Woods.

Nate

Merry Christmas!

While there's not quite as much snow on the ground here in Denver as I imagined there would be, it still feels like Christmas :) It's been quite a year, full of surprises, laughter, sorrow, and blessings. God has shown Himself faithful as always. Amid the presents, lights, food, and fellowship, it's easy to get caught up in the things of Christmas. But as we celebrate this special day, let's take time to think about what God did and how incredible it really is.

At that time in history, God hadn't given any special revelation to His people for about 400 years. The Jews were living under Roman control and domination. The promises of the coming Messiah probably seemed almost mythical to some of the people. They went on with their sacrifices day after day, but nothing seemed to change. Then an angel came to Mary and told her the most incredible news: she was going to give birth to the Savior of all of humanity; Jesus, God wrapped in humanity. I can't even imagine what went through her head at that point. Not only was she having this baby, she was going to have it through completely supernatural means. The next several months must have been difficult. As we would today, I'm sure many people highly doubted that she was both pregnant and a virgin. I imagine Joseph took some heat and faced accusations as well.

Right around Mary's due date, they had to make a difficult journey to Bethlehem, a small town away from both Roman splendor and the Jewish religious leaders. The King of all the universe was born in about the most humble place imaginable: a smelly, dirty, cramped stable surrounded by animals. The only people who came to worship Him that night were some shepherds, dregs of the society in those days (the Magi wouldn't arrive for over a year). No trumpets or fanfare announced his arrival. But He would do what no one in thousands of years of history could: fulfill God's law perfectly, please Father in everything He did, and eventually subject Himself to the most torturous and cruel death practiced.

Why? What possessed Him to go through that when no one was less deserving than He? Because He loved you. He loved me. He left the glory and splendor and perfection of heaven and came here, where there's pain, grief, hunger, thirst, and death. The supreme Ruler became a servant. He looked out over the crowds and saw sheep without a shepherd. God created people to love Him and have fellowship with Him. Our sin destroys our relationship with the perfect and holy God. We can never ever be good enough. Left on our own, we all fall short and deserve nothing more or less than eternal judgment. But God (two of my favorite words in all of Scripture) took action. He became a man, went through the same kinds of temptation we go through, and overcame. He lived the perfect life we never could, died the death we deserved to die, and returned to life as all who put their faith in Him will one day do also.

God gave us the greatest gift in history. Let's be sure to thank Him for that and remember that no matter what situation you're in this Christmas, if you're in God's family, you're blessed beyond all imagination. Merry Christmas :)

Nate

Why?

"Why?" is the question I keep asking myself as I begin my blogging adventure. Why should I write my thoughts down? Are they really worth reading? I'll let you decide that for yourself. But after some thought, I've decided I'll write this blog in the hopes that it will challenge and encourage both myself and others to think. I know I definitely don't think enough, and when I do think I often don't think deeply.

I've entitled the blog "Confessions of a Storyholic" (yes I know that's not a real word; deal with it) because I LOVE a good story. Good stories suck me into their worlds for hours on end. They make me think, dream, imagine, and wonder. The Bible tells the greatest story in all of history (and is itself history), and so sometimes I'll share thoughts from one passage or another. But there are plenty of other stories that are well worth reading/hearing/seeing. So the majority of my posts will deal with extra-Biblical stories.

I always welcome comments, criticisms, suggestions, different viewpoints, etc. I do ask though that you keep your comments respectful and free of profanity and crude language. I hope that as you brave the thoughts that make their way onto this blog you'll be inspired to check out some of the stories I reference and, of course, think.

Nate