The Visitor: A Movie Review

This post is more than a movie review. It is also political commentary.

*****

The only twist in plot left in modern cinema is that there be absent a political agenda. The Visitor is another monument to the liberal left wanting it both ways. To be sure, this is a well-written, professional, but independent production that has an exceptional cast. Normally cast in cameo and supportive roles, Richard Jenkins carries this movie with ease. Besides Jenkins, director and writer Tom McCarthy had great talent to showcase in the exceptional Hiam Abbas with newcomers Haaz Sleiman and Danai Gurira. When actors give performances like they did here, it is easy to get lost in the story; to find their characters believeable, likable, and compelling.

Jenkins plays an aging professor, Walter, at a small college in Connecticut, seemingly lost at the end of a teaching career for which he has no more passion. Forced to go to a seminar in New York, he returns to his longtime vacant apartment while he is there, only to find that it has been sublet without his knowledge to a young, unmarried (but Muslim) couple. For the glory of diversity, the man is from Syria, and his girlfriend is from Senegal.

Every good story involves some measure of character development, and the change in this one is with the good professor. Drawn out by the irrepressible Tarik Khalil (played by Sleiman), who convinces him to take up the African version of the conga drum, Walter begins to awaken to the life around him, and especially to his two new friends.

The plot deepens when Tarik is taken into custody by the New York police, and turned over to the immigration authorities when it is learned that he is in the country illegally. Walter learns this separately from Tarik's girlfriend, who is afraid of being detained and deported herself, since she is an illegal, herself. Up to this point, we only know of Tarik's mother, who lives in Michigan, and whom he calls at least once a week to let her know how he is doing. We meet her for the first time when she shows up at the door of Walter's apartment, expecting to find her son. The mother, a tough no-nonsense character, is played by the beautiful Hiam Abbas.

This is where the "agenda punchline" is revealed. The movie makers use iconic American symbols and phrases to set up the audience like posters that exclaim "Support Our Troops", the American flag, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island. A story unfolds, showing a callous, unfeeling man beginning to care about the world around him, and then the evil, arbritrary, tyrannical American immigration system interrupts the lovefest. By the way, none of the promo tag-lines even give a hint of the horrors awaiting our beloved characters. What we do read is "brilliant and nuanced performances" (this is true), "moving, humane, and life-affirming" (also true), "You can't help be be Uplifted" (not necessarily true).

My conclusion is this: I know that it should not come as a surprise, but the brazened duplicity of the liberal left never ceases to amaze me. They are tireless in their attempts to destroy the very fabric of our country that makes people from everywhere else want to move, live, and prosper here. The last time I looked, Syria and Senegal were not having to deport unwanted illegal aliens. Anyone foolish enough to enter either of those countries illegally are usually detained, murdered, and their bodies either buried in unmarked graves, or left to the hyenas and buzzards. Syria is ruled by an iron-fisted tyrant, while Senegal is engulfed in lawless, chaotic tribalism, yet American immigration policies--and those who enforce them--are the monsters in this movie.

The Visitor is artful propaganda. Enjoy the art if you will, but beware of the propaganda. Joseph Goebbels would have been proud of this effort.

Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving, 2008, was joyful and interesting. There was certainly enough of very good things to eat, like our first fried turkey, Aunt Dolly's stuffing, Jennifer's sweet potato-apple casserole, and Sue's pecan/cherry/buttermilk pies. It was great having friends like Ken sharing in the celebration with family. And the best was having the house full of family like Aunt Dolly, Mom/Grandma/Great-grandma Jean, Christopher, Jennifer, and little Cromwell. To top it off, the weather was beautiful. So, the giving of thanks continues with every thought and remembrance of a very special day.

A Nation of Appeasers

In 1938, the Prime Minister of England, Neville Chamberlain, spoke for free Europe in believing that Germany would embroil his continent in a giant conflagration if their evil wishes were not granted. Hitler demanded that Chamberlain look the other way, as the Nazis invaded and occupied the then Czech Republic. Chamberlain turned his head, was hailed for keeping the peace, and Czechoslovakia became a part of the Third Reich. Eleven months later, Germany attacked Poland, and World War II began. Neville Chamberlain's appeasement has been his legacy, although the decision he made was supported and encouraged by many, including the then American ambassador to England, Joseph P. Kennedy.

We have failed to remember the lesson of Neville Chamberlain and Adolph Hitler. In 1938, Hitler was a bully, and like most bullies, he was all bluff. Germany was not ready militarily to take on the world. He lied, and the world believed him.

This posting, however, is not about 1930's era England. It is about the United States of America, immediately following WWII until now.

It's ironic, bordering on hypocritic to demonize Neville Chamberlain for acquiescing to a tyrant, but hail as heroes, Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman, for allowing other tyrants like Joseph Stalin and Mao Tse Tung to oppress, enslave, brutalize, and, yes, murder millions more than Hitler ever did.

There is no question that World War II came at great cost to America. It cost us in terms of economics. Can you say "national debt" or "eternal federal income tax"? It cost us in terms of human life, losing approximately 416,000 (primarily) men in military deaths. Compare that with 5.5 million military deaths in Nazi Germany alone, and America's loss doesn't seem as significant, but it still exacted a heavy price.

This is when a history lesson should not be painted with broad, generalized brush strokes. It requires analyzing many different strains of historical thought, finding the common themes and ideas that are threaded in most, if not all accounts. The American GI that was not killed and buried in Tunisia, Normandy, or Bastogne quite often returned home to bury himself in a career. Essentially, the Baby Boom generation was raised by women, since that men absented themselves from their wives and children to pursue financial gain. They believed that they were entitled to this pursuit. A quick read of Tom Brokaw's homage, The Greatest Generation, will describe this scenario repeatedly, but without impugnity.

My point is that America became feminized to the degree that masculinity is maligned at every turn to the degree that it is considered to be a form of bigotry. Fatherhood is ridiculed, and relegated to irrelevance, at best, an object of scorn, at worst. Hollywood has reinforced this view ad nauseum. I submit to God's original design that a family--and by extension a culture--survives and thrives in accordance with its ability to balance male and female perspective. We need both, but the United States of America is overwhelmingly dominated by feminine thought. So, what is my point?

In the most basic of terms, nurturing is a female quality. Protecting and enforcing is a male quality. These traits are not gender exclusive, but since human beings were not created to be asexual, we need males AND females. Within feminized America's borders, we are lousy at enforcing. (i.e., illegal immigration) We birth, raise and train bullies. It begins with parents who are mindless about dealing with children who won't mind. Our judicial system has criminalized spanking the bottom of a disobedient child. From infancy, our children are learning that failure to abide by rules established by those who have lawful authority over them carries with that no consequences. Many frustrated parents attempt to absolve themselves of any responsibility by attributing bad behavior to "phases" like the "terrible twos".

With their consciences cleansed by their self-absolution, these same parents place their trained bullies in our government schools where the parents' appeasement is codified. Teachers and administrators are not allowed to even touch a child, unless danger is imminent. In urban areas, education is not the primary focus of government schools. It is not even secondary. The first order of business is to have bodies that can be counted, because federal money is doled out based on attendance. The second order of business is to control those bodies that don't want to be there. To do that without the cost of dealing with parental litigation, the schools try to reason with the ignorant bully brutes. Their only means of control is to appease and look the other way when bad behavior, if not immediately endangering anyone, erupts. In one of five large high schools in Corpus Christi, Texas, there is a hallway that teachers will not enter, because to do so would result in being confronted with open sexual activity, requiring disciplinary action. So, teachers and administrators pull a Neville Chamberlain, and look the other way. It would be the height of naivete to think that such practices are limited to one high school in South Texas. (For what it's worth Corpus Christi high schools have a 50% drop-out rate.)

Our prisons are nothing more than locked boxes of appeasement. Anything shy of execution or restitution to victims is appeasement. I'm not advocating executing every lawbreaker, but putting miscreants behind bars in an effort to contain (or control) bad behavior is nothing but institutionalized "looking the other way". This subject alone is worthy of a separate discussion, so for the sake of avoiding a tangent, I will save that argument for another day.

Appeasement is now a virtue in America. A few days before our recent national election, I had a successful businessman tell me that despite his conservative convictions he was voting for Barack Obama out of fear that if John McCain won, African-Americans would riot. Within weeks after 9/11, many Americans believed that any military response to those responsible for that horrific day, would only serve to make them mad at us.

If you think that this is just hot air from a bigoted sexist pig, I submit to you for your consideration a highly rated and successful television show that thrives in part because of appeasement. It's most watched episodes are broadcast at the beginning of each new season with example after humiliating example. I write of American Idol. Talent-less contestants clamor for a chance at glory, because their mother didn't want to hurt their feelings or crush their deluded dreams by telling them that they shouldn't do what they do in public, and certainly not in front of a camera. This is one of those rarities where America doesn't look the other way.

Presidential Politics and Math

Count how many executive orders that our new president signs versus how many questions he allows to be asked of him in public.

Today, November 4, 2008, American political history was made. A man who represents what was once hated in America is now the 44th President of the United States. As Reverend Jeremiah Wright said from his pulpit, "America's chickens have come home to roost." The euphoria that is now consuming the followers of Obama will soon enough fade when the reality of his bankrupt and God-hating philosophies gain full expression within the leadership of a dying nation. History will repeat itself soon enough. May God have mercy on us all.

FIREPROOF, is both inspiring and entertaining. It is one thing to go to a movie to offer support to well-meaning film makers, but it another matter to be entertained. Produced and written by the Baptist church in Georgia, this production exceeds its previous cinematic effort in Facing the Giants. Alex Kendrick, who wrote and starred in Facing the Giants, wrote Fireproof and played a small cameo role. Kirk Cameron starred in this one, and did an outstanding job. There were few awkward wooden moments in their newest effort, and I suspect that the financial success of its predecessor bankrolled a first class effort for Fireproof, which included getting acting talent who gave performances that made you believe their characters. There were also well-done action sequences that heightened the intensity of the story. If I had any criticism, it would be the presence of a lot of chubby firemen, but their characters served as well-written and acted comic relief. Kudos, however, are due Alex Kendrick and his film editor. His writing was outstanding, and the film editing was first rate. Lastly, and most importantly, the Gospel was clearly and unashamedly presented.

I could go on critiquing various elements of FIREPROOF, but the bottom line is this: go see this movie while it is in the theatre. It is worthy of your entertainment dollar.

The Beginner Bibliophile

No one assigns this title on a whim. It must be earned. From such humble, innocent beginnings, visions and fantasies of a huge personal library are born. Who knew back then?

Spending billions to be a servant?

In my previous post, I honored the life of Uncle Bob Barr. His was a life given to serving. Today, I mourn the loss of that ethic in the public life in America. The lessons of history are not just ignored, but scorned. News services are now touting that the 2008 presidential election expenses will top a billion dollars. That's right. Billion with a "b". There is no way that anyone can convince me that a person, or group of people, are willing to spend that kind of other people's money to serve their constituents.

On the local level--in Corpus Christi, Texas--most candidates run for City Council, not to serve their community, but to reach their first stepping stone to higher office. I won't speak for anyone else, but the idea of getting down on all fours so that some political aspirant can use my back to climb to higher office is, well, an anathema.

There is another side to that coin, and that is American voter beliefs. And what are some of those current convictions?

1. There are no moral absolutes (convictions), just political opinions.

2. Government owes me. I am entitled to whatever anyone else has that I can't get or earn on my own.

3. Only lawyers, celebrity athletes, and retired military are qualified to run for public office.

4. If you can't explain your position of (name the issue) in 30 seconds of less, then I will not listen to you, nor vote for you.

5. If it is on TV then it must be true.

6. Being a citizen of the United States of America carries with that title no responsibility.

7. What Matt Damon, Pamela Sue Anderson, Lindsay Lohan, Susan Sarandon, and George Clooney have to say is actually relevant and authoritative?

8. Facts just muddy the waters.

9. Worried statements from distant elected officials (or officials who want to be elected) actually reduce the devastating force of hurricanes.

10. Having health insurance is fundamental to good health. (See #8)

11. If the government doesn't educate my child, he/she will be stupid. (See #8)

12. A college education will guarantee wisdom and success. (See # 8)

13. Although it does not advocate murdering those who disagree, but in fact promotes love for your neighbor, Christianity is a danger to society.

14. Abraham Lincoln found slavery to be abhorrent. (See #8)

15. Abortion is simply a woman's right to choose.

16. 40 million abortions has no connection with the insolvency of Social Security even though it needs current wage earners paying into the system.

17. The difference between abortion and murder is geography.

18. Murder, rape, prostitution, fraud, theft, adultery, and pedophilia are tolerated, if not accepted practices for elected officials who are Democrat liberals. A simple apology will wipe the slate clean.

19. Capital punishment does not deter violent crime. (They are right, but that's not the point for this level of punishment. The point is that the perpetrator does not repeat.)

20. Congress is full of lying, cheating, self-serving, power-mongers, but my guy/gal is not one of them.

Freedom prospers and prevails where the individual is self-governing. This is not an original thought. Our Founding Fathers believed and said this. With those self-controls in place, America did not need a professional ruling elite, as is practiced today. The citizen legislator was the norm, not the exception. This is part of what makes Sarah Palin's candidacy so compelling. She is "one of us". We need elected officials who lead by serving the people and defending the law. May God have mercy on us.

A Servant Goes Home:

This afternoon at 1:00 pm, God called his servant, Bob Barr, home. He had a lot of titles-son, Husband, Dad, Grandad, Teacher, Professor, Pastor, Chaplain and Jack-of-All-Trades. He was known by my wife as Uncle Bob. Shown here in this picture, taken in the summer of 1987, he flashed the smile that I knew, as he sat with the love of his life, but called Aunt Dolly by us.

Although Bob Barr had a lot of titles in his resume', he had one constant attitude that was threaded throughout his life. He was a servant. He served God by serving his family, the Church, his students, the hurting and suffering, and a friend in need. In the end, because of his debilitating illness, his dear wife served him during their final years together.

For those of us who knew him, Uncle Bob's final years were a painful twist. This vibrant, engaging, and gifted man, who always was doing for others, contracted a brain disease that rendered him helpless. In purely human terms it could be defined as a cruel irony, but to define Bob Barr's life in strictly human terms would be a cruel disservice to his memory and spiritual legacy. He was a servant of the Most High God. There is no greater calling than that.

There is another reason that one should not dismiss Bob Barr's final years in strictly human terms. That reason is named Dolly Barr. An accomplished person in her own right, Aunt Dolly exampled covenantal faithfulness and love in what were some times impossibly, miserable circumstances. We live in a throw-it-away culture, but thanks be to God, she did not throw away her love and committment to the man she promised to love. I honor her for that.

Bob Barr was not famous, but those who loved him didn't care. His was a life well-lived, because it was lived for God by the grace of God.

for to live is Christ, but to die is gain. . . . . . .

3-0

* * *

Happy Birthday!!!

I have mixed emotions regarding Sarah Palin's candidacy for Vice-President. To say that my support for John McCain was lukewarm would be pure hyperbole. I was beginning to warm to him after his unhesitating and unequivocable response to Rick Warren's question about the moment that life begins. McCain's choice of Governor Palin for his running mate has given rise to here-to-fore absent enthusiasm for the republican's campaign for the Presidency.

I love the things that Sarah Palin espouses and lives, but here lies the hesitancy: I really feel sorry for her family, especially the younger children. If McCain and Palin win, the world for those children will be uprooted and moved to Washington DC. Those who plant their lives in the great Northwest can more readily appreciate this than me, that all the beauty and grandeur of the wild expanses of Alaska will be exchanged for the overdeveloped concrete jungle of our Nation's capital. The harsh climate of Alaska compells neighbor to watch out for neighbor. In Washington DC, the insatiable hunger for power and influence causes neighbor to turn against neighbor whenever it is politically and personally expedient.

The attention being showered on Sarah and Todd Palin's 17 year old daughter is outrageous. Washington liberals and their media syncophants are not offended by Bristol Palin's sin. (Let's call it what it is.) They are just hoping that the revelation of this child's pregnancy will tarnish her mother's reputation in the eyes of the conservative electorate.

Like her parents stated after the news was made public, Bristol Palin must now grow up more quickly as she assumes the role of wife and mother. This is 100% correct. But at least she will be able to do so in Alaska.

I barely remember, and much less knew my Grandmother Alice Marks. In the picture above, she is holding my younger brother, Teddy, and surrounded (starting clockwise on her right) by my sister Mary Marie, cousin Randy, older brother Mark, me (on the far right), and my cousin Martha Lynn. My parents have a framed, handwritten note of hers, originally sent to her future husband, Luther Marks. In the letter, she spoke of her affections for her beloved, but also wrote about praying for their future children. Her concern was that they would be in and of the Faith. Two of her sons entered the ministry--my dad being one of those--and her only daughter, Martha, married a preacher/pastor. Grandmother Alice died of cancer, before any of these ministries came to full fruition, but God granted her long enough life to see some of her grandchildren who were faithfully raised in the Church. I believe that God answered the prayers of a young Alice McCauley, who now has great grandchildren who share her passion for Jesus Christ.

From Mother to Son

From 1980 to 2008

From Big Doll to Pooh Bear

From Enid, Oklahoma, to Corvallis, Oregon

From happiness to happiness.

From Daddy to Papa: LOVE YOU BOTH!!

Little General

Named after the only Commoner, Oliver Cromwell, to have sat on the throne of England, my new grandson, at three months is learning to command attention. Cromwell Rutherford (his middle name honors Samuel Rutherford, noted Scottish Presbyterian) is now in full recovery and beginning to enjoy his young life, and we are enjoying it with him. In that spirit, I post this picture. It simply makes me laugh. Thanks, Jennifer, for sending it to me.

Big Brother

George Orwell has cornered the market on that phrase to the degree that it has been impugned since he published his book 1984. I, however, don't have that in mind when I consider my older brother, Mark. He was a great big brother while we were growing up. When the picture was taken of us together, I was 4, and he was 5. We had our disagreements and sibling rivalries, but when it was important, and when it counted, he was a defender, a protector, and a friend. Those traits have never left him. He has served our country unselfishly, faithfully, and without reservation. I admire and love him for that. So, without reservation, I'm proud that Mark is my big brother.

Ronald Reagan Quotes:

Back in the 80's, my younger brother, Teddy, ran as a Republican for the state legislature of Virginia. During the campaign, he and other candidates had a chance to meet Ronald Reagan. Most just waited in line at the White House to pose with the President, but Teddy took the opportunity to actually talk with him. This took Reagan by surprise. Expecting another frozen stare/smiley pose with an admirer, the President happily responded to my brother's question. This picture captures that moment.

I loved Ronald Reagan. He was by no means perfect, but he was a leader that this country no longer has. May God have mercy on us, and give us men like him. . . .and better. Here are those quotes:

"Here's my strategy on the Cold War: We win. They lose"

* * *

"The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government, and I'm here to help."

* * *

"Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong."

* * *

"I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress."

* * *

"The taxpayer: That's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination."

* * *

"Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other."

* * *

"The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program."

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"It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first."

* * *

"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it."

* * *

"Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed, there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself, you can always write a book."

* * *

"No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women."

* * *

"If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under."

* * *

Mr. Deeds was a Republican. . . . .sort of
Watch Mr. Deeds Goes to Town sometime. Gary Cooper's character, Longfellow Deeds, is supposed to be an uncomplicated, folksy guy who has simple tastes that include a distinct distaste for the extravagant. He's willing to help a neighbor in need without fanfare or the melodramatic, AND out of his own means! He is a man of principles and ideals until the media ridicules and criticizes him. With that he retreats into his own little self-imposed cone of isolation, choosing, for a time, to wallow in destructive and debilitating self-pity. He is satisfied to be crushed and defeated, until he is confronted with the epiphany that his stand involves others who are counting on him. He discovers that he has a constituency that is dependent on him speaking for them. At that point, he rises in quiet strength with a little indignation, and not only saves himself, but rescues those he was trying to help.

I submit that the Republican Party, beginning with George W. Bush, have been silent when the constituency that put them in power begs for representation. The national media has been allowed to emasculate them into saying nothing, and Republicans, led by our President, believe that this is honorable. Our Chief Executive can claim that he is the President of all the people, and my response is simple: do the math. Ask yourself, "How many peope voted for me versus how many voted against me?"

An important ingredient of the American Revolution was the revolt against taxation without representation. Irate--some might even say brave--colonists dumped tea into the Boston Harbor. There is no such bravery today, and even less understanding of the historical significance of the Boston Tea Party. The ship of state is sinking, and Republicans can only
kiss the ring of the those that hate them.

Honesty
The late Stephen Ambrose, famed author and historian, noted in his book, Citizen Soldier, that those soldiers who talked the loudest in predicting their bravery in battle, tended to be those that broke first when confronted with the stresses and horrors of combat. I would submit that those individuals who clamor the loudest for honesty in all of their personal relationships, tend to be those most offended when that honesty is turned their direction. I have never met anyone--family, friend, customer, business associate, Christian, or non-Christian--who truly wants unbridled, bold-faced truth delivered to their door. And that includes me.

We often arrive at these noble sentiments in a quiet moment--when we can get them--but when the nitty-gritty of everyday living is in full swing, the last thing that anyone I've ever known wants is the absolute truth, no matter how gently delivered.

I've had it delivered to me in about every form you might imagine. It has been delivered by the power of the parents' paddle. It has been thundered at me from the pulpit. It's been delivered sweetly to be by a loving wife from her pillow. I've received it laced with profanity from a teacher. It's been delivered quietly and privately from a loyal friend. The message of the cross delivers it daily. The power of a right cross pounded the message home when I was an idiot youth. In all honestly, I have never found any of those moments of truth to be remotely enjoyable. Anyone who says otherwise is either a masochist or lying.

That being said, in the world of reflection and retrospect, I hold those times in the highest regard for the simple reason that I've become a better person, and thus more Christ-like through those painful exchanges. As a I get older, and become more comfortable in my own skin--to borrow a wornout cliche--I've become more accepting of the truth as it applies to me. I did not say as I apply it, but as the Bible applies it. I also did not say that I now find it enjoyable--in the human sense. I do, however, believe it to be enriching, and so, I find myself seeking it out, as one would seek out a remedy for physical ills.

It is more, though, than a superficial remedy for an ailment, whether it be physical, psychological, or emotional. It is a spiritual encouragement--as in proof--that God loves me. In the book of Hebrews, it declares that God disciplines those whom He loves. The pain is temporary, but the benefits are eternal.

So, when someone loudly requires that I be honest with them, I think that they are being patently dishonest because such demands reveal a total lack of introspection (i.e., ego-centric), and a profound ignorance or a moment of forgetfulness of Christian behavior as defined by the Bible (this is understandable if they are not a Christian). A truthful person would ask, not demand, and would be more specific in their asking. A truly honest person does not care what it might cost them to hear and act on the truth.

I have never severed a personal relationship when the truth has been served to me. (I never knew the guy who punched me out, so he doesn't count). For the most part, I don't end relationships with those who can't accept the truth. I have, however, severed relationships with those who know the truth, yet have tried to turn it into a lie.

I, and three other guys tried to save a dying man today. Louis Martinez, one of my customers, suffered an apparent heart attack in the men's bathroom in the building where I work. It was difficult just getting to him, since he had his full weight leaning against the only door that opened inward. We had to get to him, so we could move him to the open hallway to render first aid. At first, there were only three of us rotating, doing CPR. One of us did chest compressions. The next guy did mouth to mouth, and the third guy held Louis' neck and head in a position to maximize flow of air through his windpipe. We were unable to get a pulse, and that was his condition when the medics took him rushed him to the emergency room. Through a series of circumstances, we estimated that Louis had been unconscious for at least 20 minutes.

I was just getting to know Louis. I knew that he sang in a mariachi group. He was a caring man who understood his friends faults without articulating them to all within earshot, yet remained loyal, regardless of them. I suspect that Louis deserves to be remembered for his life, and not for how and where he died. He was 58 years old. He was a good man.

Get Smart, the movie has some laugh out loud funny moments, but it is loaded with double entendre's interspersed with scenes that lack subtlety. The simulated male homosexual sex scene is one that comes to mind. The full lip lock between Steve Carell's and Dwayne Johnson's characters is another. Steve Carell is one of the funniest guys in the movies today, and Anne Hathaway is one of the most beautiful, but physically comedic actresses to grace the screen, but this movie is not family fare. As a fan of the television series back in the '60's, I had great hopes that I could totally relax and be entertained. I found myself squirming in my seat, hoping that the previous sex joke would be the last. I loved Alan Arkin's character and his typical dry performance. Dwayne Johnson turned in a credible performance that added to the story. In the end, however, Hollywood managed to distract and detract from a winning combination. That it did well at the box office on the opening weekend doesn't change my opinion. I simply have difficulty recommending it to my friends.

What can I say, but that she forgave me officially on December 27, 1975.

It's amazing how two separate and distant lives actually come together. Sue and I were both in the 7th grade at the same time. I was in Beaver, Pennsylvania at the time, and Sue, born in Beaver, Oklahoma, was in El Reno, Oklahoma. We were both sophomores at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma. We first met at a college supper, hosted by the First Baptist Church in Norman. I was getting up for seconds, when I bumped into Sue who was trying to find a seat to eat her firsts (and only). Her food ended up down her front. She managed to forgive me.

Stay tuned.

This picture taken on November 7, 1954, shows me at 11 months being held by my grandfather, Luther Whitfield Marks. My grandfather was an honorable man in the notoriously dishonest business of oilfield landmen. He acquired a lot of land, giving much of it to the the municipality of Edmond, Oklahoma, which expressed no gratitude in return. He was defrauded of other assets by an unscrupulous partner, who showed no remorse. He was generous to his family and to his community. He cherished both, and considered both as an enduring legacy of love and honor. He did not die a rich man, by current cultural standards, but left his wealth to the world throught his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and generations to come. I have no special reason for honoring him this day. I just came across this picture, and was reminded of what kind of man he was. I'm proud to be called his grandson.

Normally, I can do without George Clooney, but there are two movies in which he has starred that I thoroughly enjoyed the roles he has played. The first one is O Brother, Where Art Thou, and the second one is the just released Leatherheads. In Leatherheads, he plays an aging football player in the fledgling pro football league, starring opposite Renee Zellweger, a cynical, wise-cracking Chicago newspaper reporter. I loved this movie. Set in the mid-1920's, it is well-acted, well-directed (by George Clooney), has great characters, is funny, and has a great story. I loved it. Did I already say that? Who cares. Go see it. It is sprinkled with profanities, but not distractingly so. I just wish that Hollywood came up with more movies like this. . .stay for the credits. You won't be disappointed.

Vantage Point is a mixed bag. It is both fascinating and frustrating. Another way to phrase it would be that as the tension builds, so does the irritation. Forrest Whittaker turns in a great performance, and I'm glad that William Hurt is not the President of the United States. The story in the movie is about 20 minutes long, but it is repeated 8 times with each successive point of view just a little shorter than its predescessor. The movie is long on action, but very short on character development, except for the characters played by Dennis Quaid and Forrest Whittaker. I hope they have the behind-the-scenes segment on the DVD on how the movie was made. For now that is the only reason I would rent it.

Sylvester Stallone's latest installment in the Rambo series is a winner. Up until now, First Blood was my favorite, but this one has the action of two and three with the character development of the first one. When I first heard that there was going to be another Rambo movie, I was very skeptical, but after I heard Stallone's interview on Rush Limbaugh's show, I decided to give it a go. I'm glad I did. It's not for the fainthearted. It clearly deserves the R rating assigned to it. The carnage is frequent and explicit. There is some partial nudity, but it's brief, and not erotic. Stallone, although in great physical condition for a man his age, does not try to hide his age. In fact, it is part of the story. I give him kudos for that.

The story is set in the middle of a real-life, decades-long civil war currently going on in Burma. Rambo, who is hunting snakes for the seedy gambling and tourism trade in Thailand, is approached by some American Christian medical missionaries who are attempting to get into Burma to help a tribe caught in the genocidal war. There wouldn't be a story if nothing went wrong, so something does, and Rambo has to decide if he's going to do what he does best.

Speaking for my fellow audience members, this story strikes a nerve in a very visceral way. It's one of the few times in my movie-going life, that I heard people cheering. Americans, who like winners, conversely hate losing. This story appeals to that sensibility without glossing over the idea of killing another human being. I heard a friend, a former Marine combat veteran in Vietnam, say recently that there are some bad guys that need killing. Halfway through this movie I was thinking the same thing. In our post-911 world, those in trouble don't go to France, Chile, Spain, Iceland, or Sweden. They come to the United States of America. They want Jack Bauer or John Rambo, because those characters know what to do with bad guys.

I'm sure that the effite, intellectual snobs, as Spiro Agnew called them, will hate this movie. I don't care, because they don't and won't understand how this story appeals to Americans. I hope that this movie is successful, if for no other reason than the attention it will bring to the atrocities currently being perpetrated in Burma. I hope this movie helps clarify the issue in our political arena. When a bad guy has his knife to your throat, who do you want to call for help? John McCain? He's more worried about what the world thinks than our safety. I'll take John Rambo.

3:10 to Yuma has an interesting scene that is a lesson in appeasing tyrants and madmen. The good guys are holed up in a Yuma hotel with the bad guy (Russell Crowe's character, Ben Wade) as their prisoner. Seven surviving members of his gang arrive in town to free him. The local sheriff and his two deputies join with the good guys to get Ben Wade to the train station, spouting the importance of maintaining the rule of law. Outside on the street, the gang members up the ante, by offering anyone in town $200 cash for each one of Ben Wade's captors they kill. Faced with these odds, the sheriff has second thoughts, and backs out, claiming that he had family, and wasn't prepared to die that day. He and his deputies walk out the front door of the hotel, and lay down their weapons in front of the seven gang members who are lined up side by side while mounted on their horses. As soon as the sheriff and his deputies raise up from laying down their weapons, the bad guys empty their guns on them.

It rather reminds me of what the Nazi's did to those who sought to appease them in 1938. It's also a lesson in what will happen if we, as infidels, seek to appease the islamofascist terrorists. I appreciate Hollywood showing us that object lesson in foreign diplomacy.