On this day in 1992, four Los Angeles Police Department officers were acquitted of the beating of Rodney King and Los Angeles erupted in rioting. The beating of King, which had been video tapped, the trial and acquittal were seminal events in the history of race relations in this country. Last year I interviewed the Rev. Scott D. Young about his annual pilgrimage to the site of the flash point of the civil unrest following the acquittal of the police officers in the Rodney King … [Read more...]
Sympathy for Delicious: Mark Ruffalo’s directorial debut
April 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Dean O'Dwyer (Christopher Thornton) is an aspiring DJ known as "Delicious D" on the Los Angeles underground music scene. A motorcycle accident leaves him in a wheel chair and he ends up sleeping in his car on Skid Row. Fr. Joe (Mark Ruffalo) ministers to the homeless by organizing and serving meals and finding temporary housing shelter for those who will accept it. The priest notes how depressed the young man is and brings him to a healing service where people are "slain in the spirit." Dean is … [Read more...]
Beyond the Blackboard – Hallmark Hall of Fame movie for Easter Sunday, April 24
April 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Beyond the Blackboard (CBS, Sunday, April 24, 9/8) This Hallmark Hall of Fame special is based on the book Nobody Don’t Love Nobody: Lessons on Love From the School With No Name, by Stacey Bess. Her first job is at a school for homeless children, grades 1-6; the classroom is a warehouse shelter. This film, starring Emily VanCamp, is gritty and inspiring—a tribute to teachers who persevere and care. (Thanks to St. Anthony Messenger; this is my review from the April issue). … [Read more...]
Feeling comfort from the cross for the first time
April 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
There are some things you should know about me and Jesus. I was twelve years old in 1964. On Good Friday of that year, I was just about ready to set out on my bike for the services at St. Rita’s Church when my mother mentioned in passing that Jesus wasn’t Catholic. What a shock! If Jesus wasn’t Catholic, then why all the fuss about having Protestant friends? And why hadn’t anyone told me before that he was Jewish? I felt like I had been scammed and now I’d have to recalibrate … [Read more...]
African Cats
April 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
My review is posted at American Catholic, the web community for St. Anthony Messenger magazine: Africa Cats: the cycle of life continues … [Read more...]
Washing the Disciples’ Feet & Touch
April 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment
One thing that religious give up is the sense of touch and being touched. Sure, we hug when we greet family and friends, and we buss with the best, but unless we go for regular massages for a medical reason, we give up the pleasure of being touched. When I stayed with my sister last year for vacation, she took me with her for a pedicure. She is a regular there and the ladies, all Vietnamese immigrants, greeted us warmly. We removed our sandals. I climbed into the throne-like seat and when the … [Read more...]
The Silence PBS Frontline special on clergy sex abuse in Alaska to air tonight or online
April 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
For my review click here: PBS "Frontline" to air THE SILENCE tonight: clergy sex abuse in Alaska The Silence website … [Read more...]
Soul Surfer – Based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton
April 8, 2011 By 1 Comment
This is a film about a teenage Christian girl who loses an arm in a shark attack in Hawaii. There are some perilous moments, but they are handled well. The surfing sequences are excellent - and by the way, Helen Hunt (she plays the mom) did her own surfing scenes, and AnnaSophia Robb, who plays Bethany, took lessons from her and did her own surfing as well. I thought the faith dimension was handled well; I cannot imagine what losing an arm to a shark would have done to me if I had wanted … [Read more...]
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