FBI Agent Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) is just getting back into the swing of things after saving Miss USA (as recounted in Miss Congeniality). However, her relationship with Agent Matthews (played by Benjamin Bratt in the first film) is over and she is taking it hard. Then her cover is blown during an undercover op when a woman recognizes her. Hart’s boss, McDonald (Ernie Hudson) offers her the option of becoming the new face of the FBI. When Hart realizes... Read more

When suburban Detroit housewife Terry Wolfmeyer’s (Joan Allen) husband Grey goes missing with just his wallet, Terry suspects that he has run off with his Swedish secretary – to Sweden. She’s understandably angry and just to prove it, she hits the bottle, the hard stuff. A neighbor, a retired big league baseball player turned radio host Denny Davies (Kevin Costner) comes calling. He wants to speak with Grey about the new housing development deal they are working on with their extra... Read more

The Jeweler’s Shop and Our God’s Brother        As is well known, the man who would become Pope John Paul II (1920 – 2005), was very involved in the theater during his youth, as a writer and actor. This is an interest he has continued throughout his life, always remaining a spiritual mentor for those in the performing arts, from cinema, to the circus. Two films have been made from his plays: The Jeweler’s Shop (1988) and Our... Read more

First time filmmakers and Academy Award winners Zana Briski and Ross Kaufman have given audiences a sensitive and realistic view of what life looks like a cramped, dirty, chaotic world – that of prostitutes and their children of Calcutta’s red light district.   Zana Briski first went to Calcutta to photograph the life of the women of the district but ended up doing two things. She taught eight children how to take photographs and at the same time learned from eight... Read more

Mr. and Mrs. Copperbottom (voices of Stanley Tucci and Dianne Weist) become the parents of Rodney (Ewan McGregor) after twelve hours of labor to assemble their made-to-order baby ‘bot. As Rodney “grows” up, his interchangeable parts are replaced with “hand-me-downs”, or “pre-owned” parts. The Copperbottom’s don’t have much money; after all, dad is a dishwasher.   When Rodney grows up he wants to become like his idol, Mr. Bigweld (Mel Brooks), whose on air persona wants to help all the... Read more

Jimmy Kowlaski, played by Viggo Mortensen before he became Aragorn, is a young ex-race car driver who served in the original Gulf War as an Army Ranger. He and his wife Raphinia (Christine Elise) live in rural Idaho and do not have much money. Jimmy is partners in a garage business and occasionally delivers refurbished race cars to their owners for extra cash.   He leaves his wife in bed at home to deliver a car; she is very pregnant... Read more

“The magic of movies and the Sacraments. The Holy Spirit revealed in challenging, surprising and delightful ways.  Creative interchange. Mutual support. Imaginations on fire!  Not bad for a retreat.  What a great experience!” •  Bob Bonnot, Senior VP for Programming, The Hallmark Channel 6th Annual         National Film Retreat   Theme:   The Seduction of Power   “Nearly all men can stand adversity; but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” Abraham Lincoln   July 22 – 24,... Read more

                                                   Millions:                              When Fantasy, Fortune and Blessing Meet     On a brilliant summer day in the north of England, two young lads race across a field that will soon become a housing development. As they roll in the grass, they imagine what their new home will be like, for the Cunningham family is moving. The boys’ mother, Maureen (Jane Horgath), has died, and their dad, Ronnie, (James Nesbitt) wants to move them from the city to get on... Read more

Bride and Prejudice is the third film written and directed by Gurinder Chadha (who was born in Kenya and grew up in London) that I have seen and thoroughly enjoyed. The others are What’s Cooking? (2000) about ethnically and culturally diverse families in Los Angeles who celebrate the challenges of Thanksgiving and Bend It Like Beckham (2002) about a teen daughter of Indian Sikh’s living in the U.K. who defies her parents to play soccer. All three films explore the... Read more

Navy S.E.A.L. Shane Wolf (Vin Diesel) is in charge of a snatch and extract mission: he is assigned to bring Professor Howard Plummer (Tate Donovan), who has been kidnapped because of the military secret he has developed, to safety. Just when they are about to board a helicopter after his rescue, Plummer stops to call his wife and five children. Shane turns his back, the enemy attacks; Shane is shot and the professor is killed.   After Shane recovers, he... Read more