Living Biblically Creator Patrick Walsh Talks About Family, Faith and His Spiritual Sitcom

Last updated on: February 26, 2018 at 12:31 pm By Paul Asay

Television sitcoms want you to like them. So historically, half-hour comedies have avoided the same topics we do during Thanksgiving dinner: politics and religion. After all, no one wants Uncle Harold to throw the yams again. But as USA Today pointed out recently, the television times are a’ changing. More and more shows are talking about faith and religion. Not just high-prestige niche dramas like Hulu’s The Path or Netflix’s The Crown. No, even some sitcoms are plumbing spirituality for... Read more

The Eden and Armageddon of Annihilation

Last updated on: February 23, 2018 at 3:01 pm By Paul Asay

Want to know what Annihilation has on its mind? Look no further than Lena’s tattoo. It appears to be an ouroboros—a snake curled in the shape of a figure-eight, eating its own tail. For millennia, this and similar images have been symbols for the paradoxical cycles of existence: creation and destruction, birth and death. We don’t know when Lena (Natalie Portman) had the tattoo done, or why. Seems an odd choice to me. But man, does it fit with her... Read more

Why Black Panther’s The Movie We Need Right Now

Last updated on: February 16, 2018 at 3:07 pm By Paul Asay

T’Challa’s in heaven, or something close to it. The newly crowned king of Wakanda stands under a star-dappled sky—a temporary tourist in the land of his ancestors—and he talks with his father, T’Chaka, who died not long before. “You are a good man with a good heart,” T’Chaka tells him—not as a compliment, but as a warning. “And it is hard for a good man to be king.” Black Panther officially opens today. I realize that a lot of you... Read more

Is God an Eagles Fan?

Last updated on: February 5, 2018 at 4:52 pm By Paul Asay

Just moments after the Philadelphia Eagles upset the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, 41-33, Philly Head Coach Doug Pederson stood up on stage in a storm of confetti. When ESPN’s Dan Patrick asked Pederson how he went from coaching high school football to leading a team to an NFL Championship, Pederson deflected the credit upstairs. “I can only give the praise to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving me this opportunity,” he said. Next up: Zach... Read more

Why the Churchill Drama Darkest Hour is as Timely as Ever

Last updated on: January 31, 2018 at 3:55 pm By Paul Asay

Darkest Hour is the only second-best movie made about the Miracle of Dunkirk this year. But it’s still pretty great. This historical drama doesn’t have the sleight-of-hand timeline or pounding soundtrack of Christopher Nolan’s World War II film, Dunkirk. What it does have is tons of drama (endemic to the historical narrative), soaring writing (often supplied by the movie’s real-life inspiration) and a superlative performance by Gary Oldman—the odds-on favorite to win an Oscar for Best Actor. And while it... Read more

Five Oscar Hits and Misses Worth Talking About

Last updated on: January 25, 2018 at 2:46 pm By Paul Asay

Oscar—Hollywood’s very own golden, naked Santa Claus—handed out gifts this morning, and he was especially generous to The Shape of Water. The fantasy romance helmed by monster impresario Guillermo del Toro snagged 13 Oscar nominations, including ones for Best Director (del Toro), Best Actress (Sally Hawkins) and Best Picture. Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan’s riveting war flick, collected eight, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri nabbed seven. But digging deeper into the nominations announced this morning, we find some interesting themes in... Read more

The Glory of the Backup: The Inspiring Stories of Case Keenum and Nick Foles

Last updated on: January 24, 2018 at 4:31 pm By Paul Asay

Case Keenum’s season was over. Most everyone knew it. His Minnesota Vikings put up a valiant fight against the New Orleans Saints, but when the Saints’ all-world quarterback Drew Brees led his team down the field for a go-ahead field goal with 25 seconds left, fans watching knew that if Keenum’s Vikings weren’t quite dead yet, the mortician was taking measurements. And then this happened: The Vikings were on their way to the NFC Championship Game, and Keenum—a well-traveled backup... Read more

The Girl in ‘Forever My Girl’ Warns Us About the Dangers of Convertibles

Last updated on: January 21, 2018 at 11:39 am By Paul Asay

I really liked The Florida Project, but it did feature some extraordinarily lax parenting. Moonee (Brooklynn Prince), the 6-year-old girl at the center of Project, and her pint-size posse roam the streets of Kissimmee, Fla. without a hint of supervision—begging from strangers, frolicking along busy roads and occasionally setting fire to deserted condo developments. Well, judging from this clip from Forever My Girl (courtesy Grace Hill Media), Billy (Abby Ryder Fortson) just may be the Bizarro version of Mooney. In... Read more

Why I’m Excited About a Documentary About Mr. Rogers

Last updated on: January 18, 2018 at 1:58 pm By Paul Asay

I don’t have a lot of heroes. But Fred Rogers is one of them. I didn’t have as much appreciation for him when I was actually watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. His show was wedged between PBS’s two slickest, sexiest educational programs at the time, Sesame Street and The Electric Company. By comparison, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was staid. Calm. Maybe a little boring. If I had to choose between Mister Rogers and Electric Company’s Spider-Man, my 6-year-old self would choose Spidey every... Read more

What Kylo Ren Can Teach Us

Last updated on: January 18, 2018 at 1:59 pm By Paul Asay

Love it or hate it, Star Wars: The Last Jedi has sparked plenty of debate. I’ve argued with people over [spoilers to follow] Rey’s parentage, the relative speed of First Order star destroyers v. Rebel cruisers and why, in this universe, bombs drop but Leia floats. But one of the more interesting, geekier discussions I’ve had has been over the First Order’s official wild child, Kylo Ren (played by Adam Driver). Some believe that Kylo’s story arc is already set... Read more

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