The Academy Awards were this past Sunday. I never watch the proceedings. I find the broadcasts long and boring. However, as a cinephile (lover of movies) I am fairly interested in what films win the awards.
I wasn't surprised that Heath Ledger won his posthumous award, though I feel like the award would have been better spent on boosting the ego of someone who's still alive. I didn't think his performance was all that special (I also felt like the Dark Knight was a mediocre film that didn't surpass Batman Begins). I feel like if he hadn't kicked the bucket the award would have gone to Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who's always a favorite.
Slumdog Millionaire raked in the most awards. It was an excellent film (that's totally undeserving of it's R rating). It's plot made a lot of references to Bollywood films, which probably went over the heads of American audiences. Still, if you're interested in a good love story where the "nice guy" gets the girl then I highly suggest seeing it.
I was really disappointed to see that Happy-Go-Lucky didn't get more recognition. The protagonist is a woman who is very upbeat (to the point of annoyance for some viewers). The film follows her through fairly normal days in her life as she interacts with the people around her. The film has a lot to say about living with fear. Fear of relationships, fear of criticism, fear of the future, fear of financial security. The foil to the protagonist is a driving instructor who is afraid of everything. You can see how this festers up in him, the driving force behind his anger at the universe.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdjb98LOuEw]
Bigger Stronger Faster is an excellent documentary that takes a good hard look at steroid use in the United States. It's very even handed about the issue, showing some of the moral issues with the drugs while also dispelling a lot of the negative stigma that has grown around it. Towards the end of the film it begins to pull out and look at how much medicated self improvement has become an ingrained part of our culture. Kids take ADHD medicine to gain an edge in education, U.S. pilots take speed, tons of people take anti-depressants.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8nOKJTL6Tg]
Also, check out Appaloosa. Usually when a Western comes out now it's at least interesting if not good. I liked this a lot better than 3:10 to Yuma. The gunfights are intense but quick, rather than drawn out like in a spaghetti western. The two protagonists aren't morally perfect, but they are interesting studies in commitment and trust between comrades. It's a good movie, go rent it.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h57n6R9pbU0]
I attend a university that's affiliated with Christianity, more specifically the Church of Christ. There are a great many good things about going to a Christian School. I've learned a lot more about understanding what scripture is saying and understanding the context in which it was written. I've learned things to strengthen and defend my faith.
On the other hand there's a general sense of being disconnected from reality. The term "bubble" has been jokingly used to refer to the isolation students seem to have from the community around them.
Back home I only have a few Christian friends and a lot of non-christian friends. I've known most of them since 5th or 6th grade. Can you imagine being told by your best friend in elementary school that he thought that the religion you practiced was a bunch of bologna? I had to deal with that
It put a lot of emotional stress on me at a couple of points in time, because I couldn't come to terms with people that I loved going to hell (which also led to a huge existential crisis concerning my beliefs on Soteriology, but that's for another post). At the same time it was somewhat of a blessing. I was able to open up to a couple of them and talk about religious subjects. I never changed anybody's mind, but I was able to give them more understanding of what it was exactly that I believed and they gave me tough questions that I was able to wrestle with.
Part of the problem of going to a Christian University is that it reduces the impact that you can make as a believer in Christ. There's not as many different points of view, so theological discussions can become quickly tiresome. There can be a temptation to fall into pretentious religious piety (something I am guilty of myself).
On the other hand, there are still people here who need love just as much as anyone else. There are people who struggle with addictions. There are people who don't believe in God. There are people who sit outside the social circle and in need of a friend.
The oppurtunities are still there, it's just a little harder to see them.
I have a tendency to keep things locked away in my head. By things, I mean everything. Conversations, wants, dreams are all safely locked away in my noggin never to see the light of day.
In some ways this is good. Thoughts I shouldn't speak aloud remain unsaid. Actions I shouldn't do remain undone. Embarrassing misunderstandings didn't happen because I decided not to take a chance.
On the flip side I wonder what would have happened if I did make those mistakes. What would people think if I actually had a conversation with them instead of trying to play it out inside my head.
There's an interesting dichotomy between thought and action.
One of the pieces of scripture that's most frightening to me comes from James 4:17 . Which says "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." If anyone is guilty of inaction, it's me.
Over the winter break, my dad and I were hanging out in Barnes and Noble looking for a gift for someone who had done a lot recently for our family. We stopped over by the section for Leo Tolstoy, which led my dad to start discussing War and Peace.
In the book there's a character who sees himself as very moral. He's always thinking about what is moral. Unfortunately he ends up overanalyzing everything and ends up doing nothing.
The foil to this character is someone who doesn't think at all. He just takes action. He's not philosophical. He doesn't think very much about morality, however he ends up doing more good deeds than the guy who's always thinking about morality.
This may at first seem counterintuitive, but makes sense when you think about it. The longer someone thinks about something the longer it's going to take for action to take place.
It's better to donate $30 dollars now than it is to ponder how much of your paycheck you'll be giving to charities when you're raking in six figures.
Go take chances, make mistakes. Just make sure your heart's in the right place.
It’s spring. It seems somehow appropriate that the season of new beginnings marks the beginning of a new blog… a blank slate. I’m hoping to put some writings on here just as a way to blow off some of my steam. I’ve put off writing ever since I began pursuing my degree in computer engineering. I miss it.
I’m working on a short story right now. If I finish it, I may decide to post it up here.