Ken and Todd discuss the theology of gays in the Christian church, the social justice of gays in America, and the differences (if any) between the two as they review a documentary about the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church.

SHOW NOTES:

0:00 - Profile, persuasion, or historical account?

7:00 - Talking past each other and retrofitting theology

13:33 - Theological argument or social justice argument?

19:13 - How heterosexuals are portrayed; leadership vs. laity

24:12 - The lack of a theological argument

31:30 - Social justice vs. the integrity of the church, part 2

35:19 - North Carolina Amendment #1 and Unintended Consequences

40:24 - The film as film; humanizing gays AND Christians

DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Ken and Todd discuss Blue Like Jazz, Steve Taylor’s adaptation of Donald Miller’s best seller. Is the film a satire of Christianity? A Christian satire of the godless university? Is it funny? Will Christians like it? Will anyone else?

SHOW NOTES:

0:00 - Intro, plot, and overall impressions

7:00 - The "Christian" label redux; broadening the audience

10:45 - Satire vs. Bildungsroman

19:21 - Horatian vs. Juvenalian satire

23:00 - Apology, confession, or confessional apology?

32:00 - Writing vs. directing and closing remarks

DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Ken and Todd discuss A Separation, Asghar Farhadi's Academy Award winning film about a couple contemplating divorce in contemporary Iran. Is it ultimately more about the moral choices individuals make or the social structures that influence them? Can an Iranian film be a cautionary tale about American politics?

SHOW NOTES:

0:30 - Intro, summary, faith, and why we're watching

3:48 - Anti-religious or anti-legalism?

11:39 - Fear vs. love vs. duty

15:28 - Is Nader sympathetic?

22:13 - Legalism that's state supported

28:17 - Being for something rather than against everything

32:45 - Recommendation and show close

DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Ken and Todd discuss Primary Colors, Mike Nichols's adaptation of the fictionalized depiction of an adviser grappling with whether or not he can support a flawed governor who is running for president. Mike Nichols's film gets the bulk of discussion, but there are also comments about HBO's Game Change.

SHOW NOTES:

0:30 - Intro, summary, faith, and disillusionment

6:15 - Believing in people vs. seduced by power

10:10 - Moral compromises and ranges of character responses

21:40 - Timeless themes or timely satire?

27:10 - Game Change, good intentions, and believing in what you do

33:35 - Media and the false intimacy of television

40:10 - If we really believe what we say...

DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Todd and Ken discuss Undefeated, the Academy Award winner for Best Documentary of 2011. Take care to build character, football coach Bill Courtney preaches, and winning will take care of itself.

SHOW NOTES:

0:30 - Intro, summary, and the film's thesis

10:21 - Money's reward

16:32 - Ecclesiastes and the Moral Fabric of the Universe

21:49 - Playing angel's advocate and the power of positive reinforcement

28:20 - The health and wealth gospel and when bad things happen to good people

33:55 - Spiritual versus material success

36:08 - Undefeated? The meaning of the title

40:41 - Ecclesiastes redux

DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Todd and Ken discuss David Spaltro's drama about a woman tormented by questions about what happens after we die.

SHOW NOTES:

0:30 - Intro, summary, and definition of an "indie movie"

6:18 - Is death the same as not existing?

12:10 - The Houdini bargain

15:11 - Fronting, masks, and feigned ignorance

19:16 - Do we care about Violet?

25:43 - Material solutions to spiritual problems

29:55 - Understatement, writing, and acting

33:11 - How can we not talk about dancing vaginas?

DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Todd and Ken discuss High and Low. Is Mr. Gondo a Christ-figure? What is the value of a human being? Is the kidnapper really a madman?

SHOW NOTES:

0:30 - Intro, summary, and spiritual themes

8:40 - Mr. Gondo as Christ figure

14:33 - Scope of the narrative and responses to suffering

19:00 - Who gets saved and who doesn’t

22:00 - What is the value of a human being?

26:14 - Main Street vs. Wall Street - Can’t We All Get Along?

29:55 - The scandal of godly expectations

DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Ken and Todd discuss Soul Surfer. Is "Christian Movie" a label or a genre? Does it make any difference? Did Soul Surfer do better than most Christian Movies at not making Todd want to scream and run the other way?

SHOW NOTES:

0:30 - Intro, summary, and conventions of the genre

6:03 - Vehicles for evangelism or stories about relationships?

10:52 - Mistakes they didn't make

14:44 - Judging by a different standard?

24:37 - The "Christian" ghetto: getting out versus elevating the genre

30:00 - Can a Christian movie wear a bikini?

DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Todd and Ken look at Martin Scorsese’s Hugo. Is being a part of a larger whole horrific or comforting? Are some life purposes more exalted than others? Can community make us whole?

SHOW NOTES:

0:30 - Intro, summary, and Martin Scorsese as a spiritual auteur

4:29 - Having a sense of purpose and fixing what is broken

7:08 - The world as machine and people as machine parts

13:44 - Finding a purpose versus having a task

17:52 - Movie idolatry?

20:56 - Connection and community

27:29 - Finding a heart-shaped key

29:12 - Concluding judgments

DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Ken and Todd discuss the new film (and Cannes Palme d’Or nominee) from acclaimed Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki, Le Havre. Is this tale of a community rallying around a young African refugee a realistic look at the immigration issue, or just plain fairy tale? Tune in to find out.

SHOW NOTES:

0:25 - Intro and basic plot synopsis of Le Havre

2:46 - Plot consistency

6:50 - A fairy tale?

11:40 - Are people really that good?

18:25 - The government, police, and "trickster" archetype

23:11 - The inspector and the other surprise ending

27:29 - Miracles, the Sermon on the Mount, fairy tales and God

39:00 - Closing thoughts, comparisons to Dogville

DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!