I'm Not Ashamed

“I’ve always been drawn to hands. I think it’s because it’s the way we touch people,” wrote Rachel Joy Scott in her journal. “If one person could go out of their way to show compassion, it could start a chain reaction." After praying, “Father, use my life to touch the world and let your light shine through me,” Rachel’s renewed commitment to Jesus played out compassionately and powerfully at her high school and around the world. Pure Flix presents I’M NOT ASHAMED, the inspiring true story of Rachel Joy Scott at Columbine High School. When her hopes and dreams seemed to end, God was just getting started. Opening in theaters October 21, I’M NOT ASHAMED stars Masey McLain, Ben Davies, Sadie Robertson, Korie Robertson, Jaci Velasquez, and Jennifer O’Neill. This hope-filled story reminds us that when we put our lives in God’s hands, we can make a world of difference.

I'm Not Ashamed has a great message and story.  It is sad, but also very uplifting. The overall presentation could have been much better.  The acting and filming was sub-par.  On an independent Christian film standards this movie is better than most however.  It would be a good movie for church youth groups and communities to go see together.  I'm Not Ashamed would spark a great discussion about faith and leading by example.

I'm Not Ashamed is based off of Rachel Joy Scott's diary entries and first person accounts. Doing this helped make the movie believably get into her head and see how she was feeling.  Rachel doubts herself and her faith many times throughout the movie but I believe she was a brave girl.  She may have doubted herself but she was an incredibly kind and caring person.  I loved seeing all the positive impacts her actions created. I wish she could have seen how she helped the people around her.  Something I really liked was that she was not pushy and did not try to convert people to her faith.  She was very open about being a Christian but told people she respected their beliefs and did not want to try to change them.  However, she was there to talk to if they wanted someone.  She was welcoming without being annoying.  

Here is an interview I found of Rachel Scott's brother revisiting Columbine 

Harry Potter

This week is something a little different.  I went and saw a movie I have seen many, many times.  A movie I am sure most of you have seen yourself.  IMAX played every single Harry Potter movie again for one week only to hype up Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Being a huge Harry Potter fan I had to go see at least one! As much as I would have loved to go see all the movies again in IMAX they choose the worst possible week for me and I could only see one.  I got to see one of my favorites though, The Half Blood Prince.

I know I'm a little strange when it comes to favorites with the Harry Potter movies. Most people seem to enjoy Alfonso Cuarón's movies, The Prisoner of Azkaban and The Goblet of Fire.  Where I find those as the worst movies and I secretly hate Chris Columbus for deciding not to direct them. (I may be a little bias because those are my favorite books and it just hurts my heart that they don't feel like Harry Potter to me). The first two movies are beautiful and wonderful.  They have the same heart and soul as the books.  They are truly magical. I have always felt that the books get dark after The Goblet of Fire. (Spoilers!) Cedric is dead and Voldemort is back. Cuarón decided to suddenly get dark and grittier during Prisoner of Azkaban. I also hate that they started wearing muggle clothes more than their school robes.

David Yates luckily saved the series and I felt he made the last four movies with the right amount of darkness.  One of my favorite things about The Half Blood Prince is that we are not just focusing on Harry we finally get to see a sneak peak at Draco and what he is going through.  Also that scene with Harry is on Felix Felicis is fantastic. I am excited to see what Yates does with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, though a little hesitant that it will be five movies...

What's your favorite Harry Potter movie?

Please enjoy this embarrassing great photo from the midnight premier of Deathly Hallows Pt. 2

Queen of Katwe

Queen of Katwe is the colorful true story of a young girl selling corn on the streets of rural Uganda whose world rapidly changes when she is introduced to the game of chess, and, as a result of the support she receives from her family and community, is instilled with the confidence and determination she needs to pursue her dream of becoming an international chess champion. Directed by Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding) from a screenplay by William Wheeler (The Hoax) based on the book by Tim Crothers, Queen of Katwe is produced by Lydia Dean Pilcher (The Darjeeling Limited) and John Carls (Where the Wild Things Are) with Will Weiske and Troy Buder serving as executive producers. The film stars Golden Globe® nominee David Oyelowo (Selma), Oscar® winner and Tony Award® nominee Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave) and newcomer Madina Nalwanga.

I was absolutely blown away by Queen of Katwe. It is a beautiful story that is both inspiring and heartbreaking.  It makes me so upset that Disney has not been marketing this movie well, to the point where most people I mentioned it to had no idea what I was talking about. I believe this is a movie that everybody can learn a valuable lesson from, no matter who you are. I cannot recommend it enough. 

Queen of Katwe follows the story of Phiona, played by Madina Nalwanga.  Phiona and her brother, Brian, sell maize on the streets to make a living with their single mother, Harriet, played by Lupita Nyong'o.  One day Phiona and Brian came across a ministry outreach program where children who couldn't afford to go to school would play chess during the day. Their coach Robert, played by David Oyelowo, taught the children how to play chess and how to use the problem solving skills in their day to day lives.  He became an advocate for these children, taking them to chess tournaments hosted by schools and teaching them how to read and write.  He believed they could all learn and rise to better stations in life.

This movie does not shy away from difficult issues.  Queen of Katwe shows just how horrid people treated those who they believed were beneath them because they lived in the slums and could not afford an education.  It also showed the struggles that come from being homeless in Uganada.  Harriet struggles and does everything to provide for her children.  She loves her children and wants to protect them. Phiona acts like every other teenage girl.  When she starts to realize that she is better at chess then people "who having things" she starts thinking she deserves better then the life she has.

Queen of Katwe was partially filmed in Uganda, including some of the actual places where the events took place. The rest of the movie was filmed around South Africa. After the movie they show the actors with the people they portrayed, which I really enjoyed. If you stay during the credits you'll get to see a fun music video featuring the cast.  However, if you already accidentally left before you can catch an alternate version on youtube:

 

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

From visionary director Tim Burton, and based upon the best-selling novel, comes an unforgettable motion picture experience. When Jake discovers clues to a mystery that spans alternate realities and times, he uncovers a secret refuge known as Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As he learns about the residents and their unusual abilities, Jake realizes that safety is an illusion, and danger lurks in the form of powerful, hidden enemies. Jake must figure out who is real, who can be trusted, and who he really is.

When they first announced they were creating Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children into a movie I was a little hesitant. I felt the story and it's heart would not be easily translated into film.  However, I was excited to hear that Tim Burton was directing it, this story would work perfectly with his old style.  While this movie might not be Burton's comeback it is a step in the right direction. And better than most of his current movies. 

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children starts with Jake, Asa Butterfield, witnessing his grandfather being murdered by a monster.  After some encouragement from his therapist,  Allison Janney, Jake and his father, Chris O'Dowd, go on a vacation to the island in Wales where his grandfather grew up in a children's home.  Jake's grandfather used to tell him stories of the children in the children's home and all of their unusual powers, complete with old photographs of all of them.  After arriving to find the children's home destroyed in World War II, Jake soon learns all of his grandfather's stories were real and the children still all live in the home in a time loop, hiding from the monster that killed his grandfather. 

The movie deviates from the book quite a bit.  I understood the changes to the story because it would be very hard to understand in film.  However, I was a bit confused at all of the changes to the characters. They switched Emma and Olive's powers while aging Olive and making a majority of the teenager characters young children. I do not know why they felt that being lighter than air would make for a more interesting main character than creating fire balls.  What is cooler than fighting monsters with fire? Overall, I felt the movie had the same heart as the books, which is what is really important.  The cast did a great job balancing and bringing all the characters to life.  I enjoyed the movie and would recommend it for fans of the book and Tim Burton's older films. 

The characters in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children are based off of old trick photographs that the author, Ransom Riggs,'s collects. Check out this video to find out more about his hobby:

 

Bridget Jones's Baby

Oscar® winners Renée Zellweger and Colin Firth are joined by Patrick Dempsey for the next chapter of the world’s favorite singleton in Bridget Jones’s Baby. Directed by Sharon Maguire (Bridget Jones’s Diary), the new film in the beloved comedy series based on creator Helen Fielding’s heroine finds Bridget unexpectedly expecting. 

After breaking up with Mark Darcy (Firth), Bridget Jones’s (Zellweger) “happily ever after” hasn’t quite gone according to plan. Fortysomething and single again, she decides to focus on her job as top news producer and surround herself with old friends and new. For once, Bridget has everything completely under control. What could possibly go wrong?

Then her love life takes a turn and Bridget meets a dashing American named Jack (Dempsey), the suitor who is everything Mr. Darcy is not. In an unlikely twist she finds herself pregnant, but with one hitch…she can only be fifty percent sure of the identity of her baby’s father.

Bridget Jones's Baby is a great addition to the series.  My friend and I spent the whole movie screaming with laughter and cringing every time Bridget makes a mistake.  She has grown in confidence but has stayed the same hilarious character we know and love. It is hilarious and has the soul of the original Bridget Jones movie.

Bridget Jones, played by Renée Zellweger, has just turned 43 and her old gang of friends are all settling down and starting families. So her coworker, Miranda, played by Sarah Solemani, decides to take her on a girls weekend for her birthday. Where she falls, literally, for Jack Quant, played by Patrick Dempsey. Later in the week she runs into her old boyfriend Mark Darcy, played by Colin Firth, where they reconnect. The movie follows Bridget's struggles of being pregnant and not sure which man is the father while her job has a new boss insisting on re-branding to a younger audience. 

It was great seeing all the actors return to their original roles.  It was so much fun seeing how all the characters were doing in their lives.  It almost felt like a little mini reunion.  I feel that having almost the whole original cast return really adds to how great this sequel was. Patrick Dempsey and Emma Thompson were also great additions to the Bridget Jones series and blended in seamlessly. 

There may not have been a brawl in the street between Darcy and Daniel but Bridget Jones's Baby was filled with laughs and a new tension between Darcy and Jack.  Bridget may be happy with herself and her life but she still somehow makes a mess of everything in the most hilarious fashion. If you need a good laugh, and enjoyed the original Bridget Jones movie, I highly recommend that you go see Bridget Jones's Baby.  

If you are a fan of the series, you can check out the book, written by the screenwriter, that inspired the movies here: https://www.amazon.com/Bridget-Joness-Diary-Helen-Fielding/dp/014028009X