Reclaiming Uncle Tom

I once heard a story (probably apocryphal) where J.R.R Tolkien and C.S. Lewis had a conversation, and Lewis accused Tolkien of hiding his spiritual meanings too deeply in his stories. Tolkien replied that Lewis made them to blatantly obvious in his. Regardless of the story's truth it got me wondering, "Which is better, too overt or too covert? Or 'so overt that it’s covert?'" ;) I don’t think I can answer that question, but I will say that since the end of the 18^th century, it appears we prefer the Tolkien style. In fact, it seems that we don’t just want it hidden, we want it buried so deep we can claim it’s not even there. Need proof? When the first Chronicles of Narnia movie came out, Disney tried to advertise that the story didn’t have a Christian theme! Riiiiiight... This book is why I think that should stop!

I first heard of Uncle Tom’s Cabin in The King and I. Yes, really, when I started reading it, the “Run, Eliza, Run” song kept getting stuck in my head. I also heard the book mentioned a few times in my Civil War class. What I have heard most often is in movies when people refer to someone as an Uncle Tom, it is always in a negative connotation.  If this is your only familiarity with the book…my GOSH you’re in for a treat.

I opened the cover expecting to read a story of a slave girl that runs away from her master, and a couple hundred pages later I’d be convinced slavery was bad so much so I’d be willing to start a Civil War. Don't get me wrong, that's in there, but there's so much more! This book is truly the full package: action, drama, romance, a little bit of the scary element, and, yes, religion! It is proof that religion doesn't need to be hid! I hope you guys don't mind if I get a little serious here.

First of all, I have never read a work of fiction that quotes the Bible so much, and, my gosh, does it feel good to the soul. I strongly believe that it took great skill to put so much religion into the book and not once make it seem preachy. But I think of Ms. Stow's skill was her creation of Uncle Tom. If anyone ever dares use that name around me again in a negative way, prepare to feel my righteous indignation. People seem to think ill of the phrase because it infers a flattering "yes man." That is NOT who Tom is. Uncle Tom is the ultimate Christian, a man who lives what he knows to be right. Throughout the story Tom suffers more than probably anyone who is reading this blog ever will. But through the trials and suffering, Tom treats black and white alike with respect, kindness, and genuine LOVE!

I'm man enough to admit that I cried when Tom cries for the salvation of his master; I was touched when in his hardest moment he comforted the slaves around him; and I yelled with pride when for the first time Tom disobeys his master, and it's because the master wants him to do something evil. See, if you can keep from cheering when he responds that he'll do anything his evil master asks him to do as long as it's not evil and explains that he may own his body, but he can't own his soul because it's already been bought and paid for. And even after the master releases all his fury, Tom prays for the man's salvation. My gosh, people don't write like that anymore. I weep for a society that turns a truly Christlike figure such as this into a insult. I'm truly sad that more people haven't read this book.


 
This week has been an interesting one for me. A good friend of Alisa and mine passed away this week. Michelle Crossan was one of the truly great people I knew in my life, and I'll miss her. Moreover, I also found out that my step Grandpa only has about two weeks left to live. As for my Grandpa, it's bittersweet; he's suffered a long long time, and I'm glad that he'll be able to find peace. Michelle's death is harder to come to grips with because it was so unexpected. My faith makes it so that I'm glad she is in a better place, but my heart breaks for her sister, whom I'm also close friends with. My eyes tear up just writing that. I dedicate this blog to both Michelle and Kristina.

I think there was divine direction in the fact that I finished this book at the beginning of a week like this. There is some much pain and suffering in the world and Uncle Tom's Cabin illustrates that over and over again. I can't explain why bad things happen, how people can hate so fiercely, or why death cuts so deeply at the hardest of times. But Uncle Tom's Cabin to me is a testimony about what is important. I promise you, that just like Tom says in the book, your soul is bought and paid for. This is one that loves you more than you know. I don't want to give too much away, but death is a very strong topic in this book. But so is how to deal with that sorrow.

No, we don't have slavery today in our country, but there's a deeper metaphor in this book. We still have evil, and we still have suffering. That is why Uncle Tom can still be our example today. Terrible things can happen around us, and we may want to give up and give into the grief. But we don't have that right. People depend on us and if we wont make the world a better place who will. Please be an Uncle Tom, comfort those around you, give peace to those that need it, have FAITH in something more than yourself, and fight evil til your last breathe. The greatest gift I can give to those that I've love who have passed on is a commitment to do this. A commitment to remember Uncle Tom's Cabin. Please... read this book.

A Round Of Manly Compromises

 A couple weeks ago, I gave you guys a couple of movies that you need to be willing to watch with the love of your life if you want to good relationship. Well ladies, now it's your turn. I know, this one is harder for a couple reasons. First, girls seem to only need about an hour and a half of the touchy-feely love stuff to feel satisfied. Guys, on the other hand, need to have their minds blown by insane action for AT LEAST two hours... if your lucky. Second, there are a heck of a lot more guy films that are rated R than chick flicks. (Can anyone think of an R rated chick flick?) So unless you have access to edited movies, I'm not going to be tempting you with any here. If you do have access, well that would be another story (Gladiator, Ghost and the Darkness, Last of the Mohicans, Saving Private Ryan and Braveheart... just off the top of my head).

Ladies, I know what your thinking, "I don't need advice here I compromise all the time..." Sorry girl, but Pirates of the Caribbean ain't a compromise! Almost everyone loves that movie. That being said I do have to apologize if your guy has ever made you watch a guy comedy. There's just no excuse for that fellas. It should be no shock to you that your lady friend doesn't chuckle when you quote lines from Dumb and Dumber. Avoid the trouble and save it for your bros. Word. Still, ladies, you too have to take one for the team, especially if you've just made him watch She's the Man for the 100th time. No... that's not a compromise either. Here's a list of ten you can try.

1. Lord of the Rings:

Yes, I know it's long, but... we crave it like WATER! If you are one of the girls that love it as much we do heaven bless you!! If not, that's still OK! No one said you had to watch it all in one sitting. Take your time, and you should be able to get at least 4 or 5 chick flick compromises out of it.

But really, is this even a compromise? It is SO AWESOME!!

2. Cinderella Man:

 If I were pressed hard about what my favorite movie of all time was, this would be the answer. It's just plain epic. Lucky for me, my wife loves it almost as much as I do. However, I can see how some girls might not like all the punching even though it is an incredibly inspiring, life-altering, jump-out-of-your-seat-with-excitement movie. But face it, your guy loves sports movies; if you or he doesn't like this one choose another. At least I'm not asking you to watch all the Rocky's...

3. Indiana Jones:

Clearly, I'm not suggesting that Kingdom of the Crystal Skull be added to this list. I wouldn't ask anybody to sacrifice that much. But I really don't think this one is a compromise, even though you might be able to convince your guy it is. Guys, please remember that Temple of Doom is kinda rough on the ladies, what with all the brain-eating.. and heart pulling out... give them a break if their not up for watching that one. 

4. Sherlock Holmes:

 This shouldn't really be a compromise either, so just... watch it... and love it!

5. Casino Royale/ Quantum of Solace:

 

Be grateful these movies were made so that compromising won't require you watching a crappy Pierce Brosnan movie. This new take on James Bond is incredible. I used to hate James Bond movies, but these ones are on my top ten list.

I'm starting to have a hard time thinking this list is about compromising anymore. 

6. Inception:

 It's like a dweam within a dweam! And it's a great dweam! I've heard people say that this movie is cluttered and convoluted. To those people I say please return your Saturday morning cartoons, Mommy and Daddy are trying to watch a movie. This will meet all your guy's needs, and you should enjoy it too.

7. Count of Monte Cristo:

 I'm pretty sure that a guy and a girl's definition of revenge is different. For a girl, it's about talking bad about your enemy and calling her catty names until you feel better. When a guy talks about revenge, this is what he means!! This is revenge and this is epic! You may squirm at all the hate but "you didn't think I would make it that easy did you?" ;)

8. Mission Impossible 1, 3, 4:

 Again, just like with Indiana, the second movie is not on this list. That's on a list of movies to watch when you feel like mocking... incessantly... forever. The first movie is really good even though people forget it. But 3 and 4 take the series to a whole new level. I personally prefer 4, but I understand that most people prefer 3... so I'll compromise ;)

9. The Prestige:

 We should probably just put anything done by Chris Nolan on here. Not only is this a great movie, but its also great insight into your guy's male ego. Enjoy!

10. Superhero Movies:

This is like Disney for girl compromises; if you can't find anything here... end it! And again, sorry but The Dark Knight and The Avengers doesn't count cause their box office earnings suggest that everyone loves them... A LOT. But there are plenty of suggestions! I would recommended Hancock, X-Men: First Class, Ironman,Captain America... you get the idea!

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So there ya go ladies, if you want to butter up your man to get him to go shopping with you or something girly just pull out one of these and say "Gee, I just got a huge craving to watch this, what do you say?" He'll be putty in your hands. That's a lot of power! Just remember with great power, comes great responsibility. ;)

A Red Fern And A Mockingbird

It seems that most people would rather read about movies than books on blogs, but I don't care. This blog is personal and it really won't bother me if no one reads it at all. I began to love reading at a very early age. Like I've explained before, I simply love stories. I think for everyone that has truly loved reading from an early age there is one book. One book that takes you back and makes you feel the mystery and excitement of childhood all over again. Lucky for me I have two. 

Where The Red Fern Grows
I grew up in the middle of the woods. Like seriously, I spent my childhood running on dirt trails through a forest of trees (and I'm pretty sure I climbed every one of them). The experience was only made better by the fact that my dog, B.J., would follow me everywhere I went. No, literally... EVERYWHERE! There were a couple days I tried to sneak out without him seeing me leave. Sometimes I'd make it, but just when I thought I was free B.J. would be there sniffing after my trail. Sometimes I'd be so deep in the woods that I couldn't hear my mom calling for me. But B.J. could and he'd always start barking and nudging me to let me know. Man, I loved the woods, I loved that dog, and I loved my childhood.

If you haven't drawn the conclusion of why I love Where The Red Fern Grows, it's quite clear that you either haven't read it in a LONG time or haven't read it period. Either is an infraction that needs to be speedily rectified.

If there is any book that captures the spirit of adventure in youth it's this one. Whether it's the hunt for the 'phantom' coon or the epic show down with the mountain lion, this book appeals to the kid inside of us that is dying to have adventures. Reading it instantly makes me smell pine, hear birds chip, feel humidity on my skin, see green-laced sunlight and taste excitement. I think it's important that as we grow old we don't abandon the desire for adventures just because they feel different than anticipated. We start referring to them as trials and tribulations instead of what they are: adventures! Reread this book and remind yourself of the ADVENTURES that await you!

To Kill A Mockingbird

I can still remember the first time I read this book. I was instantly sucked in because of one character: Boo Radley. What is it about childhood that makes us so intrigued and excited about the thing that scares us the most? Perhaps it's because hidden in that thing that terrifies us is a mystery that we are dying to uncover. Too bad we can't keep that brave curiosity forever. But every time I read about Scout and Jem sneaking over to the Radley's house at night it excites the child in me, the one still searching for a mystery.

I wish I could go back to that time.There really is nothing that can compare with the amazement of childhood. I think that as time goes on the fear that once led us to search out a mystery turns into irrational loathing of the unknown. It's a shame really because it may lead us to miss out on a lot of Boo Radley's in our life.

Let's face it though, Boo Radley is just one metaphor for the real lessons of the book. The message, like all of us, grows with time. I strongly believe that there are evil forces in the world, evil inclinations in all of us. Hate may be the worst of them all. The saddest thing about it is that you can't fight hate. People are going to hate things that are different no matter what we do to try and stop that. All you can do is love that much harder to try and undue the effects of hate.

Atticus Finch will always be a hero of mine because he represents that struggle to undue the hate in life. I would like to say that things have changed since the time period of To Kill a Mockingbird, but they haven't. People hate--probably even more that they used to. They are just more clever in their justifications. It's not so much racism anymore, it's just out right hate for our fellow man and it seems like no one is free of it. Atticus is the reminder that we can't hate and stand up for the right thing at the same time. If we want to stand up for what we know to be right, we have to be free of hate. Otherwise... we're just killing mockingbirds.

If you haven't read this book... I pity you. If you haven't read it lately, how about you journey back to your childhood and pick it up!
_ _ _

In truth I don't think I want to be a scrawny little boy who gets picked on by his brothers and has a 9 o'clock bed time anymore. What I do want is live so that the excitement of childhood never leaves me... I think we could all use more of that.

All That Matters... Is The Ending

"You know, the only thing that matters is the ending. It's the most important part of the story, the ending. And this one... is very good. This one's perfect."

Have you ever stopped and thought about the ending of a movie and said, "Hey, wait, why didn't they just..." Well, my friend, this post is for you. About two years ago I found "How it Should Have Ended" on YouTube. If you haven't seen one yet, I HIGHLY recommend it. The following are ten of my favorite that should have you fully addicted by the end of the day. Enjoy!

10. How Superman Should Have Ended

Superman and Batman show up in A LOT of these, so you should probably see how it started.

9. How Harry Potter Should Have Ended

This makes fun of the whole series... it's epic!

8. How The Empire Strikes Back Should Have Ended

If you like this one, I recommend getting on their site and watching "Happy Vader"

7. How Spiderman 3 Should Have Ended

You can skip like the first minute and a half, but then it gets hilarious!

6. How Twilight Should Have Ended

Whether you hate it or love it, this mocks it perfectly.

 5. How To Survive An Alien Attack

This one is a compilation of movies. I die laughing every time.

4. How Ironman Should Have Ended

Of all the endings, this one makes the best point I think.

3. The Best Picture Summary 2011

This one just goes through the movies nominated for best picture in 2011. My favorite is Inception!

2. How Lost Should Have Ended

I know, it was a TV show, not a movie. Still, it's funny!

1. How The Dark Knight Should Have Ended

And the best of them all! This one is by far my favorite!

Addicted yet? If you are, check out the their page on YouTube. Happy Endings!! ;)

Another cool thing. Look at the picture below. See the dog on the corner of the droid thingy? His name is Kiddo, and he shows up in every video. See if you can find him!

An Iron Dude, A Green Guy, A Patriotic Man and a Norwegian walking into a bar...

I'll be honest, I have never read a comic book in my life. All I know about comic heroes are what I have seen in movies, Saturday morning cartoons, or from overly obsessed geek friends. This much I do know, Superhero's were meant to star in movies! A couple nights before the Avengers came out, I read a review that claimed that it was the Superhero movie to end all Superhero movies. This was a pretty tall order to me considering the fact that it faced three big problems: a) converging plot lines of movies I did like and ones I didn't, b) balancing comic book fiction with real-life plausibility, and c) living up to all the hype!

 

Did it succeed? I really think it did. Was it the movie to end all Superhero movies? No... and yes? Let's get started, class.

Converging Plots: Let me try to be brief:
Ironman 1 and 2: Loved them
 The Incredible Hulk: Way better than the first but still... it wasn't mind blowing
Captain America: Big fan, I've got the cards (Sorry, gotta watch the Avengers to get that one)
Thor: Really... am I the only one who wasn't a fan?!?

The truth is it takes a lot of skill to take this many loved heroes and throw them into one movie. I think I hated Thor because it seemed like if he's got all his powers, what can't the guy do theoretically, and since I'm a huge Ironman fan I would much rather seen Tony Stark kicking butt and taking names than the Norwegian homo (shout out to the Hancock fans). One of the biggest successes of the movie is that no matter who you are rooting for, you get your fill. Even better, since none of the heroes are team players at first, we get to see them rough each other up a little bit. Even though I'm a bigger fan of the "Man in the Suit" and the Captain, one of my favorite scenes was Thor versus the Hulk... sorry to give that away.

Not only that, but the plot line works. I would really suggests you see all the precursor movies because there are bits and pieces of them all in the Avengers. But even if you have missed one (like my wife) you'll still be able to bask in the glory. This leads to the second point of discussion.

Reality vs. Comic Fiction:
Another problem I had with Thor was that I felt they abandoned a formula that was really working for Superhero movies: try to make it realistic but throw in enough comic references to make the geeks snort into their popcorn while the rest of us are pleasantly confused. So how do you make a movie with a demigod hero and villain and a near indestructible... green thing realistic?! I don't have the answers, but the people who wrote the movie do because they scored big time here.

Naturally, there were a few scenes that made my cringe at the nerdiness washing over me, but they make up for that with complex discussions about things like nuclear deterrents mess with a heroes mind. The philosopher in me was pleased and the little kid that loved Saturday morning cartoons was fulfilled. Could Chris Nolan have done it better? Perhaps, but the comic fans may have lost something I really think this was the perfect balance.

And finally... Hype:
I think it goes with out saying that there was A LOT of hype with this movie. I mean, come on, I read an article that said it would be the end of all superhero movies!! I learned a long time ago that I have to control those expectations if I want to enjoy it. This is true of every movie, this one included. Did I love it? Yes, and was I expecting a lot? Yes. But I didn't get carried away! That's the key! ... Man, that's good. Life advice. I should needle point that on something...

The fight scenes were mind-blowing, the humor was hilarious and the plot compelling; you really have no right to be disappointed. But I wouldn't call it the end of all Superhero movies by any stretch of the imagination (especially with the Dark Knight Rises set to crap on the Avengers success). I could, however, see this being the end all for individual members of the Avengers. Where is the tension going to be in Ironman 3 if you realize Tony Stark can just call up Bruce Banner and say "Hey, I need you to come smash something real quick" ? The need for escalated tension will probably make this first Avengers movie the pinnacle for each plot line. In short, I'm scared they will ruin themselves trying to make a movie bigger than this one. But I won't lie... I'm excited for more!