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Category: Movies

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Today’s post was written by and used with permission from Rusty Wright
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I cannot imagine perceiving my father as a monster.

Bart Millard saw his father as a monster and more.

My dad was warm, gracious, fun, affirming, friendly, professional, caring. A loving husband. By example and precept he inspired me to aim high in life, school, work, and relationships. As a boy, I loved playing catch with him, shooting baskets, attending football games, hanging out. Throughout life, when I failed, he was there to console me, to help me pick up the pieces and move on in a positive direction.

Bart’s dad, Arthur, was any kid’s worst nightmare. Anger and rage consumed him often and drove Bart’s mother away. Bart often felt the leather strap and paddle. “As I became a mischievous toddler,” he recalls, “my spankings slowly escalated from normal discipline to verbal and physical abuse.” Arthur once smashed a dinner plate over Bart’s head. Eventually physical abuse morphed into silence and indifference.

Hopeless highway to hell?

I Can Only Imagine could be a depressing movie and book if the story ended there. But the tale behind the popular song of the same name by the band MercyMe could inspire anyone whose life has seemed a hopeless highway to hell. The cast includes Dennis Quaid, Oscar-winner Cloris Leachman, singer Trace Adkins, author/actress Priscilla Shirer, and Broadway singer J. Michael Finley.

Bart is careful to explain some factors beyond his dad’s control that contributed to poor character development. Arthur’s own father’s divorce and quick remarriage had thrust ten-year-old Arthur into head-of-household responsibilities far too early, sowing seeds of anger and bitterness.

Arthur became a well-liked local high school football star in Texas, but later dropped off the SMU football team to care for things at home, sacrificing a possible NFL career. “Dreams” were worthless; “reality” was what counted. He made sure his son knew that “Dreams don’t pay the bills.”

A horrible on-the-job traffic accident put Arthur in a coma for eight weeks. After that, his temperament seemed skewed, and rage filled their home.

Prodigal father; unforgiving son

Young Bart found escape from family strife and loneliness in music and friends, often through his church youth group. Inspirational music lifted his spirits. The group leader and members helped instill stability and faith. During a camp session, Bart placed his trust in Jesus. But he couldn’t forgive his dad.

The film and book depict with grace, tenderness, and beauty what became of this prodigal father and his unforgiving son. I won’t spoil the story for you, but suffice it to say that the path to redemption and restoration was pretty amazing. In his book, Bart affirms his belief that “God transformed the monster I hated into the man I wanted to become. …From an abusive dad to a loving father. From a heart of stone to a life of grace.”

Mainstream media surprise

“I Can Only Imagine” – Bart’s tribute song for his father, performed with MercyMe – eventually became a smash hit on Christian media. Then a mainstream FM radio DJ with a reputation for sometimes crude dialogue played it as a joke for his listeners. Phone lines lit up. People wanted “to talk about what the words meant to them and how it made them feel.”

The DJ invited the band to be on his show and the song’s popularity spread among mainstream stations. MercyMe appeared on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show and on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and now has performed at Radio City Music Hall, The Today Show, CBS This Morning, CNN and ABC News.

Paul, an early follower of Jesus, wrote of his Lord’s ability “to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” Getting Bart to forgive his dad falls into that category. This film is well worth seeing, contemplating, and applying.

Rated PG (USA) “for thematic elements including some violence.”

Opens March 16.

I Can Only Imagine Official Page USA

I Can Only Imagine Official Page Canada

Rusty Wright is an author and lecturer who has spoken on six continents. He holds Bachelor of Science (psychology) and Master of Theology degrees from Duke and Oxford universities, respectively. www.RustyWright.com

I Can Only Imagine poster

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Today's post was written by Rusty Wright.
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Want an alluring love story for your Valentine's Day movie date? US filmgoers have distinct options this season.

Much-discussed Fifty Shades of Grey is based on the erotic novel that's drawn countless bookclubbers into lip-biting, toe-curling ecstasy. Trailers promise mystery, pleasure, bondage, and pain.

Old Fashioned takes, shall we say, a somewhat different approach. Boy meets girl. Attraction is mutual, but they focus on romance with respect, even chivalry. Both have painful pasts that influence their feelings and decisions. Each struggles to know the other and to discover whether they should forge a future together.

"Girls Gone Wild"

In Old Fashioned, writer/director Rik Swartzwelder plays Clay, a former party animal who produced "Girls Gone Wild"-style videos, but eventually wearied of empty and broken relationships. He's determined to treat women with respect and honor, patiently wait, focus on head and heart before body. A nice guy who occasionally hides behind sometimes quirky relationship rules to protect himself from vulnerability and pain.

Enter Amber (Elizabeth Ann Roberts), a free spirit who rents the apartment above Clay's antique shop, then creates repair needs as excuses to spend time with her cute landlord/handyman. Surprised and puzzled by his platonic convictions, she longs to explore his mind and heart, but meets resistance. Her persistence plus a friend's intervention start them courting.

Navigating relationship complexities

The film traces two wounded souls navigating relationship complexities. Turns out Clay's profligate-to-platonic transformation involved a Bible, a gift from a former love interest. Amber asks about his favorite parts of the book. Clay refers to an assertion about life change: "Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" (II Corinthians 5:17)

"Don't...tell me you found Jesus?" asks a skeptical Amber on another occasion. "More like he found me," explains Clay.

Sex, of course, is a powerful drive, as Fifty Shades' popularity attests. But so is love. Who doesn't want to be accepted, understood, cherished, affirmed? Old Fashioned touches these deep human desires and presents realistic portrayals of people with whom you might identify, seeking – and finding – genuine fulfillment. And its precepts offer sound counsel.

Sound counsel

"When did treating women with respect become the joke?" asks Clay in the film. He values building his own character over happy hunting.

I'll second that. Certainly evaluating prospective mates is important. But often people focus more on finding the right person than on becoming the right person. A good question for singles seeking a meaningful relationship: "How can I become the kind of person that the kind of person I want to marry…would want to marry?"

Unusual behavior?

In the run-up to both films' Valentine's weekend openings, Old Fashioned promoters played off the contrast with Fifty Shades. The latter received an "R" rating for several elements including "some unusual behavior." A clever OF trailer invites moviegoers to "leave the door open as two souls take the time to discover…[not] manipulation [but] healing" in "a love story that most only dream of."

"The wheels of Old Fashioned were in motion long before the Fifty Shades book got to Hollywood," Swartzwelder explains. "We didn't create our film in response to any other specific book or film, at all … but the decision to hold-off on our release so it could open alongside Fifty Shades? Yes, that was indeed deliberate." He sees his film as remedy: "Think of a young woman you care about … which love story would you wish for her?"

As the OF tagline reads, "Love is…patient, love is…kind, love is…old fashioned." Yes. And very, very nice.
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Rated PG-13 (USA) "for some thematic material".

Opens February 13. www.OldFashionedMovie.com
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Rusty Wright is an author and lecturer who has spoken on six continents. He holds Bachelor of Science (psychology) and Master of Theology degrees from Duke and Oxford universities, respectively. www.RustyWright.com

Published on

Today's post was written by and shared with the permission of Rusty Wright.
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Ever have trouble getting people you love to embrace your life dreams? You'll likely identify with Ryan Wade in The Identical.

Music is in his soul. He has the looks, voice and moves of Elvis, and drives audiences wild. But his preacher father has different dreams for him, setting up a monumental collision.

What unfolds is a fun Rock 'n' Roll parable with an upbeat, inspiring, message about finding purpose, revealing secrets, and experiencing redemption. Tunes to get you swaying and romantic odes touch your heart as they depict young love, discovering identity, and learning what really matters.

Conflicting dreams

This fictional story spans four decades from the 1930's Great Depression to the 1970's. We see early Rock evolve as Ryan (Blake Rayne) seeks to find his way. He loves to sing, but his father (Ray Liotta; Goodfellas, Field of Dreams) wants him in the ministry. His mother (Ashley Judd; Divergent, High Crimes) quietly observes their interaction without choosing sides.

Ryan memorizes Bible verses as a child and attends Bible college as a young man. But African-American R&B captivates his heart. When Drexel Hemsley – the film's Elvis-esque figure – tops the music charts, the mesmerized Ryan feels he knows what Drexel "The Dream" is thinking. The two are dead ringers (Rayne plays both parts); Ryan insists to inquirers they're not related.

Secret past

But we know they are, identical twins separated at birth. Their impoverished parents, amid mutual anguish, invited the Wades – childless after multiple miscarriages – to adopt one boy. Pledged to secrecy, the Wades raised Ryan as their own.

Ryan pursues a music career – eventually as "The Identical," a Drexel Hemsley impersonator – triggering painful family explosions. His mom accepts reality first, advising Ryan, "The love of God seeks us in every situation and desires our good. If He is in your dreams, nothing can stand against them."

Ryan explains to his disappointed father: "I'm just trying to be what He made me to be, and not something else." Biblical statements his dad had him memorize as a kid foreshadow his journey:

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.'"

Ryan is ever the consummate gentleman in dating, marriage, and with adoring fans. In the end, all this confusion and conflict comes to … well, I won't spoil it for you. But I'll wrap with some fun facts, plus a personal reflection.

Fun facts; personal reflection

It's not surprising that an Elvis-esque story includes twins and spiritual themes. The real Elvis Presley's twin brother, Jessie, was stillborn. Elvis often experienced survivor guilt and a desire to know him. Elvis' only Grammy Award for a single came for his 1974 recording of "How Great Thou Art," a famous hymn. The lyrics, which likely reflected his own spiritual roots, point to hope beyond human accomplishment.

I can identify with a son whose dreams conflict with those of his parents – which is probably the reason this film resonates with me. After finding faith during university, I sought a career with a Christian nonprofit, much to my parents' dismay. My mother enlisted an attorney friend to try to convince me to attend law school. But my heart was set on helping spread worldwide the faith that had transformed me. Eventually, my folks accepted the inevitable.

Fifteen years later, my father told me he thought what I was doing was extremely worthwhile, a deeply validating affirmation. "If He is in your dreams, nothing can stand against them," counseled Ashley Judd’s character in the movie. She was right.
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www.TheIdenticalMovie.com Opens September 5.

Rated PG (USA) for "thematic material and smoking".
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Rusty Wright is an author and lecturer who has spoken on six continents. He holds Bachelor of Science (psychology) and Master of Theology degrees from Duke and Oxford universities, respectively. www.RustyWright.com

Published on

Today’s post was written by and used with permission from Rusty Wright.
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Could a football coach who teaches his players that character trumps winning…win games? Consistently?

It's happened – and quite dramatically – inspiring the film When the Game Stands Tall, opening August 22.

Coach Bob Ladouceur led a struggling, obscure, Catholic California high school team to record-shattering national prominence by helping his players mature toward adulthood.

Ladouceur's (pronounced "LAD-a-sir") De La Salle Spartans won 151 straight games, a record for football at any level. (To compare, Oklahoma University won 47 straight; the NFL's New England Patriots 21 straight.) Rating services crowned them National High School Football Champions at least eight times.

Winning: doable; teaching life: hard

This inspiring film (Sony/TriStar) features Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ, CBS-TV's Person of Interest), Alexander Ludwig (The Hunger Games), Laura Dern (The Fault in Our Stars, Jurassic Park), and Michael Chiklis (TV's Vegas, The Shield).

"Winning a lot of football games is doable," explains Ladouceur (Caviezel) in the film. "Teaching kids there's more to life? That's hard."

The film focuses on how players and coaches cope with The Streak's end, plus a former teammate's murder and the coach's heart attack. "It's not how hard you fall," reads the tagline, "it's how you get back up."

In this gritty story, a coach struggles to help his players make sense out of loss and tragedy while grappling with his own confusion and doubt. We see many contrasts: dreams shattered and fulfilled, family joys and conflict, selfish pettiness and stirring nobility.

An All-Madden tale

Legendary NFL coach and commentator John Madden called the Ladouceur/De La Salle saga "one of the greatest football stories ever told. There's a lot more to it than X's and O's. [It has] life lessons…for everyone…about commitment, dedication, responsibility, friendship, brotherhood. And what you learn from those lessons is much bigger and more important than The Streak. …It's about community…religious beliefs…everything that's important in life."

Coach "Lad" (now retired) focused on accountability, preparation, bonding and hard work. Players set personal goals – for conditioning, practice, game performance, etc. – then held each other accountable, so each could thrive.

The Bellevue, Washington, team that finally snapped The Streak emulated their opponent's methods. "Credit De La Salle for the things that changed in our program," explained that coach.

Spartans' secrets

Ladouceur, also a religion teacher, fondly quotes inspirational figures like Bobby Kennedy, Jesuit philosopher Teilhard de Chardin, and Jesus. He noted:

"The most important component of Spartan tradition is our commitment to create a brotherhood among ourselves. This task is bigger, tougher, and more elusive than any opponent we ever face. …Individual egos must die in order for a team to live."

"…We win because our players love each other. They are not afraid to say it or embrace each other as a sign of that affection."

He likes Jesus’ Parable of the Talents in which an employer gives each of three servants a sum of money to manage – "each according to his own ability" – then observes the results.

"God not only gave us some sort of ability," notes Ladouceur, "but also…placed us in an environment to develop those talents. And for what purpose?" Service, is Ladouceur's answer.

Of course, definitions of exemplary character differ, and Ladouceur willingly admits he's imperfect. "I have a lot of regrets," he confesses.

A winning film

I don't generally follow high school football, preferring the university and professional games. When I first heard about this movie, I wondered what its appeal could be. Now I understand.

There's plenty of gridiron action for fans, but also poignant lessons about preparing for life, growing up, community, handling defeat, and more. The ending is somewhat perplexing (“seems contrived,” says my wife). But overall, it's a great story for athletes and coaches, teams and fans, students and educators, families and friends.
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Rated PG (USA) "for thematic material, a scene of violence, and brief smoking."

www.WhenTheGameStandsTall.com Opens August 22 in USA & Canada.
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Rusty Wright is an author and lecturer who has spoken on six continents. He holds Bachelor of Science (psychology) and Master of Theology degrees from Duke and Oxford universities, respectively. www.RustyWright.com