movies – Page 5 – Looking to God

Beatrice “Tris” Prior

Posted on August 6, 2014October 17, 2014 by Jack Flacco

You have a choice. Go with blood or with destiny. Some may call it destiny, at least. Truth is the test will tell you where you belong. For Beatrice (Shailene Woodley) who grew up as part of the Abnegation faction, she felt it in her heart where she belonged. Like all things, though, things get complicated when others get involved.

Shailene Woodley is Beatrice "Tris" Prior — Shailene Woodley is Beatrice “Tris” Prior

Today I am proud to include Beatrice “Tris” Prior in my Women Who Wow Wednesday series. Spoilers may lie therein. Jump to the last paragraph if you do not want to know anything else about either the book or the movie Divergent.

Other than Shakespeare, who has provided me countless hours of entertainment, I haven’t really gushed about any other author on my site. Veronica Roth has proven to be the exception. With thirteen years of writing experience, the 25-year-old, who penned the Divergent series, has won my admiration. Her former blog reads like a fairytale/journal. Among her tidbits of life’s episodes, you can also read how Divergent progressed from its story’s infancy to becoming a worldwide blockbuster movie.

The story centers on a futuristic Chicago divided by five factions: Amity, Candor, Abnegation, Erudite and Dauntless. The factions represent traits, respectively: peacefulness, honesty, selflessness, intelligence and bravery. Every year, sixteen-year-olds undergo a test to determine which of the five factions they belong. However, the ultimate decision rests with them. In Beatrice’s case, she has traits suited from more than one faction. In other words, she’s divergent.

In the Choosing Ceremony, instead of selecting Abnegation, her home faction, Beatrice chooses Dauntless. The Dauntless creed is never to give up—no matter what.

Shailene Woodley as Beatrice "Tris" Prior — Shailene Woodley as Beatrice “Tris” Prior

As part of her entry into the faction, Beatrice and the other initiates have to take a leap of faith from a tall building into a dark pit without knowing if they’d survive the fall. Not one to skirt around a challenge, Beatrice goes first. Her willingness to conquer her fears gains her a friend in Four (Theo James), the faction’s chiseled leader. Asked of her name, Beatrice simply says, Tris.

From that moment forward, Tris has to overcome a series of training exercises primed to show who will make the Dauntless cut. Beaten, scarred and exhausted, Tris resolves never to give up. In her enthusiasm to succeed, Tris wins an ally with Dauntless’ leader, Four. He notices her determination and quietly counsels her. Their friendship grows to become the catalyst for future victories on the battlefield.

In Tris, Veronica Roth has written a character unwavering in her principles and solid in her integrity. I’m eagerly anticipating to read this series and to watch the next movie, Insurgent.

Have you seen Divergent? What did you think of the main character Tris?

Women Who Wow Wednesday

Jo Harding

Posted on July 30, 2014July 30, 2014 by Jack Flacco

Among the bicycles in the trees, the broken lumber in the field and the torn foundations, a little girl rises to confront her greatest challenge—a twister.

When I first saw this film in the fall of 1996, my wife and I were in the middle of visiting family in Nova Scotia. The theater had a handful of folks and we had just settled into our seats. I didn’t know what I was in for, but I could feel magic in the air. About half-an-hour into the story, I remember turning to my wife and saying, “How did they do that?” From there, I didn’t say a word until the very end. When we left the theater that evening, it had rained. How appropriate, I thought.

Women Who Wow Wednesday wouldn’t be complete without Twister’s Jo Harding (Helen Hunt), the go-getter who doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. She and Bill Harding (Bill Paxton) chase storms for a living. They look for massive fronts, then they plow into them hoping to gain a better understanding as to how they form.

Who are we kidding? They chase tornadoes. The bigger they are, the more of a thrill the chasers get.

For Jo it all started when she saw her father taken in a whirlwind. Since then, her fascination with tornadoes has only grown. Bill’s fiancée Dr. Melissa Reeves (Jami Gertz) can’t understand the driving force that keeps the woman going. Jo treats the storms as a normal thing. Her matter-of-fact attitude shows when she tells Dr. Reeves, “If you have to pee, you should do it now. There’s not many places to stop on the road.”

But it’s not all chases, hootin’ and hollerin’. Jo genuinely wants to understand what makes a twister do what it does. She’s so enamored with the thought of an early warning system that she’ll do anything to make it happen, even if it’s getting out of the truck in order to reach out and touch the beast.

The fact of the matter is tornadoes don’t scare Jo. She’s seen small and large twisters, sisters and monsters. They don’t scare her. If she can help alert those in the storm’s path, then she will have done her duty. After all, she’s seen the worst of the worst and everything else is easy by comparison.

What did you think of the movie Twister? What did you think of the character Jo?

Women Who Wow Wednesday

Veronica Mars

Posted on July 9, 2014June 29, 2014 by Jack Flacco

It starts with a simple request: “I need your help, Veronica.” It then balloons into an investigation of incredible proportions. She’s a girl who picks up her private investigator’s license at eighteen. Don’t let that fool you, though. Her crime solving skills came much earlier when her best friend became a murder victim and she wanted to know who did it. It was her way of coping.

If you don’t know Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell), then you might enjoy this Women Who Wow Wednesday post, as I, too, have grown fond of this woman of many talents.

Veronica’s private eye bug originated with her father, who was Neptune, California’s sheriff. One day, he goes after the most powerful man in town, and the next day, he loses his job. Not a man for taking a loss, he opens his own P.I. firm called Mars Investigations. It only makes sense that Veronica would work there part time, of course. She naturally has her own caseload to solve and follows her dad in his footsteps.

To understand Veronica is to understand her friends. She loses them all with her father’s sudden unemployment. So much for friends. Her dead friend’s boyfriend, Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring), however, is especially a cruel soul. Unlike Veronica who searches for her best friend’s killer by investigating leads, Logan’s distrust and rage fuels his need for revenge. Drawn by the common goal of finding a killer, Veronica and Logan become an item. At the same time, those same qualities that draw people together can also tear them apart.

How can someone quantify Veronica’s skillsets? Yes, she’s angry. She’s Vengeful. But there’s more to her than the dark, brooding character some make her out to be. Some folks call her a marshmallow.

Names aside, her strength lies in her ability to see through the confusion. When threatened, she doesn’t stand aside taking it. She dishes it out and ensures no one can make a comeback from her volley. Her idea of a solution is the direct approach. If things get too complicated for her, nothing quite like a right cross to solve a problem.

Her biggest asset is not her skill with a camera. Nor is it having the ability to mimic accents. It’s not even her willingness to dress different, talk different or walk different. Veronica’s biggest asset is the love she has for her dad. In spite of him losing his job, and her friends asking her to choose, without a doubt she chooses her dad. He provides the love and safety she needs to carry forward with her life and not worry what anyone else thinks. He’s her sounding board, always ready to listen, always ready to step in when she’s in over her head. No one else can replace him. He’s her everything.

Veronica Mars may have an attitude, but her will to stand firm in the toughest of situations makes her a true example of what a strong woman is.

Have you seen the Veronica Mars movie? If so, what do you think of it? What do you think of the series?

Women Who Wow Wednesday

Jamie Sullivan

Posted on June 18, 2014June 18, 2014 by Jack Flacco

I don’t talk about God much. If anything, I sometimes hint at what I believe, but I don’t make it a personal mission to preach. I leave that job to the preachers. I’ve had folks, though, who have asked me what I believe, and it’s with some reservations I tell them.

In the movie A Walk to Remember, Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore), however, doesn’t hold back. She loves God, and she’ll take every opportunity to show it. You see, Jamie comes from a strict Baptist background. Her father (Peter Coyote) is the town’s minister and her mother passed away some time ago. She enjoys lending a hand at the orphanage, working with animals, and taking care of her father. No one’s ever asked her out on a date, but she’s quite fine with that. She’s happy living a quiet life away from what the other teens at her school are doing. Her most prized possessions are the sweater she wears every day and her bible.

When Landon Carter (Shane West) walks into Jamie’s life, she doesn’t think anything of it. After all, he’s part of the popular crowd and to other girls, he’s worth falling over to get his attention. If anything, she’s happy to have a new friend, regardless of his troublemaking ways. Jamie considers him an accomplished goal. Her number forty-two on her to-do list—to befriend somebody she doesn’t like.

Jamie’s to-do list also contains some other notable goals such as spend a year in the Peace Corps, make a medical discovery, be in two places at once and get a tattoo. Her number one goal is marry in the church where her mother grew up and her parents were married.

Aside from Jamie’s lofty ambitions, she’s also not shy with speaking her mind. Thinking Jamie to be a pushover, one of Landon’s friends stands on the receiving end of her quick wit:

Another aspect of Jamie’s character is having the wisdom to see where things are going with her friendship with Landon. She asks him to promise he won’t fall in love with her. A silly request, but she asks it anyway given her circumstances.

The funny thing is how can Landon help not falling in love with Jamie? The truth is more powerful than fiction as is Jamie’s friendship with Landon. They can’t run from feeling what they feel for each other, but more importantly, Jamie sees Landon’s love by everything he does for her. His actions speak more than words.

And this is where I have to stop. I can’t continue without revealing spoilers. Suffice it to say, Jamie is selfless in every way a person can be selfless. She loves Landon more than words can express. And she is more of a woman than anyone could ever imagine hadn’t it been for Landon walking into her life.

I’m proud to feature Jamie Sullivan for this week’s Women Who Wow Wednesday post because she represents freedom—freedom from the typical Hollywood love story, and freedom from the heroine stereotype often posed in stories like this.

What do you think of A Walk to Remember? What do you think of Jamie Sullivan?

Women Who Wow Wednesday

Lucy Whitmore

Posted on June 4, 2014June 3, 2014 by Jack Flacco

How would you feel waking up every morning and not remembering what happened the day before? Some would find it scary. Not to Lucy Whitmore. To Lucy, it’s such a part of life that she accepts it as normal. Only, she doesn’t know it.

This week’s Women Who Wow Wednesday series features a girl with a problem remembering things. If you haven’t seen 50 First Dates, I’ll try not to spoil it for you. Then again, perhaps you’ll read this post and not remember anything by the time it’s all over.

The movie 50 First Dates is Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore’s second venture on the big screen. The first being The Wedding Singer where Barrymore plays Julia, a waitress who meets Sandler’s character at a wedding hall and soon become friends. In this film, Lucy (Drew Barrymore) forgets. I won’t reveal how or why, but she can’t remember from one day to the next what she did, and everyone around her feels the burden, including Henry Roth (Adam Sandler).

An interesting tidbit about the movie is it reveals the twist ending to the film The Sixth Sense. I’ll tell you, I laughed the first time watching Lucy blurt out the details, because if you hadn’t watched The Sixth Sense, it would have been the biggest spoiler ever. At the time, I’m sure I could’ve heard the Hollywood executives curse up and down Beverly Hills for Sandler’s reckless inclusion of the horror flick’s most guarded secret.

And if you haven’t watched The Sixth Sense, then consider this your warning. You’re welcome.

Getting back to Lucy, her lack of remembering serves to protect her from bad memories, but also proves to make annual gatherings, such as birthdays, repetitive for everyone else except Lucy. She manages to make her daily routine always something fascinating to watch, especially after Henry comes into her life.

Despite her situation, Lucy manages to brighten a room with her smile and her paintings. An avid artist, Lucy paints a work of art every day and makes it her homage to her father, who patiently keeps her from getting hurt from external influences.

Lucy also sings whenever she is happy. She sings The Beach Boys, and she brings joy to everyone around her. If anything is true about Lucy, she’s a fresh burst of happiness and shows that happiness any way she knows how.

If you really enjoy characters who have a zeal for life, Lucy is it. Every time I watch this movie, she never ceases to put a smile on my face. I’m hoping she will do the same for you.

If you’ve seen 50 First Dates, what did you think of it? What did you think of Lucy?

Monday Mayhem

Classic Films Zombie Style III

Posted on June 2, 2014May 28, 2014 by Jack Flacco

Jurassic Zombieland, Star Wars: Attack of the Zombies, Zombies of the Lost Ark, Zombienator XVII, Planet of the Zombies, and Close Encounters of the Undead Kind are all movies I’d love to see in the theater. The problem is no one’s made them—yet. But wouldn’t it be nice?

Classic Films Zombie Style has become a fun feature for Monday Mayhem. You can read the other parts to this series here: I & II.

How does it work? Well, I pick a film everyone ought to recognize, then I add a few zombies, amp up the violence, throw in a generous splattering of gore and voilà, you have yourself a zombie classic. Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

Let’s see what Part Three of this series holds for us adventurous hunters of the undead.

Alien vs. Zombie—A meteor crashes into the arctic shelf triggering seismic activity in the region. A group of scientists travels to the North Pole to investigate the source of the earthquake. When the scientists arrive, they find an abandoned town and underneath it, a tunnel leading to the center of a complex maze. Inside the labyrinth, acid-blood pumping aliens sent to complete a mission, pick off the scientists one by one. But humans are not the aliens’ target. Humans are in the way. The aliens’ target appears from the sides and attacks the humans, transforming them into the enemy—zombie. Time to break out the popcorn; this is going to be a heck of a mess to clean up.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Zombies—After failing to heed warnings not to return to Hogwarts, Harry, Ron and Hermione investigate a series of attacks directed at the school administration and students. A brutal trail of body parts leads the trio to an underground chamber where they discover a horde of zombies has made it their home. The discovery propels the kids on a quest to secure the chamber and deal with the undead themselves. But in the midst of the Avada Kedavra killing curse, one of the zombies escapes and bites Harmione on the wrist. Faced with the inevitable loss of their friend to the undead, Harry and Ron have to decide the fate of Harmione. Will she become one of the crowds or will Harry have enough time to save her?

Die Hard Zombie—The Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles becomes the scene of a zombie apocalypse. The undead have taken over and floor by floor, they hunt for humans to satisfy their insatiable appetite. Trapped among the potential victims is John McClane, a New York cop with the knack of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. His wife Holly needs his help. He has to get to the horde from the top of the tower before the horde gets to his wife. Time is running out and his only weapon is a clip away from being empty. If he doesn’t save her, he might as well ring the zombie dinner bell himself. Will he make it?

What movies would you like to see rebooted zombie style?

Women Who Wow Wednesday

Julia Sullivan

Posted on May 28, 2014May 22, 2014 by Jack Flacco

When I grew up in the Eighties, the girls wore large hair, wide shoulder pads and long dresses. The guys, on the other hand, sported small collars, huge dress pants and thin belts. Bringing the sexes together was the color. Bright primary colors dominated the scene, wild hats became the norm, and to see guys with makeup was not an exaggeration.

The Saturday night parties became something special to look forward to as well. The music by The Police, Duran Duran and David Bowie blew all us kids away. The dance floor became a place where we could make a statement about who we were. We danced without shirts. We danced with everyone. And we had fun playing dare games while admiring each other’s styles. It was one big party.

The movie The Wedding Singer captures that era perfectly.

Julia Sullivan (Drew Barrymore) just started her job as a waitress at a banquet hall when she meets wedding singer Robbie Hart (Adam Sandler) in the 1998 movie appropriately called The Wedding Singer. Right from the outset, Julia displays attributes female characters ought to possess in order for them to be part of my Women Who Wow Wednesday series. She doesn’t kick butt, but she certainly has that warm and fuzzy feeling surrounding her.

The first time meeting Julia we find out about her engagement. The problem, though, is she’s not sure how serious the guy is with his proposal. She says, “I feel like I’m doomed to wander the planet alone forever.” Which Robbie replies, “Like the Incredible Hulk.” They agree that Robbie would sing at her wedding, if it ever takes place. Revealed later in the film is Robbie’s engagement to his own fiancée. He hopes they would last fifty years, much like one of his vocal students’ marriage.

Julia’s fiancée eventually springs the news that he wants to marry in Las Vegas, but he cedes to getting married where she wants to marry. That’s the first sign of trouble. In the meantime, Robbie has his own problems. His fiancée dumps him and his latest wedding gig turns into a dirge. He has nothing to live for but the thought of stringing his neck to a clothesline until his feet shake lifeless.

Throughout it all, Julia shows Robbie what a true friend is. She stands by Robbie in his darkest times in spite of him wanting to kill the bride and groom at his upcoming wedding gig. Julia appreciates Robbie by asking his opinion about things that matter to her. She also brings him into her world by introducing him to her friends and family. That’s a big step for a girl only having friendship on her mind.

The thing about Julia is her warmth. As bad as things get, she’s always ready with a kind word, a quirky smile and a timid laugh. Something about Julia makes her shine. She is the perfect example of support during bad times. She lifts the spirit, lends an ear and gives of herself in whole, regardless of what anyone thinks of her.

Is there anything more we need to know about Julia? No. Julia’s the perfect friend.

If you’ve seen The Wedding Singer, what did you think of it?

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