Jonathan Larson began working on his rock musical in 1989, and it finally opened in 1995. It’s hard to break into the world of…
Thirteen (Catherine Hardwicke, 2003)
Girl culture. It’s everywhere—in schools, malls, television, popular magazines—girls in barely-there midriffs and towering spike heels, sporting tattoos and fashion runway make-up, strutting their…
Meet Joe Black (Martin Brest, 1998), Ponette (Jacques Doillon, 1996), What Dreams May Come (Vincent Ward, 1998)
Death is a recurring theme in art and culture, which is hardly surprising since it is one of the great certainties of life in…
Phenomen (Jon Turteltaub, 1996)
This is one of those relatively rare films that begs to be viewed both as a window of insight into the culture in which…
The Passion of the Christ (Mel Gibson, 2004)
Over the months prior to the release of The Passion, Mel Gibson arranged for a number of screenings of the film. This allowed him…
The Matrix: Revolutions (Andy & Larry Wachowski, 2003)
So, did you like it?” I’m often asked that question about movies, and I always find it difficult to answer. I find it difficult…
The Matrix (Andy and Larry Wachowski, 1999)
The Matrix had been in theaters about a month when I asked some high schoolers who attend our church whether they had seen it.…
Bruce Cockburn: The Truth About Poets
Bruce Cockburn (pronounced Ko-burn) recently released his twenty-fifth CD, Breakfast in New Orleans Dinner in Timbuktu. An inspired lyricist whose style is a soothing…
Good Will Hunting (Gus Van Sant, 1997)
Good Will Hunting took me by surprise. With Robin Williams playing the part of a psychologist to a desperate and abused young man, I…
Bruce Almighty (Tom Shadyac, 2003)
There are a few Jim Carrey movies that, if you put a gun to my head, I would admit to liking despite my greatest…