Twilight Retreat for the Oscars: what do the 2014 nominated films have to say to believers?
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21-Oct-2014 -
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Transcript of Twilight Retreat for the Oscars: what do the 2014 nominated films have to say to believers?
A Twilight Re,lection on Oscar Nominated Films 2014
Sr. Rose Paca,e, FSP SisterRoseMovies.net
What do they have to say to people of faith?
Criteria Human and Gospel values
• The Bea7tudes, Works of Mercy • The Deadly Sins
Criteria: Human and Gospel values Bea$tudes Mt 5
Blessed are • the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. • they who mourn for they shall be comforted. • the meek for they shall inherit the earth. • they who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall
be sa$sfied. • the the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. • the pure of heart for they shall see God. • the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God. • they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Spiritual Works of Mercy
Mt 25
Beatitudes Matt. 5
It’s easier to ,ind the sins and sinners than saints and beatitudes in cinematic drama and comedies but it’s a starting place
Deadly Sins
Then there’s the shorthand
The bottom line: character
• Va7can II tells us that the spiritual is built on the human. • “Character” is built on the value of “empathy” • To be a person of character means to do the right thing even when no one is looking
Empathy • To be a person of character means to walk in the shoes of another:
• “How would you feel if someone did that to you?”
• is the very least norm for being an authen7c human being
Entertainment, story-‐telling, context • To be all these good things you need to show the shadow side
• But when the conflict is resolved what are we leN with?
• (And will you remember, or even care, tomorrow? Does it even ma,er?)
Criteria Summary • Empathy • Character • T.H.I.N.K. • Catholic Social Teaching • Deadly sins • Works of Mercy • Bea7tudes
The ,ilms
• The Wolf of Wall Street • American Hustle • Captain Phillips • Dallas Buyers Club • Nebraska
The ,ilms
• Her • Frozen • The Croods • 12 Years a Slave • Philomena • Gravity
The Wolf of Wall Street • Sa7re • “Greed, for want of a be,er word, is good.” • All the deadly sins • Saving grace? • An7thesis of bea7tude • Total lack of empathy • (Ma,hew 7:12)
American Hustle • “Treat people the way you want to be treated; didn’t Jesus say that?”
• “My father, he taught me that all people were good and to be good to all people”
• We hustle for respect, love, and to survive – but how?
• We all make choices • It’s all about “the hair” • Enough deadly sins … but some conscience going
Captain Phillips • A movie about Davids and Goliaths • But who’s who? • What’s the bigger picture? • Not just an episode on the high seas but a sign of endemic injus7ce between the rich and poor, those who have and those who don’t
Dallas Buyers Club • Dying and death • Homophobia • Human dignity (though it doesn’t start off this way) • Broader social issues: Big Pharma and Government vis-‐à-‐vis medical care for people
• Kindness, respect
Nebraska • Americana • Dreams “I didn’t know he wanted a million dollars. If he did why didn’t he work for it?”
• Family • Greed • Life
Her • Samantha • Aramaic: Listener • Hebrew: Listener; the name of God
• Theodore • Greek: God-‐given or God’s GiN
Her
• A metaphor? God and the person? • Rela7onship • Human dignity • The meaning of life • “I was in prison and you visited me”
Frozen
• Family • Differences • Freedom (family, community • White people win again • Causes of climate change :-‐) • Paren7ng
The Croods • What it means to be human • Fear and survival • Consciousness, innova7on, survival • Family (respect within the family) • (They ripped off Plato’s “The Republic” 380 BC)
12 Years a Slave • Injus7ce • Human dignity • Equality • Family • Survival • Hope • Deadly sins • Bea7tude • Owning the darkness of our history • Prejudice, racism
Philomena
• Injus7ce • Lust or indiscre7on of youth? • Intolerance • The common good? • Truth • Adop7on rights • Blessed are the poor in spirit • Reconcilia7on • Misuse of power • Motherhood
Gravity
Gravity
• Survival • Over coming fear • Contempla7ng life, dying, death • Prayer • Reborn • Life • Hope • The beauty of crea7on • Harming the environment
What do the Oscar nominated ,ilms for 2014 say to you as a person of faith? • Bea7tude • Works of mercy • Deadly sins • Character • Empathy
Which ,ilm(s) does it best for you?