Spirit of Film Reviews

Reviews of Recent Films

2009-10-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

Here is a mini-review of films I've seen in the past few months. They are sorted by whether they are spiritually okay versus whether they are destructive.

SPIRITUALLY OKAY
The Soloist (psychiatry doesn't work; helping a person be more and more himself is the best therapy and the most rewarding)
Gamer (good message of quick-thinking and resourcefulness get one out of traps)
Inglorious Bastards (strong intention gets a product despite obstacles)
District 9 (recognition of who are truly one's friends enables one to win in the end)
Surrogates (those who don't put their looks down and those who take responsibility for their actions, no matter how the negative elements in society judge them, win in the end)

SPIRITUALLY DESTRUCTIVE
The Informant (people are basically bad no matter how good they seem)

Reviews of Recent Films

2009-07-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

Here is a mini-review of films I've seen in the past few months. They are sorted by whether they are spiritually okay versus whether they are destructive.

SPIRITUALLY OKAY

G-Force (optimism and pursuing the objective wins the day)
Harry Potter (ingenuity and using our talents wins the day)
Ice Age 3 (good message of we survive better if we stick together)
Transformers (it's such an imaginative idea)
Public Enemy (disregard of property's rightful ownership can be fatal)
Star Trek (honor, reason, courage and thinking outside the box win the day in a pioneer environment)
Up (there's always hope)
Terminator (it is one's heart and soul that determines the man, not his exterior)
Angels and Demons (pursuit of the truth will set you free)
Sunshine Cleaning (persistence and finally choosing one's business partner wisely wins the day)

SPIRITUALLY DESTRUCTIVE
The Proposal (good can come of little infractions of the law, things have a way of working themselves out)
Land of the Lost (we are tossed about in life like a leaf in the wind)

Review of THE SOLOIST

2009-05-06T14:41:00.000-07:00

THE SOLOIST

STORY: A "human interest" newsman, who has lost his passion for life, rekindles his passion when he finds a homeless man, a consummate musician, whose aesthetic passion for music transcends his mental condition and social disabilities.

MESSAGE: Passion brings life to living. Pursuing your interests is what makes life fulfilling. Helping others can be done only if they wish it and only if you do it gradually, in a way they can accept the help. Psychiatry is an inexact "science" with its multiple, questionable diagnoses that confuse patients, and with the fact it throws mind-altering drugs at these diagnoses. The alternative to psychiatric labels and meds is giving people permission to be who they are.

WIN: The hero first sees the homeless man as a news story, then invests himself in it and sees a genius who could use a helping hand. The movie made good use of devices that show how the mind works, such as showing that a happy person can become an unhappy person when certain external things trigger deep sleeping neuroses. It had a nice touch (one which I wrote in my film before I saw this one) of relating the elation of the human spirit due to exquisite music to the flight of birds (symbolizing exteriorization of the spirit from the body, you might say, something which often happens when people are elated). The two main actors did really well at accurately portraying the emotional levels of their characters. I met a homeless person once in Glendale who only responded when my friend stopped cheerful communication and changed to "everything is hopeless" communication. The man began chattering on about this and that, similar to the homeless character in the movie. I heard from a policeman on 6th St in Los Angeles that one quarter of the homeless people are failed products of psychiatry, and this gave that credence.

LOSE: The movie portrayed that no more could be done for the musician at the end, who was too far into his world to even perform for audiences. This is false. His insanities are obviously mentally caused and can thus be remedied (not by psychiatry, which has no cures, but by means which actually work). Also, the passion rekindled by the reporter was shown in his love relationship. As a passionate writer, I would have also liked to see his passion for writing, probably his personal stuff, be elevated as well. Aesthetics begets aesthetics, I've found.

EFFECT ON ME: It made me want to nurture my own passions. It made me want to let people know that the working of the mind is no longer a mystery. It made me realize the depth of passion and practice it takes to truly be a master at one's art form.

Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Reviews of Recent Films

2009-02-24T19:56:00.000-08:00

Here is a mini-review of films I've seen in the past few months. They are sorted by whether they are spiritually okay versus whether they are destructive.

SPIRITUALLY OKAY

Slumdog Millionaire (good message of perserverence & honesty)
The International (one man can win despite big odds)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (true value isn't skin deep)
The Changeling (one woman can win despite big odds)
The Day the Earth Stood Still (fight back and God will let you win)
Australia (one person can restore human rights)
Flash of Genius (persistence can result in justice)
Sweetzer (my friend is in it)
Eagle Eye (Big Brother can be brought down)
Beverly Hills Chihuahua (small but mighty)
Defiance (an organized free group can survive despite Nazi oppression)
Pride and Glory (honesty must prevail above family ties)

SPIRITUALLY DESTRUCTIVE

Pink Panther (lauds ineptness)
Last Chance Harvey (denies youthfulness to the aging)
Four Christmases (despressing)
Hellboy II (hellish)
Marley and Me (we had a dog.)

Review of WANTED

2008-06-29T13:58:00.001-07:00

WANTED

STORY: A wimpy accountant, prone to "panic attacks," is drawn into a band of cosmically-sanctioned assasins so that he can rectify the balance in the world.

MESSAGE: There may be more talent and ability within you than you've tapped. Willingness to go in a new direction, willingness to stand up against your enemies, intelligence, commitment, industriousness, toughness, faith, ability to see the truth, ability to exploit an enemy's weaknesses, believing in your own abilities, skill, using communication to gain support, bending the rules for a just cause -- all win the day. Your integrity is more important that your immediate life.

WIN: The hero was able to tap into the inner strengths we all possess. The hero thought his superior abilities were a mental illness, a common misconception in our world of low expectations. He gave up taking psychiatric medicine to cure what wasn't an illness, which would be a good idea in general in society, since all psychiatric labels are false and not based on science. In order to gain the skills he needed, he applied himself industriously to the learning process. It was fitting that those with a heavy-handed approach to correcting bad behavior would be ill-fated. There was a sense, in the movie, of a higher power (called, generically, "Fate.")

LOSE: The ability to bend the path of a bullet, or leap further than humanly possible are spiritual abilities, not abilities coming from genetic predisposition. Beating someone up carries with it the penalty of unwittingly introducing unwanted positive suggestions (like hypnotism, but with pain and threat as the "operator") so a person could just as likely become tough or crazy. The healing baths may have done wonders as to physical healing, but there was no effective mental healing. In other words, if we could beat the coward, or other imperfections, out of people, then our schools would be beat fests -- but that doesn't work in the real world. His handling of his pestering boss and false friend involved anger and violence, when neither of those two would be needed, and they undermined his control, showing a lack of responsibility. The movie says that it is better for society and Mankind that some people be assasinated. Whereas it is true that we should not be bullied, and sometimes a person needs to be put in their place, it is often best that a person (such as in the case of a harping boss) speaks to the boss or changes jobs. Using the bullet as the first offense when other, milder forms of persuasion have not been tried, is inhumane. The other fact that isn't realized is that a person who does harm will begin to limit themself, and will slowly (or quickly) assasinate themself, because on some level they know they are destructive. The movie suggests that a higher power sought heavy-handed justice in order to "restore balance." Our world has imbalance as a necessity to the game of life, and our thrust is not toward "balance" but towards better and better survival. At the end of the movie, the audience is made wrong for not using their untapped powers to do large deeds in the world (this from a guy who murders others); this could have been done more in terms of encouragement to take more responsibility. Disrespect of animals, namely rats. No sense of life beyond death.

EFFECT ON ME: I was offended, as I do seek to better myself and use my talents to better the world. I felt elated and dirty and confused, because vast ability (a good thing) was positioned with murder and destruction (a bad thing). It made me want to be a stronger person who stands up for what I believe, and who stands up to those who try to tear me down.

Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of MADE OF HONOR

2008-06-29T13:58:00.000-07:00

MADE OF HONOR

STORY: A womanizer finally wakes up to the fact that he's in love with his best friend. He wants to marry her, but he's too late; she asks him to be her Maid of Honor. He agrees in an attempt to win her back.

MESSAGE: The true love you seek may be right in front of you. Commitment, marriage and fidelity are worth fighting for. The "rules" bachelors tend to follow are a trap, which prevent one from achieving true happiness. Friendship and rapport and "feeling comfortable as oneself when with another" are all parts of true love. Real, honest communication means more to a relationship than winning manly competitions of strength and endurance, than one's high station in life or than one's vast wealth. It is never too late to right a wrong.WIN: The hero did do the correct steps of deciding that commitment to the girl was the right thing, telling his friends and her; and he did take the job of Maid of Honor and made up for not noticing her by doing a good job. He was active in sports. It is refreshing for a movie to laud fidelity over promiscuity. Sweet moments of friendship were treasured, like sharing each others' cake. (as opposed to some movies that say, "remember that time we got drunk and...")

LOSE: Does size really matter that much, when love is a spiritual bond between two beings? (Fortunately, a small scene.) As dramatic as it may be to pull someone out of their wedding when they're in front of the preacher, there is a lot of destruction in this action -- know the cost of a wedding in terms of time, money and family reputation?

EFFECT ON ME: It made me feel, even more than I do, that my own husband is a special treasure.

Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of The Incredible Hulk

2008-06-15T09:53:00.000-07:00

THE INCREDIBLE HULK
STORY: A scientist seeks to cure himself from a self-inflicted experiment gone wrong before a warmonger can capture him to use his results to make perfect soldiers.
MESSAGE: Facing the problem, studying the problem, persistence, self-control, core values, self-defence and love all win the day.
WIN: A good representation that one must get out from under oppression in order to get anywhere. The hero was very observant and had quick reaction times. In a way, the movie exaggerates those hidden other personalities in us that come out when we're not being ourselves, and it correctly shows that though we attempt to control it, it is only by eliminating the source that we can be free of them. (The source of our monsters is identified, and a solution for getting rid of the source, is outlined in Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health.) There is some truth to the fact that a person can, to some degree, be present, even if acting out. The hero exhibited greatness, in loving someone despite the harm that person has inflicted, or, if not loving, at least letting them live. He sticks to his guns. The hero enlisted the help of religion to make himself stronger, and to proof himself somewhat from his inner demon. Although couched in physical terms (emotion related to a body part, control connected with breathing) there was the sense that one could, through discipline, etc., rise to a point of being in control. (In other words, Man is more than just a stimulus-response animal.) The heroine was amazing at seeing through to the being within, despite the exterior change. She was brave, admiring, loving and helpful. The bad guy was accurately antisocial, in his alliance with destructive things and his distain for others, even his daughter. There was a nice crack about how even though a guy was a top psychiatrist, he was still a nice guy. This acknowledges that most psychiatrists are wierd. He had a small role, but exhibited the typical fallacy of psychiatry that one must tell a person what is wrong with them. The movie correctly showed that a person has to be good to have a lot of power.
LOSE: A drop of the hero's blood ended up in an old man, but we didn't see the result. Other drops ended up in another man, and we saw the result. Were the results different? The movie, in a tiny way, did promote psychiatry by making the psychiatrist a guy who saw positive motives in the hero. In reality, psychiatry does not assume there is goodness and virtue deep within us (that we are spiritual at the core) and psychiatry, as a science, assumes that we are all flawed, and soul-less, base animals at the core. Generally, psychiatry is a tool of anti-social people. In this case, the psychiatrist was against the bad guy, which made the psychiatrist a good guy (a fact salvaged by the earlier statement that this guy was uncharacteristic of the usual psychiatrist.) The Hulk went beyond mere self-defense and created more destruction than was absolutely necessary. The hero did try to take responsibility for fixing his error, but he did originally work to help create the ultimate soldier, which is a fact uncharacteristic of true hero. In other words, with the guilt of that collusion on his head, he may not have been able to be as powerful as he was.
EFFECT ON ME: It restored my faith that people are good at the core, deep down at the spiritual level. It made me want to look for and love that core which is good in people, looking past those additives that appear to make people seem evil.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of ZOHAN

2008-06-15T08:29:00.000-07:00

ZOHAN
STORY: An Israeli terrorist feigns death so he can come to America to pursue his dream to be a top hairstylist.
MESSAGE: Love and affinity (between the opposite sexes or between Mankind) transcends nationality, even nations at war. True love and respect is not inhibited by things such as a person's size or age by one who can see beauty in all women. Peace means taking a chance, making the move to get along, regarding those on the other side as friends. The desire for promiscuity fizzles when one discovers one's true love. Competence, persistence towards a goal, unrelenting attack against blocks to a goal, shedding those who counter one's approach to a goal, joining those who help reach a goal, study, passion for a goal, and helping others to reach their goals wins the day. In America, there is freedom to pursue one's goal, and peace between all people living and working together. Love and friendship succeed over hate and war.
WIN: The lead character showed magnificent intention and persistence towards his goal, which is consistent with enthusiam and cheerfulness and action. He solved problems well. His arch enemy showed cowardly traits, such as arrogance, gloating and ill will, those traits which lead to failure. The hero loved his enemy despite what his enemy did to him, a sign of greatness. He was big-hearted in general. Extreme competence gives us real heros.
LOSE: There is a tendency in movies (such as James Bond) to couple promiscuity with bravery, when, in truth, promiscuity is a mix of fear and hidden hostility. This picture those engaging in promiscuity as being happy, when, in real life, promiscuous people are unhappy. Freud's false information is promoted that life's motivation can be boiled down to sex. The extreme exaggeration of fighting and sexual prowess, meant to take the edge off of a serious situation, meant to be humorous, instead irritates audience sensibilities to the point of rejection of the positive messages. The movie also shoots itself in the foot by exaggerting passion for a legitimate goal (like being a hairdresser or shoe salesman.) Part of the satire depends for its humor upon generalities, such as "All middle eastern people sell cheap electronics," and "Israelis value aggressiveness," and "All older women miss their attractiveness," etc. These generalities chaff people (both those included in the generality and those who don't like to see others chaffed.)
EFFECT ON ME: It had a mixed effect. I like the bravery of a film to come out against popular belief and say that peace is possible, but I felt disrepected as an audience. (In other words, in this day and age, there are those who get others to think that to be cool, audiences have to like perversion and grossness, so they ladle it on, despite the fact that such perversion and distortion of truth is spiritually and morally injurious to the audience.) There is a taboo in our society (partly political correctness, partly fear of actual threat, partly destruction of religion, partly bad market research, partly evil agenda of the few) against forthright support of positive things and against saying some things are bad and wrong. Satire and exaggeration enables a moviemaker to get around the taboos, but, it can become so dominant as to overshadow the message, at which point I became insulted. The movie is being played to an audience and that movie says, "I know you, you're a spiritual being who values love and peace, but you're also in a body, and you have hang-ups, so I'm going to communicate the message to you via your hang-ups. Pardon me while I step on your toes, indicate things about you that aren't so, insult your intelligence and treat you as though you are merely a higher form of animal." Too much satire is force, and audiences need a balance of force and intelligence. It's like being slapped, then being handed the birthday gift you always wanted. Or, it's like, "Let's beat them up until they decide that world peace is a good thing." If "it's all in the execution," let's not execute the audience.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of KUNG FU PANDA

2008-06-08T23:55:00.000-07:00

KUNG FU PANDA
STORY: An unlikely kung fu hero wanna-be teenager is chosen by the head master to defeat the biggest baddest most-jealous warrior in the land.
MESSAGE: You have the seeds of heroism within you, and to realize it, you need only belief in yourself and train with the best. Never underestimate anyone's capacity to shine in the darkest hour. Vanity, status quo, prejudice, following the the letter not the law, guilt, shame, self-invalidation, destruction to gain power, conformity to other's purposes instead of one's own, disregarding the wisdom of elders and teachers, failure to see the inner strengths of others, seeking status for its sake, exclusion of others not like oneself and denying what one sees in front of one will lead to doom. Seeing the best in people, admiring positive traits, self-confidence, persistence, good-heartedness, bravery, loyalty, homework in a subject, belief in positive outcomes, desire to succeed, pursuing one's dream and purpose in life all win the day.
WIN: The main character, a panda, demonstrated greatness when he still loved and admired his kung fu heros despite how they treated him. The movie correctly showed that the accumulation of invalidation (putting someone down) resulted in that person's self-invalidation. It showed that a person triumphs when you build on his personal strengths. Elders of proven accomplishment were respected for having wisdom. The panda grew to be a better kung fu master little by little. A person who had been blind to destructive tendencies in his pupil, thus making an enemy to the townspeople, made up for it by clarifying who were on his side, by conquering his own pessimism and by working hard to train a person who could rectify his mistake. In addition, the panda strove to do what was needed and wanted to excel. There was an attempt to bring about a balance of force and intelligence (rather than mere brute force winning the day.)
LOSE: Besides being saddled with inheriting the family business from his father against his wishes, there was no apparent hostility which would occasion his tendency to be a klutz and cause trouble. (It is possible that there were basic things in life he did not know which, once learned, would handle this.) It seems to me that extreme prowess in kung fu would necessitate a concept that the fact that one is spiritual is why one can be superior to and control the physical factors like one's body and physical objects. Although the message was clear to believe in oneself and one's inner strength, and although there were miracles of such control, the spiritual concept was omitted. Without knowing that a spirit is the king of the physical universe, and if all were explained as material, such as training one's body, you'll miss the real power behind the greatness.
EFFECT ON ME: It made me want to see the hidden greatness in others, to have greater tolerance and love for people. It made me want to see a sequel as there was an ancestry question I'd like answered. It made me want to pour more fervor into my passions and dreams.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN

2008-05-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN

STORY: Four children return to a magical land to help a prince foil a takeover.
MESSAGE: Force is necessary against evil. Coming together under strong leadership brings about victory, and a little disciplinary magic from a very able wizard also helps one's chances. Trust in a higher power and trust in friends wins the day. Our differences, united, are our strengths.

WIN: The children took responsibility and did what they needed to do, as best as they could given their talents and education. Belief in the rightness of their efforts, belief in powers beyond what we can see and belief in the competence of each other were positive traits (in this cynical world which wants us to believe that it is "adult" to deny anything spiritual could happen.) At the end, the movie fell a little away from this, implying that the older children should now occupy themselves with "adult" pursuits. (This reminds me of the current day athiest who finds belief in things beyond perception as childish.) The lion caused things to happen by himself (as a spiritual being) without vias (such as magic wands or potions.)

LOSE: The hierarchy failed to follow the common sense of group organization. Inefficiencies were created by having too many leaders, some of which were followers with the title of King or Queen. This appeared to be as result of a psychological (illogical) idea that hierarchy is bad and we should all be equal, so that none of us are offended. In reality, a group functions best when it unites under a common purpose put forth by a sole leader, so that the group as as a unit with a single forward direction. Also, a lot of blood was shed before the magic wizard (lion) was called upon to help, which is inconsistent with a well-meaning wizard who would be more pro-active than that.

EFFECT ON ME: It was disturbing and patronizing. It didn't sit well with me. I guess it covertly attacked what I value.

Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of INDIANA JONES: CRYSTAL SKULL

2008-05-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

INDIANA JONES: CRYSTAL SKULL - STORY: Indiana answers a call for help in rescuing a friend and an artifact in Mayan territory, but then discovers there is more that is near and dear to him at stake.
INDIANA JONES: CRYSTAL SKULL - MESSAGE: Being educated in practical things, being resourceful wherever one is, thinking on one's feet, being courageous, being willing to try new things, ability to defend oneself against enemies, being able to understand enigmatic communication, a high IQ, being decisive and resolute separating friend from foe, feigning coorporation while looking for a means of escape, following your passion, seeking to know more beyond the knowledge you are fed, and belief in powers beyond our own can result in successfully getting out of pickles, a little wiser than one was before. Love is eternal and family is important. Wishing to use the power of higher forces for evil will destroy a person. Greed and betraying friends will lose.
INDIANA JONES: CRYSTAL SKULL - WIN: The resourcefulness and intelligence and other positive traits in the main character are consistent with the actions of able people. So is completing his challenging tasks. He also has a healthy respect for seeing what exists without doubt or prejudice or "it can't be." His opponent, a Russian woman, correctly portrayed the common evil of disrespecting spiritual ability in her wish to use it as a weapon against those who opposed her country and communism.
INDIANA JONES: CRYSTAL SKULL - LOSE: The movie used petty theft and disobedience to portray the youth as self-determined, and made them seem like desireable and positive traits. What mitigated this message was that Indiana countered his theft, countered his attempt to gain alcohol, countered his hot-headedness and countered his rejection of education. But, there still is the idea that it takes a bit of wildness to be a hero. There is some truth to this, but the positive kind of "wildness" (meaning going against the status quo, mores or authority) is in the direction of defense of what one loves and what is right. If wildness is selfish or self-destructive or needlessly destructive of others, then it is only irrational behavior, not heroism. Fortunately, the youth, thereafter, did behave bravely and heroically and brought all his talents and education to help himself and the group. There is slight promotion of irresponsible promiscuity, but the character eventually takes responsibilty for this. What needs to be realized is that the audience is asked to "be" the hero during the movie, with all his behavior and traits. If a hero does vast good, he could be someone we want to emulate, and, if we don't differentiate, we might adopt his negative as well as positive traits. (In order to be James Bond, for example, we might think we need to not only be daring, but alcoholic and promiscuous. Fortunately, people do know right from wrong and aren't completely influenced by the movies.) The skull and its power seemed destructive, which would be inconsistent with able people, although they had a clever way of getting assistance in getting themselves home.
INDIANA JONES: CRYSTAL SKULL - EFFECT ON ME: It made me want to act more decisive, intelligent and resourcefully to do the right thing. It gave me respect for good movie writing and made me want to return to my niche, writing short stories, rather than writing movies. It made me feel clever, because there was certain humor that you would not get unless you compared the first movie with this sequel, and I did, so I patted myself on the back. In other words, the movie knew I was a fan and played to that, so I felt glad to be a fan, and happy to be thusly entertained.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant

Review of SPEED RACER

2008-05-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

SPEED RACER - STORY: A young, idealistic race car driver goes after racing industry corporate greed by going pedal-to-the-metal towards being the best racer.
SPEED RACER - MESSAGE: Pursuit of ultimate competence, doing the right thing despite contrary advice, keeping one's sights on what one wants to accomplish, passion and persisting despite the attacks from those around one are what wins the day. Friends and family are instrumental in bolstering up our confidence, yet competence and success are the best at bolstering self-confidence. Bad guys make mistakes which get them in the end.
SPEED RACER - WIN: With its rather melodramatic and/or comic book approach to characters, it was easy to see the bad guys from the good guys. The good guys stood up to the bad guys and sought to defeat them by fluorishing and winning. The drink for the winners of the Grand Prix is milk (not alcohol.) Alcohol was positioned with the bad guys. Constructive activities by the good guys and destructive activities by the bad guys were easily differentiated. The main bad guy was very good at being sweet on the outside as a deception for his cruel side. The hero, along with his family and friends, correctly reflected social personalities. The hero, when a child, took even a roll-over in stride, thinking it was cool, meaning he was so into the game of it all that no small thing would phase his interest in the sport.
SPEED RACER - LOSE: The hero's brother made some choices I'm not sure about, such as fighting deception with deception, which included deceiving his family at great cost to them. But the guy is at heart a good guy, so in a sequel he could turn around and tell all. His role as protector of the hero on the racetrack was vital, but it leaves us with the idea that the end justifies the means, and in this case, the means was a bit more drastic than required by the story, and a bit more deception than a good guy would likely display. There was no other religion than passion for racing, (except one small scene of a Christian-like funeral and the scene where the hero has to get in touch, practically spiritually, with his car to determine how to get it started again.) The hero put himself down a couple of times, saying, "Racing is all I know how to do."
SPEED RACER - EFFECT ON ME: It rekindled my passion for what I love to do, and gave me hope for my success. It also made me a little nostalgic for the clear-cut morality of the 40's and 50's, even though "corny" by today's standards, it is nonetheless closer to the ideal. It made me want to explore new ways of looking at movie writing or storytelling, rather than long and linear, since audiences today have mastered the art of grasping details and fleshing them out with imagination.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of IRON MAN

2008-05-04T08:12:00.000-07:00

IRON MAN - STORY: A genius inventor, head of a weapons manufacturing company, discovered his weapons are falling into the wrong hands. He begins to switch the direction of his company away from weapons, but must first build a weapon that destroys the person behind the weapons falling into the wrong hands.
IRON MAN - MESSAGE: Use your talents for constructive, not destructive things. Decide friend from foe, and act accordingly towards them. Do the right thing. Be proud of your accomplishments. Utilize the help of your friends. Competence, honesty, diligence, attention to detail, resourcefulness, failure to admit defeat, an aesthetic sense, ability to possess wealth, genius, courage and high necessity level win the day.
IRON MAN - WIN: The positive aspects of the hero seemed consistent with his high level of ability. The fact he persisted with tweaking machine designs (despite physical injury) was one of the positive traits. Another good thing was that he didn't wish to harm innocent people with his weapons, but it didn't go into why not (which is a hint at his spiritual beliefs without really stating it.) The film showed that someone better organized, and people acting as a team, can win over an opponent who has bigger weapons.
IRON MAN - LOSE: The film promoted that promiscuity was a trait of the hero, which is inconsistent with someone of high ability. In other words, a womanizer would know his mistreatment of women was wrong and would limit his own power. Even the reporter he had a one-night-stand with didn't fault him for it, having her own acceptance of promiscuity. The film promoted alcohol use at a party -- even the loyal, sweet, pure assistant sought to drink alcohol, which positions alcohol as cool, rather than an addicting drug used to drown pain. (Although she did turn to alcohol when somewhat emotionally rebuffed.)
IRON MAN - EFFECT ON ME: It made me value my own talents and made me want to help my own talents grow. It reaffirmed my belief that Mankind is possessed of more ability than we've tapped into, for if one individual can be a genius and heroic, then we are not, as a species, "merely a higher form of animal." I also felt more self confident, perhaps because the movie validated a lot of the positive values I respect in myself and others, and because it showed that one man can make a difference by the choices he makes.
Note: There is a short scene at the very, very end of the credits.
Additional note: I saw this movie at the new Pacific Theatres in the Americana outdoor shopping mall in Glendale. The mall is very aesthetic and fun. The theatres are clean and new, mostly like other modern theatres. One feature I liked was that there were a couple of single person restrooms near that end of the 18 theatres so one could run out and run back in and not lose a lot of movie time walking a long way to a restroom.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of NIM'S ISLAND

2008-04-08T14:54:00.000-07:00

NIM'S ISLAND - STORY: An 11-year-old girl finds herself alone on her island home when her father fails to return from a boat trip. By email, she asks the hero-author guy of her favorite "Indiana Jones-like" adventure novels to come help her, but the writer is a germaphobic woman who has to overcome her fear to leave her house.
NIM'S ISLAND - MESSAGE: The winning attitude is that of being positive, helpful, pure of heart and courageous. Necessity, challenge and duty bring out the best in us. Our friends are invaluable and can be of great help (even if they are animals). Promises are to be kept. Faith in another person wins the day. Meal worms are a good source of protein. Children are far more able to survive on their own than parents generally give them credit for, and life without TV can bring about a child of many skills. Homeland is worth defending. There is always a solution to a problem.
NIM'S ISLAND - WIN: The cheerfulness of the child was consistent with the challenges of life on a primitive island raised by a loving father. The child was very able to cook, protect herself, fix a wound, defend her homeland and acquire adult help in a time of trouble. She also was athletic and able to reason well. The father was cheerful as well in the pursuit of a scientific discovery. It was a nice touch that the animals were also able to exhibit friendship and even gave help. It was a nice visual device that the courageous aspect of the writer appeared and spoke to her, and she expressed fears and cautions (similar to how the less savory parts of the mind work.) No turning to drugs, medicine or alcohol.
NIM'S ISLAND - LOSE: The movie concentrated so much on the fact that the writer wrote a courageous adventurer character when she, herself, was afraid to even go out and get the mail -- and it called her dependence on that character a crutch -- that it lost sight of the role of a writer (or any artist) as one who inspires, educates, entertains, and ultimately leads a culture to a better place. The child in the movie was thrilled by this adventurer to the point of not being able to put the book down, and she exhibited the best of that fictional character's traits. For the writer to give up her "crutch" and cease writing would be a loss, if only to the girl, who avidly awaited each new novel. The writer would have been able to overcome her fears (and she did to go through what she had to in order to reach the island) without destroying her created character. In fact, her character would be enriched by her real experience. Also missing was the spiritual aspect of the child's connection to her father (although the animals did seem to have that unspoken connection.)
NIM'S ISLAND - EFFECT ON ME: It brought out my inner courage. It made me curious about how intelligent animals could be in real life. It restored my faith in the affinity of one person of Mankind caring enough for a child they had never met, but had requested their help.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of The Bank Job

2008-04-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

THE BANK JOB - STORY: : To subdue mean loan sharks who want to be paid back, a small-time criminal takes on a job out of his league -- robbing a bank.
THE BANK JOB - MESSAGE: Borrowing money doesn't solve problems --it creates them (especially borrowing from those who could harm you.) In fact, any illegal act sets you up for possible future attack. What wins the day is jumping on opportunities, being observant, judging people by their actions and associations not their words, using far-looking strategy, gaining the help of honest people, using an opponent's weaknesses against him, hiring people one trusts, listening to one's gut feelings, valuing family, bringing out honesty in others and valuing setting things to right.
THE BANK JOB - WIN: There is a certain stupidity that goes along with being a criminal, and this film showed that in most of the criminals (no matter the side of the law they were on). A good man can be counted on to reward good actions of others and penalize the bad guys. Good use of logic, ability to observe (without assumptions or reasonableness) and courage (despite some risk) to act by the hero. The film correctly classified porn, promiscuity, corruption, extortion, violence and crime with criminals. It promoted loyalty to your spouse and family, along with doing things that help the family (such as spending time together on a vacation).
THE BANK JOB - LOSE: The hero was painted a little more able than a real criminal would be, since criminals wish to stop themselves from committing bad actions. This was based on a true story, but the negative results and facts of what happened later were omitted, leaving one with the possible opinion that if a criminal is clever enough, he can live happily ever after.
THE BANK JOB - EFFECT ON ME: I gained a new understanding of how weak and vulnerable are people who stray from what is right. As a writer, I was inspired to try my hand at writing such a fun, interwoven, turn-filled script. It made me feel that setting out to put things to rights is the way to live, as the world will rearrange itself to accomodate that push.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of 10,000 B.C.

2008-03-23T12:08:00.000-07:00

10,000 B.C. - STORY: A man from a mountainous tribe must acquire an army to battle the evil pyramid builders who kidnapped into slavery his people and his woman.

10,000 B.C. - MESSAGE: Love begets heroics. In order to win the day, you need willingness to be a leader, courage, conviction, to stand by your word, ability to win friends, ability to see and use opportunities and the ability to put into full use the skills that you have and the organizational structure you have developed to work as a team.

10,000 B.C. - WIN: There was an old woman who knew things that were happening far away, and who was able to influence nature and events to some degree. She was considered wise and an advisor and a source of prophesy. There was also accurate prophesy among the other peoples, predicting an event to come. There was no turning to drugs or alcohol. Their religion included the believe that life as a spirit continues on after death (the "ancestors" who have a hand in current events.) There was value put in honesty, a quality of character, in that the hero rejected validation for something he didn't do. The maiden in distress was far from a victim; she was proactive in her rescue. I liked that the father went ahead and by teaching others his language, facilitated the son's success. It was beautifully explained how some men take responsibility for only their immediate family and some take greater responsibility, such as for their clan or for many clans.

10,000 B.C. - LOSE: The old woman could perceive, but she never taught her skills to others. It was implied that she had a gift, rather than that she was inherently spiritual and thus able to do what she did. Movies can sometimes imply that any old spiritual life force can animate a body, as if my life force could exchange with your life force, without recognizing that any one given life force is an individual who would animate a body in a different manner. It would have been better to re-acquire the original inhabitant, rather than replace the leaving spirit with another, towards the end of the movie.

10,000 B.C. - EFFECT ON ME: I felt inspired to be a leader. I saw the power of explaining modern concepts using ancient people. I was inspired to finish the love story I'm writing, because inextinguishable love between two people is incredibly romantic.

Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL

2008-03-02T22:40:00.000-08:00

THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL - STORY: In midieval times, a woman embraces her uncle's desire for family power and goes after the position of queen, at the expense of harming her siblings.
THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL - MESSAGE: Greed, desire for power and sacrificing your family do not win in the end. Lack of backbone doesn't win either. Virtue, obedience, honor, forgiveness and simple directness do win. Altered importance on having an hier can corrupt aristocracy. Never anger the king.
THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL - WIN: Good example of withdrawing in order to lure someone towards you. Good example of placing too much importance on things that are not importance. The various emotional levels were well-depicted and accurately portrayed in acting and writing. Accurate portrayal of an evil, controlling person who orchestrates his climb up the ladder despite the sacrifices his family must make. Bad deeds got their just desserts.
THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL - LOSE: Castle and its inhabitents were a bit too clean for historical accuracy. The shift from good sister to attacking sister was a little abrupt, but on the other hand, she may felt bad about her transgressions against her sister.
THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL - EFFECT ON ME: It made me want to live more smartly and decently towards my fellows. It made me want to assess my own importances to ensure I am fighting for things I really want, not just slipping into the social patterns around me.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS

2008-03-02T22:27:00.000-08:00

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS - STORY: A songwriter failing to break into the business gets a chance when he discovers singing chipmunks in his house.
ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS - MESSAGE: Utilize and don't be blind to and don't combat opportunities that befall you; be understanding of those around you. Persist in your dream.
ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS - WIN: My favorite part of the film was the expert ability of actor Jason Lee to communicate with the chipmunks as if they were real. He had genuine affinity for them. He was really able to bring them to life from his viewpoint, which brought them more to life for all of us. The songs and energetic performances were uplifting.
ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS - LOSE: The chipmunks were a little too unruly in relation to their musical success (in other words, people that unruly would normally hold themselves back from success to stop themselves from doing harm.)
ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS - EFFECT ON ME: I felt like I had seen a cute movie and I had laughed.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of FOOL'S GOLD

2008-03-02T22:17:00.000-08:00

FOOL'S GOLD - STORY: A wild treasure-hunter teams with his estranged wife to score the sunken ship of their dreams.
FOOL'S GOLD - MESSAGE: Perserverance, insoucience, bravery, passion and dogged pursuit of a goal win the day. True love can overcome life's little hurdles. Teamwork in striving for a goal brings a family or a group together.
FOOL'S GOLD - WIN: This film was a good example of the ability of great charismatic men to get even those opposed to one on one's side and heading in one's direction. It also was a good one to show that a calm and carefree attitude makes things go right around one.
FOOL'S GOLD - LOSE: Promotes drinking alcohol as a positive trait. Suggests than minor infractions of the law are okay.
FOOL'S GOLD - EFFECT ON ME: It uplifted me and made me more insoucient. Rekindled my passion for those things I'm passionate about.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of UNTRACEABLE

2008-03-02T22:07:00.000-08:00

UNTRACEABLE - STORY: A sadistic killer taunts everybody by killing his victims on camera feed to the Internet.
UNTRACEABLE - MESSAGE: You're a sadist just like everyone else so admit it; there is an innate human desire to watch violence, torture and death
UNTRACEABLE - WIN: Accurate depiction of the criminal and antisocial mind, not only in the antagonist, but also the writer, director, editor and producer of this film. The heroine did use perserverence to win the day.
UNTRACEABLE - LOSE: There was no hint of any redeeming feature in the human race. The writer has totally bought the lie that man is a mere animal with base tendencies, and that man has no spiritual side.
UNTRACEABLE - EFFECT ON ME: I felt dirty, like I stayed and watched torture when I could have gotten up and left. It was upsetting.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of THE BUCKET LIST

2008-03-02T21:54:00.000-08:00

THE BUCKET LIST - STORY: Two men dying soon of cancer decide to go out with a bang by completing a list of life's challenges.
THE BUCKET LIST - MESSAGE: You're never to old to play the game of life; pushing for hard-to-attain goals is what the good life is all about; it is the family and people in our life that are important, not the toys or adventures; you'll find a decent human being if you look at someone without your prejudices; it takes working at it to maintain a close relationship
THE BUCKET LIST - WIN: The emotional arcs seemed realistic as did the quirks and foibles. A slight reference to the spiritual side of life.
THE BUCKET LIST - LOSE: They could have observed or realized a greater sense of themselves as spiritual beings who'd live on, which would be a logical tendency or desire to someone facing the end of one's body, especially since, as the spiritual beings we all are, we do already know on some level we'll continue past death.
THE BUCKET LIST - EFFECT ON ME: It made me want to procrastinate less and put more drive towards my goals. My necessity level came up, and I realized that if I lived my life to the fullest now, without waiting for some terminal disease deadline, I might get more done.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of THE GREAT DEBATERS

2008-03-02T21:43:00.000-08:00

GREAT DEBATERS - STORY: The first black debate team gets a shot up against an ivy league school.
GREAT DEBATERS - MESSAGE: Communication solves all; it is a big person that can love despite what is done to them; courage wins the day; a good manager utilizes the best aspects of each team member despite personal sacrifice to make the best attempt at winning the group goal; non-conforming is sometimes a valuable commodity
GREAT DEBATERS - WIN: The teacher and team didn't get slowed down by what had stopped others before them; good use of emotional impact in the art of speechgiving. Good example of fluorishing and prospering in the face of oppression, as the real way to foil the oppressors.
GREAT DEBATERS - LOSE: None.
GREAT DEBATERS - EFFECT ON ME: It stirred in me the pride to be different, to stand tall despite those who would hate me or my fellow women, parishioners and Americans. It made it okay to be who I am.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of ENCHANTED

2007-12-31T18:04:00.000-08:00

ENCHANTED - STORY: A witch puts a curse on a fairy tale princess that sends her to the real world so she won't be able to marry the prince and take over the kingdom from the rule of the witch.
ENCHANTED - MESSAGE: True love crosses all boundaries. A positive attitude, faith and seeing the best in people wins the day. Without imagination, fun and faith, you can slip into a seriousness that makes you unhappy.
ENCHANTED - WIN: This was an excellent view of the spiritual ability to make things go one's way with attitude and faith. The prince's lack of self doubt was indeed refreshing and charming without any ego, "What's not to like?" I liked the animals helping the characters.
ENCHANTED - LOSE: There was no making up for disloyalty. The princess promises to marry the prince then violates that promise -- with no making up for it. It was correct, but she should have taken responsibility for her promise.
ENCHANTED - EFFECT ON ME: I felt happy and light and young and positive and playful.

Review of CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR

2007-12-31T17:03:00.000-08:00

CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR - STORY: During the Cold War, a Senator helps raise funds from Congress to arm Afghanistanis to fight Soviets in a secret war so that the Soviets don't gain a strategic military advantage.
CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR - MESSAGE: Playing God in world politics can come back and kick you in the butt. Womanizing, shallow, influential people can be manipulated by sex and alcohol and attention and their faith to support military objectives. Corruption of the corrupt serves the corrupters. Today's solution may become tomorrow's problem. War is expensive. War is not the solution to the world's troubles. Corruption in government is hard to clean up. Dishonesty is good if it saves kids an the oppressed. Being sociable and likeable means having vices.
CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR - WIN: A good demo that today's solution is tomorrow's problem. A good demonstration of manipulation by those who are covertly hostile towards Mankind.
CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR - LOSE: There is no hint of the correct solutions. Religion is denigrated a weakness to be manipulated rather than a solution. Man is considered a soulless animal.
CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR - EFFECT ON ME: It made me uncomfortable. It made me feel like someone was trying to get me to think a certain way, even though the logic was flawed. It tried to make me feel that right and wrong are impossible to determine as it is all rigged to failure anyway, and you can only be wrong. I disagree with this.

Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of Alien Vs Predator Requiem

2007-12-31T16:49:00.000-08:00

AVPR - STORY: Predators researching Aliens on a lab spaceship get taken over by aliens and crash on Earth, releasing rapidly-producing, anti-human aliens near a small town. An ex-con returning to the small town tries to battle the alien infestation with, unbeknownst to him, help from a Predator who has come to hunt and destroy the aliens.
AVPR - MESSAGE: Courage, ability to face danger, quick-thinking, ability to utilize things and people around one to help one, leadership, honor, staying focused despite tragedy and making the tough choices win the day. Waiting and hoping for others to save you doesn't win the day. Being pro-active works better.
AVPR - WIN: The situation brought out the best in people, if they were to survive. The aliens were accurately just doing their thing, per their nature.
AVPR - LOSE: The soldier who just returned from Iraq didn't seem to have the confront I would have expected (although she was a good soldier as far as taking orders). And her daughter seemed to be traumatized too long -- I think a kid would bounce back faster than that.
AVPR - EFFECT ON ME: It gave me an appreciation and understanding of other life forms we might come across in the galaxy.

Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of I AM LEGEND

2007-12-31T16:36:00.000-08:00

I AM LEGEND - STORY: A man has to find a cure in his own immune blood to a deadly virus that wiped out mankind and created rabid people before the latter kills him.
I AM LEGEND - MESSAGE: Persistence, ability to face things, availing oneself of the help of others, faith, intelligence, adapting the world to ones needs, taking precautions and being responsible win the day.
I AM LEGEND - WIN: He was accurate as far as emotions, for the most part. And his responsibility level was accurate given human capabilities. In other words, he didn't sink to apathy, or if he did, not for long.
I AM LEGEND - LOSE: He seemed to lose it at one point in the movie, when a girl was pushing him, and he went out of character, but it wasn't totally implausible. The leaping and climbing ability of the rabid humans was not real to me. Also, their total succumbing to the virus seemed a bit too absolute for powerful spiritual beings in human bodies (which we all are.) When he slid to apathy, his behavior was consistent with apathy, but it was unlikely that he'd sink that low merely because of a loss. That is not an accurate source of suicidal behavior.
I AM LEGEND - EFFECT ON ME: My problems seemed much smaller. My appreciation for my fellow man came up.

Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of NATIONAL TREASURE II

2007-12-31T16:29:00.000-08:00

NATIONAL TREASURE II - STORY: To clear his family's name, a man has to follow clues to find the lost city of gold in America.
NATIONAL TREASURE II - MESSAGE: Observation, intelligence, courage, cleverness, physical fitness and persistence win the day.
NATIONAL TREASURE II - WIN: Seemed good emotionally. It showed that the natural affinity of people will be there if there is nobody trying to drive them apart, even if they have argued -- they can resolve it.
NATIONAL TREASURE II - LOSE: I saw so many movies over the holidays I can't remember specifics on this. It had its share of guns and alcohol, I believe.
NATIONAL TREASURE II - EFFECT ON ME: It brought out the hero in me.

Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of THE GREAT DEBATERS

2007-12-31T16:14:00.000-08:00

THE GREAT DEBATERS - STORY: In 1935, a group of top black student debaters get the chance to be the first to debate white students at Harvard.
THE GREAT DEBATERS - MESSAGE: Persistence, doing the right thing, fluorishing and prospering despite oppression win the day.
THE GREAT DEBATERS - WIN: The film seemed to be accurate in the portrayal of valor, bigotry, courage, confront, emotions, upsets and honor. It also accurately showed that true art gets emotional impact.
THE GREAT DEBATERS - LOSE: I believe that a womanizing, alcoholic debater was portrayed as more able than he would have been in real life, since alcohol and lack of virtue take their spiritual toll on a person.
THE GREAT DEBATERS - EFFECT ON ME: It made me feel that I can fluorish and prosper despite people that may not like me for one reason or another. I realized I was on the right track as a writer when I go for emotional impact. The charismatic debater stepped back and let the debater take his place who could think on his feet. This made me realize that organizing my life so the best person for the job is doing it on my behalf is a good idea. I also felt like cutting a break to anyone who has been oppressed.

Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of MR MAGORIUM'S WONDER EMPORIUM

2007-11-24T11:33:00.000-08:00

MR MAGORIUM - STORY: A composer who works at a magical toy store cannot finish the symphony she is working on until she is bequeathed the store and is expected, despite her lack of awareness of it, to bring forth her inner magic.
MR MAGORIUM - MESSAGE: You are magic. Creativity originates with you. The fun and imagination and playfulness of childhood need not necessarily fade with age. The universe conforms and responds to belief. The universe reflects what you put into it, or treats you like you treat it.
MR MAGORIUM - WIN: Correctly identifies the person as the source of creativity and cause over his environment. Correctly identifies the souce of the state of one's environment as the person themself. Correctly identifies that a person (spiritual being) in good shape can drop his body at will and move on. Accurate portrayal of a child, a woman and Mr M in upbeat emotional tones -- even down to the fact that there was obviously little mental/emotional baggage. An example is the ready smile of the store's clerk which would lighten the heart of anyone receiving the welcome, the acceptance, the respect, the admiration, the love given to them by the smile. Another example is the optimism of the child in face of the impossible. It is accurate that things don't work as well around those who are glum. The movie promoted the arts and playing to raise spirits (as opposed to some movies recommending drugs and alcohol.)
MR MAGORIUM - LOSE: Mr. M did not concern himself with following laws, something which would make a person unhappy, yet he wasn't unhappy. In other words, the movie is saying that you cannot follow the rules (such as laws and requirements for busineses) and still have freedom, but this is false.
MR MAGORIUM - EFFECT ON ME: I was encouraged that spiritually positive, good message movies could be made and it gave me hope for selling my scripts. I felt more playful and less serious. I felt validated as a spiritual being and thus my abilities to influence my environment were bolstered.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of LIONS FOR LAMBS

2007-11-12T08:58:00.000-08:00

LIONS FOR LAMBS - STORY: A Political Science professor rekindles a bright student's desire to bring about social change in a world where war makes politician and journalist careers.
LIONS FOR LAMBS - MESSAGE: Something can be done about it, so don't get complacent. Wake up and act before you're trapped in a world wondering how "they" let it get so bad. If each person doesn't fight for freedom, then you'll gradually lose your freedoms. Seek the truth, not what you're being fed, because those feeding you information have vested interests. If you don't change the system, it will corrupt you.
LIONS FOR LAMBS - WIN: Excellent, accurate portrayal of various emotional levels by the actors. (Example: the slick, pretty smiling politician yet has nervous hand twitches signaling his underlying deception.) The professor didn't teach so much as encouraged the student to look. He looked beyond the social veneer. It accurately showed journalism as propaganda, or as a tool used to create an effect. It validated true honor, courage, integrity and friendship. It showed communication as a tool for truly helping someone.
LIONS FOR LAMBS - LOSE: A tiny amount of psychology (aka introversion) used by the professor, but not enough to make him unlikeable or ineffective. Pushed coffee (drug caffeine).
LIONS FOR LAMBS - EFFECT ON ME: I was glad that I have the tools for social change. It made me want to use them more. It made me want to be more "courageous heroine for social change" and less "sheep heading for the slaughter." It made me realize who was responsible for changing conditions in my area, my country, my world -- ME!
Sincerely,
Becky MateScript Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of AMERICAN GANGSTER

2007-11-03T23:01:00.000-07:00

AMERICAN GANGSTER - STORY: A resourceful gangster apprentice builds a drug empire but violates his own rule of not being ostentatious, bringing upon himself as an adversary one of the few honest cops. Based on a true story from (I believe) the mid-seventies.
AMERICAN GANGSTER - MESSAGE: Follow your self-set policy which you know to be in your best interest. Sticking to your principles and being honest wins the day. Reward positive behavior. Hard work and study bring about competence. A better product at a cheaper price gives one the market share. Family is a good investment. Within and without one's own group, one must put in discipline to keep the show on the road.
AMERICAN GANGSTER - WIN: Positive qualities such as honesty and integrity in the good guy made sense because they paid off. This film did a good job of showing that drugs lead to addiction, misery, unconsciousness, stupidity and death. It promoted luxury as a large house, liquor, and prostitutes but since it was the bad guys who had the luxury, at least it was negative promotion. Given the nature of the anti-social personality, it was accurate that the bad guy would normally keep his cool, but when provoked would be angry and hurt or shoot someone.
AMERICAN GANGSTER - LOSE: It promoted breaking up a family rather than addressing the uncommunicated secrets from each other which may have patched things up. In other words, it sort of said that the wife wished her husband was a little less principled and she couldn't stay with him, which to me is a good reason to dig around and find out what she was doing that was less than upfront. The movie did imply that she would have looked the other way if the cop had been bribed, but I think there should have been shown more actual financial dishonesty on her part, which possibly had to be there for her to have this attitude. No moral compass visible, except by the cop's good actions -- the gangster went to church with his mom but didn't apply what they learned there; the cop didn't go to church but adhered to a moral code he somehow had. A gangster purveying so much misery on people would not have been that handsome -- criminality and wrongdoing take a toll on people.
AMERICAN GANGSTER - EFFECT ON ME: It made me want to stick to my principles despite those around me. It made me want to see an increase in the workable efforts to end drug pushing, drug addiction and criminal reform.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Writer
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of MIKE CLAYTON

2007-11-02T11:01:00.000-07:00

MICHAEL CLAYTON - STORY: A man who resolves problems for a law firm before they get out of hand and do damage to the firm has to contend with one of the attorneys who suddenly got a conscience and can't continue cold legal torment of families taken advantage of by a large, apparently environment-friendly company that buys up small farms.
MICHAEL CLAYTON - MESSAGE: Do the right thing, the quick fix leads to failure, today's world leads us to so many compromises with our integrity that black and white are blurred to the point where we come close to snapping.
MICHAEL CLAYTON - WIN: Michael used communication and intelligence instead of violence to win the day. He also looked to see what was going on rather than assume. His family helped him win the day. In fact, his younger brother, who had let him down, made it up to him. The criminal went down.
MICHAEL CLAYTON - LOSE: There is no moral compass. There are only people trying to survive in a corrupt world with integrity redefined as who comes out on top, no matter the methods. Doing the right thing is considered insane. This movie promotes the false idea that drugs should be used to control behavior (rather than education on morality and ethics.) I believe the movie promoted alcohol, but I can't remember, probably because I was so fascinated with the story going on.
MICHAEL CLAYTON - EFFECT ON ME: I wanted to see more of the character, more sequels. It made me realize that people need the moral compasses that I use in todays world that help them know right from wrong.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of RUSH HOUR 3

2007-09-04T11:02:00.000-07:00

RUSH HOUR 3 - STORY: An American cop and a Chinese cop team up to recover a list of those in a hidden secret society, to get revenge for the shooting of a Chinese Ambassador and to save the life of the Ambassador's teenage daughter.
RUSH HOUR 3 - MESSAGE: "Cover the back" of teammates. Persistence and skill win the day. Keep your word. Those with good intentions kick the butt of those with evil ones.
RUSH HOUR 3 - WIN: A good example of how lacking the social graces gets one in trouble. Promotes teamwork and respect for other cultures. Promotes use of skill. Promotes celebration of triumph.
RUSH HOUR 3 - LOSE: Promotes saying negative things about groups of people. Revenge is a knee-jerk reaction to opposition, rather than the studied, calmer approach of true justice, which removes harmful people from society. Promotes women as sex objects. Promotes alcohol. Promotes violence to handle bad guys (which may be necessary, but other means are not attempted.) Promotes doing what one feels like despite how it affects others. Promotes blaming others rather than taking responsibility (although it does this (and some of the other things above) in an exagerrated way so that the audience sees that the blame is false, the prejudice unfounded, etc.)
RUSH HOUR 3 - EFFECT ON ME: I've been studying recently the difference between actively seeking understanding of others on the team versus being a rebel, so it was gratifying to see an example of rebel (the American cop/the bad guys) versus a team player (the Chinese cop.)
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of STARDUST

2007-09-03T16:28:00.000-07:00

STARDUST - STORY: A young man tries to buy love by retrieving a fallen star, but along the way finds his true love and his rightful place in the world.
STARDUST - MESSAGE: Love is given freely with no strings attached. Persistence, doing the right thing and honesty win the day. Power is not for the greedy, the vain, the murderous or the jealous. Slavery and entrapment are a bad thing.
STARDUST - WIN: Spiritual ability was displayed. Good virtues won in the end and bad intentions made for a bad end to the bad guys. It promoted life after death. Emotions of characters were consistent with their actions. Good works were rewarded. Alcohol to excess was a trait of the bad guys. Family was important to the hero and his mother and father. A star watches down on the activities of earth from a remote viewpoint -- an impartial world view not often contemplated in films.
STARDUST - LOSE: A one night stand at the beginning of the movie. The witches used their magic for evil, yet in reality one's power is only effective for good.
STARDUST - EFFECT ON ME: It was fun exercising my imagination with the unseen-before character of a star personified. The satisfying ending of order restored was pleasant. It made me want to be more persistent in getting to my goals despite obstacles and made me want to be more selfless than selfish.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of HAIRSPRAY

2007-07-24T14:23:00.000-07:00

HAIRSPRAY - STORY: An overweight teen pursues an unlikely dance career and boyfriend.

HAIRSPRAY - MESSAGE: Doing what you think is right, enthusiastically following your dreams, assuming nothing will get in your way, taking your own initiative -- all will win the day. Spirit and heart are not skin deep.

HAIRSPRAY - WIN: Completely refreshing was the opening tune where the teen was exuberant with the passion and enthusiasm for her life. In this happy state, she decided on her dreams, giving them more power to come true. The emotions, from the sleazy seductress, to the care less father, to the worried mother, etc. were very true to their real world characteristics. The teen and her friends stand up to injustice. It promotes competence (dance) and marital fidelity. It doesn't promote promiscuity, alcohol, smoking or drugs.

HAIRSPRAY - LOSE: Promotes, a bit, breaking the rules of the group (school) though for a "good reason." It promotes cross-dressing, but my husband noted that it was less politically incorrect (and gave it a comedic edge) to have John Travolta in a fat suit swinging it around than it would have been to cast a large woman in the role. It promotes overindulgence in food and the characters not taking care of their bodies as well as they could, sort of from the viewpoint of them having no cause over their weight.

HAIRSPRAY - EFFECT ON ME: It made it okay to be enthusiastic about life. Made me realize that there are things in my life to be enthusiastic about and to stand up for/against, and made me realize I could be more enthusiastic.

Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of RATATOUILLE

2007-07-19T10:23:00.000-07:00

RATATOUILLE - STORY: A rat with a discerning palate wishes to become a chef despite obvious obstacles.
RATATOUILLE - MESSAGE: Anyone can achieve what they want to achieve. Believe in other people. Pursue your passions -- it's worth the effort.
RATATOUILLE - WIN: The hero, Remy's, competence was refreshing and well demonstrated. It promoted cooking as an art form. He followed his passion despite obstacles. Competence and excellence was praised and rewarded. Ironing out relationships, and standing up for your dreams, can bring about tremendous support from family and friends. Showed alcohol as a tool of an antisocial to undermine a good person.
RATATOUILLE - LOSE: None.
RATATOUILLE - EFFECT ON ME: Very uplifting. Made me want to eat some ratatouille. Made me further appreciate fine dining and fine chefs as artists. Made me want to persist in my goals. Made me feel stronger about standing up to opposition.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of HARRY POTTER 5

2007-07-19T10:09:00.000-07:00

HARRY POTTER 5 - STORY: Only Harry's closest friends believe that the villain has returned, and encourage him to train an army to defend against the villain.
HARRY POTTER 5 - MESSAGE: Life in the world of muggles is harsh and unforgiving. Stand up for what you know. Friendship wins the day. Those who seek to limit your abilities have animosity toward you, no matter how they sugarcoat it.
HARRY POTTER 5 - WIN: The children took it upon themselves to create and train an army when their antisocial adult leader would not do the right thing. I liked the waving of a wand creating miracles. With magic has to come a sense of spirit of play, which was illustrated by the twins who disrupted the rein of terror by the antisocial adult.
HARRY POTTER 5 - LOSE: A person could not use magical abilities for good if they were morose or at the mercy of the disdain or loathing of others. Whereas it is normal to have fluctuation of emotions, being morose for a good deal of the film is uncharacteristic of a true hero.
HARRY POTTER 5 - EFFECT ON ME: It made me want to recapture my spirit of play. It made me want to let people know that the magic doesn't come from the wand.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of FF SILVER SURFER

2007-06-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

FF SILVER SURFER - STORY: Trying to live normal lives, the Fantastic Four must defend the world against the Silver Surfer, beacon for a planet eater.
FF SILVER SURFER - MESSAGE: As a motivation, duty is better than simply focusing on oneself and one's family. The evil are forced into being evil by others and are otherwise good. Consolidation of skills and abilities wins the day. A superbeing must accept who they are and their responsibilities in order to be happy. It can win the day to enlist the aid of an enemy in order to fight a common foe. Love is a strong force to bring about someone doing the right thing -- or -- loved ones are worth fighting for, even against insurmountable odds. Teamwork is the way to win the day.

FF SILVER SURFER - WIN: Ability exceeding what is thought of as human potential is possible. Storm recognized that it wasn't black and white with the Silver Surfer, and she found out what was really going on then made him an ally. The Silver Surfer's aid of Storm and her planet are a good way to show that he has truly switched sides. The group used communication to resolve differences.

FF SILVER SURFER - LOSE: Promotes promiscuous-like behavior (bachelor/bachelorette parties.) Alters importance of wedding in the face of world destruction. Abrupt shift of Storm from fixation on her wedding to suddenly altruistic. Secrets between bride and groom didn't wreck their relationship as much as should have.

FF SILVER SURFER - EFFECT ON ME: I felt like I should accept and take responsibility for my talents, and should be braver to stand up for what I believe.

Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of MR. BROOKS

2007-06-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

MR. BROOKS - STORY: A man trying to overcome his secret urges to murder people, is confronted with a series of circumstances where he must murder several people in order to set things right for himself and his daughter.

MR. BROOKS - MESSAGE: Self preservation and preservation of the family is more valuable than the lives of strangers. Careful planning and skilled competence win the day. The comfortable, stable middle class world not only cannot begin to deal with the vast power of our innermost drives, but it also cannot detect them, and even serves as a way to hide them from public view. Do we really know our neighbors?

MR. BROOKS - WIN: I liked having a separate character he talked to representing a portion of his mind as this is, given artistic license, the way compartmented parts of our mind do operated. Also accurate is the ;ensive look of the fellow because this is very introverting stuff. I liked the fact that the reason for his killing urges wasn't explained with some silly reference to childhood abuse. The fact that he wanted to overcome these urges says that they are not coming from him, that he is separate from these urges, which, as man is spiritual in nature, is true. Also, if our deep spitirual core were left to its devices, it would wish to do the right thing, to overcome the killing urges. So you have the spiritual nature of man fighting against an additive that is not him. Very well done. By making a phone call at the end, he opened himself up to potentially being caught, which is natually what a spiritual being would do, if they couldn't stop themself from doing bad things.

MR. BROOKS - LOSE: In a way, the movie presupposes that the daughter would be inclined to kill because the father is, which isn't necessarily the case. (If that were true then kill all the progeny of killers and murder would never happen again on the planet.) And, it is unlikely that the daughter would have acquired any mental hypnotic orders to kill during an illness, or when she was with him and shocked by his actions, or during a moment of unconsciousness when her mind was open to suggestion. These are unlikely because he seemed to keep his killing life totally separate from his family life, meaning he would never take her with him, nor talk about it to her. It promotes killing as a solution to problems.

MR. BROOKS - EFFECT ON ME: I wanted to see the sequel. Did the daughter really do the murder at school? The cop is sharp, will she figure this out? I'd like to see the sequel be her story as she does figure it out. What nefarious deeds does the wife have going on that she doesn't see any clues her husband shows? Will he be able to stop killing? That would be another sequel I'd like to see whereby he finds a way to be able to stop killing. And, what did he mean that he's done other murders besides just the "fingerprint killings"? Who is this guy?

Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of OCEAN'S THIRTEEN

2007-06-16T12:03:00.000-07:00

OCEAN'S 13- STORY: When one of the group is swindled and injured by a casino owner, the group decides on payback.

OCEAN'S 13- MESSAGE: Stand up to injustice, competence and teamwork win the day as does resourcefulness and expertise.

OCEAN'S 13- WIN: The film shows the positive sides of friendship, loyalty, teamwork, skill and communication. It also shows the unspoken communication of two people who are close enough almost to know each others' thoughts. It shows mistakes being made by people of an emotional and behavioral disposition likely to make mistakes. It has a good business model of a group, good leadership and communication. It pursues the concept of group justice towards one who goes too far.

OCEAN'S 13- LOSE: It gives a false picture of criminals as being intelligent, leaving insufficient clues to stop them, functioning well in a civilized group and happy, none of which are true in real life. It promotes gambling, drinking and criminality.

OCEAN'S 13- EFFECT ON ME: I was very satisfied when the bad guy was losing what he valued the most, money and diamonds. It was also satisfying to see people winning big at a casino because that is a rare thrill. It made me want to learn more about efficient teams (honest ones, of course) and how a true group functions.

Sincerely,
Becky MateScript Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of SPIDERMAN 3

2007-05-07T19:43:00.000-07:00

SPIDERMAN 3 - STORY: Spiderman wants to propose marriage, in between fighting evil, but becomes under the influence of an alien force that brings out the worst in him, which impacts negatively on his lovelife and job. He eventually defeats the alien and the bad guys and gets the girl.

SPIDERMAN 3 - MESSAGE: Put your wife before yourself. Be true to your own inner self and fight that which turns you evil. Don't get so full of yourself that you forget to be aware of the others in your life.

SPIDERMAN 3 - WIN: He uses force when needed, but switches to negotiation to settle his score without violence when he can. He is very moral, honest and does the right thing.

SPIDERMAN 3 - LOSE: The message of putting his wife before himself is not rational, and alters the importance of acting in the best interest of all concerned. Promotes drinking champagne for celebration.

SPIDERMAN 3 - EFFECT ON ME: I was inspired to be more myself, to do the right thing. And I was inspired to communicate the messages I have as an artist.

Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of LAST MIMZY

2007-04-09T14:53:00.000-07:00

LAST MIMZY - STORY: Two children are enlisted to save the human race in the future, despite their parents looking out for them.

LAST MIMZY - MESSAGE: If you look, without fear, you will see what is there. There is enormous potential within us all. If you do what is right, despite contrary expectations, it will all turn out well.

LAST MIMZY - WIN: The family members were loving towards each other, refreshing amidst today's dysfunctional movie family. The closeness was portrayed, correctly, by the people being physically close, such as husband and wife sitting next to each other on the couch, or a family hug. Even the children worked well together, despite a small amount of bickering, which they didn't let snip their love connection. The girl showed remarkable aplomb (if nobody was trying to take her rabbit,) an aplomb to be envied by adults in their dealings with each other. The children executed judgement, making a decision based on what was best for humanity, even if that meant risking breaking the rules and getting in trouble. It was also a favorable look at the validity of religion which recognizes that there is more than what we see. Also, there was a Buddhist who was not portrayed as fanatical, not beating down others with her beliefs, but true to them nonetheless. It also pointed out the quality of the logical to be able to see when something is happening that is out of the ordinary.

LAST MIMZY - LOSE: The unusual abilities of the children were attributed to more of the brain being utilized, which is scientifically incorrect. The type of ability demonstrated was of a spiritual nature. For example, telekinesis, or intending a golf ball to go where you want it to go, is not accomplished by brain cells leaving the brain to go carry the ball to its destination. The ball is impelled by spiritual intention.

LAST MIMZY - EFFECT ON ME: It was very uplifting. I enjoyed the tie-in with Alice in Wonderland. I felt like utilizing more of my buried talents. It made me want to do what was right, despite appearances. It made me want to write more stories promoting positive things (such as close families, etc.)

Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of MEET THE ROBINSONS

2007-04-09T14:44:00.000-07:00

MEET THE ROBINSONS - STORY: An orphan is whisked to the future by time traveler trying to change the past, and the orphan finds a family.

MEET THE ROBINSONS - MESSAGE: A family that accepts us for who we are is the most nurturing.

MEET THE ROBINSONS - WIN: No drinking or illicit sex. Nice view of the future -- had a wholesome Disney sense to it. The humor was playful (as opposed to some humor in animation which is a put-down or that crass people would find funny.)

MEET THE ROBINSONS - LOSE: The family of the future gave a pat on the back to the hero for failing.

MEET THE ROBINSONS - EFFECT ON ME: Disturbing. If we reward failure we'll get failure.

Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of Shooter

2007-04-02T19:12:00.000-07:00

SHOOTER - STORY: A retired military sharpshooter is conned into taking the fall for an assassination attempt on the President and must use his military skills to eliminate the perpetrators of the injustice.

SHOOTER - MESSAGE: Take your own counsel. Take responsibility and don't leave it up to others. Competence, cunningness and force are what it takes to defeat the very anti-social.

SHOOTER - WIN: The hero fought for justice when "the legal system" wasn't going to permit it. He accurately spotted who the bad guys were and realized the exact amount of force needed to bring them down. He and his green FBI partner both did well at investigations (ie, spotting and questioning discrepancies until the truth was unearthed.) The hero demonstrated competence. The hero had a good appreciation for nature. He did a good job of teaching the green FBI guy so he could help him and teaching the girl so she could help him. It accurately shows how the media can be used to spread any lie the powers that be wish to spread. The hero had a Code of Honor, to defend America against enemies foreign and domestic, and he upheld that Code.

SHOOTER - LOSE: The hero drank a beer, which makes it seem that tough and sharp goes along with alcohol (essentially a drug.) The new FBI guy was a little too care less about his job at first to be believable later as someone really pulling his weight. The bad guy was well portrayed as someone who smiles yet means you ill will (as was the Senator). They were also both aptly arrogant. His cohort was aptly played as a pervert, which is accurate since criminals tend to hang together. The movie promotes vigilantism and using force to deal with aggression. Several innocent guys were killed by the hero, because they were soldiers following orders.

SHOOTER- EFFECT ON ME: I felt strength and validation in the things I'm competent in. I was thrilled at the hero's victory, but saddened that it portrays the world as one in which we must use violence to bring about justice and peace. It made me want to encourage more people to educate others into making good choices, such as through distribution of guides to good behavior for any culture at www.twth.org/a/1156. It also made me realize what it takes to truly uphold a Code and gave me resolve to uphold the Codes I hold dear.

Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of MUSIC AND LYRICS

2007-03-20T14:43:00.000-07:00

MUSIC AND LYRICS - STORY: A has-been rock 'n roller songwriter teams with a crushed writer resulting in a comeback for each of them (plus a harmonious romance.)

MUSIC AND LYRICS - MESSAGE: Together we can overcome our internal obstacles and win in this world. Integrity wins over "sex sells."

MUSIC AND LYRICS - WIN: The sexy Bhuddhist singer had a calm control about her (despite her obvious misinterpretation of the teachings of Bhudda against materialistic activities.) The relationship between the two stars was resolved with communication and with seeing where the other was at and what they needed. Principles mattered. The sexy singer changed (ie people can change.) Really good look at how a respected person's criticism can shatter a budding creative person and cause them to put their talent down. Also good look at how someone can get stuck in former glory, but can also get over it. I liked the integrity of the songwriter, how she wasn't ga-ga over fame and stuck to principles. I liked how the mother tried to cover the eyes of her daughter when confronted with a too-sexy dance.

MUSIC AND LYRICS - LOSE: It puts down Buddhism by making it something for a singer to flaunt rather than something to live by. Promotes casual sex (though it does show the uncomfortable aftermath when you don't know if it meant something or was just a sordid act of unrestrained lust.)

MUSIC AND LYRICS - EFFECT ON ME: It was uplifting. As a writer, it fueled me with promise. I laughed at the dialog, because it was rich with lines of wit, well delivered. It made me want to be less pretentious and have more integrity as I encroach the entertainment industry.

Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of PREMONITION

2007-03-20T14:27:00.000-07:00

PREMONITION - STORY: A woman lives the days of a week out of order, giving her premonition of things to come and a mystery or a confusion about things already happened.

PREMONITION - MESSAGE: Major events in our lives are predetermined, but we can change the small stuff. Actions have consequences. The more you try to play God in life, the more you will shoot yourself in the foot.

PREMONITION - WIN: The main character worked to fix things for the better, strived to make things right. She took the steps to make a dull marriage bright again for her, her husband and her children. She did household things, like laundry and putting stickers on the window.

PREMONITION - LOSE: The movie says we are the effect of fate or the victims of our attempts to tamper with fate, making any attempt we make hopeless, so let's just go with the flow. This is bad cuz it leads to apathy, hopelessness and our demise.

PREMONITION - EFFECT ON ME: I was mixed on it. I liked the take-charge of the main character and her seeking to make sense of it all, as we do each day. But, as a person who believes we can make the world better, I felt snubbed.

Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of BABEL

2007-02-15T12:20:00.000-08:00

BABEL - STORY: A gun given as a gift of thanks by a Japanese hunter in Morocco embroils a Moroccan family, a deaf-mute Japanese girl, an illegal alien Mexican nanny overseeing American kids and an American tourist and wife in a mess to sort out and fix due to a terrible gun accident.
BABEL - MESSAGES: Actions have consequences. Guns kill and it is the responsible person who destroys them. Our planet is so small that international repercussions travel fast, like ripples from a stone dropped in a pond. Face things, don't run away from them or your past mistakes will catch up with you.
BABEL - WIN: The characters seemed true to their emotional level. The media and gossipmongers are willing to spout unverified information. The cultural customs seemed very true to form, from what I know. The person shot had internal turmoil about something they did wrong in the past that resulted, possibly, in a loss of life, which made them prone to thinking themself unworthy of living. There were a lot of characters doing what they felt they needed to do to survive in a harsh world, trying to make good choices. Showed drugs make people not be themselves.
BABEL - LOSE: Sort of promotes the drug/sex culture of teens in a big city. And sexual perversion of a child in a remote area. Decries gun use, without decrying the real cause of the accident, which was irresponsibility of the father to adequately teach his sons gun safety, unwillingness of the older brother to insist his brother be ethical if that meant telling on him and subsequently participating in something unethical, and the failure of the younger son to be ethical on his own. He is old enough to know not to shoot towards people.
BABEL - EFFECT ON ME: Made me feel more connected with the rest of the world, and made me want to take actions that make a positive impact all over. It reinforced my feeling that there needs to be more awareness in the people of earth that we are all spiritual at the core, so we treat each other in a kinder, more kindred way.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS

2007-01-22T10:18:00.000-08:00

PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS - STORY: True story of a man who, in pursuing a potential job as a stockbroker, has to endure severe financial hardship and homelessness for himself and his 5-yr-old son.
PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS - MESSAGE: Persist against all odds without compromise and you will win.
PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS - WIN: His choice to pursue a good job was good, as well as his decisions and most of his actions along the way. He improves his condition by taking rational steps. He loves and helps his child, even, at one point, when it means admitting he was wrong. He knows what is best for himself and his son, and does that, despite the risk and despite the loss of his wife. His attitude is one of making it go right, rather than falling victim to his circumstances. He exhibits fast thinking, creativity and superior ability (solves puzzle.) (Rare in today's movies where the foibles of the character seem to define him.) He doesn't turn to alcohol or drugs. He faces people well.
PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS - LOSE: I would have liked to see a little bit more communication about the truth to his son, because 5-year-olds aren't as incapable of comprehension as so-called experts tell us. The hero also had to tell a few white lies, which was unfortunate but necessary to his success.
PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS - EFFECT ON ME: Made me realize that my problems weren't nearly as dire as some people and that I should not complain so much. Made me realize the amount of effort and intention it actually takes to make my dreams come true in this world of ours. I committed to more of both.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of ROCKY BALBOA

2007-01-22T10:11:00.000-08:00

ROCKY BALBOA - STORY: An aging boxer with heart is called back in the ring to fight a heartless champion.
ROCKY BALBOA - MESSAGE: When life uses you as a punching bag, punch back harder and win.
ROCKY BALBOA - WIN: Rocky is a family man, honoring his wife, and does not make a sexual relationship with a younger woman. (How many movies can say that?) Instead, he helps her, as perhaps he would a stray puppy. He encourages his son to overcome adversity rather than be the sniveling effect of it. He values people. He works hard to reach his goals as a restaurant owner and boxer. He keeps his integrity and thereby wins.
ROCKY BALBOA - LOSE: I can't think of any.
ROCKY BALBOA - EFFECT ON ME: Made me look at places in my life where I was moaning about conditions, and got me to look at how I could do something about these things. I was extremely uplifted by this movie.
Sincerely,Becky MateScript Consultantwww.virtueinthearts.com

Review of THE ESCAPE CLAUS

2006-12-11T14:35:00.000-08:00

THE ESCAPE CLAUS - STORY: In trying to balance between his attention-seeking pregnant wife and to Christmas present preparations, he loses his position as Santa to crafty Jack Frost and has to get it back to save Christmas as we know it.
THE ESCAPE CLAUS - MESSAGE: Family must not be ignored. How you feel is more important than sacrifice for a positive activity that affects well-meaning people all over the world. Commercialism without moral boundaries leads to unhappiness and petty conflicts. Neglect to restrain the anti-social person and you will pay for it. A warm hug can melt even the most hard of hearts.
THE ESCAPE CLAUS - WIN: The "weapon" against the bad guy was to love him warmly, as opposed to violence. Jack, accurately exhibiting anti-social traits, didn't do anything constructive and did destructive actions. The worst drug was hot chocolate. I liked seeing kids acting like adults.
THE ESCAPE CLAUS - LOSE: Mrs. Claus was so whiney she made Santa look pistol-whipped, meaning she was operating against him. She made it seem like henpecking was the way to succeed in life, as was being selfish.
THE ESCAPE CLAUS - EFFECT ON ME: Made me appreciate the happy parts of Christmas, and the virtues of it. Felt a little resentment at the unsavory, shallow Mrs Claus and her similar relatives. I laughed during the movie because it had a lot of funny things in it. Made me want to write movies with spiritual-based themes.
Sincerely,Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of DEJA VU

2006-12-06T11:33:00.000-08:00

DEJA VU - STORY: A man uses an experimental government time travel device to save the woman he loves.
DEJA VU - MESSAGE: Love conquers all, even time constraints. There is always something that can be done about it. Expanded awareness, such as of details, leads to good and life-saving solutions.
DEJA VU - WIN: The lead character thought for himself and didn't just automatically buy what he was told. He observed things to discover what was going on. His co-workers responded with honesty. And he responded with honesty when asked about the circumstances of him being there. He was a solver of problems. He took risks but in a way that he could survive them. He succeeded despite great odds.
DEJA VU- LOSE: His co-workers were a little bit irresponsible for their actions (no penalty for major power outages they caused.) I thought the tears of the female co-worker were a bit too unreal because they had been seeing a lot of other negative things. Also, the attempt to explain the bad guy's motives showed a lack of understanding of how an anti-social person becomes that way.
DEJA VU- EFFECT ON ME: It made me want to be more observant and think more for myself. The whole time travel paradox puzzled me, as usual. It made me want to write the movie I thought of when I heard the term "deja vu" which is different than this one. It made me wonder if the author had read a book called something like "The Redemption of Christopher Columbus" because there was a similar device in there and people went back to a similar end. It made me wonder what the government was researching, and suggested possible reasons for electrical blackouts.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of STRANGER THAN FICTION

2006-12-06T11:02:00.000-08:00

STRANGER THAN FICTION - STORY: A man discovers he's a character in a story and must confront the author so that she doesn't kill him off like all her other characters.
STRANGER THAN FICTION - MESSAGE: Reaching out from the confines of solitary habits can lead to love, life and freedom.
STRANGER THAN FICTION - WIN: The author was responsible for causing things that happened in the real world. A person need not accept their assigned fate but step up to avert it. Doing the right thing is more important than what others think. Total withdrawal brings bad things upon one. Opening up to other viewpoints can expand ones own. Promotes cookies. The ability to face a tough situation can bring one out of it alive. It chose the right answer for the problem, addressing the true cause of the actual problem. It immediately negated the idea of getting high on psychiatric drugs as a solution. It showed a person, an assistant, helping a person, using just the right amount of good control. It made idiosyncracies into character traits not mental illness. It rewarded noble action. It was true to emotional tones.
STRANGER THAN FICTION- LOSE: It promoted sex out of wedlock. Promotes smoking as something quirky to do (or the drug of choice to address neurosis.) To a slight degree it promoted protesting the IRS by not paying funds generally considered due (aka Theft.) Also, my understanding is that ALL money collected by the IRS goes to pay the banks that loan the government money. The things the baker said her IRS money went to, I don't believe it does; those things are funded by local, state, property taxes, etc.
STRANGER THAN FICTION - EFFECT ON ME: As a writer, it made me want to write my characters more as people. Made me want to write distinct characters. It made me want to do good in my life, and reap the effects of doing so. It made me aware that people in general have idiosyncracies (like how they brush their teeth) and perceptions (file folders sliding against each other sound a bit like waves) and viewpoints stemming from their jobs, etc. (a literary professor used to analyzing "rules" of story addressing something differently than a creative person who can break the rules to serve the story.)

Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of Casino Royale

2006-11-19T12:58:00.000-08:00

CASINO ROYALE - STORY:
A British secret agent tracks down a major funder of terrorists.
CASINO ROYALE - MESSAGE:
Persistance, endurance, determination, risk-taking, audacity, lack of emotion, integriy and rebelliousness win the day.
CASINO ROYALE - WIN: Shows the degree of determination necessary to complete a vital task no matter how difficult. Promotes skill and competence at one's profession. Promotes love between man and woman. Shows someone doing something about a situation rather than letting the situation get the better of them. Hero's integrity is more important that his immediate body, meaning he'll do the right thing despite torture.
CASINO ROYALE - LOSE: Promotes drinking, gambling, promiscuity and violence-to-handle-anti-social-people. Shows the over-importance of fancy cars and gadgets instead of giving importance to other things in life which would lead to a happier life. Although grief is appropriate at the loss of a loved one, there is no regard for the spiritual continuance of the person.
CASINO ROYALE - EFFECT ON ME: A little tired from that strenuous chase scene (haha.) Made me want to give more support to efforts to resolve terrorist conflict by appealing to the individual potential terrorist's ability to make good choices which result in their happiness. (see www.twth.org/a/1156 for how this can be done.) A little confused because I didn't remember where the ultimate bad guy fit in, I wanted to see it again to better fit it together. I felt encouraged to utilize my ability to persist in defeating odds in my life.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

REVIEW OF THE PRESTIGE

2006-10-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

THE PRESTIGE - STORY: In an escalating battle, two magicians each want to have the better tricks.
THE PRESTIGE - MESSAGE: Obsession devours those who are obsessed.
THE PRESTIGE - WIN: It treated revenge and the fixed idea as bad things. Aesthetic sets and performances.
THE PRESTIGE - LOSE: The editing style of rearranging the time line made the story a bit confusing, leaving some things misunderstood and hard to follow. It falsely said that science is the only true magic. Falsely emphasized that sacrifice is necessary to win. It also falsely said that one must be less than honest, less than ethical to pull off magic, ie that magic is who can tell the better lie or give the better illusion. There is a demeaning of the audience in this, whether the audience be in the theatre or in life. The wife's suicide seemed too out of character for a caring mother.
THE PRESTIGE - EFFECT ON ME: I was still trying to sort it all out when the movie ended, and suspect I need to watch it again to really get it. In a way, it made me want to cheat fate by outwitting it. I had the feeling I had been part of an intense contest, really invested myself in it and really experienced the emotions, due to the good storytelling. It was a good example of what my screenwriting instructor has been telling me about two nearly equal forces opposing each other in a script, and made me want to write such a compelling tale.

REVIEW OF FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS

2006-10-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS - STORY: A WWII photo taken of American soldiers raising a flag on a Japanese island inspires Americans to conceive of victory, and a war effort fundraiser has the soldiers go around on display as heroes to encourage people to buy war bonds.
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS - MESSAGE: Politicians appeal to lofty ideals in order to raise funds for war.
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS - WIN: Such is the power of aesthetics that it can create an emotional impact when stirring up the passion for freedom and victory over an evil. The raising of the first flag showed a solidarity and unity of people, a symbol of the land of freedom.
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS - LOSE: Seeing the gore of war stirs up uneasiness in the audience. The film promotes war as the solution to saving our freedoms. Shows a person drinking to cope with shame. It ruins the iconic flag-raising photo knowing the truth behind it, but it is interesting to know how it came about.
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS - EFFECT ON ME: I felt a little betrayed by the deception that was necessary to get funds for the war. I reconfirmed my belief of the senseless loss of life in wars. I felt for the soldiers abroad. I felt sad for war victims from any present and distant war.

Review of Man of the Year

2006-10-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

MAN OF THE YEAR - STORY: A fan suggests a comic run for President of the US, he does, gets serious, then gets unserious, wins, finds out there was a computer voting system glitch and he really didn't win.
MAN OF THE YEAR - MESSAGE: All joking aside, honesty is the best policy.
MAN OF THE YEAR - WIN: Promotes honesty and doing the right thing. Comes closer to addressing the real issues that most politicians miss.
MAN OF THE YEAR - LOSE: His manager harps on him to influence him.
MAN OF THE YEAR - EFFECT ON ME: I felt reaffirmed that honesty is the best policy.

Review of America: From Freedom to Fascism

2006-10-23T19:08:00.000-07:00

AMERICA: FROM FREEDOM TO FASCISM - STORY: An interviewer searches in vain for proof that American citizens are required to pay the Income Tax.
AMERICA: FROM FREEDOM TO FASCISM - MESSAGE: The American government has fallen into unsavory patterns which are eliminating freedoms.
AMERICA: FROM FREEDOM TO FASCISM - WIN: Sheds light on areas of government that need inspection, such as IRS, Federal Reserve, etc. It gives one thing you can do about it, which is a website at the end, where you can team up with like-minded people.
AMERICA: FROM FREEDOM TO FASCISM - LOSE: The investigation doesn't go deep enough to locate the real perpetrators. Thus it seems overwhelmingly hopeless. Getting down to the real bottom of it would bring about realization of a clear-cut solution.
AMERICA: FROM FREEDOM TO FASCISM - EFFECT ON ME: I was glad to have the knowledge I have about human behavior and was proud to have an arsenal of positive ways to change things. It was a bit unsettling, but it made me want to push harder for the things I value, including human rights, morality, freedoms and a day dedicated to the arts and artists of all disciplines.

Review of Lady in the Water

2006-08-14T15:41:00.000-07:00

LADY IN THE WATER - STORY: An everyday man must conquer his own demons to help a woman from a water-based culture.
LADY IN THE WATER - MESSAGE: Trust your observation, do the right thing no matter how it looks, help those who are doing important things in the world.
LADY IN THE WATER - WIN: The movie brings belief and wonder and lofty ideals. It manages to bring these things to the world of the mundane, changing everyone whose lives were touched. It shows us the positive side of a wide mix of people. It is interesting that the hero's final lack of withholding communication and emotions brought the healing in another, which, although strictly technically weak, can in fact happen given that Man is a spiritual being at the core.
LADY IN THE WATER - LOSE: There were some unanswered questions, presumably for suspense. There are some arbitrary vias to the use of logic, power and prowess (such as one who defends, one who interprets, etc) but these are necessary to the weaving of the story and don't stand out too much. Innately anyone is capable of knowledge (interpreting), healing, etc., without such vias.
LADY IN THE WATER - EFFECT ON ME: I was very encouraged to see a spiritually correct film make it to the screen. I was happy at the good ending. I was encouraged to see, almost as role models, people who dropped their fixed ideas to self-lessly help a non-human against terrific odds and who showed group cooperation despite their diversity. I enjoyed seeing how a desired, lofty idea could be brought to the screen (such as the water lady's prediction of the M. Night character's novel changing the world), and in such a way that people could accept it (due to the humor of his "sister" right after.) This shows a way of writing that respects the reality of the status quo but gives us a glimpse of higher concepts.

Review of Poseidon

2006-05-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

POSEIDON - STORY: A gambler defies Captain's orders and leads a small group of victims in an overturned cruise ship to safety despite many hardships along the way.

POSEIDON - MESSAGE: Courage, independent thinking and ingenuity lead to success.

POSEIDON - WIN: Accurately showed people's ability increasing to meet their necessity level.

POSEIDON - LOSE: Promotes drinking alcohol and promiscuity to have fun. Promotes dishonoring of one's parents.

POSEIDON - EFFECT ON ME: I was as tired after the film as if I had just gone through an ordeal. It was an "on-the-edge-of-the-seat" movie. It made me aspire to be as courageous, intelligent and ingenious as the main characters in the face of any life-threatening event that may befall me. (And in those things that life throws at me that are just annoying.)

Review of The Da Vinci Code

2006-05-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

THE DA VINCI CODE - STORY: A professor of symbology teams with an expert in codes to decipher a cover-up about Christian history.

THE DA VINCI CODE - MESSAGE: Important things can be won with dedication, intelligence and persistence. There exists a higher truth than the comings and goings of man.

THE DA VINCI CODE - WIN: It was a good exploration of the subject of symbols. The two protagonists (male/female combo, similar to the male/female symbology of the six-pointed star) were bright and exhibited high energy traits. This is consistent with the success of their investigation. An accurate portrayal of the emotional level and mindset of evil people (a self-flogger and a pretend friend.)

THE DA VINCI CODE - LOSE: There was a beat missed that has to do with the fact our society is steeped in the medical theory that ability comes from the body, rather than the spirit. When ability is attributed to the body, then the area of genetics and ancestors weighs heavily upon our look at a person. When ability is properly attributed to the spirit within, then lineage has proper perspective. The male protagonist should have given us this perspective just after the female dipped a toe in the pond.

THE DA VINCI CODE - EFFECT ON ME: I was elated at the successful completion of a tough, intriguing, tension-filled investigation. As a screenwriter, I learned that the impact of a movie can increase exponentially if one does a twist on that which is familiar to the majority. I was disturbed that the movie may have stepped on some toes, perhaps of those close to me, but the movie renewed my wish to fight alongside those who recognize the innate spirituality of Man.

Review of Lucky Number Slevin

2006-04-26T08:28:00.000-07:00

LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN - STORY: Due to a series of unfortunate events, a young man becomes embroiled in a war between NY mafia heads.

LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN - MESSAGE: A good plan and cool-headed deception can eliminate even the biggest threat. True justice can be accomplished with enough courage. Good or bad actions have like consequences. No problem too big to solve.

LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN - WIN: The child remained calm and didn't have fear in the face of threat. Showed a life of crime brought about unhappiness in the mob bosses. Showed the strength of true love. Slevin met obstacles head on. Nice spirit of play and irony reflected in wordplay. Nice aesthetic touch with the exaggerated wallpaper and furnishings, which enabled locations to be very distinct from each other. The symptoms weren't the target, but the cause. Slevin had good differentiation between good intentions and bad ones. In the crime boss minions, showed that crime attracts the stupid. Showed that crime can be taught (and isn't inherent.)

LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN - LOSE: Promotes free love, alcohol use and non-nutritious white bread. Glorifies assassin and doesn't show the natural spiritual decay from having such a job. Gave the mob crowd personalities which are too emotionally upbeat.

LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN - EFFECT ON ME: Made me want to explore the use of wordplay in my script. I felt as though I'd experienced a good, well-crafted story. It gave me a sense that one person can do something about even those things which seem unsolvable. I felt like someone who has been taken out on the dance floor for a spin.

REVIEW OF THANK YOU FOR SMOKING

2006-04-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING - STORY: The PR guy for big cigarette companies overcomes challenges to the moral questions of smoking and his defense of it.

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING - MESSAGE: Smokers are the effect of public relations spin. One must ultimately do the right thing, no matter how painful. Unsavory actions needed to get ones' job done are a choice made to "pay the mortgage." That cigarette companies can continue to exist despite the fact that smoking kills is merely a symptom of a deeper problem in our society, having to do with our personal ability or inability to face and deal with the truth.

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING - WIN: Negative facts about smoking came out. The hero resorted to honesty to make a point. He had the integrity to do his job despite having been fired and to refuse to pander to a boss who had stepped on him. Traces bad actions down to greed or need of money.

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING - LOSE: Promiscuity with journalist was treated as ok (although blabbing to her was not.) I would have liked to see the point made that nicotine and alcohol are drugs (taken as a solution to pain or boredom) and what drugs do (although the nicotine patches did do a fair job of showing that.) The effect on a person mentally and spiritually due to cigarettes is not explored; the only negative side of smoking brought up was the decreased health of the body. Also, the head cigarette baron was a kindly old gentleman, and I doubt that is true to reality.

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING - EFFECT ON ME: It encouraged me to continue to write films which have a definite message, because there is a place for us writers to say what we want to say in an entertaining way.

Review of Take the Lead

2006-04-16T18:55:00.000-07:00

TAKE THE LEAD - STORY: A dance instructor seeks to give disadvantaged youth a chance at a better, less troubled life by teaching them the discipline and social skills involved in ballroom dancing.

TAKE THE LEAD - MESSAGE: Teaching the arts bring out the best in us.

TAKE THE LEAD - WIN: Communication and setting a good example were used to persuade different behavior, not force. The idea that people can change for the better is supported (instead of the false idea that being a loser is genetic.) The other idea that is supported is the fact that if you do what helps a person, they will be helped and will rise to the occasion -- the trick is being smart about getting in touch with the person, caring and seeing what will really help them.

TAKE THE LEAD - LOSE: I believe the detention kids would have been in worse shape to start with. Challenging and dancing are more positive traits, not expected of truly troubled children.

TAKE THE LEAD - EFFECT ON ME: I came out of the theatre dancing, happy, uplifted. I had a renewed faith that the arts are important for children and adults.

Review of V for Vendetta

2006-03-20T10:56:00.000-08:00

V FOR VENDETTA - STORY: In the future, a woman becomes close to and understands a man who is plotting to overthrow a tyrant, to the point where she helps him.
V FOR VENDETTA - MESSAGE: Freedom from oppression means standing up for what you believe and doing what is right despite how uncomfortable that may be.
V FOR VENDETTA - WIN: Stresses persistence. A good overthrow of a despot. Shows how an evil person will attack and suppress the arts, because the arts bring a people up. I liked the fact that love brought the male lead to rethink his values. The film promotes the fact that ideas rule. I liked the main character's courage and stability, her lack of prejudice, the fact she could evaluate what was happening and act logically as opposed to merely react to it.
V FOR VENDETTA - LOSE: Not a big point, but I got a little lost since I didn't know what all the words starting with V mean and the vocabulary in a few spots was beyond me. The movie suggests the use of force not only to handle a tyrant (which may be necessary) but also in molding strong character. The flaw in this thinking is that although an intense campaign may strenghten us, force lays in trauma. An apology is not enough to wipe away the trauma. If society agreed that force molds character, then half of grade school would be spent illfed in isolation cells and the world would have no crime or insanity. In actuality, lack of fear can be caused by apathy or courage, force can drive a person into apathy and apathy is not the place to live life. There are other means than force, more effective, to bring about change.
V FOR VENDETTA - EFFECT ON ME: I felt very purged of something walking out of the theatre. I took pleasure in and appreciated the small details of the world around me.

Review of Capote

2006-03-06T10:12:00.000-08:00

CAPOTE - STORY: A writer seeking a story in a condemned man finds and is touched by the unexpected humanity in the killer.

CAPOTE - MESSAGE: Don't judge a book by its cover.

CAPOTE - WIN: It was refreshing to see a film that showed that criminals are human beings at the core and their criminal actions are unwanted behavior donned like a coat. I have graded tests for inmates of prisons in a correspondence course that enables them to shed their misbehavior coat -- and have found them to be likeable people, people willing and able to change. Another thing I found positive was the way Capote spotted and worked within what was real to the other person to increase love and understanding and communication between them. It was also a positive reflection of life that writers who support each other can realize success. Another positive point was that Capote stuck to his guns until he got the story he wanted.

CAPOTE - LOSE: It seems to me that the subject of life after death should have come up, one way or the other. There was only a vague hint of it in the scene that talked about the eyes of the condemned man being donated to another who would walk down the street seeing what he used to see. There was a sense of hopelessness and helplessness about the fate of Capote's condemned "friend" with drugs (in this case alcohol) as the escape. While true to his life, the filmmaker could have brought at least some hope that viewers could walk away with. Otherwise audience could think that nothing can really be done about the trauma he suffered, which isn't true.

CAPOTE - EFFECT ON ME: Besides crying during the scene when Capote cries, I felt validated as a writer. The film was able to show the degree that a writer must get under the skin of their characters. Capote's mannerisms grated on me in the sense that they were calculated to put others ill at ease, but I was assured that was how Capote was, so it was true to form. All in all, I felt I had seen a movie that dared to go in a new direction and dared to find man's humanity.

Review of Eight Below

2006-02-19T22:48:00.001-08:00

EIGHT BELOW - STORY: In Antarctica, eight heroic sled dogs are left behind after a snowstorm delays their airplane ride home and the human in charge of them is determined to find a way to rescue them. Meanwhile, for months, they must survive on their own.

EIGHT BELOW - MESSAGE: Loyalty to a team ensures the longterm survival of us all.

EIGHT BELOW - WIN: The dogs, each with a personality, were very able in solving the incredible problems of surviving on their own and using teamwork to accomplish more. The love and communication of the film's hero with the dogs was very poignant. The hero's above average persistence set a good example. He also exerted loving control over the dogs. The story was about helping those who help us.

EIGHT BELOW - LOSE: I'm not familiar with life in Antarctica, but it seems to me there would be chores and duties which wouldn't leave time for staring out the window or playing games. I don't care for movies where one character tells another to "get over it," when something very emotional is affecting them. Rarely, in movies or life, does that cause the person to snap out of it. The hero's love interest eventually did redeem herself by helping the hero, but her emotional arc of going from resentment to strongly interested in the hero (flashing a pretty smile all along) seemed to be an unnatural transition.

EIGHT BELOW - EFFECT ON ME: I talked a lot about the film with friends. It raised my appreciation for the ability of dogs (and maybe other animal life) to solve problems which give them more depth and my esteem. I felt, to a degree, more courageous in my endeavors, since my trials are not nearly as monumental. It rekindled an emotional tie I've had with animals.

Review of Last Holiday

2006-01-24T18:57:00.000-08:00

STORY: A department store employee finds out she is terminally ill so decides to live it up the rest of her days and take advantage of those things she has missed out on.

MESSAGE: Don't hold yourself back from finding and living the passion of your life.

WIN: Good performances. Funny. The protagonist managed to live in luxury, endulge in gourmet food and try an extreme sport but kept her high ethics level and faith in God. She also treated others with love and forgiveness no matter what they had done to her. Promoted the idea that spiritually one lives on past death.

LOSE: Promoted social drinking, but in all fairness did show chastisement for overindulging in liquor. The Senator and CEO were a bit one-dimensional (greed) but it served the purpose of the film.

EFFECT ON ME: Made me want to go out and eat some aesthetic exquisite cuisine. Made me look at the positive aspects of life and made me want to strive harder for my own goals. I walked out of the theatre laughing and so did others in the audience.

My Mother Endorses Positive Aspects of Family

2006-01-22T14:18:00.000-08:00

In this day and age of advocating sanction of dysfunctional families, I challenge any screenwriter or filmmaker to capture the essence of what my mother so eloquently said about family in answer to the question, "In your life so far, what is the one thing for which you are most thankful?"
Answer: I am most thankful to have been born into the family that I was…because it was here that I learned about faith, morals, ethics, pride of country, how to make good choices, learned to love literature, music, art, drama, travel, education, self-worth and self reliance, and a sense of humor to tie it all together. I learned to judge people not by race, color or wealth, how to treat my fellow man, how to fill the different roles that I would have to play in this life…daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, niece, friend; how to cope with the hard times…illness, death divorce, lack of funds…and how to appreciate the good times and how to play. To sum it up, I learned to see beauty in creation and in people, how to be a child of the world and how to be one with the universe. Barbara Glazier

Sincerely,
Becky Mate

Analysis of Script by Saena Yi read 1-16-06

2006-01-20T10:50:00.000-08:00

STORY: (permission not yet acquired to reveal story or title)

READING: At Alameda Writers Group (www.alamedawritersgroup.org) special interest group gathering.

MESSAGE: A suburban David can conquer a mean Goliath with enought determination.

WIN: Fun and funny (even the writer laughed throughout the reading). The writer showed us a supernatural ability I've never seen before. Refreshing change from dysfunctional -- one character had it totally together, was very able, had a strong sense of ethics and regarded his duty as paramount despite being in what others might stereotypically put down as a blue collar job, and brought honor to that job.

LOSE: Promoted drinking to have a good time (bar scene.) Slight mention of a therapist attempting to handle a fear -- saving grace was that the therapist failed. The main character's emotional arc went rapidly from apathy to enthusiasm without some natural pit stops such as anger.

EFFECT ON ME: I learned a lot about how to write comedy that works. I laughed a lot and was cheerful (as were others at the reading). It made me appreciate the honor I can bring to my day-to-day jobs and my life.

Sincerely,
Becky

Analysis as Well as Review

2006-01-20T10:41:00.000-08:00

I attend an Alameda Writers Group special interest group where we read and then comment on an entire script. As well as doing movie reviews on films I see, I've decided to do an analysis (pre-review) on these scripts in regards their spirituality (common sense) factor. In this way, the writers can avoid those unnoticed pitfalls which turn off both readers and audiences.
Sincerely,
Becky

Review of Family Stone

2006-01-11T11:23:00.000-08:00

STORY: Fiance goes home with future husband for Christmas and his folks disapprove of her marrying him.

MESSAGE: Only an appropriate fit in a relationship brings harmony.

WIN: A lot of honesty; people stood their ground. Most characters consistent within their emotional make-up. The comedic set-ups and pay-offs were very funny. Positive, loving family ending. Accepted idiosyncrasies as just that.

LOSE: Promoted drinking and pot as a solution to relaxing and getting over being uptight. Attempted to promote being gay as a positive thing, but did so by robbing the gays of negative traits which made them one dimensional. In other words, grouped black, deaf and gay together, a focal point on "the usual prejudices" but devoid of character. (Example - one gay guy's only trait was that he liked to cook.)

EFFECT ON ME: Made me value my family as a source of pride. Made me laugh. Made my husband think of how much he'd miss his mother if she were gone -- therefore raised his current appreciation of her.

Review of Cassanova

2006-01-06T21:07:00.000-08:00

MESSAGE: True love means sacrifice, devotion, selflessness and is the only kind of love of lasting value.

WIN: Appreciation of womanly beauty was very charming. Very aesthetic cinematography of Venice. The multiple mistaken identity twists were very playful, as was the movie's overall tone.

LOSE: Incongruous honesty, goodness, cheerfulness in the main character, doesn't fit the profile of one promiscuous.

EFFECT ON ME: It rekindled an aspect of romance that I had forgotten about, which was the pure attraction to beauty that a man can have in harmony with a sex drive. This led me to greater admiration for men knowing that they can admire beauty. And I was able to conceive my own beauty.

(If you are wondering why I have "Effect on Me" as a category, it is because I am part of a movement of artists who produce "Effective Art." It is so named by the late visual artist and writer Bruce Gilham, Sr., because these artists care about the effect their art has on people.)

Sincerely,Becky

Review of Memoirs of a Geisha

2006-01-05T12:13:00.000-08:00

MESSAGE: The pursuit and attainment of beauty, beautiful acts and appreciation of beauty are a feast for the soul. Unwavering intention toward a goal means it will eventually be realized.

WIN: Very aesthetic cinematography. Told where the term "geisha" comes from. Uplifting messages.

LOSE: Barely touched on the fact that disloyalty, promiscuity and breakage of vows carry with them unhappiness.

EFFECT ON ME: I bought a spray of Japanese flowers to decorate my apartment. I've been looking for beauty in the world since seeing the film.

Sincerely,
Becky

Welcome movie lovers!

2006-01-05T12:02:00.000-08:00

You've been jarred out of suspension of disbelief by a lock picked in seconds, the DNA test miraculously back in two hours and other stretches of reality that defy common sense.
Worse are affronts to innate wisdom which leave you knowing something is wrong but being unable to put your finger on it. Hence this blog. Check weekly for a completely different analysis of aspects of popular movies, which may explain why those box office numbers went up or down.

Sincerely,
Becky