Vicki and I saw the movie The Soloist. There is so much to love about this movie. Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. are two of our finest actors and they live up to their reputations in The Soloist. Jamie Foxx may well receive an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Nathaniel Ayers. Nathaniel Ayers is living on the streets plagued by mental illness. Downey Jr. plays the role of LA Times newspaper columnist Steve Lopez who encounters Nathaniel Ayers (Foxx) on the streets and discovers that he is a brilliant cellist who drops out of Julliard because of his mental illness. Lopez befriends Ayers and a beautiful story emerges.
Here are some things that I love about this movie;
1. The music is excellent (I have been a fan of Classical Music for the last twenty years).
2. I love true stories.
3. The acting is excellent.
4. The movie uses real homeless people as actors in this movie.
5. Lopez discovers life in his pursuit to care for the marginalized.
We saw this movie after spending some time with homeless people (something that always makes me feel alive and whole) so the scenes of homeless community celebration at the end of the movie was very beautiful.
Here are some things that I really disliked about this movie;
1. In real life Steve Lopez is married, has been for many years. In the movie they show him divorced from his wife. WHY? Those involved in the movie said it was to show the isolation of Lopez' character. Duh, you can do that within a marriage relationship - it happens all the time. The good things is that they reconcile by the end of the movie. You can still accomplish the same thing within a marriage relationship - it happens all the time. Big issue for me -> Marriage mostly gets a bad rap in Movies and TV.
2. In the movie, Lopez arranges for Ayers to have a Los Angeles Philharmonic cellist who attempts to rehabilitate Ayers. This characters name is Graham Claydon and he is a stereotype evangelical Christian who is a butthead. This movie is based on a true story... in real life there is no Graham Claydon who is a overzealous and judgmental Christian. This is a made up character. WHY? Someone was interested in portraying the typical media stereotype of the self-righteous Christian. Lopez behaves like a Christian but is not portrayed as a Christian. It makes me upset but it also reminds me that Christians have primarily created this stereotype - unfortunately.
Overall, I highly recommend this movie. The last several scenes remind me of the joy found in the Upside Down Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
Nice job of piling on.
While decrying the movie for portraying a false character in order to smear Christians, you do the job yourself by blaming Christians for the caricatures that abound in secular culture.
Why don't you simply rename your blog 'The world thinks Christians are jerks, and they're right'.
You manage to agree with the movie director while maintaining plausible deniability.
How 'bout a nice rant about how messed up the people who've supported you all these years are?
You've lived on the generosity of the people you kick in the teeth.
Posted by: Joe White | May 18, 2009 at 11:05 AM
Hey Joe,
I guess everything is pretty black and white for you Joe... I hope that works for you.
I do thank God that I haven't, nor do I ever intend to kick anyone in the teeth.
I think that if you want to leave a comment like this on my blog you should at least fill in the information fully so that you could be contacted.
Peace to ?
Posted by: Mike | May 18, 2009 at 08:42 PM
Mike,
This is the type of comment I'm referring to: "Somehow, we (God’s people living in this culture) haven’t really embraced the responsibility to live generously. We haven’t embodied a powerful alternative way of life to contrast the greedy “I need more and more” mindset of the dominant culture."
Ironic that you poke me for 'black and white' thinking when yours is a classic example.
I believe you when you state your intentions, however maybe you should ask someone to give you an honest evaluation of your writing before you post.
btw you can't post on here without leaving an email addy, so you know I did.
Posted by: Joe White | May 19, 2009 at 09:03 AM
Joe,
Seems to me that your logic would lead you to conclude that the Prophets were off base for critiquing the people of Israel.
In no way do I put myself in the category of a prophet, far from it, but my critique is directed at "OUR" failure to robustly live out the Good News of Jesus. This failure to faithfully embrace the Mission of God in our culture is responsible for the Church of Jesus Christ not being found in favor by those outside the church (ACTS 2:47).
Peace.
Posted by: Mike | May 19, 2009 at 09:29 PM
Mike,
Instead of seeking the favor of the world, recognize that God has chosen to use the lowly things of this world and the despised things.
Being seen as hip or with it by the pop culturists should not be our concern.
Christ's command is to make disciples, not to win approval of the culture.
We are trying to fill the world with our message. We are not here to validate and 'understand' the world's message.
Christians who walk the walk, including giving, seem to have been missed entirely by you.
The fact is that American Christians in particular are among the most generous people in the world.
But your condemnation of the lack of generosity (one can only assume that you mean lack of generosity TO YOUR MINISTRY, because as is easily documented American Christians are huge givers) while at the same time pretending to decry the 'I need more' attitude of the world --- is a classic.
Instead of hearing from you 'God has worked in you and your generosity sets you apart from the world. Now I'd like to urge you not only to continue but to go beyond for the sake of the gospel' ---
--- what emerges from your writing is 'you stingy bad people. you don't obey God and you've rejected the gospel. no wonder the world hates you.'
Posted by: Joe White | May 20, 2009 at 09:04 AM
Joe,
I'm sorry you have a problem with Acts 2:47 and have equated that with being hip.
Dude, I don't even know what you are talking about or what you are so angry about.
It sounds like you have something you want to say so I encourage you to get yourself a blog and go for it instead of using this blog to do your thing.
Posted by: Mike | May 20, 2009 at 01:12 PM
Hey Joe,
I think you're reading into Mike's comment a LOT of stuff that just isn't there.
For the record, Mike said that there were two points of departure from the TRUTH in this "based on a true story" film that bugged him.
Mike said, "In the movie, Lopez arranges for Ayers to have a Los Angeles Philharmonic cellist who attempts to rehabilitate Ayers. This characters name is Graham Claydon and he is a stereotype evangelical Christian who is a butthead."
If you've seen the movie, I think you'd agree. The Graham Claydon character is a butthead.
Then Mike lamented that the filmmakers thought it was necessary to INSERT a butthead Christian into a story where there was not one. And I think that's a valid lament. BUT, in a moment of honest reflection, Mike admitted that the world did not make up butthead Christians, but has had plenty of examples to draw from (especially in the media).
How you read his post and draw conclusions about Mike's ideas about Christians and giving, or make judgments about Mike being bitter about giving to his own ministry... is beyond me.
Anyone reading this exchange can see that you've come here with an axe to grind and that you didn't come to engage Mike's thoughts on the film. If you have a problem with Mike, do the Christian thang and take him out to lunch and talk it out over some BBQ and prayer, don't come on his blog and pretend to pick apart his thoughts on a film.
Mike,
I love you bro, and thanks for your thoughts on the film - I echo them, both positive and negative.
Posted by: Charlie Lyons-Pardue | May 25, 2009 at 09:36 PM