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Anne Navarro (Catholic News Service) says, "High-energy dance scenes will keep a young audience's toes tapping … but the boilerplate script and shoddy direction may have them shimmying for the theater door." Still, she admits, "There is an underlying wholesomeness to this film that is refreshing."

DVD releases offer more highs and lows

Reviewing the DVD release of Secondhand Lions, which he calls a "fantastic family-friendly film," Cliff Vaughn (Ethics Daily) encourages families who missed the film in theatres to catch it as a rental. "Films that defy categorization are often some of the best, and Lions fits this bill. The movie itself is one the family can watch together, and the DVD's special features further enhance its potential for a good addition to the home library. One of the draws of this DVD is the inclusion of the original, scripted ending."

He also writes about the gospel-music-filled flick The Fighting Temptations, released this week on DVD, saying that it "wasn't the film it should have been. This story … just didn't make the grade when the music stopped. Had the acting been as rhythmic as the music, Temptations would have been a lot of fun. While the DVD … sadly doesn't contain a new cut of the film, it does at least contain some extended musical numbers. The DVD gives more of everything—but in this case, less of the dialogue would actually be more in terms of quality."

The nudity issue exposed—again—thanks to Calendar Girls

Kevin Miller (Relevant) reviews Calendar Girls this week, and addresses the moral conflict that the film may pose for viewers. The movie tells the true story of some middle-aged British ladies who posed nude for a calendar that they could sell in order to raise funds for charity, a stunt that eventually won them fame and fortune. The story is not sitting well with many Christian viewers, and Miller explores why that might be.

"Like the women in this film, many Christians have a difficult time distinguishing between pornography and art. Rather than spend time thinking through the issue, however, believers often take the stance that nudity outside of a marital relationship is, by definition, sexual, and thus, bad, because it leads to impure thoughts. This may or may not be true, depending on the eye of the beholder. Does posing nude automatically turn someone into a sex object? These are valid questions, questions that are better addressed out in the open than kept under wraps, so to speak."

Miller's examination recalls the healthy debate on the subject that was featured in Film Forum a couple of years ago. Here is a link to a conversation that gave moviegoers and critics alike good food for thought.

The Butterfly Effect finds a fan

Last week, religious press critics lined up to condemn the new thriller starring That 70s Show's young star Ashton Kutcher.

But this week, The Butterfly Effect found a fan. Gareth Kallenbach (The Phantom Tollbooth) defends the film, calling it "skillfully written … a stunning look into a troubled psyche and a study in the effects of childhood trauma. The film is equally gripping and disturbing, tackling a wide-range of controversial topics. The film [is] one of the best recently-produced dramas. Kutcher is amazing as he handles a difficult and complex role with skill and passion."

Identifying the themes of Oscar nominees

This week at CultureWatch, Dick Staub focuses on the Best Picture nominees for this year's Academy Awards, identifying the themes of each one. His analysis is worth a look.

Next week: Miracle—The U.S.A.'s Olympic hockey victory is re-created in a drama that makes you wonder why they didn't just re-broadcast the game.

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February (Web-only) 2004, Vol. 48