The Virtual Pew Daily: God, Guys, Chick Flicks, Spelling Bees, Traveling Pants and Movies

One of my favorite inventions during my lifetime is the TIVO or DVR machine, you know, the machine that allows you to digitally record movies or television shows, then watch at a later date, or better yet when involving a television show fast forward through the commercials. I love this machine, especially as a movie buff. Heck, who needs to go the video store? I have over 40 hours of movies to watch, and some have been on the hard drive for almost a year. In the last couple of days, I got caught up on a couple of movies. I found myself watching two films that could be referred to as “Chick Flicks.”

While most macho men may be very reluctant to ever see a “Chick Flick, especially once married, the truth is, as we get older, most of us become more reflective, more sensitive, and more willing to sneak around, and find an excuse to watch a movie with emotional tendencies. Younger men may not want to accept this, but count on it, it will happen, it is a well known psychological fact, in fact, and numerous studies have been done on it so you might as well give in. Oh yea, did I mention one of the benefits of watching Chick Flicks at home, alone, is no one can see you cry? I know, I am already ruining part of the reputation of a big, tough, rowdy, wrestler guy, sorry for those that want to keep that image, it may be a good time to quit reading and go on to something else. For those wanting to experience something more in life, for those willing to take a chance read on, because I am about ready to share an emotional movie experience.

Two Chick Flicks I have recently watched, (in a silent whispering tone) and really enjoyed, (back to regular tone of voice) is Akeelah and The Bee and Traveling Sisterhood of The Pants. While this isn’t a review of those movies, a brief synopsis is rather important.

Akeelah and the Bee is a wonderful tale of hope, and inspiration that stars several of my favorite actors. Among those is Laurence Fishburne, Angela Bassett and the wonderful young newcomer, Keke Palmer as young Akeelah. While some may have difficulty labeling this as a Chick Flick, I would challenge that due to the themes in the movie, no car chases, no murderous blood splatter, no sex, that type of thing, to most guys, it would be classified as a Chick Flick. Of course if able to get over the themes one could see this as a coming of age story with strong themes that reach out and touch all audiences. This wonderful movie is one that if it isn’t on a short list to see, should be. It is one of those movies I would have likely given a 10 to if reviewing it.

Then there is the no doubt about it, in virtually everyone’s definition of Chick Flick, is Traveling Sisterhood of the Pants. This wonderfully entertaining movie follows four young ladies through a summer and the supposed magic that a pair of jeans brings to their life. We see the summer through the experiences of these four young women and those they come into contact with, from finding love, to finding purpose, and from finding family to finding respect, this movie addresses various themes in such a way that if you aren’t crying by the end, you must be out in the fields during a deer hunt with a bunch of buddies watching the movie on a video pod with ear phones in view of your buddies. I will promise, if at home, alone, and you remove the disruptions, things like the telephone, door bell and so forth, you will need a box of Kleenex, of course we won’t go into how I responded while watching this movie.

Both of these movies have a wonderful magic that we sometimes prevent ourselves from experiencing for one reason or another, male or female. These movies and many others like them teach us about life, family, accomplishment, and yes, even God. Not that they preach or anything like that, but they do teach us spiritual truths on things like the importance of loving your children, coming together to make a difference, your family, home, community, and even, your world. Both of these movies, and others have nudged an area of my life and helped rekindle the flame on the importance and wonder of movies. It is I guess why Jesus Christ never taught anything without first telling stories, it is the way to get a point across, to draw the listener or viewer in and touch a part of life that sometimes needs to be touched. Movies can do that, spiritual themes or lessons for life are often involved, sometimes unintentionally, other times intentionally. Touching people in different ways is a part of what art attempts to accomplish, if we could only remember that books, music, and movies are a form of art that attempts to touch each of us in our own way.

I could go on and on today about the two glorious days I spent watching a couple of Chick Flicks. Are you willing to be touched, to be impacted by a movie? Maybe you are willing to read a good book? Or just simply observing the lives of those around you and seeing or hearing their stories? Real life, which movies often reflect, are excellent ways of doing just that, being touched, being impacted.

I realize some may not want this for their life; they may be content to being the rough, tough, wrestler type we all have our masks we like to wear, maybe it is time to take them off, see the world as it is, and in return let others see us for what we can become. Personally, I like to feel a tear roll down my cheek every now and then. I like to laugh; I like to feel real emotion, emotion that helps me become the complete person God created me to be. Don’t hold back, enjoy all of life, whether an exciting roller coaster ride of a thriller, or the emotional tear jerker of a Chick Flick. I really believe that once you allow yourself to experience all of life, then, you can live all of life. If anything is certain, life is too short to not live and experience all we can. When allowing God to touch us in that experience, then maybe, just maybe, we can experience God a little more. Now again, take off that mask, if even just for a moment, enjoy a Chick Flick, enjoy the story, enjoy the discovery, the discovery of you, being you.

To see film clips of these two wonderful movies just double click on the video, if the video don't appear, just click on the link:

Akeelah and the Bee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yb6P-dDMQLI