Here’s the latest from the crossroads of faith, media & culture: 09/01/23

Since I went off the grid off the grid in August:

My wife and I saw Barbie. We originally intended to see Oppenheimer but the play times didn’t work out for us. While I still think those Barbenheimer memes were beyond crass, Barbie is actually LOL funny. While I get the criticisms from Bill Maher and others that the film is anti-man, I think they are a little overblown. Does it poke fun at the so-called “patriarchy” and do I agree with every opinion put forth? Sure and no – but it is truly creative and has an actual sense of humor that isn’t mean.  And, as I’ve said before, we all need to lighten up a little – especially when it comes to jokes about ourselves.

I also have to say that I was surprised that the movie actually bumps up against the idea that the Kens of the world face their own challenges – particularly in a world where the power imbalance between the sexes is not merely corrected but over-corrected (as it is in Barbieland – and, increasingly, in the real world). It comes oh-so-close to making the case for true equality and a cessation of counter-productive “reckoning” impulses. Unfortunately, to put it in Gymnast Barbie terms, it doesn’t quite stick the landing on that.

The Bottom Line: Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling make a great Ken and Barbie and Will Ferrell is absolutely hysterical (whoops! bad word!) as the CEO of Mattel. Speaking of Mattel, you gotta give the company credit for being willing to poke fun at itself – even to the point of allowing the movie to put forth the untrue narrative that its executive team is all male. The movie and director Greta Gerwig deserve the Oscar nominations that are surely coming their way.
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Freedom pays. Angel Studios has paid back Sound of Freedom crowdfunding investors their original investment plus a 20% profit. On August 16th, Angel Studios CEO Neal Harmon announced “6,678 Angel Guild members have now received $1.20 for every $1 they invested into the launch budget for Sound of Freedom and we are thrilled to be able to get funds back to them in three months.”

Sound of Freedom, which I reviewed here, stars Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ) as Tim Ballard. the real-life Homeland Security agent who quit his job to rescue a little girl from sex traffickers in the Colombian jungle. Since its July 4th release, the sleeper hit of the summer has banked over $180-million at the the domestic box office – beating out such major studio-backed offerings as Disney’s Indiana Jones and Dial of Destiny and Paramount’s Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning.

BTW, here’s an idea for boosting ratings for this year’s Oscars. First cut the number of Best Picture nominees from the current ten back to the traditional five so that people may be able to actually remember the nominees. Then nominate movies people have actually seen, i.e. Barbie, Oppenheimer and Sound of Freedom. The first two are, of course, shoo-ins. While I wouldn’t hold my breath for the latter, it would be a nice gesture for Hollywood to nominate a popular well-crafted film that is embraced by flyover country and takes on the important issue of international child sex trafficking.
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At the first GOP Presidential Debate, candidate Nikki Haley reflected my approach to abortion – and gained ground in the polls.

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“Neptune’s clouds have disappeared, and the Sun might be responsible.” So reads a Smithsonian Magazine headline. The subhead goes on to say “Scientists have linked shifts in the distant planet’s cloud coverage to the ever-oscillating solar cycle, which is due to peak soon.” Gee, Neptune is farther away from the Sun than Earth yet somehow bringing up its possible impact on our climate is off the table. Could it be because (as the subhead states) that the solar cycle is peaking – indicating cooler times ahead, perhaps allowing cooler heads to prevail over the climate change alarmists out to stamp out the use of fossil fuels and reorganize the world economy in a way that benefits China to the detriment of America, its allies and the developing world.
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For the third time in less than two weeks Guardian Angels Founder and homeless advocate Curtis Sliwa ran afoul of the powers that be earlier this week when he was among those arrested for protesting New York City’s controversial plans for housing migrants in a way he says unjustly displaces Americans. The popular WABC Radio host, homeless advocate and Big Apple mayoral candidate (who I interviewed during his 2021 run) is facing charges of “obstructing governmental administration and disorderly conduct” spoke to the media upon his release.

Sliwa’s compromise migrant housing plan – as opposed  to sending them home or at least to Washington where President Biden might get a glimpse of the chaos and inhumanity his policies have wrought – involves opening up the non-prison portion of Riker’s Island. Elaborating on Spectrum News’ NY1 he said “Fix the plumbing, electricity. They have the cafeterias and kitchens. They have sleeping quarters. They have dormitories. They have 400 acres, lots of space – one way in, one way out. I would suggest you keep them there for six months. You properly vet them because they haven’t been vetted for criminal records. You make sure they they get all their vaccines. You check them medically. If they have a medical issue treat it and then in six months you’ll be able to get a permit to get a job…but, let’s face it, that’s not gonna happen.”
IMHO: Curtis’ ideas are certainly preferable to what’s going on now though I might suggest that housing the border crossers at Ellis Island rather than even the non-prison portion of Riker’s Island might be a bit of an easier sell. Still, the Biden open border policy is the immorality masking as compassion that needs to be addressed and reversed. I am personally tired of Christians and others of good faith being guilted into supporting ludicrous policies that are the opposite of compassion and good for nobody – including, in this case, the migrants they claim to help. Maintaining boundaries is important for individuals and for nations. Not to do so is saps us of the very balance and energy we need to appropriately and effectively help others effectively.
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Sound of Triumph. With Deaf Awareness Month kicking off today, there couldn’t be a more appropriate time for Never Give Up to hit select theaters nationwide. The ReelWorks Studios movie tells the extraordinary true story of Deaf World Champion Tennis Great Brad Minns and one of the greatest tennis matches and biggest comebacks in sports history. Writer-Director Rob Loos talks about why he decided to take on the project following the trailer.

John W. Kennedy is a writer, producer and media development consultant specializing in television and movie projects that uphold positive timeless values, including trust in God.