Shown: Friday, April 25th

Smart, funny and ultimately moving comedy-drama with a strong pro-life message about an unwed teen (an outstanding Ellen Page) who decides not to have an abortion, and promises the coming baby to a childless couple (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner) who long to adopt. (Review from USCCB).  I didn't watch this one, but the seminarians really like this one.  It seems to be a great comedy.

Shown: Friday, April 25th

Potent legal drama focusing on a few days in the complicated life of the title character, a "fixer" for a high-powered law firm whose managing partner dispatches him to deal with the apparent nervous breakdown of the firm's top litigator and with its effects on a multimillion-dollar, class-action lawsuit against an agrochemical company whose chief counsel is prepared to protect her company's interests by whatever means necessary. (review from USCCB)  I only watched half of this film.  There was a great deal of profanity, particularly the use of God's name in vain.  There was also occasional discussion of inapproprate sexual situations.  Despite that, seminarians tell me it was a good film.

Shown: Friday, April 11th

By appointing a naive mail clerk (Tim Robbins) as company president, the chairman of the board (Paul Newman) aims to manipulate stock prices, but the plan goes awry when the young man invents a successful product and his secretary (Jennifer Jason Leigh), an undercover investigative reporter, digs into what's behind the wheeling-dealing. Produced and directed by brothers Ethan and Joel Coen, the attempt to re-create a Capraesque populist fantasy proves grandly enjoyable, despite some clumsy imitations of 1930's movie conventions and acting styles. Comic treatment of suicide and fleeting violence. (Review from the USCCB).  I rate it 4 out of 5.  It's a good comedy.

Shown: Friday,April 11th

This Hitchcock classic tells the story of a murderer who confesses his sin to a priest and then tries to frame the priest for the murder.  The film is suspenseful and cleverly filmed.  Highly recommended.  I give it a 5 out of 5.

Shown: Friday,April 4th

"Superb, beautifully acted over-the-years saga about Indian newlyweds (Tabu and Irrfan Khan) who emigrate to New York to start their life, and the joys and vicissitudes which follow, including the son (Kal Penn) who grows away from them."  The USCCB movie review, partially quoted here, hailed this film as "highly recommendable for teens," for its affirmation of family, respect for parents, and pride in one's heritage.  It may be a good film overall, but it is rather long.  I did not stay for the entire movie, so I cannot comment except to say that some of the bedroom scenes made at least a few seminarians uncomfortable, though they did say that it was a good film overall.

Shown: Friday, April 4th

This movie tells the true story of Burt Munro, a New Zealand man who turned an old 1920s Indian Twin Scout motorcycle into a race bike.  The movie follows him as he's getting older, having heart trouble and other ailments.  The thoughts of death push him to go for his lifelong dream of racing his bike on the Bonneville Salt Flats during Speed Week in Utah.  Burt Munro was played by Anthony Hopkins in an excellent (some say his best) performance.  Burt, in the film, is portrayed as an eccentric, stubborn old man determined to obtain his dream.  You laugh as he tinkers on his bike, piecing it together from whatever parts he can find.  His character and the exciting race scenes make the movie.  And while the movie may be a faithful portrayal of an interesting man's life, there are a few scenes and characters that make the movie inappropriate for some audiences.  Prostitutes approach the main character outside of his motel, he befriends a transvestite (not realizing "she" is a "he," thus making us feel sorry for his ignorance), and has no qualms about premarital sex.  The main character is commendable for the charity with which he shows toward all people he encounters.  Yet we lament his athiestic view.  When he arrives in Bonneville, "holy ground," it is as if his life's purpose has been fulfilled and there is nothing left but to do but fade away to the nothingness of death.  Entertaining and thought provoking, yes.  An excellent performance by a very good actor, yes.  An example of a clean movie we should learn from?  Not exactly.  I rate it 3 out of 5, but is certainly wasn't a bad film.  I enjoyed it.