Faithspotting Rebuilding
Faithspotting
Faithspotting co-hosts Mike and Kenny are joined by writer / director Max Walker-Silverman to discuss his newest film Rebuilding, which stars Josh O'connor, Lily LaTorre, Meghann Fahy, Kali Reis, and Amy Madigan. Set in Max's home state of Colorado, Rebuilding is a moving story of a family and community coming together in the aftermath of a wildfire that destroyed their homes and scorched their land and lives. Max drew upon his experience of losing a family home and acerage to a fire when he was growing up. Rebuilding is distributed by Bleeker Street. Following Kenny and MIke's discussion...
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The Carpenter's Son
Faithspotting
Faithspotting hosts Kenny Dickson and Mike Hatch review and spot faith elements in the film The Carpenter's Son by director Lotfy Nathan. Included in the episode is Mike and Kenny's interview with Lotfy Nathan. The Carpenter's Son is based on the apocryphal text, The Infancy Gospel of Thomas. The text is a collection of non-canonical stories of Jesus during the years He and Mary and Joseph were in exile in Egypt. The stories depict the struggle of the Holy Family as Jesus becomes aware of his differences and as he grows into his divinity. Collected in the 2nd or 3rd centuries, the...
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Faithspotting "One Battle after Another"
Faithspotting
Kenny and Mike discuss and spot faith elements reflected in Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film One Battle after Another. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as "Ghetto" Pat Calhoun, once a leader of the famous revolutionary group, the "French 75." Following the capture of his partner Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) and the capture and killing of many of the group by Col. Stephen Lockjaw (Sean Penn) Calhoun lives an underground life as Bob Ferguson raising his and Perfidia's daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti). When Lockjaw, trying to cover his tracks in order to join a secret society of white...
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Faithspotting "The Long Walk"
Faithspotting
Mike and Kenny review and spot faith in the second film this year based on a novel by Stephen King, The Long Walk. Stars Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Mark Hamil, Judy Greer and was directed by Francis Lawrence. The Long Walk was the first novel Stephen King wrote although it was not published for many years. Some of the film and faith themes we discuss from The Long Walk are echoed in later novels and series such as The Hunger Games, Squid Games. Faith Spotted: Persons of faith are called to be content with what one has Psalm 46. Greed in acquiring material, or social wealth...
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Faithspotting "East of Wall"
Faithspotting
Kenny and Mike review and spot faith reflected in the Sony Classic film East of Wall. The episode includes Mike and Kenny's interview with director Kate Beecroft and the film's stars and subjects, Tabatha (Tabby) and Portia Zimiga. While not a documentary, East of Wall is a "docu-fiction" drama based on the lives of the Zimigas, the wayward teens who have found a place and home on her ranch, as well as other women in the area. Tabby rescues and trains horses from slaughter pens and sales them in sale barns in and around Wall South Dakota. Portia is a gifted rider and rodeo barrell racer....
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Faithspotting "F1 The Movie"
Faithspotting
Mike and Kenny review the Summer action blockbuster F1: The Movie starring Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Damson Idris, and Kerry Condon and directed by Joseph Kosinski. Pitt stars as race car driver Sonny Hayes, who is invited to join an F1 team despite a 30 year absence from the F1 circuit following a traumatic crash. The team's owner, Ruben Cervantes (Bardem) drove with Hayes when he was a rookie and is desperate for his team to show success or else he will lose it. Part of Hayes's impact on the team needs to be mentoring the team's rookie sensation but yet to be successful driver, Joshua Pearce...
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Faithspotting :The LIfe of Chuck"
Faithspotting
Mike and Kenny review and spot faith elements reflected in the film The Life of Chuck. Written and Directed by Mike Flannigan (Dr. Sleep) and starring Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers) as the adult Chuck Krantz. Based on the Stephen King novella of the same name, The Life of Chuck examines the life of Chuck through formative moments of his life.as a child, youth and adult. Benjamin Pajak and Jacob Tremblay (Room) portay Chuck as a child and a older teenager. The film co-stars Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years Slave), Mia Sara (Ferris Bueller's Day Off), Mark Hamill (Star Wars) and Karen...
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Faithspotting "Sinners"
Faithspotting
Mike and Kenny review and spot faith reflected in the latest film from writer / director Ryan Coogler which stars Michael B. Jordon in dual roles as Elijah "Smoke" and Elias "Stack" Moore, twin brothers returning from a mysterious time Chicago to their Mississippi Delta home town to start again. Set in the 1930's "Smoke" and "Stack," flush with cash and mystery on how they made it, seek to start again by opening a Juke Joint for the black community in their town. Amidst the challenges they were expecting such as from the Klan, their biggest threat is supernatural evil. ...
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Faithspotting "Eric LaRue"
Faithspotting
Kenny and Mike discuss discuss and spot faith elements in the film Eric LaRue. Included in this epispose is an interview with Director Michael Shannon and the film's star Judy Greer. The film, based on the play by Brett Neveu who also was the screenwriter, presents the parents of a school shooter and the challenges that they face in their lives, their relationships with each other, and with their community. The film also portrays how the faith communities of each parent respond to the needs of the parents as well as the faith and extended communities. Faith Elements: The film...
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Faithspotting "Audrey's Children"
Faithspotting
Kenny and Mike review, spot faith elements, and interview Natalie Dormer who stars as pioneering pediatric oncologist Audrey Evans in the biopic film Audrey's Children. Audrey Evans became Director of the Pediatric Oncology department at the renowned Children's Hospital of Philidelphia (CHOP) in 1969, and was a trailblazer as both the first department chief and one who introduced new methods for tracking and treating pediatric cancer. As a hospital with a strong national reputation, parents brought their children from all over the region and country. Out of concern for the parents who...
info_outlineKenny and Mike discuss Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Tim Burton's sequel to his 1988 classic horror conference Beetlejuice. Michael Keaton returns as Betelgeuse, the bio-exorcist along with Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara who reprise their roles as Lydia and Delia Deitz. Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Willem Dafoe and Monica Bellucci join the cast as Betelgeuse continues his pursuite of Lydia while avoiding his recently reconnected and now murderous ex-wife Delores (Monica Bellucci.) Kenny also shares some of his experiences at the Venice Film Festival where Beetlejuice Beetlejuice had its world premiere in late August, 2024.
Faith Spotted:
As persons of faith we believe in the promise of new life that is available through grace by faith. Through God's forgiveness we are not bound by the mistakes we make, have made or by our background. As Easter people we believe in restoration and that our true identity is as a beloved child of God. We should not label others or accept the labels others have toward us. The resurrection hope and promise of new life and is not limited to that which we receive in full after we die, but is available in our life and time here.
Faith Spotted II: (Faith issues not mentioned in the podcast.)
The Struggles of both Lydia, and Delia, as well perhaps as Betelgeuse, have by not working through past failure, pain, and loss in life. Though painful, it is in facing, and doing, the grief work and process that we are able to move beyond mourning, pain and loss, and begin the new normal life that God desires for us.
As persons of faith we are called to live and be in the moments of life, whether difficult, exciting, or routine. Each day is a gift and even in the midst of pain or routine, evidence of God's presence and grace abound and offer joy.
Venice Film Festival Photos:
