Faithspotting "Train Dreams"
Faithspotting
SOME SPOILERS. Kenny and Mike discuss the multiple Oscar nominated film by director Clint Bentley and starring Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Kelly Condon, and William H Macy. Set in the early through mid 20th century, Train Dreams documents the story of Robert Grainer (Edgerton) a common man who life knows simplicity, peace and joy and as well as tragedy and loss. Clint Bentley and production partner Greg Kwedar are nominated for an Oscar for best Adapted Screenplay. The film is also nominated for Best Song, "Train Dreams" as well as Best Cinematography and Best...
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Faithspotting "Marty Supreme"
Faithspotting
Mike and Kenny review Marty Supreme, the latest film by writer / director / producer Josh Safdie and Timothee Chalamet who stars as Marty Mauser, a shoe salesman who has greater ambition, to be the best Table Tennis star in the world. Gifted with great talent, Marty's determination leads him to take advantage of any and all situations and people to get what he believes he deserves, fame and money. The film has so far received many awards nominations including 3 Golden Globes and 8 Critics Choice Awards and it is expected to receive many more Oscar nominations. Chalamet has won a...
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Faithspotting "Plur1bus"
Faithspotting
Kenny and Mike discuss and spot faith in the hit Apple TV series from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul creator Vince Gilligan. Set in Albuquerque Plur1bus stars Better Call Saul co-star Rhea Seehorn (Carol) and co-stars Karolina Wydra ( Zosia) and Carlos-Manuel Vesga (Manousos) Carol is one of 13 people world wide who are immune from an extraterrestrial derived virus that has united all the worlds population into "The Others," a mind hive where everyone is interconnected, content and peaceful. Every individual "Other" can communicate with all "Others" and have knowledge of everything ever...
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Faithspotting "The Merchants of Joy"
Faithspotting
Kenny and Mike review the Prime Video documentary The Merchants of Joy and speak with the director Celia Aniskovich. The Merchants of Joy offers a look into the people and work behind the Christmas tree stands that seem to magically popup the day after Thanksgiving. Ankisovich presents the stories of the families, the competition that begins in the Summer as they bid on stand locations, their work the with tree farms, the financial risks, the month of 18 hour days managing and selling the trees that play an important part in their customers celebrating the joy of the season, and the...
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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...
info_outlineHosts Mike and Kenny discuss the blockbusting film adaptation of Act 1 of the musical Wicked which stars Cynthia Erivo, and Ariana Grande. Directed by Jon M. Chu. Wicked Pt. 1offers the back story of The Wizard of Oz's Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West as well as the Wizard. Cynthia Erivo stars as Elphaba, a child conceived via an affair with green skin and rejected by her father. Ariana Grande stars as Galinda, born into wealth and influence and seemingly perfect. Galinda and Elphaba become roommates and rivals at Shiz University where both quickly become the center of attention, and eventually friends.
The film features outstanding vocal performances by Erivo and Grande as well as very strong visuals and production design. Jeff Goldbloom co-stars as the Wizard with Michelle Yeoh co-starring as Madame Morrible, the professor of magic. Jonathan Bailey co-stars as the romantic Prince Fiyero.
Faith Spotted:
The question of God in L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Where does evil / wickedness come from? The ability for narratives to cast wickedness on those undeserving of it as well as hide the wickedness and evil of others.
Though our faith teaches we are all born into sin, what roll does environtmental elements and circumstances play in becoming evil/wicked?
All persons are created by and are beloved children of God, therefore as persons of faith we are called to respect and preserve the agency of "others" regardless of their faith or place.
As Christians we can celebrate the defeat of evil and the removal of the threat of evil and wickedness but we are not to celebrate the suffering or death of those who commit evil or wicked acts as this violates Christ's command to love all persons, even our enemies, as well as the command to forgive even one's enemies. While it can seem impossible, we are called to do so and can be empowered by God to do so.
Persons of the Christian faith are not to blame persons or punish them for the sins of others.
Article with novelist Gregory Maguire regarding faith present in Wicked.