I can't believe I am actually blogging about movies three days in a row! The thing is, I am an outright couch potato this weekend. I caught several more movies on TV and this one might be worth a mention, though it did depress me quite a bit: Bridge to Terabithia.
It was interesting to find out that the movie was an adaptation of a book of the same title by Katherine Patterson, published in 1977 by HarperCollins. She drew inspiration from a real event when her son's friend was struck by lightning and died.
The story was about Jess, a fifth grader who befriended his new neighbour, Leslie. He loves to draw while she was gifted with an amazing imagination. The two children grew in their friendship while they created an imaginary kingdom in the woods near their homes. Here is where the story would remind us of C.S. Lewis's stories in the Chronicles of Narnia. As the story developed on, Leslie died in an accident, and Jess was left to face his grief, and guilt as well.
The novel apparently was the frequent target of censors and appears at number nine on the American Library Association list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books for the decade 1990-2000. The censor attempt stems from death being a part of the plot, secular humanism, New Age religions, occultism, Satanism, amongst others. (source: wikipedia.org)
I have not read the book but I think the movie may be a bit watered down in comparison but there is that death, as well as a scene where Leslie questioned the truth of the Bible and Jess's little sister giving a warped version of what Biblical truth is.
Well, not a movie I want to watch again nor a book I want to read, unless it is for critique's sake.
pearlie
good try on movie,,,,the theology you had read by far, was too dry, hard,,scholastic,impersonal,,,technical,alienate yourself from the world,,,in ivory tower,,,
ReplyDeletemovie/narrative appreciation and interpretation, help us in interpreting bible with greater imagination,,,literary and aesthetic....
eugene peterson should agree with me, hehe
the theology you had read by far, was too dry, hard, scholastic, impersonal ,,, technical, alienate yourself from the worldInteresting to know that theology is that to you. It is definitely not to me :) I find it rich and rewarding and personal and it helps me understand this life that God has given me.
ReplyDeleteAbout the movie, except for its fantasy and imagination part, I didn't like it as much as I liked the others I have watched over the weekend - I've watch 5 in total.
Hi, Perlie
ReplyDeletegood answer and very politically correct,,,be sure, I dont doubt your sincerely.
I have defacted the mainstream school of theology, hehe,,,
and till now, still havent found ppl/blogger sharing same interest with me, from this region.... that we could discuss with fun...
I mean the area of literary criticism to bible...
I am very interested to find out from you, what did you find in literary criticism that you did not find in theology?
ReplyDeleteHi Pearl,
ReplyDeleterecently I read Phyllis Trible's "Texts of Terror".
I am so fascinated by this book for obviously two things;
its interpretive art of "close reading" and effort in revealing the beauty of text's rethoric,,,
both are so new , sensational, illuminating, engaging, in my reading experience...
all these, I dont find from the mainstream theology guru's works, eg: carson, Fee, NT wright, Bruce, Bock and etc...
I tell you this because I am a bit nervous seeing your library contains no books of literary guru, like Alter and Trible,,,,
and I strongly feel that, a person of your quality and aptitude, should engage in this disciplin...
I really wish you could have more glimpse of such reading before making yr conclusion...
actually, I am very lonely, trying to find ppl or lure ppl into my interest of literary art,,,hehe
Not seeing those titles in my library does not mean that they will never be there. I buy books by the authors and by the topics according to my mood and preferences of that time and somehow the topic of literary criticism has not caught on to me ... yet. Having said that however, does not mean that I am not into it. I suppose I am in smaller ways compared to you. I remember books in that category were brought up in my John and Psalms classes but I suppose having to write papers "in line" with the "requirements" I had not bothered getting those books. I have read a bit of Texts of Terror in Amazon's Look Inside. Quite interesting. I have not actually pin down for certain what it actually means by "literary criticism" but I tend to gravitate to structure and biblical studies more than theology anyway, so in that sense, am I more "literal" so to speak?
ReplyDeletethe movie's a bore, too dragy. fantasy part ok. but spiderwicks could do it even better. but there is a sense of eeriness there, i don't know how to put it. but again, no matter how well acclaimed a book is, IF the movie director and screenwriters fail to interpret the gist of the story and make it looks as the author sees it, the movie will become a flop. One recent example, Inkheart.
ReplyDeleteI didn't like Spiderwick Chronicles -- I thought it to be quite a cheap flick at fantasy. In comparison, I'd perfer Bridge to Terabithia to Spiderwick.
ReplyDeleteWait a minute, have you actually watched Spiderwick or were you referring to the book? I heard the books were good.
Hi Pearl,
ReplyDeleteI no guru, started into this field about two years ago, still searching in dark, need to find friends and mentor, to guide me thro effective reading, but such attempt proven futile unfortunately...
I may share with you some books, hope you read some and conclude your own... tks for discussion..
Following are small books yet very illuminating...enough to lure readers into literary reading...
ReplyDelete:
1.Robert Alter 'the art of biblical narrative"
2.Phyllis Trible "texts of terror"
3.Gale A yee "Judges and Method"
4.Janice Capel Anderson, Stephen D. Moore; "Mark and Method"
5.David Rhoads. "Reading mark; Engaging the Gospel"
6.Stephen Haynes, Steven L. McKenzie; "To each its own meaning"
不肖生 Sceptics,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the book list -- will keep the books in my wishlist and hopefully get one or two soon. Too bad ebooks are still so expensive, if not, I'd have at least one of them for reading by now ;)