Have you seen Bridge to Terabithia yet? It really is a great family movie. We took our kids to see it a few weeks ago, and this was easily the best film we’ve seen since The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

And no wonder; it’s produced by Walden Media, the same company behind the Narnia movies, as well as Because of Winn Dixie, Charlotte’s Webb, Amazing Grace, and others. You can read a chapter excerpt of Bridge to Terabithia here.

In a recent speech, the president of Walden Media, Michael Flaherty, addressed an audience of college students and talked about the importance of reading good books. He said:

In launching Walden Media, our greatest challenge was in identifying the stories that we wanted to bring to the screen. We did not want to waste our time making films out of “the wrong books” that Eustace Scrubbs [The Voyage of the Dawn Treader] wasted his time reading.

So rather than turn to the usual parade of agents and Hollywood producers, we launched an unusual campaign that continues to this day. We enrolled in as many educational conferences as we could find. We spoke to tens of thousands of teachers and librarians and asked them what books they most enjoyed teaching and recommending.

After seven years, the only thing that seems odd about this strategy is the fact that our company is the only one doing it. After all, who knows stories better than teachers and librarians?

And I must add to this: parents. We know what we love to read to our kids! We know what our children respond to. We know what books bring joy to our family.

If you’ve read a good book lately, why not write Walden Media and request they consider it for a movie? Get your kids to write them a letter — not a bad composition assignment, huh?

Flaherty continues in his speech (which I hope you can read in its entirety) by explaining why they’ve chosen to tackle projects that contain some frightening content (such as Terabithia, which I won’t spoil for you, if you haven’t seen it yet. But bring the tissues!) He quotes this wonderful passage from C.S. Lewis. I don’t know where this came from originally — does anyone know?

Those who say that children must not be frightened may mean two things. They may mean (1) that we must not do anything likely to give the child those haunting, disabling, pathological fears against which ordinary courage is helpless: in fact, phobias. His mind must, if possible, be kept clear of things he can’t bear to think of. Or they may mean (2) that we must try to keep out of his mind the knowledge that he is born into a world of death, violence, wounds, adventure, heroism and cowardice, good and evil.

If they mean the first I agree with them: but not if they mean the second. The second would indeed be to give children a false impression and feed them on escapism in the bad sense. There is something ludicrous in the idea of so educating a generation which is born to the…atomic bomb.

Since it is so likely that they will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. Otherwise you are making their destiny not brighter but darker.

Oh, that last line: I love it!

Since it is so likely that they will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage.

Are you reading books to your children that teach them about the courage needed to overcome evil? Whenever I get depressed about the state of the world, about the junk our kids must grow up with, I look to people like Michael Flaherty and Walden Media as my heroes.

One more quote from this great speech:

Today we desperately need more leaders like William Wilberforce and the Kings and Queens of Narnia who will fight to make good laws, keep the peace, save good trees from being cut down, and encourage ordinary people who want to live and let live.

I wish you a happy weekend, filled with brave knights and heroic courage!

Here’s a movie I would love to see, Miss Potter, about the life of the beloved writer, Beatrix Potter. It looks like the kind of film that would captivate me and take me to another world — for at least the duration of the movie.

Terry Whalin wrote a great review of it in The Writing Life, saying:

The breathless scenery is enough reason to see Miss Potter but the acting and story will touch your heart. Renee Zellweger plays Beatrix Potter and I loved this story and what it reveals about the mixture of art and creativity and writing in a real life setting. Not everyone understands the writing life but the creator of this film did so and captured it well.

Since it’s not playing in any theaters near me, I’ll have to wait until it comes out on DVD, I guess. The trailer here looks perfectly delightful. I notice someone attempted to write an on-set diary while the movie was being filmed, but it hasn’t been updated since last May. (I especially like the photo of a man pouring out a bag of fake snow.)

I cannot go to this website without getting tears in my eyes. If you’ve never heard of Sacred Harp singing, I hope you can visit the site, Awake, My Soul.

This documentary was made by some friends of my brother-in-law, and it’s one of the best films I’ve ever seen. This unique type of a capello spiritual singing is still popular in a few places in my native South.

From the website:

Awake, My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp’ is the first feature documentary about Sacred Harp singing, a haunting form of a cappella, shape note hymn singing with deep roots in the American south. Shape note singing has survived over 200 years tucked away from notice in the rural deep south, where in old country churches, singers break open ‘The Sacred Harp’, a 160 year old shape note hymnal which has preserved these fiercely beautiful songs which are some of the oldest in America. The film offers a glimpse into the lives of this ‘Lost Tonal Tribe’ whose history is a story of both rebellion and tradition. The filmmakers, Matt and Erica Hinton spent 7 years documenting this yet largely unknown art form.

I was able to attend one of the singings that was in the film and blogged about it last year. It was truly amazing to watch it on PBS a few weeks ago.

This is one of those things that’s gotten to me and I know I want to write about someday, but I’m not sure what or how or where. So for now I’ll just link to it and share it with you.

Be blessed!

I took our children to see Charlotte’s Web yesterday, and I have to tell you I was thoroughly entertained the entire time; all of us were. I debated about taking my older three (6, 9, 10) to see The Nativity Story, but I’d read a couple of reviews by mothers who said it had earned its PG rating and had a few scenes they had to cover their child’s eyes through. One mom said she regretted taking her 7-year-old to see it and wished she’d waited for the DVD. (But I’m still hoping to see this movie on the Big Screen.)

So I opted for Charlotte’s Web instead, wondering if I’d be able to keep my eyes open through a kid’s movie. Boy, was I wrong! I was captivated, mesmerized. I couldn’t stop laughing. The animals were hilarious! Then I discovered the star-studded cast of voices. Check these out:

Julia Roberts …. Charlotte the Spider (voice)

Steve Buscemi …. Templeton the Rat (voice)

John Cleese …. Samuel the Sheep (voice)

Oprah Winfrey …. Gussy the Goose (voice)

Cedric the Entertainer …. Golly the Goose (voice)

Kathy Bates …. Bitsy the Cow (voice)

Reba McEntire …. Betsy the Cow (voice)

Robert Redford …. Ike the Horse (voice)

Thomas Haden Church …. Brooks the Crow (voice)

André Benjamin …. Elwyn the Crow (voice)

Dominic Scott Kay …. Wilbur (voice)

Sam Shepard …. Narrator

Abraham Benrubi …. Uncle the Pig (voice)

Dakota Fanning …. Fern

Kevin Anderson …. Mr. Arable

Julia Roberts’ voice for Charlotte lends the spider an air of mystery and wisdom. And I love how the plot unfolds. Templeton the rat (ooh, that TAIL made me sqeamish!) helps Charlotte find the right word to spin in her web to endear Wilbur the pig so he won’t become Christmas dinner.

Isn’t this a wonderful theme for writers? We’re constantly searching for the right word to create our characters and stories. Templeton had to go out into the world to search and make his discoveries, just like we writers can’t sit behind a computer screen all day if we hope to write something that will connect to people’s hearts.

I didn’t realize Oprah Winfrey played Gussy the Goose! I bet that recording studio was a riot — because the acting was truly funny. You fall in love with each and every one of them, and the 97-minute movie flies by.

I also liked the movie’s message about families. Fern is very close to her father — who is kissing the pig in the photo above. In today’s culture, with the role of fathers being downplayed as not important, here’s a movie that shows how Fern finds much of her self-confidence from the love of her dad. I could see how Fern’s views of her heavenly father could be favorably shaped by the love of her earthly dad.

For all of you homemakers who take your kids to see the movie, you’ll love the vintage kitchen, where many of the scenes take place! I felt like running home and painting my kitchen bright yellow and adding some vintage crocks to my countertop. Details like this kept me completely entranced.

And the theme of finding miracles in the ordinary makes this movie something you’ll bring home with you. You’ll never be able to look at a plain ol’ spider web again — without thinking of “Some Pig.”

We went and saw the most incredible movie last night, FACING THE GIANTS. If there is ANY possible way for you to take your family to see this movie, I can’t recommend it enough. We were absolutely stunned it was playing in the big movie theater because it has a strong Christian message, and the Gospel is presented clearly throughout the movie. We can’t wait to own it on DVD so we can show it to all of our kids’ friends who haven’t seen it yet.

We hardly ever take our kids to see movies at the theater — it’s just so expensive. The last thing we saw together was Curious George, back in February! But when I was working out at Curves a few days ago, one of the staff ladies kept going on and on about it. She said, “You HAVE to take your kids to see this movie. It’s only playing one more weekend here. It’s one of the best movies I’ve ever seen.” So that’s why we went.

It’s a huge ordeal for us to go to a movie. We arranged childcare for our two younger kids, (thankfully the grandparents don’t charge us!), then we spent nearly $70 on five movie tickets, popcorn, and drinks. (See why we can’t get out to the movies much?) But now I feel good about spending the money because I read that all the profits from this movie will go to build a 40-acre youth recreational facility in Albany, Georgia — my home state.

The movie is about a Christian high school football team that keeps losing. Everything seems to be going wrong in the life of the coach. His team has had six terrible seasons, and it looks like he’s going to lose his job. His car keeps breaking down, and he and his wife have been trying to have a baby for four years. Both of them go to visit the doctor, and hear the sad news that they won’t be able to have a family. The scene when they talk about this just makes me weep.

So what does the coach do? He prays. His wife prays. He walks out into a wooded area beside his house with his Bible, and he praises God, reciting verses from the Psalms out loud. He says, “I need you, Lord. I won’t lose faith in you. I know you can do something with my life.” I have never seen or heard something like this in a movie. And our theater was packed — full of several rows of teenagers.

I won’t spoil the plot, but the whole experience will build your faith in a strong, mighty God. This would be a wonderful movie to show to a youth group — and it may even inspire a future generation of film-makers.

I read a little bit about the Kendrick brothers who made this movie. They’re both on staff with a church in Albany, Georgia, and they’ve always had a hobby of making home movies. But this one was a BIG idea, and they got financial backing from their church to make it. The budget was only $100,000 (donated by church members), and the actors were all volunteers.

Many of the extras were church members — and we stayed to watch the credits and read that food was provided by various Sunday school classes. You can read the background story here (although the site is tiny white font on black background and hard on the eyes to read).

Here’s why it has a PG rating; according to the Motion Picture Association of America, the movie needs parental guidance because it’s too “evangelistic.”

From Scripps Howard News Service:

“But the scene that caught the MPAA’s attention may have been the chat between football coach Grant Taylor, played by Alex Kendrick, and a rich brat named Matt Prader. The coach says that he needs to stop bad-mouthing his bossy father and get right with God.

The boy replies: ‘You really believe in all that honoring God and following Jesus stuff? … Well, I ain’t trying to be disrespectful, but not everybody believes in that.’

The coach replies: ‘Matt, nobody’s forcing anything on you. Following Jesus Christ is the decision that you’re going to have to make for yourself. You may not want to accept it, because it’ll change your life. You’ll never be the same.’

That kind of talk may be too blunt for some moviegoers, said Kendrick, but that’s the way real people actually talk in Christian high schools in Georgia. Sherwood Baptist isn’t going to apologize for making the kinds of movies that it wants to make.

‘Look, I have those kinds of conversations about faith all the time and I’ve seen young people make decisions that change their lives,’ he said. ‘The reason we’re making movies in the first place is that we hope they inspire people to think twice about their relationship with God.

‘So we’re going to tell the stories that we believe God wants us to tell. We have nothing to hide.'”

Yesterday afternoon, my daughters and I watched Anne of Green Gables for the first time together. I had checked out a stack of movies from the library because I’m trying to make more of an effort to tear myself away from books and watch movies with my family.

It was so exciting to watch their faces as they were introduced to Anne Shirley (with an “e” of course). We have the book, and I tried reading it out loud a few years ago, but I remember one of the babies kept crawling all over me and being noisy, so we gave it up. This movie complements the book so well.

It was fun telling the girls later that their Daddy and I have actually BEEN to Green Gables. It’s a real place, in the city of Cavendish, Prince Edward Island. My husband and I traveled there together, in those long ago days BC (Before Children.) We visited during the month of August, and the beaches were gorgeous.

The night before we visited Green Gables, we camped out in Cavendish. I remember I was so excited I couldn’t sleep a wink. The next day, I felt like I’d stepped right into the storybook when we drove up to the house. This was the former home of some relatives of author Lucy Maud Montgomery, where she spent many happy years of her childhood. She loved it so much that she was inspired to write a novel about it, Anne of Green Gables.

I remember going to the post office there to send myself a postcard so that it would have the postmark of Green Gables. It was truly a magical place, the whole island was. We even had dinner one night at a restaurant at the base of a lighthouse.

I hope to take our children there someday — we may need to buy a bigger tent between now and then if we hope to camp there together! If you’ve never ventured to Prince Edward Island, I highly recommend it.

According to the PEI official tourism website:

Prince Edward Island is Canada’s smallest and greenest province. Cradled on the waves of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Island is known for the vivid colours of its gently rolling landscape.

Prince Edward Island is surrounded by miles of sandy beaches and red sandstone cliffs and is sized just right for touring. Visitors to the Island return home not only relaxed and refreshed – they often claim to have been transformed, which leads us to wonder “What if the World Had Been to Prince Edward Island?”

My parents visited PEI in the winter one year, and the waves in the ocean were frozen! OK, I can’t write about this anymore because I want to jump on a plane and go back — RIGHT NOW.

Do you know what the #1 fear of most Americans is? According to a recent Gallup poll, it’s SNAKES, closely followed by our #2 fear: public speaking.

So, THAT, in my opinion, is why Snakes on a Plane has failed to charm movie-goers. Who wants to sit through a movie watching our #1 fear slither across the screen? Talk about nightmares!

I felt completely helpless on our plane last week as we bumped our way through storm clouds north of Atlanta. Our pilot’s calming voice came across the speakers: “Please remain in your seats and turn off all electronics, as we’re experiencing a little bit of turbulence.” I can’t even imagine if we were stuck in our seats with snakes in the floorboard!

But this editorial in USA Today makes the point that the movie’s lack of box-office success, despite a buzz among bloggers, shows that bloggers really don’t have as much power as they think they do.

The author writes:

… It is the underwhelming response to Snakes that reveals the real peril in relying on bloggers to take the nation’s pulse … Ever since the first smarty-pants posted his first unsolicited opinion on the Internet, Americans have become captivated by blog-o-mania — for good reason. For once, we own and operate our own public medium. Power to the people. Vox populi. Yadda-yadda.

He also claims this is “a wake-up call to the mythology of blogging.”

Huh?

It wouldn’t matter to me if every single one of you were blogging about that movie — begging me to go see it. I would NOT go. No way. In contrast, I HAVE gone to see movies and bought books that bloggers have recommended — because I thought, “Oh, that sounds like something I’d like.”

In fact, after reading this review in The Writing Life blog, I’d love to go see “Little Miss Sunshine: A Family on the Verge of a Breakdown.” He says, “It’s been a while since I’ve laughed so hard during a movie … It captured the human spirit in a remarkable fashion and becomes ‘a moving look at the surprising rewards of being losers in a winning-crazed culture.'”

Reading that makes me want to go see it, as well as this comment from a reader:

My husband and I saw this last weekend. It’s absolutely not the type of movie my husband tends to watch but we both loved it and highly recommend it! There is a wonderful review of it in the L.A. Times that is more fun to read after seeing the movie than before. It’s a piece of literature in itself.

I trust the opinions of my favorite bloggers more than reviewers in the newspaper. So I don’t think the influence of blogging is a myth at all. Do you?

Have you seen Curious George yet? We’ve read the books for years — they’re always adorable. So of course we wanted to see the movie, especially since Ron Howard co-produced it.

But still — a cartoon? I thought I might just sit and relax while my kids smacked popcorn. Two hours of bliss without having to think. Maybe even a guilt-free snooze.

Well, I was wrong. I really got into this movie. It’s wonderful!

Our theater was jam-packed with parents and grandparents taking their kids — just like the Narnia theater. We’ve all paid top dollar to see a G-rated movie.

What’s surprising is how much the plot captivated me. I identified with The Man in the Yellow Hat. He liked things just the way they were (boring), but they couldn’t stay that way forever. The museum where he worked was about to go under financially, and he was sent on an exedition to Africa to find something spectacular. Yet he didn’t find what he was looking for.

Instead, he found George.

One thing after another seems to take a turn for the worse in this man’s life. Disappointments. Messes to clean up. Every parent watching this movie knows who Curious George represents (they’re probably having to slip out of the theater to take him to the bathroom or clean up his popcorn that got spilled.)

But what happens is an adventure. Pure delight! Curious George and his silly antics get the man going places he never intended … but he’s not alone anymore. He’s no longer living for himself — he’s become a parent.

My husband and I always enjoy watching the “transformation” that takes place when someone we know becomes a new parent. Suddenly, their time is no longer their own — they look tired, frazzled even. The mom’s carrying a diaper bag instead of a designer purse. The dad’s become an expert at bouncing a baby and singing lullabies. They’re running a few minutes late … and understanding what it’s like to live in “baby time.”

Life is an adventure with children — they keep you busy cleaning up after them, and you go places you didn’t expect — but you begin to see the world through their eyes. You become a child all over again. This is what it was like to watch The Man in the Yellow Hat learn to bring George into his world.

I hope theaters were packed around the country, and Hollywood will make us more movies that we can take our kids to see — wholeheartedly — no crude jokes, no squeamish scenes. The music was aimed for my generation, and the voices of Will Ferrell and Drew Barrymore made me feel like it was a “grown-up” movie.

I recently learned about the author/illustrator Rey’s story of escape during World War II. I read this in The Writing Life:

In 1940, the German Nazi army was marching toward Paris, France and people were fleeing with the clothes on their back. Two unknown Jewish artists gathered a few belongings and got on bicycles to flee away from the German Army. Among their limited possessions, Hans and Margaret Rey carried their unpublished watercolor drawings. Eventually these drawings became the first Curious George book. Today more than 30 million Curious George books have been sold worldwide.

A little monkey — riding on a bicycle — escaping the terrors of war. Something unplanned, unexpected, a detour … I think I’ve got to learn more about the Reys. How did they get the idea for a monkey named George? What were their childhoods like? How did this dream take off? This story fascinates me … I’m curious.

I know the movie will give a big boost to book sales for Houghton Mifflin — everybody’s going to fall in love with this little monkey.

Everywhere I turn, this movie is coming at me. I’d never heard of it until Sally wrote a great review of it on her site, Children’s Publishing News. She actually wrote four different posts about it, and they’re all mega-full of links, so if you’re interested in this movie, go read about it on her site:

End of the Spear

End of the Spear: Does Casting Matter?

End of the Spear Review

Those Wacky Christian Wars

I was so intrigued after I read her reviews — especially after she explained all the controversies and her views on them. Then yesterday, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law both told me I needed to go see End of the Spear. A few weeks ago, they rented the documentary Through Gates of Splendor and told me I’d like that one too.

THEN my mom gave me the book yesterday for my birthday — and I said, “OKAY! This is more than coincidence! I think I’m supposed to go see this movie!”

All of you know how much I love Elisabeth Elliot — she’s even in my Blogroll over there! (Which I hope is not disrespectful — those are the main sites I enjoy visiting on a regular basis.) I read her book, Through Gates of Splendor when I was in college, along with Passion and Purity, Let Me Be a Woman, and several others. I also got to meet her in person when I was 22 and tell her how much her books changed my life. Jim Elliot is one of my heroes, and I often think of his famous quote: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

I’ve always loved Twila Paris’ song, Hold On, which is about Jim Elliot. If you haven’t heard this song, it’s really beautiful. Here are the words:

There once was a man born of high circumstance
Heir to advantage, He had every chance to succeed
But light from the cross made his dreams appear small
And to their surprise he went far–from it all
For the love of his Savior, for one priceless jewel
They could not understand so they called him a fool
Chorus
He is no fool
If he would choose
To give the thing he cannot keep
To buy what he can never lose
To see a treasure in one soul
That far outshines the brightest gold
He is no fool, He is no fool
He is no fool, He is no fool
There once was a boy who could run like the wind
Given to lead, every man was his friend at the line
But light from the cross made his race appear small
And to their amazement, he followed the call
For the love of his Savior, for one priceless jewel
They could not understand so they called him a fool
Repeat Chorus
Show me the fool who abandons his life
To walk in the steps of our Lord Jesus Christ
Repeat Chorus

So, I’m going to see this movie! Let me get a ticket — and I’m going!

How can I begin to describe this movie? Entering the wardrobe into Narnia was more than a film; it was an unforgettable experience.

As I’d mentioned earlier, we were concerned about it being too scary for our 5- and 7-year-olds to see. So we almost didn’t bring them. But at the last minute, we decided we could take them out of the theater if it got too frightening. On the way in, we crossed paths with a family we know who’d taken their children. “They’ll LOVE it,” the mom told me. “Oh, it was the most wonderful movie. They’ll be FINE.”

We had to wait in line once we were inside with our tickets. “The last show was sold out, so we’re still cleaning the room,” the ticket man told us. “It’s been packed all weekend.”

I don’t want to tell you too much because I don’t want to spoil it for you who haven’t seen it yet. It was breathtaking, awe-inspiring…majestic! If you haven’t been, you’ve GOT to see it. The film brought the book to life for me. All the pictures I had in my mind from reading the book were truly enhanced by the spectacular photography — it was filmed in the beauty of New Zealand.

I loved the professor — it was almost like C.S. Lewis was smiling at us, welcoming us to the world he’d created. And the timing for making this film is perfect — the digital animation is so amazing, there’s not a thing silly about the talking animals — they’re so real. And Aslan — “he’s not a tame lion” — you’ve got to hear him roar.

When Lucy first enters the wardrobe into Narnia, I love the icy-blue lighting, the soft snowflakes she sees in her white, unspoiled adventure. Her encounter with shy Mr. Tumnus is adorable. OK…I don’t want to spoil it. But it was all the more fantastic for me since I’d read these books as a child, and now I understand the Christian symbolism. Lewis created a magical world for me so I could better understand the depth of my sin and what Christ did for me.

The battle scenes — and the evil, disgusting creatures that accompany the White Witch — remind me how every day we war against evil — every single one of us. And to remain on the offensive, the only possible chance we have for victory is by carrying the sword of truth, God’s Word. This is demonstrated throughout the film with Peter’s sword.

After it was over, our whole theater burst into applause. I remembered Mike Parker said not to miss the credits — so we stayed for the last scene with Lucy and the professor. Don’t miss this! Everyone just stopped walking and stared at the screen again.

The best part about the film is that it creates a hunger for more, and I won’t be surprised at all if boxed sets of The Chronicles of Narnia are the number-one selling item this Christmas. Everyone’s going to be reading these books…and waiting impatiently for the next movie to come out!

And truly — this is only the beginning.

Here’s something fun for you — if you’ve read the book or seen the movie. Which Narnia character are you? Carol pointed me to this Narnia quiz. (I’m Peter Pevensie!)

There are tons of articles online, but here’s a good one from WORLD Magazine’s 12/10 cover story: The Chronicles of Making Narnia.

For those of you who saw it, write me and tell me what you enjoyed most about it. I can’t wait to hear from you!