Do you love Bill Murray? Do you miss the Bill Murray of early SNL and Stripes? Netflix has a holiday treat for you. A very Murray Christmas is the best television special regarding Christmas that has come along in many years.
My only complaint is the beginning. Tolerate it for about 15-20 minutes. After the introduction, Bill Murray and his ensemble cast bring an amazing blend of powerful moments and comedic performances that will surprise many. In fact, the special leaves you wanting more than the one hour it gives us. It reminds the viewer, yes, television can be this good again!
I won't give away any spoilers. once this special gets going, every minute is a joy to watch. For all of my Cerebral Cinema readers all I can say is, "Have a very Murray Christmas."
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Thursday, December 17, 2015
The Bell's Of St. Marys - More Than A Holiday Film
The Bell's of St. Mary's is a great holiday film. However, it is much more than a holiday film. I used the film for my Master's Teaching thesis 20 years ago. The significance of the film that was my thesis was subtle, however worth a second look.
The primary plot is the relationship between the Parish Priest sent to close a tired old school and his battles with the headmaster nun. (The priest is Bing Crosby and the Headmaster is played by Ingrid Bergman) They are polar opposites when it comes to their viewpoints on education. The focus is saving the school and only a miracle can save the school.
The arguments of the role of testing students versus understanding a student's intelligence is the core of the educational debate. You literally hear in the 1940s what is commonplace today. Crosby challenges the policy of testing students. The headmaster is convinced the integrity of the school is based on testing.
The focus is a student who travelled a different road to the school. Father O'Malley knows her family's history. The girl is troubled and needs some consistency within her life in order to achieve academic success. Sound familiar? Testing does not take into consideration emotional intelligence. The film cleverly examines the emotional intelligence of the child as a factor regarding her learning success.
Give the Bell's of St. Mary's a second look. What's old is new again when it comes to education.
(Historical note: Have your kids listen to the Pledge of Allegiance. There is a little piece of history caught on this film that most kids do not know about the Pledge.)
The primary plot is the relationship between the Parish Priest sent to close a tired old school and his battles with the headmaster nun. (The priest is Bing Crosby and the Headmaster is played by Ingrid Bergman) They are polar opposites when it comes to their viewpoints on education. The focus is saving the school and only a miracle can save the school.
The arguments of the role of testing students versus understanding a student's intelligence is the core of the educational debate. You literally hear in the 1940s what is commonplace today. Crosby challenges the policy of testing students. The headmaster is convinced the integrity of the school is based on testing.
The focus is a student who travelled a different road to the school. Father O'Malley knows her family's history. The girl is troubled and needs some consistency within her life in order to achieve academic success. Sound familiar? Testing does not take into consideration emotional intelligence. The film cleverly examines the emotional intelligence of the child as a factor regarding her learning success.
Give the Bell's of St. Mary's a second look. What's old is new again when it comes to education.
(Historical note: Have your kids listen to the Pledge of Allegiance. There is a little piece of history caught on this film that most kids do not know about the Pledge.)
Saturday, December 12, 2015
It's A Wonderful Life - A Historical Perspective - Did You Miss It?
Buffalo girls won't you come out tonight....come out tonight. We all know the movie. However, did you ever know the historical significance behind Frank Capra's classic that impacts our daily life? While the plot involves the life of George Bailey, there is a subtle theme that Frank Capra revisits from his earlier film American Madness, and that is the banking crisis of the 1930s.
Capra understands that banks have a controlling interest in every aspect of our lives. Economically, they set the rules that impact our standard of living. The tussles with Mr. Potter are examples of the harsh realities when banks have a controlling interest in our lives. The arguments of investing in people versus shares of stock have a compelling argument that is as true today as it was back then. Today, it is the credit unions that suffer from unfair legislation that impacts banking. Non-profit credit unions are the George Baileys of our time. There is another scene in the movie that is quite poignant. Revisit the dialog regarding "Pottervilles." The movie asserts that the key to a wonderful life for families is access to housing back in 1947. And the same is true today.
The American banking system is not that different than the banking system back then. The only difference today is that the people in Bedford Falls would also be held in indentured servitude to Mr. Potter because he is holding them hostage through their student loans. Today,the Mr. Potters of the banking continue their dominance over many communities via student loans. These loans allow the banks to cause bankruptcy while holding on to the student loan debt. Once bankrupt, citizens will rely on high interest loans. Banks then begin to charge what some may see as insurmountable fees for overdrafts when people without credit have shortfalls in their income.
The Mr. Potters of the world are billionaires and the wealth gap has greatly increased since It's A Wonderful Life demonstrating once again, that art of making movies is larger than life, especially when we miss the historical pieces that shape our lives.
Capra understands that banks have a controlling interest in every aspect of our lives. Economically, they set the rules that impact our standard of living. The tussles with Mr. Potter are examples of the harsh realities when banks have a controlling interest in our lives. The arguments of investing in people versus shares of stock have a compelling argument that is as true today as it was back then. Today, it is the credit unions that suffer from unfair legislation that impacts banking. Non-profit credit unions are the George Baileys of our time. There is another scene in the movie that is quite poignant. Revisit the dialog regarding "Pottervilles." The movie asserts that the key to a wonderful life for families is access to housing back in 1947. And the same is true today.
The American banking system is not that different than the banking system back then. The only difference today is that the people in Bedford Falls would also be held in indentured servitude to Mr. Potter because he is holding them hostage through their student loans. Today,the Mr. Potters of the banking continue their dominance over many communities via student loans. These loans allow the banks to cause bankruptcy while holding on to the student loan debt. Once bankrupt, citizens will rely on high interest loans. Banks then begin to charge what some may see as insurmountable fees for overdrafts when people without credit have shortfalls in their income.
The Mr. Potters of the world are billionaires and the wealth gap has greatly increased since It's A Wonderful Life demonstrating once again, that art of making movies is larger than life, especially when we miss the historical pieces that shape our lives.
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