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Tag Archives: Pierce Brosnan
Posted on October 16, 2019 by carlosdev
They're with the band.
(2018) Musical (Universal) Lily James, Amanda Seyfried, Dominic Cooper, Andy Garcia, Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgǻrd, Colin Firth, Julie Walters, Christine Baranski, Cher, Alexa Davies, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Meryl Streep, Josh Dylan, Jeremy Irvine, Hugh Skinner, Omid Djalili, Anastasia Hille, Anna Antoniades, Maria Vacratsis, Naoko Mori. Directed by Ol Parker
I have to confess that I've always had a soft spot for the music of ABBA, the Swedish pop group that lit up the charts in the 70s and 80s. Mamma Mia, the musical that utilized the band's extensive catalogue of hits to celebrate a young girl's wedding as she tries to figure out which of three possibilities is her biological father. It was a major hit – in 2008. Ten years almost to the day, the sequel arrives.
In it, Sophie (Seyfried), the bride from the first film, is trying to renovate her mother's Greek Island hotel. Her mamma Donna (Streep) has passed away and poor Sophie is trying to balance mourning for her mom, getting the hotel ready for opening night and dealing with a rocky relationship (she's separated from husband Sky (Cooper) although she is pregnant). With nearly everyone from the first film returning, along with Cher as Donna's estranged mom and Andy Garcia as the hotel's manager, there is a familiarity about the terrain. There are also flashbacks showing Donna's shenanigans leading to her coming to the Greek islands and getting involved with three different men. The luminescent Lily James plays the younger Donna and she does a terrific job, but she's no Meryl Streep and the film feels her absence keenly. Streep does return for the most haunting scene in the film as a benevolent ghost observing her granddaughter's christening.
The plot is essentially an excuse for the musical numbers which I suppose could be said for some classic musicals as well, but here it seems especially glaring. Part of the reason is that the bulk of ABBA's better-known hits were used in the first film and much of the soundtrack here is made up of album tracks and B-sides so the movie loses much of the familiarity factor that made the first film charming.
Streep's scene and Cher's two musical numbers are both the showstoppers here; most of the other numbers are forgettable and kind of repetitive. Also, the beautiful Greek island location of the first film has been swapped out for Croatia in the second; not quite the same. I just didn't get the same warm fuzzies I got from the first film, more's the pity. There's definitely a market for this and I know my wife and son thoroughly enjoyed this way more than I did; however, I found it to be only minimally entertaining at best.
REASONS TO SEE: Streep and Cher are big highlights
REASONS TO AVOID: The plot is terribly flimsy. Streep's absence is keenly felt throughout.
FAMILY VALUES: There is some mildly sexually suggestive material.
TRIVIAL PURSUIT: Streep is distantly related to both Cher (15th cousin) who plays her mother, and James (9th cousin) who plays her younger self.
BEYOND THE THEATER: Amazon, AppleTV, Fandango Now, Google Play, HBO Go, Movies Anywhere Redbox, Vudu, YouTube
CRITICAL MASS: As of 10/16/19: Rotten Tomatoes: 80% positive reviews: Metacritic: 60/100.
COMPARISON SHOPPING: Jersey Boys
NEXT: Little Monsters
Posted in VOD Review	| Tagged 1970s, Alexa Davies, Amanda Seyfried, Andy Garcia, Cher, Christine Baranski, cinema, Cinema365, Colin Firth, Dominic Cooper, Films, Greek islands, grief, hotel opening, Jeremy Irvine, Julie Walters, Lily James, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, Meryl Streep, movies, musical, Omid Djalili, Pierce Brosnan, pregnancy, rocky relationship, Stellan Skarsgard, Universal Pictures, VOD Reviews	| Leave a reply
New Releases for the Week of July 20, 2018
Posted on July 19, 2018 by carlosdev
(Universal) Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Lily James, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Dominic Cooper, Christine Baranski, Cher, Julie Walters. Directed by Ol Parker
As darling Sophie has become pregnant, she is naturally curious about her mother's experiences with pregnancy and motherhood. Given the magic of the Greek islands and the music of ABBA, breaking into song is inevitable, which in Pierce Brosnan's case may well be a violation of the Geneva Convention.
See the trailer, clips, interviews, a video featurette and B-roll video here.
For more on the movie this is the website.
Release Formats: Standard, DBOX, Dolby, IMAX, RPX, XD
Now Playing: Wide Release
Rating: PG-13 (for some suggestive material)
(Columbia) Denzel Washington, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Pedro Pascal. Robert McCall makes a living driving a cab but it is his passion to help bring justice for those who deserve it but have been denied it. When one of his closest friends is murdered, it might be justice but there will be more than a hint of vengeance involved.
See the trailer and interviews here.
For more on the movie this is the website
Release Formats: Standard, DBOX, Dolby, IMAX, RPX
Rating: R (for brutal violence throughout, language, and some drug content)
Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms
(Eleven Arts) Starring the voices of Manaka Iwami, Miyu Irino, Yuki Kaji, Hiroaki Hirata. An immortal girl befriends a mortal boy, a forbidden act among those who live forever. She will protect and nurture that friendship through the years and whatever the cost.
See the trailer here.
Release Formats: Standard
Genre: Animé
Now Playing: Cinemark Artegon Marketplace, Regal Pavilion Port Orange, Regal Winter Park Village
(Neon) David Kellman, Robert Shafran, Eddy Galland, Ron Guttman. It started out as twins, separated at birth, reuniting. From there the story gets weirder. If you want to read the review, you can always check it out on the link below under Scheduled for Review but trust Cinema365 – the less you know going in, the more you'll like the movie.
Now Playing: AMC Disney Springs, Regal Waterford Lakes
Rating: PG-13 (for some mature thematic material)
(BH Tilt) Rebecca Rittenhouse, Betty Gabriel, Chelsea Alden, Andrew Lees. When a teen comes into the possession of a new laptop, he doesn't realize that the previous owner has been watching him and will do anything to get the machine back. When the teen discovers some files that indicate that the laptop is connected to the Dark Web, he understands why.
See the trailer, video featurettes and a clip here.
Rating: R (for some disturbing violence, language and sexual references)
ALSO OPENING IN ORLANDO/DAYTONA:
Broken Star
Dhadak
I Love You, Hater
ALSO OPENING IN MIAMI/FT. LAUDERDALE:
Eating Animals
ALSO OPENING IN TAMPA/ST. PETERSBURG:
Aatagadharaa Siva
Vijetha
ALSO OPENING IN JACKSONVILLE/ST. AUGUSTINE:
SCHEDULED FOR REVIEW:
FILM FESTIVALS TAKING PLACE IN FLORIDA:
Mindie Film Festival, Miami FL
Posted in Uncategorized	| Tagged 2018, Amanda Seyfried, Betty Gabriel, Bill Pullman, Cher, Christine Baranski, cinema, Cinema365, Colin Firth, Denzel Washington, Dominic Cooper, Films, Julie Walters, July 20, Lily James, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms, Melissa Leo, Meryl Streep, movies, Pedro Pascal, Pierce Brosnan, Previews, Stellan Skarsgard, The Equalizer 2, Three Identical Strangers, Unfriended: Dark Web	| Leave a reply
New Releases for the Week of October 13, 2017
(STX) Jackie Chan, Pierce Brosnan, Katie Leung, Rufus Jones, Charlie Murphy, Michael McElhatton, Lia Williams, Pippa Bennett-Warner, Stephen Hogan. Directed by Martin Campbell
A Chinese businessman living in London is horrified to see his daughter killed in a terrorist bomb blast. Grieving and obsessed with seeing justice for his daughter's murder, he crosses swords with a government official with a past who may have clues as to the identity of the terrorist. What the official doesn't realize that the businessman also has a past – one that may very well cause all sorts of mayhem before all is said and done.
See the trailer, clips, interviews and B-roll video here.
Rating: R (for violence, language, and some sexual material)
(Miramax) Denise Richards, Booboo Stewart, Malcolm McDowell, Mark Boone Junior. In a moment of weakness, a young rock band makes a deal with the devil. Fame and fortune seem to be coming their way but they soon realize the cost is way too high. Can they figure out a way to get out of their deal before it's too late?
Now Playing: AMC Universal Cineplex
Rating: R (for strong sexual content, nudity, drug use throughout, pervasive language and some violence)
(A24) Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe, Valeria Cotto, Caleb Landry Jones. In a decrepit hotel near Walt Disney World, a precocious and fearless 6-year-old girl gets into mischief with her friends while her rebellious mother barely scrapes together enough for the two of them to get by. Over the course of one magical summer, the young girl will take magic wherever she can find it under the watchful eye of the grumpy manager with a heart of gold. A festival favorite, this one has been getting Best Picture Oscar buzz and was shot right here in Orlando.
See the trailer and a clip here.
Genre: Dramedy
Now Playing: Enzian Theater
Rating: R (for language throughout, disturbing behavior, sexual references and some drug material)
(Blumhouse/Universal) Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Ruby Modine, Rachel Matthews. In the grand tradition of Groundhog Day, a high school senior relives the same day over and over again. It's her birthday, normally a good thing – but it's also the day she is murdered. She must find out the identity of her killer and survive until the next day – or be doomed to be killed over and over and over and over and over…
See the trailer, clips and B-roll video here.
Rating: PG-13 (for violence/terror, crude sexual content, language, some drug material and partial nudity)
(Open Road) Chadwick Boseman, Josh Gad, Kate Hudson, Sterling K. Brown. A cocky young African-American lawyer takes on a controversial case that has wider ramifications in the fight for civil rights. The lawyer will have to battle the prejudices of an entire nation in order to triumph but triumph is what Thurgood Marshall's whole career would be about – as the first African-American to be appointed to the Supreme Court.
See the trailer, interviews and a clip here.
Genre: Biographical Drama
Rating: PG-13 (for mature thematic content, sexuality, violence and some strong language)
Professor Marston and the Wonder Women
(Annapurna) Luke Evans, Rebecca Hall, Bella Heathcote, Connie Britton. Psychologist William Marston is best known today for creating the Wonder Woman comic in 1941. Incorporating the feminist ideals of his wife and their lover, the comic was controversial from the beginning but Marston stood up for his creation, making her the most popular female superhero in the world.
See the trailer, featurettes, clips and an interview here
Rating: R (for strong sexual content including brief graphic images, and language)
The Secret Scripture
(Vertical) Rooney Mara, Vanessa Redgrave, Eric Bana, Theo James. A woman who has been placed in a psychiatric care facility begins to receive visits from a young psychologist. His interest in her diary begins to trigger flashbacks to her youth which was filled with romance, obsession, intrigue, turmoil and ultimately the mental breakdown that got her committed.
See the trailer here
Now Playing: AMC West Oaks
Rating: PG-13 (for disturbing thematic content, some sexuality and lanuage)
Raju Gari Gadhi 2
RWBY Volume 5: Premiere
ALSO OPENING IN MIAMI:
The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
ALSO OPENING IN TAMPA:
6 Below: Miracle on the Mountain
Manolo: The Boy Who Made Shoes for Lizards
Udaharanam Sujatha
ALSO OPENING IN JACKSONVILLE:
Miami Film Festival GEMS (Miami, October 12-15)
Posted in Weekly Preview	| Tagged 2017, American Satan, Bella Heathcote, Booboo Stewart, Brooklynn Prince, Caleb Landry Jones, Chadwick Boseman, cinema, Cinema365, Connie Britton, Denise Richards, Eric Bana, Films, Happy Death Day, Israel Broussard, Jackie Chan, Jessica Rothe, Josh Gad, Kate Hudson, Katie Leung, Luke Evans, Malcolm McDowell, Mark Boone Junior, Marshall, movies, October 13, Pierce Brosnan, Previews, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, Rachel Matthews, Rebecca Hall, Rooney Mara, Rufus Jones, Stirling K. Brown, The Florida Project, The Foreigner, The Secret Scripture, Theo James, Vanessa Redgrave, Willem Dafoe	| Leave a reply
The Only Living Boy in New York
Posted on August 26, 2017 by carlosdev
Reflections in my mind.
(2017) Drama (Roadside Attractions/Amazon) Callum Turner, Jeff Bridges, Kate Beckinsale, Pierce Brosnan, Cynthia Nixon, Kiersey Clemons, Tate Donovan, Wallace Shawn, Anh Duong, Debi Mazar, Ben Hollandsworth, John Bolger, Bill Camp, Richard Bekins, Ryan Speakman, Oliver Thornton, Alexander Sokovikov, Ed Jewett, Amy Hohn. Directed by Marc Webb
It is not uncommon for young people to finish college or drop out of college and end up feeling adrift. Okay, I'm done with school; now what? It's an exciting and frightening concept at the same time.
Thomas Webb (Turner) – and to be sure, it's Thomas and not Tommy or Tom – is in just such a pickle. He is the son of successful publisher Ethan (Brosnan) and artist Judith (Nixon) and has not quite moved back in with them but has taken an apartment on the Lower East Side, not far from his parents on the Upper East Side (and true New Yorkers will know that they might be not far away but they are worlds apart).
He's not sure what to do with his life. He wants to be a writer but his publisher dad dismissed his work as "serviceable." His mom is fragile emotionally and seems on the verge of falling apart. He is very much in love with Mimi (Clemons) who is more interested in a platonic relationship with him and to make matters worse, is headed for an internship in Slovakia. Thomas is trying to make some sense out of his life; fortunately, he meets W.F. Gerald (Bridges), a writer who lives in apartment 2B of his building (by extension meaning that Thomas lives in not 2B – think about it).. W.F. is kind of rough around the edges but he takes a fatherly interest in Thomas, which suits Thomas just fine since his own dad is distant to say the least.
But Thomas' world begins to spin completely out of control when he discovers that his dad is having an affair. He becomes obsessed with the mystery lady and discovers that her name is Johanna (Beckinsale) and that she works as a contractor in Ethan's office. Thomas confronts Johanna and tells her to stop seeing his dad; the cool and collected Johanna responds that what Thomas is really saying is that he wants to sleep with Johanna himself. As it turns out, she's right.
Thomas is caught up in a dilemma and he doesn't know how to get out of it. The hypocrisy of his situation isn't lost on him and so he decides to tell his dad that he knows about Johanna and furthermore, he's sleeping with her himself. However, this revelation threatens to destroy Thomas' family altogether leading the way for another stunning revelation that changes Thomas' life forever.
The critics have been pretty much panning this which is a bit of a shame; it's not a flawless film but I ended up liking it. Bridges is absolutely wonderful as W.F. and Beckinsale is sexy as all get out as the Other Woman. The dialogue has also been called tin-eared but I found it pretty sharp most of the time. I know, this isn't the way real people talk – but it's the way sophisticated New York literary sorts talk. Make of that what you will.
The main trouble here is Turner. His character is wishy-washy, vindictive and fully self-involved. There's nothing mature about him – and yet the sophisticated literary type ends up sleeping with him and later in the film, another woman falls in love with him. 'Course, I'm not a woman but I find it absolutely flabbergasting that any woman would see him as the object of love. He offers nothing but immaturity and leaps to conclusion that rival Evel Knieval flying over Snake River Gorge.
And yet they do. Then again, there's a bit of a literati soap opera feel to the whole thing. It doesn't have to make sense; it just has to create drama. This is very Noo Yawk which may put some folks off on it – there are certain parts of the country where being from the Big Apple is a hanging offense. Some have compared this to the Woody Allen of the 90s which is not Allen's best creative period; I can see the Allen comparison but I would push it back a decade.
The soundtrack is a bit eclectic but in a good way; you get Simon and Garfunkel (including the title song) and Dylan, both of whom evoke New York City in a certain era although this is set in modern day. The cast also overcomes some of the script's flaws, particularly Bridges, Beckinsale and Nixon who does fragile about as well as anybody. There is some charm here, enough to make it a worthwhile alternative to late August film programming. This won't be for everyone but it might just be for you.
REASONS TO GO: Bridges is absolutely delightful. The dialogue is sharp. There's some strong music on the soundtrack.
REASONS TO STAY: Turner is completely unconvincing in the lead role. Could be a little too New York literati for most
FAMILY VALUES: There is profanity and a bit of drug-related material.
TRIVIAL PURSUIT: This is the second 2017 film with a title shared with a Simon and Garfunkel song (Baby Driver was the first).
CRITICAL MASS: As of 8/26/17: Rotten Tomatoes: 30% positive reviews. Metacritic: 34/100.
COMPARISON SHOPPING: The Graduate
NEXT: Everything, Everything
Posted in New Releases	| Tagged Amazon Studios, art gallery opening, authors, Bill Camp, Bob Dylan, bookstore, Callum Turner, child of privilege, cinema, Cinema365, coming of age, Cynthia Nixon, Debi Mazar, dinner parties, Drama, extramarital affair, Films, internship, Jeff Bridges, Kate Beckinsale, Kiersey Clemons, literati, Lower East Side, movies, New York City, Pierce Brosnan, publishing house, reviews, Roadside Attractions, serviceable, Simon and Garfunkel, stalking, Tate Donovan, The Only Living Boy in New York, Wallace Shawn, wannabe writer	| Leave a reply
New Releases for the Week of August 25, 2017
(A24) Robert Pattinson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Benny Safdie, Taliah Lennice Webster, Barkhad Abdi, Necro, Peter Verby. Directed by Benny and Josh Safdie
A bank robbery gone wrong lands a young man in jail where he is sure to die. His older brother goes on a desperate trip into the underbelly of the city to get his sibling out of jail but now it's not just his brother's life that hangs in the balance – his own is there as well. The latest from the stylish Safdie Brothers got a standing ovation when it was screened at Cannes
See the trailer and a video featurette here.
Rating: R (for language throughout, violence, drug use and sexual content)
(Fox STAR) Jacqueline Fernandez, Sunil Shetty, Sidharth Malhotra, Betsy Graver. Guarav is the kind of guy who dreams of having a family of his own. He even has the potential wife all picked out. The problem is that Kavya wants a man who lives life to the fullest, isn't afraid to take risks and generally knows how to have fun. To say the least this doesn't describe Guarav in the slightest. However a work assignment takes him to Mumbai where things get a little interesting…
Now Playing: AMC West Oaks, Touchstar Southchase
(Columbia/Affirm) Cara Buono, John Corbett, Barry Corbin, David Keith. This is based on the true story of Pastor Michael Spurlock who was a salesman before he got the Calling. Assigned to preside in the shutting down of a sparsely-attended church, he got to know the people relying on the tiny congregation to just make it through their hard lives. Determined to save the church, he risks his career in order to save something much larger than himself
See the trailer, clips and a featurette here.
Genre: Faith-Based Drama
Rating: PG (for thematic elements)
Birth of the Dragon
(BH Tilt/WWE) Philip Wan-Lung Ng, Xia Yu, Billy Magnussen, Terry Chen. In 1964 Chinese martial arts master Wong Jack Man came to San Francisco and found himself embroiled in a controversy with a martial arts teacher who was teaching Caucasian students, strictly against tradition. He challenged the brash young teacher to a fight and this monumental match led to the birth of a legend – a legend named Bruce Lee.
See the trailer and clips here.
Genre: Martial Arts/Biographical Drama
Rating: PG-13 (for martial arts violence, language and thematic elements)
(FUNimation/Shout Factory) Starring the voices of Rena "Non" Nounen, Megumi Han, Yoshimasa Hosoya, Daisuke Ono. During the Second World War, a young Japanese girl marries and leaves the life she's always known for a new life in a small village near Hiroshima. Coping with wartime rationing, hardship and loneliness, she must somehow find the courage to live in a time and place where living is far from easy.
Genre: Animated Feature
Now Playing: Regal Waterford Lakes
Rating: PG-13 (for thematic elements including war-related images)
(Neon) Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Pom Klementieff. An unhinged social media stalker abruptly decides to move to Los Angeles to insinuate herself into the life of an Instagram star. The friendship, based on false pretenses, has unexpected consequences in the lives of both women.
Rating: R (for language throughout, drug use, some sexual content and disturbing behavior)
(Roadside Attractions/Amazon) Callum Turner, Jeff Bridges, Kate Beckinsale, Pierce Brosnan. A recent college graduate returns home to New York to live with his parents. Drifting aimlessly, he discovers that his father has been conducting an affair with a younger woman. Obsessed with his father's mistress, he follows her throughout the city and ends up developing feelings for her himself.
See the trailer, clips and featurettes here.
Now Playing: AMC Disney Springs, Regal Winter Park Village, Rialto Spanish Springs Town Square
Rating: PG (for language and some drug material)
(IFC) Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon, Marta Barrio, Claire Keelan. The third in director Michael Winterbottom's series of films starring Coogan and Brydon as they laugh and eat their way through amazing meals and even more amazing scenery, this time in Spain. The two comedians spend a lot of time trying to one-up their friend in impressions and one-liners and trying to make sense of their convoluted lives.
I See You (Kita Kita)
Vivegam
Arjun Reddy
The Fencer
Ghost House
La Vida Inmoral de la Pareja Ideal
The Midwife
Posted in Weekly Preview	| Tagged 2017, A Gentleman, A Trip to Spain, All Saints, Aubrey Plaza, August 25, Barry Corbin, Birth of the Dragon, cinema, Cinema365, David Keith, Elizabeth Olsen, Films, Good Time, In This Corner of the World, Ingrid Goes West, Jacqueline Fernandez, Jeff Bridges, Jennifer Jason Leigh, John Corbett, Kate Beckinsale, movies, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Pierce Brosnan, Pom Klementieff, Previews, Rob Brydon, Robert Pattinson, Sidharth Malhotra, Steve Coogan, The Only Living Boy in New York	| Leave a reply
Good Fortune: The John Paul DeJoria Story
John Paul DeJoria did well so he could do good.
(2016) Documentary (Paladin) John Paul DeJoria, Dan Aykroyd, Danny Trejo, Arianna Huffington, Cheech Marin, Robert Kennedy, Ron White, John Capra, Michelle Phillips, Pierce Brosnan, Robert Plant, Roger Daltrey, Lou Jacobellis, Michaeline DeJoria, Goose, Pam Peplow, Angus Mitchell, Paul Watson, Alexis DeJoria, Julia Povost, Joyce Campbell, Mara Goudrine, Ilana Edelstein. Directed by Joshua Tickell and Rebecca Harrell Tickell
"Success that is not shared is failure" according to billionaire John Paul DeJoria. It's an attitude that is refreshing in an era where the top 1% of our wealthiest citizens are viewed with distrust if not outright hostility and for good reason. Our wealthy have acted in a manner befitting the "Let them eat cake" crowd in an orgy of conspicuous consumption and overall lack of care for the planet and the people on it. The arrogance and utter blind disregard that they have shown to everyone and everything else that doesn't immediately affect their bank accounts positively is absolutely deplorable.
DeJoria is different. He came from a background that these days isn't uncommon, but back in the 40s and 50s was certainly not the norm. His father left when John Paul, or JP as most of his friends call him, was two years old. Raised by a single mom – an immigrant from Greece – in East Los Angeles, he and his brother were poor but never really knew that they were. His mother instilled in them a respect for others and a desire to help those who were worse off than themselves, making JP and his brother put a dime in the Salvation Army bucket at Christmas even though they were living hand to mouth but even then she felt the urge to do good. DeJoria justifiably has been close to his mom ever since.
After a stint in the U.S. Navy where he learned the value of hard work and teamwork, he set out to make something of himself. He discovered an affinity for sales and was successful selling encyclopedias door to door as well as a short but successful career selling life insurance. After being introduced to the hair care industry working for Redken (a company my own father worked for decades earlier) he met hairstylist Paul Mitchell in 1971 and together they formed John Paul Mitchell Systems, a hair care line sold exclusively through salons. After a rocky and precarious start, the partners were rewarded when the 80s, perhaps the most hair-conscious era in history, helped their sales explode..
After Mitchell's death in 1986 from pancreatic cancer, DeJoria became the sole owner of the company and continued to run it in the manner he always had; with an eye towards the environment and with respect and care for the people who worked for him. He had come a long way from living out of his car on two separate occasions (including once while he was getting John Paul Mitchell Systems up and running), from being in a biker gang (after graduating high school) and from two failed marriages.
He would use his millions to start several ventures, including the House of Blues and Absolut Vodka (not touched upon in the film) and more importantly, Patron Tequila which is covered extensively in the movie. He married a third time and found love; he has been a doting father to his blended family with children from both his previous marriages and from his new one, as well as her children from before her marriage to John Paul. One of his children is Alexis DeJoria, a funny car driver who owns the world record.
Ever since the Salvation Army incident in his youth, JP has had almost an obsession with giving back. He supports something like 250 different charities not only with financial contributions but also with his rather precious time. He is shown here spending time with Chrysalis, a Los Angeles-based charity that gets homeless people aid in getting back into the workforce, and Sea Shepard, dedicated to stopping illegal poaching of marine life (such as blue whales and bluefin tuna, both nearly extinct). Not shown in the film is his devotion to Food4Africa which has provided something like 400,000 meals to starving children in Africa since their inception. Not touched upon in the film was his contribution to Ted Cruz' campaign which seems at odds with his world view of protecting the planet. I'd love to know why he would donate to someone who has voted consistently against climate change and environmental protection but that's just me.
The husband/wife team of Joshua and Rebecca Tickell has some pretty serious films to their credit and to their credit they do portray their subject as distinctly non-saintly although there is a steady stream of praise coming from such celebrities as Cheech Marin, Ariana Huffington, Pierce Brosnan, Ron White, Robert Plant, Roger Daltrey, Danny Trejo and Michelle Phillips – the latter two friends since childhood.
I get the sense that DeJoria is much too humble to want to be the subject of a fawn-a-thon. What my guess is that he did this picture for was to inspire those who are down and out to go out and chase their dream anyway. He certainly did and through hard work and determination became wealthy beyond his wildest imagining. Not everyone is going to achieve that kind of success but certainly people willing to do their best are likely to at least improve their situation in life.
DeJoria is an inspiring person whose commitment to the environment, to the betterment of humanity and to the inspiration of others is worthy of emulation. I wish that more of the 1% would adopt his attitude and some have to be fair – I see you, Warren Buffett and Bill Gates – although not enough to rehabilitate the reputation of the rich and shameless.
DeJoria is also an engaging, charismatic individual and that makes the film a lot easier to enjoy. Not only are you rooting for him throughout the film but you want to hang out with him – and one gets the sense that he would love for you to hang out with him, too. People like DeJoria are rare commodities these days and if anyone deserves a documentary of their own, it's them. I'm glad that DeJoria got his.
REASONS TO GO: The subject is quite inspiring. DeJoria himself is an engaging personality.
REASONS TO STAY: The film occasionally is too fawning.
FAMILY VALUES: There is some mild profanity.
TRIVIAL PURSUIT: Most of DeJoria's children work for him at Paul Mitchell Systems.
CRITICAL MASS: As of 6/25/17: Rotten Tomatoes: No score yet. Metacritic: No score yet.
COMPARISON SHOPPING: Becoming Warren Buffett
NEXT: Traficant: The Congressman of Crimetown
Posted in New Releases	| Tagged Arianna Huffington, biker gang, billionaires, blended family, Cheech Marin, cinema, Cinema365, Dan Aykroyd, Danny Trejo, East Los Angeles, Films, Good Fortune: The John Paul DeJoria Story, homeless, House of Blues, inspiration, John Paul DeJoria, John Paul Mitchell Systems, Los Angeles, Michelle Phillips, motorcycles, movies, Paladin, Patron Tequila, philanthropy, Pierce Brosnan, rags to riches, reviews, Robert Kennedy, Robert Plant, Roger Daltrey, Ron White, Sea Shepherds, single mom, Ted Cruz, Texas, Top 1%	| Leave a reply
New Releases for the Week of September 23, 2016
(MGM/Columbia) Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio, Byung-hun Lee, Haley Bennett, Peter Sarsgaard, Luke Grimes, Matt Bomer. Directed by Antoine Fuqua
A desperate border town overrun by a savage businessman and his army of mercenaries reaches out to a bounty hunter for help. He recruits a group of seven outsiders who are willing to take the job. The odds are overwhelmingly against them but this small group finds that they are fighting for a lot more than a paycheck. This is a remake of a classic which in turn was a remake of a classic.
Rating: PG-13 (for extended and intense sequences of Western violence, and for historical smoking, some language and suggestive material)
End of a Gun
(Grindstone/Lionsgate) Steven Seagal, Florin Piersic Jr., Jade Ewen, Jacob Grodnik. A former federal agent, now working as a mall security guard, rescues a woman from the wrath of a drug lord's enforcer. Now he's going to have to call upon all his skills to keep the two of them alive. However, seeing as it's Steven Seagal, I think we can safely say the enforcer's days are numbered.
Now Playing: AMC Loew's Universal Cineplex
Rating: R (for violence, language and brief sexuality)
(Sony Classics) Margo Martindale, Sharlto Copley, Richard Perkins, John Krasinski. A struggling New York artist returns home to the small town he'd fled years before when he receives word of his mother's illness. Staying in the house he grew up in, he is forced to deal with his family's dysfunctional drama, the machinations of a high school rival and the seductions of a former girlfriend even as he prepares for fatherhood himself, a job he feels woefully unsuited for.
Now Playing: AMC Disney Springs, Regal Winter Park Village
Rating: PG-13 (for brief language and some thematic material)
(RLJ) Pierce Brosnan, James Frecheville, Anna Friel, Stefanie Scott. The CEO of an aerospace company would have every right to feel on top of the world. After all, his company is about to revolutionize what airplanes are all about, he has an adoring family and lives in a state-of-the-art smart house where everything is computer-controlled. When a glitch shows up in his system, he calls an I.T. guy out to take a look at it and gets a lot more than he bargained for – a psychotic stalker.
Max Rose
(Paladin) Jerry Lewis, Kerry Bishé, Kevin Pollack, Claire Bloom. Days before his wife of 65 years passes away, jazz pianist Max Rose makes a discovery that shakes his world to its foundation; his marriage and consequently his entire life may not be what he thought it was. Dogged and determined, even as his own health requires his children to put him into a nursing facility, he determines to find out who may have been his wife's lover.
Now Playing: Regal Winter Park Village
(Warner Brothers) Starring the voices of Andy Samberg, Kelsey Grammer, Jennifer Aniston, Ty Burrell. We all know how babies are delivered, right? Yup…via stork. But that business has long been unprofitable and the storks have wisely gone into the more lucrative package delivery biz. However, the baby making machine has unaccountably produced an unaccounted for baby. Needing to find the rightful parents before the powers that be discover the snafu, the best courier in the stork fleet and a couple of friends try to right what could be a monumental error.
Rating: PG (for mild action and some thematic elements)
Posted in Weekly Preview	| Tagged 2016, Andy Samberg, Anna Friel, Byung-hun Lee, Chris Pratt, cinema, Cinema365, Claire Bloom, Denzel Washington, End of a Gun, Ethan Hawke, Films, Haley Bennett, I.T., Jennifer Aniston, Jerry Lewis, John Krasinski, Kelsey Grammer, Kerry Bishe, Kevin Pollack, Luke Grimes, Margo Martindale, Matt Bomer, Max Rose, movies, Peter Sarsgaard, Pierce Brosnan, Previews, Richard Perkins, September 23, Sharlto Copley, Stefanie Scott, Steven Seagal, Storks, The Hollars, The Magnificent Seven, Ty Burrell, Vincent D'Onofrio	| Leave a reply


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Algoma Country Tourism and Thunder Bay Tourism are thrilled to announce that the Ride Lake Superior website is now complete. This is one of North America's must do routes, and is ready for motorcycle enthusiasts to begin their epic ride. This website has been create to help you plan a trip of a lifetime for you and your best friends.
Ride Lake Superior is a truly bi-national ride. Offering seven great touring routes around Lake Superior, riders will find themselves traveling through Ontario, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. With stunning views, rugged shoreline, twisty roads and great motorcycle friendly attractions, Ride Lake Superior is definitely a ride to put on your bucket list.
Attractions, accommodations, restaurants and repair shops have been handpicked to ensure your needs as a rider are met. Ride Lake Superior also offers many great downloadable items that will enhance your ride. Maps are available for your Garmin GPS and a Ride Lake Superior iTunes playlist has been created with classics for you to crank while you're riding along the shoreline. Ready made itineraries have also been created with the must see locations so you can just hop on your bike and go. However, if you prefer planning your own trip, Google route maps makes it easier for you to determine what stops to make.
To get you started and to make your first visit to the website as smooth as possible, we have put together a quick overview of the website with all the key spots to visit. But first, sit back and watch this video to get you pumped for planning your epic ride!
On your first visit to www.ridelakesuperior.com remember to add the page to your bookmarks for easy access. The Ride Lake Superior website has many itineraries for you to choose from. Simply click on the PLAN MY RIDE tab at the top of the page to get started. Here you will have the option to pick what route you would like to take.
Once you've decided and clicked on the region and loop you would like to do, you will be taken to a page where you can plan your itinerary. Here you have the option of using a pre-made itinerary or building your own route. When choosing a pre-made itinerary, you get to pick your starting point in a drop down menu and an itinerary will be built just for you. For those of you who prefer building your own customizable route, this page also offers suggestions of Accommodations, Food, Repair and Attractions.
By clicking on any of these links you will be given a list of all the motorcycle friendly locations along the route to help you choose where to stay, eat and stop along the way.
We've also taken all the routes, selected places that are unique and not to be missed and put them into one condensed MUST SEE list. This is your trip, so choose what interests you.
There's nothing like cranking the tunes as you ride. We have assembled the official Ride Lake Superior iTunes Ridelist to enhance your tour around the lake. You can download any number of these classics to your device. (iTunes fees apply).
We hope this quick introduction to the Ride Lake Superior was helpful and has created excitement in planning your summer tour.
I do this solo trip every year on my Streetglide and just love it all. The loop via hwy 17 Sudbury to Thunder Bay then Thunder Bay to Sudbury via Hwy 11. All riders must do this. Going again next week. Because I can!!
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Is that a banana seat or are you just glad to see me?
You don't need me to tell you that bicycles are good for the planet and good for your health. But what else do you know about the most energy-efficient vehicle ever created? From trivia to statistics, what's your Bike IQ? Whether you're bike savvy or still using training wheels, we've got a factoid for you.


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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics national projection for expansion and replacement of retirees.
• The area's population is aging and also focused on preventative care, so an array of healthcare workers are needed from clinics and convenient care to hospitals and nursing homes.
• Baby boomers in the industry are retiring, leaving leadership opportunities and their jobs need to be filled.
• Right now there are more nursing and related healthcare jobs open than there are people to fill them.
Few professions make a more profound and personal difference in the lives of others.
From nursing to medical office technology, pursuing any academic program connected to healthcare will provide endless options for a rewarding career.


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Seeing History Through The Eyes of One Man
Posted on September 22, 2008 by jerrywaxler
Note: Read more about the cultural passion for memoirs, and reasons you should write your own "Memoir Revolution: A Social Shift that Uses Your Story to Heal, Connect, and Inspire."
Ji Chaozhu's memoir "The Man on Mao's Right: From Harvard Yard to Tiananmen Square, Life Inside China's Foreign Ministry" let me enter the modern history of China, a country so vast and so important on the world stage, it seems like I ought to be talking about it in hushed tones. This planet cannot be understood without understanding this nation of a billion people, and yet, just a few decades ago, China was an ancient dragon, trapped in what looked like an unshakable slumber, set upon by the British and then the Japanese, and creaky in its old ways. Then came Mao Zedong who shook the dragon awake. But he did it behind an impenetrable curtain erected by mutual distrust. Western journalists were excluded and few westerners had inside information.
To visit the Amazon page for Man on Mao's Right, click here
In the early 70's, the walls between the U.S. and China became porous and news and diplomats began to speak. Now in our time, the walls are collapsing and the cultures growing towards each other in ways I couldn't have imagined. So how do I catch up on all that history?
Ji Chaozhu's memoir offers a crash course in the history of modern China, provided through the eyes of a man who was in the thick of it. Ji was an English translator for the two main characters of Communist China, Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai. Ji Chaozhu was present during some of the most powerful diplomatic exchanges in the twentieth century.
History this large teaches me about the human race
Chairman Mao believed that China was being held back by their culture's strong emphasis on worshipping authority and ancestors. He was afraid these backward-looking tendencies had made his country weak. To bring China into modernity he felt it was crucial to undermine respect for the past.
Mao stirred up distrust for what he called "The Four Olds," Old Customs, Old Culture, Old Habits, and Old Ideas. The strategy went too far, and this disrespect for the past plunged the country into chaos. In what Ji Chaozhu calls the dark ages of modern China, from 1966 to 1976, mobs of teenagers publicly humiliated and beat people who had attained the very things that make a civilization successful. Like everything that happens in China, the proportions were staggering. Ji estimates that a million people were beaten to death or forced into suicide for their educational, artistic, and social achievements.
Ji Chaozhu compares the period known as the Cultural Revolution with the book "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding in which a group of boys stranded on an island lose all civilized values and revert to the behavior of animals. By outlawing respect for the past, Mao transformed China into a gigantic real-life "Lord of the Flies."
What does this have to do with the memoir you might wish to write? In my opinion – everything. Memoir writers are the keepers of our culture's pas. We maintain the long view. By remembering and passing along our stories, we link the past with the present. Ji Chaozhu's life provides a wonderful motivation to capture and share the story of your life. One person at a time, we memoir writers recount life across decades and help people young and old develop their own best understanding of how to live.
Lessons about ghost writing
Fleeing the invading Japanese armies in the late 30's, Ji's family moved to the United States. As a young boy, Ji grew up in America, an outsider intent on blending in. As a student at Harvard, he made many American friends, and enjoyed the bourgeois perquisites of western life. When he left Harvard and moved back to China to support Mao's new government, he was an outsider again. His years in the U.S. cast a shadow over his authentic Chinese identity.
I love stories about mixing cultures, perhaps because of my own grandparents' immigration to the United States and my experience of growing up Jewish, a minority religion in a Christian dominated country. Like me, Ji's two cultures made him feel like an outsider and kept him under constant pressure to unify his two identities. These contrasts and tensions between cultures provide a rich layer that holds my interest.
Ji Chaozhu spent his entire adult life translating back and forth between the two cultures. But when it came time to translate his own long life into a story that could be appreciated by the west, he turned to an accomplished memoir writer and biographer, Foster Winans. Foster brings his all-American past to the table, as well as his skill at converting the events of a lifetime into compelling prose.
Long Span of Time, some good things about a long life
Ji experienced many setbacks in his life. When his family was forced by the invading Japanese army to flee their ancestral lands, his father told him that the Chinese people are like ants who continue to strive and climb, finally reaching their destination, not on wings, but by great and powerful persistence.
His father's advice to be patient helped Ji cope when, during the Cultural Revolution, he was repeatedly transferred from his diplomatic mission to work on pig farms, supposedly to scrub away his "bourgeois tendencies." In reality this punishment was regularly imposed by the paranoid regime to maintain absolute obedience.
Memoir Writers Bring the World Together
When Mao won control over the government of China, United States leaders were so disappointed they behaved like small children. At an important diplomatic meeting between the two countries in1954, Zhou En Lai extended his hand in friendship to Secretary of State John Foster Dulles. Dulles turned and walked away. His insulting gesture made front page news all over China and poisoned the relationship between the two countries for 20 years. As Theodore White later wrote, "It was probably the most expensive display of rudeness by any diplomat anywhere, ever."
Throughout the Cold War, when the U.S. and China seemed so far apart they would never see eye to eye, Ji stayed focused on his father's advice, believing in the power of persistence. Over time, he witnessed a much greater understanding between the two nations. And still, Ji keeps applying his passionate belief in harmony across the cultural divide. When thanking the people who had helped him bring his story to the west he says,
"I am indebted to all these good people for taking such care with my legacy and helping me open a window into the soul of modern China in a way that I hope will bring us all closer together."
In Stephen King's memoir "On Writing" he says that writing is like magic. It allows people to communicate across space and time. When reading a memoir like Ji Chaozhu's "Man on Mao's Right" I feel this magic multiplied by a thousand-fold, or perhaps a billion. By sharing his own world, Ji Chaozhu has opened up a channel through which I can feel the connections of entire nations. And that's true for all memoir writers. Through our individual story, we help communicate the entire experience of a lifetime, break down the barriers of difference, and create deeper mutual understanding.
To order my how-to-get-started guide to write your memoir, click here.
This entry was posted in Biography, Book Review, Literary Non-fiction and tagged Chairman Mao, China, Foster Winans, history, Ji Chaozhu, memoir, world peace by jerrywaxler. Bookmark the permalink.
2 thoughts on "Seeing History Through The Eyes of One Man"
Shirley on September 23, 2008 at 8:30 am said:
I love your view of memoir as collective memory rather than individual memory only. If enough of us read, write, buy, and share memoirs, we will truly build strong cultural fabric. From the headlines in today's paper, it looks like we will need all the stories of survival from the past we can find!
We cannot destroy the past, but when we try, the results, as in the Cultural Revolution, are tragic.
Our lives, on the other hand, especially when viewed as a whole, are comedic–in the most profound sense of that word.
http://www.100memoirs.com
http://www.fetzer.org
jerrywaxler on September 23, 2008 at 9:01 am said:
Thanks for your thoughtful comment, Shirley. And I love the two websites you list. I am poking around trying to absorb the beauty of the site http://www.fetzer.org, some sort of philanthropic organization, which quotes Margaret Mead saying, "Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world – indeed it is the only thing that ever has." Why not dream that we too can heave ourselves into the fray and make a difference in our own right?


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Browsing: benedict cumberbatch
Benedict Cumberbatch on the Fun of Being a 'Mean' Grinch
Benedict Cumberbatch speaks about the glee of playing a villain and the fun of unleashing his imagination in the world of Dr. Seuss.
Benedict Cumberbatch on Playing an Addict in 'Patrick Melrose'
"I'm wary of saying, 'Yes, it was so trying,' because all the best roles are." – Benedict Cumberbatch on Playing Patrick Melrose
Benedict Cumberbatch on "Failing" as an Actor: "If you can't fail, you can never get better"
"I don't think I had the full tool kit to do it justice." – Benedict Cumberbatch on One of the Times He's Felt Lost Doing a Role
Benedict Cumberbatch on the Importance of Building a Character's Backstory
"It's important to understand the who, what, where, why of the character before you meet him" – Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict Cumberbatch Pleads with Fans to Stop Filming His 'Hamlet' Performances (video)
After the Saturday, August 8 evening performance of Hamlet, Cumberbatch visited fans waiting outside the theater and asked them to spread the word that audience members taking photos and videos of the performances have gotten out of hand.
Trailer: 'Black Mass' Starring Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Bacon, Dakota Johnson
In 1970s South Boston, FBI Agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) persuades Irish mobster James "Whitey" Bulger (Johnny Depp) to collaborate with the FBI and eliminate a common enemy: the Italian mob.
Benedict Cumberbatch on Alan Turing, Playing Smaug and Fame
"You're a child. You're playing again. You're utterly free, there are no restrictions" – Benedict Cumberbatch on Playing Smaug in The Hobbit films.
Watch: Benedict Cumberbatch and His Co-Stars Talk 'The Imitation Game'
Cumberbatch and co-stars Allen Leech, Matthew Beard, and Alex Lawther chat about what went into their portrayals in 'The Imitation Game'
Benedict Cumberbatch on the Lack of Diversity in UK Film: "Something's gone wrong"
Black actors Chiwetel Ejiofor, David Oyelowo, and Idris Elba have all achieved recent success in…
Screenplay: 'The Imitation Game', Nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay
Download the Oscar Nominated screenplay, 'The Imitation Game'
Benedict Cumberbatch Might Be On His Way to An Oscar Nomination for 'The Imitation Game'
Benedict Cumberbatch might be on his way to his first Oscar nomination, thanks to his role as Alan Turing in the film, The Imitation Game.
Director Morten Tyldum Narrates a Scene from 'The Imitation Game' Featuring Benedict Cumberbatch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6Nbt25gtGw The Imitation Game has already been released in the UK to great acclaim, and…
It's All About That Voice! Watch How Benedict Cumberbatch Nailed the Role of Smaug In 'The Hobbit'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiQQC8pVuV8 Benedict Cumberbatch is one of the hottest actors this awards-show season with his turn…
Benedict Cumberbatch on Creating His 'Sherlock' Character: "I've got to understand how I became this person"
It's easy to forget that Benedict Cumberbatch juggles his film career — including starring as…
Watch: Benedict Cumberbatch Film the Smaug Motion Capture for 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laPb8cYSebY Though Peter Jackson's movie adaptations of The Hobbit haven't received the same critical acclaim…
Screenplay: 'The Fifth Estate'
The Fifth Estate: A dramatic thriller based on real events that reveals the quest to expose…
Benedict Cumberbatch on Playing Geniuses: "Brilliant people have private moments of self-doubt and things which we could all relate to"
Whether it's his distinctive voice or his bearing, Benedict Cumberbatch has been a go-to actor…
Screenplay: 'August: Osage County'
August: Osage County tells the dark, hilarious and deeply touching story of the strong-willed women…
Screenplay: '12 Years a Slave'
12 Years a Slave: Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Solomon Northup, the New York State citizen who was kidnapped and made to work on a plantation in New Orleans in the 1800s.
'Sherlock Holmes' star Martin Freeman Reveals How a Bad Day Almost Cost Him the Role
For actors, auditions are a huge part of the process in their careers. However, a…


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National security adviser rips impeachment: Ukraine did not get 'meaningful aid' until Trump took office
By Matt London | Fox News
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White House National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien ripped the Democrat-led impeachment hearings of President Donald Trump on Friday, as the House Judiciary Committee holds more proceedings on Monday.
"All I saw when I watched it was speculation, double and triple hearsay and policy differences," said O'Brien in an interview with Fox News host Bill Hemmer during the Reagan National Defense Forum, which is now available on Fox Nation. O'Brien replaced former national security adviser John Bolton in September.
The House Intelligence Committee Democrat's 300-page report outlining their case for the impeachment accused the president of a plot that "subverted U.S. foreign policy toward Ukraine and undermined our national security."
O'Brien suggested that President Trump did far more than his predecessor to pursue foreign policy objectives that Democrats now claim to be defending.
After Russia invaded the eastern Ukranian territory of Crimea in 2014, the Obama Administration refused to provide lethal weapons to the Ukrainians, though the administration did send military and security aid.
"What I can tell you is what I did see personally," argued O'Brien, "and that was in 2014 when I went to Ukraine as an election observer for the parliamentary elections. And I had young Ukrainians coming to me saying, 'We're going to the front lines. Can we please have lethal aid? Can we please have flak jackets, Kevlar? Why is America, the arsenal of democracy, not helping us?'"
In fact, O'Brien claimed that young Ukrainian soldiers lacked some of the most basic equipment.
"Kids were going to the frontline... They'd raise enough money from their friends. One of the kids would drive up to Poland and would buy Kevlar and they'd bring them, bring the Kevlar, down. And at the going-away party for the soldier, they'd be given a Kevlar vest.
"That changed when President Trump took office" he concluded. "The Ukrainians did receive lethal aid and they're now able to put up stronger resistance against the Russians. So that's what I saw with respect to Ukraine. I saw no aid going to relocate or no meaningful aid going to Ukraine until the president took office."
To watch more of the discussions of the "Reagan National Defense Forum" go to Fox Nation and sign up today.
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Shannon Bream shares 'darkest days' to 'hopefully bring someone else back from the brink'


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The Doctrine of the Catholic Kennedy? Worthless
Lay Participation>
Role of the Laity>
Archbishop Chaput Criticizes JFK's Rigid Secularism
by Sandro Magister
ROME, March 2, 2010 – Precisely fifty years after the memorable speech, preserved in the anthologies, that John F. Kennedy gave to the Protestant pastors of Houston in order to convince them and the entire nation that as a Catholic he could be a good president (see photo), the archbishop of Denver, Charles J. Chaput, has returned to the scene of the crime, in Houston, for a Baptist conference on the role of Christians in public life.
J F Kennedy speaks to Protestant
pastors in 1960.
The "crime" was precisely the one committed by Kennedy with that speech, Chaput maintained in his talk, given yesterday evening at Houston Baptist University and reproduced in its entirety further below.
"Today, half a century later, we're paying for the damage," said Chaput, who of all the bishops of the United States is the one most active in the area of relations between the Church and political leadership. He has also written a book on this topic, "Render Unto Caesar," the central thesis of which is that Caesar must be given his due, but that a Christian serves his nation by living his faith in political life in complete consistency and visibility, without hiding or diluting it.
Archbishop Charles Chaput
In Chaput's view, the rigid separation between Church and state exalted by Kennedy has nothing to do with the origin and history of the United States. It is a concept introduced only in the middle of the twentieth century by a secularist current. Kennedy submitted to this current, opening the way to the privatization of religious belief in the individual conscience and to its definitive collapse, even among Catholics.
Today the paradox of these Catholics in love with secularism in the United States and elsewhere is that they espouse and exalt this paradigm in an uncritical fashion, even applying it to the Church, precisely when it appears to be increasingly in crisis everywhere.
In contemporary culture, the word "secularism" can be traced back to the "laicité" typical of France, highly aggressive toward religion and determined to exclude it from the public sphere or in any case subject it to its own command.
But this concept is under revision in France itself, and elsewhere it has been duplicated in significantly different versions, all of them rather unstable.
Not only that. In Europe itself, as well as in North America, "laicité" has always had to face a very different model of relations between Church and state, the "religious freedom" of Anglo-Saxon origin that has thrived most in the United States.
Both of these models were born within Christianity, but they have produced different forms of the Church's role in society.
The United States is the nation where today the confrontation between "laicité" and "religious freedom" is most vigorous and decisive. And the Catholic Church is part of it.
In Italy, the scholar who is most insistently calling attention to this confrontation is Luca Diotallevi, professor of sociology at the Università di Roma Tre, vice president of the scientific committee of the "Social Weeks" for Italian Catholics, and an expert in high demand among the leadership of the bishops' conference.
Diotallevi has entitled his latest essay, published by Rubbettino and in bookstores for a month, "Una alternativa alla laicità."
He published an enlightening preview of his essay, with references to Europe and America, in the magazine of the Catholic University of Milan, "Vita e Pensiero":
But here is the talk given by the archbishop of Denver on the evening of March 1, 2010, at the Baptist University of Houston:
THE VOCATION OF CHRISTIANS IN AMERICAN PUBLIC LIFE
by Charles J. Chaput
One of the ironies in my talk tonight is this. I'm a Catholic bishop, speaking at a Baptist university in America's Protestant heartland. But I've been welcomed with more warmth and friendship than I might find at a number of Catholic venues. This is a fact worth discussing. I'll come back to it at the end of my comments. [...]
I need to offer a few caveats before I turn to the substance of our discussion.
The first caveat is this: My thoughts tonight are purely my own. I don't speak for the Holy See, or the American Catholic bishops, or the Houston Catholic community. In the Catholic tradition, the local bishop is the chief preacher and teacher of the faith, and the shepherd of the local Church. Here in Houston you have an outstanding bishop – a man of great Christian faith and intellect – in Cardinal Daniel DiNardo. In all things Catholic tonight, I'm glad to defer to his leadership.
Here's my second caveat: I'm here as a Catholic Christian and an American citizen – in that order. Both of these identities are important. They don't need to conflict. They are not, however, the same thing. And they do not have the same weight. I love my country. I revere the genius of its founding documents and its public institutions. But no nation, not even the one I love, has a right to my allegiance, or my silence, in matters that belong to God or that undermine the dignity of the human persons He created.
My third caveat is this: Catholics and Protestants have different memories of American history. The historian Paul Johnson once wrote that America was "born Protestant" (1). That's clearly true. Whatever America is today or may become tomorrow, its origin was deeply shaped by a Protestant Christian spirit, and the fruit of that spirit has been, on the balance, a great blessing for humanity. But it's also true that, while Catholics have always thrived in the United States, they lived through two centuries of discrimination, religious bigotry and occasional violence. Protestants of course will remember things quite differently. They will remember Catholic persecution of dissenters in Europe, the entanglements of the Roman Church and state power, and papal suspicion of democracy and religious liberty.
We can't erase those memories. And we cannot – nor should we try to – paper over the issues that still divide us as believers in terms of doctrine, authority and our understandings of the Church. Ecumenism based on good manners instead of truth is empty. It's also a form of lying. If we share a love of Jesus Christ and a familial bond in baptism and God's Word, then on a fundamental level, we're brothers and sisters. Members of a family owe each other more than surface courtesies. We owe each other the kind of fraternal respect that "speak[s] the truth in love" (Eph 4:15). We also urgently owe each other solidarity and support in dealing with a culture that increasingly derides religious faith in general, and the Christian faith in particular. And that brings me to the heart of what I want to share with you.
Our theme tonight is the vocation of Christians in American public life. That's a pretty broad canvas. Broad enough that I wrote a book about it. Tonight I want to focus in a special way on the role of Christians in our country's civic and political life. The key to our discussion will be that word "vocation." It comes from the Latin word "vocare," which means, "to call." Christians believe that God calls each of us individually, and all of us as a believing community, to know, love and serve him in our daily lives.
But there's more. He also asks us to make disciples of all nations. That means we have a duty to preach Jesus Christ. We have a mandate to share his Gospel of truth, mercy, justice and love. These are mission words; action words. They're not optional. And they have practical consequences for the way we think, speak, make choices and live our lives, not just at home but in the public square. Real Christian faith is always personal, but it's never private. And we need to think about that simple fact in light of an anniversary.
Fifty years ago this fall, in September 1960, Sen. John F. Kennedy, the Democratic candidate for president, spoke to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association. He had one purpose. He needed to convince 300 uneasy Protestant ministers, and the country at large, that a Catholic like himself could serve loyally as our nation's chief executive. Kennedy convinced the country, if not the ministers, and went on to be elected. And his speech left a lasting mark on American politics. It was sincere, compelling, articulate – and wrong. Not wrong about the patriotism of Catholics, but wrong about American history and very wrong about the role of religious faith in our nation's life. And he wasn't merely "wrong." His Houston remarks profoundly undermined the place not just of Catholics, but of all religious believers, in America's public life and political conversation. Today, half a century later, we're paying for the damage.
Now those are strong statements. So I'll try to explain them by doing three things. First, I want to look at the problems in what Kennedy actually said. Second, I want to reflect on what a proper Christian approach to politics and public service might look like. And last, I want to examine where Kennedy's speech has led us – in other words, the realities we face today, and what Christians need to do about those realities.
John Kennedy was a great speaker. Ted Sorensen, who helped craft the Houston speech, was a gifted writer. As a result, it's easy to speed-read Kennedy's Houston remarks as a passionate appeal for tolerance. But the text has at least two big flaws (2). The first is political and historical. The second is religious.
Early in his remarks, Kennedy said: "I believe in an America where the separation of Church and state is absolute." Given the distrust historically shown to Catholics in this country, his words were shrewdly chosen. The trouble is, the Constitution doesn't say that. The Founders and Framers didn't believe that. And the history of the United States contradicts that. Unlike revolutionary leaders in Europe, the American Founders looked quite favorably on religion. Many were believers themselves. In fact, one of the main reasons for writing the First Amendment's Establishment Clause – the clause that bars any federally-endorsed Church – was that several of the Constitution's Framers wanted to protect the publicly funded Protestant Churches they already had in their own states. John Adams actually preferred a "mild and equitable establishment of religion" and helped draft that into the 1780 Massachusetts Constitution (3).
America's Founders encouraged mutual support between religion and government. Their reasons were practical. In their view, a republic like the United States needs a virtuous people to survive. Religious faith, rightly lived, forms virtuous people. Thus, the modern, drastic sense of the "separation of Church and state" had little force in American consciousness until Justice Hugo Black excavated it from a private letter President Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1802 to the Danbury Baptist Association (4). Justice Black then used Jefferson's phrase in the Supreme Court's Everson v. Board of Education decision in 1947.
The date of that Court decision is important, because America's Catholic bishops wrote a wonderful pastoral letter one year later – in 1948 – called "The Christian in Action." It's worth reading. In that letter, the bishops did two things. They strongly endorsed American democracy and religious freedom. They also strongly challenged Justice Black's logic in Everson.
The bishops wrote that "it would be an utter distortion of American history and law" to force the nation's public institutions into an "indifference to religion and the exclusion of cooperation between religion and government." They rejected Justice Black's harsh new sense of the separation of Church and state as a "shibboleth of doctrinaire secularism"(5). And the bishops argued their case from the facts of American history.
The value of remembering that pastoral statement tonight is this: Kennedy referenced the 1948 bishops' letter in his Houston comments. He wanted to prove the deep Catholic support for American democracy. And rightly so. But he neglected to mention that the same bishops, in the same letter, repudiated the new and radical kind of separation doctrine he was preaching.
The Houston remarks also created a religious problem. To his credit, Kennedy said that if his duties as President should "ever require me to violate my conscience or violate the national interest, I would resign the office." He also warned that he would not "disavow my views or my church in order to win this election." But in its effect, the Houston speech did exactly that. It began the project of walling religion away from the process of governance in a new and aggressive way. It also divided a person's private beliefs from his or her public duties. And it set "the national interest" over and against "outside religious pressures or dictates."
For his audience of Protestant ministers, Kennedy's stress on personal conscience may have sounded familiar and reassuring. But what Kennedy actually did, according to Jesuit scholar Mark Massa, was something quite alien and new. He "'secularize[d] the American presidency in order to win it." In other words, "[P]recisely because Kennedy was not an adherent of that mainstream Protestant religiosity that had created and buttressed the 'plausibility structures' of [American] political culture at least since Lincoln, he had to 'privatize' presidential religious belief – including and especially his own – in order to win that office" (6).
In Massa's view, the kind of secularity pushed by the Houston speech "represented a near total privatization of religious belief – so much a privatization that religious observers from both sides of the Catholic/Protestant fence commented on its remarkable atheistic implications for public life and discourse." And the irony – again as told by Massa – is that some of the same people who worried publicly about Kennedy's Catholic faith got a result very different from the one they expected. In effect, "the raising of the [Catholic] issue itself went a considerable way toward 'secularizing' the American public square by privatizing personal belief. The very effort to 'safeguard' the [essentially Protestant] religious aura of the presidency... contributed in significant ways to its secularization."
Fifty years after Kennedy's Houston speech, we have more Catholics in national public office than ever before. But I wonder if we've ever had fewer of them who can coherently explain how their faith informs their work, or who even feel obligated to try. The life of our country is no more "Catholic" or "Christian" than it was 100 years ago. In fact it's arguably less so. And at least one of the reasons for it is this: Too many Catholics confuse their personal opinions with a real Christian conscience. Too many live their faith as if it were a private idiosyncrasy – the kind that they'll never allow to become a public nuisance. And too many just don't really believe. Maybe it's different in Protestant circles. But I hope you'll forgive me if I say, "I doubt it."
John Kennedy didn't create the trends in American life that I've described. But at least for Catholics, his Houston speech clearly fed them. Which brings me to the second point of my talk: What would a proper Christian approach to politics look like? John Courtney Murray, the Jesuit scholar who spoke so forcefully about the dignity of American democracy and religious freedom, once wrote: "The Holy Spirit does not descend into the City of Man in the form of a dove. He comes only in the endlessly energetic spirit of justice and love that dwells in the man of the City, the layman" (7).
Here's what that means. Christianity is not mainly – or even significantly –- about politics. It's about living and sharing the love of God. And Christian political engagement, when it happens, is never mainly the task of the clergy. That work belongs to lay believers who live most intensely in the world. Christian faith is not a set of ethics or doctrines. It's not a group of theories about social and economic justice. All these things have their place. All of them can be important. But a Christian life begins in a relationship with Jesus Christ; and it bears fruit in the justice, mercy and love we show to others because of that relationship.
Jesus said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets" (Mt 22:37-40). That's the test of our faith, and without a passion for Jesus Christ in our hearts that reshapes our lives, Christianity is just a word game and a legend. Relationships have consequences. A married man will commit himself to certain actions and behaviors, no matter what the cost, out of the love he bears for his wife. Our relationship with God is the same. We need to live and prove our love by our actions, not just in our personal and family lives, but also in the public square. Therefore Christians individually and the Church as a believing community engage the political order as an obligation of the Word of God. Human law teaches and forms as well as regulates; and human politics is the exercise of power – which means both have moral implications that the Christian cannot ignore and still remain faithful to his vocation as a light to the world (Mt 5:14-16).
Robert Dodaro, the Augustinian priest and scholar, wrote a wonderful book a few years ago called "Christ and the Just Society in the Thought of Augustine". In his book and elsewhere, Dodaro makes four key points about Augustine's view of Christianity and politics (8).
First, Augustine never really offers a political theory, and there's a reason. He doesn't believe human beings can know or create perfect justice in this world. Our judgment is always flawed by our sinfulness. Therefore, the right starting point for any Christian politics is humility, modesty and a very sober realism.
Second, no political order, no matter how seemingly good, can ever constitute a just society. Errors in moral judgment can't be avoided. These errors also grow exponentially in their complexity as they move from lower to higher levels of society and governance. Therefore the Christian needs to be loyal to her nation and obedient to its legitimate rulers. But he also needs to cultivate a critical vigilance about both.
Third, despite these concerns, Christians still have a duty to take part in public life according to their God-given abilities, even when their faith brings them into conflict with public authority. We can't simply ignore or withdraw from civic affairs. The reason is simple. The classic civic virtues named by Cicero – prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance – can be renewed and elevated, to the benefit of all citizens, by the Christian virtues of faith, hope and charity. Therefore, political engagement is a worthy Christian task, and public office is an honorable Christian vocation.
Fourth, in governing as best they can, while conforming their lives and their judgment to the content of the Gospel, Christian leaders in public life can accomplish real good, and they can make a difference. Their success will always be limited and mixed. It will never be ideal. But with the help of God they can improve the moral quality of society, which makes the effort invaluable.
What Augustine believes about Christian leaders, we can reasonably extend to the vocation of all Christian citizens. The skills of the Christian citizen are finally very simple: a zeal for Jesus Christ and his Church; a conscience formed in humility and rooted in Scripture and the believing community; the prudence to see which issues in public life are vital and foundational to human dignity, and which ones are not; and the courage to work for what's right. We don't cultivate these skills alone. We develop them together as Christians, in prayer, on our knees, in the presence of Jesus Christ – and also in discussions like tonight.
Now before ending, I want to turn briefly to the third point I mentioned earlier in my talk: the realities we face today, and what Christians need to do about them. As I was preparing these comments for tonight, I listed all the urgent issues that demand our attention as believers: abortion; immigration; our obligations to the poor, the elderly and the disabled; questions of war and peace; our national confusion about sexual identity and human nature, and the attacks on marriage and family life that flow from this confusion; the growing disconnection of our science and technology from real moral reflection; the erosion of freedom of conscience in our national health-care debates; the content and quality of the schools that form our children.
The list is long. I believe abortion is the foundational human rights issue of our lifetime. We need to do everything we can to support women in their pregnancies and to end the legal killing of unborn children. We may want to remember that the Romans had a visceral hatred for Carthage not because Carthage was a commercial rival, or because its people had a different language and customs. The Romans hated Carthage above all because its people sacrificed their infants to Ba'al. For the Romans, who themselves were a hard people, that was a unique kind of wickedness and barbarism. As a nation, we might profitably ask ourselves whom and what we've really been worshipping in our 40 million "legal" abortions since 1973.
All of these issues that I've listed above divide our country and our Churches in a way Augustine would have found quite understandable. The City of God and the City of Man overlap in this world. Only God knows who finally belongs to which. But in the meantime, in seeking to live the Gospel we claim to believe, we find friends and brothers in unforeseen places, unlikely places; and when that happens, even a foreign place can seem like one's home.
The vocation of Christians in American public life does not have a Baptist or Catholic or Greek Orthodox or any other brand-specific label. John 14:6 – "I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me" – which is so key to the identity of Houston Baptist University, burns just as hot in this heart, and the heart of every Catholic who truly understands his faith. Our job is to love God, preach Jesus Christ, serve and defend God's people, and sanctify the world as his agents. To do that work, we need to be one. Not "one" in pious words or good intentions, but really one, perfectly one, in mind and heart and action, as Christ intended. This is what Jesus meant when he said: "I do not pray for these only, but also those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me" (Jn 17:20-21).
We live in a country that was once – despite its sins and flaws – deeply shaped by Christian faith. It can be so again. But we will do that together, or we won't do it at all. We need to remember the words of St. Hilary from so long ago: "Unum sunt, qui invicem sunt", they are one, who are wholly for each other (9). May God grant us the grace to love each other, support each other and live wholly for each other in Jesus Christ – so that we might work together in renewing the nation that has served human freedom so well.
(1) Paul Johnson, "An Almost-Chosen People," First Things, June/July 2006; adapted from his Erasmus Lecture.
(2) Full text of the Kennedy Houston speech is available online from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
(3) John Witte, Jr., "From Establishment to Freedom of Public Religion," Emory University School of Law, Public Law and Legal Theory Research Paper Series, Research Paper No. 04-1, 2003, p. 5.
(4) Ibid., p. 2-3.
(5) U.S. Catholic bishops, pastoral letter, "The Christian in Action," No. 11, 1948; see also Nos. 12-18; reprinted in "Pastoral Letters of the American Hierarchy, 1792-1970," Hugh J. Nolan, Our Sunday Visitor, 1971.
(6) Mark Massa, S.J.; quotations from Massa are from "A Catholic for President? John F. Kennedy and the 'Secular' Theology of the Houston Speech, 1960," Journal of Church and State, Spring 1997.
(7) John Courtney Murray, S.J., "The Role of Faith in the Renovation of the World," 1948; Murray's works are available online from the Woodstock Theological Center Library.
(8) Robert Dodaro, O.S.A.; see private correspondence with speaker, along with "Christ and the Just Society in the Thought of Augustine," Cambridge University Press, 2008 (first published in 2004), and "Ecclesia and Res Publica: How Augustinian Are Neo-Augustinian Politics?," collected in "Augustine and Post-Modern Thought: A New Alliance Against Modernity?," Peeters, Bibliotheca Ephemeridum Theologicarum Lovaniensium, 2009.
(9) Referenced in Murray, "The Construction of a Christian Culture;" essay originally delivered as three talks in 1940, available as noted above.
The complete text of the speech given by John F. Kennedy on September 12, 1960, to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association:
> "While the so called religious issue..."
On the book "Render Unto Caesar" by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput:
> How to Conduct Politics as Catholics. The Denver Memorandum (13.8.2008)
Posted with permission from www.chiesa.
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