Weekend Wisdom, June 29-30, 2024
What would summer be without blockbuster movie reviews? I suggest that you watch either or both with another person. These films are ripe with things to talk about!
by Amberly Boerschinger, Director of Communications & Technology
Inside Out 2
Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust have been running a successful operation by all accounts. However, when Anxiety and friends show up, they aren't sure how to feel.
First, I would not recommend this film for children younger than 5th grade. There is nothing offensive to younger ages, but the ideas explored and the intensity of some of the emotions might be a bit overwhelming for some younger children. Even my 9th grader was feeling the power of the feelings by the end of the film.
I loved this film. I have parented through the height of Pixar films and loved the first Inside Out film, but this second film not only grew with Riley, the main character, but with the viewers who watched the first film. There is such rich and colorful (literally!) character development alongside an amazing, age-appropriate treatment of feelings, emotions and the developments in modern neuroscience. In an era of rising awareness of mental health and the importance of emotional health, this film offers some beautiful clarity of concepts.
From the “bottling up” of the primary emotions of youth in favor of the more complex emotions like anxiety and envy, to the hierarchy of feelings, beliefs and the ultimate sense of self, these writers and animators clearly poured their hearts into this creation. At one pivotal moment, Joy, a primary feeling, breaks down and cries, “They don’t need us anymore and that hurts.”
The film’s treatment of anxiety was moving. Not only did it show how the imagination can feed anxiety in the same way real experience does, but the film clearly illustrated that feelings don’t get to choose who we are. I often say to my own children, “Scientifically, a feeling last about 90 seconds. It only lasts longer when attach a thought to it.”
From a faith standpoint, the development of core beliefs was pivotal for me. Our experiences drive the formation of our core beliefs and the voices that speak from our true self. It is so important that we fill our (and our children’s and grandchildren’s) minds and hearts with good people and the words of Scripture as part of our always developing sense of self. Ultimately, no matter our age, our sense of self needs to be grounded in the fact that we are children of God. No feeling can keep us from the peace of Jesus. Scripture, psychology, neuroscience and this film agree: love drives out fear.
How to watch: Currently in theaters. Original is available on DVD, BluRay and streaming on Disney+.
Cabrini
Arriving in New York City in 1889, Italian immigrant Francesca Cabrini is greeted by disease, crime and impoverished children. She soon sets off on a daring mission to convince the mayor to secure housing and health care for society's most vulnerable. With broken English and poor health, Cabrini uses her entrepreneurial mind to build an empire of hope unlike anything the world has ever seen.
Cabrini is one of Angel Studios recent productions and is concerned with the early American mission of St. Francis Cabrini and her order of sisters. I was fortunate to see this film in March with a group of church communications colleagues. I walked out of the theater with a calm and quiet joy. The cinematography was stunning. As women, our group could identify with the deep and comprehensive service St. Francis Cabrini and her sisters offered to their community. From brushing hair and making meals to securing the resources needed to build and maintain childcare and healthcare facilities in a world that wasn’t built for her, we all identified with the mental load.
Some critics of the film mentioned that St. Francis Cabrini’s spiritual and diving connection and motivation was more absent than they would have liked. I disagree, but will suggest that those connections were more subtly referenced. To the attentive eye and heart, St. Francis Cabrini had several “Holy Spirit” moments that led her to act. From the playbill of the Italian opera singer to the images she spots on the walls, God was speaking to her in ordinary, everyday ways to extraordinary responses on her part.
Jesus did not begin relationship with people by saying “I am the Christ and you are a sinner.” He began by saying something like “Give Me to drink”. Then He went deeper. This film is for Catholics, but not a Catholic film. It is the beginning of the conversation.
Isn’t that a bit like our own lives? If we are still and attentive, God is all around us and we can respond in the most unique of ways. If our minds and hearts are cluttered, we often find ourselves saying, “Where is God?”.
How to watch: Angel App/Angel Guild subscription OR join us later in the summer for a parish watch party!
