dual personalities

Tag: movies

December 1, 2025

Come thou long expected Jesus*

by chuckofish

Well, I certainly underestimated the weather gurus and their forecasts of snow on Saturday. We got 5 inches more or less and I was stuck at home. I’m not complaining–I like a snowy day in my cozy home. Luckily daughter #1 helped me on Friday to bring up my Christmas ornaments from the basement. She also helped me put together my new King of Christmas artificial tree. It popped right into place and since the tree is equipped with all the latest technology, the lights automatically connect through the pole, easy peasy. I love a real tree, but in my dotage I feel no guilt about this newest acquisition. The boy had to come over like three times last year to help me, so now I can be reasonably self-sufficient as per my decorating. The tree even came with special gloves to wear for fluffing.

Pre-fluffed…not bad!

Daughter #1 also helped me get the mantel set up…

Friday night I had unwrapped all my tree ornaments, so on Saturday I put them on the tree (post fluffing).

I am pleased.

Since I finished reading Shane, I watched the movie. It is one of those rare examples of a movie that is far better than the book. The book is good, but the movie is great, a classic, the original that everyone copies. The screenplay by A.B. Guthrie is sophisticated and complex, although telling a seemingly simple story; the direction by George Stevens is brilliant. The actors are all at the top of their game, and in the case of Alan Ladd, he was never better. By the climactic fight between Shane and Joe Starrett where the horses are going crazy and Marian is screaming, I was in tears. And then, the build-up to the final shoot-out–wow. You could certainly write a thesis on this movie and the way it builds tension etc. The best scenes are not even in the book. And when I was writing the blogpost about film scenes in the rain–how did I forget Shane?

(There are so many spoilers in this trailer!)

Sunday was the first Sunday in Advent! We started a new sermon series on the first chapters of Luke. We also had a baptism, our pastor’s (adorable) baby son. Our adult ed class was on the beginning of Matthew–led by a seminary professor and excellent. Did I mention that we sang good Advent hymns?

After church we went back to my house where daughters #1 and #3 met us to celebrate the boy’s birthday. I made his favorite meal–tortellini, French bread and salad and we had cake.

Good, good times. An eventful 4-day weekend!

Have a good week! Take some time to pause and reflect, to remember how gracious our God has been, His unexpected provision and answered prayers, and His steady faithfulness woven through every ordinary day.

*Charles Wesley, 1744

Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.

4 Comments
November 28, 2025

Happy Birthday, brown-eyed handsome man

by chuckofish

Today is the boy’s birthday! He was born on the day after Thanksgiving 39 years ago. Since it is Black Friday, he will be working all day on his birthday, but we will celebrate on Sunday. He deserves a party!

I hope your Thanksgiving was a good day. We had a lovely feast at the boy’s house with all the fixins.

And we watched Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) for, like, the 38th time.

Flyover dreams.

Have a good weekend! Enjoy the leftovers.

4 Comments
November 17, 2025

Think about these things*

by chuckofish

The weather has been unseasonably warm and beautiful for November–blue sky, orange trees, temps in the 70s! Daughter #1 and I sat out on a lovely patio on Friday afternoon and enjoyed a glass of wine–in November! Then we drove out to Wildwood and enjoyed pizza night with the boy and his family. Lovely.

The rest of the weekend was fairly quiet. I finished a D.E. Stevenson book and watched the leaves float down. I watched the new Kevin James movie–Playdate–on Prime. I’m not saying it’s a great movie, but I enjoyed it.

A “buddy action comedy movie”, it is about two dads and their sons who are targeted by mercenaries. There is no bad language, no sex, no politics, and very little real violence. It held my interest for 90 minutes. And the first scene takes place at a lacrosse game. Why don’t they make more movies like this?

On Sunday I went to church and heard a great sermon on Philippians 4:2-9.

2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Think about these things. Practice these things. The Lord is near. Wow. And Wow.

My adult ed class was about the diaconate. We have 14 deacons at my church and they really walk the walk. Presbyterian polity, which was developed as a rejection of governance by hierarchies of single bishops, also differs from the congregational polity in which each congregation is independent. In contrast to the other two forms, authority in the presbyterian polity flows both from the top down (as higher assemblies exercise limited but important authority over individual congregations, e.g., only the presbytery can ordain ministers, install pastors, and start up, close, and approve relocating a congregation) and from the bottom up (e.g., the moderator and officers are not appointed from above but are rather elected by and from among the members of the assembly). Brilliant. This theory of governance was developed in Geneva under John Calvin and was introduced to Scotland by John Knox. Presbyterians view this method of government as approximating that of the New Testament and earliest churches. In our church, deacons exercise responsibility for practical matters of the building and grounds and administer the welfare matters of the congregation. Members who are in need are helped by the deacons. These men are the faith in action team.

And here’s a word from Anne about irony.

Meanwhile, on the prairie…

Have a good week! Enjoy the beautiful fall weather. Read a book. Thank a deacon. Smile. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. 

The Lord is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth.

–Psalm 145:18

3 Comments
November 12, 2025

Lest we forget

by chuckofish

Happy belated Veterans Day!

I watched The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)–one of the best movies about veterans ever made and well worth watching almost 80 years later.

Over a million American service members have laid down their lives for the country, and their sacrifice will never be forgotten. Here’s one veteran’s story.

1 Comment
November 6, 2025

Forget the ink, the milk, the blood—all was washed clean with the flood

by chuckofish

Well, as soon as I said the leaves had not changed much, they started turning! We are supposed to have a cold snap this weekend, so I finished cleaning out the Florida room and moved the rest of the plants. Sadly, we did not use it much this year.

Anyway, I was talking to the boy the other day and he reminded me that I left out two very significant scenes in famous rainy movies. I was semi-horrified that I had, indeed, forgotten:

John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara in The Quiet Man (1951)…

and Robert Redford knocking the cover off the ball in The Natural (1984)…

Wonderful. But what else did I forget?

Oh, here’s a poem by Don Paterson about rain in movies!

I love all films that start with rain:
rain, braiding a windowpane
or darkening a hung-out dress
or streaming down her upturned face;

one long thundering downpour
right through the empty script and score
before the act, before the blame,
before the lens pulls through the frame

to where the woman sits alone
beside a silent telephone
or the dress lies ruined on the grass
or the girl walks off the overpass,

and all things flow out from that source
along their fatal watercourse.
However bad or overlong
such a film can do no wrong,

so when his native twang shows through
or when the boom dips into view
or when her speech starts to betray
its adaptation from the play,

forget the ink, the milk, the blood—
all was washed clean with the flood
we rose up from the falling waters
the fallen rain’s own sons and daughters

and none of this, none of this matters.

Smile, look up, repeat.

4 Comments
November 4, 2025

My times are in your hand*

by chuckofish

The maple tree leaves have turned in our neck of the woods, but the oak trees are just starting. We had a serious drought and there are consequences.

Leaf blowers have not really started yet–it will no doubt be a noisy Advent. C’est la vie.

This is a good explanation of why the leaves turn in the fall and “the colors of autumn fill the earth with a special beauty that reflects the artistry and creative power of God” from the John 10:10 Project.

And one last…

Here’s good news: In celebration of his birth centennial, TCM will honor Rock Hudson with a month-long tribute every Tuesday in November. He’s the Star of the Month! So check out the schedule on Tuesday nights.

Today we also celebrate the birth of Augustus Montague Toplady, Anglican cleric and hymn writer, in 1740. He is best remembered as the author of the hymn Rock of Ages, which we sing quite frequently at my church.

(He was as handsome as Rock Hudson!)

Toplady, we are told, underwent a religious awakening in August 1755. In his own diary, he wrote “I was awakened in the month of August, 1755, but not, as has been falsely reported, under Mr. John Wesley, or any preacher connected with him. Thought awakened in 1755. I was not led into a full and clear view of all the doctrines of grace, till the year 1758, when, through the great goodness of God, my Arminian prejudices received an effectual shock, in reading Dr. Manton’s Sermons on the 17th of St. John”. A man after my own heart.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I die.

Have a good Tuesday!

*Psalm 31:15

4 Comments
October 30, 2025

Baby the rain must fall

by chuckofish

Yesterday was a rainy, yucky day and I felt lousy so I indulged myself and watched movies, starting with the wonderful The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947). I was also inspired by an old DP blogpost which listed great movie scenes, so I thought I would do one with great movies with scenes in the rain, such as The Seven Samurai (1954)…

…The Public Enemy (1931)

…and then seventy years later, Road to Perdition (2002)

…the final scene in Cool Hand Luke (1967)

..and also the finale of Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

…and the finale of Casablanca (1942) (okay–in the fog)

…and, of course:

And lest we forget:

Turn up the sound, watch them all. You’ll be glad you did.

5 Comments
October 29, 2025

It was a stormy night, like this

by chuckofish

I have a cold and am very stuffed up. I can hardly breathe. Such a bummer.

Meanwhile, October is almost over and I have not watched any movies on my list of seasonal favorites! Not a one. But I will watch The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947). It’s such a good one.

I may not get much else done this week, but I will do that!

Hang in there and I will too.

2 Comments
October 14, 2025

Del Griffith! How the hell are ya?

by chuckofish

I watched the documentary about Canadian actor John Candy, I Like Me, which is available on Prime.

It is directed by Colin Hanks and he certainly got all the cool kids to participate, including his father, Tom Hanks, plus Steve Martin, Bill Murray, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara and many more. There is lots of archival footage. A lot of good film clips. But no one says anything that is really a surprise, except for maybe Macaulay Culkin, who being a child at the time, had a different point of view. We learn that John’s father died when he was 5, and that it very much impacted his life. He wrestled with his early death for his entire life. But aren’t we all coping with something? Coping never goes well when you self-medicate with alcohol and over-indulgence. And I think everyone already knows that Hollywood is a terrible place and it will chew you up and spit you out. Ultimately, the film just leaves you with a sad feeling.

Thankfully we can cheer ourselves up with a John Candy movie…

Thanksgiving is just around the corner!

3 Comments
October 6, 2025

My heart is filled with thankfulness

by chuckofish

Yes, that season is upon us–even the boy has a giant skeleton in his front yard. (He inherited it from his in-laws.) Well, to each his own.

Anyway, I had a nice weekend. Pizza night at the boy’s house. A couple of estate sales. A trip to Hobby Lobby. Mr. Smith and daughter #1 came over Saturday night for Chick-fil-a and a movie.

We watched The Man Who Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain (1995)–a favorite of ours from the good ol’ Harvey Weinstein Miramax days. It is a perfect movie–the kind they don’t know how to make anymore.

Highly recommended!

Sunday I went to church as usual and heard a good sermon on Philippians 2:5-11. We had our final Sunday School class on the Power of Story in the Works of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. I wish it were not over! I brought the twins new notebooks from the dollar store for them to draw/take notes/journal in. They were very pleased. After church we went to the bud’s soccer game which was very pleasant, even if it was a little on the warm side. We will be freezing soon enough.

After the game I went home and took it easy.

My heart is filled with thankfulness
To Him who bore my pain;
Who plumbed the depths of my disgrace
And gave me life again.
Who crushed my curse of sinfulness,
And clothed me with His light,
And wrote His law of righteousness
With power upon my heart.

For every day I have on earth
Is given by the King.
So I will give my life, my all,
To love and follow Him.

4 Comments