Tag Archive for: movie review

Inside Out 2 and Our Identity in Christ

Inside Out 2 Big Screen

Disney’s Masterful Exposé of Riley’s Brain on Puberty Reminds Me that Emotional Regulation Can Be Hard for Adults, Too

 

by Jenna Kruse

 

It would be easy to chalk up Disney’s newest Pixar hit, Inside Out 2, as cinema therapy for those whose hormone siren just went off—it certainly normalizes teeth that haven’t yet surrendered to the braces, skin that won’t cooperate, and the awkwardness of needing deodorant for the first time.

 

But as the movie masterfully gives a behind-the-scenes view of Riley’s emotional control center, I’m left wondering why, as a 40-year-old woman, I still relate so powerfully to her story—and not just as a mother of a teen and preteen.

 

Riley’s experience of puberty and the subsequent “emotional overhaul” it causes mirrors the intensity with which many teenagers—and adults—experience the flesh vs. spirit war that Romans 7-8 exposes within us all.

 

Granted, Riley and my Read more

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Who’s the Baddest of Them All?

Cruella

I’m not sure anymore…Cruella, antiheroes, and the gospel

In light of the gospel, what do we do with the antihero trend in Hollywood? As the lines of good versus evil get muddied, should we be appalled, confused, or cheer them on?

 

The other day, I got roped into being a fill-in character during my youngest daughter’s pretend play session with the neighbor girl. Since the two 6-year-olds both decided to be mermaids and I was the only other living and breathing thing within earshot, I was cast as both the mermaid-killer and the mermaid-healer. I was both the bad guy and the good guy all in one.

 

First of all, can I just stop and ask the fellow parents out there, Why the inverse relationship between age and ability to engage in imaginative play? I wish I weren’t the norm here, but man is it hard! That aside, I was a mixture of confused and amused in managing these stark contrasts: just as quickly as I was able to muster up some intensely malicious motives for the bad guy, my six-year-old boss ladies had me switching hats to bring on the gentleness and goodness required of me for the rescue. Read more

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What Disney’s Soul Taught Me About Satisfaction

Planning to finally sit down with your family and watch Disney’s Soul over Spring Break? It’s an intriguing new movie from Pixar Studios where end-of-life and after-life themes get wrapped up in a psychedelic-techno dream-like animated package suitable for a child. At least it’s supposed to be since it’s animated and it comes from Disney. But it doesn’t take long to realize there’s going to be some heavy stuff in this movie, interplaying with (as Disney so genius-ly does) a silly mix of antics from our main character, Joe Gardner, whose psyche and circumstance are so relatable to just about any adult-trying-to-adult and any child who loves talking cats. Yes…umm, you’ll just have to watch.

 

But even though there are forthright references to end-of-life scenarios that some kids might not be ready for and spiritual undertones from an amalgamation of world religions and belief systems, I still found a way to see the truth of my Christian faith alive and well in the heart of the message that Joe’s life and journey convey. And as usual, it came up in conversation with my kiddos. (Psst! Read more

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21 Gospel Parallels from Disney’s The Lion King (2019)

I’m not sure how to say this out loud, but the original The Lion King was never one of my favorites growing up. Too sad. In fact, it was the first movie in which I cried while watching. So, whenever I look back on the movie, it’s the Read more

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