Faith and Film at the Palace
This is a list of movies we will examine in the class along with some key questions the films raise.
(Note: Movies are subject to change if circumstances warrant.)
Sunday, June 2
- A Timely Film
- A Popular Movie
- A Heroic Movie
- A Classic Movie
Inside Out (2015)
From IMDb: “After young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions – Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness – conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house, and school.”
Respondent: Dr. Dave Helms, LPC
Dave Helms is a respected Licenced Professional Counselor practicing in the Austin area. In addition to his other qualifications, he has a graudate degree in Child Psychology.
With the sequel hitting theaters in June, it is time to revisit this movie that attempted to portray the emotional battles inside the mind of a pre-teen girl. The film is animated, which leads one to conclude it is aimed at children. We invite anyone with kids or grandkids to examine this film to get a glimpse of the spiritual battles our young people are experiencing these days.
Questions this film raises:
- What does the current field of child psychology say about the internal emotional conflicts in a young person?
- Has popular science changed the way practitioners and parents treat children who have struggles like these?
- Are children raised in a Christian home immune to any of these problems?
- Are sadness and fear necessary emotions in a healthy psyche? What else is necessary? What should be repressed?
- What comfort and assurance can help a child who struggles with their emotions?
Sunday, June 9
- A Timely Film
- A Popular Movie
- A Heroic Movie
- A Classic Movie
Barbie (2023)
From IMDb: “Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.”
Respondent: Robin Knippa
Robin Knippa, is a career woman, but she is also a wife and mother. She often leads Bible Classes addressing popular culture at Zion Lutheran in Walburg.
- What does the journey between the real and utopian Barbieland world represent? Is it the journey to maturity or the entry into a sinful world or something else?
- Is everything possible for women today? Have they, in at least some ways, become superior to men?
- What does it feel like to be put in a box? Are the intentions of the Mattel executives entirely bad? What do they aim to preserve?
- What does this movie say about the evolving symbiotic relationship between men and women?
- What statements or revelations about the relationship between the creator and the created does this movie uncover?
Sunday, June 16
- A Timely Film
- A Popular Movie
- A Heroic Movie
- A Classic Movie
Friday Night Lights (The movie, 2004)
From IMDb: “Based on H.G. Bissinger’s book, which profiled the economically depressed town of Odessa, Texas and their heroic high school football team, The Permian High Panthers.”
Respondent: Mike Barnes
Formerly the award-winning sports director at KVUE, Mike is now a motivational speaker and communications consultant at Barnes Team Media. He and his wife Kim recently launched Parenting Aging Parents, a resource site for people facing that unique challenge.
No one knows high school football better than our respondent. As sports director, Barns hosted the popular Friday Football Fever broadcast each fall, covering Central Texas high school football. Many will remember his broadcasts on Friday nights covering area high school football games.
Questions this film raises:
- What is the mystique about high school football, especially in small towns in Texas?
- How has the stadium become a holy place for many players and fans alike?
- What are some of the positive spirtual benefits of playing on a competitive sports team? What are the potential problems with it?
- How compelling is the promise of a college scholarship for these athletes? Might this carrot-on-a-stick serve as a metaphor for one’s own life quest?
- Is the reciting of the Lord’s Prayer (in both locker rooms) indicative of a deeper truth about Texas high school sports? How do viewers interpret that moment?
Sunday, June 23
- A Timely Film
- A Popular Movie
- A Heroic Movie
- A Classic Movie
From IMDb: “Five high school students meet in Saturday detention and discover how they have a great deal more in common than they thought.”
Respondent: Rev. Dr. David Kluth
Recently the interim senior pastor at Zion Lutheran Church and School, Rev. Dr. David Kluth has also served as a professor, vice president, and dean at several Concordia universities. David led the relocation of Concordia University Texas to its new campus. He earned a Master of Arts in Mass Communication/Media Studies from the University of Minnesota, a Master of Divinity from Concordia Seminary St. Louis, and a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in instructional technology & design from Nova Southeastern University.
This classic movie is also worthy of a second look. Five teenagers, each saturated in their preferred school culture, are forced together to endure a dreaded day-long detention. The day becomes a journey of transformation for the teens. In one way or another, each of them experiences renewal as their day of detention transforms into a day of liberation.
Questions this film raises:
- Are the characters meant to represent universal stereotypes among high school students? If the movie were made today, what characters would be in the movie?
- How powerful is the drive for social acceptance among people, especially in the young?
- What universal strengths and/or weaknesses are apparent in each character? How does each student transition throughout the day?
- The retention writing assignment asks the students, “Who you think you are?” How profound and relevant is that question for today?
- Is anyone redeemed in this movie? If so, who or what is the redeemer?
DISCLAMER: MOVIES MAY CONTAIN ROUGH LANGUAGE AND DEPICT SEXUAL SITUAIONS.
Series Curator
The Faith and Film Series is led by Dr. Philip J. Hohle, who has a Bachelor of Science degree in Radio-Television-Film from The University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Arts in Speech Communication from Texas State University, and a Ph.D. from Regent University in Communication Studies. A member of the Society for the Cognitive Study of the Moving Image, he has presented in the U.S., Finland, and Spain on how audiences interpret the movies they watch. He has also published two books and several articles on viewer response theory. Currently, he teaches at The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Southeaster University.
Many of us will remember how enthusiastic viewers were last summer about this nostalgic look at the Barbie Doll craze. Like the doll itself, the movie seemed to be aimed at young girls. Upon closer examination, the movie makes some profound statements about the journey of young women who enjoy unlimited opportunities in whatever path they choose. Likewise, the movie makes a statement about marriage and the role of men in this utopian world. For both women and men—this movie demands a deeper look.
Questions this film raises:
- What does the journey between the real and utopian Barbieland world represent? Is it the journey to maturity or the entry into a sinful world or something else?
- Is everything possible for women today? Have they, in at least some ways, become superior to men?
- What does it feel like to be put in a box? Are the intentions of the Mattel executives entirely bad? What do they aim to preserve?
- What does this movie say about the evolving symbiotic relationship between men and women?
- What statements or revelations about the relationship between the creator and the created does this movie uncover?
Sunday, June 16
- A Timely Film
- A Popular Movie
- A Heroic Movie
- A Classic Movie
Friday Night Lights (The movie, 2004)
From IMDb: “Based on H.G. Bissinger’s book, which profiled the economically depressed town of Odessa, Texas and their heroic high school football team, The Permian High Panthers.”
Respondent: Mike Barnes
Formerly the award-winning sports director at KVUE, Mike is now a motivational speaker and communications consultant at Barnes Team Media. He and his wife Kim recently launched Parenting Aging Parents, a resource site for people facing that unique challenge.
No one knows high school football better than our respondent. As sports director, Barns hosted the popular Friday Football Fever broadcast each fall, covering Central Texas high school football. Many will remember his broadcasts on Friday nights covering area high school football games.
Questions this film raises:
- What is the mystique about high school football, especially in small towns in Texas?
- How has the stadium become a holy place for many players and fans alike?
- What are some of the positive spirtual benefits of playing on a competitive sports team? What are the potential problems with it?
- How compelling is the promise of a college scholarship for these athletes? Might this carrot-on-a-stick serve as a metaphor for one’s own life quest?
- Is the reciting of the Lord’s Prayer (in both locker rooms) indicative of a deeper truth about Texas high school sports? How do viewers interpret that moment?
Sunday, June 23
- A Timely Film
- A Popular Movie
- A Heroic Movie
- A Classic Movie
From IMDb: “Five high school students meet in Saturday detention and discover how they have a great deal more in common than they thought.”
Respondent: Rev. Dr. David Kluth
Recently the interim senior pastor at Zion Lutheran Church and School, Rev. Dr. David Kluth has also served as a professor, vice president, and dean at several Concordia universities. David led the relocation of Concordia University Texas to its new campus. He earned a Master of Arts in Mass Communication/Media Studies from the University of Minnesota, a Master of Divinity from Concordia Seminary St. Louis, and a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in instructional technology & design from Nova Southeastern University.
This classic movie is also worthy of a second look. Five teenagers, each saturated in their preferred school culture, are forced together to endure a dreaded day-long detention. The day becomes a journey of transformation for the teens. In one way or another, each of them experiences renewal as their day of detention transforms into a day of liberation.
Questions this film raises:
- Are the characters meant to represent universal stereotypes among high school students? If the movie were made today, what characters would be in the movie?
- How powerful is the drive for social acceptance among people, especially in the young?
- What universal strengths and/or weaknesses are apparent in each character? How does each student transition throughout the day?
- The retention writing assignment asks the students, “Who you think you are?” How profound and relevant is that question for today?
- Is anyone redeemed in this movie? If so, who or what is the redeemer?
DISCLAMER: MOVIES MAY CONTAIN ROUGH LANGUAGE AND DEPICT SEXUAL SITUAIONS.
Series Curator
The Faith and Film Series is led by Dr. Philip J. Hohle, who has a Bachelor of Science degree in Radio-Television-Film from The University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Arts in Speech Communication from Texas State University, and a Ph.D. from Regent University in Communication Studies. A member of the Society for the Cognitive Study of the Moving Image, he has presented in the U.S., Finland, and Spain on how audiences interpret the movies they watch. He has also published two books and several articles on viewer response theory. Currently, he teaches at The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Southeaster University.