Regulars of this blog might be thinking, “Joseph, why an article on Shrek? We thought your blog was about faith?” A couple points…
1. This blog of mine is about faith and life, and how the two are connected and intersect with each other. I do not see a way to separate the two. Every thing that happens to you, me, and the world on a daily basis, both monumental and seemingly insignifcant, I believe has a greater purpose. Sometimes the purpose is unseen and unknown, other times it is very loud and obvious. I believe God speaks to and guides us through the random, and not-so-random, things of everyday life. I’ve had some people tell me in the past, “You’ve got to get your head out of the clouds.” I am convicted that my head is firmly in the clouds while my feet are firmly planted on the ground. I do not disconnect the two; I believe they are truly engaged with one another moment by moment.
2. Little-known Joseph trivia… I am a huge movie buff, have been since I was a kid. I remember, like yesterday, the first day of 9th grade English class, and Mr. Walker asked the class, “What two very popular movies were both released in 1939?” Without hesitation, I blurted out, “Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz.” He seemed impressed; I felt smug; but then the class laughed, and I realized, suddenly, that being a movie buff isn’t always the most popular thing. I used to pride myself on knowing every single Oscar winner for Best Picture from 1939 all the way to the late 90′s. Unfortunately, I’ve forgotten most at this point, and haven’t kept up with such things frantically for the past decade, but I still remember most. =)
(P.S. – if you want to know my favorite film of all time, it was the Best Picture winner in 1974)
I was reading an article recently which said that studio execs were puzzled as to why the box office this summer seemed to be so weak as opposed to previous summers. Summer is typically a time for huge wealth to come Hollywood’s way, and is considered the season of blockbusters. We’ve had some good ones (Toy Story 3), and successful ones, come our way so far, and even some surprises (I don’t think anyone expected The Karate Kid remake to be as big as it was).
With the economy being as it is, my wife and I rarely get to enjoy movies anymore. When we were first dating a decade ago, we would go almost every week. Sometimes I would go just to relax and end up falling asleep. But things are different now, prices skyrocketing the way they are and wallets becoming emptier by the day. Now, when a new film is released, we really have to challenge ourselves… is it worth the $15 plus the extra $$$ we will spend on snacks? More often these days, we discern it is not worth it. Sometimes, we’ve been duped… we paid the cost for Clash of the Titans, only to leave thinking, “Man, how much did we spend on that again?”
There are always numerous reasons why a certain particular film might not meet industry expectations, or why one season might fizzle financially compared to the previous year. But in regards to this summer, I have one side thought… more like an after thought…
When the creators of Shrek first developed the concept for the film, I am pretty sure they thought, “Wow, we have a really funny and totally original idea on our hands here! Let’s make it happen!” I am sure when they created Shrek 2, they thought, “Wow, audiences really loved and responded to the first one! We should follow up and give them a sequel!” But by the time Shrek 3 was in the works, my hunch is they were thinking, “Well, it turns out we have a money maker on our hands, so it only makes sense… and lots of cents… to make a third installment.” Do you see the difference? The first two were conceived out of a great idea… the third, more out of hoped-for financial profit.
I could be totally wrong, of course, on this assumption… and yes, it is just that… an assumption. And I definitely am not trying to judge the creators of the brand and say this is truly what they were thinking. It is only my after thought based upon my experience of the first 3 films. Shrek 3 seemed very contrived and forced; the humor was there in some scattered parts, but overall, it just felt like Hollywood was hacking up the same old-same old. And that made for a boring story, in my opinion.
When I heard they made a Shrek 4, my sole thought was, “Uhhh…. why? What for?” Perhaps the creators wished to redeem themselves from 3, who knows? Or perhaps they just figured that a 4 could still pull out and generate some financial gain. However, based upon critic reviews and an overall disappointing box office reception, it seems audiences mainly thought the same way I did… “What was the point for 4?” When something seems forcibly contrived, audiences can smell it a mile away. I did not, and really do not plan to, see Shrek 4. Just don’t really have the gut interest for it. The trailer did not catch me; I was bored by the time it ended. It made me think, “The magic is gone.” And that is a tragic thought when watching a trailer, which is intended to rouse the interest of the viewer.
Again, my own thought and opinion here, but I think a part of the film’s failure at the box office, and perhaps a small reason why many films are failing this summer, is because audiences are tired of Hollywood crafting together stories which seem forced and stale. We want Hollywood to work its alleged magic and give us a film that was made purely out of creativity, imagination, and good old-fashioned fun. While the Shrek franchise bores me now, I still, every now and then, turn back to the original, and am reminded of the genius behind it.
I recently asked a cousin of mine, “Why do you like reading fiction?” I love to read, but rarely fiction these days. I told her that, when reading fiction, I feel as if I’m wasting my time with make-believe stuff when I could be reading about reality and actually learning something. But I thought her answer was brilliant… “I love fiction because it takes me to an entirely different world. I enter into the world of the characters.” Suddenly, it hit me…. That’s exactly why I loved fiction when I was a kid… that’s exactly why I became a movie buff to begin with. I shared that little quote with my wife last night, and she said, “Yeah, that’s why people love going to the movies. It takes them, even if only for a brief moment, to a different world, something different than this.” We were talking about romantic comedies, and how it is true that, so often, real life doesn’t have a happy Hollywood ending… but that’s when my wife said it’s probably why people love romantic comedies, because it gives them a glimpse of what they wish to see in real life.
What is the point of all this movie and fiction rambling?
Christianity… faith… spirituality… it can lose its magic, and begin to feel forced, stale, and contrived, when the same old story is being repeated over and over again. I am not talking about the original story… no, I am talking about the rehash of the original story that we so often get from pastors and evangelists who may seem genuine on the outside, but give us that weird feeling deep down that they’re just trying to make a quick buck by telling us that God wants us all to be financially rich, or that God wants to give us a huge mansion so we will be happy, or that we must buy their latest book or contribute to their multi-million dollar building fund in order to hear the saving Gospel message and be rescued from eternal damnation by saying a 5-second prayer, or that God has a special blessing on America that makes us his favored nation as opposed to others which is why he will see to it that we triumph in war. (Yes, by the way, I was just flipping through channels and encountered all of these examples this morning)…
It feels very contrived, forced, stale… something is missing. The real magic is missing. The pure, simple, and truly revolutionary message of a Leader who walked around without a penny to his name, healing the sick, raising the dead, feasting with “sinners,” challenging the religious elite, and calling all of us to be peacemakers, to love our enemies, to transform the world through acts of kindness and service, to go to the parts of our communities where there is despair and brokenness and anger, and be bringers of light… to always be on our toes about our own inability and weakness, to trust that God can bring real change to any hard-hearted soul, and to see his divine spark in the face of whomever we are speaking to… to place our trust in him, not in the ideologies or maxims or currents of the world… to envision a world where the poor and the rich are brother and sister, where religious and secular sit at the same table and enjoy one another’s company… where we come to God because we genuinely want to meet this Healer, this Leader, this Revolutionary, this Lover, and we want to walk with him and learn from him… not because we feel forced to out of fear.
The original message of Christianity still remains, intact in its purity and beautiful simplicity, in the lives of those like St. Therese or Mother Teresa or Shane Claiborne, or the scores of hidden, unknown saints, both in times past and today, who wake up each morning and ask, “Where is God at work today, and how can I join him? Who is in need of his love and peace? And how am I still falling short, and in need of his help and guiding hand?”
Pope Benedict XVI wrote, in his awesome book Jesus of Nazareth, that the Gospels’ best interpretation comes from the lives of the saints. They are, he wrote, the walking Gospel, the Gospel with flesh and blood and breath.
When one encounters the original, the source, the roots… they are in awe of how refreshingly different and challenging it still is today. When one gazes the life and words of Jesus with the eyes of a child, one encounters a God who has been there all along, but perhaps they had lost sight of or forgotten about, because they were being bombarded with the forced, stale, and contrived messages about him that surround us.
I don’t think there was any real need for Shrek 4, but I still love going back to the original. It still makes me laugh and smile. And then I can forgive the boring Shrek 3. Sometimes I hear all these modern ideas on God that seemed more geared towards making us to cling to him, either out of fear or so we can feel better about ourselves or be financially successful, rather than clinging to him because he is the God of love and peace and healing and restoration. Sometimes I need to go back to the originals, the Gospels, with the eyes of a child and fall in love with Jesus all over again, and attach myself to his original vision and plan and dream.
I go to Mass each week, and sometimes daily, because it brings me back to the purity and beautiful simplicity of the God who lowers himself to us so he can raise us to him. I truly encounter this God each time I go to Mass, in his Eucharistic presence. And I fall in love all over again, and am driven to bring this love to others… not to force others in, but to live this love outwardly. And if doing so happens to bring someone in, awesome! If it doesn’t, it’s not my pressing concern… I’ll let them walk their own path with God, and do my job to love and serve. But one of the most beautiful things I love about the Body of Christ on earth (the Church) is the concept of a brotherhood, a family, of imperfect people walking the path together, lifting one another up, directing one another’s gaze constantly to God.
People constantly tell me, “Joseph, you need to write a book!!!” But why? I always wonder… a book on what? There’s tons and tons and tons of books on every possible topic imaginable already out there. What can I add? If something I say inspires you… take it and run with it and make it your own… chances are I got it from someone else anyways. I’d much rather just do my small part in trying to build God’s kingdom through small acts of love… beginning with my family and friends, and extending to enemies and strangers.
I love the Gospels because, as my cousin said, they transport me into a different world… but the most amazing thing about them is, it’s not a world of make-believe… it is a world which surrounds me every step I take. A new world truly is possible… cynicism, despair, hopelessness– I can’t let such things suck out the pure and beautiful dream and vision that Jesus offers to each of us. I read the Gospels so I can be transported into the life and mind of God… but then I am challenged and charged to make this life come alive in my own time, weak and insufficient as I am… to reveal this divine mind of love and mercy and peace to the world around me.
I apologize… I truly do not know where I was going with this blog entry… let’s pray it made some sense. May Shrek 3 or 4 not blind you or distract you from the beauty of the original. May forced or stale versions of the Gospel not take you away from the raw power of the original. May we be the flesh and blood of the Gospel to someone we encounter today… may the story of Jesus take us into his world, and keep us firmly planted in ours, since they’re both one and the same. God bless…
