Movie Reviews

1.  The Last Sin Eater...Eric and I went to see this movie a week ago, and I am finally taking the opportunity to tell you about it(If you've read Eric's blog, then you have already seen his review).  If you are a fan of award winning author Francine Rivers, then you already know how great this story is.  I have dreamed for years that someone in Hollywood would discover Francine and create a series of movies based on her Mark of the Lion series, which is a phenomenal three book series that takes place in the Roman Empire of the first century after the crucifixion.  Anyway, I digress a bit....The Last Sin Eater is a must-see film.  It is produced and directed by Michael Landon Junior, and it very much sticks to the author's original story and intent for the novel.  The screenplay is beautifully adapted from the original text of the novel.  I will admit that the graphics in the movie aren't always what we would expect from a top-quality movie, but that in no way takes away from the film's overall message and quality.   

The movie takes place in 19th century Appalachia amongst a group of Welsh settlers.  The premise of the movie is based on an ancient belief of the Welsh people in a person called the Sin Eater.  They believed that they must choose one person amongst them to be the sin eater for the community.   That person, once chosen, is outcast for their entire life and is only called upon at the death of another villager.  The story moves on from there, but I won't reveal any more of the tale.  It is an incredibly moving story that I think is a must-see film.  I will, without a doubt, own this film when it is released onto DVD.

2.  March of the Penguins...We are finishing up a unit on penguins, and tonight we rented this movie.  I wasn't sure if our kids were ready for this type of film, but Lukas quite quickly made it known that he loved the movie.  It is very well done and protects the young viewer from any atrocious scenes that could have been included (and probably would have been on National Geographic) without eliminating the idea of what really happens within the year of a penguin's life.  There are obstacles faced such as long trips across ice, frigid temperatures and storms, predators, and hunts for food, but the film in no way shows anything too graphic.  I was pleased with this for my children and reccomend this film to other parents.  One word of caution...at the beginning of the film, it is mentioned that the penguins have chosen to live on Antarctica for millions of years.  We immediately corrected this statement, to which Lukas replied, "I know.  Just like the dinosaurs aren't really millions of years old. That's not in the Bible."  Alright Lukas!  Don't let this fact scare you away.  Kids are smarter than we think they are, and this movie provides a wealth of information about these penguins!