From: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com (aml-list-digest) To: aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: aml-list-digest V2 #222 Reply-To: aml-list Sender: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk aml-list-digest Monday, November 17 2003 Volume 02 : Number 222 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 10:03:10 -0900 From: Stephen Carter Subject: RE: [AML] Re: Sugar Beet promotion >=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Original Message From starling@burgoyne.com = =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D >Sorry if I seem to be a prude, but as to the Sugar Beet coming out in >print form, my vote is, "Don't bother". Well, we are going to bother. We're trying to do something, not not do=20 something. >I actually used to like it the few times I visited their web site in >the past, but several of the latest articles IMHO have crossed the line >of good taste. Glad you've liked some of it. It's always intriguing to me to find out where people think the line is between good taste and bad. Where did you think we crossed it? And what sort of criteria did you apply to drawing that line? >I think you can be funny without getting dirty. (Now do I duck from the >flames or "Stand for Something"?) Yeah, like I was wondering, where were we dirty? >Just my opinion, Interested in hearing it. >Robert Starling Stephen Carter Fairbanks, Alaska - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 14:37:58 -0800 (PST) From: "R.W. Rasband" Subject: [AML] Shameless Self-Promotion: Mountain High Chorale If you can get up to Heber City on November 22 you can catch the Heber Valley Arts Council presenting the Mountain High Chorale in concert with "An Evening of Americana." We will be singing music by Randall Thompson: selections from "Frostiana", a setting of Robert Frost poems; Aaron Copland, Four Quartets (this has been just recently published and our concert is the western U.S. premiere) plus selections from "The Tender Land" and "Old American Songs"; and Leonard Bernstein, selections from "Candide" and "West Side Story." The conductor is Murray Boren of BYU. I'm the big guy with the beard in the bass section. It's on Saturday, November 22 at 7:30 p.m. at the Heber 1st Ward, 325 East 500 North with free admission. ===== R.W. Rasband Heber City, UT rrasband@yahoo.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 11:26:01 -0800 From: "Kathy Tyner" Subject: Re: [AML] Re: Sugar Beet promotion No need to duck from the flames. ;-) But, if you are going to claim to "Stand for Something", then why not state exactly what articles bothered you and why? Instead of merely stating your opinion that the line of good taste has been crossed and one can be funny without being dirty. Tell us where we stumbled into the mists of darkness and how you think we could correct that. Then we can have a conversation about what a particular staffer had in mind when they wrote what they did. In other words, we can have a discussion about it and learn something new that either party may not have thought of before. Kathy Tyner Orange County, CA - ----- Original Message -----=20 From: To: Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2003 11:32 PM Subject: [AML] Re: Sugar Beet promotion > Sorry if I seem to be a prude, but as to the Sugar Beet coming out in > print form, my vote is, "Don't bother". >=20 > I actually used to like it the few times I visited their web site in the > past, but several of the latest articles IMHO have crossed the line of > good taste. >=20 > I think you can be funny without getting dirty. (Now do I duck from the > flames or "Stand for Something"?) >=20 > Just my opinion, > Robert Starling >=20 >=20 > -- > AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature > - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 16:53:40 -0500 From: Rose Green Subject: Re: [AML] Review: The Elizabeth Smart Story [moderator's caution: cultural issues such as regional dialects could quickly devolve into things not very focused on literary experience, so please use caution in pursuing this thread :)] >There are specifically Mormon speech patterns? What are they? Oh yes, Jamie, there definitely are. I would call it the Special=20 Voice. It even appears in sacrament meeting in other countries in other languages, by people who have been influenced by those good Saints and=20 missionaries from Utah. When you want to be really serious about=20 something, the intonation pattern at the end of every sentence has to=20 fall. Listen at your next fast and testimony meeting. Then there are=20 those phrases that people use in the church that of course don't have to come out in a non-church context, and of course not everyone uses=20 them--being grateful for the moisture we've received, the poor and needy, sick and afflicted, etc. (I think some time ago this was discussed on the list, so I won't go into it too much.) To get regional, since the Smarts are from Salt Lake, after all, perhaps the most distinguishing phonological feature is going to be that sharp-edged, clean-as-a-whistle, spectacularly American "r." Think of the dramatic opposite of the "Chahston," South Carolina "r," which basically doesn't exist. (Since I just moved to Charleston I notice this all the time.) Then in the Mormon Corridor (Alberta-Idaho-Utah-Arizona) you get this long "o" that shows up more or less, depending on where you are. It is less diphthonized as it is in the rest of American English. I didn't see the program, actually, but (not being from Utah), I sure do recognize that voice pattern! If I heard a person talking about anything, football, fishing, business, whatever, it would just fly out at me immediately, and I would instantly suppose that that person was LDS. Rose Green, writing from Chahston=20 - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 16:58:00 -0500 From: "Thom Duncan" Subject: Re: [AML] Review: The Elizabeth Smart Story - --- Original Message --- From: "Brown" >I wonder if we as a list (if we have people who agree with Eric and me) >might write emails to Ed Smart telling him of our complete support I didn't watch the Smart movie. Ed Smart scares me. It may be a visceral thing, because I can't put my finger on it, but he creeps me out. I didn't want to see the movie for that reason. I'm glad they found Elizabeth, however, and I think the SLC police ought to get a major kick in the keister for not showing Immanuel's picture sooner. Thom Duncan - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 13:26:04 -0800 From: "BJ Rowley" Subject: Re: [AML] Review: The Elizabeth Smart Story Brown wrote: > ... >=20 > I wonder if we as a list ... > might write emails to Ed Smart telling him of our complete support (by > the way, I thought Dylan Baker did very well also--as well as others!)? > Does anyone have the Smart email address or their home address?=20 Ed & Lois Smart 1509 E Kristianna Circle Salt Lake City, UT 84103 - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 12:08:01 -0700 From: Steve Perry Subject: Re: [AML] My Web Page On Tuesday, November 11, 2003, at 10:16 AM, Eugene Woodbury wrote: >> Who else has a webpage? >> Susan Malmrose http://www.stevenkappperry.com & http://www.wordofmouthmedia.com -- although there's not much there at=20 the moment. Steve Perry - -- skperry@mac.com Hear the latest "Cricket & Seagull Fireside Chat" at: http://www.meridianmagazine.com/radio - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 17:17:12 -0600 From: Ronn! Blankenship Subject: Re: [AML] Re: Sugar Beet promotion At 12:32 AM 11/13/03 -0700, starling@burgoyne.com wrote: >Sorry if I seem to be a prude, but as to the Sugar Beet coming out in >print form, my vote is, "Don't bother". > >I actually used to like it the few times I visited their web site in >the past, but several of the latest articles IMHO have crossed the line >of good taste. Could you give some specific examples of items you thought crossed the line? >I think you can be funny without getting dirty. I agree. >(Now do I duck from the flames or "Stand for Something"?) No flames here. Just serious interest in what you think. If you (or Jonathan) prefer not to go into it on the list, feel free to=20 contact me privately at the address shown below. - -- Ronald W. ("Ronn!") Blankenship mailto: ronn.blankenship@att.net - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 15:29:59 -0700 From: "Eric Samuelsen" Subject: [AML] Review: Pride and Prejudice, a Latter-day Comedy I saw a preview performance last night of the Pride and Prejudice movie. A whole bunch of disclaimers are in order: I worked on this a little; got a couple days in worth of script doctoring, uncredited. I know Andrew Black, the director, and Jason Faller, the producer/screenwriter. They're former students of mine, and guys I still think of as close friends. I have, therefore, a certain level of Pride in their achievement, and far too much Prejudice to even pretend to be objective. All that out of the way, it's pretty good. I love Jane Austen, have read all the novels, seen all the movies, including the TV miniseries lengthy treatment of this story. The most obvious thing to say about this film is that it's sort of like Clueless, only with Mormon characters. If you are the sort of Austen fan, like me, who liked Clueless, you'll like this too, and if you're the sort of Austen fan who hated Clueless, don't bother to see this one.=20 Seen strictly as a Mormon themed comedy, though, it's pretty good. It's got some life and pace and energy. It looks great. It looks like a film made by people who love movies. You see a VW driving through traffic, and it's accelerated, a la Guy Ritchie. The music is terrific; it sounds like the sort of music that people who love pop music listen to. It's minus the two devils that have plagued Mormon themed comedies heretofore; it doesn't have that horrid sanctimoniousness of some earlier efforts, and the acting is all pretty solid; which again hasn't always been the case.=20 I just finished talking to one of my colleagues, who was also there last night, about it. He thought it was very slow paced, especially early on. It took me some time to figure out what he was talking about. But he's right in this sense; the story progresses quite slowly initially. We don't learn much about the various characters or their relationships very quickly. And so, in terms of engaging us in character and story, it's slow paced. But that's not so important to me. To me, the early scenes in the movie established a visual style that the film generally sustained, and that style, that approach WAS fast paced. Hip, fresh, cool. And a breath of fresh air, frankly, given the visual dreariness of some of the Mormon films we've seen up to now. Basically, the story echoes Austen, except that Elizabeth, Jane, Mary, Lydia and Kitty are friends and roommates. Lydia and Kitty are sisters, and their parents own the apartment; Jane and Elizabeth are friends, and live there. Mary is socially inept, very well acted by Rainy Kerwin. Jane is imagined as an Argentinian beauty, with a strong Spanish accent. Elizabeth is a 26 year old college student, majoring in English (creative writing) at a place that closely resembles, but is not specifically named as, BYU. I assume she's meant to be a grad student; based on how she dresses, she's pretty obviously not an RM. Darcy is British, and LDS, imagined as a well-to-do publisher. Charles Bingley is a wealthy friend of Lydia's, conceived as sort of a goofy but pleasant eccentric. Jack Wickam is the villain of the piece. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett are entirely absent.=20 The Austen-to-BYU conversions are sometimes interesting, and sometimes rather strange. The class divisions of British society certainly have their Utah society counterparts, but the film doesn't seem to be making any particular statement about class; Darcy's wealth is more a plot convenience than any sort of satirical jibe aimed at East Bench Mormons. Elizabeth is supposed to be of modest means financially, but that's not really explored much, and certainly wealth or class aren't impediments to her relationship with Darcy. I really don't get why Jane is supposed to be from South America, but I thought Lucila Sola, as Jane, was reasonably interesting, if a trifle bland, in the role.=20 Like any romantic comedy, it works if we like the main couple and root for them to be together. At that level, Pride and Prejudice is very strong. Kam Heskin as Elizabeth and Orlando Seale as Darcy have great on-screen chemistry. Heskin is terrific, frankly. She's charming and funny and likeable. I loved a number of her acting choices. She goes running with Jane, and she clearly hates every minute of it; Sola runs with fluidity and grace, and Heskin runs like she's about to collapse and die at any minute. I buy that, and I like Heskin's willingness to look bad. Seale is equally convincing as both the superior snob and the sensitive and kind would-be lover. One subtheme throughout the film is something called The Pink Bible; a sort of Fascinating Womanhood-type book, which, in the world of the film, is supposed to be a huge Utah hit. Lydia and Kitty have the Pink Bible memorized, while Elizabeth, who has to keep restocking it at the book store where she works, hates it. It's a fun little motif.=20 I wish the writing were as strong as the performances. I was one of several writers who worked on it, and must bear my share of the blame for this, but the biggest difference between this film and Clueless is that Amy Heckerling is a funnier, wittier writer than any of us are. A subplot involving Collins (Hubbel Palmer) pursuit of Elizabeth was well acted, but the writing, especially of his proposal scene, was very flat, and the pace subsequently flagged.=20 And the film has one Death Wish Scene. (I've written about Death Wish Scenes before; Death Wish Scenes aren't just badly written scenes, their scenes so idiotically conceived that you wonder what in the world they were thinking.) Jane and Elizabeth have had setbacks. Elizabeth has misread Darcy, and Jane has been abandoned by Bingley. And so they binge out on ice cream and completely trash the apartment. For a week. They spend a week wallowing in misery, ice cream and pizza. (Oh, and apparently, there's a link between ice cream orgies and PMS. Who knew?) And then Lydia, brandishing the Pink Bible, saves them.=20 This is an insane scene, and I'm not just saying that because I tried to persuade Andrew to cut it and he didn't listen to me. I mean, that's okay; he's a talented young director, and why should he listen to me? But it's an awful scene, and what makes it worse is that, for the audience last night, it was clearly pretty funny. But we've come to regard Elizabeth as a sensible, confident, talented and bright young woman. And she has one little romantic setback--which for her character isn't even much of a setback, frankly; she's misjudged a guy she doesn't even like much, so what?--and drops out of life completely for a week? The very definition of a Death Wish Scene is a scene where a character does something utterly out of character, that makes us hate them, at a moment where, for narrative purposes, we need to like them. The Pink Bible stuff is very funny, but only because it involves satirizing ideas we all loathe, like basically all those found in Fascinating Womanhood. To have Elizabeth go off the deep end over nothing, and then have the Pink Bible save her? What were they thinking? It's also easily fixable. Just adjust the time frame. One day, sure, I buy that; you could decide to drop out and binge out for one day. A week; no way, and it's not funny, and I say that knowing that an audience last night though it was very funny. But it hurts the picture. The ending of the film is contrived, and the worst acting in the film takes place close to the end, in a Vegas wedding chapel sequence that just falls flat. All in all, the winding up of the various stories seems perfunctory, and strains credibility enough to undo a lot of what was accomplished earlier.=20 But all in all, the film still works reasonably well. It's far and away the best comedy among the Mormon films that have been released up to now. It's a far better film than Single's Ward. It doesn't make fun of Mormon culture like the Halestorm films do; it's just a nice retelling of a familiar love story, with characters who happen to be Mormon. At its best, Pride and Prejudice is a charming, pleasant romantic comedy, made with some real style and visual wit. I think it will be financially successful, and I'm rooting for it to be successful; it's a likeable film. I think it's a major step forward for the LDS film industry, and I'm excited to see Andrew Black's next film. He's a very gifted young director. Eric Samuelsen - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 14:50:29 -0800 (PST) From: "R.W. Rasband" Subject: [AML] Reviews on Amazon [Moderator's note: the link leads you to several book reviews by listmember R.W. Rasband - Jon Krakauer's book, the Nibley bio, etc.] Check out this About You area: =20 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/cm/member-reviews/-/AGSWTH7SP2256/r ef=3Dcm_mpemr_rv/ =20 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D R.W. Rasband Heber City, UT rrasband@yahoo.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 16:10:00 -0700 From: "Bill Willson" Subject: Re: [AML] Review of private viewing of "THE PASSION" movie - ----- Original Message -----=20 From: "Paris Anderson" To: Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 9:37 AM > Suddenly, the purpose of the pain was so clear and the > wounds, that earlier in the film had been so difficult to see in His > face, His back, indeed all over His body, became intensely beautiful. > They had been borne voluntarily for love. > > This is not a "Christian" film, in the sense that it will appeal only > to those who identify themselves as followers of Jesus Christ. It is a > deeply human, beautiful story that will deeply touch all men and women. > After all, we believe that it is the greatest story=3D20 > ever told and that its message is for all men and women. The greatest > right is the right to hear the truth. > > > To me...a most crucial "discovery" of this man's "experience" is the > reality that "my sins killed Jesus." The full weight of this truth is > enormous! What an opportunity for millions and millions of people to > "discover" this through the film. So... I encourage you to think > carefully about how you're going to respond to the "debate" ____________________ This is a very good review of this visual art experience. I am glad I was able to read it. I had read some of the information on Mel Gibson's website about his reasons and passion for making it. From this reading, I have been looking forward to the release of *The Passion.* It sounds like my high expectations for this work will not be disappointed. I have only one slightly different take on this review, and I think it appropriate to express it, because it is not a comment on the work itself, which I have not experienced, but of the reviewer's comments about the work. The reviewer said that *The Passion's* message was, *My sins killed Jesus.* Yes he died for my sins, and the sins of all the world, but in my opinion it is rather presumptuous for humanity to make the claim that our sins killed Jesus who could not be killed. He died, voluntarily to make restitution for and redeem all the world for all the sins, oppression, sickness and disease, pains and suffering, caused by those sins. No one killed Jesus. He gave up his blood for us, but we did not nor could we kill him. Jesus died for us and his act of dying was strictly his own final act of condescension, because humanity was and is incapable of killing the Son of God. In fact I sometimes smile when I hear someone say, *Christ died for us.* Theoretically this is true, but the real message is, He laid aside his mortality and then was resurrected to take on immortality for us and that Christ lives for us. Regards, Bill Willson, writer http://www.iwillwriteit.com http://www.latterdaybard.com Here's a great place for LDS artists to show and sell their work. http://www.minutemall.com CHECK IT OUT! - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 15:45:47 -0500 From: "C.S. Bezas" Subject: RE: [AML] Review: The Elizabeth Smart Story Oh, yes, most definitely, although I believe Eric may have been referring to Utah mormon-speak. I live in the southeast now. When individuals come to visit our ward, their Utah speech patterns and diction are quite apparent. In fact, when I first joined the church, I very much sounded like an "outsider" in my Mesa, Arizona ward. I despaired of ever speaking with the Utah "accent" most Mesa mormons spoke with! C.S. Bezas Board of Editors, Advisory Chair LatterDayAuthors.com http://www.latterdayauthors.com A Christian Lifestyle http://www.bellaonline.com/site/lds -----Original Message----- From: owner-aml-list@lists.xmission.com [mailto:owner-aml-list@lists.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Jamie Laulusa Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 9:12 PM To: aml-list@lists.xmission.com Subject: Re: [AML] Review: The Elizabeth Smart Story Eric Samuelsen: >The writing >led him that direction, of course, but still, I didn't hear Mitchell's >former connections to Mormon culture in his speech patterns, in the >falling inflections and the word emphases peculiar to our culture.=3D20 There are specifically Mormon speech patterns? What are they? ~Jamie Laulusa - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 08:32:47 -0700 From: "Brown" Subject: Re: [AML] Review of private viewing of "THE PASSION" movie > Here is an interesting review of Mel Gibson's upcoming controversial > movie. What is different about this review is the author has actually > seen the movie versus all those that have bashed it based upon pre > conceived ideas. > Thank you, Paris, for posting this review! It absolutely blew me away. I have been thinking about the "message" ever since I read this--how powerful this film can be to stir people to repentance! I am SO GRATEFUL for what happened in the screening. And I am hoping the film will shock people into getting their focus off sex and murder and graft. People KNOW what is right. They're weak, and they're just falling into ruts. Thank you for this, and I'm very anxious to see the movie! Cheers! Marilyn Brown - ----- Original Message ----- From: Paris Anderson To: Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 9:37 AM Subject: [AML] Review of private viewing of "THE PASSION" movie > From: Bud Gammon > Sent: Saturday, November 08, 2003 1:23 PM > Subject: Review of private viewing of "THE PASSION" movie > > > Here is an interesting review of Mel Gibson's upcoming controversial > movie. What is different about this review is the author has actually > seen the movie versus all those that have bashed it based upon pre > conceived ideas. > > This controversial movie is going to be one shown for many years, just > like the ten commandments... Mr. Fournier was among those present at a > private viewing of the film. Deacon Keith A Fournier is a > constitutional lawyer and a graduate of the John Paul II Institute of > the Lateran University, Franciscan University and the university of > Pittsburgh. He holds degrees in Philosophy, theology law. He has been a > champion of religious liberty and appeared as co-counsel in major cases > at the United States Supreme Court. He is the author of seven books and, > along with his law practice, serves as the president of both the "Your > Catholic Voice Foundation" and "Common Good". > > Here is what he had to say about the movie: > I really did not know what to expect. I was thrilled to have been > invited to a private viewing of Mel Gibson's film "The Passion," but I > had also read all the cautious articles and spin. I grew up in a Jewish > town and owe much of my own faith journey to the influence. I have a > life long, deeply held aversion to anything that might even indirectly > encourage any form of anti-Semitic thought, language or actions. > I arrived at the private viewing for "The Passion", held in Washington > D.C. and greeted some familiar faces. The environment was typically > Washingtonian, with people greeting you with a smile but seeming to look > beyond you, having an agenda beyond the words. > > The film was very briefly introduced, without fanfare, and then the room > darkened. From the gripping opening scene in the Garden of Gethsemane to > the very human and tender portrayal of the earthly ministry of Jesus, > through the betrayal, the arrest, the scourging, the way of the cross, > the encounter with the thieves, the surrender on the Cross, until the > final scene in the empty tomb, this was not simply a movie; it was an > encounter, unlike anything I have ever experienced. In addition to > being a masterpiece of film-making and an artistic triumph, "The > Passion" evoked more deep reflection, sorrow and emotional reaction > within me than anything since my wedding, my ordination (Deacon), or > the birth of my children. Frankly, I will never be the same. When the > film concluded, this "invitation only" gathering of "movers and shakers" > in Washington, D.C. were shaking indeed, but this time from sobbing. I > am not sure there was a dry eye in the place. The crowd that had been > glad-handing before the film was now eerily silent. No one could speak > because words were woefully inadequate. We had experienced a kind of art > that is a rarity in life, the kind that makes heaven touch earth. One > scene in the film has now been forever etched in my mind. A brutalized, > wounded Jesus was soon to fall again under the weight of the cross. His > mother had made her way along the Via Della Rosa. As she ran to him, she > flashed back to a memory of Jesus as a child, falling in the dirt road > outside of their home. Just as she reached to protect him from the fall, > she was now reaching to touch his wounded adult face. Jesus looked at > her with intensely probing and passionately loving eyes (and at all of > us through the screen) and said "Behold I make all things new." These > are words taken from the last Book of the New Testament, the Book of > Revelations. Suddenly, the purpose of the pain was so clear and the > wounds, that earlier in the film had been so difficult to see in His > face, His back, indeed all over His body, became intensely beautiful. > They had been borne voluntarily for love. > > At the end of the film, after we had all had a chance to recover, a > question and answer period ensued. The unanimous praise for the film, > from a rather diverse crowd, was as astounding as the compliments were > effusive. The questions included the one question that seems to follow > this film, even though it has not yet even been released. "Why is this > film considered by some to be "anti-Semitic?" > > Frankly, having now experienced (you do not "view" this film) "the > Passion" it is a question that is impossible to answer. A law professor > whom I admire sat in front of me. He raised his hand and responded > "After watching this film, I do not understand how anyone can insinuate > that it even remotely presents that the Jews killed Jesus. It doesn't." > He continued "It made me realize that my sins killed Jesus" I agree. > There is not a scintilla of anti-Semitism to be found anywhere in this > powerful film. If there were, I would be among the first to decry it. > It faithfully tells the Gospel story in a dramatically beautiful, > sensitive and profoundly engaging way. > > Those who are alleging otherwise have either not seen the film or have > another agenda behind their protestations. > > This is not a "Christian" film, in the sense that it will appeal only > to those who identify themselves as followers of Jesus Christ. It is a > deeply human, beautiful story that will deeply touch all men and women. > It is a profound work of art. Yes, its producer is a Catholic Christian=3D20 > And thankfully has remained faithful to the Gospel text; if that is no > longer acceptable behavior than we are all in trouble. > > History demands that we remain faithful to the story and Christians have > a right to tell it. After all, we believe that it is the greatest story=3D20 > ever told and that its message is for all men and women. The greatest > right is the right to hear the truth. > > We would all be well advised to remember that the Gospel narratives to > which "The Passion" is so faithful were written by Jewish men who > followed a Jewish Rabbi whose life and teaching have forever changed the > history of the world. The problem is not the message but those who have > distorted it and used it for hate rather than love. The solution is not > to censor the message, but rather to promote the kind of gift of love > that is Mel Gibson's filmmaking masterpiece, "The Passion". It should be > seen by as many people as possible. I intend to do everything I can to > make sure that is the case. > > I am passionate about "the Passion." You will be as well. Don't miss it. > And, I would like to add these thoughts. This film is going to receive=3D20 > more scrutiny and be the focus of more public debate than any film EVER. > > The argument that this film is anti-Semitic will be played 1000's of > time a day in every household across America... across the world. To > me...a most crucial "discovery" of this man's "experience" is the > reality that "my sins killed Jesus." The full weight of this truth is > enormous! What an opportunity for millions and millions of people to > "discover" this through the film. So... I encourage you to think > carefully about how you're going to respond to the "debate" because > there will be one. It's a great opportunity to witness about what it > means to be a Christian... and nowhere is it appropriate or biblical to > point a finger at the Jewish race. To do so is to stand squarely in His > face and say... "You died for nothing!" > > Please pass this along to your Christian friends and family... to those=3D20 > that will truly understand the message... so that they can be prepared > to respond in such a way that bears a positive witness to Jesus' death > and resurrection. > > > > -- > AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature > - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 08:28:12 -0700 From: "Brown" Subject: Re: [AML] The AML Conference Alan Mitchell writes:=20 >Thanks to the AML conference and Jon Enos's class, I just finished my >movie script today. 96 pages. Can you tell us anything at all about the script at this point? Does it follow one of your plays? (Alan did place in the Villa Playhouse Playwriting Contest this last year.) Cheers! Just coming out with a full 96 pages of work is an achievement! Yea!=20 Marilyn Brown - ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2003 10:10 AM Subject: Re: [AML] The AML Conference > Thanks to the AML conference and Jon Enos's class, I just finished my > movie script today. 96 pages. Yes, it probably needs editing. Yes, I had > the idea and notes for it before. (And yes, it is media that avoids > description and has a hard time telling what people think or true > spirituality.) However, it can tell what they want. > > Now I need Jon Giorgi to tell me how to proceed. > > Alan Mitchell > > > -- > AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature > - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 08:25:47 -0700 From: "Brown" Subject: Re: [AML] SCOTT ANDERSON, _The Best Two Years_ >_Michael Martindale: Best Two Years_ falls squarely into third place, >edging _Out of Step_ into fourth. Dutcher still reigns supreme, but the >list of worthy lords surrounding the king is finally growing after a >long period of stagnation. I very much appreciated Michael's intelligent assessment of this film. I agree with him whole-heartedly. I was impressed with the film in the same ways Michael states here, and I am going to drag my husband to it (who has resisted going to all these other LDS films--I won't be sorry about this one!). Happy day. Marilyn Brown - ----- Original Message ----- From: D. Michael Martindale To: Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 5:16 PM Subject: [AML] SCOTT ANDERSON, _The Best Two Years_ > THE BEST TWO YEARS > A film directed by Scott S. Anderson > Produced by Michael Flynn > Screenplay by Scott S. Anderson > To be released February 2004 by Harvest Films > Distributed by Halestorm Entertainment > > > "Quality Fluff" > > Richard Dutcher (why is it so hard to avoid mentioning his name when=3D20 > discussing an LDS film, even one he had nothing to do with?) = didn't=3D20 > create the new genre of LDS film--he blew it away. His first two films,=3D20 > _God's Army_ and _Brigham City_, established a nonexistent film genre=3D20 > and set the bar for quality right from the beginning. It's been = all=3D20 > downhill ever since. > > To date, as an LDS film critic, my list of quality LDS films has been=3D20 > very short: _Brigham City_ is the best, followed by _God's Army_, and=3D20 > the barely noticed _Out of Step_ a distant third. _Charly_ was a=3D20 > borderline movie, and all the others (that I've seen so far) fall under=3D20 > that borderline of quality. I despaired of ever seeing another film that > > could be added to the quality side of that list until Zion Films=3D20 > released the next Dutcher movie. > > But at the recent Association for Mormon Letters' fifth annual writers=3D20 > conference, I had an opportunity to view a pre-release screening of the=3D20 > film _The Best Two Years_. It's with no small sense of satisfaction that > > I'm able to add a fourth LDS film to the list of worthy additions to the > > genre. > > _Best Two Years_ falls squarely into third place, edging _Out of Step_=3D20 > into fourth. Dutcher still reigns supreme, but the list of worthy lords=3D20 > surrounding the king is finally growing after a long period of > stagnation. > > What makes _Best Two Years_ a bronze medalist instead of silver or gold=3D20 > is the fact that it's pure fluff. The plot is anorexically slim; the=3D20 > climax as predictable as a Scooby-doo episode. But that doesn't harm the > > film, because that's all the film was ever intended to be. As fluff, it=3D20 > succeeds admirably. As some lightweight, pleasant entertainment for an=3D20 > LDS audience, it scores in all the required categories. > > _Best Two Years_ chronicles the day-to-day experiences of a district of=3D20 > LDS missionaries stationed in the Netherlands. We join them as = the=3D20 > obligatory new greenie shows up, communicating in a language that none=3D20 > of the railroad station officials can identify. The other missionaries=3D20 > are familiar characters, including the one who has lost his zeal for the > > work, and maybe his testimony as well. > > The screenplay gets the job done, the acting serves the screenplay well, > > and the technical results are of adequate quality. Nothing overly=3D20 > glowing here, but a competent effort that delivers. > > The plot exists to support the laughs, which come at a regular=3D20 > frequency. It's not the slapstick bellylaughs of _It's a Mad, Mad, Mad,=3D20 > Mad World_ (although some of the comedy does edge precariously close to=3D20 > over-the-top), but the sort of comedy that arises out of the characters=3D20 > and the situations they find themselves in. The serious moments = are=3D20 > gentle and effective--and thankfully sparse, because, after all, this=3D20 > _is_ fluff. No attempt was made to justify this lighthearted piece of=3D20 > entertainment with A Message so the filmmakers could be sure = their=3D20 > efforts were Building the Kingdom. > > And in the process, they _did_ build the kingdom. They created a film=3D20 > that told a Mormon story with real (slightly exaggerated) Mormon=3D20 > characters full of the sort of foibles one would expect from = human=3D20 > beings, even human beings engaged in the Lord's work. But never is the=3D20 > dignity of the work itself compromised. It's just the sort of thing the=3D20 > art of the Kingdom needs right now to crawl its way out of the=3D20 > club-over-the-head approach to uplifting entertainment. > > Scott Anderson, the writer/director, adapted this film from a stage play > > he'd written some time ago. Perhaps that seasoned heritage is why the=3D20 > film works so well. Halestorm is the company Anderson chose to=3D20 > distribute the film. It's the first film Halestorm will be distributing=3D20 > that it didn't produce itself. > > This film may be the film that puts Halestorm on the map as a=3D20 > respectable contender in the LDS film industry. Until now, all they've=3D20 > distributed are their own forgettable comedies, which made many Mormons=3D20 > laugh for a moment, but are poorly designed to withstand the judgment of > > time. _Best Two Years_ has the quality to withstand. If its foundation=3D20 > isn't quite rock, at least it's concrete, and will weather the storm of=3D20 > criticism much better than the sandy foundations of _Singles Ward_ and=3D20 > _The R.M._ The irony is not lost on me that the film that could make=3D20 > Halestorm respectable is a film they didn't produce. > > But I give them credit for recognizing a film that is quality when it=3D20 > came their way. _Best Two Years_ fits right into their modus=3D20 > operandi--lighthearted comedic fluff--but does so at a level of quality=3D20 > that is to be applauded--and seen. > > --=3D20 > D. Michael Martindale > dmichael@wwno.com > > =3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D= 3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D =3D3D=3D > =3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D > Check out Worldsmiths, the new online LDS writers group, at > http://www.wwno.com/worldsmiths > > Sponsored by Worlds Without Number > http://www.wwno.com > =3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D= 3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D =3D3D=3D > =3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D > > > > -- > AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature > - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ End of aml-list-digest V2 #222 ******************************