Ever since Monsters Inc. I've had a sense of doubt when it comes to new Pixar movies. For some reason, the trailer to Monsters just did not do anything for me, so I was totally surprised when I saw the movie and loved it. I've enjoyed all of the movies, mind you, though some more than others. Not a big fan of The Incredibles or Cars here. I'm so tired of Finding Nemo that I kind of hope I never see it again. So I've been pretty cautious of Pixar's new movie, Ratatouille. The trailer did nothing for me. And when you have to put a pronunciation key under the movie title. . . well. . .

I saw Ratatouille with friends last night, and I totally enjoyed it. The "short" before the main feature was cute, funny, and creative. Then things went from good to great. The animation was superb. The music (by the guy responsible for Lost and Alias' scores) was energetic and nuanced. The story was a mix of everything that makes a great animated movie.

One way that Ratatouille stands out from other recent animated offerings? It's solid the whole way through. Cars, Madagascar, and Over the Hedge were good, but they only hit their stride half-way through their storylines. Remy's story hits the ground running, I think.

A couple of more random comments.

First, much has been made in the media of this being one of a few "original" movies out in a season of sequels and "three-quels." It did make me wonder about how even with movies we are "manipulated" to accept mediocre derivation as quality film-making. It's not that sequels can't be good; it's more that there are other stories to be told. Sequels and remakes have their place. I love sequential storytelling. But there's something to be said for the "one-shot" story that tells a whole arc beginning to end in one sitting.

Second, this move is full of "lessons," which is always something interesting to think about. Almost every main character has something vital to say. A lot of it could even be applied to faith and hope. "We don't take, we make." "Don't settle for garbage." Lots of little things that amount to "throw-away" truth. You'd think that I'd think this is a bad thing. It all gets said so quickly that it doesn't have much of a chance to be trite. And the final voice-over really is something worth hearing more than once.

Best movie of the summer? For me, for now, I'd have to say yes. It makes you want to cook. It makes you want to travel. It makes you want to pursue the thing you keep putting off. So far it's the movie that has left me with the most to think about, which is always a good sign.

A friend recently e-mailed me a copy of this "article" from Christianity Today concerning the final Harry Potter book. I've been waiting for the book, mind you, but I haven't been overly excited about it. Why? Mainly because I think the whole Horcrux plot is a little too much too late in the ball game. Now I've read this speculative article, and I feel the need to go back and reread book six to get ready for the big one.

Check the article out here.

I didn't "get into" Christian music until late in high school, somewhere between The Great Adventure and Heaven in the Real World, really. Sure, I had a couple of MWS albums (bought I 2 eye at Ridgecrest '89), but other than that. . .

Now, almost two decades and who knows how many albums later, there's a "new" channel in town that plays something other than "Safe for the Whole Family" music. Granted, it still bills itself as being positive and all, but at least it's not stuck in the late 90s early 00s. Not that there's anything wrong with that, mind you. It's just that after that channel in DFW and then The Fish here, there's not been much to say about Christian music. These last couple of years it's been me and Caedmon's and the Square Peg Alliance out of Nashville and the random other album or song.

So I'm enjoying some interesting new music that's not perfect (as there may never be another Normals album) but still relatively real and enjoyable. Some favorites: Sanctus Real's "Face of Love" and "I'm Not All Right." Then there's Jars's "Work" and Rush of Fools's "Undo."

What's funny about Christian radio, though, is that it's become the opposite of what it was ten years ago. Used to be, it was all about getting Amy Grant or MWS or whoever on "secular" radio. It's even kind of been that way with "I Can Only Imagine." These days, it's about getting Natasha Bedingfield or the Fray or even Daughtry on Christian radio: music that's safe for the whole family. Forget new music "from the industry" that speaks with honesty and sincerity (I'm not a bitter Caedmon's fan, am I?), let's play songs we can already hear on almost every other channel. Granted, I understand that these songs can serve as "hooks" to get the casual channel-changer in. But still. . .

So I'm back for a little while, it seems. At least until I don't here anything from Derek Webb or Caedmon's new album on the radio. Then I'll be sad. Concerned. Or maybe I'll just join Air1's listener advisory board. Grassroots, people. Grassroots.

Today was the unofficial half-way point through the three-week summer school session. Hard to believe it's already almost the end of June! Classes went well again today. The kids are pretty receptive to things, which is more than nice. Two days left in this week. Four days next week.

Today was a sore day. You'd think that swimming a half-dozen times a week would prep you for an afternoon of tennis. Not so much, said my legs all day. Got to play some tennis yesterday, my first time since seminary days. I had forgotten how much I liked trying to serve. . . and how uncoordinated I can be. So it was only 2/3 of the laps today and a nice sit in the hot tub.

I'm trying to make something of life after The Road and before The Kite Runner. I started rereading Coupland's Life after God a couple of days ago, and I'm really enjoying it (again). Coupland has an amazing eye for detail that remains solid but uncomplicated. It's funny, his early stuff is rooted in the late eighties/early nineties, which is always interesting to read through. Cold war fears, stuff like that.

I'm also "slumming" again with another Doctor Who novel, The Stone Rose. Getting pretty excited about season three of the series starting on cable this next weekend. I'm not sure how to "gauge" how long The Kite Runner might take me. And I've got two new books dropping sometime in the next month: new books by Larry Crabb and Jasper Fforde. The summer is just beginning in some ways, I suppose.

Sometimes I think the people to feel the saddest for are people who are unable to connect with the profound- people such as my boring brother-in-law, a hearty type so concerned with normality and fitting in that he eliminates any possibility of uniqueness for himself or his own personality. I wonder if some day, when he is older, he will wake up and the deeper part of him will realize that he has never allowed himself to truly exist, and he will cry with regret and shame and grief.

"My Hotel Year" by Coupland

This feels like the summer of the PG-rated movie for me. Shrek. Fantastic Four. Now Evan Almighty.

Let me say this about the movie: it's not the funniest movie out there. It's not Steve Carrell at his best. The animals are a little frustrating to watch. The humor is kind of juvenile. But it's not a bad movie, really. In fact, for one of the few times ever, the "point" of the movie might just be enough to redeem it.

I can see why religious groups have been courted with this movie. God is loving. It's about the environment and taking care of the animals and such. Not the point of the Noah story, but I'll not belabor that. Two things that I liked about the movie, though:

First, the "turning point" scene was really well done. Yes, God says the good stuff. And he says it very well. I guess it kind of plays into my whole "community is important thing," really. Watch what you pray for. And don't forsake the people you love, even if they're a little batty.

The second thing, and this is a negative-turned-positive, is that it got me to thinking about the nature of religious language and revelation. When Evan "becomes" Noah, he becomes something of a cookie-cutter prophet who speaks in short sayings that sound trite even though they are totally biblical (note: I am not calling the Bible trite). It just didn't work here. In conversation after the movie, I really enjoyed getting to think through the nature of what we have written in the Bible and how much I take for granted what it says and how it's said and how the Spirit helps us "flesh it out." Not sure if that makes sense. It's funny. Last week at church, Seng said something about living the life of a prophet. That doesn't mean we don robe and beard and play John the Baptist "literally." It's not about eating locusts and wearing a leather belt. It's about more and less. And it's not about the loss of personality but the infusion of the Spirit with that personality.

And that's Evan Almighty and what I think about it and after it.

Went to my final grad party tonight. There's one more that I've been invited to, but I'll be unable to make it because of a previous commitment. It was a nice event. Got to see some co-workers. Got to see some kids and catch up with them for a while.

At some point, I hope to answer Robin's question from a post a week or two ago about my tone when it comes to these things, this sense I have that something's ended/ending. Regardless, tonight was a bit like a formal final after-shock for the year. From this point on, my seeing these graduates will either be by accident or will be personal and intentional. There are some kids that I will probably end up keeping up with. I'll see at least four of them in summer-lunches later in the summer for non-grad party reasons. I guess I'll miss them for random reasons: talking video games, television, music, books in a way I don't always get to. That kind of thing.

A couple of quotes from The Road, which I have 80 more pages of which to read:

No list of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes. So, he whispered to the sleeping boy. I have you.

And one that echoes King's Dark Tower a bit:

Tell us where the world went.

Someone, please tell us, indeed.

Wrapped up the first week of summer school today. Ran some quick errands after school and been at home ever since. Time warps on Friday night, it seems, I've been laying around doing nothing except trying not to take a nap (so I'll actually sleep all night). I really don't want to watch a rerun of Reunited: The Real World Las Vegas. It's either that or what looks like the final episode of Stargate, in which all of the characters seem to be trapped for 20 years in a space station or something. Haven't watched that show since like season two. I'd put something brainless on the DVD player, but I'm not sure I'm ready to invest in that even.

I suppose I could try to grade papers, he said to himself with sarcasm.

I've gotten a little further along The Road in the last couple of days. I've enjoyed it quite a bit more than I thought I would. Hope to finish it in the next day or two, then move on to some more "slummy" Doctor Who novel before tackling The Kite Runner.

Or I could read student essays.

Tomorrow is the last of my short series of grad parties. Granted, it seems like "it never ends." Saw a graduate last night, even. Still, it's a last "formal" thing, which will be nice.

It's nine o'clock now. Maybe I will crack a book before heading to bed. I'm seriously looking forward to sleeping in (or at least my own personal version of it).