The Adventures of Milo and Otus is a delightfully narrated, live-action animal flick — and clever enough to be worth adults’ time, not just children. In the film’s friendship between a cat and a dog, we see …more »»
Film Talks opened in: 2009
The Big Kahuna (1999)
(Before viewing)
by Randy Heffner — June 1, 2009
The Big Kahuna insightfully explores the nature of true concern for another individual in the context of friend-to-friend banter, interactions with coworkers, personal crisis, and Christian evangelism. …more »»
The Big Kahuna (1999)
(After viewing)
by Randy Heffner — June 1, 2009
I came away from The Big Kahuna with a stronger desire to be sensitive enough to see another’s pain, to get to know them where they are, and to show them …more »»
Cold Souls (2009)
(Before viewing)
by Randy Heffner — September 7, 2009
Cold Souls is great as a light yet insightful exploration of the nature of the soul and its relationship to us as humans. Paul Giamatti is rehearsing for the lead in Chekhov’s play Uncle Vanya. The problem is, …more »»
The Doorpost Film Project (2009)
(Before viewing)
by Randy Heffner — September 11, 2009
The Doorpost Film Project runs an annual short film competition. It runs in two rounds. The top ten entrants from the first round receive a small budget to produce a film for the final round. The Doorpost’s 2009 final films include some excellent and impactful work. The films explored …more »»
Doubt (2008)
(Before viewing)
by Randy Heffner — November 6, 2009
The simple title Doubt captures the film’s exploration well. The story deals with certainty and doubt around certain events, but the film evokes an exploration of doubt that runs deeper than the story. But, whether one engages at the story level or …more »»
Doubt (2008)
(After viewing)
by Randy Heffner — November 6, 2009
Doubt reinforced for me the dangers of prematurely moving into a position of certainty. In the film, the core issue of doubt versus certainty revolves around facts of this world — whether or not Father Flynn did or did not do certain things. Yet …more »»
Gran Torino (2008)
(Before viewing)
by Randy Heffner — October 7, 2009
One could say that Gran Torino explores racism, but really racism is almost a red herring in the film’s exploration of alienation, sacrifice, caring, gratitude, and giving. Some praise the film, and some have derided …more »»
Gran Torino (2008)
(Backstory)
by Randy Heffner — October 31, 2009
The part of the story around Gran Torino that I want to focus on doesn’t so much add to its impact. It’s about the impact of film more generally, based on how we engage with it. There’s an interesting dichotomy of opinion about Gran Torino that relates very much to the perspectives behind these film talks …more »»
Gran Torino (2008)
(After viewing)
by Randy Heffner — October 7, 2009
By putting our judgments of others in the context of responsibility and maturity, Gran Torino encourages me toward a nuanced understanding of my judgments and their appropriateness. But even more, …more »»
Hotel Rwanda (2004)
(Before viewing)
by Randy Heffner — December 3, 2009
Hotel Rwanda asks whether we will do what we can to address the darkness around us. For 100 days in 1994, the world watched the horror of the Rwandan genocide and took no action. Through the eyes of a hotel manager …more »»
The Ice Storm (1997)
(Before viewing)
by Randy Heffner — November 12, 2009
The ending of The Ice Storm is an impactful moment of character development, and the rest of the film contributes much toward that moment’s impact. However, there is much in the film’s path of exploration that tends to dwell on relational dysfunction in a …more »»
It Might Get Loud (2009)
(Before viewing)
by Randy Heffner — September 8, 2009
If for you, rock and blues electric guitar music is in itself a Beautiful thing, It Might Get Loud is a great place to get lost in reverie with it. And, if you’re a big fan of Jimmy Page, The Edge, or Jack White, …more »»
Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
(After viewing)
by Randy Heffner — June 17, 2009
For me, the impact of Lars and the Real Girl went beyond the film’s top-line theme of forbearance and love in the face another’s mental illness. I came away thinking also …more »»
Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
(Before viewing)
by Randy Heffner — June 17, 2009
Lars and the Real Girl asks big “what if” questions about how we, the “normal”, might love those with mental illness. It would be easy for the film to take the premise over the top into staged gags and crude jokes, but it doesn’t. …more »»
