Jon and Kate Gosselin in a much hyped TLC “Jon and Kate Plus 8” special announced this week that they are separating. For anyone with eyes, this can’t possibly be news. In individual interviews the two spouses shared their perspectives on the breakup.
“I was too passive—I let her rule the roost,” Jon confessed to viewers. “I went along with everything and finally stood up on my own two feet and I’m proud of myself.”
Later Kate, her face swollen from crying, sounded like an old trooper on Broadway. “The show must go on,” she said. “ We’ve always done the show for the kids—to provide for them… I don’t want to do this alone, but it’s REQUIRED and I’ve got to do it.”
Why? Why does this couple insist on subjecting themselves and their children to the same forces that have brought about their ruin? I would argue that it was the show itself, the cameras and the sudden fame that unraveled this family. For five years a team of camera people complete with boom mikes have swarmed about the Gosselin home. Every domestic breakdown, every calculated joy or outburst has been captured and served up to a hungry public. Beyond the free gifts and extravagant play houses in the yard, the real question this raises is: Is a show worth a family?
The Gosselins say the paparazzi and attention attracted by the show overwhelmed them. But at the same time, like crack addicts, they won’t break the celebrity addiction. Kate Gosselin spends much of her week traveling the country talking about the show and pushing her books. If one reads between the lines, she always seemed more concerned about the show and her personal fame than about the divisions it was creating within her family. Her husband was apparently incapable of reigning her in. Now the enterprise has brought them both down (to say nothing of their eight children).
The true sadness of this “reality” saga is that the Gosselins appeared, at least early on, as a loving and vaguely religious clan. But unprepared for the obligations of media fame, and addicted to the endless attention they fell prey to the same celebrity culture that exalted them in the first place. They also forgot the crucially important lesson that a marriage is the foundation upon which a family is built. Their endless testimonials about “loving the children” avoided the issue that tore the Gosselins apart: their failure to love each other enough to sacrifice the show and all the challenges it has brought.
For the sake of their family they should have put the show on ice and repaired their personal lives. Crowds will always watch a train wreck, but once it is over they quickly disperse. The recent "Jon & Kate Plus 8" ratings seems to confirm this. They have lost 7 million viewers since their high point earlier this year. It would be far more edifying to catch up with the Gosselins a year from now, after they have rediscovered their moorings and repaired their relationships than to watch Kate Gosselin in her Posh Spice guise stumble through season 5 faking family harmony, alone, for the cameras.
Tell me what you think at raymond@raymondarroyo.com
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Mother Angelica at 86 and Memories of A Friend Lost
April 20, 2009
Personally, this is a reflective day mingled with joy and sadness. It was exactly a year ago today when Pope Benedict concluded his triumphant Papal visit to America. But a year later it isn't what the Pope said or did that remains in my memory, so much as the man who sat next to me during our coverage of that visit. I remember telling my friend and co-host, Father Richard John Neuhaus, who gamely contributed commentary (when we weren't doing our Abbott and Costello act), that though this papal visit was history we would certainly revive our long running partnership for the next "big event."
Little did either of us realize that this was to be the last "big event" we would share. Father Neuhaus succumbed to cancer on January 8th of this year. As I read his last book, "American Babylon" he is ever present in my thoughts and prayers.
There is however at least one reason I jubilate this day. It is Mother Angelica's 86th Birthday. Who would have imagined at the end of 2001, after suffering a massive stroke which required emergency brain surgery, that Mother Angelica would still be with us? And yet, eight years later she continues her mission today just as she started it: in contemplative silence and in communion with her Spouse.
Mother's speech is greatly diminished these days. She no longer tells those hilarious stories or shares her practical teachings, but she is engaged in the lives of her sisters, reacting with those expressive eyes to each bit of shared news and to each funny story related. I spoke with Mother the other day and can attest that her laugh is hearty as ever. And no one saying "I love you" can bring tears to my eyes quicker. It is a relief to know that despite her infirmities, Mother is still with us.
What distinguishes Mother Angelica from just about any other Church leader is her humble origins. She is truly of the people; the product of a working class, dysfunctional immigrant family. That tortured biography would make her more sensitive to the struggles of the common man and allow her to give voice to their greatest hopes. Hers is a story of faith's power to transform and redeem, not only one life, but millions of lives. Mother Angelica loved Christ enough to offer Him everything, even her voice and her independence. Today she is continuing to present this final oblation.
My great grandmother used to say: compliments and thanks are only worthwhile when you're living. There is so much I would have liked to have said to Father Neuhaus and to other friends who have departed in recent days. So, following my great grandmother's advice, on this great day of celebration, I want to offer my love and thanks to Mother Angelica. She has inspired so much of my work and has altered countless lives. But for her, this blog, the entire broadcast apparatus that is EWTN would not exist and you and I might never have met in this way. On a personal level she has taught me how to communicate in ways I never expected--how to simply let go and reveal the personality that was given me. She has been a true Mother to me, and I know I am not alone in this.
Next time that you happen across something moving or insightful, inspirational or challenging on EWTN's television or radio feed, do me a favor. Stop for a moment and offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the brave and battle scarred woman who gave so much for that message-- the cloistered nun who built a media empire on faith. Her love is still reaching millions around the world; quietly, gently, powerfully. What a gift she is to us on her 86th birthday.
Here is wishing you many, many more birthdays Reverend Mother.
Let me know what you think, and tell me how Mother touched your life at raymond@raymondarroyo.com
Personally, this is a reflective day mingled with joy and sadness. It was exactly a year ago today when Pope Benedict concluded his triumphant Papal visit to America. But a year later it isn't what the Pope said or did that remains in my memory, so much as the man who sat next to me during our coverage of that visit. I remember telling my friend and co-host, Father Richard John Neuhaus, who gamely contributed commentary (when we weren't doing our Abbott and Costello act), that though this papal visit was history we would certainly revive our long running partnership for the next "big event."
Little did either of us realize that this was to be the last "big event" we would share. Father Neuhaus succumbed to cancer on January 8th of this year. As I read his last book, "American Babylon" he is ever present in my thoughts and prayers.
There is however at least one reason I jubilate this day. It is Mother Angelica's 86th Birthday. Who would have imagined at the end of 2001, after suffering a massive stroke which required emergency brain surgery, that Mother Angelica would still be with us? And yet, eight years later she continues her mission today just as she started it: in contemplative silence and in communion with her Spouse.
Mother's speech is greatly diminished these days. She no longer tells those hilarious stories or shares her practical teachings, but she is engaged in the lives of her sisters, reacting with those expressive eyes to each bit of shared news and to each funny story related. I spoke with Mother the other day and can attest that her laugh is hearty as ever. And no one saying "I love you" can bring tears to my eyes quicker. It is a relief to know that despite her infirmities, Mother is still with us.
What distinguishes Mother Angelica from just about any other Church leader is her humble origins. She is truly of the people; the product of a working class, dysfunctional immigrant family. That tortured biography would make her more sensitive to the struggles of the common man and allow her to give voice to their greatest hopes. Hers is a story of faith's power to transform and redeem, not only one life, but millions of lives. Mother Angelica loved Christ enough to offer Him everything, even her voice and her independence. Today she is continuing to present this final oblation.
My great grandmother used to say: compliments and thanks are only worthwhile when you're living. There is so much I would have liked to have said to Father Neuhaus and to other friends who have departed in recent days. So, following my great grandmother's advice, on this great day of celebration, I want to offer my love and thanks to Mother Angelica. She has inspired so much of my work and has altered countless lives. But for her, this blog, the entire broadcast apparatus that is EWTN would not exist and you and I might never have met in this way. On a personal level she has taught me how to communicate in ways I never expected--how to simply let go and reveal the personality that was given me. She has been a true Mother to me, and I know I am not alone in this.
Next time that you happen across something moving or insightful, inspirational or challenging on EWTN's television or radio feed, do me a favor. Stop for a moment and offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the brave and battle scarred woman who gave so much for that message-- the cloistered nun who built a media empire on faith. Her love is still reaching millions around the world; quietly, gently, powerfully. What a gift she is to us on her 86th birthday.
Here is wishing you many, many more birthdays Reverend Mother.
Let me know what you think, and tell me how Mother touched your life at raymond@raymondarroyo.com
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN: THE UNICORN WRITER, RIP
This week the world lost a rare writer at the age of 43. He was not a media fixture and certainly not one of those writers making appearances at the literary salons. He was a Dublin homebody. But what an astounding person Christopher Nolan was.
Nolan was born with cerebral palsy, could not speak, nor control his extremities. Confined to a wheelchair, he was the type of person our society looks at with pity or largely ignores. Thankfully, his family never saw him that way. They loved him unconditionally, interacted with him and taught him as one would any child. He would go on to school, though no one fully appreciated his mental acuity.
A drug was discovered that allowed Nolan to move one muscle in his neck. (Bono of U2, who attended school with Nolan wrote the song “Miracle Drug” about the boy). At the age of 11 he was equipped with a “unicorn stick” which was fastened to his head. With it Nolan would peck at a typewriter. His mother had to apply pressure to his chin to stabilize the boy’s head, allowing him to work his art. It was a torturous process, taking him more than 15 minutes to produce one word on the page. And what words they were.
He published his first book at 15, a collection of poems appropriately titled “Dam-burst of Dreams.” His second book won Britain’s prestigious “Whitbread Book of the Year:” in 1988. It was called “Under the Eye of the Clock,” a biographical work in which he refers to himself as Joseph Meehan. At one point in the book Nolan writes of crying upon the realization that he is not like other children:
``Looking through his tears he saw [his mother] bent low in order to look into his eyes. `... Listen here Joseph, you can see, you can hear, you can think, you can understand everything you hear. You like your food, you like nice clothes, you are loved by me and Dad. We love you just as you are.' Pussing still, sniveling still, he was listening to his mother's voice. She spoke sort of matter-of-factly but he blubbered moaning sounds. His mother said her say and that was that. She got on with her work while he got on with his crying.
``The decision arrived at that day, was burnt forever in his mind. He was only three years in age but he was now fanning the only spark he saw, his being alive and more immediate, his being wanted just as he was....
``That day looked out through his eyes for the rest of his life. Comfort came in child-like notions, his clumsy body was his, but molested by mother-love he looked lollying looks at his limbs, and liked Joseph Meehan.'
Nolan was a Catholic, one who was often frustrated by his inability to open his mouth at communion time. But the mark of his faith is evident in his work. In “Under the Eye of the Clock” he wrote of Christmas:
“Bells pealed in all the Dublin churches as midnight nudged home its bashful meaning to all the crazy longing. Christ the God-child now breathed a human breath. The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst man. Manger-cradled the Saviour lay. Midnight Mass marked the moment for Joseph; crested now with knowing, he marvelled at the nobility of the human person.”
His Mother, Bernadette told the Christian Science Monitor in the late 80’s: “``He has shown (people with disabilities) that life is worth living, and it doesn't matter whether you're in a wheelchair or a bed; it's what's going on in your mind and your soul that is important.''
Beyond his somersaulting innovation with language, the thing that lingers about Nolan is the improbable miracle of the man himself. I am in awe of the great sacrifices he made each day to share his voice with the world. Each overwhelming obstacle to communication was soberly considered, and ruthlessly overcome. Of writing he once said: ``My mind is just like a spin dryer at full speed. My thoughts fly around my skull, while millions of beautiful words cascade down into my lap. Images gunfire across my consciousness and, while trying to discipline them, I jump in awe at the soul-filled bounty of mind's expanse.''
How many able bodied people put off their calling, or make needless excuses for doing nothing. The next time those deadening temptations bubble up, we should think of Christopher Nolan. With a stick affixed to his head, in a body he could not control, his mother holding his chin, Nolan managed to produce a book of poetry, a play, a novel, a biography and an incredible witness for us all.
May Christopher Nolan rest in peace.
Nolan was born with cerebral palsy, could not speak, nor control his extremities. Confined to a wheelchair, he was the type of person our society looks at with pity or largely ignores. Thankfully, his family never saw him that way. They loved him unconditionally, interacted with him and taught him as one would any child. He would go on to school, though no one fully appreciated his mental acuity.
A drug was discovered that allowed Nolan to move one muscle in his neck. (Bono of U2, who attended school with Nolan wrote the song “Miracle Drug” about the boy). At the age of 11 he was equipped with a “unicorn stick” which was fastened to his head. With it Nolan would peck at a typewriter. His mother had to apply pressure to his chin to stabilize the boy’s head, allowing him to work his art. It was a torturous process, taking him more than 15 minutes to produce one word on the page. And what words they were.
He published his first book at 15, a collection of poems appropriately titled “Dam-burst of Dreams.” His second book won Britain’s prestigious “Whitbread Book of the Year:” in 1988. It was called “Under the Eye of the Clock,” a biographical work in which he refers to himself as Joseph Meehan. At one point in the book Nolan writes of crying upon the realization that he is not like other children:
``Looking through his tears he saw [his mother] bent low in order to look into his eyes. `... Listen here Joseph, you can see, you can hear, you can think, you can understand everything you hear. You like your food, you like nice clothes, you are loved by me and Dad. We love you just as you are.' Pussing still, sniveling still, he was listening to his mother's voice. She spoke sort of matter-of-factly but he blubbered moaning sounds. His mother said her say and that was that. She got on with her work while he got on with his crying.
``The decision arrived at that day, was burnt forever in his mind. He was only three years in age but he was now fanning the only spark he saw, his being alive and more immediate, his being wanted just as he was....
``That day looked out through his eyes for the rest of his life. Comfort came in child-like notions, his clumsy body was his, but molested by mother-love he looked lollying looks at his limbs, and liked Joseph Meehan.'
Nolan was a Catholic, one who was often frustrated by his inability to open his mouth at communion time. But the mark of his faith is evident in his work. In “Under the Eye of the Clock” he wrote of Christmas:
“Bells pealed in all the Dublin churches as midnight nudged home its bashful meaning to all the crazy longing. Christ the God-child now breathed a human breath. The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst man. Manger-cradled the Saviour lay. Midnight Mass marked the moment for Joseph; crested now with knowing, he marvelled at the nobility of the human person.”
His Mother, Bernadette told the Christian Science Monitor in the late 80’s: “``He has shown (people with disabilities) that life is worth living, and it doesn't matter whether you're in a wheelchair or a bed; it's what's going on in your mind and your soul that is important.''
Beyond his somersaulting innovation with language, the thing that lingers about Nolan is the improbable miracle of the man himself. I am in awe of the great sacrifices he made each day to share his voice with the world. Each overwhelming obstacle to communication was soberly considered, and ruthlessly overcome. Of writing he once said: ``My mind is just like a spin dryer at full speed. My thoughts fly around my skull, while millions of beautiful words cascade down into my lap. Images gunfire across my consciousness and, while trying to discipline them, I jump in awe at the soul-filled bounty of mind's expanse.''
How many able bodied people put off their calling, or make needless excuses for doing nothing. The next time those deadening temptations bubble up, we should think of Christopher Nolan. With a stick affixed to his head, in a body he could not control, his mother holding his chin, Nolan managed to produce a book of poetry, a play, a novel, a biography and an incredible witness for us all.
May Christopher Nolan rest in peace.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Father Richard John Neuhaus
1/8/09 Father Richard John Neuhaus has gone to the Lord. My heart breaks with so many of you who loved and respected Father Neuhaus.
I feel privileged to have known him and to have had so many occasions to share broadcasts with him. His precise eye, deep faith, and unfailing eloquence in print and in speech will be sorely missed. But it is his laughter and wicked sense of humor-- all those long meals in Rome and New York that I will miss most. There is no one in the Church like him. May this great man of letters and priest of God, who fought the good fight for so long, rest in peace. Godspeed my friend.
Here is a tribute I wrote for the Wall Street Journal (Click here). And remember to watch the World Over this week. We'll remember Father Neuhaus with George Weigel, Michael Novak, and Jody Bottum.
I feel privileged to have known him and to have had so many occasions to share broadcasts with him. His precise eye, deep faith, and unfailing eloquence in print and in speech will be sorely missed. But it is his laughter and wicked sense of humor-- all those long meals in Rome and New York that I will miss most. There is no one in the Church like him. May this great man of letters and priest of God, who fought the good fight for so long, rest in peace. Godspeed my friend.
Here is a tribute I wrote for the Wall Street Journal (Click here). And remember to watch the World Over this week. We'll remember Father Neuhaus with George Weigel, Michael Novak, and Jody Bottum.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Tony Snow, Requiescat In Pace
Like many Americans I am mourning the passing of Tony Snow, the journalist and White House spokesman who lost his battle with colon cancer on Saturday.
Tony and I had many friends in common and knew each other a bit. Years ago, before he joined Fox News, I met him in Washington and bumped into him occasionally on the road at functions and conferences. He was a class act and a passionate journalist. He was also a committed and practicing Catholic; though I hear little mention of it in the scant media remembrances.
Over the last few weeks another Sunday morning Washington institution, Tim Russert was saluted from all quarters for his civility and faith. Russert's Catholicism was highlighted in nearly every televised memorial. Not so with Tony Snow. And this is unfortunate.
Tony was not only a convert to Catholicism, but he publically stood with the Church on all those issues that separate the goats from the sheep. He was pro-life, an advocate for the less fortunate, and committed to the common good. Still, near as I can tell, no Cardinals came rushing forward to minister to his co-workers or are tripping over one another to celebrate his funeral Mass. As a friend observed recently, "When you do what you're supposed to do the praise comes in heaven."
According to Tony, his brush with colon cancer (which claimed his mother's life) deepened his faith and instigated a reappraisal of priorities. In 2007, during a commencement speech at Catholic University, Tony offered his thoughts on faith. He said:
"Don’t shrink from pondering God’s role in the universe or Christ’s. You see, it’s trendy to reject religious reflection as a grave offense against decency. That’s not only cowardly. That’s false. Faith and reason are knitted together in the human soul. So don’t leave home without either one... Think not only of what it means to love but what it means to be loved. I have a lot of experience with that. Since the news that I have cancer again, I have heard from thousands and thousands of people and I have been the subject of untold prayers... never underestimate the power of other people’s love and prayer. They have incredible power. It’s as if I’ve been carried on the shoulders of an entire army. And they had made me weightless. The soldiers in the army just wanted to do a nice thing for somebody. As I mentioned, a lot of people — everybody out here — wants to do that same thing.”
As Paul said 'Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.' And once you realize that there is something greater than you out there, and then you have to decide, “Do I acknowledge it and do I act upon it?” You have to at some point surrender yourself. And there is nothing worthwhile in your life that will not at some point require an act of submission.”
Tony submitted himself to the Church, and later, in his struggle with cancer, to God's will. This later submission is difficult for us to accept, but it is perhaps Tony's last lesson for us. May we all follow his example and learn to accept God's Will with the same grace and consistency that he displayed in both public and private life. He will be greatly missed.
Rest in peace Tony.
Let me know what you think at raymond@raymondarroyo.com
Tony and I had many friends in common and knew each other a bit. Years ago, before he joined Fox News, I met him in Washington and bumped into him occasionally on the road at functions and conferences. He was a class act and a passionate journalist. He was also a committed and practicing Catholic; though I hear little mention of it in the scant media remembrances.
Over the last few weeks another Sunday morning Washington institution, Tim Russert was saluted from all quarters for his civility and faith. Russert's Catholicism was highlighted in nearly every televised memorial. Not so with Tony Snow. And this is unfortunate.
Tony was not only a convert to Catholicism, but he publically stood with the Church on all those issues that separate the goats from the sheep. He was pro-life, an advocate for the less fortunate, and committed to the common good. Still, near as I can tell, no Cardinals came rushing forward to minister to his co-workers or are tripping over one another to celebrate his funeral Mass. As a friend observed recently, "When you do what you're supposed to do the praise comes in heaven."
According to Tony, his brush with colon cancer (which claimed his mother's life) deepened his faith and instigated a reappraisal of priorities. In 2007, during a commencement speech at Catholic University, Tony offered his thoughts on faith. He said:
"Don’t shrink from pondering God’s role in the universe or Christ’s. You see, it’s trendy to reject religious reflection as a grave offense against decency. That’s not only cowardly. That’s false. Faith and reason are knitted together in the human soul. So don’t leave home without either one... Think not only of what it means to love but what it means to be loved. I have a lot of experience with that. Since the news that I have cancer again, I have heard from thousands and thousands of people and I have been the subject of untold prayers... never underestimate the power of other people’s love and prayer. They have incredible power. It’s as if I’ve been carried on the shoulders of an entire army. And they had made me weightless. The soldiers in the army just wanted to do a nice thing for somebody. As I mentioned, a lot of people — everybody out here — wants to do that same thing.”
As Paul said 'Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.' And once you realize that there is something greater than you out there, and then you have to decide, “Do I acknowledge it and do I act upon it?” You have to at some point surrender yourself. And there is nothing worthwhile in your life that will not at some point require an act of submission.”
Tony submitted himself to the Church, and later, in his struggle with cancer, to God's will. This later submission is difficult for us to accept, but it is perhaps Tony's last lesson for us. May we all follow his example and learn to accept God's Will with the same grace and consistency that he displayed in both public and private life. He will be greatly missed.
Rest in peace Tony.
Let me know what you think at raymond@raymondarroyo.com
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Golden Sellout
First a confession: I love the Indiana Jones movies. I grew up on the franchise and as a kid owned a brown fedora and bullwhip. Now you know. Today, having seen the first three films on DVD, my sons have their own brown fedoras and a bullwhip. So when they heard that a new Indiana Jones film was being released, the boys begged to see it. I was only too happy to comply with their request.
Another dad and myself signed our kids out of school early and took them down to the local Regal Cinema to be there on the opening day of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” (Yes, we contributed to the $127 million dollar haul.) This was no routine trip to the Cineplex. This was a pilgrimage; a chance for the old guys to share their boyish excitement with the young-uns-- to show them what old fashioned summer movies were like. The boys wore their fedoras and we settled in the dark waiting for the excitement to begin.
It never did.
In fairness, the boys were mildly interested in a jungle jeep chase sequence. A swarm of killer ants that devoured a mean Commie also made them put aside the Skittles for a nanosecond. But aside from that, my sons were literally tipping over from boredom.
Indiana Jones is one of those iconic American characters that we need today. Cut from the cloth of John Wayne and Humphrey Bogart, Dr. Jones is an unapologetic male: a good guy who is sure of himself and his culture. He is both brash and educated—a solver of riddles who can pop bad guys in the mouth, outsmart the fascists, and still get the girl. But something was missing from this adventure. When it was over, it felt as if we hadn’t seen an Indiana Jones picture at all. National Treasure 2 was a better film.
Oh, Harrison Ford was there doing a fine job as an elder, more resigned Indy, but the old magic around him was absent. The first problem was the time period. 1957 is a far cry from the glamour and mystique of the 1930’s. And having an Indiana Jones movie begin in NEVADA with strains of Elvis’ “Hound Dog” in the background is probably not a good idea. And who’s choice was it to have Alvin and the Prairie Dogs show up in the opening scene?
In retrospect it was as if George Lucas (the producer who is credited with the absurd story) and director Stephen Spielberg were more interested in paying tribute to their hits of yesteryear than reviving one of America’s great movie franchises. Imagine random scenes from American Graffiti (which Lucas directed in 1973), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Spielberg’s 1977 film), and Jaws (Spielberg,1975) with Indiana Jones wandering about and you pretty much have a sense of this film. Despite the promise of a few scenes between Harrison Ford and Karen Allen (as Indy’s old love Marion Ravenwood), there is little humanity here for audiences to hold on to.
Yeah, Indiana Jones is still snapping his whip and throwing out cocky asides. He tips his hat to nuns and is obviously the Indy we know from better days; but lost in this ridiculous storyline, even die-hards will have trouble caring about him. Once the space ship takes off from the Aztec temple, it is all but impossible to watch. The character is so out of place in this milieu, Spielberg and Lucas may as well have ended the film with Indy, Marion, and their love child walking into Al’s Diner for a burger. Fonzie, Richie Cunningham, Laverne and Shirley could have been sharing milkshakes in a nearby booth just to complete the excitement. Heck, wait another 20 years and in the next installment, Indy and Marion can go on a senior’s Princess Cruise with Captain Stubing and special guest star, Carol Channing.
Whatever Indy was searching for (and after sitting through this graphic laden nightmare I still am not at all certain what that was) I don’t think he found it. Neither did we.
As I write this my sons are wearing their fedoras in the backyard, spinning adventures far more exciting than the muddled Indiana Jones disaster abusing screens everywhere. Save your money and watch the kids in the yard. They’re more believable, and unlike these filmmakers, they love Indiana Jones for more than the box office riches he can deliver.
Raymond Arroyo is the New York Times Bestelling Author of “Mother Angelica” and host of the EWTN Newsmagazine “The World Over Live.” www.raymondarroyo.com
Another dad and myself signed our kids out of school early and took them down to the local Regal Cinema to be there on the opening day of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” (Yes, we contributed to the $127 million dollar haul.) This was no routine trip to the Cineplex. This was a pilgrimage; a chance for the old guys to share their boyish excitement with the young-uns-- to show them what old fashioned summer movies were like. The boys wore their fedoras and we settled in the dark waiting for the excitement to begin.
It never did.
In fairness, the boys were mildly interested in a jungle jeep chase sequence. A swarm of killer ants that devoured a mean Commie also made them put aside the Skittles for a nanosecond. But aside from that, my sons were literally tipping over from boredom.
Indiana Jones is one of those iconic American characters that we need today. Cut from the cloth of John Wayne and Humphrey Bogart, Dr. Jones is an unapologetic male: a good guy who is sure of himself and his culture. He is both brash and educated—a solver of riddles who can pop bad guys in the mouth, outsmart the fascists, and still get the girl. But something was missing from this adventure. When it was over, it felt as if we hadn’t seen an Indiana Jones picture at all. National Treasure 2 was a better film.
Oh, Harrison Ford was there doing a fine job as an elder, more resigned Indy, but the old magic around him was absent. The first problem was the time period. 1957 is a far cry from the glamour and mystique of the 1930’s. And having an Indiana Jones movie begin in NEVADA with strains of Elvis’ “Hound Dog” in the background is probably not a good idea. And who’s choice was it to have Alvin and the Prairie Dogs show up in the opening scene?
In retrospect it was as if George Lucas (the producer who is credited with the absurd story) and director Stephen Spielberg were more interested in paying tribute to their hits of yesteryear than reviving one of America’s great movie franchises. Imagine random scenes from American Graffiti (which Lucas directed in 1973), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Spielberg’s 1977 film), and Jaws (Spielberg,1975) with Indiana Jones wandering about and you pretty much have a sense of this film. Despite the promise of a few scenes between Harrison Ford and Karen Allen (as Indy’s old love Marion Ravenwood), there is little humanity here for audiences to hold on to.
Yeah, Indiana Jones is still snapping his whip and throwing out cocky asides. He tips his hat to nuns and is obviously the Indy we know from better days; but lost in this ridiculous storyline, even die-hards will have trouble caring about him. Once the space ship takes off from the Aztec temple, it is all but impossible to watch. The character is so out of place in this milieu, Spielberg and Lucas may as well have ended the film with Indy, Marion, and their love child walking into Al’s Diner for a burger. Fonzie, Richie Cunningham, Laverne and Shirley could have been sharing milkshakes in a nearby booth just to complete the excitement. Heck, wait another 20 years and in the next installment, Indy and Marion can go on a senior’s Princess Cruise with Captain Stubing and special guest star, Carol Channing.
Whatever Indy was searching for (and after sitting through this graphic laden nightmare I still am not at all certain what that was) I don’t think he found it. Neither did we.
As I write this my sons are wearing their fedoras in the backyard, spinning adventures far more exciting than the muddled Indiana Jones disaster abusing screens everywhere. Save your money and watch the kids in the yard. They’re more believable, and unlike these filmmakers, they love Indiana Jones for more than the box office riches he can deliver.
Raymond Arroyo is the New York Times Bestelling Author of “Mother Angelica” and host of the EWTN Newsmagazine “The World Over Live.” www.raymondarroyo.com
Friday, May 16, 2008
COME SEE US IN WASHINGTON
There have been lots of e-mails asking about attending one of The World Over Live broadcasts. For those of you traveling to Washington DC this summer and staying over on a Friday night, this is your chance. All you have to do is give us a weeks notice by dropping us an e-mail at worldoverdc@yahoo.com. In the subject line be sure to put the date that you will be joining us and the number of seats you would like us to reserve for you.
Seating is limited so contact us as soon as you can. We have some great guests scheduled for the summer months that I know you will enjoy in person. Looking forward to seeing you.
Raymond
Seating is limited so contact us as soon as you can. We have some great guests scheduled for the summer months that I know you will enjoy in person. Looking forward to seeing you.
Raymond
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