An American Carol

This weekend me and my husband saw An American Carol. We were going to see Indiana Jones but this is a rare movie in a liberal Hollywood. It is seldom that the political-right has a chance to get their views to the big screen, and he wanted to support that. I hadn't even heard of it before Friday, but when i looked it up, i was excited once i read it was directed by the same guy that did Airplane! and the Naked Gun series. Upon reading the synopsis, i understood the title. It's like the Dickens' classic meets the 4th of July with Michael "Mallone" as Scrooge. I don't think there is any question as to why it's released now in October instead of a few months ago in June or July.

Overall, I thought the movie was a bit far-right, but as exemplified in many scenes, there are times when extreme measures are called for. I would say that the main focus of the movie is that war is necessary and that peace doesn't solve anything. We are stuck in the 60's because the professors indoctrinating new generations are hippies set on passing on their ideals to sheltered kids looking for a way to rebel against their conservative parents paying for their education. I liked how obvious it was that the protagonist was missing so much. They show him in Cuba, raving about the healthcare system there and doesn't see the corruption and very undesirable methods present. There were many potshots taken at him, the ACLU (my favorite scene), and liberals in general.

What bugged me was the large percentage of white people in the movie. The movie starts out with a block party picnic, which is already unrealistic to me, but it doesn't say what state it is set in, maybe somewhere in the midwest where this stuff still happens. So that could explain why every person at the picnic was white, except for one black lady, who got hit with a frisbee. That really struck me as odd that the one non-white person was the one hit. What are they trying to say there. The only other time where you see a lot of (American) non-white people is when they are in an alternate present, a "what if Lincoln was a pacifist?" and Michael Malone had a bunch of slaves. If they want an accurate portrayel of America, then they need more African-Americans, Asians, hispanics, etc. Also not have country music as the favorite of patriots. A lot of people dislike country music, not just democrats. I guess it fits best, but it had too prominent of a role. Well, i guess it could've been worse. This all coming from a white conservative that likes country music. ^__^ Also, I can't stand it when people try to be humorous by making kids be potty-mouths. That is just me though, and it's nothing like Will Ferrel's Landlord video.

The movie did leave me with a weird feeling though, because it portrayed Americans in such a way that sadly enough, seems to be true. Yes, we are a fortunate and blessed country with an abundance of wealth and freedom (collectively; i'm not saying every American is) but that doesn't make us the best. It radiated off this feeling of "we are better than them." It all felt a little over the top, but I suppose you have to exaggerate to catch attention. Patriotism is pride for your country, but not to the point where we diminish others. We should be helping out the other countries, but not so much with our government force (charity is not the government's job) but private organizations. I've been really moved recently by reading Revolutionizing World Missions by Dr. K.P. Yohannan, the founder of Gospel for Asia. He stated that physical means will never end poverty, only the power of the Gospel. Those who aren't Christians may not want to admit it, but our country was founded on Christian values, and that is why we are so strong today. The morals behind our laws were influenced by biblical morals. So yes, pride for our country should be present but we should help the others through missions and private charity groups and government when necessary. A movie can't cover everything though, and one mustn't get confused and think it's a Christian movie. Saying "God bless ___" and the presence of the Ten Commandments in a courtroom is the extent of Christianity present in the film. Except for video propoganda presented by Rosie O'Connell, but you'll need to watch to see that for yourself.

In conclusion, I enjoyed the movie and had quite a few laughs. Again, my favorite part is the ACLU lawyers scene. My least favorite part was the audience. It bugs me when people clap at the end of movies (or at the beginning of movies like in the opening credits of The Dark Knight when Ledger's name came up) but it irks like none other when people clap, hoot, and holler during a movie. Who knew a room full of old people could be so rowdy? Oh yeah, it was dark (naturally), but i'm pretty sure 90% of the people there were white and over 55. I told Nathaniel he was probably the youngest and darkest person in the room.

Bottom line: Go see it, no matter whether you are red, blue, or purple. Especially if you like Michael Moore. Or Leslie Nielson. Or JFK.