Campbell at the Movies

Toy Story 3 Discussion Questions

2011-07-20T09:32:00.000-07:00

1) Near the beginning of the movie, as the toys wonder about their uncertain future, Woody tries to assure the group saying, “Andy must care about us or we wouldn’t be here.”
- What does he mean?
- Buzz says, “Whatever happens, at least we’ll all be together … for infinity and beyond.”
- What does this statement say about friendship?
- How does this idea play out in the story? …with Andy? … with the toys? …with Mom?

2) Trying to convince the others to stay with Andy, Woody says, “I have a kid; you have a kid - Andy. And if he wants us at college or in the attic, then our job is to be there for him.”
- What is he trying to get across to the others?
- Why does Woody feel the way he does about Andy?
- At the end of the movie, what has changed for Woody in this regard?

3) The teddy bear Lotso observes, “When the kids get old, new ones come in. When they get old, new ones replace them. You'll never be outgrown, or neglected. Never abandoned or forgotten. No owners means - no heartbreak!”
- What has shaped this philosophy in his experience?
- What is the weakness of this point of view? Where does it fail?
- And how does Big Baby feel about this perspective as the story goes along?

4) What do the toys do as they are sliding toward the incinerator in the dump?
- What does this action say to you about friendship?

5) SPOILER ALERT - IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE YOU MY NOT WANT TO READ THESE QUESTIONS!
- Why does Andy finally decide to give his toys to Bonnie?
- What is he feeling as he gives them to her?
- What makes Woody change his mind and put himself in the “give away” box instead of the college box?
- What does Andy feel when he sees Woody in the box and how does he decide to go
ahead and give him to Bonnie?

Scripture references for “Toy Story 3”
- How do each of the passages relate to the movie?

John 14:15-19
‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live.

John 15:12-17
‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

1 Corinthians 13:1-8a, 13
If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends.
And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

The King's Speech - Discussion Questions

2011-07-13T09:06:00.000-07:00

1) There are two key transitions in the story - 1) death of father, 2) his coronation.
- How does Bertie respond to each? How does he grow in each?
- What changes for him in each transitional moment?
- What is Bertie’s “role” or “identity” in each of the three “chapters” marked by these transition points?

2) Just after Bertie takes the throne his daughters see him in hall, courtesy and call him “Your Majesty.”
- What causes them to change their behavior toward their father?
- What do you think goes through Bertie’s mind at that moment?
- How does Bertie react to assuming the role of king?

3) Lionel Logue tells Bertie, “You don’t need to carry [your father] around in your pocket. Or your brother. You don’t need to be afraid of the things you were afraid of when you were five. You’re very much your own man, Bertie.”
- In your own words, what is Logue trying to say?
- How is Bertie’s identity shaped by his relationships with his father and brother?

4) The climactic moment of the story is Logue’s question, “Why should I listen to you?’ followed by Bertie’s declaration, “Because I have a voice!”
- What does Bertie realize in this moment?
- What does Lionel realize in this moment?

Star Wars - Discussion Questions

2011-07-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

1) How does Luke experience his “calling” to become a Jedi?
- What choices does he consider for his future?
- Why does he end up finally choosing the Jedi way?
- How is Luke’s calling to be a Jedi similar to our calling to discipleship?
- How is it different?

2) How does Ben Kenobi describe “the force” to Luke?
- What is the force? What does it do?
- How does Luke use the force in his quest to defeat Vader?
- What do the “dark side” and the “light side” of the force represent?
- How is the force similar to the Holy Spirit?
- How is it different?

3) The Jedi are the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy. The Sith oppose the Jedi.
- What motivates each group? What does each group rely upon?
- What is the goal for each?
- How do the methods of the Jedi differ from the methods of the Sith?
- Do you see any contemporary parallels with the Jedi/Sith dichotomy?

"Invictus" Discussion Questions

2010-07-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

Discussion Questions for “Invictus”

1) What is it about the Springboks that Mandela values most?

2) How would you describe the relationships among Mandela’s security guards as the story progresses?

3) Mandela says: If we remove the rugby team, “we prove that we are who they feared we would be.” What does he mean, what is he describing?

4) What was the point of the team’s trip to Robben Island to see the prison where Mandela was held?

5) How does sport shape community, impact relationships, create connections?

6) How do people determine who is an “enemy” and who is a “friend”? How does Christ ask his followers to think about enemies and friends?

Top 5 Movie music/songs

2010-07-18T19:06:00.000-07:00

Top 5 Animated

2010-07-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

Stranger Than Fiction - Discussion Questions

2010-07-14T15:16:00.000-07:00

Discussions Questions for “Stranger Than Fiction”

1) Is Harold Crick free? Does he control his own life? What forces push and pull on him?
Harold: I’m somehow involved in some sort of story; like I’m a character in my own life.

2) What does Karen Eiffel have to choose between, what choice does she make, and what factors does she consider as she is making her decision?
Karen: Because it's a book about a man who doesn't know he's about to die. And then dies. But if a man does know he's about to die and dies anyway. Dies- dies willingly, knowing that he could stop it, then- I mean, isn't that the type of man who you want to keep alive?

3) How does Professor Hilbert help Harold with his dilemma?
Harold: I mean, who in their right mind in a choice between pancakes and living chooses pancakes?
Prof. Hilbert: Harold, if you pause to think, you'd realize that that answer is inextricably contingent upon the type of life being led... and, of course, the quality of the pancakes.

4) What role does Ana Pascal play in Harold’s life? What role does he play in hers?
Ana Pascal: Did you like the cookies?
Harold Crick: Yes. Thank you for forcing me to eat them.

Top 20 Movie Theme Songs - Click for links

2010-07-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

- 2001: A Space Odyssey (“Also Sprach Zarathustra”)

- Casablanca (“As Time Goes By”)

- Chariots of Fire

- Close Encounters of the Third Kind

- Doctor Zhivago (“Somewhere My Love”)

- E.T.

- The Godfather (“Speak Softly Love”)

- Harry Potter (Main theme)

- Jaws

- James Bond (Main theme)

- Love Story (“Where Shall I Begin”)

- The Mission

- The Pink Panther

- Raiders of the Lost Ark (“Raider’s March”)

- Rocky (“Gonna Fly Now”)

- Saturday Night Fever (“Stayin’ Alive”)

- Star Trek

- Star Wars (Main theme)

- Superman

- The Wizard of Oz (“Over the Rainbow”)

Discussion Questions for "Up"

2010-07-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to a few of my thoughts about "Up."

UP Discussion Questions

1) For what do each of the movie’s characters long? What do they want most?
- Carl Fredricksen
- Russell (the boy)
- Kevin (the bird)
- Charles Muntz (the explorer)
- Dug (the dog)

2) How do Carl and Ellie compliment each other in their relationship?

3) Ellie fills up the “Stuff I Am Going To Do” section of the “Adventure Book” before she dies. When Carl discovers it, how have her ideas of “adventure” changed over time? How does this motivate/change/fulfill Carl?

4) Russell describes a memory of his dad, then says, “It might sound boring, but I think the boring stuff is the stuff I remember the most.” What does he mean by this? How does it relate to Ellie’s “Stuff I Am Going To Do” pictures?

5) How does Carl’s longing change? How is this change symbolized?

Top 5 movie lines

2010-07-04T12:57:00.000-07:00

Discussion Questions for Blindside

2010-06-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

How did you first perceive the Touhy family?

What did you first think of the teachers?

In the movie you watch a change take place in Leigh Anne and Collins as much as in Michael. What was taking place?

Scripture calls followers of Christ to look out for the orphans. When Leigh Anne and Sean took in Michael did you think they were following Christ or crazy?

The scene with Leigh Anne and Michael's biological mother shows an incredible difference in two lives. What differences creates this gap?

Michael's biological mother calls Leigh Anne "a good Christian woman". What makes a good Christian?

We all can't take a child into our homes. However, we are all called to action, in what way do you sense God is calling you to action?

Campbell at the Movies is back

2010-06-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

Coraline Discussion -

2009-07-30T15:13:00.000-07:00

I have written some more - click here - about my Coraline thoughts. Feel free to surf over there and read them!

Discussion Questions for the movie Coraline:

1 – What one word best describes the “other world”?

2 – What is Coraline’s opinion of her real life at the beginning of the movie? How does that opinion change by the end?

3 – The marketing of the movie included the tag line, “Be careful what you wish for.” What is the significance of this line?

4 – What do the button eyes in the other world symbolize?

5 – Coraline tells Wybie, “The other mother, she’s got this whole world where everything’s better, the food, the garden, the neighbors. But it’s all a trap.” How might this observation apply to our real “real” world?

6 – Compare and contrast this movie with Alice in Wonderland.
…The Wizard of Oz.

"Doubt" Discussion Questions

2009-07-23T07:35:00.001-07:00

The movie “Doubt” is driven by its characters. The main four are Sister Aloysius, Father Flynn, Sister James, and Mrs. Miller. Donald Miller is also a part of the story, but we get to know these “top four” at a much deeper level.

- Do you identify with any of these four characters in particular? How so?

- Do you “like” any of the four better than the others? Why?

- What motivates each of the four?

- How does each character view the church? Is this late ‘60s picture of the church accurate? Does anything in the film resonate with your experience of the church today?

- What is the relationship among “doubt” and “faith” and “certainty?” How does each character express each of these traits?

- The film intentionally leaves a lot of ambiguity. How do you react to this? Is it important to figure out if Father Flynn is truly guilty? Why or why not?

- Were you surprised by the ending? What did the final scene leave you feeling?

Facing The Giants discussion

2009-07-15T18:33:00.001-07:00

Discussion questions for Facing the Giants:

Is this storyline just too “good to be true”?

Were there characters that held more strength or believability?

Does God still move in such obvious ways?

What about the fact that this movie was made completely by volunteers? And became its own “facing the giants of Hollywood”?

Questions about the movie lines:

Why do you think Coach Taylor makes Brock wear a blindfold for the Death Crawl?

As Mr. Childers says, “Your actions always follow your beliefs.” How do changes in your internal would make their way out to your external world?

It is a huge risk to put David Childers in for a 51-yard field goal. When asked what he was doing, Coach Taylor answers, “I’m preparing for rain.” What does he mean by that?

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas discussion questions

2009-07-08T14:31:00.000-07:00

What a movie! Not easy to watch in many ways, yet it is an incredible example of humanity's need to connect. Think about these questions this week and post any thoughts you might have over the movie and the topics that surface from watching the movie.

Sunday morning we will be talking about the story in Luke about the Good Samaritan - another wonderful story of humanity's love for each other.

Discussion questions for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

1. Prejudice is an attitude while discrimination is a behavior. Explore • these differences?

2. What is a stereotype? Why do people stereotype groups that are different from them? How does the movie depict Nazis stereotyping Jews?

3. When the mother learns that Jews are being exterminated at the camp, she questions her husband. “How can you?” she asks. He responds: “Because I’m a solider.” How do these two perspectives contrast?

4. Why do you think Gretel believes the viewpoints of Lieutenant Kotler, the tutor Liszt, and her father about Jews. Although Bruno is younger than his sister, he questions their viewpoints. Why?

5. One the early turning points for the mother in the movie is saying thank you to Pavel for treating Bruno. What has changed for her at this point? Why do you think she seems open to considering a different perspective?

6. At times, the father is shown as a loving parent and husband. How is this possible given his role as a Nazi officer giving orders to treat people in humanely?

7. How does Bruno justify continuing his friendship with Shmuel despite what his father, sister and tutor said about Jews?

8. The barbed wire fence is a physical separation between Bruno and Shmuel. What other types of separation does the fence represent in this story?

9. Neither Bruno nor Shmuel really know what is going on at the concentration camp. Why is that, and what allows them to keep their innocence?

10. What events and experiences lead Bruno to gradually give up some of his innocence and see things differently?

Questions for discussion - Wall-E

2009-07-01T13:51:00.000-07:00

1) Why does the movie depict earth in such a wretched condition?
Do you think it will ever really get that bad?
What does the "Buy and Large" corporation symbolize? It a is fair analogy?

2) What does Wall-E's truck, filled with all of his treasures, represent?
Why does he collect these things?
What does Wall-E long for and how does that relate to his function?

3) What is the significance of Eve's "directive"?
What does she do right after the spaceship drops her off and blasts back into space?
What is our "directive" or "directives"?

4) What does this move have to say about humanity's place in creation?
What do John and Mary realize about each other?
What does the captain learn about earth that inspires him to go back there?

How's This Going to Work?

2009-06-30T09:10:00.000-07:00

Hi! We're trying something a little different this month. July 2009 is "Campbell at the Movies" month. Every Wednesday this month we'll show a movie (see the schedule at right) and the following Sunday that movie will shape the worship services.

In the interim, we will use this blog to discuss the movie. Questions, thoughts, ideas, musings of various kinds will all be welcome here. Comments that start with "Oh, I loved that part where ...." will be awesome! Or maybe, "What do you make of that moment when ..." That kind of stuff.

When you make a comment, either sign in and use your user name or go ahead and include your name in an "anonymous" comment, so we'll know who we are talking with. If you'd like to keep track of the conversation more intentionally, you can become a "follower" of this blog by clicking on the link over there on the right side.

I am eager to see how this is all going to work. It's going to be pretty fun! We'll get started with "Wall-E" tomorrow night, so come one, come all - and invite a friend!