Summer Movie Recs

Finished those summer reading recommendations already? Well, here are a few summer movie recommendations that, at least tangentially, have some liturgical or music connection: 

Book of Life (2014) Directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez for 20th Century Fox While the Pixar flick “Coco” is more well-known, “Book of Life” came first as far as an animated film exploring the traditions around the Day of the Dead and how we keep the memory of our loved ones alive through story-telling and music. The production is vibrant and the music is beautifully integrated into the narrative. It’s a bit more gritty and less magical (intentionally), but that serves to draw the viewer into what feels like a pretty “real” world. Lot’s of good Catholic themes, symbols, and decisions with consequences that could lead to interesting conversations about belief and mystery and beauty, but also just fun to watch! 

Airport (1970) Directed by George Seaton for Universal OK, this is not for the kids, mostly because it will bore them to sleep. Why a summer movie? The whole thing takes place during a snowstorm at night, to trick yourself into cooling off. It’s beautifully photographed by legendary cinematographer Ernest Laszlo and the last film score composed by the beyond-legendary Alfred Newman. Burt Lancaster and Dean Martin are the leads (Lancaster called it a piece of junk), but it features a notable cast, including George Kennedy, who would star in each of the sequels (different characters, same name?). It was called “breath-taking in its celebration of anything which used to work when Hollywood was younger and we were all more innocent,” yet at the same time innovated a genre still going strong, the disaster movie. “Airport” was the second-highest growing film of 1970, so they were obviously on to something with the bloated cast, ridiculous melodrama, and impending doom (my favorite disaster film is, naturally, about trains, “Disaster on the Coastliner” with William Shatner). There’s a priest passenger put in charge of praying (watch the 1975 sequel for the singing nun), but more importantly the film is a snapshot from its era on the quickly-changing attitudes around marriage and family values. To top it off, the hero is a female octogenarian stowaway. Perhaps the aggrandizement of Boeing has not aged well, but a fun watch none-the-less! 

The Spitfire Grill (1996) Directed by Lee David Zlotoff for Castle Rock This film was originally produced by the Sacred Heart League, which wanted to make a film that would express Catholic values in the context of an engaging story. After being screened at Sundance, Castle Rock bought the distribution rights for $10 million. Profits from that were used to construct a K-8 school in Mississippi, and a musical adaptation was even produced in 2001. The film is the story of Percy Talbot, just released from prison on parole to begin a new life in the small town of Gilead, Maine. The life of the town revolves around the local grill, where Percy gets a job and tries to fit in with the folks who aren’t always welcoming and dealing with their own life-messes. It’s a sometimes challenging but beautiful film, with a mystic score by James Horner that effectively conveys its themes of redemption, healing, and sacrifice.