Movies | NovelSisters

Galentine’s Day and Happiness

by lydiamhill

So if you don’t know, I’m a huge Parks and Recreation Fan. I enjoy the humor and the characters of the show a lot and I’ll often watch an old episode just for fun. One thing from this show that I thought was quite clever was a character creating her own holiday. She called it Galentine’s Day. And instead of going on a date with a guy, she hung out with all of her girlfriends and had a nice dinner and just enjoyed their company. Well this past Valentine’s Day, I found myself in a familiar situation with no romantic relationship to speak of. It doesn’t bother me too much, but since the day after Valentine’s Day was a holiday (President’s Day) and several of my friends were off of work, I decided to hang out with a few of them. It kind of turned into my own version of Galentine’s Day.

First I got a manicure and pedicure with one friend, we talked and laughed the whole time and I really enjoyed the massages and how clean my feet felt after the scrubbing. Then I called another friend who lives a couple hours away and we just talked and talked for over an hour. And finally I went out to see Kung Fu Panda 3 with one more friend. Although we had trouble finding two seats next to each other that weren’t broken, we just laughed it off and enjoyed the movie. I have enjoyed all of the Panda movies in the past and this one was no exception. I laughed a lot and when we were done, we decided to get some dinner at Chickfila, where we saw a horse drawn carriage. We took our food back to my friend’s apartment and talked some more as we ate. Then I introduced her to one of my favorite older movies: Singing in the Rain.

All in all, it was a marvelous day filled with laughter and happiness. Even though each activity was with someone different, I enjoyed them all. This day reminded me of how many deep friendships God has given me and that makes me very thankful. So even though I don’t have a boyfriend, I’m content with where God has me. I am not alone, my life does have meaning, and I can have a lot of fun with these girls. But more than that, I’ve been learning that all I have to be grateful for really comes from God. He created me, my friends, laughter, happiness, stories, humor, and everything that is good and He wants me to enjoy them and praise Him for it. When I express my gratitude to Him it helps me remember how much He loves me and how much He’s given me, and it makes me happy.

So I hope your holiday weekend was full of happiness too and that you’re enjoying what God has given you.

Christian Life Movies Stories TV

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The Martian

by lydiamhill

So I’ve been wanting to see The Martian movie for a long time. But I never made it the theater and then it was in that weird in between stage where you can’t see it in theaters and you can’t rent it either. But this past weekend my family finally rented it through iTunes and we all sat down to watch the almost 2 and a half hour movie. I’d heard good things about this movie and know it’s also getting some attention at the upcoming Oscars, so I was expecting a good movie, but I didn’t know how good. Now after seeing it, I may just have to read the book it was based off of by Andy Weir.

When watching this Space Drama, it’s hard not to think of other space related movies, such as the more recent Interstellar, and older classics like Apollo 13. And while Apollo 13 will always have a special place in my heart and is enjoyable because of it’s basis on a true story, I have to admit that The Martian took things to a whole ‘nother level. It’s like the awesome visuals of Interstellar were combined with the compelling story of Apollo 13 and then given steroids.

The basic plot of The Martian is that someone is lost in space, more specifically on Mars, and a whole team of people have to work together to get him home alive. Not to mention, he has to figure out a lot of things on his own. But it’s amazing to see all of the inventiveness, creativity and humor of the stranded Mark Watney. I also was excited every time I saw another celebrity actor show up in the cast. It just brought a high standard to the whole film.

And although there are many things to praise about this movie, such as the beautiful scenery, music, and well written plot that balances drama with humor perfectly so we don’t get tired of either; I feel like my favorite part of this movie was seeing Matt Damon talking to himself throughout his time alone in space. I was a little worried that I would see similar things to Castaway or other films where someone is alone and they go a little crazy. But time and time again, our hero Mark finds a way to laugh at his situation and just go for it. It brings a sense of hope to the awful situation he is in and inspires the audience to do the same.

So, in conclusion, I loved this movie. It does have a bit of language that you might want to watch out for, and the opening storm scene is a bit intense, but otherwise I think it’s enjoyable. So go see it before it wins some Oscars, because based on what I saw, it’s winning something.

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Star Wars Episode 7

by lydiamhill

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Well the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens, came out and I finally got around to watching it. I grew up with the other films and have enjoyed the story over the years, though my family only ever owned 1 out of the 6 movies. But I was looking forward to this newest episode in the saga. And now I can say, it was not disappointing. This newest film did a great job of setting up a new plot while still connecting to the familiar stories we’ve already seen. I especially liked the new characters we are introduced to in this film, such as Finn and Rey. They are funny, relatable, and genuine and I’m looking forward to seeing how their stories continue.

The one thing I heard multiple times before I could see the movie was that it was basically A New Hope all over again. And I have to admit there are a lot of parallels between these two movies. To name just a few they both share a desert planet for an opening setting, the giving of important information to a droid for safe keeping, and the sacrifice of a mentor. After watching A New Hope again, I spotted even more similarities. I guess some people were disappointed by that, and maybe thought it made the film too predictable. However, I think that even though there are a ton of parallels between this new movie and A New Hope, that isn’t a bad thing. It’s a way of connecting with the old films, and there are still enough new things to keep me interested. It doesn’t feel like a remake of A New Hope, but more like the beginning of a new story in the same universe.

So if you liked the original Star Wars trilogy and you’re alright with a lot of similarities to A New Hope, you will probably like this film.

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The Mockingjay Part 2

by lydiamhill

As you know if you’ve been following my blog for long, I’ve blogged about the Hunger Games before. I’ve seen all of the other movies and read the books. So this past weekend I went to see the latest Hunger Games movie. And just in case you haven’t seen it, be aware that this blog post will have some spoilers in it. I found it interesting that before I got a chance to see the movie, several people in my life were complaining about this newest film. Some said they were disappointed, or didn’t like the ending. But I wanted to reserve judgement till I had actually seen the movie for myself.

So yesterday I settled into my movie chair with a good friend and we watching the 2 hour and 17 minute movie. And I couldn’t see why people were complaining. There were intense battle sequences, fairly good acting, and great music. I even laughed at a few of the lines. I thought the movie did an excellent job of bringing the book to life. If followed the story line almost perfectly as did the previous films. It seemed on par with all of the other Hunger Games movies. What was there to complain about?

And then it hit me, the people I’d heard complaining about the movie had not read the books, or at least not to my knowledge. Suddenly it all made sense. When I first read the books, I loved the first one, was still interested by the second, and was kind of frustrated with the third. I didn’t like that so many of the characters died and yeah I just didn’t like the story. But that’s how it was written. So when I went to see the movie I expected Finnick and Prim to die, I knew Coin was also a villain and I enjoyed seeing everything play out. Plus I got to see my extra favorite ending scene with Peeta and Katniss hanging out with their kids. By the way Peeta makes an awesome dad.

So yeah, I got what I expected. But if someone was watching the films and didn’t know how it was going to end, I can totally see why they were disappointed. I was too, just with the book. I can’t blame the movie, because it wasn’t the movie’s fault, it all came from the book. So in any case, if you’ve enjoyed the Hunger Games movies, you’ll probably enjoy this one too. But if you don’t know the ending, be prepared for some sadness coming your way because it’s not all happily ever after.

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Bridge of Spies and Worry

by lydiamhill

A couple weeks ago I got to watch the Bridge of Spies with my family. It was a very well done movie and if you like dramas, or historical films, you’d love this one. Tom Hanks always does a fantastic job in his movies and this one is no exception. I loved the story and the characters, but the one thing that stuck out to me from the whole movie was a line that Rudolf Abel says several times. He is a Soviet sent to America to serve his country. In his eyes he has done nothing wrong. But he gets caught up in all of the drama of the Cold War and is accused of being a spy and even threatened with death. Then he is sentenced to jail and later offered as an exchange for an American prisoner. But in all of the tough circumstances he constantly maintains a calm attitude. Throughout the movie other characters ask him, “Aren’t you worried?” and he responds calmly, “Would it help?”

And does it? I know I’ve spent a lot of my time worrying about little things that don’t even matter, and does it make a difference at all? No, not really. Worry accomplishes nothing, it helps no one. And even though I know this, I often still do it. So how do we stop it?

Well while I was in Mozambique, I shared a Bible story with the children about this exact thing. After acting out a skit with a fellow team member where she was really worried, I read them these verses:

“Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!” -Luke 12:22-28 NIV

After sharing these verses, I prayed with the actor, and told the kids that instead of worrying, we could be thankful. Then the whole team helped the children make flowers out of pipe cleaners and construction paper. And I told them that they could write things they were thankful for on the flower petals to remind them not to worry and that God could take care of them.

And I think that’s the real issue with worry. Worry comes when we think we are in control and we can change our circumstance by doing something. So we get ourselves all worked up thinking about all the things we can do, to make sure it goes the right way (our way). We try to predict what could go wrong and how to fix it. We might even try to make sure everyone is happy. But in the end we only wear ourselves out and often no matter how much we planned or worried or stressed, it still doesn’t come together the way we hoped.

I think the reason that Rudolf Abel was not worried, was that he knew and accepted that he was not in control. He didn’t stress about his circumstances because he knew he couldn’t change them. And I think when we do the same thing with God and accept that He is the one in control, not us, then it’s a lot easier to relax and stop worrying. Because ultimately God is in control and what He has planned is good. It may not be what we expect or want, but it is good. And I think that’s one of the big things I learned from going to Mozambique. I didn’t try to be in control while I was on the trip. I just held my plans loosely and laughed when they got changed. I didn’t worry about what I would say in front of a large group, or how a Bible lesson would come together, I simply trusted God and did my best. And it was so freeing.

So I want to encourage you today. You don’t have to worry either, God is in control of your life and He has the best plan. So trust Him, and if you’re still having trouble with worry, ask someone to pray with you.

Christian Life Movies Mozambique Stories

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Captive or War Room

by lydiamhill

Image Source: http://theyoungfolks.com/review/jons-movie-review-captive/64320
Image Source: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvBUfx9_kRoGexuOLr3iKtg

So my friend wanted to hang out with me one last time before I head to Mozambique and we decided to go see the new movie Captive.

Here’s a preview if your interested:

But recently I also went to the theaters to see War Room.

Here’s a preview if your interested:

So now that I’ve seen them both, I thought I’d compare the two.

While both of these movies are Christian based and have compelling stories, they are very different in how they communicate their message. On the one hand, War Room tells a fictional story of a marriage that is falling apart and how prayer is the real answer to the couple’s problems. And on the other hand we have Captive telling us the true story of Ashley Smith’s being held hostage and finding that her life and her captor’s life both have purpose.

Although both films have Christian elements, War Room has a clearer Christian message. Captive is more of a thriller movie with God having a purpose for your life woven into the story. It is also much darker than War Room due to its story involving drugs, murder, and violence. Though War Room also deals with hard issues such as divorce, unfaithfulness, and fraud, it has several comedic moments, especially with the character Clara making odd comments or observations. She has a way of making the audience laugh or smile.

So although both of these movies were well made, had good messages, and were enjoyable to watch, I think I enjoyed War Room a bit more. This is partly due to my enjoyment of comedies over dramas, but in any case I would highly recommend both of these movies. So if you’re looking for something to go see, check out War Room or Captive.

I will be offline till mid October because of the mission trip, so look for a new post around October 20th.

Christian Life Movies

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Ant-Man

by lydiamhill

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So Marvel is at it again. Their newest movie Ant-Man came out this month. When I first saw the trailer I thought, no way am I seeing this movie. I’ve already seen so many Marvel movies and this is just one more. I’d never even heard of this Marvel character before and honestly I thought it sounded stupid. How could shrinking to the size of an ant make a good super power? But somehow I got sucked in, a new trailer came out that made the movie look better, then when it came out friend after friend asked if I’d seen it and said it was good. Finally I got tired of other people telling me it was a good movie so I decided to see it for myself. And what do you know, it was good.

Marvel has gotten their movies down to an art. They have the perfect balance of humor and action along with several references to their other movies and characters. They even made a joke about how stupid of a name Ant-Man is anyway. And of course they throw in a couple of extra scenes during the credits. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and the newest collection of characters it adds to the Marvel universe. And I’ll probably see the movie again, maybe not till it comes out on DVD, but I will see it again.

So if you’re in the slumps of summer and looking for a good movie to see in theaters, go see Ant-Man.

I’ll leave you with a preview

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The Finale

by lydiamhill

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So because I don’t have cable, sometimes I don’t get to see the Finale of a show until weeks later than most people. But that’s alright with me as long as I get to see it eventually. Often with my favorite shows the finale is the best episode. Now not every show does a finale well and some shows don’t even get a finale, they just get canceled, which is horrible for people who really enjoy it. But in any case, this past week I saw the finale for one of my favorite shows: White Collar. And it was perfect! It focused on all of the elements of the show that I loved, the relationships, a cool con pulled off by Neal, and ultimately what I’ve waited to see for so long. If you haven’t seen this show, I don’t want to spoil it for you, but I would definitely tell you to check it out. All seasons are up on Netflix right now.

Anyway, seeing the finale episode for White Collar made me think about all the other finales I’ve enjoyed and why I enjoyed them. As in many TV shows, there can be no real conclusion or ending during the normal running of the show. In sitcoms, characters may learn lessons during the course of the show, but they generally stay the same throughout the series, not experiencing real change. Otherwise the set up for the show might not work anymore. On the other hand, TV dramas often have a lot of changes going on but one thing that the audience is really rooting for, like a certain relationship to finally work out, or a problem to finally get solved, or a bad guy to finally get caught. Well the finale is supposed to finally give us those things it promises; the couple does get together, the world does get saved, the bad guy is dead or in jail. It’s the conclusion, the resolution, the ending. And it better be a satisfying one.

But what about in real life. What’s my finale? What happens when my life is over? Do all the things I strive for get resolved? Is my ending going to be satisfying? Well I was watching a movie with my family last night called Heaven Is For Real. It’s based on a book which is based on a father’s account of what his 4-year-old son went through and described to him. All of it stirs up a lot of questions about life, death and what comes after. I think we can all agree that a happy ending is preferable to a sad one. The finales that end with giving us everything we wanted for our favorite characters makes us feel satisfied. But the ones where we get surprised with a death, or many deaths, feel wrong. That’s not what we wanted. Maybe it seems more realistic, but it’s not what I want to see.

Anyway, all this reminds me of a verse from the Bible, written by a very wise man. It says, “He (God) has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

As a follower of Jesus, I believe what He said about my finale or my ending. I believe that whoever believes in Jesus has eternal life. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” And I also believe that this life is part of it. My eternity doesn’t start when I die, I’m already living. I get to know Jesus now and grow closer to Him each day here on earth. But I also know that even when the day comes and I leave this earth, my story isn’t over. I do get an eternity with my best friend and Savior and I get to be a part of His family of believers forever.

Another verse from the Bible that comforts me is 1 John 5:13 “I write these things to you who believe in the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

Having a happy ending is not something I have to worry about, I can know I have eternal life because I know Jesus. He is faithful, He is true, He is alive, and He keeps His promises. He has promised eternal life to those who believe in Him and I trust His promise.

So I don’t know what you think about finales, about life after death, about Jesus, but maybe you should spend some time thinking about it today. After all everyone’s finale is going to come sooner or later.

Christian Life Movies TV

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Inside Out

by lydiamhill

If you read my last post, you know that I was very excited to see the new Pixar movie Inside Out. And I can say with confidence I was not disappointed, and if I ever make an updated list of my five favorite Pixar films, this one will be on it. Sometimes I set the bar too high for movies and end of leaving disappointed, but Pixar has done it again. They surpassed my expectations and left me wanting to see this movie again.

So before I get into the details of the movie, if you haven’t seen it, I’d say go ahead and watch it first. I’d hate to spoil anything for you. And if you still need some info before you see it, here’s a preview.

Alright, onto the review. This movie combines outstanding characters with an epic story. As only Pixar can do, the cast of this movie leaves the audience laughing at every turn. There were multiple times when I watched this movie that the audience or myself was laughing so hard, that I missed what a character said right after the funny moment. (This is one of the reasons I want to see it again).

One scene in particular that I found hilarious, was the dream sequence which began with the average dreams that pretty much everyone has experienced (reliving a bad memory, losing your teeth, and not wearing any pants) but the film pokes fun at these stereotypes by having Fear (played by Bill Hader) comment on the predictability of these scenes. Then as other characters, namely Joy (played by Amy Poehler) and Sadness (played by Phyliss Smith) try to change the dream, Fear is left wondering what in the world is going on, saying such things as “What the?” and “Stick with a plotline people.”

And this I think is one of the things Pixar does best, starting with Toy Story they have had groups of characters that feel so real, but say and do things that are just hilarious. I still remember Mr Potato Head saying “Look I’m Picasso,” and “What are you looking at, you Hockey Puck?” Inside Out has the same quality of one liners that leave you laughing. But just as Toy Story, and almost every Pixar film has funny characters, it also has an emotion filled story line.

I can honestly say, this movie made me cry… multiple times. It just knows how to tug on your heart strings, and take you from laughing to crying so fluently. Ironic right, since it’s a movie about emotions. But this is something that Pixar has perfected, even managing to make a 5 minute love story between two people that is heart wrenching in their movie UP.

One last thing I want to mention that I really enjoyed from this movie is how loss is handled. In the movie, Joy is always looking on the bright side and being optimistic and trying to make everyone around her, even Sadness, happy. But at one point she in confronted with a character who is heartbroken. Something they loved, that was really important to them was lost, and they’ll never get it back. (It reminded me of a person losing a friend or a loved one). Joy responds as she always had before, trying to put a positive spin on things, and distracting the character from the loss. And that can be such a typical response that we can give to someone else’s tragedy. But in contrast, Sadness listens to the character’s story and lets him mourn. She enters into his pain and lets him feel that it is alright to be upset. And that ends up being so much better for him, and for anyone dealing with grief.

I’ve been learning a lot about that in my own life now, with so many people around me and in my city experiencing tragedy. I want to remember to not try to fix everything or make someone feel happy, but let them be sad, validate their sense of loss and even cry with them.

So, I hope you enjoyed this movie too, and if you haven’t watched it and went ahead and read this, I hope I didn’t give away too much and you’ll still enjoy seeing it for yourself.

Life Movies

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My Favorite Pixar Movies

by lydiamhill

In honor of the new Pixar movie coming out this Friday: Inside Out, I thought I’d do a list of my Top 5 Pixar movies. Now I’ve grown up on Pixar movies and I have to say all of them are good, so it’s really hard to narrow them down to the best ones. But I’ll try my best.

Before I start, I need to give a shout out to Finding Nemo. It would have made it on this list except that it was my favorite movie when I was younger. So I watched it so many times that I got tired of it. It’s a great movie with a great story, memorable characters and great music, but unfortunately it will always be hard for me to watch because it was seen too often. Maybe Finding Dory will fix this for me, but for now, it doesn’t make it in the top 5.

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So on to Number 5: Ratatouille
When I first saw this movie, I didn’t love it, but after multiple viewings it’s gotten better and better. I love Linguini’s antics and the fact that Remy does not speak English but is in fact a rat. There are so many quotes I love from this movie, that I use everyday such as “Let’s do this thing!”

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Number 4 is: Wall-E
I wasn’t sure about this movie when I first saw it, since there is very little dialogue but I’ve found it’s one I can watch again and again. The love story between Wall-E and Eve is so cute and the constant playing of old musical music gives it a joyful quality that is endearing.

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Number 3 is: Cars
Cars has been one of my favorites since it came into theaters. I love the music and still play Life is a Highway on every road trip I go on. Not only is the music amazing but the story is so beautiful. I love the message of taking life slow and actually building relationships with other people (or in this case cars).

Number 2 is: The Incredibles
I think the Incredibles passes up other Pixar movies for me, simply because it reminds me of my own family. I love how real the relationships are in this movie, how the little arguments and discussions perfectly reflect real life issues in real families. But in the end, even with all the craziness I can say along with Dash “I love our family.”

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And finally number 1 is: Toy Story 2
I love all the Toy Story movies but #2 is my favorite because it came out during the right time in my life. The first Toy Story was a bit scary to me when I saw it for the first time, and even though I loved Toy Story 3, there’s something special to me about the second movie. I saw it three times in theaters alone and again and again since. I love the storyline of Woody being kidnapped or toynapped and all of the other characters going on a rescue mission. Plus any of the Toy Story movies have countless jokes that keep me laughing. The addition of Jessie and Bullseye probably helped too. It was also the first time I’d seen animated movies create a blooper real, that I found hilarious as a kid.

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So there’s my list. It probably differs form yours, and it may change for me in the future. Especially with Inside Out coming out this week and Amy Poehler, one of my favorite comedians, playing a large role, this list may change before the week it done.