Homelessness in the United States is a widespread issue that is growing. On a single night in January 2023, 653,104 people experienced homelessness—an increase of 12.1% from the previous year (endhomelessness.org). Among this number, more than 200,000 individuals were...
A classic sports underdog movie is coming to theaters this Christmas. It’s The Boys in the Boat, and it’s a movie inspired by true events as captured in the book The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Olympics by Daniel James...
2023 saw a musical release of the Nativity Story, which I critiqued in a previous review. A different musical, Spirited, released on Apple+, and was enjoyed by audiences in 2022. I recently had the opportunity to reflect about the musical and enjoy it on a dark and...
An Advent pre-game is coming to theaters in November, helping Christians and moviegoers to reflect on the mystery of the incarnation before the Christmas season. Journey to Bethlehem is a unique musical reproduction of the Nativity story, which admits at the end that...
In 2014, a novel by Anthony Doerr captured readers in the 500+ page novel, 16+ hour audiobook All the Light We Cannot See. At the time of its release, I was a seminarian studying for the priesthood at Mundelein Seminary under (now) Bishop Robert Barron. In 2015,...
Very few films have captured the cloistered life. Typically, those who are vowed behind enclosure do not wish to have their life broadcasted to the world. Perhaps the last popular film was Into Great Silence, and if memory serves, it took months, if not several...
In his book A Secular Age, modern philosopher Charles Taylor speaks of the “buffered self.” The phrase refers to a person who is closed off to the idea of anything supernatural. Think of a sponge’s opposite. The “water” of transcendent reality is simply unable to...
Amazon Prime has released a new inspiring movie, A Million Miles Away, inspired by Jose Hernandez's life. The opening minutes of the movie tell the early life story of Jose Hernandez, the son of migrant farming parents who were constantly on the move in order to work...
Not every movie causes an emotional experience for a grown man, but I’m willing to bet you might shed a tear of happiness at the end of The Hill,a new movie releasing in theaters on August 25th, 2023. The Hill Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upE1VupKCW8 I...
If you’re looking for a movie that isn’t all hyped up in the culture wars, consider Dreamin’ Wild, just released in theaters on August 4. It’s a true story of two brothers who created a record in their teens that was discovered by a record label thirty years...
Though most Catholics will never have the opportunity to make a major pilgrimage in their life, there are a handful who will. The most popular Catholic pilgrimage places might be the Holy Land, Rome (and Italy), and France, especially Lourdes. Shrines of Mary’s...
“Shooting Stars,” the new biopic film about NBA legend Lebron James released on the streaming platform Peacock on June 2nd. I’m not an avid NBA watcher. I typically only watch games if my home team the Milwaukee Bucks are in the playoffs. Nevertheless, I would be...
A Father’s Heart, a new documentary from Goya Productions about St. Joseph will be in theatres on May 1st in English and May 2 in Spanish and will certainly reinvigorate a love for the foster father of Jesus among devoted Catholic faithful. I recently had the chance...
The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins? – Edgar Allan Poe The film, The Pale Blue Eye, opens with this line from the famous poet, Edgar Allan Poe. It is a fictional story...
Drew and Katie Taylor sit down with Mark Wahlberg to interview him about his new movie Father Stu. For more great Catholic content please SUBSCRIBE! Fr Stu Long is a true story of a boxer-turned-actor-turned-priest in the Helena Diocese.
The Emma Donoghue novel The Wonder is the inspiration behind Netflix’s recent release of the same name. Set in 1962, on the heels of the Irish Famine, a young girl named Anna has drawn the attention of the town and other devoted miracle seekers. From her...
Church bells will soon be summoning worshippers on Christmas Eve and Day. All types of believers will fill church pews for one of the holiest days of the Christian year. Some will be regulars, others occasional, and some will be those who attend only on...
When I first saw the trailer for Gigi & Nate, I knew that I would enjoy the movie. I could tell that it had a good storyline and it seemed like a nice, feel-good movie that we all need to see every now and again. Why does it seem that movies with animals have...
Movie enthusiasts can get a dose of Easter this summer with the new film Easter Sunday released on August 5th. It’s a comedy and certain scenes will make you laugh. At least they made me laugh out loud. Not only is a comical film, it is also a historic one,...
Children learn lessons from books and movies they watch. Besides reading and watching religious things, sometimes secular books and movies can also convey moral lessons. Aaron Blabey authored the New York Times best-selling graphic novel series The Bad Guys for his...
The present situation in the world between Russia and Ukraine has brought to our attention many different saints that the western Church, that is, Roman Catholics, would have little familiarity. They could be saints associated with the Eastern Churches in communion...
Whenever I hear about teen suicide, my heart breaks for the family and community. I remember when I was in college seminary, there was a string of teenage suicides in Northeast Wisconsin, including in my own hometown. I didn’t know any of the families involved and...
The visually-stunning Letters to Father Jacob follows the lives of two very different people, whose paths cross for unknown reasons. Inspired by Klaus Härö's Letters to Father Jacob, the movie with a contemplative rhythm – one to which, thanks to Hollywood, we are...
There is a serious crisis of culture in our country’s media. And it’s not just R-rated films. Even shows that may not be considered graphically offensive don’t always express an uplifting view of the goodness and dignity of humanity. Consider the...
Captain America: The First Avenger - Almost a decade has past since we first saw this origin story, and I still find myself getting inspired. This movie not only gives us hope that there is a hero we can count on, but it also calls us on to be that hero people can...