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TechnoratiJohn says, "We're not splitting up"
Sebastian replies, "Out of the realm of possibility?"
"Completely."
"There's nothing she can do, no tantrum too big, no depression too deep, no failure to perform wifely duties that would push you over the edge?"
"Why do you jump right to splitting up? C'mon, buddy - mend it, don't end it."
John is a good, strong, loving husband and father, and it shows in his wife and his children. The film is rated PG for a little language, and some sensuality between a husband and wife (something else rarely depicted in film).
The Sacrificing Father
Cinderella Man is the story of heavy-weight boxer James Braddock. A true contender, Braddock gets sidelined during WWII and the Great Depression. He goes from living the high life to living in a hovel with his wife and children. Despite his bleak condition, James faithfully goes to the docks every day looking for work. He still fights whenever he can, but he is so broken down that his bouts, once exciting, are now slow waltzes around the ring to a chorus of boos from the crowd. Everyone thinks he is washed up - but Jim keeps fighting.
His battles in the ring are a metaphor for his battles in life. Once a wealthy celebrity, Jim does not let that stop him from taking any honest work. When he finds he has more month than money, he humbles himself and gets in line for the dole. When his daughter is hungry, he gives her his portion and goes without. When his child becomes ill because they cannot afford to pay the heating bill, he goes back to the money men who profited from his fights when he was in his prime and, literally, with hat in hand, begs them for help. His only goal is to keep his family together and alive. Any shame he might feel is overcome by love.
Despite the desperation of their circumstances, Jim still enforces Biblical morality. When his son is caught stealing a salami, Jim marches him back to the store, makes him apologize, and then listens to his son pour out his anxious heart. Jim tells his son that they do not steal, ever, but reinforces his fatherly affection for his son by telling him that nothing - not poverty or hunger - will ever drive a wedge in their family.
Of course Cinderella Man has a lot of action. Jim Braddock is, after all, a heavy-weight contender. There is plenty of boxing. But at the heart of this film is a father who fights in the ring, but also for his family, sacrificing himself all the way to serve the ones he loves. The film is rated PG-13 for boxing violence and some language.
The Defender
When most people think of director David Mamet, family films do not come to mind. Mamet's movies are often overflowing with profanity. So imagine everyone's surprise when Mamet delivered a G-rated family drama based on the play by Terence Rattigan. The Winslow Boy is the kind of film that every Christian who wants to support wholesome, well-made pictures should see. Continue »
