INSPIRATIONAL FILES

Real life couple Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell light up the screen in "Overboard (1987).  Joanna Stayton (Goldie Hawn) is an idle rich woman who fell overboard her luxury yacht just to be rescued by a passing garbage barge. The comedy of the movie “ Overboard ” is that of error and the irony of unexpected change. Within a twinkle of an eye, Joanna went from being on the deck of a posh yacht to being on the deck of a garbage barge. She went from being Joanna, an idle rich wife, to being Annie, the assumed wife of a carpenter [Kurt Russell] and the "mother" of four unruly boys. Though hilarious in the movie, this is the type of change that we neither expect nor even think about. The story of Joanna is a comedy that will make anyone laugh, but the story of Jonah on the other hand is not a comedy to make anyone laugh. It is the tragedy of a disobedient prophet who changed the direction of God for his life with his own direction just to end up at a destination h

Eight strangers, eight different points of view, but only one truth. And what matters most is the one truth. " Vantage Point " (2008), a political action thriller film, recounts a series of events surrounding the "assassination" of a US president on foreign soil from several different perspectives and viewpoints in order to reveal a "truthful" account of what actually happened. In what is unquestionably one of the best movies of 2008, Dennis Quaid led a star-studded cast including Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt, and Matthew Fox to light up the screen in one of the most intense political action thriller films of all time.   Now check this out. As they were leaving, Jesus spoke to the crowds about John. " What did you go into the desert to see? Tall grass swaying in the wind? Really, what did you go to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Those who wear fine clothes are in royal palaces. Really, what did you go to s

Frank Sinatra is more remembered by many for his silky, love ballads than for his many movie roles. Yes! In his lifetime, Mr. Sinatra appeared in not less than fifty – six (56) films, including his number one, “ From Here to Eternity ” (1953], with Burt Lancaster and Donna Reed. And I really doubt if many people still remember or have ever even seen Frank Sinatra in “ Suddenly ” (1954), in which he plays the role of John Baron, a psychopathic assassin. Don’t feel bad if you have never seen “ Suddenly ”, it happens to be just one of those forgotten Sinatra classics that now runs once or maybe twice a year on The TCM (Turner Classic Movies) Channel.  In “ Suddenly ”, John Baron (Sinatra) leads a team of hired assassins to Suddenly, a sleepy little town in California, on a mission to assassinate the President of the United States, as the President’s campaign train makes a brief stop at the town’s train station. As the camera rolls in on the opening shot, Sheriff Todd Sh

Paul Newman reprises the unforgettable role of Fast Eddie Felson from The Hustler (1961)in The Color of Money (1986). Twenty-five - years after “The Hustler,” Fast Eddie, now retired from the pool–room hustling, finds inspiration for a comeback and a grand finale in an immensely talented younger protégé played by Tom Cruise. The connection between the title and the plot is in Fast Eddie's interpretation of the traditional green cloth (baize) of a pool table. To Eddie, the sight of the green baize of a pool table is always an opportunity to make money. How one sees money doesn’t really begin in the eyes but in the heart and the way a person sees money really depends on the lens the person is looking through. If he is looking through the lens of society he would see money as a simple means of meeting his own personal needs and possibly sharing with others if there is a little bit left over after he had met his own needs. At least it is his own money and he could do an

  The movie " Glory " (1989) stars Mathew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, and Morgan Freeman. Set in the turbulence of the American Civil War, it tells the story of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the first formal regiment of the US Army to be made up of entirely African American men. Told from the point of view of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, its commanding officer during the war, the 54th was a unit that almost did not see combat. The regiment went from doing mostly menial labor to participating in a skirmish in South Carolina, where they successfully repelled a Confederate attack.    If you have not already, in your lifetime you will encounter someone who would attempt to use the problem of suffering to create doubt in your mind with the objective of discrediting God’s love for you. Such an attempt could come in the form of a question like, “Why does God allow Satan to attack you if He really loves you?” Such a question is designed to create

In " The Preacher's Wife " (1996), Whitney Houston gave a stellar performance in one of her most unforgettable movie roles since "The Bodyguard" (1992). Ms. Houston plays the role of Julia Biggs, a Baptist preacher’s wife in one of the best romantic fantasies of that decade. Most people that have seen " The Preacher's Wife " probably saw nothing beyond the simplistic story of a struggling New York Baptist preacher who is devoted to serving his flock and his community. But to the very discerning, "The Preacher's Wife" looks more like the story of a very beautiful woman neglected by a very pious husband committed to work and other people rather than devoted to a wife and a family. And that makes " The Preacher's Wife " the untold story of many women in every tongue, in every nation, in every language, in every culture, and in every nation. And there is one in every family. Women crave attention and they respond

" I am Not going to be ignored, Dan! " Those are the famous words of Alexandra "Alex" Forrest (Glenn Close) from "Fatal Attraction" , the second highest grossing film of 1987 . " Fatal Attraction" is thriller with a spice of horror, starring Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, and Anne Archer. It is the story of a married man (Dan Gallagher) who has an affair with a woman (Alexandra Forrest) who refuses to let it end, resulting in emotional blackmail, stalking and ensuing obsession. There are a few similarities between my story and the plot of Fatal Attraction but for the twists in my story. One twist is what actually happened in the bedroom of the woman in my story. The other is in how my story actually ends compared to the ending of Fatal Attraction . It is not really my story but my own spin on a famous story from antiquity.    This is really my version of Fatal Attraction . Except in my version no one really dies. It is the story told f

Currently in its 7 th season, CBS “ Criminal Minds ” showcases an elite team of psychological profilers from the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit in Quantico, Virginia, tackling the mysteries behind the most bizarre and complicated crimes across the country by analyzing and matching the relationship between the minds and the behavior of the criminals. Sometimes the team scores big by using reversed behavioral analysis. This simply means at one point they would move from analyzing the behavior of the criminal to that of the victim. Reversed behavioral analysis involves linking the criminal with the crime by focusing on the habits and life style of the victim rather than that of the criminal. As such, the success of the BAU depends on the genius of the team to think crime, know human behavior like no one else does, sift through a maze of the most complex evidence ever collected, and gets to the bottom of what is it in the mind of criminals that drives crime and criminal intent.

" Deep Cover " is a 1992 crime thriller starring Laurence Fishburne and Jeff Goldblum. Laurence Fishburne plays Russell Stevens, a Cincinnati narcotics officer recruited by the DEA to infiltrate the network of the west coast's largest drug importer, Anton Gallegos (Arthur Mendoza), in an unparalleled sting operation. In order to achieve the DEA's mission of dismantling Gallegos's organization and bringing him to justice, Stevens has to go not only under cover but under deep cover. To keep his cover, he has to really sell the drug he buys, and some days had to eliminate a competitor. The twist in " Deep Cover " centers around Russell Stevens going so deep under cover that he eventually crossed the line between being a crime fighting police officer and being a ruthless drug dealer. And in doing so, he finds himself so deep not only under cover but also deep into the sinister and seductive world of the drug trade he may never get out of. Onl

What is a chateausque-styled mansion built between 1889 and 1895, nestled on 175,000 square feet, 8,000 acres estate in the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, and featuring 250 rooms and considered the largest privately - home in the United States? It is none other than George Washington Vanderbilt's home, the Biltmore. The Biltmore Estate is worth unimaginably between $1.2 and $1.35 billion dollars. This includes the value of the mansion, which is worth between $200 and $350 million dollars, and the 125,000 acres of land that comprise the rest of the estate, which are worth around $1 billion dollars. The current global economic crisis is one that has provided common people with a glimpse into the world of finance and economics, especially with the fact that the value of homes and properties is somehow tied into the dynamics of the economy of a nation. One lesson that many of us have learned from the current economic crisis is that somehow the value of real estat

Significance is living within the realms of God’s purpose for one’s life. True significance is found in the fulfillment of God’s purpose. And God’s purpose for life is found in a life of dedication to the needs of people. And that is the definition and heart of Christian ministry. Tyler Perry's "House of Payne" revolves around a multi-generational family living under one roof in Atlanta, Georgia led by patriarch Curtis Payne and his wife Ella. The show centers around the day to day life of a black family and explores dark themes and subject matter such as substance abuse and addiction. It also depicts the dedication of a man and a woman to the needs of their extended family. And the only connection between the TV show and the title of this blog is nothing more than a play on words. Nevertheless, a life of commitment to the needs of people, especially that of a family, usually comes at a great price. Sometimes it comes in the form of severe challenges and creates

“Unforgiven” is a 1992 Western, produced and directed by Clint Eastwood. The film also stars Eastwood in the lead role, along with Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, and Richard Harris. It won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. The film explores how the desire for vengeance unveils the real ugly side of violence. “Unforgiven” was set in motion by a burning desire by a group of prostitutes led by Strawberry Alice (Frances Fisher) from Big Whiskey, Wyoming, to perpetrate vengeance on two cowboys who disfigured one of their own. The Kid (Jaimz Woolvett), William Munny (Clint Eastwood), and Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman) answered the call, though with some sense of reluctance. But for the price of $1,000, the heat and the hit was on. And for one sincere question asked and for one shocking story told. Years before Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven" (circa 33 AD), a master storyteller told the story of "The Unforgiving Servant". This time there w

We live in a time and in a society in which it appears as if names are no longer significant. This is evident of a western society where parents give their children names that appear void of any meaning. Many children's names do not speak any virtue or predict any blessings. When asked how her daughters got their names, a friend of mine recently shared with me how they got their names. Their names were combinations of the first syllables in the different names of different relatives. Names should speak of a character, a virtue, a value, or a purpose in life. Names should be carefully thought out and even prayed about. God takes names seriously. If God takes names seriously, so should we. Let us break the cycles of meaningless names. There is a strong link between name and achievement. I am supposing that the reason why some people never achieve anything significant is because of names that are not significant. What I am driving at is that names can drive (motivate) achievement. Pa