Pizza and Movie night...

Man, this kind of 'on theme' blogging really makes you aware of the passage of time.

Week three with my 'Pizza and Movie Night' recap.

Sorry it's Sunday, not Saturday.  Yesterday we were flying cross country with our four kids so blogging took a back seat.

'Night at the Museum'...

Great movie.  Saw it twice with the kids in the theater.  I think they went twice more with Niki's Mom.  We bought it as soon as it came out on DVD and we've watched it at least seven or eight times since then.

It's a favorite.

Here's why:

1) Great concept.  Creatures coming to life?  Very cool.  Our kids love our local museum so the idea has broad appeal.  They have no problem imagining the museum coming to life 'cause the animals at their real museum look so real it took three or four visits before they started being able to see the whole place without succumbing to fits of terror.  So from that, I'm reminded to keep some kind of easy applicability in my storytelling and preaching.  Something the audience can see and go, "Yeah, that's possible..."

2) Great theme.  A Dad trying to find himself.  Facing the death of his dreams, realizing he has to embrace being a 'normal' guy and finding in that 'normal' a noble calling?  Cool.  Mix in the need Dad has to be 'Dad' to his boy--something all of us can relate to--and you've got a theme that resonates.  I'm reminded that when you're preaching you must remember the grand themes of preaching.  Creation, Fall, Death, Law, Covenant, Captivity, Release, Wandering, Home, Longing, Incarnation, Atonement, Resurrection, Sending, Preaching, Waiting, Redemption.  Same thing with our movies, remember that no great story lacks a resonant theme.  Make sure you find the theme in your story.

3) A big World.  A bone-chasing T-Rex, Genghis Khan, Roman legions fighting wild west cowboys, TR, a magic tablet, Neanderthals, and on and on; the world of NATM is vast and we love getting to visit it.  Remember to write big and tell your stories big.  Remember to show your audience the far horizon in your work and remember to urge them to chase it.

4) A sympathetic character.  We want Larry (Ben Stiller) to win.  We long for him to find his place.  We identify with him when he bumbles, when he snaps, when he caves and when he rises back up to face the challenge.  We feel like he's 'us' out there.  When you preach emphasize the humanity of your characters.  Help your audience feel 'at home' in the story you're telling. When you direct, emphasize the humanity of your characters.  Don't let your actors play 'types', get them to play humans.

And have a great ending.

'Night at the Museum', a near-classic in our house.

T