I Would Never do a Movie Review on this Blog

Or so I thought. The purpose of this blog is multifold. First, it is to connect with my readers. Second, it is to entertain my readers. Third, it is to share a little bit about myself, without getting overly intimate, with my readers. And, naturally, there is the profit motive. Yes, I would like to connect with more people who might purchase my books. I could really use the money.

What this blog is not: a social band wagon, a Sunday School lesson, or a media reviewer. It certainly does not want to be a political tool. (I feel like I should wash my hands off with soap after typing that.)

So, what would compel me to do a movie review? Well, in my own defense, I'm not actually going to review the movie. I'm going to share how it affected me.

I normally steer clear of movies based on true events. Mostly because when I sit down to watch a movie, I want to be entertained. True stories tend to be less than totally true to promote someone's agenda. That is annoying to me, not entertaining. I want to be transported away from my real life troubles for a time.

I don't want to be preached at or have my “purpose” defined for me. I have a Bible. I read it daily. I find my purpose and inspiration there. That said, I do enjoy a movie that portrays inspiring people and/or actions. I don't like movies that are poorly written, vulgar, or gratuitous in their gore. I intentionally keep it PG-13 or under.

Which brings up the movie: The Good Lie.

I was prepared to dislike it. The title was a bit of a turn off. It had all the makings of an entertainment fail by my standards. It is based on true events, stars an actress that I'm not overly fond of, is touchy-feely, and it took in a horrifically complex problem in our world in one vast sweep.

Despite all of that, I loved it. I even cried. You've got to be a good writer to elicit tears from me.

They did not tell me to feel sorry for these people, or who to hate, or who to support. They did not implicate anyone with political blame. They did not insult anyone's beliefs. They did not embrace any of the readily available cliché scenarios that could have turned it into a corny sitcom. They did not end it with a dramatic tragedy or with a shallow fairy tale ending. They simply told the story. They wrote it well, acted it well, and edited it well. And I fell for it.

So, if you have a couple of hours to burn and want to be entertained and maybe even inspired a little, check it out. I give it two thumbs up. And I'm still thinking about that chicken.