The Valley Catholic
Art & Life
February 11, 2014
17
MOVIE REVIEW: ‘Gimme Shelter’
By John Mulderig
NEW YORK (CNS) -- Perhaps the
b e st mome nt i n t he fac t- ba s e d
drama “Gimme Shelter” (Roadside)
comes when its beleaguered, deeply
sympathetic protagonist, played by
Vanessa Hudgens, wonderingly recites
a passage from the Book of Psalms that
tells of God’s promises to those who
trust in him.
It’s a moving scene because such fithbased optimism seems so far removed
from all that Hudgens’ character, teenager Agnes “Apple” Bailey, has previously endured.
Long neglected by her drug-addicted, emotionally unstable mother,
June (Rosario Dawson), Apple is also a
veteran of numerous foster homes -- in
one of which, we eventually learn, she
was sexually abused by the father of the
family to which she had been entrusted.
Apple flees and seeks out her estranged, wealthy father, Tom Fitzpatrick
(Brendan Fraser), owner of a luxurious
mansion in an upscale New Jersey suburb. Tom is at least tentatively willing to
do his part for the girl.
Apple gets a colder reception from
Tom’s wife, Joanna (Stephanie Szostak),
who is intent on pursuing her ultrarespectable lifestyle undisturbed.
Joanna’s attitude grows even chillier
when a bout of morning sickness tips
that Apple is pregnant. Both Joanna and
Tom pressure Apple to have an abortion.
She insists on keeping her child, even
if it means losing the security of her
newfound refuge.
Back on the streets, Apple meets
kindly hospital chaplain Father Frank
McCarthy (James Earl Jones) who is
wholeheartedly supportive of Apple’s
determination to keep her baby. He arranges for her residence with his friend,
Kathy (Ann Dowd), founder of a home
for expectant adolescents.
Modeled on Kathy DiFiore, who established just such a ministry -- called
Several Sources Shelters -- in 1981,
Dowd’s character is gentle but firm.
Apple discovers a winning new aspect
of life through her burgeoning friendship with the other moms-to-be.
The educational value and moral
impact to be derived from the screen
portrayal of this real-life work, moreover, allow for cautious endorsement of
it for older teens, despite the elements
listed below.
The film contains mature themes,
including molestation, out-of-wedlock
pregnancy and substance abuse, a scene
of disturbing, though not gory, violence,
at least one rough term and a handful of
crass expressions.
Catholic News Service classification
is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture
Association of America rating is PG-13
-- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children
under 13.
• John Mulderig is on the staff of Catholic
News Service.
James Earl Jones and Vanessa Hudgens star in a scene from the movie “Gimme Shelter.”
(CNS photo/Roadside Attractions)
CAPSULE REVIEW: ‘The Lego Movie’
By John Mulderig
(CNS) -- This lively 3-D animated
adventure, populated by the toys
of the title, centers on an ordinary
construction worker (voice of Chris
Pratt) who finds himself taken for a
prophesied hero and propelled on
a crusade to thwart an evil CEO’s
(voice of Will Ferrell) scheme to
control the world.
He’s aided in the struggle by,
among others, a tough but fetching
underground activist (voice of Elizabeth
Banks), her self-centered boyfriend,
Batman (voice of Will Arnett), and the
pixilated mystic who predicted the
champion’s arrival in the first place
(voice of Morgan Freeman).
Opposing them is the would-be dictator’s principal minion (voice of Liam
Neeson), a police officer torn between
the good and bad sides of his own personality. Colorful, fast-paced and divert-
ing for both young and old, directors and
co-writers Phil Lord and Christopher
Miller’s film is also surprisingly pointed
in its satire of conformist consumerism.
A format-shifting conclusion showing family bonds trumping selfishness
is another asset. Cartoon mayhem, some
peril, a bit of mild scatological humor.
The Catholic News Service classification
is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion
Picture Association of America rating is PG
-- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
www.dsj.org