Episode 40 - Movies We Love
Jake and Brett talk about how movies are modern day parables that reveal the deeper themes in life. They also discuss some of their all time favourites.
Guiding Quote
“It goes far deeper than entertainment, by the way. Stories nourish us. They provide a kind of food that the soul craves. “Stories are equipment for living,” says Hollywood screenwriting teacher Robert McKee. He believes that we go to the movies because we hope to find in someone else’s story something that will help us understand our own. We go “to live in a fictional reality that illuminates our daily reality.” Stories shed light on our lives.” (Epic: The Story God Is Telling, John Eldredge)
Key Points
We need to find the rhythms of return and retreat
Movies have the ability to help us see our everyday reality in ways we couldn’t otherwise
“What is most personal is most universal” Carl Rogers
Purposeful movies are modern day parables
We want to understand our own life (story) and movies can help with that
Sometimes it’s too intense to see ourselves. Stories and movies allow us to encounter ourselves and life more gently
Joseph Campbell references “The Hero’s Journey”
Stories help us face and understand the great themes of life
We are all called to an epic story
We are part of a much bigger story than our own life
Humility AND magnanimity are virtues
There’s a way to see beneath movies and see how it applies to everyday life
It’s valuable when watching a movie or encountering a good story to ask, “Where am I in this story and what is this story stirring up in me?”
We all want to be the hero. In reality that is difficult but makes for the best story
Movies reveal us to ourselves
Discussion Questions
What struck you from this episode?
What are some of your favourite movies?
What themes in them resonate with you?
What do they teach you about your life?
Where are you in the movie? What does the movie stir up in you?
Resources
