{"product_id":"catching-light-looking-for-god-in-the-movies-9780802827951","title":"Catching Light: Looking for God in the Movies","description":"Films have come to not only entertain modern minds but also inform and shape them. Many of the best cinematic works have profound religious elements -- some obvious, some more subtle. In \u003ci\u003eCatching Light\u003c\/i\u003e Roy Anker examines nineteen popular films, showing how they convey a range of striking perspectives on the human encounter with God. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThese selected films portray God showing up in different, surprising ways amid the messy circumstances of life. Anker looks closely at the plot of each film, especially at how characters, through their experiences, ultimately move \"toward Light,\" toward recognition of a loving, redemptive deity. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe first section of \u003ci\u003eCatching Light\u003c\/i\u003e looks at classic 1970s films that inspect personal, social, and cultural evil: \u003ci\u003eThe Godfather\u003c\/i\u003e trilogy, \u003ci\u003eChinatown, \u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Deer Hunter.\u003c\/i\u003e The second group of films depicts the ways and depths of specifically Christian notions of redemption: \u003ci\u003eTender Mercies, The Mission, Places in the Heart, \u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eBabette's Feast.\u003c\/i\u003e Some of the most successful films of our time have come as fairy-tale fantasies: the \u003ci\u003eStar Wars\u003c\/i\u003e saga, \u003ci\u003eSuperman, \u003c\/i\u003e and three of Steven Spielberg's \"lost boy\" stories (\u003ci\u003eClose Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, \u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eA.I.: Artificial Intelligence\u003c\/i\u003e), each of which Anker interprets as a fable of search and redemption. The films in the last section of the book feature characters who, to their great surprise, are ambushed by a wholly unexpected God: \u003ci\u003eGrand Canyon, American Beauty, \u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThree Colors: Blue.\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn addition to focusing on the theological dimension of each film, Anker comments on its merits both as story and as cinema. Also included are sidebars that discuss each film's history and significance as well as the quality and special features of DVD editions. For anyone interested in the intersection of religion, art, and culture, \u003ci\u003eCatching Light\u003c\/i\u003e offers a unique view of contemporary faith.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/01\/2004\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780802827951\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 402\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.33lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.20h x 6.30w x 0.95d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e 04\/01\/2005 pg. 1406\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChristian Century\u003c\/i\u003e 06\/14\/2005 pg. 36\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 09\/13\/2004 pg. 74\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eCommonweal\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/25\/2005 pg. 24\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Roy M. Anker","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52418723053749,"sku":"9780802827951","price":33.14,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_77c96ea5-1e56-4f97-8e84-7dc019f62a2d.jpg?v=1775570305","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/catching-light-looking-for-god-in-the-movies-9780802827951","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}