Movie Review: MERCY RULE

I can still remember when Kirk Cameron and Chelsea Noble (now Chelsea Cameron) fell in love on Growing Pains when their characters were dating. I was just a kid, but I breathlessly read all the details in Tiger Beat, Teen Beat, and every other magazine that covered it.

By now, you may have heard how Kirk gave his life to God and turned his back on mainstream Hollywood to work in faith-based films. And though many years have passed since the Mike Seaver days, Kirk somehow does not age and still has that same boyish charm and crooked grin

Mercy Rule is the latest offering from the Camerons' CamFam Studios (they have three more films in the works), and is available now on DVD. When I interviewed Kirk recently, he said that he and his wife (who have six kids!!!) have a hard time finding movies that they can all watch and enjoy together, and that that is the kind of movie they hoped to create with Mercy Rule. And they have succeeded; I think that kids will enjoy the sports aspect, and adults will be touched by the deeper story that is gong on. There is nothing too intense or mature in this film for little eyes and ears, which is good news!

Kirk plays John, whose family junkyard business is being targeted for a takeover by a shady lobbyist.
Meanwhile, John's young son Cody (Jared Miller) is facing his own problems with his baseball team as he waits for his big moment to shine as a pitcher. As both father and son see their dreams slipping away from them, they will need to decide if they will face their challenges on their own, or learn that they can rely on God, teammates, family, and friends to help pull them through.

As one reviewer (Pastor Rex Holt) said of the film, "Just as Fireproof restores marriages, Mercy Rule strengthens families!" And one way it does that is by including a booklet of family discussion questions and a study guide with the DVD. This is wonderful to have, as it lets you go a little deeper with your kids and spouse. It includes some great quotes from the movie ("Winning is not as important as fighting on the right side."), and covers things like building legacies, fighting envy, taking responsibility, and quitting whining (I need to take a second look at that last one!).


Kirk told me that he made the movie to help rescue families, and to remind himself about what is really important, because today it is so easy to get distracted and not put first things first. My favorite scene in the movie happens when Kirk and Chelsea (who plays John's wife, Maddie) are having a conversation about what "everything" truly means; when we say that we have lost or could lose everything, are we really just talking about material things?  And how can we be freed from the despair of this? Mercy Rule will remind you that focusing on faith and family, and having courage and looking out for others are the important things in life, and when we make those our priorities we can believe that will bring a blessing.

Check out the official Mercy Rule website at http://mercyrulemovie.com/.

Movie Review: VeggieTales Celery Night Fever

Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber are back in another cleverly titled VeggieTales adventure: Celery Night Fever (out August 5th)! And yes, there are vegetables in leisure suits, fringed vests, and Sgt. Pepper jackets this time around.

What I love about the faith-based VeggieTales films is that they teach kids such great lessons in a very sweet and cute way, with enough sass to entertain parents as well. You never have to worry about your little ones seeing something violent or disturbing, which is really nice. Although, I have a cried a few times during particularly touching moments.

Celery Night Fever does not disappoint! During Grandparents Day at school, we find out that Laura Carrot's grandfather was a member of a legendary 1970s group, which he refuses to discuss these days. Another child's grandfather, Bruce Onion (voiced by Terry Crews), is a wealthy veggie that wants to turn the kids' beloved Celery Park into a strip mall or motel. Laura and her pal Junior Asparagus are determined to save the park, and put a bold plan in motion...a plan that could involve getting Grandpa's band, The Groovy Brothers (who got their start in Celery Park), back together.

Can the band members find their way back to each other after years apart? Will Laura and Junior be able to mend their own broken friendship? Do not miss Celery Night Fever, which is all about friendship and forgiveness, and is full of fun new VeggieTales songs, like "Perfect Puppy." My four-year-old loved the movie so much that when it ended he pulled out our set of VeggieTales Christmas Marathon DVDs to watch next and screamed, "Mama! There's never, ever, ever, ever, ever been a show like VeggieTales!"

Two Fun Family Movies: THE NUT JOB and THE LITTLE RASCALS SAVE THE DAY

The Nut Job: I'm just a squirrel, trying to get a nut...

My four-year-old son recently fell down and hurt his lip, and after cleaning him up (so much blood everywhere!!!) I knew we needed to do something quickly to cheer him up.

I asked what I could get him, and through the tears he said, "The Nut Job." We were spending the weekend at a hotel, and he knew I had it in my bag. (Thank you, Universal Home Entertainment!)

Tucked into bed with some milk and an ice pack, we settled in. I was excited to see the movie because three of my favorite actors were in it: Will Arnett, Liam Neeson and Maya Rudolph. Their voices were in it, that is; The Nut Job is animated.

Surly the Squirrel (Arnett) gets kicked out of his squirrel pack, which is led by Raccoon (Neeson), and strikes out on his own with his buddy, Buddy (Rob Tinkler). Everyone in the fictional city the film is set in is struggling to find food, so the two friends are overjoyed when they stumble upon a nut shop run by gangsters: "We've found it! The lost city of Nutlantis!"

Surly and Buddy plan to take all the nuts in a big heist, but Andie (Katherine Heigl), from the squirrel pack in the park, finds out what they're up to and wants them to share the nuts with the whole gang. What follows is the stuff of classic caper/heist movies, including double-crossings, power grabs, chase scenes, and romance. There's even a blonde bombshell named Lana!

It was wonderful seeing my son laugh at different jokes and be so into all the action, and I always enjoy a story about unlikely heroes. The Nut Job is a fun, light film that the whole family can be nuts about!




 The Little Rascals Save the Day: Spanky, Alfalfa, and the gang are baaaaaaaacckkk!

What a treat to get to see this movie, since I was obsessed with Spanky and Darla and Petey when I was a kid. It was so much fun to share this with my little guy, who is already a fan of the "tiny kids" (as he calls the Rascals).

The amazing Doris Roberts plays Grandma, who is in danger of losing her bakery. The kids step in to try to help (even Petey the dog gets a chef hat), and hilarity ensues when they try their hand at baking a cake.  Things get more complicated when the town's rich guy and bratty kid try  to buy the bakery and Grandma turns them down.

The Rascals come up with some different ideas to help Grandma, including a pet care business, a "Taxi Kab Servis," and a talent show.

This is a sweet family movie to see, especially if you love rooting for the underdog(s). I like that my son saw a group of kids putting themselves out there to do the right thing and help someone. Plus, it was really cool to see that even after all these years, Alfalfa still has that one patch of hair sticking up (even through a bike helmet!). I asked my son why other kids should watch The Little Rascals Save The Day, and he said, "Because it's really good." And how!