wonder
WHEN THE CREDITS rolled for the live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon, I didn’t expect to think of Catholic theologian G.K. Chesterton. But it makes perfect sense. What better time to remember the words of the “prince of paradox” than during a kid’s movie about a dragon slayer who becomes a dragon friend, all with the backdrop of Iceland’s natural beauty and composer John Powell’s engrossing musical score. The film easily summoned these words from Chesterton’s 1909 essay collection Tremendous Trifles: “The world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for want of wonder.” Beauty and wonders surround us. And if we’re willing to stop and listen, such gifts can dislodge our biases and fears.
The new film focuses on Vikings who live on the isle of Berk, where they fight dragons for survival and space. The socially awkward and soft-spoken Hiccup frequently clashes with his father, Stoick, the Viking leader. Hiccup eschews Berk’s traditional masculine norms; he feels more curiosity than bloodlust toward the dragons. Yet, Hiccup gets his chance to prove his worth when he seems to kill the most feared dragon, Night Fury.
Hiccup is a normal kid: He has crushes, insecurities, and familial angst. Director Dean DeBlois knew Hiccup was joining a long line of powerful but unassuming heroes. “There’s a time-honored tradition of protagonists who are just regular kids but have a transformative bond with something amazing,” Dean told Sojourners, calling to mind Luke Skywalker from Star Wars and Elliott Taylor from E.T. But these seemingly unexceptional heroes are in fact gifted in their capacity for awe.
7. How an American Ex-Jihadi Struggled to Rebuild His Life in the Country He’d Once Vowed to Destroy
In The New Republic, Tiffany Stanley does a deep dive into the life of Jesse Orton, who has been lifted up as the poster boy for the work of countering violent extremism: “Morton’s path to salvation seemed almost too good to be true. Could the transition from jihadi to patriot really be so seamless, so rapid, so complete? The answer to that question would, within months of Morton’s sudden burst of fame, become painfully clear. The answer was no.”
Auggie’s unusual appearance and suffering under the knife have made him a gentle, kind, and mostly self-aware kid. He faces constant bullying at the hands of a classmate and his friends, but because of his kindness and self-deprecating sense of humor, other students gradually begin to befriend him. As they look past his outward appearance, they can see the wonder of having Auggie in their lives and he can see the wonder that he really is.
THE BEST experiences I had at the cinema last year were nostalgic—re-releases of The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp and Lawrence of Arabia were uncanny reflections on the cost of war to soldiers and some roots of contemporary Middle East strife. Here's my list of the best films released in 2012:
10. A tie:The Pirates! Band of Misfits, a gloriously rich, smart comedy for all ages, full of life and self-deprecating humor, and Life of Pi, which envelopes its audience with visual wonders and spiritual questions.
9. Wes Anderson's delightful treatment of childhood first love amid dysfunctional adults, and a film not afraid of the shadow side of growing up, Moonrise Kingdom.
8. The Cabin in the Woods, a gruesome horror comedy that not only enacts and portrays, but understands the lie of redemptive violence.