Cheering for Green Book

I let out a shriek of joy last night when Green Book was announced as the winner of Best Picture at last night’s Oscars.  My daughter, Hannah, and I saw the movie a few weeks ago.  Immediately after seeing it I posted on Facebook that it was a movie for the ages that everyone needs to see.  

Only recently have I read about the criticism and controversy surrounding the film. A summary of both is offered by Time magazine at this link:

http://time.com/5527806/green-book-movie-controversy/

The story of the film is about a friendship between an African-American pianist, Donald Shirley played by Mahershala Ali and Tony “Lip” played by Viggo Mortensen, an Italian-American driver.  The two traveled the segregated South on a concert tour for Shirley in the 1960s.  How accurately the movie depicted the friendship is not for me to know.  The story the movie depicted of the relationship is what touched me.

The title of the movie was based on a green book that African Americans kept in the 1960s. The book shared hotels, restaurants, and other accommodations where African Americans could safely stay.

The ugliness of the time was revealed.  Shirley was close to being seriously injured by a white gang in a bar; he was thrown in jail for a consensual, sexual encounter with another man. The encounters with police shared what happened then and still on occasion happens today. 

Ultimately what touched me was the slow mutuality in the relationship that developed.

Shirley was in charge. He hired Tony, paid for the trip, and performed for adoring audiences. He instructed Tony on writing letters to his wife.  He was an erudite, dignified African-American man.  In one scene he poignantly shared, “You only win when you maintain your dignity.”

Tony was also in charge. He helped Shirley out of a number of dangerous situations. To call him a “white savior” as some have is unfair. Shirley saved Tony and got the two out of jail when he called the Attorney General for help.  Tony grew to see that one of his tasks was not to let his boss get hurt.  He was going to resist the horrible mistreatment that was inevitable in the South towards an African-American in the 1960’s.

One of the best scenes was at a final performance on tour in Birmingham, Alabama. Shirley was refused entry into the whites-only dining room of the venue where he had been hired to perform. Ultimately Don refused to play. The two ended up at an African-American blues club where Shirley wowed those present with his music. The pairing of the settings and the lack of acceptance and then moving performance by Shirley left the viewer with plenty to ponder.

Green Book helped the viewer see race through the lens of one relationship. The ultimate friendship that developed despite the differences of race is a microcosm of what needs to happen.   For depicting the nuances of this relationship, Green Book deserves the accolades it’s received.  This movie does need to be seen.  And better yet take along a person with a different skin color.

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Attending Senator Klobuchar's Presidential announcement

Yesterday Hannah & I attended Senator Amy Klobuchar’s announcement that she is running for President. Many people from Minnesota have run for President, but it still felt like something special was happening yesterday in the Twin Cities.  As a pastor I welcome people of all political opinions to participate at Chain of Lakes Church. As a father I look for opportunities to make memories with Hannah.  So after worship at Chain of Lakes the two of us traversed the snowy roads of the Twin Cities to Boom Island Park. 

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I got there, but as I got closer it became apparent that this would be an event. Parking was a “every person for themselves situation.”  We were running late, so I quickly pulled into an alley and found a place to park.  Hannah and I literally skipped quickly over the snowy sidewalks under the snowy sky and arrived on time.

Snow was a theme. And though the Klobuchar campaign wouldn’t have planned this optic, it can’t hurt. Few people remember much about an opening announcement of a Presidential campaign, but they do remember the place.  I remember President Trump announced at Trump Tower in New York City. I remember that President Obama announced on a very cold day in Illinois. If people remember anything about yesterday’s event it is that Senator Klobuchar announced her campaign in a light Minnesota snow storm. It’s not a bad optic.

When we arrived at Boom Island Park Hannah and I moved around so at least we could see the speakers.  I’m not good with numbers, but I would guess that at close to a thousand people attended.  The two of us finally found a spot to the left of the podium about 50 yards away. 

The program then started.  After a drumline from a local high school, the mayors of Minneapolis, Duluth, and Moorhead briefly spoke. Senator Tina Smith spoke; Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan spoke; Governor Tim Walz, wearing a lumberjack, red and black plaid and very Minnesotan shirt, spoke.

And finally Senator Klobuchar gave her speech. A video is on the Star Tribune web site is here:

http://video.startribune.com/replay-sen-amy-klobuchar-joins-2020-presidential-race/505644122/

The parts of her speech that touched me were her personal story. She talked about her grandfather working on the Iron Ranger; how her mother was a schoolteacher and her dad was a journalist. She shared a story of a Somali girl whose family was rudely treated at a restaurant by a man who told them to go home. The young girl said that she didn’t want to go to her home to eat dinner, but wanted to stay in the restaurant. Senator Klobuchar shared some traditional Democratic policy positions, but not too much. The time and debate on policy positions will come later.

When the speech was over Hannah and I went over to the gaggle-line of well wishers. I wanted Hannah to have an opportunity to shake Senator Klobuchar’s hand.  We waited patiently and finally Hannah had her chance for a hand shake. It was meaningful for her.

After the speech President Trump and Senator Klobuchar engaged in a hilarious tweet exchange about holding a speech in a snow storm and global warming.

When the event was over Hannah and I trudged back through the snow to talk about what we had just witnessed. 

Who knows if Senator Klobuchar will break through the log-jam of Democratic candidates to become the nominee for the Democratic Party in July 2020?  So much is going to happen in the next seventeen months that it doesn’t even seem worth the time to speculate. The city that will host the Democratic convention has not even been chosen.

What I do know is Hannah and I have a memory. The two of us will probably not have many opportunities to attend a speech of someone announcing a presidential run.

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Super Bowl LIII

For the 50^th time I joined millions of people and watched the Super Bowl LIII.  (I was too young to remember the first two Super Bowls—sorry Packer fans—and I missed the 49ers blowing out the Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX when I was traveling.)  My earliest memory of a Super Bowl was watching an interview of Joe Namath after they upset the Colts.  I sat on a small couch on January 12, 1969 and watched on a very small black-and-white television. I surely didn’t appreciate what I was watching—I just remember Joe Namath was very happy. 

The Super Bowl is still an event that brings together our divided country.  Even though its ratings are going down, nineteen of the top twenty most-watched television events have been Super Bowls. 

I can’t help write about the Super Bowl without mentioning the Vikings.  I’ve written before about the pain of a Vikings fan.  And not winning the Super Bowl is the source of this pain.  The first time I ever remembering crying was watching the Joe-Kapp led Norsemen lose to the Chiefs in 1970.  Super Bowl and tears didn’t stop then.  Losing to the Dolphins when it was obvious that the Dolphins were better didn’t stop the tears from flowing.  I didn’t cry when the Purple lost to the Steelers the next year, but the game was a dud. I was reminded yesterday that the score at halftime was 2-0 Steelers.  Losing to the Raiders on a frigid January day in Minnesota was the worst. Oh yes I remember the early missed field goal by the Errol Mann and then the blocked punt that gave the Purple the ball at the three yard line of the Raiders.  For a moment it seemed that this game would be different but—I don’t need to go down that rabbit hole of misery. 

Yesterday Chain of Lakes had a Puppy Bowl party so the two red-heads and I watched the game at our home.  No Super Bowl party with others this year.  I watched everything—pre-game, ads, game, halftime, postgame.

I never had the sense that the Rams would win the game. Even though Patriots were only ahead by a field goal for much of the game and even when the Rams tied the game, it seemed natural that the Patriots would make a play to win the game.  Isn’t this what the Patriots do?  And though it is tiring to see Brady and Belichick win for the sixth time at some point I’ve let go of jealousy and grabbed hold of admiration.  I’m impressed by excellence and those two display it.  And yes Spygate and Deflategate tarnish Belichicks’ reputation and it’s not hard to find reasons to dislike Tom Brady.  But—they win. 

I’ve never listened to Tony Romo do color analysis for an entire game.  I liked him.  It was hilarious to hear him say that Jim Nantz jinxed Stephen Gostkowski when Gostkowski missed an early field goal.  And he always seemed to know exactly what was going to happen in the game.  He predicted that Julian Edelman would win the MVP, which I think Edelman deserved.  And to think that Edelman was once the starting quarterback for Kent State and his first game he experienced a 44-0 thrashing by the Gophers is a reminder to never give up on any dream.  Thanks to Jim Souhan for that story. http://www.startribune.com/super-bowl-mvp-julian-edelman-embodies-what-the-patriots-are-all-about/505293382/

When I watch the Half Time show I’m reminded of how out of touch I am with Pop culture.  I had never heard of Maroon 5.  But Hannah had and she was singing along to all of his songs.  When Adam Levine ditched his shirt I was more curious about all the tattoos he had than what he was winging.  

My favorite Super Bowl commercial was the NFL’s 100-year game commercial.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJjiIuH1VnY  How much fun would that have been to make?   In a survey USA Today’s Admeter ranked it to top commercial.  https://admeter.usatoday.com/commercials/the-100-year-game/  I liked the Bud Lite commercials, but am confused why it’s important to me that they don’t use corn syrup in their beer. I don’t drink beer, but I never thought that not having corn syrup would be an incentive to purchase it.  I posted a Facebook post about this and got all sorts of comments. https://www.facebook.com/hmoorepaul

The Super Bowl continues to be a reflection of the best and worst of America.  I can sit on my couch for over five hours, be entertained, watch incredible athletes, and scratch my head at what some are doing.  The Super Bowl gives us a common experience as I’m guessing you watched it too.

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