Mike and Kenny review and spot faith reflected in the latest film from writer / director Ryan Coogler which stars Michael B. Jordon in dual roles as Elijah "Smoke" and Elias "Stack" Moore, twin brothers returning from a mysterious time Chicago to their Mississippi Delta home town to start again. Set in the 1930's "Smoke" and "Stack," flush with cash and mystery on how they made it, seek to start again by opening a Juke Joint for the black community in their town. Amidst the challenges they were expecting such as from the Klan, their biggest threat is supernatural evil.

Faith Spotted:

The destructive power of temptation and greed, whether for riches, power, influence, or eternal life. Although sin and the brokenness of the world impact all of creation, people have freedom and choose to invite or let sin and unrighteousness into their lives. As taught in Scripture, God offers people the freedom to accept relationship with, and righteousness of, God. Likewise people choose to accept or invite sin/the Devil into their lives, rather than it invading or taking over.

Life outside the grace and love of God is not a blessing but a burden that imprisons the body and destroys one's spirit.

The film depicts the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 10:28 that one should not fear that which can kill only the body, but fear that which kills the soul.

The vampire /Dracula mythology and symbolism that dates back thousands of years depicts the struggle of evil against good.

The place and role of music in black culture and the black church.

Kenny and Mike discuss discuss and spot faith elements in the film Eric LaRue. Included in this epispose is an interview with Director Michael Shannon and the film's star Judy Greer.

The film, based on the play by Brett Neveu who also was the screenwriter, presents the parents of a school shooter and the challenges that they face in their lives, their relationships with each other, and with their community. The film also portrays how the faith communities of each parent respond to the needs of the parents as well as the faith and extended communities.

Faith Elements:

The film depicts how faith communities and leaders should NOT respond to persons involved or impacted by tragedy. Faith leaders, members, and communities should not be focused on solving the issue and removing the pain but should offer a ministry of presence, allowing the victims to share their pain without a rush to "get through" things.

While faith and faith communities are places to find and receive comfort, they first are places that are willing to step into and be in the midst of the uncomfortable spaces, including pain and anger.

Judy's character responds to her husband's trying to convince her to seek solace in his non-denominal and "giver her burden's to Jesus" by saying she does not want to because they are "my burdens." The incident has become a part of her, and to seek immediate comfort would be forget and deny the incident has happened and is to deny and erase such an important part of their life. Such desire for immediate relief comes through denying the pain and what work that needs to be done.

Kenny and Mike review, spot faith elements, and interview Natalie Dormer who stars as pioneering pediatric oncologist Audrey Evans in the biopic film Audrey's Children. Audrey Evans became Director of the Pediatric Oncology department at the renowned Children's Hospital of Philidelphia (CHOP) in 1969, and was a trailblazer as both the first department chief and one who introduced new methods for tracking and treating pediatric cancer. As a hospital with a strong national reputation, parents brought their children from all over the region and country. Out of concern for the parents who were often forced to sleep on the floor of the Oncology ward, Audrey purchased a home that could be used to offer free housing for parents. This home and program grew into the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Clancy Brown Co-stars as Dr. C. Everett Koop who served as chief of pediatric surgery at CHOP and was responsible for recriting Dr. Evans. Koop who would later serve as U.S. Surgeon General supported Dr. Evans in the early years of her career including her development of the Evans Staging System which charted Neuroblastoma disease progression and allowed for the most effective treatments.

Faith Spotted:

Faith grounded Audrey and inspired her to confront successfully the challenges and roadblocks she encountered as a trailblazing female department chair with new diagnostic and treament procedures.

The film speaks to the purpose and power of calling and the transformative impact it can have in the lives of others. Audrey's calling was to serve children and families in the midst the most difficult circumstances.

The film lifts up the importance of children echoing the teaching of Jesus to remove any barriers to children fully living into the life of their community and deserving of the attention of God.

Audrey's story reflects the call to live one's life to the fullest, utilizing the gifts and talents God has given. Life is not to be wasted.

Mike and Kenny review the animated adventure film Flow, spot and discuss the faith themes reflected in the Latvian film that won the 2025 Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film. Directed by Gints Zilbalodis, and taking over 5 years to make, Flow was made by using the free and open source software Blender.

Flow follows a cat, a capybara, a ring-tailed lemur, a secretary bird and a labrador retriever who find refuge together in a small boat following a massive flood that covers most of the land around them.

Praised for its wonderful and unique visuals and aninmation, Flow is able to communicate the story through the visuals and animal as well as other sound effects.

Flow is streaming on HBO Max.

Faith Spotted:

The use of a boat to usher animals safely through a sudden flood echoes that story of Noah and the Ark. In addition the story uses the road narrative to present a community gathered and working together despite differences to survive amids great challenges and dangers. The different instincts and abilities of the animals serve to help them and the community survive. As with people of differeing nationalities, faiths, and cultures, the Christian faith calls for care of and for one another, and living into what unites, all peopel are children of God, rather than separates persons, nations, and faiths and communities.

All of the animals showed faith in taking the chance to get in the boat and leave their home and native areas. The cat shows the faith necessary to make changes that go against it's instinct to swim so as to catch fish for itself and provide for the other animals.

The boat is an early symbol for the work of the Church. Jesus often taught from or used boats in his ministry. Likewise the church is sent into the chaotic waters of a broken world to offer refuge, new hope, new life.

Not mentioned in the episode but certainly a faith element is the presenation of the whale. Several times a whale appeared to save the cat, and later the other animals when their boat got caught up in trees. The Whale (great fish) was used as an insturment of God to rescue and deliver Jonah to the city of Nineveh, where his message of judgement inspired the city to repent, receive grace, and not be destroyed by God.

Depending on how one reads or interprets the film, there is a presenation of eternal, resurrection life, as well as an act of sacraficial love by two of the animals.

Freguent Faithspotting contributor and friend Ryan Parker join Mike and Kenny to discuss the 2025 Academy Awards. Ryan works in public relations in the film industry and is the founder and director of the Mississippi Film Society.

We thought this year had a solid slate of nominees, especially in the Best Actor and Best Director categories.

Faithspotting covered 8 films with a total of 50 nominations including 6 of the 10 for Best Picture, 12 Acting, and 4 Directing nominations. Checkout our reviews and the faith we spotted in Sing Sing, The Substance, Conclave, Wicked, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Emilia Perez, and Inside Out 2.

Kenny and Mike are joined by friend and regular guest Rev. Eric Folkerth to discuss the biopic film of Bob Dylan, A Complete Unkown. Directed by James Mangold, the film stars Timothee Chalamet as Dylan, Ed Norton as Pete Seeger, Elle Fanning as Sylvie Russo, and Monica Babaro as Joan Baez.

Based on the book Dylan Goes Electric by Elijah Wood, A Complete Unknown opens as Bob Dylan arrives in New York City and begins his rise in the world of folk music, and the reaction after he became a folk music star when he decides to expand into folk rock music by "going electric." This new direction was introduced and decidedly rejected by the audience at the 1965 Newport Folk Music Festival, and is the climax of the film.

As the film moves toward the Newport clash, it documents Dylan's struggle againstbeing labeled, boxed in, and controlled by the music industry as well as his initial fans. The film also shows Dylan's relationships with Sylvie Russo and folk legends Joan Baez, as well as with Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie.

Episode Guest Eric Folkerth is Sr. Pastor of Kessler Park United Methodist Church in Dallas and is a singer/songwriter and blogger. Eric's website is ericfolkerth.com

Faith Reflected:

Expansive vs. restricted worship, experiences, and understanding of God.

Worship Wars happen when individuals and groups get comfortable and set in their ways of worship and deny the validity of other expressions and languages of worship that may speak better to others.

The benefit of a variety of ways of worship that lead to enriched understanding and experiences of God.

Declaring and accepting purity of worship is a means to control the experience, theological understanding, and faith development of others.

Luke 4 and the resistance to Jesus demonstrating God's love of and working for other people and nations.

The early Church in the Book of Acts also faced this struggle of expansive experiences of worship and understanding of God.

Kenny and Mike review and discuss faith reflected in the Academy Award nominated film starring Adrien Brody. Written, produced and directed by Brady Corbet, the film shows the story of a Hungarian-Jewish holocaust survior, Laszlo Toth (Brody) who imigrates to the United States following World War 2. A renowned architect in Europe, Toth comes to Philadelphia with only a suitcase and an invitation to stay with a cousin who imigrated earlier. After a fallout with his cousin, Toth, living in a shelter, is sought out by industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce) for whom he and his cousin had done work, and was the catalyst for their fallout. Van Buren offers Toth a commission to design a very large civic center and chapel for his hometown outside of Philadelphia.

Following an intermission, the second part of the 3 hour 20 minute film begins with the arrival of Laszlo's wife Erzsebeth (Felicity Jones) and Laszlo's niece Zsofia (Raffey Cassidy) who does not speak and cares for Erzsebeth who is confined to a wheelchair as a result of her time in a concentration camp. The film depicts the struggles the Toth's face rebuilding their lives and relationship after a long separation and in the midst of Van Buren's and societal disdain for them.

Faith Spotted:

Gifts for service to the Church as well as talents in life are given by God. People should be humble in their use and any recognition that comes with the talents and gifts. Gifts to God and communities should be to glorify God and serve the community rather than glorify the individual or family giving it. We are called to be stewards of the gifts and talents God has given us.

We are to be truly welcoming and accepting persons of other faiths and cultures including imigrants and refugees who are fleeing danger and or seeking to start a new life. Welcoming includes offering hospitiality and love to others as we do our neighbors.

Hosts Mike and Kenny discuss the blockbusting film adaptation of Act 1 of the musical Wicked which stars Cynthia Erivo, and Ariana Grande. Directed by Jon M. Chu. Wicked Pt. 1offers the back story of The Wizard of Oz's Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West as well as the Wizard. Cynthia Erivo stars as Elphaba, a child conceived via an affair with green skin and rejected by her father. Ariana Grande stars as Galinda, born into wealth and influence and seemingly perfect. Galinda and Elphaba become roommates and rivals at Shiz University where both quickly become the center of attention, and eventually friends.

The film features outstanding vocal performances by Erivo and Grande as well as very strong visuals and production design. Jeff Goldbloom co-stars as the Wizard with Michelle Yeoh co-starring as Madame Morrible, the professor of magic. Jonathan Bailey co-stars as the romantic Prince Fiyero.

Faith Spotted:

The question of God in L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Where does evil / wickedness come from? The ability for narratives to cast wickedness on those undeserving of it as well as hide the wickedness and evil of others.

Though our faith teaches we are all born into sin, what roll does environtmental elements and circumstances play in becoming evil/wicked?

All persons are created by and are beloved children of God, therefore as persons of faith we are called to respect and preserve the agency of "others" regardless of their faith or place.

As Christians we can celebrate the defeat of evil and the removal of the threat of evil and wickedness but we are not to celebrate the suffering or death of those who commit evil or wicked acts as this violates Christ's command to love all persons, even our enemies, as well as the command to forgive even one's enemies. While it can seem impossible, we are called to do so and can be empowered by God to do so.

Persons of the Christian faith are not to blame persons or punish them for the sins of others.

Article with novelist Gregory Maguire regarding faith present in Wicked.

https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2024/11/20/q-and-wicked-author-gregory-maguire-souls-saints-religion-oz-249323