Yes, I know Mother’s Day was a week or so ago, but it’s never too late, or the time is never inappropriate, to write a few words about our mothers. Their day brings to mind past memories and present realities like few other days; some bring joy and some bring sorrow. However we may think of our mothers, one thing is for sure, no matter how many mothers there are in the world, each one was made special by our God. The pages of his Bible are filled with a wonderful assortment of mothers whose stories invite us to take another look at our own mothers who taught us with their tears, with their humor, and with their love.

First, our mothers are often the storytellers in our families. They may not write anything down but they make certain our family heritage, traditions and beliefs are orally transmitted from generation to generation. The world of the Bible was a male-dominated world, but just beneath the surface was a world in which women played a vital teaching role. We see this in Second Timothy when Paul tells us that Timothy, from childhood, was taught by his mother and grandmother. This custom continues to the present day. We can experience the beauty of this custom if we listen to Dvořák’s Songs My Mother Taught Me. No English translation of the lyrics does justice to the original German, which tells the story of a mother, who tearfully tells her children the stories her mother taught her. I recommend Renée Flemings’ glorious rendition.

Second, our mothers often use humor to teach us, when they can’t get through to us, in any other way. The Bible tells the story of a woman who came to Jesus and sought a cure for her daughter who was plagued by an evil spirit. She was turned away because she was a Canaanite and not a child of Israel. She was undeterred and obtained the blessing she sought by using a somewhat humorous tactic. She replied to Jesus, “Yes Lord, but even family pets eat the crumbs that fall from the table of children.”

This story reminds me of an interview between a reporter and a prominent politician. The reporter asked who made the important decisions in the family. Without a moment’s hesitation, the politician responded that he made all the important decisions; but then, he looked questioningly at his wife and asked: “But honey, why in 25 years of marriage, have you never asked me to make any important decisions?” Her only response was a sly grin. As far as that Canaanite woman is concerned, I don’t know who her husband was, but, like the politician, he must have been putty in her hands.

Lastly, and in this, our mothers sometimes succeed and sometimes fail. They are charged by God to model the love He brought into the world. There is no end of instances in the Bible that show the primacy of love, whether to our God, our neighbor or ourselves. But on Mother’s Day, it is a good way to honor our mothers, by looking at the ways they modeled love for us. I remember a number of years ago we planned a family vacation at a lovely resort. We told our two girls they could each bring a friend to keep them company. When I was ready to zip up our suitcases, my wife came with her arms filled with stuffed animals for the girls. I was floored, “Darling, where do you think we can pack all those stuffed animals?” I don’t remember the details, but when we got to the resort and opened the suitcases, out popped those stuffed animals. You see, my darling had repacked everything until she found room. She knew what she was doing and she was right. She knew the girls would be sleeping in a strange place, with strange shadows and sounds, and would need something familiar to cuddle when they went to bed. I packed with my head and with reason, my darling packed with her heart and with love . . . she was a mother . . . and that’s what mothers do.

Rev. M. Tracy Smith, SSA, Rector is from the Saint Peter’s Anglican Church, 1416 SE 2 Terr., Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. For more information, call 954-695-0336. Wednesday: Holy Communion at 10 a.m., Sunday: Holy Communion at 10 a.m.

By “Cinema” Dave

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

The Querulous Nights of Athena Minerva is the most disturbing book that I have written; it is also my least profitable. Dark themes are a tough sell; but, if one balances the fine line between horror with humor and humanity, a story can be profitable as It and Annabelle Creation can attest. Mother! was released last weekend and was a box office disappointment.

With award winning credits like The Wrestler and Black Swan, writer/director Darren Aronofsky’s Mother! was highly praised by urban elitist critics on RottenTomatoes.com. Yet, the same site also revealed a far lower audience score. When old time New York film critic Rex Reed named Mother! the worst film of the year — perhaps the century, ratings from the urban elitist critics dropped.

Part of the attraction of Mother! are the deep Biblical themes that Aronofsky (who also did the much-panned Noah) claims he attempted, with an emphasis upon the Book of Genesis. The film begins in flames and transposes into a jeweled crystal that Javier Bardem places on the mantel. Once set, the scenery expands to reveal Jennifer Lawrence sleeping on the bed. Lawrence (revealed to be the title character) goes looking for “Him” (Bardem’s character name).

After the first jump scare, Aronofsky keeps the focus on Jennifer Lawrence’s face. Sometimes Aronofsky pulls the camera lens back to reveal that Lawrence does construction inside the house, while barefoot. A Man (Ed Harris) knocks on the door and says he is Bardem’s No. 1 fan and that he needs a place to sleep. After a night of drinking, it is revealed that the “Man” is missing a rib. The next day, a “Woman” (Michelle Pfiefer) arrives and reconnects with the “Man.” Mother is not amused.

During these expository scenes, Aronofsky directs with minimalist restraint. The cinematography invokes the paintings of Andrew Wyeth. Yet, as more characters enter the house (Mother never steps off the porch), the set becomes claustrophobic and invokes the dark visions of Francisco Goya and Caravaggio.

As the old saying goes, “Half of Art is knowing where to stop.” Such is the case for this film, which becomes as ponderous as a house waiting for electricity.

The story lacks coherence and one tires of Jennifer Lawrence’s cries for help, for she is not a real person but merely a dramatic symbol of Aronofsky’s fevered mind. Like Stanley Kubrick’s overrated The Shining, Mother! may be the darling of the urban elitist critic circle in a few decades. For the time being, there are better movies on the big screen besides this one.

For something more life affirming and more personal, Stronger opens this weekend. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal as Jeff Bauman, the man who lost both of his legs at the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, Stronger looks far more inspiring than some Hollywood elitist interpretation of the Bible.

By Emily Rosen

ERosen424@aol.com

www.emilyrosen424.com

This is about mothers and sons, and aging and mental health, and who knows what else. Sometimes stuff comes up when I write a column and I get surprised at how it ends.

Today, I received the following email from my son, who is very edgy as he approaches his 60th birthday this month. In the subject line, he wrote, “For Your Next Column.” How fortuitous! In his usual cryptic tone, he wrote, “The concept of ‘How could this come back to haunt me in the future’ only seems to come with age.”

And in my very cryptic tone, I responded, “What are you talking about?”

To which he responded, “When you’re young, you don’t think of the consequences of your actions.”

Well, duh! Did he think he discovered the origin of life?

There followed some reminders to him of his youthful follies, and a subtle vague response which led me to believe that he actually did not want to follow that path. Why then, did he bring it up? Perhaps, his Peter Pan persona is faltering as he faces the reality of actually coming face-to-face with being twice the age of the hippie slogan “Never trust anyone over the age of 30”.

You might remember from your history books, or from real life, what it was like to live during my son’s “coming of age” – in the turbulent 1960s – the burgeoning of Rock & Roll, the explosion of the drug culture, Woodstock, Vietnam protests, civil rights upheavals, political and racial assassinations, convention riots, all of which make today’s political porridge seem tame by comparison (so far). And so, we never went much further than his musing about youthful poor judgment (a mild description of the blatant behaviors of his and too many other kids of that era.)

But time slogs on at its sure-fire pace – slow or speedy depending on your vantage point, and there are different, though, in some ways, similar, triggers fueling the behavior of young people today. The major difference, however, is that everything they do is indelibly recorded for eternity – and, sure as shootin’, they are not thinking that some of it ‘will come back to haunt me’.

All of which makes my participation in the support group called My Generation held at the Faulk Center For Counseling in Boca Raton (www.faulkcenterforcounseling.org) such an enlightening experience. With a mix of high school teenagers and older adults sharing their stories, and many of their now extinct (adults) or current (kids) customs, experiences and relationships, the interaction results in a greater understanding and acceptance of each other, and provides an educational and emotional high for each age group.

And, since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, this is a reminder that physical health is dependent on mental health, and that society needs to recognize and respond with equal drive to the concerns of each.

Since Mother’s Day is upon us, another reminder, that mothering (indeed, parenting) is the most important job any of us have, and as the stimuli around us become ever more potent, the job becomes ever more difficult and more demanding of attention. So, let’s hear it for the moms, as well as the kids who actually consider the consequences of their actions – now or whenever.

By “Cinema” Dave

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

While Mother’s Day may be the best time to release this documentary, Look at Us Now, Mother! opens tomorrow in local theaters. With recent footage shot in Boca Raton, this film features writer/director Gayle Kirschenbaum’s strained relationship with her mother. Using family photos and Super 8mm home movies, one sees how similar mother and daughter Kirschenbaum really are. We learn that both generations of Kirschenbaums have fiery tempers. There are skeletons in the family closet that are exhumed during the course of this documentary.

Look at Us Now, Mother! is a documentary about forgiveness, and Gayle Kirschenbaum succeeds with her thesis. Through the fights and catty remarks, this film provides humor about family foibles.

The mysterious 10 Cloverfield Lane opened last week, exceeding box office expectations. Categorized as a horror movie, this film places emphasis on three characters with varied motivations.

Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) breaks up with her boyfriend (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and drives into a car accident. When she awakes, she has received medical care from Howard (John Goodman), a man with personality quirks. Howard informs Michelle that they have a roommate, Emmett (John Gallagher), who also has an injury. Howard claims he is protecting his guests from the enemies outside his bunker.

Unpredictable is what 10 Cloverfield Lane is all about. Clichés and red herrings are hinted at, but the narrative meanders from scares to light comedy and some sweet moments involving some pathetic people.

This film is producer J.J. Abram’s follow up to Cloverfield, a monster movie he produced eight years ago. Abrams has created his own Twilight Zone anthology for the big screen under the auspices of Cloverfield. Hopefully, he won’t wait another eight years to reveal his next one.