MOVIE TRIVIA

For those of you who missed out, in 2002-2003 a space western drama called Firefly aired on U.S. television. The concept and screenplay were original, witty, character-driven, and a lot of fun, a fact only fully recognized after the series was cancelled. Writer/director Joss Whedon capitalized on the cult status of the show among its loyal fans by releasing the award-winning film Serenity in 2005, both summarizing the series and picking up where it left off. I am one of those core fans who hope that either the series will return, or a sequel to the film will be made, not only for the set and setting, but also to see once more the stellar ensemble cast back together (see image above).

One can buy the DVDs, or rent them through Netflix. At the very least, see the movie, and if it hooks you, go back for the series. With that under your belt, you'll be in a position to more fully appreciate 18 Things You Didn't Know About Firefly.

It is almost always risky to generalize about a group of people (as I frequently do about political conservatives). So when you read the list of 25 Movies That Conservatives Hate, no doubt there will be individual conservatives who actually like some of the selections. Still, if you read the reason given for each film, you can begin to see the connections.

Finally, a movie recommendation. I recently watched a film called Live and Become, and loved it. During 1984 and 1985, Israel covertly evacuated 8000 Ethiopian Jews to save them from regional famine. The Jewish refugees had to walk from Ethiopia to neighboring Sudan to be rescued. 4000 of them perished in the attempt. The mission was called Operation Moses.

In the film, "Shlomo, an Ethiopian boy, is placed by his Christian mother with an Ethiopian Jewish woman whose child has died. His birth mother hopes for a better life for her son. The film tells of his growing up in Israel with adoptive parents, having to deal with the secret of his origins and his lost mother." It also highlights the limbo in which black Ethiopian Jews lived in their mostly-white adopted country ~ persecuted for being Jews in Ethiopian, persecuted for not being Jewish enough in Israel. Shlomo's story is told with sensitivity and grace, befitting his courage and intelligence during his 20 year transition from child to man.