6 minute read
TV & Movies
from Dec. 4, 2020
December 4, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com
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In theaters
After the defeat of Germany in World War II, a flamboyant Dutch artist (Guy Pearce) is accused of profiting from the sale of a rare masterwork by the titular 17th-century painter to number two Nazi Hermann Goering. But the soldier (Claes Bang) charged with investigating the case on behalf of the Allies eventually discovers that all is not as it initially appears. Director Dan Friedkin’s polished fact-based drama, adapted from Jonathan Lopez’s 2008 book “The Man Who Made Vermeers,” features outstanding performances from its two leads and offers grown viewers a satisfying exploration of creativity, the ambiguous business of assessing artistic worth and the drive for justice in the face of public opinion. A gory execution, a brief, nongraphic scene of aberrant behavior, a milder oath, some crude language.
CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: R
‘Come Away’
Intended as a revisionist origin story for J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan and Lewis Carroll’s Alice, this intriguing if slightly schizophrenic fairy tale is mostly wholesome, family-friendly fare. In the idyllic English countryside, three carefree siblings (Keira Chansa, Jordan Nash, Reece Yates), encouraged by their loving parents (Angelina Jolie and David Oyelowo), revel in battling make-believe pirates and hosting tea parties with plush toys. But after tragedy strikes and a secret problem is revealed, two of the children embark on a perilous journey to London to find a solution, encountering versions of a variety of fictional characters along the way. Mature themes.
CNS: A-II (adults and adolescents); MPAA: PG
This follow-up to the 2013 original is a spirited, fun-filled animated comedy suitable for almost all ages. A Stone Age couple (voices of Nicolas Cage and Catherine Keener) and their three children (voices of Emma Stone, Clark Duke and Kailey Crawford) join a teenage boy (voice of Ryan Reynolds) on a perilous quest for a safe haven. They reach an oasis of tranquility and abundance run by an “evolved” Neanderthal family. A culture clash between the clans ensues, though it leads eventually to mutual respect and appreciation. Cartoonish action, some vaguely scatological humor.
CNS: A-II (adults and adolescents); MPAA: PG
Mix CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI 17
CNS | COURTESY F.A. GRUE INSTITUTE The Nativity scene this year for St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican will include larger-than-life-sized ceramic figures from a high school in Castelli, a town in the ceramic-producing region of Teramo, northeast of Rome. Students and teachers at the F.A. Grue Institute, a high school focused on art, crafted the figures for the scene between 1965 and 1975.
A Vatican Christmas
Details of stamps, Nativity scene, tree
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
VATICAN CITY — Although the Vatican knows Christmas may be very different this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has chosen its stamps and the Nativity scene and tree that will stand in St. Peter’s Square.
The larger-than-life-sized ceramic figures in the Nativity scene are coming from a high school in Castelli, a town in the ceramic-producing region of Teramo, northeast of Rome.
The F.A. Grue Institute, a high school focused on art, is sending only a handful of the 54 sculptures that students and teachers crafted for the scene between 1965 and 1975, the Vatican said. In addition to the Holy Family, an angel and the three kings, there will be a bagpipe player, a panpipe player, a shepherdess and a little girl carrying a doll.
The scene will be displayed next to a towering spruce tree from Slovenia.
The tree, which stands almost 92 feet tall, is coming from an area outside the town of Kocevje, the Vatican said.
“This year, more than ever, the staging of the traditional space dedicated to Christmas in St. Peter’s Square is meant to be a sign of hope and trust for the whole world,” the Vatican said in a statement. “It expresses the certainty that Jesus comes among His people to save and console them.”
The Nativity scene will be unveiled, and the tree will be lighted Dec. 11, the Vatican said.
The Vatican also revealed the design for its 2020 Christmas stamps, which celebrate the
CNS | VATICAN STAMP AND COIN OFFICE Vatican Christmas stamps for 2020 show the baby Jesus and Pope Francis holding a lantern. The theme of this year’s Christmas stamps is “the light of the peace of Bethlehem.” This page was jointly issued with Austria.
birth of Jesus as a light of peace for the world.
The 1.15-euro stamp features the Baby Jesus with the Church of the Christ Child in Steyr, Austria, in the background and a 1.10-euro stamp shows Pope Francis holding a lantern with St. Peter’s Basilica in the background.
As a joint issue with Austria, a single sheet with the two stamps pays tribute to an Austrian initiative called “Peace Light of Bethlehem.”
In early December each year, an Austrian scout is chosen to go to Bethlehem and light a lantern from the oil lamp hanging over the 14-point star that marks the spot where Jesus is believed to have been born.
The lantern is brought back to Austria where the flame is used to light other lamps and candles that families and parishes place next to their Nativity scenes. It also is shared with officials at the European Union offices in Belgium and, from there, taken throughout Europe.
The initiative, begun in 1986 by the Austrian broadcasting company, ORF, also raises money for children with disabilities or other special needs.
On TV
n Friday, Dec. 4, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Saint Francis Xavier and the Church in Japan.” An EWTN original documentary on the history of the Church in Japan and the missionary work of St. Francis Xavier. n Saturday, Dec. 5, 10:30 a.m. (EWTN) “Nicholas, the Boy who Became Santa.” Nicholas was still a young boy when he discovered the love of Jesus and the gift of giving that changed the world. Based on historical facts and traditions. n Saturday, Dec. 5, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Charbel.” An intimate biography of St. Charbel Makhluf, a Lebanese monk known as a healer and miracle worker. Living a solitary life, he dedicated himself fully to sharing and humility. n Saturday, Dec. 12, 5 p.m. (EWTN) “Miracles of Guadalupe.” An EWTN original documentary.
Catholic Book Pick
‘365 Days of Catholic Wisdom: A Treasury of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness’ by Deal Hudson
Thinking with the mind of the Church, Dr. Deal Hudson has mined the riches of faith and reason with which the Church has blessed civilization and with which She has shone forth the splendor of truth across two millennia. Hudson knows that the Church thinks with the mind of the theologian and philosopher, but also with the heart of the saint and the eye of the poet. He also knows that God shows us Himself most powerfully through the art of narrative, through storytelling and parable, and through that primary story which is history itself. Knowing this, he has filled these pages with the wisdom of the ages as perceived by a diverse range of sages, including theologians, philosophers, saints, mystics, poets, novelists and historians.
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