MOVIES: Millions

[Jasny]

I really enjoyed it though it had a little modernist heresy by saint Peter. All things considered it is a religious film headed in teh right direction. any opinions?

 

[MJE]

yeh, was that the miracle of the loaves and fishes? I loved St Clare and her cig. I missed some of the lines because they were so soft spoken plus the accent. I keep meaning to rent it and play it w/ captions.

 

[jc-servant]

I really enjoyed the movie although anyone with younger kids needs to be aware of the brief scene with the boy looking at the lingerie catalog online and the scene when the father gets caught in bed. I think they handled it well and things like that do happen. A parent should just prescreen it and decide if the kids can see it with or without discussion. I just loved the little boy asking every one of his saint friends if they had met St. Maureen! We saw it first as a rental and my sister gave it to me last Christmas because I enjoyed it so much.

 

[leonie]

Well, I didn’t like it. The heresy with St. Peter was a big deal to me. And, none of the adults were trustworthy. And, even at the end when the hero meets his mother, she doesn’t really say anything about God. And the boy is mocked because he loves Saints. Everyone seems to think it is because of his loss–he’s gone nuts.

And, the adults end up having a big spending spree with stolen money. They even use the kids to help launder it.

 

[Catholig]

Well I decided that I’d review the movie Millions since I’ve just finished watching it. So there WILL BE SPOILERS IN THIS POST!!!

For those of you who’ve read the book - well the movie is a bit different. It still has the religious tones, but for the most part they were smothered by sex, sin, et cetera.

The first bit I saw in the movie that I disliked was when they made St. Clare smoke. That is certainly not kosher, and I think that is very uncharacteristic. That isn’t to say that Saints can’t smoke or whatever - I’m sure some modern ones have. It is just the way they made a nun who took a vow of poverty, and who at one time was so penitent that she was reproved by St. Francis smoke and use words like “bloody”.

The other bit were “santa’s helper” on the euro count-down. She was immodestly dressed - especially in regard to her front. It was unnecessary and just an attempt to tarnish the story.

I also disliked it when Damian (who was trying to be a saint) told intentional lies in order to speed up the money conversion.

The bit that absolutely ruined the story though was when Damian & Anthony’s father had pre-marital (he was a widower) sex. It was absolutely horrible.



This makes me mad, because it could have been a beautiful story. Because it could have showed the Catholic Church in all her beauty, but instead the director decided to put in garbage. I had to close my eyes several times to avoid looking at naked women.

It wasn’t all bad - there were beautiful scenes like when Damian bought the bird which he released them like St. Francis of Assissi. I mean he had a vision of the saint, told him that it was his first work as a saint. And Damian then asked him what his second was in order to imitate it (it was cleasing a leper by the way).

There was also the scene w/ the African martyrs who were laboring on his (Damian’s) hermitage. It showed that one was beheaded, and Damian’s shear joy at the prospect of building a well for the poor in Africa when one of them suggested it.

Another instance of the Good in the movie was when Damian thinking that the Latter Day Saints (aka Mormons) were poor decided to give them money in the dead of night by slipping it through the letter box. It showed him w/ Saint Nicholas, who I believe was speaking latin and enjoying himself as he helped give it away.

Then there was the sad (and by that I mean possibly theologically incorrect) scene w/ St. Peter, when he said that the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves (and fish) didn’t really happen and that it was simply the Jews sharing eating the food that they brought with them.

If the director had been intent on making a decent film and left out all the junk - and by that I mean immodestly dressed women, pre-marital sex, lying, then maybe it could have been a good movie.

Catholig

 

[blessedtoo]

I have to agree with you on all points.

I saw the movie very early on in my re-conversion process and was quite moved by it. Now, a few years later, I see it differently. It’s pretty much the same old Hollywood approach to all things religious - as though the faith can’t stand on it’s own merit and draw an audience without injecting absurd modern concepts and secular influences. It’s really a shame.

 

[leonie]

I didn’t like the movie because it had so much potential and turned out so banal.

It could have been a great movie.

 

[Michael_C]

Then there was the sad (and by that I mean possibly theologically incorrect) scene w/ St. Peter, when he said that the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves (and fish) didn’t really happen and that it was simply the Jews sharing eating the food that they brought with them.

This scene with St.Peter was the the last straw for me. I guess Jesus can’t perform miracles and the story of the fish and loaves was a victim of becoming a tall tale.

As stated the movie could have been so good and fell flat.

 

[Cracker_Mom]

Got this recently from Netflix & loved it.Wonderful film, but rated PG for a reason.
Think it’s from 2004 or 2002?

 

[yellowbird]

Yep - I remember really liking this movie. Did the kid feed the homeless? I recall that was a sweet scene.

 

[Cracker_Mom]

Yep - I remember really liking this movie. Did the kid feed the homeless? I recall that was a sweet scene.

Yes, one brother used the money to help the poor, the older brother had more worldly uses for it.
It was a very funny & touching movie & unexpectedly Catholic.