 April
2006
This month's reviews/features:
Eight Below
In Proverbs 12:10, Solomon tells us that “A good man cares for
his animals, while wicked men are cruel to theirs.” New Testament
passages speak of the shepherd whose overriding concern is for the
safety and well-being of his flock. This shepherd theme is
powerfully and touchingly borne out in the new movie Eight
Below, which takes place mostly in Antarctica.
Antarctic movies have been big in the last several years.
In 2005, we enjoyed March of the Penguins.
In 2000, we shivered through The Endurance, which chronicled
British explorer Ernest Shackleton’s attempt to cross the Antarctic
continent during World War I. Eight Below, said to be
“inspired by a true story,” is loosely based on (and is a kind of
remake of) Antarctica, a 1983 Japanese film about an expedition in
which explorers are forced to leave their sled dogs behind on the
frozen continent.
Here’s the gist of Eight Below: Jerry Shepard [note
that his name is significant] spends most of his time in Antarctica,
guiding American scientists around and assisting in their research
projects. Jerry is unmarried, but figuring prominently in his life
and work are his team of eight sled dogs, who are nothing less than
his family. Jerry seems to have no great need for close human
relationships. Interestingly, though, his former girlfriend Katie
has become part of the scientific research team. Towards the end of
the Antarctic summer, when temperatures climb as high as – 30, an
American scientist appears and asks the research team to guide him
inland to an area where he thinks a meteorite from the planet
Mercury is located. It falls to Jerry and his team of sled dogs to
take him inland. The scientist does indeed find his meteorite but
almost dies in the process, surviving only because of Jerry’s skills
and the heroic efforts of the sled team, particularly the lead dog
Maya. They return to the base, only to learn that a devastating
storm is approaching and they must all evacuate immediately.
Unfortunately, there isn’t room for the dogs, who, it is promised,
will also soon be rescued. Jerry protests vociferously, but there is
nothing he can do. The storm, which heralds the approach of the
Antarctic winter, is so bad that all flights and land trips are
prohibited. The dogs have to be abandoned. Jerry is of course
heartbroken.
The balance of the picture alternates between Jerry’s efforts to
get back to Antarctica to rescue his dogs and the exploits of the
dogs themselves. In their attempt to survive, the dogs show great
concern for each other and learn to co-operate in their quest to
find food. If you liked the penguins in March
of the Penguins, you’ll love the dogs in Eight Below.
Will Jerry find a way to rescue any who are still alive? Will the
dogs make it on their own? And what about the relationship between
Jerry and Katie, his former girlfriend?
Eight Below is about friendship, sacrifice,
unselfishness, and perseverance. It is beautifully filmed (in
Greenland, not in Antarctica), and a lot of its scenes are nothing
short of miraculous. The question is, why do films like Eight
Below, My Dog Skip, and Born Free touch us so
deeply? Perhaps it’s because of the selfless quality the animals
exhibit—obedience to and love of their masters. We would do well to
emulate this sort of obedience and love in our relationship with our
own Shepherd.
Eight Below is rated PG for “some peril and brief
mild language.” Go and see it. You shouldn’t be disappointed and
will probably be inspired. Younger children might be upset by some
of the excruciating moments, but most should be OK. It’s just too
bad that the Academy doesn’t give Oscars for animal actors.
Rating: 3 ½
stars
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Index of movie
reviews...
(2003 reviews through present)
Jay Maurer, a member of West Side Presbyterian Church, is
a long-term movie buff and former college teacher of The Film as
Literature. He has written movie reviews for The Good News
(West Side newsletter) since 2002.
If you have comments or questions
about the movie (or play) reviews, please contact Jay at
dramachap@msn.com.
Ratings are expressed in
increments of ¼ star.
A rating of 2 ½ stars or higher is meant to be a recommendation.
1 star: poor
2 stars: minimally satisfactory
3 stars: quite good
4 stars: superb
Criteria for determining the ratings:
- Reflection, either explicit or implicit, of Christian values,
including suitability of language and lack of gratuitous violence
- Quality of the acting
- Originality
- Unity of the entire picture
- Substance, or in the words of C.S. Lewis, weight
Other Christian movie review Web sites:
Plugged In Online
ChristianityTodayMovies.com
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