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Film in Focus Triumph of the tenderhearts
Innocence, childlikeness, purity, and joy are not often the subject matters of major league Hollywood movie productions. Thankfully, however, two new films extol these virtues in very unique ways. Both Radio and Elf portray the power of love and determination to overwhelm suspicion, apathy, and prejudice. They also touch upon themes of guilt, redemption, charity, and the importance of family.
Radio is inspired by the true story of James Robert Kennedy and his journey of challenges and triumphs in Anderson, South Carolina. His story was first told in a 1996 Sport’s Illustrated article entitled “Someone to Lean On.” It shared about the marvelous friendship that was formed between a mentally challenged man and a high school football coach, both of whom gained so much from one another.
Kennedy has been an 11th grader for the last 38 years. He is described by his mother in the film as “the same as everybody else, just a little slower than most.” For all this time, he has been an honorary junior—and one of the most beloved men in the community. Nicknamed “Radio” because of his fascination with radios and love of music, he has the very simple human longings to be accepted and loved.
While the movie is not intended to be a documentary, it is a condensed adaptation that is inspired by Radio’s relationship with the residents of Anderson, South Carolina—illustrating how they learn to embrace his contribution of unreserved acceptance and joy.
In his portrayal of Radio, Cuba Gooding Jr. delivers a stunning performance of a mentally challenged man with dignity and sincerity. Equally compelling is the sterling work of Ed Harris in the role of Coach Harold Jones who made it his mission to befriend an outcast.
Without making Jones look unquestionably heroic, the movie portrays the power of one man utilizing moral persuasion to shape an entire community’s heart because it is the right thing to do. Along the way, the movie elegantly touches upon courage, compassion, determination, and the ability of love to tear down walls that destroy our capacity to care and accept those on the outskirts of life.
Anchored in a completely different genre of film is the hilarious new Christmas comedy Elf starring Will Ferrell, Ed Asner, Bob Newhart, Mary Steenburgen, Zooey Deschanel, James Caan, and directed by the talented John Favreau.
In the spirit of Christmas classics such as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and Scrooge, Favreau has developed the kind of uproarious holiday film that is, as he says, “irreverent and edgy without being offensive.” It has all the big-hearted themes and laughs that family audiences look for in a Christmas movie.
Though Will Ferrell is most well known for his character sketches on “Saturday Night Live,” this is the kind of movie both kids and parents can equally enjoy. Ferrell plays Buddy, an orphan, who as an infant, accidentally ends up at the North Pole and is raised by Santa (Ed Asner) and the elves. As he comes to discover that toy making is not his calling and that he is three times the size as everyone else in Santa’s workshop, his adopted elf dad (Bob Newhart) breaks the news to him that he is not an elf at all.
Buddy is told the truth about his mother putting him up for adoption shortly before her untimely death but that his biological father is living in New York City. That news prompts him to leave the North Pole and head off to the Big Apple in order to be reunited with his dad and new family. As you might expect, a 6’2 man in a green elf suit prancing about in front of the Empire State Building creates quite a stir, lots of misunderstanding, and rejection. Buddy soon discovers that maneuvering around Manhattan is not all candy canes and sugarplums.
Buddy’s father, Walter Hobbs (James Caan), is a heartless Scrooge type who is on Santa’s “naughty list” and does not take the news of having an unknown son spring up out of nowhere in an elf outfit. Nevertheless, Buddy turns out to be the exact element that the dysfunctional Hobbs family needs—bubbling joy, innocent wonderment, unreserved love, and lots of laughs. Buddy’s pureheartedness is challenged and misunderstood in every way, yet he refuses to lose hope.
Christmas-in-New-York movies are almost mythic in their cultural potency at the holiday season. This is one that I am pleased to predict we will be seeing on television year after year.
Steve Beard is the editor of Good News.
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