Fr. Barron on the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist

Fr. Barron comments on NBC Taking "One Nation Under God" Out of the Pledge

The Tree of Life

The Tree of Life
PG-13, for some thematic material 
OOOO out of 4

As I walked out of the theater, after seeing director Terrence  Malick's new film The Tree of Life, I trailed behind an elderly couple who were clearly confused.  The woman grumbled that she "didn't know what they were trying to say, but it was so depressing!"  And I was tempted to butt in and say, "Depressing? The creation of the cosmos, depressing? The emergence of life from the primordial waters, depressing? The struggle between Nature and Grace, depressing?  The final reconciliation of creation in the age to come, depressing? Oh woman, we were clearly watching two different movies!" But, I kept my mouth shut since the lady seemed truly agitated and capable of flooring me with her handbag.  No, mutely I kept on going, hitting the street, breathing in the deliciously cool fresh air, a great relief after these days of heavy humidity, joyful that there is a God.

Part of the problem in viewing The Tree of Life is that it does not follow a strict linear narrative.   And oh yeah, there is very little dialogue to boot. The other problem is that the story encompasses no less than the history of creation from the Big Bang through to the End Times, a tough trick to pull off in less than two and a half hours.  A project this ambitious is going to have holes in places, and indeed I was left wanting more of those highly impressionistic, almost surreal episodes that depict creation and the evolution of life on earth.  Another problem is that if you arrive late, even if it's only by two minutes like my confounded couple, you might as well walk out and wait for the next showing.  If the movie is going to make any sense to you every frame must me seen. 

While the large backdrop of the movie is creation and its meaning, the "micro" story, if you will, focuses on a family in Waco, Texas in the 1950's.  We see an overbearing, but loving, father (Brad Pitt) who represents Nature; the world is a tough, dog eat dog place and he wants to make sure his boys are ready for it.  His counter part is the caring and affectionate mother (played by the transcendentally beautiful Jessica Chastain), who represents Grace; the need to give of one's self to the other, loving and forgiving unconditionally.  Why someone might find the movie depressing is that much of the movie's middle section is handed over to chronicling the struggle between these forces as it is played out in the life of this family. The center of this struggle is their young son (Hunter McCracken plays the boy, Sean Penn plays him as an adult), who clearly loves and is drawn to his mother, but struggles with his father.  And if I have one criticism, it's that it might linger on this part of the story a little too long.  Malick more than makes his point clear, and while I admit that an unconventional film of this kind needs time to spread out and unfold its mysteries, less would have been more here.

Hovering over all this is the Book of Job, and a quote given at the beginning which informs everything that follows (a key that my latecomers missed).  In a way The Tree of Life is a modern retelling of that story.  There are questions about the meaning of life and death, good and evil, and there are no neat answers to any of them.  Only that, yes Virginia, there is a God, and His plan is bigger than the details of our lives, yet intimately wrapped up in them at the same time.

A small detail that I picked up on was that the family is a church going bunch, a rarity in movies these days.  When institutional religion is depicted in contemporary cinema it's often presented as being in conflict with the "true faith" of the individual as opposed to being a help and support.  Here one of the more profound statements is made during a Sunday sermon, and sacramental images are used quite beautifully and effectively.  I'm not suggesting that Malick is promoting religious practice per say, only that when it is shown it's a positive thing rather than in the usual ironic or derogitory way I've grown accustomed to.


This was one of those movies like Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves (1996) that underwhelmed, and even kind of bored me, as I was watching it, but blew my mind once I left the theater and really reflected on what I had just seen.  At a time when the "New Atheism" is on the march, and organized religion is put down in many Hollywood movies, it's refreshing to see an intelligent movie that acknowleges the Creator and, in a quiet way, treats faith respectfully.

Jeter at 3000

Anyone who knows me knows I am an obnoxious Yankee fan.  Yes, they are the Evil Empire, emblematic of all that is wrong in baseball; how they contribute to the gross income disparity between big market and small market teams, how they collect All - Stars during free agency time like some people collect stamps, the high ticket prices and the even more ridiculously priced food stuffs at the concession stands.  Most of all what non Yankee fans hate is the sense of entitlement we devotees of the Pinstripers feel; for us it's the World Series or bust.  Any October that doesn't end with a trip down the Canyon of Hero's is considered a failure. While I don't agree with all the criticisms, even I have to admit that this last one is valid.  It is simply unrealistic to expect to win it all every year, and too many Yankee fans have bought into the hype.  Look, I'm a demanding fan, and lets face it, winning never gets boring, but some years are more special than others, and going a while without winning does make the eventual victory that much more sweet.

The Yankees have won seven World Series in my lifetime.  The two that stand out are 1978 and 1996. Why?  Because those were the two that they weren't supposed to win. '78 was the great comeback year, where they overcame a 14 1/2 game deficit in the division to the Red Sox and a 2-0 hole in the World Series against the Dodgers to win it all. In '96 they had been out of the Series for fifteen years, and hadn't won since that fateful '78 campaign; 18 years in the desert.  I know, you Cub fans have been waiting 103 years, but we Yankee fans have less patience than you all (Think of it this way, your sufferings have helped release many poor souls from purgatory). That '96 group were a bunch of upstarts, with a few solid veterans thrown in.   None of the experts picked them to beat the Atlanta Braves, the dominant team of the decade to that point.  Like the '78 squad they dropped the first two games and then won four strait to take the crown.  Both were sweet because they were both unexpected.  

That '96 campaign was the beginning of the modern Yankee dynasty that saw them win five pennants and four World Series between '96 and '01.  At the heart of that Dynasty was Derek Jeter; the Captain.  He embodied, and still does, all the class that the organization ties to project.  He has always been about putting the team first and the individual second.  He also helped fuel that World Series or bust attitude.  Even when they won I would look at him and see more relief than real joy.  If winning is what you're supposed to do then why celebrate?  No one gets a prize for doing what's expected of them.  He had the demeanor of a business man who just closed a deal, never showing the awe and appreciation of a grown man playing a kid's game and getting payed handsomely for it.  There was satisfaction, to be sure, but it seemed like there was very little joy.  I wondered if the unrealistic expectations and pressure to win kept him from really enjoying the moment.

Saturday Derek Jeter became the 28th player in the 142 year history of Major League Baseball to collect 3000 hits, and the first Yankee to do so.  3000 hits puts a player in the company of the likes of Ty Cobb, Stan Musial, and Willie Mays, just to name three.  Then you think of legends like Babe Ruth, Micky Mantle and Joe DiMaggio who didn't reach that mark.  It is an instant ticket into the Hall of Fame, as long as you didn't do steroids (Rafael Palmiero) or bet on baseball and lied about it (Pete Rose).  More than seeing him reach one of the big milestones in baseball, it was probably the first time I saw him truly happy on a baseball field.

I was driving back from Massachusetts where I was visiting my parents, more than a little jealous that two of my brothers copped tickets for the game, and heard the play by play on the radio.  It wasn't until I got home that I saw the replay of all his five hits.  What I saw was more than just relief or a business like glint in his eyes.  There was true happiness as well.  The big hit came on an un-Jeter like tape measure  home run.  As he rounded first base there was a hand clap and a big smile that reflected an enthusiastic little boy more than the cold professional we usually see.  After the game he admitted to feeling the pressure, something he never did in the past.  What we saw on Saturday was a more human DJ than before; prideful, in a good way, of his accomplishments, grateful to his parents and teammates and truly touched by the response of the fans.

Winning will still be the number one thing for both the Yankees and Derek Jeter.  He said that it would have been awkward dealing with the post game adulation had they lost.  But for once I was glad to see that he enjoyed the ride.  And any professional athlete should.  The time they have to play that little boy's game is short, and very few even get the opportunity.   So play the game to win, for sure, but remember to appreciate the gifts that the competition brings.

I'll have more to say about Derek Jeter and his career soon, especially concerning the things I heard on sports radio in the weeks leading up to the big day.