Kenny and Mike discuss the multiple Oscar nominated film by director Clint Bentley and starring Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Kelly Condon, and William H Macy. Set in the early through mid 20th century, Train Dreams documents the story of Robert Grainer (Edgerton) a common man who life knows simplicity, peace and joy and as well as tragedy and loss.

Clint Bentley and production partner Greg Kwedar are nominated for an Oscar for best Adapted Screenplay. The film is also nominated for Best Song, "Train Dreams" as well as Best Cinematography and Best Picture.

Faith Spotted:

While Train Dreams is not considered a faith film, or faith based film, it is a film of faith lived out, both as individuals as well as communities of faith. The film addresses, the joy of living a simple, contented life as well as working through grief and loss. Train Dreams also demonstrates the place of community and how persons of faith are called to notice and care for those in the midst of loss and grief.

Not mentioned in the podcast, the film also presents guilt and how one's action or inaction can follow one throughout one's life.

Mike and Kenny review Marty Supreme, the latest film by writer / director / producer Josh Safdie and Timothee Chalamet who stars as Marty Mauser, a shoe salesman who has greater ambition, to be the best Table Tennis star in the world. Gifted with great talent, Marty's determination leads him to take advantage of any and all situations and people to get what he believes he deserves, fame and money.

The film has so far received many awards nominations including 3 Golden Globes and 8 Critics Choice Awards and it is expected to receive many more Oscar nominations. Chalamet has won a Golden Globe and Critics Choice awards for Best Performance. The film co-stars Gwyneth Paltro, Odessa A'zion, Kevin O'Leary, and Fran Drescher.

Faith Spotted:

A life of Contentment: There is more to life than fame and fortune, Hebrews 2, 1 Timothy 6, Psalm 46, The stillness and contentment of a righteous life of faith in and with God.

Golden Rule: Matthew7, Luke 6 Treat others as you would be like to be treated.

Regareless of the selfish, unrighteous life one has lived, there is always the hope and promise of Redemption, if one will receive and repent from the life one has led.

Kenny and Mike discuss and spot faith in the hit Apple TV series from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul creator Vince Gilligan. Set in Albuquerque Plur1bus stars Better Call Saul co-star Rhea Seehorn (Carol) and co-stars Karolina Wydra ( Zosia) and Carlos-Manuel Vesga (Manousos)

Carol is one of 13 people world wide who are immune from an extraterrestrial derived virus that has united all the worlds population into "The Others," a mind hive where everyone is interconnected, content and peaceful. Every individual "Other" can communicate with all "Others" and have knowledge of everything ever known.

While 11 of the immune are content with the change, as the Others provide everything they need or want, Carol and Manousos resist and are determined to reverse the virus and restore the world to the way things were prior to the arrival of the virus. Season 1 of Plur1bus is currently on Apple+TV.

Faith Issues Spotted:

Freedom to Choose: God's willingness to give people agency to make their own life decisions and act in ways that are counter to the life and desires God has for them. Such freedom is a part of the brokenness and suffering of creation and is the source of pain and suffering to all of creation as well as God. This freedom to choose is also part of what makes humanity the highest level of creation as it is a part of being in the image and likeness of God.

Purpose and Power of Community: When individuals gather together to work together for the benefit of the community, suffering can be greatly reduced for persons inside and beyond the collective. Acts 2:44-46, Acts 4:32-35

Individuality: While community is important and part of God's desire for humanity, each person is an individual, given unique interests, gifts, talents, and calling.

The place and purpose of Grief in being able to move through loss.

The importance of satisfaction in life, being able to enjoy one's life and accomplishments.

Kenny and Mike review the Prime Video documentary The Merchants of Joy and speak with the director Celia Aniskovich. The Merchants of Joy offers a look into the people and work behind the Christmas tree stands that seem to magically popup the day after Thanksgiving. Ankisovich presents the stories of the families, the competition that begins in the Summer as they bid on stand locations, their work the with tree farms, the financial risks, the month of 18 hour days managing and selling the trees that play an important part in their customers celebrating the joy of the season, and the community they have developed.

Faith Reflected:

The nature of calling, as represented by the five families as they not only to profit by the stands but help spread the joy of the season. Additionally, Kenny and Mike discuss with Celia her calling to likewise work long, hard and take financial risk to tell the story of the merchants.

The fullness and complexity of joy. Joy is more than happiness, it is also resistance and this aspect reflects the joy of the nativity, God's resisting the brokeness of the world through the inauguration of the Kingdom through the birth of Jesus.

Faithspotting co-hosts Mike and Kenny are joined by writer / director Max Walker-Silverman to discuss his newest film Rebuilding, which stars Josh O'connor, Lily LaTorre, Meghann Fahy, Kali Reis, and Amy Madigan. Set in Max's home state of Colorado, Rebuilding is a moving story of a family and community coming together in the aftermath of a wildfire that destroyed their homes and scorched their land and lives. Max drew upon his experience of losing a family home and acerage to a fire when he was growing up. Rebuilding is distributed by Bleeker Street.

Following Kenny and MIke's discussion of the film and faith they spotted, there is an interview with Max Walker-Silverman. In addition, Mike's co-teacher Michael Logan and one of their students, Trip Breslin join in the interview.

Faith Topics:

Hope in Rebuilding: Hope is grounded in faith in the possibility of new life and community plays an important role in rebuilding. Community can be family, friends, neighbors as well as strangers.

Rebuilding New Not Same Lives. Though the temptation is to seek to rebuild life just as it was before, new life will be different, and even if it seems less, it can often be a more fulfilling life.

Faith is change, and the Paradox of Home. Individuals, families, and communities often seek out "home"because it is known, comfortable, and predictable, yet home is typically changing or under threat of change. Part of faith is growth and accepting and embracing change. Seeking to avoid change and growth is based in fear and the opposite of faith.

Non-Anxious lives. Faith fosters a life that is non-anxious in the midst of change and even struggle. While everyone experiences anxiety in life and seasons of struggle and loss, faith, including the support of community, is an instrument in releasing anxiety.

Resurrection follows Good Friday. As witnessed in the Gospels, Jesus had to experience the suffering of Good Friday and the tomb before the resurrection. Most people will also experience suffering prior to the new life of resurrection. People of the Christian faith are Easter people prior to their death and passage from life unto life.

Faithspotting hosts Kenny Dickson and Mike Hatch review and spot faith elements in the film The Carpenter's Son by director Lotfy Nathan. Included in the episode is Mike and Kenny's interview with Lotfy Nathan.

The Carpenter's Son is based on the apocryphal text, The Infancy Gospel of Thomas. The text is a collection of non-canonical stories of Jesus during the years He and Mary and Joseph were in exile in Egypt. The stories depict the struggle of the Holy Family as Jesus becomes aware of his differences and as he grows into his divinity. Collected in the 2nd or 3rd centuries, the stories are not considered part of the Biblical canon but reflect tradition and perhaps curisosity of followers about the childhood of Jesus.

The film has been called a "Jesus horror film" by many, and while aknowledging it's darkness, Nathan considers it more of a spiritual and perhaps theological thriller. The film stars Nicolas Cage as the Carpenter, (Joseph) Noah Jupe as the boy (Jesus), FKA Twigs as the Mother (Mary) and Isla Johnston as the stranger (Satan) and Souheila Yacoub as Lilith.

Faith Spotted:

Discussion about the Infancy Gospel of Thomas within the Christian tradition.

How imagining the full meaning of Jesus's full humanity and divinity, and the struggles beyond his ministry and crucifixion can strengthen one's relationship with Christ and one's faith.

Imagining what is was like to be Jesus's parents, especially for Joseph to be his earthly, stepfather.

Through the interview there is an opportunity to hear about director Lotfy Nathan and his Biblical and theological awareness growing up in the Coptic Orthodox tradition, and how he seeks to use those lessons in sharing this story.

The film speaks to people of fith who have doubts ander when God seems to be silent and absent in the midst of struggles in life.

Kenny and Mike discuss and spot faith elements reflected in Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film One Battle after Another. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as "Ghetto" Pat Calhoun, once a leader of the famous revolutionary group, the "French 75." Following the capture of his partner Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) and the capture and killing of many of the group by Col. Stephen Lockjaw (Sean Penn) Calhoun lives an underground life as Bob Ferguson raising his and Perfidia's daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti). When Lockjaw, trying to cover his tracks in order to join a secret society of white supremists, The Christmas Adventurers Club, captures Willa, Ferguson is pressed into action with little time to shake of the rust of 15 years of drugs, alcohol and little activity.

Benicio del Toro costars as Sergio St. Carolos, Willa's Karate intstructor and leader of the local undocumented community. Sergio assists Bob in finding his daughter while also helping many of the community escape from the military crackdown.

Faith Spotted:

Co-opting and nationalizing faith for personal power and profit.

The perseverance necessary to stand against injustice, seek to redeem and reclaim justice and the way of Christ and the Kingdom of God. The challenge and call to maintain faith and focus when encountering the enevitable, "gravitational force" of resistance of those who oppose the righteousness of God and Gospel of Christ.

Resist the temptations to allow diappointment and struggle change one into that which one is called to oppose. Resist the temptation to believe that unrighteous means will lead to a righteous end.

Mike and Kenny review and spot faith in the second film this year based on a novel by Stephen King, The Long Walk. Stars Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Mark Hamil, Judy Greer and was directed by Francis Lawrence. The Long Walk was the first novel Stephen King wrote although it was not published for many years. Some of the film and faith themes we discuss from The Long Walk are echoed in later novels and series such as The Hunger Games, Squid Games.

Faith Spotted:

Persons of faith are called to be content with what one has Psalm 46. Greed in acquiring material, or social wealth and reptuation is contrary to the teachings of both testaments of the Bible. Set in the midst of a post apocolyptic America, the story presents 50 or 100 persons (depending on the film or novel) that are willing to put themselves in the gravest danger for a 1% or 2% chance to win a large payout. The countryside and towns are presented as bleak and the people as joyless with litte to no hope in life. Faith allows persons to find meaning, joy and purpose in life and Philippians 4 calls Christians to rejoice in the Lord, always as, regardless of one's situation, the presence of the Lord is always with one and the promises of the Gospel of new life bring joy into one's life, regardless of the challeges or even suffering one is facing.

All life has value because all people are children of God. Killing goes agains the commandments of both testaments. Not only are such contests that pit living persons against another not acceptable, participating in, or watching / condoning, them are incompatible with the teachings and life example of Christ.

Those in leadership are charged with the responsibilty of the welfare of citizens and others in their cities, states, and nations. They are called to act as shepherds in offering care and protection to all people. The film depicts the games as a way those in control distract and control the population in much the same way as the gladiatorial games during the Roman rule. Such a strategy is not faithful leadership.