Jerodmac's Thoughts on Stuff

The Fighting Temptations

O.k. I'll confess it. I like movie musicals. If it's a musical I pretty much like it. And I got into one last night that I really enjoyed. The Fighting Temptations starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyonce Knowles is literally packed with great music.

Aside from the R & B star power that they throw at you. I love the progression that they slyly take you one. They start you out with the most old fashioned southern gospel spiritual, sung at a funeral featuring Shirley Ceasar. From there you move to the O'Jays and their Do-wop, Beyonce and her sensual R&B, to T-Bone and Zane with their Rap/Hip Hop. Without trying I think this movie preaches pretty convincingly how so many musical styles branch from the same tree.

A few other messages in this movie hit home. As the main song constantly says, "I ain't good enough, but he still loves me." People struggle, they mess up and make mistakes. Unfortunately there aren't enough people in the church broadcasting the message that God gives second chances. That Jesus is about loving you where you are and turning your life around.

The movie also shows the constant style conflict between the old and the new. But the members of the choir seem to transcend the issue. Why is that? How can they do it? Is it because they have a common goal, because they love music or is it just unrealistic to think that 3 generations of music lovers each with their own styles can perform together?

Money drives all the characters in the movie. Pretty accurate to real life. Pretty scathing commentary on music in general, both mainstream and gospel. And it's not just money, its the desire to compete and be the best that spoils music sometimes. Toward the end of the movie (of course, it's a feel good musical after all) the main characters are singing just for the joy of it! This leads me to one of my pet soap boxes. I think people should just love music. I think they should live music, all day and night. Who are you if you are always worried about practicing for the next performance? Getting tight just so people can say how good you are? In the movie, the Barbers (the O'Jays) just sing because they love to do it. As a Christian, I want to find ways to make music, just because I love music and my music honors God. I think that most of my efforts go into performing music for people rather than making music for God's sake. For the simple fact that I love to do it.

Other notable themes in the movie: judgmental church people, the dual lives many people live as they are involved in church and hide there other activities, music as power to motivate and help people overcome challenges, belonging to a community, lying, and materialism.

Check out one of my favorites, T-Bone, in this movie. He plays a convict does some nice work on the soundtrack. Check out his website at www.houseoftbone.com

All in all a fund movie, with great music, but what am I going to say....I love music.