Canon Lawyer Or Movie Critic?

As so often with the case, that question is a false dichotomy. It isn’t an either/or situation, in the case of canonist Dr. Edward Peters, it’s both/and. Though primarily known as a canon lawyer, Peters has for years been an afficionado of film, though he hasn’t published many reviews in recent times–a fact he needs to fix. In that regard, he’s made a setp in the right direction by beefing up the film section of his website (canonlaw.info).

At the beginning of the section, he explains his philosophy of film:

The key criterion by which to judge a film is simple: does it tell a good story,
and does it tell it well. Thus, writing is the most important factor in a film
(just as it is, though more obviously so, in literature and drama). Direction
and acting are great arts, but they should be, and are in most cases, at the
service of the story. Not every story need be profound, of course; there is a
place for healthy diversion, and some films might serve primarily as settings
for, say, great acting, the way some passages of Waugh are primarily occasions
for exquisite prose. But in the end, most films should be assessed as outlined
above, that is, the way stories have been judged ever since little groups of
frightened foragers, long since banished from Eden, first sat around camp fires
under the stars, waiting for Sunrise.

CHECK OUT HIS RECOMMENDATIONS.

Author: Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."

9 thoughts on “Canon Lawyer Or Movie Critic?”

  1. Mr. Peters has I Confess and Saving Private Ryan in the “Famous Films with Fatal Flaws” category, but he doesn’t explain why. I’d like to know what these fatal flaws are because they completely passed me by…I love these movies.
    Speaking of movie reviews Jimmy, I just read your review of the Alamo yesterday because I had rented the DVD and I wanted to know what DecentFilms had to say about it. You might be interested in knowing that the DVD has an interesting deleted scene in it. It turns out that the mother of the village girl that Santa Ana had his eyes on was a very faithful Catholic and had demanded that he and her daughter be married first before he could have his way with her. Trouble is Santa Ana had given explicit orders not to take any priests with them on this mission. So they set up a sham wedding with one of his soldiers pretending to be a priest and reading from a latin missal or something. My knowledge of Latin is limited, but it didn’t sound like anything like a wedding ceremony rite to me. The scene was quite funny.
    Apparently, in the audio commentary the directer says this event actually happened.

  2. Aw shucks. Your kind words are always appreciated. Around our house, the following ritualized exchange is oft heard: Who’s the best film critic in America? Dad! Who’s the second best? Steve Greydanus! What’s the only mistake he’s ever made? He thinks “Philadelphia Story” is a good movie! BTW: on Fatal Flaw films, I have in mind my golden criterion (story writing) when I make those criticisms. But I withhold the flaw for two reasons: 1) many people understandably love these films, and my opinions might unnecessarily disturb their peace of mind; 2) it would deprive me of an excuse to share a good tawny port (yes, another hobby!) with movie fans while I explain what’s wrong with the film.

  3. I’m proud to place second in the ranking of critcs at the Peters household. 🙂
    Ed, nice site — a fine resource! It’s especially refreshing to see someone aspiring to film literacy who dares to trash My Fair Lady, which left me cellar cold (but I notice you don’t include South Pacific, possibly my #1 musical to avoid). And I love your Father’s Day films to avoid recommendation! 😀
    FWIW, I am with you on something like Fatal Flaws in Gandhi and Saving Private Ryan… but whatever flaws I Confess has, I don’t believe they’re fatal. 🙂
    Re. The Battle of the Bulge: Ever seen Battleground (1949, William A. Wellman)? Worth seeing!

  4. P.S. It is not true that the only mistake I ever made is thinking that The Philadelphia Story is a good movie (even if I were to admit that that is a mistake). I constantly have recourse to the words of Norris the butler in The Big Sleep (1946, Howard Hawkes): “I make many mistakes, sir.” 🙂

  7. Yup. “South Pacific” is a total loser. I’ve tried to watch it, but I always end up running from the room screaming “I’m gonna wash that flick right out of my hair!” It’s not listed only for lack of space. Have not seen either of the other films mentioned, yet. And re Teri Garr, I admitted the heart might be ruling the mind there. BTW: ask Jimmy, he’ll tell you, I almost never let the kids watch a film I have not seen in order to verify that it’s “kidable”; the only chance they have of getting an exception to that rule is if they can find an “OK” from Decent Films. Then, they know, I’ll at least think about.

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