Category: A Spiritual Look At All Forms Of Entertainment…

These entries focus on all the ways that entertainment such as movies, television shows, theater, books, and more have affected me on a spiritual level.

“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”, A Film That Will Inspire You To Be Yourself And Help Better The World…

I love a feel-good movie. I really do. Especially when I’m feeling somewhat blue going into one, like I was last week when I went to see “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”, a film about the real-life relationship between Fred Rogers and journalist Tom Junod.

I don’t remember much about Fred Rogers or his show Mister Rogers, seeing that the last time I remembering watching him or it was back in the mid to late 70’s. What I do recollect about it was how it was one of the few programs that my parents allowed me to watch as a young kid and one that I remember for always being uplifting, something that I feel is quite rare on television these days.

Nevertheless, I didn’t know this story about Junod’s and Rogers’ relationship until I saw the film and what a wonderful story it was. Junod (played by Matthew Rhys), a writer for Esquire magazine is tasked to write a piece about Fred Rogers (played by Tom Hanks), much to his dismay, because it’s not even close to the type of “juicy pieces” he normally writes about, which are usually far more controversial in subject material. Regardless, his boss Ellen (played by Christine Lahti) tasks him to do it anyway, which Junod begrudgingly agrees to, as she doesn’t give him any other choice.

It’s apparent from the onset of the two meeting that Rogers sees a broken man in Junod, something that he was apparently extremely gifted in doing his entire life with many others, and subsequently always finding unique ways to help heal that brokenness in them as well. In light of that, it doesn’t take long for Rogers to get to the source of Junod’s brokenness, something that immediately makes Junod overly uncomfortable. But, as their relationship develops, the film goer can easily see just how gifted Mister Rogers was in overcoming other’s walls and emotional obstacles to help bring about healing where no one else could.

Overall, I was amazed at how emotional this film made me. From laughter to tears and joy to sorrow, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” totally ran me through the gamut of emotions. When it was all over, I left feeling so uplifted with a sincere desire to not only better myself, but also to help others do the same in their lives as well, just like Mister Rogers once did.

Mister Rogers was truly a blessed man on this planet who made others the priority in his life more than himself day in and day out for the majority of his adult life. Selfless, kind, giving, unconditionally loving, and joyful in spirit, I decided I want to be more like Fred Rogers, especially after seeing this move, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.”

Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson

“Brittany Runs A Marathon”, An Exceptional Film That I Went From Totally Hating To Totally Loving…

Have you ever watched a movie that you found yourself hating throughout the majority of it until suddenly it all came together by the end making you completely love it instead? “Brittany Runs A Marathon” was one such film that did this very thing to me just recently.

Based upon a true story, “Brittany Runs A Marathon” is about a woman named Brittany (played by Jillian Bell) who is extremely unhappy with her life on just about every level. Self-loathing, self-deprecating, hating the fact that she’s seriously overweight, frequently drinking and drugging to numb herself from those facts, and constantly character-assassinating others to make herself feel better, Brittany is an incredibly hard person to like. Her only friend is her attractive, self-absorbed roommate Gretchen (played by Alice Lee) who seems to enjoy being around her because it makes her look better. One day when the pain becomes great enough though, Brittany decides to go outside and start jogging, for one entire block. Quickly realizing how unhealthy she’s become on just about every level in life, she sinks to the floor in her kitchen and begins to sob, which in turn attracts the attention of her physically fit and regularly jogging neighbor Shannon (played by Jennifer Dundas), someone Brittany is very much jealous of and judges quite a bit. But when Shannon extends an olive branch and invites Brittany to jog with her in a local running club, Brittany actually shows up and along the way runs into another person equally as unhappy with their health, that being Seth (played by Micah Stock). As new friendships attempt to make their way into her life of people who actually do genuinely care about her, and what begins as a desperate attempt for a quick fix but soon turns into a quest to become something better and far different than the person she’s come to loathe so much, Brittany is on a marathon to discover that deep down within her is and has always been a person to like and to love.

Going to see “Brittany Runs A Marathon” honestly came as a last-minute decision due to feeling exceptionally frustrated and empty inside one afternoon. Making that abrupt decision to go see it was definitely one of the best ones I’ve made in recent times, as this movie totally ran me through the gamut of emotions that in the end paralleled the spiritual journey I’ve been on since 2010. Back then, I was no different than Brittany, silently scorning myself and everyone else too, living in addiction, and selfish and self-centered to the core. While my desire for change didn’t begin with a pledge to jog one city block, it did begin when I opted to get on my knees and mutter a deeply-heartfelt prayer to God to become a much more spiritually-centered, instead of addiction-centered, individual. Ultimately, I simply wanted to become a selfless disciple of God. Ever since, I’ve been on my own marathon of sorts, one that on far too many days I’ve wondered if I’m ever going to make it to the finish line, wherever that is and whatever it looks like, neither of which I’m sure at this point. Indeed, like Brittany, along the way I’ve gone through many intervals of transformation that’s included a lot of pain, hardship, losing a number of friends, and feeling like God is a million miles away. Yet, somehow, like her, I’ve kept running, one day after another, all with one goal in mind, to complete my marathon, that being to self-heal from within from all the toxicity I took in from countless lower vibrational actions I partook in from this life and four prior ones as well. While God may not have shown me any ending in sight yet from this long-suffering marathon of sorts, I can say that the individual I’ve become thus far is a far more likeable one than who I was when I began it.

So, for now, I continue to live with faith and hope that one day I’ll cross some type of finish line where like Brittany, I can look back and see that all the pain and agony I experienced getting there was more than worth it because frankly, I’m worth it.

Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson

“Downton Abbey”, An Intriguing TV Series And Film That I Related To Far More Than I Ever Thought I Would…

Mere weeks ago, I knew next to nothing about Downton Abbey, other than it was a television show surrounding some English aristocratic family from the early 20th century that ran on PBS from 2010 to 2015. Truthfully, I was never very interested in watching it mostly because I wasn’t too keen on seeing a show about wealthy people of great status I couldn’t relate to who were from a time I didn’t live in and a country I wasn’t from. But, after seeing the trailer for a theatrical movie being released for the same show and after hearing all the buzz surrounding it, including the many friends of mine who said how good the show actually was and how much they were looking forward to the film, I finally decided to start watching it on Amazon Prime with my partner to see what the hype was all about. Halfway into season 1, I was hooked and three weeks later I was all caught up, including with the movie itself, which I must say was thoroughly enjoyable for many reasons, but one most in particular.

Beyond the fact that I liked watching the lives of the servants and could relate more to them versus the aristocrats, I was actually drawn most to the journey of Footman/Under Butler/Butler Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier), a closeted gay man living in a time when homosexuality was considered a mental illness and perversion at best. To the casual viewer, especially someone who isn’t gay, it’s quite easy to hate Barrow’s character, as he was always conniving some type of scheme to try to make it ahead in life, stepping over the feet of everyone else, and backstabbing without regard of who might get hurt. While my partner regularly expressed displeasure in Barrow’s character, I always saw Barrow in a much different light. What I saw was a spiritually wounded man who truly struggled to relate to anyone else, who just wanted to be someone that was appreciated in a world that rarely appreciated people like him. While most of Barrow’s selfish attempts to make something of himself usually backfired, he occasionally exhibited true moments of humility and selflessness that showed he did have a loving heart and soul. Sadly, they usually got overshadowed by all his self-serving actions though, which tended to keep most everyone at arm’s length.

Man, I can so relate.

Over the years of me trying to find acceptance, I regularly hid my sexuality, which often led to me doing actions that hurt others as well, leaving me with a lot of self-loathing and very few friends. Thankfully, I’m a lot more accepting of myself these days and have become far more open with my sexuality, yet there are still days I find myself wishing I wasn’t gay and have even joked about being a straight man stuck in a gay man’s body, all because our world keeps on struggling to practice the true teachings of Christ, instead using things like the Bible and other spiritual books to judge others as sinners rather than unconditionally loving them and leaving all judgments in God’s hands.

It was even worse in Barrow’s time, when homosexuality was considered a sickness by medical standards. These days, while that’s no longer the case, being gay is still far from being widely accepted on this planet. And even when it is, I’ve regularly seen many still make plenty of stereotypical judgments around gay people including why they tend to be such perfectionists, act so prim and proper, and often have incredibly ornate homes and yards. Truthfully, I think it’s because so many of us try to over compensate for being in a minority that continues to hold such a negative stigma of sorts. In Barrow’s case over compensating translated into wanting to be in a higher position that held more responsibility and stature, as in his mind, then and only then, might he become more accepted in the world and make up for his reality that the world was never going to fully accept him for who he was.

Nonetheless, while I was thoroughly engrossed in a number of the other Downton Abbey character’s backstories and growth throughout the series and movie, it was Thomas Barrow whom I found myself the most drawn to, not in a sexual way, but in one where I silently cried quite often for the pain he and so many others like myself have endured throughout the ages, all for being born with a sexuality that frequently has led to rejection and religious persecution.

All in all, Downton Abbey is a phenomenally written series that I’m more than confident no matter what walk of life one may come from, rich or poor, gay or straight, black or white, man or woman, etc., that anyone will find at least one character to really relate to like I did with Thomas Barrow. I highly recommend watching this series and film if you haven’t already and sincerely hope that a follow-up sequel may be on the horizon in the near future.

Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson