Men at the Movies Podcast

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we ride the roller coaster of Parenthood starring Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, and Dianne Wiest. We put too much pressure on ourselves as parents, feeling like we have to be perfect so that we don’t break our children and ruin their lives. Even though life is messy, it is in the messes that we find the most meaning.  Like Proverbs 14:4 says, you...

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we break down the movie Cinderella Man starring Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger, and Paul Giamatti. Crisis reveals character, and in James J. Braddock we see a reflection of true fatherhood. He used his creativity to create a world of hope, refusing to allow it to fuel his fear. The fights we face aren’t about us, but handling them with integrity bring in...

This week on the MATM podcast, we look at The Sandlot as a way to build friendships and find joy. We’ve got to break out of our comfortable rut, but it’s through new experiences that relationships are strengthened. To make memories and find joy, we have to engage the senses. But if we can do that, we will find that every day is an adventure. You’re killing me Smalls, and let’s discover God’s truth...

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we get you ready for summer with Field of Dreams. In a vibrant life with God, He is always offering invitations to us. But we must cultivate the conscious awareness to notice when He is speaking. And when we embrace the risk and act on what he says, the story will always be better than we thought it would be. So let’s follow the voice and go the distance...

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we try out our Boston accents and talk about Good Will Hunting starring Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Minnie Driver, and Ben Affleck. Like Will, we have an amazing gift, but the pain of our past leaves us incapable of using that gift in a way that matters. We were created to desire two things: intimacy and purpose; but we can’t pursue our purpose without b...

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we wrap up our unintentional series on the heart of a warrior with Man on Fire starring Denzel Washington. We find that being a professional, doing our job from a sense of duty and obligation will eventually turn us into the villain. Thankfully, love has the power to transform lives and heal broken hearts. Love shows us how to live again. Don’t be a sad...

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we are excited to have a woman join us to talk about one of her favorite movies, the original Terminator starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, and Michael Biehn. We discuss the differences between Sarah Connors in this movie contrasted with her character in T2. And we break down how she is transformed from a naïve waitress into a confident warr...

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we enter the battlefield to talk about Act of Valor. Being dangerous is sacred, but what does it mean to be dangerous? Our worldview shapes who we are becoming, and we discuss a framework for seeing the world we live in. And we find that our mission is to live out our Father’s legacy. Find out what that means as we discover God’s truth in this movie. Que...

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we push the boundaries with The Girl Next Door starring Emile Hirsch, Elisha Cuthbert, and Timothy Oliphant.  When we try to transition from a life we don’t want, the enemy shows up to remind us of our past.  He is relentless, and will never stop squeezing you.  But Jesus came to show us the juice, and how to handle the squeeze.  The...

This week on the MATM podcast, we welcome the heptapods in Arrival starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Forest Whitaker. We discuss the power of language and the importance of communication. The conversations we immerse ourselves will reshape and rewire our minds. And we see that we have to give, open, and risk in order to win the thing we most long for—connection. Say yes to the invitation, and...

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we get lost at sea with Cast Away starring Tom Hanks and Helen Hunt. Time is a resource that we can’t make more of. But for some reason, we have a tendency to spend our time very cheaply. If we choose to live under the relentless taskmaster of the clock, we will find ourselves unable to prioritize or choose wisely. We must embrace our responsibility to d...

To dive into this content even more, visit our website: www.menatthemovies.com/podcast . You will find resources mentioned on the podcast, plus quotes and themes discussed. If you would like to support our work (and get some behind-the-scenes perks), visit our Patreon page, www.patreon.com/menatthemovies . Get invites to livestreams, ebook devotionals drawn from a movie, even free merch. If you’d...

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we enter the timeline with The Adam Project starring Ryan Reynolds, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Garner, and Zoe Saldana. Great stories are woven around stakes, goals, and even battles that are personal—because our lives are. Our actions have consequences, and our biggest impact is revealed in the lives of those around you. And our legacy will be determined by...

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we travel to France and discuss Ratatouille. Everyone in this movie has identity issues, listening to who the world told them they are. The antagonist in this movie is the fear of believing who we could be. But creativity is seeing a world that doesn’t exist, and working to make that vision a reality. Through embracing our unique gifts and passion, we tr...

This week on the MATM podcast, we ride off to discuss The Man from Snowy River starring Kirk Douglas. An uninitiated man is a danger to himself and others. We must go through our initiation to learn who we are and earn our place, and is the place to put our beliefs into action. The first step is showing up, revealing our character and waiting for God to open the moment for us. Saddle up, and lets...

We recorded this episode of the Men at the Movies podcast a couple weeks ago, before Russia invaded Ukraine. I believe the timing is perfect for the world we are living in today. This movie wrestles with a lot of questions without answers, and sometimes faith looks like living with a lack of answers. We question where God is when terrible things happen in the world. It’s important to remember that...

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we belly up to the Tender Bar starring Ben Affleck and Tye Sheridan. One of the most important challenges we face is choosing what voice we listen to: will we listen to the voice of the imposter, the false father, or our true father who bestows our identity? When we don’t receive validation and approval, we end up seeking it from all the wrong places. Ou...

This week on the MATM podcast, we continue our rom-com theme with When Harry Met Sally starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan. We all want a timeless love story to tell, but it doesn’t ever look as magical as we anticipate. We long for intimacy, but frequently settle for sex. In this story, we discover a vision of God who knows and loves us fiercely, and will stop at nothing to pursue our hearts. Thr...

This week on the MATM podcast, we kick off two weeks of rom-coms to celebrate Valentine’s day with How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. We discuss how lust is like chocolate and love is like diamonds. This movies shows how the games we play prevent us from getting the connection that we most long for. In times of conflict, it’s easy to bail, but love is forged...

Paul McDonald and Sam Eldredge enter a galaxy far, far away and discuss Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. While there are many scenes and themes we could talk about, we chose identity as the path to pursue. Luke had accomplished all he had dreamed about on Tattoine, but he was missing out on his true calling. In order to discover who we are, we will have to make difficult decisions. Bu...

Paul McDonald and Britt Mooney blast off 500 years into the future with Idiocracy. In this Beavis and Butthead meets Brave New World story, we wrestle with how the past has led us to the current culture. We have a choice to lead, follow, or get out of the way. We all have fruit we want to grow, but need to investigate what we are using to grow the life God has called us to. Fill up on Brawndo and...

Paul McDonald and Michael Tarwater discuss the story behind the film The Most Reluctant Convert. As a young man, CS Lewis experienced the devastating loss of his mother, leading him to reject God and embrace atheism. However, God continued to pursue his heart, mind, and imagination through the people surrounding him. Grab a pint, find a comfy chair, and enjoy this discussion of CS Lewis: The Most...

Paul McDonald and Britt Mooney talk about the 1984 movie Karate Kid. In Daniel, we see ourselves—a flawed individual who longs for a mentor to make sense of the world we live in. But without a battle, there’s no need for discipleship. We see that the real enemy isn’t Johnny Lawrence, but John Kreese. Mr. Miyagi has a father’s heart for Daniel as he prepares him for the fight. But, like Daniel, we...

Paul McDonald and Britt Mooney break open the 1995 movie Heat. We recorded this conversation back in October, but wanted to save it to help kick off the new year. As we reflect on the past year, we have the opportunity to look at what we chase and what’s really important to us. Will we live in a comedy, where we realize the truth and live by it, or will we choose tragedy, where we know the truth b...

Paul McDonald and Britt Mooney hit the ground running with the 2021 movie Dune.  Coming off the holiday and diving into a new year, it’s important to look at the themes of training, preparation, and responding to fear.  How will you prepare for the dreams you have?  How will you respond to the training you must endure?  When you’re going through the trial and pain, which voice...