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{mosimage}A lot of very smart people in command of rare skills, incredible technology and huge amounts of money have once again made an absurd movie — a numbingly violent, cops-versus-the-social-ills-of-America fantasy that makes no sense and bears no relationship with real people or the real world.

{mosimage}HAMILTON, Ont. - A movie much anticipated by CanadaöÏÓãÊÓƵapp pro-life community because of its life-affirming message is set to make its debut in this country after having an impact south of the border.

{mosimage}ItöÏÓãÊÓƵapp always a mistake to imagine we know exactly what original sin is. Narrowing it down to illicit sex, lies, greed, violence etc. narrows down our humanity and tempts us to imagine that by some heroic effort or stroke of genius or act of contrition we might make it all right, take back that original sin, undo the fall.

{mosimage}One of the most useless and common complaints about the movies is that they’re not like real life. ItöÏÓãÊÓƵapp like complaining that the water is wet, or exercise makes you tired.

The titular Juno is an unwed teen (a marvelous performance by young Ellen Page) who finds herself pregnant after, more or less, seducing her shy classmate Paulie (Michael Cera).

{mosimage}Director Brian de Palma is obviously outraged, morally scandalized, angered and saddened by the war in Iraq. A Catholic educated in Quaker schools who came of age protesting the Vietnam War in the 1960s, de Palma is not the kind of American President George Bush can count on for support.

{mosimage}TORONTO - Mothers moving in with their adult daughters is the focus of a documentary being filmed.

{mosimage}The Narrow Path, 1 hour 8 mins., directed by Gerard Thomas Straub, funded by The San Damiano Foundation.

TORONTO - The Narrow Path is a documentary about Jesuit Father John Dear, a devout pursuer of non-violence. In the film he speaks about the harm invoked by violence and war and how we can become a people working toward eliminating violence around the world.

{mosimage}The Ultimate Gift  by Rene Gutteridge (Thomas Nelson Press, paperback, 170 pages,  $14.99 U.S.).  

has been adpated from its original form, a novel by Jim Stovall, into both a movie by and a novelization of the movie by Rene Gutteridge.

{mosimage}If there aren’t many out-and-out surprises for fans of the durable TV series (18 seasons and counting) on which it is based, there are chuckles to be had in abundance.