Dear Readers,

One of the oldest and most important traditions in my family is movie night. From the time my sister and I had the attention span to sit through a feature-length film, it was the go-to way for us to spend time together. We’d sit down to dinner, and then we’d pile in under the blankets on the couch, lights off and thoroughly shushed, to settle in for the movie of the night.

My dad always chose the film, and he would pull out movies we’d never even heard of. Before you get too impressed—as an eight-year-old the list of movies I had heard of was pretty short. But our initial skepticism of the unknown would be countered with the “Dad guarantee”: he pretty much never picked a bad one. Still in the phase where I could happily plop down and watch one of the same dozen animated Disney films I had probably seen a hundred times, my dad’s bottomless pool of previously unknown movies was awe-inspiring.

Most striking was that they were all so different. Black and white comedies, slick heist films, sappy romances, thrilling action adventures—it seemed to me that movies could be almost anything.  

November’s issue of Fare Forward explores film, and some of the many things movies can be. In our interview with documentarian Lori Miller, she shared how the medium resonates with her as a platform for telling true stories. Each of our essayists have dug into movies that speak to them, and the way the cinematic platform captures different dimensions of the narratives. Eve Tushnet celebrates the animated visuals of the cartoon adaptation The Last Unicorn as she examines growing up with the film and how it brings the shocking challenge of beauty to life on screen. As he wrestles with unanswered questions in a story of redemption, Drew Whitley takes us through the sometimes-inscrutable cinematic decisions in what we might consider an “arthouse” film—and one made outside the American industry and its often standard structures. Zachary Lee takes on three of these big Hollywood blockbusters as he explores the Biblical themes they re-enact. Finally, in reflecting on the work of director Terrence Malick, Father Timothy Danaher digs deep into how the cinematic medium serves Malick’s work, and what makes movies so special.

Pop some popcorn—or maybe try out our popcorn cocktail—and enjoy.

Fare Forward,

Sara Holston

Editor