Good Letters

A collection of 48 posts

Empire of the Sun

The Boy Who Believed in Airplanes: reflections on Empire of the Sun (1987)

In my last Good Letters column for Image, I turned to Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun as a way to express my vision and gratitude.

On Books & Writing

In the Cosmos of the Arts, a Christian Cosmonaut Is Born Again

“NASA Twins Study Confirms Astronaut’s DNA Actually Changed in Space.” That’s the headline that makes you choke, then narrow your eyes, and forget what you were searching for.Come on. This isn’t The Twilight Zone. A man left earth and came back as somebody else? If you

Film Review

24 Frames (2018)

In which Overstreet returns to writing about movies for Good Letters with a celebration of Abbas Kiarostami's final, enigmatic, meditative movie.

Film Review

The Secret of Kells (2009)

2015 Update: This week, my coworkers threw a party for those of us — including me — who have autumn birthdays. They asked me to recommend a movie that would fit our 90-minute party time span. I recommended The Secret of Kells. So we had an Irish-themed party, with bowls

Film Review

A River Runs Through It (1992)

Twenty three years ago today, A River Runs Through It opened in theaters. I was there. And I'm still there, walking along those rivers in Montana, re-reading Norman Maclean's beautiful fusion of memoir and fiction, revisiting Robert Redford's masterpiece. I'm usually

Film Review

Man on Wire (2008) - a reflection

[This reflection on Man on Wire was originally published at Good Letters, the daily blog for Image, on October 21, 2008. I'm republishing it today to acknowledge the release of Robert Zemeckis's The Walk, and to encourage people not to let that film distract you from

On Movies & Media

A Pledge of Allegiance: In Search of Beauty at Good Letters

Here is an index of all of the Good Letters posts I turned in. Some of the time I offered reluctantly at the deadline, as I still wasn't quite satisfied after half a dozen drafts. Others I wrote in one swift draft and was completely satisfied. But overall, when I look back at two decades of film rev

On Movies & Media

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

The filmmakers took one children's book and expanded it into three movies. So I'll take this one movie and expand it into two movie reviews...

On Movies & Media

Holy Motors (2012)

Whether you call it inspiring, baffling, offensive, or exhausting — I suspect you'll describe it as "all of the above" — I think you'll agree with me that this film is truly unforgettable. Despite the millions of dollars fueling 2012’s special-effects extravaganzas, I doubt I’ll experience anything

Moonrise Kingdom

Father-Figuring It Out: "Margaret," "Moonrise Kingdom," and More

What does "Moonrise Kingdom" have in common with "The Master," "Sinister," "Beasts of the Southern Wild," and "Margaret"?

Robert Redford

A River Runs Through It (1992)

"A Tale of Two Rivers" — my reflections on Robert Redford's film A River Runs Through It and the territory that it explores — are posted today at Good Letters, the blog hosted by IMAGE.

On Movies & Media

Here Comes Good Letters Post #88. What Movie Should I Choose?

I'm pondering six films as I decide which I'll write about for my next post at Good Letters. I've heard from several people, and Fellini's 8 1/2 seems to be the popular choice. What do you think? Peruse the list here...

On Movies & Media

MirrorMask (2005): Or, Neil Gaiman's Girls, Part Two

MirrorMask, the Jim Henson Company's most wildly imaginative post-Henson release, remains fairly obscure. And that's a shame, because it is a big-screen spectacle par excellence. (This review has a 2026 update.)

On Movies & Media

Coraline (2009): Or, Neil Gaiman’s Girls, Part One

In what may be their greatest accomplishment in stop animation, LAIKA gives us a complicated and compelling Coraline. (Note: This review now includes a 2026 update.)

Pete Horner

“All of It was Music”—Pete Horner’s World of Sound, Part 2

Here is Part Two of my interview with Pete Horner. (Don't read it without first reading Part One.)

Pete Horner

“All of It Was Music”—Pete Horner’s World of Sound, Part 1

Congratulations to Pete Horner, who is here with me at The Glen Workshop this week in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pete has been nominated for two Emmys for his work on HBO's new movie Hemingway and Gellhorn. To celebrate, I'm reposting my interview with Pete...

Women on the Big Screen

Men, Step Aside.

I would much prefer a film about women in conversation than a film about men battering each other with fists and swords. That may not sit well with some of my moviegoing friends, or with some pastors for that matter. But it’s true. ... I’m not saying women are holier than men, but movies about women

Good Letters

The Sound of Silence

This week at Good Letters, Tony Woodlief reflects on the silence of those who witnessed the crimes of Jerry Sandusky.

Moonrise Kingdom

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Of Gods and Men made Steven Greydanus say that he felt like he had become a critic in order to be prepared to review that movie. I've only felt that way about a few films. Moonrise Kingdom is one of them. Here is my review.

On Movies & Media

Chariots of Fire (1981) - Part 2

🗓️This review was originally published at Good Letters, the Patheos blog hosted by Image, as a two-part reflection called “To Run and Not Grow Weary.” It is reprinted here with permission. Maybe it was instinct that sent me back to relive the 1924 Olympic Games. In Part One of

On Movies & Media

Chariots of Fire (1981): Part 1

🗓️This review was originally published at Good Letters, the Patheos blog hosted by Image, as a two-part reflection titled “To Run and Not Grow Weary.” It is reprinted here with permission. So, why Chariots of Fire? Why is that what I chose for tonight’s movie? Netflix is recommending

On Movies & Media

My First Review for Good Letters at Patheos.

Allison Backous. Richard Chess. Lindsey Crittenden. Kelly Foster. David Griffith. A.G. Harmon. Chad Thomas Johnston. Caroline Langston. Peggy Rosenthal. Vic Sizemore. Bradford Winters. Tony Woodlief. Sara Zarr. This team of writers grabs and holds my attention almost every day at the blog called Good Letters. So it is an

Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010)

🗓️This review was originally published at Good Letters, the Image blog. It is reprinted here with permission. Doc Brown might disagree, but Hollywood says you don’t need a DeLorean to visit the past. This summer, your local cineplex is offering time travel at twelve bucks a ticket. In my

On Books & Writing

Is Today's Young Adult Literature "Too Dark"?

If you were to ask me that question, I would refer you to my favorite Young Adult novelist: Sara Zarr. And she would say something like this... ...her contribution today to the Good Letters blog.

Mike Mills

Beginners (2010)

[This review was originally published at Good Letters, a blog hosted by Image.] • During a lecture last March, I spoke fondly of a friend whom I had recently lost to cancer. Halfway through the anecdote, I suddenly recognized his wife, the mother of his two young children, in the audience,