Delis Alejandro, (310) 566-1530 or    

Film Club Journey Series: THE MIRACLE CLUB

Thursday, April 11

7:00 p.m.

Zoom

It must have been a miracle of sorts to get the likes of Dame Maggie Smith, Kathy Bates and Laura Linney to appear on the screen together — yet it happened and all three lead the cast of 2023’s The Miracle Club.

The story’s backdrop is a small Irish town in the late 1960s, a place filled with memories, traditions and perhaps a tendency to be a wee bit judgmental from time-to-time.

There is an upcoming pilgrimage to Lourdes that is the hottest ticket in town, with people wanting to win a spot, each hoping for a miraculous intervention. In addition to Smith, Bates and Linney, we’re introduced to Irish actress Agnes O’Casey, who turns in a notable performance as a young mother looking for a miracle so her young son can speak. Playing the community voice of reason is Mark O’Halloran as local priest, Father Dermot, who reminds the pilgrims, “You don’t come to Lourdes for a miracle. You come for the strength to go on when there is no miracle.”

Layer on top of the tizzy over going to Lourdes, the return of a “prodigal daughter (Linney),” as well as the relationships, tradition and faith in this tiny community, and you have fertile soil in which to grow a timeless tale for audiences to enjoy. The Miracle Club is a story about life — loss, love, hope, forgiveness, redemption — and its cast soundly delivers the film’s moments of hilarity as well as heartbreak.

If you haven’t seen The Miracle Club, please do so before we meet on Zoom on April 11. The film is available from multiple sources including Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu.

To attend our Miracle Club Zoom discussion, use your personal link to Film Club Zoom events. Need a link? You can request a link BELOW. 

How to attend Film Club Events

If you haven’t done so already, complete your annual registration for Zoom events HERE. You also must pay the annual Zoom series registration fee. This is the LINK to the secure pay portal.

• March 7, 2024 — Our annual Oscar Night drew two audiences! One in the Grand Pavilion and the other on Zoom. Guests were able to see trailers of the 10 films nominated by the Academy for Best Picture as well as participate in discussions about each film. The highlight of the evening was casting a ballot for Film Club’s Best Picture both in the room and online. The results were calculated and the clear winner was Oppenheimer. Film Club has perfectly predicted Oscar’s winner for a number of years — we’d have to wait a few days to see if our lucky streak would continue. This season, Film Club also hosted a Coffee, Donuts and Oscar event after the Sunday morning Masses on March 3. Parishioners were asked to vote for their favorite film — and several hundred did. The winner was also Oppenheimer, although most of the children attending the 9:30 Mass came out in force to vote for Barbie.
• February 8, 2024 — What a great way to kick off Film Club Zooms for the new year. We discussed the Oscar winning film, Rain Man, starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. The duo’s journey was one of discovery for Cruise’s character whose greed and self-absorption were eventually overtaken by an awareness of family and love and concern for the brother he didn’t remember. It was a groundbreaking film in that Hoffman’s character was on the autistic spectrum and helped put a face on a condition that was not widely known at the time. The discussion was lively and meaningful and being able to reacquaint ourselves with this 1988 film was a blessing for many of us.
• December 14, 2023 — There was a whole lot of laughter going on in the Grand Pavilion when over 50 people joined us to watch Steve Martin and John Candy on their arduous holiday journey in Planes, Trains and Automobiles. The audience found the film as touching and life affirming as it was humorous. Watching the two perfectly cast leads — opposites to say the least — gradually reach a level of respect, compassion and commonality offered a rewarding and heartwarming kick-off for the holiday season.
• November 9, 2023 — We zoomed to the wilds of New Zealand to join a cranky, antisocial uncle and a “bad egg” kid as they evaded pesky child services authorities. The duo headed away from civilization that took them — and us — on a journey of discovery. The film was the charming, Hunt for the Wilder People that proved to have been an unknown gem to most of the attendees. There was lots to talk about in the film — most of it centered on the humanity and hilarity that were seamlessly combined to tell this winning story.
• October 30, 2023 — We hosted something new! A Sunday Night Short Film Special attended by 65 guests! We screened Native Ball, a Family Theater short documentary, to be released in November on PBS. Fr. David Guffey, CSC, who is executive producer of the film, offered comments about the film and answered questions. A reception followed and everybody seemed to want to hang around to talk about this remarkable Native American woman’s journey. The film gave us all a lot to think and chat about — and the wine and cheese and, of course, Halloween candy made it even harder to leave.
• October 12, 2023 — Our journey series headed to the segregated South in the 1960s as we tagged along on a concert tour with an accomplished black musician and his driver/bodyguard. The event, held on Zoom, discussed Green Book, an Oscar and Golden Globe “best picture,” inspired by a true-life story. Guests gave the film a thumb’s up for both superb acting as well as its serving as a reminder of the senseless prejudice faced by so many. The event was cosponsored by JustFaith.
• September 14, 2023 — An in-person event, featuring Lion, kicked off our “journey series.” The film took us from India to Australia and back to India as a “lost” boy, now a man, sought to find his roots. There was standing room only as we enjoyed not only this moving real-life story but a lively discussion afterward. Our 70+ guests started the evening enjoying a special dessert on the patio.

 A new direction for a new season…plus annual survey results

It’s interesting how ideas evolve. A few months ago, many of you completed our Film Club survey. We appreciate the good report card you gave us for the 2022-2023 season and are grateful for your suggestions.

One of the survey questions was about the type(s) of films you preferred. We received votes for a wide array of film genres, meaning we had to figure some way to respond to your diverse preferences. Enter the evolution of an idea—that eventually became our theme for the 2023-2024 Film Club season. Here’s how our theme took shape.

At the same time as our survey, the results of a national survey of American’s summer travel plans were published. The takeaway: Travel is booming, even exceeding pre-pandemic levels. A remarkable 85% of Americans are taking to the road literally and figuratively—59 million will be exploring international byways this summer, while 100 million will be taking a trip of at least 250 miles or more in the U.S. People are opening their lives to new possibilities and experiences, and perhaps ticking off places on their bucket lists.

This American wanderlust started us thinking about the long-popular film genre that follows people on impactful life journeys. This coming season, in both our Zoom and in-person events, we’ll be exploring films of this genre. One of the things we love about “journey films” is that they are always blended with another genre (remember the list of Film Club survey favorites), such as a rom-com, intrigue, musical, etc.

You’ll soon be hearing about our first event on Sept. 14 in the Grand Pavilion and how to sign up for it as well as our Zoom season that begins on Oct. 12. We are continuing to schedule our regular events on Thursday evenings, since that is the day when Fr. David is most available to us. We will also keep the current start time since people who work cannot make it earlier than 7 pm.

Here are some other Film Club survey results that may interest you:

• Over 80% of participants said Film Club was “great”.
• Respondents seemed to like both Zoom and in-person events, with only 10% preferring in-person over Zoom.
• Respondents felt that lower attendance at in-person events had to do with people not wanting to go to campus on a workday, LA traffic, and lingering concerns about group indoor activities.
• Some 92% get Film Club information from promotional emails.
• Some 96% were OK with the level of donations for the Zoom season and individual in-person events.
• Oscar night and Moonstruck were the most popular in-person events and The King’s Speech was the favorite Zoom biopic.
• 75% of participants would go off campus for an event.
• 76% enjoy panelists and special guests at our events.

That’s it for now. Thank you for being a Film Club supporter. We look forward to sharing some wonderful film journeys with you this season in person and on Zoom.

Film Club Fans: We need your support!

Film Club is committed to bringing “screenings with meanings” to the greater St. Monica community. Thank you for being a vibrant part of our ministry —and attending our Zoom and in-person events.

There is another way to show your support: donate today!

There are two ways to donate:

1.) Online donation:

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A DONATION!

2.) Send a check to our Parish Office. We ask that you make the check out to “St. Monica Catholic Community” and note in the memo line “Film Club.”

Thank you again for your support and we will see you at Film Club! 

Delis Alejandro, (310) 566-1530 or    

Film Club Journey Series: THE MIRACLE CLUB

Thursday, April 11

7:00 p.m.

Zoom

 

It must have been a miracle of sorts to get the likes of Dame Maggie Smith, Kathy Bates and Laura Linney to appear on the screen together — yet it happened and all three lead the cast of 2023’s The Miracle Club.

The story’s backdrop is a small Irish town in the late 1960s, a place filled with memories, traditions and perhaps a tendency to be a wee bit judgmental from time-to-time.

 

There is an upcoming pilgrimage to Lourdes that is the hottest ticket in town, with people wanting to win a spot, each hoping for a miraculous intervention. In addition to Smith, Bates and Linney, we’re introduced to Irish actress Agnes O’Casey, who turns in a notable performance as a young mother looking for a miracle so her young son can speak. Playing the community voice of reason is Mark O’Halloran as local priest, Father Dermot, who reminds the pilgrims, “You don’t come to Lourdes for a miracle. You come for the strength to go on when there is no miracle.”

 

Layer on top of the tizzy over going to Lourdes, the return of a “prodigal daughter (Linney),” as well as the relationships, tradition and faith in this tiny community, and you have fertile soil in which to grow a timeless tale for audiences to enjoy. The Miracle Club is a story about life — loss, love, hope, forgiveness, redemption — and its cast soundly delivers the film’s moments of hilarity as well as heartbreak.

 

If you haven’t seen The Miracle Club, please do so before we meet on Zoom on April 11. The film is available from multiple sources including Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu.

 

To attend our Miracle Club Zoom discussion, use your personal link to Film Club Zoom events. Need a link? You can request a link BELOW. 

How to attend Film Club Events

If you haven’t done so already, complete your annual registration for Zoom events HERE. You also must pay the annual Zoom series registration fee. This is the LINK to the secure pay portal.

  

 

 

• March 7, 2024 — Our annual Oscar Night drew two audiences! One in the Grand Pavilion and the other on Zoom. Guests were able to see trailers of the 10 films nominated by the Academy for Best Picture as well as participate in discussions about each film. The highlight of the evening was casting a ballot for Film Club’s Best Picture both in the room and online. The results were calculated and the clear winner was Oppenheimer. Film Club has perfectly predicted Oscar’s winner for a number of years — we’d have to wait a few days to see if our lucky streak would continue. This season, Film Club also hosted a Coffee, Donuts and Oscar event after the Sunday morning Masses on March 3. Parishioners were asked to vote for their favorite film — and several hundred did. The winner was also Oppenheimer, although most of the children attending the 9:30 Mass came out in force to vote for Barbie.
• February 8, 2024 — What a great way to kick off Film Club Zooms for the new year. We discussed the Oscar winning film, Rain Man, starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. The duo’s journey was one of discovery for Cruise’s character whose greed and self-absorption were eventually overtaken by an awareness of family and love and concern for the brother he didn’t remember. It was a groundbreaking film in that Hoffman’s character was on the autistic spectrum and helped put a face on a condition that was not widely known at the time. The discussion was lively and meaningful and being able to reacquaint ourselves with this 1988 film was a blessing for many of us.
• December 14, 2023 — There was a whole lot of laughter going on in the Grand Pavilion when over 50 people joined us to watch Steve Martin and John Candy on their arduous holiday journey in Planes, Trains and Automobiles. The audience found the film as touching and life affirming as it was humorous. Watching the two perfectly cast leads — opposites to say the least — gradually reach a level of respect, compassion and commonality offered a rewarding and heartwarming kick-off for the holiday season.
• November 9, 2023 — We zoomed to the wilds of New Zealand to join a cranky, antisocial uncle and a “bad egg” kid as they evaded pesky child services authorities. The duo headed away from civilization that took them — and us — on a journey of discovery. The film was the charming, Hunt for the Wilder People that proved to have been an unknown gem to most of the attendees. There was lots to talk about in the film — most of it centered on the humanity and hilarity that were seamlessly combined to tell this winning story.
• October 30, 2023 — We hosted something new! A Sunday Night Short Film Special attended by 65 guests! We screened Native Ball, a Family Theater short documentary, to be released in November on PBS. Fr. David Guffey, CSC, who is executive producer of the film, offered comments about the film and answered questions. A reception followed and everybody seemed to want to hang around to talk about this remarkable Native American woman’s journey. The film gave us all a lot to think and chat about — and the wine and cheese and, of course, Halloween candy made it even harder to leave.
• October 12, 2023 — Our journey series headed to the segregated South in the 1960s as we tagged along on a concert tour with an accomplished black musician and his driver/bodyguard. The event, held on Zoom, discussed Green Book, an Oscar and Golden Globe “best picture,” inspired by a true-life story. Guests gave the film a thumb’s up for both superb acting as well as its serving as a reminder of the senseless prejudice faced by so many. The event was cosponsored by JustFaith.
• September 14, 2023 — An in-person event, featuring Lion, kicked off our “journey series.” The film took us from India to Australia and back to India as a “lost” boy, now a man, sought to find his roots. There was standing room only as we enjoyed not only this moving real-life story but a lively discussion afterward. Our 70+ guests started the evening enjoying a special dessert on the patio.

 

 A new direction for a new season…plus annual survey results

It’s interesting how ideas evolve. A few months ago, many of you completed our Film Club survey. We appreciate the good report card you gave us for the 2022-2023 season and are grateful for your suggestions.

 

One of the survey questions was about the type(s) of films you preferred. We received votes for a wide array of film genres, meaning we had to figure some way to respond to your diverse preferences. Enter the evolution of an idea—that eventually became our theme for the 2023-2024 Film Club season. Here’s how our theme took shape.

 

At the same time as our survey, the results of a national survey of American’s summer travel plans were published. The takeaway: Travel is booming, even exceeding pre-pandemic levels. A remarkable 85% of Americans are taking to the road literally and figuratively—59 million will be exploring international byways this summer, while 100 million will be taking a trip of at least 250 miles or more in the U.S. People are opening their lives to new possibilities and experiences, and perhaps ticking off places on their bucket lists.

 

This American wanderlust started us thinking about the long-popular film genre that follows people on impactful life journeys. This coming season, in both our Zoom and in-person events, we’ll be exploring films of this genre. One of the things we love about “journey films” is that they are always blended with another genre (remember the list of Film Club survey favorites), such as a rom-com, intrigue, musical, etc.

 

You’ll soon be hearing about our first event on Sept. 14 in the Grand Pavilion and how to sign up for it as well as our Zoom season that begins on Oct. 12. We are continuing to schedule our regular events on Thursday evenings, since that is the day when Fr. David is most available to us. We will also keep the current start time since people who work cannot make it earlier than 7 pm.

 

Here are some other Film Club survey results that may interest you:

 

• Over 80% of participants said Film Club was “great”.
• Respondents seemed to like both Zoom and in-person events, with only 10% preferring in-person over Zoom.
• Respondents felt that lower attendance at in-person events had to do with people not wanting to go to campus on a workday, LA traffic, and lingering concerns about group indoor activities.
• Some 92% get Film Club information from promotional emails.
• Some 96% were OK with the level of donations for the Zoom season and individual in-person events.
• Oscar night and Moonstruck were the most popular in-person events and The King’s Speech was the favorite Zoom biopic.
• 75% of participants would go off campus for an event.
• 76% enjoy panelists and special guests at our events.

 

That’s it for now. Thank you for being a Film Club supporter. We look forward to sharing some wonderful film journeys with you this season in person and on Zoom.

 

 

Film Club Fans: We need your support!

Film Club is committed to bringing “screenings with meanings” to the greater St. Monica community. Thank you for being a vibrant part of our ministry —and attending our Zoom and in-person events.

There is another way to show your support: donate today!

There are two ways to donate:

1.) Online donation:

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A DONATION!

 

2.) Send a check to our Parish Office. We ask that you make the check out to “St. Monica Catholic Community” and note in the memo line “Film Club.”

 

Thank you again for your support and we will see you at Film Club! 

 

Join the E-mail List!

If you are not on the Film Club e-mail list and wish to receive promotional materials for future events,  click the link below!

 

Click Here to Join Our E-mail List!

 

 

Industry Insiders!

Calling all Industry Insiders!

Fr. David and the Film Club would be thrilled to receive your recommendations for guest speakers involved in some aspect of filmmaking. If you know someone you think would be an interesting guest, contact with your suggestions.
  

About Film Club

What is Film Club?

Screenings with Meanings

The Film Club brings together movie lovers for a monthly discussion on a selected film. The 2019-2020 theme is Art of Cinema, and each film is chosen for its meaning and in the context of a specific aspect of filmmaking (e.g., screenwriting, set decoration). It’s incredible how much more you can see once you appreciate the techniques that make one film stand out.

 

The Film Club also hosts two seasonal events: A Holiday Party, featuring a classic Christmas movie, and Oscar Night, where we review the nominated films and vote for our “best picture of the year.” (Our track record for predicting the Oscar has been uncanny.)

 

The Film Club meets in the Grand Pavilion on the second Thursday of the month from September through May. Our discussions are led by Father David Guffey, CSC, Director, Family Theater Productions.