ON FAITH & MEDIA | Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story

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Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story

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Source: Catholic News Service

Fitfully amusing saga of a movie crew attempting to film British pastor Laurence Sterne's 1767 novel, "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman," considered unfilmable because of its wildly nonlinear structure. Director Michael Winterbottom offers a good chunk of the 18th-century story, but devotes equal time to the off-camera travails of lead actors Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, both "playing" themselves, while a bevy of solid actors (Jeremy Northam, Kelly MacDonald, Stephen Fry, Gillian Anderson) lend appeal to an unevenly satiric film that won't appeal to every taste. Overall bawdy tone, rough language and some profanity, crude expressions, sexual situations and much innuendo, unrelated partial and rear nudity, brief full frontal child nudity including diaper changing and a crude sight gag, graphic childbirth scene, permissive view of premarital affair and parenting, adultery, a visual joke involving a womb. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

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Bede the Venerable: Bede is one of the few saints honored as such even during his lifetime. His writings were filled with such faith and learning that even while he was still alive, a Church council ordered them to be read publicly in the churches.
<p>At an early age Bede was entrusted to the care of the abbot of the Monastery of St. Paul, Jarrow. The happy combination of genius and the instruction of scholarly, saintly monks produced a saint and an extraordinary scholar, perhaps the most outstanding one of his day. He was deeply versed in all the sciences of his times: natural philosophy, the philosophical principles of Aristotle, astronomy, arithmetic, grammar, ecclesiastical history, the lives of the saints and, especially, Holy Scripture.</p><p>From the time of his ordination to the priesthood at 30 (he had been ordained deacon at 19) till his death, he was ever occupied with learning, writing and teaching. Besides the many books that he copied, he composed 45 of his own, including 30 commentaries on books of the Bible. </p><p>Although eagerly sought by kings and other notables, even Pope Sergius, Bede managed to remain in his own monastery till his death. Only once did he leave for a few months in order to teach in the school of the archbishop of York. Bede died in 735 praying his favorite prayer: “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As in the beginning, so now, and forever.” </p><p>His <i>Ecclesiastical History of the English People</i> is commonly regarded as of decisive importance in the art and science of writing history. A unique era was coming to an end at the time of Bede’s death: It had fulfilled its purpose of preparing Western Christianity to assimilate the non-Roman barbarian North. Bede recognized the opening to a new day in the life of the Church even as it was happening.</p>

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