Year: 2012

“Ted” (2012). Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane (voice), Joel McHale, Giovanni Ribisi, Aedin Mincke, Patrick Warburton, Matt Walsh, Jessica Barth, Bill Smitrovich, Bretton Manley, Ralph Garman, Alex Borstein, Ryan Reynolds, Patrick Stewart (narrator), Sam J. Jones (himself), Norah Jones (herself), Tom Skerritt (himself). Director: Seth MacFarlane. Screenplay: Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild. Story: Seth MacFarlane. www.tedisreal.comWe’ve all no doubt wished that something seemingly improbable would come true. And, amazingly, there are times when that, in fact, happens, despite the odds being stacked against it. In some instances, those materialized wishes live up their billing in every regard, while, in others, there are unanticipated consequences, as an idealistic lad turned confused adult finds out in the outrageous new comedy, “Ted.”John (Bretton Manley) is a lonely little boy. As a youngster growing up in the Boston suburbs in the late 1970s, he’s largely ignored, sometimes taunted, by all the neighborhood kids. Which is why he’s so excited one Christmas morning when his parents (Ralph Garman, Alex Borstein) present him with the gift of an adorable teddy bear whom John names Ted. John’s so taken with his new toy that he quickly comes to see him as his best ...

How would you spend your time if you knew you only had three weeks left? That’s one of many questions posed in the new comedy, “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.” Look for more answers in my latest VividLife post, ‘End of the World’ reminds us of what matters, available by clicking here. And to find out more about the film, click here ...

(Photo courtesy of FilmDistrict and Big Beach.) When times get tough, it may be tempting to retreat into a happier time in our lives, but is this the best course? A new indie comedy takes a fresh look at this. Find out more in my latest VividLife post, ‘Safety Not Guaranteed’ probes living in the past, available by clicking here. And to find out more about the movie, click here ...

Want to make “the passion equation” work more effectively? Just add commitment. Read more about it in Commitment, Passion’s Powerful Companion, my latest Master Heart Magazine post, available by clicking here ...

Meeting our maker is one of life’s sublime journeys, just as the crew of an ambitious space expedition attempts to find out in one of this summer’s biggest blockbusters. Find out more in my latest VividLife post, ‘Prometheus’ looks for God in all the wrong places, available by clicking here. And to find out more about the movie, click here. (Photo courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.) ...

All too often we see ourselves as disconnected from the world around us, yet the bonds are always there as long as we choose to look for them, a truly revelatory realization for many of us. Find out more about this in Preconceived notions shattered in ‘The Intouchables’, my latest VividLife post, available by clicking here. And to find out more about the movie, click here ...