Each month, UMC.org publishes critical reviews of recently released movies, music and books. A critical review is one in which the writer describes and evaluates the work and supports this evaluation with clear evidence. Though UMC.org reviews works of all genres, these works are chosen based on their message. Meaning, we will only review movies and music that challenge us to ponder significant issues facing us as Christians. We look for what the works seem to be saying about relationships, values and the human condition.
MOVIE REVIEWS
 Changeling
Rated: R
Early in Changeling, Director Clint Eastwood’s dark and brooding crime drama, a mother explains to her young son why his father abandoned them. “For some people,” she explains, “responsibility is the scariest thing in the world.” This statement sums up the grand theme of the film—responsibility. Changeling is an old-fashioned, often severe morality tale about accepting or shirking responsibility—crime and punishment seen through a stern lens of actions, both good and bad, and the resulting consequences. And of course, there’s the mystery of a mother who swears her missing son, now returned, is not her own.
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MUSIC REVIEWS
 Jackson Browne
Time the Conqueror
Browne potently wields his long view of American culture, along with his trademark blend of insight and compassion, on the highly topical Time the Conqueror.
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 Jenny Youngman
Glimpse of Glory
UMC.org music reviewer Steve Morley interviews singer/songwriter Jenny Youngman and talks about her new CD Glimpse of Glory.
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