As I have done for several years now, I am sharing my favorites in a variety of categories. All items listed were released or took place during the first half of 2026, except for books, which reflect books that I read during the first half of 2026, regardless of publication date. I hope you enjoy this list, and find some good recommendations.
Movies
Top Pick: A Great Awakening Continue reading
Tuner, rated R
***
This film is about a piano tuner that gets involved in criminal activity because of his gift of hearing. The film is directed by Oscar winner Daniel Roher (Navalny), and written by Roher and Robert Ramsey.
Niki White, played by Leo Woodall, is a young man who possesses the rare talent of perfect pitch. At one time, he was an excellent pianist, but he no longer plays. He is the apprentice to piano tuner and repairman Harry Horowitz, played by two-time Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman (Rain Man, Kramer vs. Kramer).
Harry hasn’t raised his prices for thirty years. We never see Harry do any work. He enjoys Niki and loves him like a son, and eats what his wife Marla, played by two-time Emmy nominee Tovah Feldshuh (Law & Order, Holocaust), tells him he shouldn’t. Continue reading
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Faith and Work News ~ Links to Interesting Articles
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In our series on leadership attributes, we now look at self-discipline. Self-discipline is important in all areas of life, not just for leaders. We need to demonstrate self-discipline to do those things that are important to us, even when we don’t feel like doing them. For example, we need to demonstrate discipline to read the Bible daily even when we are very busy. We need to demonstrate the discipline to get physical exercise – for me it is walking – even when the weather is not ideal. And we need to demonstrate discipline to eat a balanced diet, even when we would prefer to maintain a diet of pizza, hamburgers and ice cream. Continue reading
Pressure, rated PG-13
****
This well-acted and tense film is based on the true story of events in the 72 hours leading up to the D-Day invasion. It was directed by Anthony Maras (Hotel Mumbai) and written by Maras and David Haig, based on Haig’s 2014 stage play.
The Allies are ready for their D-Day landings on the beaches of Normandy, which would begin Operation Overlord. The planned date for the top-secret invasion was June 5, 1944. The only thing that could delay the operation was the weather.
Even though Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower, played by Oscar winner Brendan Fraser (The Whale), has his own chief meteorologist, on British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s recommendation, he brings in Group Captain James Stagg, played by Emmy nominee Andrew Scott (Ripley, Black Mirror), as chief meteorological officer for this operation.
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The Breadwinner, rated PG
** ½
The Breadwinner is the first feature film starring comedian Nate Bargatze. It’s a humorous film about how Nate, a dad played by Bargatze tries to manage the household and take care of his three daughters while wife Katie, played by Emmy nominee Mandy Moore (This is Us), is gone for weeks to pursue a business opportunity. The film will appeal to all ages and would be a good one for the entire family to enjoy together.
The film was directed by Emmy winner Eric Appel (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story) and written by Bargatze and Dan Lagana. As the credits roll at the end of the film, you see jokes from Bargatze’s standup routine that made it into the script of the film.
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Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, rated PG-13
***
The popular Disney+ television series The Mandalorian transitions to the big screen for Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. The film was directed by five-time Emmy nominee Jon Favreau (The Mandalorian, Dinner for Five), who co-wrote the film with two-time Emmy winner Dave Filoni (Star Wars: The Clone Wars), and Noah Kloor (The Mandalorian).
The film is set a year after the Empire’s defeat in the film Return of the Jedi. The primary assignment from Colonel Ward, played by three-time Oscar nominee Sigourney Weaver (Gorillas in the Mist, Working Girl, Aliens), has for the Mandalorian, played by Golden Globe nominee Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us), an independent contractor working for the New Republic, is to rescue Rotta the Hutt , voiced by Jeremy Allen White (The Bear), the kidnapped son of the late Jabba the Hutt, who was choked to death by Princess Leia in Return of the Jedi. In return, Rotta’s two uncles (known as “The Twins”) will provide him with information about a new Imperial warlord.
The Mandalorian and his adoptive son the delightful Grogu (also known as “Baby Yoda”), head to the planet Shakari to rescue Rotta. When they find him, they see there is a gladiator in a fighting pit owned by lord Janu, played by Jonny Coyne. Rotta is in a locked cell, but knows that he has only one more fight left and then his debt will have been paid (though we are never told what his debt was for). But his captors have no intention of really letting Rotta go. The final fight will be rigged, so that Rotta dies, and his captors will benefit financially from that.
The film is mainly about the Mandalorian and Grogu, along with some Minion-like monkey characters known as anzellans, trying to rescue Rotta. Later in the film, we find out some things about Rotta’s two uncles.
The film contains a large amount of action violence, as you would expect in a Star Wars film. However, there were too many battle/fight scenes. I felt like I was watching a Marvel film, as those scenes were tedious, going on and on. The film also included several scary creatures, so it is definitely not suitable for very young viewers.
The film’s musical score is by three-time Oscar winner Ludwig Goransson (Sinners, Oppenheimer, Black Panther).
We enjoyed the film, but it could have been better, if they would have lessened the amount of battle/fight scenes.
The Commons Chapel – CXMMXNS
*** ½
Worship collective CXMMXNS (Commons) was formed by Grammy Award and Dove Award-winning songwriters Ben Fielding and Reuben Morgan, two of the most influential writers in modern worship music. From their pens have come some of the most widely sung anthems including “Goodness of God,” “Who You Say I Am,” “What a Beautiful Name,” “Cornerstone,” and “Mighty to Save” – songs sung by tens of millions of believers every week across the world. Birthed in Sydney, Australia, CXMMXNS is passionately committed to gathering worshippers worldwide and serving local churches with songs that everyone can sing.
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From the Rising of the Sun: A Journey of Worship Around the World by Tim Challies and Tim Keesee. Zondervan. 186 pages. 2025
*** ½
This book by Tim Challies and Tim Keesee reminded me of the excellent Dispatches from the Front documentary films that Keesee made with Frontline Missions that “highlighted the marvelous extent, diversity, and unity of Christ’s Kingdom in our world”. In this book (which has accompanying streaming videos that you can access via a code in the book), Keesee joins Tim Challies on an odyssey that took them from the rising of the sun to its setting, from one side of the earth to the other.
The world is divided into twenty-four time zones. The authors decided to aim for about twelve episodes, or a country in roughly every second time zone. Once they had chosen countries, they began to search for churches within them. They found faithful churches that align with a variety of Protestant traditions. All were bound together by a deep commitment to Scripture and sound doctrine. This book is about their visits to those churches and worship services all around the world.
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BOOK REVIEWS ~ More of this review…
BOOK NEWS ~ Links to Interesting Articles
BOOK CLUB ~What Is Wrong with the World? The Surprising, Hopeful Answer to the Question We Cannot Avoid by Tim Keller
I’M CURRENTLY READING…. Continue reading
