Jumping At The Chance To Recommend My Favorite Animated Film Of All Time Doesn't Seem Very Lenten, Does It?

I know, I know. It's Week One of Lent, 2017, and this is its first Friday. But can you blame me for recommending Brad Bird's animated masterpiece, The Iron Giant, even though the pleasure it give me to do so doesn't feel quite "Lenten?" Can you? Really?

A couple years back, the boys were very anxious to watch it, yet I approached the opportunity with some trepidation. It had been such a beloved film for me, and returning to those is always a risky proposition. What if my tastes have changed enough in the intervening years to render my initial devotion inapplicable? I'm always saddened when that happens.

My concerns were unfounded. It was as wonderful as ever, with a final few minutes remain one of the finest, most cathartic finales of all time. A great, great film, and one that is currently available on NETFLIX INSTANT.

Amid the backdrop of the Cold War, a 9-year-old boy befriends a colossal yet gentle robot that a paranoid government agent is intent on destroying.