Pope John Paul II Movie on Hallmark

It wasn't scmalzy!

It was quite good, in fact.

I liked that many of his words and philosophies were sprinkled throughout the movie. They showed how he lived-that Christianity isn't just a mantel that you wear, it pervades every aspect of life. Therefore you needn't go around proclaiming that you are Christian, you go around living and speaking as God intended all of mankind to do.

I noticed that his involvement in Vatican II was totally missed and that the movie tended to be a Polish biopic. I'm not saying that this is bad-certainly there is gobs and gobs of information on his life and hundreds of aspects that they could have zeroed in on-but his involvement impacts us all even today. It seems they deliberately focused on his impact on Poland and how growing up in Nazi then Communist Poland did to form the man that he became. That they did very very well.

I think to make a movie about this man would mean several hours and be almost a mini-series. I mean, really, have you see the book on his life: Witness to Hope? I mean the book is 1056 pages long!! Except for the DVD made alongside Weigel's book, I'm not sure that there is a movie that could fully show his life.

On a personal note, at the end of the movie where they showed him putting on his papal robes I lost it. I miss Papa so much! I was then reminded that now I get to talk to him any time I like and he'll probably hear me-and I don't have to spend a huge amount of money on an airline ticket to Rome!!

Did anyone else see it? Any thoughts?