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Angels in Film and Beyond #atozchallenge
Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 11:25AM 
“A love like ours is heaven sent – you fill me up with the joy of living; when things get tough, I can always turn to you. You’re my angel…”
“Angel” by Anita Baker has to be one of the most romantic songs ever made, which comes as no surprise because it is delivered by a very soulful woman who is known for singing about love and all it encompasses. Romance aside, this tune reminds me of angels who are oftentimes under-appreciated for all that they do for loved ones and strangers alike.
These angels may also be referred to as heroes because they save lives by donating, facilitating or funding organ transplants, offering help in times of tragedy such as environmental disasters, house fires or everyday challenges including motor vehicle accidents, abuse or other types of violence. The contributions of people who are in this group extend beyond heroic acts, to include simple acts of kindness that tranform lives.
I’m sure that many of you can think of at least on angel who has served you, someone you know or someone that you don’t know. There are many in our lives that we can be thankful for every day because they are also people who lift us up, those that encourage us or bring out the best in us by either intentionally or unintentionally causing us to hone in on our best qualities that we have to offer the world.
It’s kind of like what Morgan Freeman’s character did in “Lean on Me” by challenging his peers and students to do better; what Sean Connery’s character did in “Finding Forrester” by forcing his teenage prodigy to channel anger and curiosity into literary work; what Julia Roberts’ character did in “Erin Brockovich” by helping a group of total strangers get justice for medical ailments caused by pollution; what Liam Neeson’s character did in “Taken” by risking his life to find and save his kidnapped daughter by any means necessary and what Denzel Washington and Chris Pine’s characters did in “Unstoppable” by putting themselves in danger to prevent a disaster for innocent people in nearby towns.
Here is a little trivia game based on film plots involving superheroes and everyday heroes; that you could play during a movie night.
The following tunes were on the soundtrack or appeared as a theme song for which film?
1. "I Believe I Can Fly" by R. Kelly - Film: _____________________
2. "Gotham City" by R. Kelly - Film: _________________________
3. "Hero" by Chad Kroeger - Film: __________________________
4. "Iris" by The Goo Goo Dolls - Film: _______________________
5. "Shake Ya Tailfeather" by Nelly - Film: _____________________
6. "Impossible" by Kanye West - Film: ______________________
7. "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N’ Roses - Film: ____________
8. "Gangsta’s Paradise" by Coolio - Film: ____________________
9. "He Got Game" by Public Enemy - Film: ____________________
10. "Don’t Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith - Film: ___________
You can print out this list and play this trivia game at the dinner table with family and friends -OR- You can play it right now by answering the questions yourself. The only catch is that you have 5 minutes. Ready? Set. Go!
What does the word Angel and/or Hero mean to YOU?
Have YOU ever been touched by any Angels or Heroes?
Who were these people and what kind of impact did they have on YOUR life?
Reader Comments (21)
Love that you've included a game in your post :)---so happy to be doing the challenge again with you this year!!
Look forward to your challenge posts!
Twitter: @AprilA2Z
#atozchallenge
---Damyanti, Co-host A to Z Challenge April 2012
Enjoy this post loads! love the quiz!
Great post and I love the game at the end. I knew some of the answers, but with most I'm not too sure...hmmm...5 minutes are up! lol
Monica, Older Mommy Still Yummy
I think a hero is someone who does something that needs to be done regardless of the odds. It can be someone who saves someone's life but it can also be the father who works a second job to make sure his kids have a chance for a better life.
Awesome post! Sometimes we can be selfish and we don't mean to but the post made me feel sad at the fact I lost someone I loved but happy at the fact they are looking over me now, my grandpops, he's my angel and hero! Love the quiz at the end too, I like the interactivity :)
Damyanti,
Yes, I figured...what's an A to Z Challenge without some extra fun on top of all the other excitement?!! It's good to see you taking part in the event again and thanks for taking the time from your co-hosting duties to visit my blog. I feel so special :)
Stephanie,
If you like this one, you'll probably love what else I have in store for my April 2012 posts. Thanks for visiting.
Monica,
Thank you for sharing your enjoyment of reading this post and knowing some of the answers puts you ahead of those who don't or wouldn't know ANY of them, so give yourself a big pat on the back for that :) You did well in under 5 minutes...hey, I wanted to see what would happen if I added a little challenge within this A to Z Challenge and so far, I'm happy with the results since readers like you not only enjoy the game but also try your hand at playing it as well.
Donna K. Weaver,
I agree, in that Heroes come in all forms. They get it done without question and these are people who may go the extra mile to take on what may initially seem like an impossible task. Heroes make us see possibility or ability where we once saw limitation.
Dina Thanki,
OMG, I love your name! You took the sadness from losing a loved one and turned the feeling into something positive by focusing on what is special about your Grandpop and keeping him with you as your guardian angel at all times. I think that is awesome. I'm also happy to know that you enjoy my interactive element of this post. At the start of the A to Z Challenge, this is just the tip of the iceberg for what I'm posting up during the month, you just wait and see!
Our local firefighters, police, and EMTs are heroes to me. Love your post.
I've certainly had people come out of nowhere to help me during rough times in my life. Totally without expectation of a favor in return... those people are heroes and angels both.
Don't know what films any of those songs came from. My favorite film about actual Angels is Wings of Desire by Wim Wenders. In it Peter Falk plays an angel who looks like Columbo.
Nice start.
Lee
A Few Words
An A to Z Co-host blog
#4- City of Angels and #10 is Armageddon. The rest I'd have to give some thought to though I should know a few others.
Is there any way we can bottle up and preserve Morgan Freeman for future generations? This is a man that the world should never be without. ...and if there is a God up there, I hope he looks and sounds just like Mr. Freeman. For some reason, that thought puts a big, hopful smile on my face :-)
Tonja,
Having grown up around people who work in all three of those fields, I would agree that they are heroes and I would also like to add military servicemen and women to your list. I'm also happy to know that you love this post...it definitely makes it worth writing.
Rusty Webb,
Strangers who help others through a rough time carry a very special Halo around, as far as I'm concerned. While many people often feel obligated to be there for family and/or friends going through a difficult time, it is the kindness and support of those whom we don't know that are a true gift because it's so unexpected, coming out of left field sometimes.
Arlee,
I never heard of Winds of Desire but will look it up to decide if I may want to check it out sometime. That Columbo comparison of Peter Falk had me mistaking that for Commando starring Arnold S. Never saw Columbo but liked Commando. Boy, do I need to get some sleep!
Ruth,
Thanks for playing my Movie Heroes Soundtrack Trivia Game. Yep, the whole point of it is to get people to give them some thought.... preferably at your next social gathering or better yet, at the dinner table if there are at least a few other people in your household :)
Herman,
I hear ya. Can you believe that Morgan Freeman was replaced by Tyler Perry to do the next installment in those James Patterson movies?!! I'm not convinced with the placement of Perry as detective Alex Cross. If they develop the cloning mechanisms further, future generations just might be able to experience Morgan Freeman's voice and appearance and enjoy it just like the generations that came before them. The closest we've come to Morgan Freeman and God so far is the movie "Evan Almighty" starring Steve Carrell....have you seen it?
Angels touch our lives everyday! If we simply take the time to look and be thankful for the many that bless us with their presence. I will definately take this quiz with my husband.
Cheers, and best of luck in the rest of the AtoZ.
*\o/*
CW3
Nice trivia. I'm sure there are angels everywhere. Great start to the A-Z!
Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com
Erica Walsh,
Good point about all our blessings. Have fun with the quiz. You're welcome to let me know how it turns out and who scored more points between you and the hubby :)
nutschell,
Thanks for your word on the trivia. You're right, there are angels everywhere....like good teachers who touch lives. The greatest teachers are a rare find so it's a pleasure when students come across one :)
Hi, I believe we have guardian angels that are assigned at our birth. I'll bet mine has hair as grey as mine, because I have probably given him all of them. Ha.
Ruby
I loooove Anita Baker! She's one of my all-time fave female songbirds! (Whitney Houston is my NO.1)
Angels actually brought to mind the Annie Lenox song There Must Be An Angel, which has GREAT lyrics... as well as different songs with "wings", such as On The Wings Of Love and Flying Without Wings ...
And although I'm not really a TV person, I did enjoy watching some episodes from the series Touched By An Angel starring Angela somebody-or-other... I think that's her name... :)
I believe in angels! I have angels and a particiulary nasty demon in my second book. They add so much to the story and there are so many directions I can go with them.
Never heard of any of these songs. Have no idea which song goes to which movie.
Gregg Metcalf
Ruby Young,
Ha! You're funny. The grey hair just means that your guardian angel has lived, which must also mean that you've been living a full life and that's always something to smile about :)
Michelle,
I like Whitney too but Anita is my gal! I think I heard that Fly Without Wings song before. I wonder if it's the one that's been remade like one dozen times. Still a classic nonetheless.
Stephen Tremp,
I think we all have a combination of angels and demons in our lives. Maybe that's what keeps us on our toes.
Greg, Metcalf,
That's ok. Netflix, Blockbuster and iTunes movies can fix that real quick! LOL. Thanks for visiting :)