Ann Curry and Angelina Jolie

I almost met Angelina Jolie once. It was in Hollywood at the Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow premiere. She was dressed in this immaculate white evening gown looking every bit as glamorous as she does on TV. I was only a few feet away from her. I almost skipped the event all together because I didn't want to deal with the crazy crowds that premieres draw. I was on my way to my roommate's acting class performance on the other side of Hollywood Blvd. and Highland and I was really annoyed by all the people who blocked the sidewalk. But then I started thinking about a good friend back in Michigan who is completely intrigued by all things Angelina, so I decided that I should at least try to get a picture of her for him. Long story short, I used one of those CVS disposable cameras and the picture didn't come out the way I wanted it too. At least I got a semi-interesting story out of it.

But onto my real point for this post...

Ann Curry had this amazing interview with Angelina Jolie on Dateline this Wednesday about her upcoming movie A Mighty Heart, her friendship with Mariane Pearl and losing her mother earlier this year. Curry's interviewing skills continue to impress me. She's been one of my favorite journalists for a while now along with Lisa Ling and Chris Hansen. I'd be in journalism heaven if I got to work with them one day.

I'm really excited about A Mighty Heart, as most movies about journalists and social justice usually intrigue me. I watched Up Close and Personal last night and the scene when Michelle Pfeiffer's character, Tally Atwater, finds out that her husband died on assignment always gets me teary-eyed. I wonder if Mariane Pearl has seen that movie and if so, I imagine it hits a little too close to home. There's this other poignant scene when Tally is giving a speech about journalism and she says, "I'm only here to tell the story." That line lingered in my mind long after the movie was over and it got me thinking about that simple truth. As Christians, we're on this planet to tell the ultimate story about Jesus and His awesome love for all of humanity. There's an amazing beauty in our responsibility to this higher calling. Just like Tally finally understood and embraced the higher calling that comes with journalism, we as Christians must come to a similar understanding when it comes to evangelism. Some of us will die on assignment telling "the story" but as Mariane Pearl said in an article in Glamour Magazine, "the sense of purpose is bigger than the pain."