I actually hate that phrase - plugging is kind of a gross word, and the more you say it in your head, the worse it sounds. Far too many glottals for my taste.
However, it is what I am doing. I graduate in two weeks with my Master's in English, and, of course, the job market is a desert. I knew it would be anyway - the old joke people continue to tell in front of me, no matter how little I smile, is "Masters in English? Try Master's in Starbuck's!" Yuk Yuk. Today's economy has not helped this at all, though my experience writing in SEO style has been a little effective in getting some calls back.
On the plus side, I was considering doing ACP and teaching in the fall. I still think I'm going to get my certification here, but might as well do it now, for free, and hang out for a bit. That way when I have it, I can teach where I want instead of at a school that requires bullet-proof professional wear. I've been there and I've done that. I'm over it. The good news is that if I do the ACP here, the wedding plans stay on target (STAY ON TARGET), I don't have to worry about requesting time off because I know my boss will let us have it, and mostly, it's free.
Don't get me wrong: my resume is still out there floating around. I am still pursuing interesting looking opportunities. I am still willing and able to move anywhere (Colorado, California, Connecticut - please call me). However in the meantime, this is what the plan looks like.
Today I was approached to tutor someone, something I will really enjoy. I have time to write again, as evidenced here. I get up daily and go to the gym, something I seem to think I dislike until I'm done, then I feel amazing. I have a beautiful wedding dress in my upstairs closet! Life is good, pretty much, overall.
Last night I looked at Ben and said, "I love our life." I mean it, too. I got home from work, we talked, we watched a weird, artsy movie together, we ate dinner, played Rockband, and then got ready for bed. I said this as we were lying down, side by side, reading our sci-fi novels.
"Yeah," Ben said, "I love us."
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Thanks? I think?
I was invited into a conversation yesterday about Miss America, and I felt inspired to write something about it.
Apparently Perez Hilton blogged after her answer on gay marriage that Miss California was a "dumb bitch", and Donald Trump stood behind his chosen judge by saying that the answer cost her the crown.
I was thrown off by this for many reasons.
First I was angered that Perez was invited to the Today show to discuss his point of view. Why are we acting as if this man has anything of interest to say? Why is he famous? For slandering others. I'm not sure where his high horse came from, but he ought to get off of it, if he has time, between stalking Zac Efron and drawing bodily fluids on Robert Pattison's face. The more we treat this man as if he is famous for SOMETHING worthwhile, as if he is the possessor of a great intellect and his opinion is something we ought to be clamoring for, the worse our lives will get. I then began a mental rant on how he was chosen as a JUDGE for Miss America. Of course it then occurred to me that the last time I actually watched a pageant David Hasselhoff and Meshach Taylor were judges. So I can't really be upset about the quality of judges because, let's all face it, they've never been people whose opinions are worth respecting. Why not just move the pageant over to the American Idol stage? Simon, Randy, drunk!Paula, and that other woman can be the judges. America seems to respect them, more than Perez I dare to believe.
I was momentarily distracted by the idea that the poor, nervous, possibly not bright woman ought to be entitled to her own opinions. It's true - it's a free country, and if you ask someone something, they can answer it any way they like, IN THEORY. I watched her answer, as posted below, and I thought hmm. Well the answer itself shouldn't have cost her the crown. What a shame that she's being judged for what she said and not how she said it...
Wait.
Are they really saying the answer itself determined who won or lost Miss America? As in they made judgments based on what she said? Like they listened and gave the crown to someone else, not because her chest was bigger or her hair was shinier or she had a nice butt? SINCE WHEN DOES INTERVIEW EVEN MATTER?? It's always been like talent, but even more meaningless.
Do I owe Perez Hilton my gratitude? It seems to me all this might have been a step in the right direction.
How disturbing.
So, um, Thanks... Perez... ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XMvviFbkf0
Apparently Perez Hilton blogged after her answer on gay marriage that Miss California was a "dumb bitch", and Donald Trump stood behind his chosen judge by saying that the answer cost her the crown.
I was thrown off by this for many reasons.
First I was angered that Perez was invited to the Today show to discuss his point of view. Why are we acting as if this man has anything of interest to say? Why is he famous? For slandering others. I'm not sure where his high horse came from, but he ought to get off of it, if he has time, between stalking Zac Efron and drawing bodily fluids on Robert Pattison's face. The more we treat this man as if he is famous for SOMETHING worthwhile, as if he is the possessor of a great intellect and his opinion is something we ought to be clamoring for, the worse our lives will get. I then began a mental rant on how he was chosen as a JUDGE for Miss America. Of course it then occurred to me that the last time I actually watched a pageant David Hasselhoff and Meshach Taylor were judges. So I can't really be upset about the quality of judges because, let's all face it, they've never been people whose opinions are worth respecting. Why not just move the pageant over to the American Idol stage? Simon, Randy, drunk!Paula, and that other woman can be the judges. America seems to respect them, more than Perez I dare to believe.
I was momentarily distracted by the idea that the poor, nervous, possibly not bright woman ought to be entitled to her own opinions. It's true - it's a free country, and if you ask someone something, they can answer it any way they like, IN THEORY. I watched her answer, as posted below, and I thought hmm. Well the answer itself shouldn't have cost her the crown. What a shame that she's being judged for what she said and not how she said it...
Wait.
Are they really saying the answer itself determined who won or lost Miss America? As in they made judgments based on what she said? Like they listened and gave the crown to someone else, not because her chest was bigger or her hair was shinier or she had a nice butt? SINCE WHEN DOES INTERVIEW EVEN MATTER?? It's always been like talent, but even more meaningless.
Do I owe Perez Hilton my gratitude? It seems to me all this might have been a step in the right direction.
How disturbing.
So, um, Thanks... Perez... ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XMvviFbkf0
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
I am a sucker for...
Mexican food
Ice Cream
Piano
Boys with black hair and blue eyes
Shoes
Gossip
Sephora
Awards Shows
Puppies
Paper
Books
String Quartets
Expression
Ice Cream
Piano
Boys with black hair and blue eyes
Shoes
Gossip
Sephora
Awards Shows
Puppies
Paper
Books
String Quartets
Expression
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
"At least she's reading!"
I hear this a lot. Actually, I started hearing that kind of statement a lot in 1998 regarding a little series of books based on a character named Harry. I didn't buy into it. Honestly, I kind of agreed - at least Rowling was getting kids reading, but the series wasn't my style. I wasn't impressed when I tried Sorcerer's Stone, and later was even less impressed by the "inventive" Chamber of Secrets. I gave up on them.
The phrase was often said to reporters and protesters with a smile and a shrug. As the Christian extremists began to protest, and Scholastic began referring to the book burning sessions as wizard tactics to distract Muggles, I began to grow tired of the sentence. "At least my child is reading." I don't think that's a very good excuse. If you actually read the books and found a part of them offensive to your faith and then shrugged, claiming at least they were reading, what is wrong with you? (By the way, if you actually READ the books, you would see that there is nothing offensive in them, but I'm sure being so terrified of the possibility of evil on the page doesn't actually give text more power, no not at all)
I did become a fan of the series, as most of you know, after the third book, where Rowling shows us the novels are released in a sort of backwards way, giving out pieces of the history puzzle so that you learn to love someone just as he is lost. (and then, at the end... yeah). But that's not the point.
The point is I'm hearing all this again. "At least my daughter's reading!" Oh really? How about you read one of these "GLORIOUS" Twilight novels and tell me what your daughter is actually learning? I don't care about vampires - read all you want about vampires, I do not believe they exist and people writing about them isn't going to bring them into creation - but the role of women in relationships, families, and society? Yeah, that one I care about.
Bella, as I understand from all the fans I know (and from reading what I could stand of the series - the first two and a half novels), is one of the most annoying, obnoxious, unlikable main characters in recent literary history. No one likes her. However, the dangerous part is that many, many girls want to BE her.
Bella is a charicature of everything insulting anyone has ever thought about young women or teenagers. She is a know-it-all, she has poor self-esteem (to an insulting point), she is focused solely on appearances, she is a risk-taker, she is SELFISH beyond belief, she is deceitful to her parents, she does not think ahead, she hates school, and she plays with people's hearts "unknowingly". This is the girl that gets to win in the end of the series - she gets everything she wants. Although I would never want what she wants, the fans do, and they are listening. This is what they hear: It is okay to do dangerous things so long as they get you the attention of the boy you like. It is okay to lead on boys who genuinely like you simply because they are around and you are bored. It is okay to go off by yourself with someone who says they want to kill you. It is okay to let your boyfriend sneak in the house without your father's knowledge. It is okay to let him sleep in your room because YOU understand that he will do you no harm - there is no way that your parents might know better. It is okay to lie to your parents and take trips with strangers for a boy. It is actually sweet if this boy is stalking you because that means that he really cares. It's okay to take an after-school job only to never show up for it.
It is fine to not go to college if you would rather be in love.
Yeah, that last one gets to me, too. I'll come back to it.
I'm sure I don't have to explain why these are terrible lessons to learn at an early age. I also want to point out that the adults who read this and don't balk are (I hope, simply) not seeing stereotypes akin to racism. Just because people are young, simply because they are teenagers, does not mean that they are dishonest idiots. Maturity does occur at different rates, due to different circumstances and pathologies.
So aside from the obviously offensive, let's talk about the parts women play in these novels - namely Bella, of course, since the novels are written from her point of view.
Bella is an only child of a ditzy, irresponsible mother and a gruff, distanced father. They are divorced, but since Bella's mother has just remarried, Bella no longer feels responsible for her and chooses to move in with her father in Washington state. Bella's mother could not function without a man in her life. Bella did not feel as if her mother could live alone or independant at any point, but once a man was present to care for the weak, powerless woman, Bella left to do something that counteracts that statement - take care of her father.
The difference there is that by 'taking care' of her father, Bella cooks dinner. She cleans the house and keeps things organized for Charlie. When she remembers worrying about her mother, Bella recalls times of financial hardship, her mother's forgetfulness, the complete irresponsibility and unpredictability in her household. Since (I want to say her name is Annie?) got married, that is no longer a concern. When Bella worries about Charlie, she worries that he isn't eating well, that he sits around watching football too much, and that he's not dating. A wife would take care of his problems, fix his dinners and all that - so he needs a wife.
Bella is an object for which Edward cares. He openly considers her thoughtless, weak, powerless, reactionary, and he verbally and physically states over and over that she needs to be sheltered. In their relationship, it is obvious that she is to stay home (somewhere safe) and care for the house (as she does for Charlie - Edward is impressed by these skills), while he ventures out into the world, gaining multiple degrees. Edward enjoys Bella's fragility, remarking many times with amusement about how he could end her life with one wrong move. He likes that she requires him to move quickly; he finds her clumsiness and humanity to both be cute. Bella is his property - so much so that he even sits in her room every night, watching her sleep. This is even illustrated more at the climax of the first book, when James attacks Bella because he knows she 'belongs' to Edward.
Jacob "loves" Nessie, and as such he is mentioned as always wanting to care for and protect her. She is his object, and we know this because he imprinted on her.
The only other female characters who are essential to plot are Alice, who has her own skills, but uses them to serve the men in her life. She also is understood to belong to Jasper. And Esme, who belongs to Carlisle and acts as the perfect home mother. She has no profession, but she cares for the house and for the family for which she is the matriarch. She is held up in very high regard by all the characters in the novels that know her, in particular for her 'sweetness' and 'kindness' as a mother.
Another main focus of women in the novel is marriage and babies. All of the female characters have paired up/desire to pair up with a man. For those characters who are over a hundred years old, this is completely understandable. For those who are sixteen, this is unacceptable. Although I recognize that many sixteen year olds believe they found the love of their lives at that age, and that some even make lasting relationships with that person, it is not realistic. Giving people that age hope that sometimes these relationships DO succeed is irresponsible.
Now this part of my rant is a little sketchy - I haven't read Breaking Dawn. I do understand that there is a lot of baby talk in it. Bella finds out Rosalie has always wanted a baby. As a woman, she feels incomplete without a child. Edward suggests that Bella not have the baby out of concern for her safety, but Bella would feel incomplete without a child. Bella MUST have his child because that's what people in love do. Despite the fact that it has always been a health risk for her to be with Edward, and now his child could kill her, she loves him and must marry him and have a child because that is what is necessary in a loving relationship.
Aside from the roles of the characters, Bella's relationship with Edward is terrifying, to say the least. Bella lives for him, ignores all of her schoolwork, her friendships, her family. She no longer communicates with her mother (who I guess can't be bothered to pick up a phone in all her 'worry' but relies on e-mails) and her father only worries if dinner isn't on the table when he comes home. The friends she does make are expected to understand when she dumps them for time with Edward (and amazingly they do). Edward watches Bella through her windows at all hours, and when she discovers this she invites him to sit in her room instead of outside so he can watch her sleep close-up. Bella cannot be bothered to worry about things such as a college education because Edward might not be there. Bella has no interests outside marrying Edward and having his children and being with him forever.
I understand that there are elements of the story which are positive - I think it's an interesting way to avoid the issue of premarital or underage sex - I just wish the morals were supported in some form or fashion so that the hero of the story did not possess ten negative traits for one positive...and the waiting on sex thing isn't her idea, just so you know. It's Edward's, because Edward is the man, therefore he is wise and smart and following the correct order. It is Bella's duty to follow Edward, the man in her life, as he follows a proper path.
Ugh. This wouldn't be so obvious to me, or so unappealing, if I did not know several people who subscribe to a certain branch of religion that promotes all of the above. I consistently see people who are abused and put down by their faith because it follows those guidelines. It makes me insane to watch it, and I don't agree with the promotion of it - any of it. From the obvious distaste for young women (as shown by the depiction of Bella) to the promotion of goals for women (no college, just marriage or college as a path toward marriage - men you can go travel for a while in between), I have seen it time and again and I do not appreciate a guidebook being published and hawked to girls like my little sister, who only see it as a love story.
Sorry for the length of the rant, but someone set me off early today. Join me next time when my topic will either be:
Sarah Palin: An Experiment in America's Sexism
or
Clique - Were Girls' Books This Evil When I Was Young?
The phrase was often said to reporters and protesters with a smile and a shrug. As the Christian extremists began to protest, and Scholastic began referring to the book burning sessions as wizard tactics to distract Muggles, I began to grow tired of the sentence. "At least my child is reading." I don't think that's a very good excuse. If you actually read the books and found a part of them offensive to your faith and then shrugged, claiming at least they were reading, what is wrong with you? (By the way, if you actually READ the books, you would see that there is nothing offensive in them, but I'm sure being so terrified of the possibility of evil on the page doesn't actually give text more power, no not at all)
I did become a fan of the series, as most of you know, after the third book, where Rowling shows us the novels are released in a sort of backwards way, giving out pieces of the history puzzle so that you learn to love someone just as he is lost. (and then, at the end... yeah). But that's not the point.
The point is I'm hearing all this again. "At least my daughter's reading!" Oh really? How about you read one of these "GLORIOUS" Twilight novels and tell me what your daughter is actually learning? I don't care about vampires - read all you want about vampires, I do not believe they exist and people writing about them isn't going to bring them into creation - but the role of women in relationships, families, and society? Yeah, that one I care about.
Bella, as I understand from all the fans I know (and from reading what I could stand of the series - the first two and a half novels), is one of the most annoying, obnoxious, unlikable main characters in recent literary history. No one likes her. However, the dangerous part is that many, many girls want to BE her.
Bella is a charicature of everything insulting anyone has ever thought about young women or teenagers. She is a know-it-all, she has poor self-esteem (to an insulting point), she is focused solely on appearances, she is a risk-taker, she is SELFISH beyond belief, she is deceitful to her parents, she does not think ahead, she hates school, and she plays with people's hearts "unknowingly". This is the girl that gets to win in the end of the series - she gets everything she wants. Although I would never want what she wants, the fans do, and they are listening. This is what they hear: It is okay to do dangerous things so long as they get you the attention of the boy you like. It is okay to lead on boys who genuinely like you simply because they are around and you are bored. It is okay to go off by yourself with someone who says they want to kill you. It is okay to let your boyfriend sneak in the house without your father's knowledge. It is okay to let him sleep in your room because YOU understand that he will do you no harm - there is no way that your parents might know better. It is okay to lie to your parents and take trips with strangers for a boy. It is actually sweet if this boy is stalking you because that means that he really cares. It's okay to take an after-school job only to never show up for it.
It is fine to not go to college if you would rather be in love.
Yeah, that last one gets to me, too. I'll come back to it.
I'm sure I don't have to explain why these are terrible lessons to learn at an early age. I also want to point out that the adults who read this and don't balk are (I hope, simply) not seeing stereotypes akin to racism. Just because people are young, simply because they are teenagers, does not mean that they are dishonest idiots. Maturity does occur at different rates, due to different circumstances and pathologies.
So aside from the obviously offensive, let's talk about the parts women play in these novels - namely Bella, of course, since the novels are written from her point of view.
Bella is an only child of a ditzy, irresponsible mother and a gruff, distanced father. They are divorced, but since Bella's mother has just remarried, Bella no longer feels responsible for her and chooses to move in with her father in Washington state. Bella's mother could not function without a man in her life. Bella did not feel as if her mother could live alone or independant at any point, but once a man was present to care for the weak, powerless woman, Bella left to do something that counteracts that statement - take care of her father.
The difference there is that by 'taking care' of her father, Bella cooks dinner. She cleans the house and keeps things organized for Charlie. When she remembers worrying about her mother, Bella recalls times of financial hardship, her mother's forgetfulness, the complete irresponsibility and unpredictability in her household. Since (I want to say her name is Annie?) got married, that is no longer a concern. When Bella worries about Charlie, she worries that he isn't eating well, that he sits around watching football too much, and that he's not dating. A wife would take care of his problems, fix his dinners and all that - so he needs a wife.
Bella is an object for which Edward cares. He openly considers her thoughtless, weak, powerless, reactionary, and he verbally and physically states over and over that she needs to be sheltered. In their relationship, it is obvious that she is to stay home (somewhere safe) and care for the house (as she does for Charlie - Edward is impressed by these skills), while he ventures out into the world, gaining multiple degrees. Edward enjoys Bella's fragility, remarking many times with amusement about how he could end her life with one wrong move. He likes that she requires him to move quickly; he finds her clumsiness and humanity to both be cute. Bella is his property - so much so that he even sits in her room every night, watching her sleep. This is even illustrated more at the climax of the first book, when James attacks Bella because he knows she 'belongs' to Edward.
Jacob "loves" Nessie, and as such he is mentioned as always wanting to care for and protect her. She is his object, and we know this because he imprinted on her.
The only other female characters who are essential to plot are Alice, who has her own skills, but uses them to serve the men in her life. She also is understood to belong to Jasper. And Esme, who belongs to Carlisle and acts as the perfect home mother. She has no profession, but she cares for the house and for the family for which she is the matriarch. She is held up in very high regard by all the characters in the novels that know her, in particular for her 'sweetness' and 'kindness' as a mother.
Another main focus of women in the novel is marriage and babies. All of the female characters have paired up/desire to pair up with a man. For those characters who are over a hundred years old, this is completely understandable. For those who are sixteen, this is unacceptable. Although I recognize that many sixteen year olds believe they found the love of their lives at that age, and that some even make lasting relationships with that person, it is not realistic. Giving people that age hope that sometimes these relationships DO succeed is irresponsible.
Now this part of my rant is a little sketchy - I haven't read Breaking Dawn. I do understand that there is a lot of baby talk in it. Bella finds out Rosalie has always wanted a baby. As a woman, she feels incomplete without a child. Edward suggests that Bella not have the baby out of concern for her safety, but Bella would feel incomplete without a child. Bella MUST have his child because that's what people in love do. Despite the fact that it has always been a health risk for her to be with Edward, and now his child could kill her, she loves him and must marry him and have a child because that is what is necessary in a loving relationship.
Aside from the roles of the characters, Bella's relationship with Edward is terrifying, to say the least. Bella lives for him, ignores all of her schoolwork, her friendships, her family. She no longer communicates with her mother (who I guess can't be bothered to pick up a phone in all her 'worry' but relies on e-mails) and her father only worries if dinner isn't on the table when he comes home. The friends she does make are expected to understand when she dumps them for time with Edward (and amazingly they do). Edward watches Bella through her windows at all hours, and when she discovers this she invites him to sit in her room instead of outside so he can watch her sleep close-up. Bella cannot be bothered to worry about things such as a college education because Edward might not be there. Bella has no interests outside marrying Edward and having his children and being with him forever.
I understand that there are elements of the story which are positive - I think it's an interesting way to avoid the issue of premarital or underage sex - I just wish the morals were supported in some form or fashion so that the hero of the story did not possess ten negative traits for one positive...and the waiting on sex thing isn't her idea, just so you know. It's Edward's, because Edward is the man, therefore he is wise and smart and following the correct order. It is Bella's duty to follow Edward, the man in her life, as he follows a proper path.
Ugh. This wouldn't be so obvious to me, or so unappealing, if I did not know several people who subscribe to a certain branch of religion that promotes all of the above. I consistently see people who are abused and put down by their faith because it follows those guidelines. It makes me insane to watch it, and I don't agree with the promotion of it - any of it. From the obvious distaste for young women (as shown by the depiction of Bella) to the promotion of goals for women (no college, just marriage or college as a path toward marriage - men you can go travel for a while in between), I have seen it time and again and I do not appreciate a guidebook being published and hawked to girls like my little sister, who only see it as a love story.
Sorry for the length of the rant, but someone set me off early today. Join me next time when my topic will either be:
Sarah Palin: An Experiment in America's Sexism
or
Clique - Were Girls' Books This Evil When I Was Young?
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
It's not where, but who you're with that really matters
I was sad to learn that LeRoi Moore died yesterday. LeRoi was the founding saxophone player in Dave Matthews Band, and while I may be loud about not liking their new stuff, I cannot deny that what he did in the past was impressive and outstanding. I cannot imagine the band or its sound will ever be the same.
LeRoi always wore sunglasses because he had paralyzing stage fright. He met Dave when Dave was bartending in Charlottesville. He was 46 years old.
I plan to listen to some of my favorite DMB stuff, particularly some bootlegs with saxophone solos that ranged anywhere from "Lucy and Linus" to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".
The greatest thing about these guys is that individually AND collectively they are incredible musicians with amazing improv abilities. He'll be missed.
LeRoi always wore sunglasses because he had paralyzing stage fright. He met Dave when Dave was bartending in Charlottesville. He was 46 years old.
I plan to listen to some of my favorite DMB stuff, particularly some bootlegs with saxophone solos that ranged anywhere from "Lucy and Linus" to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".
The greatest thing about these guys is that individually AND collectively they are incredible musicians with amazing improv abilities. He'll be missed.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Literature
I read a book Sunday that has left me in a low mood. It's called Never Let Me Go by Kazua Ishiguro. Obviously the novel was good or I couldn't have read it in a little over a day, but it was heartbreaking, and I'm a little surprised at the mental state in which it has left me. It's hard to read about people in a kind of darker mirror. That is, maybe the story was so disturbing because it is completely feasible to me, and yet I say I would never permit it. I'm sure there were people who said they would never permit slavery, too. It is very similar, though the kids in this story could easily have just left and taken up different lives - they basically would have fit in pre-donation - but they never considered it. They were raised not to consider it. They did what they were supposed to do, and in some way were proud of it.
Good, disturbing, well-written... definitely has left me cold.
Good, disturbing, well-written... definitely has left me cold.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
The Movie Question
I was recently asked to divulge what I consider to be the ten - fifteen best movies ever made. Movies I cannot live without. The girl with multiple shelves of movies finds this hard to imagine, yet if Courtney can do it, so can i! I think. So I am going to go through the thinking process of this.
The considerations: All the classics - movies I watched in Film as Lit, or even just at home on a Friday night that left me in chills, tears, or smiles. The Godfather, Titanic, Gone with the Wind, Forrest Gump, Pride & Prejudice, the Matrix...
The parts of my life: movies that are part of me, things I can quote daily if I need to - Clueless, Star Wars (IV-VI), Back to the Future, Bridget Jones' Diary, Miracle on 34th Street, Princess Bride
The guilty pleasures: Shrek 2, Enchanted, The Cutting Edge, and oh, Lord, the musicals.
As you can tell, this is very, very difficult for me... but I think I've got it down.
(in no particular order)
Movies that I cannot live without:
Love, Actually: This is a movie I adore, aside from its various imperfections, because I think this movie somehow contains the most wonderful depictions of many kinds of love. I may not agree with or understand it all, but the stories I do understand warm me. Maybe it's my life history in airports, but I just have this thing about them and the way the movie opens makes me tear up. Also, the soundtrack is brilliant, even given that horrible, ugly splice of two Maroon 5 songs. It's a really great Christmas movie with some unnecessary nudity. What a sentence.
Star Wars IV: A New Hope: I don't know if many people understand why or how much I really love this movie, but it's more what the movie is to me than the movie itself. Somehow a sci-fi type movie from the 70s was made and it doesn't look hideously out of date - even now. Think about other competitors like Tron and how horrible they look these days. The story is brilliant in this first edition, as we get to know Luke the whiny kid we can all understand. We're introduced to royals, magic, love, pirates, and spirituality. This movie gave me a true understanding of good vs. evil - before things become convoluted by lust, family, and ewoks. I learned that there is power beyond us, some that can be used for good and some for evil, and I learned that love exists beyond all boundaries, even if we're the only ones who can hear the voices guiding us. My heart still warms when I see Luke staring at the two suns of Tatooine and I hear the music that is his theme: this was the beginning of adventure to me when I was young and now it gives me that feeling of standing alone, young, eager for excitement and having no clue what was coming. He's a symbol of innocence, and no matter how they try to break him, Luke ends the film as the farm boy who shot womp rats in Beggar's Canyon back home.
West Side Story: This movie is everything I love about musicals. It's a tried and true story, combined with beautiful music, brilliant Sondheim lyrics, and wonderful - if often amusing - choreography. When I was younger I wanted to feel pretty, meet a perfect boy at a dance, and get married as I sang first soprano parts that I would never be able to hit. It's romantic and it's tragic - it's everything the inner-teenaged girl adores. More than that it is a time-appropriate revision of Romeo & Juliet, told in a way that was new to that generation, teaching a lesson that we have never wanted to learn.
Field of Dreams: I don't have a lot of words to describe this movie or why I love it, but haven't you ever just had a dream? Haven't you wanted something so badly that it actually keeps you awake at night and you can almost hear someone or something telling you to follow it? This story breaks my heart and builds me up at the same time. When all is said and done, sometimes there is nothing more in this world to want but a little time with that person and that thing, both of which made you who you are.
Signs: While I'm tearing up thinking of special movies, I think I should go ahead and talk about Signs, a movie that gets me teased on every top ten list I make that includes it. The truth is, I believe the internal story this movie is telling. I love the interactions between father and son, God and father. Aliens aside, this is a love story about a man whose death of faith was more damaging than the death of his wife. I do think one man, a man who inspired so many and could inspire so many more, is worth the 'damage' done. There is a plan, there is an endless circle of events, and for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. ...and some stupid biological rule about water.
Forrest Gump: This movie is just awesome. I'm smiling, thinking about it, but it's not completely happy. It's the everyman story that we all wish we had, and yet none of us would envy Forrest his position in life. One of the things that sticks out the most in this movie, aside from the amazing soundtrack, special effects, Academy Award worthy Gary Sinise performance, and the deeply moving love story, is the fact that while we, as Americans, are always willing to accept the death of people we respect for "no particular reason", as Forrest says, he could not get anyone to understand his simple act of running for "no particular reason". In fact, he just felt like it. It's amazing to think of all the little things we do in life that really mean so much to others, when to us it's just something we feel like doing. We each have a very burdensome responsibility in this world, whether we want it or not.
The Big Chill: I almost forgot this movie and replaced The Princess Bride with it. I do love The Princess Bride, but it's simply brilliant. The Big Chill is much more. Again, the acting is a huge part of this film, but more than that, it's something I loved as a teenager and didn't understand until I was out of college a few years. I watched this movie with someone who had experienced suicide personally, and I was never so thankful to share a movie moment with someone. Sounds like a downer, really, and there are rough moments, but there is so much humor and cleverness, and LOVE. Above all, this film is filled with love, and I don't think I've ever cried in it, even for a minute. That's a compliment.
Miracle on 34th Street: I love Christmas. How could I not? Have you MET my mother? :) This story, though, above all, is my favorite because it not only teaches us lessons about faith and believing in someone or something, it reminds us that even when you're not focusing on the religious aspect of the holiday, the love of that still exists. It's a great movie that beats cynicism, old-age, and commercialism while reminding us that magic can be real, just like love.
Pride & Prejudice (2005): Hands down, the most romantic movie I have ever, ever seen. I knew the story like the back of my hand when I saw it, and yet as Lizzie walked through Neverfield Park and Mr. Darcy appeared behind her, my stomach sank. The casting was pitch-perfect, the direction was beautiful. As a love/hate fan of Victorian England, I found myself wanting to just worship Joe Wright for Getting.It.Right. He lets Charlotte explain her position, he offers us the servants, he uses England perfectly, he shows us the pain of mistakes and lack of woman's position and authority. Kiera Knightly was incredible, Matthew McFayden was (in the word of Ben) a badass, Simon Woods was precious, Rosamunde Pike was radiant, and Donald Sutherland should've gotten a nomination.
Little Miss Sunshine: I saw this movie in the theatres, unsure of what to expect. I'm close to my family; I have a million and one memories of my brother and me in cars and on airplanes, keeping each other company during rough times. I love Olive and her brother because I see Stephen and me in them. (That's another reason I love Signs, by the way). I also love the compounded situation, the way everyone has to accept everyone else. It's funny, but I always cry, and there's nothing better than the last fifteen minutes of this film. PS I would marry Steve Carrell, and I think Ben would let me.
So what about you? What do you consider the top ten in your life?
for fun: my runners up
The Matrix - SO biblical in its first incarnation that I would've bet money Agent Smith hit Neo 39 times in the subway after the first time i saw it
American Beauty - Zen.
Equilibrium - censorship and idealism are not a good combination
V for Vendetta - appropriate and terrifying that it's appropriate for more than one time period (you mean that guy ISN'T supposed to be Bill O'Reilly?!)
Shakespeare in Love - BRILLIANT
Good Will Hunting - i love it so, so much.
When Harry Met Sally - I learned SO much from this movie... and i laugh when i think about it
Romeo & Juliet (1968) - beautiful
Moulin Rouge - i suppose this might be what taking acid is like... only not dangerous...really
The considerations: All the classics - movies I watched in Film as Lit, or even just at home on a Friday night that left me in chills, tears, or smiles. The Godfather, Titanic, Gone with the Wind, Forrest Gump, Pride & Prejudice, the Matrix...
The parts of my life: movies that are part of me, things I can quote daily if I need to - Clueless, Star Wars (IV-VI), Back to the Future, Bridget Jones' Diary, Miracle on 34th Street, Princess Bride
The guilty pleasures: Shrek 2, Enchanted, The Cutting Edge, and oh, Lord, the musicals.
As you can tell, this is very, very difficult for me... but I think I've got it down.
(in no particular order)
Movies that I cannot live without:
Love, Actually: This is a movie I adore, aside from its various imperfections, because I think this movie somehow contains the most wonderful depictions of many kinds of love. I may not agree with or understand it all, but the stories I do understand warm me. Maybe it's my life history in airports, but I just have this thing about them and the way the movie opens makes me tear up. Also, the soundtrack is brilliant, even given that horrible, ugly splice of two Maroon 5 songs. It's a really great Christmas movie with some unnecessary nudity. What a sentence.
Star Wars IV: A New Hope: I don't know if many people understand why or how much I really love this movie, but it's more what the movie is to me than the movie itself. Somehow a sci-fi type movie from the 70s was made and it doesn't look hideously out of date - even now. Think about other competitors like Tron and how horrible they look these days. The story is brilliant in this first edition, as we get to know Luke the whiny kid we can all understand. We're introduced to royals, magic, love, pirates, and spirituality. This movie gave me a true understanding of good vs. evil - before things become convoluted by lust, family, and ewoks. I learned that there is power beyond us, some that can be used for good and some for evil, and I learned that love exists beyond all boundaries, even if we're the only ones who can hear the voices guiding us. My heart still warms when I see Luke staring at the two suns of Tatooine and I hear the music that is his theme: this was the beginning of adventure to me when I was young and now it gives me that feeling of standing alone, young, eager for excitement and having no clue what was coming. He's a symbol of innocence, and no matter how they try to break him, Luke ends the film as the farm boy who shot womp rats in Beggar's Canyon back home.
West Side Story: This movie is everything I love about musicals. It's a tried and true story, combined with beautiful music, brilliant Sondheim lyrics, and wonderful - if often amusing - choreography. When I was younger I wanted to feel pretty, meet a perfect boy at a dance, and get married as I sang first soprano parts that I would never be able to hit. It's romantic and it's tragic - it's everything the inner-teenaged girl adores. More than that it is a time-appropriate revision of Romeo & Juliet, told in a way that was new to that generation, teaching a lesson that we have never wanted to learn.
Field of Dreams: I don't have a lot of words to describe this movie or why I love it, but haven't you ever just had a dream? Haven't you wanted something so badly that it actually keeps you awake at night and you can almost hear someone or something telling you to follow it? This story breaks my heart and builds me up at the same time. When all is said and done, sometimes there is nothing more in this world to want but a little time with that person and that thing, both of which made you who you are.
Signs: While I'm tearing up thinking of special movies, I think I should go ahead and talk about Signs, a movie that gets me teased on every top ten list I make that includes it. The truth is, I believe the internal story this movie is telling. I love the interactions between father and son, God and father. Aliens aside, this is a love story about a man whose death of faith was more damaging than the death of his wife. I do think one man, a man who inspired so many and could inspire so many more, is worth the 'damage' done. There is a plan, there is an endless circle of events, and for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. ...and some stupid biological rule about water.
Forrest Gump: This movie is just awesome. I'm smiling, thinking about it, but it's not completely happy. It's the everyman story that we all wish we had, and yet none of us would envy Forrest his position in life. One of the things that sticks out the most in this movie, aside from the amazing soundtrack, special effects, Academy Award worthy Gary Sinise performance, and the deeply moving love story, is the fact that while we, as Americans, are always willing to accept the death of people we respect for "no particular reason", as Forrest says, he could not get anyone to understand his simple act of running for "no particular reason". In fact, he just felt like it. It's amazing to think of all the little things we do in life that really mean so much to others, when to us it's just something we feel like doing. We each have a very burdensome responsibility in this world, whether we want it or not.
The Big Chill: I almost forgot this movie and replaced The Princess Bride with it. I do love The Princess Bride, but it's simply brilliant. The Big Chill is much more. Again, the acting is a huge part of this film, but more than that, it's something I loved as a teenager and didn't understand until I was out of college a few years. I watched this movie with someone who had experienced suicide personally, and I was never so thankful to share a movie moment with someone. Sounds like a downer, really, and there are rough moments, but there is so much humor and cleverness, and LOVE. Above all, this film is filled with love, and I don't think I've ever cried in it, even for a minute. That's a compliment.
Miracle on 34th Street: I love Christmas. How could I not? Have you MET my mother? :) This story, though, above all, is my favorite because it not only teaches us lessons about faith and believing in someone or something, it reminds us that even when you're not focusing on the religious aspect of the holiday, the love of that still exists. It's a great movie that beats cynicism, old-age, and commercialism while reminding us that magic can be real, just like love.
Pride & Prejudice (2005): Hands down, the most romantic movie I have ever, ever seen. I knew the story like the back of my hand when I saw it, and yet as Lizzie walked through Neverfield Park and Mr. Darcy appeared behind her, my stomach sank. The casting was pitch-perfect, the direction was beautiful. As a love/hate fan of Victorian England, I found myself wanting to just worship Joe Wright for Getting.It.Right. He lets Charlotte explain her position, he offers us the servants, he uses England perfectly, he shows us the pain of mistakes and lack of woman's position and authority. Kiera Knightly was incredible, Matthew McFayden was (in the word of Ben) a badass, Simon Woods was precious, Rosamunde Pike was radiant, and Donald Sutherland should've gotten a nomination.
Little Miss Sunshine: I saw this movie in the theatres, unsure of what to expect. I'm close to my family; I have a million and one memories of my brother and me in cars and on airplanes, keeping each other company during rough times. I love Olive and her brother because I see Stephen and me in them. (That's another reason I love Signs, by the way). I also love the compounded situation, the way everyone has to accept everyone else. It's funny, but I always cry, and there's nothing better than the last fifteen minutes of this film. PS I would marry Steve Carrell, and I think Ben would let me.
So what about you? What do you consider the top ten in your life?
for fun: my runners up
The Matrix - SO biblical in its first incarnation that I would've bet money Agent Smith hit Neo 39 times in the subway after the first time i saw it
American Beauty - Zen.
Equilibrium - censorship and idealism are not a good combination
V for Vendetta - appropriate and terrifying that it's appropriate for more than one time period (you mean that guy ISN'T supposed to be Bill O'Reilly?!)
Shakespeare in Love - BRILLIANT
Good Will Hunting - i love it so, so much.
When Harry Met Sally - I learned SO much from this movie... and i laugh when i think about it
Romeo & Juliet (1968) - beautiful
Moulin Rouge - i suppose this might be what taking acid is like... only not dangerous...really
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