So, tonight is the night for the 2009 Oscars. I'll probably DVR it, so I can later go back and watch the speeches and song performances that were worthwhile. A lot of the in between stuff just feels lik filler, so it's often boring to sit down and watch it straight through. In anticipation of the results, here's who I'm predicting and/or rooting for in some key categories:
Actor in a Leading Role
Having just seen The Wrestler last night, I'm rooting for Mickey Rourke. Gosh, he brings so much genuine emotion to a character who, in my opinion, is discovering his humanity for the first time in his life. However, I just saw that Brad Pitt has only been nominated for one Oscar. Really? He's definitely more than a pretty boy, and is so talented in any role that he plays, that it astounds me that this is only his second nomination. So, he's my second choice for winning. Somehow though, I predict that Sean Penn is going to win. I haven't seen Milk yet, but based on his previous work, he'd certainly be deserving, though I'd be more excited for Mickey Rourke or Brad Pitt who haven't yet enjoyed a win.
Actress in a Leading Role
Sadly, I haven't seen any of these nominated performances yet, but my heart is with Kate Winslet. This is her sixth nomination, and she deserves the accolades for her body of work. Come on Academy, don't pull a Susan Lucci on us and keep nominating her if you're not going to award her soon. She's got tough competition against Meryl Streep, who I personally is rather overrated. I feel like there are just never enough good leading actress roles in any given year, which is why I think Angelie Jolie got nominated for a what was probably a great performance in a mediocre film (with only a 61% fresh rating from Rotten Tomatoes).
Actor in a Supporting Role
Ever since his death, I'd been saying that Heath Ledger would get nominated for a posthumous Oscar. And in a way, I hope he wins, which would certainly help seal his status as an iconic talent who died too young, ala James Dean.
Actress in a Supporting Role
Honestly, I'm having a hard time picking a favorite in this category. I'll go for a threeway with Amy Adams - Taraji P. Henson - Marisa Tomei being my favorites. I'm not predicting that any of them will win though, as I really don't know who to predict. I haven't seen Doubt, but Viola Davis does seem to have a lot of buzz, and Penelope Cruz seems like a formidable opponent to be up against.
Animated Feature Film
If WALL-E doesn't win, then there's just no justice in the world and I will never have faith in the academy again. I do wonder, if this category hadn't been created a few years ago, would WALL-I have been nominated for Best Picture? I think that it would have, though I doubt it would have won, though I think it would have been deserving of the win.
Documentary Feature
I haven't seen any of these, but I would love to watch some of them - Man on Wire, Trouble the Water, and Encounters at the End of the World sound especially fascinating.
Foreign Lanuage Film
Again, haven't seen any of these, but I'm interested in Waltz with Bashir, The Class, and the Baader Meinhof Complex.
Music (Score)
I'm torn between Thomas Newman (WALL-E) and A. R. Rahmen (Slumdog Millionaire). My Indian friends tell me that Rahmen's scores for previous films were better, but these films never gained much following outside of India, so this is like this talented composer's one shot at winning that coveted statue. Thomas Newman is definitely deserving for his work on WALL-E, as I feel like the music really made the film, more so than with Slumdog, but he is likely to be nominated again.
Music (Song)
My vote is for "O Saya" from Slumdog Millionaire by A. R. Rahmen and M.I.A. Man, the performances for both this and "Jai Ho" are going to be awesome to watch.
Visual Effects
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. This film just wouldn't have been what it was without the incredible aging/youthing of Brad Pitt.
Best Picture
Given that perhaps the true best picture of the year is in another category, which of these films is really deserving of this title? I feel like it's been a relatively weak film year, and I have trouble wanting to bestow this award on any film this year. Even Roger Ebert didn't declare a best picture, he just listed his 20 best films of the year, instead of of ranked top 10. Really, even the nation's most well-known film critic can't pick a number one film of the year? Well, I am going to pick my favorite - Slumdog Millionaire. If you haven't seen it, then you should by now. It's hard for me to pinpoint what exactly I like about it, but it's a great story with fascinating characters, beautifully made, and I know that I could watch it repeatedly.
Directing
My goodness, is this category filled with amazing individuals with a great body of work! Ron Howard (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, the rumored Arrested Development Film), Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting), Stephen Daldry (The Hours, Billy Elliott), plus the never before nominated David Fincher (Fight Club, Se7en) and Danny Boyle (Millions, Trainspotting)! Really, any of these men are worthy of the award. It seems like it generally follows that the winner in this category will win best picture, soooooo . . . Go Danny Boyle, Go!
Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - Simon Beaufoy for Slumdog Millionaire
Writing (Original Screenplay) - Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon for WALL-E
Ok, I totally just copped out on those last two and selected my two favorite films among all of the nominees.
Showing posts with label film. Show all posts
Showing posts with label film. Show all posts
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
it is written
I've been back for over a week now, and wondering how to restart this blog thing again. Whenever I go away from it, it's always a little hard to know how to return. I've gotten out of the groove, and I lack inspiration. I know that you would probably enjoy reading about my trip, and I'd like to write more about it, but it's hard to know what to write without it becoming a list of my itinerary, and Ben has already written some great posts about Amsterdam, that what could my writings add? My perspective, I suppose, but a lot of my perspective from the trip is best shared one-on-one, and not through a blog. Instead, I found other inspiration this morning.
Last night, I saw Slumdog Millionaire. If you haven't seen it, please see it as soon as possible! I'm going to do my best to talk vaguely about plots points and avoid giving any spoilers, but if you'd prefer to wait to read this until you've seen it, then wait. One of the friends I'd seen it with had already seen it before, and she told me about things that she hadn't noticed the first time, like the depth and complexity of one of the main characters, and how even from childhood, you see the changes that this character undergoes.
This morning, I found myself thinking about the female character from Slumdog, Latika. This movie is many things, and it is most definitely a rescuing the damsel in distress story. When I reflected on that this morning, at first it irked my quasi-feministic side. Why couldn't Latika rescue herself? Why was she so dang submissive toward the men in her life? Why couldn't she have been a more dynamic character, like the boys in the film? But the more I thought about it, she was indeed a complex character. I believe that feminism is about choice, and at a key point in the movie, Latika makes a difficult choice, a choice that probably saves someone else's life, and a choice that leads her to continue her life of submission and degradation by men.
I continued to reflect on this damsel in distress aspect of the plot more, and thought that really, it was a beautiful love story. In our heart of hearts, all women (and probably men too) want this kind of love, of a man who never forgets her. Years may pass, but she is still the love of his life, and he continues searching for her, and will never be satisfied until his love is safe in his arms. He's willing to put himself through danger, and do whatever it takes to be with her. A couple of times in the film, someone asks, "What? Not her again," and encourages the main character to give up on chasing after her. Yes, her, who else but her? No one will compare, and he will continue after her, never giving up hope that they will be together again. Gosh, who doesn't want that?
And I've never been one to get a lot out of the imagery of Christ as the bridegroom, and the church as the bride, but thinking about this film this morning, that image clicked with me. I saw the gospel in this film. I saw a woman, so defiled, so degraded, living with the enemy, first being forced into this awful lifestyle, and then choosing to stay in it. And I saw a man, who loves her infinitely, and more than that, he looks at her and doesn't see her lifestyle, doesn't see the ugliness of her actions and the actions against her, but he sees her for who she is, he sees her as beautiful and pure, and because he does, that is how us, the audience sees her. She's radiant and gorgeous.
Last night, I saw Slumdog Millionaire. If you haven't seen it, please see it as soon as possible! I'm going to do my best to talk vaguely about plots points and avoid giving any spoilers, but if you'd prefer to wait to read this until you've seen it, then wait. One of the friends I'd seen it with had already seen it before, and she told me about things that she hadn't noticed the first time, like the depth and complexity of one of the main characters, and how even from childhood, you see the changes that this character undergoes.
This morning, I found myself thinking about the female character from Slumdog, Latika. This movie is many things, and it is most definitely a rescuing the damsel in distress story. When I reflected on that this morning, at first it irked my quasi-feministic side. Why couldn't Latika rescue herself? Why was she so dang submissive toward the men in her life? Why couldn't she have been a more dynamic character, like the boys in the film? But the more I thought about it, she was indeed a complex character. I believe that feminism is about choice, and at a key point in the movie, Latika makes a difficult choice, a choice that probably saves someone else's life, and a choice that leads her to continue her life of submission and degradation by men.
I continued to reflect on this damsel in distress aspect of the plot more, and thought that really, it was a beautiful love story. In our heart of hearts, all women (and probably men too) want this kind of love, of a man who never forgets her. Years may pass, but she is still the love of his life, and he continues searching for her, and will never be satisfied until his love is safe in his arms. He's willing to put himself through danger, and do whatever it takes to be with her. A couple of times in the film, someone asks, "What? Not her again," and encourages the main character to give up on chasing after her. Yes, her, who else but her? No one will compare, and he will continue after her, never giving up hope that they will be together again. Gosh, who doesn't want that?
And I've never been one to get a lot out of the imagery of Christ as the bridegroom, and the church as the bride, but thinking about this film this morning, that image clicked with me. I saw the gospel in this film. I saw a woman, so defiled, so degraded, living with the enemy, first being forced into this awful lifestyle, and then choosing to stay in it. And I saw a man, who loves her infinitely, and more than that, he looks at her and doesn't see her lifestyle, doesn't see the ugliness of her actions and the actions against her, but he sees her for who she is, he sees her as beautiful and pure, and because he does, that is how us, the audience sees her. She's radiant and gorgeous.
Monday, September 22, 2008
summer movies 2008
Summer Movie Season 2008, I really expected more from you. There were plenty of films you offered that I had been awaiting: Prince Caspian, the latest Indiana Jones film, the newest M. Night Shymalan picture, a new installment of the X-Files, and of course, the Dark Knight. Out of those much anticipated films, only the Dark Knight lived up to my expectations. I didn't even see The Happening or the new X-Files film because of bad reviews of lack of interest among my friends. I saw 7 movies this summer season, well, 8 if you count the movie that I saw twice. This is really pretty low, especially considering that movies here in BCS only cost $4, and most of those films I saw in the much more expensive DFW. Out of the films that I did see, here are my thoughts:
Prince Caspian - 2.5/5 I was really, really excited about this one! Such a let down :( It was entertaining enough, but this film tried too hard to be entertaining and action-packed and really downplayed the themes of the book. There was no real sense of wonder about Narnia and Aslan that I felt was present in the first film. Instead, there were lots of battle scenes with mythical creatures (that LOTR already did and much better), a whiny Prince Caspian with an awful accent, and a pointless "love" story that never belonged in this film. There were some highlights, such as Eddie Izzard voicing Reepicheep and a Regina Spektor song at the end. Were I to rewatch it, it would be for the Reepicheep scenes, but I'd be cringing through much of it.
Sex & The City - 4/5 I loved this film! Saw it opening night, and had such a blast! I highly recommend it to all my female readers, but warn my male readers to stay far away. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because of the unnecessary drama that constituted the main plot. I mean really, why can't you people just talk to one another? Ugh, it frustrates me.
Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - 4/5 Pure popcorn entertainment, but I enjoyed every minute of it! Was it cheesy at times? Yes. Was it over the top? Absolutely. But I didn't care, because it was Indiana Jones back in action, and I feel what whatever situation his character is in, he's entertaining. It could be Indiana Jones and the Broken Toaster and I'd still watch it and be entertained. Among the 4 Indiana Jones films, this one probably ranks 3rd, but a 3rd-rate Indiana Jones film is still an Indiana Jones film.
Kung Fu Panda - 4.5/5 Pure, hilarious entertainment. I really love Jack Black. I really really love Jack Black when he plays silly fanboy, which he certainly did in this film. I also loved Dustin Hoffman, and some of my favorite scenes were when their characters were playing off of one another. This was a great silly film that actually made you feel a little for the characters. Nothing Oscar worthy or particularly memorable, but I'd watch it again, and I'll buy it for my kids someday.
Wanted - 3.5/5 Saw it on a whim on a rainy Monday evening, and enjoyed it much more than I anticipated. I found myself really enjoying the first half of it, watching James McAvoy play an anxious loser trying to become an assassin was just hilarious. However, the second half of the film became less interesting and more cliche, just still entertaining. Overall, it was a good summer action flick, and much more fun than I expected.
The Dark Knight - 5/5 Do I really have to say why I liked it? Heath Ledger was amazing and I hope he gets nominated for Best Supporting Actor this year. I also enjoyed how Batman became the "Dark Knight," the good scapegoat who allows himself to be seen as evil for the betterment of Gotham City. My only complaint is that it was sooooo long. I really thought that the film was almost over when they were still an hour left. Did anyone else feel like there were two climatic endings in this film? Still, it's not really a complaint, because I would have been satisfied with the "first" ending, but I was happy to receive more :)
Mama Mia - 5/5 Loved it! I'm really a sucker for musicals, and I loved the ABBA music, and the dancing, the excitement, and Meryl Streep, and Colin Firth (adorable), and Pierce Brosnon, even though he can't sing. I actually saw it twice in the same weekend. The second time was for my friend's birthday, stepbrothers was sold out, so she wanted to see this, and while I didn't enjoy shelling out the money, I still really enjoyed it the second time around! It's not for everyone, and it's ridiculously cheesy in some parts, but I really loved it, cheese and all. If you haven't seen it yet, take a chance on mama mia!
I must have stopped while I was ahead, because I didn't see any other Summer 2008 films. I would still like to see Wall-E and Ironman. And maybe Pineapple Express or Tropic Thunder. Or maybe I'll just rent all of those. I've seen a couple of films since the summer season ended, the Rocker, which don't go see, I don't care how much you think you love Rainn Wilson on the Office, it's not worth your time. I also saw Burn After Reading this past weekend, and rather enjoyed it. It was really, really funny, especially Brad Pitt's character. But I will warn you, it's dark and twisted and a lot of things happen that are just like, "WTF?" But it's the Cohen Brothers, and I think that most of my blog readers would enjoy it.
Prince Caspian - 2.5/5 I was really, really excited about this one! Such a let down :( It was entertaining enough, but this film tried too hard to be entertaining and action-packed and really downplayed the themes of the book. There was no real sense of wonder about Narnia and Aslan that I felt was present in the first film. Instead, there were lots of battle scenes with mythical creatures (that LOTR already did and much better), a whiny Prince Caspian with an awful accent, and a pointless "love" story that never belonged in this film. There were some highlights, such as Eddie Izzard voicing Reepicheep and a Regina Spektor song at the end. Were I to rewatch it, it would be for the Reepicheep scenes, but I'd be cringing through much of it.
Sex & The City - 4/5 I loved this film! Saw it opening night, and had such a blast! I highly recommend it to all my female readers, but warn my male readers to stay far away. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because of the unnecessary drama that constituted the main plot. I mean really, why can't you people just talk to one another? Ugh, it frustrates me.
Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - 4/5 Pure popcorn entertainment, but I enjoyed every minute of it! Was it cheesy at times? Yes. Was it over the top? Absolutely. But I didn't care, because it was Indiana Jones back in action, and I feel what whatever situation his character is in, he's entertaining. It could be Indiana Jones and the Broken Toaster and I'd still watch it and be entertained. Among the 4 Indiana Jones films, this one probably ranks 3rd, but a 3rd-rate Indiana Jones film is still an Indiana Jones film.
Kung Fu Panda - 4.5/5 Pure, hilarious entertainment. I really love Jack Black. I really really love Jack Black when he plays silly fanboy, which he certainly did in this film. I also loved Dustin Hoffman, and some of my favorite scenes were when their characters were playing off of one another. This was a great silly film that actually made you feel a little for the characters. Nothing Oscar worthy or particularly memorable, but I'd watch it again, and I'll buy it for my kids someday.
Wanted - 3.5/5 Saw it on a whim on a rainy Monday evening, and enjoyed it much more than I anticipated. I found myself really enjoying the first half of it, watching James McAvoy play an anxious loser trying to become an assassin was just hilarious. However, the second half of the film became less interesting and more cliche, just still entertaining. Overall, it was a good summer action flick, and much more fun than I expected.
The Dark Knight - 5/5 Do I really have to say why I liked it? Heath Ledger was amazing and I hope he gets nominated for Best Supporting Actor this year. I also enjoyed how Batman became the "Dark Knight," the good scapegoat who allows himself to be seen as evil for the betterment of Gotham City. My only complaint is that it was sooooo long. I really thought that the film was almost over when they were still an hour left. Did anyone else feel like there were two climatic endings in this film? Still, it's not really a complaint, because I would have been satisfied with the "first" ending, but I was happy to receive more :)
Mama Mia - 5/5 Loved it! I'm really a sucker for musicals, and I loved the ABBA music, and the dancing, the excitement, and Meryl Streep, and Colin Firth (adorable), and Pierce Brosnon, even though he can't sing. I actually saw it twice in the same weekend. The second time was for my friend's birthday, stepbrothers was sold out, so she wanted to see this, and while I didn't enjoy shelling out the money, I still really enjoyed it the second time around! It's not for everyone, and it's ridiculously cheesy in some parts, but I really loved it, cheese and all. If you haven't seen it yet, take a chance on mama mia!
I must have stopped while I was ahead, because I didn't see any other Summer 2008 films. I would still like to see Wall-E and Ironman. And maybe Pineapple Express or Tropic Thunder. Or maybe I'll just rent all of those. I've seen a couple of films since the summer season ended, the Rocker, which don't go see, I don't care how much you think you love Rainn Wilson on the Office, it's not worth your time. I also saw Burn After Reading this past weekend, and rather enjoyed it. It was really, really funny, especially Brad Pitt's character. But I will warn you, it's dark and twisted and a lot of things happen that are just like, "WTF?" But it's the Cohen Brothers, and I think that most of my blog readers would enjoy it.
Monday, August 04, 2008
here I go again, my my, how could I resist you?
So, it's almost 11pm, I'm spending what I thought would be my first night alone in my new house, baking cookies, emailing folks, calling friends, watching movie trailers (Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, RocknRolla, W., Pineapple Express, etc), when I hear the jiggling of a door handle. I probably had a few armhairs that stood on end, but instead of going into panic mode, I managed to call out, "Hello?"Turns out it was my fourth roommate who I hadn't met yet! She's only in town for a few days, but then again so am I, so it looks like I won't be alone during this time afterall! It is kinda weird for us to just meet like this. Basically, my other roommates are a girl I knew from church, her best friend/roommate, and this fourth girl is a friend of the girl I know from church's best friend. But it's nice to finally meet her, but odd that it wasn't an introduction from the other girls. Oh well! Perhaps it's good to get to know her this way, just one on one, without the mediating friends. Or it could just be awkward.
First impression: she seems nice, and is pretty. She looks like Amanda Seyfield from Mamma Mia, which was wonderful, if you love musicals, you should see it.
Even if the next few days are kinda weird having this new roommate that I don't know at all around, it's a good change. I've spent all summer living alone, and before that, 9 months living with a roommate who stayed in her room with the door closed 95% of the time. I need more social interaction and activity my living quarters. Though I don't know these girls all that well, I'm very hopeful about this being a good living situation. The one girl I know from church is just really kind, genuine, mature, and fun. I don't know why, but every time I talk with her, I get a good vibe from her. I feel like I can be at ease around her, which is a good quality in a roommate, and hopefully friend. I really wanted to live with friends this year, but if I can make friends with the people that I'm living with, then that's just as good, if not better.
In addition to the roommates, this room, house, neighborhood, and location are all really sweet. My room is HUGE because it used to be a garage, which means that I can fit all my furniture (desk, dresser, chest of drawers) and upgraded to a full-sized bed and it doesn't feel crowded, and I have my own bathroom. I have downgraded to a shower instead of a full bath, but I never take baths anyway. The house is wonderful. It's old and full of character, which sounds like a euphemism for ugly ("has a great personality"), but in this case, it's really not. Maybe I'll post some pictures, but for now, imagine original hardwood floors throughout most of the house, tastefully colorfully painted walls, a couple of cute pocket doors here and there, kitchen cabinets with unique treasures abounding (pull out drawers? turntable corners? pull out pot hangers?), and the house is spacious, with a living room/dining room, kitchen, then an extra "common room" where the other girls put their desks. This common room/kitchen area is really great, as lots of light spills in from the backyard.
Oh, and the backyard! It's huge, and shady, and I've already started a morning sitting out back drinking my coffee. It's so peaceful, I never used my backyard at the previous house because it was small, and hot, and no decent furniture, and there was a hyper dog, but this backyard is one that I can actually see myself enjoying. I love this neighborhood. It's all older, well-kept homes, and every yard has huge trees, so there lots of shade and greenery. And it's quiet, so you can hear birds. The wildlife is just great, I've watched squirrels playing, and seen dogs and cats around. Our next door neighbors have too adorable puppies that I can stick my fingers through the chainlink fence to pet. By far, the best animal of the neighborhood is Mutant Cat. Mutant Cat has an extra toe on each foot that looks like a thumb, is missing its tail, has a strange bump on its back, drools excessively, and is exceptionally friendly. Mutant Cat has Friend Kitty, who seems to be Mutant Cat's shy sidekick. I see them together quite frequently.
From what I can tell, there seem to be more families than college students living in this neighborhood, and it seems more diverse. I've seen an old woman in hair curlers out watering her yard one night, a couple of black preteen girls riding their bicycles around. A family from my church, the one who the husband is a psychologist that I've mentioned, lives right around the street, and the wife has a few times encouraged me to literally just drop by. When I get my bike back, I'll have to try out this "dropping by" thing and see how it works out.
Finally, there's the location. I drove to campus and parked today in about five minutes, as its about half a mile away, and it's about five minutes from the clinic where I see clients. Phenomenal. Before today, I was a commuter. Once I drove to campus, I'd stay around that area, never going home until my day was over. Today, I went home between work and clients and showered. I would have never done this at my old location, unless I had three + hours to spare. And while I was home, a friend from church rode his bike over here to collect a check I've been meaning to give him for this camp that he sent some kids to. How cool. I cannot remember the last time that I had a friend ride a bike to my house that didn't already live on my street. I can totally dig this.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Fantasy Film Festival!!!!
My friend RC over at Strange Culture posted about how Diablo Cody has chosen 12 of her favorite films to be shown in a film series at the New Beverly Cinema, and he invited us to comment and asked us If you were making your own repertory cinema list what would you have to include?
So, I've given it some thought, and instead of 12 films, I've picked 14 for a week-long fantasy film festival. Here are my picks:
Subtle Romance:
Say Anything
Once
"Thrillers":
Unbreakable
Memento
London Love:
About a Boy
Love Actually
Family Dramas:
The Squid and the Whale
Ordinary People
Dramedies:
Murderball
Little Miss Sunshine
Coming of Age Dramas:
Motorcycle Diaries
The Graduate
Bring the Kids:
Sandlot
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971 version starring Gene Wilder)
I considered combining Sandlot and Murderball under the same night as Sports Films, and placing Young Frankenstein (another Gene Wilder gem to replace Willy Wonka) alongside Little Miss Sunshine, but thinking of the audience, I wouldn't want kids watching the rated R Murderball. I also considered including Moulin Rouge, the Sound of Music, the Princess Bride, and Army of Darkness. I guess I could have extended my film festival another couple of nights with "Horror Satire Comedies: Army of Darkness, Young Frankenstein" and "Musicals: Moulin Rouge, The Sound of Music." On the subject of satires, why didn't I include any Christopher Guest films? I also considered A Christmas Story as a favorite kids film. I also could have included another drama category with films like The 25th Hour, The Usual Suspects, and Mystic River. Oh well, there are just too many movies out there that I love and want everyone I know to watch!
This film festival idea reminds me of a couple of childhood memories. First, my cousin used to come visit most summers and when we were young we would place movie theatre with rented movies. We could make tickets for each of the films we were watching, and sell them to our stuffed animals, who became the audience. Secondly, in middle school and high school, my friends and I would have sleepovers and often picked themes for the films we would watch. For example, we once had a "Mentally Challenged Sleepover" and watched Forrest Gump and Rainman. Fun times all around.
So, what are your thoughts on my picks, and what would be your choices if you were given an opportunity like Diablo Cody?
So, I've given it some thought, and instead of 12 films, I've picked 14 for a week-long fantasy film festival. Here are my picks:
Subtle Romance:
Say Anything
Once
"Thrillers":
Unbreakable
Memento
London Love:
About a Boy
Love Actually
Family Dramas:
The Squid and the Whale
Ordinary People
Dramedies:
Murderball
Little Miss Sunshine
Coming of Age Dramas:
Motorcycle Diaries
The Graduate
Bring the Kids:
Sandlot
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971 version starring Gene Wilder)
I considered combining Sandlot and Murderball under the same night as Sports Films, and placing Young Frankenstein (another Gene Wilder gem to replace Willy Wonka) alongside Little Miss Sunshine, but thinking of the audience, I wouldn't want kids watching the rated R Murderball. I also considered including Moulin Rouge, the Sound of Music, the Princess Bride, and Army of Darkness. I guess I could have extended my film festival another couple of nights with "Horror Satire Comedies: Army of Darkness, Young Frankenstein" and "Musicals: Moulin Rouge, The Sound of Music." On the subject of satires, why didn't I include any Christopher Guest films? I also considered A Christmas Story as a favorite kids film. I also could have included another drama category with films like The 25th Hour, The Usual Suspects, and Mystic River. Oh well, there are just too many movies out there that I love and want everyone I know to watch!
This film festival idea reminds me of a couple of childhood memories. First, my cousin used to come visit most summers and when we were young we would place movie theatre with rented movies. We could make tickets for each of the films we were watching, and sell them to our stuffed animals, who became the audience. Secondly, in middle school and high school, my friends and I would have sleepovers and often picked themes for the films we would watch. For example, we once had a "Mentally Challenged Sleepover" and watched Forrest Gump and Rainman. Fun times all around.
So, what are your thoughts on my picks, and what would be your choices if you were given an opportunity like Diablo Cody?
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Fathers in Film: My Fantasy?
Sorta a Dads in Media follow up.
Two days ago, my friend and I were walking around Target, when we got on the conversation of Jack Black. She mentioned his role in The Holiday, so I had to ask,
Me: Who would you have preferred, Jude Law's character, or Jack Black's character?
Her: Oh, Jack Black's, definitely!
Me: Good, me too!
Her: Jude Law's character really did nothing for me. Well, except when he was with his daughters. That was kind of appealing.
Me: Yeah, but even with that, I definitely would have picked Jack Black over him.
Her: So, what movie character would you most want to be with?
Hmm, this was a tough question. I started thinking through my favorite movies, especially romantic movies. Lloyd Dobbler from Say Anything first came to mind, and as much as I love that fillm, I would never ever want that relationship. Then I thought of Glen Hansard's character from Once, but once again, I felt no strong draw toward him. All these young, romantic guys, but none of them seemed to have much depth or maturity to make me actually want to be in a relationship with them. After two strikes, I had an answer.
Me: Maybe Steve Carrell's character from Dan in Real Life?
Her: Really? I could see that.
Me: Yeah, he's funny and romantic, but he's also a great father and really loves his family.
I began thinking through more of my favorite movies . . .
Me: And maybe Mel Gibson's character from Signs, but at the end of the movie, not before then.
Her: Huh, interesting that you picked two fathers. Is your biological clock ticking?
Me: Haha, no, I don't think so. It's just that when I think of younger men from movies I like, none of them seem to have much depth or maturity. These characters are mature*, and have depth, and life experience, and because they're fathers and love their children, you know that they're responsible and capable of being in a loving, committed relationship.
Her: True, you're right. Even Ewan McGregor's character from Moulin Rouge, he's so great, but I wouldn't actually want to be in a relationship with him. He'd be too emotional for me.
Interesting that both these characters I mentioned were widows, and even the one aspect of Jude Law's character that we liked was him being a widowed father. I saw The Holiday in the dollar theatre with this same friend, and I remember the scene where Cameron Diaz discovers about his children, she asks, "Divorced?" He replied, "Widowed," and my friend immediately said, "That's hot!"
It's interesting that whenever Hollywood portrays a father as a romantic lead, he's almost always widowed, not divorced. Can you think of any divorced fathers as romantic characters? Harry from When Harry Met Sally was divorced, but had no children. This probably isn't true to our society, there are probably many more divorced fathers than widowed fathers, but perhaps widowed fathers are more likely to actually be raising their children, whereas in most divorces, mom has the custody. But I think it's more than that, I don't think Hollywood likes the idea of divorced parents with children as romantic leads. There's just too much baggage, the heroine would have to worry about the ex-wife and the kids' mom, just make the mom dead, and all is fair game! Don't worry about whether or not the father and his children have resolved their grief, she's not in the picture, he's a safe and appealing romantic lead. When I try to think of a movie about a divorced dad, I first think of Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire, but I don't think he had any romance in the film. Let's face it, widowers hot, divorcees not.
Still, it's interesting to me that the most appealing men in cinema are fathers. Sure, almost every film has some sort of attractive male lead with desirable qualities. But despite how attractive they may be to me, these young, single men always have some deadly flaw: they're too cocky, too emotional, too needy, too scared, too immature etc. But add some children to that hollywood picture, and those flaws are instantly balanced with responsibility, love, trust, and (gasp!) maturity. Even the most noble and heroic men in film (Wesley from the Princess Bride, Aragon from LOTR, etc), exist in worlds so different from my own, while I can easily fantasize about being Buttercup or Arwen (I actually do fantasize about being Arwen, but for spiritual, not romantic reasons), I just can't imagine one of these men here in my world, with me. Seriously, what would Aragon be to me here in College Station, TX? He wouldn't be the rightful king, saving hobbits, racing his horse, wielding his sword. Seriously, what would he be doing? Would he be in the Corps? Heaven help me, please no! Anything that was appealing about him is completely lost in translation.
Same goes with action heroes. Does any girl really have an actual crush on James Bond? Action heroes are made to fulfill men's fantasies, not women's. Though I have to admit, Indiana Jones wouldn't make such a bad partner. Were Indy just a whip wielding treasure hunter adventurer, he wouldn't hold much appeal for me. But no, Indy is also Dr. Jones, the professor. So there we go, my desire for adventure, danger, confidence, excitement, fun, humor, romance, and sex appeal, balanced with intelligence, a little nerdiness, depth, responsibility, making a difference in other's lives, etc. I'm feeling pretty good about this choice, especially if Dr. Jones brought his whip to the honeymoon ;)
*Thinking about it now, I'm not sure that all of Steve Carrell's actions in Dan in Real Life could be described as "mature," though he was a pretty swell father and a loving man.
Two days ago, my friend and I were walking around Target, when we got on the conversation of Jack Black. She mentioned his role in The Holiday, so I had to ask,Me: Who would you have preferred, Jude Law's character, or Jack Black's character?
Her: Oh, Jack Black's, definitely!
Me: Good, me too!
Her: Jude Law's character really did nothing for me. Well, except when he was with his daughters. That was kind of appealing.
Me: Yeah, but even with that, I definitely would have picked Jack Black over him.
Her: So, what movie character would you most want to be with?
Hmm, this was a tough question. I started thinking through my favorite movies, especially romantic movies. Lloyd Dobbler from Say Anything first came to mind, and as much as I love that fillm, I would never ever want that relationship. Then I thought of Glen Hansard's character from Once, but once again, I felt no strong draw toward him. All these young, romantic guys, but none of them seemed to have much depth or maturity to make me actually want to be in a relationship with them. After two strikes, I had an answer.
Me: Maybe Steve Carrell's character from Dan in Real Life?
Her: Really? I could see that.
Me: Yeah, he's funny and romantic, but he's also a great father and really loves his family.
I began thinking through more of my favorite movies . . .
Me: And maybe Mel Gibson's character from Signs, but at the end of the movie, not before then.Her: Huh, interesting that you picked two fathers. Is your biological clock ticking?
Me: Haha, no, I don't think so. It's just that when I think of younger men from movies I like, none of them seem to have much depth or maturity. These characters are mature*, and have depth, and life experience, and because they're fathers and love their children, you know that they're responsible and capable of being in a loving, committed relationship.
Her: True, you're right. Even Ewan McGregor's character from Moulin Rouge, he's so great, but I wouldn't actually want to be in a relationship with him. He'd be too emotional for me.
Interesting that both these characters I mentioned were widows, and even the one aspect of Jude Law's character that we liked was him being a widowed father. I saw The Holiday in the dollar theatre with this same friend, and I remember the scene where Cameron Diaz discovers about his children, she asks, "Divorced?" He replied, "Widowed," and my friend immediately said, "That's hot!"
It's interesting that whenever Hollywood portrays a father as a romantic lead, he's almost always widowed, not divorced. Can you think of any divorced fathers as romantic characters? Harry from When Harry Met Sally was divorced, but had no children. This probably isn't true to our society, there are probably many more divorced fathers than widowed fathers, but perhaps widowed fathers are more likely to actually be raising their children, whereas in most divorces, mom has the custody. But I think it's more than that, I don't think Hollywood likes the idea of divorced parents with children as romantic leads. There's just too much baggage, the heroine would have to worry about the ex-wife and the kids' mom, just make the mom dead, and all is fair game! Don't worry about whether or not the father and his children have resolved their grief, she's not in the picture, he's a safe and appealing romantic lead. When I try to think of a movie about a divorced dad, I first think of Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire, but I don't think he had any romance in the film. Let's face it, widowers hot, divorcees not.
Still, it's interesting to me that the most appealing men in cinema are fathers. Sure, almost every film has some sort of attractive male lead with desirable qualities. But despite how attractive they may be to me, these young, single men always have some deadly flaw: they're too cocky, too emotional, too needy, too scared, too immature etc. But add some children to that hollywood picture, and those flaws are instantly balanced with responsibility, love, trust, and (gasp!) maturity. Even the most noble and heroic men in film (Wesley from the Princess Bride, Aragon from LOTR, etc), exist in worlds so different from my own, while I can easily fantasize about being Buttercup or Arwen (I actually do fantasize about being Arwen, but for spiritual, not romantic reasons), I just can't imagine one of these men here in my world, with me. Seriously, what would Aragon be to me here in College Station, TX? He wouldn't be the rightful king, saving hobbits, racing his horse, wielding his sword. Seriously, what would he be doing? Would he be in the Corps? Heaven help me, please no! Anything that was appealing about him is completely lost in translation.
Same goes with action heroes. Does any girl really have an actual crush on James Bond? Action heroes are made to fulfill men's fantasies, not women's. Though I have to admit, Indiana Jones wouldn't make such a bad partner. Were Indy just a whip wielding treasure hunter adventurer, he wouldn't hold much appeal for me. But no, Indy is also Dr. Jones, the professor. So there we go, my desire for adventure, danger, confidence, excitement, fun, humor, romance, and sex appeal, balanced with intelligence, a little nerdiness, depth, responsibility, making a difference in other's lives, etc. I'm feeling pretty good about this choice, especially if Dr. Jones brought his whip to the honeymoon ;)*Thinking about it now, I'm not sure that all of Steve Carrell's actions in Dan in Real Life could be described as "mature," though he was a pretty swell father and a loving man.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
No Matter What Kind of Pickle: Mac MacGuff from Juno
Note: There is strong language in these film quotes. This is for the Dads in Media Blogathon, hosted by RC of Strange Culture. Also, for new readers, I'm a counseling psychology student currently taking a family therapy course, so don't be surprised if parts of this blog sound like a psychological case study :) This wasn't my intention, but it just leaks out. I hope you enjoy my perspectives.
Honestly, 2007 wasn't such a bad year for fathers in film. At least, in my favorite films of the year. We had Dan in Real Life, a delightful romantic comedy starring Steve Carrell as a widower with three daughters trying to figure out how to balance fatherhood with a new potential love relationship.
Bill Hodnett portrays Glen Hansard's father in the film Once. It's not much of a part, but here's a working class dad who initially seems disinterested in his son's great musical talent, but there's a touching scene near the end of the film when he listens to his son's demo tape.
Guy: [song finishes] Well, what do you think? Do you like it? It's just a demo, you know...
Guy's Dad: It's fucking brilliant.
Guy: Really?
Guy's Dad: Fantastic stuff. That'll be a hit, no question.
Honestly, I think as viewers, we were just as shocked as the son to hear his father's assessment of the demo. As the scene continues, the proud father gives his son money and encourages him to go to Dublin to pursue his dreams. Now, here's a father who likely doesn't say "I love you," often and initially appeared somewhat disengaged, but underneath, he loves his son and is proud of his accomplishments. He may not be the ideal model of a father, but he displays his genuine love and support for his son through his actions.
One of my favorite portrayals of a father from 2007 films was Mac Macguff, played by J.K. Simmons, in Juno. Fathering teenagers is challenging. When daughters reach adolescence, it's common for fathers to detach themselves to a degree. The developing sexuality of a young woman is confusing and threatening to fathers. While young daughters can crawl up on father's knee and father can tickle and wrestle his little girl, these behaviors change when the girl hits puberty. No longer is this style of physical affection appropriate between an adolescent and her father, forcing fathers to renegotiate their interactions with their daughters. Unfortunately this can be a difficult and confusing task, so some fathers will disengage from showing love and affection to their daughter. But in the film Juno, we have a father who has successfully renegotiated his relationship with his teenage daughter, and remains engaged in her life.
Here's another working class father who, as the picture suggests, is a little rough around the edges. But despite his gruffness, this father truly has a heart of gold. There's a endearing innocence to his uncultured nature, made apparent in his interactions with the ultra-polished Vanessa. When she asks the family, "Have you ever felt like you had a special purpose in life?" his quick response is, "Yes, heating and air-conditioning." Whether it's naivety or self-confidence, Mac has a natural ease about him and never pretends to be something he's not.
Mac MacGuff: Whats that thing?
Vanessa Loring: It's a Pilates machine.
Mac MacGuff: What do you make with it?
Vanessa Loring: Oh you don't make anything with it, its for exercise.
Mac MacGuff: Oh. My wife ordered one of those Tony Little Gazelles off the television... I don't know about that guy. He doesn't look right.
And sometimes, he's just that dorky dad who says the things that a teenage daughter would never want her friends to hear.
Mac MacGuff: Hey there, big puffy version of Junebug!
Despite how he's sometimes portrayed as the lame, bumbling father, MacGuff is by no means incompetent in his role as a father to Juno. He's protective, caring, and actively engaged with his teenage daughter, which is displayed in two key scenes. The first is the revelation of Juno's pregnancy. When Juno tells him and his wife of her pregnancy, MacGuff's initial reaction is shock then wanting details. His reaction to the news of the father's identity seems typical for the uncensored, genuine Mac Macguff.
Juno MacGuff: I'm Pregnant.
Bren: Oh, God.
Juno MacGuff: But, uh ah, I'm going to give it up for adoption and I already found the perfect couple, they're going to pay for the medical expenses and everything. And and what ah 30 or odd weeks we can just pretend that this never happened.
Mac MacGuff: You're pregnant?
Juno MacGuff: I'm sorry. I'm sorry... And if it is any consolation I have heartburn that is radiating in my knee caps and I haven't taken a dump since like Wednesday... morning.
Bren: I didn't even know that you were sexually active.
Juno MacGuff: I, uh...
Mac MacGuff: Who is the kid?
Juno MacGuff: The-the baby? I don't really know much about it other than, I mean, it has fingernails, allegedly.
Bren: Nails, really?
Juno MacGuff: Yeah!
Mac MacGuff: No, I know I mean who's the father, Juno?
Juno MacGuff: Umm... It's Paulie Bleeker.
Mac MacGuff: Paulie Bleeker?
Juno MacGuff: What?
Mac MacGuff: I didn't think he had it in him.
Leah: I know, right?
Despite this final comic comment, Macguff is truly disappointed with his daughter and honestly expresses this to her.
Mac MacGuff: I thought you were the kind of girl who knew when to say when.
Juno MacGuff: I don't know what kind of girl I am.
I find a hint of tenderness in this comment. He doesn't yell, he doesn't become angry, he simply speaks from the heart not only his disappointment with her pregnancy, but his doubt of what kind of a daughter Juno is. I think it's the openness of her father that allows Juno to openly express her own doubts of herself. Once Juno leaves the room, Macguff's protective instinct emerges strongly, and, um, coarsely.
Mac MacGuff: Next time I see that Bleeker kid I'm going to punch him in the wiener.
It's almost stereotypical, the father who wants to go beat up the teenage boy who impregnated his daughter. Stereotypical, until his wife remarks that it probably wasn't his idea, and he agrees. In a more appropriate channeling of his protective drive, MacGuff states that he will accompany Juno to meet the potential adoptive parents, because he doesn't want them taking advantage of her. It's clear that he embraces his authority and responsibility to protect his daughter. You have to wonder though, is guilt part of his motivation to be so involved in Juno's adoption process? Does his daughter's pregnancy make him doubt his ability as a father? Sadly, these themes are not explored in this film.
In another key father-daughter scene towards the end of Juno's pregnancy, a confused Juno, "dealing with things beyond [her] maturity level" turns to her father for counsel.
Juno MacGuff: I'm losing my faith in humanity.
Mac MacGuff: Think you can narrow it down for me?
Juno MacGuff: I guess I wonder sometimes if people ever stay together for good.
Mac MacGuff: You mean like couples?
Juno MacGuff: Yeah, like people in love.
Mac MacGuff: Are you having boy troubles? I gotta be honest; I don't much approve of dating in your condition, 'cause well... that's kind of messed up.
Juno MacGuff: Dad, no!
Mac MacGuff: Well, it's kind of skanky. Isn't that what you girls call it? Skanky? Skeevy?
Juno MacGuff: Please stop now.
Mac MacGuff: [persisting] Tore up from the floor up?
MacGuff is concerned for Juno and questions her to find out what's on her mind. Once again, he responds uncensored, and lapses into the awkward dad mode, teasing her about the language of skankiness, perhaps trying to relieve his or Juno's tension in this conversation. But Juno continues, and he responds thoughtfully and sensitively.
Juno MacGuff: Dad, it's not about that. I just need to know if it's possible for two people to stay happy together forever, or at least for a few years.
Mac MacGuff: It's not easy, that's for sure. Now, I may not have the best track record in the world, but I have been with your stepmother for 10 years now and I'm proud to say that we're very happy.
[Juno nods]
Mac MacGuff: In my opinion, the best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what have you, the right person will still think the sun shines out your ass. That's the kind of person that's worth sticking with.
Juno MacGuff: I sort of already have.
Mac MacGuff: Well, of course! Your old D-A-D! You know I'll always be there to love and support you no matter what kind of pickle you're in... Obviously
[nods to her belly]
The last line is meant to be cheesy. The audience knows that Juno isn't talking about her father, and he's being portrayed as the goofy naive dad who hopes that his daughter won't need any man but him. Despite his miscalculations on this matter, his expression of love and support is sincere. He's spent the past 6-8 months loving Juno unconditionally, graciously helping his pregnant daughter.
I'm going to go out on a limb and hypothesize that MacGuff's loving relationship with Juno serves a protective function when she meets Mark Loring, the potential adoptive father who takes an inappropriate interest in Juno. Though Bren warns her, Juno naively spends alone time with this married man, connecting with him over music, movies, and comics. Though Juno doesn't act wisely, I believe her intentions to be innocent. Perhaps since she already has the love and acceptance of her father, she's not seeking those things from Mark. To her, Mark is an enjoyable distraction during a confusing time and because he will be adopting her child, she sees him as "safe." It's clear that Mark becomes inappropriately attached to Juno, though his exact intentions are ambivalent. But when push comes to shove, I strongly believe that Juno would have resisted any romantic or sexual advances toward her. I believe that she is not a girl who can be taken advantage of, and it's obvious throughout the film that she marches to the beat of her own drummer. I believe that part of this quality in Juno comes from her strong relationship with her father. Though her mother had rejected her, he accepts her no matter what, which gives Juno the freedom to make her own decisions and to express herself as a unique individual.
But the question still remains, where was Mac MacGuff when his teenage daughter was having unprotected sex? Wouldn't a truly caring, protective father have been able to prevent this mistake? Did he not monitor her time with boys closely enough? Did he not discuss sex with Juno? Was he not involved? Was he too busy with his heating and air conditioning business, or his new wife and daughter to notice what was going on with Juno? Perhaps he trusted her too much. I believe this last scenario to be most likely. He knew that his daughter was an individual, and that she would not be taken advantage of sexually or pressured into doing something she wanted to do. In his comment, "I thought you were the kind of girl who knew when to say when," he seemed to have placed a lot of confidence in her ability to make wise decisions. Sadly, because of the time frame of the movie, we don't have the full answers to these questions. Without knowing the quality of their father-daughter relationship prior to the pregnancy, we can only speculate about whether or not his actions contributed to her choice to have unprotected sex.
But what we do see in this film is a father's reaction to his daughter's pregnancy - every father's nightmare. He expresses his disappointment without anger or punishment, knowing that the responsibility that Juno now carries is punishment enough for her choice. He offers a protective, caring role and loves and supports her all along the way. He's not perfect, but he rises to the occasion and handles the challenge of his daughter's pregnancy in an admiral way. In this fictional world, Juno is lucky and blessed to have such a father as Mac MacGuff.
Honestly, 2007 wasn't such a bad year for fathers in film. At least, in my favorite films of the year. We had Dan in Real Life, a delightful romantic comedy starring Steve Carrell as a widower with three daughters trying to figure out how to balance fatherhood with a new potential love relationship.
Bill Hodnett portrays Glen Hansard's father in the film Once. It's not much of a part, but here's a working class dad who initially seems disinterested in his son's great musical talent, but there's a touching scene near the end of the film when he listens to his son's demo tape.
Guy: [song finishes] Well, what do you think? Do you like it? It's just a demo, you know...
Guy's Dad: It's fucking brilliant.
Guy: Really?
Guy's Dad: Fantastic stuff. That'll be a hit, no question.
Honestly, I think as viewers, we were just as shocked as the son to hear his father's assessment of the demo. As the scene continues, the proud father gives his son money and encourages him to go to Dublin to pursue his dreams. Now, here's a father who likely doesn't say "I love you," often and initially appeared somewhat disengaged, but underneath, he loves his son and is proud of his accomplishments. He may not be the ideal model of a father, but he displays his genuine love and support for his son through his actions.
One of my favorite portrayals of a father from 2007 films was Mac Macguff, played by J.K. Simmons, in Juno. Fathering teenagers is challenging. When daughters reach adolescence, it's common for fathers to detach themselves to a degree. The developing sexuality of a young woman is confusing and threatening to fathers. While young daughters can crawl up on father's knee and father can tickle and wrestle his little girl, these behaviors change when the girl hits puberty. No longer is this style of physical affection appropriate between an adolescent and her father, forcing fathers to renegotiate their interactions with their daughters. Unfortunately this can be a difficult and confusing task, so some fathers will disengage from showing love and affection to their daughter. But in the film Juno, we have a father who has successfully renegotiated his relationship with his teenage daughter, and remains engaged in her life.
Here's another working class father who, as the picture suggests, is a little rough around the edges. But despite his gruffness, this father truly has a heart of gold. There's a endearing innocence to his uncultured nature, made apparent in his interactions with the ultra-polished Vanessa. When she asks the family, "Have you ever felt like you had a special purpose in life?" his quick response is, "Yes, heating and air-conditioning." Whether it's naivety or self-confidence, Mac has a natural ease about him and never pretends to be something he's not.
Mac MacGuff: Whats that thing?
Vanessa Loring: It's a Pilates machine.
Mac MacGuff: What do you make with it?
Vanessa Loring: Oh you don't make anything with it, its for exercise.
Mac MacGuff: Oh. My wife ordered one of those Tony Little Gazelles off the television... I don't know about that guy. He doesn't look right.
And sometimes, he's just that dorky dad who says the things that a teenage daughter would never want her friends to hear.
Mac MacGuff: Hey there, big puffy version of Junebug!
Despite how he's sometimes portrayed as the lame, bumbling father, MacGuff is by no means incompetent in his role as a father to Juno. He's protective, caring, and actively engaged with his teenage daughter, which is displayed in two key scenes. The first is the revelation of Juno's pregnancy. When Juno tells him and his wife of her pregnancy, MacGuff's initial reaction is shock then wanting details. His reaction to the news of the father's identity seems typical for the uncensored, genuine Mac Macguff.
Juno MacGuff: I'm Pregnant.
Bren: Oh, God.
Juno MacGuff: But, uh ah, I'm going to give it up for adoption and I already found the perfect couple, they're going to pay for the medical expenses and everything. And and what ah 30 or odd weeks we can just pretend that this never happened.
Mac MacGuff: You're pregnant?
Juno MacGuff: I'm sorry. I'm sorry... And if it is any consolation I have heartburn that is radiating in my knee caps and I haven't taken a dump since like Wednesday... morning.
Bren: I didn't even know that you were sexually active.
Juno MacGuff: I, uh...
Mac MacGuff: Who is the kid?
Juno MacGuff: The-the baby? I don't really know much about it other than, I mean, it has fingernails, allegedly.
Bren: Nails, really?
Juno MacGuff: Yeah!
Mac MacGuff: No, I know I mean who's the father, Juno?
Juno MacGuff: Umm... It's Paulie Bleeker.
Mac MacGuff: Paulie Bleeker?
Juno MacGuff: What?
Mac MacGuff: I didn't think he had it in him.
Leah: I know, right?
Despite this final comic comment, Macguff is truly disappointed with his daughter and honestly expresses this to her.
Mac MacGuff: I thought you were the kind of girl who knew when to say when.
Juno MacGuff: I don't know what kind of girl I am.
I find a hint of tenderness in this comment. He doesn't yell, he doesn't become angry, he simply speaks from the heart not only his disappointment with her pregnancy, but his doubt of what kind of a daughter Juno is. I think it's the openness of her father that allows Juno to openly express her own doubts of herself. Once Juno leaves the room, Macguff's protective instinct emerges strongly, and, um, coarsely.
Mac MacGuff: Next time I see that Bleeker kid I'm going to punch him in the wiener.
It's almost stereotypical, the father who wants to go beat up the teenage boy who impregnated his daughter. Stereotypical, until his wife remarks that it probably wasn't his idea, and he agrees. In a more appropriate channeling of his protective drive, MacGuff states that he will accompany Juno to meet the potential adoptive parents, because he doesn't want them taking advantage of her. It's clear that he embraces his authority and responsibility to protect his daughter. You have to wonder though, is guilt part of his motivation to be so involved in Juno's adoption process? Does his daughter's pregnancy make him doubt his ability as a father? Sadly, these themes are not explored in this film.
In another key father-daughter scene towards the end of Juno's pregnancy, a confused Juno, "dealing with things beyond [her] maturity level" turns to her father for counsel.
Juno MacGuff: I'm losing my faith in humanity.
Mac MacGuff: Think you can narrow it down for me?
Juno MacGuff: I guess I wonder sometimes if people ever stay together for good.
Mac MacGuff: You mean like couples?
Juno MacGuff: Yeah, like people in love.
Mac MacGuff: Are you having boy troubles? I gotta be honest; I don't much approve of dating in your condition, 'cause well... that's kind of messed up.
Juno MacGuff: Dad, no!
Mac MacGuff: Well, it's kind of skanky. Isn't that what you girls call it? Skanky? Skeevy?
Juno MacGuff: Please stop now.
Mac MacGuff: [persisting] Tore up from the floor up?
MacGuff is concerned for Juno and questions her to find out what's on her mind. Once again, he responds uncensored, and lapses into the awkward dad mode, teasing her about the language of skankiness, perhaps trying to relieve his or Juno's tension in this conversation. But Juno continues, and he responds thoughtfully and sensitively.
Juno MacGuff: Dad, it's not about that. I just need to know if it's possible for two people to stay happy together forever, or at least for a few years.
Mac MacGuff: It's not easy, that's for sure. Now, I may not have the best track record in the world, but I have been with your stepmother for 10 years now and I'm proud to say that we're very happy.
[Juno nods]
Mac MacGuff: In my opinion, the best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what have you, the right person will still think the sun shines out your ass. That's the kind of person that's worth sticking with.
Juno MacGuff: I sort of already have.
Mac MacGuff: Well, of course! Your old D-A-D! You know I'll always be there to love and support you no matter what kind of pickle you're in... Obviously
[nods to her belly]
The last line is meant to be cheesy. The audience knows that Juno isn't talking about her father, and he's being portrayed as the goofy naive dad who hopes that his daughter won't need any man but him. Despite his miscalculations on this matter, his expression of love and support is sincere. He's spent the past 6-8 months loving Juno unconditionally, graciously helping his pregnant daughter.
I'm going to go out on a limb and hypothesize that MacGuff's loving relationship with Juno serves a protective function when she meets Mark Loring, the potential adoptive father who takes an inappropriate interest in Juno. Though Bren warns her, Juno naively spends alone time with this married man, connecting with him over music, movies, and comics. Though Juno doesn't act wisely, I believe her intentions to be innocent. Perhaps since she already has the love and acceptance of her father, she's not seeking those things from Mark. To her, Mark is an enjoyable distraction during a confusing time and because he will be adopting her child, she sees him as "safe." It's clear that Mark becomes inappropriately attached to Juno, though his exact intentions are ambivalent. But when push comes to shove, I strongly believe that Juno would have resisted any romantic or sexual advances toward her. I believe that she is not a girl who can be taken advantage of, and it's obvious throughout the film that she marches to the beat of her own drummer. I believe that part of this quality in Juno comes from her strong relationship with her father. Though her mother had rejected her, he accepts her no matter what, which gives Juno the freedom to make her own decisions and to express herself as a unique individual.
But the question still remains, where was Mac MacGuff when his teenage daughter was having unprotected sex? Wouldn't a truly caring, protective father have been able to prevent this mistake? Did he not monitor her time with boys closely enough? Did he not discuss sex with Juno? Was he not involved? Was he too busy with his heating and air conditioning business, or his new wife and daughter to notice what was going on with Juno? Perhaps he trusted her too much. I believe this last scenario to be most likely. He knew that his daughter was an individual, and that she would not be taken advantage of sexually or pressured into doing something she wanted to do. In his comment, "I thought you were the kind of girl who knew when to say when," he seemed to have placed a lot of confidence in her ability to make wise decisions. Sadly, because of the time frame of the movie, we don't have the full answers to these questions. Without knowing the quality of their father-daughter relationship prior to the pregnancy, we can only speculate about whether or not his actions contributed to her choice to have unprotected sex.
But what we do see in this film is a father's reaction to his daughter's pregnancy - every father's nightmare. He expresses his disappointment without anger or punishment, knowing that the responsibility that Juno now carries is punishment enough for her choice. He offers a protective, caring role and loves and supports her all along the way. He's not perfect, but he rises to the occasion and handles the challenge of his daughter's pregnancy in an admiral way. In this fictional world, Juno is lucky and blessed to have such a father as Mac MacGuff.
Dads in Media Blogathon
Hello Blogging Friends!
I invite you to participate in the Dads in Media Blog-A-Thon going on from now through Father's Day, hosted by my friend RC over at Strange Culture. It's pretty straightforward, in honor of Father's Day, write a blog about a dad or dads in any form of media - film, television, music, literature, art, etc. Then, go to the post that I linked above, and email RC (link on his post) and let him know so he'll include you in the final list.
Here's one suggestion that RC had:
"While your post can be on any related topic, I would especially encourage you, if you are so inclined, to focus on redeeming examples, qualities, or lessons that can be seen in media fathers. Of course, the field's open to your own interpretation of the topic."
I have a post in mind, and hopefully sometime between now and Sunday I can get it out of my head and into this blog!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
gratification
This past weekend, I bought tequila and Snack Packs on the same day.
I love being an adult.
On another note, I'm so excited about all the Oscar love Juno is getting! I don't think it'll win best picture, but just to be nominated, wow! And "Falling Slowly" from Once was nominated! Ratatouille got a screenplay nomination! Oh man, I'm definitely watching the Academy Awards this year, if they still happen. The Michael Clayton cast certainly deserved all of their nominations - they each cranked out superb performances. I'll be rooting for Tilda Swinton. Unfortunately, I can't comment on all the ones I haven't seen, but maybe I'll go see Atonement this weekend.
I love being an adult.
On another note, I'm so excited about all the Oscar love Juno is getting! I don't think it'll win best picture, but just to be nominated, wow! And "Falling Slowly" from Once was nominated! Ratatouille got a screenplay nomination! Oh man, I'm definitely watching the Academy Awards this year, if they still happen. The Michael Clayton cast certainly deserved all of their nominations - they each cranked out superb performances. I'll be rooting for Tilda Swinton. Unfortunately, I can't comment on all the ones I haven't seen, but maybe I'll go see Atonement this weekend.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
striped socks and track shoes
I cried tonight while watching Juno. I never expected a clever comedy about a sarcastically witty pregnant teenager to make my cry, but it did. I wasn't bawling or anything and the tears weren't even falling down my cheeks, but I was wiping my wet eyes by the end of it.
What other films have made me cry? The Lion King, Armageddon, We Were Soldiers, Crash. I'm sure there were a few others, but it's somewhat rare for me to cry during a film. It's usually scenes of extreme loss and grief that cause me to cry tears of sadness, but my tears during Juno weren't tears of sadness - at least not for the characters anyway. There was a sense of loss, but mostly I felt joy for the characters who had found something that they were deeply longing for.
What films make you cry?
What other films have made me cry? The Lion King, Armageddon, We Were Soldiers, Crash. I'm sure there were a few others, but it's somewhat rare for me to cry during a film. It's usually scenes of extreme loss and grief that cause me to cry tears of sadness, but my tears during Juno weren't tears of sadness - at least not for the characters anyway. There was a sense of loss, but mostly I felt joy for the characters who had found something that they were deeply longing for.
What films make you cry?
Friday, November 30, 2007
race and funnel cakes
From a class discussion following our viewing of Crash -
Professor: For those of you who have seen this film before, what did you notice this time that you didn't notice before?
Me: This time, I noticed that there were several scenes with American flags in the background. Just kinda like, "This is our America, this is what it's really like."
Professor: Hmm, and what do you think of that?
Me: What do you mean?
Professor: I saw something in your face change when you said that. ***
Me: Well, I think the filmmakers were using this as a symbol, to remind the viewers that all the things they're witnessing really do happen right here, and to connect the actions with what us as viewers are also capable of . . .
I rambled on something like that, but what I wish I'd said, which is perhaps the true reason why my face changed, is simply, "I'm sad that this is our America."
One of my classmates had brought her Dutch roommate to watch Crash with us, to educate him about American race relations. He had showed us this video, and we all laughed, but explained that it would probably offend Black Americans, but he didn't really understand why.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3c_p_wXw2M
(I tried to embed this, but it wouldn't paste everything)
I asked him after watching Crash what he thought, since he didn't parcipate in the discussion. With a look of shock and disgust he replied, "I sincerely hope that this movie was exaggerated." "I don't know," I responded, "I'm not sure if it was. All of these things happen, but I guess it is kinda overwhelming to see all of those packed into a two hour film." Then I turned to my classmates, "What do you think? Do you think any of this was exaggerated?" They all responded with an emphatic "No!" My dutch friend just shook his head, and all he could say was "Wow."
When he returns to the Netherlands in January, what is he going to think of our country? He loves our food, even though he sees how unhealthy it is and now understands why America is so obese. He buys a gallon of Blue Bell ice cream of different flavors every week. He bikes to his internship, and my classmate drives him to the grocery store once a week. We've taken him to movies like Dan in Real Life, and to the carnival, where we bought him funnel cakes and hot dogs. He came to the our pre-Thanksgiving dinner and we all talked about our different holidays and our countries' ways of celebrating. And then we showed him Crash. So, when he goes home, what will he say about America? That it's full of fat, racist people? He might not be completely off. But surely the good will outweigh the bad. He'll remember Blue Bell and his kind roommate and her grad student friends who were patient and caring enough to spend time with a 19 year old Dutch kid and answer his questions and buy him hot dogs and funnel cake. And that's the America that I hope we can be.
***Side note: It's really something else having psychologists as professors! They pick up on nonverbal cues a little too well. My first class this semester, I had a professor completely call me out, "Zach, you agree, but you, you're completely stoic. I can't read anything one way or another in your expression." Dang!
Professor: For those of you who have seen this film before, what did you notice this time that you didn't notice before?
Me: This time, I noticed that there were several scenes with American flags in the background. Just kinda like, "This is our America, this is what it's really like."
Professor: Hmm, and what do you think of that?
Me: What do you mean?
Professor: I saw something in your face change when you said that. ***
Me: Well, I think the filmmakers were using this as a symbol, to remind the viewers that all the things they're witnessing really do happen right here, and to connect the actions with what us as viewers are also capable of . . .
I rambled on something like that, but what I wish I'd said, which is perhaps the true reason why my face changed, is simply, "I'm sad that this is our America."
One of my classmates had brought her Dutch roommate to watch Crash with us, to educate him about American race relations. He had showed us this video, and we all laughed, but explained that it would probably offend Black Americans, but he didn't really understand why.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3c_p_wXw2M
(I tried to embed this, but it wouldn't paste everything)
I asked him after watching Crash what he thought, since he didn't parcipate in the discussion. With a look of shock and disgust he replied, "I sincerely hope that this movie was exaggerated." "I don't know," I responded, "I'm not sure if it was. All of these things happen, but I guess it is kinda overwhelming to see all of those packed into a two hour film." Then I turned to my classmates, "What do you think? Do you think any of this was exaggerated?" They all responded with an emphatic "No!" My dutch friend just shook his head, and all he could say was "Wow."
When he returns to the Netherlands in January, what is he going to think of our country? He loves our food, even though he sees how unhealthy it is and now understands why America is so obese. He buys a gallon of Blue Bell ice cream of different flavors every week. He bikes to his internship, and my classmate drives him to the grocery store once a week. We've taken him to movies like Dan in Real Life, and to the carnival, where we bought him funnel cakes and hot dogs. He came to the our pre-Thanksgiving dinner and we all talked about our different holidays and our countries' ways of celebrating. And then we showed him Crash. So, when he goes home, what will he say about America? That it's full of fat, racist people? He might not be completely off. But surely the good will outweigh the bad. He'll remember Blue Bell and his kind roommate and her grad student friends who were patient and caring enough to spend time with a 19 year old Dutch kid and answer his questions and buy him hot dogs and funnel cake. And that's the America that I hope we can be.
***Side note: It's really something else having psychologists as professors! They pick up on nonverbal cues a little too well. My first class this semester, I had a professor completely call me out, "Zach, you agree, but you, you're completely stoic. I can't read anything one way or another in your expression." Dang!
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
photos and wizards
Does anyone know of any good, user-friendly photo sharing websites that allow you to upload unlimited or at least over a thousand photos for free? I had recently joined flickr and had started uploading pictures and was going to post a link along with my next post, because I've been traveling and I think you guys need to see some pictures to give these places justice. I had also been planning on trying to use it while I'm traveling Europe, if I can connect my camera to a computer in an internet cafe. However, flickr only allows up to 200 photos to be displayed at a time, unless you upgrade to the pro version which is $25 for a year. Broken down month to month, that's really not that much, but I don't think I'd have need of it for a full year.
I looked at Photobucket, but couldn't figure out how to upload multiple photos easily unless I download a new type of internet browser, which I'm definitely not planning on doing at internet cafes. I also looked into Webshots, but it only allows 1000 pictures for its free version. That sounds like a lot, but it's really not considering that I took over 200 pictures at New Orleans, and at least that many at Chicago, and I'm sure I'll be taking lots more pictures over the course of three weeks in Europe. Hmm, maybe I need to be more picky about which pictures I post, or just suck it up and pay a subscription fee for premium services. But, if there is another good free site that I'm overlooking, please bring it to my attention!
On another note, I went to a midnight Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix showing and absolutely loved it! While they don't compare to the books, I've enjoyed all the films. In preparation for the latest film, I rewatched Goblet of Fire the other night and realized that as much as I love that story, the film version really wasn't all that great. Aside from the awkwardly sexual moments that were just odd and distracting, it just moved way too fast, jumping around from scene to scene, hardly developing subplots and new characters, and barely giving the viewer any chance to have an emotional reaction to what they're viewing. However, this latest film seems to flow much more naturally, and while you have to cut a lot from an 800 page book to fit it into 2 hours and 20 minutes, it didn't feel hurried nor did I really miss the things they cut very much. In slowing down the pacing somewhat, I actually was able to feel all the different emotions the book brought out while watching the film. And I was surprised at all the little details from the book that made it into the movie, especially within the first half hour. I hesitate to say this having not watched the first three films in a couple of years, but I really think this might be the best film of the series so far. I hope that if you read this before you see the film that you're not expecting something so spectacular that the actual viewing disappoints. It's a fun film, but it's not going to win any Oscars, and you probably won't love every part of it. I've tried to just give an overall opinion and not mention any specifics. So, please see this film soon, form your own opinion, and let me know your thoughts!
I looked at Photobucket, but couldn't figure out how to upload multiple photos easily unless I download a new type of internet browser, which I'm definitely not planning on doing at internet cafes. I also looked into Webshots, but it only allows 1000 pictures for its free version. That sounds like a lot, but it's really not considering that I took over 200 pictures at New Orleans, and at least that many at Chicago, and I'm sure I'll be taking lots more pictures over the course of three weeks in Europe. Hmm, maybe I need to be more picky about which pictures I post, or just suck it up and pay a subscription fee for premium services. But, if there is another good free site that I'm overlooking, please bring it to my attention!
On another note, I went to a midnight Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix showing and absolutely loved it! While they don't compare to the books, I've enjoyed all the films. In preparation for the latest film, I rewatched Goblet of Fire the other night and realized that as much as I love that story, the film version really wasn't all that great. Aside from the awkwardly sexual moments that were just odd and distracting, it just moved way too fast, jumping around from scene to scene, hardly developing subplots and new characters, and barely giving the viewer any chance to have an emotional reaction to what they're viewing. However, this latest film seems to flow much more naturally, and while you have to cut a lot from an 800 page book to fit it into 2 hours and 20 minutes, it didn't feel hurried nor did I really miss the things they cut very much. In slowing down the pacing somewhat, I actually was able to feel all the different emotions the book brought out while watching the film. And I was surprised at all the little details from the book that made it into the movie, especially within the first half hour. I hesitate to say this having not watched the first three films in a couple of years, but I really think this might be the best film of the series so far. I hope that if you read this before you see the film that you're not expecting something so spectacular that the actual viewing disappoints. It's a fun film, but it's not going to win any Oscars, and you probably won't love every part of it. I've tried to just give an overall opinion and not mention any specifics. So, please see this film soon, form your own opinion, and let me know your thoughts!
Monday, June 11, 2007
The Toyota Sleep-o-Matic
I often have trouble falling asleep. Even in elementary school, I'd lay in bed for what seemed like hours (probably not), tossing and turning, trying to grasp that elusive unconscious state. I've tried many things, and some work some nights (relaxation techniques, cool rag on my eyes, warm milk, forcing my mind into dreamlike hallucinations, counting backwards from 100, making myself cry, listening to soothing music or a soothing voice of a book on tape, just staying up so late that I completely crash, etc), but there's one thing that works without fail - riding in a car. As long as it's somewhat quiet, any time of day, I can easily fall asleep in the backseat of a car. Now, someone please invent a bed that makes the same motions and sounds as a car!
The rest of the College Station visit went well. The stress did come, but I'm feeling better about things. There are lots of silly stories from it that I want to share, but I'm rather tired right now. And hopefully next time I post I'll have made a decision and I'll have some news about where I'll be living soon! In the meantime, please pray that things will all work out. I've found some places closer to campus that I really like, but it all depends on if roommates pan out. So far, all my roommate leads are becoming dead ends. Living in the friend of a friend's house has become my second choice, but still a really good option. Pray that if I've meant to live in one of these places that are more of a first choice for me right now, that roommates will work out. If I'm meant to live in C's house, please pray that I'll feel more at peace about it. I know that whatever happens, it's in God's hands and He'll work things out better than I could. And even if things don't work out perfectly, I can always find something else for next year.
Also, my friend Anton is currently filming in London (lucky) and has just posted a pitch video for his series, "The Great Commission." Check it, yo!
I promise, it's up there. Just click the box!
The rest of the College Station visit went well. The stress did come, but I'm feeling better about things. There are lots of silly stories from it that I want to share, but I'm rather tired right now. And hopefully next time I post I'll have made a decision and I'll have some news about where I'll be living soon! In the meantime, please pray that things will all work out. I've found some places closer to campus that I really like, but it all depends on if roommates pan out. So far, all my roommate leads are becoming dead ends. Living in the friend of a friend's house has become my second choice, but still a really good option. Pray that if I've meant to live in one of these places that are more of a first choice for me right now, that roommates will work out. If I'm meant to live in C's house, please pray that I'll feel more at peace about it. I know that whatever happens, it's in God's hands and He'll work things out better than I could. And even if things don't work out perfectly, I can always find something else for next year.
Also, my friend Anton is currently filming in London (lucky) and has just posted a pitch video for his series, "The Great Commission." Check it, yo!
I promise, it's up there. Just click the box!
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