Passion Never Dies

I was introduced to the most fantastic movie this weekend. Wicker Park, starring Josh Hartnett, is perhaps the most brilliantly written and directed film I have ever seen. Ever. Really. Watch it.

The story is about "a young Chicago advertising executive [who] believes a woman he sees in a café is his long-lost love. His conviction leads to obsession, as he puts his life on hold to trail her." (IMDB)

Okay, I know that it sound cheesy, but it was mind blowing. The first half or so of the movie, you basically have no idea what is going on. The story goes back and forth between present time and flashbacks from different characters (which is a brilliant directing choice considering the plot, but I'm not going to tell you.). But when it all starts fitting together... oh boy. Hold on to your seats! And, for my fellow Shakespeare lovers, there is even a small dose of William thrown in there for us.

Okay, enough from me. I don't want to give anything away, so GO WATCH IT!

(For some reason the embed code is cutting off the left part of the frame, so here's the link if you want to see the whole picture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UONKjg0Q-ho )


And now back to my homework.

...Seriously though. Watch it.

Identity Theft

I saw this advertised in this month's Family Fun magazine and I almost cried. I guess the first movie didn't do enough injustice. This is what disneysociety.com says about it:

"In Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure Tinker Bell’s greatest adventure yet takes place in Autumn, as the fairies are on the mainland changing the colors of the leaves, tending to pumpkin patches, and helping geese fly south for the winter. The rare Blue Moon will rise, and when its light passes through the magical Fall Scepter that Tinker Bell has been summoned to create, Pixie Hollow’s supply of pixie dust will be restored. But when Tinker Bell accidentally puts all of Pixie Hollow in jeopardy, she must venture out across the sea on a secret quest to set things right."

I'm sorry, Disney, but Tinkerbell does not make "magical sceptors" to change the color of the leaves. Nor does she fly in a hot air balloon. And she may be sassy, but she's not a skank. Put some clothes on her. Give her some credit (and some dignity). AND... since when does Tinkerbell live in "Pixie Hollow"? What happened to Neverland?

And as if that's not bad enough... Disney has already set out on making the third and fourth Tinkerbell movies, and have announced that they will be followed by a fifth (to be called Tinkerbell: Race Through the Seasons. Seriously? Can't come up with anything other than the four seasons to base your movies off of? Isn't that what the first two are about?). I'm just glad J.M. Barrie isn't around to see this. What a disgrace. Sorry, Tink. I think you deserve a lot more credit than that.

UP

Last night I decided to tag along with my older brother and a couple of his friends who were going to go see the new Disney/Pixar movie, Up. Let me just say that it was nothing like I expected it to be. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting out of it--I guess something along the lines of Cars or Toy Story--but what it ended up being was so much more. I think I can sincerely say that it was the single best movie I have ever watched in my entire life. It was a beautiful story that contained such a deep message that has left me contemplating the complexities of the universe for more that 24 hours.

The movie is a story about an old man who promised his wife when they were just little kids that he would one day take her to Paradise Falls in South America. They try for years and years to get there, but one thing after another keeps them from being able to afford the expensive journey. When his wife dies, the old man's last wish is to be able to fulfill the promise he made to her when they were just kids together, so he fills up hundreds, maybe thousands of helium balloons attached to his house and floats to South America. Their story ended up being one of the most beautiful and compelling love stories I have ever seen or heard. I want to be just like them when I'm old. Actually, my whole life. I hope I can someday have a marriage as beautiful as theirs. The majority of this part is done with little or no words.

Okay, so making your house float with helium balloons may sound goofy and the movie was quite humorous, but the deep love this couple had for each other was so touching. It portrayed their life together with such simplicity and romance. I am doing a horrible job at describing the immense emotion and affection that was shown between these two. I'm not going to lie, I cried a couple times. Even the small things like the mailbox showed how much he loved her and wanted more than anything just to make her happy. And she was. She was happy with their simple lifestyle and the small adventures they had together brought her more joy than going to South America ever could. That was the message of this movie: enjoying the small things.

My favorite line from the whole movie came from the little wilderness explorer boy, Russell. He is telling Carl (the old man) about how his father used to take him to an ice cream parlor where they would sit on the curb and count cars. Russell would count the blue ones and his dad would count the red ones and whoever counted the most won. He says, "It may just sound boring to you, but for some reason, the boring stuff is what I remember most."

The boring stuff.

That line really made me think. Most of my fondest memories aren't big events or vacations; they're the simple, boring, everyday things. Playing goofy games with my family. Watching baseball with my dad. Talks with my mom at the bottom of the stairs till midnight. The dumb jokes my family tells. Playing house with my sister. Listening to my older brother spill his brains on any topic you bring up. Finally discovering that Grandma always won at hearts and rook because she cheated, and learning how to cheat back. The list could go on and on. That was the message I got from the movie. The small things, ultimately, end up being our biggest adventure.

"Appreciate the little things, for one day you'll look back and realize they were the big things."

Thank you, Pixar, for creating a wholesome movie that makes me think.