Sing, Sob, Scream, Repeat: My Life According to Movies
It's interesting how film changes who we are or shapes us in some way. Both my parents are film enthusiasts. My dad loves a good movie, from Bad Boys to anything action, and my mom loves The Fresh Prince, Charmed, One Tree Hill, 7th Heaven, and a bunch of others. I love that they introduced me to shows gradually, not by what they loved, but by what they thought I would enjoy. So, thanks, Mum and Dad.
"Cinema is the most beautiful fraud in the world." — Jean-Luc Godard
It's a fraud because it makes us picture a dream. Then you grow up and realize how different reality is.
I remember watching The Sound of Music and thinking, do people really go about their day just singing? But I also remember falling in love with Maria and how she treated the children when she first arrived. The captain ran a tight ship, but Maria made the children sing, play, and enjoy the outdoors as kids ought to. There's a song my mum used to sing to me that happens to be one of my favorite songs today. Just look to your left to listen to it. I rewatch the film almost every other time, just as a reminder of my childhood. I also love the part where the Captain is ordered to report for duty in the German navy. Refusing to serve the Nazi regime, the family stages an escape, famously using a music festival performance as cover, and then flees over the mountains into Switzerland.
Another film that changed the way I think is Dead Poets Society. If you haven't watched it, I strongly encourage you to. Dead Poets Society (1989) follows English teacher John Keating, who teaches a group of boys to chase their dreams and shows them that real learning doesn't only come from books but also from each other. "Oh, Captain, my Captain." Neil dared to dream; he went after what he wanted. It was never enough for his parents. He did a play, and he was really good, but his father would never understand. When his father asks him what he's feeling, Neil says "nothing," and that night he ends up taking his own life. Instead of asking what he could have done differently, his father blames the teacher who taught Neil that there's more to life than what's written in a textbook. One of my favorite lines from the film is "carpe diem" (seize the day), and I truly believe that's where I fell in love with literature: the idea that a good poem, a good script, and a good story can change your life.
When it comes to romance, I'm a little picky, but a few films stand out for me. The Age of Adaline, because she found love even in the midst of never growing old. The Holiday, which I'm in love with and have rewatched more times than I'd like to admit. It connects me to someone I love and adore, and it captures how all it took was for Amanda to let someone in before she could tap into all her emotions. Sometimes you don't even realize how much you needed someone until you experience them.
But my top two absolute favorite movies are The Magic of Ordinary Days and Pride and Prejudice.
The Magic of Ordinary Days is set in 1944 Colorado during WWII. Olivia, bright and educated, the daughter of a Denver minister, gets pregnant out of wedlock by a Navy flight instructor before he ships out. To avoid scandal, her father arranges a marriage for her with Ray Singleton, a quiet, hardworking farmer in rural southeastern Colorado, who agrees to marry her sight unseen after his pastor tells him about her situation. Livy arrives at the farm heartbroken and resentful, dreaming of the life she's now lost; she'd wanted to become an archaeologist. The marriage starts as a practical arrangement between near-strangers: Ray gives her space and asks nothing of her beyond appearances. Over time, through small daily routines, shared chores, and quiet conversation, a real connection slowly grows between them. But the father of her unborn child finally reaches out via letter and tells her, "I hope you find the father of that baby." In that moment, Livy has a falling out with Ray because he thought they were building a real connection, and she decides to leave. What stood out to me was that as Olivia is leaving, Ray tells her he's in love with her. Olivia asks him, "How do you know this will work?" and he says, "Because someday you are going to forgive yourself." Watching it, you realize just how unworthy Olivia felt, but Ray saw her for who she truly was. We carry so many burdens in our lives, and we often spend our days wondering "what if" instead of living in the moment, especially when we go through trials and tribulations. That's why I like the sentiment: may we forgive ourselves for the things we didn't know, and may we ease our burdens, for we are just living.
The other is Pride and Prejudice. If you haven't noticed, I love old films; they were so well written, and this one is even better in the book. The story follows the Bennet family in early 19th-century England, where five unmarried daughters and a modest estate make securing good marriages an urgent concern. It baffles me, still, that marriage was so dire a matter back then that people would marry almost anyone who asked for their hand, without being in love with them. When the wealthy Mr. Bingley moves into the neighboring estate of Netherfield, he brings with him his friend, the proud and aloof Mr. Darcy. Bingley quickly falls for the eldest Bennet daughter, gentle Jane, while Darcy clashes with the sharp-witted second daughter, Elizabeth, after she overhears him dismiss her as "not handsome enough to dance with," an odd thing to say. He separates Mr. Bingley and Jane, and as he continues to interact with Elizabeth, their relationship becomes a strange mix of hate masking an endless desire for one another. Elizabeth calls him out on the things he's done, and in an effort to win her over, he fixes them, including bringing their youngest sister home after she eloped and got married. Eventually, Mr. Darcy tells Elizabeth how he feels, for the second time, and they finally get together. The final words in the film make my heart jump; I'd write them here, but they're better heard than read. As you can tell, I'm a hopeless romantic.
I have also come to love a good horror movie. I remember watching The Billionaires Club, which is Nigerian, and the scenes traumatized me so much that whenever I watch a Hollywood horror now, I find it either funny or worth the watch. My favorite happens to be IT. I can't tell you how many times a day I hear Pennywise calling "Georgieee" and think, How on earth did that little boy fit in a sewer? I also love The Conjuring and A Nightmare on Elm Street, and I'm a fan of both the 1984 and the 2010 versions. Do I watch something funny afterwards? Definitely. But I do love being scared a bit, as if life is not scary enough.
There's still so much more I love, and I want to go deeper into each one, so Part 2 will be up this week or this month, maybe. As I sat down to write this, I put together a whole list of the movies, cartoons, and series, and even the genres, I want to cover. For instance, I could sit here and write about my first heartbreak, which was the first time I watched Sarafina. To make matters worse, I also watched The Lion King 1 the same day, at my grandparents' house. My mom had brought the CD from work, and I remember crying so hard. But all of that will be in Part 2. We'll also talk about all the series I love. For now, enjoy the clips from these films and watch them.
Comments