And the Award Goes

1938

Here they are again: Hollywood Self-Aggrandizement Award Ceremony Fests. Oh, how I hate them.  

There will be some great nominations this year, much to my surprise. These movies I rate by my accurate system: How many times do I have to go to the bathroom?

My bladder is almost always correct. What measures the excellence of the movie is how and what I experience throughout the movie and its conclusion. 

Was I emotionally engaged? Did the plot have me traveling with it? Were the characters actors portraying some other person other than themselves? The ending does not have to be fairy tale happily ever after, but it does have to be make some kind of sense. 

The movie must, absolutely must keep me enthralled. Go to the toilet during the previews, yes. But stay to catch every other scene.

Movies that have a clear "And then... where the sequel is in your face" will lead me to question Why? Is a sequel needed? Or does the film holds it own without further travel?

We had no expectations about any movies at any point. The following two movies surprised us. 

Go see this entertaining movie which received excellent reviews. "Uplifting, refreshing" are the reviewer comments: Knives Out. Top notch actors and script appeared. Very much on the lines of Agatha Christie, this movie kept us both in our seats.

4.5 stars out of 5

Another worthwhile movie is "1917". History of WW1 and WW2 always catches and amazes me. The How and Why of those time periods and of the young soldiers fills me with both anger and sorrow. In this movie, two young men have to carry orders to the front, telling to postpone a large offensive. 

No bathroom breaks with these two, I can tell you. None whatsoever.

Why do we go to movies? Why do you go to movies, if you do go? 

YouTube 1970

True Grit Oscar Award

Wisdom from Sunshine

Philosophy talk

Yesterday I held a sick child*** for almost the whole day.  ‘Sunshine’ had been sick with fever and vomiting the night before, and was staying home from kindergarten.  She lay across my lap while we rocked, and I caressed her face and hair.  In my grandma kingdom, this was a great day.

released in 2009

We watched a selection of Disney movies, starting with “Dinosaurs”.  We have watched this movie many times, but I have never been plastered in the chair by a five-year old with a fever of 101 degrees.

Usually, when Sunshine and I watch a movie, she gives me a running commentary on the movie along with her own unique insights.  You would be amazed by the perspectives a kindergartner has about life and theology.

The plot is straight-forward:

  
A dinosaur egg miraculously escapes many brushes with crushing, ends up hatching in the tree occupied by a family of primates.  They adopt the adorable newly hatched dino and name him “Aladar”. Then the meteor strikes, blows almost all away (except..d) They run and manage to escape. After that, life is difficult, but Aladar (who is fortunately an herbivore) develops friendships and family. 

There are some universal truths conveyed in that movie.  Go with me on this:

Everyone needs to love and be loved.

Everyone needs to know they are not alone.

Everyone needs to make conscious decisions for good or evil.

Everyone needs to be believed in and encouraged.

Everyone can change and grow.

Everyone has the potential to learn and the capacity to give to others.

Everyone must take chances, to make ‘a leap of faith’.

Everyone needs to trust and believe in something bigger than themselves, something they cannot see.

Okay, these are not a profound revelations.  I have never evaluated a movie for universal elements before, and I was struck by the way the movie displayed these characteristics. 

Then we watched “Night at the Museum (has a dinosaur)”, and “Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure (no dinosaur)”.  We both nodded off before Tinkerbell was able to repair the moonstone.  

Dang.

***This is a repost from 2010. Sunshine was 5 then and is now 13. She still has a unique perspective on life and would sit on my lap if possible.