As my vacation's end draws near, I am soaking up the time with my children. Sometimes, that involves watching videos with them. Other times, it involves them watching videos while I nap :). One of the perennial favorites for Corrie while we are on vacation (and any other time for that matter) is this one. It is a classic, and it has a lot to offer. I suppose many might find it overly sentimental or corny, but it does have a bit of an edge to it. This edge is best captured by the nuns gutting the engine of the Nazis' car near the end of the movie. One morning on our vacation, I lied in bed with my 9 year old daughter Corrie, and asked her about this classic movie:
Joel: "We are in the bedroom at Grandma and Papa's house, and I am going to ask Corrie about 'The Sound of Music.' So…who is your favorite character in the movie?"
Corrie: "My favorite character is Maria."
Joel: "I'm not surprised…why is that?"
Corrie: "Because she is adventurous and teaches the Von Trapp children how to sing."
Joel: "What else do you really like about this movie?"
Corrie: "I like how the Von Trapp children sing 'Goodnight', near the end of the movie and I like when the children sing for the Baroness."
Joel: "Now, do you know anything about where the movie was shot…do you know what that means?"
Corrie: "No."
Joel: "That means where did they actually go to make large portions of the movie? They actually went to where the Von Trapps lived."
Corrie: "Austria?!?"
Joel: "To a city called Salzburg. In the movie, there's a festival at the end where they sing. Do you know that there is a very famous music person who was born in Salzburg? You might know the answer to this. Do you know who it is?"
Corrie: "One of the Beatles?"
Joel: "Not one the Beatles, no. The Beatles were all born in England. He was a composer. He composed 'The Magic Flute.'"
Corrie: "Mozart!?!"
Joel: "Yes…Mozart was born in Salzburg. So one of the things that's neat about the movie is that it is set in a very musically rich part of the world. So when the Captain doesn't want the kids singing and his children don't even know about music, there's kind of a weirdness to that. And, how does it turn out with the Captain? Does he like music?"
Corrie: "Daddy, I remember towards the beginning the housekeeper told Maria that ever since his wife died he made everything like he was back on a ship. Whistles, orders…"
Joel: "And why does she say that he does that?"
Corrie: "Because he doesn't want any more music or laughter or anything that reminds him of his dead wife."
Joel: "Yeah..so he's kind of sad. So, Maria doesn't just help the children, does she?"
Corrie: "She helps him."
Joel: "Do you know what Daddy's favorite part in the movie is? Daddy's favorite scene is when the Captain sings 'Edelweiss' in front of the crowd. Do you think the German soldiers like it when he sings it?"
Corrie: "No."
Joel: "Why do you think they don't like it?"
Corrie: "Then all the people like him?"
Joel: "Yeah, and 'Edelweiss', is that a German song?"
Corrie: "I don't know."
Joel: "Well, at least in the movie it's a song about an Austrian flower, and the Germans didn't want people being proud of being Austrian, they just wanted everyone to be German. So, when he sings the song at the festival, he's shaking his fist at the Germans because he didn't want to be a German like they want him to be. Well, which one of the children do you identify with the most?"
Corrie: "What do you mean identify?"
Joel: "That means you look up at the screen and say, 'Oh, that's kind of like me!'"
Corrie: "Two that are kind of like me. Well, the first one is Liesel because she's the oldest and everything Maria says when she is mad at the Captain and she tells him someday she will grow into a woman and you won't even know her. I feel like that's a little bit like me."
Joel: "Why, that you're going to be a woman some time soon?"
Corrie: "What I meant was like I'm the oldest and the big sister!"
Joel: "Who else do you identify with? I think I know who the other one is…"
Corrie: "The girl that comes in with the book! Brigitta!"
Joel: "Because you like your reading, don't you?"
Corrie: "Yeah!"
Joel: "Was there anything else in the movie you want to talk about?"
Corrie: "I like the beginning, when Maria is singing."
Joel: "Isn't it a beautiful movie? All the beautiful landscapes and everything. All right kiddo, thanks for sharing about this movie with me…it will be on one of my blogs soon."
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Friday, April 6, 2012
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
I was thinking the other day, "What would be a good movie to write about while on vacation?" For some reason, this movie was the only one that came to mind. To me, this is the movie of director John Hughes' that seems closest to his heart. Many would counter with Sixteen Candles" or "The Breakfast Club". I would even counter with "Planes, Trains and Automobiles." But when I think about it, this movie seems to combine all of the things that we think about when we think of Hughes, and it combines them better than any other of his movies, to me.
In another direction, the shared experience of the movie becomes a part of the movie. Much like "The Princess Bride", the quotable lines in this movie have taken on a life of their own. ("So that's how it is in that family.") And, as with "The Princess Bride" or "Spinal Tap", there starts to be an unofficial club whose only dues to be paid are the simple recognition of the dialogue. This movie came out when I was 11 years old, and the first time I saw it was in Junior High at school (I don't think my parents know this). We sat in class at some sort of class party, watching the older kids in the movie galavant around Chicago, doing things about which we could only dream. The only access we had to Ferris' coolness was quoting the lines of the movie and sympathizing with all the poor saps who have to sit through Ben Stein's economics class.
The movie follows the adventures of 3 high schoolers. Ferris Bueller, who, as the high school principal's secretary points out, all the students think is "a righteous dude" is trying to cash in on a beautiful Chicago spring day by ditching school. He forcefully brings along his best friend Cameron, and jail breaks his girlfriend Simone. Ferris has elaborate ways of faking being sick, complete with technological tools usually only found at the Pentagon. He presides over his world with omniscience and utter cool, while poor Cameron is left to worry about the consequences of missing school and what Ferris will do to his father's beloved Ferrari. Ferris steals the Ferrari, and the 3 of them embark on a fantastic tour of Chicago, complete with a ball game, the Art Institute, the Sears Tower, a gourmet lunch, and a memorable trip to a German Day Parade. But, there is more to this movie than the viewer initially thinks, and that is why, to me, this is the quintessential John Hughes movie.
At the heart of much of Hughes' work is the insecurity and pain of being a teenager. Hughes looks at a group of young people who grow up in enormous privilege, but still feel alienated. This is portrayed so well in the character of Cameron. He has a father who, as he says, makes a car his love. As the 3 young people make their way through their day, we have a blast watching their hijinks, but we know there is more to the picture. That is why this movie transcends its time. It would have been entertaining enough to simply follow Ferris and the gang through their romp. But somehow, Hughes was able to see inside the minds of high schoolers and transmit those feelings to the screen. This only became clear to me as I grew older and became a senior in high school. As I entered that time in my life when I had, as an uncle once told me, "all of the privileges but none of the responsibilities", the fleeting nature of this time became more real to me. Ferris isn't simply being rebellious, he knows that high school will be over soon, and the time he has had with his best friend and girl friend is about to change.
All the while, the comedy is the yin to the serious yang of the movie. Principal Rooney's bravado and incompetence; Ferris and company faking their way into a 4 star restaurant ("'You're Abe Froman? The sausage king of Chicago?' 'That's right'"); and again, Ben Stein's endless droning about voodoo economics. It all comes together to form a moment in cinematic time. It's a great diversion, but it also makes the viewer think. As I start my second day of vacation, I couldn't help but think of it...
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it..."
In another direction, the shared experience of the movie becomes a part of the movie. Much like "The Princess Bride", the quotable lines in this movie have taken on a life of their own. ("So that's how it is in that family.") And, as with "The Princess Bride" or "Spinal Tap", there starts to be an unofficial club whose only dues to be paid are the simple recognition of the dialogue. This movie came out when I was 11 years old, and the first time I saw it was in Junior High at school (I don't think my parents know this). We sat in class at some sort of class party, watching the older kids in the movie galavant around Chicago, doing things about which we could only dream. The only access we had to Ferris' coolness was quoting the lines of the movie and sympathizing with all the poor saps who have to sit through Ben Stein's economics class.
The movie follows the adventures of 3 high schoolers. Ferris Bueller, who, as the high school principal's secretary points out, all the students think is "a righteous dude" is trying to cash in on a beautiful Chicago spring day by ditching school. He forcefully brings along his best friend Cameron, and jail breaks his girlfriend Simone. Ferris has elaborate ways of faking being sick, complete with technological tools usually only found at the Pentagon. He presides over his world with omniscience and utter cool, while poor Cameron is left to worry about the consequences of missing school and what Ferris will do to his father's beloved Ferrari. Ferris steals the Ferrari, and the 3 of them embark on a fantastic tour of Chicago, complete with a ball game, the Art Institute, the Sears Tower, a gourmet lunch, and a memorable trip to a German Day Parade. But, there is more to this movie than the viewer initially thinks, and that is why, to me, this is the quintessential John Hughes movie.
At the heart of much of Hughes' work is the insecurity and pain of being a teenager. Hughes looks at a group of young people who grow up in enormous privilege, but still feel alienated. This is portrayed so well in the character of Cameron. He has a father who, as he says, makes a car his love. As the 3 young people make their way through their day, we have a blast watching their hijinks, but we know there is more to the picture. That is why this movie transcends its time. It would have been entertaining enough to simply follow Ferris and the gang through their romp. But somehow, Hughes was able to see inside the minds of high schoolers and transmit those feelings to the screen. This only became clear to me as I grew older and became a senior in high school. As I entered that time in my life when I had, as an uncle once told me, "all of the privileges but none of the responsibilities", the fleeting nature of this time became more real to me. Ferris isn't simply being rebellious, he knows that high school will be over soon, and the time he has had with his best friend and girl friend is about to change.
All the while, the comedy is the yin to the serious yang of the movie. Principal Rooney's bravado and incompetence; Ferris and company faking their way into a 4 star restaurant ("'You're Abe Froman? The sausage king of Chicago?' 'That's right'"); and again, Ben Stein's endless droning about voodoo economics. It all comes together to form a moment in cinematic time. It's a great diversion, but it also makes the viewer think. As I start my second day of vacation, I couldn't help but think of it...
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it..."
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
A note on "The Lives of Others"
I will be on vacation for two weeks, so my posting will not be as frequent. I hope to see some movies and get some more ideas. I may post while on vacation, but overall, I will be taking a break from my routine. In a couple of weeks, I'll be posting again as normal. Thanks to all my readers...March had by far the most hits that I have ever had. Thanks for making it a great month.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Trailer Tuesday: Despicable Me 2
The first movie was a family favorite...we'll hope this one is good as well!
Monday, April 2, 2012
"Christopher Walken" reads "Where the WIld Things Are"
This sounds like it's just a really good impersonation. If it is or isn't, it's funny either way. Enjoy...
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Subtitle Saturday: My Father's Glory
Since I watched this film and its companion piece ("My Mother's Castle") out of order, I felt I had a unique perspective on this movie. It was a little like watching the "Star Wars" prequels, minus all of the computer animation. I was able to see some of the background for the story that I had so much enjoyed, but I also was able to take in a self contained story. One could watch either of these films independently, but seeing them both brings greater texture to the world.
This movie shows us the arrival of the two movies' protagonist, Marcel. We see him being born to this school teacher father and doting mother. The family settles in the lovely town of Marseilles in the south of France, and they begin to build their life as a family. A baby brother is born named Paul, and finally, a little sister. As the movie goes along, it is clear that the mother (Augustine) has a sister who desires a husband, and she finds one in Jules. Jules is a devout Catholic who does not hide his feelings toward his secular brother in law, Marcel's father Joseph. Joseph is a bright eyed school teacher who is heavy on book smarts, and who beams with excitement as he teaches his students of the possibilities that await them in the 20th century. Eventually, Jules and Joseph decide to treat their respective families to a holiday villa in the Provence, just outside of the town of Marseilles.
The villa ends up being not only the primary setting for both this film and its companion film, but also something which symbolizes something greater. More on that in a minute. Suffice it to say, the family loves their holiday home. As viewers, we can almost feel the lazy summer in the sir as we watch this film, even though I watched it in the middle of a Minnesota winter. As the family settles into their summer home, the book smarts of Joseph begin to be outshone by the outdoor saavy of Marcel's Uncle Jules. This is crushing for little Marcel, as he sees his father as perfect. As his father and uncle go hunting, he begins to see how little his father knows about the outdoors. While Marcel follows his uncle and father in their hunting, he befriends a country boy, and begins to scheme on how he can make the alluring desert of the Provence his permanent home.
Marcel's desire to make the country his permanent home feeds into what I believe is the principle theme as these two films. The theme is longing. There in lies the genius of thee films. One needn't ever visit the Provence to identify with the family. The scene that drove this point home the most was one of the last scenes in the movie. As the holidays draw to a close, school beckons both the teacher and the student back to their home. As the adults contemplate leaving their summer retreat, they begin to point out some of the shortcomings of their villa. They complain of the lack of indoor plumbing, and yearn for their modern appliances back in Marseilles. Marcel listens to these musings with absolute disgust, as he views their comments as blasphemous. To him, the Provence has become a paradise on earth. It is a place with no shortcomings, and he is enraged by the adults and their worldly comforts.
All of us long for rest and repose. We all have a place that acts as one. All of us long for such a villa. For my family, our "villa" has become a rental cabin in Brainerd, Minnesota. When I was growing up, my family loved getting away to the mountains. We visited the Sierras, the small town of Big Bear, and the great National Parks of the West. I also always regarded my home in La Habra as a place of escape and repose. What is important about all these places is that they act as a piece of heaven on earth. They are places devoid of care. They are places which elicit nostalgia. I couldn't help but smile in recognition as this film ended. For even though the nuts and bolts of the story are quite different than from my upbringing, the feelings are the same. Great art does just that. It gives us familiar feelings, even with characters with whom we have precious little in common.
This movie shows us the arrival of the two movies' protagonist, Marcel. We see him being born to this school teacher father and doting mother. The family settles in the lovely town of Marseilles in the south of France, and they begin to build their life as a family. A baby brother is born named Paul, and finally, a little sister. As the movie goes along, it is clear that the mother (Augustine) has a sister who desires a husband, and she finds one in Jules. Jules is a devout Catholic who does not hide his feelings toward his secular brother in law, Marcel's father Joseph. Joseph is a bright eyed school teacher who is heavy on book smarts, and who beams with excitement as he teaches his students of the possibilities that await them in the 20th century. Eventually, Jules and Joseph decide to treat their respective families to a holiday villa in the Provence, just outside of the town of Marseilles.
The villa ends up being not only the primary setting for both this film and its companion film, but also something which symbolizes something greater. More on that in a minute. Suffice it to say, the family loves their holiday home. As viewers, we can almost feel the lazy summer in the sir as we watch this film, even though I watched it in the middle of a Minnesota winter. As the family settles into their summer home, the book smarts of Joseph begin to be outshone by the outdoor saavy of Marcel's Uncle Jules. This is crushing for little Marcel, as he sees his father as perfect. As his father and uncle go hunting, he begins to see how little his father knows about the outdoors. While Marcel follows his uncle and father in their hunting, he befriends a country boy, and begins to scheme on how he can make the alluring desert of the Provence his permanent home.
Marcel's desire to make the country his permanent home feeds into what I believe is the principle theme as these two films. The theme is longing. There in lies the genius of thee films. One needn't ever visit the Provence to identify with the family. The scene that drove this point home the most was one of the last scenes in the movie. As the holidays draw to a close, school beckons both the teacher and the student back to their home. As the adults contemplate leaving their summer retreat, they begin to point out some of the shortcomings of their villa. They complain of the lack of indoor plumbing, and yearn for their modern appliances back in Marseilles. Marcel listens to these musings with absolute disgust, as he views their comments as blasphemous. To him, the Provence has become a paradise on earth. It is a place with no shortcomings, and he is enraged by the adults and their worldly comforts.
All of us long for rest and repose. We all have a place that acts as one. All of us long for such a villa. For my family, our "villa" has become a rental cabin in Brainerd, Minnesota. When I was growing up, my family loved getting away to the mountains. We visited the Sierras, the small town of Big Bear, and the great National Parks of the West. I also always regarded my home in La Habra as a place of escape and repose. What is important about all these places is that they act as a piece of heaven on earth. They are places devoid of care. They are places which elicit nostalgia. I couldn't help but smile in recognition as this film ended. For even though the nuts and bolts of the story are quite different than from my upbringing, the feelings are the same. Great art does just that. It gives us familiar feelings, even with characters with whom we have precious little in common.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Family Film Friday: The Great Muppet Caper
This was one of those movies I could watch endlessly as a kid. My cousins and I would often watch it up at my aunt and uncle's house in Santa Barbara. They had it on VHS, and I think we watched it at nearly every holiday family gathering. It is a riot. One of the things I always love about all of the Muppet movies is how self aware they are. They always break down "the 4th wall", which means that the script is aware of the fact that a movie is being made, and the characters in the movie are able to wink at the audience (Blazing Saddles did this, as did Ferris Bueller). Also, the way that Jim Henson treats his Muppets gives a certain anarchy to the comedy. Take a look at how the Muppets are tossed from the passenger jet or how Gonzo hails a London cab, and you will see exactly what I am talking about. Like with cartoons, since the main characters are not real people, they can do things that no human can do, and the comedy becomes even more uproarious. Recently, I watched it with my kids for the first time, and then I asked them about it.
Joel: "We had a good movie night tonight...Wessie, come on over. Tonight, we watched a movie that Daddy first saw when he was Corrie or Jack's age, and that's 'The Great Muppet Caper'. Now, you've seen other Muppet movies, right? What was special about this one? What did you like about it that some of the other movies don't have?"
Corrie: "New friends."
Joel: "Like who?"
Corrie: "The head of the Happiness Hotel."
Jack: "I know a really good one."
Joel: "What?"
Jack: "That man who keeps driving...who didn't have a driver's license...the brown guy."
Joel: "His name is Bauregaard. What was the funniest part of the movie? Jack?"
Jack: "When I saw...I thought the police was taking Animal, but then I saw the robbers..."
Joel: "What about you Corrie?
Corrie: "There was a time when Kermit was going to see Miss Piggy, and he was dancing. But when he stopped, his shadow kept dancing! You were out of the room!"
Joel: "Oh I remember that part. You know the part I always really liked? I like when Gonzo throws himself in front of the taxi cab to stop it."
Wes: "I like how the bed just...ffffpth..."
Joel: "How the bed goes fffpth? What does it do, does it keep folding up Wes?"
Wes: "Yeah, it keeps folding up!"
Joel: "And what always happens right after the bed folds up to the light?"
Corrie and Wes make an exploding sound...
Jack: "The light bulb falls down when they leave the room, when they fold up in the bed..."
Joel: "The light bulb just keeps falling out, doesn't it?"
Corrie: "My other laugh is when the crates fell down in the pond, and the guy looks out and says (Corrie with a British accent) 'Oh...they said it was going to rain cats and dogs!"
Joel: "Yeah, that was funny...what did you think of the man who plays the brother...the jewel thief?"
Corrie: "Weirdo!"
Joel: "What did you think Jack?"
Jack: "I think that he's a bad guy and he's not very good at watching out for the Muppets."
Joel: "Another thing that I always really liked about the movie, is, how do they always get off the plane?"
Corrie: "He throws them off the plane! DAAAHHHHH!!!"
Joel: "There was also one kind of...do you kiddos know what the word cameo means?"
Corrie: "No."
Joel: "A cameo is something where a very famous person makes a short appearance in the movie. There were some cameos in this movie by some famous British actors that you don't know, but there was also a cameo by a very famous Muppet...that isn't usually in the Muppet movies, who was it?"
Corrie: "Oscar!?!"
Joel: "Oscar! That's what's called a cameo...when a person who is very famous is in a movie for a very very small amount of time. There are some other people in the movie who are very famous that you will find out about some other time...the man who is at dinner with his wife when Miss Piggy is trying to get into his house? Remember that guy? He's a very famous actor...a very famous funny man. I always loved how fast it was and how crazy it was when I was a kid. How does Bauregaard drop off Kermit, Fozzy and Gonzo at the hotel?"
Corrie: "He busts through the door with the car!"
Joel: "You guys have given me some fun things to talk about...is there anything else you want to say about the movie?"
Wes: "I like how the light bulbs keep falling out!"
Joel: "Yes Corrie?"
Corrie: "I like Miss Piggy's karate moves."
Joel: What about you Jack?"
Corrie: "HIYAH"
JACK: "You know what I really love?"
Joel: "What?"
Jack: "I really like how the light bulb keeps falling out every time they run out of the room."
Joel: "Alright...thanks kiddos!"
Joel: "We had a good movie night tonight...Wessie, come on over. Tonight, we watched a movie that Daddy first saw when he was Corrie or Jack's age, and that's 'The Great Muppet Caper'. Now, you've seen other Muppet movies, right? What was special about this one? What did you like about it that some of the other movies don't have?"
Corrie: "New friends."
Joel: "Like who?"
Corrie: "The head of the Happiness Hotel."
Jack: "I know a really good one."
Joel: "What?"
Jack: "That man who keeps driving...who didn't have a driver's license...the brown guy."
Joel: "His name is Bauregaard. What was the funniest part of the movie? Jack?"
Jack: "When I saw...I thought the police was taking Animal, but then I saw the robbers..."
Joel: "What about you Corrie?
Corrie: "There was a time when Kermit was going to see Miss Piggy, and he was dancing. But when he stopped, his shadow kept dancing! You were out of the room!"
Joel: "Oh I remember that part. You know the part I always really liked? I like when Gonzo throws himself in front of the taxi cab to stop it."
Wes: "I like how the bed just...ffffpth..."
Joel: "How the bed goes fffpth? What does it do, does it keep folding up Wes?"
Wes: "Yeah, it keeps folding up!"
Joel: "And what always happens right after the bed folds up to the light?"
Corrie and Wes make an exploding sound...
Jack: "The light bulb falls down when they leave the room, when they fold up in the bed..."
Joel: "The light bulb just keeps falling out, doesn't it?"
Corrie: "My other laugh is when the crates fell down in the pond, and the guy looks out and says (Corrie with a British accent) 'Oh...they said it was going to rain cats and dogs!"
Joel: "Yeah, that was funny...what did you think of the man who plays the brother...the jewel thief?"
Corrie: "Weirdo!"
Joel: "What did you think Jack?"
Jack: "I think that he's a bad guy and he's not very good at watching out for the Muppets."
Joel: "Another thing that I always really liked about the movie, is, how do they always get off the plane?"
Corrie: "He throws them off the plane! DAAAHHHHH!!!"
Joel: "There was also one kind of...do you kiddos know what the word cameo means?"
Corrie: "No."
Joel: "A cameo is something where a very famous person makes a short appearance in the movie. There were some cameos in this movie by some famous British actors that you don't know, but there was also a cameo by a very famous Muppet...that isn't usually in the Muppet movies, who was it?"
Corrie: "Oscar!?!"
Joel: "Oscar! That's what's called a cameo...when a person who is very famous is in a movie for a very very small amount of time. There are some other people in the movie who are very famous that you will find out about some other time...the man who is at dinner with his wife when Miss Piggy is trying to get into his house? Remember that guy? He's a very famous actor...a very famous funny man. I always loved how fast it was and how crazy it was when I was a kid. How does Bauregaard drop off Kermit, Fozzy and Gonzo at the hotel?"
Corrie: "He busts through the door with the car!"
Joel: "You guys have given me some fun things to talk about...is there anything else you want to say about the movie?"
Wes: "I like how the light bulbs keep falling out!"
Joel: "Yes Corrie?"
Corrie: "I like Miss Piggy's karate moves."
Joel: What about you Jack?"
Corrie: "HIYAH"
JACK: "You know what I really love?"
Joel: "What?"
Jack: "I really like how the light bulb keeps falling out every time they run out of the room."
Joel: "Alright...thanks kiddos!"
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