The Stupids

               Most of you probably haven’t heard of the movie The Stupids.  Yep, you can pretty much guess what it’s about by the title.  It’s an older movie; which really is stupid, but at the same time pretty funny.  The plot consists of a guy, Stanley Stupid, who thinks people are stealing his garbage, so he follows the garbage truck to discover where his stolen trash has been taken.  Little does he know that when he discovers where his trash has been taken he has also discovered an illegal weapons convention.  The rest of the movie is about him and his family trying to solve their many problems; while those at the convention are trying to solve their problem of being discovered, and they attempt to do this by trying to terminate Stanley Stupid.

                At one point in the movie, Stanley Stupid and his daughter Petunia, think they have died when in reality they are simply in the local planetarium.  They talk about how you never know when the end is near, and how one second they had been alive and the next they died and were in heaven.  I never realized they talked about this in the movie and found it interesting because just an hour before my boyfriend and I had been attending a class where we talked about the exact same thing.  The teacher shared a personal story of when his parents were on vacation and robbers broke into the house.  They ducked taped his whole head, arms, and legs.  As one of the robbers ransacked the house the other stayed with him and told him that if he cooperated he wouldn’t be killed.  However; the other robber came back after rummaging through the house and wanted to kill him.  My teacher said that he remembers sitting there, unable to see, hearing both robbers argue whether or not to kill him.  At that moment he said it hit him that he wasn’t invincible and that his life could end at any moment.  Though we may not be in any situation similar to my teacher’s during our lifetime we need to realize that our life could end at any moment.  Life is precious and we should not take it for granted.  I realized this morning that time on this earth is truly short, and that we should make the best of it, and try to make it good for ourselves and others.  Your life is your choice and your life is what you make of it.

Bella

About a month ago in my marriage class we watched a very touching movie titled Bella.  It came out in 2006, is based on a true story, and won many awards for its inspirational message.  Now, I’m not going to tell you what the story is about; however, I am going to tell you what I gained from it.  During the movie I realized the power of forgiveness and the importance of being lenient when judging others.  There is often more than meets the eye for the actions someone has done.  Many times people have good intentions behind their actions, but those good intentions sometimes end up bad. 

I think that when we hear about forgiveness we think it consists of forgetting and not holding grudges against those who have hurt us.  To me forgiveness consists of that and more.  Forgiveness extends to seeing those who have made mistakes or may be making mistakes at that time (whether or not those mistakes involve you) and overlooking what has happened/is happening, and seeing them for what they truly are deep down inside.  It involves loving them when no one else will.  It’s overlooking the bad and seeing their good and who they can become.  Forgiveness is the key to helping others improve and will bring about much happiness in not only those you forgive, but also to yourself.  Remember, a key part to forgiveness is forgiving yourself! 

I am Legend

     The other day I was watching I am Legend with my friends, and I must say that it is a great movie!  I’ve seen it multiple times and I still love it!  It’s kind of touching to me because I cannot imagine what it would be like to live alone, and have no one to talk to.  One of the parts that hit me really hard is when Robert Neville, Will Smith, is talking to the mannequin and pleading with her to respond to him.  It made me so sad because I know that there are people out in the world today who feel like he does at that moment in the movie.  There are people out there who are alone, and feel as though they have no one to talk to, and that no one will or wants to talk to them.  No one should feel as though they have nothing and nobody.  We have the power to create a huge impact in other people’s lives and so I encourage you to reach out to those who are sitting by themselves or standing alone.  Compliment them and then simply talk to them and ask questions such as “what’s your name?”  “Are you going to school?” etc…  They won’t find you stupid they will only find it cool that you talked to them.  You can’t go wrong in doing something nice for another and they will never think less of you for reaching out to them.

     Also, one of my favorite lines in I am Legend is when Robert Neville says “How can I make light come from this darkness?”  In anytime of darkness in our life we need to think of how we can make it light (or obtain some good from it).  I guarantee that if you are to do this your dark times will seem much easier and you will grow more from them.  Look on the positive aspects of life and all will be well.

     One more thing!  I remember writing this down, but in the end he realizes that their is a supreme being and when he does everything clicks together and works out for the best.  I just have experienced this and want to say that its true.  With God everything works out better and everything will fall into place.

Amelia

Last Thursday in my marriage class we watched the end of the movie Amelia, featuring Hilary Swank and Richard Gere.  It’s the story of Amelia Earhart, her attempt to fly across the Pacific Ocean, and what brought an end to her and her dreams.  Before watching it our teacher asked us to relate this movie to why many marriages end up failing today.  After I realized, “Hey!  I can use this for my blog!”, and so I’m going to list some of many reasons why marriages do fail today.

What Happened in the Movie, Amelia	How it Relates to Marriages Today
The Morris Code Machine’s battery was left on all night; which meant the battery was dead and unable to operate.	This is like a form of neglect.  Marriage often fails because spouses aren’t attempting to put time into their marriage or create time for their spouse.
Amelia Earhart took flight without any back-up plans.  She didn’t expect the winds to be as strong as they were, and she decided to leave behind her Morris Code communicator (in an attempt to save space and carry less weight).	This is a great example of being unprepared for problems that may occur in marriage.  You need to have a plan in place before you get married; you need to make sure you are prepared for the unexpected (which will most likely occur).  This can also be like having unrealistic expectations.  Many people go into marriage viewing it as going to be “happily ever after”; however, there are always those rocky times and when they hit many people are unprepared and not ready to face them.
The main cause of Amelia Earhart’s downfall was communication problems.  She couldn’t hear the receiver on the other end telling her what to do because they could not find a channel where each could connect.	Communication problems are one of the top reasons why many marriages fail today.  With communication comes cohesion and without communication comes no intimacy or trust.  Many times people don’t know how to communicate with their spouse and so their marriage is weakened.  To be an affective communicator you have to be on the same channel as the person you are communicating with.  If you are not they will not understand you and problems will occur.

Inception

               So this blog is going to be a little different than my other blogs.  Someone suggested that I talk about the movie Inception; which I thought was a really good idea!  Hopefully everyone has seen it because I don’t want to give anything away!  When Inception came to theaters I remember most of my coworkers discussing its end and what it meant.  Their answers consisted of “Leonardo Di Caprio is still in a dream” or “no, he’s awake and in the real world”.  As I thought about it I noticed that throughout the entire movie it seems that the reason he goes into other people’s dreams is to prove he didn’t murder his wife, so he can have his kids back.  At the end he is finally with his kids in the real world, and I think that’s why I the top continues to spin but gets a little shaky.  He is awake, and finally living his dream life.  Hopefully that makes sense!  I’m not sure I worded it too well.

                I just want to quickly say that if we continue pursuing our dreams, in this life, we will eventually accomplish them.  Whenever I think of goals/accomplishing dreams I think of the quote that says “A goal not written remains a wish.”  Write down your goals and stick that paper where you can see it every day.  If you do that, every time you look at it you will catch yourself thinking what have I been doing to accomplish that, and hey, I can do that and will.  We can accomplish anything we want to; don’t wait to pursue your dreams, start today! =D

Lord of the Rings

      Most of you have probably seen the first Lord of the Rings.  My favorite part in this whole movie is at the very end, when Frodo leaves by himself to destroy the ring.  Sam, his best friend, realizes this and rushes to join Frodo, only to find that Frodo has already sailed.  Not knowing how to swim, Sam jumps into the water after Frodo.  Sam risked his life simply because he didn’t want Frodo to make the journey on his own.  I guess this was my favorite part because it really touched me.  What a great example of true friendship Sam is for all of us.  A true friend never leaves another, especially when their friend is in times of great danger and hardship.  Sam knew it wasn’t going to be an easy journey, and yet he decided to take the risk because of his love for Frodo, as a friend.  As I write this blog, the only thing that keeps coming back into my mind is a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson that states “The only way to have a friend, is to be one.” 

Up

                When watching Disney Pixar’s Up I realized three things:

1)       I noticed that in the movie Carl Fredricksen (the old man) always seemed so cranky and you could tell that he felt life was not an adventure anymore.  However; as I continued watching the movie I realized that no matter what happens to us, life is always an adventure.  Each day is special and unique; there is purpose for us in every day.  We choose how to live our lives and yes, life is simply what you make it.

2)      I remember at one point in the movie Carl Fredricksen tries to move his house, but can’t because the task is too heavy for him to accomplish himself.  When Russel (the little boy) comes along and helps Carl, the task is completed.  We often don’t realize the impact we have on other’s lives, and they on ours.  We help ease people’s hardships and make them achieve what once seemed impossible.

3)      Finally, at the part where Carl Fredricksen begins throwing out all of the possessions in his house I realized that if we get rid of the unneeded things in our life we will be much happier and a better person.  I also felt like this could be a representation of him leaving his past behind.  Don’t hold on to sorrows in the past.  We cannot change our past; however, we can use it to change the outcome of our future. 

I highly recommend Up; it’s funny and makes you feel good after seeing it.  Movies like that are the best!

What About Bob?

               What about Bob, a comedy produced in 1991, stars Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss.  Bill Murray plays Bob Wiley, a patient overloaded with psychological problems.  Richard Dreyfuss plays Dr. Leo Marvin, Bob Wiley’s psychiatrist.  At the beginning of the movie Dr. Marvin informs Bob Wiley that his family will be going on vacation and while they are gone Bob will have no counseling sessions.  Unfortunately, when Dr. Marvin’s family leaves Bob Wiley feels he can’t handle life without his doctor’s help.  Somehow he manages to tract down Dr. Marvin’s family and joins their vacation.  What happens after that is a series of mishaps; loaded with craziness.

                Although the movie What About Bob may seem mainly for laughter and entertainment, there is a deeper meaning one can obtain from watching it.  Bob is just like you and me on the outside.  However; on the inside he is struggling with some emotional and internal problems.  Throughout the movie he obtains help from a psychiatrist to overcome these internal obstacles, and finally he does succeed.  As he learns to escape these struggles he writes a book about it, and helps many others in situations similar to his past.  Who we are and once were can be used to help others around us, whether now or in the future.  All the hard things we go through will benefit not only us in the upcoming future; but others around us as well.

Tangled

            “You can’t tell anyone about this, okay?  It could ruin my whole reputation.”  Flynn Rider states after telling Rapunzel his past.  In truth Flynn Rider isn’t even this bandit’s real name.  His real name is Eugene Fitzherbert and only earlier, when faced with death, does he admit this to Rapunzel.  In life people tend to be like the Disney character of Flynn Rider, played by Zachary Levi.  We are often so focused on how the world and others view us that we literally become someone else in an attempt to please or fit in.

In my life I personally can recall times when I wanted to be someone else, and so I pretended to be like that person.   Mainly these supposed “role models” were movie stars or pretty much anyone famous.  However; as years passed I came to the realization that I don’t need to be someone else to be “cool” and happy.  It doesn’t matter if I am known by multiple people, or if I am simply known to a few.  What matters is that I like who I am and where I am headed in this life.

Although I did not change my name and everything about me, like Flynn Rider in Disney’s Tangled, I was in a rut similar to his.  I had not yet seen that by being your true self is where true happiness lies.  When Rapunzel, played by actress/singer Mandy Moore, tells Flynn “I like Eugene Fitzherbert better.” It hit me that there are probably millions of people in this world who don’t like themselves and are trying to be someone they’re not.  Rapunzel’s one simple statement made Flynn realize he doesn’t have to be someone else to be great and valued by others.  Like Rapunzel we can also help others to see this.

            As you face life and others around you remember that to be great and do great things you need to be yourself.  No matter who you are you are special and unique.  No one can accomplish what you are here to do.  So, if you want to surpass your potential be yourself; don’t be someone else.  Others will respect you and look up to you for that.  Continue in an attempt to live your dreams while being true to yourself.  In doing so, as Disney’s Tangled reveals, you will find the ride of life more enjoyable. 

Works Cited

IMDB: The internet movie database. (1990-2001). Retrieved January 27, 2011, from Memorable Quotes for Tangled: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398286/quotes

Digging Deeper

     Why exactly do you go to the movies?  Is it merely for entertainment, or do you go in hopes of being touched and learning something new?  Whether you go for entertainment or learning, most movies tend to have an underlying plot, or deeper meaning, that the audience can use to relate in their own lives.  This is the purpose of my blog.  Not to rate movies on how great the effects are, but to give a purpose to them and to us. Each blog entry I will take one movie, and tell how it can relate to not just my life, but everyones' in general.