A Few Lessons I Learned From Movies

Over Thanksgiving break, I watched a copious amount of movies, 8 to be exact. Is this number slightly ridiculous? Yes. But I excused the time wasted by assuring myself that Thanksgiving weekend was possibly the only time during the school year that I could be lazy for a lengthy period of time without failing dismally. Thus, along with a couple of friends, I sprawled on a sofa in my house lounge and watched movies that were either old favorites or that I had not seen before but had always wanted to. Each of the movies projected its own story and message, some much better than others. Here’s some of the movies I watched and the lessons gained from each (spoiler alert!!):
 
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·      Billy Elliot
 
With Billy’s ambition to become a dancer despite his father’s and society’s constricted view of gender roles, the most obvious message is to follow your ambitions, even when they are not universally approved. The gradual acceptance by his father and community, however, highlights an additional point: love trumps fear, which is often the root of hate. Billy’s love for dancing overpowered the feelings of uneasiness and anxiety initially experienced by his father. His father eventually becomes so convinced of Billy’s talent that he resorts to forgoing his own values (striking for the coal miner’s union) so that he can support his son. Too touching.
 
Side note: I am not sure if I have ever been so proud of a fictional character. The scene in which grown-up Billy leaps across the stage in Swan Lake, admired by all, evoked embarrassingly strong feelings of fulfillment within me.
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·      Sabrina
 
Living with “rose-tinted” glasses and enduring fantasies or expectations may cause you to miss what is truly remarkable in life. Bogart may be “Joe College, with a touch of arthritis” but his love for Audrey was true and consistent.
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·      Across the Universe
 
I watched this Beatles-inspired film for the first time Thanksgiving weekend. Main lesson learned? Do not watch again.
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·      Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
 
One of the most poignant scenes for me is towards the end of the film, when Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet’s characters talk to each other in the hallway after discovering that they had both erased each other from their memories. Clementine (Winslet) questions whether the two should even attempt to restart the relationship, knowing that it will end in heartbreak for both. She states that she will eventually get bored with him as she does with all other men and that he will discover innumerable faults in her. Joel (Carrey) simply replies with “Okay”. He is willing to suffer what is essentially certain heartbreak and pain just so that he can recreate the beautiful memories the two shared as a couple. The movie reminds us that we should relish the moments we have. We should not allow fear or anxiety concerning the future ruin what we have now.
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·      Clerks
 
Turn on the lights before having sex in a convenient store bathroom.
On a more serious note, question whether your actions are a result of what you sincerely believe and desire, or if they’re merely a reaction to a “title” or image that you feel you have to maintain. Who knew that Clerks had a touch of philosophical self-evaluation?