Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Can't Hide the Pride

The cast, as pictured on the official movie poster
One significant scene in the movie that I like happens around the 45:00 mark. After the L.G.S.M. helped to free the miners from jail after being wrongfully detained for protesting, they held a celebration that entailed drinking many pints, mingling between 'the gays' and the miners, and plenty of dancing. This party marked the end of Joe's stay, and they brought him back home with a box of pastries to keep up the lie Joe told to his mother to hide where he actually was over the past week.

Over pastries with his mother, Joe reveals that the time he spent with the group was the best experience of his entire life. His mother, still believing that he had been making pastries, is left a bit confused, but the joy of Joe's realization is clear on his face. The camera moves in on his face as he begins to laugh, unable to contain his giddiness. The upbeat music fades in, emphasizing his starting to accept and embrace his true self for the first time. What happens next is a montage of Joe's and the group's progress. The scenes are quick and the jump-cuts are frequent, the happy, lighthearted music never interrupted, communicating the passing of time smoothly and without obstacles.

In every shot and scene of Joe there is a big smile on his face. He is beginning to realize his true self and his happiness for the first time. He even throws old records to the side, making room for newer ones. This seemingly random snippet perfectly illustrates Joe welcoming new interests and becoming less afraid to do things that he truly enjoys, including everything from liking the same sex to listening to the music he loves. As they collect and count their growing funds, Joe shoots and prints more and more photographs, something else that gives him pride and fulfillment. However, at the end of the scene, he tucks all of his pictures and evidence of his new life inside an old children's book that still occupies his shelf, indicating that he is not yet ready to completely and unapologetically reveal his true self.

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Harry Potter

Like a lot of my classmates and friends, I encountered Harry Potter for the first time when I was very young. Also, just like any other kid, I of course dreamed I could live in that wonderful, magical world studying magic at an immense castle having awesome adventures. I looked up to Harry for his bravery and Hermione for her intelligence. I remember my mom got the first book soon after it had just come out because it had become so popular. I was only about four or five years old, so I barely remember it, but I know I enjoyed listening to her read them. I didn't continue reading them until years later, but I never had the solidarity to read the whole series all the way through. In fact, I have only read less than three of them. Most of my experience with the series is through the movies. The first few of them I saw as they came out. I remember in first grade for my friend's birthday party we got to attend a pre-release showing of The Chamber of Secrets, and I felt like the luckiest kid on the block. With all the people that would eventually stand in line at theaters to ensure a seat at midnight, I suppose I was pretty lucky.
A few years ago one summer I got really into the Harry Potter world again and I re-watched all of the movies, appreciating them from an older perspective. I'm glad that my interest in them sparked at that time, because I was just in time to see the final movie when it came out in theaters. I started to read the books again, but still didn't get very far. Maybe someday I will read them to my own children and get to see how Harry's story really goes. 

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

My Playlist My Self

What a person puts on their playlist says a lot about them. Listening to a favorite song can take you back in time, revive memories of your life you have long forgotten. That is because our favorite music becomes so much more than just background noise. Our favorite songs become a piece of us, and sharing them with others can make friends for life. Here are a few songs that I consider a piece of myself.

Space Dog

Cute Dog in space

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