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fearlesstempToday I was channel surfing and came across Master and Commander, which I own and can watch anytime I want. I still felt compelled to sit and watch it right then, all chopped up with commercials on FX, in spite of the huge pile of work I had to do. Such is my love for that movie. (Other movies that have earned this honor: The Shawshank Redemption, Fried Green Tomatoes, When Harry Met Sally)
The two things I love most about the movie are: (1) Young Midshipman Blankeney and (2) the friendship between Captain Jack Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin. With regard to the former: Anyone who read the books, what happened to Blakeney? Please tell me he had a long and happy life as a fighting naturalist. With regard to the latter: I have to say that the section of the movie surrounding their time on the island is really well done. I love the symmetry of Jack giving up his chance to fight his long-sought enemy for Stephen's health/Stephen giving up his cages of critters for Jack's chance to fight his long-sought enemy. And I love the way the two make those decisions - reluctantly, sadly, but with a conviction that comes from knowing that the choice made is the only one either can live with.
One more thing in Master and Commander's favor: It has one of my favorite endings of all time. Other contenders are the aforementioned Shawshank Redemption, Some Like It Hot, The Lady Eve. The best endings aren't really endings after all, but the suggestion of a new beginning to a story you'd like to see the rest of, but don't need to, because the chapter you've just finished has been so satisfying.
Speaking of movies - last week Boys on the Side was on TBS, which I haven't seen in years and had forgotten a lot about. All I knew was that it made me cry and cry and cry when I first saw it - taped the last hour of it and watched it a few days ago and yes, that was an accurate description. I remembered that MLP dies of AIDS, and had some memory of Whoopi being a lesbian, but I had forgotten how clear it was that Whoopi was in love with MLP, and how awesome the two of them were in the movie. Drew Barrymore's in it too, and she's good, pivotal to the plot but mostly tangential to the emotional heart of the movie. MLP and Whoopi are the heart of the movie. Near the end, when Whoopi sings to her? OMG. I had the ugly cry going.
The two things I love most about the movie are: (1) Young Midshipman Blankeney and (2) the friendship between Captain Jack Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin. With regard to the former: Anyone who read the books, what happened to Blakeney? Please tell me he had a long and happy life as a fighting naturalist. With regard to the latter: I have to say that the section of the movie surrounding their time on the island is really well done. I love the symmetry of Jack giving up his chance to fight his long-sought enemy for Stephen's health/Stephen giving up his cages of critters for Jack's chance to fight his long-sought enemy. And I love the way the two make those decisions - reluctantly, sadly, but with a conviction that comes from knowing that the choice made is the only one either can live with.
One more thing in Master and Commander's favor: It has one of my favorite endings of all time. Other contenders are the aforementioned Shawshank Redemption, Some Like It Hot, The Lady Eve. The best endings aren't really endings after all, but the suggestion of a new beginning to a story you'd like to see the rest of, but don't need to, because the chapter you've just finished has been so satisfying.
Speaking of movies - last week Boys on the Side was on TBS, which I haven't seen in years and had forgotten a lot about. All I knew was that it made me cry and cry and cry when I first saw it - taped the last hour of it and watched it a few days ago and yes, that was an accurate description. I remembered that MLP dies of AIDS, and had some memory of Whoopi being a lesbian, but I had forgotten how clear it was that Whoopi was in love with MLP, and how awesome the two of them were in the movie. Drew Barrymore's in it too, and she's good, pivotal to the plot but mostly tangential to the emotional heart of the movie. MLP and Whoopi are the heart of the movie. Near the end, when Whoopi sings to her? OMG. I had the ugly cry going.
