Can you lose your taste for depressing and scary?
I started this discussion a little bit yesterday in the comments, but I want to bring it to full light so I can see what you all have to say.
I watched the movie Little Children yesterday, and while it was fine writing, a killer cast, etc., I wished so much afterward I hadn’t seen it. I just can’t take depressing relationship stories anymore. It’s like that movie We Don’t Live Here Anymore–again, really excellent work on all the artists’ parts, but I don’t need to see people cheating on each other, having life crises, etc. If I’m going to see the ever-hot-though-rumpled Mark Ruffalo in a flick, let it be something like 13 Going on 30 or Just Like Heaven with Reese Witherspoon. I didn’t need to see him in We Don’t Live Here Anymore humping Naomi Watts up against a tree.
But maybe that’s just me.
Call me shallow, but I want happy. I want uplift. I want “happy tears,” as Heather was describing she gets when she watches 50 First Dates. I don’t mind crying–in fact, sometimes it’s exactly what I need–but I have to have some happiness at the end, you know? Please.
It’s the same with scary movies. I used to love going to all the Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street kinds of flicks, but now I don’t know how I used to stand those. Maybe it’s just the current state of the world, but I don’t need to be tense and grossed out for two hours of my life. Even though I liked Silence of the Lambs when I first saw it, I know I wouldn’t be able to take it if it came out now. Jody and Anthony were superb in that, but the violence was just too much.
Suspense, sure. Something like Denzel Washington in Deja Vu. Bring it. Bring Denzel any old time. I enjoy a good psychological thriller, but keep the bloodshed to a minimum.
It’s also gotten to be that way with books. I find more and more all I want to read are YA and fantasy and memoirs like Eat, Pray, Love. Books that give me something to look forward to. Books that aren’t all about how depressing it is to be grown up and married with children you don’t really like and working at a job you hate, etc. Bor-ring. I just started John Green’s An Abundance of Katherines yesterday. Now that’s what I need–great writing, and with plenty of humor thrown in. What a pleasure.
I know there are a lot of you who enjoy scary flicks, but I’m wondering if anyone else has sort of lost their taste for practically anything but romantic comedies and fantasy adventures at the movie theater, and if anyone else has started drifting toward children’s and YA in their book selections. Maybe it’s just a phase I’m going through, but I think I’ve had enough of depressing.
Technorati Tags: Books, Reading, Book Reviews, Book Recommendations, Movies, Romantic Comedies, Denzel Washington, Mark Ruffalo (But Not Against a Tree), John Green, An Abundance of Katherines, Young Adult Novels, Young Adult Fiction
Ah! You like the Happily Eating Apples endings, too! It’s why I can watch An American President over and over.
Interesting observation. I have been drifting to YA fiction recently, but I don’t think that has anything to do with wanting something “lighter.” If anything, the YA fiction I’ve been reading recently is far, FAR darker than what used to be on my pleasure reading list: romance. Books like Valiant, or the Book Thief, or etc. What I like about YA is that the stuff I see being done there now is probably the most creative and fascinating of anything I’ve seen published recently.
However, I do have a low tolerance for certain genres. The how depressing it is to be grown up and married with children you don’t really like and working at a job you hate, etc. books have never been my cup of tea. The books where people sit around and whine about how unhappy they are are boring to me. Be unhappy or miserable or downtrodden — fine. But DO something about it. (The Station Agent is a good example of this. Go see it if you haven’t!)
I also dislike the books which are — how to describe? — “victim porn.” The ones that relish how very very very downtrodden and miserable and hopeless the people in the books are, and how there is no chance of things ever ever ever getting better for them, and they are going to be miserable and hopeless and the end. I’ve hated these types of books ever since I was forced to read The Grapes of Wrath in high school. I won’t watch Schindler’s List or similar.
Regarding horror movies, the current crop of what they are calling “torture porn” — movies like Saw or Turista where it’s all about how bloody it can be — not my thing at ALL. Which is not to say that I don’t like horror movies, or horror/thriller movies. I *love* a film like Aliens, because it had a lot of interesting things to say aside from all the shocks and gore. Also, happy endings. And Poltergeist, where of course, the body count was nil.
I actually don’t care to see rom-coms anymore and have mostly been disappointed with them in for years. A movie like How To Lose a Guy in Ten Days was neither romantic nor funny, and even Music & Lyrics, which was quite amusing, had some dumb romantic ending tacked on that ruined and artificially imperiled and then rushed what seemed to be a nice romantic relationship. The last romantic comedy that really SPOKE to me as being both funny AND romantic was Secretary, and that was WAY dark. To a lesser extent, I enjoyed Something New, since they didn’t have to go to any bizarre details to keep these two apart — they had a legitimate conflict. It would have been perfect if I hadn’t started to question why he kept giving her another chance after the awful way she treated him and why she thought she deserved him in the end.
I’m really intrigued in this new crop of “boy friendly” rom coms that have been flooding the marketplace recently. Started with There’s Something About Mary, but probably most noticeable in The Forty Year Old Virgin. They are these over the top, boy-friendly comedies, but their structure and their plotline are that of a classic rom com. 40YOV, in particular, was fabulous, being both funny, and, in the end, very believable as a romance. I’m really looking forward to Knocked Up this summer, because I think it will be along the same lines.
Okay, hijack the comments section much, Di?
Patrick, I, too, could watch The American President over and over. Good thing it’s always on TV so I can.
Diana, good point about Alien. Scary, gross, but EXCELLENT. What girl watching that wouldn’t want to be Ripley?
That’s interesting about boy-friendly romantic comedies. I just saw In the Land of Women last weekend, and it’s been described as a male-oriented chick flick, whatever that means, and it left me cold. It’s also been compared to Garden State, only in Michigan instead of New Jersey, but please–Garden State was fantastic. Funny, smart, surprising, emotional. ILW wasn’t even close.
I liked Secretary, too, but there’s no way I’d call that a rom com. You’re right–it was humorous, but dark. For a true rom com, I need to leave there with the feeling I get from You’ve Got Mail or When Harry Met Sally. You know, all light and happy and free.
Long comment begets long answer. I’m taking a breath now. What’s anyone else have to say?
I’m with you on the scary movies. I simply can’t take someone getting tortured in any kind of way. I just stopped watching them years ago (but I guess I never really did watch them that much to begin with). I just can’t handle it.
But, I don’t think I could ever, ever start avoiding movies if I thought they didn’t have a happy ending. This is a great conversation, ’cause it’s made me start working through in my own mind what exactly it is I’m wanting from a movie. I think it’s this: honesty. A movie could have the most depressing ending ever, but if it’s honest to the characters, if it speaks honestly to the human condition, if it possesses that veracity at its core, I won’t mind the ending. “The End of the Affair” (the re-make with Julianne Moore and Ralph Fiennes; I’ve never seen the original) is one of my favorite movies. Very depressing, but I thought it was so true to Greene’s novel, which has a lot to say about faith. If it makes me think, the ending doesn’t have to be all super happy. I could watch that movie twenty times in a row, ’cause it truly makes me happy to be given such a thought-provoking, intelligent narrative. It’s like a gift.
It also turns on my artistic self to see fine acting, fine scriptwriting, fine direction, etc. I find that in and of itself is enough to please me sometimes.
I’m having trouble formulating my thoughts with “Sesame Street” in the background (it’s a curse to not be able to tune out noises out when I read or write), so I don’t know if any of this makes sense.
Hmmm…I see what you’re saying, Robin, and have noticed it in varying degrees in myself and in my husband.
My husband, who grew up in the Soviet Union, won’t watch anything “sad.” So, he likes thrillers (preferably political) and stupid comedies. (Think: Airplane)He won’t watch movies based on a real event if he knows the ending is bad. He only likes to read memoirs and histories of World War II (especially by survivors of the Holocaust). So he takes it to the extreme.
I can’t take anything violent on screen at all any more. But, I hate romantic comedies too, unless they’re really, really good (“About a Boy,” for example.) One thing I’ve noticed is that I’ve kind of gone off movies altogether recently. Two hours seems like a long time unless something is spectacular. And usually it isn’t.
As for reading…I’m an omnivore. I like all sorts of genres: mystery, children’s, YA, “literary” fiction, and can handle the depressing in a book. I just like to mix it up!
One thing I’ll say is that the world IS pretty depressing at the moment, so I can see the need for escape.
I don’t think a chick flick is the same thing as a romantic comedy. there are many chick flicks which aren’t rom coms at all. terms of endearment, etc. I think Land of Women is more in keeping with something like that. (I thought GS was WAY overrated, btw.)
Why isn’t Secretary a rom com? You’re the screenwriter here. I think the structure is exactly that of a romantic comedy — it hit all the same beats in all the same acts. Just because it was way off kilter? I hate most modern rom coms becuase I don’t BELIEVE the romance. Harry and Sally will be divorced within ten years. It’s a great comedy, but it’s not a great romance. You’ve got mail is a sweet film, but I had a hard time believing two grown people would act the way they did (though I do feel like they’ll be happy together in their imaginary NYC). I always picture the end of Sleepless in Seattle with Tom hanks turning to Meg Ryan and saying, “So, you’re the girl who has been stalking my son?” I love that movie, but I have no “awww” feeling at the romance.
Oddly, I totally buy French Kiss. Go figure, huh?
I thought Garden State was nauseating and self-righteous. I’m tired of movies like THAT.
I don’t like how cheap and unoriginal horror movies are now. Things like Saw and Hostel are gratuitous torture and tits…not really what I’m into.
Do you think you tire of depressing stories because you become desensitized to them? Or because they’re just…depressing? Is that a stupid question?
I just deleted my comment on accident. Drat!
While I do love spooky movies, I have never watched SAW, nor do I want to. I enjoy feeling like the inquisitive little girl I was that would sneek into the living room and watch scary movies while her parents slept. The suspense and the imaginative devices of the paranormal is what speaks to me. Not the gore.
And I’m with Diana on why I read YA.
About depression, as long as the characters can rise above or avoid embracing victim status, I can handle alot. Just make me care without feeling like I need therapy after having read the book or watched the movie.
I think both HTLAGITD and M&L both whiffed, but have good points too. I just can’t readily name them. I agree that the latest crop of romcom has been weak. I didn’t see failure to launch and wasn’t really impressed with the break up if that can be included as a romcom.
I would almost call the “boy friendly” ComRom instead because the focus is the comedy, the justification is the romance.
I didn’t see the film version of Little Children but did read the book(my copy has the original goldfish cracker cover art that made the Pepperidge Farm people so up set)and while I agree that it’s not a cheerful story,it was a good one.
I’ve found over the years that some movie/books with certain tones are usually appreciated if you’re in the mood for a serious/sad/silly story. I used to watch alot of horror flicks in the eighties but even some of those I was picky about(Freddy Kruger,yes,Jason Voorhees,no) and do like some of the stuff today but not all of it by any means.
Sometimes,you just need some more lighthearted to get you thru the day. I know that after my dad died,the two books that really helped get thru that terrible time were on opposite ends of the literary spectrum. One was Corneila Funke’s Inkheart(which is a beautiful fantasy novel about the love of reading)and the other was Dean Koontz’s
The Face(about an ex-cop protecting an actor’s young son from being kidnapped). Two very unlike books,but connected together by themes involving parents and kids. It worked for me,anyway.
I, too, cannot stand the gore! Monday night, I was in bed reading when Steve (my fiance) decided that he wanted to watch The Hills Have Eyes on HBO! No thank you!! I took my book, pillow, and dog out to the couch in the living room so I wouldn’t have to watch the bloodshed. I guess Steve felt bad because he turned it off, so I would come back to bed. Sometimes I feel bad because he loves that genre, but it just gives me nightmares.
Right now, I think my favorite genre is Action. I don’t know why, but I love Action movies. The Grindhouse was fantabulous! I *really* want to see The Condemned, but Steve refuses to see it with me. Also, as excited as I am for Knocked Up, I am really looking forward to Harry Potter, Spider-man 3, Fantastic 4, and… THE TRANSFORMERS!!! (I sing the theme song as least twice a day!)
As far as books go, the only depressing books I read are Nicholas Sparks, because he gives me the best cries! Oh, and since taking this YA class, I have a whole new appreciated for YA Books! I love them… but not as much as my romances! =)
Diana… I love French Kiss! It never gets old!
And I’d just like to add that X-Men 3 had the worst movie ending EVER!
I just love this discussion. So across the spectrum–”That movie sucked!” “No, I loved that movie!” Guess that’s why there are so many selections at the cineplex, huh?
Seems like we’re in concensus on the gore thing. No to Saw and torture movies like that.
But it cracks me up how varied we all are on what makes for a good romantic comedy.
Patrick’s point about the guy-oriented flicks really being ComRom instead of the other way around sounds true. I really enjoy the Farrelly Brothers’ films, like There’s Something About Mary and Shallow Hal, and although there is romance in both of those, the comedy definitely wins out.
Maybe it really is a mood thing. Maybe you have to be up for a doomed romance like The End of the Affair as opposed to one in the “fantasy NY” that Diana described (D, I totally agree! That movie was ridiculous in how beautiful it made NY seem, season to season. Who wouldn’t want to move there after that?).
About a Boy, yes. High Fidelity, definitely. And how about Love and Basketball? I’ve seen that movie multiple times–including watching it through twice with the screenwriter/director commentary–and I think it’s fantastic. So romantic, but also so REAL. Real people, real emotion–not fake “movie” behavior.
I agree with Jules that overall what really turns me on is great writing, great acting, etc. It’s so inspiring to see other perform at the peak of their craft.
P.S. Kelly, your husband was born in the Soviet Union? How exotic is that?
Robin, I haven’t watched Love and Basketball in years. I had a friend in college who was obsessed with it and would make us watch every time we came to her dorm! I loved watching the way the characters grew up over the years and it had a happy ending. =)
Exotic, but the real story isn’t really, Robin. I teach Russian and Russian Lit. I earned my PhD in Slavic. My first grad-school gig was a research assistant for a prof at U.C.L.A. On my first trip over to Russia, he said, “when you’re in Moscow, you should meet my son.” And, well, I married the boss’s son. Oldest story in the book
14 years and 2 kids later it all seems “normal,” though I know many find us odd.
Oh, and my guy loves ComRom, alas. Most of it I hate, but I did like the Virgin/40 one (can’t remember the exact name). But I’ll watch Steve Carrell in anything.
You’re right, Kelly–yawn. Such a boring romance story. (Kidding.)
Christen, glad to hear you had a friend who forced everyone to watch Love and Basketball. She’s obviously a good influence.
I’m having trouble finding romance novels that work as well for me as romcom and comrom. Anyone have recommendations?
I figure I would love that part of the genre if I could tell which ones were which.
Molly, I agree with you about GS. Music was GREAT, though!
And I think Jules is right about being scared of not watching things if there’s a chance it will get depressing. I am teaching a class next week and I’m using Casablanca as an example. I asked the attendees to watch it in advance and I was surprised by the number of people who told me that they’d SPECIFICALLY not watched it because “it doesn’t have a happy ending.”
WHAT?!?!?!?
That left me in shock. First of all, it’s on my top five, desert island, can’t-live-without-this-movie list, and I don’t put movies without happy endings on that list. I *never* thought of it as not having a happy ending. The good guys triumph! The bad guys are defeated! The miserable hero is redeemed and heroic.
then i realized that, not having seen it, they thought it was ONLY about the romance, and that the central couple not getting together made for an unhappy ending. Au contraire. “Problems of two people don’t amount to a hill of beans” and all that. Anyway, it was an interesting insight, especially coming from people who agreed with my “The Terminator is a romance” theory.
So sometimes we have to take the risk. Becaue sometimes ending can fit my definition of “happy” (or uplifting) without every aspect of the story being happy.
Off to put Love & Basketball on my Netflix queue.
(This whole conversation has made me think about my favorite romantic-comedies, and most of them are things where there is a strong external plot as well, and a conflict that isn’t ridiculous — like a bet or a trick or a “big misunderstanding.” I *love* Romancing the Stone. I can watch it a gazillion times.
Patrick, I bet Diana and Heather and some other regular romance readers will be able to help you out.
Diana, you’re so right about Casablanca. Come on–HUGE romance in that story. And even though they don’t end up together, it’s still a very sigh-y ending. It’s good you’ll be sharing it with your class.
Isn’t it interesting how the immature youth want the horror and gore, and the mature folk want the old fashioned romance and “feel good” movies? The movie industry really know their market…most of the horror movies are marketed to the younger people and the romance is split up for the young and mature folk.
Give me a good romance or comedy any day. While You Were Sleeping. Legends of the Fall. Somethings Gotta Give. My Best Friend’s Wedding. Casablanca. Breakfast at Tiffany. Sleepless in Seattle. Tristan and Isolde. (I actually didn’t see Tristan and Isolde but my best friend is telling me that it is the most romantic movie she has seen in awhile.)
And if you want to find some hope in the career, check out my interview with Dominique Paul–she’s a first time writer, who wrote the screenplay and is directing the movie based on her book.
http://hipwritermama.blogspot.com/2007/04/inspiration-monday-interview-with_30.html
What are you saying, Vivian–that I’m not 20 anymore?
I did read your interview with Dominique Paul. Just lovely.
I’ve never seen Tristan and Isolde, either. Anyone else out there want to vouch for its romanciness?
I can’t believe I’m answering this, because I’m not a romance reader, at least not in the sense it’s usually meant, but…
Patrick, Here’s a suggestion: The Time Traveler’s Wife. Plenty of action, time travel, and romance from a guy’s point of view. Plus, a positive, but honest take on long-term love, as opposed to affairs.
Favorite movie romance: Witness
Favorite dysfunctional romance: The Custom of the Country, by Edith Wharton or her heart-breaking House of Mirth
As to why I read mostly YA and children’s fiction, I stand with Diana. It’s the best, most innovative stuff out there. To me, it’s the closest thing to mainstream poetry that we’ve got, in the sense that much of it is lyrical, honest, and it gets people talking. Plus, I love so many YA/children’s books insanely, at a gut level, which just doesn’t happen often with adult reads. Maybe Pat Conroy’s The Great Santini. Maybe Connie Willis’ Doomsday Book. (When, oh when, are they going to make her books into movies?)
No.. I’ve never liked horror or gore.
I’ve never been a fan of scary (though I love Buffy and Angel now). However, I’ve noticed that there are certain motifs I want to boycot. For example, the “baby in danger” theme sends me up a tree. I especially resent it how in “Lost,” people try to comfort the babies by jiggling them up and down by cradling the babies rather than placing the babies against the grownups’ chests. Yeah, yeah, each baby is different, but when babies are treated like baby-dolls (or rather, how adults think baby-dolls are treated), I get bezoomny.
I don’t want to see any animals in danger, either. The entire time I watched “Alien,” I was on tenterhooks because I was worried the alien was going to hurt the kitty. I was so relieved in “Aliens” when Ripley left the kitty at home.
Oh! And while I’m at it, I’m tired of writers wrecking perfectly good romantic relationships just so that there can be some semblance of plot. Please, just move the couple off-screen for awhile.
This probably wasn’t the answer to your question. But hey, I feel better already!
I’ve always had a low, low, low tolerance for scary. Hangman’s Curse (the movie, the book was excellent and would have been fine if I didn’t have all the nice visuals) kept me awake for a whole summer, and that barely registers on the scary radars of friends of mine. I just can’t handle being shocked or scared just because the filmmaker wanted to.
Now, depressing…it depends on how well it’s done, of course, but I can handle depressing eight or nine times out of ten. As long as there’s some kind of hopeful note struck at the end (the show Fullmetal Alchemist–no, I never get tired of it–had an ending that, well, sucked as an ending to fifty episodes plus, but at the very end they had a scene with each of the main characters reaching up out of the windows of their trains, and one of them narrating that he knew he’d see the other again, and those were combination tears–”GAH! Why aren’t they together!” and “He’ll do it, y’know. He will.”)
I’m a big fan of bittersweet, come to think of it. Most of my favorite books have distinctly bittersweet endings. Actually…eh…all of them do. I’m having a really hard time thinking of an absolutely happy ending that I really, really loved. The casts are always short a member or separated for the long term, and one on or two occasions mind-wiped.
And Lady T, you mentioned Inkheart? The movie’s coming out in 2008, and Cornelia Funke worked very closely with the adaptors, so I think it’ll be gorgeous, because I adore the book. Adore. And guess who’s playing Mo? Brendan Fraser. And Paul Bettany’s Dustfinger. And Andy Serkis is Capricorn. Oughta be interesting!
On that note, I’ve never seen half the movies y’all are mentioning. (Insert a sheepish look here.) Chick flicks and other romantic comedies have a severe tendency to get on my nerves, the notable exception being Stranger Than Fiction. Can’t stand Will Ferrel as a rule (sorry), but that was hilarious. And one of the guys I was with saw someone who looked a lot like his main character–arm in a cast and all–walk out of it after us…(cue Twilight zone music).
I read YA because most of it is so daggum good. The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud, for example. (Another slightly bittersweet one, but that was the series as a whole. Each of the books wraps up quite nicely…it’s weird.) AMAZING. Better than at least eight out of ten adult-lit books I’ve read. Well, that’s my plug for the day.
See, it sounds funny when someone else types something in between.
Sara – I strongly suspect annette will finish ttw before I do.
Robin, it’s really funny you should say that about not wanting to watch certain stuff now. It’s how I arrived at my rather definitive moment of throwing out the TV. Between my total disgust at everyone trying to sell me something, the cheap shots at people for the cheap laugh, and the gratuitous violence (ESPECIALLY against women!) I had just HAD it. So out it went.
I can’t handle violence or horror/violence in movies or on TV, but I can handle most of it in books-I guess I find it easier to turn off my imagination than to avert my eyes or cover my ears. I love the more psychological thrillers/dramas movies that leave most of the real scariness up to my imagination. Romantic, comedy, romantic comedy, teen-type movies are my cup of tea for sure. For a good cry, I tune in to the Hallmark Hall of Fame movies-always a good cry with a happy ending.
And I watch Sesame Street at least once a week.
Robin,
Where are youooo? Without you directing traffic, I think I cut in line. In front of Patrick’s comment. After I flipped him off by taking his romance request seriously. I hope he doesn’t have road rage. And why is annette reading TTW?
I also drove off the topic road, and down the romance bypass. Back to the main drag: Can you lose your taste for depressing and scary? Of course. The longer you live, the more depressing and scary things you encounter in real life. And they are never as simple as a chain saw.
So whatcha gonna read/watch then? Oh, I know: John Green. Which explains where Robin is.
Sara – It was a serious request. My understanding is that TTW is a serious romance, not the light romcom/comrom that I enjoy. Is Hugh Grant in it?
Here I am, back from prom dress shopping (you’ll understand tomorrow).
So much to catch up on.
I didn’t get Patrick’s comment, either, until I followed the bouncing comment just now. Funny, P.
Why is Annette reading Time Traveler’s Wife? Because a few months ago we all read it so we could talk about it, but Annette couldn’t get through it (nor could Patrick), so she’s taken a by (bye? buy?) until next February. As if.
Miri, please start renting some of these movies. You’ll be so happy. Start with 13 Going on 30, then hit the Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks combos: Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail and Meg Ryan/Billy Crystal in the truly fabulous (and classic) When Harry Met Sally. Then check back here for further assignments.
Deborah, I can’t watch Hallmark specials anymore. I bawl my guts out. You’re a much stronger woman than I.
Alkelda, I understand your irritation about kitty danger in Alien, but come on–don’t you agree Ripley was kickass? Such a cool role model for girls and women. I still want to be her.
Lady T, you and Miri are starting to turn my head toward Inkheart. Lady T has now mentioned it several times, and finally my ears are open.
BJ, I agree with you about the TV violence against women. Not interested. But I do love the strong women we’ve been getting on TV, from Xena (YAY!) to Buffy to Kate on Lost. Again, I need to be them.
Speaking of Lost, Alkelda, I never noticed the baby-jiggling thing. What a hoot. Now I’m always going to look for that.
And back to you, Sara: I love that you even have a category for “Best Dysfunctional Romance.” Not 9 1/2 Weeks, huh?
Whoops, and Miri? One more movie to start with: Sweet Home Alabama with Reese Witherspoon and the dreamy Josh Lucas (plus Dr. McDreamy himself, Patrick Dempsey). I don’t know why Josh Lucas hasn’t been in more romances. He’s done all these serious roles since, like in Hulk. What a waste.
sara, pleeeze go out with patrick (isn’t that the romance request?) so i don’t have to finish ttw–pleeeze.
Annette, quitcher whining. You’ll be so happy you’ve read that book. I think you need a tighter deadline. How about June 1? Of this year.
Talk about clueless. I just went back and searched your archives for TTW. That’s what I get for not bellying up to Robin’s discussion bar sooner.
Patrick, if you want funny: To Say Nothing of the Dog, by Connie Willis. Come on, great title! And it’s funny, I promise.
Okay, you guys are talking about (or were talking about) About a Boy, and can I just say that the end of that movie (where he sings alone on stage for a while — for his mama) was making me WEEP in the movie theatre, and then the lights came on and everyone else was all ho hum. I found that ending so moving.
In my defense, I have seen You’ve Got Mail. Twice. It’s my choir director’s favorite.
okay miri, have to ask (everyone’s thinking it)–what’s up with your choir director?
We’re not sure. (Maybe it’s really his wife’s favorite…hard to tell.) But it always ended up in the DVD slot on the bus.
He’s a pretty weird guy by all accounts, though. His tagline is “Don’t freak out!”, generally used just before dropping the bomb of a big cantata or musical or something on us.
Robin– Yes, yes, Ripley was kickass. I’m still glad she opted to keep the kitty at home.
What I didn’t like about Little Children, both the book and the movie, wasn’t that it was depressing, but that NONE of the characters was admirable in any way. I wouldn’t want to spend time with ANY of them for even as brief as a cup of coffee, so having to spend 10 hours while reading and two hours at the movies with them was not time well spent.
I need catharsis — the story can be depressing, the ending doesn’t have to be ideal/Happy Ever After, but I need to emotionally experience relief and satisfactory resolution for the main character.