Jeremy and I missed the opening credits for ‘Brick’. I knew we’d be late getting into the theatre but I thought we’d only miss the previews. When we walked into the theatre though, the movie had begun and I was mildly upset. I hate missing the opening credits and I doubly hate missing the coming attractions. It’s comforting to see which movies I’ll be excited about before seeing the movie I’m excited to see. (Trailers used to come after the movie as a way of getting the audience excited about the movies they could see after they saw the movie they saw. They traaaaiiiiled the movie. That’s why they’re called trailers. Clever, huh?)
‘Brick’ follows the story of Brendan Frye (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt; light years away from his confused commander in ‘3rd Rock From The Sun’), a high school loner well versed in his school’s social strata but possessing a sense of honesty and sincerity, which keeps him from becoming a part of it. This is too bad because the ex-girlfriend he still loves has been murdered and he must sift through these layers to find whodunit. These layers include a dumb jock, an actress with an unusual lackey, a vice-principal, an unstable and smarter-than-you-think Aryan fellow with a penchant toward violence, an underground drug ring, a sweet-talking dame, a seedy drug lord, and, most sinister of all, the warlord’s sweet, oblivious, milk serving mother. (We’ll get to her in a second) He is kicked, punched, played, teased, deceived, kissed, tied up, probed, questioned, fooled, watched and lied to. He doesn’t sleep much either which would not be a problem but for the number of times a can of whoop-ass is opened on him. At one point his breathing became so labored, I thought he was hemorrhaging and missed twenty minutes of the movie desperately hoping someone would take him to the hospital. Frye was cooked, you know what I mean?
The film employs the structure and style of classic noir novels (think Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammet) while its characters employ the language. The language is lean, muscular and, in the mouths of the students, comes across as uber-sophisticated slang. The BAM box office even provided a glossary so its audience would not get too lost. I found this a clever yet annoying scheme: I would have needed at least a day to memorize the thing and found watching the movie with it akin to keeping up a conversation in a language I didn’t speak armed only with a Lonely Planet ® phrase book.
‘Stick It’ is an entirely different kind of movie altogether. (“It’s an entirely different kind of movie”.) My friend Leigh and I decided on the movie after a game of ‘Blockbuster Shuffle’, which is the dance you do when you go to a video store and spend hours deciding which movie to rent. Our back and forth stemmed from distrust: did we really want to pay $10.50 a ticket for a film aimed at the twelve-year old girl demographic? But armed with an absurd back-up plan (we thought ‘Mission: Impossible III’ an acceptable alternative), we our bought tickets, found our seats, and prepared to be disappointed.
We never came close. ‘Stick It’ is surprisingly good. The heroine’s name is Haley Graham and when we first see her she’s showing off mad biking skillz and being chased by the police. They catch her and she’s forced by a judge to attend a gymnastics academy as restitution. It turns out Haley (played with considerable moxie and six-pack abs by Missy Peregrym) is also a prodigiously talented gymnast who pulled out of the World Championship tournament some years earlier as her team was on the verge of winning the Gold. Why she did this no one knows; but given this film’s demographic, you can be sure you’re going to find out.
Like the high school in ‘Brick’, the academy is fraught with social and emotional peril; and the abuse the hero takes is so friggin’ extreme and painful to watch that Leigh leaned over to me several times during the movie, grabbed my arm and said “She’s going to be paralyzed!” Instruments of torture include: the balance beam, the parallel bars, the vault, a trampoline, a floor exercise, her prodigious talent, her confused, stupid and clueless parent and a lying narcissistic coach who periodically resembles Beau Bridges (played by Jeff Bridges). The film also tries to set Haley up with a rival: a dumb but competitive gymnast (played by Nikki SooHoo and no, I’m not making that name up.) but seeing as it’s never clear how talented this rival really is or what kind of threat she poses, I cannot list her among the heroine’s obstacles. The rival is funny though - a bastion of ignorance and malapropisms - and the film handles her transformation to friend with such wit and sincerity, it would be a shame not to mention her.
The movie is energetically filmed and loaded with Busby Berkeley type numbers which take full advantage of both the gymnast’s talents and the sport’s speed, structure and candy coated costumes. The dialogue was strained at times and the plot forced; but what sets ‘Stick It’ apart from other teen films, and where it shares a strange similarity with ‘Brick’, comes from the kids’ relationship to the worlds in which they live and in their relationships to adults. The former is unforgiving; the latter barely exist.
I am not sure what role adults play in the lives of teenagers. The books (and Oprah) say adults act as guides and mentors but the reality is their role, while important, is far less active than anyone would care to admit. The teenage journey toward self-realization is fraught with peril and the most adults can do is support when it’s needed and know when to stand back. This is difficult because in some ways parents are just as helpless as their children when it comes to learning life’s great lessons and that, more than anything, is what sucks most about being a teenager: the realization that there is a life out there beyond what they know and that their parents -- their until-recent primary caregivers -- can do nothing to save them from it.
These two films do nothing to dispel that notion. The universe as seen in ‘Brick’ is devoid of any structure; there are no rules because the world itself is broken and the kids are smart and jaded enough to know that nothing much will fix it. I counted two adults in ‘Brick’ – the vice-principal who wants to make Frye a snitch and a patsy; and the aforementioned milk-serving mother who waits on her warlord son and his business “associates” while conveniently ignoring all unsavory elements. Adults are bystanders, offering corruption and a glass of milk to these weary teenage travelers.
Adults exist in ‘Stick It’ but they are mostly portrayed as gullible, manipulative idiots. Yes: the lying, narcissistic coach lies to them; but when he owns up to it, they capitulate without argument. They seem to have no control or interest in their daughters’ futures. But to its credit, and to my surprise, ‘Stick It’ comes up with an interesting solution: Haley, she of strong personality and prodigious talents, allows her self to care about her problems and confront them; and more importantly, she slowly allows that self to be cared for by other people. She keeps her personality but she seems to learn that where adults offer disappointment, her friends offer comfort and validation. That the film took the time to establish this reality satisfied me in such a way that Leigh and I left the theatre giggling and weirdly optimistic.
Near the climax of ‘Stick It’, Haley that what she really wants is for an adult, for SOMEONE, to say how proud of her they are; that what she is doing is good and right and just and worth the effort. And on cue, her coach stops her and does that very thing. I found this trite and predictable and unnecessary. But I also stifled a tear and drank it in like the sentimental monkey I know myself to be. I wonder if the kids in ‘Brick’ ever arrived at such a moment. I wonder if they ever screamed for help. I picture Frye having a moment of clarity and just as he was about to ask for some sort of help, being called into the vice-principal’s office and being forced to rat out his classmates. Demoralizing. Both films show teenagers introduced or grappling with issues of what we really know and how much control we have over our lives. The answer is both stark and startling. And I know two or three or six hundred adults who could relate.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Saturday, June 10, 2006
House-Sitting
I am house-sitting for my friends Lisa and Andy, who are taking a well deserved vacation to St. Maartin, Virgin Islands. So far they have snorkeled, lounged on the beach and gotten a sunburn. As part of house-sitting duties, they have left in my care two dogs (or as Lisa calls them, their two bitches) named George and Bella. George is the older of the two, a white and gray haired mutt who, believe it or not, resembles Princess Diana if you flips her ears up and make a bun atop her head. She’s very pretty.
Bella is a puppy with heaps of energy and horrible pooping habits. She’s walked three or four times a day and always waits until we get home to go to the Wee pad laid out for her and poop six inches to the left of them. She’s exuberant though and likes to nibble and pull on George’s ear. George stoically allows this and will periodically look up at me with a look on her face that seems to say “Oh: the things I do…” I always nod in agreement.
Andy and Lisa have cable though. Serious cable with lots of movie channels and HDTV to boot. I don’t know how HDTV differs from regular TV. I don’t know the specifics or the technology but the picture is amazing; you can see the splotches on the actor’s skin where the make-up artist has missed a spot. And watching sports on the thing is almost as good as being there. For those of you who’ve never been to a baseball or basketball game live, you should watch at least five minutes of either game on HDTV: you get a sense of the grandeur and intensity and sweat. It’s a great way to see a game. (What you’re missing though is the majesty; and the sounds; and the smells; and the $17 beer.)
I mention the Cable because since arriving at this apartment last Sunday, I’ve slept on average three hours a night because I have no discipline when it comes to movies. I have watched approximately 7 movies in their entirety and fragments of at least 12 others. I’ve also watched four entire episodes of HBO’s new series ‘Big Love’ which chronicles the adventures of a polygamist played by Bill Paxton. It’s a good series. Watch it.
The funny part of all this is I’m watching movies I’ve seen before. I’ve seen them but I can’t stop watching. I’ll turn the TV on, catch a moment or two and I can’t tear myself away. I know what’s going to happen and I know how it’s going to happen but it’s not enough: I want to see it happen. It’s comforting but there’s something more. It’s satisfying to see. It pleases my story sense in a way that knowing what’s going to happen and not seeing it would leave me unfulfilled.
Sometimes I watch and am disappointed because it wasn’t as clever or good as I found it the first time. Sometimes it’s better than I remembered and I catch new things, which make me see it differently. While anything can effect the way I’m experiencing the movie – my mood, my fatigue, my energy level – what its taught me, or helped me to see, is my ability to see things fresh not matter how familiar I think I am with them. It’s nice to know I can still be surprised. It’s nice to know I can be that open.
Highlights from the Week:
• Spiderman II: This was the first film I watched On-Demand. Kirsten Dunst makes me want to be Tobey Maguire just so I can kiss her. (If nothing else, movies should make you fall in love) Sam Raimi delivers the most fluid and weighted action scenes I’ve ever scene. They look and move like you’d imagine a comic book would but have enough heft to make them seem as if they’re happening in our world. It’s a tremendous achievement.
• Before Sunset: This is the sequel to ‘Before Sunrise’; both are directed by Richard Linklater. ‘Before Sunrise’ follows the story of two young travelers, an American man and a French woman, who meet cute on a train, get off that train, spend the night traipsing around Vienna, spout tremendous amounts of bullshit, fall in love, and, before they part, agree to meet in Vienna in six months time. ‘Before Sunset’ picks up ten years later (or is it nine?) in Paris where the young man (Ethan Hawke) is on the last leg of a book tour promoting a book about the night in Vienna. Both movies are literate and their respective cities play a HUGE role in the couple’s interactions. The woman (Julie Delpy) sings a waltz that never fails to break my heart and the way this movie’s subtle build always surprises me.
• Independence Day: Aliens invade the world, bent on annihilating the human race, and with some know-how and good old fashioned gumption, we humans (led by we Americans) infect the mothership with a computer virus and save the day, Forget the scene where the aliens destroy the White House: the highlight of this film for me has always been the scene where the Scientist (Jeff Goldblum) demonstrates the power of the virus by having a soldier shoot a Coke ® can off a long ago captured alien ship. The first time I saw it, I jumped in my seat. Also: if ever aliens try to take control of our big blue marble, Please enlist Will Smith to kick some alien ass. A subversive gem.
• Napolean Dynamite: Imagine waking up one day and realizing that everyone around you, who you previously took for granted, is your support group. And imagine yourself a part of their support group. And imagine everyone happier for it. This is just a great and funny movie.
Excuse me: Bella is arguing with the toilet brush. Gotta go.
Bella is a puppy with heaps of energy and horrible pooping habits. She’s walked three or four times a day and always waits until we get home to go to the Wee pad laid out for her and poop six inches to the left of them. She’s exuberant though and likes to nibble and pull on George’s ear. George stoically allows this and will periodically look up at me with a look on her face that seems to say “Oh: the things I do…” I always nod in agreement.
Andy and Lisa have cable though. Serious cable with lots of movie channels and HDTV to boot. I don’t know how HDTV differs from regular TV. I don’t know the specifics or the technology but the picture is amazing; you can see the splotches on the actor’s skin where the make-up artist has missed a spot. And watching sports on the thing is almost as good as being there. For those of you who’ve never been to a baseball or basketball game live, you should watch at least five minutes of either game on HDTV: you get a sense of the grandeur and intensity and sweat. It’s a great way to see a game. (What you’re missing though is the majesty; and the sounds; and the smells; and the $17 beer.)
I mention the Cable because since arriving at this apartment last Sunday, I’ve slept on average three hours a night because I have no discipline when it comes to movies. I have watched approximately 7 movies in their entirety and fragments of at least 12 others. I’ve also watched four entire episodes of HBO’s new series ‘Big Love’ which chronicles the adventures of a polygamist played by Bill Paxton. It’s a good series. Watch it.
The funny part of all this is I’m watching movies I’ve seen before. I’ve seen them but I can’t stop watching. I’ll turn the TV on, catch a moment or two and I can’t tear myself away. I know what’s going to happen and I know how it’s going to happen but it’s not enough: I want to see it happen. It’s comforting but there’s something more. It’s satisfying to see. It pleases my story sense in a way that knowing what’s going to happen and not seeing it would leave me unfulfilled.
Sometimes I watch and am disappointed because it wasn’t as clever or good as I found it the first time. Sometimes it’s better than I remembered and I catch new things, which make me see it differently. While anything can effect the way I’m experiencing the movie – my mood, my fatigue, my energy level – what its taught me, or helped me to see, is my ability to see things fresh not matter how familiar I think I am with them. It’s nice to know I can still be surprised. It’s nice to know I can be that open.
Highlights from the Week:
• Spiderman II: This was the first film I watched On-Demand. Kirsten Dunst makes me want to be Tobey Maguire just so I can kiss her. (If nothing else, movies should make you fall in love) Sam Raimi delivers the most fluid and weighted action scenes I’ve ever scene. They look and move like you’d imagine a comic book would but have enough heft to make them seem as if they’re happening in our world. It’s a tremendous achievement.
• Before Sunset: This is the sequel to ‘Before Sunrise’; both are directed by Richard Linklater. ‘Before Sunrise’ follows the story of two young travelers, an American man and a French woman, who meet cute on a train, get off that train, spend the night traipsing around Vienna, spout tremendous amounts of bullshit, fall in love, and, before they part, agree to meet in Vienna in six months time. ‘Before Sunset’ picks up ten years later (or is it nine?) in Paris where the young man (Ethan Hawke) is on the last leg of a book tour promoting a book about the night in Vienna. Both movies are literate and their respective cities play a HUGE role in the couple’s interactions. The woman (Julie Delpy) sings a waltz that never fails to break my heart and the way this movie’s subtle build always surprises me.
• Independence Day: Aliens invade the world, bent on annihilating the human race, and with some know-how and good old fashioned gumption, we humans (led by we Americans) infect the mothership with a computer virus and save the day, Forget the scene where the aliens destroy the White House: the highlight of this film for me has always been the scene where the Scientist (Jeff Goldblum) demonstrates the power of the virus by having a soldier shoot a Coke ® can off a long ago captured alien ship. The first time I saw it, I jumped in my seat. Also: if ever aliens try to take control of our big blue marble, Please enlist Will Smith to kick some alien ass. A subversive gem.
• Napolean Dynamite: Imagine waking up one day and realizing that everyone around you, who you previously took for granted, is your support group. And imagine yourself a part of their support group. And imagine everyone happier for it. This is just a great and funny movie.
Excuse me: Bella is arguing with the toilet brush. Gotta go.
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