Stephanie. This one is for you.

At work today I was in a room with 3 other people. We were talking about movies. The two men had NEVER SEEN TITANIC. (did they get lost in some sort of time warp and just recently returned to our century??) The woman saw it as a high schooler. And apparently she and all of her friends hated it. They thought it was too dramatic and cheesy and ridiculous. She said, to quote, "it is a horrible movie."

And it made me sad.

Gatsby

"He smiled understandingly--much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced -- or seemed to face -- the whole eternal world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favour. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey."

I want to have that affect on people. Like Jay Gatsby.

And I'm reading Gatsby again. The trailer for the new movie was released last summer, and I've watched it about fifteen times. And then I saw it on the big screen before Les Mis.

I'm so excited.

I'm going to post the trailer, for your viewing pleasure, even though I kind of think that I posted it before.

:)

Empty Chairs and Empty Tables

That has always been my favorite part.

And the movie did not disappoint.

I waited several days to see Les Miserables for a couple reasons:

1. I was worried about Anne Hathaway
2. I wanted a little bit of the hype to die before I walked in to have my experience. It wasn't about excitement for me--but for experience.

Because it was an experience. The movie ended and my roommates immediately started to grab and their stuff and stand up. And this is where I start to have a panic attack---amidst my efforts to remember how to move and what my own name is---I didn't go over the movie-watching-experience rules with Andrea and Lauren. It so wasn't their fault.

I do not move after seeing a movie such as the one we just saw. And I don't want anyone to tell me to move. I do not speak. And I don't want to be asked any questions. Particularly the one that goes, "so what'd you think??" Like it was some trivial something that will be forgotten in 5 minutes. Like it was something that I could produce a fully-formed, logical and structured opinion on within seconds. My blog readers know these rules... but the roommates did not. When they noticed I had not moved at all when they had stood, they say back down to wait.

And I simmered. Because that is what you do. You have to soak it in---mind blank. You listen to the music and watch the credits and you just process for a while. Until you are ready to stand.

And then you stand, and you leave, and you do not say a word.

Les Miserables is a very personal story. Many, many people have a very private connection to the show, the story, the book, the music, the whole concept. It is about humanity and God and people and love and sacrifice and it is entirely relatable and tragic and beautiful. It's like Marius says so correctly in his weary solo: "there's a grief that can't be spoken..." It's hard to describe how people feel about this show. Despite knowing the musical word for word (and almost mouthing it all, breathlessly, throughout the movie), I can't say that I love it or appreciate it more than the average person. Even though I had tears in my eyes from the second the music started out of pure nostalgia---I can't say it's a part of me more than anyone else can.

And that is amazing. We all share it. It's a reverent thing, almost. And I love that we can connect in such a story of hope and Christianity.

As a sophomore in high school and a member of the large ensemble in our production of Les Mis, I used to sit in the audience during rehearsal and just stare. I couldn't believe that I was a part of something so amazing. I wanted to share is with everyone I knew. I used to fall asleep to the finale track. And when we performed our show, we sang the last strains of "Do You Hear the People Sing," and we would all be crying too, along with the audience, and then the lights would go out, and it would be over, and we would scramble to the hallways to greet our friends and family, hoping that the story we had just told would have the same effect on them that it had had on us. It was partially because of the applause and the joys or performing, but overwhelmingly is was because of the music and story. And it is something I will never forget.

And so, besides the emotion and feeling and story and the triumph of it all, this is what I take away from the movie:
1. It is much more religious than I had ever realized. Somehow.
2. Javert may be the one who is to be the most pitied.
3. Anne Hathaway really, really did an amazing job. I have no complaints about her performance. I might have to start liking her now.
4. Marius is such a man.
5. Russell Crowe's face is too nice for Javert. But maybe they did that on purpose.
6. What would have been Act 1 had this been on the stage was much more emotional for me than Act 2, which is an interesting twist. I'm usually in the most pain around the barricade.

I will see it again. But probably not for a while. I don't know if it is a movie I will own. It seems like watching it on my own TV will cheapen it somehow.

And so Andrea and Lauren, that is what I thought.

I think I actually had a tear.

Valentines Day 2012.

Update.

So, update on the Mr. Downey movie watching.

I watched The Soloist the last couple of nights (it just took a while to finish it), and I actually really liked it. I usually don't like movies that are dramatic and hard to watch with difficult life situations (exhibit A: Pursuit of Happyness). But I liked this one. It made me want to help people. Be better.

It made me want to be a reporter, actually. A newspaper columnist. A writer. It made me want to find stories, write about them, and then change people's lives as a result.

And Robert Downey, Jr. was fantastic. Oh how I have a talent crush on him. And a real crush. And Jamie Foxx was absolutely amazing. And whoever did the make-up did a really good job at making everyone actually look bad- like they were normal people who don't get a facials every other day. I appreciated that. To an extent. (the authenticity of it at least... but really?)

It was a little artsy and weird, which is something that I don't always appreciate. But as a whole, I appreciated the movie. And the acting. And the message. And the fact that it makes me want to be a writer.

That's all.

"Step in to the future, but hold on to..."

"HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, who says you have to let it go?"

I went to HSM3 on Monday night with faithful friends, Kennedy and Rachelle. I absolutely LOVED IT! Reasons why HSM 3 was amazing:
1) Zac Efron is ridiculously good looking.
2) One word: SCREAM.
3) The Boys are Back.
4) The best choreography ever.
5) An excellent sountrack.
6) There is actually a song called "High School Musical" (as quoted in the title and first line of the is post). Can I say perfect?
7) I'm in love with Troy Bolton. We're getting married.
8) I love musicals.
9) Sharpay and Ryan are hilarious. "I want it all!"
10) The movie included everything: the basketball championship, a new school musical, prom, and graduation. Plus, there were plenty of precious Gabriella and Troy scenes.
11) It was the kind of movie that is just SO fun to watch! You just sit there and smile the whole time, and when it's over, you want it to start again.
12) There isn't much of a plot, but it doesn't matter! The movie is just pure entertainment (and slight awkwardness for the extra cheesy parts).
13) There were like 5 previews before the movie. And I love previews.
14) There were bloopers during the credits. I love bloopers.
15) They danced on cars! And in the rain! And on the roof!
16) I love that in reality, there is NO WAY that Gabriella would go to Stanford (and in a special freshman academy for only 20 kids), Taylor would go to Yale, Ryan and Kelsey would get scholarships to Julliard, and Troy would go to Cal State on a basketball scholarship. I'm sorry, but that doesn't happen. But this all makes the movie a fairy tale. And I love fairy tales with happy endings.

I guess we do have to let it go. The glorious High School Musical days as we know them are just about over. And it's ok. All good things must come to an end (like Harry Potter). But seriously, don't forget to hold on the High School Musical, like the song says. You gotta love it.

PS, In my book of songs, "Scream" is currently contending with "Bet on It" for best song to listen to when you're feeling lazy and need a burst of energy. I think it may take the top spot- there's no denying the slow beginning and electric bridge to the main part of the song. It's an angry song- and I love it. "Bet on It" is very hard to beat, though.