<![CDATA[moviewise: Life Lessons From Movies: Movie Lists!]]>https://moviewise.substack.com/s/movie-listshttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6-g4!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4133a65e-a9f1-4536-830d-3046427d2c44_512x512.pngmoviewise: Life Lessons From Movies: Movie Lists!https://moviewise.substack.com/s/movie-listsSubstackThu, 23 Apr 2026 11:21:59 GMT<![CDATA[Memory And Identity According To The Movies]]>https://moviewise.substack.com/p/memory-and-identity-according-tohttps://moviewise.substack.com/p/memory-and-identity-according-toTue, 25 Jul 2023 13:00:26 GMT
An illustration showing a profile of a human head with a red heart emerging from the open top, instead of a brain.
Image by L.E. Wilson from RedBubble based on work by Elisa from Pixabay

You exist, even if it is in a state of confusion. And why would your inability to comprehend everything with perfect clarity diminish your value? After all, how could we know all? How could we understand all? Is it really fair and reasonable then to devalue a person for being confused?

You matter, even if your memory is faulty. You matter to those around you who know and love you. And why would your inability to remember everything with perfect clarity diminish your value? After all, how could we remember it all, and most importantly, why should an imperfect memory completely erase your identity?

You are not just your memories, and you are not just your brain. You exist outside of yourself. You exist as a particular individual in the minds of others, and you exist in the work you produce, in the legacy you build.

This is essentially the message in three films featuring women at different stages of life—adulthood, middle age, and elderly—who all are affected by severe memory loss or dementia: 50 First Dates (2004), Still Alice (2014), and Marjorie Prime (2017).

50 First Dates (2004) is a comedy directed by Peter Segal about Henry (Adam Sandler), a man who never wanted a long term relationship with a woman until he falls in love with Lucy (Drew Barrymore), a woman with anterograde amnesia who forgets who he is every morning.

  • Life Lesson: Loving someone will not keep you from your ambitions; it will help you reach them.

Still Alice (2014) is a drama co-written and co-directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland about Alice Howland (Julianne Moore), a college professor, wife, and mother who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, a form of dementia.

  • Life Lesson: Losing memories is not the same as losing yourself; you’re still you, an individual.

Marjorie Prime (2017) is a drama written and directed by Michael Almereyda, based on the play by Jordan Harrison, about a family that obtains artificial intelligence holograms to help them cope with the death of loved ones.

The overall sentiment shared in these movies traverses the particular stories they tell, and the idea is actually quite universal: you are valuable because you exist as an individual, which allows you to make unique connections with others, and have a distinct contribution to the world around you.

Hence, your value is not solely due to your cognitive abilities, special talents, nor your ability to approximate perfection, whether physical, mental, or however you want to define it.

In the end, what’s important is love. These aren’t the only movies that arrive at this same conclusion, far from it! It’s actually a pretty common theme found in a wide variety of genres, from It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) to Scrooged (1988) and from How Green Was My Valley (1941) to School for Scoundrels (1960).

But the movies that deal with caring for someone with severe memory loss more poignantly deal with what is in actuality a test of love. For it is indeed difficult to deal with someone forgetting who you are, as well as terrifying to see a person you love change in dramatic and unrecognizable ways.

There is also an understandable tendency to equate memory with identity—but it’s just not so. You are still you even if you don’t remember who you are, and you are still loved even if you don’t remember who loves you. The real enlightenment is a better understanding of what love is, and it is certainly not that you need to be perfect to be loved.

When you love someone it isn’t because that person is flawless; it’s because you are able to appreciate and have affection for that individual, which in turn is what allows you to feel and develop a connection, a bond, that grows and deepens over the years.

Love then allows you to expand who you can love, because it’s not about expecting someone to optimally fulfill a predetermined list of ideals, or to be perfect in every way all the time. And likewise, love allows you to broaden who can love you, that is, to accept that you don’t have to be a paragon of perfection or a model being to “earn” the chance at being loved.

Believe it or not, others can love you for who you are—as imperfect, or average, or mistaken, or confused, or forgetful, as you may be. And, if you’ve made strong bonds with others, you will continue to be loved, even if you can’t remember their names anymore.

Love always finds a way.

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]]><![CDATA[Pawsitive Vibes: Benefits Of Animals In Movies]]>https://moviewise.substack.com/p/pawsitive-vibes-animals-in-movieshttps://moviewise.substack.com/p/pawsitive-vibes-animals-in-moviesTue, 27 Jun 2023 13:02:01 GMT
The picture of white dog gently licking the ear of an orange guinea pig.
Image by L.E. Wilson from RedBubble based on work by Carl S from Pixabay

There is something about domesticated animals that we humans tend to find calming and soothing. Some scientists believe this is because pets exhibit baby-like features that make them lovable, which explains why so many people want to keep and care for animals and why there is a “widespread inclusion of animals in therapeutic and educational interventions.”1 According to a 2018 research paper, “Brief, unstructured interactions with [unfamiliar] dogs boosted children’s positive emotions and reduced anxiety.”2 The researchers found that these benefits were not just due to touching the dogs, but of interacting with them.

In case you’ve never experienced these kinds of positive emotions firsthand when being around animals, the above is just a quick explanation for why the vast majority of people find most animals endearing and pets, in particular, heartwarming. Moreover, you don’t have to live with an animal to reap some of the benefits they bring because it turns out that just seeing images of cute animals is pretty effective in invoking positive behaviors in humans.3

Clearly then, this is where the power of movies can come into play, and it should be no surprise that some of the most beloved and enduring films are those centered around a familiar animal like a pet or a pet-like creature. So here for your viewing pleasure, and for your increased mental health, are a few movies featuring cute animals that are sure to make you happier.

Lady and the Tramp (1955) is an animated fantasy co-directed by Clyde Geronimi, based on the story in Cosmopolitan magazine, “Happy Dan, the Cynical Dog” by Ward Green, about the adventures of two dogs, Lady (Barbara Luddy), an American Cocker Spaniel from a wealthy family, and Tramp (Larry Roberts), a stray mutt.

The Shaggy Dog (1959) is a fantasy directed by Charles Barton, based on the book The Hound of Florence by Felix Salten, about Wilby Daniels (Tommy Kirk), a teenager who turns into an Old English Sheepdog.

One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) is an animated fantasy co-directed by Clyde Geronimi, based on the book by Dodie Smith, about a pair of Dalmatian dogs, Pongo (Rod Taylor) and Perdita (Cate Bauer), whose puppies are stolen by Cruella De Vil (Betty Lou Gerson), a villain who wants to make coats for herself out of the dogs’ furs.

Charlotte’s Web (1973) is an animated fantasy directed by Charles A. Nichols and Iwao Takamoto about the friendships that a small pig named Wilbur (Henry Gibson) makes while living on a farm, most notably with a girl, Fern Arable (Pamelyn Ferdin), a gosling, Jeffrey (Don Messick), and a spider, Charlotte A. Cavatica (Debbie Reynolds).

My Neighbor Totoro (1988) is an anime fantasy written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki about a family that moves into an area near a Totoro forest spirit (a kami).

Lilo & Stitch (2002) is an animated fantasy co-written and co-directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois about Lilo (Daveigh Chase) and Nani (Tia Carrere), a lonely pair of sisters who adopt an unusual dog, Stitch (Chris Sanders), that turns out to be a fugitive from another world.

Madagascar (2005) is an animated fantasy co-written and co-directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath about a group of New York City Zoo animals who travel to the island of Madagascar and struggle to adjust to their new surroundings.

Up (2009) is an animated fantasy co-written and co-directed by Pete Docter and Bob Peterson about an elderly widower, Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner), who moves his house with the help of a young boy, Russell (Jordan Nagai), to South America, in order to fulfill a lifelong wish he shared with his wife Ellie.

  • Life Lesson: Caring for living beings is more meaningful than caring for material possessions.

Actor James Cromwell once noted that "pets are humanizing. They remind us we have an obligation and responsibility to preserve and nurture and care for all life." Indeed, anyone who has ever had a pet would agree with this sentiment, as well as that of poet Anatole France, who observed that "until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." Or as the famous dog-centered cartoonist Charles Schulz, creator of Snoopy, more succinctly put it, “happiness is a warm puppy.”

I leave you with one of the best motivational and aspirational quotes out there:

Be the person your dog thinks you are!
— C.J. Frick

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1

Borgi, M., & Cirulli, F. (2016). Pet face: Mechanisms underlying human-animal relationships. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 298.

2

Molly K. Crossman, Alan E. Kazdin, Angela Matijczak, Elizabeth
R. Kitt & Laurie R. Santos (2018): The Influence of Interactions with Dogs on Affect, Anxiety, and Arousal in Children, Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 49(4), 535–548.

3

Sherman, G. D., Haidt, J., & Coan, J. A. (2009). Viewing cute images increases behavioral carefulness. Emotion, 9(2), 282–286

]]><![CDATA[Movies That Show The Power Of Trying]]>https://moviewise.substack.com/p/movies-that-show-the-power-of-tryinghttps://moviewise.substack.com/p/movies-that-show-the-power-of-tryingTue, 25 Apr 2023 13:00:15 GMT
A big red button with the words “try now” is centered in a white space with the words “moviewise: Life Lessons From Movies.”
Image by L.E. Wilson from RedBubble based on work by Tim from Pixabay

It may not seem like it, but a monumental step in our collective growth as a species happened this past week on 04/20/23. SpaceX launched Starship, an almost 400 foot tall (120 meters) rocket, the largest ever attempted, in an effort to gain the technological knowledge to travel to the planet Mars. It reached an altitude of about 24 miles (39 kilometers) before engine problems led to its intentional destruction.

A sincere appreciation for the effort is warranted.

And some fundamental questions about human nature are brought to the forefront. What would encourage someone to try again after experiencing a setback? What motivates a person who has achieved success in one area to try a risky endeavor in another (e.g. Elon Musk, CEO and chief engineer of SpaceX, CEO of Tesla, Inc., CEO of Twitter, Founder of The Boring Company, co-founder of Neuralink and OpenAI)?

The answer to both lies in counsel you may have heard before in reference to dealing with students: praise the effort, not the result. The idea is that you want to encourage a learner’s good habits that led to improvement or success, e.g. getting good grades. But if you only focus on the results, on the grades, that may lead to bad habits that are damaging in the long run, like cheating, and it may even create fear and doubt about the possibility of maintaining good grades leading the student to take easier classes, for example, to not risk a bad grade. Conversely, if the student is praised for the effort, for doing the best possible work, then good habits are reinforced and tougher classes are not feared because the student genuinely understands that learning is what really matters.

But the deeper life lesson these students are getting is the knowledge that success is not guaranteed, and it’s not gained in one step either. Therefore, what looks like failure is part of the journey. Nothing that happens on your way to reaching a goal is actually a failure, if you stay determined and focused. Meanwhile, everything you do and what happens as a result of your effort is part of the process that is needed to achieve something greater than before. Understanding this is what leads one to develop grit and resilience, which are necessary components for any achievement.

Yes, Starship, a rocket as tall as a 40-story building and the most powerful one ever built, exploded, or experienced a “rapid unscheduled disassembly,” as SpaceX put it, about four minutes after launch. But if you’ve ever achieved something difficult, or something no one else has ever achieved before, or learned about such feats, then you understand that everything is a learning opportunity.

Everything is a stepping stone to something greater. In particular, if you look into the history of space flight a little further, it is apparent that new rockets often fail on their first test flights. For a dramatization of this, watch the first entry in this list of movies that can help you to fully appreciate a sincere effort—even if the results were not what was hoped for:

The Right Stuff (1983) is a drama written and directed by Philip Kaufman that is based on the book by Tom Wolfe about the true story of the development of space flight in the United States from Chuck Yeager’s (Sam Shepard) breaking of the sound barrier to the Mercury 7 astronauts that included the first American in space, Alan Shepard Jr. (Scott Glenn), the first American to orbit the Earth, John Glenn Jr. (Ed Harris), and the first American to spend an entire day in space, Gordon Cooper (Dennis Quaid).

  • Life Lesson: In order to push the envelope and succeed at something no one has ever done before, you must be brave and willing to fail.

Awakenings (1990) is a drama inspired by the true story of neurologist Oliver Wolf Sacks and directed by Penny Marshall about patients affected by the encephalitis lethargica epidemic of 1917-1928 that coincided with the Spanish flu pandemic.

  • Life Lesson: The simplest things in life bring about meaning, purpose, and happiness.

Apollo 13 (1995) is a drama directed by Ron Howard, based on the book by Jim Lovell, about the historically significant Apollo 13 NASA flight to the moon by American astronauts Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), Fred Haise (Bill Paxton), and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon).

Up (2009) is an animated fantasy co-written and co-directed by Pete Docter and Bob Peterson about an elderly widower, Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner), who moves his house with the help of a young boy, Russell (Jordan Nagai), to South America, in order to fulfill a lifelong wish he shared with his wife Ellie.

  • Life Lesson: Caring for living beings is more meaningful than caring for material possessions.

As these four movies show, when dealing with technology, experimentation, testing, design, all kinds of things will go wrong. It’s Murphy’s Law, which, if you think about it, is the only way that complex systems could be developed, that is, incrementally and with many opportunities for unforeseen malfunctions to occur. But history has shown us repeatedly that out of ashes comes advancement, and every unpredictable event brings us one step closer to understanding how the universe truly works.

Rocky (1976) is a drama directed by John G. Avildsen about an amateur Philadelphia boxer, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), who gets the chance to fight heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) as part of a publicity stunt.

The Karate Kid (1984) is a drama directed by John G. Avildsen about Daniel (Ralph Macchio), a newcomer to a high school where he is bullied, which prompts him to seek the teachings of Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), an elderly Japanese martial arts master.

  • Life Lesson: Learn to defend yourself in a way that should gain the respect of your opponents.

Lucas (1986) is a coming of age drama written and directed by David Seltzer about Lucas (Corey Haim), a bookish, small-framed teen from the poor side of town who wants to win the affections of a classmate, Maggie (Kerri Green), by joining the school’s football team, while being oblivious to the affections of his friend, Rina (Winona Ryder).

  • Life Lesson: Just because you like someone does not mean they will like you back.

Moneyball (2011) is a drama directed by Bennett Miller, based on the book by Michael Lewis, about Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), the Oakland Athletics’ general manager who used statistical analysis to assemble a competitive baseball team on a limited budget.

  • Life Lesson: “All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”

    — Arthur Schopenhauer

As in the case with technology, sports is also an arena where the unexpected can throw a careful plan into chaos, but where grit, determination and focus, again, can make all the difference. And not just in the final results, but in the imprint that such a struggle leaves on the players and what they can learn about themselves and about life that will help them in the future. The core wisdom that these four movies reveal is that of the old adage: it’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how you play the game that matters.

All of the eight movies listed above show things not going according to plan. Some people may even say that they show failures. But if you can look at the effort instead, look at what was achieved and what may be possible because of the knowledge gained in the attempt, then you will have discovered something that only the greatest innovators of our species have uncovered: there is no such thing as failure.

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]]><![CDATA[Periodic Reminder That Life Is Unfair]]>https://moviewise.substack.com/p/periodic-reminder-that-life-is-unfairhttps://moviewise.substack.com/p/periodic-reminder-that-life-is-unfairTue, 11 Apr 2023 13:01:02 GMT
A scale shows an imbalance where one side has many brown boxes while the opposite side has only one.
Image by L.E. Wilson from RedBubble based on work by Mediamodifier from Pixabay

Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.

— Robert Louis Stevenson

By now, you’ve probably experienced that epiphany, that realization that life is not fair. This news is bad enough, but what’s worse is being faced with a world that tries to make you believe otherwise, for there are people who benefit from the unfairness but want to pretend they do not so they can justify and maintain their advantages.

You’ve seen this many times before. That person who keeps getting promoted and rewarded even though by merit, achievement, ability, there are countless others more deserving. Why does this happen? Life is unfair. Those people who keep lying, blaming others for their own mistakes, incompetence, bad judgement, and who not only keep getting away with it but also get compensated for it. Why does that happen? Life is unfair. The opportunities that are advertised as open to anyone, but are actually restricted to closed groups of insiders. Why does this happen? Life is unfair.

And in all of these cases people in power who benefit from this unfairness try to deceptively obscure that fact by denying that there is anything unfair about, for example, one person constantly getting promoted over others while having no discernible justification nor giving a reason for it, or by letting a group of people become entitled and given privileges at the expense of others, or pretending that anyone can reach certain upper echelons of society when they really can’t.

But what can we do about it? Is this ever going to change? Of course not. Life is unfair. It just is. That is the core of existence. If it isn’t other people making life unfair, it is nature itself. Why are some people more intelligent, more attractive, more resilient, more loved, healthier, stronger? Life is unfair.

But so what?

Didn’t you ever notice that you can reach the good life anyway? So some people get shoved into success by some hidden mechanism that you don’t have access to. So what? There are a billion ways to find success, and some person getting unfair advantages does not have to block you in any way. The fact is that you can have a rich, healthy, successful life no matter how unfair the world is. In other words, it is within your power to make the best of life.

The following are a few movies that show you how to deal with being treated unfairly and how to reach a point where it is possible to nevertheless overcome these slings and arrows of outrageous fortune:

Have you ever been wrongly and unfairly accused of doing something you didn’t do? That’s the story of Richard Jewell (2019). Yet, this kind of existential trial can incite an inner strength that is capable of achieving victory and exoneration even if in the beginning the whole world is seemingly against you. It is as the Stoic philosopher Seneca put it, “constant misfortune brings this one blessing: to whom it always assails, it eventually fortifies.”

Richard Jewell (2019) is a drama directed by Clint Eastwood, based on an article in Vanity Fair magazine by Marie Brenner, about Richard Jewell (Paul Walter Hauser), a security guard who alerted law enforcement about a backpack containing three pipe bombs and helped evacuate the area at the 1996 Summer Olympics Games, thereby saving people’s lives, only to be falsely accused of the Centennial Olympic Park bombing after the FBI leaked their investigation to the media, which led a public humiliation campaign against him.

  • Life Lesson: Individual rights are threatened when the government and the media work together. “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform (or pause and reflect).” — Mark Twain

Perhaps you’ve experienced a time in your life where everything seemed to be unfairly and undeservedly going badly. If so, then the movie A Serious Man (2009) will feel familiar. Yet, this movie shows us that even in the middle of turmoil there are moments of joy, of discovery, of curiosity. The most important lesson, however, is to not let yourself sink to a point where your actions increase the level of unfairness in the world, because that will obviously just make things much worse for everyone.

A Serious Man (2009) is a drama written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen about Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a man searching for help with marital and professional problems, which happened to him even though he didn’t do anything.

  • Life Lesson: Even if you think life is meaningless and unfair, be a good person with integrity, because without it things will get even worse.

Did you ever feel that the challenges and obstacles in your way were unfairly bigger and more difficult than what other people had to face? That’s certainly the backdrop in View from the Top (2003). But as this movie shows us, through hard work, determination, and creative problem solving, it will always be possible to achieve one’s goals.

View from the Top (2003) is a comedy directed by Bruno Barreto about Donna Jensen (Gwyneth Paltrow), a woman from a small town without many future prospects who follows the advice of an ex-flight attendant and motivational speaker, Sally Weston (Candice Bergen), to start a new life.

  • Life Lesson: Know that you are valuable, so don’t settle for less, even if others are trying to keep you down.

The feeling of betrayal, of being deceived, of having the ground crumble underneath your feet is probably the most visceral representation of life being unfair. The movie The Wedding Singer (1998), tells of such a tale. And yet, as this movie and real life demonstrate, love, happiness, and fulfillment can be found even after a loss, so there is no reason to ever give up.

The Wedding Singer (1998) is a comedy directed by Frank Coraci about Robbie Hart (Adam Sandler), a struggling musician who finds out what true love is when he meets Julia Sullivan (Drew Barrymore), a waitress.

Yet, of course life is unfair, and there are many things that we cannot ever control or change. Accepting our limitations and moving on to other challenges is part of life, and it’s what we learn from the movie Lucas (1986). But this isn’t a negative lesson. This isn’t about giving up. It’s about finding your limits, being proud of your attempts and gaining respect for yourself while facing reality.

Lucas (1986) is a coming of age drama written and directed by David Seltzer about Lucas (Corey Haim), a bookish, small-framed teen from the poor side of town who wants to win the affections of a classmate, Maggie (Kerri Green), by joining the school’s football team, while being oblivious to the affections of his friend, Rina (Winona Ryder).

  • Life Lesson: Just because you like someone does not mean they will like you back.

And of course of all the unfair circumstances that you may find yourself in, few are as potentially deadly and horrific as being trapped in a war. This is the story of Casablanca (1942), which shows us a world where absolutely everything is unfair. Still, even in the darkest of times, there is love and hope and the chance to show our more noble selves, which are acts of courage that make life better for ourselves and others.

Casablanca (1942) is a drama directed by Michael Curtiz, based on the play, Everybody Comes to Rick’s, about a married couple, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) and Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), who ask American businessman Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) for help in escaping the Nazis in Morocco.

  • Life Lesson: Sometimes a situation calls for you to be the noble hero.

Hopefully, you will be able to see that even though life is unfair, this does not prevent us from making the best of our circumstances and creating our own happiness. Staying positive will help in the face of adversity. Developing resilience is empowering. And despite the challenges and hardships we may face in life, we can nevertheless choose to be at peace with the world.

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]]><![CDATA[Learn Music Appreciation From Movies]]>https://moviewise.substack.com/p/learn-music-appreciation-from-movieshttps://moviewise.substack.com/p/learn-music-appreciation-from-moviesTue, 28 Mar 2023 13:01:41 GMT
A cartoon cat with eyes closed serenely listens through headphones that are plugged in to an iPhone-like device.
Image by L.E. Wilson from RedBubble based on work by naobim from Pixabay


Few things are more powerful or moving than a great scene in a meaningful movie that is further elevated to the heights of emotion by a remarkable song. What a joy, what a treat to be enveloped visually and emotionally by this fantastic combination. It is why movies surpass most forms of media and are capable of touching us on so many levels.

Music taste is subjective, that is true, but beauty is widely recognized. It shouldn’t take more than an open mind and careful listening to appreciate how nice the soundtrack of the movie Pretty in Pink is, for example, how fitting, how perfect, how soothing and uplifting.

If you could take a moment to just appreciate the music, you will understand something profound about beauty. This is due to the fact that when filmmakers are able to combine cinematography, story, and music together to communicate, the result is something that is truly indistinguishable from magic.

Here, for your viewing and listening pleasure, is a tour of the astounding music found in some great movies. Please enjoy and prepare to be wowed!

Swing Kids (1993)

Swing Kids (1993) is a drama directed by Thomas Carter set in Nazi Germany about the Swingjugend, a group of youths who loved American swing music and dance but were forced underground and brutally punished for their preferences by the repressive government.

Related article:
A Short History of Jazz in Movies: 1927 - 2016

You haven’t lived if you’ve never felt that swing. Swing Kids (1993) is an excellent introduction to the great jazz musicians like Louis Prima, Benny Goodman, Djangoman (Jean Reinhardt), and the power of music to make you feel happy! But of course, it goes further than that because literally if music moves you, then the natural result is dance. And few dances are as joyful, energetic, and entertaining as swing, which is an American invention and one that fully expresses that boundless positivity, that can-do attitude of the roaring 1920s and 1930s that celebrated economic prosperity and technological growth. What a time to be alive, and if you want to know what joy of living is, listen to some swing:

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Dirty Dancing (1987) is a drama directed by Emile Ardolino about a privileged young woman, Frances “Baby” Houseman (Jennifer Grey), vacationing with her family in a resort, where she falls in love with Johnny (Patrick Swayze), a dance instructor, and learns a ballroom routine to help out his dance partner, Penny (Cynthia Rhodes), who needs a medical procedure.

  • Life Lesson: Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

Speaking of dancing, for step by step instructional on how to learn the moves of a dancer, nothing compares to the movies Dirty Dancing (1987) and Strictly Ballroom (1992). Here you see complete novices develop the musicality and confidence required to express themselves through dance and at the core of that growth is exposure to amazing music, which you can experience for yourself by watching these stunning films. But beyond that, these are profound movies, complex, satisfying and enlightening, with truly incredible soundtracks that really awaken the senses to the pleasures of good music. These are the kinds of movies that makes you wish that life was really just about music and dancing, because what could be greater?

Strictly Ballroom (1992)

Strictly Ballroom (1992) is a comedy co-written and directed by Baz Luhrmann about Fran (Tara Morice), a novice dancer who convinces Scott (Paul Mercurio), a ballroom champion, to be her partner for the Pan Pacific Grand Prix, and dance the steps their way, non-Federation, even though it means forfeiting a win.

  • Life Lesson: “Vivir con miedo es como vivir a medias.” — A life lived in fear is a life half-lived.

Kinky Boots (2005)

Kinky Boots (2005) is a comedy directed by Julian Jarrold about Charlie Price (Joel Edgerton), a man who inherits his father’s failing shoe factory and decides to save it by finding a niche market with the help of Lola/Simon (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a drag queen.

  • Life Lesson: Accept others for who they are, even if you don’t understand them.

Kinky Boots (2005) is a complete pop musical with a touching story and great acting. But it is also a demonstration of talent. The actor, Chiwetel Ejiofor, who portrays the main character, also performs the impressive dance routines and the singing. And these are fun, lively, sometimes funny, sometimes earnest songs that fit the movie so well, move the story along, and punctuate the sentiment of each scene masterfully. This is a well-made, precisely crafted film that seamlessly integrates story and music into one thoroughly entertaining film. And you can sing these songs in the shower or in the car, which is to say that these are approachable songs you can learn the lyrics to because they tell a story themselves. The intentionality, planning and execution demonstrated in this movie makes this a masterclass in filmmaking.

Pretty in Pink (1986)

Pretty in Pink (1986) is a drama directed by Howard Deutch and written/produced by John Hughes about Andie Walsh (Molly Ringwald), an independent, essentially parent-less, teenager from the poor side of town who is caught in a love triangle that forces her to rise above peer pressure and class discrimination.

Related article:
A Love Letter To "Pretty In Pink" (1986): The Impact Of A John Hughes Masterpiece

Are you even a teenager without feeling angst? How wonderful and reassuring to be able to find musical expression for the complicated emotional lives of young adults in Pretty in Pink (1986). In particular, these are songs for those with a heavy heart. If you’ve never experienced overwhelming feelings then you don’t need this music. But if you have, then this gives external representation to it. And not just that, it does it beautifully in a more elevated and lovely manner that actually justifies the angst, or at least lets you know that pain, fear, longing, are all human, universal, emotions that we share with others on this earth. Some brilliant artists have taken that energy and converted it to something beautiful that we intuitively understand and are enchanted by. That is magic. That is the power of music.

Enjoy!

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]]><![CDATA[Look, Whatever You Want, You Can Get!]]>https://moviewise.substack.com/p/look-whatever-you-want-you-can-gethttps://moviewise.substack.com/p/look-whatever-you-want-you-can-getTue, 28 Feb 2023 14:01:40 GMT
Scrabble board pieces spell out the words, ‘how to life your dream’ with a trophy next to them.
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There are times in life where you may feel that other people have something you want, but can’t get. You may feel that it’s impossible for you, that those other people were luckier, or in better positions and had greater resources, and you simply are not as fortunate. While it absolutely could be the case that the road may be longer, harder, tougher for you for a variety of reasons outside of your control, it is nevertheless true that you can get whatever you want if you focus all your energies and resources into it.

Of course, at some point you may come to terms with not getting what you want, particularly if the cost of trying is high and leaving you vulnerable to danger. There is value in acceptance, after all. But the truth remains, if you want to get something, become something, do something—you can. Time is not an issue, because as long as you are still alive, you have time, and truly, it is never too late to start anything. Again, it may be more challenging in some ways, but it will also be easier in others. What have you got to lose by starting something later than most others? Nothing. It’s all gain for you.

You want to learn a new language, learn to play a musical instrument, learn to tell a joke, be healthier, live somewhere else, travel, meet new people, get a new job or a new career? You can do it! Whatever you want. Money is not an issue either because there is always a low cost alternative to everything; in fact, you can pay for the things you must with a minimum wage job. You can learn a new language, learn the foundations of a new trade or career, learn to tell a joke, learn to be healthier—all for free from books, apps, and videos available on the internet or in public libraries. Or, you can enroll in low cost classes at a community college or an online school. You can buy or rent low cost musical instruments, or choose to use a free musical instrument, your voice. There are many options for low cost travel, such as camping, hostels, or work exchanges that give you free room and board for doing some type of work.

The world is your oyster and you are free to move about and make of your life what you want. If someone was able to do it, so can you. If no one has done it, you may be the first. What really is out there that you would absolutely be unable to get? If we’re honest, the true limiting factor is your willingness to dedicate all your energy and resources into getting that something you thought you wanted. The real human superpower needed to make your dreams come true is dedication, which really means commitment and focus.

How do we develop this ability? Fortunately, we have many movies that take us through this process step by step, and show us exactly how a regular person, with average abilities, can reach what seemed to be an impossible goal. And you’d better believe that the reason there are so many examples of this shown in movies, including documentaries, is because it is absolutely true that if you never give up, you can get whatever you want.

La La Land (2016)

Life Lesson: Go after your dream, even if it seems foolish.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

The Boys: The Sherman Brothers’ Story (2009)

Life Lesson: “Team work can make a dream work, if you have got the will to win.”
—Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: Teamwork
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

Kings of Pastry (2009)

Life Lesson: Don’t let adversity — difficulties, misfortune — stop you. Finish a task you set out to do. Finishing is its own reward, and only those who finish are eligible to win.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

Breaking the Maya Code (2008)

Life Lesson: It takes many different kinds of people (with different fields of expertise) to solve a complex problem.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

Life Lesson: Physical appearance does not determine ability.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

Ratatouille (2007) 

Life Lesson: If you want to be great at something, you need commitment—dedication and devotion.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

Classic Albums: Nirvana – Nevermind (2005) 

Life Lesson: Whatever you do, do it well; you might create something great.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985)

Life Lesson: Don’t let anyone stop you from achieving your dreams.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

Back to the Future (1985)

Life Lesson: Learn to persevere—if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

Johnny Dangerously (1984)

Life Lesson: If you want to, you can change the course of your life.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

Cinderella (1950)

Life Lesson: Never stop believing in your dreams.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

Modern Times (1936)

Life Lesson: Keep trying, for that is the only way to get what you want.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

If you can dream it, you can do it.

— Walt Disney

It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop.

— Confucius

The moment is now. Go do what you’ve been wanting to do, and know that with the right amount of time and effort you will definitely make all your dreams come true.

Congratulations!

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]]><![CDATA[Hey, Stop Being Lazy!]]>https://moviewise.substack.com/p/hey-stop-being-lazyhttps://moviewise.substack.com/p/hey-stop-being-lazyTue, 24 Jan 2023 14:01:35 GMT
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It’s amazing how difficult it is to feel sympathetic toward a lazy person, and alternatively it’s interesting how satisfying it is to watch the progress made by an industrious person. Perhaps the reason that it is hard to root for someone who is slothful is simply because their very inactivity means there is nothing to hope for, no way for goals to be reached, and nothing to expect. In contrast, movies that show characters who have a good work ethic, focus, discipline, and determination are not only satisfying, but also strangely empowering and motivating.

That gumption, that drive, that verve, is really life itself, isn’t it? A lazy person is in a very basic fundamental way not really living—just existing in the most passive way possible. It’s very unappealing in the same way that death is unappealing. But unlike death—there is a cure for laziness, and it’s to stop being lazy. Sure habits are hard to break, but getting the body moving and doing something, anything, even if it’s just cleaning or tidying up, is surprisingly energizing.

So it’s really no coincidence that many of the movies that portray the characteristics of an industrious person, that passionate, driven work ethic, tend to be sports movies or those set in competitive environments that push people to their physical limits and abilities, usually in music or entertainment. Moreover, a common theme through these films is overcoming limitations and barriers, particularly poverty, which in many cases serves as the main motivator to achieve, and thus proves the stoic philosopher Seneca correct, “Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body.”

Which really is the life lesson shown to us in these films, if we choose to learn from them. In fact, the underlying truth may be that humans need adversity and competition to thrive. Something needed has to be at stake, others must be trying to get it too, and one has to believe that there is a path to victory in order to try.

So if you need it, and are feeling lazy but want to change, imagine that you are in competition with one of the hard-working individuals listed below, some of whom are characters based on real persons, and some of whom are actual people portraying themselves in documentaries. Click on the “🍿Movie Scene Link” under each movie to find out who is who for yourself:

Rocky, 1976

Life Lesson: Push yourself to reach your full potential.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

The Karate Kid, 1984

Life Lesson: Learn to defend yourself in a way that should gain the respect of your opponents.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

8 Mile, 2002

Life Lesson: Own the moment; seize the opportunity. Don’t wait for someone to rescue you.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

View From the Top, 2003

Life Lesson: Know that you are valuable, so don’t settle for less, even if others are trying to keep you down.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

Invincible, 2006

Life Lesson: Ignore those who judge you based on your age and not your ability. You can, you should, and you must pursue your goals no matter your stage of life.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

Rush, 2010

Life Lesson: Never stop learning.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

First Position, 2011

Life Lesson: To become the best, push yourself harder than the rest.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

Indie Game, 2012

Life Lesson: If you want to blaze your own trail, do what you really want and not answer to anybody — you can do it, but it will likely be a long, hard road with a lot of sacrifice. If you succeed, the personal and financial rewards will be huge.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

The Improv, 2013

Life Lesson: If you want to succeed in a field, you have to endure long hours of hard work for no or low pay while you hone the necessary skills.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

Whiplash, 2014

Life Lesson: Being good enough is not enough if you want to be great.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.

— Theodore Roosevelt

Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it.

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

So get going!

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]]><![CDATA[A Gentle Introduction To Black & White Movies]]>https://moviewise.substack.com/p/a-gentle-introduction-to-black-andhttps://moviewise.substack.com/p/a-gentle-introduction-to-black-andTue, 17 Jan 2023 14:01:07 GMT
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If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary

— Jim Rohn

If watching a black and white film seems unappealing, that makes sense. Our world is not normally completely devoid of color, so it takes a little bit of time for our eyes to adjust and accept a movie landscape made entirely out of grayscale. But if you are watching one of the great black and white movies, you will find that you’ll lose yourself in the story, the characters, the time and place in no time at all.

What’s more, you will discover that many of these films are of a higher standard compared to newer movies, with better acting, intricate stories, clever dialogue, and imaginative, eye-opening scenery. A treasure trove truly awaits those who dare to venture into this vast library, which includes films that have not only withstood the test of time, but have become bona fide classics because they are indeed among the best that have ever been made.

As entry point into this rich universe, here is a short list of excellent black and white movies that you will enjoy and which will have you asking for more:

Silent

1928

Life Lesson: Don’t let your friends keep you from being with the one you love.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

1928

Life Lesson: Do not look down on others. You do not know what misfortune led them to where they are, and you do not know their strength of character.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

Comedy

1940

Life Lesson: “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”— Nelson Mandela
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

1941

Life Lesson: We don’t laugh because we’re happy, we are happy because we laugh.
— William James
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

1947

Life Lesson: Believe in the goodness of other people.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

1960

Life Lesson: Love beats cynicism.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

1964

Life Lesson: “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” — Robert Burns
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

Drama

1927

Life Lesson: “Blood is thicker than water.” —Proverb
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

1941

Life Lesson: “Do your duty, and a little more, and the future will take care of itself.”
— Andrew Carnegie
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

1942

Life Lesson: Sometimes a situation calls for you to be the noble hero.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

1943

Life Lesson: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” —Lord Acton
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

1943

Life Lesson: “It is human nature to hate him whom you have injured.” —Tacitus
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

1948

Life Lesson: There is no bad news; there are only blessings in disguise.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

1960

Life Lesson: When you love someone, you protect them, no matter what.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

1962

Life Lesson: Don’t let someone else have absolute power over you.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

Fantasy

1946

Life Lesson: Be grateful for your life; it beats the alternative.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

1959

Life Lesson: Find someone to talk to about your problems.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

Like many things in life, the important thing is to try. Give an honest, fair chance to something that seems difficult or tiresome and you will likely be rewarded by the unexpected pleasures hidden within.

This is particularly relevant when large swaths of people proclaim to be fans, as many do when it comes to black and white movies. When someone loves something it will always be worth trying to really understand why. In fact, anything that moves the human spirit is valuable and merits further investigation.

They may be an acquired taste, but black and white movies may also allow you to be awed, to feel the thrill of discovery, and to enjoy wonderful enriching experiences that will delight and amuse for many years to come.

Please do yourself a favor and try watching any of the movies above. You will not be disappointed.

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]]><![CDATA[Feel-Good Holiday Movies Just For You]]>https://moviewise.substack.com/p/feel-good-holiday-movies-just-forhttps://moviewise.substack.com/p/feel-good-holiday-movies-just-forTue, 20 Dec 2022 14:01:10 GMT
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It’s the holiday season! Go and make the best of it. The end of the year is full of events and happenings that can be exciting and thrilling. Of course, these can also be emotionally draining. That is because every time we interact with the world there is a risk of being annoyed or irritated, but life would be quite dull and uninteresting if we tried to avoid all discomforts. We always have the power to reframe what we’re experiencing by focusing on the positives of the situation. Think of the holiday classic, It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), where a suicidal man eventually discovers that he is the most fortunate man alive.

Life Lesson: Be grateful for your life; it beats the alternative.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

Changing our perspective allows us to appreciate and feel grateful for our unique and imperfect lives. So make it a game. See how many experiences you can enjoy while spending the holiday season being adventurous and daring. Challenge yourself to be more noble and kind by seeing the good in others, which is the lesson from the 1947 classic, Miracle on 34th Street. After all, this is a time to grow your heart three times larger, as Dr. Seuss’ famous grinch from the animated How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) does. This, of course, is the true meaning of Christmas, and you won’t find a more heart-warming movie about it than Klaus (2019).

Life Lesson: Believe in the goodness of other people.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

Life Lesson: Don’t be a grinch; partake in and enjoy the festivities around you.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

Life Lesson: “Kindness, I’ve discovered, is everything in life.”
— Isaac Bashevis Singer
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

But if socializing with others becomes unbearable, then politely excuse yourself from the formal festivities and recharge at home with some movie therapy by watching one of the great holiday classics, like the Bill Murray jewel, Scrooged (1988), which ends with a lively rendition of Jackie DeShannon’s classic song—and timeless message—"Put a Little Love in Your Heart.”

Life Lesson: “Put a little love in your heart, and the world will be a better place.”
— Jackie DeShannon
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

Also make your home atmosphere special by celebrating the season with great music, great food, and great stories. Although it’s true that the sorrows of life never cease, if you’ve found a way to be cozy, safe, and warm—then rejoice! That’s the perfect place to watch the comedic struggles of a boy pining for the greatest Christmas gift in A Christmas Story (1983). This is one of the best feel-good holiday movies around because it lets us reminisce about, and be enchanted by, the magic of childhood during the holidays. That joy is what this season is all about.

Life Lesson: Life delivers both disappointments and unexpected joys.
🍿Movie Scene Link (movie quote)

May you have a wonderful, happy, joyous holiday season and an even better New Year!

With much love and thanks,
— your

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]]><![CDATA[What Defines A Great Film?]]>https://moviewise.substack.com/p/what-defines-a-great-filmhttps://moviewise.substack.com/p/what-defines-a-great-filmTue, 20 Sep 2022 13:01:15 GMT
The movie poster for Back to the Future next to a dictionary definition of art that focuses on beauty.
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Professor, author, and radio host Mary L. Tabor graciously invited moviewise to be a guest writer on “Only Connect,” a newsletter about all things literary. The following is an extension of moviewise’s article, “The Art of the Screenplay,” published on September 15, 2022. If you’d like to delve more deeply into the meaning of art, beauty, and skill, please click here to read the original article, and let us know what you think!

In this special edition, moviewise throws down the gauntlet on what defines a great film, and asks readers to join in a quest to right an American Film Institute wrong.

Here is the thesis:

A good film that is well crafted in terms of cinematography, editing, sound/music, acting/animation, and story becomes a great film, a work of art—which means something that is beautiful, appealing, and of more than ordinary significance—if it makes the viewer think, i.e., if it has a message to deliver that lingers in the mind.

In brief, a skillfully made movie that makes you feel and think about a subject matter is stimulating you more than a movie that does only one of those things, i.e. only feel or only think. Hence, this type of movie is doing more, engaging at a deeper level, so it is better. The films that can do that are the great films.

The level of entertainment is not enough to consider a movie great. In fact, movies that solicit only an emotional or carnal reaction, e.g. pornography, slash horror, etc.—which no one doubts are extremely popular and entertaining—do not reach the same lofty level as those that in addition also induce an uplifting thought, a positive change in the mind, an enlightenment.

So just because a movie is well-loved and enjoyable does not make it great. People love and are entertained by all kinds of vulgar, base things that don’t elevate or nourish them in any way. Entertainment is not the same as art, which is an expression of the highest level of skill, and because of that, provides beauty. (The Latin word for "skill" is "ars" or “arte.”) In other words, art lets us experience beauty.

Great films are those that demonstrate the highest level of craftsmanship, and this includes delivering a significant message because filmmaking is storytelling and good stories have a point. Mindless entertainment is neither great nor art. We are human. We think. We want to learn. We’re not just sensory sacs of cytoplasm reflexibly reacting to physical stimuli. Therefore great art engages all of our faculties and our capabilities as intelligent beings who seek more than mere survival. We seek beautiful thoughts.

In this way we can look at movies as a product of the mind for the mind, that is, as a form of intentional communication. But the actual message that is received by the audience is of course subjective and individualized, as all forms of communication are. In appreciating art, there is always room for personal meaning and interpretation, so it is indeed somewhat idiosyncratic as to what the precise message of a movie is or what audiences want it to be. If we all saw everything the same way there would be no room for art; there would be no room for us. So the viewer may not hit on exactly what the filmmaker intended, but if something valuable and meaningful was gained, then that is an astounding feat, worth the label “great,” and it’s really only made possible if the filmmaker attempted to communicate something.

The ability of the filmmaker to relay a meaningful, insightful message in a movie is a difficult, high level skill, and it may actually be the most essential aspect of fine filmmaking and storytelling, since it requires the ability to deftly deliver a well-integrated, moving, and coherent message without being preachy, boring, or heavy-handed. A heavy-handed "message movie" is obviously not artfully or skillfully made, so it doesn't qualify as great because the message is not enough—that's just propaganda, or preaching to the choir, which only believers enjoy. If there were no message at all, however, then the movie would be lesser because there would be nothing to interpret, nothing to think about, nothing to learn. The interpretation of the message is how the audience interacts with the artwork. If there is nothing to understand, then it's not great art because it fails to fully engage our human capacity.

We hold movies to a higher standard of artistic expression, one that includes meaning, precisely because movies have the capacity to clearly articulate profound thoughts in an impactful, sincere way, full of feeling and emotion. The medium is multifaceted, so great movies can and do deliver powerful messages that can induce change in the people watching them. That is no ordinary achievement, and this change in someone’s mind is simply not possible if the message is not there or if it is not clear. Art is beauty, which can certainly be appreciated on its own, or for its own sake, but great art, additionally, has a message.

To give a concrete example, let’s compare two sci-fi films from the 1980’s: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), directed by Steven Spielberg, and Back to the Future (1985), co-written and directed by Robert Zemeckis. Both films were produced by Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment company.

Immediately, there is a difference, as I’ve written before in the article,
“21 Great Movies Each Written & Directed By The Same Person”:

The better films—those that demonstrate real devotion and approximate perfection—are often written and directed by the same person. These movies are the result of individuals putting their all into making a movie, of working as perfectly as they can to bring a story to life, and the quality reflects it. When someone gives that much of themselves, it makes a noticeable difference.

E.T. the Extra-terrestrial, written by Melissa Mathison and based on a script by another screenwriter, John Sayles, is a movie about a boy and his dog, except that the dog is a visitor from another planet who does not do well on Earth and gets sick, so the boy helps the alien get back home. Back to the Future is a movie about a time-traveling teen in a DeLorean car (because why not do it in style?) who has to save his family and himself while battling against internal and external obstacles that includes self-doubt, bullies, multiple mechanical failures, terrorists, bad luck, and misplaced romantic afflictions. Phew!

The movie E.T. is very entertaining, very skillfully made, but it is not a great film and does not match the level of the movie Back to the Future. Why? Because E.T. has no integrated, significant, important, or valuable message. There is no wisdom in E.T. In fact, if you look at it closely you’ll notice that it has no point, or if you want to be generous, it has a trivial point to make about staying at home or going home, but no meaningful reason, no explanation, as to why this is worthwhile.

Which means that the ending of E.T., where the alien invites the boy into the spaceship and the boy refuses, is intellectually disappointing. If you had a chance to travel on a spaceship and discover more about our universe, go to another galaxy, wouldn’t you? Or if you refuse the invitation from a friendly alien, wouldn’t you at least have a darn good explanation as to why not? Needless to say, the movie E.T. doesn’t bother to explain why the boy, who isn’t really that happy with his life, doesn’t even give a moment’s thought to boarding the spacecraft.

In fact, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is full of unanswered questions and inconsistencies. For example, if the alien has the power of flight, why doesn’t he help himself better to get to his ship? Why exactly does “E.T.” get sick anyway? Why does the boy ask “E.T.” to stay if he knows both that government scientists are after him and that “E.T.” will be ill and unwell on Earth? And this is how the movie ends? Literally with a whimper and a teary boy looking on as the spaceship leaves him behind to a mundane life?

There is no joy in this movie. In fact, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is an emotional horror movie, yanking your chain, tugging at your heartstrings without mercy as a young boy and his dog are made to suffer, get horribly sick, and seemingly die, while an even younger girl, the boy’s sister, watches in distress. It’s emotional porn. 90% of the characters in this film cry. Some do so a lot. And those are real anguished tears running down the cheeks of six-year-old Drew Barrymore, who was too young to really understand that she was in a movie.

And what do we learn from all this? That we should strive to have regular quiet lives even if a spaceship lands in our own backyard. What? Talk about a lack of curiosity, ambition, or aspiration. There is no message to seize the day, suck the marrow of life, make your life extraordinary as in another great film, Dead Poets Society. What a bummer.

Back to the Future, also skillfully made and entertaining, meanwhile, ends in triumph, with fist-pumping joy. When this movie first came out and was shown in theaters, crowds spontaneously cheered and gave it a standing ovation. It deserves it. Why? Because Back to the Future fills you with confidence. It’s like a pep talk at halftime. It’s a rallying cry. And what is it saying, what is the message that is repeated over and over, shown, demonstrated by multiple characters, by the story itself? The message is this:

Learn to persevere—if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.

What a powerful message. What a wonderful message. What an important, life-changing message for those out there who are full of self-doubt like Marty McFly, who feel pushed down by life, unfamiliar with success. Multiple characters in this movie, Marty, his father George McFly, the scientist Doc Brown, and even the busboy at the diner, Goldie Wilson, learn the same lesson. Learn to persevere. Face the obstacles and keep going. Keep trying even if you only have two minutes and your car fails. Keep trying even if others see you as a failure and bully you because of it. Keep trying even if the floor crumbles underneath your feet. Keep trying even if no one who looks like you has succeeded. Persevere. This is how. Watch this movie.

It’s a great film, and by whatever metric you choose, Back to the Future deserves to be on the American Film Institute’s list of the “100 Greatest American Movies Of All Time.” But guess what? It isn’t listed, which is an injustice most profound. And guess what inferior film is listed at #25? Yes, you guessed it. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Boo! I say, BOO.

So all of this is to plead with you, dear reader, to please do what you can to right this terrible wrong. Back to the Future is an amazing, innovative, unique, inspiring, masterfully made film. It’s like nothing else you’ve ever seen. It is a great work of art and a great American film that has earned a place on AFI’s top 100.

I hope I’ve made the case for it. And I hope that you have found a movie that filled you with as much joy, wisdom, and guidance as Back to the Future has for me. In fact, I venture to say that if indeed you have found such a movie, one that you’ve connected to on a deeper level, then it was probably because of the message you took from it—the life lesson you learned from it.

For me, these kinds of messages are treasures, valuable guides that can help you through life, that can awaken your identity, that can resonate with truth and reality. Even research has found that meaningful movies help people cope with life’s difficulties. So because of this, I invite you to peruse the moviewise archive for more advice and wisdom from great films.

And never forget:

Our passion for learning, evident in the behavior of every toddler, is the tool for our survival. […] What distinguishes our species is thought. The cerebral cortex is a liberation. […] We are, each of us, largely responsible for what gets put into our brains, for what, as adults, we wind up caring for and knowing about. No longer at the mercy of the reptile brain, we can change ourselves.” — Carl Sagan, Cosmos, pgs 278-279.

Great films are beautiful and enlightening as a result of the skill that it took to create them, and what defines them as great works of art is that they make you feel—and most importantly, think—so choose your movies wisely.

If you’d like a more in-depth discussion on this topic, please read “Part 1”: “The Art of the Screenplay,” published September 15, 2022 on Mary L. Tabor’s “Only Connect.”

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]]><![CDATA[Movies That Are Frightening]]>https://moviewise.substack.com/p/movies-that-are-frighteninghttps://moviewise.substack.com/p/movies-that-are-frighteningTue, 23 Aug 2022 13:01:33 GMT
Two hands push against a frosted glass door with the words, ‘Keep calm and watch a movie,’ centered between them.
Image by L.E. Wilson from RedBubble based on work by Stefan Keller and Prawny on Pixabay

Life and movies use many different kinds of lessons to teach us what we need to learn. And sometimes, apparently, the best way to get through to us is to scare us. I often wondered why horror movies and dark dramas are so popular when it’s quite easy to get our fill of the horrible and the terrible simply from reading the news, or studying history, or considering all the ways our bodies can be attacked by disease.

But perhaps the lessons we learn after being given a good cinematic fright are the ones we’ll never forget. And these lessons may very well help keep us safe, or at least help guard our hearts against misfortune by making us more thick skinned and resilient.

In any case, it turns out that some of the most profound life lessons are found in movies that are frightening, so we must give them their due.

The following is a list of movies, broken up into three categories, that will leave you shaken, but hopefully also wiser.

1) Tyranny and Corruption

With a government or leaders like those depicted in these films, who needs enemies?

The Ghost Ship (1943)

The Ghost Ship (1943) is a psychological drama directed by Mark Robson about Tom Merriam (Russell Wade), the 3rd Officer on a ship, the Altair, captained by Will Stone (Richard Dix), a man who is slowly going insane.

  • Life Lesson: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
    —Lord Acton

    🍿Movie Scene:

    Captain Stone (holding a gun): Authority cannot be questioned.

    Officer Merriam: That’s crazy talk.

    Captain Stone:  …Who’s crazy? You, who defied me and are helpless? Or I, who control your destiny and the destiny of the Altair and all the lives on board? … I’m Captain. As long as I wear these stripes, there isn’t a man in the crew that will believe you or help you. You’ll find them too lazy, too cowardly, too disinterested. That’s what I want you to learn Merriam. Men are worthless cattle, and a few men are given authority to drive them.

When those in charge have power over the masses, why wouldn’t you expect violence, corruption, and abuse? Or, why wouldn’t you try to safeguard against these dangers by limiting both the power and the number of people who rule over others? What are we, sheep? How dare so called “authorities” control, restrict, and cruelly punish us when we disobey their unjust commands! Aren’t we meant to be free? Why do we need rulers especially when their thirst for power time and again winds up hurting the most vulnerable among us? Isn’t it time that we were given the absolute right to rule ourselves? Why should thousands or millions of people be made to suffer because of the decisions and actions of a handful of elitist, corrupt executive bureaucrats who probably got into power through underhanded, unfair means in the first place?

These are the kinds of questions you may ask yourself after watching these movies and seeing what happens when those in charge are not only unaccountable to the people, but also indifferent to their suffering. Some are documentaries, some are based on true stories, and all are devastating examples of tyranny and corruption:

2) Mental Illness and Drug Addiction

Among the worst, most frightening calamities that may befall us is an illness we cannot cure, especially when it devastates our ability to lead any kind of normal life.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) is a drama directed by Terry Gilliam based on the semi-autobiographical book set in 1971 by Hunter S. Thompson about a drug-fueled trip that two friends, Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) and Dr. Gonzo (Benicio del Toro), take to the city of Las Vegas, Nevada.

  • Life Lesson: Just Say ‘No’ to drugs.

    🍿Movie Scene:

    Duke: We’re all wired into a survival trip now. No more of the speed that fueled the ’60s. That was the fatal flaw in Tim Leary’s trip. He crashed around America, selling “consciousness expansion” without ever giving a thought to the grim meat-hook realities that were lying in wait for all those people who took him seriously—all those pathetically eager acid freaks who thought they could buy peace and understanding for three bucks a hit. But their loss and failure is ours, too. What Leary took down with him was the central illusion of a whole lifestyle that he helped create. A generation of permanent cripples, failed seekers who never understood the essential old-mystic fallacy of the acid culture: the desperate assumption that somebody, or at least some force, is tending the light at the end of the tunnel.

Mental illness and drug addition, in particular, rob us of ourselves, of our identity, and our individuality. We become controlled by negative impulses that hurt us more and more with each passing day. Of course for many illnesses we have no control, no say whatsoever, in what may manifest within our bodies. In these cases, we have no option really but to make the best of it and try whatever therapeutics may be available.

But some illnesses are strongly associated with certain behaviors, which we could in fact mitigate. Experimenting with drugs, abusing alcohol, smoking, and subjecting yourself to high levels of stress are simply not healthy choices. See for yourself what happens when self-indulgence is given priority over taking care of your mind and body in these tragic tales:

3) Failure

The fear of failure, dealing with failure, accepting failure, sometimes it’s all too much.

The War of the Roses (1989)

The War of the Roses (1989) is a drama based on the book by Warren Adler and directed by Danny DeVito about a married couple, Barbara (Kathleen Turner) and Oliver (Michael Douglas) Rose, going through a bitter divorce enabled by an unscrupulous lawyer, Gavin D’Amato (Danny DeVito), who later has a change of heart.

  • Life Lesson: Don’t go down the path of pettiness and vindictiveness; it just escalates suffering. Instead, accept your losses and find another way — you’ll be better off.

    🍿Movie Scene:

    Gavin [talking to a new client]: What’s the moral? Other than dog people should marry dog people and cat people should marry cat people? I don’t know. Could be just this: a civilized divorce is a contradiction in terms. Maybe because of what happened, I’ve become too traditional. Maybe it’s not natural to stay married to one person for life. My parents did it — sixty three years, a few of them good. So look, here it is: We can begin. When it comes to your wife, I’m going to urge you to be generous to the point of night sweats. Because the all-important thing here is to get you through this as quickly and cleanly as possible, so that you can begin rebuilding your life. Ok? Or, you can get up and go home and try to find some shred of what you once loved about the sweetheart of your youth. It’s your life. Take a minute.

The level of humiliation and defeat one may feel after experiencing failure in any form can be tremendously painful. It’s natural to feel hurt, to feel scared, to react in anger, even, to frustratingly disappointing outcomes. But nothing is gained by giving in to these negative emotions, and much is won by accepting your losses, learning what you can from the experience, and focusing on problem-solving rather than being frozen by terror.

The following movies may have their scary moments, but not learning the lessons they are trying to teach us is more horrible still. These are cautionary tales, and reminders to always be vigilant, brave, and responsible:

If you’ve read other “moviewise” articles you may have noticed that my personal philosophy basically boils down to asking the question: why feel bad when you can laugh? At all times, even in the depths of despair, isn’t it still possible to laugh? Why not at least try to forget the pain and fear to enjoy what you can? Why not embrace the adage as stated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, “the only thing we have to fear is … fear itself”?

But of course you can’t step out into the world blind to its troubles, distracted by entertainment, Pollyannaish and unaware of the many dangers that lurk all around. It seems risky, irresponsible, and inadvisable to do that, unless you’re incredibly lucky all the time. Fortunately, some dedicated and passionate filmmakers have taken it upon themselves to warn us about some of life’s tragedies. And for this we must be grateful because by showing us what causes pain, we can be moved by empathy to make things better for ourselves and others. That’s quite a gift!

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]]><![CDATA[A List Of Movies Depicting The Greatness Of Food]]>https://moviewise.substack.com/p/a-list-of-movies-depicting-the-greatnesshttps://moviewise.substack.com/p/a-list-of-movies-depicting-the-greatnessTue, 19 Jul 2022 13:00:06 GMT
An image of a bowl of popcorn and a mug of hot chocolate next to a plate of watermelon slices.
Image by L.E. Wilson from RedBubble based on work by Jill Wellington and Nelly Vincent on Pixabay

I love food. I remember being surprised when I read that famed astronomer and professor Carl Sagan lost his appetite when he developed and received treatment for cancer. I just couldn’t believe it. Even ice cream, or sushi, or watermelon, or pancakes with berries and whipped cream, or even bagels were unappetizing? How could that be? I just imagined that if I ever got sick like that I would keep trying to find something—cheesecake? pizza? spring rolls? french fries? pasta? biscuits? chocolate?—that would still taste good and would want to eat.

Of course since I first read about Dr. Sagan, I have gotten sufficiently sick to not want to eat anything, at least temporarily. And with more life experience, I now have a better understanding of the eating difficulties people have when they are ill. Sometimes swallowing or chewing becomes an issue as these may be painful. Have you ever tried drinking orange juice with a sore throat? It’s horrific. It’s also very understandable that some people may lose their appetites simply because of being restricted by their doctors to a liquid diet, for example, or a low sugar, or low sodium diet.

That is why, if you are a healthy person, it is imperative that you savor your food, celebrate the joys of eating, be grateful for this unique pleasure, and focus on staying healthy so that you can look forward to more days discovering the bounty and variety of dishes that are available on this wide Earth.

Cinematically, there are some great movies that can help draw the focus on food to beneficial effect, sometimes with just one scene that really lets viewers appreciate anew the wonders of food:

A Traditional American Thanksgiving Feast

A Christmas Story (1983)

This movie has a delightful scene showing the eagerness and anticipation inspired by the traditional American Thanksgiving feast. The patriarch of the family sneaks around the kitchen trying to grab little nibbles while his wife yells at him from somewhere else in the house to leave the food alone. It’s a wonderful representation of the joy and excitement of food.

A Christmas Story (1983) is a comedy directed by Bob Clark, based on the semi-autobiographical book by Jean Shepherd, about nine-year-old Ralphie Parker’s (Peter Billingsley) wish to get the greatest Christmas gift ever.

Life Lesson: Life delivers both disappointments and unexpected joys.

Fine French Cuisine And Pâtisserie

Last Holiday (2006), Ratatouille (2007), and Kings of Pastry (2009)

Fine French cuisine is put on vidid delectable display in these wonderful fun movies. Here we see what exquisite attention to detail results in and how grand food can be, resulting in the creation of edible jewels. What a great way to celebrate life, and wouldn’t it be a worthwhile experience to taste the food of kings, even if for only one day?

Last Holiday (2006) is a comedy directed by Wayne Wang about Georgia Byrd (Queen Latifah), a woman who is told that she has Lampington’s Disease, and with only three weeks left to live, decides to have the life she always wanted.

Life Lesson: Don’t wait to make your dreams a reality.

*

Ratatouille (2007) is a humorous animated fantasy written and directed by Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava about Remy, a street rat voiced by Patton Oswalt, who trains to become a master chef in Gusteau’s gourmet Parisian restaurant.

Life Lesson: If you want to be great at something, you need commitment—
dedication and devotion.

*

Kings of Pastry (2009) is a documentary by directors Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker about the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF), a competition for the title “Best craftsman of France in Pastry” that is held every four years.

Life Lesson: Don’t let adversity — difficulties, misfortune — stop you.
Finish a task you set out to do. Finishing is its own reward, and only those who finish are eligible to win.

Hawaiian Comfort Food

50 First Dates (2004)

For the curious and the adventurous this sweet, funny movie offers the delight of Hawaiian comfort food. Do you sometimes feel bored with what you’re eating? Why not try a fusion of flavors? Even if you can’t vacation in a tropical paradise, it’s still possible to make your next meal a mouth-watering event! Take inspiration from the amazing assortment presented here.

50 First Dates (2004) is a comedy directed by Peter Segal about Henry (Adam Sandler), a man who never wanted a long term relationship with a woman until he falls in love with Lucy (Drew Barrymore), a woman with anterograde amnesia who forgets who he is every morning.

Life Lesson: Loving someone will not keep you from your ambitions;
it will help you reach them.

Chinese Cuisine

Kung Fu Panda (2008) and The Joy Luck Club (1993)

What these great movies do better than most is infuse food with culture and tradition, which brings it to another grander level of appreciation. In my humble opinion, among the best flavors and textures in the world are found in American-Chinese food. It has mass appeal, and it’s able to accommodate many kinds of diets. Indeed, there are many dishes in Chinese vegetarian restaurants that are simply magnificent. If you haven’t ever tried one, please seek one out immediately and enjoy taking part in a cuisine that has been refined for thousands of years!

Kung Fu Panda (2008) is a humorous animated fantasy directed by Mark Osborne and John Stevenson about an unlikely hero, Po, a warrior panda voiced by Jack Black, who trains to become the legendary Dragon Warrior.

Life Lesson: Physical appearance does not determine ability.

*

The Joy Luck Club (1993) is a drama based on the book by Amy Tan and directed by Wayne Wang about the lives of four women friends — Suyuan (Kieu Chinh), Lindo (Tsai Chin), Ying-Ying (France Nuyen), An-Mei (Lisa Lu) — and their mothers and daughters.

Life Lesson: When someone loves you, they see the best in you.

Italian Cuisine

Lady and the Tramp (1955)

Few movies achieve a true romantic scene, and the sharing of a spaghetti noodle that leads to a kiss in this one is iconic. It’s actually surprising that not many movies use food to establish a romance, although going out to eat in a restaurant is a staple of dating. They say that one way to a person’s heart is through their stomach. This movie certainly shows how that is possible. Plus, the Mediterranean diet is widely considered by experts to be one of the healthiest ones available.

Lady and the Tramp (1955) is an animated fantasy co-directed by Clyde Geronimi, based on the story in Cosmopolitan magazine, “Happy Dan, the Cynical Dog” by Ward Green, about the adventures of two dogs, Lady (Barbara Luddy), an American Cocker Spaniel from a wealthy family, and Tramp (Larry Roberts), a stray mutt.

Life Lesson: Life is an adventure.

Japanese Cuisine

Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

Japanese restaurants offer an assortment of food with a subtle and sophisticated flavor that comes from using fresh, simple ingredients: avocado and cucumber rolls, miso soup, agedashi dofu, udon noodles, and of course sushi. In this documentary, master chef Jiro Ono takes us through a journey about how to achieve a depth of flavor from simplicity, which doubles as a life lesson about how to achieve happiness.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011) is a documentary directed by David Gelb about Jiro Ono, an 85-year-old restaurateur who is a Shokunin, an expert craftsman who strives for perfection and feels great fulfillment and joy from yearning to improve bit by bit.

Life Lesson: “Find a job you enjoy doing,
and you will never have to work a day in your life.” — Mark Twain

American Comfort Food

Groundhog Day (1993)

The best food is comfort food. All the staples of a greasy spoon American diner are presented in all their glory on a table in a hilarious scene where the main character, masterfully played by Bill Murray, decides to indulge in all the offerings all at once. He lives the dream for one day. Oh, what fun food can be!

Groundhog Day (1993) is a comedic fantasy co-written and directed by Harold Ramis about Phil Connors (Bill Murray), a self-centered grouch who repeatedly wakes up on the same day, February 2, until he learns to care about others.

Life Lesson: You will be a happier person if you take joy in the simple pleasures of life: books, music, learning, being kind to others.

But, alas, all good things must come to an end. The best advice is to eat in moderation. Too much food is as harmful as too little food. You have to be responsible and take care of yourself.

So we end with a sobering documentary about nutrition. The life lesson, of course, is that you need to eat your fruits and vegetables, get your micronutrients, don’t indulge too much or too often, but do enjoy your meals. And above all, stay healthy so you can enjoy many more days discovering the cornucopia of foods available to us.

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead (2010)

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead (2010) is a documentary by directors Joe Cross and Kurt Engfehr about two men, Joe Cross and Phil Riverstone, who undertake a nutrition program to lose weight that consists in large part of consuming juiced fruits and vegetables.

Life Lesson: You will be healthier if your diet consists mostly of fresh fruits and vegetables. The foods highest in nutrients per calorie are: 1) green vegetables, 2) raw vegetables, 3) beans/legumes, 4) eggplant, mushrooms, 5) tomatoes, peppers, 6) fresh fruit. The most nutrient rich foods are: kale, collards, spinach and bok choy.

Food is one of the pleasures of life. One of my favorite pieces of advice regarding how to enjoy it comes from the movie Madagascar (2005), when one of the characters, a penguin named Skipper (Tom McGrath) tells another, “Chew like you mean it. Savor it.” It’s great advice: Take the time to chew more slowly, taste every bite, let the moment endure. This is also a great way to go about life!

Madagascar (2005) is an animated fantasy co-written and co-directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath about a group of New York City Zoo animals who travel to the island of Madagascar and struggle to adjust to their new surroundings.

Life Lesson: Give everything a fair chance.

To your health! Salud! Mangia! Bon Appetit! Banzai!

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Visit the moviewise catalogue—a searchable database of one sentence movie summaries, movie quotes, and movie wisdom—for movie recommendations.

Also visit the moviewise store. Get a t-shirt, bag, or pillow with your favorite #LifeLesson from a movie. Reply to this or leave a comment below to make a request.

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]]><![CDATA[A Short History of Jazz in Movies ]]>https://moviewise.substack.com/p/a-short-history-of-jazz-in-movieshttps://moviewise.substack.com/p/a-short-history-of-jazz-in-moviesTue, 08 Feb 2022 14:00:42 GMT
A collection of traditional jazz instruments including a trumpet, a drum kit, and a standup bass.
Image by L.E. Wilson from RedBubble based on work by Bumiputra, Pizieno, and Canva on Pixabay

They say styles go in and out of fashion. What once was popular falls out of favor only to return on top sometime later. A similar phenomenon can be found in music. Here is a quick history of “jazz” in movies, which you will notice starts as it ends, with “broadway musical”:

The Jazz Singer (1927) (broadway musical)
The Jungle Book (1967) (dance music)
All That Jazz (1979) (broadway musical)
Swing Kids (1993) (dance music)
Whiplash (2014) (jazz band music)
La La Land (2016) (broadway musical)

Now if you take the title of the movie as a guide, then the The Jazz Singer (1927) was obviously meant to feature Jazz music. But the music Al Jolson performs in this movie is really more like musical theater. Al Jolson whistles (he’s amazingly good at that!), dances on his own with lots of hip thrusts, while singing, and plays the piano in an upbeat, funny manner that includes gibberish or nonsense sounds known as scat singing. “I’m going to sing it jazzy,” he tells his mother as he begins a rendition of “Blue Skies” that is fast and fun, not the slow ballad that he also is known to sing. What a talent! Please watch him perform (the sound starts at the 15 second mark). It will make you smile:

In this movie Al Jolson is really singing show tunes. In fact the movie is about a stage singer, so some of his performances are literally Broadway-style musicals, e.g. “Mammy”. Is this really jazz though? Is “jazz hands” really dancing? The short answer to both is, yes! But we already can discern that in order for this to be true, the definition of jazz has to be very broad in order to encompass very different types of music that includes Broadway tunes as well as whatever you think jazz is.

Next up in our historical stroll is The Jungle Book (1967), with the song “I Wan’na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)” representing New Orleans jazz music via the gravely-voiced singer Louis Prima, who also voices the orangutan, King Louis. The animation of the characters dancing in this movie was created based on video of the musicians performing this number. There is still the upbeat, happy music reminiscent of The Jazz Singer, including scat singing again, but now it’s a little bit more danceable with a partner, and a bit more unrestrained, looser.

What follows is jazz refined and abstracted by professionals. Jazz is now removed from the earthy common expression of regular people. It is now art, as in All That Jazz (1979). We’ve entered the world of Bob Fosse, the promotor of “jazz hands.” It’s definitely interesting, and the whimsy and energy is there, but along with it is something somber and dark. The songs are precisely sung by “the cast” like a chorus, there is no scat singing, and the dancing is highly choreographed, unnatural. It’s once again essentially Broadway show tunes. It’s musical theater. It’s showtime, folks!

Now we reach the epitome of exciting jazz music represented in the movie Swing Kids (1993), which specifically calls out Benny Goodman as the best and has five of his songs on the soundtrack. Louis Prima is once again represented here with his fantastic 1936 song “Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)”performed by Benny Goodman and his band. This music is not only danceable, it induces the kind of dancing where someone gets thrown in the air with their legs above their heads, where people fling their partner across the floor at high speed, maneuvering like gymnasts on the dance floor. This is high octane music with such passionate frenetic energy that it inspires your body to move. Look—you simply haven’t lived if you haven’t danced to swing!

Then the music calms down a bit. It is still playful and lively, but more suitable for marching bands performing at half-time in football games, or in smaller configurations, in concert halls. Obviously the energy is there, but we’re back again being part of the audience, listening, appreciating, but we’re not dancing. We may not even be tapping our feet. We’re sitting down. This is rigid, precisely played sheet music that has to be uniform and together in order for the sound to carry across a stadium or a parade route. Hence the fanaticism by the music teacher, portrayed so masterfully by J.K Simmons in the movie Whiplash (2014), to play this music—and count it—right. There is minimal improvisation. The jazz in this movie is exemplified by the song played in the movie’s finale, “Caravan”, arranged by John Wasson.

And finally, we’re back in Al Jolson’s Broadway auditorium. The music is now performed by just one person as before. It’s back to the lone singer on stage. It’s back to The Jazz Singer, but without the happy, funny music. It’s just dramatic, melancholy pop tunes as in the movie La La Land (2016). You can watch people dance to it in a highly choreographed and artificial way, or sit in an auditorium and politely applaud the lone singer on stage, but it pales in comparison to the soul-lifting joy of New Orleans Dixieland, of Swing, of Big Band music.

And there you have it. A short history of jazz through the movies. If you are a keen movie buff, you may have noticed that one name is alluded to twice, for good reason.

Probably no movie director has shown as much dedication to a genre of music as Damien Chazelle has to jazz. The director of the jazz band movie Whiplash and the Jazz musical movie La La Land loves jazz, and why wouldn’t he, since he defines everything as jazz. But of course it’s not just him. If you look at the list of “Jazz genres” in Wikipedia, you see over 40 types including Dixieland, Swing, Bebop, and Smooth Jazz. Trying to decipher what jazz is, is as contentious as defining its origin.

But the general consensus is that jazz is an American invention, born in New Orleans, Louisiana from the influences of traditional American work songs and French cajun instrumentation, including the standup bass, the Dixieland drum kit, and particularly, the cornet, an instrument invented in France in the 1820s similar to the trumpet.

The core of this early jazz music is the pep, or happy energy that the 1860s word “jasm” described, which is considered to be the etymological origin of “jazz” and still means “a zest for accomplishment; drive, energy.” This is because jasmine (le jasmin) flower oil was a key ingredient in the French perfume industry that found its way into Louisiana during this time and using it was called “jassing it up” since it likely acted as an invigorating stimulant that perked you—and others near you—up, akin to smelling salts, which were used to restore someone to consciousness after fainting.

The first printed use of the word “jazz” to mean “energetic” was in an April 2, 1912 article in the Los Angeles Times newspaper about a baseball player’s curve ball, Ben Henderson. One of the earliest uses of the term “jazz” to refer to the music is from a July 11, 1915 article in the Chicago Sunday Tribune newspaper, in which a man finally agrees to dance the “foxtrot” with his wife when he hears “a harmonious, yet discordant wailing, an eerie mezzo that moaned and groaned and sighed and electrified.”

1915 Article Seagrove
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[He] had turned – turned to fox trotting. And the “blues” had done it. The “jazz” had put pep into the legs. […] That is what “blue” music is doing for everybody – taking away what its name implies, the blues. […] “A blue note is a sour note,” [a piano player] explained. “It’s a discord – a harmonic discord. The blues are never written into music, but are interpolated by the piano player or other players. […] The trade name for them is “jazz.”

So jazz was energetic music with some discordant syncopated sounds that woke people up and made them want to dance from joy. This jazz became “Big Band” jazz, or swing music, represented in such movies as Swing Kids and The Jungle Book. This is fun, great, powerful music that makes you feel alive and energized. And it embodied and represented The United States of America to the world, even to people like Hitler, a Nazi, which is why it is said that he hated it so. In fact, the movie Swing Kids is about the Swingjugend, a group of German youths who loved American swing music and dance but were forced underground and brutally punished for their preferences by the repressive Nazi government who saw this music as a threat to German culture.

A fair-minded person with all their senses intact, however, should be moved to at least tap a foot and appreciate the wonder of songs like Glenn Miller's "In The Mood.” It’s simply sublime:

The Glenn Miller Story (1954) starring the incomparable Jimmy Stewart, about the life of renowned bandleader and composer Glenn Miller (who died mysteriously over the English Channel on December 15, 1944) showcases American big band music. But this type of music died toward the end of World War II. It died because the economy during the Great Depression of the 1930s could no longer sustain big bands and the large number of players, around 20, that they needed. Many musicians also left to fight in the war. By the time the ones who could come back home returned, a new style of music—another American invention—was taking over: rock and roll, which centered around the electric guitar, an instrument that was invented and mass produced in Santa Ana, California starting in 1934 by Adolph Rickenbacher and George Beauchamp. Rock and roll didn’t require a large number of players. For example, “Move It On Over” by Hank Williams is considered one of the earliest examples of rock and roll music, and it was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee in 1947 with about 6 players. The electric guitar was played by Sammy Pruett, a member of The Drifting Cowboys, Hank Williams’ back up band. And this song resembles the same twelve-bar blues arrangement found in the hit “Rock Around the Clock,” which is a brilliant song and an anthem of rock and roll that was released in 1954 by Bill Haley & His Comets.

But the term “jazz” continued to be used to refer to music so far away from its origins that it even took to mean the direct opposite. Somber and difficult music to withstand as the discordant dissonant sound that was once lightly sprinkled to make music more lively in the beginning then took over to make rather disagreeable sounds, as in avant-garde jazz, that only people who have subjected themselves to hours of it could appreciate, perhaps as a kind of endurance test.

If you can learn to enjoy the completely chaotic improvised sounds of jazz from the 1960s and beyond that to the untrained ear are indistinguishable from noise, then you have probably reached a level of music appreciation akin to reaching the top levels of a Zen priesthood. Congratulations!

But even if you don’t reach the priesthood level, please know that jazz contains a multitude. And a lot of what is considered jazz is among the greatest music ever made. Please, give it a chance. If you do, you will find that there is no excuse for saying you do not like jazz, as one of the lead characters in the movie La La Land does.

Fun jazz exists, and it is the music before 1950. So please do take a moment to enjoy some of the best music ever created that is capable of lifting your spirits, bringing you joy, and has a pretty darn good beat that you can dance to.

See you at the dance hall!

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]]><![CDATA[Great Fantasy Movies Based On Books]]>https://moviewise.substack.com/p/great-fantasy-movies-based-on-bookshttps://moviewise.substack.com/p/great-fantasy-movies-based-on-booksSat, 19 Jun 2021 18:03:16 GMT
A single book lies open under blue moonlight.
Image by Wrood from Pixabay

For true escapism into dream worlds, what is better than a fantasy movie? Animation, in particular, has the incredible ability of letting us experience otherworldly realms and embrace alternate realities. It’s a delightful magic trick.

If you want to travel to another dimension, consider watching some great fantasy films, and for an even more complete journey, read the books that inspired them. 

Here is a list of fantasy movies based on books:

Bonus:

Great Movie Based On A Legend:

Great Movie Based On A Magazine Article:

One of the most rewarding gifts that movies can give us is inspiration to fuel our imaginations, and fantasy films, especially, are a powerhouse of grand ideas and magnificent visions. The next wave of fantastic books may indeed be based on movies, but for now give yourself the opportunity to read the original stories that led to some of the best movies already out there.

—> For an even longer reading list, please see: Great Movies Based On Books

Happy trails!

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]]><![CDATA[Great Movies Based On Books]]>https://moviewise.substack.com/p/great-movies-based-on-bookshttps://moviewise.substack.com/p/great-movies-based-on-booksWed, 02 Jun 2021 12:52:24 GMT
A closeup of many classic elegantly bound books on a wooden bookshelf.
Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

When writers die they become books, which is after all not too bad an incarnation.

— Jorge Luis Borges

Movies are hyperrealistic and thereby elevate our mundane existence by allowing us to effortlessly experience a wide range of profound emotions and ideas, safely in our seats. We can laugh, we can cry, we can believe in romance, in heroes, in never-ending love, and we can wind up feeling deeply satisfied after being exposed to a well-crafted movie. The combination of story, cinematography, and music can be so powerful and meaningful. It’s a beautiful art form.

But there is one way to enrich this experience even further, and that is to seek the books that were the inspiration, if not the roadmap, for many great movies.

Here is a list of movies based on books:

  • A Christmas Story (1983) is a comedy directed by Bob Clark, based on the semi-autobiographical book by Jean Shepherd, about nine-year-old Ralphie Parker’s (Peter Billingsley) wish to get the greatest Christmas gift ever.

    Life Lesson: Life delivers both disappointments and unexpected joys.
  • Yentl (1983) is a drama based on the story by Isaac Bashevis Singer, co-written and directed by Barbra Streisand about Yentl (Barbra Streisand), a Polish woman who disguises herself as a man in order to continue her education at a yeshiva when her father, Rebbe Mendel (Nehemiah Persoff), who taught her in secrecy, dies – leaving her an orphan.
    Life Lesson: Don’t let others stop you from pursing knowledge.
  • The War of the Roses (1989) is a drama based on the book by Warren Adler and directed by Danny DeVito about a married couple, Barbara (Kathleen Turner) and Oliver (Michael Douglas) Rose, who going through a bitter divorce enabled by an unscrupulous lawyer, Gavin D’Amato (Danny DeVito), who later has a change of heart.
    Life Lesson: Don’t go down the path of pettiness and vindictiveness; it just escalates suffering. Instead, accept your losses and find another way—you’ll be better off.
  • Mermaids (1990) is a comedic drama based on the novel by Patty Dann and directed by Richard Benjamin about the family struggles of Charlotte (Winona Ryder), a 15-year-old whose single mother, Mrs. Rachel Flax (Cher), creates a lot of instability by moving the family frequently, 18 times in 15 years, after multiple failed romances.
    Life Lesson: Children model what they see. They often learn and copy the behavior, good or bad, of their parents.
  • The Secret Garden (1993) is a drama based on the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett and directed by Agnieszka Holland about Mary Lennox (Kate Maberly), an orphaned ten-year-old girl who goes to live at her uncle’s estate, where she meets her sickly cousin, Colin Craven (Heydon Prowse), and finds an overgrown hidden garden, both of which she restores to health.
    Life Lesson: Don’t let other people determine what you do with your life.
  • High Fidelity (2000) is a comedy directed by Stephen Frears based on the book by Nick Hornby about Rob Gordon (John Cusack), an insecure, immature, and selfish record store owner who looks for answers to his relationship problems by tracking down five previous ex-girlfriends.
    Life Lesson: If you want to have a good relationship with someone, then don’t hold back. Give it all you’ve got.
  • House of Sand and Fog (2003) is a drama co-written and directed by Vadim Perelman, based on the book by Andre Dubus III, about Kathy Nicolo (Jennifer Connelly), a California woman who loses her house because of a mistake by the local government office, and then fights to get it back from the Iranian immigrant family that bought it from the county.
    Life Lesson: Everything is temporary.
  • Friday Night Lights (2004) is a drama based on the book by H.G. Bissinger and directed by Peter Berg about the 1988 high school football season of The Permian High Panthers from Odessa, Texas.
    Life Lesson: If you want to improve your situation, give it all you’ve got and get the job done.
  • Sydney White (2007) is a comedy loosely based on the story of Snow White and directed by Joe Nussbaum about Sydney White (Amanda Bynes), a freshman in college who tries to join the same sorority her mother belonged to, but instead finds herself targeted by the sorority president, Rachel Witchburn (Sara Paxton), for getting the attention of a charming fraternity president, Tyler Prince (Matt Long), and winds up with seven social outcasts as roommates.
    Life Lesson: If you feel you don’t fit in, get to know other people better—especially other misfits.
  • Yes Man (2008) is a comedy directed by Peyton Reed based on the book by Danny Wallace about Carl (Jim Carrey), a curmudgeonly bank loan officer who refrains from meaningfully interacting with other people until he attends a seminar run by Terrence Bundley (Terence Stamp) that teaches him to embrace new opportunities.
    Life Lesson: You regret the things you haven’t done, not the things you have done.
  • Up in the Air (2009) is a drama co-written and directed by Jason Reitman based on the book by Walter Kirn, about Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), a man whose lifestyle, which includes constant travel, keeps him isolated from others.
    Life Lesson: Live a life that makes it possible for you to find companionship.
  • The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) is a comedy directed by Ben Stiller, based on a short story by James Thurber, about a man who has vivid daydreams but a non-eventful life, until he decides to go on an adventure.
    Life Lesson: “The abc’s of how to live: Be adventurous, brave, creative, devoted—and employed.
Bonus: 
Great Movies Based On Plays:
  • The Jazz Singer (1927) is a drama directed by Alan Crosland based on the play by Samson Raphaelson about Jakie Rabinowitz (Al Jolson), an entertainer who defies his family’s traditions and their wishes that he pursue a different career.
    Life Lesson: “Blood is thicker than water.” —Proverb
  • Marjorie Prime (2017) is a drama written and directed by Michael Almereyda, based on the play by Jordan Harrison, about a family that obtains artificial intelligence holograms to help them cope with the death of loved ones.
    Life Lesson: Memory is fragile, but love is felt in the present..
And A Great Movie Based On A Magazine Article:
While movies blast us with an avalanche of external stimulation, reading can bring us closer to experiencing a quiet meditation: our own imagination. It’s worth the time to expose yourself to the source material first hand and compare it to the resulting movie. Perhaps this will inspire better ways to tell a story, and we’ll all be enriched by it. 
For an even longer reading list, please see: Great Fantasy Movies Based On Books
Happy reading!
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]]><![CDATA[Everyday Heroes In Movies (a list)]]>https://moviewise.substack.com/p/everyday-heroes-in-movieshttps://moviewise.substack.com/p/everyday-heroes-in-moviesTue, 21 Jul 2020 11:36:47 GMT
A young athletic woman leaps across a trench and is suspended in midair at sunset.
Image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay
“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.”
― John Wayne
To paraphrase John Wayne, the definition of an everyday hero is someone who is frightened but will nevertheless take action to make a situation better. It’s an individual who overcomes strong negative emotions to find inner strength and makes bold decisions that lead to improved outcomes. Burning buildings, car crashes, life and death emergencies, and the like are not required. This is about being courageous in everyday, mundane life, where the stakes are personal, but the results are life-changing. 
By this metric then, here are some examples of everyday heroes found in movies:
Friday Night Lights (2004) is a drama based on the book by H.G. Bissinger and directed by Peter Berg about the 1988 high school football season of The Permian High Panthers from Odessa, Texas.
  • Life Lesson: If you want to improve your situation, give it all you’ve got and get the job done.
In this movie the risks are high for everyone, and in every case the path to success lies in facing obstacles head-on with grit and determination. When current circumstances leave little to hope for it’s understandable that many will want to give up and not even try. The future isn’t promised to anyone, so it takes courage to overcome the fear of the unknown in order to work toward accomplishing something. And of course, it is impossible to succeed in anything without perseverance. An everyday hero eventually learns all of this.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
— Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt 
The Dish (2000) is a comedy co-written and directed by Rob Sitch about the scientists and technicians at Parkes Observatory in Australia who used a massive 64 meter radio telescope to help NASA broadcast the 1969 Apollo 11 lunar landing.
Here, characters struggle with fear itself, and the audience is shown how they overcome it. One way, surprisingly, is to use fear to motivate action. In this case, the message is that living with regret is worse than feeling scared. In the end, whatever negative emotions you may be feeling don’t matter. Emotions themselves are not something you can easily control, but the actions you take, what you do, the decisions you make are more under your control, so try something. It’s the essence of John Wayne’s quote: saddle up, do, act, but remember that if you don’t, not only will you not be an everyday hero, you will also have to live with regret, which is a heavy load:
“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.”
— Jim Rohn
The Secret Garden (1993) is a drama based on the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett and directed by Agnieszka Holland about Mary Lennox (Kate Maberly), an orphaned ten-year-old girl who goes to live at her uncle’s estate, where she meets her sickly cousin, Colin Craven (Heydon Prowse), and finds an overgrown hidden garden, both of which she restores to health.
  • Life Lesson: Don’t let other people determine what you do with your life.
Mary knows how to say “no.” She doesn’t let others confine her, and she stands up for herself and for what she believes. This movie goes against the common perception that pleasing others, saying “yes” to all their requests, is necessary to be liked. In reality, trying to please others all the time will likely just lead to undue stress and the subjugation of the individual. This movie shows that saying “no” is a sign of strength and assertiveness, qualities that are vital in an everyday hero.
Strictly Ballroom (1992) is a comedy co-written and directed by Baz Luhrmann about Fran (Tara Morice), a novice dancer who convinces Scott (Paul Mercurio), a ballroom champion, to be her partner for the Pan Pacific Grand Prix, and dance the steps their way, non-Federation, even though it means forfeiting a win.
  • Life Lesson: “Vivir con miedo es como vivir a medias.”
    —A life lived in fear is a life half-lived.
Fran follows her passion, challenges herself to learn more, and finds ways to open up opportunities for herself. She is not only a novice, she is also an outsider, from a different cultural background than the world she inhabits, yet she is able to harness her resources and triumph through single-minded focus. This movie encapsulates the dedication and commitment that it takes to pursue a dream that seems out of reach, and demonstrates what it means to have the courage of your convictions, which is a basic tenet of the everyday hero.
Dirty Dancing (1987) is a drama directed by Emile Ardolino about a privileged young woman, Frances “Baby” Houseman (Jennifer Grey), vacationing with her family in a resort, where she falls in love with Johnny (Patrick Swayze), a dance instructor, and learns a ballroom routine to help out his dance partner, Penny (Cynthia Rhodes), who needs a medical procedure.
  • Life Lesson: Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.
Baby finds the courage to stand up for her altruistic ideals, which includes helping those in need and treating everyone as equals, even if it means going against her family and societal norms. This movie shows the struggle between one person’s idealism and the harsh reality of trying to live up to those ideals. It’s not easy to put into practice the beliefs that you hold, and it takes a conscious, concerted effort to actually embody a belief, but this is the stuff that everyday heroes are made of.
Pretty in Pink (1986) is a drama directed by Howard Deutch and written/produced by John Hughes about Andie Walsh, an independent, essentially parent-less teen from the poor side of town, who is caught in a love triangle that forces her to rise above social pressure and prejudice.
Andie goes after everything she wants and does not bow to social pressures of any kind. She is the exemplification of individualism and demonstrates a number of virtues, including initiative, self-reliance, and ambition. She is proud of her uniqueness, is able to carve her own path, and breaks away from the expectations of others. This movie is about what it takes to continue marching on in the face of opposition. It’s a true hero’s quest.
The Karate Kid (1984) is a drama directed by John G. Avildsen about Daniel (Ralph Macchio), a newcomer to a high school where he is bullied, which prompts him to seek the teachings of Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), an elderly Japanese martial arts master.
  • Life Lesson: Learn to defend yourself in a way that should gain the respect of your opponents.
The beauty of this film is that the main character, Daniel, learns to become a hero. This is a case of the circumstances forging the person into a stronger, more capable being, and the viewer can almost follow along and grow with the character. In the end we learn that being an everyday hero is about improving yourself, and in so doing making the world better for others.
“Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.”
— Mary Shelley (Frankenstein)
These characters are not infallible, but their actions are their own, and they come after struggling with fear caused by self-doubt, neglect, change, prejudice, and conflict. They drive their own stories, and because of that, have extraordinary experiences. 
These are characters worth meeting—in movies worth seeing.
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]]><![CDATA[Six Films That Leave You Better Off]]>https://moviewise.substack.com/p/six-films-that-leave-you-better-offhttps://moviewise.substack.com/p/six-films-that-leave-you-better-offSat, 11 Jul 2020 21:10:59 GMT
An image of a lightbulb burning bright against a dark background.
Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay
When it comes to timeless, useful, and powerful life advice, this gem from the documentary movie Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview (2012) is worth remembering:
“Expose yourself to the best things that humans have done, and then try to bring those things into what you are doing.”
— Steve Jobs
It’s one of those ideas that seems obvious at first glance, but not obvious enough to have occurred to most people beforehand. Nevertheless, few things are as self-evident. Why should you waste your time, your short life, on things that are not “the best” in this world? Fortunately, great things clearly stand out, as do the mediocre, the bad, and the ugly. If you want a kind of joyful life that is full of wonder and enchantment, seek out the work of the truly talented and dedicated. It’s pretty simple. One great way to get exposed to the extraordinary achievements of others is by watching documentary films.
Here are six that can set you on a path of discovery:
Steve Jobs: One Last Thing (2011) is a documentary directed by Sarah Hunt and Mimi O’Connor about Apple co-founder Steve Jobs that covers his collaboration with Steve Wozniak, another co-founder and the inventor of the Apple I and Apple II computers; his work with Dean Hovey on the design of the one button mouse; his influence on the design of computer fonts; his envisioning of the iPad; his founding of NeXT with funding from Ross Perot; his buying of Pixar; and his remaking of Apple with the iMac, the iPod, iTunes and the iPhone.
Life Lesson:
You don’t just have to be a consumer; you can be a creator.
  • Movie Scene:
    Steve Jobs: “When you grow up, you tend to get told that the world is the way it is, and your —  your life is just to live your life inside the world: try not to bash into the walls too much, try to have a nice family life, have fun, save a little money. That’s a very limited life. Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact, and that is: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you, and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use. Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.”
Woody Allen (2012) is a documentary written and directed by Robert B. Weide about comedian, filmmaker, and writer Woody Allen (Allan Stewart Konigsberg), a man who made a movie every year for over 40 years, including Annie Hall (1977), which won four Academy Awards; Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and Midnight in Paris (2011), both of which won for Best Original Screenplay; and Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008), which won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture.
Life Lesson:
Nurture whatever talent or skill you have; in the future someone might pay you for it.
  • Movie Scene:
    Eric Lax (Biographer): “There was a press agent, a public relations man named David Alber and his job was to come up with funny lines to put in the mouths of his clients. And he hired Woody to come at $25 week after school to write jokes … By the time he was 16 or 17, he was making more than his parents and has been regularly employed everyday of his life since.”
    Woody: “And I was doing about 50 jokes a day for a long time. It was not hard. .. From there I was asked to write some jokes for the Arthur Godfrey Program, for Peter Lind Hayes and Mary Healy — they did a radio program. And that eventually got to Herb Shriner, who was a wonderful comedian, and I wrote for him. And I never really stopped. I was never out of work. […] If you’re a joke-maker, it’s hard not to make jokes… I can’t draw a horse or anything else, but I can write jokes, and it’s hard not to write them. I mean, if I walk down the street, it’s almost — it’s like my normal conversation. You know, it just comes out that way.”
SlingShot (2014) is a documentary directed by Paul Lazarus about the life and work of Dean Kamen, the inventor of the Segway Personal Transporter, the founder of FIRST engineering competitions, the developer of Slingshot, a portable water purification system, and the founder of DEKA, a research and development corporation.
Life Lesson:
“Bureaucracy is the art of making the possible impossible.”
– Javier Pascual Salcedo
  • Movie Scene:
    Dean Kamen: “I made a machine that I thought would help people with healthcare. That’s my day job. So I went to my medical company clients. They can help. [But] They pretty much said, ‘We can’t help you. We’d love to support it. We’ll help you with money. But, Dean, we can’t get this stuff to these places, either. We’ll see what we can do.’ I went to governments. Maybe that’s what they’re for. When capitalism doesn’t work, aid organizations, NGOs. Well, they like to deal with big-scale stuff. They also might help with funding, they told me, but these big organizations don’t have people that go out to these little villages. They don’t have an efficient distribution channel. I went to the United Nations, said ‘I’ve got this box. Let’s figure out how to help get it out there.’ Their basic answer was, ‘good for you, we’re rooting for you. But we don’t do that. We don’t distribute products. We don’t build sustainable micro-economic systems. We don’t lend people money; we don’t make entrepreneurs. That’s not what we do.’ I was somewhat disappointed.  […] I’ve been given the opportunity to talk to the entire board of directors of the Coca-Cola Company about using our vapor compression distiller to solve the major global health problem: bad water. […] The Coca-Cola Company has bottling operations in 206 countries, which is more than the number of countries that are admitted into the United Nations.”
With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story (2010) is a documentary co-written and co-directed by Nikki Frakes and Will Hess about Stan Lee, the co-creator, along with Jack Kirby, of a number of comic book heroes including the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, the X-Men, as well as Iron Man; and with Steve Ditko, Spider-Man.
Life Lesson:
“I faced it all, and I stood tall; and did it my way.”
– Frank Sinatra
  • Movie Scene:
    Stan Lee: Doing comics was like, you were on the bottom rung of the creative totem pole, so to speak. Here I am, a grown man. I was in my 30s, and I’m doing juvenile things. Most of my neighbors: they were stockbrokers, they were bankers, they were businessmen, they were doctors, they were lawyers. They didn’t take me seriously. What kind of reference was the fact that you had been writing comics? So I kept staying there because I had a wife and a baby, a child. I didn’t know where else to go. But finally, I was ready to quit by about 1960 or ’61. I had been doing it for 20 years. And I said to my wife, ‘look, I’m sure there’s something I can do. I’ll try to write a novel or something.’ And she said, ‘Stan, if you want to quit, why don’t you first do one comic book the way you’d like to do it for a slightly older audience? Write it the way you feel like writing it. Get it out of your system. The worst that can happen is you’ll be fired, but you want to quit anyway.’ When Joan finally said, ‘why don’t you do one book the way you’d like to do it?’ It was like a lightbulb exploded over my head.
Breaking the Maya Code (2008) is a documentary written and directed by David Lebrun, based on the book by Michael Coe, about the researchers – including Constantine Rafinesque, Ernst Förstemann, Eric Thompson, Tatiana Proskouriakoff, Heinrich Berlin, Cyrus Thomas, Yuri Valentinovich Knorosov, Merle Greene Robertson, Linda Schele, Peter Mathews, Floyd Lounsbury, Alberto Ruz, Elizabeth Benson, David H. Kelley, David Stuart and Justin Kerr – who were involved in a 200 year struggle to decipher the writing system of the ancient Maya, a 4,000 year-old Mesoamerican civilization.
Life Lesson:
It takes many different kinds of people to solve a complex problem.
  • Movie Scene:
    Michael Coe: “Ernst Förstemann is a perfect example of how somebody does not have to put on a pith helmet and carry a machete to make great discoveries. Förstemann did this sitting in a dusty office in a dusty library. He traveled in his mind and managed to reach the mind of the Maya.”
    Narrator: “The Maya had invented the concept of zero, and they arranged their numbers in columns to designate place notation. Our decimal system counts by tens and powers of ten. Förstemann realized that the Maya used a base 20 system, counting by 20s and powers of 20. With this system, they could express and manipulate extremely large numbers. Having grasped their mathematics, Förstemann discovered Maya astronomy. He proved that one section of the Dresden [codex] is an incredibly precise record and prediction table of eclipses, accurate to within 7 minutes over 32 years. Another section he identified as tables tracking the cycles of the planet Venus, with an error of only 2 hours over 400 years.”
Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037 (2007) is a documentary directed by Ben Niles about the process involved in handcrafting a Steinway concert grand piano,that also includes interviews with musicians Harry Connick Jr., Hank Jones, Hélène Grimaud, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, and Lang Lang.
Life Lesson:
There is joy in working with your hands.
  • Movie Scene:
    Prenta Ljucovic (Case Maker): “I enjoyed building the piano. If I don’t work, if I don’t work physically, then I get nervous. I want to work physically. I want to — I like to work hard, put it this way.”
    Eddy Salvodon (Plate Fitter): “When you work with your hands, you know what to do, you know what you’re touching. Any mistake, any problem, you know. You touch with your hand; you know what the problem is.”
The second half of Steve Jobs’ advice is to bring “the best things that humans have done… into what you are doing.” Naturally then, one must find something to do. As the mother of a lawyer, Pablo Fajardo, featured in the movie Crude (2009) says, 
“Sin hacer nada, no sirve para nada. Hay que siempre hacer algo,” which roughly translates to: “If you do nothing, you’re a good-for-nothing. You always have to do something.”
Determining what to focus on may be a challenge in itself, but one method to feel inspired and motivated is to view a wide variety of documentary films that feature truly great work.
Once one figures out what to do, it follows from Job’s advice that the next step is to discover who the best people are in your area of interest and learn as much as possible about their work and their process, how they overcame challenges, and what their best accomplishments are. Then, the final step is to apply what has been learned into your own work.
Of course, it’s worth remembering that one can learn from anybody, not just the most successful. It also may be easier to find what it is you want to do by expanding and deepening your interests. Again, an excellent way to do all this is to track down well-made documentary films. Doing so will surely leave you better off. Enjoy!
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]]><![CDATA[24 Great Movies Each Written & Directed By The Same Person]]>https://moviewise.substack.com/p/fifteen-great-movies-each-writtenhttps://moviewise.substack.com/p/fifteen-great-movies-each-writtenSat, 27 Jun 2020 22:02:28 GMT
A cityscape is reflected in the sky at sunset with a hot air ballon floating above the bay that surrounds the city.
Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay
“You should do your work as perfectly as you possibly can with no thought of rewards, and only that way can you be a really happy person.”
This was “Catcher in the Rye” author J.D. Salinger’s work ethic, according to Eberhard Alsen in the Documentary Salinger (2013).
Although the above quote may be interpreted as a glorification of the starving artist toiling away in obscurity to remain true to their art and not “sell out” for financial reward or social acclaim, there is another interpretation. And that is that doing good work itself is its own reward, one which you cannot fully experience if you are too focused on obtaining external feats like wealth and fame. The reward of doing work as perfectly as you can is a subtle flavor that needs a cleansed palate to enjoy, not one that is overwhelmed by the powerful aftertaste of envy and desire. 
But it is this kind of reward, the one that is found in the process of creating something and polishing it until it is beautiful that can not only bring you real happiness, but can also help spread it to others. It is not surprising then that after watching hundreds of movies as a film reviewer, a clear pattern has emerged: The better films—those that demonstrate real devotion and approximate perfection—are often written and directed by the same person. These movies are the result of individuals putting their all into making a movie, of working as perfectly as they can to bring a story to life, and the quality reflects it. When someone gives that much of themselves, it makes a noticeable difference.
The movies that emerge from this kind of careful and deliberate dedication tend to be the ones that seem special. These are the movies that create fans, people who develop a deep affection for a movie and for anyone who had a hand in creating it. These are the movies that leave audiences feeling satisfied and feeling connected to others. These are the films that seem to reach out, to pierce the depths of consciousness, in order to illuminate our understanding of ourselves. These movies feel good and right, like the joy of decoding a secret message.
It is powerful stuff.
Here is a list of movies that approximate perfection, all written and directed by the same person, in chronological order:
  • Modern Times (1936) is a comedy written and directed by Charlie Chaplin about the Little Tramp, a man who struggles to keep a job in a modern industrial society, but finds an ally in a destitute woman (Paulette Goddard).
    This is an impressive, funny, masterful, mind-blowing, jewel of a movie that should not be missed. The level of talent and skill displayed in this movie puts the vast majority of films to shame.
    • Life Lesson: Keep trying, for that is the only way to get what you want.
  • The Great Dictator (1940) is a thoughtful comedy written and directed by Charlie Chaplin about a humble Jewish barber who is mistaken for Adenoid Hynkel (Charlie Chaplin), the cruel, anti-Semitic, and inept dictator of a small country.
    Anyone who is interested in having a complete education about filmmaking and comedy must see the master at work in this true classic.
    • Life Lesson: “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”—Nelson Mandela
  • Sullivan’s Travels (1941) is a comedy written and directed by Preston Sturges about John L. Sullivan (Joel McCrea), a successful Hollywood director who sets out on a journey to experience poverty firsthand with the help of an actress (Veronica Lake).
    Preston Sturges is historically significant because he is the first career screenwriter to become a director in Hollywood, opening the door for all the other writer/directors who came after him on this list.
  • High Anxiety (1977) is a comedy co-written and directed by Mel Brooks about Dr. Richard H. Throndyke (Mel Brooks), a successful psychiatrist who also suffers from a debilitating fear of heights, which is made worse when he starts to work at the Psycho-Neurotic Institute for the Very VERY Nervous alongside Dr. Charles Montague (Harvey Korman) and Nurse Diesel (Cloris Leachman).
    Mel Brooks joins a few on this list who not only wrote and directed their own movies, but also starred in them. This is an amazing accomplishment not just because of the tremendous amount of work that must have gone into making these films, but also because of how good they are. High Anxiety, is also remarkable because it has to date the funniest scripted scene in a movie. This is a brilliant film by a master of gags, spoofs, jokes, and puns. Everyone deserves to laugh this hard.
  • Back to the Future (1985) is a sci-fi fantasy co-written and directed by Robert Zemeckis about a teenaged slacker named Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), who is ready to give up on his dreams until he goes 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his scientist friend, Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd), and changes his future.
    Every shot in Back to the Future feels significant and intentional, from the opening sequence of a room full of clocks to the tardiness of a teenager that not even a time machine can help. Few movies track a storyline so tightly. Everything fits perfectly—the logic, the drama, the ending. It is always exciting and mesmerizing to watch.
    • Life Lesson: Learn to persevere—if you put your mind to it, 
      you can accomplish anything.
  • Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) is a comedy written and directed by John Hughes about Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick), a high school senior who knows that time is running out to be with his friends and decides to skip school in order to enjoy a day with them.
    For a gentle and satisfying reminder to enjoy life, nothing beats a day with a high school senior taking a day off from school to be with his friends. They do nothing untoward—no drinking, no drugs, no vandalism—yet it is pure teenage rebellion, and you get to come along.
  • Lucas (1986) is a coming of age drama written and directed by David Seltzer about Lucas (Corey Haim), a bookish, small-framed teen from the poor side of town who wants to win the affections of a classmate, Maggie (Kerri Green), by joining the school’s football team, while being oblivious to the affections of his friend, Rina (Winona Ryder).
    Lucas is for those who want to see portrayals of friendship and humanity that leave you hopeful about others. It is a film that makes you wish real life was just like the movies.
    • Life Lesson: Just because you like someone 
      does not mean they will like you back.
  • Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) is a comedy written and directed by John Hughes about two very different men, uptight executive Neal Page (Steve Martin) and jovial salesman Del Griffith (John Candy), who embark on an accident-prone Thanksgiving journey together.
    Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a surprisingly touching comedy about discovering how to get along with someone who is nothing like you. Here is a film that serves as a reminder that we can learn to see the humanity in each other if we spend a little time together.
  • Grand Canyon (1991) is a drama co-written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan about the intertwining lives of six Los Angeles residents who experience the city in vastly different ways.
    Grand Canyon contains one of the best quotes about movies in all of fandom, and one that embodies the whole raison d'être—reason or justification for the existence of—moviewise: 
    That’s part of your problem, you know. You haven’t seen enough movies. 
    All of life’s riddles are answered in the movies. 
  • Strictly Ballroom (1992) is a comedy co-written and directed by Baz Luhrmann about Fran (Tara Morice), a novice dancer who convinces Scott (Paul Mercurio), a ballroom champion, to be her partner for the Pan Pacific Grand Prix, and dance the steps their way, non-Federation, even though it means forfeiting a win.
    In the grand scheme of things, nothing really matters, which means that everything does. On the surface Strictly Ballroom is about something small, a regional dance competition. But in terms of meaning, it is about fighting tyranny and choosing between living on your knees or dying on your feet. Yes, dance can inspire these feelings, and this movie shows how.
    • Life Lesson: “Vivir con miedo es como vivir a medias.” 
      —A life lived in fear is a life half-lived.
  • Groundhog Day (1993) is a comedic fantasy co-written and directed by Harold Ramis about Phil, a self-centered grouch played by Bill Murray, who repeatedly wakes up on the same day, February 2, until he learns to care about others.
    Groundhog Day is a step-by-step guide to self-redemption, but it is done so humorously and lightly that all you see is a great, imaginative story playing out before you. That is, until you look back and notice how profound it really is.
    • Life Lesson: You will be a happier person if you take joy in the simple pleasures of life: books, music, learning, being kind to others.
  • The Matrix (1999) is a sci-fi fantasy written and directed by The Wachowski Brothers about Thomas “Neo” Anderson (Keanu Reeves), a computer hacker who uncovers that the world is a simulated reality created by machines and joins a rebellion led by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) to end it.
    The Matrix is a thrilling ride into philosophical debates about the nature of reality, perception, and free will. It’s an amazing movie full of suspense and surprises with a complex message about seeing reality for what it is—and using that knowledge to change it.
    • Life Lesson: To be in control of your life and make your own choices, you must free your mind—then anything is possible.
  • Almost Famous (2000) is a semi-autobiographical drama written and directed by Cameron Crowe about William Miller, a fifteen-year-old writer for Rolling Stone magazine whose first assignment is to tour with a tumultuous rock band, Stillwater, while needing to call home to check-in with his mother, Elaine Miller (Frances McDormand), and getting advice from a cantankerous music critic, Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman).
    Almost Famous is a coming of age, heartwarming film that inspires and motivates. It is for anyone who has ever felt misunderstood and out of place, and wants to learn how to persevere.
  • Something’s Gotta Give (2003) is a romantic comedy written and directed by Nancy Meyers about Erica Barry (Diane Keaton), an accomplished playwright who falls in love with her daughter’s new sixty-three-year-old boyfriend, Harry Sanborn (Jack Nicholson), and starts a romantic relationship with a much younger man, Dr. Julian Mercer (Keanu Reeves).
    Something’s Gotta Give is a really touching movie about falling in love with someone unexpected, knowing that it is unlikely to work out, but hoping that the world didn’t work the way you know it does. This is romance, and it is magical.
  • March of the Penguins (2005) is a documentary co-written and directed by Luc Jacquet about the annual back and forth 70-mile walk Emperor penguins take in order to find a mate and raise a baby chick in the harsh climate of Antarctica, where the average temperature is 58 degrees Celsius below 0.
    March of the Penguins is a powerful documentary about life itself, in the form of the mighty struggle for survival of the Emperor penguins. Watching this movie gives viewers the kind of perspective that is needed to overcome personal tragedy, and serves as a reminder of what a treasure it is to be alive.
    • Life Lesson: Life is a beautiful struggle—
      splendor and sadness co-exist for us all.
  • Ghost Rider (2007) is a fantasy written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson about Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage), a man who makes a deal with a demon, Mephistopheles (Peter Fonda), so that he can save his father, Barton Blaze (Brett Cullen), and be with his girlfriend Roxanne Simpson (Eva Mendes), but ends up cursed and is obligated to become the Devil’s bounty hunter. 
    Ghost Rider is an excellent movie, full of exciting action sequences with a touch of romance and an inspirational representation of pure, powerful love. It also gives viewers the very satisfying experience of feeling the spirit of vengeance.
  • Ratatouille (2007) is a humorous animated fantasy written and directed by Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava about Remy, a street rat voiced by Patton Oswalt, who trains to become a master chef in Gusteau’s gourmet Parisian restaurant.
    Ratatouille is a beautiful, funny film about following your passion no matter what your limitations are. It is astounding to realize that every frame was meticulously and deliberately crafted, because the movie feels so real and believable. You forget that you’re watching a cartoon.
    • Life Lesson: If you want to be great at something, you need commitment: dedication, devotion.
  • A Serious Man (2009) is a drama written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen about Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a man searching for help with serious marital and professional problems.
    If you remember being frightened as a kid by a vengeful and violet Yahweh of the Old Testament, by stories of Dybbuks, by a Biblical or other morality tale, then the movie A Serious Man will recapture and sustain that incredulous but fearful feeling for the movie’s entire runtime, and it’s for the same reason. The movie opens with a quote from Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaki), and it is the mindset you are advised to develop: 
    Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you.
    “Simplicity” here can be interpreted to mean “calmness and grace,” that is, without anger, vengeance, or bitterness. In other words:
    • Life Lesson: Even if you think life is meaningless and unfair, be a good person with integrity, because without it things will get even worse.
  • Marjorie Prime (2017) is a drama written and directed by Michael Almereyda, based on the play by Jordan Harrison, about a family that obtains artificial intelligence holograms to help them cope with the death of loved ones.
    The truth is that we forget. And also, there are things we want to forget. And lastly, we are not who we used to be or will be. But at every point in time, we can feel love, and that’s all that really matters. Isn’t it nice to have a movie like Marjorie Prime to remind us of that?
  • Klaus (2019) is a humorous animated fantasy written and directed by Sergio Pablos about Jesper (Jason Francesco Schwartzman), a self-centered postman who finds purpose and meaning in his life.
    Klaus is an enchanting film that has you believing in the power of kindness to change the world for the better. This is a beautiful film that has all the ingredients necessary to make it a holiday tradition, and all the qualities seen in a classic movie.
While the films listed above may not appeal to everyone, most people probably can appreciate how well crafted they are, and thereby derive some pleasure from seeing solid technique and even artistry. Of course, not all movies written and directed by the same person will be good, and the list is miles long of wonderful movies not written and directed by the same person.
But when done right, the message comes through cleaner and clearer when the work is guided and nurtured by one person. These stories stand out because they are truly unique and interesting, and the result is often something amazing. Note the clarity of the message in Ferris Bueller's Day Off—stop and smell the roses—and the innovative splendor of Groundhog Day—a man trapped in time. Note the timelessness of Star Wars, Strictly Ballroom, or Ratatouille. Even reading the titles is fun; they’re that good.
All these movies welcome multiple viewings. They never get old; they never lose their impact. The titles listed here are profoundly rewarding to watch because they gratify as well as entertain. They are a glimpse, perhaps, of the level of fulfillment that can be attained by those who do their work as perfectly as they can without thought of reward. Watching these movies may even allow audiences to feel something akin to true happiness. They are worth seeking. 
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Visit the moviewise catalogue—a searchable database of one sentence movie summaries, movie quotes, and movie wisdom—for movie recommendations.
Also visit the moviewise store. Get a t-shirt, bag, or pillow with your favorite #LifeLesson from a movie. Reply to this or leave a comment below to make a request. 
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