12 Comments

I really like how the movies you describe show the value of keeping things simple. Remember high school chemistry? Too many variables made it impossible to validate a test. This lesson in simplicity applies to kindness. "A simple act of kindness has a ripple effect with no logical end." Kind acts don't require complicated 'movie plots'. Just one small small, one kind word....can make a difference. I haven't watched A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, but I'm wondering if Mr. Rogers conveys a similar message.

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Thank you Heather! Great point about chemistry class. Too many variables at once is too complicated and not helpful to finding a solution. And, yes!!, being kind is also about doing something simple, a smile, a hug, a greeting, a call/text. How meaningful and appreciated these simple acts can be! You mentioning the Mr. Rogers movie, which I need to see, reminded me that there is a 2000 movie called "Pay It Forward" that I believe has a message on kindness. So I will be adding both to the queue. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction! Happy New Year!!

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Oh, just read the trailer on "Pay It Forward". Thanks for tipping me! And Happy New Year to you, too. I imagine you choosing to make 2022 a beautiful year!

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Always 🤗

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A lot of the Coen Brothers' movies seem to have some variation of this theme, with overly convoluted plots and greedy plots that end up backfiring. Like Fargo: "There's more to life than a little money, you know. Doncha know that? And here you are, and it's a beautiful day."

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Yes! Thank you for mentioning this. I think this is the related principle known as "Murphy's law" which states that "anything that can go wrong will go wrong" especially when executing complicated plans. So "Murphy's law" is another reason to keep things simple:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphy's_law

And I agree that the Coen Brothers seem to have that as a theme in many of their movies. Definitely in "Fargo" the plan goes off the rails, as it does for the nihilists in "The Big Lebowski" and the jailbirds in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"

Perhaps there will be a future article on movies that demonstrate "Murphy's law" 😉

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Discovered your newsletter during the Roll Call 2022. Loved reading through it. I would fancy a collaboration, we both can write a couple of guest posts on each others newsletters.

Do tell me if you are interested.

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Thank you so much Arjun! There is a "+Guest Posts" section on the "moviewise: Life Lessons From Movies" Substack if you are interested in collaborating:

https://moviewise.substack.com/s/-guest-posts

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Never knew about Dean Kamen! Really curious to know the full story so I'm definitely going to watch that documentary.

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It's very eye-opening!

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🔥

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Dec 23, 2022
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Merry Christmas to you too! Yes, life is hard, but it is also beautiful, and we're very lucky to be alive because of the potential joys it offers.

Acceptance is key, or as Seneca said,

"We cease to be so angry once we cease to be so hopeful."

Perhaps these movies may help cheer you up:

Facing Life’s Difficulties: Movies That Show The Value Of Acceptance

https://moviewise.substack.com/p/facing-lifes-difficulties

Feel-Good Holiday Movies Just For You: Get Into A Festive Spirit With These Family Favorites

https://moviewise.substack.com/p/feel-good-holiday-movies-just-for

Happy New Year! 🥳🎄

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