31 Days of Film - Day 21: The film that not only changed the way you saw cinema, but the way you saw the world

Erin took me to see Big Fish (playing at the Orca Theater) for my 19th birthday. I'd been having a rough go of late, and so she wanted to treat me. I was a huge Ewan McGregor fangirl at the time (still am) and it was his latest and greatest film. It was also a Tim Burton film, and his work normally creeps me out... so we weren't sure how this movie would be... but it was a way to get me out of the house - so off we went.

The film was brilliant. Everything a film should be. I still feel this is Burton's greatest film (and will probably always feel this way). It has heart and a way of weaving a story that isn't just the narrator (and main character's) flowery way of spinning the truth. I still don't know if I understand all of it... but it was thought provoking - and for a barely 19 year old girl it was life changing.

The casting was sublime - not just McGregor, everyone was spot on for the characters they played. The story was interesting (I've not read the book as I'm worried the movie took too many liberties as most often do). I'm not keen on the whole affair/double life aspect of the story - but the love story between Edward and Sandra is so compelling. It's the part I don't totally understand about the film, but who doesn't get all giddy with the field of daffodils scene?!

 

SANDRA TEMPLETON, I LOVE YOU AND I WILL MARRY YOU!

It's honestly just such a beautiful film. I used to watch it over and over, and haven't seen it in a long while. I may have to remedy that sometime this weekend. I hear it's now a musical on broadway (or about to be). I hope it's good... and I hope that it's successful enough to some day make it's way out on tour to Alaska. I'd love to see how it stands up to the movie.

31 Days of Film - Day 6: movie that reminds you of an event

Remember when I was a big time Star Wars nerd. Yeah, those were the days of no friends and lonely school hours. Still, it was a great time of imagination - and the Expanded Universe (now destroyed thanks to Disney... grrrrrr) kept me reading. But, I digress.

In 1999, Star Wars came back to theatres with the first of three prequels. The Phantom Menace was all I could think about during the spring semester of 8th grade. I wanted to go to the very first showing of it in town, problem was it opened on a school day - a very important school day. 8th grade graduation.

Mom and Dad were not about to let me skip school that day and I was so very bummed. It was just a ceremony and then we were going to watch movies in class all day. I was a loner in 8th grade, I really had no desire to sit alone and watch as former friends had a good time. But Mom and Dad would hear none of it.

The day of graduation was fun enough, I was in the band and that was the highlight as we played the 1812 Overture (still one of my favorite pieces of music EVER). We walked across the "stage" and got our "KCHS Class of 2003" tshirts. Our parents all cheered, some got teary eyed. We ate cookies, drank punch (well those that like punch - which I don't - did.)... and then Mom and Dad went to the office and signed me out early. We picked up my best friend Kassy and went to the movies.

I was so surprised! I really didn't think I'd get to see Star Wars until the weekend and I got to see it that afternoon instead! And back at age 14 I loved the movie. It wasn't until way later that the movie started to annoy me. All of the prequels were so disappointing (Sith being the only one I own on DVD.) The ONLY positive of the prequels is Ewan McGregor, who - even with the bad hair they gave him - is one of my favorite actors.

Even Yoda was disappointing in Episode 1. But the lightsaber fights were epic.