A Little More
I will post the winners tomorrow (Baby Girl and Demon Baby are still asleep . . . so technically, anyone leaving a comment on post 1,000 below has until about 11:00 a.m. EST today). But this morning, for post 1001 . . . I'm thinking of Ferris Bueller.
You see, the re-run was on last night on AMC (and can I bemoan for a moment, that AMC is no longer "classic," as in my fave old B&W movies?!?!?!). I remember the first time I saw Ferris Beuller's Day Off. Who doesn't love Ferris? Remember this bit of dialogue by the squeaky-voiced Grace who worked in Ed Rooney's office?
Grace: Oh, he's very popular, Ed. The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wasteoids, dweebies, dickheads — they all adore him. They all think he's a righteous dude.
And it was written and directed by John Hughes, who, for a certain generation, seemed to "get" high school kids. (Did you know he's now a recluse?)
BUT . . . you know, it can be deceptive when you write for YA, write comedies, write a little book that seems to tidily solve a crime. Whatever it is . . . there should be a "little more." Because as I watched the movie last night, there were four or five separate moments, when the music changed tune, when it became quieter and softer, and each of the three main characters (Ferris, Cameron, and Sloane) spoke about "next year." Because "next year" they would each go off to college and "next year" nothing was going to be the same . . . and "next year" they would no longer be together . . . and things would change. No one worried about Ferris. He was going to rule the world someday. But for Cameron and Sloane, no longer being with him every day meant . . . something very special was lost. They were at a crossroads. And loss was a part of it.
It was sort of amazing to me to see a theme emerge amidst the hilarity. But there it was . . . this poignancy. And I realized that the books and movies that resonate most bring that "little bit more" to the table. It can be wrapped in hilarity or fun or even some blood and guts . . . but watch it or read it a second or a third time, and there it is.
A little more.
Thoughts? What book or movie do you read or see now that actually resonates on a deeper level? And what "might" someone take at face value in your manuscript? But if they scratch deeper? There's a theme in there somewhere.
27 comments:
Interesting. My oldest son has AP English in the fall and as a result, he had homework for the summer (what's up with that?). He's to read "Catcher in the Rye", "The Great Gatsby" and "A Raisin in the Sun." He just finished Catcher and he's starting Gatsby.
Now, I confess, I've read Catcher and Gatsby, but I never had either one assigned in a class, so I read them on my own. I didn't care for Catcher and what struck me about Gatsby is what always strikes me about F. Scott Fitzgerald, which is: beautiful writer, but what's his obsession with the rich and spoiled?
My son liked Catcher a lot. I commented that my problem with Catcher was I read it in my 30s and if I'd read it in my teens or 20s I might have liked it a lot more. Or not. I wonder if I read these now what I'd feel about them.
I saw On the Waterfront this weekend, on Turner Classic Movies. Once again, almost despite myself, I was blown away by the power of that story ... it's an incredible story.
But your question was about the theme that resonates. Personally, I think that's what makes all great comedy work. We saw Trading Places recently, and watching it again, as an adult, I realized it's very funny, yes, but it's also a ripping piece of social commentary. The director takes time out frequently to establish the racial universe he's commenting upon ... with lingering shots of white men framed on the wall of the exclusive club or homeless black people being ignored by the commuter rush. It made me miss a certain era in comedy ...
Mark,
I read Catcher when I was 19 and was completely submerged in it. I think I read the book in one long sitting ... but you're right. IMHO, it's a book for guys in their teens and early twenties.
Mark:
Funny . . . when I read Gatsby, I had the same "tragic" response I had to The Sun Also Rises . . . I sort of felt a kinship to Lady Brett (less so to Daisy).
But I agree . . . I think so much depends on where you are in life when you see a specific film or read a specific book.
E
Lurker:
I think the best comedy TOTALLY does that. Which is what separates a comic like Richard Pryor in his prime from the stand-up hacks you can see every Friday night on Comedy Central. Dane Cook will never be a comic genius because he won't attack things beyond superficial. I still laugh, don't get me wrong, but yeah . . . that something more elevates certain comedy.
E
Lurker:
And On the Waterfront . . . BRILLIANT. (Even though I never forgave Kazan for his testimony.)
E
I haven't revisited any books from my youth, but I do still love YA-type movies. I guess what I take away from them as an adult is a lot different from what I imagine teenagers do because I'm able to use the filter of my years of dating and gain a little perspective. Everything at that age is so DRAMATIC, but once you've lived through it you realize it's a very short period in your life and there are much bigger dramas waiting for you.
I'm not sure if that answers your question...
I LOVE Ferris Bueller. One thing that's always bugged me -- is the parade supposed to be the St. Patrick's Day parade? Because 1) it's never held on a weekday (when they would have school) and 2) it's in March, when the Cubs aren't playing.
Melanie:
No, it's a German American pride parade (lots of Germans in Chicago). And the story takes place in May when the Cubs do play.
In NYC there are different pride parades during the week . . .
And . . . love that scene!
E
Wow. Too deep for my morning, but an awesome post nonetheless. I know what you mean, I just can't be coherent about it.
Saw Harry Potter last night and was up late. Bridge book, bridge movie - it was good, I suppose. A lot more about character development (and setup) than moving the story forward.
Sarah:
I am going to see it on Wednesday.
E
LOVE ACTUALLY, one of my favorite movies, resonates with me because of the couples that don't get together. It gives the movie poignancy. In my last book (it feels funny writing that, because I'm starting the next one today!) I have one couple who don't get together at the end.
Erica, I love how your posts make us (writers) dig a little deeper in our stories. Thanks!
The thing that struck me about Harry Potter is the theme of self-depreciating humor in the film. I don't recall it from the book, but there are several instances where the film laughs at its own plot. I liked that theme a lot because it tied in with the theme of "no one being infallible" even Dumbledore.
As for my own work, I've been thinking a lot about that. Not sure I've arrived at any answers, but I think it's my character Castile who will lead the reader to those subtle moments. He seems to have a knack for it.
Edie:
I know . . . the first time I saw it, the woman with the brother . . . made me sad. But then I saw it a couple more times, and each time I realize maybe it's less sad. It's a choice.
E
Hey JLC:
You're welcome. :-)
E
starbucks:
You know, I love when sometimes the "message" is delivered from an unexpected source.
E
That explains the liederhosen. (Stephen, did I spell that right?)
Love Actually is one of my favorites and I agree about the Laura Linney's character. She's resigned to her fate, so while it's still sad and disappointing, it's what she's chosen for herself.
This might sound totally lame, but I remember reading Carrie Fisher's "Postcards from the Edge" when I was 19 and being blown away. Up until that point I had mostly been submerged in Hemmingway, Steinbeck and Bronte, with a bit of Gore Vidal and Judy Blume. But I had never read something so current, so in your face...I didn't realize people wrote books like that! It was liberating to see that I didn't have to write like Victor Hugo or Jane Austen. It might not be classic literature, but it was a highly enjoyable read and that was okay!
Sherrie:
I don't think it's lame at all. One of the reasons chick lit was so popular for so long is that it gave women who wrote in that style a voice to be snarky and not have to write in a certain formula that was "romance."
E
I love high-schoolers. Love, love, love. I don't watch the movies or read the books that often, but it is definitely my favorite age to work with. Well, talk with, I should say, because they never have time to practice.
I can't think of a single book or movie, which goes to show my state of mind at the moment, LOL.
V is For Vendetta, has been my favorite movie since it came out. And even now, after seeing it a hundred times or more, I learn something from the characters.
The main character Eevee Adams reminds me, oddly, of myself. Mid story she found herself in the darkest place one could ever imagine, she put up with torture, starvation, they shaved her hair, beat her, alwasy trying to get what the wanted out of her - the last inch she had, and when she refused to give it up - even when they said she would die if she didn't talk. Fear became little more than a four letter word to her. She gained freedom when she realized that no one could hold power over her.
I'm not sure if that's the kind of answer you were looking for.
Oh yes, J.T.! Not to jump in again, but I just rewatched both V for Vendetta and Batman Begins, and they both had that thread of confronting and overcoming all your fears so that you were free to be more powerful (or more empowered, possibly).
Both absolutely fantastic movies. I think I'm going to watch them again before I mail them back.
JT:
That movie SO resonated with me. Her character EMBODIES the principles of logotherapy and Viktor Frankl. It was like the book come to life. Not to mention I felt the politics were so perfect for its release time. Love that movie.
E
I love Ferris Bueller's Day Off! And have wondered what happened to John Hughes. Interesting that he is now a recluse.
A movie that recently really touched me was UP. I was in a theater full of kids, yet I was crying because of the loss of his wife. If I were younger, I would have watched it as a cartoon, but instead I saw the parallels to real life and the loss one feels.
At the end of The Big Chill Jeff Goldblum's character says he's going to make his novel about this weekend. Someone asks him what his novel was about before, and he says, "Last weekend."
So we get the sense that meaningfulness is a fleeting thing.
Nadine:
I BAWLED my eyes out in that movie. Sobbed. And in the scene when he finally turned the page in the scrapbook? More bawling.I was so impressed by the storytelling.
E
Jude:
I was so involved with my weird crush on Jeff Goldblum. I missed that.
E
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