Films and Books

Having grown up a tomboy (inevitable when you have 5 older brothers and 2 younger ones), I am usually all for "boy stuff." For example, when we watch movies or shows on TV, they are usually of the action or geeky type. For games, we've networked our computers so we can play Warcraft together, which I have fond memories of hovering around the computer watching my brothers play growing up, other random video games, and the occasional cards. It's great fun and I enjoy the almost daily Warcraft game before calling it a night.

However, because I don't get any regular social interaction with girls, I miss doing more girly things like watching chick flicks, painting my toenails, and talking...lots and lots of talking. I always thought I was more quiet and reserved until I got married. I don't think I've stopped talking since then. You know it's bad when you talk to yourself outloud for conversation and answer yourself the same way.

Anyways, the other day I decided that I wanted to do something girly that night. Of course, I enlisted Ashton to play along, telling him that he owed me for all the guy stuff we do on a regular basis. Somehow that worked, although he didn't like my first suggestion of what girly thing we could do. There's something about men and fingernail polish that make them feel that they will lose "man points" if the stuff comes anywhere within range of them. It's not like I was going to paint his fingernails and the man wears socks and shoes every day...even in the summertime.

My second pitch went much smoother and it was decided that a chick flick was in order. Since we had to go the library to return a book, we looked at their collection of VHS and DVDs. I had almost made up my mind immediately when I saw that they had the 5 hour version of "Pride and Prejudice," which happens to be my favorite, but after seeing "My Fair Lady" and hearing that Ashton has never seen the whole thing, I had to pick it. I think I've come to realize that the only thing worse to a guy than a chick flick is a musical, which doesn't make any sense because I know plenty of guys who like Disney movies and those are practically musicals. Maybe it's because Disney movies are cartoons that make them more bearable.

In any case, Ashton was a good sport and I think he kinda enjoyed himself. I think it helped that I made some cookie dough and we ate some of it while watching the movie.

At the library, Ashton found a movie that he wanted to watch. Surprisingly, it wasn't an action or geeky movie. He picked out "Les Misérables," which I hadn't seen nor read. Ashton hasn't read the book either, but had watched the movie before.We watched it on Saturday and I really liked it. Got a little nervous in the middle, but found it to be fascinating and I would recommend watching it (although probably not with your kids). In any case, watching the movie has made me want to read it, in English (the only version of the book we have is in French and Ashton's French is apparently a bit rusty). It brought me back to my Humanities classes and I couldn't stop thinking about different aspects of the movie to the point that I had a desire to watch it again and watch for all the technical aspects. That sort of thing hasn't happened since I graduated, so it provoked a conversation about what it was about the movie that sparked that desire.

The differences between films and movies are stark. It really comes down to a matter of substance vs. fluff. When I get done watching an action movie or chick flick, I think "that was fun," but little else besides maybe some character development, plot line, and good quotes. Those movies are mostly just fluff and there's nothing wrong with that, but the best films to me are those with substance. Good Shakespeare adaptations ("Romeo and Juliet," "West Side Story," "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead," etc), "Les Misérables," "The Mission," "La Historia Oficial," "Count of Monte Cristo," "Hotel Rwanda," and films of those kinds. It's these differences that spark my desire to learn and study more.

The same applies to books. There are books that are classical, full of political and social commentary and books that are just plain fun. They are both good reads, but for different reasons. For me, the best books, and films, are the one that I continue to think about long after I'm done reading.