Silver Linings Playbook is a wonderfully executed movie. It had wonderful actors that did wonderful jobs. The story is flawlessly presented. But that's not what I want to talk about.
While this movie was excellent and funny and heartfelt, there's a much more important point I want to make. One I feel may have been overlooked by the average viewer.
The main characters of this story are both intelligent adults trying to do the best they can to live their lives with mental illnesses. It's funny to see these people discuss medication at the dinner table, but when it's your sister at your dinner table, you may be less forgiving. You might tell her to behave, to grow up. These are things people with these challenges hear all the time.
It's not easy to understand if you're not a person who gets so upset you throw a book through the window. It's an incredibly funny scene when Pat wakes his parents up at four in the morning to rant about A Farewell to Arms, but it's also a true one. You can see how upset he is, and you feel bad for him when all his parents want to do is go back to sleep, but in real life these things are categorized as "immature" or "silly".
Personally, I've dealt with a lot of the issues Pat has. I've had similar outbursts. I do my best to control it, but when I was younger, I couldn't always. Throwing things, breaking things, slamming things, these weren't things I had control over, even when I was trying my best. I had to learn to handle it. I understood and brushed off the ignorant comments because I knew people just didn't understand, but I was shocked to hear them from people with the same problems. Even people that I knew had similar challenges to work against would tell me I needed to act better, I needed to be less immature.
Really, my point is, this movie is a great display of mature adults dealing with illness. It clearly shows the things they can't control and the ways they try to control them. As hard as it is, try to find sympathy for that screaming neighbor the same way you do Pat and Tiffany. Listen to them instead of fighting them. A lot of the time, they're trying their hardest and they just need a little bit of encouragement.
Showing posts with label Jennifer Lawrence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jennifer Lawrence. Show all posts
Friday, May 10, 2013
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
My non-Hunger Games thoughts on Josh Hutcherson
So there's this guy. His name is Josh but I'm afraid most people know him better as Peeta these days.
Now, I love The Hunger Games. The books are fantastic emotional rides that I can't help speeding through; the movie was less good. But still, good. And when they opted to cast talent over name I was thrilled, but now I can't seem to escape the Team Peeta fans. No one wants to talk about Josh anymore.
It was 2006 when this boy first crossed my tv screen -long before The Hunger Games was even written- and I was mesmerized. His skills were astonishing. I was in love with his acting. I watched every film of his I could. I couldn't get over the way he embodied every character he played. And he became almost unrecognizable in every role.
He brought all the same skills to the table when he took on Peeta, even dying his hair, one of the few things that makes him recognizable, to fully portray the guy. But see, here's the thing about all that: The Hunger Games didn't change him, it changed his fans. He went from being virtually unknown and underground to people driving 6 hours to his family's house in KY on the off chance he'd be home for Thanksgiving, then watching him eat dinner through the window.
I guess that while that's a little creepy, it's not a bad thing. But now anytime I suggest watching one of his movies or interviews I feel like another fangirl. But Bridge to Terabithia, The Vampire's Assistant, The Kids Are All Right, these films that show a promising young actor doing what he does best, existed in the world and on my DVD shelf long before The Hunger Games, and his talent will keep shining long after they have gone.
So, yeah. I like Peeta. All for him. But I'm not in love with Josh Hutcherson because the world changed his name to a fictional characters. I'm in love with him for other reasons. Because that didn't sound creepy and fangirly at all...
Now, I love The Hunger Games. The books are fantastic emotional rides that I can't help speeding through; the movie was less good. But still, good. And when they opted to cast talent over name I was thrilled, but now I can't seem to escape the Team Peeta fans. No one wants to talk about Josh anymore.
It was 2006 when this boy first crossed my tv screen -long before The Hunger Games was even written- and I was mesmerized. His skills were astonishing. I was in love with his acting. I watched every film of his I could. I couldn't get over the way he embodied every character he played. And he became almost unrecognizable in every role.
He brought all the same skills to the table when he took on Peeta, even dying his hair, one of the few things that makes him recognizable, to fully portray the guy. But see, here's the thing about all that: The Hunger Games didn't change him, it changed his fans. He went from being virtually unknown and underground to people driving 6 hours to his family's house in KY on the off chance he'd be home for Thanksgiving, then watching him eat dinner through the window.
I guess that while that's a little creepy, it's not a bad thing. But now anytime I suggest watching one of his movies or interviews I feel like another fangirl. But Bridge to Terabithia, The Vampire's Assistant, The Kids Are All Right, these films that show a promising young actor doing what he does best, existed in the world and on my DVD shelf long before The Hunger Games, and his talent will keep shining long after they have gone.
So, yeah. I like Peeta. All for him. But I'm not in love with Josh Hutcherson because the world changed his name to a fictional characters. I'm in love with him for other reasons. Because that didn't sound creepy and fangirly at all...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)