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Movies Made Me Do It #atozchallenge
Monday, April 15, 2013 at 11:29PM ;)
Movies made me try a mojito cocktail drink once, in Manayunk. Unfortunately, it made me sick, but I still have Michael Bay’s cop action flick “Bad Boys II” starring Will Smith, Martin Lawrence and Gabrielle Union to thank for that.
At least now, I know that mojitos are not for me.
Movies also made me want to visit New Orleans, although, I still haven’t gone and was skeptical about it following Hurricane Katrina. The drama “Eve’s Bayou” starring Lynn Whitfield and crime thriller “Double Jeopardy” starring Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones are the culprits for my interest in that city. I guess you could say that these experiences and desires are cases of life imitating art.
For some time, however, I’ve been wondering about the opposite effect of what happens when art imitates life. What does that look like? Does it manifest in a depressing dramatic piece that makes you want to slit your wrists? Is it an action-adventure flick where the hero wins in the end and everybody goes home happy? Or, does it embody that of a light slapstick comedy where characters don’t take life too seriously? Maybe it shows itself in the form of a horror or thriller film that keeps you on the edge of your seats and no matter how much you want to look away, something about it keeps you willing to be there for the ride. So, why aren’t some of us as excited about our lives as we are movies?
If art imitates life at times, be it either fantasy or reality, we’re the ones inspiring these very stories. Yet, we are less enthusiastic about going about our day-to-day activities than those of fictional characters in imaginary worlds. For those who find this observation hard to believe, I ask of you just one simple question – If YOU could step outside of yourself for a minute and then watched the movie trailer or preview of your life, would you want to go see the full feature? If the answer is yes, then kudos to you for living a fulfilled and exciting life – feel free to share your tips, tricks and/or secrets on how the rest of us can follow suit. If the answer is no, or even if it’s that you’d rather wait for it to come out on home video or cable, then it’s time to do some serious auditing of why that is and then what’s it going to take for you to change that.
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Many people can’t wait until opening weekend to see the latest release that’s had the most buzz or is featuring their favorite actors. We camp out for hours on sidewalks, sometimes in unsavory weather conditions, to be first in line for the good seats at midnight showings of “Twilight: New Moon.” We order advance tickets for “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” because we’d be damned if we show up to the theater and it’s all sold-out. We opt for IMAX 3D because standard definition no longer cuts it when “Iron Man,” “The Dark Knight” and their friends are saving the world with super powers and fancy gadgets.
We even plan ladies nights out for “Sex and the City 2” and dress to the nines, like it’s the friggin’ high school prom – despite the fact that no matter how big of a fan you are of Carrie and her gang, it wasn’t even that good. When those two hours have passed, the end-credits on these movies begin to scroll and the theater lights to up, we feel entertained, satisfied – maybe even a little complete. Then, we go on back to our own lives -- where the thrills are few and far in between, the laughter is nowhere to be found, the camaraderie among friends and strangers alike is long gone and the freedom we felt to take our days by the horns and explore all that awaits us to the fullest of our abilities, just dissipates into thin air.
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Of course, I’ll be quick to make it clear that there is nothing wrong with watching movies. I want everyone to watch as many movies (including mine) as they can in whatever amount of time is given to them.
When we start to use film as our constant escape from a life that doesn’t measure up to our expectations or quest for happiness or hopes and dreams or whatever it is that we’re seeking, then there is something wrong with that picture. You don’t need Tyler Perry or Madea to find religion, if that’s what you want in your path. You don’t have to watch “Waiting for Superman” or “Won’t Back Down” before getting involved with a local education system that you’re not happy with. You don’t have to replay “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” or “The Hangover” in your head to live vicariously through their vacations and pastimes.
Consider how sad it is that many people wait until a release date to have fun – as if it’s the only time that they think they can or deserve to enjoy their time; when there is no guarantee that they will even be here tomorrow. The thrills of life do not reside solely in two-hour blocks of Movie Theater showtimes. If we want to be amused, inspired or mesmerized by an experience, we must go out and create it for ourselves at every opportunity that we receive to do so. It would be awesome if one day, many of us lived the kind of lives that someone would want to make a movie about. That would be some kind of life – one that film producers and/or directors reflect on during television interviews and then tell reporters that YOU made them do it!
On another note, the theme for this week’s Monday Movie Meme is loosely based on today’s topic: Going Places. Share on your blog or in the comments section, movies that made YOU want to do something that you never did before. I’ve already listed some of my selections in the above A to Z Challenge post. Now, it’s YOUR turn!
What movies made YOU want to do something you never did before?
If YOU saw a movie trailer or preview of your life, would you buy a ticket to see the full length feature?
Reader Comments (13)
The most recent was a sci-fi movie with such horrible acting, I wish I could have been the lead actress so I could fix it. The movie could have been pretty good with better acting. And if I saw a trailer of my life, I think I would buy a ticket. I've had a lot of interesting experiences.
#atozchallenge, Kristen's blog: kristenhead.blogspot.com
Too bad the mojito made you sick. Lots of places here have all kinds of flavored mojitos like pomegranate, guava, blueberry and more.
I feel like I should have lots of movies to list for your first bold question but I can't think of any right now. As for your second, my life isn't interesting enough. If it were a movie <I>based</I> on my life with producer/director liberties taken, it may be entertaining enough.
Come check out my A to Z! Jen Hemming and Hawing Again
Thank you for your thought-provoking post :) I love French movies, and after spending years watching them, I finally took a six week holiday travelling around France in my campervan. It was one of the best things I ever did.
I think I'd go to see the movie of my life in another forty years. If I went now, it would only be half-finished.
I would probably buy a ticket to see my life's movie... although it would have lots of sadness and death, it would also have much more love, happiness and fun times :)
I think most movies have some kind of influence over me, whether I realise it or not, at the time. I've had lots of fab holidays probably sub consciously booked because of something I'd seen on TV.
Suzy Turner, YA Author
Really enjoyed your post. If I was to see the trailer of my life at the moment mmmh it might just go to video, though we might have to do a bit of editing and change the ending a bit. There were a couple of films for me - Blade with wesley snipes who was a vampire slayer made me want to learn some form of martial arts to be able to protect myself from the unknown vamps among us.....the Matrix - the thought of being able to download information into our memory banks of things we wanted to learn - fly a helicopter, learn a new language - there is a plug in for that, and more recently the film called Limitless - I would love to be able to access that part of the brain - think they say there is at least 70% (and I am being generous) that we don't access..... have listed your blog on my 'n' posts today, looking forward to coming back.
Amanda - Realityarts-Creativity
Art Blog
Today's post really got me thinking. I did a quick replay of some of the events in my life. I'd have to say, it would be a movie I'd probably see, though it may seem a cross between Diary of a Mad Black Woman and Do Bad All By Myself without the "I love you, you love me" sappy ending. Maybe I should wait a decade or two and see what else could come of my life's screenplay :-)
Can't really think of a movie that inspired me to do something. I tend to enjoy and just mosey along life with it's stutter starts and stops as they happen, or adventures as they come along.
Hi Nicole, Visiting from A to Z. Love this post. The debate over whether art imitates life in film or life imitates are in always fresh. I believe it is a bit of both. It is fun to act out some of what we see in films. My daughter loves to purchase paraphernalia from superhero films. I guess she is always ready to change in an instant if a hero is called for! My husband on a regular basis acts out a scene in a movie at the movies completion, always good for a bit of laughter. When watching movies in the living room, my youngest would always dance to the theme songs.
You are right however, when movies become our lives and we stop living them, we lose. Thanks for provoking thought. God bless, Maria at Delight Directed Living
Nice Post. Like it!
I can remember a few movies which have inspired me. Both Flashdance and Footloose made me want to dance a whole lot more. The Book of Eli inspired me to treasure books that are valuable to me. Life as a House made me want to live on the ocean in a house with a lot of windows. Defiance made me want to live courageously. A lot of movies have just made me want to be more aware of my life as I live it, the beauty and wonder that is all around me.
My life would probably be one of those really slow nature films, like a 90 minute movie of a waterfall. Pretty, even inspiring, but not too action-filled!
SiouxsiesMusings
Movies usually make me want to travel, but that's not always likely to happen unless they are filmed here in Los Angeles (and so many are). But every time I see a James Bond movie, I want to go to London or one of those exotic places they visit ...
Fun post. Had fun being here.
Silvia @ Silvia Writes
Talk about thought provoking...wow. I wouldn't want to even watch the trailer of my life right now, but I have so little control over all the medical stuff I'm going through...so I died my hair crazy red. Makes me smile everytime I look in the mirror.
As to movies making me want to visit places, the list is long and seemingly endless. I guess at the top is Venice, though I can't remember the name of the movie...sad.
Nice that google recognized something you're obviously proud of!
Tina @ Life is Good
Co-host, April 2013 A-Z Challenge Blog
@TinaLifeisGood, #atozchallenge
The way I see it, movies are like roller coaster rides. They're fun in moderation, but too many can cause whiplash and upset stomachs. They're great for escapism, showcasing idealized situations where the hero never has to use the bathroom, never needs sleep, never gets caught, and always gets the girl. Now, if life were like that than sign me up! In the meantime I'll be content with watching two movies a week, and the rest of the time I'll use to live my life because there's more drama there than I care to admit. Heh...
Great post!
There are several movies that have inspired me, in one form or fashion, to create new worlds through writing:)
WriterlySam