Seventeen Syllables did not strike me as the usual romance narrative when I read through it the first time. However, the more I began to look at it I did see some of the typical narratives in place. For example, the story is about an arranged marriage between a man and woman. Rosie is unsure how she feels about this marriage and I believe it is because the marriage she has seen through her parents is not a good example at all for her. Also, I realized her mothers strong love for her poetry. This was interesting to me because I had not thought about the love that occurs for inanimate objects, as well as people.
Men in Your Life was also not the typical romance story that one would expect. I found it very funny how these two women were so judgmental and sure of what they wanted from the men before they even really began to date them. However, once they loved a man they seemed to look past all the flaws that they pointed out in other men before. It went along with what we talked about in class regarding women forgetting and forgiving men for things that they maybe should not have. It went along with the whole narrative of "love conquers all" or in the end all one really needs is love, which to me really doesn't ring true.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Romance
Seventeen Syllables:
This story has a romance narrative because it talks about how two people from different cultural backgrounds feel about one another. What makes it a romance narrative is the way that Rosie reacted to being kissed and the things she did afterwards. Rosie seemed to care about Jesus because she seemed to me to be always thinking about him. I think she knows it is inappropriate for her to see him but she does it. This is different from other romance narratives because Rosie has to deal with her unhappy parents and at the end she promises her mother that she would not marry. So that would kill her happiness.
Men In Your Life:
This story does not seem like a romance narrative to me because the main character seems to be dissing the man that she talks to. At the end I guess it could have a romantic theme because she is reminiscing about a man that treated her right, but the beginning makes you feel that she is downing men. This is different because she is talking about the ways that men act and why she does not have one. She does find that she there is one man in particular that she wouldn't mind being with. I did not see it being a romance narrative.
This story has a romance narrative because it talks about how two people from different cultural backgrounds feel about one another. What makes it a romance narrative is the way that Rosie reacted to being kissed and the things she did afterwards. Rosie seemed to care about Jesus because she seemed to me to be always thinking about him. I think she knows it is inappropriate for her to see him but she does it. This is different from other romance narratives because Rosie has to deal with her unhappy parents and at the end she promises her mother that she would not marry. So that would kill her happiness.
Men In Your Life:
This story does not seem like a romance narrative to me because the main character seems to be dissing the man that she talks to. At the end I guess it could have a romantic theme because she is reminiscing about a man that treated her right, but the beginning makes you feel that she is downing men. This is different because she is talking about the ways that men act and why she does not have one. She does find that she there is one man in particular that she wouldn't mind being with. I did not see it being a romance narrative.
romance narratives
I thought these two stories were interesting. The first one, "Seventeen Syllables" was different to me. it did not strike me as a romance at all except for Rosie and Jesus and that was only a small part of the story. It seemed very strange to be a romance and the mother did not even love her husband. She married him because she had to. it seemed sad.
The second story, "Men in your life" was really interesting. i liked it alot and really do feel like it was a romance because of how she describes Eddie. You can tell their relationship is the stereotypical romance in the fact that they "play" togehter and enjoy being together even when they have no money. They seem to have built a sense of trust and you can tell they understand an respect eachother. i love the last line, "...but if a man gives you all the very best that he has to offer, all the time, what more could a woman want...?" She is talking about the best of them. NOt money or things. Seh is talking about a man that respects her and loves her and shows it all the time. i thought that in itself was romantic.
The second story, "Men in your life" was really interesting. i liked it alot and really do feel like it was a romance because of how she describes Eddie. You can tell their relationship is the stereotypical romance in the fact that they "play" togehter and enjoy being together even when they have no money. They seem to have built a sense of trust and you can tell they understand an respect eachother. i love the last line, "...but if a man gives you all the very best that he has to offer, all the time, what more could a woman want...?" She is talking about the best of them. NOt money or things. Seh is talking about a man that respects her and loves her and shows it all the time. i thought that in itself was romantic.
Romance
SEVENTEEN SYLLABLES
"When he took hold of her empty hand, she could find no words to protest; her vocabulary became had become distressingly constricted and she thought desperately that all that remained intact now was yes and no and oh, even those few sounds would not easily out" (pg. 89)
I really like this passage because it is definitely one of Rosie's first experiences with romance. She is really not sure how to respond to Jesus, and goes weak in his presence. Soon after they kiss, she runs, not knowing what to do. I think this passage is proof that this is a story of romance, or lack there of. It seems that Rosie's parents are in a loveless marriage and Rosie's mother loves receiving attention from other men. This can be seen in the scene where Rosie's father is ready to leave the Hayano residence while her mother hardly notices as she is engrossed with conversation with Mr. Hayano. Everything makes since at the ending when Rosie's mother tells her daughter of the arranged marriage that became the alternative to suicide.
I think that Rosie's relationship with Jesus is affected by the way Rosie has watched her parents interact. When Rosie goes to meet Jesus, she doesn't know how to act because she is unfamiliar with romance.
MEN IN YOUR LIFE
"but if a man gives you all of the very best that he has to offer, all the time, what more could a woman want?"
I thought this was a great way to end this piece. It is a familiar conversation between woman of all ages. Women always gather to talk to about men. I felt like this work was so real. The women were quick to judge other men and their relationships with woman, but when it came to their own, everything was perfect. I think the woman who wants to marry Eddie may be in denial. Although he may be a great man, I think she is exaggerating his perfection due to her affection for him. This is not rare. I have had friends talk up their relationships (how great he is, how happy they are), only to hear how miserable they really were after the relationship has ended. It makes me wonder how the woman really is, and if Eddie is all that she describes him to be.
I think this is a romance narrative because it is two woman describing what they WANT for a romantic relationship and their standards.
"When he took hold of her empty hand, she could find no words to protest; her vocabulary became had become distressingly constricted and she thought desperately that all that remained intact now was yes and no and oh, even those few sounds would not easily out" (pg. 89)
I really like this passage because it is definitely one of Rosie's first experiences with romance. She is really not sure how to respond to Jesus, and goes weak in his presence. Soon after they kiss, she runs, not knowing what to do. I think this passage is proof that this is a story of romance, or lack there of. It seems that Rosie's parents are in a loveless marriage and Rosie's mother loves receiving attention from other men. This can be seen in the scene where Rosie's father is ready to leave the Hayano residence while her mother hardly notices as she is engrossed with conversation with Mr. Hayano. Everything makes since at the ending when Rosie's mother tells her daughter of the arranged marriage that became the alternative to suicide.
I think that Rosie's relationship with Jesus is affected by the way Rosie has watched her parents interact. When Rosie goes to meet Jesus, she doesn't know how to act because she is unfamiliar with romance.
MEN IN YOUR LIFE
"but if a man gives you all of the very best that he has to offer, all the time, what more could a woman want?"
I thought this was a great way to end this piece. It is a familiar conversation between woman of all ages. Women always gather to talk to about men. I felt like this work was so real. The women were quick to judge other men and their relationships with woman, but when it came to their own, everything was perfect. I think the woman who wants to marry Eddie may be in denial. Although he may be a great man, I think she is exaggerating his perfection due to her affection for him. This is not rare. I have had friends talk up their relationships (how great he is, how happy they are), only to hear how miserable they really were after the relationship has ended. It makes me wonder how the woman really is, and if Eddie is all that she describes him to be.
I think this is a romance narrative because it is two woman describing what they WANT for a romantic relationship and their standards.
Stupid Cupid and the Arrows (Eros) of Ouch
In "Seventeen Syllables" and "Men in Your Life", it may be difficult to discern the romance. While reading classical literature, it is easy to forget that the author is narrating from a perspective of her ethnicity and culture; therefore, when we encounter works from cultures that are not similar to our own or have less literary exposure, it may be difficult to understand the parallels or interpret specific conventions.
Yamamoto and Childress may seem unusual in terms of romance; but, I interpreted several traditional ideas at work. For instance, Rosie experiences the uncertainty of young love while her father experiences what seems to be a possessive jealousy. And though the narrator of Childress' work may seem angered and embittered, is not her loyalty, her continuous presence in the relationship, a popular ideal of love? She reminded me of so many that I've met- Clarance and his wife are possibly a foreshadowing of the moral: Innumerable women of this world love men they have no reason to love, and surely, at one time or another, they all ask themselves why.
As I understand, it is not unusual for a man to be possessive of his wife to a point of violence in Asian culture. I vaguely recall the idea that, in China, a man had the right to kill any man who dared to look at his wife's bare feet. If that doesn't scream "possesive", I don't know what does. In African American culture, I know far too many women who rant and rave about the evils of "their man" and yet throw funny looks at those who ask the obvious question, "Why don't you leave?" A lot of them are afraid to be alone. A lot of them cling to the ideal that a woman needs a man to have a complete family. A lot of them probably need to take this course.
Yamamoto and Childress may seem unusual in terms of romance; but, I interpreted several traditional ideas at work. For instance, Rosie experiences the uncertainty of young love while her father experiences what seems to be a possessive jealousy. And though the narrator of Childress' work may seem angered and embittered, is not her loyalty, her continuous presence in the relationship, a popular ideal of love? She reminded me of so many that I've met- Clarance and his wife are possibly a foreshadowing of the moral: Innumerable women of this world love men they have no reason to love, and surely, at one time or another, they all ask themselves why.
As I understand, it is not unusual for a man to be possessive of his wife to a point of violence in Asian culture. I vaguely recall the idea that, in China, a man had the right to kill any man who dared to look at his wife's bare feet. If that doesn't scream "possesive", I don't know what does. In African American culture, I know far too many women who rant and rave about the evils of "their man" and yet throw funny looks at those who ask the obvious question, "Why don't you leave?" A lot of them are afraid to be alone. A lot of them cling to the ideal that a woman needs a man to have a complete family. A lot of them probably need to take this course.
I think that both stories for today do follow a romantic narrative, though not necessarily the one where the woman falls in love with the prince and lives happily ever after. In Seventeen Syllables Rosie is observing her parent's relationship and they are not connecting because the father feels that the mother is in essence cheating on him when she spends all her time and energy on the poetry. Rosie experiences her own taste of the romantic narrative when she is kissed by a boy and completely taken by surprise. She has to take her time to think about the implications of the kiss and how she feels about the boy, Jesus. The readers get a glimpse that she may like him, after running away, when she is peeking out of the privy to see if he is looking for her near the house. In a sense, Rosie may be playing 'hard to get' which is a variation of an american romantic narrative. The other romance in the story is that of her mother when she was young. The mother seemed to have quite a romance when she was in Japan, but due to the status of the boy and the traditions of the town, she was unable to have a relationship. This echos many narratives we have already looked at, but instead of ending with happiness, her mother must choose between a new life in America or ending her life. It is sad that this is the basis of her marriage.
The second story, Men in Your Life shows many relationships through the eyes of two women gossiping. The first discussion is about how women shape thier sons, this sets the story up for the three men we hear described. The first is Clarance, and he is married and treats his wife very poorly, though the narrator does not mention it, it is obviously that he is emotionally and probably physically abusive. The escaping of women from abusive relationships is often part of the romantic narrative when they are able to move on and find someone else. The second man in the story is Wallace, the bad date. This is another fairly common scene in films and stories of the romantic narrative 'gone wrong'. Instead of the date sweeping this girl off her feet, he does the opposite and she decides very quickly that it will not work out. Finally she mentions Eddy and the things they do together and his faults but also the attributes she really enjoys about him and the reader comes to find that she likes him more than she knows. This is a common narrative becasue the relationship is humble and not deliberately romantic yet with the closeness between the couple, we realize they care a lot about eachother,
I think by looking at the romance in these texts we are able to tell a little more about the lives of the characters because we already know how these narratives go, since we see them all the time in our culture. Seventeen syllables looks at romantic love as something that is negative and unattainable. Men in your Life also does not put an emphasis on romanitc love because the none of the characters in the story are romantically involved, however, it gives the hope that the narrator's realtionship with Eddy will turn into something romantic and successful.
The second story, Men in Your Life shows many relationships through the eyes of two women gossiping. The first discussion is about how women shape thier sons, this sets the story up for the three men we hear described. The first is Clarance, and he is married and treats his wife very poorly, though the narrator does not mention it, it is obviously that he is emotionally and probably physically abusive. The escaping of women from abusive relationships is often part of the romantic narrative when they are able to move on and find someone else. The second man in the story is Wallace, the bad date. This is another fairly common scene in films and stories of the romantic narrative 'gone wrong'. Instead of the date sweeping this girl off her feet, he does the opposite and she decides very quickly that it will not work out. Finally she mentions Eddy and the things they do together and his faults but also the attributes she really enjoys about him and the reader comes to find that she likes him more than she knows. This is a common narrative becasue the relationship is humble and not deliberately romantic yet with the closeness between the couple, we realize they care a lot about eachother,
I think by looking at the romance in these texts we are able to tell a little more about the lives of the characters because we already know how these narratives go, since we see them all the time in our culture. Seventeen syllables looks at romantic love as something that is negative and unattainable. Men in your Life also does not put an emphasis on romanitc love because the none of the characters in the story are romantically involved, however, it gives the hope that the narrator's realtionship with Eddy will turn into something romantic and successful.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Romantic Love, Due 7/24/07
SEVENTEEN SYLLABLES
I don’t think that this text really has a romantic love them. I think it is more about the love between a mother and her daughter and the differences the two of them have. For example, Rosie was born and raised in the United States, whereas her mother was born and raised in Japan. Learning to be bicultural is something that neither one of them wants to do, but they do it because they love each other. It is obvious that this was written for many different cultures and not only focuses on topics such as gender and race, but also the frustrating issues that families might have to go though as well.
MEN IN YOUR LIFE
“…if a man gives you all of the very best he has to offer, all the time, what more could a woman want?”
That was a very strong way to end this narrative. I do feel that it was more of a romance narrative than Seventeen Syllables because it focused more upon women and men. My initial reaction when reading this was that the author was doing a lot of complaining. But then I looked at it again and thought that this was her telling Marge that she likes Eddie. Then looking at it from one more prospective was she just settling for Eddie because all other guys are bad? Basically, what I’m trying to say is that I do not think this story followed a typical romance narrative because they are more lovey dovey and usually have an ending where the man and woman life happily ever after and this, obviously, was not the case. That’s why I more or less came to the conclusion that the author was just settling for happiness with Eddie because they would have a story book marriage. But is that more important than finding/being with someone who truly makes you happy?
I don’t think that this text really has a romantic love them. I think it is more about the love between a mother and her daughter and the differences the two of them have. For example, Rosie was born and raised in the United States, whereas her mother was born and raised in Japan. Learning to be bicultural is something that neither one of them wants to do, but they do it because they love each other. It is obvious that this was written for many different cultures and not only focuses on topics such as gender and race, but also the frustrating issues that families might have to go though as well.
MEN IN YOUR LIFE
“…if a man gives you all of the very best he has to offer, all the time, what more could a woman want?”
That was a very strong way to end this narrative. I do feel that it was more of a romance narrative than Seventeen Syllables because it focused more upon women and men. My initial reaction when reading this was that the author was doing a lot of complaining. But then I looked at it again and thought that this was her telling Marge that she likes Eddie. Then looking at it from one more prospective was she just settling for Eddie because all other guys are bad? Basically, what I’m trying to say is that I do not think this story followed a typical romance narrative because they are more lovey dovey and usually have an ending where the man and woman life happily ever after and this, obviously, was not the case. That’s why I more or less came to the conclusion that the author was just settling for happiness with Eddie because they would have a story book marriage. But is that more important than finding/being with someone who truly makes you happy?
Romantic narratives for Tuesday
Seventeen Syllables--Hisaye Yamamoto
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I think it's easy to find the parts of this story that make it a romantic narrative. It even shows the sweet, light-hearted, all-is-wonderful sort of love along with its opposer. Rosie, the main girl, is obviously the portrayer of romantic love. She has a rather serious crush on Jesus. The story does a good job of creating that familure feeling when a new crush has been discovered. She sneaks away to see him, only to press her face to his for a moment, she has excellerated heart palvitations, she thinks about him all the time, even when working; these are all general ingrediets that together make a romance narrative. However, there's also the other side of love as seen in her mother's situation. The story ends with her mother forcing Rosie to promise to never marry. She does this because of her bad experience with marriage, something she used to keep her from killing herself. Obviously Rosie doesn't want to make that promise because she has found someone who, at the current moment, she could say forever with. That is another aspect of romance narraratives-battling external factors that are trying to keep one from loving or loving a specific person. It's the whole thing with 'love conquers all'. There can be no victory if there is no battle.
Men in Your Life--Alice Childress
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Well that was interesting. Not really what I was expecting and certainly atypical romance narrative. In my opinion, I wouldn't call that a romance narrative. This woman is just complaining about random things men do wrong in relationships and pretty much getting a load off her chest by ranting about men. It sounds to me like she's fed up with the men she's dated and has a lack of romance in her life. I guess that's all there is to say about that one. I laughed, though.
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I think it's easy to find the parts of this story that make it a romantic narrative. It even shows the sweet, light-hearted, all-is-wonderful sort of love along with its opposer. Rosie, the main girl, is obviously the portrayer of romantic love. She has a rather serious crush on Jesus. The story does a good job of creating that familure feeling when a new crush has been discovered. She sneaks away to see him, only to press her face to his for a moment, she has excellerated heart palvitations, she thinks about him all the time, even when working; these are all general ingrediets that together make a romance narrative. However, there's also the other side of love as seen in her mother's situation. The story ends with her mother forcing Rosie to promise to never marry. She does this because of her bad experience with marriage, something she used to keep her from killing herself. Obviously Rosie doesn't want to make that promise because she has found someone who, at the current moment, she could say forever with. That is another aspect of romance narraratives-battling external factors that are trying to keep one from loving or loving a specific person. It's the whole thing with 'love conquers all'. There can be no victory if there is no battle.
Men in Your Life--Alice Childress
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Well that was interesting. Not really what I was expecting and certainly atypical romance narrative. In my opinion, I wouldn't call that a romance narrative. This woman is just complaining about random things men do wrong in relationships and pretty much getting a load off her chest by ranting about men. It sounds to me like she's fed up with the men she's dated and has a lack of romance in her life. I guess that's all there is to say about that one. I laughed, though.
romantic love
Men in Your Life.
I don't think this story really followed a romatic narrative as much as the author possibly intended. After reading it I focused on the negatives aspects of thier realtionships with men instead of the one positive with Eddie. It makes a difference in what the reader takes away from this story. It remined me of As Children Together because so many people took it differently, and I feel the same with happen with this story. In the text though, you do see other ways of being romantic without the stereotypical gestures such as flowers and an expensive dinner. The narrarator just enjoyed Eddies company.
Seventeen Syllables.
I think this story had a much stronger romantic narrative than Men in Your Life. It had a romance budding between Rosie and Jesus, as well as her mom and many other poets. Not to mention her love for poetry and between parent and daughter. I think love was the theme of the movie and so it was very important that that is what you take away from it. It shows love in all of its different stages. In the beginning with Rosie and Jesus and the parents. I really liked this story and related to a lot of the situations and relationships. The story was very relatable.
I don't think this story really followed a romatic narrative as much as the author possibly intended. After reading it I focused on the negatives aspects of thier realtionships with men instead of the one positive with Eddie. It makes a difference in what the reader takes away from this story. It remined me of As Children Together because so many people took it differently, and I feel the same with happen with this story. In the text though, you do see other ways of being romantic without the stereotypical gestures such as flowers and an expensive dinner. The narrarator just enjoyed Eddies company.
Seventeen Syllables.
I think this story had a much stronger romantic narrative than Men in Your Life. It had a romance budding between Rosie and Jesus, as well as her mom and many other poets. Not to mention her love for poetry and between parent and daughter. I think love was the theme of the movie and so it was very important that that is what you take away from it. It shows love in all of its different stages. In the beginning with Rosie and Jesus and the parents. I really liked this story and related to a lot of the situations and relationships. The story was very relatable.
Romance Narratives?
Seventeen Syllables is approaches the romantic narrative in several ways. The notion of the artist in love with their work is embodied in Rosie's mother. The relationship between Rosie and Jesus embodies young, or puppy, love. Rosie's mother and father's relationship shows a side of the romance narrative that is often forgotten or neglected - the result of the end of infatuation, and the frustration of complacency.
Men in Your Life isn't exactly a romance narrative in the traditional sense, but it takes up the question of what love means to a particular individual. I guess you could call it a variation on the romance narrative, but I don't think you could call it a romance narrative in a strict sense of the word.
I don't suppose it really makes a difference how a text approaches the idea of romance, because the idea of a romance narrative is pretty subjective. You can't really prefer include one definition of romance and exclude another, so the genre is acutally quite malleable.
Seventeen Syllables challenges one's perceptions that romantic love cannot occur between a person and an inanimate object or intangible idea. Men in Your Life offers a deductive method of determining your own definition of romantic love. Both of these observations could be considered alternate theories about romantic love.
Men in Your Life isn't exactly a romance narrative in the traditional sense, but it takes up the question of what love means to a particular individual. I guess you could call it a variation on the romance narrative, but I don't think you could call it a romance narrative in a strict sense of the word.
I don't suppose it really makes a difference how a text approaches the idea of romance, because the idea of a romance narrative is pretty subjective. You can't really prefer include one definition of romance and exclude another, so the genre is acutally quite malleable.
Seventeen Syllables challenges one's perceptions that romantic love cannot occur between a person and an inanimate object or intangible idea. Men in Your Life offers a deductive method of determining your own definition of romantic love. Both of these observations could be considered alternate theories about romantic love.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Deciding on a romantic movie was so easy for me, because romantic comedies are easily my favorite. In How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Andie Anderson (played by Kate Hudson) is a writer for a popular women's magazine. For her current article she is researching the don'ts of dating in her "how to in reverse" experiment. To research her story, she begans to date a Ben Berry (played by Mathew McConaughey). As planned, she begans to create every common mistake made by women in relationships. Little does she know, but Ben is trying to win a bet devised at work over whether or not he can make a woman fall in love with him in 10 days. His prize if he does so is the control of a lucrative diamond account at his advertising agency.
My favorite scene is towards the end of the film when Ben takes Andie home to visit his family. They spend the day out on the pier riding Ben's motorcycle. In the background, Keith Urban's song, "Somebody like you" plays as they flirt playfully and Ben teaches Andie how to drive his bike. As corny as it sounds, I get chills everytime I watch this part of the movie. I love the chemistry between the characters and the playful way they interact. Although it is so stereotypical, I think that Ben teaching Andie on the bike is so romantic.
While watching the movie, it is very obvious that this is a turning point in the story. You began to feel that there is a genuine connection between the two characters and that Andie is falling in love with him.
My favorite scene is towards the end of the film when Ben takes Andie home to visit his family. They spend the day out on the pier riding Ben's motorcycle. In the background, Keith Urban's song, "Somebody like you" plays as they flirt playfully and Ben teaches Andie how to drive his bike. As corny as it sounds, I get chills everytime I watch this part of the movie. I love the chemistry between the characters and the playful way they interact. Although it is so stereotypical, I think that Ben teaching Andie on the bike is so romantic.
While watching the movie, it is very obvious that this is a turning point in the story. You began to feel that there is a genuine connection between the two characters and that Andie is falling in love with him.
Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind
In this movie Joel (Jim Carey) finds out that his girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) has had her memory erased of their relationship from her mind. He decided to contact the doctor who invented this and do it too, but as they are erasing his memory he learns how to control the memories of her and trys to hold on to them. He realizes how much he still loves her and it deals a lot with relationships after they have been together for a long time, after the beginning bliss stages. He thought he hated where they were but her realizes he misses her.
On of my favorite scenes in when they are playing on the frozen lake in Montag and they lay down to look at the stars and Joel says (something like this, I obviously dont remember exactly) "I could just die, i'm so happy." I really like that part because you really get that feeling that they're in that moment that we all have, when you think about how that moment is perfect and you dont want it to end because you know when it does there are so many other things you need to worry and think about. I also think it's romantic because it's not sexual at all. He is just happy holding her hand bundled up on the ice under the stars. This movie all around is full of scenes I love and I definitely recommend it!
On of my favorite scenes in when they are playing on the frozen lake in Montag and they lay down to look at the stars and Joel says (something like this, I obviously dont remember exactly) "I could just die, i'm so happy." I really like that part because you really get that feeling that they're in that moment that we all have, when you think about how that moment is perfect and you dont want it to end because you know when it does there are so many other things you need to worry and think about. I also think it's romantic because it's not sexual at all. He is just happy holding her hand bundled up on the ice under the stars. This movie all around is full of scenes I love and I definitely recommend it!
Daddy's Lil' Girls
The romance movie that I am using is called "Daddy's Little Girls" by Tyler Perry. It is about a man who is fighting for custody for his three daughters from their estranged mother. In the process he finds a stuck up woman who becomes his family lawyer and they ignite a flame between each other. This woman has the worst time finding a mate because her standards are too high and she think she is too good for anybody. There are two scenes that I feel show that this has a romantic plot to it. My favorite part is when he takes the lawyer "Julia" out for her birthday which she truly does not acknowledge. He loosens her up to have a good time and she does but while she is drunk she tells him how she feels. Another part that ties into this is when Julia comes over his house to meet his daughters and after their meal they talk about how they are feeling one another. I think those parts in the movie makes it a romantic movie. This is different from other movies because the romantic plot is not the main part of the movie. It shows a positive African American man who is trying to do all of the right things.
Sweet Home Alabama
I love this movie because it does have a romantic plotline but it isn't that sappy. Reese Witherspoone plays Melanie Smooter who actually goes by the name Melanie Carmichael. She was born and raised in Alabama in a small town and she was known as a wild trouble maker. She left Alabama and moved to New York where she became a designer and a successful one at that. WE are introduce to her in the beginning getting engaged to the mayor of New York's son. however, she can not get married until her divorce goes through with her ex. An ex that know one, except her alabama friends and family whom she hasn't seen in 7 years, knows about. She changed her identity and she pretended to be a completey different person than a Southern tomboy.
She is forced to go back to her home town and see her parents, friends and ex-husband Jake, that she is still married too. She goes to get him to sign the divorce papers, but he continues to refuse or avoid it until they are in an all out war with eachother. We then find out that she left jake after having a miscarriage. She had gotten pregnant in highschool and they got married. After she lost the baby she left jake and her past behind. The problem is, Jake never stopped loving her and in the beginning of the movie we are shown two little kids on the beach in the rain and it is Jake and Melanie. Jake is telling Melanie that he is going to marry her some day. It is a very cute seen that is repeated again at the end of the movie when Jake and Melanie are all grown up. S
She finally finds herself again by going back to her roots. She also discovers she still loves Jake and she was running away from not only her identity but her true love as well.
I feel that this movie shows what true love really is. It is not about getting along all the time and everything being perfect. It is about pushing eachother to be better people and not letting eachother get by with anything that they shouldn't. Jake and melanie do this and it is their butting of heads that actuallly makes them good for eachother. This movie is different than most romantic movies because it shows the finding of love again and examines the meaning of what it is like to lose yourself in a world you created. I love this movie. i love how Reese witherspoone plays a spunky women who does not take anything from anybody. She portrays a strong woman.
She is forced to go back to her home town and see her parents, friends and ex-husband Jake, that she is still married too. She goes to get him to sign the divorce papers, but he continues to refuse or avoid it until they are in an all out war with eachother. We then find out that she left jake after having a miscarriage. She had gotten pregnant in highschool and they got married. After she lost the baby she left jake and her past behind. The problem is, Jake never stopped loving her and in the beginning of the movie we are shown two little kids on the beach in the rain and it is Jake and Melanie. Jake is telling Melanie that he is going to marry her some day. It is a very cute seen that is repeated again at the end of the movie when Jake and Melanie are all grown up. S
She finally finds herself again by going back to her roots. She also discovers she still loves Jake and she was running away from not only her identity but her true love as well.
I feel that this movie shows what true love really is. It is not about getting along all the time and everything being perfect. It is about pushing eachother to be better people and not letting eachother get by with anything that they shouldn't. Jake and melanie do this and it is their butting of heads that actuallly makes them good for eachother. This movie is different than most romantic movies because it shows the finding of love again and examines the meaning of what it is like to lose yourself in a world you created. I love this movie. i love how Reese witherspoone plays a spunky women who does not take anything from anybody. She portrays a strong woman.
"A Patch of Blue"
"A Patch of Blue," starring Sidney Poitier and Elizabeth Hartman, depicts the budding relationship of Selina D'Arcey and Gordon Ralfe. As the story progresses, Gordon broadens Selina's view of the world and she begins to understand that there could be more for her than just the shambling apartment she shares with her lush of a grandfather and abusive mother. Gordon also realizes that many small freedoms he has taken for granted are denied others for reasons beyond skin. My favorite scene is when Gordon and Selina visit the supermarket together. Ignoring conventions, they eagerly pursue their errand and it becomes an amusing excursion for the both of them
The Notebook
One of my favorite romance stories is the movie The Notebook. In this movie, set in the 1950's, two high schoolers from two very different backgrounds find summer love in each other. Once summer ends, Allie's parents make her move away because they disapprove of the romance. Noah writes her letters everyday, but her mother makes sure she never gets them. Allie finally moves on and becomes engaged but knows she still has feelings for Noah. She decides to go visit him so she can move on and be happy with her soon-to-be husband. Once there, Noah and Allie fall back into love and realize that they cannot live without each other. She ends up leaving her fiance for Noah.
One of my favorite parts in the movie is when Allie wakes up and looks next to her, expecting to find Noah. Instead she finds a note that says he went for breakfast and to follow the rose petals. These petals lead all the way to a special room he made for her. It is a room for her to paint in that over looks the river, something she had said she wanted when they were 17. I love this scene because it really shows his love for her. After all this time he still has not moved on and he remembers everything she had wanted. Most guys cannot even remember your birthday, let alone something you asked for in passing five years ago. I think this plotline is very similar to many romantic movies except for the fact that it begins and ends with Noah and Allie as adults, and then looks back on the relationship through a story they wrote about it. I find that very interesting.
One of my favorite parts in the movie is when Allie wakes up and looks next to her, expecting to find Noah. Instead she finds a note that says he went for breakfast and to follow the rose petals. These petals lead all the way to a special room he made for her. It is a room for her to paint in that over looks the river, something she had said she wanted when they were 17. I love this scene because it really shows his love for her. After all this time he still has not moved on and he remembers everything she had wanted. Most guys cannot even remember your birthday, let alone something you asked for in passing five years ago. I think this plotline is very similar to many romantic movies except for the fact that it begins and ends with Noah and Allie as adults, and then looks back on the relationship through a story they wrote about it. I find that very interesting.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
movie blog: Almost Famous
*WARNING: SPOILERS IN FIRST PARAGRAPH, IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE*
Almost Famous is so well-written, that each time I watch it, I hate to see the movie end. A high school kid named William, by leaving out a few important details, gets an opportunity to write an article for Rolling Stone. His assignment is to interview Black Sabbath, but he ends up interviewing Stillwater, and up and coming band opening for Sabbath. The band takes a liking to him, and invites him to go on tour with them. He meets a groupie named Penny Lane, and is immediately captivated by her. However, her current love is Russell Hammond, the group's lead singer. William and Penny Lane grow closer as the tour progresses, even though she is still sleeping with Russell and various other musicians. When Russell's girlfriend joins the tour, Penny Lane becomes severely depressed. She tries to overdose on sleeping pills in a hotel room, but William chases after her and saves her life. They never really end up being together, but they both realize that after the music stops playing, you still need someone to love. Meanwhile, an angry Rusell learns that William is planning to include everything that went on during the tour, in his article to Rolling Stone. He contacts Rolling Stone, and tells them that William's article is filled with lies. He tries to contact Penny Lane, and she agrees to see him. After giving him William's address, he arrives unsuspectingly at his front door. After reconsidering his behavior, he lets Rolling Stone print William's article.
I picked this movie because of the multiple definitions of romance at work in the plotline. Both William and Penny Lane have a love affair with music, and perhaps love music more than people. Penny Lane never really loved Russell; she was in love with the rock and roll lifestyle he represented. The only true romantic relationship in the flim was between William and Penny Lane. The members of the band, William, and Penny are all experiencing a romantic attachment to the rock and roll lifestyle, and by extension, each other.
Boiled down to the nuts and bolts of the plotline, Almost Famous is a somewhat traditional romance. There is the heroine, the knight in shining armor, and the villain that gets in the way. Yet it also represents a very non-traditional idea of romance, because music itself is the center of romantic focus. All relationships are secondary to the love of the music. This film explores how music can essentially create relationships, and how people can simultaneously destroy each other.
Love Actually
This is one of those movies that I can watch over and over again and never get tired of it. I'm typically not one for sappy movies but do love a good love story which is probably why I've watched this movie several times and surely watch it again. The movie tells multiple love stories from the good beautiful aspects of love to the heart-renching, painful parts of it. Along with the love stories, the movie is set around Christmas time, which is, of course, romantic in itself. It brings tears, smiles, laughs, and sighs. I wouldn't say this is my FAVORITE but definitly sets in the top 5 list. It has an amazing cast, is genuine, personal, and captivating. I think this one is a bit different because it covers multiple aspects of different love stories instead of just focusing on one. It's theme is really about love, how we all need love regardless of location, gender, occupation, sexual orientation, age, etc. It really focuses on the beauty of love and how it's all around us and can be found in different people in different ways. WATCH IT! Then watch it again! It's amazing!!!! It's not one that makes you want to go find your significant other specifically but one that makes you want to tell everyone close to you how much you love them. It's great.
King Kong
The remake of King Kong shows a romantic relationship between a woman and a giant ape. It is not necesarily a traditionaly romantic film becasue a sexual relationship and marriage etc., the goal of most human relationships. The film begins with a native tribe on a mysterious island saccrificing the young Anne Darrow to the beast Kong. He snatches her and falls immediately in love with her. Thoughout their relationship on the island, Kong saves her from the dinosaurs and the men. Ann realizes the beasts compassion, though she is scared of her situation. She is glad to see the 'hero' of the story (Adrian Brody) when he comes to save her, he has also falled in love with Ann. However, when she realizes the plot of the men is to attack Kong and render him unconscious in order to take him back to america, she looks into his evey and crys out for him. The scene that is most telling of the romance between the woman and the ape it at the end when Kong goes looking for Ann. He sees many women who look like her, but he knows it isnt her. Ann runs through New York city to find Kong and when he goes to defend her and himself from the troops, she cannot let him leave her in a safe place and climbs the Empire State building to be with Kong. This film is different from others becasue of the impossible and terrifying nature of the romance, however it follows a romantic plot line similar to other movies.
Romantic Movie: Hitch, Due 7/23/07
The movie I chose for this assignment was Hitch. It's a romantic comedy that has the ability to make you laugh or cry. I chose this movie because it seemed like it dealt with relationships in a different way than most. The tagline of the movie is "Hitch: The cure for the common man." The premise of the movie is that there is a man named Hitch who is a dating doctor. He can help any man obtain any woman that he chooses but ironically can't help himself. One of my favorite scenes of the movie was where Sara, who is played by Eva Mendes, invites Hitch to a fish eating event. Because Hitch is trying to impress Sara, he continues to eat the fish even though he is allergic to it. As the night progresses, Hitch's face swells to the size of a balloon. Sara takes him to a pharmacy to get allergy medication. The night ends as Hitch (drunkenly) and Sara take a romantic walk through the park. Back at Sara's place, they share a little bit of conversation before they separately go off to bed.
I think this plotline is different from others because of the way things disasterously work out for Hitch. Usually, the man in movie, always tried to impress the lady, and in my opinion, most of the time it works. For most of Hitch and Sara's relationship, it was just disaster after disaster, untill when it really mattered the most. Hitch told Sara that even though he might mess up all the time, he couldn't bear to lose her.
I think this plotline is different from others because of the way things disasterously work out for Hitch. Usually, the man in movie, always tried to impress the lady, and in my opinion, most of the time it works. For most of Hitch and Sara's relationship, it was just disaster after disaster, untill when it really mattered the most. Hitch told Sara that even though he might mess up all the time, he couldn't bear to lose her.
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