always look...
on the bright side of life...
[tum too-doo to-do to-do to-doo]
i am always embarrassingly behind much of the world in movie-watching. am still to see slumdog, but that's a different story. today, i saw as good as it gets. was always under the impression that i had seen it already, but either i had made up that memory, or i must have seen all of five scenes. as i rediscovered the movie today, i loved how well jack nicholson did his role (as did the others, for that matter). the song "always look on the bright side of life" definitely lifts the spirits (not that mine were down by any measure, to begin with), and the screenplay is brilliant.
also, the movie has one line in particular that really moved me. in this fancy restaurant, as melvin (jack) eats with carol (helen), he insults her dress. infuriated, carol demands that he pay her a compliment right then. he does, and what a compliment it is! he says, "you make me want to be a better man." carol concedes that it's the best compliment she's ever received.
of course, then there's the part where this girl asks melvin, "how do you write women so well?" and he says, "i think of a man, and i take away reason and accountability." not so moving :).
but the first... it's one of those lines that strike you and ignite a spark of immeasurable gratitude within. what a blessing it is to have such an inspiration in one's life. be it a parent, a friend, a child, a significant other, or even just a distant role-model, i'd like to send out a prayer that each of us is blessed with such a presence in our lives. that each of us may "want to become a better person" as a result. and for those of us who are so blessed, i pray that we are duly grateful.
and come to think of it, recognizing that presence isn't the hard part at all. all one needs is a little bit of love. that is all.
[tum too-doo to-do to-do to-doo]
i am always embarrassingly behind much of the world in movie-watching. am still to see slumdog, but that's a different story. today, i saw as good as it gets. was always under the impression that i had seen it already, but either i had made up that memory, or i must have seen all of five scenes. as i rediscovered the movie today, i loved how well jack nicholson did his role (as did the others, for that matter). the song "always look on the bright side of life" definitely lifts the spirits (not that mine were down by any measure, to begin with), and the screenplay is brilliant.
also, the movie has one line in particular that really moved me. in this fancy restaurant, as melvin (jack) eats with carol (helen), he insults her dress. infuriated, carol demands that he pay her a compliment right then. he does, and what a compliment it is! he says, "you make me want to be a better man." carol concedes that it's the best compliment she's ever received.
of course, then there's the part where this girl asks melvin, "how do you write women so well?" and he says, "i think of a man, and i take away reason and accountability." not so moving :).
but the first... it's one of those lines that strike you and ignite a spark of immeasurable gratitude within. what a blessing it is to have such an inspiration in one's life. be it a parent, a friend, a child, a significant other, or even just a distant role-model, i'd like to send out a prayer that each of us is blessed with such a presence in our lives. that each of us may "want to become a better person" as a result. and for those of us who are so blessed, i pray that we are duly grateful.
and come to think of it, recognizing that presence isn't the hard part at all. all one needs is a little bit of love. that is all.
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