Nothing naive about your impulse to change the world!

"At a time of war, we need you to work for peace. At a time of inequality, we need you to work for opportunity. At a time of so much cynicism and so much doubt, we need you to make us believe again."

"We may disagree on certain issues and positions, but I believe we can be unified in service to a greater good. I intend to make it a cause of my presidency, and I believe with all my heart that this generation is ready, and eager, and up to the challenge."

"There's no community service requirement in the real world; no one forcing you to care. You can take your diploma, walk off this stage, and chase only after the big house and the nice suits and all the other things that our money culture says you should buy. You can choose to narrow your concerns and live your life in a way that tries to keep your story separate from America's.''

"But I hope you don't. Not because you have an obligation to those who are less fortunate, though you do have that obligation. Not because you have a debt to all those who helped you get here, though you do have that debt."

"It's because you have an obligation to yourself. Because our individual salvation depends on collective salvation. Because thinking only about yourself, fulfilling your immediate wants and needs, betrays a poverty of ambition. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential and discover the role you'll play in writing the next great chapter in America's story."

These statements from his Wesleyan graduation speech are just a sample of the reasons as to why Barack Obama is the right person in the right place at the right time. The Bush administration has so deeply divided our country that nothing but the radical change that Obama endorses will get us back on track to what we could and should be.

For those that would prefer to read the text of his speech:

(Barack Obama @ Wesleyan University | Sunday, 25 May 2008)

Thank you, President Roth, for that generous introduction, and congratulations on your first year at the helm of Wesleyan. Congratulations also to the class of 2008, and thank you for allowing me to be a part of your graduation.

I have the distinct honor today of pinch-hitting for one of my personal heroes and a hero to this country, Senator Edward Kennedy. Teddy wanted to be here very much, but as you know, he's had a very long week and is taking some much-needed rest. He called me up a few days ago and I said that I'd be happy to be his stand-in, even if there was no way I could fill his shoes.

I did, however, get the chance to glance at the speech he planned on delivering today, and I'd like to start by passing along a message from him: "To all those praying for my return to good health, I offer my heartfelt thanks. And to any who'd rather have a different result, I say, don't get your hopes up just yet!"

So we know that Ted Kennedy's legendary sense of humor is as strong as ever, and I have no doubt that his equally legendary fighting spirit will carry him through this latest challenge. He is our friend, he is our champion, and we hope and pray for his return to good health.

The topic of his speech today was common for a commencement, but one that nobody could discuss with more authority or inspiration than Ted Kennedy. And that is the topic of service to one's country – a cause that is synonymous with his family's name and their legacy.

I was born the year that his brother John called a generation of Americans to ask their country what they could do. And I came of age at a time when they did it. They were the Peace Corps volunteers who won a generation of goodwill toward America at a time when America's ideals were challenged. They were the teenagers and college students, not much older than you, who watched the Civil Rights Movement unfold on their television sets; who saw the dogs and the fire hoses and the footage of marchers beaten within an inch or their lives; who knew it was probably smarter and safer to stay at home, but still decided to take those Freedom Rides down south – who still decided to march. And because they did, they changed the world.

I bring this up because today, you are about to enter a world that makes it easy to get caught up in the notion that there are actually two different stories at work in our lives.

The first is the story of our everyday cares and concerns – the responsibilities we have to our jobs and our families – the bustle and busyness of what happens in our own life. And the second is the story of what happens in the life of our country – of what happens in the wider world. It's the story you see when you catch a glimpse of the day's headlines or turn on the news at night – a story of big challenges like war and recession; hunger and climate change; injustice and inequality. It's a story that can sometimes seem distant and separate from our own – a destiny to be shaped by forces beyond our control.

And yet, the history of this nation tells us this isn't so. It tells us that we are a people whose destiny has never been written for us, but by us – by generations of men and women, young and old, who have always believed that their story and the American story are not separate, but shared. And for more than two centuries, they have served this country in ways that have forever enriched both.

I say this to you as someone who couldn't be standing here today if not for the service of others, and wouldn't be standing here today if not for the purpose that service gave my own life.

You see, I spent much of my childhood adrift. My father left my mother and I when I was two. When my mother remarried, I lived in Indonesia for a time, but was mostly raised in Hawaii by her and my grandparents from Kansas. My teenage years were filled with more than the usual dose of adolescent rebellion, and I'll admit that I didn't always take myself or my studies very seriously. I realize that none of you can probably relate to this, but there were many times when I wasn't sure where I was going, or what I would do.

But during my first two years of college, perhaps because the values my mother had taught me –hard work, honesty, empathy – had resurfaced after a long hibernation; or perhaps because of the example of wonderful teachers and lasting friends, I began to notice a world beyond myself. I became active in the movement to oppose the apartheid regime of South Africa. I began following the debates in this country about poverty and health care. So that by the time I graduated from college, I was possessed with a crazy idea – that I would work at a grassroots level to bring about change.

I wrote letters to every organization in the country I could think of. And one day, a small group of churches on the South Side of Chicago offered me a job to come work as a community organizer in neighborhoods that had been devastated by steel plant closings. My mother and grandparents wanted me to go to law school. My friends were applying to jobs on Wall Street. Meanwhile, this organization offered me $12,000 a year plus $2,000 for an old, beat-up car.

And I said yes.

Now, I didn't know a soul in Chicago, and I wasn't sure what this community organizing business was all about. I had always been inspired by stories of the Civil Rights Movement and JFK's call to service, but when I got to the South Side, there were no marches, and no soaring speeches. In the shadow of an empty steel plant, there were just a lot of folks who were struggling. And we didn't get very far at first.

I still remember one of the very first meetings we put together to discuss gang violence with a group of community leaders. We waited and waited for people to show up, and finally, a group of older people walked into the hall. And they sat down. And a little old lady raised her hand and asked, "Is this where the bingo game is?"

It wasn't easy, but eventually, we made progress. Day by day, block by block, we brought the community together, and registered new voters, and set up after school programs, and fought for new jobs, and helped people live lives with some measure of dignity.

But I also began to realize that I wasn't just helping other people. Through service, I found a community that embraced me; citizenship that was meaningful; the direction I'd been seeking. Through service, I discovered how my own improbable story fit into the larger story of America.

Each of you will have the chance to make your own discovery in the years to come. And I say "chance" because you won't have to take it. There's no community service requirement in the real world; no one forcing you to care. You can take your diploma, walk off this stage, and chase only after the big house and the nice suits and all the other things that our money culture says you should buy. You can choose to narrow your concerns and live your life in a way that tries to keep your story separate from America's.

But I hope you don't. Not because you have an obligation to those who are less fortunate, though you do have that obligation. Not because you have a debt to all those who helped you get here, though you do have that debt.

It's because you have an obligation to yourself. Because our individual salvation depends on collective salvation. Because thinking only about yourself, fulfilling your immediate wants and needs, betrays a poverty of ambition. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential and discover the role you'll play in writing the next great chapter in America's story.

There are so many ways to serve and so much need at this defining moment in our history. You don't have to be a community organizer or do something crazy like run for President. Right here at Wesleyan, many of you have already volunteered at local schools, contributed to United Way, and even started a program that brings fresh produce to needy families in the area. One hundred and sixty-four graduates of this school have joined the Peace Corps since 2001, and I'm especially proud that two of you are about to leave for my father's homeland of Kenya to bring alternative sources of energy to impoverished areas.

I ask you to seek these opportunities when you leave here, because the future of this country – your future – depends on it. At a time when our security and moral standing depend on winning hearts and minds in the forgotten corners of this world, we need more of you to serve abroad. As President, I intend to grow the Foreign Service, double the Peace Corps over the next few years, and engage the young people of other nations in similar programs, so that we work side by side to take on the common challenges that confront all humanity.

At a time when our ice caps are melting and our oceans are rising, we need you to help lead a green revolution. We still have time to avoid the catastrophic consequences of climate change if we get serious about investing in renewable sources of energy, and if we get a generation of volunteers to work on renewable energy projects, and teach folks about conservation, and help clean up polluted areas; if we send talented engineers and scientists abroad to help developing countries promote clean energy.

At a time when a child in Boston must compete with children in Beijing and Bangalore, we need an army of you to become teachers and principals in schools that this nation cannot afford to give up on. I will pay our educators what they deserve, and give them more support, but I will also ask more of them to be mentors to other teachers, and serve in high-need schools and high-need subject areas like math and science.

At a time when there are children in the city of New Orleans who still spend each night in a lonely trailer, we need more of you to take a weekend or a week off from work, and head down South, and help rebuild. If you can't get the time, volunteer at the local homeless shelter or soup kitchen in your own community. Find an organization that's fighting poverty, or a candidate who promotes policies you believe in, and find a way to help them.

At a time of war, we need you to work for peace. At a time of inequality, we need you to work for opportunity. At a time of so much cynicism and so much doubt, we need you to make us believe again.

Now understand this - believing that change is possible is not the same as being naïve. Go into service with your eyes wide open, for change will not come easily. On the big issues that our nation faces, difficult choices await. We'll have to face some hard truths, and some sacrifice will be required – not only from you individually, but from the nation as a whole.

There is no magic bullet to our energy problems, for example; no perfect energy source - so all of us will have to use the energy sources we have more wisely. Deep-rooted poverty will not be reversed overnight, and will require both money and reform at a time when our federal and state budgets are strapped and Washington is skeptical that reform is possible. Transforming our education system will require not only bold government action, but a change in attitudes among parents and students. Bringing an end to the slaughter in Darfur will involve navigating extremely difficult realities on the ground, even for those with the best of intentions.

And so, should you take the path of service, should you choose to take up one of these causes as your own, know that you'll experience frustrations and failures. Even your successes will be marked by imperfections and unintended consequences. I guarantee you, there will certainly be times when friends or family urge you to pursue more sensible endeavors with more tangible rewards. And there will be times when you are tempted to take their advice.

But I hope you'll remember, during those times of doubt and frustration, that there is nothing naïve about your impulse to change this world. Because all it takes is one act of service – one blow against injustice – to send forth that tiny ripple of hope that Robert Kennedy spoke of.

You know, Ted Kennedy often tells a story about the fifth anniversary celebration of the Peace Corps. He was there, and he asked one of the young Americans why he had chosen to volunteer. And the man replied, "Because it was the first time someone asked me to do something for my country."

I don't know how many of you have been asked that question, but after today, you have no excuses. I am asking you, and if I should have the honor of serving this nation as President, I will be asking again in the coming years. We may disagree on certain issues and positions, but I believe we can be unified in service to a greater good. I intend to make it a cause of my presidency, and I believe with all my heart that this generation is ready, and eager, and up to the challenge.

We will face our share of cynics and doubters. But we always have. I can still remember a conversation I had with an older man all those years ago just before I left for Chicago. He said, "Barack, I'll give you a bit of advice. Forget this community organizing business and do something that's gonna make you some money. You can't change the world, and people won't appreciate you trying. But you've got a nice voice, so you should think about going into television broadcasting. I'm telling you, you've got a future."

Now, he may have been right about the TV thing, but he was wrong about everything else. For that old man has not seen what I have seen. He has not seen the faces of ordinary people the first time they clear a vacant lot or build a new playground or force an unresponsive leader to provide services to their community. He has not seen the face of a child brighten because of an inspiring teacher or mentor. He has not seen scores of young people educate their parents on issues like Darfur, or mobilize the conscience of a nation around the challenge of climate change. He has not seen lines of men and women that wrap around schools and churches, that stretch block after block just so they could make their voices heard, many for the very first time.
And that old man who didn't believe the world could change – who didn't think one person could make a difference – well he certainly didn't know much about the life of Joseph Kennedy's youngest son.

It is rare in this country of ours that a person exists who has touched the lives of nearly every single American without many of us even realizing it. And yet, because of Ted Kennedy, millions of children can see a doctor when they get sick. Mothers and fathers can leave work to spend time with their newborns. Working Americans are paid higher wages, and compensated for overtime, and can keep their health insurance when they change jobs. They are protected from discrimination in the workplace, and those who are born with disabilities can still get an education, and health care, and fair treatment on the job. Our schools are stronger and our colleges are filled with more Americans who can afford it. And I have a feeling that Ted Kennedy is not done just yet.

But surely, if one man can achieve so much and make such a difference in the lives of so many, then each of us can do our part. Surely, if his service and his story can forever shape America's story, then our collective service can shape the destiny of this generation. At the very least, his living example calls each of us to try. That is all I ask of you on this joyous day of new beginnings; that is what Senator Kennedy asks of you as well, and that is how we will keep so much needed work going, and the cause of justice everlasting, and the dream alive for generations to come.

A Different America

I can't believe I'm about to share an article from CNN.com; however, when an analysis is well written...it's well written. Even if it comes from the joke that is CNN.

One reason I like this article is because it makes the following point: For millions of younger Americans -- black and white -- it's different. In school, at work, on television, they've experienced a different America. They've experienced an America that is divided but genuinely diverse. Their icons might be Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Colin Powell, or Maya Angelou.

Brilliant. That's exactly right. The PBS special "Generation Next," hosted by the News Hour's Judy Woodruff, makes an interesting point through her interviews with young (18-24) people across America: even if young people identify themselves as "conservative," they have social views that are more liberal than their parents who also self-identify as "conservative." It's a fascinating trend emerging as we approach November. Today's young people are growing up in a multi-racial world and creating their own amalgam of values. This hybrid can also be seen in their views toward gay rights (another soap box for another post).

That ownership and hands-on creation of values is precisely what the American experiment is all about.

Race has always been the wild card in American politics. Barack Obama reshuffles the deck. The junior senator from Illinois knows that he defies history -- and expectations. "Nobody thought a 46-year-old black guy named Barack Obama was going to be the nominee," he said in May.

Obama, the son of a white woman from Kansas and a man from a small village in Kenya, was the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review. He was the third African-American since Reconstruction to be elected to the U.S. Senate.

For African-Americans who lived through the civil rights struggles of Selma, Alabama, Rosa Parks and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Obama is a symbol of struggle and success, progress and change. From Obama's humble upbringings to his meteoric rise in politics, few at the back of the bus would have predicted they would ever see this.

"To think a few short years ago blacks and whites could not board a Greyhound bus or a Trailways bus in [Washington] D.C. and travel together through the Deep South without the fear of being arrested, jailed, beaten or even facing death," said Rep. John Lewis, a Georgian and a leader in the civil rights movement.

For millions of younger Americans -- black and white -- it's different. In school, at work, on television, they've experienced a different America. They've experienced an America that is divided but genuinely diverse. Their icons might be Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Colin Powell or Maya Angelou.

"When I visit a school and Obama's face comes up on the screen, it's like he's one of us. For younger people, white and black, this is now. This is here and now. This is real," Lewis said.

R&B singer Patti LaBelle said Obama will change the way African-American youth look at their future. "I'm as excited as a kid in Toy Town," LaBelle said. "They're going to look up to him and say, 'If he can do this, so can I.' "

Many of these young people see Obama as Generation Next -- multiethnic, educated, global -- a politician who happens to be black. To them, he's more about the future than the past. Hip-hop entrepreneur Russell Simmons called Obama the "first hip-hop" presidential candidate. He said the nomination will have a more powerful effect on older African-Americans. Young African-Americans are part of a generation that's less racist, sexist and homophobic than that of their parents. "Younger blacks knew all the time that this was possible," Simmons said. "It doesn't seem unnatural to them. Older people are more shocked by it. Older blacks didn't want to support Obama at first because they didn't think [the nomination] was possible."

Rachel Robinson, widow of baseball player and African-American pioneer Jackie Robinson, said Obama is a "champion of social change." "His success is a reminder that no one who dares to stand up and challenge the status quo does so alone," she said.

However the politics play out, the country is now where it has never been before.

The Kennedy of My Generation

Barack sent an email on Tuesday (click here to read Hillary's landmark Tuesday email) and I have never felt so hopeful as when I read his short, simple message. I realize that I live and breathe a 24-hour news cycle and political minutia is outrageously exciting to me, but even if you're only a slightly occasional fan, you have to admit that the power of this movement is hard to ignore.

It is a movement to take back our country and give voice to her people. It is a movement to insure our children and take care of our elders. It is a movement to regain the respect we have lost with our brothers and sisters the world over. It is a movement to care for the earth and her limited resources. It is a movement to empower our marginalized citizens and honor the diversity of this nation. It is a movement of social justice, equality, and a shared vision.

It is a movement unlike anything my generation has ever experienced. I've always been jealous of my parents for having experienced both John and Robert Kennedy, but I have no need to be jealous now. We have Barack Obama.

In his own words:

Friend --

I'm about to take the stage in St. Paul and announce that we have won the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.

It's been a long journey, and we should all pause to thank Hillary Clinton, who made history in this campaign. Our party and our country are better off because of her.

I want to make sure you understand what's ahead of us. Earlier tonight, John McCain outlined a vision of America that's very different from ours -- a vision that continues the disastrous policies of George W. Bush.

But this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past and bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face. Our time to offer a new direction for the country we love.

It's going to take hard work, but thanks to you and millions of other donors and volunteers, no one has ever been more prepared for such a challenge.

Thank you for everything you've done to get us here. Let's keep making history.

Barack

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

It goes without saying that I'm thrilled Obama is the Democratic nominee ("presumptive nominee" until 25 August...yeah yeah blah blah). As I watched the drama unravel I wondered how Hillary would make her exit, when she would make her exit, if she would make her exit. I honestly expected her to continue the Michigan/Florida fight and I have to say, I didn't anticipate such a graceful exit.

I'm not saying I think Hillary is ungraceful and so grace surprises me, but I am saying she chews nails and spits rust. I love her for that. I want young girls and old girls and all girls from Maine to California to love her for that (and to love it in themselves). On Tuesday when I read an email from her (below) announcing her Saturday press conference (12:00noon EST, btw) I was moved to tears. I honestly was. Political junkie or not, you have to admit that it's inspiring.

She has been gunning for the presidency from the day Bill left and she carpetbagged New York (probably even longer in her private mind). She came so close. She ran a tough campaign and is the consummate politician. She broke down barriers that people never expected to see broken in their life time. She paved the way for generations of women to come...come up through the ranks of power, respect, anything they desire.

The other moment of inspiration? That this country and her ideals mean enough to her and to millions and millions of people that we will all rally behind Obama and take our country back. She has the power to shuffle her army of supporters to the Obama camp and she'll begin that process Saturday. It will be an incredible movement to watch. You gotta respect her for that. I sure do.

In her own words:

I wanted you to be one of the first to know: on Saturday, I will hold an event in Washington D.C. to thank everyone who has supported my campaign. Over the course of the last 16 months, I have been privileged and touched to witness the incredible dedication and sacrifice of so many people working for our campaign. Every minute you put into helping us win, every dollar you gave to keep up the fight meant more to me than I can ever possibly tell you.

On Saturday, I will extend my congratulations to Senator Obama and my support for his candidacy. This has been a long and hard-fought campaign, but as I have always said, my differences with Senator Obama are small compared to the differences we have with Senator McCain and the Republicans.

I have said throughout the campaign that I would strongly support Senator Obama if he were the Democratic Party's nominee, and I intend to deliver on that promise. When I decided to run for president, I knew exactly why I was getting into this race: to work hard every day for the millions of Americans who need a voice in the White House.

I made you -- and everyone who supported me -- a promise: to stand up for our shared values and to never back down. I'm going to keep that promise today, tomorrow, and for the rest of my life. I will be speaking on Saturday about how together we can rally the party behind Senator Obama. The stakes are too high and the task before us too important to do otherwise.

I know as I continue my lifelong work for a stronger America and a better world, I will turn to you for the support, the strength, and the commitment that you have shown me in the past 16 months. And I will always keep faith with the issues and causes that are important to you.

In the past few days, you have shown that support once again with hundreds of thousands of messages to the campaign, and again, I am touched by your thoughtfulness and kindness. I can never possibly express my gratitude, so let me say simply, thank you.

Sincerely,

First Friday Films | Take Eight

First Friday Films | Take Eight




It's been a while since I've written a First Friday Films post. It's not that I haven't seen any movies, it's just that with my travel schedule I haven't seen many and haven't had time to post about the few I have seen. Until now. Here is a handful of opinions, re: the last few months of silver screen offerings.

Die Falscher (The Counterfeiters)
Just when you think all the stories that can possibly be told about WWII Nazi concentration camps have been told (and over-told, in fact, by Hollywood)...you see The Counterfeiters. What a fascinating story. The movie wasn't blow-you-away awesome, but it's more than solid and it's a compelling story.

Select Jewish prisoners were recruited into an elite cohort assigned to produce the dollar and the pound (a few of the prisoners were criminal counterfeiters before the war). The Nazi's goal was to produce enough money to flood and shut down the US and British economies. They got pretty close, actually, and that's the fascinating part. That and the clinical way the film addressed the minutia of the counterfeiting processes. I learned a lot. I also enjoyed watching the interpersonal dynamics of the Nazi soldiers and the Jewish counterfeiters. Nothing is ever as black and white and people want you to believe. Ultimately the story was very human and I'd recommend checking it out.

Then She Found Me
Indulgent and way too earnest. That criticism out of my system, I didn't hate the film. The acting was top notch, the plot was interesting (39-year old woman working to define herself and her life, recently divorced, wants a baby), and I like watching romantic movies about real adults with real problems. Read also: No more chasing down the taxi cab in a rainstorm to stop her from getting on the plane followed by a gratuitously soft focus sex scene where all is perfectly perfect. Blech. Enough. I detest chick flicks, as it were, and at least Then She Found Me avoids the cliches altogether. Every character is stripped down to their most elemental, lost, struggling reality. It's just that their struggling reality was a bit melodramatic for my taste.

This film is Helen Hunt's directorial debut (she also plays the lead, April Epner). She was working with a script adapted from a book - so I don't entirely blame her for the indulgent earnestness. I left the theatre feeling tired and emotionally beat up, even though - spoiler - all does end well. If all of that rambling turns you off to the film, two words: Colin. Firth. Firth plays Frank, the single father of two slash love interest of April. He delivers an incredible performance. I would watch it all over again just to see him scream at April and put her in her place and in a moment of weakness and clarity, express how hard and undesirable fatherhood can be. Fantastic. He is fan-tas-tic. (No, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you. Salman Rushdie is Helen Hunt's gyno)

27 Dresses
I know. I know. I just prattled on about my dislike for chick flicks, but there's just something about this movie I can't get over. I think it has a lot to do with the awesome chemistry between Katherine Heigl and James Marsden. When they spend the afternoon together and she tries on all of her dresses, it's painfully cheesy and yet it's so adorable for some reason. I can't stop smiling and I even laugh out loud when they rock the small town bar with a drunken rendition of "Benny and the Jets." The movie is formulaic and predictable, but there's something about it that I relate to and enjoy.

The Jane Austen Book Club
Loved, loved, loved this movie...even though I have really mixed feeling about Jane Austen. My English degree gives me the unique pleasure of, even these many years post-college, spending sleepless nights wrestling with the following dilemma: trailblazing-feminist or mindlessly-narrow-world-view? Both camps of lit critics are equally passionate about their positions and I'm still sitting on the proverbial fence (though both feet are dangling on the side NOT belonging to trailblazing-feminist). My lack of militant fanticism makes cocktail party convos with Austenite girlfriends quite challenging. This is my life. Moving on.

Being a huge fan of ensemble casts, I clearly loved having nine main characters floating in and around each other's lives. The pretense is that a book club forms with the express purpose of reading one Austen novel each month. Of course you called it, the plot of each book resembles the life of the chosen monthly host. It is surprisingly subtle, however, and not at all didactic, as I thought it might be. It's funny and sexy and though the whole ensemble is strong, Emily Blunt and Hugh Dancy definitely steal the show.

I will admit a moment of weakness where I felt the urge to re-read all of Austen's novels. That desire soon passed, as quickly as any nauseous dizzy spell can be expected to, and I settled instead on wanting to read the novel on which this film is based. Or maybe I'll just Redbox the movie again.

Iron Man
Silly boys. Silly, silly boys with silly toys. The metaphors in this film are so phallic I can barely stand it, so I'll instead let you read Andrew's thoughts on the matter. I want to be fair to the movie, but I can't see the forest for the phallus. I will say that I enjoyed it for what it was, a summer blockbuster at it's best (which doesn't set the bar too high in my world, but whatever). I will also say that Robert Downey Jr. is perfection and absolutely no one but him could have pulled this off. I will further say that super hero movies have become way too self-important and the pretentiousness has to stop somewhere. I don't know that future script writers and directors are paying attention, but I hope that somewhere is the precedent Iron Man sent. Just be funny and blow stuff up. You're not actually saving the world. Relax.

Young@Heart
What's not to love about 80-year-olds singing The Ramones and Sonic Youth? Honestly. This movie will make you laugh out loud, cry, sing, cheer, the premiere audience I was in stood up at the end in spontaneous clapping and shouts of joy. For real. You can't help it. It's such a celebration of life and living each day to the fullest...you cannot stay in your seat.

The Young@Heart Chorus travels around the country (and Europe) performing hit songs from (roughly) the 70s through today, everything from Rolling Stones to Radiohead. The documentary follows them through a series of rehearsals and a handful of performances. I love the entire movie, but I have two favorite moments.

The first moment is when the chorus performs "Forever Young" at a prison and the inmates are moved to tears and a standing ovation. The interactions among the performers and the prisoners are so beautiful. The second moment is the solo performance of "Fix You" (Cold Play). There are no words. Just see the movie...and then join me for their night in The SLC next Tuesday!



My Blueberry Nights
Jude Law. Yum. Norah Jones. Yum. Natalie Portman. Yum. David Strathrairn. Yum. Rachel Weisz. Yum. An amazing cast and one of the most tender movies I've seen in a long time. Norah Jones plays a recently heartbroken waitress who has a short-term-high-charge-albeit-platonic tete a tete with cafe owner Jude Law before she embarks on a year-long road trip to heal and get her mind right. While on the road she befriends Natalie Portman, an out-of-luck gambler and con artist, and David Strathrairn, an alcoholic police officer suffering a difficult separation from his wife who's publicly moving on.

The way the movie is filmed, the colors, the angles, the editing, is all incredibly art house. I love it. Amazing. A charming touch is that the communication between Jude Law and Norah Jones, while she's on her soul-searching road trip and he's working in his New York cafe, is through hand-written post cards. There was something so nostalgic about that, insanely romantic. I sent a bunch of handwritten notes to my friends after watching this movie (...wish I was sending lovely letterpress notes to Jude Law, but whatever).

The Visitor
One of the best films I've seen. Ever. Not like recently, ever. It sneaks up on you and just when you think it's content to be charming and interesting and well made, it blows you out of the water and changes your life. Well, mine, anyway.

Walter is a widower who lives his life day to day, deeply lonely, by the book, no passion, no creative energy (think T.S. Eliot's Prufrock). He owns property in New York, in addition to his home in Connecticut. When he visits his New York property in order to attend a conference in the city, he comes home to find two strangers living there. Tarek (played by the insanely delicious Haaz Sleiman) is from Syria and his girlfriend, Zainab, is from Senegal. Tarek is a drummer and Zainab is an artist who makes jewelry. You probably see where this is going -- these two people, full of passion and creative energy, shake Walter's life to the core and he's never the same. The most magical movie moment of the year: Walter joining a drum circle in New York's Washington Square, full of life, smiling at Tarek, finding is groove, and radically changing his life from that moment on.

The film, in addition to prompting discussion about a life well lived, addresses the highly-charged issue of immigration. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant and really difficult to watch. It's actually quite frustrating and the conclusion of the film still bothers me. It is as realistic as it could possibly be, and that's why it frustrates me: because the current state of our xenophobic policies and practices frustrate me. Whether you care to enter the debate on immigration policies or not, you should see this film and enter a dialogue about your passions and life's purpose. Even if that dialogue is with yourself.

Sex and the City
Yes, there's girly giggling about Manolo Blahnik and Louis Vuitton. Yes, there are stupid sexual puns spouted by Samantha. Yes, Carrie's voiceover narration is still forced and poorly written. Get over it already. This is a good movie and I'm tired of sounding like a tool defending it. SATC debuted with a box office killing of $55.7 million in two days, when Warner Brother's had only estimated $30 million. I'm only going to speak for myself, but I think the success is because we (meaning women (and a handful of gay men)) are excited to see a movie about adult women, with adult problems, who we completely relate to, but who also happen to live in some sort of fantasy fashion land of bi-costal friendships and penthouses on 5th Avenue. I think SATC strikes a good balance.

Driving home from the movie on opening day (that's right...opening day), I heard an awful review on NPR, and I don't mean the reviewer thought the film was awful (though he did), I mean the review itself was awful. Poorly written, narrowly conceived, and judgmental to the point of sounding ridiculous to anyone that had actually seen the movie (which the reviewer, go figure, had not). People harp on the graphic sex scenes. So don't take your 13-year-old neighbor to see it. People harp on the consumption and obsession of brand names. Enjoy the fashion or not, recognize that there's much more to the show. Furthermore, who said SATC had to be Citizen Kane, anyway?

Ultimately, the movie is about being fiercely loyal to your girlfriends. It's also about relationships and sex and life and kids and families and divorce and frivolous fashion, and wanting it all. It doesn't get more quintessentially GenX than that.