The Goodenough Blog

Wow, last night I saw Revolutionary Road.  And while all the people on my facebook page think that I am crazy, I really loved it.  It was such a portrait of what I don’t want my life to be.  Trapped by a big house, trapped by children and trapped by a job that you hate.  You could tell that the couple in the movie really did love each-other but they were miserable because they never got to live out their dreams and had settled for what everyone else did; move to the suburbs and raise a family.  They resented each other for the decisions they felt that they had to make because society and responsibility had them in a headlock.  

I think it is perfectly fine to want to move to the suburbs and raise a family, I would have done it myself if I wanted kids. But to force those things upon each other because it’s what is “done” or what is “responsible” has never been something that I could stomach.  I don’t want the responsibility of a family and the most tied down I can be is to my husband because he wants the same things.  I don’t need a big house, I don’t need to have stuff.  I have cats because dogs are too much work.  I rent because then if I get bored I can leave and not have to sell a house.  Maybe it’s childish, maybe its selfish but I am willing to be both of those things so that I don’t end up being miserable and resentful later in life.  

So ya, I liked the film.  Go see it if you can, well go see it if you aren’t a miserable housewife or a miserable working stiff, because that will only lead to trouble.  

So last night I was invited to see a movie at the Santa Barbara Independent Film Festival.  We ended up seeing Sweet Thing which was filmed in and around my hometown Seattle, Wa. The plot, well if there was a plot it was about two 19 year old girls trying to find themselves and that wrestle that we all go through to gain our independence and then figuring out what to do with it once we get it.  Jody lives at home, works for her dad’s company and is so alone and confused that she turns to drugs.  Liz is all alone, has no one supporting her and works in a coffee shop.   

I really enjoyed every minute of this movie.  I recognized myself all throughout the movie, the coffee shop, the drugs, the first real boyfriend, smoking, working at a job your dad got you.    I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to be 19 again so badly.  Just that freedom that you are allowed when you are 19, you’re allowed to be reckless and stupid and smoke pot all day. 

This small indie film is fantastic and really reminds you of what life at 19 really was like and if you get a chance to see it, I would highly recommend it.  Although if your idea of a good movie is Bridget Jones’ Diary, you might want to  skip it.

So for a few years now I have been listening to This American Life on NPR’s free weekly podcast. It is “that show by those hipster know-it-alls who talk about how fascinating ordinary people are” to quote the O.C. I don’t actually watch the O.C. but on NPR I heard them discussing how This American Life made it on to this fictional TV show. Anywho, this is a show that is so fascinating because it reveals what is true about me and about us as humans. They do shows about everyday minutiae that you would never think would make for interesting radio. For instance they did a show about superintendents, you know the guys who manage your building? One of my favorite shows was a show all about testosterone, don’t ask me why, I think it just brought to light something that you would never ordinarily think about. Another show that I loved was a show about Guantanamo Bay and things that you never knew you wanted to know.

There is also a television series on Showtime which is even more fascinating because I don’t have to imagine what things look like, what the places they visit look like. (although there is something to be said for getting to use my imagination as an adult) The show last night was incredible, they filmed an Iraqi 20 something, that lives in America and travels around the Midwest and the South asking people why they voted for the war in Iraq. I was so surprised by the answers people gave. I am shocked that many people in this country live in such ignorance. I would encourage anyone seeking truth, seeking beauty in life and in human kind to give this show a chance either on the radio or on TV.

There is something to be said for the movie that can hold your attention despite the curious lack of anything actually happening. This has to be one of my favorite genres because it allows the audience to really get to know the characters and know their motivations and their idiosyncrasies.  Any movie can have a great plotbut the delivery, if wrong, can ruin the entire movie.  Since I LOVE people and figuring out why they do what they do, this is the ideal form of art to me even though the characters are fictional, they are relateable and I often see parts of myself in the struggling heroes. 

The following are a list of my favorites. 

1. Kicking and Screaming (Noah Baumbach dir./writer)- 5 guys graduate college and spend the entire length of the movie trying to determine what to do next and where they went wrong.
2. Before Sunrise (Richard Linklater dir/writer)-2 twenty somethings meet on a train in Europe and decide to get off the train and explore Vienna discussing philosophy and falling in love.
3. Before Sunset (Richard Linklater dir/writer)-Sequal to Before Sunrise, this time the two meet up again 10 years later and determine that not much has changed and they are still thinking of one another.
4. Waking Life (Richard Linklater dir/writer)-Brilliantly animated story involving a young man in a dream meeting different people and discussing the meaning of life. 
5. Dazed and Confused (guess?–Richard Linklater dir/writer)-This one follows kids graduating from high school, great one-liners, excellent soundtrack and an all around good time.

For anyone who has not seen Kicking and Screaming (1995), not the Will Ferrel version, you are missing out. This is one of the best under-appreciated movies of our time. This movie got me through college, dating, friendships and many nights not going to bars since “i’ve already looked back on it in my mind, and I didn’t have a good time”
Go do yourself a favor and rent, no buy this movie right away.