Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump is a memorable movie for its superb acting, meanings, and a great story. The theme of this movie would be something along the lines of living life to the fullest, since the main character Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) experiences so many life lessons and events to even comprehend. The film has a way to linger with its viewers because many of the viewers can relate to one of Gump's many experiences. Even though the film focuses on the life of Forrest Gump, many of its characters are very dynamic and can be related to as well. Lieutenant Dan was a rough badass marine when Gump meets him in Vietnam, but have the war he loses the use of his legs. This leads Dan to drinking and almost suicidal since he wanted to die a hero during the war. However, he fixes himself up and helps Gump manage his multi-million shrimping company, and finally finds peace with himself. This character and many others help shape and mold Gump to the man he becomes at the end. His mom play an important role in his life, giving him many lessons such as the infamous "Life is like a box of chocolates..". This is important because Forrest does life up to this, since his life is filled with many changes and occurrences.  The theme of shoes/feet are important throughout the movie, since Gump believes everyman needs his own shoes. He uses this when he runs across the country until his shoes gives way. Even though there were many scenes in this movie, from Vietnam to D.C, Gump's hometown was in Greenbow, Georgia. This is important to the plot because Gump hold his home close to his believes. This gives the viewers the important message of returning to your roots and always staying close to your home.

Yet Another Music Blog

The use of music sets the mood and tone in many movies. It connects viewers to the movie in a more vibrate way. Many (if not most) movies do this, such as Empire Records, uses many forms of rock to set the theme of the movie. Empire Records  is a records store, selling all sorts of different types of music, however, the cast of slack off teens exhibit traits of rock enthusiasts. The soundtrack of the movie gives many types of rock; Classic, punk, metal, garage, and so on. These intrepid the different personalities and characteristics of the cast of misfits that work there. This allows viewers to connect to the characters without having to watch more movie time to know their backstories. Music also tells the mood of certain movies. When a movie is showing a joyful and peaceful time, music can be played in the background to have the viewers experience not only a visual, but audio connection as well that the mood is a joyful one.

Redemption

Redemption is the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil. The Shawshank Redemption is all about this. The movie takes place in the late 1940s, when a banker named
Andy Dufresne finds out his wife had an affair. He gets drunk and contemplates scaring them with a gun, but doesn't go with it. However, his wife and her lover are murdered and Andy is sentenced two life time in Shawshank Prison. There, he endures a harsh system with abusive guards and raping from some prison members. He manages to use he's wits to friend several people, including Red, a smuggler of goods. At the end of the movie, Any manages to escape after 20 years of plotting and tunneling, and brings forth the truth behind the warden's illegal activities and the corruption at Shawshank. The iconic scene where Andy comes out of the sewers he had to crawl out of to escape into the waterworks during a violent storm is very symbolic. It express how through all those years of pain and remorse, he had finally achieved freedom. Innocent, he brought the true criminals to justice; Warden Norton for excepting illegal bribes and Captain Hadley for murdering a cellmates. The movie's name does live up to the plot, since a man that was done wrong achieve sanction for what he had to go through. Redemption comes to other characters as well besides Any. Red served over 30 years, and was released for good behavior. He carriers out a promise he mad to Any and travels to Mexico to find Any.

Another Music Blog

 School of Rock and Mr. Holland's Opus are both movies about musical arts in school. Even though School of Rock is about a fake substitute teacher taking elementary children to play rock music at the battle of the bands compared to Mr. Holland's Opus is about a composer who teachers children throughout many years while making music during his own time and living with a deaf son who doesn't understand his work. Phew. Both of these movies are opposites when it comes to the different types of music or who the main protagonist is, but both have the same meaning. Music in school is still a much needed topic in school for students to learn. In the past several decades, more and more schools around the country have been cutting music classes out because of budgeting finances or the school district thinks it is not necessary for students to have, however, many disagree with these. Many programs, such as VH1 Save the Music, are trying to fund schools with the proper funds, equipment, and teachers to continue music classes for students. Music helps stimulate the mind and helps students understand the value and necessity of arts in school. Music isn't the only class that is threatened to disappear in schools. Art, history cultures, and other classes have been cut from school programs because of financial problems. It is important to teach to not only students, but teachers and music enthusiasts alike, that keeping music as a common core class in schools is a much needed tool.
 

Rent

Rent revolved around a group of people trying to keep their homes from their landlord/friend. Though all of the cast battled through their own personal issues (AIDS, homophobia, etc.), the main issue was trying to come up with money or some way to pay their rent. This was not really a cultural difference, but a financial one. The setting takes place in New York City, and much like every other city, which have poor areas where jobs are scarce and have high crime rates. Mark and Roger room with eachother, and are unable to pay their rent. With their friends, they try to overcome these obstacles such as Roger's AIDS. If this was to be placed in a more luxurious part of New York with people who had money, paying rent would not be an issue and there would be no story. Rent shows the viewers what it would be like living under conditions of poverty. 

Musicals

For reading the movies, I had to watch to musicals, Singing in the Rain and Chicago. Both are set in the 1930s, and portray their story in the form of a musical. After watching Singing in the Rain and trudging through Chicago, I had many feelings for both. They share many differences and one similarity. The only similarity they have in common is that they are musicals. Differences include; Singing in the Rain is a love story and Chicago is a redemption case. Singing in the Rain is about the transition from soundless movies to "talkies" and how it shook up Hollywood. Chicago is about a young woman who tries to get large in the jazz lights while behind the bars for murdering. Singing in the Rain was filled with lovable and lively characters, and though Chicago had a talented cast, I greatly admired Singing in the Rain's cast more. I honestly didn't like Chicago, it was heavily sexualized (though I do understand the 30's/Jazz Age was this) but I felt like I was watching a musical form of Orange is the New Black (which I do not fancy). On the other hand, I enjoyed watching Singing in the Rain. I loved the music and the mood set by the movie. I would defiantly watch Singing in the Rain again but Chicago was a bore. In all truth, I didn't enjoy watching musicals in the past, but after watching Singing in the Rain, I would like to watch more films that were in the same atmosphere.

The Fault in Our Stars and Papertowns

John Greene is the author of The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns. Both novels have been popular with students and teachers in the classroom and have been made into major motion pictures. Both works connect to the readers because the story and plot are realistic and are human problems. For The Fault in Our Stars, the theme is about living with flaws and how we cope with it, such as the two main characters with their diseases. As for Paper Towns, it is about finding out what we want to do with our lives and doing things outside of the box, such as when the main protagonist Quentin sets off on a journey to find his mysterious lover Margo. Both novels have large connections with the struggles and lifestyles of young adults. Even though they may not be the same situations are the books, but how the character deal or solve their problems can be related to many teens across the United States. We learn that everyone has flaws in our lives, but we either deal or live with them which can define or determine who we are. John Greene has made perfect example of the struggles young adults face in life, anything from what we want to do after high school or living with cancer. Many teachers admire John Greene's work and use it in their classrooms to try to compare the characters' lives to the students' lives. This has made large impacts in the readers because they can relate to the characters in The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns. People like to read something that they can relate to, and John Greene has made these two novels to do this.

9-11

Reign Over Me is a very sensitive movie about a dentist named Alan Johnson who helps his friend, Charlie Fineman, recover and coupe with his families death after 9/11. Charlie lost his wife and three kids after the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers, and lives his life afterwards in a seclusive and immature lifestyle. He tells Alan he does this to forget what has happened and not to remember the old times. Charlie does things that he liked to do before his marriage and kids, such as playing video games and the drum, collecting ablum records, and remodels his kitchen constantly. Charlie refuses to see help, and refuses to talk to anyone about his old life. When Alan tries to help Charlie by making him see a psychologist to talk about his problems, but Charlie is slow to adjust. The film shows how people were affected after the attacks on 9/11 by showing how a widower like Charlie Fineman lives his life, trying to deal with the shock of what had happened to his family. Charlie was a broken man who couldn't face the reality of life, and exhibited many symptoms of mental trauma such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The film really moved me personally because how the branching affect of the 9/11 attacks which affected the families and friends of the victims worldwide.      

1941 and Saving Private Ryan

1941 and Saving Private Ryan are both movies about World War II. Steven Spielberg directed both these movies with different goals to reach the audience.  Though both are about the conflict of WW2, they are very different in their content. 1941 is about the following days after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. After the attack, the American people were shocked at terrified by the aggression the Japanese had taken against them, and panic soon spread through the western states fearing that another Japanese attack would happen. The movie 1941 shows the paranoia that ran rampant throughout the American people. Steven Spielberg approached this topic and turned it into a humorous and comical movie. In 1941, there is a wide variety of goofy characters who approach a not-so-threatening Japanese attack of "Hollywood". Blind fear and misunderstanding leads to the greatest threat to the American people which was themselves. Steven Spielberg wanted to show how hysterical people were about a Japanese invasion which probably would of never happened on the mainland. Saving Private Ryan is entirely different in its content. Tom Hanks plays an American Ranger Captain who storms the beach of Normandy. The first thirty minutes of the movie is a brutal and an eye opening to the reality of war, and the viewers know instantly that this movie doesn't hold anything back to show this. When news that a mother lost three sons to the war, the Captain is ordered to take his squad deep beneath enemy lines to find the fourth son and to bring him home. During the treacherous journey, viewers watch as the mission takes lives and harsh combat to the already battered team. When they finally reach Ryan, most of the original squad including the Captain, die protecting a vital bridge from German control. Ryan is able to survive and live out his life with his family, as he remembers the sacrifices that men took to save him. This movie hits the viewers hard with the reality of sacrifice and brotherly bonds. Steven Spielberg directed and told these two movies perfectly and showed the audiences the different points of war.

Racism in Film

The matter of racism is a very sensitive in the film/movie industry. Many directors have different approaches when confronting it. The lives of the directors themselves play a key role in addressing racism. Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List is the story of a German business man named Oskar Schindler who saves the lives of 1200 Jews during the holocaust by convincing Nazi members that he needs the people to work in his factory. Though a Nazi party member himself,  Schindler knows the value of a human life, Jewish or not. Spielberg has great knowledge of this event in history, but what makes him more connected than most is that his family were oppressed by the holocaust. His Jewish background helped him direct what it would be like for the Jewish workers at the time. Another example of a director with background to the movie is Spike Lee and his  work, Do the Right Thing. Spike Lee set up an average day in the streets on Brooklyn, New York. In this setting, people of different ethnic backgrounds such as blacks, Hispanics, and Italians interact with each other. When some problems happen around the community, racial tensions start to build up. Spike Lee new of this problem himself because grew up in Brooklyn. He himself had similar experiences with racial tensions when he was a child and adult, so he used that personal background in his films to bring up the problem with racism.

Sports in Racism

I am disgusted with calling myself an American after watching 42, Glory Road, and Remember the Titans and how racism ruled society. Throughout our nation's history, there has been racism towards all races, especially towards blacks after the Civil War. An example of this has been in sports. The sports of America in the past was highly segregated, with white (being the major form of entertainment and professional standards) and black leagues. Baseball was one example of a segregated sport. The professional teams were made up of white men, whose teams were well managed and funded by wealthy backers. However, there was an underfunded league for blacks, whose games were not taken seriously and just served as a means to play baseball for Negro players. This was the way of life in America until a player named Jackie Robison, a negro player who played in black leagues, was drafted into the major league on the Brooklyn Dodgers. This was the first case of a black baseball player on an all white team. This was taken seriously by crowds of baseball fans whose views still discriminated against blacks. They believed that blacks were not capable or fit enough to play with white players, and Robison had to take not only racial slurs and hateful shouts at games, but being threaten and pressured to leave the game. However, Robison pushed on and in 1948, helped win the World Series for his team. Similar cases of mixing blacks with white teams happened in other sports too, such as football and basketball. Overall, the change between two different leagues separating blacks and whites and joining the two was a long and challenging process. During present times, there are still racial tensions in sports, but mostly because of a player's performance and not the color of their skin. There is still more effort to be done with the total destruction of not only racism in sports, but in our society as well.