JUNO- And A Mamma Mia Inspired Message About Thanksgiving That You Should All Read

Today was alright. It started off rather frustrating because I wanted to hang out with people but we couldn't find anywhere to go! It was ridiculous, but it got better once I got with people. Specifically Sam, Brady, and Jocelyn. We went to Panda Express which was grrrrrrrrrrreat because that place is tasty! And then the bookstore and then blockbuster and we ended up watching a movie. But before I review that I feel the need to express more thoughts on LAST NIGHT'S film-venture.

Mamma Mia. Now, keep with me. I'm really gonna go at it again and tear it to shreds but there is some good points near the end that I took from it. Okay- Really, the more it has sunken in, the more I can honestly say I hated that movie. Now, I DO like Chick Flicks. I like musicals. I like ABBA. But what the HEEEEECK! See, the thing that baffles me here isn't so much that they made it, but that people liked it. No, not PEOPLE, my FRIENDS. Did it SERIOUSLY escape everyone what that movie was about? Like, HONESTLY?! I can only think of one other time I've been that uncomfortable and felt that guilty and awkward in a movie. I KNOW there are worse movies out there, but I'm talking about the ones I'VE gone to see. Aside from this, the only other time I've felt this way was for "Epic Movie" which was a RAUNCHY and unfunny comedy. Now, I WOULD put this as my number THREE worst movie theater film I've seen, but I saw "300" on DVD so... it's at number two. Now, Valerie, upon leaving the theater, said "Come on. It was better than you thought it would be." And I had to honestly say "It was worse" I mean, I KNEW the plot, but I had NO IDEA it would be THAT poorly made, and distasteful. Valerie tried throwing this one at me by saying "Sweeney Todd" doesn't have some good moral at the end or anything, and I'll admit, it doesn't. But it's not supposed to. Sweeney Todd is about a sincerely good person who is emotionally hurt SO badly that he becomes absolutely numb to all feeling. And they accomplished that story very well. Mamma Mia however, DOES come across as if it was trying to convey something. And that conveyed message was, as far as I can tell, one of the three. "It's okay to sleep with hundreds of men." "If you love eachother enough, it's PERFECTLY legit to not get married." or "Getting spontaneously married is really cute. Especially when the cited reason is "sex" as one of the ending songs mentioned." All in all... NONE of those are things I agree with. NONE. Then, looking at how it was made... awful, awful, awful directing. The Daily Telegraph's review (according to wikipedia) mentioned that it was poorly put together saying "Finding the film a total shambles was sort of a shame" Or this goody from The Guardian that said it gave the reviewer a "need to vomit" While I wouldn't go THAT far, I would say it was pretty rank. And the image of that old woman's phallic-imagery-pelvic-thrust is burned in my mind along with Bootstrap Bill's butt. And I can't get over that horrible ending! "OH I LOVE YOU! WE DON'T NEED TO BE MARRIED!" AND THEY NEVER FIND HER DAD!... there was ONE moment that they TRIED to make touching in which the daughter accepts her slutty mother for who she is... but... otherwise it was awful. BUT HERE'S THE GOOD NEWS! As mentioned last night, I had a blast simply going with Valerie. Or simply going to a movie! So I'm endlessly thankful for that. AND, the music was SOOOOOOOOOOOO awful (really, me saying Pierce was like a Rhino garggling blood was not an exaggeration since I found THESE comparisons online: "a water buffalo" "a donkey braying" and "a wounded raccoon") that it made me almost HAVE to listen to some REAL ABBA music to remind me why I ever had any respect for that music. So today I have ironically listened to a LOT of their stuff and have been reminded of it's fun goodness. So that was good. And while many many many good songs were TOTALLY ruined (SOS... agh... it's STILL hard to listen to what was once one of my favorites) I REALLY enjoyed the film version of "Gimme Gimme Gimme". Look it up on youtube- least that's what I did. THAT song gets approval. Plus, I love the instrumental chorus... Madonna used it in her song "Hung Up" so catchy and fun. So there's the word: good came from the experience but all in all Mamma Mia is a piece of immoral, mindless, poorly made, cinematic garbage. And that's my final word unless someone picks a fight about it.

This kinda reminded me of a talk I heard on Sunday, given by my dad! It was about Thanksgiving and he told a story about some sisters (I think) who went to a concentration camp or something. They got there and decided to pray and give thanks to God for anything good they could think of. So they thanked him for stuff like not being split up, and for the fact that the Nazis didn't confiscate their bible, and then one of them said thanks for the fleas which had infested their barracks. She got a TON of crap for that but noted that they were supposed to thank God in all situations for all things. Anyways, weeks later, they discovered that- as it turns out- the Nazi's stayed away from their barracks. They were never harassed or raped or had their things confiscated because their building was infested with fleas. DOPE! So if two women can be sent to a DEATH CAMP and find good things, I guess we should find the good things too. I know I'm the WORST at this. Like, literally, THE WORST at finding good... but it's something I hope to work on because really, something as simple as realizing that as much as I HATED Mamma Mia, I've still ironically enjoyed listening to ABBA all day and am still endlessly happy I got to hang with Valerie has made me just that much happier. (and even knowing that I wouldn't BE that much happier had I NOT gone to see it in the first place is even something to be thankful for in a sense) So... think about it. Especially around this Thanksgiving time o' the year!

ANYWAYS, the movie I FINALLLLLLLY saw tonight was "JUNO" I remember when I first heard about this movie several months prior to its release, I rolled my eyes and thought "Grrrreat... a comedy about teen pregnancy. Sounds WAY appropriate and high class.... NOT" But then it came out and got RAVING reviews. At first I passed it off as low morals and low expectation praising something stupid... but more and more praise kept going to the film, and even a member of my bishopric was telling me it was good. THEN, all the oscar nominations, INCLUDING best picture!!! This HAD to be something out of the ordinary. So I've wanted to see it for quite some time but there have been some major roadblocks in that plan: 1- My family. It's hard watching movies with them because if it's slightly questionable, there are only a few certain hours of the day I can watch it and even then, I tend to be the only one laughing and it's awkward. And 2- my main movie-watchin buddy was Austin Shipp who would not be caught DEAD watching anything slightly sketchy in content. So I've patiently waited. Now, I had my reservations. Everyone has been pairing it up in comparison with "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" which, while yes I liked it, wasn't THAT great. So I didn't know what to totally expect. But can I just say I am SO glad I saw it. Who knew a movie about Teenage Pregnancy could be so... well, sweet and well made? I mean, humor wise, it's not hilarious straight through, but it has some pretty dang good laugh-out-loud moments. It's extremely clever in its writing, and the characters are SO unique and fun. Juno, specifically, is a girl who marches to her own beat and while in real life she is someone I would hate and despise, she was fun to watch on film. As were all of the characters. And it was just SO sweet. And real! It never went over the top and everyone delivered very believable performances. Amazing acting. It was just SUPER well crafted and very rarely entered the realm of ridiculous crassness like you'd expect from the genre. I just... I dunno what else to say other than I really really liked it. My only major complaint is that there is one character that gets brushed under the rug, being "Bleeker" who is the father of Juno's baby. He doesn't get much screen time until the very ending when they suddenly try to scramble together some cute romance between them... and yes, it was cute, but I wasn't emotionally invested to the point that I COULD have been and I wish their relationship had been expounded upon much much more throughout the film rather than a bit at the beginning and then a mad dash at the end. Plus, I just LOVE that actor and I LOOOOOOVE the whole "In my opinion, the best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what have you, the right person will still think the sun shines out your (edit for content... "butt"...). That's the kind of person that's worth sticking with." or Bleeker being all "You have no reason to be mad at me, I mean, you know, you broke MY heart. I should be royally ticked off at you. I should be really cheesed off, I shouldn't want to talk to you anymore." And yet he still likes her... it's so cute and totally the sort of things I believe in... but since his character was so undeveloped on screen, I wasn't feelin it as much as I'd hoped. So... it failed there but exceeded all expectations elsewhere. And I was so pleased with the way they portrayed the situation... it was like "Kay, don't go have sex. Seriously, don't. BUT, if you do, the world hasn't totally ended. You can make the most of it. And on some other note, you can also believe in true love and be happy with one person for the rest of your life." So thank you Sam (mostly) and Brady and Jocelyn for finally all sittin and watchin it with me. It was good fun.

OH, speaking of Jocelyn, she doesn't like Wall-E OR Enchanted!!! The two most heartwarming movies I think I've EVER seen in my whole life... that girl. If she wasn't so cool otherwise, I might make a bigger deal out of it.

Anyways, then Joce left, we played more Smash Brothers on the 64, and then I went home... ta-da! Not too shabby of a day but not amazing. But that's okay! Moral of tonight's story: Juno really IS a clever movie and I liked it. Mamma Mia sucks so if you go to the dollar theater please go see either Wall-E, Ghost Town, or... I dunno... a little movie I like to call.... THE DARK KNIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And, try finding good things in the bad (even if the bad is as bad as Mamma Mia, you can find a brighter side that is worth finding).