Things I Wish I Had Written, #3

Sorry I've been gone for a few days...between the Christmas season and New Year's, we've been from here to the ends of the earth, celebrating with family and friends. The remodel of our house began this past Monday, and it is incredibly distracting. All at one time, the outside is being worked on AND several projects (including painting) are going on inside the house. What on earth were we thinking? Oh well, at least that means it will be finished more quickly, right? RIGHT????

Anyway, here I am again, writing about the things that I wish that I had written. It's actually a pretty great exercise, thinking about why I love these films and books, because it gives me a clearer idea of what it is exactly that I am writing about, and want to write about in the future.

Number Three is School of Rock. Normally, I'm not a fan of Jack Black. I find him incredibly annoying and immature, but he is close to being as endearing as is possible for him in this movie. And it's not him (or his character, Dewey Finn) that I like so much about this movie. It's just that I can really, really relate to the storyline. Would-be, has-been singer accepts job as a teacher and finds fulfillment. I can identify with what Dewey was and what he becomes--a choir teacher who inspires kids to be something other than what everyone else has perceived them to be. He inspires them to be rock stars! Not just little clones of their parents, and victims of their parent's expectations. He gives them dreams. I can't tell you how many time a kid in my choirs has been perceived as "bad". I've even had parents tell me 'about their kids'. It's kind of heartbreaking, because usually those are the kids that need more love than any of the others. And it is so amazing to watch them on stage, doing what I've taught them to do, watching them become rock stars in their own right.

Speaking of kids, the kids in this movie are hilarious/fascinating/heartwarming all at once. Like the kid that is so oppressed by his dad, but then uses that to become the lead guitarist and songwriter for the band. The girl that refuses to be a groupie. She's a tiny Tracy Flick, the classic overachiever. My favorite character? The shy girl who unveils this amazing voice, but suffers from stage fright.

Sure, Dewey (acting as Ned Schneebly) fools them all into believing that the band is really for a school project, but he's really just doing something that all children's choir directors do: using any means necessary (in this case, the private school kids' competitive nature) to achieve things they never imagined.

Have you seen School of Rock?

Toodles!

Things I Wish I Had Written #2

Anyone who has known me for the past 12 years can see this one coming a mile away.

I wish I had written Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Well, I wish that I had written what Joss Whedon had originally envisioned, not the terrible version that we saw in theaters. Could you imagine spending a couple hours inside the head that created Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse, and Dr. Horrible? Not to mention all the comics that he's written. His brain must truly be a fascinating place.

Like I mentioned, the movie isn't that great, but it launched my favorite television series of all time. Yes, I love BtVS more than American Idol, more than Glee. In fact, my perfect night of television would include all of these shows, with a little Top Chef or Project Runway thrown in for good measure.

Why do I wish I had written this movie? Well, aside from wishing to be half as imaginative and creative as Joss Whedon, I wish I had created the character whose destiny was to destroy the imaginary creature that has frightened and fascinated me since I was four years old--vampires. (I'll explain that in another post.) I mean, why didn't I think to create someone to slay my demons for me?

Give me your thoughts on Buffy and Whedon in the comments.

Hope you all have a safe and happy new year. Looking forward to 2010!

Toodles!

Things I Wish I Had Written

So I've been reading Alexandra Sokoloff and she has very interesting things to say about writing and structure and things like that. Being a person who loves structure, I found myself very interested in what she has to say. One of her suggestions was to make a list of around 10 books and movies you wish you'd written. For the next few days, off and on, I'm going to be talking about them.

First up, given the season, is Elf.

I've said many times before that I love Christmas. I even blogged about why I love Christmas just last week. I also love the idea of Christmas Elves, maybe because I used to be in banking and understand what it's like to do all the work and have someone else take all the credit for it. I love the movie Elf for many reasons--it's funny and a bit absurd. Buddy, the main character is a bit hyperactive, insanely happy and enthusiastic about everything he comes across. I love Buddy's heart, because as funny as Buddy and his adventures are, this really is a sweet movie. He sets off on this journey to find his birth father, who is on the naughty list for a good reason, but comes back to the man (or, um, elf) that raised him, realizing that family is more than blood.
Saving Christmas to the tune of a joyful soundtrack doesn't hurt, either.

Why do I wish I had written this movie? Because it's about Christmas, and having the Christmas spirit despite all the dismal people around you. Elf is about hope. Elf is also about adoption, and finding your birth parents, and adoption is something that is close to my heart. I was so happy to see that Buddy didn't forget about his real father after he found his birth father, and that's something the media just doesn't show us enough.

What do you think of Elf?

Toodles!