OK film fans, before we get into it tonight I have a request. I know there are a couple of you out there, you've been kind enough to let me know in person and by e-mail. But this is going to be a lot more fun if you join (it's free you cheap bastards!) and make your opinions known. I need some replies out there to make this a conversation. Plus, if you get in now on the ground floor you can make crazy Bernie Madoff style cash. I'm not quite sure how, but the underpants gnomes have it figured out. And if you act right now I'll throw in a slap chop.
Wellll, this was a long holiday weekend and I am not feeling all that chipper. Not every day can be a Sonic Death Monkey day. And as you may have noticed in the short amount of time we've spent together, when I get punchy, I like to spout off a list. But when you're not feeling chipper, what should you make a list of? Tonight, here's my Top 5 Bittersweet Scenes. Well, at least they always get to me you heartless bastards.
5. Almost Famous Starting with a slow, underhand softball pitch right down the middle. Cameron Crowe's beautifully lit scene (symbolism alert, notice all the earth tones - yellows, browns and reds) captures the spirit of a girl who is in love with everything rock and roll has to offer. Kate Hudson twirls and glides on streamers strewn across an empty hall. It was one of many scenes that lead her to became the "It" girl of the moment. Even without the lilting Cat Stevens' "The Wind" floating over the scene we understand who exactly Penny Lane is through this moment, and it makes the scenes that come after it all the more heartbreaking.
4. A River Runs Through It Alright manly men, get out your hankies. There are few things in life that can impart as much wisdom in a single setting, without seeming preachy, as this film. If you don't like fishing don't worry, fishing is just the film characters common link and you can apply its lessons to your own passions. That's the beauty of the meaning in the title, the river is your life, and what "it" runs through is up to you. But you have to be willing to take a leap of faith and try the unknown to get the most out of it. A touching book turned into a beautiful, moving Ansel Adams photo by Robert Redford, this film is one of the few to use voice over work not as a crutch, but as another color from a palette that enriches the story. The ending (to avoid any spoilers, jump to the 1:35 mark) is still one of my favorites of all time. It's made bittersweet by the realization that, despite all the wisdom you have, sometimes it still doesn't help you save the ones you love.
3. Lost in Translation This is easily one of the most divisive films in the past decade. I think either you identify with the situation or you don't. And if you don't, there isn't a lot of story for you to get into. I love this film. While I can't say I've been in the same situations depicted in the May/September (or whatever) romance, there are moments it captures on film that just feel perfect. My favorite (part of which is the first 1:10 seen here) is just after the karaoke party on a cab ride home. There's something dreamlike about a cab ride back to a hotel, deep in the night of a strange city. Your windows partially down with foreign tasting air on your tongue, the glowing lights and unknown vistas disorienting your sense of direction. Add in the rhythmic whir of the tires crossing a long bridge, the kinds you don't really see in Colorado, and you have this ephemeral, hazy sensation on top of a night that was filled with promise coming to an end. Lasting just a little over a minute and shot primarily with a hand held camera, Sofia Coppola captures the feeling effortlessly. The music hits just the right note as well. It always takes me back.
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Well, I told you this would come up again. I'm thinking we'll take a look at this film and its companion piece, The Science of Sleep, as a separate post. But for tonight, there is a scene that perfectly explores the regret of a moment passed and the damage it can impose on the future. Joel (Jim Carrey) is reliving a painful moment with his ex-girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) before he loses the moment forever. As the memories fade and crumble around them he explains himself to her, even if it is in his own mind. Jump to the 4:25 mark to get to the meat of the scene.
1. Heaven Help Us The Venn diagrams intersect here with a teensploitation from the 80's that fall's into my love of nostalgia films. An odd hybrid, it tackles comedy and drama in dealing with teenage life at Catholic High School circa 1965. New kid Michael Dunn (weepy Andrew McCarthy) tries to fit in but becomes entangled with troubled girl Danni (Mary Stuart Masterson), a dropout who runs the local dinner/teen hangout while her father deals with his demons. While the film itself is drastically uneven (the director actually was responsible for the Bobcat Goldthwait fiasco Hot to Trot), there is a scene that transcends the rest of the film. The two spend an afternoon together on the boardwalk. With ominous dark skies overhead and icy waters at their feet, they walk the beach alone, uninterrupted in their courtship. When it starts to rain they retreat under the boardwalk and fall into each others arms. The young couple is unaware of the heartbreak awaiting them and it makes the scene all the more bittersweet. While I couldn't find a clip online, the song played over the scene, which reaches its crescendo just as the young couple does, might help you visualize the moment.
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