Re: The Movies Thread!
Posted: Dec 14, 2019 3:15 pm
I saw A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood over Thanksgiving weekend. I have a lot of complicated thoughts about it but overall it was great.
I also tried watching Yesterday, but I'm not a Beatles fan and found it a bore, so I snuck off to the bedroom to play video games instead.
I'll start with the things I liked: The framing and perspective of the story is excellent. There was not a single moment I was bored. The characters themselves are great, due to both writing and acting. I'm a huge Mister Rogers fan and there were moments where I forgot it was Tom Hanks playing Mister Rogers - they don't totally look alike but his mannerisms were so accurate and convincing. I enjoyed seeing how Mister Rogers was talented at getting people in touch with their emotions and emphasizing that "feeling your feelings" is okay. I understand how most people find the moral of the film touching.
There was one big thing I didn't like, and I'll immediately admit I'm in the vast minority. I wanted the story to end differently. MAJOR PLOT/ENDING SPOILER: Lloyd ended up forgiving his estranged father for walking out on him, his siblings, and his dying mother when he was a child so his father could get drunk and sleep around. Forgiveness itself I of course don't have a problem with but I don't like how everything in the film was done. Earlier in the film, Lloyd's wife invites the father into their home to entertain him (with a newborn baby in the home!), despite knowing Lloyd would take this as a betrayal. Yet Lloyd is portrayed as being overdramatic and temperamental for being frustrated after coming home from work and seeing his father there. He seems to be constantly questioned for being mad at his father and keeping him out of his life (including Mister Rogers), despite his father wanting reconciliation. And through his interaction with Mister Rogers, eventually forgives his father and invites him into his life with his little family. I accept the idea and practicalities of forgiveness, but I don't believe you have to keep interacting with the people in your life that need forgiving. Sometimes transgressions are so great, it's better for all involved to stay apart. You can still do forgiveness work in many ways without face-to-face interaction. Especially when it comes to things like childhood traumas due to the direct actions of adults. You can forgive a person, you can recognize that they are imperfect people and dealing with their own demons and are victims in their own right, you can decide to let go of the resentment and the anger, you can reframe your life.....all without interaction. Sometimes that's the better way in certain situations. This would be one of those situations. Because forgiveness should ALWAYS be on the terms of the victim and NOT the transgressor. Forgiveness should NOT be achieved by betrayal and sneakiness from the ones who are suppose to love, protect, and care for you. It should be done through emotional work and respect.
All that being said, this is based on a true story, so it's not like the film could really change anything. I just don't like how they seem to encourage and normalize inviting people who hurt you back into your life if they haven't really made proper amends. I guess I'm the only person who thinks that though.
There was one big thing I didn't like, and I'll immediately admit I'm in the vast minority. I wanted the story to end differently. MAJOR PLOT/ENDING SPOILER: Lloyd ended up forgiving his estranged father for walking out on him, his siblings, and his dying mother when he was a child so his father could get drunk and sleep around. Forgiveness itself I of course don't have a problem with but I don't like how everything in the film was done. Earlier in the film, Lloyd's wife invites the father into their home to entertain him (with a newborn baby in the home!), despite knowing Lloyd would take this as a betrayal. Yet Lloyd is portrayed as being overdramatic and temperamental for being frustrated after coming home from work and seeing his father there. He seems to be constantly questioned for being mad at his father and keeping him out of his life (including Mister Rogers), despite his father wanting reconciliation. And through his interaction with Mister Rogers, eventually forgives his father and invites him into his life with his little family. I accept the idea and practicalities of forgiveness, but I don't believe you have to keep interacting with the people in your life that need forgiving. Sometimes transgressions are so great, it's better for all involved to stay apart. You can still do forgiveness work in many ways without face-to-face interaction. Especially when it comes to things like childhood traumas due to the direct actions of adults. You can forgive a person, you can recognize that they are imperfect people and dealing with their own demons and are victims in their own right, you can decide to let go of the resentment and the anger, you can reframe your life.....all without interaction. Sometimes that's the better way in certain situations. This would be one of those situations. Because forgiveness should ALWAYS be on the terms of the victim and NOT the transgressor. Forgiveness should NOT be achieved by betrayal and sneakiness from the ones who are suppose to love, protect, and care for you. It should be done through emotional work and respect.
All that being said, this is based on a true story, so it's not like the film could really change anything. I just don't like how they seem to encourage and normalize inviting people who hurt you back into your life if they haven't really made proper amends. I guess I'm the only person who thinks that though.
I also tried watching Yesterday, but I'm not a Beatles fan and found it a bore, so I snuck off to the bedroom to play video games instead.