April Sunshine

Tonight we had a date. What a wondrous thing to experience after the birth of a child. Our lives are definately different. We used to go out for dinner and a movie. Now it’s dinner or a movie. We’re also more choosy about the movie, but in different ways. We saw Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind tonight. I know it’s 108 minutes long. I know that because I had to figure out if we could get home by 9pm to allow our babysitter to go home.
The movie was wonderful. It a flowing, gentle romance with a jagged timeline and camera shots that keeps your interest in a Memento like way. There’s a scene that I think will stick in my head for a long time. At the end, when faced with a relationship that failed but couldn’t die, Clementine (Kate Winslet-well acted) says, “I’ll just end up bored and you’ll just end up disillusioned, we know we’ll end up that way.” (paraphrased) Jim Carrey reponds in a sheepish Truman like way, “Ok.” It’s the acknowledgment of humanity’s weakness and our ability to love around and through and despite that weakness. It’s a moment that reminds me what it’s like to be human.
Castaway had a moment like that. Interestingly, Castaway was a movie I enjoyed, but hasn’t made it to DVD owned by the Wooten’s status. I love the ending. Tom Hanks discusses the fact that he’ll never be able to fulfill a relationship with his fiance. He says that the sun will rise again and things will be ok. After he’s delivered his winged package, he stops his car in the middle of nowhere, gets out, and looks over the dirt intersection and just enjoys where he is. It says that despite great struggle and disappointment, life does go on and offers joy.
Other movies I’d like to see include Pieces of April, School of Rock, Elf, and Whale Rider. Renting DVDs seems difficult these days. We haven’t even caught up on some of the regular shows we watched and have tivoed. I’d like to buy Lost in Translation and Master and Commander to own on DVD. Those were both worthy movies.