I ran the gamut this weekend in the movie room as I watched the funny and very sexually explicit 'The Hangover' followed by 'My Sister's Keeper.' Talk about going from the ridiculous to the sublime.
Both movies hit nerves of tension and compassion in completely different ways. For those who haven't seen 'Hangover', the story is of 4 friends who lie about where they are going for their bachelor party. They go to Las Vegas and end up losing the groom. Through 48 hours of panic, they finally find him, clean him up the best they can and arrive at the wedding 2 minutes before the bride is ready to call it off due to a MIA groom. Funny, stupid, very racy and now just a bad memory.
On the other hand, I will think about 'My Sister's Keeper' for quite awhile. The story is about a sister who was created in a petri dish for the specific purpose of helping her older sister battle Leukemia. While the reasoning was sound, the DNA designed sibling was used and somewhat abused during a lifetime of contributing stem cells, white blood cells, bone marrow, etc. She felt loved, loved her older sister, but wanted medical emancipation. It is a heart wrenching account of where parental panic of the impending loss of a child might lead.
It made me think back to the times we got threatening news of one of Paul's illnesses. I would vow to find the answer to the cure. It was as if not only his life depended on it but mine as well. Love and selfish dependency so intertwined it was impossible to see the painful forest for the trees and/or nature taking its course. Objectivity completely lost. The mother in the story didn't let go because it never occurred to her to do so. In her never ending quest to save her daughter she lost sight of the harm it was doing to her entire family.
Very thought provoking story. How far would you go to try to save your child's life? Let me know what you think. Blog back!!
So there you have it from the critic's corner. Sex, lies and laughter to pain, suffering and death all in one short weekend. (note to self: this is the Adventures of the NEW Carol...stick with the comedys.)
And today is the first day of the rest of my life with Netflix. Let me know if you want to watch a movie...order early today, here tomorrow!
When my kids were little I would wonder what I would do if one of them went over a railing and fell. Would I jump to get to them, risking injury or death, compounding a tragedy. Or would I run around looking for a safer way to get to them. Without hesitation I would follow them over the railing. That is not heroism, but a desperate decision based on raw emotion.
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