Best Picture: "Gentleman's Agreement," 1947

Movie Stats:

Released 1947 (USA)

American, in English

Director – Elia Kazan

Stars – Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, John Garfield

Plot Summary:

When journalist Philip Schuyler Green (Peck) is assigned to write an expose on anti-Semitism, he decides that the only way he can truly understand the issue is to pose as a Jew. He immediately faces discrimination. McGuire stars as his love interest, Kathy Lacy, and Garfield as his Jewish best friend, Dave Goldman.

Bad Stuff:

I could have done without the soppy love story. Not only is it a distraction from the true point of the film, but the Kathy character isn’t particularly likeable, so I wasn’t exactly rooting for things to work out between her and Phil (in fact, I liked Phil better with his co-worker Anne, played by Celeste Holm).

My brain keeps telling me to say that the characters are one-dimensional, but that isn’t it, at least not exactly. There just isn’t a lot of nuance to them. People are either good or bad without much in between, except perhaps for Kathy. Even then, it took Kathy so long (most of the film) to understand her own genteel form of bigotry that I didn’t find her sudden transformation particularly believable.

While we started to move out of the realm of horrible posh accents somewhere around “Casablanca,” we’re still deep in the world of smash-our-faces-together kissing. God, it looks so uncomfortable that it makes me laugh every single time, especially when scenes are supposed to be serious or passionate.

Good Stuff:

There's some really great, snappy dialogue. You know I’m a sucker for that.

The mere existence of Gregory Peck and his voice (drool). My favorite performance of the film, however, goes to Anne Revere, who played his mother, Mrs. Green. Her character is great! Every time she and Peck are onscreen together, it's magic.

I think the film does a very good job of showing bigotry without being really over the top about it. One of the conceits I dislike about movies of this kind is that filmmakers seem to think the audience won’t understand bigotry or racism if it’s not overt, i.e. that we need to see people getting beat up for being Jewish to understand that there’s people out there that don’t like Jews. While there is one slightly physical altercation in the movie, it’s not the main focus. It’s more about the everyday bigotry – getting turned down for a job for having a Jewish name, having assumptions made about you because of your heritage, having a hard time finding a place to live because no one will rent to you, etc. For those of us who’ve been lucky enough not to experience racism directed at us, I think it’s easy to imagine getting beaten up. It’s not as easy to imagine the everyday, little things that we take for granted suddenly becoming extremely difficult to get done. So I admire the film for going there.

The Verdict:

I saw most of this movie once when I was in college, but never had the opportunity to finish it. Coming into it this time, I was a little bit afraid that it would feel like a preachy after-school special. Fortunately, it did not. While I enjoyed the exploration of anti-Semitism, the love story part of it felt like it had been shoehorned into the story. There was no reason for it; it simply detracted from the movie. For that reason, I’m unable to rate it higher.

I give this movie 3.75 stars.

Best Picture: "The Best Years of Our Lives," 1946

Movie Stats:

Released 1946 (USA)

American, in English

Director – William Wyler

Stars – Frederic March, Dana Andrews, Harold Russell, Myrna Loy, and Theresa Wright

Plot Summary:

Follows 3 WWII vets – Army sergeant Al Stephenson (March), Air Force captain Fred Derry (Andrews), and sailor Homer Parrish (Russell) – as they attempt to adjust to life after the war. Loy stars Al’s wife Milly & Wright (whom we might remember from Mrs. Miniver) stars as his daughter Peggy.

Bad Stuff:

At nearly 3 hours, this movie is as long as it feels. I had to take two days to watch it because I just couldn’t get through it all in one sitting.

I love that it starred Harold Russell, an actual WWII vet who lost both of his hands in a non-combat related incident during the war and was given hooks to replace them. I thought he did a phenomenal job. However, I was turned off by how his character was used. Many times when he was on-screen, the film turned very preachy, very “wounded vets just want to be treated like everybody else and we’ll hammer that point repeatedly until you understand.” Sometimes I felt like I was watching an after school special. I get what they were trying to do. I don’t even necessarily disagree. However, I felt like the message could’ve been delivered much more subtly, without treating moviegoers like they’re dense children.

Good Stuff:

Andrews was fantastic. I feel that he deserved to win Best Actor Oscar for this film, rather than March. (Russell’s win, for Best Supporting, was, in my opinion, well-deserved though. He’d never acted before this film.)

I really admire this film for tackling a lot of tough issues. Having grown up long after WWII was over, the narrative I always heard was that the vets just came back and got on with their lives, as “real men” do. So it was nice to see a movie that showcased what these vets actually went through, how they came home with both physical and mental scars to families with whom they had trouble connecting. They faced unemployment and underemployment, alcoholism, infidelity, and divorce. I felt like the film addressed all of these issues with sensitivity, sympathy, and wit.

The Verdict:

I enjoyed it far, far more than I had anticipated. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s an extremely enjoyable, heartfelt film. I think everyone should see it at least once. I give this movie 4 stars.

Bonus Movie Fun Fact: Wyler also directed the 1942 Best Picture winner, "Mrs. Miniver."

Final Reflections on March 2013

If you’re a regular reader, then you’ll know that March 2013 was a little tough for me. If you're not a regular reader, you can read more about that here and here, if you’re so inclined.

However, things seem to be looking up lately. I’m definitely feeling better, and as I look back on the month, I realize that it wasn’t a total wash. Sure, my creative writing is at a standstill, which is definitely a bummer. Even so, I’ve managed to keep up with this blog. In fact, my posts have been fairly consistent – I’ve been at it for 8 months now without a break, which is probably a record for me.

I’ve also managed to be creative in other ways. At my March “stitch ‘n’ bitch,” I made a collage, the first one I’ve made in years:

Unfortunately, now that I've made it, I don't know what to do with it.

I used to make them all the time. It felt good to get back to it. Also, this past weekend I bought a new cross-stitch kit. It’s Halloween-themed, but the spooky houses, bats, cats and so forth are right up my alley. Here’s the first one, which I did in just a handful of hours on Saturday:

I may do something crafty with these come Halloween-time.

In addition to remaining creative in one way or another, I’ve also been getting out for walks at least once a week, and sometimes more than once. The weather is beautiful right now, so I feel good about enjoying it while it lasts.

Lastly, the fact that I’m able to start focusing on the positives is a good sign. I’m pretty sure that it means I’m on my way to healing.

In national news, the only big story I really keyed in on was marriage equality. As you know, I try to keep politics off my blog, but this is one issue on which I’m unwilling to remain silent. I believe in marriage equality. If consenting adults want to get married, I feel that they should be able to. Furthermore, I feel that denying them those rights is wrong.

I spent 8 years of my life working at a Unitarian church. I happened to be working there when the county in which I lived and worked briefly, and kind of out of nowhere, legalized gay marriage (I believe that this was in 2003 or 2004). Many of the gay couples who attended our church called to ask if they could come down and get married that very day, the second their licenses were in-hand. So we found some altar cloths and ran to the nearest grocery store to buy some flowers and we threw open our doors and a whole bunch of people got married that day.

I count myself lucky to have been there to witness this. Here were these couples, dressed in whatever they’d thrown on to rush down to the county clerk – usually just jeans and sneakers and sweatshirts – standing there without any frills and they were so happy. We all were. Everyone was grinning from ear to ear the whole day, the couples and the ministers and us witnesses and the families. They were, by far, the most joyful weddings that I’ve ever attended.

No one will ever be able to convince me that love like that is wrong. Love is a beautiful thing. And, as was once the motto of the church, I will always stand on its side. People who oppose marriage equality will eventually find themselves on the wrong side of history. I can only hope to live long enough to see that day.

These are the things that were on my mind in March 2013. If you’re stopping by to read, why don’t you tell me what’s been on yours?

Depression, Part 2

I’m feeling better this week. I think that the worst part of the depression has finally lifted. Or, at least, I hope it has. I’m still not writing, although the creative juices are starting to flow again. It’s just a matter of forcing myself to sit down and start working, although I don’t think I’m quite ready for that yet.

In the meantime, I’ve been thinking a lot about depression and depressed people. Before I say what I’m going to say next, however, I want to make it perfectly clear that I do not have suicidal thoughts. I repeat: I am not the least bit interested in taking my own life.

But I have been thinking about people who do commit suicide. And I’ve been thinking about all the people left behind, the ones who say: “I had no idea. She/he seemed so happy. She/he was making plans. I don’t understand.” I’ve been thinking to myself, “You know what? I totally understand.”

We never know what people are hiding on the inside. I look at my life, and I think, “If I never said anything, people would have no idea how sad I’ve been feeling these last few weeks.” Every day I’ve gotten up and I’ve gone about my routine. I’ve showered and walked the dog and gone to work and hung out with friends and smiled and laughed. I probably seemed perfectly normal on the surface. That doesn’t change the fact that, on the inside, I felt a persistent sense of sadness. I’m a functional depressive.

I feel so bad for the suicide survivors, the ones who had no idea because their loved ones never told them that they were struggling. They have to carry that with them their whole lives. As people who struggle with depression, it’s up to us to reach out for help when we need it. We can’t expect others to know what’s going on inside of our heads, especially if we’re “asymptomatic.” While we can be our own worst enemies, I believe that we can – and should – be our own heroes, too.

One piece of advice I do have for those of you trying to help a depressed person: please don’t say stuff like, “Don’t feel bad, there are people out there who have it much worse than you.” That’s simply not helpful. When I hear stuff like that, I don’t think, “Wow, you’re right. There are starving children in Africa. At least I have food. I feel so much better now.” No, what I think is, “Great, I’m the asshole who’s depressed over nothing when people out there are getting gang raped in the streets and are starving to death.” That’s how negative thinking works. You don’t want to give a depressed person one more reason to feel bad about him/herself. (Honestly, I think that what most of us want is just to be heard.)

All that having been said, I don’t think I need help. I think that I’ve weathered this particular storm. I think I’ve almost made it to the other side. I’m definitely starting to feel positive again & am looking forward to feeling better.

Best Picture: "The Lost Weekend," 1945

Movie Stats:

Released 1945 (USA)

American, in English

Director – Billy Wilder

Stars – Ray Milland & Jane Wyman

Plot Summary:

The movie follows the life of alcoholic Don Birnham (Milland), recently returned from rehab and ten days sober, as, over the course of one four-day weekend, he slowly descends deep into the throes of a bender. Wyman stars as his devoted girlfriend, Helen St. James.

Bad Stuff:

I really disliked the ending. This is a movie that packs a really strong punch. The back of the DVD case tells me that the film nearly wasn’t released because it didn’t do well with test audiences. That’s probably because of the stark realism, which (judging by the rest of the Oscar winners I’ve watched) was in short supply back in the day. Even if you’ve never been an alcoholic or have never known one, the desperation that permeates throughout is probably something with which practically anyone can relate. It can be kind of brutal at times.

Therefore, the ending didn’t feel right to me. While the upbeat tone of it wasn’t set in stone – who knows how things would have truly played out for these characters beyond this one lost weekend – it still seemed a bit of a cop out. However, the movie is based on a book. Since I’ve never read it, I have no idea how true the film is to that book, so the ending might be the author's fault, not the movie's.

Good Stuff:

Fantastic acting from Milland. I loved watching him slowly fall apart. The scene where he’s suffering from the DTs is phenomenal, truly freaky (despite the bad special effects). The rest of the actors were pretty good too. I especially enjoyed Howard Da Silva, who played disapproving bartender Nat.

Based upon my somewhat limited experience with addicts, it seemed like a very true portrayal of alcoholism to me.

This is one of those dramas that really just hurts so good. Know what I mean?

The Verdict:

I was really looking forward to this one, and it didn’t disappoint – much. If not for the kind of lame ending, I would have rated it at least half a star higher. As it is, I give this movie 4 stars.