Movie 4-Another Cinderella Story

I'm not being cynical, that's the name of the movie! It features an adaptation of Cinderella in modern times. But, really, what isn't Cinderella based any more? It's every girl's dream to go from rags to riches! Mary, the maid, is a singing, dancing, tomboy wonder (played by Selena Gomez). Her counterpart is Joey, the hot, famous, singer/songwriter/dancer. They fall in love at a masked school dance and Joey searches desperately for the mysterious girl after she runs off just before midnight. Once he realizes it was Mary, they fall in love (for realsies).  After a complication caused by the jealous ex-girlfriend and the evil stepsisters, Joey and Mary realize they were meant for each other, Mary gets into dance school, and they kiss happily ever after.

What did I learn?

Why is life so unpredictable? Think about it. How often is it that we make plans, and the plans actually work out. I, for one, feel that my plans never turn out as they were originally planned! When I was younger (okay, maybe not so young sometimes), I used to think that if I thought of the opposite of what I wanted, I would get what I really wanted. For example, let's say I wanted to buy a horse. I would think of all of the other options. I could borrow a horse. I could never get a horse. I could lease a horse. I could merely take riding lessons, etc. My theory was, that since I thought of everything else, I would surely get the one thing I didn't think of, or at least tried not to think of. In this case, I actually got a horse. ^_^ In the movie, Mary's life is very unpredictable. She had plans to do one thing, she didn't really get it. *However, since it is a movie, it all ended the way it should have*.

So how did Mary address unpredictability? She didn't. She actually whined. And complained. And gave up on her dreams. There was no persisting, no finding a new path. She moped. And Joey was in agony over what happened between them. Mary totally turned her back on him based on an event that she saw from afar and, obviously, didn't understand. In the end, it was her friends and a lot of Disney magic that gave her the happy ending she wanted.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love this movie. But if the other movies are telling me how I should react, this movie is describing what not to do. Mary almost lost her romance and there was very little effort on her part to regain it. She did drop her grudge, eventually, but it took her long enough! All the while, Joey, did his best to be the "down-to-earth" guy that he wanted to tell the media about. ;)

Thus, I want to not be like Mary in the sense of her...romance. I want to be like Joey. He didn't mope when things didn't go his way (though, he was a superstar so maybe things always went his way). Life is unpredictable and though I will still fall into my ridiculous habit of thinking of everything except the thing I want, I hope that I will be able to handle life's curve balls better than Mary. Maybe the next movie will teach me about the curve balls of life.... 

My favorite scene is the tango-esque one! :)

AND I wish I had animals to help me clean my room...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhTjnzlcIeI

Movie 3- Ella Enchanted and Charlla

I'm about a day behind in my blogs! Yesterday, my sister and I watched Ella Enchanted. This was inspired because I had just finished reading the book (all in one day). It's a great book and really nothing like the movie, so if you're interested in chick flicks, read it! I'm going to go more off of the book, because I liked it better. :) Ella has been cursed with the requirement to be obedient. She is forced to do anything anyone tells her to. This knowledge is found out by her cruel stepsisters (one smarter than the other) and Ella is forced to be miserable. Along the way, she meets the prince (this is where the book and movie differ greatly). In the book, Ella and Prince Char become pals. They're friendship grows when Char repeatedly saves her from danger as she goes along her quest to find her fairy godmother. Her fairy godmother is the one who can remove the curse. Char and Ella fall in love. Char asks her to marry him. She says no for fear someone might find out her curse and use it against Char and the kingdom. Ella pulls a Cinderella move and (anonymously) goes to a ball, loosing her slipper (or slopped her dripper!). Char finds the slipper. Ella fits. She breaks the curse in order to say 'no' to marrying Char, for his own safety. The curse is broken. They kiss. They wed. They're happy.

What did I learn?

First off, don't get cursed.

Secondly, and more importantly, Ella has an incredibly strong willpower. She may be cursed, but by golly she does her best not to be. Most of the time she seems ornery, but it's her way of rebelling against the curse. (I do have to say, I felt like I could relate to Ella because she is definitely a sarcastic person and anyone who knows me at all, knows that I am an extremely sarcastic person!) Not once does Ella sit down and say, "Aw shucks. I guess I'm stuck with this. I might as well give in now." No. She is determined to get her way and break the curse, even if it means running away from finishing school and facing the ogres.  Sometimes, I feel like I face things in life like a curse. "Why do I have to have a job? Ugh. Do I really have to be responsible? Can't I just skip this class?" And, maybe some of it is. No one wants to be weighed down with school. But, instead of whining about it, I can change it. Now, I'm not saying that I should go out and quit my jobs and leave school. I'm saying that I should change that 'curse' into something beautiful. I have the opportunity to learn and improve myself through education. I have the gift of being able to work in a clean, safe environment. I have the privilege of making my own money and putting it where I want it to go (like a new camera or a trip to London!). So I want to view life as an opportunity, no a curse. And use my strong willpower, and sarcastic nature, to make the best of every situation!

Oh, Char. He is extremely charming (in the book...). Plus he's surprising. Ella had him stereotyped from the get-go and Char would have none of it. He slid down banisters. He laughed at jokes. He even fell in love for love, not money or status. He has a kind heart and a caring personality. It's the whole selfless thing again. He had a personal gain only because he gave, before he received. All through the book, his heart was his biggest motivation. I want to be true to my heart the way Char was. Nothing deterred him. I want to do things because my heart tells me to (within reason). Char lived a life with Ella because his heart longed to, not because society dictated it. Wouldn't that be a nice life!

Ella and Char--sittin' in a tree. I've nicknamed them "Charlla". ^_^ They had a friendship more than a romance. They were childhood play buddies, pen pals, and eventually, lovers (in the purest sense of the word). I want to start looking for friendship, instead of romance. I've always had the idea that romance should grow out of friendships, but I think I've been motivated by romance instead. First comes trust, then comes companionship, and then love just grows from there. That way, there's a foundation for the love, rather than just infatuation. I wish to be a friend to others, before I would become anything more.

Life's an opportunity. True to my heart. And Friendship. That's what Ella and Char taught me.

“And so, with laughter and love, we lived happily ever after.”- Ella Enchanted

Movie 2- Thor

Movie 2 of this adventure was Thor. This is where the definition of "chick flick" begins to go awry (didn't take long, huh?). Thor and Jane are the romantics involved. If you haven't seen Thor, I suggest you do. In this movie, Thor, the God of Thunder, lands on earth, cocky and haughty. His path crosses with the frustrated and determined Jane Foster. Turns out, she needs to know what he knows, and he needs to get back to his own world. He has a dramatic personality change and they fall in love, essentially. ;)

What did I learn?

Let's start with Jane. At the beginning of the movie, her life's work was taken away by a virtually unknown government agency. As you can imagine, this is extremely frustrating to her. However, she does not just give up. She comes up with alternative solutions. Yes, she was in a way just using Thor for his information. But, she was never hurtful nor deceiving to him. She was persistent, level-headed, and it eventually paid off in love. She didn't change who she was in order to further advance her circumstances. She stayed true to herself and that's what Thor fell in love with (I feel like this will be a recurring theme!). At the end of the movie (spoiler alert), she is separated from Thor. Again, she doesn't get down in the dumps. She decides to do what she can to go find the man who stole her heart. As a result, I have decided to be more persistent. I don't want to let even the big things in life that may go wrong, get me down. No good comes from depression over the situation. Otherwise, Jane would have never even met Thor!

Now Thor. He took a bit of a different path. The reason he was put on earth was because he had too much of an ego. I mean, he started a war for heavens sake. That would need a little attitude adjustment. For most of the movie, he had this haughtiness. However, when he was at his weakest was when he was able to gain the most strength (oh those metaphoric oxymorons!). When he was unable to lift the hammer (which Darcy-in a stroke of genius-called the "Myeuh-muh"), he finally figured out that maybe he actually need to have...well, a heart and not just the looks. It was when he was able to be compassionate, caring, and selfless that he did the most damage, for the most good. More often than not, my little world revolves around me. What do I want, what do I need, what are my plans? But life's not lived alone and in order to be the most powerful that I can be, I have to be less me and more others. Make sense?

As a couple, what were Thor and Jane? Passionate (another common theme). And oh-oh-oh so charming! They were surprising and playful, bashful and open. It was Thor's confidence and Jane's shyness that made them just so darn cute together! But again, there was a respectful interaction between them. There was a sense of caring about the other. Jane didn't run away when there was danger, she worried about Thor. And Thor stood up to the danger in order to protect Jane (and others, but what do they matter now? ;).

So I guess this rambling comes down to being true to yourself, and making your true self, selfless. Life is not about the self, it's about everybody else and how they affect the self. I want to be more selfless. (Kind of contradicting since I'm writing a blog, which you are reading....)

"Is that one of Stark's?"
"I don't know. That guy never tells me anything."

Darcy- "Woah. Does he need CPR? 'Cause I totally know CPR."

Side note!
The Avengers movie is going to be incredible. I can't wait!! I pretty much love everyone involved. For example, Robert Downey Jr= awesome.
Captain America=Incredible.
Thor=Superb

Movie 1- Singin' in the Rain

Some of the best romantic movies are musicals. Though I'm not real thrilled with modern musicals (ie-of the High School variety), I have a strong appreciation for the classics. "Singin' in the Rain" starring a handsome Gene Kelly and a gorgeous Debbie Reynolds tells a classic tale of hatred turning to love. Kathy (Debbie) originally finds Don (Gene) to be pompous and arrogant. Of course, Kathy's distaste for Don almost immediately makes him fall in love with her. In the end, she sees Don's real personality and grows to love him. And they dance and sing happily ever after (after a tearful miscommunication).

So what did I learn?

In the beginning, even in her dislike of Don, Kathy tries to impress him by bending the truth. She doesn't lie to him, per se, however she doesn't give him the full story. This makes her appear to be more than she is. I do my best to live an honest life, however, I find this characteristic does appear. And like in the movie, it was all in vain. Don ended up liking Kathy for who she was, not who she said she was. So why lie? Why put the pressure on myself to try and appear to be more than I am? What happiness is there in that?

How does Don react? With sarcasm. Don doesn't chastise Kathy for lying to him. He doesn't even call her out on it. He makes sarcastic jokes and laughs at her need to build herself up, because he likes her just the way she is. I want to be able to react like this more. To take my anger and turn it into laughter instead of hatred. Because, in the end, it is Don's kindness that ultimately melts Kathy's heart, not his abilities to change her behavior with harsh words.

Even when Kathy holds a grudge and keeps up her barriers, Don persists in his attempts and wins her over. So why hold a grudge? Why not let the past be the past and start fresh? If Kathy would have just accepted her humiliation for being caught in a lie, she would have found something much sweeter, more quickly.

What did I learn from Don? Well, first off, the way to a girl's heart is through song and dance. ;) But really. He persisted until he caught Kathy, then he fought to keep her, and fought others to treat her well. Granted, I want to eventually have a guy like this, but this applies to more than just relationships. Fighting for something, even in the tough parts, produces some of the best results. If it's not fought for, it's not wanted so badly that I can't live without it. If I can live without it, then I don't need it and whatever I was working for has now become obsolete. So fight if it's worth it.

As a couple, Don and Kathy are passionate. Mostly it's displayed through their dramatic singing and tearful exchanges of words, but it is obvious they are passionate. That seems like the best way to live life and have relationships. There's also something to be said for the classic way of romance. How the caressing of hands could mean so much. In my mind, this displays a lot of respect. Respect for what's proper, appropriate, and even, sophisticated and refined. I want to conduct myself, in public and private, in a way that I'm proud of and that makes me feel....well, classy. It's like being Audrey Hepburn rather than Kim Kardashian.

15 Chick Flicks in 21 days

I love movies. I always have and I probably always will. However, as I'm sure many girls know, watching movies (especially romantic ones), can really get a girl down in the dumps. I have a bad habit of watching chick flicks and wishing my life was like those in the movies. I wish, and dream, and think about how my life should be just like those perfect-ending movies. However, I have decided to take on a new approach. I have decided to watch a movie a day and instead of whining about how my life doesn't live up to that, blog about ways that my life does compare and ideas or values I take away from the movie. Like I said, I love movies so watching them won't be hard for me and I hope to keep my blog updated on my reviews.

That being said, since I do have a couple part-time jobs and am a full time student, I have decided to give myself a little extra rope. My plan (should I follow it), will be to at least blog about a movie I have seen previously if I am unable to watch a movie that day. I will also allow myself about 6 days in the next 3 weeks that I can go without a blog at all. I suppose this could be something of a new years resolution, but I want to learn something from these movies that I use to "just distract" me.

The interpretation of what a "chick flick" is will probably vary, depending on my mood. But since romance is so common in movies, I hope this will be entertaining for both me and any readers who venture along with me as I focus on the romantic aspects.

I love to discuss. So I ask for comments, questions, challenges, anything. If you have a particular chick flick that you love, let me know and I'll maybe put it on the list. This can be as interactive as my readers make it.

Now that you know, let's get started!