Films That Respects Your Life

[V]

No... a bald alcoholic who owns a lot of guns. :P

[Captain Russ]

I picture you hiding your booze in the snow when winter comes along.

[Ed Hocken]

No... a bald alcoholic who owns a lot of guns. :P

Hunter Thompson?

[V]

I picture you hiding your booze in the snow when winter comes along.

It has been known to happen...

Hunter Thompson?

Close... but not as psychotic.

[BillyG]

The first film that comes to mind for me is Urban Cowboy. Jesus how depressing is that? I grew up literally minutes from Gilley's. My aunt went everyday to watch filming. Until the mid-90s Pasadena, TX was exactly like Urban Cowboy. A bunch of silly urban shit kickers. And everyone had a "Proud to be a KIKKER" bumper sticker. KIKK being the radio call signal for the biggest country station (at the time) in Houston, which was of course located in a tiny house across from the school I went to 2nd grade. And yea, it bothered me even then that a bunch of rednecks had bumper stickers that looked like "Proud to be a KKKer"

[Bobby Bear]

Two films that immediately sprang to mind for me were Man About Dog and Mickybo and Me (both 2004.) These under-rated comedies both concern "small" stories in a Northern Irish, particularly Belfast, setting. Each film reveals layers to our way of life that it doesn't take you to be from Here to appreciate, but you'll probably enjoy more if you are.

They're especially impressive because, unlike so many films about Here, they don't fixate on what's most often put us on the cinematic map: violence. Yes, the political context of the place infuses both pictures, but it doesn't just become a stand to hang a story on.



If anyone's unfamiliar, the former comes on a bit like Roddy Doyle and Guy Ritchie writing a buddy caper. A tale of three quintessential Belfast chancers (opportunist "losers") who get into trouble in the surprisingly corrupt world of dog racing. Canine theft, gypsy-bating, and, of course, trying to get laid ensues. It's very funny, replete with colloquialisms ("suck the back of my balls!") and some of the best depictions of local personality types ever. I was able to match characters to people I really know left and right; the similarities were pretty spot-on. And it's always nice to recognize streets - there's a great montage of establishing shots during the title sequence showing some Republican areas in West Belfast and a few murals in the process.

Probably the best example of something I especially loved was the name of the villain, J.P. McCallion. On the surface, this just seems like any other Irish-sounding name, but it's actually a neat little riff on the slang term "hallion" (a very foolish or annoying person.) This is one of my favourite playful put-downs and integrating it into the character's name like that is a very Belfast thing to do. For example, another term like this is "melter" and, if someone's a real pain in the you know where... they might be dubbed "Melty McMelter." There are probably quite a few people who never even spotted the name pun, but the film's filled with lovely little nods and jokes like this.

Also, how many films have a scene with fake money that's got Gerry Adams' face on it?



The latter is also funny, but a lot more touching. Unsurprising, really, considering the subject. Mickybo and Jonjo are two young Belfast lads who become friends in 1970, near the start of The Troubles. One's a Catholic and one's a Protestant, but they're both obsessed with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. So, when violence starts ripping their home city apart, they decide to flee to Australia to emulate their heroes' outlaw lifestyle. As in Man About Dog, Mickybo & Me features a trip South with humorous results.

Something this flick handled just beautifully was the depiction of having a friend from "The Other Side." We might not make the front page that much anymore, but the after-effects of the Troubles live on. Foremost amongst these is the conditioning to avoid people from the "opposing" side of the community, based on their religious and/or political views. I, sadly, experienced this in my upbringing ("don't you go near them!" type sectarianism from "friends" and my neighbours) and the outrage it caused me was a big factor in who I am today.

It made sense, then, that I'd love and identify a great deal with the uncertainty and fear Mickybo and Jonjo feel about telling their parents of their friendship. The absurdity and pain over not feeling able to enjoy a friend because he's from the "wrong" part of town, as reflected in these two kids... it's pretty touching stuff. It absolutely nailed the rotten side of our history and how it threatens to corrupt children and, indeed, all of us. The grim but strangely beautiful photography didn't hurt in this regard either. Poky wee cobbled streets and kids playing under an overcast sky just scream Belfast.

I think I knew right away I had to mention these films in this thread, because I was struck with peculiar sadness watching them; they each seemed so tailored to someone with my experiences and sense of humour that I felt bad for everyone else. Through no fault of their own, they'd be missing out on so much of their greatness. However, a little distance from each film and the chance to talk about them in this way's made me think they're both well made enough to be thoroughly enjoyed by just about anyone... hopefully!

[Timothy225]

Two more movies I gotta see - thanks, Bobby!

[Abraham Smashington]

Gummo pretty much got it right.

We need to drink together sometime in the future.m

[Anderson]

Elizabethtown (to a point)

and

The Insider (really got the environment/atmosphere down pat)

[PHEDG]

American Beauty

[Nathan]

We need to drink together sometime in the future.m

Anytime. Name the place. Buy my ticket.

[Lisa]

Honestly, a good part of "NY that nobody sees" (at least at that time) is late 80s Brooklyn in "Moonstruck". The yuppies hadn't completely taken over, it was still largely old-school Italian, you could still get an apartment around the Carroll Gardens area for fairly cheap (the rents are untouchable now - they're as much as Manhattan), and it just showed a nice quiet neighborhood feel to it, which is what it was at that point. Plus, Cammareri Brothers Bakery was an actual business - they filmed it there, the two background guys actually worked there, and borrowed the last name for Nic Cage and Danny Aiello's characters. I've been to that bakery - I loved the movie, and my first weekend after I moved to NY, I went there out of curiosity. They didn't "Hollywood" it up one bit. I bought a nice fresh roll, and was on my way. It's all very well and good for every single movie set in NY to focus on Rockafeller Center, Empire State Building, Central Park, etc. But Moonstruck shows a nice little section of NY that not a lot of people knew about or appreciated.

As for a movie that resonates with me personally, I have to say "Next Stop Wonderland." At the time that it was out, I was in a real dating rut. Just on this endless hamster wheel of unsuitable guys. I had just broken up with the guy who cheated on me with a stripper, and my best friend had seen this movie. She said, "Lis, you've got to see this movie. This is YOU." And it was true. I never wanted to date just anyone, never wanted to just settle, always wanted to find the guy who was just sweet and kind and maybe a little quirky, and was disappointed over and over again when I'd wind up dating just the opposite. So when I finally saw it, I was amazed at how right she was, that this was totally my life. And it's funny, because I look back at that movie and realize that the nice guy she winds up with at the end really does remind me quite a bit of George. Sweet, low-key, just a regular joe, a normal nice guy, but the guy who's right for her.

[Bobby Bear]

Two more movies I gotta see - thanks, Bobby!

Cheers, Mo Chara!* Don't let the dodgy "doggy style" tag-line for Man About Dog throw you, it's really very funny. That goes for all y'all!

* Little advance nod to M.A.D. for ya there.