What's wrong and what's right with movies

I am not entirely changing the structure of A Progressive Life, just the depth and breadth of the subject matter. To me, being progressive is more than just politics. Sure, I suppose that is part of being progressive, but that is not the entirety of the definition. At least that is not my intention.

I consider myself a somewhat well rounded person. I like sports, reading, philosophy, I live healthy, I am deeply interested in politics, but I don't feel as if limiting myself in scope is in my best interests. in fact, sometimes it is to our detriment that we keep our thoughts too narrow. We tend to over-analyze things in the wrong way.

One thing I have noticed about myself of late is that, when it comes to movies and television, I have become surly. Like, Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino surly. Get off my lawn surly. I don't really like being surly, nor is it a desired outcome. I convinced myself that neither television or movies offered much of substantive value, so I simply stopped watching.

Certainly there are reasons I stopped. Most of the stuff on television, attempting to compete with teh ability of channels like HBO and Showtime to air episodic television that is considerably more graphic has amped up what occurs in 'regular' cable television. In their effort to keep up, rather than look to broaden our understanding of the world; to dig deep into our psyche with satire; to make us laugh without vulgarity; most television programs play with the gray edges of decency.

At the theater, costs have risen to the point that it is simply an expensive undertaking to go to a movie. For just my wife and myself, it costs upward of fifty dollars for a single movie. I had devolved into the person who chooses only to spend money on the so-called blockbuster movies. But even those began to disappoint.

I was attempting to be counter-culture by removing myself from culture. It was an insane conception of circular logic leading me further into the abyss of melancholy and, well, to coin an old phrase, a grumpy old man. I am, in all reality, neither grumpy nor old. Though I suppose the 'old' portion of that conditional statement is a matter of perspective. To the high school senior, I am old; to my co-workers - not so much.

It is with this backdrop that my switch to streaming television has delivered me from the obsucre pits of practical cultural isolation into a new world. I mentioned earlier what I saw as wrong with television and movies.

But, you know what, there are some things right with movies. Last week I watched Creed. I felt like the next generation was getting their underdog story. Their own Rocky. Was it better than the original? No. But was it a damn good movie? I think so. It gave me a sense of depth to the characters. It started to recognize the reality that Rocky himself cannot live forever, but his legend most certainly can. It can live through a legacy of love, of understanding and of perseverance.

I followed that up with a viewing of Manchester By the Sea. Now, let me just say, this movie was not at all what I expected. It jumped around a bit and felt clunky early. The scenery was not something which engendered a desire to live anywhere near the northeastern United States (I actually lived in Massachusetts following my divorce in 1995, so there is that backdrop). Nonetheless, the plotline was exactly what can be right with movies.

The cast are fantastic. There is so much reality to this group of characters that I felt Like I had stepped into a real world. And I think that is the magic of movies done right; they don't feel like fiction. The ending was not what I expected, nor were any of the interactions. I was more than pleasantly surprised at my response. I saw some of myself in the characters, though my life has certainly not been as dim.

I discovered by letting go of the past (cable) and embracing the present/future (streaming television) that there is a lot out there I had let myself miss out on. It is time for me to re-embrace myself with all forms of society and culture. I hope to share my thoughts on movies, television, non-Duck sports, politics, books, health, food, and all those aspects of my life that I really do enjoy.

Sometimes it will be my own commentary, or reviews, and sometimes it will be something simple like why my wife and I go to happy hour every Friday; were we go and what motivates us to do so.

Along the way, I hope to gain a following here similar to my sports following. Hope is never a dangerous thing - it is all we have!