Sarah's Corner
(Newsletters)

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Movies

This time I want to talk about movies; and I'll only talk about the ones that I've watched over and over again, which is rare because I seldom do watch movies or TV.

The movie I love the most, to everyone's surprise, is "Four Weddings and a Funeral." It is a film about a bunch of friends looking for true love, each with a different attitude and means of expression. I am very drawn to the character Carrie, played by Andie MacDowell. Carrie is an independent spirit and a carefree woman. She has a tendency to end up in "no-strings-attached" relationships as a disguise for her fear of true intimacy. Although she is not as self-assured as she pretends to be (after all, no one asked her to marry a man three times her age who owns half of Scotland, from whom she was later divorced), I think there is a lot I could learn from her. In The Game of Love, which is often about power struggle and control, she seems to be able to let go of control and just be herself. Sometimes I wonder why I like this movie so much?I think in some ways Carrie bears quite a resemblance to myself.

Another movie I love so much is "Jerry MaGuire." This one is about a successful sports agent, who finds himself hopelessly superficial, and decides to regain his authenticity. However, his sincere desire loses him his job, fiance, friends and all clients but one. With the help of a wonderful woman, Jerry sticks to his revolutionary mission statement, and once again rises to fame. I've always found Tom Cruise very intriguing. He is one of those few actors who has a tremendous amount of emotional depth and an intensity that drives people crazy. Since "Rain Man," I've often wondered how someone this handsome could be this funny. Above all, "Jerry MaGuire" is a very inspiring movie. It tells me that authenticity is the ONLY way to "happiness."

Among all the erotic movies I've seen, there is only one movie that I really love and it is "9 1/2 Weeks." The strange thing about this movie is that even when it is clearly erotic and sexual, I never feel nasty or cheesy about it. To my surprise I am very moved, precisely because there is something very humanistic about it. It is sincerely argued that sexual experimentation is one thing; real human personality is something else, something incomparably deeper, valuable, and strangely much more erotic. There is a scene that particularly moves me. It comes when Kim is crying in an art show she promoted, finding herself to be related to the dying and lifeless fish in the art. I like Kim's performance a lot and I am very touched by her honest vulnerability. It is rare to find someone who is this willing to invite you into her own essence.

I think if we pay enough attention, there are a lot of things we can learn from the movies we love. After all, they could be just our own "stories." Maybe it is NOT about the movie, but our "interpretation" of it.



Sarah's Writings:

A Few Words

Poem: The Song of Freedom

I died on the October 27th of 2006

Sarah's Poems

A Love Story

Healed

Presence

Million Dollar Baby

Love Makes Me Exist

Violence

Movies

A Breath of Paradise