On the Fence

Well, since no one else seems interested in the challenge, Ms. Abel, I'll humor You, and if everyone save Ben has seen this a 'cryptyllion' times before, or even once, I apolagize.

Pay It Forward.

Released October 20, 2000

Directed By Mimi Leder, whom also directed...nothing I've even heard of save for Deep Impact and ER.

Based upon the book by Catherine Ryan Hyde,
which I bought before I saw the movie and never got around to reading; now I don't really want to.

Starring
(because we all know this is most important):

Kevin Spacey as Eugene Simonet

Helen Hunt as Arlene McKinney

Haley Joel Osment as Trevor McKinney

With a short but definately sweet (much sarcasm implied here) appearance by Jon Bon Jovi

Basic Idea: Trevor has had a tough childhood, his mom is (basically) a single mother working two jobs, and a struggling/recovering alcoholic. On the first day of seventh grade, Mr Simonet, the Social Studies teacher gives this assignment "Think of something to change the world and put it into action."
This is his Plan:


Pay it forward, which means that the world is shit, and that you do three big favors for three people, then they do the same thing, and it gets exponentially greater each time, in this way, the world can be a better place, and we'll all live happily ever after.

NOT!!

Throughout the movie, I grow convinced that this is a great idea, and that he's right the world can be less shitty if we do something, blah blah blah, but then the end.

Oh my God.

I'm not going to ruin it, or I'll try not to, because that's what I was told to do, but

Oh my God.


I have never cried so long and hard over a movie, in my life. I cried so much, it was just so sad, and unfair.

For the time being I'm feeling rather pessimistic, so I don't really like the movie at all, but catch me on a 'good' day, and I just might say that, even though I hate the ending, it's a really great story, a really great idea, and that humanity could actually make it work.

Not much seems to have been payed forward in the last 8 years since it came out. Whether this is because the last minute twist killed the neccessary motivation, or because we're all a bunch of selfish bastards who think of only ourselves and a select few around us, I'll never know, but obviously, for some reason, it just didn't work.

Other Comments:
I wasn't able to notice the acting in the movie too much because of the 'touching' story, but from what I payed attention to, it was kind of an on again off again thing, and the same with the writing. There was much 'inappropriate' language and other things, to the point that Betsy Crandell was not aloud to finish watching it. All of the language seemed to be neccessary, but maybe I'm just odd. Haley Joel Osment was just so cute, which is always a plus, you know, except when he makes me cry. The timeline was rather confusing, because it goes from 4 months in the future and back and forth, meanwhile time is progressing in each place, yet the timing eventually lines up until the people and the plots meet, which wouldn't be too bad if the transitions weren't so confusing.

As I've expressed, this was a good movie and a bad movie, but mostly bad because I don't like it when a movie makes me cry that much, and then leaves me crying after it ends because it's still sad. I refuse to recommend it, but if you want to watch it, it's you're funeral.

hm. a title would be good, here

hi! so, i do not know many of you, which will make it tons easier for you to rip apart my work! also, for those of you i do know, i think i've been awful enough to you that you can feel no shame in ripping it apart, too.

This is a story. obviously. as lame and Sylvia Browne as it sounds, the basic concept came to me in a dream. and many of the details came in succeeding dreams. then, i started daydreaming, and thinking about this story and these characters. I know them pretty well by now, and that's why i've started writing. Now, i sleep a lot, so hopefully i'll get through this whole thing. But here is the first draft of the first part. enjoy, and please, rip apart!

ps it doesn't have a title. maybe after we get into the story more, someone can help come up with one? ya?


here goes:

Like most stories, this one starts with a boy. This one ends, however, with a gay confession, a Pixar tribute band, and apex of two years’ worth of mixed communication. Not like most stories.

The boy in question is not too tall. He is not too skinny, not too stylish, not too intelligent. He looks ok in his catholic schoolboy uniform, and has no extreme opinions. He has shaggy brown hair and green eyes, and is absolutely average in every way, except for the fact that I am convinced he is my soulmate. This boy is named David.

Audra, on the other hand, is anything but average. Only extravagant expressions do her justice. You don’t use words like “chubby” or “pretty” here. Caps Lock and exclamation points are not superfluous here. She is BIG! She is LOUD! She is GORGEOUS! She has PEONY-PINK cheeks against ALABASTER SKIN! Writing about Audra, unfortunately, you run out of analogies fast. To simplify, lets say the girl is absolutely beautiful. She is tall and pretty curvy, but that doesn’t detract from her beauty. I know that normal girls her size are throwing up their celery, but Audra just rolls with it. She has luscious brown hair that curls down her back as though she were a china doll, not a sixteen-year-old. Her body, her hair, her face, coupled with the fact that she is technically a Catholic schoolgirl, make her the stuff of boys dreams.

Audra and David, and me, for that matter, attend University High School, across the street from the University of San Diego, in good ol’ California. I know that it sounds like a pretty intellectual institution, what with the “University” and all, but it isn’t. It is a repressive, close-minded, super-exclusive (and therefore super-rich) Catholic school, that takes giant chunks of parents’ salaries and spends it on lawns and football, while cutting the AP program and doing away with intellectual pursuits of all kinds. The goal is indoctrination and matriculation, especially into the big-brother of University of San Diego. Ninety percent of my graduating class will be funneled into USD, bringing their insular ways and elite community with them, as it is now, has been since kindergarten (St. Mary’s Preschool), and will be after graduation (St. Timothy’s parish). Forever and ever, amen.

I will not be attending USD, no matter what my parents think. I will not put up with the same people I’ve known my whole life, cold ocean fronts, the Governator, and tourist season. In fact, I have found my dream school. The sun shines 360 days a year, the governor is a woman, and tourist do not flock like ants to a melted popsicle. The best part? None of my classmates (save Audra) would be caught dead there. Oh, yes, it is quite the magical place, and it is called Arizona.

So what's it gonna take silver shadow believer?

Every dog
Does not have its day
Every person
Does not get their way.
Its not all for one
And one for all
Its one and only
Or none at all
So don't tell me my time will come
Don't say I'll get my chance
Some people live their whole lives
Without a second glance.

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Come away with me

Think of all the things we could do
Think of all the things we never knew
Think of all the times we'll say we had
I promise I'll be there if things go bad.
Come away with me
Let's start our lives
Come lay with me
Up in the skies
Let's spend a year or so
Traveling far and free
Maybe one If by land
Maybe two if by sea.
Think of all the sights we'll see
Think of all the places we'll be
Think of all the freedom we'll achieve
I know it will be great, you must believe
Just Come away with me
Let your spirit fly
Come soar with me
We'll never say good-bye.