Always Last on the Bandwagon

Because I apparently love to be on the tail end of every fad and bandwagon, I finally went to see "Les Miserables" tonight. The thing about waiting till the waves of attention are nearly over is that you have heard so much about movies/books/etc that actually seeing/reading it is typically anticlimactic. That was not the case with this movie. I will say that I didn't cry but I think that was more due to the company I was in (our student/faculty book club). I am not a giant fan of doing the ugly cry around people whose essays I grade.

A couple of things I need to note about this movie:

1. Wow. What a beautiful story of redemption and forgiveness! I'm sure everyone else has already pummeled the religious metaphors from the movie so I'll leave it alone, but you can't miss the message in this movie. I loved it so much and want to watch it again soon.

2.  I am a fan of live theater. And I have not ever seen "Les Mis" performed. However, I feel like this is one production that likely is more powerful on the big screen than in the theater. It is just packed with visual punches and the actors and actresses just did a ridiculously phenomenal job.

3.  As further proof of my inability to divorce fact from fiction, when the grown up Cosette appeared on the screen the first time, I blurted, "She goes to our school!" to my friend, the librarian. As it turns out, the actress playing Cosette is from "Mean Girls" which, incidentally, is not even a true account from my school. That's just all kinds of twisted.

4.  I do not think there has ever been a movie with a more impacting closing scene. Every detail of those last few moments of that movie packed a punch.

5. This movie reminded me of a thought I have had in the past. I know that history is written by the winners and the difference in a rebel and a patriot is determined by what side you are on. However, I am always amazing at any sort of revolution or overthrow attempt because it is most often so undermanned and undergunned that it has to seem so hopeless to those involved... Yet they still try. Because they believe in a cause. I just don't see in myself that spirit of optimism and confidence that it takes to be part of something like that. I'm not sure my dreams for the general are as important to me as Brutus's were... or the early Americans... or the prisoners of the Warsaw ghetto... or the young kids represented in this movie. And that makes me sad.

I am a fan. Forever. Of the story, the songs, and the movie. If you want to buy me something sooner rather than later, I want the soundtrack. If you are looking more for a gift to present around six months from now, the DVD would be awesome. Thanks.

In other news, I had an epiphany this past Monday. We had a challenging and complicated weekend in which I had spent some time feeling sorry for myself, especially on Monday.  I finally realized that while I was bemoaning some pretty trivial circumstances, there are people around who are facing life and death experiences. People selecting coffins for those they love, people sitting in ICU waiting rooms, people adjusting to life alone, people awaiting massively important medical test results, people whose marriages are ending, people whose dreams have been crushed... It's hard to feel sad and irritable when you have some perspective. So instead of bellyaching, I decided that while I did my work, I would spend the time praying for people with actual problems. Perspective... GAINED.

Hey, see this?

I know it's hard to see, but it's kind of important. See, this afternoon I was walking though a parking lot and this dog, I promise you, honked the horn of this car at me TWICE. No kidding. And when I looked at him after the second one, he quickly looked away. And that's when I took his picture.  I have never had an animal honk at me. Until today.

And last of all and entirely unrelated except maybe not, tonight when I got home from the movie, I went to tuck the girls in. Kelsey sniffed a few times, then said, "Now where were you?" I told her a movie, then she said, "Are you sure you weren't, like, in Granna and Grandad's barn???" Mmmkay. My apologies to those who sat around me at the movie.

It seems that the honking dog likely smelled better than I did.