Sunday 29 July 2012

Carpe Diem

The sun is leaving us in golden brilliance, evening is coming, and the air in my house has expanded with the smell of raspberries. Two days ago was a quick shopping trip in the States, yesterday was small town shops and antiques, and this afternoon found me in the kitchen making raspberry jam. Besides quaint summer goings-on, I've also been watching the Olympics like crazy. The one event I didn't see but so wished I had was the women's synchro diving finals, in which Canada took a first place finish. Hopefully Team Canada can keep rolling on this momentum.

A couple of nights ago now, I watched the 1989 film "Dead Poets Society." I actually chose this film because I wanted to make a comparison to another I'd recently re-watched, "Mona Lisa Smile" (review here). Both are period films, set in the 50s-60s era, featuring students of gender-exclusive schools whose lives are powerfully shaped by forward-thinking teachers. While Robin Williams' character John Keating isn't swimming against the stream in such an obvious way as Julia Roberts' Katherine Ann Watson (who attempts to reshape women's idea of their place in the home and society at large), other issues and pressures are successfully brought to the forefront. My title today is the central message of the film which Keating attempts to instill in his pupils. Seizing the day is not an easy task for all of them as they repeatedly come up against the confines of their school system and their own desires are abandoned for those of their parents.

I have many more films and novels on my summer list to get through, so stay tuned for reviews and recommendations. Analyzing "Dead Poets Society" and the more recently made "Mona Lisa Smile" was a really interesting exercise, besides both of them being excellent films on their own merit. I guess when it comes to summer movie watching, there are two universal truths: nobody puts Baby in a corner, and that my inner academic will not be contained.

What did you do/read/watch/listen to this weekend? Have you been keeping up with the Olympics?


-C

3 comments:

  1. I'm definitely going to add The Dead Poet Society to my bucket list!! I loved the opening ceremony of the Olympics directed by Danny Boyd--the scene with the Queen mother jumping out of the plane with James Bond is monumental!! This opening ceremony will go down in the history books as one of the most spectacular--just loved every minute of it!! Did you get a chance to see it, too?

    Loving your blog,
    -Lauren
    http://adornlafemme.blogspot.com/

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    1. It's definitely one worth watching! As for the Olympics, I actually missed the opening ceremony so I've only seen bits and pieces, SO DISAPPOINTING!! I heard about the James Bond bit though haha

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  2. wow! i never watched these movies!! thanks fot the review and sharing this post with us! now i'll watch 'em all!! thanks 2 you!! =)

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