Great Moments in Movie History

The best way to get to know someone is by looking at their collection of books, movies, music and reading their blog. Although long, this blog entry takes a brief (thus not all inclusive) look at my favorite movie moments.

Probably the earliest memory of such a moment came when I was very young in Return of the Jedi. Toward the end, Luke and his father, Darth Vader, destroy the Emperor. This costs Darth Vader his life. Before dying, Vader asks Luke to take off his (Vader's) mask. I remember looking at the face behind the mask. He was just an old man! I was thinking, "This is the guy that caused all those problems for the galaxy? That choked people mercilessly for tiny mistakes?"

THAT is power in film, I said to myself. Someone out there can create a story and a character that is so evil and menacing, and yet be revealed in the end as someone's father.

To Kill A Mockingbird must also be mentioned, the part where Atticus Finch is defending Tom Robinson. Atticus Finch spoke with such power that the court room was ear-splittingly silent. I was so emotionally involved in the movie that I had to pull myself out for a moment to realize that my family was also frozen in our viewing places! We were just as enthralled as the courtroom audience. Good films have a way of doing that. They can draw the audience in so that they feel like they are in the courtroom.
 
Being somewhat of a Romantic myself, I have my fair share of favorite romantic-moments in movies. At the top of my list are the typical While You Were Sleeping, Sleepless In Seattle, etc. But those movies go without mention, because I like the whole movie in those cases.

Ever seen Big Fish? The main character is in love with a girl engaged to his childhood rival. He wins her heart by standing outside her dorm window in a veritable sea of daffodils, awaiting her to open the window. The way the music swells combined with the cinematography and the contrast of the characters' blue wardrobes against the brilliant yellow of the daffodils are what carry the scene.

Not far behind Big Fish is the moment in Dan In Real Life when Dan sings "Let My Love Open the Door" on his guitar. It's at that moment when Marie can no longer deny her feelings for Dan, forcing her to brake up with Mitch (Dan's brother). A very well done sequence.

Another movie I think of when I think of great moments is Pixar's UP. Two moments come to mind. The beginning sequence almost makes me cry as it depicts two people very much in love growing old together. Half of the reason it's so beautiful is because there is little-to-no dialogue and the soundtrack conveys all the emotion necessary.  In addition, there's a quote that Russell makes regarding his dad. "My dad made it sound so easy. He's really good at camping, and how to make fire from rocks and stuff. He used to come to all my sweat lodge meetings. And afterwards, we'd go get ice cream at Fenton's. I always get chocolate and he gets butter brickle. Then we sit on this one curb right outside, and I'd count all the blue cars and he counts all the red ones, and whoever gets the most, wins.
I like that curb. It might sound boring, but I think the boring stuff is the stuff I remember the most."

I often find myself remembering the boring stuff the most.

A Pilgrim's Journey Home

I'm in the very front row, directly below Sis. Hall.

In 2008-2009 I was in BYU Men's Chorus. I only did it one year because it was so time consuming. It was one of those programs where the directors seem to think that the participants wake up every morning and do nothing but twiddle their thumbs until choir starts. I think that's the way all choirs are. At least all the ones I've ever been in.

But of all the years to be in choir, I was lucky to have been in it that year. We recorded a high quality PBS Thanksgiving special that year. We were told it was going to air Thanksgiving of 2009, but it was postponed. Finally it's airing on PBS this year. Actually, it already premiered on the 16th at 8:00 PM. I was in class, but I've been told that it was very good. I even got some camera time apparently. It's going to be on again. You can check byutv.org for listings and you can even watch it on their website.

It was a very professional job. We had to put on stage make-up and everything. We had long periods of waiting in between takes. It was kind of a big deal. In honor of The Pilgrim's Journey Home, I'm posting my journal entry from the last night we recored:

"Well, at least it hasn't been a whole week since I've last written. When you remember what this week entailed, you'll remember why it was so hard to write in your journal.

"The biggest thing this week was the Choir program, A Pilgrim's Journey Home. It consumed well near all of my time. I must admit, though, it was fun. It reminded me a lot of working on musicals during high school. Staying late and being worn out and what not. The guys that I stood next to and I had a good time through it all. It was a good bonding experience. My legs were dying at the end of each performance/practice. Mostly practices. We stood forever! I think it will be worth it, though. The one year I'm in Men's Chorus, we make a PBS special that will be around for who knows how long. I wonder if I'll get some good air time. Everyone I've talked to says that it was very inspiring. It was definitely very spiritual. 

"We worked so hard! We were scheduled to stay after each concert performance for an HOUR to do retakes of any footage the crew wanted. We only had to stay after for half an hour on Friday night. Then on Saturday night right after the final number, the audience was told to leave fast so we could do retakes. The choirs remained on stage, holding our breath as we waited to hear whether or not we'd have to stay. Sister Hall came on stage, smiled and said "Happy Easter. We're done" to the 1,000 plus choir students on stage. Then there was this deafening cheer from the choirs. We didn't have to stay! You would've thought it was WWII and America just found out the war was over! We cheered and cheered an clapped and gave each other high fives. I think I'll remember that more than anything. We were all very happy. We had done well."

A Page Turner's Worst Nightmare

I've always been somewhat of a music aficionado. Last night I went to see the BYU Men's/Women's Chorus concert. At one point while I was watching the piano player, my attention diverted to the person sitting next to the piano player, whose sole purpose was to turn the pages for the piano player. I chuckled as my mind was caught up to a time when I was in his same position (cue the flashback music):

During one of the last concerts of my high school career, the top audition choir was performing and the choir director, Mr. Bentley, was accompanying them on the piano. He pointed to me (without any previous warning), signaling me to be his page turner. I was honored. This meant he recognized my skills ("Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills!"). I hoped everyone else recognized this recognition. I stepped up to the official page-turner's chair, strategically placed next to the piano bench. Mr. Bentley began playing, the choir began singing. I only had to glance at the last few measures of each page to see what would be played before I needed to turn the page. Then I could just enjoy the music and wait for the cue.

Then began a page-turner's worst nightmare. I turned one page only to reveal a page of music composed of nothing but the same note repeated for the entire page. There were no variations in pitch or rhythm on which to base my musical bearings! I tried to remain calm. I diligently moved my eyes from measure to measure, closely listening to the piano and following along. My eyes began to dry out (a major occupational hazard for page-turners). I forced my eyes open, knowing that blinking even once would cause me to lose my place. I only lasted so long (I hadn't done my forcing-dry-eyes-to-stay-open exercises that week). I had to blink. When my eyes came to, I couldn't for the life of me tell where they were in the music! The only thing I could do was make my best guess as to when to turn the page. I waited and waited. Surely this must be the part. They've been on this page forever! I reached my hand up to turn the page. "NO!" came the verbal hand-slap from Mr. Bentley. My hand recoiled. I waited some more. This MUST be the page turn. I reached. "NO!" I recoiled. I decided now to just wait and not make any more guesses. I figured the WORSE case scenario would be for the concert to stop on account of me not turning the page in time. That wouldn't be so bad. "NOW!" Mr. Bentley cued me. I turned the page. The concert didn't stop.

Thus began and ended my first and only experience as a page-turner.

Skeletons Can't Breathe Underwater

I have a theory. I believe that once a group gets above 25 people, there is bound to be at least one person that insists on verbalizing everything he/she is thinking in an attempt to get people to laugh. Relative to this theory is that in a group of 25+ people watching a movie there is always someone that must show off how intellectual he/she is by commenting on the technical aspects or on how realistic things in the movie are. 

A prime example of this happened to me when I was in high school. After a choir concert, my friends and I went over to a girl's house to watch the newly released on DVD and highly anticipated movie Pirates of the Caribbean. Sure enough, in this group that role was filled.

In the movie, the cursed pirates take a walk on the ocean floor in their true skeletal form. The sequence is very climactic and epic. The skeletons walk very slowly and eerily. Sure enough, this girl pipes up, "Yeah right. Like those skeletons could really hold their breath that long."  I didn't know how to respond. Did she hear herself? Where was her mind-to-mouth filter?

Another example happened just a year or so ago. I was at work and we were watching The Brave Little Toaster. A co-worker that was the out-spoken engineering-minded individual in this group reassured us the movie was fake by observing that "It is physically impossible for a toaster to walk and talk."

Growing Pains