Anna: The only thing keeping you from being happy is the belief that you are alone.

Don: What if that's true?

Anna: Then you can change.

Don: People don't change.

Requisite Post on the Golden Globes.

I love awards season.

Of course, the Academy Awards are the big ones. But I'm also a fan of the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Golden Globes. The SAG Awards are the only awards for both film and television actors chosen solely by their fellow actors, and the award itself is for "Outstanding Performance." The Golden Globes are awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for both film and television as well.

Sure, there are other awards. There are the other guild awards, major American critics' association awards, other awards from abroad like the BAFTA's, the National Board of Review's Top 10 films of the year list, and ones like the Independent Spirit Awards, which I personally enjoy, even though they're commercialized like Sundance is now. But anyway. To me, the Globes, SAG's, and Oscars are the big 3. Yeah, there's the red carpet, where some of the glamour and class (except for, ya know, people like J. Lo) of Old Hollywood come back for a while, and the men (and Diane Keaton) don perfect suits (except for Johnny Depp), and the women pull out the (mostly) gorgeous designer gowns and jewels. (This year...two thumbs DOWN to Cameron Diaz, Renee Zellweger, Angelina Jolie, Blake Lively, Laura Dern, Eva Mendes, and Maggie Gyllenhaal. YIKES.) But more than anything, it's about the recognition of great work done in the film and television industry, and it's a celebration of the mediums.

That's one of the great things about the Globes: it's like one big party. The ceremony isn't in a big theater, like the Oscars are--it's like a big banquet, with everyone at round tables throughout the room. There's no host, like at the Academy Awards, or the Tonys or Emmys, and there are no performances of the musical numbers or stupid montages. Just clips from the nominees for the Best Drama and Best Comedy/Musical categories, and whatever silly banter/jokes the presenters force upon us. During commercial breaks, the honorees get up and mingle, visiting each others' tables and catching up. This year there was a shot of Anne Hathaway literally skipping across the room to see someone in a long, blue, Armani gown, and a lot of shots of Drew Barrymore looking like a drunken fool who forgot big hair went out in the '60s.

I'm often not pleased with the HFPA's choices. I always have to remind myself that they are the Hollywood FOREIGN Press Association, so they (all what, 90 of them?) probably tend to pick films with more international appeal. This year, though, I was happy with pretty much everything.

Kate Winslet finally won a Golden Globe, at the beginning of the ceremony...and then won her second at the end. She'd been 0 for 5--same with the Oscars--and god, if anyone deserves a Golden Globe and an Academy Award, it's Kate Winslet. I'm ecstatic that she won--I really thought she had no chance at the Best Actress in a Drama one, I thought it was going to be Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married. I'm dying to see Revolutionary Road.

I was also surprised that Colin Farrell won Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical, but happy. I'm not really a Colin Farrell fan, but I saw him in Cassandra's Dream last winter--a dark and depressing Woody Allen flick--and the film he won for, In Bruges, was excellent. Just hysterical, first of all, but it was a very dark comedy--very British in its dry humor. The story was good, and both Farrell and his fellow nominee Brendan Gleeson played their parts to perfection. Seems like he's on the up and up and it's good--he can definitely be great with the right roles.

Heath Ledger won for Best Supporting Actor, which I expected, but this is where I hate the HFPA, for having stupid, stupid categories: there's Best Actor/Actress in a Drama, Best Actor/Actress in a Comedy/Musical, and then Best Supporting Actor/Actress in a Film. Only one supporting category. So Heath Ledger was up against...TOM CRUISE and Robert Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder, Ralph Fiennes for The Duchess, and Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt. Okay. So you have the biggest action flick/drama of the year with the most notoriety surrounding it. You have the biggest comedy/action flick of the year. You have a period piece. And you have a drama adapted from a Tony-award-winning play about an Catholic priest accused of abusing a student. Those films don't belong in one category at all.

Same thing with television. "Best Performance by an Actor/Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television. " This year in the Supporting Actor category it was Neil Patrick Harris for "How I Met Your Mother," and then 4 from HBO programs: Denis Leary for the movie Recount, Jeremy Piven for the series "Entourage," Blair Underwood for the series "In Treatment," and Tom Wilkinson for the mini-series "John Adams." I would have liked Neil Patrick Harris to win because he is excellent on that show, but of course Tom Wilkinson was going to win for playing Ben freakin Franklin on an epic mini-series.

I really am glad for him, though, haha, and for "John Adams" in general. Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney both also won, and I love them--I think they're great and severly underrated by most people. The only person who might be better than Laura Linney at playing nutcases is Annette Bening, haha. I'm also glad for Tina Fey (who told all her internet haters to "suck it") and "Mad Men" and Slumdog Millionaire, but especially for Mickey Rourke. (Never thought I'd say that.)

Slumdog is amazing. I saw it tonight, and it's utterly, devastatingly heartbreaking, but beautiful in every way. The young actors were excellent, the cinematography was gorgeous, the music was perfect, and the story was compelling. Some lovingly beautiful shots of India, in this, but god--I have a friend who is studying abroad there for a semester, and even though I know she's in the southern countryside, this still made me nervous for her. So much pain and suffering there. It was a great film overall, and I'd definitely say it deserved its four wins for Best Drama, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Score.

Even so, The Wrestler has probably been my favorite movie this season. I'm not kidding when I say Mickey Rourke is brilliant in it. He deserved that Best Actor award, and I sincerely hope he gets the Oscar, because really, who cares about his dark personal life? If anything, the film is that much more powerful for the parallels you can draw between Mickey on screen and off. It's such a loving portrait of a guy who's rough all around, and who doesn't have much in his life to love. Darren Aronofsky's direction is great, but I attended a conversation with the producer, screenwriter, editor, art director, and one of the main cameramen, and from them I know--a large part of Rourke's performance was ad libbed. They would do a few takes the way Aronofsky wanted to, and then they'd let him play around. He fought pitched battles in defense of his character, Randy "The Ram", when he and Aronofsky disagreed about something. It pays off. There are a few plot holes and some shallowness in the other characters, but it's easy to overlook that. And the song that plays over the credits, which Bruce Springsteen wrote as a favor to Mickey at his request, is the perfect coda for the film. Bruce won the Golden Globe for Best Song for it, and every time I hear it, I still tear up--it was that powerful.

Okay, I don't want to build it up too much and have people disappointed. But really, it's worth seeing. Definitely. Slumdog and Benjamin Button, too--if there's anything that disappointed me with the Globes, it's that Benjamin Button got shut out completely. I would have liked to see David Fincher get a little credit, because he did a fabulous job.

That's more than enough for now. Academy Award nominations are announced January 22nd. January 25th is the SAG Awards (go "Boston Legal"!), and then the Academy Awards themselves are February 22nd. I can't wait.

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Now playing: Chris Ayer - The Center Ring

Watching Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip again.

One of the many things I really enjoy about Studio 60 is its serious treatment of comedy. Matthew Perry's character Matt Albie is the head writer of a sketch comedy show, and Aaron Sorkin's teleplays always emphasized the tight relationship between the writer and the actor, and the technical chops it takes to be funny. Both Matt and the actors have a rich understanding of the history of television comedy--of comedy in general--they smart, and they have frame of reference. I like that.

I started rewatching the series again tonight. Matt Albie rarely smiles. He's usually bitingly sarcastic and cynical, and his personal humor is very dry. The sketches are witty and sharp, often ironic, and a little wicked. He takes comedy seriously, and knows that writing funny stuff doesn't require him to be a funny person; frequently, it requires him to be bold and brave. He knows how to deconstruct something and find the joke in it; he understands the importance of timing and the proper placement of a punchline. The actors credit the writing--Matt puts the words in their mouths--and he credits their delivery. It's both, though, and it's also more than that.

"I don't want her to have to make it work. I want it to work when it's handed to her," he says of one sketch. From the writer's point of view, it shouldn't take any work on the actor's part for the sketch to be funny. It should just be funny. Yet, in order to simply work from the beginning, it has to be something the actor can deliver. It has to play to their strengths. I love that this show points that out. There's one arc that chronicles the relationship between Matt and the leading actress Harriet, and the story is that he was a staff writer for two years before she came to the show as a young unknown. They both became big at the same time--when he started writing sketches for her. He responded well to her comedic talents, her timing, her rhythms, and he was able to capture that in his writing. That's one of the reason's he's a good writer: he can identify an actor's strengths and tease them, nuance them, to get the best performances possible.

In that sense, I think it must be easier to write with a performer in mind. There's a romantic comedy that I particularly enjoy by Nancy Meyer called Something's Gotta Give, starring Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton. They play their roles perfectly and their chemistry is excellent. I think this is largely in part because the roles were written for them. Same with the new movie The Wrestler. The screenwriter, Robert Siegel, used to be an editor for The Onion. Almost as soon as he started writing, he had Mickey Rourke in mind for the lead, and could never imagine someone else in that role. After seeing it, I really can't see anyone else playing Randy "the Ram" the way Rourke did--I can't see anyone else in the role at all. I've heard rumors of a few other potentials that casting came up with when they thought they wouldn't be able to get Rourke (largely for insurance reasons)--Nicholas Cage, Bruce Willis--but neither of those would be anywhere close to right. No matter how good their performance was, it wouldn't have been remotely good enough to carry the film the way Rourke does.

On a separate note, Studio 60 always had great music. "Under Pressure". Paolo Nutini's "New Shoes". A cover of "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?". Excellent.

Also, I really like ginger ale.

Also, happy new year.

Theater - Musical and Dramatic. And Joan.

Every time I see a great play or musical performed well, I contemplate completely abandoning my American Studies and Contemporary Arts majors to study theater management. Seriously. There is nothing quite like the experience of a good show. Les Mis, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Hairspray, Wicked, and Spring Awakening really aren't overrated in any way, shape or form, when you see them live, and Peter & Jerry and August: Osage County make up for five of the most enthralling, and mentally and emotionally stimulating hours of my life.

I was just thinking about this because I went to see Spring Awakening again today, with my mum. I didn't fully appreciate or enjoy it the first time around, and I'm so glad I got to see it with Jonathan Groff and Lea Michelle before they leave next week, even if John Gallagher Jr. has left already. It's an utterly brilliant show that I wish everyone I know could see. Not just hear the music from it - see it, live. It's such a different experience, hearing it and seeing it. You get so much more from seeing it, seeing the emotion in front of you. All the kids in that show (plus the two adults) give amazingly intense, energetic performances that are so emotionally draining for the audience, I can't imagine what it must be like to be in or work on the show what, eight times a week? I don't think I could ever really get tired of working on a truly brilliant show like that, though. The performers' dedication and passion are contagious.

Speaking of passion. Isn't it sad how apathetic people are? Including myself, though I finally seem to be finding a way out of that. How wonderful would it be if more people were enthusiastically passionate about living a good life? I like people like that. The people who challenge me, who rile me up and make me reaffirm my beliefs and reevaluate myself, who just unconsciously remind me of why everything is worthwhile in the end. I like that. I need that.

Lastly: 2 Joan quotes! : D

Joan: Why are you running away? You don’t seem to mind getting in people’s faces except for when it matters.
Grace: Oh, save it.
Joan: You hide Luke! Which yeah, okay, I kind of understand, but you hide your mom, you hide all the important stuff, Grace. Look, I’m not Jewish, but it seems to me this whole bat mitzvah thing is about standing up and declaring yourself! Getting in people’s faces for real.

Grace [at her bat mitzvah]: I know we’re all bonding here with the singing, but seriously, that is a bad song. [laughter] Anyway, me and my dad have been fighting about this day since I hit the double digits, and uh, I won’t go into it . . . It was a political thing, and a daughter of a rabbi thing, but finally, I gave in and indulged them in one last empty ritual before I’m outta here. But then, um, not to get all gooey, or anything like that . . . [turning to look at her father] When you handed me the Torah, and I read those words, it hit me: this is a genius way of attacking adulthood. I mean this scroll – there are no easy answers in here. It’s basically a book of questions, something that makes us keep searching for a way to make sense of this mess. And just dealing with a lot of questions, that takes a lot of guts when there’s no guarantee that there will be answers. And, uh, I just hope I’m up for it. So, fire up that cheesy music and let’s eat!

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Now playing: Bbmak - Miss You More

Slightly Longer Short List

1. All I've wanted to do lately is watch comfort movies. St. Elmo's Fire. Elizabethtown. Eternal Sunshine. Jane Austen Book Club. Etc. Okay, so I've been in the mood for chick flicks. Odd.

2. Also been in the mood for Joan of Arcadia lately. Season 2. Speaking of TV, I plan on catching up on a LOT of shows this summer. All of LOST, for one. Whatever House I can get my hands on. And something else too, that I'm forgetting...it'll come to me. All that, on top of a ton of movies and books. Jeebus.

3. Haha. So in spite of the fact that it seems like I "took too much on" this semester, next semester's going to be even crazier. Yeah, I'm planning on cutting down my work hours to 10/15 a week, alternating. But I agreed to do e-board for the yearbook and for the American Studies Club. And thus, I have to actually start attending the yearbook meetings and help out. Also, I'm planning on literally forcing myself to write for the paper, just to have a portfolio. And working for both of those publications requires actually going to school-sponsored events and taking pictures. Sooo. Yeah. I had really wanted to do the NY movie thing with Lincoln Center again, but I don't think I'll be able to. I really miss that, a lot. I loved having that time to myself in the city. Sigh.

4. I haven't gone to the beach for the sunrise in literally months, and I hate that. HATE that. Not since January 8. That's horrible. And I've only caught a few sunsets since then, too. It's not even that I haven't taken pictures of any - I haven't even been. Horrible. I feel a little bit emptier without them, haha.

5. I really am looking forward to working on some photo projects this summer. More pictures of people, definitely. People will have to deal with the fact that I'm trying to put together some good stuff, because I want more pictures of my friends, and more pictures with people in them in general. Also, I'm really looking forward to working on my beach garbage project. Sadly, that one will be easy to work on since people and Bennys trash the beaches so badly, so they're only really clean at sunrise and really early in the a.m. Seaside Park isn't as bad, but still. But I guess that gives me more material. So yeah. I really want to work on that this summer. Still wish I could do the sleep one. We'll see.

6. I like show tunes. I'm listening to a mix of songs from Les Mis, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Hairspray, Wicked, Little Women, and Movin' Out. And Mamma Mia. It's been a while, and I like it. A wonderful compilation of leading men there - the guy who originally played Marius whose name I forget, the wonderful Gavin Creel and Matthew Morrison, Norbert Leo Butz (who has a very unfortunate name), Danny Gurwin, and Michael Cavanaugh, who I'm still so bummed I didn't see on Broadway. And women with powerhouse voices too - any woman who plays Eponine MUST have an insanely great voice. Sutton Foster is my favorite Broadway actress, and Marisa Jaret Winokur, Kristen Chenoweth, and Idina Menzel are all amazing too. I still think that while film and television actors are incredibly talented, nothing beats a high-class stage actor, especially musical theater ones. You've got to really be great to do that, even if movie/TV actors get the majority of the press. You never see stage actors crossing over to film for anything but the money, really, or the fame, but when film stars want to prove their worth as actors, they hit the stage. Mmm.

7. Speaking of theater. I want to write a play. I mean, I want to write a lot of stuff. I try to write a lot of stuff. But I would like to write a good play. I like the way they're structured, and I like that they're dialogue heavy, haha. I intend to have at least a rough draft of something, be it play, screenplay, novel, what have you, by the end of the summer. Hahahahaha. I clearly have a lot of big plans for my down time.

8. I promise, I'll stop being lazy and write a real post soon. I just need more time. Blech. More time for everything.

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Now playing: Original Broadway Cast - Summer, Highland Falls

5 Things

1. I freakin love Chandler on Friends. I either forgot or never knew until I recently started watching it almost obsessively. I never will be one of those people who's hardcore obsessed with the show...though it kind of fascinates me, wondering what about it endears it so much to so many, why so many people love it to the point that it's pretty much a must-know for all pop culture fanatics (future post topic?)...but man, I do love Chandler. He's rivaling Alan Shore right now, even though they're pretty much nothing alike. Five favorite male television characters ever (in alphabetical order by first name because I can't decide who I like best):

• Alan Shore
• Chandler Bing
• Jess Mariano
• John Dorian
• Shawn Hunter

I guess if I had to say, J.D. rounds out the list and his spot is vulnerable. Dr. Cox is pretty amazing, too, and there's just so many others who are great. Adam Rove might have beat J.D. if he hadn't cheated on Joan with friggin' Bonnie...Derek on Grey's was pretty close to beating him too. It's not just that he's an incredibly handsome human being. I do honestly really love his character. Swear. Haha.

2. John Mayer Trio is presently my favorite thing to listen to. Particularly the song "Vultures."

3. Every semester, I make unconscious (or conscious and just unspoken) resolutions that I'm going to stop procrastinating, sleep more, eat better, exercise, and not be a waste of life. And every semester that plan fails terribly, and eventually, everything comes crashing down and I hate everything. I'm pretty proud of the fact that the crashing this semester didn't occur until the last few weeks. And it's not even that bad - I'm still feeling pretty chipper, all things considered. Granted, crashing shouldn't happen at all. But hey. I still have 4 semesters left to straighten things out. 5 if I miscalculated...

4. I don't want to start thinking about grad schools, but I suppose I must. NYU sounds pretty good right now, but I don't want to be unrealistic, so I guess the search needs to be extended to include non-tier-one schools. Haha.

5. I'm in the mood for an '80s/Brat Pack movie day. Specifically, St. Elmo's Fire, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, and Sixteen Candles. I feel like those are the 4 core ones anyway. I think I should. I could use a little Kevin, Bender, Blane, and Ducky, and besides, I've never seen Sixteen Candles all the way through. I just need the time...

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Now playing: Toploader - Dancin' in the Moonlight

One of my favorite shows ever.

There are several reasons I am bitter towards CBS. I mean, despite a slight decline in content quality and ratings in the past few years, I'm a fan. The Monday night comedies. David Letterman (much cooler than Jay Leno) and Craig Ferguson (as cool as Conan O'Brien). Andy Rooney on 60 Minutes. Gotta mention the editors of Big Brother - good work, guys. Speaking of reality shows, they've got Survivor, the original network reality show (which is actually probably as much a bad thing as it is good) and The Amazing Race, which really is as close to quality television as reality network TV gets. And of course, CSI, the greatest procedural drama on television (the Miami and New York spin-offs can be forgiven).

I do have a few problems with some of CBS's decisions. The story arc involving Sara and Grissom on CSI? Eurgh. Sara and Greg or even Sara and Nick would have been much less disturbing. And I was bummed when they cancelled The Class last year (but kudos for getting rid of the annoying blonde chick before ending the series). And seriously, Dr. Phil? Not to mention, they're the network associated with "Nipple Gate," the Janet Jackson / Super Bowl fiasco.

What I resent CBS for the most is the cancellation of Joan of Arcadia after its second season and replacing it with Ghost Whisperer or whatever the hell that Jennifer Love Hewitt show is. They gave Joan a crappy time slot (Friday nights at 8 pm?!?!) and then cancelled it when it didn't pull in enough viewers. NOTHING in that time slot ever does well! The end of the second season left viewers with a MAJOR cliff hanger that was never resolved. It was upsetting. It's still one of my favorite shows ever. Comfort TV. Hehe.

The whole premise of the show: a teenage girl moves to a new town with her family when her dad gets a job in the police department. Her mom works at her high school as an office assistant or something and eventually as an art teacher. She has an older brother out of high school who's a paraplegic, having gotten in an accident involving a drunk friend driving in his senior year, and her younger brother is in high school with her and a certified nerd. She's angsty and disgruntled with her life, and God starts talking to her, presenting Himself in several forms (cute guy, dog-walker, little girl, goth kid, old lady) and He starts setting her tasks. Mostly they seem simple - get a job, take AP physics, get an A on a test, join a club, etc. - but they always end up having much bigger consequences than she expects and teaching her something about life. It was really a great show. At least it's on DVD now. I was watching an episode from season 1 the other night, where God instructs Joan to help out around the house with chores and such. She ends up having to take care of her sick brother and make dinner and run errands and deal with a ton of little responsibilities, and over-booking herself with her friends and having trouble balancing it all with school. At the end, after she's had a really long, hard day and gets in all sorts of trouble and is frustrated in general, God approaches her the next day in school.

[Goth God approaches Joan at her locker]
Joan: Oh. You again. Do you ever show up when I actually need help?
Goth God: You don’t need me. You’re doing great.
Joan: Oh. Okay, and so you’re here to, what, show me your new nose ring?
Goth God: I want you to pick up some cream of wheat on your way home.
Joan: Cream of what?
Goth God: Cream of wheat. It’s got a lot of iron, and Luke needs it.
Joan: No. You don’t get it. I’m done. Luke gets to put on his space suit, Mom made it to her meeting, crisis averted, have a pleasant day.
[Walks away, pauses, turns around]
You’re not gonna stop me?
Goth God: It’s your choice to walk away. I just think it’s interesting that out of all the tasks I’ve given you, buying cream of wheat is the one you’re abandoning.
Joan: Because it’s endless! It’s a black hole of never-ending worries and responsibilities.
Goth God: It’s called growing up.
Joan: Well, what if I don’t want to?
Goth God: In the brief time we’ve been talking here, thousands of cells in your body have died and renewed themselves. You’re changing all the time. That’s how you know you’re alive.
Joan: It just seems so scary. [Pause] . . . And now here’s the part where you reassure me . . . ?
Goth God: It is scary. . . Fortunately, you’re not alone.

Later:
Joan: I always thought once you were an adult, you just sort of. . . wake up with all the answers.
Helen: Yeah, that’d be nice. There’s hardly ever any answers. . . just more questions.

That's kind of depressing. But kind of reassuring too. And that's what I loved about that show. It often faced hard truths, but always reminded you that you're not alone. <333

"Lock and load"

So. Lately I've been watching the first two seasons of Boston Legal, which together are 44 episodes. Everyone knocks Boston Legal, in part because William Shatner is in it, and in part because it really is a ridiculous show. I'm rather fond of it, though, for a number of reasons.

1) This is kind of odd, but it reminds me of Edward Albee's stuff. From what I've read, Albee, who is generally considered an Absurdist dramatist, tends to use crazy, seemingly unorganized events and silly characters and plots to bring to the surface bold statements about the human condition. In a way, that's what David E. Kelley does with Boston Legal: he uses absurd plotlines, characters and cases, to communicate social and political commentary, as well as to entertain.

One of the attorneys defends a plastic surgeon who injected his own ass fat into women's faces instead of their own. A little old man kills his mother, then kills his neighbor, with a frying pan - and then a little old woman kills him the same way. A couple fight over a collection of Victorian erotica during their divorce. A group of Christians and a group of Wiccans protest a Halloween pageant at an elementary school. A teacher files for a restraining order because a student's parents keep harassing her about their child's grades. A girl who's brother was in the National Guard and was killed in Iraq performing a task he was not trained for, when his tour was supposed to have ended already, sues the government. A decorated general who was dishonorably discharged for being open about his homosexuality sues the government over their "don't ask, don't tell" policy. A man is fired as a department store's Santa Claus for being a cross-dresser. A mayor tries to ban red meat in his town, putting steakhouses out of business. Two science teachers are fired for refusing to teach Creationism. A doctor is sued for prescribing a drug that isn't approved by the FDA, even though it works. A man sues a nightclub because they won't let him sing "War," claiming it's unpatriotic. While this is all very funny and amusing, beneath all the absurdity there are often legitimate points. Generally there's a liberal slant ("They say when people are scared, the first thing they'll give up is their civil liberties"), but that's not unexpected, and the fact that politics aren't simply ignored or dismissed is refreshing.

Kelley has tackled racial profiling, homophobia, discrimination against people with social and physical disorders, public education, the war in Iraq, the ethics of Guantanamo Bay, the situation in Sudan, foreign financial aid, medical malpractice, environmental issues, unethical credit interest inflation, car companies with faulty vehicles, First Amendment violations, assisted suicide, "pill" parties (and clinical depression due to high parental expectations) in today's youth, the death penalty, cock fighting, gambling and other addictions, and a wealth of other issues. It's nice to see a show address (and in a relatively balanced manner, at that) what most shows wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole.

2) One character in particular, Jerry Espensen, tends to bring up a theme that kind of resonates with me: the increasing isolation of the individual in today's world. Jerry has Asperger's, and when he didn't make partner at the firm, he snapped and took one of the senior name partners hostage with a cake knife at her throat. He wasn't convicted once diagnosed, but later returned to the firm, claiming that he missed the ties with the people. He points out that people are more and more isolated these days: instead of communicating face to face, or even over the phone, people rely on memos, emailing, and texting. I like that Kelley makes a point of bringing this up every once in a while, since it really is so true. People don't connect; they network. Relationships are less fulfilling, and it seems like everyone is always aloof. :: Shrug ::

3) I just love the characters. They're all incredibly ridiculous. Denny Crane is ancient, senile, sexually offensive, delusional, ultra-conservative, and has a propensity to shoot people. Alan Shore is similarly offensive, and he has no problem with using bribery, extortion, and blackmail to win his cases. In one case, he hints to a client that he should flee before appearing before court, and when he's eventually arrested, he still gets himself off. He also generally has all the women in the office fighting over him. Two of the attorneys, at one point, impersonate FBI agents in order to recover a kidnapped child. Another pretends to be looking for a date at a bar to discover privileged information from opposing counsel. Another flirts and leads opposing counsel on, then blackmails them. In court, they all use their connections and understanding of people to work the jury and judge from the right angle, even if it's in a positively absurd way. The thing is, despite these antics and "theatrics" and seemingly unethical behavior, they all do this with the best intentions, for what they truly believe to be right.

James Spader's Alan Shore is really the star of the show, and even though everyone puzzles over the fact that he's won two Emmys for it (in addition to the 3 other wins and 10 other nominations the show has garnered, plus Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations and wins), he really is very good. He has such a juicy character, though, whom I absolutely love. Alan Shore is despicable. He's vile, crude, offensive, arrogant, self-centered, and inappropriate. Yet, he's aware of his short-comings, even though he tends to hide them behind his words, and he pushes away everyone who discovers both his flaws and his good side - except for Denny. Alan really does possess good qualities: he's deeply compassionate, and as he's wildly liberal, he has huge concern for civil and human rights, the environment, etc. It's more than being liberal, though: he always works for justice in terms of the situation at hand, not in terms of the concrete law. Alan's compassion, sympathy, and empathy for people always steers him straight. He's also incredibly loyal to the very few who are dear to him, and even though he is a lawyer, he only ever twists the truth when necessary, and when he gives his word, he always honors it. He's untrustworthy on some levels, but when he explicitly gives his word, he is always good for it. Alan really is just a good, strong, but fun character, and I bet James Spader has a blast playing him.

4) Also random, but one thing that I really love about this show and about Scrubs is their portrayal of a strong friendship between two men. Both JD and Turk, and Alan and Denny, have very strong bonds - their idea of friendship is almost above and beyond their concepts of marriage, and they are always loyal to it. I feel like today, two guys can't be best friends without being accused of being homosexuals. Girls get away with it all the time. Hanging out, sleeping over, going out. They're not often called lesbians for it. Yet when two guys hang out all the time, go out in public just the two of them, they're called gay. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with being gay - I'm saying it's falsely judging and misrepresenting people as something they're not. And I like that even though there are jokingly homosexual undertones (or is it overtones?) in both these shows, they ultimately celebrate the friendship and love between two men. And I love that Scrubs included a song about it in their musical episode: "Guy Love."

And wow, did not think I could / mean to write that much about freaking Boston Legal. I could probably go on, but I'm going to sleep.

Duh.

I am madly in love with Alan Shore and his amazing closings.

I'm just saying. That wasn't what I wanted to write though.

My point is:
I'm retarded.
All that stuff about forgiveness.
Yeah, of course it's about letting go.
And what is letting go about?
Closure.

Seriously, how could I have forgotten that.
On Boston Legal the other night, Allan Shore argued that a mixture of revenge and justice can give a person the greatest and most satisfying closure.
Merriam-Webster says closure is, "an often comforting or satisfying sense of finality closure; also : something (as a satisfying ending) that provides such a sense."
In other words, it's understanding and acceptance.

And those two are pretty closely linked. For the most part, understanding is key to acceptance. Which is where the difficulty lies. How can you accept what you don't understand? And how do you come to understand what you cannot comprehend?
Sometimes, I think it just takes a bit of help from someone else. A different perspective.
But other times, I think you simply can't. In certain situations at certain times in certain places, you just can't. At which point, you just have to accept the fact that you can't understand, and therefore can't accept.

On the whole, it's not easy, is it?
Then again, what in life is?

The problem with escapist stories:

They make us long and strive and hope for something that doesn't exist - an unreachable idealism that we'll never achieve. Yet, we hope nonetheless.

One thing I did actually learn in Media Literacy is this concept called the "magic window." It basically says that children believe that what they see in the media is the real, simple, whole truth - an accurate representation of the real world. Then, as they grow and mature, they learn to distinguish between reality and fantasy. Except, research has shown that in some, this ability doesn't properly develop, and there are people who reach adulthood and are still unable to discern the difference.

As pathetic as that sounds, is it really that ridiculous? It's like the Facebook group says: "Disney Gave Me Unrealistic Expectations About Love." Movies, television, books - they tell us about all these Happily Ever Afters, these perfect situations that almost never happen in real life. As Diane Keaton said in Something's Gotta Give, people need romance, and if people like her don't write it, where else are they going to get it - real life?

Yet even when we know the difference between reality and fantasy, that doesn't stop us from Dusty Springfield-style "wishin' and hopin'" that it'll really happen to us. That our Philip will ride in on a white horse for us, that our Prince Eric will kiss us, that our Beast will turn back into a prince, that our Aladdin will become a prince. Or that our Mr. Darcys will reform themselves, or our McDreamy will choose us over his Catherine Deneuve of a wife, or our Will Huntings will let us in and just let us love them. Sometimes it's not even about the romantic love - who wouldn't want to have friends like Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler, and Ross? Who doesn't want to live in a town like Stars Hollow, and who wouldn't want to go to school with Cory, Shawn, and Topanga? We know that the real world doesn't work like that, and that there is almost no chance of any of that happening. But we want it just the same.

Really, it's sad how little romance there is in real life any more. Either that, or we just don't appreciate it. There's so much romance in the little things - writing letters or notes to people, having a special dinner with loved ones, sending someone flowers or a package, showing up at a friend's for a surprise visit - any time you share something beautiful with people you love - that's romance. It's not always the big, showy gestures - though those are certainly wonderful - there's magic in the little things, too, and we can't forget that - cause really, who doesn't need a little magic or romance in their life?


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Listening to: Mandy Moore - Gardenia