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on being FAIR- meet joe black, matthew 20, han-gook-il-bo, a LONG chat/discussion/argument with someone about favorites, and THANKSGIVING
caught a few scenes from meet joe black. this movie is generally not well received, and i don't know why. that scene at the beginning of the movie itself (you know, the scene that you replayed over and over again) makes this one of the best movies ever.
and the CAFE scene. PURE studliness, even if it IS only just a movie. what girl didn't swoon, what guy didn't wish he were as smooth?
and there was ONE scene at the end that was heartbreaking.
when i saw this movie, there was a part that made me think of a parable in the Bible, The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard- Matthew 20. what could meet joe black and this parable possibly have in common?
Meet Joe Black- basic plot:
William Parrish (ANTHONY HOPKINS) is a wealthy media tycoon who wishes only the best for his two daughters. He's worried that Susan (CLAIRE FORLANI), a medical intern, has no passion in her life, and must deal with Allison (MARCIA GAY HARDEN), who's busily preparing an elaborate party for his sixty-fifth birthday.
Things couldn't be much better for William, but after a bout with severe chest pain during the middle of the night, he starts hearing odd voices that continue into the next day. That following night, William meets Death, who's taken the body of a young man (BRAD PITT) that Susan earlier and briefly met in a coffee shop. Striking a deal with William, Death offers to give him some extra time on Earth in return for the doomed man showing him what it's like to be human.
Stunned by this revelation, William agrees and introduces Death to his family as an acquaintance, Joe Black. Everyone's curious about the sudden appearance of this seemingly odd man, but none more so than Susan who recognizes him as the man from the coffee shop, but can't understand why he's now so different.
Facing his certain demise, William sets out to wrap up his loose ends, but begins to fret when he sees that Joe, who's experiencing life's sensations for the first time, starts to fall for Susan and vice-versa. Worried that Joe may have other plans for her, William must deal with that while also contending with Drew's plans to undermine him and his company and, of course, his own pending trip to the great hereafter.
many interesting things happen (go watch the movie).
Susan(claire forlani), is pretty much an angel on earth. she is smart, good natured, obedient to her father, unaware of her beauty, and her spirit is really vibrant (you laugh, but WATCH it, and you will see what i am talking about). the older daughter (Allison) is just not quite as bright, has failed in many things, married a guy who was not really going anywhere in life, and is somewhat duller in spirit.
Parrish loves them BOTH, because they are his daughters. he does not treat Allison badly, or even neutrally. if Susan simply did not exist, any observer would think Hopkins a great father to Allison. it is clear that he loves her.
but, there is a clear difference the relationship of the father to the two daughters. Susan is practically adored by Parrish. he doesn't care about the mundane things with her. he wants her to LIVE, to "dance like a dervish" (i have no idea what this means, but it sure sounds good).
movie ending: after experiencing many "human" things, Death finally decides to leave, and take Hopkins with him.
before Parrish leaves, he kisses his daughters, trying to say goodbye without them realizing. but they both sense it.
the goodbye with Susan is sad, because the writers of this movie made her ridiculously loveable. (plus, she's pretty, and that helps in this kind of movie)
but the goodbye with Allison : Parrish kisses her. she knows something is up, that it is a goodbye.
Allison: "After all, you've been a wonderful father."
Parrish: "I haven't been the father to you that --"
Allison: "That you've been to Susan?"
Parrish: "I wasn't going to say --"
Allison: "But that's what you were thinking. And that's okay. Because I know you love me. Not like it is with Susan, the way your eyes light up when she comes in the room and the way she always gets a laugh out of you, as opposed to me when I walk in a room and that look comes over your face, "What does she want now?"
and this last part was one of the most painful things i've ever seen. that a person could recognize that they are not adored as much as another, that they are not the favorite, yet she can say genuinely that it is ok, that she KNOWS that her father loves her (even if she IS tearing a bit, as she says this). it is not the EXACT same love, but she knows without a doubt that her father loves her.
and why did this strike me so much?
because this scene was a a variation of the parable in Matthew 20. (and because of a heated chat concerning favorites)
in the parable, the owner hires workers in the morning, and promises them 1 denari for their work. at noon, he sees more guys not working, and hires them for 1 denari. late afternoon, he sees more guys and hires them also, for 1 denarii.
at the end of the day, he gives the ones who came last, 1 denari. the ones who came in the morning think, oh, i will get more, but the owner gives them 1 denari, also. the morning workers get angry, "why do we only get 1 denarii, when we started work in the morning, and these guys came at night?"
the owner tells them (paraphrased): "i am not being unfair to you. didn't i promise you 1 denari for your work? you were glad for that wage then. i chose to give these later workers 1 denari also. what right do you have over what i choose to do with my money?"
when i was in HS, there was one thing that my parents did that drove me absolutely batty. they would clip articles from Han Gook IL Bo (The Korean Times) about these super smart, good kids who got straight A's, was the concertmaster in various honor orchestras, school class president, took their school speech and debate to nationals, got a 1600 on their SATs, and the big kicker: went to Harvard.
and this drove me CRAZY. i mean, is there anything more hated for a korean child growing up in LA than the Han Gook IL Bo and that professor who claimed to know everything about getting into college, and would suggest all these ridiculous things for parents to get their children to do? seriously, i think some parents took his words to be more important than the bible.
when i was in HS (and still, actually) i HATED being compared to other people. whether it was one of those dudes in the special articles, other people in my school, my brothers, etc, etc. i just wanted to be seen for ME.
i often promised myself that i would never do this to my kids. but likewise, there is a flipside to that. the flipside which Allison grasped very well.
Allison KNEW she was loved. it is NOT the same love that Susan received. but it was true, genuine love, and it was GOOD. it is as though she had read that parable, and had REALLY understood it. she was a worker that received 1 denari, and was incredibly thankful for it.
so, it comes to that hard question, "what is FAIR?" especially while growing up, children are wont to say, "that's not FAIR!!" and even as adults, we murmur this to ourselves, sometimes.
it's not fair that some ppl live nice lives. free time in the evenings. cush jobs. cute little families. complete families. parents who aren't abusive. parents who are still together.
but do you know what is truly fair? if we were to really receive what we deserved? eternity in hell. every single one of us. NO exceptions. there is NO one on earth without sin.
to us who deserved hell, and NOTHING good, God gave us Jesus, and a WAY, a TRUTH, and a LIGHT, that we might return to God, that we might know Him. Thanksgiving is pretty much here. more than anything else, this is what i am thankful for.
yakob at 3:57 AM
-----------------
caught a few scenes from meet joe black. this movie is generally not well received, and i don't know why. that scene at the beginning of the movie itself (you know, the scene that you replayed over and over again) makes this one of the best movies ever.
and the CAFE scene. PURE studliness, even if it IS only just a movie. what girl didn't swoon, what guy didn't wish he were as smooth?
and there was ONE scene at the end that was heartbreaking.
when i saw this movie, there was a part that made me think of a parable in the Bible, The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard- Matthew 20. what could meet joe black and this parable possibly have in common?
Meet Joe Black- basic plot:
William Parrish (ANTHONY HOPKINS) is a wealthy media tycoon who wishes only the best for his two daughters. He's worried that Susan (CLAIRE FORLANI), a medical intern, has no passion in her life, and must deal with Allison (MARCIA GAY HARDEN), who's busily preparing an elaborate party for his sixty-fifth birthday.
Things couldn't be much better for William, but after a bout with severe chest pain during the middle of the night, he starts hearing odd voices that continue into the next day. That following night, William meets Death, who's taken the body of a young man (BRAD PITT) that Susan earlier and briefly met in a coffee shop. Striking a deal with William, Death offers to give him some extra time on Earth in return for the doomed man showing him what it's like to be human.
Stunned by this revelation, William agrees and introduces Death to his family as an acquaintance, Joe Black. Everyone's curious about the sudden appearance of this seemingly odd man, but none more so than Susan who recognizes him as the man from the coffee shop, but can't understand why he's now so different.
Facing his certain demise, William sets out to wrap up his loose ends, but begins to fret when he sees that Joe, who's experiencing life's sensations for the first time, starts to fall for Susan and vice-versa. Worried that Joe may have other plans for her, William must deal with that while also contending with Drew's plans to undermine him and his company and, of course, his own pending trip to the great hereafter.
many interesting things happen (go watch the movie).
Susan(claire forlani), is pretty much an angel on earth. she is smart, good natured, obedient to her father, unaware of her beauty, and her spirit is really vibrant (you laugh, but WATCH it, and you will see what i am talking about). the older daughter (Allison) is just not quite as bright, has failed in many things, married a guy who was not really going anywhere in life, and is somewhat duller in spirit.
Parrish loves them BOTH, because they are his daughters. he does not treat Allison badly, or even neutrally. if Susan simply did not exist, any observer would think Hopkins a great father to Allison. it is clear that he loves her.
but, there is a clear difference the relationship of the father to the two daughters. Susan is practically adored by Parrish. he doesn't care about the mundane things with her. he wants her to LIVE, to "dance like a dervish" (i have no idea what this means, but it sure sounds good).
movie ending: after experiencing many "human" things, Death finally decides to leave, and take Hopkins with him.
before Parrish leaves, he kisses his daughters, trying to say goodbye without them realizing. but they both sense it.
the goodbye with Susan is sad, because the writers of this movie made her ridiculously loveable. (plus, she's pretty, and that helps in this kind of movie)
but the goodbye with Allison : Parrish kisses her. she knows something is up, that it is a goodbye.
Allison: "After all, you've been a wonderful father."
Parrish: "I haven't been the father to you that --"
Allison: "That you've been to Susan?"
Parrish: "I wasn't going to say --"
Allison: "But that's what you were thinking. And that's okay. Because I know you love me. Not like it is with Susan, the way your eyes light up when she comes in the room and the way she always gets a laugh out of you, as opposed to me when I walk in a room and that look comes over your face, "What does she want now?"
and this last part was one of the most painful things i've ever seen. that a person could recognize that they are not adored as much as another, that they are not the favorite, yet she can say genuinely that it is ok, that she KNOWS that her father loves her (even if she IS tearing a bit, as she says this). it is not the EXACT same love, but she knows without a doubt that her father loves her.
and why did this strike me so much?
because this scene was a a variation of the parable in Matthew 20. (and because of a heated chat concerning favorites)
in the parable, the owner hires workers in the morning, and promises them 1 denari for their work. at noon, he sees more guys not working, and hires them for 1 denari. late afternoon, he sees more guys and hires them also, for 1 denarii.
at the end of the day, he gives the ones who came last, 1 denari. the ones who came in the morning think, oh, i will get more, but the owner gives them 1 denari, also. the morning workers get angry, "why do we only get 1 denarii, when we started work in the morning, and these guys came at night?"
the owner tells them (paraphrased): "i am not being unfair to you. didn't i promise you 1 denari for your work? you were glad for that wage then. i chose to give these later workers 1 denari also. what right do you have over what i choose to do with my money?"
when i was in HS, there was one thing that my parents did that drove me absolutely batty. they would clip articles from Han Gook IL Bo (The Korean Times) about these super smart, good kids who got straight A's, was the concertmaster in various honor orchestras, school class president, took their school speech and debate to nationals, got a 1600 on their SATs, and the big kicker: went to Harvard.
and this drove me CRAZY. i mean, is there anything more hated for a korean child growing up in LA than the Han Gook IL Bo and that professor who claimed to know everything about getting into college, and would suggest all these ridiculous things for parents to get their children to do? seriously, i think some parents took his words to be more important than the bible.
when i was in HS (and still, actually) i HATED being compared to other people. whether it was one of those dudes in the special articles, other people in my school, my brothers, etc, etc. i just wanted to be seen for ME.
i often promised myself that i would never do this to my kids. but likewise, there is a flipside to that. the flipside which Allison grasped very well.
Allison KNEW she was loved. it is NOT the same love that Susan received. but it was true, genuine love, and it was GOOD. it is as though she had read that parable, and had REALLY understood it. she was a worker that received 1 denari, and was incredibly thankful for it.
so, it comes to that hard question, "what is FAIR?" especially while growing up, children are wont to say, "that's not FAIR!!" and even as adults, we murmur this to ourselves, sometimes.
it's not fair that some ppl live nice lives. free time in the evenings. cush jobs. cute little families. complete families. parents who aren't abusive. parents who are still together.
but do you know what is truly fair? if we were to really receive what we deserved? eternity in hell. every single one of us. NO exceptions. there is NO one on earth without sin.
to us who deserved hell, and NOTHING good, God gave us Jesus, and a WAY, a TRUTH, and a LIGHT, that we might return to God, that we might know Him. Thanksgiving is pretty much here. more than anything else, this is what i am thankful for.
yakob at 3:57 AM