The Art of ... Shared Experience

This blog is no longer taxiing on the runway and is ready for takeoff! I got back a few days ago from a trip to Vermont, which has inspired a slew of upcoming posts. But all of the wonderful experiences I had were slightly overshadowed at the end of my odyssey by a stressful travel day. Well, make that 2 travel days thanks to delays and overnight detours in Motown. Everything worked out in the end, and I got home safe and sound a mere 12 hours late, but I couldn't help but notice the people around me while all of this was happening. Have you ever had an experience where everyone's face shows what you're feeling? Standing in the 90 degree heat at midnight waiting for a hotel shuttle and then in line a brief 5 hours later to go through security, I was amazed by how we all looked the same. Eyes rimmed by dark circles, bodies smothered by rumpled clothes, weary expressions and wary attitudes towards airlines plastered on faces like the greasy, sweaty hair on our heads. Perhaps it was the sleep deprivation, but in that moment I felt like I had comrades. I almost suggested we get tattoos or at least matching t-shirts, but it would have taken too much energy to be snarky.

To celebrate my fellow travellers and wish them all safe journeys, I wanted to share my favorite films and TV shows that involve soaring through the friendly (and at times not-so-friendly) skies.

When Harry Met Sally- Starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan

While this isn't a travel movie per se, our title characters do reconnect on an airplane. And there's something so decidedly foreign about how air travel was 20 years ago. You could take people to the gate? You could leave your shoes on the entire time your travelled? They served food on planes? And, while I know that this is a Hollywood plane, looks at the room they have! And those seats look comfortable too. From now on, I want to travel like it's 1990.

Lost


This entire series began with a plane crash. Not exactly what someone like me who is petrified to fly should think about while in the air. Yet, I always think back to what Jack says to Rose just before the moment pictured above happens. "Planes want to be in the air." Well, you know what, Dr. Jack? The irony of that statement will be evident in about 30 seconds. This show is too wonderful to sum up in a teensy paragraph, but I do have to applaud their skills in making turbulence even more terrifying than it is in real life.

Hello Hugh. Could you be more charming?

Love Actually


This goes down as the loveliest film bookended by scenes at an airport in history. This is one of my always and forever favorite films because it's sweet without being saccharine, and the ensemble cast is phenomenal. I suppose we can blame it for the bevy of films that have been and are being made with a large cast centered around a holiday (I can smell the stink from New Year's Eve just from the preview), but none of them will ever be as good as this. When Hugh Grant's character starts talking about seeing people you love at an airport and how "love actually is all around," I start to cry. Every. Time.


Love them or hate them, airports are a microcosm of humanity. There is no place else on the planet where you can find such a buffet of the human experience and emotional spectrum. And, while I don't want to go back to one for a little while, I appreciate their beauty and the service they provide. In the end, we're all just trying to get from point A to point B, and at least most airports have Starbucks now. That's makes things much better.


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The Art of...Wizards, Witches and Wands, Oh My!

Harry Potter mania is sweeping the world right now, and it might be for the last time. Now, I take that with a grain of salt since J.K. Rowling has said that she is maybe, possibly, kind of considering writing another installment in the 7 book saga about an orphaned boy with glasses, a lightning scar and magical abilities. However, this is the end of an era of sorts; the final film is coming out in a few days, and, in a way, it feels like the story is ending all over again. While I personally feel more strongly about the books ending, it is a sad to see the films' finale. They've been a part of popular culture for the last 10 years, and I know many people who have had their midnight tickets for weeks so that they can pay their final respects.

Yet, we can see Harry Potter any time we want. In books and film, he'll always be around. My favorite interpretation and representation of Harry and his friends comes courtesy of the brilliant theatre troupe Team Starkid. Founded in 2009 by students at the University Michigan, Team Starkid combine irreverent humor with poignant, beautifully crafted songs. Their most well-known member is Darren Criss, my favorite cast member of Glee, but all members of the production company work in harmony, creating great songs and stories. And, best of all, all of their shows are taped and posted on Youtube. As of today, the Team Starkid channel has almost 82 million views. They have four original productions with two original stories, but my favorites are A Very Potter Musical and A Very Potter Sequel. They highlight the best part of the books while still putting their own spin on things. A tap-dancing, Quirrell- loving Voldemort? Malfoy rolls on the floor an talks about a wizarding school on Mars called Pigfarts? I don't want to reveal too much more, but it's all set to original music - part of the AVPM and all of AVPS music was written by Criss (who also plays Harry Potter).

While they do take liberties with the original story, Team Starkid celebrates the books and proves that their motivation is being unabashed fans of Harry, Ron and Hermione. They bring a joy and verve to all of their musicals, and with rumors swirling about A Very Potter Threequel, I can't wait to see where they go next. Their last musical Starship was theatricality at its finest with puppets, complex choreography and a fantastic story. What began as a student company is taking shape as a full-fledged professional troupe, and I can't wait to see where they take Harry next.


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The Art of...Historical Fiction TV

Give me a biopic, a heritage film, a period piece, and I'm hooked. I've long had a fascination with history, coming from a family of history teachers, and I give my parents credit for steering me in the direction of Dickens and Austen instead of cartoons. I remember watching the musical Camelot when I was 6 and being fascinated by the flowing dresses and jousting. Of course, that was all set to song, but the story of King Arthur has long remained one of my favorite legends. I even did a report on whether or not the legend was true in 5th grade, complete with Power Point (yes, I was a super cool child. Thank you for noticing). I was so excited to notice on Netflix this week that the first season of Starz's Camelot was available to watch instantly, and I settled in to watch what I figured would be a grittier version of the myth with a more accurate mise en scene. There is certainly plenty of grit, dirt and misogyny in this version, with the actors looking like they haven't bathed in months, an accurate depiction of life for that time. And I loved the way Camelot itself is shown; an ancient ruin on a cliff with trees and flowers sprouting in every nook and cranny. However, that is the only part of this series that I liked. Camelot was canceled last week, and I think that its mistakes are good lessons for any other historical drama coming to the small screen.

First, I understand story has to be modernized. This is the Starz network after all, not the History Channel, and, if Tudors is any indication of what the audience wants, there is going to be some hanky panky going on. However, there was a lot happening in the first few episodes. And it had nothing to do with the plot or to show a character's motivation or anything. It was a plot killer, and I found myself fast forwarding through those parts to get back to the story.

Second, what is Guinevere doing there? And why are we establishing a love triangle in the second episode? Anyone who knows the Arthurian legend, knows that King Arthur and Guinevere fall in love and get married and live happily ever after at first. Then, the pure and valiant Sir Lancelot come to Camelot, becomes Arthur's BFF, and then he and Guinevere fall in love, which begins the ruin of Arthur's utopian kingdom. So, why oh why do we need a love triangle in the first season? Perhaps the creators were trying to create a symbolic karmic resonance; Arthur steals Guinevere, Guinevere gets stolen from him. But, honestly, it was tiring just watching Arthur and Guinevere whine about not being together.

Another question that kept popping up in my mind was why is Merlin so creepy? Merlin is supposed to be wise, intelligent, and, yes, crazy, but Joseph Fiennes' Merlin made me question the whole show. Why would Arthur go with him? Why would anyone believe that this guy found the king? The filmmakers must have been going for eccentric, but I think that we've seen this same character as a criminal on Law & Order: SVU.

What I think is most unfortunate for this series is that we never get to see Arthur's strength and ideals take center stage. He's presented as an immature womanizer who always gets what he wants. Perhaps this interpretation could have been great, but the script had him thinking more about his feelings for Guinevere than being an awesome king. And the way the series ends, with Arthur being seduced by who he thinks is Guinevere but it's actually his nemesis and half-sister Morgan (ick!) left a bitter taste in my mouth. I do think that the second season would have been better than this one if it had been given a chance. According to the story, Arthur uses his philosophies to better Great Britain and creates the knights of the round table. He and Guinevere respect each other and rule fairly. Of course, all of that would be destroyed once that home wrecker Lancelot and Arthur's evil nephew/son (double ick!) Mordred come to Camelot and ruin everything. What this historical drama mistakenly did was extrapolate on the wrong areas of the story. Instead of the romantic aspects of the legend, the goodness and decency of Arthur juxtaposed with evil warlords and kings around him should have been emphasized in the plot. The legend of King Arthur isn't a story about romantic love but rather a king's love for his people. And that is what would have kept us in Camelot.

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The Art of...Loving Something In Spite of Criticism

As someone who majored in magazine journalism with an emphasis on writing, especially art and criticism, I find myself bewildered when I hear people bemoan a critic's review. They say that they're bitter, judgemental and just plain old mean. And, while this may be the case for some pieces I've read, I'd like to defend critics, especially film critics. They're not all bad. Critics provide a service for a reader. They try to put into words their thoughts and feelings about what they've seen or heard so that you, dear reader, won't have to shell out $10+ on something that won't satisfy. Critics are meant to be peer advisors, albeit peers who have a depth and cultural knowledge that is unfathomable, and they're there to help.

Now, that's not to say that I always agree with a reviewer. More often than not, I don't. Sure, I can appreciate the time that he or she took in composing the article, but I can disagree with their thesis too. When I sit in a movie theater, I'm not looking for a film to be Citizen Kane; most of the movies out today don't have a deeper meaning or a foundation to be a cinematic touchstone 50 years from now. They're entertainment, not art. And, if I enjoy a story, then I'll give it a favorable review. It's not fair to hold a romantic comedy to the level of an Oscar-contender.

For example, I recently saw happythankyoumoreplease, directed by, written by and starring How I Met Your Mother's Josh Radnor. Is it a vanity project? Sure. Does it reinvent the wheel? No, at times it's cliched, and the plot is predictable. Yet, I really loved this film. It's sweet and simple, the perfect movie for date night or after a long day of work. As a twenty-something trying to figure it all out, plots about other twenty-somethings trying to figure it all out might resonate more strongly with me, but I think that there are parts of this story that everyone can adore. My favorite plot line centers on Sam's (our protagonist played by, you guessed it, Radnor) best friend Annie (Malin Akerman) and her love life. Annie has alopecia, and the colorful scarves she wraps around her head reflect her vibrant personality. However, Annie always seems to pick the wrong guys, going for handsome ne'er-do-wells that eventually break her heart. Annie is pursued by a lawyer also named Sam (Tony Hale) who is not what Annie is looking for. However, (spoiler alert!), Sam #2 is so sweet and genuine that the whole audience and certain characters are totally smitten by the film's end. It's not a new tale, but it's one that you can enjoy again and again. I genuinely liked this movie, but I could only find one favorable review of it. And yet, I remain undeterred.

To me, critics are like the friend you go shopping with. You can listen to her opinion and appreciate it, but if you want that hot pink bag, then, try as your buddy might to dissuade you, you're going to get it. Critics are just attempting to help, but they might not share your tastes. For example, if a particular reviewer doesn't watch copious amount of Bravo television and re-read their favorite Jane Austen three times a year, they might not appreciate a movie that appeals to my dyed-in-the-wool sense of whimsy and need for happy endings. So, let's agree to amicably disagree, shall we?

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