Friday, March 7, 2008

It took me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw......






Oh, the movies we have watched….. While Miguel has been in treatment, he has been quite ill and energyless – concentrating, reading, or doing his most favourite hobbies (painting and playing guitar) are too difficult. Sitting in a comfortable chair and watching movies is as good as he can do…….. so movies it is……

AMC and TCM Channels are a godsend – all kinds of movies – all day long. The other day I got him to start a list (I love lists) of all the movies he has seen – too late to start the complete list really, but it will be fun to see the number and variety he racks up before his treatment is over.

Because we can’t get out to the movies, we have been catching up on new releases on DVD. Yesterday we rented “Into the Wild”, a movie directed by Sean Penn about a young wanderer who leaves behind his middle-class existence to search for meaning in his life and to find a “real existence”. You have to go and rent this movie – and then you need to discuss it with me.

Based on a true story, Christopher donates all his savings to charity, burns all his identification and money, dumps his car and “walks off to look for America”…….well, actually he walks off to pursue freedom from his relationships and obligations. He meets benign, benevolent, friendly, colorful characters along the way – all of whom want to take him in. But he is restless and resistant.

The movie is intense and lyrical - I spent half the time admiring this young traveler who would go to such lengths to pursue his dreams and half the time worried to death about him. He is an admirable young man – he is sensible, caring and sensitive to those he meets – he is a dreamer who has the wonderful arrogance of youth. I can’t stop thinking about how he didn’t tell his parents where he was going and what he was doing. For two years they didn’t know what had become of him. His parents were sick with worry – and his sister’s painful reflections on his absence and the effect it has on the whole family is heartbreaking.
Heartbreaking I tell you………..

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