My first order of business yesterday morning was to kick the waste basket. Hard. It hit the wall with a hollow thud, a sound satisfying enough that I thought about kicking it again, just because. I went for coffee instead. Ordinarily, I’m not much of a tantrum person, preferring to deal with my frustrations in the classic bottle-it-up method that does such wonderful things for my digestive system. But yesterday things had reached a boiling point, and I found myself not at all averse to some waste basket kicking and less than careful door closing. Bathroom door. Bam! Pantry door. Bam! Front door, car door, trunk. Bam times three! When I walked into the ladies’ room, I swear I saw the stalls quaked with fear.
The funny thing was, I was only beating the hell out of inanimate objects so I wouldn’t cry. To quote my favorite movie ding bat, Cher Horowitz, “I felt impotent and out of control, which I really hate.” Surely I’m not the only one whose inability to confront anger results in puddles of tears. What’s a girl to do? Get a punching bag? Take up a hobby that involves ripping or breaking things (oooh, maybe decoupage!)?
By late afternoon I figured I’d do humanity a favor and go home early. Take a nap. Take a bath. Eat some dinner and then let my fella take me to a movie. Oh, and watch Glee, which has this freakish way of making anything and everything better. The dancing! The My Fair Lady nod! God, it’s just so…me. It’s like Sarah says, the calls? They’re coming from inside the house.
Incidentally, Where the Wild Things Are was a misstep, if you’re doing any movie-going and need some guidance. It’s not about your favorite picture book. It’s not even really about childhood. It is about divorced parents. The allusion was very strong and made the movie sad – only, not in a good, cathartic way – in an unresolved, upsetting way.
I hate crying when I am mad, but it just happens. So I know your frustration there. Hope you are feeling better.
Thanks, as always, for the movie updates. I think you have great movie taste.
For the record, Zombieland was awesome. More rom-com, than horror (I know you don’t like the horror films much.) and Couples Retreat was cute, but maybe DVD rental cute.
Glee Alert! Joss Whedon to direct future episode. That is all.
Ugh. I don’t want that to be what WTWTA is about. Those are the feelings that ruined Mrs. Doubtfire for me.
Hate crying. Love Glee.
BodyCombat.
Find the class at a local gym. You get to kick the crap out of air, and it feels amazeballs. Seriously.
“Amazeballs” may very well be the best thing that happened to me today.
Crap! I just typed a whole thing and then closed the window by accident, so yoink, here I go again.
Some {unsolicited and therefore likely useless} advice. As I know from your writing that you are a fan of cheesy Canadian tv (go Degrassi!!) I have a recommendation for you for a show called ‘Being Erica’. (broadcast on the CBC). Erica is 32, a writer and her life is a mess. She meets a therapist and gets to go back in time and fix all the mistakes she has made in her life. There is no sci fi time travel yucky stuff, just pure girly goodness. (I know this because i love it and the show makes my husbo dry heave. perfect).
I have a friend in the states who finds a way to download each episode on some sketchy website (which I in no way advocate. nope, not me).
But if you can get your hands on it, it will likely bring joy.
p.s. i dont’ work for the show, or anything like that, i just appreciate some good Canadian cheese as much as the next gal.
If I’m mad enough to want to cry (why is it that anger in it’s most potent form goes shooting out one’s eyeballs?), I run as hard as I can. Though I wouldn’t recommend crying while you’re running. Not so great for the consuming of the oxygen. I hope things get better for you.
Regarding WTWTA, I found it a fascinating movie, and had a definite idea about the concept. Fish, after reading your reaction, I’m wondering if this movie is one of those where it hits people a very different way. I didn’t see the divorce angle at all, other than being part of the background. I won’t talk about my take on it so as to ruin Sarah’s interpretation.
Sarah, I urge you to see it any way. Fish is right, it’s not exactly a childlike romp through an imaginary wonderland, but it is so revealing in it’s personal nature. Go see it with an open mind, and some tissues.
Strangely, Neil, I didn’t cry a single tear. I simply left depressed. My boyfriend did, too (who, incidentally has no divorce in his family history).
Here’s why it reeked of Divorce Metaphor to me:
The character of Carol was an amalgamation of Max himself and Max’s father, who we never meet in person, but only through the words he had inscribed Max’s globe, “You own the world, Max” – a line that Carol delivers later to Max. Hi, dad. The under current of “Keep everyone together” while KW, Carol’s former female counterpart, finds “new friends” (need I point out that Max’s mother refers to her date as her “friend”) has Max acting out (dirt clod fight) just as it did in his real life. Hi, mom.
I thought the movie was one hundred percent without joy. Even when it was funny, you had terminally disappointed Carol hovering around, reminding you that life freaking sucks.
Am soooo on board with the Glee comment. Makes me happy & giddy and smiling to myself. DH hates the musical parts (he got sucked in by the hilariousness that is Coach Sue), so I just keep the recording & watch on my own. Instant happiness.
I totally get what you’re saying. I missed the “you own the world” parallel. As you describe it, I do see how he saw Carol as the missing father figure. I’m not saying this was the feelgood story of the year, by no means, and I wouldn’t have called it a happy ending either. But saw it as a way for Max to ‘see’ and confront the elemental parts of his psyche in each of the island inhabitants. What clued me in on that was the first time we heard from the Alexander, “no one listens to me”. Showing us the part of Max who is ignored or dismissed. (side note, I’d be interested in working through the implications of the animals chosen for the different characters) In the end, when Carol found the note left by Max, maybe he realized that although he was no longer with KW, he could love and be loved by another. Despite life sucking, he was loved.
Wow. I saw WTWTA on Tuesday night, and it just made me uncomfortable and sad, and it was completely the relationship between Carol and KW that did it too. I would have never made that leap to divorce (somehow NO ONE in my entire family has gotten a divorce in my lifetime) had you not mentioned it, but that’s exactly what it made me feel. Now I guess I know how I’d feel if my parents ever got a divorce.
Wow. I saw WTWTA on Tuesday night, and it just made me uncomfortable and sad, and it was completely the relationship between Carol and KW that did it too. I would have never made that leap to divorce (somehow NO ONE in my entire family has gotten a divorce in my lifetime) had you not mentioned it, but that’s exactly what it made me feel. Now I guess I know how I’d feel if my parents ever got a divorce.
I second Body Combat. That’s exactly what I thought when I read your post, even before I saw the comment. I have never spent so much time picturing my boss’ head on a Saturday morning. It felt good to punch the crap out of the air I was holding down with my left hand
So glad you like Glee. I work on the show & I’m so proud of it. It’s one of my top 3 favorite gigs I’ve ever had & I’m so excited that it’s been so well received.
You work on Glee? Ah! That’s so frickin’ awesome. I love it.
Ooh try boxing! Punching a bag is VERY satisfying. Look for an LA boxing near you – first class is free!
Glee is the greatest thing since sliced bread and multiple orgasms. One Tree Hill used to be my favorite show (I’m 31 by the way), but now I watch every single show that was DVRed first, and save Glee for last, because I want to savor every single moment of it. *sigh*
And Mr. Schuster? Aye, aye, aye… don’t even get me started on that hot bit of deliciousness!