Monday, August 5, 2013
How I have Peter Pan Syndrome in a Bad Way
Gail Carson Levine, author of one of my favorite books, Ella Enchanted, was hired by disney to write a Disney Fairies book called Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg. What makes her cool is that the last part of the dedication went something like this, "and to my first boyfriend, Peter Pan". On the back jacket flap she went on to say she thought Wendy was an idiot for wanting to leave Neverland ( I love this woman). Well, my dear friend Gail, you got one thing wrong and one thing right. Peter wasn't your first boyfriend. He was mine, you home wrecker. But you are so right about Wendy. She was an idiot. Who the crap doesn't want to live forever in eternal youth with a vine clad Jeremy Sumpter? ...I mean Peter. Really though, how cool is Neverland? Are pirates and mermaids just not good enough for you Wendy? Huh? "Oh, no thanks Peter, I'd rather not spend my days flying around rainbows and sunsets. It's just not for me." Idiot. Look Wendy, I let myself grow up and it's not all its cracked up to be. It's definitely not rainbows and sunsets. I can't really blame Tink for trying to off her.
Lets just take a moment to talk about our favorite Peter Pan movies. Is there a bad one in the bunch? No! because nothing connected to Peter Pan is bad. Nothing. And there are so many wonderful British actors in them.
1. Good ol' classic Disney- The animated one. The first intro I had to my flying boy in green tights. I blame this movie for the Peter obsession. My father blames this movie for me being able to talk him into dressing up in the green tights and going trick-or-treating with me as Peter and Tink when I was in Kindergarten. Yeah, I have the best dad ever.
2. Hook: Did ya'll know that the pirate that gets put in the boo box is Glenn Close in some fantastic pirate costume and makeup? It's true. IMDB it if you don't believe me. Best movie trivia ever. Seriously, IMDB it and read it all.
3. Peter Pan 2003. Jeremy Sumpter and Rachel Hurd-Wood give each other more chemistry filled looks than than Julia Roberts and Richard Gere did in any rom-com I have ever seen. PS, my copy of this movie is missing. Whoever borrowed it, I want it back!
4. Finding Neverland- Johnny and Kate. Why are we not all best friends? Oh yeah, it's because you are to busy making me cry! Maybe it was just because this movie came out in a rough time in my life but I pretty much thought it was the saddest thing I had ever seen.
The common factor in all these movies? TOO MANY EMOTIONS! Loving Peter, feeling the jealousy of Tink, desperately wanting a treehouse like the lost boys, and crying when they leave Never Neverland, never to return. That's the thing about J.M Barrie. He uses the words in this story very carefully. Does Neverland represent all the the things we yearn for but will never have? Or at least those parts of our imagination we wish were true, but never will be? That is what is so magical about it though. The untouchable pieces of wishes that escape us, except for in our dreams. As Tink tells Peter at the end of Hook, "You know that place between sleep and awake? That place where you still remember dreaming? That's where I'll always love you...Peter Pan. That's where I'l be waiting." Maybe in a way Neverland is real. Maybe it truly is that place between sleep and awake, that place where anything is possible. The place where we will all always love Peter Pan, who was so many of our first boyfriends.
In a small way I always thought that Peter Pan was robbed of a happy ending. Wendy and all the lost boys leave him alone in Neverland. He is left to look on through the window at what he will never have and never be. At first, this was why I was so distressed when Kate Winslet's character dies at the end of Finding Neverland. Is Peter Pan really just a tragedy wearing the disguise of a innocent children's story? When I started writing this post though, I remembered that after Kate dies, it shows her entering Neverland as though it is her heaven. She is brought into the realm of eternal childlike happiness. Where adventure and peace are one in the same. Where Peter, the symbol of all that is impossibly possible will always be waiting for us to open our windows and let him in. This might be the real happy ending to Peter Pan.
Monday, July 29, 2013
My home girl Kate!
All right kids, I have been putting off writing a post on the half-blood prince that was just born because well, I might just be hipster enough to think, "Hey, this is so trendy right now, must not think it's cool!" But alas, it is cool. My home girl Kate just reproduced with a prince! For crying out loud, it doesn't get much cooler than that! In one try Kate accomplished more than the six wives of Henry the eighth combined. And did you see how great she looks after just popping out a baby? There is a reason I want to be her best friend. She can't do anything without making it look classy. I like her so much I almost hate her. What am I saying! I could never hate you Kate! Please come to my birthday party!
On to the little tyke- George Alexander Louis. I have always wanted to name my son Alexander. Kate totally stole that one from me. To quote the very deep and important movie, The Princess Diaries, "This is the kid who won the genetic lottery!" Georgie, can I call you Georgie? 'cause I'm gonna call you Georgie, if there is one piece of advise I can give you about being royal it would be to watch the very deep and important movie, The Princess Diaries. So many life lessons on how to be a successful royal.
Princess Mia lesson #1. Know who your friends are. Don't trust Erik Von Detten. He only wants you for your status.
Princess Mia lesson #2. It's okay to cry. As a boy and a brit, you've got two strikes against you when it comes to crying. If you need a lesson on how to do it right, watch Channing Tatum in The Vow.
Princess Mia lesson #3. Julie Andrews should be everyones grandma. I know you have Camilla and Queen Elizabeth II, and Carole Middleton, but if you can swing Julie Andrews as well, your life will be even better. I know, I know, you didn't think that was possible. But Julie Andrews makes impossible things happen. Just watch Mary Poppins.
Princess Mia lesson #4. Don't think about "Me". And when I say me, I mean YOU! As a freaking prince, let's be honest, you are going to have a pretty awesome life. But despite what the media is going to say, it's not about you! To quote Uncle Ben, "With great power come great responsibility." Uncle Ben was right Georgie. You have a great responsibility to make your rule as a prince not about you, but about how you can make other people's lives a little more awesome. If you need an example, ask your dad about his mum. I think she will give you some inspiration. And Kid President.
Ha! I bet you didn't know The Princess Diaries was so deep and important, right? Well, it is. And now after thinking about Erik Von Detten I want to watch Brink, another deep and important movie. Who has a copy of Brink I can borrow?
On to the little tyke- George Alexander Louis. I have always wanted to name my son Alexander. Kate totally stole that one from me. To quote the very deep and important movie, The Princess Diaries, "This is the kid who won the genetic lottery!" Georgie, can I call you Georgie? 'cause I'm gonna call you Georgie, if there is one piece of advise I can give you about being royal it would be to watch the very deep and important movie, The Princess Diaries. So many life lessons on how to be a successful royal.
Princess Mia lesson #1. Know who your friends are. Don't trust Erik Von Detten. He only wants you for your status.
Princess Mia lesson #2. It's okay to cry. As a boy and a brit, you've got two strikes against you when it comes to crying. If you need a lesson on how to do it right, watch Channing Tatum in The Vow.
Princess Mia lesson #3. Julie Andrews should be everyones grandma. I know you have Camilla and Queen Elizabeth II, and Carole Middleton, but if you can swing Julie Andrews as well, your life will be even better. I know, I know, you didn't think that was possible. But Julie Andrews makes impossible things happen. Just watch Mary Poppins.
Princess Mia lesson #4. Don't think about "Me". And when I say me, I mean YOU! As a freaking prince, let's be honest, you are going to have a pretty awesome life. But despite what the media is going to say, it's not about you! To quote Uncle Ben, "With great power come great responsibility." Uncle Ben was right Georgie. You have a great responsibility to make your rule as a prince not about you, but about how you can make other people's lives a little more awesome. If you need an example, ask your dad about his mum. I think she will give you some inspiration. And Kid President.
Ha! I bet you didn't know The Princess Diaries was so deep and important, right? Well, it is. And now after thinking about Erik Von Detten I want to watch Brink, another deep and important movie. Who has a copy of Brink I can borrow?
Thursday, July 25, 2013
British To Do List- Part 1: Time traveling good times
Tada! (jazz hands) Welcome to the resurrection of the blog! The past year or so I turned my life upside down and decided to go to school and change careers. Totally practical, right? Anywhoo, somewhere along the way my love of writing got pushed aside while I was getting life together. Now that that mess is over and done with, I realized that I was missing something in my life. A deep ache in my soul. But what was it? MY BLOG!! Oh yeah! I remember! That thing where I got to write about my crazy love of all things across the pond. What have I been doing that is more important than scribbling about the brits? Nothing! That's what! So here I am, once again. Home sweet home. And without further ado.....
While I was in school, a dear friend announced to me that she was planing a trip to England and would be there for two weeks. She then very innocently, but with an air of skepticism asked me if she should actually be there for two weeks because "what is there really to do there?" What is there to do in England, you ask? What is there to do? I will tell you exactly what there is to do my fine feathered friend.
British To Do list: Part 1 TIME TRAVEL!
The following are places in England will take you back to some of the heyday good ol' times across the pond.
1. Stonehenge- A henge of stone.
To borrow from Madeleine L'engle, It was a dark and stormy night. Or rather a dark and stormy day. A few friends and I took the the train to Bath (see below paragraph) and from there a bus out to yonder Salisbury where the rolling green hills only slightly outnumber the sheep. The drama of the gathering storm heightened the atmosphere of myth and magic surrounding the mystery that is Stonehenge. As our trek led us to truly the middle of Nowhere, England, the sudden appearance of the massive circle of stones was more majestic than I could have ever expected. My crass american self was thinking "How and why the crap does this exist?" While my educated but nerdy british self couldn't get over the fact that I was not only was I experiencing my camelot fantasy's but also the feeling that I was romantically and tragically living my final moments as Tess and my Angel was around here somewhere. As my long hair was blown about under my hooded jacket, I truly felt like an Arthurian/Tragic Hardy character. Merlin was bound to appear behind one of the hunks of rock at any moment and present me with excalibur. How badly did I want to be Morgana? Stonehenge is a must for any traveler, Even if you aren't obsessed with Arthurian legend. Or upsetting british authors. It's da bomb.
2. Bath- Austenland
Yesterday I watched the newest BBC version of Mansfeld park, the one with the chick from Doctor Who (Oh, so many posting possibilities about the Doctor!) It wasn't my favorite Austin interpretation, but as it ended I couldn't help but smile. And why did I have the goofy smile on my face you ask? Good question. The answer is: because I had the incredibly cheesy but completely honest thought--Maybe love does exist. Fanny and Edmund found it. And she had a lot of crap going against her. But she still found someone who loves her, despite her imperfections. This is what my old friend Jane A. keeps telling me over and over again in her stories. Do I believe her? I think I do. The problem is, I tend to forget, which is why I am glad she reminds me. And, after that mile long intro into why Bath is the coolest, I will get to the point. Bath has everything a Jane Austin enthusiast could ask for. One of Jane's houses, the Jane Austin Center (costumes, books, and awesome Austin experts to talk to), the Roman Baths, and the Royal Crescent. Even cooler though than the shops and museums though is as you walk the streets, you will feel just like Anne Eliot or Cathy Morland. Maybe I have an overactive imagination, what am I saying, of course I have an overactive imagination. Did you read the paragraph about stonehenge? What I am getting at is that Jane Austin helps me, helps us, return to a time when life was different from ours now. Where politeness ruled. Men stood when you entered a room. Hats and capes where cool. I wouldn't mind returning to a time when good old fashioned manners ran rampant. Especially now when anyone can hide behind the anonymity of internet and be a big huge jerkface, Austinland reminds us not only that it's cool to be a nice person, but that maybe there are people out there who do love us. Despite our imperfections. In short, go to bath. And read an Austin novel stat.
3. The Globe- I was Shakespeared
As Danny Kay once said, "The theatre, the theatre, what happened to the theatre?" 10 points to whoever can name that movie. I will tell you what happened to the theatre! It burned down! The original Globe did anyway. Then it was torn down. But all that matters now is that the Globe theatre was rebuilt and is happily housed in the middle of London. It looks exactly like the original Globe where Shakespeare himself put on many of his famous plays. Also, just like the original Globe, It doesn't cost a whole heck of a lot to go see a play there...if you want to stand through the whole play just like they did back in the days of the bard. Which is what I did and I loved it! I was just like the dirty peasants in the Elizabethan era that handed over a shilling to stand and watch a boy pretending to be a woman. I imagine it wasn't much different than Vegas. The time slipped away quickly as the storytelling took you back almost 500 years to the rocking renaissance. Yeah, Shakes wasn't known for the shortness of his plays, but standing for 3 hours or so wasn't that bad. And I will tell you the secret that makes it not so bad. You can stand smack in the front and lean on the stage when you need a rest (bonus: you are so close to the actors you can see right up there noses) or stand by a pillar and lean against that. You can also pay more and get a covered seat, but where's the fun in that! Oh yeah, the Globe also has an open roof, which can be problematic when you are standing under said open roof and the heavens decide to dump rain on you for two hours while you are watching Geoffrey from Fresh Prince of Bel Air acting out Coriolanus. True story. Geoffrey made it worth it. And honestly the rain made it a more dramatic production. Just be sure to bring a poncho.
So, my friend, I was in England for months and still didn't get to do everything I wanted to do. I like it that way though. I will always have a reason to go back. Stay tuned for part 2 of the to do list.
While I was in school, a dear friend announced to me that she was planing a trip to England and would be there for two weeks. She then very innocently, but with an air of skepticism asked me if she should actually be there for two weeks because "what is there really to do there?" What is there to do in England, you ask? What is there to do? I will tell you exactly what there is to do my fine feathered friend.
British To Do list: Part 1 TIME TRAVEL!
The following are places in England will take you back to some of the heyday good ol' times across the pond.
1. Stonehenge- A henge of stone.
To borrow from Madeleine L'engle, It was a dark and stormy night. Or rather a dark and stormy day. A few friends and I took the the train to Bath (see below paragraph) and from there a bus out to yonder Salisbury where the rolling green hills only slightly outnumber the sheep. The drama of the gathering storm heightened the atmosphere of myth and magic surrounding the mystery that is Stonehenge. As our trek led us to truly the middle of Nowhere, England, the sudden appearance of the massive circle of stones was more majestic than I could have ever expected. My crass american self was thinking "How and why the crap does this exist?" While my educated but nerdy british self couldn't get over the fact that I was not only was I experiencing my camelot fantasy's but also the feeling that I was romantically and tragically living my final moments as Tess and my Angel was around here somewhere. As my long hair was blown about under my hooded jacket, I truly felt like an Arthurian/Tragic Hardy character. Merlin was bound to appear behind one of the hunks of rock at any moment and present me with excalibur. How badly did I want to be Morgana? Stonehenge is a must for any traveler, Even if you aren't obsessed with Arthurian legend. Or upsetting british authors. It's da bomb.
2. Bath- Austenland
Yesterday I watched the newest BBC version of Mansfeld park, the one with the chick from Doctor Who (Oh, so many posting possibilities about the Doctor!) It wasn't my favorite Austin interpretation, but as it ended I couldn't help but smile. And why did I have the goofy smile on my face you ask? Good question. The answer is: because I had the incredibly cheesy but completely honest thought--Maybe love does exist. Fanny and Edmund found it. And she had a lot of crap going against her. But she still found someone who loves her, despite her imperfections. This is what my old friend Jane A. keeps telling me over and over again in her stories. Do I believe her? I think I do. The problem is, I tend to forget, which is why I am glad she reminds me. And, after that mile long intro into why Bath is the coolest, I will get to the point. Bath has everything a Jane Austin enthusiast could ask for. One of Jane's houses, the Jane Austin Center (costumes, books, and awesome Austin experts to talk to), the Roman Baths, and the Royal Crescent. Even cooler though than the shops and museums though is as you walk the streets, you will feel just like Anne Eliot or Cathy Morland. Maybe I have an overactive imagination, what am I saying, of course I have an overactive imagination. Did you read the paragraph about stonehenge? What I am getting at is that Jane Austin helps me, helps us, return to a time when life was different from ours now. Where politeness ruled. Men stood when you entered a room. Hats and capes where cool. I wouldn't mind returning to a time when good old fashioned manners ran rampant. Especially now when anyone can hide behind the anonymity of internet and be a big huge jerkface, Austinland reminds us not only that it's cool to be a nice person, but that maybe there are people out there who do love us. Despite our imperfections. In short, go to bath. And read an Austin novel stat.
3. The Globe- I was Shakespeared
As Danny Kay once said, "The theatre, the theatre, what happened to the theatre?" 10 points to whoever can name that movie. I will tell you what happened to the theatre! It burned down! The original Globe did anyway. Then it was torn down. But all that matters now is that the Globe theatre was rebuilt and is happily housed in the middle of London. It looks exactly like the original Globe where Shakespeare himself put on many of his famous plays. Also, just like the original Globe, It doesn't cost a whole heck of a lot to go see a play there...if you want to stand through the whole play just like they did back in the days of the bard. Which is what I did and I loved it! I was just like the dirty peasants in the Elizabethan era that handed over a shilling to stand and watch a boy pretending to be a woman. I imagine it wasn't much different than Vegas. The time slipped away quickly as the storytelling took you back almost 500 years to the rocking renaissance. Yeah, Shakes wasn't known for the shortness of his plays, but standing for 3 hours or so wasn't that bad. And I will tell you the secret that makes it not so bad. You can stand smack in the front and lean on the stage when you need a rest (bonus: you are so close to the actors you can see right up there noses) or stand by a pillar and lean against that. You can also pay more and get a covered seat, but where's the fun in that! Oh yeah, the Globe also has an open roof, which can be problematic when you are standing under said open roof and the heavens decide to dump rain on you for two hours while you are watching Geoffrey from Fresh Prince of Bel Air acting out Coriolanus. True story. Geoffrey made it worth it. And honestly the rain made it a more dramatic production. Just be sure to bring a poncho.
So, my friend, I was in England for months and still didn't get to do everything I wanted to do. I like it that way though. I will always have a reason to go back. Stay tuned for part 2 of the to do list.
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