My fever is done and my cough is suppressed. (Suppressed, thanks to the lung-numbing meds. They got stuck in my throat yesterday and became scary swallowing-suppressants. Then my stomach didn’t like them and then they were gone.)
Gary, sadly, is not better but worse. Worse and raving. He’s making an unnatural amount of True Blood references. (He said my pity hug was like “when Sookie hugged Eric.” Seemed a little random.)
So, he woke up tonight at about 7 and we watched a movie.
TIvO recorded The Water Horse because Emily Watson is on Gary’s Wishlist. I started off rolling my eyes at the easy kid manipulation. Child bonds with cute magical animal living in the toilet bowl. Step aside, I need to puke.
THEN the full-grown animal ([SPOILER] aka the Loch Ness monster) is set upon by the military who think it’s a German sub. And from that point on it just gets more and more violent and traumatic. Picture LASSIE being shot at, then Lassie tries to kill Timmy, then Lassie has to leave Timmy, then Timmy goes back to his mommy and says “Daddy isn’t coming back from the war, is he?” Yes. THAT is the ending to this movie.
I remember when I was 11 there was an episode of McMillan and Wife in which some satanic cult tied up Mrs. McMillan, and Mom teased me because I was glaring so furiously at the satanists. I took it to heart. (I’ve never liked satanists since.) I can imagine being 11 and yanked around by this movie. The water horse almost dies, the boy almost drowns, the bulldog gets eaten. It’s as if there were two writers, one a Disney writer (“Believe in your dreams!”) and the other me in a mood. (“War kills pets and daddies, kids!”)
I vaguely remember Water Horse caused some buzz, but not what the buzz was. According to the comments on IMDB this was a great family movie. Well, it traumatized this 47-year old.
8 responses to “Outraged Over the State of Movies Today!”
You need to see ‘Up’. Seriously. Go see it. (At least you won’t have to worry about catching any germs at the cinema, ha ha.)
Glad you’re feeling better – though maybe not quite back to your normal robust self.
Katie from Overflowing Brain said “Up” made her cry through the whole thing.
Disney? Disney all sweet and gentle? The highest-risk occupation is being a mother in a Disney movie. Or having one. Bambi? Mother gets killed by evil human hunters. “Finding Nemo”? No mother. “Snow White”? Her (step) mother tries to kill her.
Did you ever see “Into the West” with Gabriel Byrne? That was of the same variety but not as heartbreaking. Or “Millions”, which is even better but not as heartbreaking.
Ack.
Watch Beauty and the Beast and think about how the message to young girls is that if you love an abuser hard enough, he’ll change for you.
@Caroline: Dang, I never thought of it like that. I always thought the end,when the beast is climbing the tower and he gets a big ole hunting knife jabbed right through his side, I thought that was reason enough to avoid the film.
SO ELLEN
I slept on the couch because the wee little girl was sick and I wanted to be available for her.
(sorry for the swears but)
GODDAMN CHEAP ASS COUCH!! WORST NIGHT OF SLEEP EVER!! WORST NIGHTMARE EVER TOO!!
Cause I dreamt i was in that goddamn tribunal episode from True Blood.
fucking true blood stupid show showing up in my dreams!! gaah!!!
(Becs, being a parent of either sex is bad news in children’s literature, and movies – the first thing that happens is that they’re removed from the scene. How many orphan heroes can you name? [Please, stop at 20 or you’ll be here all day.])
Ellen, did you get my email I sent to your gmail address a few days ago?
Alicia
Big Dot – Never seeing Up.Becs – And that’s exactly why I’m never seeing Up.Caroline – I once read an essay on Cinderella: Ten Years Later, or something like that. Cinderella is not happy, beauty is fading, Prince C is cheating on her.Mrs. Hall – Friend #2s husband just let her little girls watch Poltergiest. Talk about bad dreams. Hattie – I have to tell you I read two of your essays on your sidebar – the one on Vonnegut and the one on Roth, and then I stopped so I could spread the others out as a special treat. Big Dot – I think your image looks like a spirograph.Alicia – I have now! You can now read me ramble on.
Another assault on childhood! Gad.