Life in Black and White

Harvey is a 1950 film that is based on a play of the same name. It stars James Stewart. I thought that I would keep with the light-hearted and imaginative theme that I have had going these past few weeks. It really is a charming and sweet movie and Stewart’s performance earned him an Oscar nomination.

The film is about eccentric Elwood P. Dowd (Stewart) and his relationship with his best friend. The only problem is that his best friend is an imaginary six foot, three and a half inch tall white rabbit named Harvey. This is incredibly unnerving to his sister Veta, who tries to have him committed to a sanatorium. However, there are a few mishaps along the way and she is accidentally committed herself. When a doctor asks Elwood about Harvey, Elwood explains how the two met as well as his philosophy of life that he learned from his mother who said that “you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant.” Elwood used to be smart, but now prefers to be pleasant and says that it is better to be pleasant. Towards the end of the film, the doctors are about inject Elwood with a serum to make him stop seeing Harvey. Veta then intervenes because she is afraid that it will alter who he is. In the end, Elwood is seen walking down the lane and shaking hands with his friend.

This really is a great movie for everyone to watch. I think that is shows that people of all ages can have an imagination and that sometimes being a little odd is not so bad. I think there is something to be said about being pleasant to those you meet. Perhaps we can all take a lesson from Elwood and his friend Harvey. In any case, you should definitely check out this movie. It will leave you smiling.

Mary Poppins is a musical film released in the United States in 1964. It is based on the book by P.L. Travers. The movie stars Julie Andrews as the title character and Dick Van Dyke as the entertaining Bert. This movie is another American classic that I would hope most people have seen because it is thoroughly entertaining and I guarantee that the songs will get stuck in your head.

For those who haven’t seen this movie, it is about the adventures of a dysfunctional family in Edwardian era London after a magical and quirky nanny arrives to set things right. In the beginning of the movie the two mischievous children of the family have successfully gotten rid of yet another nanny when one suddenly floats down in front of their house using an umbrella. Her name is Mary Poppins and with the help of her friend Bert, she teaches the children to use their imagination and give negative situations a positive twist. In the end, she helps the family to come together as they all go to fly kites.

I think this is just a great movie. I loved watching it as a kid. I think part of the reason I liked it so much was that it was and still is one of my mom’s absolute favorites. I think this movie speaks to the inner child in everyone. It shows the importance of using your imagination and finding joy and fun in all of the small, everyday things.  I also think that the movie demonstrates how everyone needs to be a little ridiculous sometimes. With all the serious or stressful situations that people have to deal with everyday, making a joke or just being a little silly and childish can be a healthy thing that can give balance to our lives. I highly recommend this movie if you feel you need a little silliness in your day.

The Wizard of Oz is one of the most well-known films in American Cinema History. It was made in 1939 and stars Judy Garland as main character Dorothy Gale and is based on the novel written by L. Frank Baum. The movie is known is probably best known for the songs that have become familiar to most people in this country.

While I’m sure that everyone knows the basic story of The Wizard of Oz, I will give a simple summary to explain the plot. The film centers around Dorothy Gale, who with her dog Toto, gets carried away from her prairie home in Kansas by a powerful tornado and lands in the world of Oz. In order to get back home to Kansas Dorothy must travel down the yellow brick road to the Emerald City. Along the way she meets a scarecrow, a tin man, and a cowardly lion. Together these friends work together to defeat the Wicked Witch of the West and help Dorothy make it back to her home.

This is a great movie and an American classic. There are so many reasons why so many people have watched and fallen in love with this movie for so many years but I’m going to talk about the reasons why I love it. First, I just really like the songs. Second, I think that a lot of people can understand the idea of thinking that the grass is greener on the other side and not appreciating what they have. I also think that once she realizes just how much she has, Dorothy gains so much more love and appreciation for her home and family, which is something similar that happened to me when I first came to college. Lastly, I think her three friends make the movie even more relateable for all people because they generally represent how everyone wishes for attributes that they feel that they do not have but probably do. It is for these reasons that I think The Wizard of Oz is a great film. And if you haven’t already seen then you definitely should.

Rebel Without A Cause is a film that was made in 1955 and stars Natalie Wood and James Dean. This is probably the film that James Dean is most known and celebrated for during his short acting career. Unfortunately, he died tragically in a car accident before the film was released. This movie is essentially the 1950s version of a teen drama but trust me, it is way better than a lot of the teen movies that have been coming out over the past several years.

The film follows the main character of Jim Stark (Dean) in Los Angeles shortly after he and his parents move to the area. He meets a girl named Judy (Wood) and a younger boy nicknamed Plato in a police station at the beginning of the film. The rest of the film takes place over the next thirty six hours or so as you see Jim struggle with adjusting and fitting in while still forming unlikely friends with Plato and later, Judy. Of course, the plot also includes a drag race that goes wrong, breaking in to an old and abandoned mansion, and tragedy towards the end of the film.

While this may just sound like a typical teen movie, it really isn’t. There is a bit more of a maturity and an understated wit to the film and it is much more serious than the teen movies today. However, I do think that the fact that the film has similar characteristics to today’s movies that makes it so relatable. I also think that the main theme of finding one’s place in the world is pretty universal and is still a big theme in films today. Everyone at some point in their lives feels out of place or like they don’t belong. Everyone also can relate to the various domestic issues that each of the main characters experiences. It is for these reasons that I think Rebel Without A Cause is a great movie for people of all ages and backgrounds and I highly recommend it.