Everybody has a story. They are all worth telling and worth witnessing. I love being that witness.
It’s Oscar Season – Hurrah! February is always one of my favorite months of the year and it is definitely not because it’s my birthday month. It’s because blustery weather is the perfect excuse for me to stay inside and indulge one of my ultimate guilty pleasures – the movies. Oscar nominations make me downright giddy – so many stories, so little time.
Whenever I hear someone sneer about “spoiled Hollywood types patting themselves on the back – why don’t we celebrate real heroes?” my heart breaks a little bit. Because yes, of course, everyday people should be celebrated but that is what the movies do! They tell our stories
To be fair, I am also a voracious reader who will debate until the end of time that the book is always better (the only exception to that rule being “The Princess Bride” since it is perfection in every format, but that’s an essay for another day). Being realistic, though, not everyone has the time or inclination to read. Which is why I love that the movies, as a medium, are a great equalizer. Anyone with a few hours to spare can immerse themselves fully in someone else’s story and, ideally, come out of it having walked in shoes they’d never otherwise be able to imagine themselves wearing.
I am a cheerleader for everything from blockbusters to animation, but I reserve my most fervent advocacy for short-form and independent films. In a past life (ok, in my twenties, which feels like a past life), I worked for IFC: The Independent Film Channel and, therefore, for a number of years, attended their pre-Oscar award ceremony, “The Independent Spirit Awards.” As such, I often had access to films that weren’t widely distributed or easy to find, pre-streaming services. I knew about the weird genius of “White Lotus” writer Mike White, the powerful on-screen presence of Michelle Rodriguez and the effortless charm of Jeremy Renner ages before they hit the main stream.
I remember dragging my poor husband to a screening of “Requiem for a Dream,” staring Jared Leto, Ellen Barkin, Jennifer Connolly and Christopher “Shooter McGavin” McDonald. If you’ve seen it, you know it follows a year in the life of various addicts and it is… a downer. I can still hear John groaning when, 40 minutes into the movie, it went from “Autumn” to “Winter,” on the title cards, like “Oh My God, this is all four seasons, isn’t it? It’s only going to get more depressing now? Fuu****!!”
But the movie’s story was so powerful, that it still leaves a mark. I got to chat with Christopher McDonald at that year’s awards and, long story short, embarrassed myself by waxing poetic about Ellen Barkin without really acknowledging his achievements. (sigh) If I could have a few moments back in my life, that would be one of them. Of course, my biggest stumble at those awards was trying to approach Brad Pitt and basically tripping into him, causing him to look horrified and me to scurry away on designer heels I had no business in. I still cringe over that one but hey, I TOUCHED BRAD PITT and didn’t end up with a restraining order, so overall, a win in my book. But I digress.
My point is that these films all pull you into their world, encouraging you to embrace the crazy, tragic, beautiful mess that makes up human experience and to recognize that we all strive to fulfill the same basic desires – love, acceptance, a sense of belonging, a higher purpose, a deeper meaning.
Even better, if you can’t spare two or three hours, is the short film. Animated or live action, fiction or documentary, all of these films pack a powerful punch in a half-hour or less – some as short as five minutes. Most can be streamed on the same devices we spend hours scrolling on, looking for entertainment. Google these and watch as many as you can. It’s the easiest way to try on someone else’s shoes and see how they fit – just a quick spin, but a world of difference.
My boys have grown up at the movies, trying on different shoes. They find a lot of the shoes uncomfortable or just “not their style,” but they, too, embrace the journey. The ability to walk through so many different worlds, to see so many different viewpoints, makes our own life experience much richer.
Everybody has a story. They are all worth telling and worth witnessing. My feelings about the storytellers are summed up beautifully in Emma Stone’s love song to artists in “La La Land;”
“A bit of madness is key to give us new colors to see.
Who knows where it will lead us and that’s why they need us.
So bring on the rebels, the ripples from pebbles, the painters and poets and plays.
Here’s to the fools who dream, crazy as they may seem.
Here’s to the hearts that break. Here’s to the mess we make.”
So again, I say “go to the movies,” or in these crazy times, go to any screen that can play a movie – of any length. Enjoy, embrace, empathize and celebrate all of our stories, captured through the eyes of some of our most powerful storytellers. Then go forth and be both a witness and your own storyteller. I, for one, can’t wait to hear your story.
Portions of this essay first appeared on my personal FB page in February 2018 when I had actually seen all of the movies nominated. I strive for that achievement again one day – and for another opportunity to meet Brad Pitt.