| The Movie
Mystic by Stephen Simon The Day After Tomorrow 124 minutes, Rated PG-13 for intense situations of peril "Disaster" movies. Why are we so drawn to them, particularly when they involve massive earth changes? As a possible answer to that question, and before we discuss the specific details of The Day After Tomorrow, I would like to share with you the introduction to the chapter in my book (slightly edited for this review) which I called: "Floods, Fires, Earthquakes and Riots"-- otherwise known as the four seasons in Los Angeles: "Seriously, why are there so many films that posit that the only way we can get to the future is to go through disaster first? I believe that the answer lies in our sense memories as a species that have only experienced either catastrophe or decay. We have trouble envisioning positive futures because in our past we have not been able to evolve into one. "All of these films contain cautionary messages about the ways we have destroyed ourselves in the past -- technology, overpopulation, pollution, nuclear power, violence, natural disasters, loss of freedom -- and serve as reminders of what we are committed to avoiding this time around. "Taken just at face value, the messages of the films could be perceived by doomsday "enthusiasts" as frightening; however, I experience them very differently. "Once you have faced a fear head-on, it loses its power. If a warning light comes on in your car letting you know that you need oil, you stop at a gas station and add oil to the engine. The warning light then goes out. When seen from that perspective, the messages of these kinds of movies are actually about empowerment; that is, they exist to remind us of our understanding and promise to each other and ourselves that we will not allow any of these doomsday scenarios to ever happen...again. The 'glass half-empty' approach would be to look at these fears as a harbinger of terrible tragedies that are about to occur. The "glass completely full" approach sees the fears, acknowledges them, and simply determines that, however complex the engine may appear, adding oil to the crank case will keep the engine light off." I believe that our fascination with films like The Day After Tomorrow is a direct result of one those engine warning lights: global warming. NOT THAT WE FEAR IT WILL DESTROY US -- BUT THAT WE ARE REMINDING OURSELVES THAT WE WILL NOT ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN THIS TIME! We know that we have been experiencing weather changes during the last 10 or 15 years or so. As a native of Los Angeles, I can tell you that we used to have at least some kind of a winter there. Yes, Southern California "winter" meant temperatures in the 50s during the day and at least 4/5 months of rain on and off, but it was our version of winter, and it wasn't scorching hot most of the time, as it is now. I no longer live there but all of us who did -- and still do -- remember how things were and see how different things now are. So, internally, we know that global warming exists; therefore, we respond from our wallets ($75 million in its first weekend) and our hearts when a film comes along that explores the phenomenon. As to the "wallet" equation, the film is spectacular to watch -- all the money in visual effects paid off and the film is worth seeing if only for that. The sequence of the sea sweeping into New York City (and a boat floating down one of the major streets in Manhattan) is one of the most jaw-dropping effects sequences I have ever seen. The story is a bit on the weak side but that's not really the point of the film anyway (or most Hollywood summer movies, yes?). Dennis Quaid plays a paleoclimatologist (look that one up!) who sees a big climate shift coming, although not as quickly as it indeed happens. When it hits, the world is slammed into a new Ice Age literally overnight and he needs to trek through snow and bitter cold to save his son who has taken refuge in the New York City Public Library. Okay, so the science is also way off -- not even the wildest ecological pessimist believes that the scenario of this film could actually happen overnight, but, again that's really not terribly relevant, particularly to our hearts. It is indeed the "heart" equation that is at the core of the film's appeal to us -- not necessarily the heart in the film itself, but the heart that beats inside us all. As I said in my book insert earlier, I believe that we remember cataclysms from past civilizations that we didn't survive. And, just as strongly, I believe that we have chosen to be here on this planet at this time to assure ourselves, our children, and our eternal souls that we will NOT let that happen again. The engine light of global warming just blinked on. So, let's tend to the engine and turn that warning light off. Maybe we can even switch to renewable energy and not have to add oil this time! We are indeed the ones we have been waiting for. MovieMystic Chakra Rating for The Day after Tomorrow (For an explanation of THE CHAKRA RATING SYSTEM, please visit www.Movingmessagesmedia.com. Chakra: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Rating: 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 Stephen Simon produced such films as Somewhere in Time and What Dreams May Come and also produced and directed Indigo. Stephen has just co-founded www.Spiritualcinemacircle.com and leads seminars, telecourses, and inspirational Mystical Movie events around the world. For more information, please visit www.Movingmessagesmedia.com. Stephen welcomes your comments by e-mail Stephen@Movingmessagesmedia.com Copyright © 2004 Stephen Simon |
||
|
July 2004 |
|
