When you’re the type of person who usually fills her weekends and nights with an assortment of shows, rehearsals, performance gigs etc. you can occasionally find yourself at a loss on a Saturday night. So on a typical Saturday night, you can spend it doing laundry, hanging out with your parents or even yourself. You’re also stuck with the movies that happen to be on basic cable.
TBS showed Serendipity back to back last night. I remember seeing this movie when it came out and even then thinking it a bit far-fetched. It’s the story of two random strangers who have a chance meeting in a store three days before Christmas then spend a couple of hours together and fall in love. But by chance or fate-or Kate Beckinsale’s character just being lame-they never learn each other’s name, phone number or occupation. Cut to 10 years later and they’re still in love, but engaged to other people. But “something” just doesn’t feel quite right. In Beckinsale’s ‘Sara’ls case, I can see why. John Corbett in the hippie douchebag role. But in Jonathan’s case, he’s engaged to Bridget friggin’ Moyanahan. Does no one want to marry this woman? She’s so gorgeous. I mean she’s been constantly cast as the beautiful jilted fiancée so many times that it accidentally leaked over to her real life.
What resonated for me was Jeremy Piven’s character, Dean, an obituary writer (oh-so hilarious, let’s give the good-hearted and doofy best friend a thankless job) for the New York Times. As he and Cusack’s character board the plane about to take off for California, he mentions that he and his long time girlfriend have broken up. Dean points out that even though, on the surface, things were going well, underneath, they had let their passion for each other die. They no longer did things for each other that were driven by the heart, instead they lived in a comfortable space of taking each other for granted. At the end of the movie, inspired by Jonathan, Dean sets out to win back his lover.
And I’ll admit it, the movie got me, sappy soundtrack and all. Life as we all know, is not meant to be like the movies. People are not perfect; even though we may find our literal soulmate, there are still things like mortgages, poopy diapers, schedules and dishes to figure out. And yet, in this moment, parts of the movie started to get to me. The loneliness of being in love with someone else but never knowing if you will see them or be with them ever again. People are like plants, they need light, air, water, sunlight and affection. They will accept substitutes and sometimes thrive quite well. It’s the hardiest plants that say, “No way man, I’m coming up on through the concrete to find what I need the most, people and dogs be damned.” I think sometimes, even though we know what we want the most, we will accept substitutes-because we need to thrive. To feel awake and alive. We can keep making the same mistakes or accepting less than what we feel entitled to-because we need to survive.
Sadly, the protracted search ended late Saturday night in complete and utter failure. Yet even in certain defeat, the courageous Trager secretly clung to the belief that life is not merely a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences. Uh-uh. But rather, its a tapestry of events that culminate in an exquisite, sublime plan. Asked about the loss of his dear friend, Dean Kansky, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and executive editor of the New York Times, described Jonathan as a changed man in the last days of his life. "Things were clearer for him," Kansky noted. Ultimately Jonathan concluded that if we are to live life in harmony with the universe, we must all possess a powerful faith in what the ancients used to call "fatum", what we currently refer to as destiny.-Jonathan Trager's obituary, end of 'Serendipity'
Also? My mouth tastes like a hangover, I think it’s because I ate Panda Express yesterday.
Dean: “You are a jackass. You are. You are my hero, you know? You’re like my oracle and shit, you know? You’re out there man, and you’re makin’ it happen…Courtney moved out.”
Jonathan: “What?”
“Yeah, look man, we’ve been fighting for a real long time.
“Why didn’t you tell me?!”
“We didn’t want to ruin your wedding man, just didn’t want to rain on your parade man.
“What the hell happened?”
“We just, we let it slip away, you know? That’s the point. You know, it DIED. We died.”
“What was the cause of death?”
“Not enough of all of this.” (picks up the book, “Love in the Time of Cholera” that has Sara’s phone number written in it) Of this, of this! (puts his hand on Jonathan’s chest/heart). And not enough, you know…You remember the philosopher Pinticus? He said, if you want to improve be content to be thought foolish and stupid. That’s what you’ve done.”
“I work hard at it.”
“Now, I want to be a jackass. You know? YOU’RE THE SHIT!”
Annie Lennox did s cover of Bob Marley's, 'Waiting in Vain' for the soundtrack and it's so amazing. The video is hilarious-I mean, I get it, but watching a 40+ year old woman doing stop animation affects to live video wearing Mickey Mouse ears is a tad bizarre. I've included a YouTube video of this guy Chris Ramos doing it on ukelele and sounding pretty awesome as well. The Dora the Explorer beanie kills me, which is probably why I included it.
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