Whilst reviewing The Weather Man Sheila hits a home run:

{...}There are those of us in America who like films about GROWN UPS, mkay? Who, yes, LOVE films like Blue Crush (heh heh). But who also want films that are a bit more unforgiving. A bit more brutal. Not feel-good romantic comedies. But movies about LIFE, and life's STRUGGLES. In the 70s, studios did not feel the need to APOLOGIZE for such movies - the way Paramount is pretty much apologizing for The Weather Man right now.

Less and less in our culture, is there a space for GROWN-UPS. I'm fucking sick of it, frankly. I don't have kids. I resent having the public sphere geared more and more towards the rated G crowd. I resent having movies be dummed down so a certain demographic will go see it. I'm an ADULT and my money is ALSO worth something in this country, mkay? And there are those out there (I know many of them) who have kids but who don't expect the entire fucking world to be G-rated just because they have children.

That's why when films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind do well ... especially in the midst of a year where pretty much every big "blockbuster" TANKED ... I just feel so happy about it. So gleeful. The fact that Napoleon Dynamite and March of the fucking Penguins made ENORMOUS profits (compared to the cost of making the films) - while the big blockbusters hemorrhaged money and didn't make it back ... just make me want to clap my hands in vengeful glee.

The Weather Man is depressing. But I actually don't find that to be a strike against it. There are many audience members out there like me ... who do not say "it's depressing" as a warning. It's just a fact.

He is having a midlife crisis. He wants his father's approval. He feels like he has lost touch with his kids. Things are BAD, man.

What - such movies shouldn't be made? Or if we are, we should apologize for them? Or try to trick people into thinking it's a comedy through advertising?{...}

Yes, yes, yes, shrieks Kathy, loudly.

It's been quite disconcerting to become a grown-up. As a kid, whenever I was disappointed that I'd been overruled, which happened often, I would express the wish that I wanted to grow-up, so I could make my own decisions. Here's a question for the children of today: do they even want to grow-up? Because, the way I see it, they've got the world on a string already; becoming an adult would end their world domination. I looked forward to becoming a grownup because grownups got to have all the fun; they called the shots; everything was made for grownups. We children were seen, but not heard. Nowadays everything is made for children because---and haven't we all heard this one before?---the world tilted on its axis the day my child was born. I've never loved anyone so much as I love my child. I don't know how I ever lived before they came along. My life has completely changed for the better!

There's a reason why I bolded all of those pronouns. It's to highlight the parental vanity that is so annoyingly common these days. And that's what this focus on children is a result of: parental vanity. Because as much as I'd like to lay it off on the wee brats, they're not the ones at fault. It's the parents who are to blame for the idea that the world should be one big G-Rated ride on Magic Mountain. How many times have you heard one of those phrases come from an adult's mouth? Did said parent say it with a breathless certainty that they, indeed, were the first people to ever give birth in this world? That they were, indeed, the first people, out of billions, to ever truly get the feeling of love of their child down right? I don't know what the deal is, but there are so many people nowadays who are certain that the most important thing they will ever do is have and raise children. This may be indeed be true. But this doesn't mean the rest of the world agrees with the idea that the world should revolve around their children.

Posted by: Kathy at 11:29 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
Post contains 728 words, total size 4 kb.

1 Oops. I don't usually swear on my blog. I swore a lot in that piece. Yikes!! Anyway - thanks for the f***ing link!! Let's hear it for ADULTHOOD!

Posted by: red at November 07, 2005 11:51 AM (YqCav)

2 A post decrying the kiddifying of everything should have a few f-bombs in it if you ask me

Posted by: Kathy at November 07, 2005 01:09 PM (kZ6IS)

3 I. . .uh, prolly shouldn't be commenting because my whole fucking blog has turned into Pregnant Watch, but I agree with you, wholeheartedly. I happen to think that the new "Kid Power" bullshit that's going on will be steamrollered in the next few years by the Baby Boomers all joining AARP at the same time, but . . . I never -- ever -- have expected anyone else on the planet to think my children were Lil' Angels. Or to rearrange anything in THEIR lives for them. Of course, I'm also the person who's totally pissed off that Eeyore can't be depressed anymore (and WTF are Heffalumps fachrissakes?). . . But I just wanted you to know that not ALL of us are forcing our little bundles of joy onto the rest of the world. Honest. I just can't believe that I'm 40. And pregnant. It's a cosmic joke/wonderous gift all at the same time. Heh.

Posted by: Margi at November 07, 2005 01:30 PM (nwEQH)

4 But I just wanted you to know that not ALL of us are forcing our little bundles of joy onto the rest of the world. Oh, Margi---you are so in the clear on this one. BTW, I have no idea what a Heffalump is, either.

Posted by: Kathy at November 07, 2005 01:45 PM (kZ6IS)

5 I love how we're all swearing. You're right, Kathy. It is appropriate. R-rated language about R-rated movies!! Oh and Margi - I cannot even tell you how many of my friends, with broods of children around them, feel the way you do! They so want to get out of play-date mode and hang out with grown-ups ... that they're desperate for it!! Most of my friends are that way. They love their kids, but they love their adult time too. Good luck with the baby!

Posted by: red at November 07, 2005 02:29 PM (YqCav)

6 A-F@cking-men. You said it!

Posted by: MR H at November 07, 2005 07:34 PM (wgItj)

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