Touching the Void
In general, I prefer films vs. movies. I got that quote from a good friend of ours who definitely prefers movies like The Rock, Independence Day, Terminator 2, etc. We go for smaller independent films which are abundant in New York City.
My kids prefer teen flicks which I have to admit, I don’t mind. Some are god awful but some are cute and funny. It is like I still have a spot in my heart for pop rock. I admit it.
This past weekend we saw quite a few flicks. We saw 50 First Dates with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Not one of Adam Sandler’s best films but he is always fun to watch. He reminds me of people I went to summer camp with. Again, a soft spot in my heart. We also saw Miracle with Kirk Russell which was a total feel good flick. Considering I remember watching that memorable hockey game during college and hearing the screaming rocketing through the quad, it was great to watch. My kids loved it. There was also the message about team work and coaches that you might hate but have something to offer, etc. The most interesting tidbit of information out of that movie which I did not know is that none of those players went on to play in the NHL. I thought that was interesting.
The other films we saw this weekend were on DVD. My favorite site, Netflix, made all this available through my mailbox. Due to the freezing cold winter we have been having, I have upped our Netflix availability to 8 at a time. It appears to be a big hit. We saw Beaches – my daughters loved it and I cried as I do everytime I see this film. We also saw Hannah and Her Sisters. A bit over their heads. My daughter attempted to watch Annie Hall, again too much for her. We also watched Cider House Rules, Amadeus and Driving Miss Daisy. We’re doing Oscar movies before the Oscars.
Although, the best thing I saw this past week was Touching the Void which is a true story of 2 rock climbers and their test of survival. I can not get it out of my head. These 2 young kids, 21 and 25, decide to climb a mountain that they do not know enough about, in the Andes. One of the climbers, Joe, breaks his leg and his partner, Simon, attempts to carry him down to safety. They get caught in a bad area and Simon has to cut the rope holding Joe up because he presumes him to be dead. Simon manages to get down the mountain. Joe falls into a ice crevass but through sheer will makes his way down the mountain over 4 days. This movie is a true testament of the human spirit. The movie is intersliced with clips of them climbing and the recounting of their story face on with the camera. It is a must see!