Movies, a book, and one social comment...




I watched Happy Gilmore 2 last night. 

If you have fond memories of the original film, let it stop there. It was mildly amusing, but the whole thing was a little more than a little far-fetched, and the situation was dark (Happy has become a despondent drunk, among other things). I won't burden you with spoilers, but yeah... glad it was streaming on Netflix and not something I had to go pay ten bucks a ticket for.

I haven't actually seen a decent movie in six months. I wanted to see Superman, but I think I'll wait til it is streaming, too. I like going to the movies, but the cost of snacks and tickets makes it a little bit of a gamble if the movie might not live up to the popcorn.

The last two really good movies I have seen are A Complete Unknown and Conclave. I should add in the remake with "live action" incorporated of How to Train a Dragon, but since I already knew how it would end, I would classify it as enjoyable. I'm looking forward to the second half of Wicked, and the last installment of Downton Abbey-- those are both due out this fall. Those two will require an in-person, at the theatre outing. They are both a bit of escapism for me, but that's exactly it: relief from the turmoil, right?

I'm still reading Gather by Kenneth Cadow, a Vermont school principal who decided to write a young adult novel that features real problems that kids face, and set in an area of the country I know really well. I'm glad it was recommended at APSI, and I'm toying with the idea of maybe making sure we have a couple of copies on the shelf at school. Some of the language is "salty" and the issues are hard ones to confront: extreme poverty, cultural division, drug addiction. But if kids read "real" books, they may trust us to read the ones we want them to read for other purposes as well. I'll finish it, and see what my principal thinks. The funny thing is, if things were different politically, I would not hesitate. Those invisible handcuffs are pretty real, aren't they? 

So, no one would blink an eye if a high school kid watched Happy Gilmore 2, which has all three issues, but they might just lose a noodle or two with the book. The difference is, the issues are not glorified or made into low comedy in the book. If we hope to make any changes in our society, we first have to take an honest, hard look at the things that need changing, and we need to set aside judgment and low humor. These problems are not laughing matters, and the people caught in them are not laughable. 

Have a wonderful day,

C

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