Life in the click of a button!

Hi fellas,

It has been a while since I wrote something on movies that I have seen recently. I saw two movies - "That Thing You Do" and "Click". I will detail you on them in the post below. Both movies are from different eras in Hollywood. The first one is from the "Tom Hanks" era, where the name "Hanks" used to sell movie tickets like hot pancakes! And the second one has Adam Sandler is his usual slap-stick comedy with the "shabby-haired" Christopher Walken making his life a joy-ride for all of us to see. Of course, I saw this movie primarily to look at Kate Beckinsale - After that IIMB interview, I have never been able to forget her. No offence to you Meg Ryan, but Kate has cemented a place in my heart for now.

Both these movies dealt with one important topic in life i.e. the importance of family and friends. One movie showed how a change in life reflects on the change in the ones behaviour towards friends and the other movie makes us realize the importance of family over everything else.

"That thing You Do!" is a 1996 movie - That was around the time I had started watching Hollywood films. The story revolves around the rise and fall of a one-hit wonder band called "The Wonders"!!! The movie is good for anyone who likes watching decent stuff - no fights, no "scenes", no blood-and-gore, somethings which are typical of the mainstream Bollywood movies.

There was one clear message that was conveyed through this movie - We tend to neglect those who are very close to us because we do not realize their value and importance and hence take them for granted. Simple message, yet conveyed most beautifully. Faye (played by the ever-gorgeous Liv Tyler) has been with Jimmy for two and a half years - A really long time. She was with him in his initial stages, in his rise to stardom and in all his successes. But success gets over Jimmy's head and a really heated-up remark to ruin a beautiful occasion makes Faye break up their relationship. The worst part is that Jimmy feels no remorse and is not sorry for his actions. I really felt like giving him a nice trashing - How could he do that to her? I never thought that the movie was meant to go that way.

This related with my life really well (Don't get surprised!). I am the only child of my parents and hence, I was pampered like hell! Though I never really felt that way, it was ingrained in my system to take things for granted. I never realized that my parents always think for my good. I have been so close to them and yet, I never realized how important they were to me. Many of us share different relationships with our parents - I always used to treat both of the like my friends than my parents. But today, I realized that they are an integral part of my life. They always want the best for me. They may be "old-fashioned" but they are wiser than us. They know what is the best for us. Today, I would like to thank my parents for always being there for me and promise that I would never desert them.

Too serious stuff aa??? You must be thinking "Does this fella have to analyse every movie in his perspective?" Well, Hollywood has always been my source of my inspiration and will always continue to be. When I see a movie, I feel the movie. I become one with the characters and the story. That really changes my life and my perspectives. If I do not feel the movie, I would never want to see it again. Each movie, I feel, has a hidden message and I always try to decipher it and apply it to my life... It may sound strange but that's the way it works for me.

The next movie "Click" is a 2006 movie. It's a comedy involving Adam Sandler, who gets a "Universal Remote" - which can do the same functions as that of a remote, except that it can also act on the world around him. Michael (Adam Sandler) discovers the special properties which change his life forever. He zips about his life and realizes that his aim in life (which was to work hard in the early years, become the CEO of his company and then relax with his family) does not result in a rosy life as he had imagined to be. He is divorced, fat and extremely hot-tempered, but is the CEO! He sees how the early neglect of his family has resulted in a slutty-daughter, an overweight son and an unsatisfied wife - In short, a very unhappy family.

What went wrong, he thought? It was all planned for him, right? Well, what he failed to realize was that he did not take care of his family when he was supposed to. And it also showed how the most simple things in life, the things that may seem "insignificant" are the ones that you will miss the most when you are away from them. You may skip a shower once or twice, but when the remote with "memory" skips is for you everytime you want to do that, then you will realize the beauty of it all. Michael goes to the extent of cycling to his office in his bathrobe as he does not want to skip his clothes-wearing procedure and the traffic! Ever wondered how a seemingly insignificant act of dressing up may actually seen like heaven? Look no further, just see "Click".

Well, the final message of the movie was plain and simple - "Family comes first". Be it sitcoms like "Full House" or "8 Simple Rules" or movies like Click, we must understand that family and friends are the most important part of ones life. Never neglect them at any cost. Money and fame will come and go, but the people who matter for you come rarely if life. A relationship once broken, always remains scarred. So, grab the chance while you can!

Ciao..