The creative is so closely related to entertainment. It's true, when you think about it, all forms of creativity drive the entertainment industry. I have to admit although I enjoy a good art show and a dance recital, a Broadway musical etc... I'm not much of a movie buff. I'm most certainly a creature of habit and when it comes to film, for whatever reason, I have little interest in giving two plus hours of my time to a movie production without knowing that I'm going to gain enjoyment from those two hours. At one point in the recent past, I went three years without going to the movies. Instead I began making a collection of DVD's I had already seen and knew that I had loved the first time 'round. Strange right?( And yes, the majority of those are romantic comedies)I suppose when it comes to movies, I don't like the element of surprise. Memories of being scared out of my mind while watching the Chucky series with my older cousins, Nightmare on Elm Street and Pet Cemetary with friends at slumber parties (are they still called that?) help me to understand a little more as to why I like to know the course of events in a film ahead of time. I HATE being frightened. I'm a nervous person to begin with and I really don't understand why someone would want to subject them self to blood splatter and decapitations, bulgy- eyed dolls and melted faces.
I like to laugh and smile, not crawl under my covers in fear. Believe it or not, when I really contemplate my reasons for being less and less interested in partaking in the movie-going experience, I think I can pin-point it in large part to one movie. It may seem silly, but The Sixth Sense had the most bone-chilling affect on me. I remember watching it all alone at my parents' place. They had rented it and I thought "It's got that cute little boy in it. How scary could it possibly be?" I slept with one eye open that night after watching it, and think I even remember checking under my bed for a sickly looking Mischa Barton. The final scene left me breathless. I don't think I took in oxygen for a whole minute after the movie ended.
So that did it. I lost interest and began reverting to watching the rom-coms I could rely on to bring a smile to my face, along with Sex and the City, of course (Yes I now have the entire six seasons on DVD). This has become the case with television as well. I haven't had cable in three years and even when I did, I selected home reno shows and lifestyle shows on HGTV or TLC so that I at least felt that there would be a benefit in the info given and I could apply it to my own life. Similarly to my experience with thriller-type movies, one night I gave in and watched an episode of Criminal Minds and it had me sleepless for days to follow. Really, who wants to know the premeditated process a serial killer goes through? I sure as hell don't.
Recently however, I signed up for Netflix as a way to have access to kids movies and educational documentaries that I could show in class. I never thought that this site would become a source of entertainment in my personal life. I was wrong. Having selections at the click of the button gives so much control. When I began using the site, my first selection was How I Met Your Mother. I thought "Half an hour a day isn't so bad and it's a comedy so I won't be left trembling." I enjoyed every episode and watched the first eight seasons in a matter of a couple months.
Here I am six months past the time I plugged in my details to the site and I've made the step to movie watching. I have to admit that when I decide to watch a movie, whether with friends or on my own, it takes a good twenty minutes to make a selection. I read all the details, sometimes fall into my habitual behaviour of selecting something I've seen twelve times already. But these past couple of selections have edged me on to expanding my horizons. Seven Pounds had me tearing up intermittently throughout. It was so relevant to one of my own student's situations that I was engaged from the first minute. Not to mention the fact that I have a mad crush on Will Smith.
Just the other night, I discovered a hidden gem. Who would have known that Joshua Jackson would capture my attention so forcefully in any other production than Dawson's Creek? I'm referring to a 2005 film titled Shadows in the Sun. and to be honest, it more had to do with Harvey Keitel's contributions to the film that I remained captivated. The story of a "has-been" writer who kicked writing to the curb after the death of his wife, harassed by a fear that he had nothing left to say, paired with a budding author (Jackson's character) was a wonderful mix of soul-searching and childish, prankster type interactions, not to mention a stunning setting on the hillsides of Tuscany that would be any author's preferred surroundings.
It drew my attention to the reality that no matter how young or old, failure is a fear of all. Even those who have experienced great success. The quote from the film which most resonated with me was when Keitel's character is discussing the inspiration of the creative and says "An artist doesn't choose their art, it chooses them." He then goes on to say that creative people have to be a touch insane, because the chances of success are minimal, so why not let lunacy be a part of the every day and experience joy in the face of possible failure. I obviously laughed at this but then realized how true the statement is. To be honest, the happiest and craziest people I know are those who have let their art fully choose them and those who have allowed it to become a prominent part of their lives no matter how successful they've been with it. I aim for crazy happiness as my end goal by fully allowing my craft to get a hold of my heart.
Chances are, I'll watch Shadows in the Sun ten more times over the course of the next little while. A creature of habit, I tell you. I'm working on it, I swear.
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Happy reading!
Jessica Ashley Dafoe
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