The musings of a wandergeselle about faith, literature, music, dancing, culture, food, travels, art, fashion, photography, life experiences, and everything in-between from journée to journée.
Today’s mood led me to search for a good romantic movie on YouTube, and I stumbled upon this Hallmark movie entitled “The Story of Us.”
I highly recommend watching this feel-good movie. Well, aside from the fairytale ending (as expected 😉), I totally love the bookstore + cafe concept.
I’m thinking about integrating it later on at the farm, God willing, since my family and I love to read. Network signals are also intermittent there so book reading will become a necessity to ease boredom. lol We have lots of books at home in Bicol and in our homes here in Manila, which I plan on consolidating if my siblings and their families agree when we’re seniors already. I hope to include it as part of the family legacy. 🙂
Some of my favorites from my personal collection.
If you want a good marriage, invest in it, as they say. But the catch here is that both of you have to invest in it to make it work. 😃
Mini library at your service– the condo version. 😊
Nothing is more enjoyable than having that secluded nook to read where no one can disturb you and you’re surrounded by nature in all her splendor. This is one of the best views there at the farm and my Dad loves this view. This is also the reason why he loves to visit the rice fields when the palay is all lush and green.
I’ll come up with a better and longer video next time. 👍
The rice fields become all bare though after the harvest season. So I was thinking of planting and growing short-lived plants like sunflowers (I already have the seeds) by the end of the Dry Season as a crop alternative. The pollinators will love this, and it will also offer quite a scenic and lovely view to (future) guests.
Ah yes, so many plans, and yet it is the Lord’s purpose that will prevail. But the mission remains – make the farm as a retreat place for holistic wellness, and this includes the hospice facility which will be the topic for my next article. 🙏❤️😊
Going back to the movie, I loved the concept of grassroots, going back to the hometown, preserving the history of a place while being open to possibilities in future improvements, soulmate union after being apart for some time, and true love.
Yes, that is the “Story of Us.” Go watch it now if you haven’t watched it yet. And the Bible verse below resonates with the movie’s theme. 🥰
“When the time is right, I, the Lord, will make it happen.” – Isaiah 60:22
I’m having a severe rhinitis attack today. As much as I’d like to use a nasal saline spray, my nurse hubby advised me to go natural on remedies. He explained that using too much of it can result in a thinner mucus lining.
The mucus lining protects our respiratory system from viruses that could enter our body through nasal passages. So, here I am trying to make myself feel as comfortable as I can by writing a blog post. 😀
Same Kind Of Different As Me: A Movie Based On A True Story
Photo credit: imdb.com
For this article, I’ll be doing a review of the movie “Same Kind of Different As Me.” It is an adaptation of the New York Times’ Best-Selling novel based on a true story about faith, hope, love, and friendship.
I don’t want to divulge too many details about the movie just in case you haven’t seen it yet. So, I’ll keep this review short to limit the spoilers. It is already available on Netflix, by the way, since it was released in cinemas back in 2017.
The Characters
The main characters were played by actors Renee Zellwegger (Deborah Hall) and Greg Kinnear (Ron Hall). Greg and Deborah portrayed the typical couple who started out with relational rifts, which became the starting point of the turnaround of events.
Deborah is a wife, mother, and philanthropist, while her husband Greg is a writer and a wealthy international art dealer in Texas. Djimoun Hounsou played the role of Denver who is an ex-con living in a community for the homeless where Deborah volunteers. He is the person whom Deborah would always see in her dreams.
A Special Friendship, A Beautiful Marriage
What I loved about the movie is how the different experiences of each character have intertwined and changed their lives forever. They all have different personalities and yet were all used by God to fulfill a great plan that will benefit not just these 3 characters, but an entire community.
It’s Denver who mostly shared about his faith to the couple and my favorite quotation of his in the movie is this, “Debbie is getting precious in the eyes of God, she also becomes important to Satan.”
Debbie died of cancer at the end of the movie. She left a legacy, however, that changed lives and resulted in a beautiful friendship particularly between her husband and Denver.
She found out she has cancer in its terminal stage already. This sometimes baffles me how a crippling, incurable illness can be diagnosed without the patient even noticing he/she has it.
I believe this has something to do with Denver’s statement I quoted above, and it can also be that God’s purpose for Debbie was already fulfilled. Indeed, it kind of makes you think that our lives are really shorter than we expected.
Do What You Can Do, The Things That God Asked You To Do
Just like Debbie, I don’t intend to wait until the doctor tells me that I have a terminal illness before I start doing things that mattered to me and to God. I won’t wait for that moment before I do the things that I can do now, and the things that God asked me to do now.
So that when it’s time for us to cross the finish line, we have no regrets, and we die fulfilled. I’ve seen testimonies of dying persons over the internet whose last words were filled with the usual regretful “I should have done this and I should have done that.”
Why Wait if the Time is Now
By learning from these final words, we can also avoid these feelings of regret from taking place in our lives. Let’s use them instead to change how we run our lives now. How?
We can start by asking God what exactly are His plans for us. Even if it means going outside of our comfort zones, we have to obey Him. Debbie, for sure, wasn’t comfortable going to a community that is entirely the opposite of where she lives.
As her husband would remind her at first, the place was dangerous, full of criminals, and dirty. This didn’t stop Debbie though and she still followed what she saw in her dream. I believe her dream was a vision shown to her by God – a prophecy. It is what God was asking her to do.
God Makes Everything Beautiful in His Time
The day before she passed away, Debbie told her husband how things have turned out beautifully. She even got to appreciate the infidelity that her husband committed a few years back.
She said that if it wasn’t for it, then they wouldn’t have been given the chance to reclaim the love they used to have for one another and save their marriage from completely falling apart. I’d personally love to die saying these as my last words.
These are words spoken out of gratitude, peace, and contentment. And I believe it is because of my obedience to God when He asked me to do something that I can proclaim these words and say I was able to live a fulfilled life – a life with purpose and a life with meaning.
A Movie Worth Watching
I believe it is not a coincidence that I was able to watch it yesterday out of the countless movies on Netflix. It could probably be God’s leading that I get to see it so I can share it here on my blog. Because this blog is also the legacy that I will be leaving behind if the time comes for me to go.
Are you also living out the purpose that God has called you out? If yes, are you confident that when the right time has come for you to join Him, you can say with a free spirit that you’re ready?
If not yet, don’t waste any more time. I encourage you to have the courage to pursue what God has called you to do. Just like what Denver said in this movie, “We are all homeless just trying to find our way back home.”
Here are the Bible verses the Spirit has prompted me to share with you and help you discern God’s calling for your life:
“Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.
You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.
For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you.
Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.
May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.”
– 1 Thessalonians 5:1-24 NIV
Living life according to God’s plan,
P.S. I’ll just be watching the service in church via live stream. I just can’t disrupt it with my constant sneezing every hour when I’m there, can I? 😀
It is one thing to be great and yet it is another thing to be happy and fulfilled. Which of these two are you after? 🙂
Hubby and I watched the movie “Gifted” starring Captain America’sChris Evans. I was captivated by the movie’s portrayal that not all individuals who have the potential to be “great” are subjected to society’s dictates that they be the next Albert Einstein or Bill Gates. It depicted how parents overlooked the fact that greatness is not equated to a life well-lived but only if the child be given the chance to live life by his/her own choosing – a great life or a life lived otherwise, simple, normal, and devoid of titles.
The story was set in a small town in Tampa, Florida and revolved around the life of 7-year old Mary Adler (McKenna Grace) who’s been living with her Uncle Frank (Chris Evans). Mary’s remarkable talent in Math was discovered by her 1st grade teacher and raised this concern with the school’s principal who then proposed to Frank that Mary be sent to a school for the gifted children. However, this setup changed when a battle on custody between her uncle and grandmother took place. Mary’s grandmother intended on giving Mary full access on all resources to maximize her potential while her Uncle Frank, on the other hand, wanted to fulfill the request of his late sister (Mary’s mom) that Mary should experience a normal childhood. The story ended with the court’s decision that Frank be granted custody over Mary and Mary will be taking regular classes in a public grade school in the morning and taking high-level college courses in the afternoon.
Special Education gave way in addressing these problems regarding special children or children with special needs. I was very curious regarding this branch of education back in 2008 when I worked as a communication assistant for the deaf and mute which then prompted me to pursue a graduate study in this field. My eldest sister graduated with a degree in Special Education also and I’ve heard her recount stories and experiences in dealing with special children.
Out of my curiosity to understand them better and the dire need to alleviate the challenges they go through, it led me to finding out that there are actually more of these children who are trying to live ‘normal’ lives out there. It is not only a constant challenge to these children but to their parents as well who try all the best they could to give them a normal life.
Nowadays, the idea of Special Education is not so new anymore in our society. For those who haven’t been truly exposed to what Special Education is all about, the general objective of it is good in all aspects. However, as practitioners of this branch of education, there are some challenges that Special Education still has to address in which researchers are currently exploring. This ranges from teacher competencies to the after-school support programs because education for these children doesn’t end in the four corners of the academe.
The demands are greater – demands for better understanding on a holistic sense i.e. emotional, social, biological, intellectual, behavioral, etc. Indeed, their education is referred to as “special” because they are not regular students who fit more or less in a standardized curriculum. With these children, however, the Individualized Educational Plan addresses their needs best, academically speaking. But there are other needs that should be met as well i.e. emotional, social, and behavioral developments in which a Special Education school with special students alone may not be able to provide.
As with the case of Mary, she is intellectually gifted. But if we will focus on just unleashing her full potential just like what her grandmother wants, she may truly miss a lot, most especially her childhood. It was portrayed in the movie that Mary’s mom committed suicide which, I assume, has something to do with her low emotional quotient though considered a Math prodigy. This low EQ, I believe, has been sidetracked as the school for the gifted she attended focused more on improving the technical side of her intellectual giftedness not taking into consideration the other essential factors needed in order for her to function fully and normally as a person.
This movie is an eye-opener to parents either of a special child or a normal one. Though we all have dreams for our children to have the best in life and give them the best opportunities available, what matters still is not the achievement nor success (worldly definition) they could have in this life but to live it according not to our standards as parents nor of this world’s but that of God’s. God knows His plans for our children. We just need to trust Him that He will give us, parents, the right instructions to raise them well according to His plans.
And what does God say about gifts? My previous article will answer that. *wink* Or better yet, watch the entire movie. In the meantime, enjoy the trailer of the movie below. 🙂
This movie review is a Father’s Day tribute to honor the roles of the father in the family and in society. If you are wondering why I don’t have a Mother’s Day tribute here in my blog for this year, hubby and I went home to my province and celebrated it with my 69-year-old Mom and 91-year-old grandma – two great matriarchs in my family.
Circumstances won’t allow me to visit my hometown again and celebrate Father’s Day this June 19 with my 76-year-old Dad. I thought about honoring my Dad here instead. Since he is not updated with thetechnology-driven world, he’d probably joke around saying what I wrote about him over social media will already “expire” before it reaches him. Yup, that’s how funny my Dad is. 😉
This photo of us taken around year 2011 is enough proof on how funny we are. 😀
Before I proceed with the movie review, I’d like to share some snippets on who my Dad is. My brother wrote an essay about him 11 years ago, which was selected as one of the articles read during the graduation rites of my brother’s class (Sanlingan 2005) at the Philippine Military Academy. When the announcer started reading Kuya’s essay during the ceremony, there came the gushing and shedding of tears – our tears. It did bring us all to tears because my brother was right, our Dad is “The Unsung Hero” and yet loved and respected by all.
Taken inside the cockpit of the Cessna aircraft during Kuya’s Naval Aviation Group Graduation in 2010.
Our Dad is a man of few words and yet he cracks the silliest of jokes. He is seldom the disciplinarian and yet when discipline comes from him, we all remembered this need to hide as his discipline would mean leaving a mark for the rest of your life. He seldom gets angry but when he does, it is the kind of anger that you would not want to see.
I am grateful though to my Dad that he got to “discipline” us.If it wasn’t for this, our lives might be in a total mess right now and without direction. Now that I am a believer, I have learned that discipline in a family is very important not to show who’s the boss in the household, but for parents to guide their children in the right way because they love them and only because they wanted the best for them. It’s just like how God, a Father to His sons and daughters, disciplines and rebukes us so we could live fruitful and better lives.
My Mom is never the stage mom type and when I was in grade school, I was always invited to participate in dance numbers, presentations, oral declamations, etc. So you’ve probably guessed who was with me most of the time during these activities – my Dad. 😀
It is a #FlashbackFriday today so please allow me to backtrack a little bit to when I was in grade school just to share some photos of moi and the extra curricular activities I have mentioned:
Here we are preparing for an Ati-Atihan folk dance number when I was 6 years old. That’s me second to the right.Before The Walking Dead, there was zombie dance. lol Seriously, this is a Hawaiian dance number.Grade 3 Star Scout Camping. There’s another star scouter wanting to have her photo taken with me – except that she became a photo bomber. Tsk, too late. 😀I totally love my childhood because of Girl Scout Camping. This was taken during our hiking and swimming at Obou Falls along with my childhood friends and classmates. That’s me in the middle wearing a white shirt.I played the role of a bridesmaid during a school program.Competed with other schools in the folk dance category during the Literary & Musical Contest.Performed during a school play when I was in Grade 6 and played the role of Thisbe in one of the stories in Greek mythology, “Pyramus and Thisbe.”
I’d just like to give credit to my Dad for being our all-time photographer – these photos and memories wouldn’t have been made possible. Nope, I am not a Daddy’s girl and I do not consider myself as one. I never experienced being so absolutely clingy to my Dad, but at some point I did feel a deeper connection with him more than my Mom when I was in high school. But when I got into college, I felt that both my parents did so well in raising me and my siblings, and they never had any “favorite” among the five of us.
I believe one thing that I am forever grateful to God for is the fact that I grew up with both my parents present through every milestone that we went through. Though we all had to leave home when we all went to college, we always looked forward to the days when we will all come home together and both our parents were there to welcome us.
As for my Dad, I admired him for being a civil engineer by weekdays and farmer by weekends (tending farms is difficult) just to make sure we have enough for all our expenses as a family, while Mom was a grade school teacher on weekdays and stayed at home cleaning, gardening, cooking, and doing take-home work on weekends. But this kind of setup didn’t mean Dad had no time for us at home. It was, on the other hand, quite the opposite. Despite juggling through a lot of responsibilities at work and at home, my Dad made sure all our needs (not just material things) were well-provided for including emotional support, bonding time, etc.
Dad, the civil engineer, fresh from oath taking during his late 20s.Dad, the farmer, and me, the farm girl. I mean, the photographer. 😉
I’d like to share at this point a little trivia on me – I was Daddy’s little maid. We all are actually, but I believe it is more of a “youngest” thing. *wink* Yes, every time he cuts grass in the garden with the lawn mower and he was all sweaty, you’ll hear him calling out to his “errand girl”:
“Nen (my nickname which is short for Nene)! Please get me a glass of cold water and towelette and wipe my back dry.”
Then, after a hard day’s work at the farm, Daddy would ask me to give him a back massage while he is resting. When I was little, back massages for my Dad meant doing my “cat walk” on his back while he’s lying face down. Well, that was when I was still skinny and little. When I grew older, it became just the regular back massage.
It was only when I was in college and the only child in the family still studying that my parents were able to gather enough funds for our house to have it completely constructed – the product of all their hard work, patience, and perseverance. But it is more than just constructing a house that they have built – they have built something greater in us over the years.
While reminiscing our younger moments spent with our parents, it just dawned on me how we were taught to value hard work over riches and accumulation of possessions, why quality time with loved ones is better than splurging and being with a lot of people on grand occasions, and being content with whatever we have. They didn’t particularly instruct us with Bible verses on how to live our lives, but now that I am slowly learning the Bible day by day, I realized that my parents brought us up according to the Scripture – live life simply with fear in the Lord.
To end this part, I’d like to share this text message that my Dad texted me about a difficult situation that I am going through. This was in the vernacular (Bicol), so I’d just translate it for you:
“As long as you trust in yourself, you trust in God and if it is meant for you, it will and it will come.”
Of course, Mom also has something similar regarding another event which I informed her yesterday:
Never mind the exclamation point because my Mom wasn’t angry nor excited, she just wanted to emphasize the last statement.That is how my Mom texts – stressed words in capital letters accompanied by exclamation points at the end a.k.a. generation gap. lol I’m just kidding. It’s a good thing my Mom doesn’t read this. But if she does, errrr, love you Mom! 😀
Another thing, praise God for Skype – long distance relationships are now easier to deal with. After reading this, you might have this impression that he is a perfect man. But honestly, like any Dad in this world, he is not perfect, too. Well, let’s just say he’s close to being perfect. I chose to see him that way despite his imperfections. He is our hero, anyway.
“Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” – Exodus 20:12
A portrait of Mom and Dad talen in 2012. 🙂
Courageous: The Movie
Now, let’s get on to the movie review. This is, by far, one of the best movies I have watched that focused on fathers. If I have to commend the Kendricks brothers for producing such great Christian films, it’s because a majority of the scenes portrayed all depicted real-life scenarios. Although we can say that some were tweaked to fit the entire theme of the movie. If all the scenes were to happen in real life though, some may take quite some time to happen, unlike how the timeline progressed in the movie.
Not all relationships and marriages are the same. They’re always a case-by-case basis and yet watching this movie now made me realize what to expect and what to do if time comes I am faced with the same situations. I highly encourage all the young men out there, fathers, and soon-to-be fathers to watch this film, and I am praying you will step up to the place that God has called you to be – as Godly leaders and future leaders of your homes. My husband and I watched this film together, and what he blurted to me after watching was this,
“Honey, can you look up on the internet for more movies like that?”
Ah yes, that’s an affirmation, a positive response. I was just glad that was the kind of response that the movie elicited from him. I wasn’t expecting anything at all regarding my husband’s reaction though I did my research what the movie was all about prior to watching. I just thought we’ll view it like any regular “chill time” movie that we come across and watch during rest days.
Praise God for sending the Spirit to guide and prepare our hearts, minds, and souls on how we are going to interpret the movie. I only recommend movies if I rated it with 5 stars (very good) meaning it made such a life-changing impact on me i.e. how I view things, how it changed my perspective on certain things, such as my lifestyle, my attitude, and my character, and so on. So yes, please do watch this movie.
Hubby and I watched it a couple of weeks ago, and we both agreed this is the perfect movie to watch on Father’s Day. Thus, I’ll cut this short for now and let you watch it. But first, don’t forget to shower your Dad with much love and appreciation on his special day as a father. 🙂
The Ginete family at Dad’s ancestral house circa 1993 and my favorite sheepish, no-teeth smile which I never seem to outgrow. 😀
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY TO ALL THE FATHERS and most especially to my ONE, GREAT FATHER from up above, FATHER GOD! ❤
RESOLUTION
“…I now believe that God desires for EVERY father to courageously step up and do whatever it takes to be involved in the lives of his children. But more than just being there providing for them, he is to walk with them through their young lives and be a visual representation of the character of God, their father in heaven.
A father should love his children, and seek to win their hearts. He should protect them, discipline them, and teach them about God. He should model how to walk with integrity and treat others with respect, and should call out his children to become responsible men and women, who live their lives for what matters in eternity.
Some men will hear this, and mock it. Or ignore it. But I tell you that as a father, you are accountable to God for the position of influence He has given you. You can’t fall asleep at the wheel, only to wake up one day and realize that your job or your hobbies have no eternal value, but the souls of your children do.
Some men will hear this and agree with it, but have no resolve to live it out. Instead, they will live for themselves, and waste the opportunity to leave a godly legacy for the next generation.
But there are some men, who regardless of the mistakes we’ve made in the past, regardless of what our fathers did NOT do for us, will give the strength of our arms and the rest of our days to loving God with all that we are and to teach our children to do the same.
And whenever possible to love and mentor others who have no father in their lives, but who desperately need help and direction. And we are inviting any man whose heart is willing and courageous, to join us in this resolution.
In my home, the decision has already been made. You don’t have to ask who will guide my family, because by God’s grace, I will. You don’t have to ask who will teach my son to follow Christ, because I will.
Who will accept the responsibility of providing and protecting my family? I will. Who will ask God to break the chain of destructive patterns in my family’s history? I will. Who will pray for, and bless my children to boldly pursue whatever God calls them to do? I am their father. I will.
I accept this responsibility and it is my privilege to embrace it. I want the favor of God and His blessing on my home. Any good man does. So where are you men of courage? Where are you, fathers who fear the Lord? It’s time to rise up and answer the call that God has given to you and to say I will. I will. I will!”
This was the year that I fell in love with Kenshin Himura also known as Battousai“The Slasher” of the Samurai X manga series shown in Studio 23.
I was a first year college student back then and I must say I instantly got hooked to this series and never did I miss a single episode. It was my daily routine – go home before 6pm after classes so I could watch every episode. I thought I was the only one, until I found out, it became a SAGA.
Samurai X stuff were sold everywhere, from VCDs to wallpapers, posters, bags, notebooks, wallets, everything! I could not help not buying myself one memorabilia not because I was a true-blue Samurai X fan but because I loved the story of the manga series THAT MUCH.
I bought this wall hanging and placed it inside my bedroom just above my bed so I can see it every time I wake up. Yes, really addicted to the manga series. 😉
Samurai X Wall Hanging
AND, the series just influenced me totally I took “arnis,” a type of Filipino martial arts similar to that of “karate,” “judo,” and “eskrima“ but uses two canes or “rattan” sticks as its primary weapon, as one of my PE classes in college. Somehow very similar to what Kaoru teaches in her dojo.
8/23/2014 (Reliving my “arnis” days way back college for photo ops purposes.) 😉
And I got quite a high grade for it. A real Miss Kaoru fanatic there. 😉 But not too good grades in my other classes. 😦
PE 2 class: ARNIS
You can refer to this article for more information regarding the manga series which is also known as Rurouni Kenshin.
And if you want to watch the animated manga series, you can watch the episodes here:
Due to popular demand, the creators of this phenomenal manga series decided to come up with its first film adaptation on 2012 which instantly became a popular hit not just in Japan but in several other countries including the Philippines.
After the success of the first Rurouni Kenshin movie, 2 sequels followed which featured the climax of the manga series. The first of the sequel is Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno which was shown starting August 20, 2014. My bf and I watched it and now he is a Samurai X fan too and we are both watching the animated manga series together – his first, my nth time. 😀
8/21/2014 (Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno movie date)
So yes, we just could not contain the excitement of watching the second movie of the sequel to be released on September 24, 2014 which is Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends. Here is the trailer:
I was checking Facebook’s news feed when I came across an advertisement regarding the annual Cine Europa Festival here in the Philippines which showcases international films from participating European countries.
Being an Anglo-American Literature major back in college, I was of course thrilled I will get to see European films again – for FREE. 🙂
One movie caught my interest and of course it has to be set in 18th Century Denmark, the period of Enlightenment and a historical drama wherein most details in the movie are based on historical facts – A ROYAL AFFAIR.
“A Royal Affair” (2012)
It has received several awards – Satellite Award for Best Costume Design and Robert Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
Perfect choice as this movie had its free screening in my university’s film center which is synonymous to this – I don’t have to travel far to be able to watch it. I have God to thank for that. 🙂
Cine Europa 16 @ UP Film Institute
GENERAL CRITIQUES
The movie indeed is deserving of its Best Costume Design award. Costumes are not too lavishly done and yet nothing too dull either. Details of 18th Century costumes were particularly followed and it did not rob the classical essence of the designs with gaudy styles or excessively vibrant colors. I have always been fascinated by the fashion of the early century Europe. The evolution of the dresses clearly depicted the changes in society’s standards as well as with the political reformation. A particular dress will tell a lot about the history of a nation.
There are limited instances of a landscape scenery which is in accordance to the movie’s plot as most of the scenes are set and captured inside the castle. The sequencing of the events are carefully delivered which is what I admire about the movie. It doesn’t set the audience in that moment wherein a particular scene will make you recall the previous scene in order to connect the current scene and limit the “WH” questions. I must admit that when I have those questions in mind while watching the movie, it only means that there is a scene that I am baffled about, I am assessing the relevance of it to the entire movie and how it is connected from the preceding scenes.
In other words, every scene in the movie is crystal clear. 🙂
As for the acting, the actors perfectly fit in the roles that they portrayed – appearance, aura as well as delivery of the lines. I must say the actors were indeed successful in internalizing their character roles in the movie. The age of Enlightenment has been one of my favorite eras in our study of European and American literature, political and social history. It deals with idealism, reformation towards a positive change, among many others. Although this is also the time wherein a lot of revolution took place, terror and violence erupted, conflicts arose wherein majority are unresolved but I may say, that still, the events are exemplary of a society being changed from a state of dystopia to almost utopia.
Ahhh yes, now maybe this is the reason why I became an idealist. 😉
I was greatly influenced by my long years and extensive study on Anglo-American Literature which would usually be associated to the social and political history of Europe and America. I have always been fascinated by Kings, Princesses and knights not because I love fairy tales but because it is just interesting to learn the origins of a foreign culture, most especially that of Europe and look into the totality of the transformation of a certain period/era in connection to the people and society in general.
After watching the movie, I rated it 4 out of 5 stars, 5 being the highest. If I would be given the chance to be transported back in time and be an onlooker while events are happening for real, I definitely would choose the early centuries. Suppose there is a parallel universe for that, it would be this – incredibly awesome.
Well, what we need now is a “time machine” by H. G. Wells where we can teleport and time travel. 😀
And speaking of time traveling, because I love anything antique and vintage, and being a fashion lover, I wore something from the past when I watched the movie – a vintage dress that belonged to my Mom designed by her. If you want to know how old it is, it was worn by my mom when she was in her 20s, exactly 4 decades ago.
I hope I did give justice to my “hippie” look with matching fuchsia pink nail polish . 😉
I got hold of a copy of this movie last year, but for a reason that I know not, I got to watch it just now while rummaging through my “not yet seen” list of movies for the coming long weekend. Maybe God has intended for me to watch it this time. And by the way, it is the only movie that I wasn’t able to watch from my compilation. 🙂
So yes, this article is going to be 3 years late as this movie was released year 2010. This will not be a review (I don’t usually do reviews because I am not good at it) but I just want to share my personal insights about the movie.
I love it.
The plot is well-crafted. Simple, direct and well-carried out. The story is written by none other than one of the famous contemporary American novelists, Nicholas Sparks. The movie is an adaptation of his novel, Dear John. The love story between a military guy and a girl who came from a rich family may sound a bit typical but the story still has its own unique theme as there is no antagonist. Conflicts were mainly derived from the couples’ decisions (John’s decision to enlist in the war in Afghanistan leaving Savannah behind and Savannah’s engagement to Tim) and time.
Savannah’s wanting to be a Special Education practitioner was one of the deciding factors why she married Tim (who was later diagnosed with cancer and died) and be a mom to Tim’s son, Alan, who has autism. John’s dad is also “special” in a way being reclusive and has this particular interest, almost obsessive, in collecting coins especially mules.
Why do I love it?
I like the smooth transition of the scenes in the movie. There are no dragging scenes and the setting constantly changes from one setting to another. The particular scene that I love in the movie would be the part wherein Savannah played the “Little House” song to John. I didn’t know that Amanda Seyfried can really sing and play the guitar so well. Here’s a thing too – she wrote the song, herself. (I hope I can compose songs as good as her – wishful thinking.) *wink* Pretty perfect for a girl, isn’t she? She can act, sing, compose songs, play the guitar and she is adorably good-looking.
Now, I should not be leaving all the compliments to Amanda, should I? 😉 Yes, the reason I chose the movie is because the lead actor is none other than one of my favorite Hollywood actors second to Benjamin Barnes – Channing Tatum.Channing just has this particular charm – sort of an enigma that captivates me every time I see him. Well yes, I can’t deny that he is really gorgeous. I first saw him in the Step Up movie. Quite an awesome dancer! A complete package too. No wonder he and Amanda pair so perfectly well. If I am to rate the movie, I am going to give it 4 stars out of 5.
I also love all the soundtracks in the movie. My next goal is to get hold of the album containing all the movie’s soundtracks. Too early for my birthday’s wishlist, I know, but my wish might be granted earlier than expected. 🙂
In the meantime, here are some soundtracks from the movie that I was able to search over YouTube and would like to share with you. If you haven’t watched the movie yet, I suggest you watch it.
The Journeyman's Moments 