I think The Awakening may have changed my life. That, and Garden State. What an amazing film. Lately, life is so entirely complicated and unpredictable; I've been realizing that I can't simply stay stuck. There's no point in settling if you're truly unhappy.As I feverously flipped through the pages of The Awakening, I couldn't help but feel connected to Edna--the protagonist of Kate Chopin's novel. When a book does that to me, I can't help but see it to be a sign. And lately, I cannot ignore "the signs." But what happens when you misread the signs? I feel as though I may have been reading between the lines a bit too much lately with my personal life and other such people in it. Yet when reading Chopin's book, I can't help but think to myself that these so called signs are real. Then again, (***spoiler alert** do not read on if you plan to read The Awakening!) poor Edna kills herself at the end when things don't go her way with the dashing Robert! Needless to say, I slammed that book shut with such disappointment that I felt the need to toss it into the Merrimack River.
But what does this tell me? Yes, Edna gained immense independence from her "awakening." She learned to go after what truly made her happy. She learned to finally love. But in the same breath, she wasn't entirely independent. She still craved that sense of companionship and intimacy. And she still felt incomplete without Robert. Um...ew. No woman should feel incomplete when without a man. But as human beings, we can't help but crave that kind of companionship.
I suppose you could say that Garden State is quite the opposite of The Awakening. Here, Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff) is living his life independently--to the extent of it being unhealthy since he has completely shut off from everyone else. Then the charming and free-spirited Sam (Natalie Portman) comes along and snaps him out of his emo-like, lithium induced trance. It's not your average, cliche flick. There's a subliminal message there that is hard to ignore. OK, well maybe it's not so subliminal then. Life must be indulged in wholeheartedly. If we don't allow ourselves to feel the good and the bad, we simply go numb. And if we're numb, how will be able to experience life and all it's potential?
...oh and the Garden State soundtrack is amazing.
Here's my take on Edna- she was adventurous and flamboyant in her pursuance of independence but that's only because she wasn't self-aware enough to realize the latent potential in her current situation. Sure, she needed some change, but you don't have to throw away all that's been worked for in the process. It tends to burn bridges, and it's always good to have a way back home should something go awry. There's so much opportunity to be had if only you stretch your pane of view beyond just what's in front of you =)
ReplyDeleteAnd Garden State was just a fun movie. Natalie is a tremendous actress.