I've been bitten

Let me just tell you how much I love The Amazing Spider-man. Because I do. I really, really love this movie, and not just because the actors are significantly less hokey than those in the original trilogy. Mostly, I'm writing this because I read this review and thought the author made very few valid points as to why this movie wasn't great. I'm including this obligatory warning that this post may contain spoilers, but I don't think I give anything away that isn't in the first trilogy anyway, so whatever.

Things I love about The Amazing Spider-man:

1. Showing, not telling

This movie was all about developing the characters to show what they have learned and what they believe in, rather than using some turn of phrase to just tell you. (Anyone who's ever taken any writing class ever should know that's the way you want to do things.) I adore the filmmakers' storyshowing capabilities.

My favorite example of this was that Uncle Ben was able to teach Peter about responsibility without what has become somewhat of a cliché line ("With great power comes great responsibility") that is going to be overused for centuries, dimming the luster of the truth in those profound words. Uncle Ben didn't say that Peter's father believed that only "with great power" came responsibility, but with any power. Any ability that we have to help other people in any way implies a moral obligation to do so. (This makes his lesson apply not just to Peter/Spiderman, but to every person on this planet. It's a great take-away for all of us.)  Peter then shows that he has learned that lesson without just quoting that same line back to someone else.

2. Peter is so real

To me, the beauty of this film is that it didn't try so hard to be true to the original as much as it took that framework and explored the characters' personalities more in depth and displayed beautifully human motives and reactions for everything in the story. I especially appreciated that Peter's relationships are the central motivating factors for everything he does. Even when it seems like he's being an idiot or a selfish punk, his actions are still deeply rooted in his quest of discovering what happened to his parents. They set that tone for the movie right from the very first scene where Peter is playing hide-and-seek with his father. (Super obvious foreshadowing, anyone?) I don't resent that tone for the film at all; to me it makes Peter a more well-rounded, realistic character. Additionally, I'm always a fan of media that portray family as the most important part of one's life, because I'm sappy and sentimental like that.

It's also worth noting that Andrew Garfield plays the awkward (and sometimes punkish) 17-year-old part incredibly well. The author of the review I referenced above says that he doesn't like this moping, brooding interpretation of Peter's character, but come on. 17 year old boy? Brooding? They're practically synonyms, especially once you take into account Peter's confusion about his parents' history. As for the genius/nerd factor, I think he is plenty nerdy, but he's not a geek, and that could irritate some people, but I think it's great. Even a genius can do stupid things, because a genius is still human. So, if you've ever known a teenager, I think you can appreciate his expertly-scripted mood swings and occasional human imperfection. Bottom line: I think Andrew Garfield is brilliant. That's all.

3. Gwen is so real (and strong and feminine and woman--not a wimpy girl, not a sex symbol, not acting like a man)

Emma Stone's character, Gwen, is so much easier to watch than Kirsten Dunst's helpless, high-pitched-screaming MJ in the first set of Spiderman movies. She is still a strong female character without having to be skanky or, to quote my 7th grade literature teacher, a "kickbutt" woman. (Just to clarify, I'm pretty sure when she said kickbutt, it was because it was the only classroom-appropriate synonym she could find for bada**.)

Now, I think Gwen kind of is a little kickbutt, but not because she is hyper-sexualized--or, as a polar opposite, macho, hardcore, and unfeminine. She is kickbutt because she's courageous. She's smart. She's concerned for the well-being of others. She knows what she can contribute and when to contribute it, but she knows when to back down and keep herself safe. My only reservation is that it is harder to imagine Emma Stone as a high schooler than it is to imagine the same for Andrew, but I'm willing to look past that since she played the part so well.

4. Transparency of Peter's identity

In this version of the story, Peter doesn't struggle nearly as much with his dilemma about whether or not to tell people (especially his love interest) who he is. Obviously, he doesn't parade it around all the time, but he's pretty straightforward with Gwen about it. You know what I think is most beautiful about it? It's that, instead of having two separate identities with two separate purposes, Peter is consistently himself, whether or not he's actually wearing the suit. The scene with the little boy on the bridge is another evidence for that, though I won't go into detail about what happens. That's the part that made me cry, though (Level 1).

Also, the way he shows Gwen that he's the masked web slinger is dang cute (again, because he shows her instead of telling her). LOVE IT.

5. Slow pacing

This reviewer also didn't like the snail-like approach to getting Spiderman's origin story out of the way, but it is exactly why I think this movie is so great. First of all, it is the only time that I'm aware of (though I haven't read all the comic books) that we start to learn anything about Peter's parents other than the fact that they are dead. Motivation is so key! Yeah, maybe Peter was kind of a lunkhead when he plucked the spiderwebs and made the spiders fall all over him, but I actually love that it wasn't a "wrong place at the wrong time" kind of accident, but that Peter is a man of action. He was actively seeking answers, and that's what got him into his situation.

6. Growth of Peter's character

Peter starts out as kind of an awkward skater kid, but he's still well-intentioned and extremely kind. Once he gets his Spidey powers, he's so obsessed with that (finding out what his father's life work was, etc.) that he forgets about other important things. After that, he is kind of a jerk for a little while (this is when he humiliates Flash), but then Uncle Ben dies and Peter is at his all-time low. He's "helping" the cops by catching all sorts of criminals, but his motivation is still revenge instead of overall good. When the Lizard starts terrorizing the city, though, Peter starts saving people, even before he realizes how responsible he is for the Lizard's existence. By the end, Peter has taken responsibility for helping people, simply because of his goodness and the ability he has to do so.

7. Lessons on identity

Something I didn't notice until the 2nd time I watched it: Peter never calls himself Spiderman until shortly after Gwen calls him Spiderman. That gave me chills. It has definitely been true in my life that sometimes, other people see who we are and what we are capable of so much better than we can see it in ourselves. Gwen saw all that Peter as Spiderman could accomplish even before he could. She essentially gave him the name.

Also, at the end, we hear Peter's literature teacher say that there is only one plot in every story ever told: "Who Am I?" To me, this is a beautifully poignant reminder of the fact that all of us--our heroes, our enemies, and we ourselves--have the opportunity, even the responsibility, to choose who we will be and how that will affect our actions. I think it also sets it up really well for a sequel, when Spiderman may decide, as in the 2nd film of the original trilogy, that he is "Spiderman no more." (I'm looking forward to that being shown instead of cheesily told, too.)

I think the best lesson on identity in the film, though, is Aunt Mae's comment about Peter being good. That's all any of us really need to try to be, and the rest just falls into place.

All of this culminates in my one birthday wish this year: I want a Peter Parker of my very own. Especially if his mouth can be as beautiful as Andrew Garfield's.

Sniffles to Sobs: The Katelyn Gentry Movie Cry Continuum

In my last post, I mentioned that I cry in almost every movie ever. Though it may have seemed like an exaggeration, it's actually pretty close to true.  Now, when I say "I cried in that movie," I think some people get the impression that it's always this terrible weeping and wailing and a tiny bit of teeth-gnashing. It's only that way sometimes, though.

So, to avoid giving people the impression that I'm constantly a bundle of tears, I've decided to write a guide to my movie crying levels. Below you will find explanations of 5 different levels of crying, including descriptions of their manifestations, as well as some insight into why I cry about those things.

Level 1: The Allergy Cry. Movie scenes in this category are usually not overly sentimental or sensational in terms of the emotions they try to evoke, but I just happen to feel things--especially happiness--really strongly. Movies or movie scenes at Level 1 give me the sniffles, I have to concentrate harder on catching my breath, and I have a few tears welling up in my eyes. If I had the ability to feel embarrassed, I would probably be embarrassed that these movies made me cry.

Examples: Men in Black III, The 3 Stooges, The Muppets, How to Train Your Dragon, Joyful Noise, The Amazing Spider-man

Level 2: The eye-poke cry. This is when something is just beautiful. I can't really describe it another way. These movies feature people coming together despite their differences, cheesy ironies in love stories, etc. Pretty much any inspirational sports movie fits into this category, as do most romantic comedies. The smiling eye-poke cry is pretty self-explanatory . . . it's when I still have complete control over my face, but my eyes are watering as if I've been poked in the eye.

Examples: My Best Friend's Wedding, Serendipity, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Remember the Titans, The Blind Side, We Are Marshall, Miracle, Angels in the Outfield

Level 3: Just because. A lot of times I'll cry a Level 3 (several tears coming down my face, but still able to keep my eyes open) when I'm not necessarily feeling any strong emotions, but I just feel like crying to release some stress or toxins or something. Often, I'm just recalling the fact that I once felt those emotions in the movie, meaning it used to make me cry a Level 5, but now I just cry out of habit.

Examples: A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, October Sky, Mister Magorium's Wonder Emporium, I Am Sam, Walk the Line

Level 4: Beauty Queen Sobs. This one happens during sweet moments that have a tinge of bitter, or just completely sweet moments (like a parent and child relationship being repaired or strengthened), etc. This is when I'm crying a lot--meaning that I have many tears running down my face and I can't always keep my eyes open through much of it--but I can cry fairly quietly and still smile. A lot of times I'm laughing through my tears, too, which happens to be my (and Truvy Jones's) favorite emotion.

Examples: What to Expect When You're Expecting, Toy Story 3, Ramona and Beezus, People Like Us, Tangled, Steel Magnolias

Level 5: The Ugly Cry. This is pretty much reserved for movies with deaths that hit me really hard, like those of a pet, a baby/young child, or a spouse. I can't control what my face is doing or what noises come out of my mouth. I often sound like a dying whale, which perfectly complements the mascara running down my face, mingling with the snot from my nose, ending in a beautiful mess of nastiness dripping from my chin faster than I can wipe it with my hand or a tissue. See Matthew 13:42.

Examples: Charly, 17 Miracles, Bridge to Terabithia, P.S. I Love You, Marley and Me, Finding Neverland

So there you have it, my Movie Cry Continuum. Look forward to movie reviews with my cry rating on them in the coming months/years. Keep in mind, though, that depending on the day, any movie could make me cry at just about any level. I have been known to cry a Level 5+ inRemember the Titans, for example. What about you, readers? What movies make you cry?

The answer

I have the answer to why I'm still single. It's the only possible explanation.

I'm not ticklish. 

See, all of my roommates are ticklish, and they all have boyfriends or a fiancé. Almost daily, I hear one of them being tickled in our living room or kitchen. (You can take a quick barf break now if you want. I'll stick around though; all my experience in this arena has led to an increasingly suppressed gag reflex.)

Ok, are you back? Cool. Well, I'm completely (halfway) serious about this hypothesis. Don't believe that I'm not ticklish? Well, I love having people tickle/massage my feet because I think it feels awesome, and my armpits, belly, and neck just aren't ticklish. The only exception is that sometimes I hug my friend (i.e.; we share a hug that is scientifically qualifiable as the best hug in the world)

like this

and his beard whiskers make me giggle. Or sometimes he talks while we're hugging and makes the inside of my ear all tickly. I also feel like my funny bone is hyperticklish sometimes. Other than that, though, I pretty much stopped being ticklish around 8 years ago . . . right around the time of my first heartbreak. Coincidence?

Maybe there's something about being ticklish that signifies some vulnerability, and when it comes to dating, people like that. I guess I've just got to show my vulnerability in other ways. Yay for crying in almost every movie ever! 

Purist Movie Quotations Part 1: Nacho Libre

If you know me well, you know that I'm not easily provoked. However, the two exceptions to this are (1) when people insult UNC--especially in favor of Dook--and (2) when they mess up quotations from my favorite movies. I'm definitely a purist when it comes to quotations from Nacho Libre.  I'm tired of people quoting some of my favorite comedic moments incorrectly. (On a slightly tangential note, I also get a little bugged when people use "quote" as a noun. Adversely, I'm usually a little bit tempted to fall in love with any man who uses the word "quotation.") Anyway, here it is.

Quotation #1: "When you are a man, sometimes you wear stretchy pants in your room. It's for fun."

Variations:

• "You wear stretchy pants in your room, if you are a man."
• "You wear stretchy pants if you're a man."
• (This one really overcooks my grits.) "You wear stretchy pants in your room. Just for fun."

Seriously, where does the "just" come from? It doesn't even sound like it.

Quotation #2: "You gotta be kidding me. Everything you just said is my favorite thing to do every day."

Variations: 

• "All of those things you do, I like to do every day."
• "All those things are my favorite things every day." 
• Anything that doesn't include the proper pauses (after "said," "do," and "every").

Quotation #3: "Maybe it's time for me to get a better duty!"

Variations:

• "I gotta get a different duty!"
• "I need a different duty!"

The entire funny-value of this quotation comes from the "better duty" portion. Opting for the more alliterative "different duty" is a choppy disservice to this hilarious phrase that makes it sound like Nacho needs a "better doody." Because I'm a twelve-year-old boy, that's why.

Quotation #4: "I'm a little bit concerned right now, about your salvation and stuff. How come you have not been baptized?"

Variations:

• "I'm worried about your salvation and stuff."
• Anything that includes the word "baptized" with American intonation.

Quotation #5: "They might have the appearance of riches, but beneath the clothes, we find the man, and beneath the man, we find . . . his . . . nucleus."

Variation:

• Anything that leaves out the "beneath the clothes, we find the man" portion. They're usually just left saying, "Beneath the man, we find his nucleus," and that's not nearly as funny on its own as it is with the progressive beneathing.

Quotation #6: "I hate all the orphans in the whole world."

Variation:

• "I hate all the orphans in the whole wide world."

Esqueleto may be a street urchin, but he doesn't have the exaggeration methods of a six-year-old.

K folks, that's all for this installment of PMQ. So go. Go away! Read some books!

Carolina In My Mind . . . but for real. And for good.

In about 2 months, I will be moving back to North Carolina. This isn't really news, since I've pretty much known since I graduated college that I'd be getting back to the Tarheel State as soon as it was the right thing to do. Still, even though it's been my plan for over a year to move back to NC this coming August, the past 2 weeks have changed pretty much every detail of that plan.

I've been thinking and praying a lot about this decision lately, because although I have experiences every day that make me really excited to leave Provo and get to NC, I also have experiences every day that bring me close to tears when I think about having to leave this place. This has been my home for five years, and I can't deny that it's been great to me. I've learned so much here, and I know I'm a better person now than I was when I first came, largely due to the friendships and other associations I've made in my time here. I have grown so much and really expanded my horizons (and no, I'm not referring to the Freshman 15), and I will never forget the people--professors, academic advisors, boys I've had crushes on, roommates, Church leaders, and lifelong best friends--who have contributed to that growth. Part of me wants to stay here forever, but I know it's time for me to leave in order to progress in the ways I want and need to progress.

Originally, I planned to move somewhere near Raleigh. I eventually want to get certified to teach Special Education, and I'm planning on doing that through UNC's Continuing Education program, so I figured I might as well live and work somewhere nearby for networking purposes. Also, because of all the universities in the area, there is a really strong Institute program and, most likely, more opportunities for a social life similar to what I have now (which I love). All of these things seemed exciting and promising enough, but it just kept getting better when my brother and sister-in-law decided to move from Provo to Cary. I've come to be quite close with Brad and Natalie, so I was really looking forward to still living in the same area as them and being able to spend time with them fairly often. I'll be honest, I was also kind of banking on having more dating opportunities, since that hasn't really been much of a part of my BYU experience, even though it's something I really want. Raleigh has, for a long time, seemed like the place in which I could make the most progression in every aspect of my life. Over time, though, I have realized that what I have thought would be hands-down the most beneficial plan of action for me is actually only one of several good options.

Throughout my decision-making process, I've tried to have faith that Heavenly Father would make sure things fell into place for me. I've tried to do my part. I've applied for quite a few jobs in the Raleigh area and haven't heard anything back from them. I haven't had any luck with my housing search either, largely due to the fact that, without a job, I have no idea what I would even be able to afford. Because of these and other issues, I've decided to look for jobs in Mt. Airy and live with my parents for the next year or so.

This was a hard decision to make. I love my family so much and I always enjoy being able to visit them, but for some reason, it's really difficult to be there for extended periods of time. I don't know if it has something to do with the changes in my level of independence, or something else, but I know that after a week or so, I'm usually ready to be gone. So why would I do this to myself? Well, believe it or not, it's because it's going to be the best way for me to progress.

"But wait! I thought you said you needed to have social and dating opportunities! Don't you think that, by living in your small hometown where everyone who is LDS and single is either related to you or really old (or both), you'll be taking a step backward?"

I hear ya. I know the social aspect of things is going to be hard. I'm going to have to travel more than a few blocks to spend time with my friends, and that's going to be a huge adjustment. I've also had to come to terms with the fact that maybe I'm not going to get married anytime soon, and that's okay.

I think somewhere along the way, I got it into my head that, since things weren't happening for me in Provo, as soon as I moved away, something would click in the minds of handsome men everywhere that would all of a sudden open up a floodgate of date requests, eventually culminating in a marriage proposal that I'd feel good about saying "yes" to. Because of this, I've tried to grow in my personal life--so that I would be ready whenever the right man came along. I've tried to be better at scripture study and prayer, journaling, being kind to people, serving others, and everything else that I thought would signify that I was ready to be not just any wife, but a dang good one--one that any man would be lucky to have.

I know now that this is where I've gone wrong. I mean, it's not wrong that I want to be a good wife and mother--I've always known that those two roles are the most important ones I'll ever fill in this life--but for so many years I've been trying to do the right things, but with a purpose that is just a little askew. Yes, I should always remember that I need to be living worthy of a temple marriage, and have that goal in mind. However, my primary motivation for improving myself shouldn't be my desire to be loved by a handsome Priesthood holder, but my desire to serve the God that I love, to follow His plan for me. That is the desire that will lead me to real testimony, real growth, and real progression.

Though I know I can cultivate that desire anywhere, all things (temporal and spiritual) considered, I feel strongly that spending some time living with my parents is going to be the best path for me. And, miracle of miracles, I feel at peace with that decision. I'm not sure where or when, but I know I'll find a good job. I know I'll be able to accomplish my educational and career goals. I know I'll be married in the temple to a good man. I know I'll be blessed with children to love and raise in the gospel. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for me. His plan is perfect, and it includes not only the things He wants me to experience, but also the timing in which I will experience them. I know that He is looking out for me, and that He gave me the gift of agency so that I can choose the details of how I reach the milestones He has set in place. I know that if I remain close to Him and listen to the promptings of the Spirit, I cannot go astray, I cannot fail. I know that no decision I make will be free of difficulties or sacrifices, but that I can always count on the Savior to help me through them. I know He will be with me every step of the way as long as I choose to be with Him. (It sure is a good thing North Carolina is the closest thing to heaven on this earth.)