06-19-2019, 10:10 AM
Interesting. So, as an Xer parent of two homelanders (one of each flavor) I can't remember the last time I saw a film made for/about adults. Our trips to the theater are exclusively G and PG adventures. I could list every film I've seen in the past 10 years, but suffice it to say over 50% have been animated. I will say that as films made by the older generations to interpret, inform and instruct their young Homelander viewers, they capture well the message/mood of the times. In just about every film I've seen the following themes are spelled out quite clearly:
1. Girl power! Girls are just as intelligent, strong, and capable as any boy.
2. Boys that acknowledge and support girls end up winners.
3. Romance and pairing can be boy-girl, but it doesn't have to be. Hell it can be cross species if you want. The fact is there is much less emphasis on romance and pairing in children's films these days when compared to that of past decades. The emphasis seems more on commradeship and having your partner's back in a fix. RESPECT!
4. Zen lessons. I kid you not. It's not just the Kung Fu Panda series, it's everywhere.
5. Family, friendship, simple pleasures lay at the heart of happiness. Much emphasis on demonstrating how the pursuit of power and filthy lucre will rob you of these important treasures.
6. Family, friendship and pairings can take any form.
7. Disabilities are to be overcome, and not by a prosthetic limb (bionic man) but instead by accepting them, capitalizing on other strengths, and counting on your accepting and supportive commrades to help you through.
In large part I find the themes, characters and story lines to be quite uplifting and empowering on a whole number of levels. Again, I'm looking at what today's films are telling Homelanders about the world, what is right, what is good and what they should do.
Themes I see as holdovers from the past but which are still annoyingly persistent include:
1. Dad is a fucking idiot. Yes, we are still stuck with the dad/husband being barely able to tie his own shoes, hopelessly reactionary and totally out of touch. Now I understand that this is an old storytelling tool where the father represents tradition, caution and order, but what I'm talking about is far more than that. We are still stuck with George Jetson. The father in the animated flick entitled Brave, or the dad in the movie The Croods server as glaring examples.
2. Mom is the foundation stone of reason and the shield against the storm: which too often seems to be a storm created through father's ineptness.
Maybe I have a blind spot, but I see these tropes and holdovers from Silent and Boomer periods, and somewhat out of sync with the roles and child rearing practices of Xers and Millies.
As my Homelanders age into the PG-13 and R viewing range I suppose I'll get to see what other adults watch and gain some perspective on what the film industry sees and communicates to adults. In any case, it isn't likely to be as dark as Rosemary's Baby, The Omen, Children of the Corn, etc. Ahhh those were the days. I was totally unsupervised and saw all of them at the theatre when I was but a boy.
1. Girl power! Girls are just as intelligent, strong, and capable as any boy.
2. Boys that acknowledge and support girls end up winners.
3. Romance and pairing can be boy-girl, but it doesn't have to be. Hell it can be cross species if you want. The fact is there is much less emphasis on romance and pairing in children's films these days when compared to that of past decades. The emphasis seems more on commradeship and having your partner's back in a fix. RESPECT!
4. Zen lessons. I kid you not. It's not just the Kung Fu Panda series, it's everywhere.
5. Family, friendship, simple pleasures lay at the heart of happiness. Much emphasis on demonstrating how the pursuit of power and filthy lucre will rob you of these important treasures.
6. Family, friendship and pairings can take any form.
7. Disabilities are to be overcome, and not by a prosthetic limb (bionic man) but instead by accepting them, capitalizing on other strengths, and counting on your accepting and supportive commrades to help you through.
In large part I find the themes, characters and story lines to be quite uplifting and empowering on a whole number of levels. Again, I'm looking at what today's films are telling Homelanders about the world, what is right, what is good and what they should do.
Themes I see as holdovers from the past but which are still annoyingly persistent include:
1. Dad is a fucking idiot. Yes, we are still stuck with the dad/husband being barely able to tie his own shoes, hopelessly reactionary and totally out of touch. Now I understand that this is an old storytelling tool where the father represents tradition, caution and order, but what I'm talking about is far more than that. We are still stuck with George Jetson. The father in the animated flick entitled Brave, or the dad in the movie The Croods server as glaring examples.
2. Mom is the foundation stone of reason and the shield against the storm: which too often seems to be a storm created through father's ineptness.
Maybe I have a blind spot, but I see these tropes and holdovers from Silent and Boomer periods, and somewhat out of sync with the roles and child rearing practices of Xers and Millies.
As my Homelanders age into the PG-13 and R viewing range I suppose I'll get to see what other adults watch and gain some perspective on what the film industry sees and communicates to adults. In any case, it isn't likely to be as dark as Rosemary's Baby, The Omen, Children of the Corn, etc. Ahhh those were the days. I was totally unsupervised and saw all of them at the theatre when I was but a boy.
There was never any good old days
They are today, they are tomorrow
It's a stupid thing we say
Cursing tomorrow with sorrow
-- Eugene Hutz
They are today, they are tomorrow
It's a stupid thing we say
Cursing tomorrow with sorrow
-- Eugene Hutz
