I began my summer movie watching with the movie Up in the Air starring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick. The story followed the life of Ryan Bingham, a suave, always dressed to the T, business man who has made a life for himself traveling to workplaces around the United States and breaking the news to workers that they have been let go from the jobs. He basically does the dirty work, that most cowardly employers are unwilling to do themselves. He also believes strongly that we shouldn't be held back in life by burdensome relationships with people as well as material items, and in his many motivational speeches, argues that the best way to live is to travel light, and free yourself of all things and people who may hold you back from living the life you wish to lead.
Of course through the course of the movie Clooney's character goes through many experiences and meets various people who change his views on how to live his life. Two in particular: Alex Goran, a fellow businesswoman who finds solace in non stop travel as well, and Natalie Keener, a very intelligent and ambitious college graduate who found interest in Bingham's career choice. These two women have a huge affect on him as a person and push him to go against all the beliefs he constantly preaches.
I would definitely recommend watching this movie, it makes you think, especially about the power of and need for intimate relationships in our lives. Yes it is important to experience at least a period of your life alone. There is power and freedom in living your life for yourself, and experiencing things on your own, but I find so much more fulfillment in sharing my life with another person. I feel we as humans are programmed to desire love and intimate relationships. We find happiness in being able to share our life experiences with others. And I do have people in my life who I love and adore: I have some of the best friends a girl could ever ask for, and my family, they are the people who I live for, and they love me endlessly. But I think you all understand how different a loving relationship between two people is in comparison to the relationships we share with our family and friends. This past year has been quite the learning experience, and it has forever changed me. Now I can finally say that I again want that special and deep connection that two people feel when they are in love and have let each other into their lives completely. It can be one of the scariest, most vulnerable experiences, but I would rather say I allowed myself to love fully than be left knowing I only let myself love half way.
Another movie that left me feeling and thinking the same things was Into the Wild. This movie is a biographical drama directed by Sean Penn. It's script was adapted from Jon Krakauer's 1996 non-fiction book chronicling the life and travels of Christopher McCandless. If you don't already know in May of 1990 Christopher, having just graduated from Emory University, is determined by a rough childhood and an unstable relationship with his parents, to reject a materialistic, conventional life. He destroys any sources of money, identification, and material items of no use to him, and sets out for a cross-country adventue into the wild.
The cinematography of this movie was stunning, and many of the scenes depicting the different places he traveled were breath-taking. It was overall a very moving, inspiring, bittersweet movie, that if you haven't already seen, is worth the watch! It left me lost in thought over how much I depend on material items to "better" my life. I wish I had the courage to pick up and travel around the world without a plan, without money, and without any care in the world. But my logical brain would take some serious convincing to do anything like that, anytime soon.
But if I learned anything from these two movies I know that I must continue exploring and learning about who I am and who I want to be. I will continue exploring the world and doing those things that bring me joy and better me as a person. I will do everything I can to love who I am, and find peace in being with just myself, yet I will also work to let my walls down and allow those people who deeply love and appreciate me into my life.
Happy summer :)
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