The Family Movie

It's common for couples to have 'A song', an athlete to have 'A pre-game ritual', performers to have 'A superstition' and so on. This last weekend while watching the 1974 version of 'The Great Gatsby' I discovered that my family growing up had 'A movie'. No, it was not 'The Great Gatsby'. Not even close. The connection to that film based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel has to do with the recognizable voice of the character Tom Buchanan played by Bruce Dern. Who the heck is Bruce Dern? He is the actor that played the whiny, gun-slinging outlaw Joe Danby in the 1969 film 'Support Your Local Sheriff'. I remember being introduced to this show by my mom and dad and wondering if I'd be able to sit through the entire thing. It must have been a food fight and separate mud fight happening within the opening moments of the show that hooked me. I love this show and I love that it reminds me of my childhood and my family growing up. In thinking about this blog post I was thrilled to find that the entire film can be streamed from YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y_5CfgPxs4

James Garner plays the unlikely sheriff in this quirky western which definitely defined for me at a young age the meaning of cool. I loved his character, his kindness and respect to others, his wit, his own cluelessness at times, his confidence, and charm. I think subconsciously I wanted to be just like him. I still do to a degree. He was passing by on his way to Australia when he decided to stay and help out a while. As I chase my dreams I hope to be as influential and helpful to those I come into contact with.

So will this movie remain my family movie? It's not likely even though I'm adding it to my list of films to share with my children one day; a list that includes the likes of 'Back to the Future', 'Ghostbusters', and 'The Natural' to name a few. The 'family movie' is decided by the family in a most organic way; quotable lines, funny costumes, music and memorable characters are all necessary ingredients. Time will only tell what will resonate with us all as years pass. Becky claims her family movie growing up was 'White Christmas'. We try to weave that one into our holiday activities each year. Sometimes we even make it all the way through the film. I watch at least until I'm reminded that the 'best things happen while you're dancing', and to 'count my blessings instead of sheep.' Becky and I have 'Our movie' so far which I can't wait to share with our kids. We love watching 'Dan in Real Life' starring Steve Carrell. It makes us laugh. It makes us cry. It makes us feel grateful for family. As I watch it, I can see that I've gone from aspiring to the likes of Sheriff McCullough, to relating all too well with Steve Carell's character Dan Burns as he raises his 3 daughters. He's a columnist that knows all the answers about parenting and it is pure entertainment to see him manage life's surprises in this film. It's moral is an adage about life that I can certainly subscribe to; 'Prepare to be surprised.'

Without summing up any more about the book, I'll leave it to the script of one of the opening scenes:

Marie:

I'm looking for a book obviously, ...something that can help me deal with, uhm, what might be an awkward situation. Something funny might be nice, but not necessarily big Ha-Ha-Ha-laugh-out-loud funny, and certainly not make fun of other people funny, but rather something, uh, human funny. And uh, if it could uh, sneak up on you, surprise you, and at the same time make you think that what you thought wasn't only right in a wrong kind of way, but when you're wrong there is a sort of rightness to your wrongness. Well maybe, what I mean is, um, more importantly I'm looking to be swept up... and at the same time not, meaning I want to feel a deep connection to something. Well maybe I don't know what I'm looking for.

Dan: 

Well in my experience you rarely find it all in just one book. Maybe that's why there's so many.

Who doesn't enjoy something funny, want to be swept up, and connect with something deeply?

I do.