That Thing You Do! (1996)

Writer and Director: Tom Hanks (1)

Cast: Tom Everett Scott (2), Liv Tyler (3), Charlize Theron (4), Ethan Embry (5), Tom Hanks, and Alex Rocco (6)

(Watch the trailer)

My favourite quote - "Ain't no way to keep a band together. Bands come and go. You got to keep on playin', no matter with who." 

I love watching a film over and over again because each time you watch a film, you notice something different and affects you in a different way. Watching That Thing You Do! again for the umpteenth time, I caught a few details that brought a smile to my face. 

When The Wonders were going on television, I noticed all the little backstage details I never used to in the past. Probably because now I am so used to stuff like that at work that when I see it in a film, it screams and jumps out at me. We got a glimpse of the television production going on and it reminds me of why I love my job. When the director said to his crew that the "supers" were coming up I actually know what they mean now. In the past, I never noticed that line because I wasn't aware of what it meant. Everything about that live television debut of The Wonders was so surreal. It was like I was watching myself at work, except it wasn't actually my production. Kudos to the crew on making the film so realistic. (Click here to see the part with The Wonders' performance on television)

The costumes and the set was amazing! I really felt like I was living in those days, watching the television live show on my brand new colour TV. I never really paid attention to the character or the actress who played Tina too. No, I'm not saying that Charlize Theron wasn't good in the role, just that the role was so small and really a minor plot in the entire story. Looking at her performance now, she really captured the ditzy blonde personality really well.

Jazz! It dawned on me that this film is probably the reason why I started liking jazz. I like the emotion in jazz music and how it makes me feel. Jazz makes me feel like I could enjoy the music and forget all my troubles. 

One other thing that really got to me was the fact that the film felt so real that I actually walked out of the cinema thinking this film was based on a true story. Yes! I believed that this was true for a while before realising it wasn't at all based on fact! When I went on Google to find out more about The Wonders, all I could find was about the band in the film. I think the ending where there were snippets of information given about what happened to each of the band members helped fuel that belief for a while. I like it. I like closure and knowing what happened to my favorite characters, even those I don't like, and even if they're fictional. 

Now, let's get down to the why. Why I love this film and the quote I mentioned. Simply put, I love it because it reminds me to stick to my passions. It reminds me to keep on writing, no matter with who. I also love it cos of the great characters in the film. I love watching how each character interacts with the other band members and how each character react differently to the situations they face. Working in a team is like playing in a band, each person has a specific role and no one should be more important than the other. Yes there should be a leader, but everyone needs to work together harmoniously for a band or a team to succeed in their endeavors. 

Sweet Home Alabama (2002)

Directed by Andy Tennant (1)

Cast: Reese Witherspoon (2), Josh Lucas (3), Patrick Dempsey (4), Candice Bergen (5), Fred Ward (6), and Dakota Fanning (7), Ethan Embry (8), Melanie Lynskey (9)

(Watch the trailer)

My favourite quote - "You see the truth is, I gave my heart away a long time ago. My whole heart. And I never really got it back."

My favourite scene -

Melanie: Hey cowboy. You owe me a dance.
Jake: Nice dress. Where's your husband?
Melanie: I'm lookin' at him. Apparently you and I are still hitched.
Jake: Is that right?
Melanie: Yeah. Why didn't you tell me you came to New York?
Jake: I needed to make something of myself.
Melanie: About done?
Jake: What is it about you southern girls? You can't make the right decisions so you try all the wrong ones?
Melanie: At least I fight for what I want.
Jake: What do you want Melanie? I don't even think you know.
Melanie: You're the first boy I ever kissed Jake and I want you to be the last.
Jake: Maybe you and I had our chance.
Melanie: Fine! Have it your way you stubborn ass.
Jake: What do you wanna to be married to me for anyhow?
Melanie: So I can kiss you anytime I want.

Soul Mates (The One)

Personally, I feel that the best person to spend the rest of your life with is someone who would make you a better person. He may bring out the worst in you at times, but he also brings out the best in you. Can you ever forget your first love? Do you believe in soul mates? Sweet Home Alabama is all about first loves and soul mates. 

"Nobody finds their soul mate when they're ten years old... I mean where's the fun in that right?"

I’ve heard of a few real life stories where people re-marry someone they’ve divorced before. Or even someone who used to date in the past and broke it off but re-connected again later in life and then got married. Some people think that the past is best left there, in the past. And with the film What’s Your Number?, I agree that the men in the lead character’s past should be left in the past. 

However, one shoe doesn’t fit all. And sometimes, people just need a little time apart to figure things out and grow before they can be together again. Of course, the best case scenario would be that the two individuals change and grow together side by side weathering everything that comes at them. 

Sometimes, people just need time and space to grow up on their own. Just like you have to allow your child to make his or her own mistakes so that they learn from them. Sometimes, when you love someone too much, it clouds your judgement about what is good or bad for her and for the relationship. There is a great big world out that besides your relationship with someone. Your world can’t just revolve around the person you love. That is highly destructive. 

Thinking about my first love, and mind you I don’t mean the first guy I dated but the first guy I fell in love with, I ask myself if I would want to be together with him again or whether I still loved him. The answer is no. But there have been others who would probably forever be to me ‘the one who got away’. And maybe to Patrick Dempsey’s Andrew Hennings in Sweet Home Alabama, Reese Witherspoon’s Melanie will be ‘the one who got away’. However, the focus is on Josh Lucas’ Jake and Reese Witherspoon’s Melanie. 

Meant To Be

Do you believe in soul mates? I hope that soul mates exist. Cos that would make life so much more interesting and perhaps more meaningful. But I wouldn’t dare claim I know what having a soul mate is like. Perhaps when I do find mine, I will know it for sure. This film resonates with me because despite the fact that Jake and Melanie brought out the worst in each other, they also brought out the best. They were able to change and become more focused in their lives, but still at the core of it all, they loved each other. When you love someone, fight for it. 

Lurlynn: You know, he went up there.
Melanie: Who? Jake? When?
Lurlynn: About a year after you left. He doesn't know I know, but Clinton let it slip once.
Melanie: Jake was in New York?
Lurlynn: He told Clinton he'd never seen anything like it. He realised straight off he'd need more than an apology to win you back. He needed to conquer the world first. He's been trying ever since.
Melanie: That's why he kept sending the papers back.
Lurlynn: Yeah, it's funny how things don't work out.
Melanie: It's funny how they do.

A song comes to mind right now that echoes these thoughts. Click here to listen to it. Listen to the lyrics and you will see what I mean.