We Can Fly Away by Emma Townshend (1999)

Performed by Emma Townshend

Theme song for the TV movie The Magical Legend Of The Leprechauns (1999)

Did You Know? - Emma Townshend is the daughter of Pete Townshend from the band The Who. Roger Daltrey from The Who also played a role in the TV movie The Magical Legend Of The Leprechauns. Actor Kevin McKidd also had a role in the film, he is better known as Dr Owen Hunt in the television series Grey's Anatomy. 



My little cousin was born on 9th April and since I wanted to write entries that have something to do with her name 'Emma', I started looking out for actresses named Emma, singers named Emma, and films that have characters named Emma. It was then that I realised that although 2 of the biggest names in the film industry share the name 'Emma', I don't really know of many well known 'Emma's in the film and music industry! So I decided to get a little education about the name 'Emma' (God Bless Wikipedia).

In the film industry, we have Emma Watson, made famous by the Harry Potter films (See the post The Perks Of Being A Wallflower), Emma Stone (whose real name is really Emily Jean Stone), Emma Roberts, niece of Julia Roberts (See the post Aquamarine), Emma Thompson, think Nanny McPhee and Professor Sybill Trelawney, and Emma Chambers (an English actress who played Hugh Grant's sister in the film Notting Hill). 

There are also fictional characters like Emma Pillsbury played by Jayma Mays from the television series Glee, Emma Swan, daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming played by Jennifer Morrison in the television series Once Upon A Time, Emma Morley played by Anne Hathaway from the film One Day, Emma Allen also played by Anne Hathaway in the film Bride Wars, Emma Dinsmore played by Kate Hudson in the film Alex & Emma, Emma Woodhouse from Jane Austen's book Emma (a role played by Gwyneth Paltrow in the 1996 film Emma), and the comic book character Emma Frost who has been played by actresses like January Jones in X-Men: First Class and Tahyna Tozzi in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

And in music there's of course Baby Spice Emma Bunton, Emma Hewitt, and Emma Townshend. I remembered a song from a TV movie I adored as a teenager The Magical Legend Of The Leprechauns - 'We Can Fly Away' by Emma Townshend. And I was thinking what an apt song it was for the TV movie. 

Emma Townshend's We Can Fly Away has a very uplifting and light-hearted tune that makes me smile every time I hear it. It has the perfect fairytale-like qualities to the music that not only fits the TV movie it was composed and written for but also the kind of music I love. It also helps that I really string instruments like the violin and piano. I love the sounds the violin and piano produces. 


We Can Fly Away Lyrics:

I have always been certain 
Things are not always what they seem 
Though the heavens stop turning 
I'll be holding on to our dream 

We can fly away, fly away 
No more doubt or fear, nothing left to say 
Fly away, fly away 
From the darkness to the sun 
Let our spirits be as one 

You heard 
My word 
My hope 
My call 
We can fly away over 
You gave 
Your hand 
Your heart 
Your all 
We can fly away over it all 

In a magical moment 
You reached out and touched the real me 
Now there's no storm before us 
As strong as the love we both feel 

We can fly away, fly away 
If we give our love, love will come our way 
Fly away, fly away 
From the darkness to the sun 
Let our spirits be as one 

You heard 
My word 
My hope 
My call 
We can fly away over 
You gave 
Your hand 
Your heart 
Your all 
We can fly away over it all 
We can fly away over

We can fly away, fly away 
If we give our love, love will come our way 
Fly away, fly away 
From the darkness to the sun 
Let our spirits be as one 

You heard 
My word 
My hope 
My call 
We can fly away over 
You gave 
Your hand 
Your heart 
Your all 
We can fly away over it all 


You heard 
My word 
My hope 
My call 
We can fly away over (it all)
You gave 
Your hand 
Your heart 
Your all 
We can fly away over it all 

YouTube Video:

While I could not find an official music video for Emma Townshend's We Can Fly Away, the video to the ending of the TV movie is also quite lovely to watch anyway. It's a HUGE spoiler though. So if you want, watch the TV movie first. 

The Eclectic Reviewer thinks... Emma Townshend's We Can Fly Away will make you feel as if you can really fly away and do or achieve anything. It's a romantic song that I might put on my list of songs I'd play at my wedding, provided I can find a clean copy without the dialogue from the TV movie. Plus, it really reminds me of the kind of Irish songs sung by The Corrs, a band I really love. So it's definitely a song that gets played a lot on my iPod. 


* Movie Poster from Wikipedia & Video from YouTube

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Aquamarine (2006)

Directed by Elizabeth Allen (1)

Cast: Emma Roberts (2), JoJo (3), Sara Paxton (4), Jake McDorman (5), Arielle Kebbel (6), and Dichen Lachman (7)

(Watch the trailer)

My favourite quotes - "Why go through life unnoticed?", "I don't think they would have wanted you to be afraid of life, I think they'd want you to be friends with it.", "Who needs Raymond? I found 2 new men to love, their names are Ben and Jerry. Raymond... Who needs Raymond?", & "I've been to lots of places. But I've learned it's not where you are, it's who you're with."

Did You Know? - Aquamarine is based on a novel of the same name written by Alice Hoffman. Alice Hoffman has also written the novel the film Practical Magic was based on and wrote the screenplay of Independence Day. JoJo is a singer who's real name is Joanna Levesque. Sara Paxton would go on to do another fairytale inspired film the year after Aquamarine was released titled Sydney White.

Blink & Miss It - Dichen Lachman has a blink and miss it part in Aquamarine as one of Arielle Kebbel's sidekick. 

Disney's The Little Mermaid is by far my favourite Disney fairy tale growing up. There's just something about Ariel's lust for life and ardent belief in true love that I adore. Perhaps growing up watching all those happily ever after Disney fairy tales is why I have an overly idealistic view on love and romance. 

While Aquamarine is not the first feature film adaptation of The Little Mermaid fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson (See the post The Fairytale Reboot: Tales Come Alive), it is definitely the most updated version of the tale. And it does a good job of keeping with the times. The original Danish fairytale was given a bonafide Hollywood-teenage-film makeover and the result is Aquamarine.

Aquamarine: I have to find love. We don't have it where I'm from. And if I can't find it in 3 days I'm sunk.
Claire: You don't have love?
Aquamarine: No. My dad says its just a myth. We marry who our parents pick. And my dad thinks I have bubbles in my brain because I believe in love. He says that the only way I can get out my wedding is if I can prove to him that love exists. But that means I only get 3 days. Or else I'll be swimming down the aisle with that... that blowfish. 
Hailey: But if you don't have love, how do you know it exists? 
Aquamarine: I saw it once. And I want it. With him.
Hailey: Raymond?
Claire: Raymond!
Aquamarine: Raymond...

Besides being set in modern times, Aquamarine also takes a more down to earth approach to the idea of love.

Aquamarine: You know what I think of love? Love stinks. No wonder we don't have it back home.
Hailey: Please don't give up yet.
Aquamarine: Why because of your wish?
Hailey: Let me tell you something. My dad said he loved me. He said he loved my mother and then he left us. He left us for some other woman. But I guess that's just the way it is. And love doesn't always work.
Aquamarine: I don't understand.
Hailey: That's life. That's how it is here. But when you find love I guess it's really beautiful, or at least that's what I read in magazines, and I don't know as much about it as I say I do but I know that there's a reason why everybody wants it so much.
Aquamarine: And what's that?
Hailey: It's the closest thing we have to magic. Don't give up yet. 
Aquamarine: Oh my God. What's happening to me? I'm leaking!
Hailey: Aqua, you're crying.
Aquamarine: I'm leaking saltwater. I'm falling apart.
Hailey: No they're tears. You body makes them when you cry. I guess you wouldn't have them living under water. 

But I like that while they recognise that "love doesn't always work", it's still something you should fight for and keep hoping for because "it's the closest thing we have to magic". I like that exchange between JoJo's Hailey Rogers and Aquamarine. Through Aquamarine, we are taught about the true nature of love and how love isn't always enough but still something worth having.  

Aquamarine: Raymond, do you love me?
Raymond: Well, I mean, we've had 1 date. But don't get me wrong. I like you, I really really like you. I think you're smart and beautiful and different than anyone I've ever met before. And I'd like to see a lot more of you.
Aquamarine: But you don't love me.
Raymond: Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait, wait, wait. Hey, are you crying?
Aquamarine: Yes. Apparently it's something I do.
Raymond: I don't understand. I mean why do I have to be in love with you today? Why can't we just work our way there?

I think the words 'I love you' are too carelessly used these days. People say it without truly understanding what the phrase is actually meant to convey. That is why I like that Aquamarine has tried to be more realistic in terms of the whole 'love at first sight' thing. The way Sara Paxton's Aquamarine goes from a giggly love crazed mermaid to become a mature mermaid with a good head on her shoulders sits better with me. There's enough fantasy to swallow in having a mermaid turn up in real life, it would be hard to believe she is able to get her Prince Charming to fall in love with her in 3 days! And say 'I love you' as well. 

I mean "love is just love" (See post on the film The Wedding Planner). Relationships require a lot of work. And if you just rely on the feelings of love, well sometimes, love just ain't enough.

But love comes in many forms. Love between friends, and of course love between family members. While our family members more often than not will drive us up the wall, at the end of the day, your family loves you. 

Penelope (2006)

Directed by Mark Palansky

Cast: Christina Ricci (1), James McAvoy (2), Catherine O'Hara (3), Peter Dinklage (4), Reese Witherspoon (5), Russell Brand (6), and Simon Woods (7)

(Watch the trailer)

My favourite quotes - "I like myself the way I am.", "But I had my own changes to cope with. And while I miss the face that had caused so much trouble, the world had moved on. And I was determined to find my own way, and determined to always follow my own heart, and my conscience.", and "It's not the power of the curse, it's the power you give the curse."


I ushered in the New Year in Athens with the view of the Acropolis from the comforts of my home away from home there. And throughout my holiday in Greece I did a lot of walking, especially on New Year's Eve. That gave me time to do a lot of reflection about 2012 and what I want for 2013. And for some reason, the scene from Penelope when she yells "I like myself the way I am" kept flashing in my mind. Do I like myself the way I am? 

My answer was no. 

I'm on a holiday with a friend I've known since I was 18. He and I spent Christmas and New Year together in Greece. (Yes, we are JUST FRIENDS) And he told me that I haven't changed much, and that he agreed with the assessment of 2 of our mutual friends, that I don't finish what I start, or that what I say I want to do or want to achieve, I never do or take steps to achieve them. We also talked about what perception do we want others to have of ourselves and what kind of person we want to be or work towards being. 

I think I have changed quite a bit. But hey, everyone's entitled to their opinion right. And if that is the perception people have of me, then no, I do not like myself the way I appear to be to others. And in all honesty, I don't like myself the way I am. Well, not entirely. Appearance wise, I would like to go back to being at a healthy weight and size. I want to be more presentable and when I look at the mirror, I want to be able to feel good about how I look. And I'd like people to perceive me as an intelligent, determined and sensible person, not ditzy, clumsy, and unworldly. 

So seeing as this is the first day of 2013, I am going to aim for the following...

1) I am going to live a healthier lifestyle so that I can attain a healthy weight and size.
2) I am going to read at least 1 book a month.
3) I am going to write at least 10 entries a month in this blog or write 120 entries in 2013.
4) I am going to start saving up for retirement.
5) I am going to "like myself the way I am" by 2014.

Yes, I got this all from the quote "I like myself the way I am". 

Now about the film Penelope, this is a film that I really love A LOT! Firstly, I love fairytales and the fact that the film has a magical and fairytale feel to it makes it a winner in my book. The story is about a girl named Penelope, who was born with a pig's nose and the only way to break the curse is if "one of (their) own kind claims this daughter as their own till death do they part". Now obviously there's a lot to learn from such a premise already. It's a film about seeing past the outside and loving a person for who he or she is. And this is evident in one of the early scenes in the film when Edward who has just seen Penelope's face runs off to the police to report her. 

Edward: Are you going to arrest her or not?
Policeman: On what grounds? Ugly blind date? If being ugly were a crime I'd have to arrest half the people in the city. 

It's sad isn't it, that some people cannot see past what's outside. However, we shouldn't forget the importance of looking presentable and I realise that how a person dresses and carries himself or herself is important especially since everyone is trying to get me to dress better. I know that while its more important to be a beautiful person on the inside, it doesn't hurt to take care of how you look on the outside because your outside is still a reflection of what kind of person you are on the inside. 

Penelope: Are you a fan of George Rockham?
Max: Who?
Penelope: The book you've got in your jacket.
Max: Right. You caught that huh? Well, yeah. Yeah, it's a great book.
Penelope: So you've read it.
Max: Well yeah.
Penelope: Funny I thought that was the only surviving copy.
Max: Well, you know what, I meant to read it, but the library wasn't always out and er... I saw it was a first edition and I figured it might be worth something.
Penelope: So you were stealing it?
Max: Yeah. I was stealing it.
Penelope: So you're a fan of the money.
Max: I'm a big fan of the money. Although it doesn't much care for me.
Penelope: Well maybe you and the money weren't meant to be...
Max: Hey I wouldn't go that far. Jinx me.
Penelope: There are 326 first editions in that room, of those, 300 are worth over 50 thousand, a dozen or so are worth over 25 thousand and I'm afraid there's only one that's valued under a 100. 
Max: Only one huh?
Penelope: A little novel, written by a little nobody, that never amounted to anything.
Max: You don't say... under a 100...
Penelope: I'm afraid so. And I'm afraid that means that it's time for...
Max: But your favourite just the same.
Penelope: What?
Max: I said your favourite just the same.
Penelope: I heard you... I...

Franklin: Sweetheart, what's wrong?
Penelope: I thought he just knew but it says it right here.
Franklin: Still he chose it. The 2000 books that aren't your favourite, he chose the one that is...

Now this whole exchange brings to mind the fact that some things are maybe meant to be. I don't know about you, but I am a believer of 'things always happen for a reason' and 'if it's meant to be, it's meant to be'. Call me a hopeless romantic, I don't care. So what if I am. This is who I am. But I mean, out of so many books, he picks the book that is worth so little in the monetary sense but worth so much in the eyes of the girl he ends up with. If that's not a sign, what is? (Another film that talks about signs can be found in another film that I really like titled He's Just Not That Into You.)