lemke_rita Reviews

My Girl (1991)

First love, and first loss; there is something more to a movie than a happy ending

[10/10 · 25 March 2007]

I was really young when I first saw this movie, and what takes me back all those years was the one scene at the end - Vada receiving the mood ring and seeing its changed colour. I don't want to delve too deeply into symbolic meanings, because at the age of 4, I never really dwelt on such things. But the sense of finality, as she moves on in her growth, is so true, and so bitter-sweet and tangible.

'My Girl' gives life to any girl who has found themselves in-between, whether it be in terms of schoolyard 'fitting in' or just emotional maturity and understanding the depth of things that fall in place around you. For Vada, she was in a limbo between life and death, and by feeling death hit so close; she herself could grow and live more freely.

Its so hard to explain the full impact of this film simply because the protagonist is a pre-teen who does not rely on words alone to explain her actions and personality quirks. Her best friend is a boy that makes my heart melt with a happy warmth, making the cold stab of loss so much harder to accept when the time comes for him to go.

I used to dream as a little girl, fantasize how things would have been if Thomas had never died. I never got far, as Vada never seemed to be a complete character, and Thomas was far too quiet to hold her attention.

She loved, lost and grew. I can say that its an ending that puts the rest of 'happily ever after' movies to shame; where a kiss and a spoken promise is enough to tide over the pain of some previous problem. To me, 'My Girl' is a skinned knee, a goofy smile and the shedding of tears. Its realising you are part of something bigger, and that your happy ending is overshadowed by a future more bright and amazing than you could ever imagine.

Arjuna (2001)

What I have discovered through this anime.

[7/10 · 2 September 2006]

I must confess that I only began watching this anime because the DVD's were available at my local library. That being said, I've only watched volumes 1, 2 and 4, therefore my perceptions may be contrary to what others may have felt.

I shall begin by saying that 'Arjuna' makes the audience think. Not just about the story, but on what is *really* being said, and how this 'truth' is represented not only in the audience's macro world, but also in their micro world. For me, it made my question the nature of 'truth' in terms of what we are told, and what we choose to believe.

I shall be more specific; we are all brought up to believe that there is 'bad' in the world, and that we must either fight it, or protect ourselves from it. This is how Juna perceives the 'Raaja'. I've come to realise that as the protagonist of our *own* stories, we really are fools to assume that we don't play a part in our own misfortunes (actions or otherwise). We make bad decisions; like eating the unhealthy, processed foods, and rationalise and deceive ourselves with "but it's all due to consumerism. 'They' made it available and tasty to eat."

This anime has made me take responsibility for some of the choices I make. It hasn't stopped me from eating processed food (like hamburgers), nor has it made me choose to live as the old man did (though I did consider it for a short while). I can't say that with every action I make from now on, that I would be considering its possible effect on the future of the planet. I will be aware however, that I am just as responsible for how the world is today as anyone else.

Captain Planet and the Planeteers (1990–1996)

My own experiences with: "Captain Planet and the Planeteers"

[17 March 2006]

When I first started watching 'Captain Planet', I was pretty much the ideal target audience; 5 years old, a sympathetic female with innocent cares for the environment, and that 'virgin' mindset that there was always going to be just good, bad and the unfortunate.

Now I'm older and somewhat more corrupted at age 18, I look back to those days and I can honestly say that though it may have been cheesy (the entire 'Go Planeteers!' and similar catchphrases) the cartoons like 'Captain Planet' that I was brought up on were so much more educational and fulfilling then the ones I see today. I know, its a broad generalisation, but the world of commercialism has taken over children's programs, and while I still enjoy cartoons, I can only feel free from the 'buy this' and 'you must have this' craze when I watch ABC TV (no commercials).

This cartoon impacted on my life a lot when I was younger. It made me really care about the environment; not just the cute ponies and flowers, but for every environmental issue that came up on the TV or in the newspaper. I wanted to take on the world.

But back then, there really wasn't a lot of support. There were organisations that supported things like 'Clean up Australia Day', but there was little community or family support for my ideals and as I grew older, I became disillusioned that I could ever make a difference on my own.

And when I reached High School, we were taught about the environment and biology, and I didn't care anymore about the dying world around me. I think we need to have 'important' cartoons like 'Captain Planet' back, because when I was impressionable and making up my own identity during my teenage years, it wasn't there for me and remains only a memory of when I was a little girl.

In any case, its a pity that people today can't try to make something 'worthwhile' to show the kids, to gently expose them to what the world really *is*. If its for the money, why can't they advertise and sell to kids the idea that environmentalism is 'cool' and needed? I mean, its better that telling kids to buy dolls with plastic clothes, in my opinion.