)(( hannah mello ))(

Challenged by Phoebe. ~

Popcorn in hand, in the very back theater @ the Nickelodeon downtown, I settled into the seat. "Phoebe in Wonderland".

It was beautiful. From the first scene - on.
It was so crisp. Every scene was intentional, every word to-the-point.
And, afterwards, I was left deeply quiet inside.

I found myself at Twin Lakes beach so so so quiet inside. Everything outside felt SO LOUD, and my head and heart felt so still but aware and active.

I love when a movie gives me a good whupping. Initially, my thoughts were reflective; in adjective-form.

Masterpiece.
The creativity / life in the wardrobe, the wonder created in every frame.

Challenging.
Confronting. The characters' way-- their reactions, their wrestlings-- made you stop and turn to yourself, looking to see what parts of yourself resemble them.

Riveting.
I was sucked in.

No, this isn't a movie review. It's self-expression. I have been challenged. Here are some corners of how the film challenged me.

- I want to be a good mom.
...
...
- I want to listen well-- to give the gift of hearing another person in the moment they need to be HEARD.
- Life goes so fast. You turn around and all your choices have been made.
- I want to help create space for people. Space to just be. To talk; to learn; to grow; to discover.
- Confessing anger can free you to acceptance.

...
I don't really know what to say. I don't even know why a blog post like this should be published. ha. But I guess, I'll make a toast. To the small things that affect your life course. To the art that compels your soul to expand. To the characters that challenge character. A toast.




Other movies that have challenged me like this one...
- A Man Named Pearl
- The Emperor's Club
- Life as a House
- Gandhi
- Felicity (TV show)
- Brideshead Revisited
- The Kingdom of Heaven
- The Simpson Movie
- what others... I don't know... but I love movies like these...

posted by )(( hannah mello ))( @ 8:08 PM