commas and ampersands

Random (related to a conversation in the Dragonfly a while back about mixing up celebrities with similar names):

I always think of Danny Strong when I see Danny Boyle's name, and I have to remind myself that it's not the same person. I think it's because I associate Danny Strong with Doyle on GG, and Boyle is just similar enough that I confuse them, especially given that they've both had acclaim for recent projects (Recount and Slumdog Millionaire, respectively).

Colin and I don't fight all that much. At all, really. We argue occasionally and disagree about some things, but neither of us are fighters. We don't name-call, throw accusations, or have big tempers, and we're really good at talking it out, being respectful, and not walking away from an argument before it's resolved.

But even when it comes to arguing and disagreeing, it's pretty rare that it's about the big, important things. We're pretty much on the same page when it comes to major life decisions, finances, ideas about marriage and family, faith, and all those big-picture things, but every once in a while, we get into the most ridiculous arguments about the most random things. We're both stubborn enough that we'll stick to a position and not budge, but it's definitely fun to make the other one try. And really, those kinds of "arguments" are the best kind. A lot of the time, they actually end up being kind of fun, and if nothing else, it's good practice in debating and being persuasive.

Last month, we were driving down to High River for Thanksgiving dinner, and Anne of Green Gables came up in conversation as we drove by a "lake of shining waters." Colin made a comment about not having seen the movies or read the books in quite a while; I commented that I hadn't read the books in a while, but while I think that Megan Follows is the one and only Anne, I'm not a big fan of the movies, particularly The Continuing Story. That movie bothers me on so many levels, mainly because the books are set 30 years earlier, and the film plays with the timeline in a way that's unacceptable to me. World War 1 was the war that affected Anne's children. Rilla of Ingleside is the book set during that time period, and the main character is Anne and Gilbert's youngest daughter. The orphaned baby was taken in by Rilla, and it was Anne's sons who fought, not Gilbert.

Anyway, I made all these points about the books, and the thesis of my argument was the fact that it's impossible for a viewer of a movie (based on a book) to fully appreciate the movie without having read the book.

And then the argument started. :)

For the next hour, Colin stood by his point that the viewer can have a complete, full entertainment experience by only watching the movie. I stood by my statement that a reader can have a full experience of the author's original intent by reading the book but not watching the movie, but not vice versa.

The funny thing is, I don't think we entirely disagreed with each other. I think that a movie-watcher can have a complete entertainment experience with the movie alone; I just don't think that it's possible to experience the fullest world of the story the way the author intended. Watching the Anne movies may be an entertainment experience in and of itself, but it's not the story experience that L.M. Montgomery intended. In this case, it's not even the same story, but even if it was, I still say that the story and experience is incomplete.

I used the example of the Harry Potter books, too. Aaron refuses to read the books, and I stand by my claim that he's robbing himself of J.K. Rowling's full story. The movies are an adaptation of a written story, and without reading the story, the visual story is incomplete. She may have put her stamp of approval on the screenplays, but by the very nature of an adaptation, there are things that had to be cut and sacrificed; therefore, the representation of the world she created is not complete, no matter how accurate the pieces may be.

Colin held to the position that it's possible to fully enjoy a movie based on the book without having read the book. He stood by the fact that he separates the book and the movie; for instance, in the case of Anne of Green Gables, he's fully aware that the movie is not the story of the book, but he looks at them as two separate pieces of entertainment that are only partially related to each other.

Because film and literature are two distinctly different art forms, they can't be judged the same way. A story told on film and the same story told on paper are two different artistic experiences--the story on film fleshes out the visual narrative in a way that the story on paper is unable to. In that way, he argued, it could even be said that the film completes the story of the book in a way that makes the reading of the book an incomplete rendering of the artist's original vision.

He also used the Harry Potter example to differentiate between casual and obsessed fans. He claims that someone could be an obsessed fan of the movies without ever having read the books; I claim that someone who is truly a fan of the Harry Potter world would never claim to be so without having read the books. A person (like Aaron) can be a fan of the movies, independent of the books, but I would argue that he can't claim to be a fan of HarryPotterTheGlobalPhenomenon while steadfastly refusing to partake in the original manifestation of the characters and plotlines.

Colin said that's discriminatory towards people who don't enjoy reading; I say so be it. Being a "fan" in the most obsessed sense of the word (and I'm not talking about being a casual fan/appreciator of the work) includes being familiar with all its facets. I enjoyed Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, but I'm fully aware that my knowledge of the source material is spotty at best, and because of that, I couldn't consider myself a "true" fan, no matter how much I enjoyed the movies.


Now, a few caveats: I'm not saying that books are necessarily a superior form of entertainment to movies. Movies, both originals and adaptations, are an art form in and of themselves. I would never say that film is a lesser art form than literature or theatre. Each one is a different storytelling medium, and I'm not making a judgment of value on their relative worth.

I'm also not saying that an adaptation can't be entertaining without having read the book. There are many, many movies that I've watched without having read the books, and I can appreciate the filmmaking and acting and story, but I'm also fully aware that I'm not getting the full experience. I can enjoy it for what it is, but I know that "what it is" is less than 100% of the author's intention.



And just to top it off? My proudest moment in that whole argument was the fact that Colin got so frustrated that he actually growled at me. Ha! In the middle of a sentence, he actually growled in his throat, and it cracked me up so much that I had to pause the discussion and laugh really hard before I could resume.


So, friends, what do you think? What is the relationship between a book and its film adaptation? Is it possible to enjoy one without a working knowledge of the other?

I was browsing through some random websites earlier this week, and I came across a site was full of "evidence" of how evil Walt Disney was (and Disney as a corporation is). It had some of the more common stories, but the one I found most amusing is that "Walt Disney was evil because he chose music by dead composers for Fantasia so that he wouldn't have to pay for the music."

While it's true that Disney (as a company) has an incredibly powerful legal team that understands the inner workings of copyright law better than just about anyone else anywhere, it makes me laugh that using public domain music is evidence of evil. How is it not an artist's prerogative to choose to either have new work commissioned, support currently established composers, or reintroduce the public to classical works? Any of those three options, especially with the scope of Disney's influence, had the potential for significant ramifications within the artists' careers (if new work had been commissioned or contemporary work used) and the public consciousness and awareness of the music scene, even though the film was originally not as well-received as hoped.

Most artists have at least some understanding of public domain, even if they don't understand copyright law as a whole. In general, with written works, at least, once the author has been dead for 70 years, the work passes into public domain, meaning that royalties are not paid. Therefore, royalties are not paid on a Shakespeare play, for instance (unless it's an adaptation or translation, in which case, royalties are paid to the publisher of the translator).

I have no doubt that fiscal choices informed part of Disney's choice of music for Fantasia, but the fact remains that by using classical music as the score for the movie, a younger generation was introduced to music that they may not have listened to otherwise, especially when the scope of the work is taken in the context of 60 years. Much of the music used may be the most popular classical music, but the fact remains that it's classical music, and anyone with any sort of musical interest and/or training should have a working knowledge and recognition of those pieces. There's merit in perpetuating the knowledge of the roots of modern music history and style, and in using public domain music, Disney allowed that.

This website (and I really can't remember the address) was obviously out to prove that Disney is eeeeevvvviiillll and is out to destroy the world. Eh. I like Disney. I also like emerging, independent art. The two are not mutually exclusive.

However, if they really wanted to talk about Disney and copyright law, they should have mentioned this: Copyright laws are radically changing with digital technology. The entire art world works differently and sources material in different ways than it used to, and that radically changes the way copyright is viewed. While it may seem that a "hard" copyright law is best for artists, in many ways, that's not the case. However, every few years, the parameters for work in the public domain changes. One of the reasons why? It's revisited (with pressure from Disney's legal team) every time Mickey Mouse and Steamboat Willie are about to enter the public domain.

In my opinion, if the author of that website was looking to tie Disney into copyright law, this is a much more compelling "Disney is evil!" argument than the fact that Fantasia uses public domain music.

(Also, this is one reason why many support a dual-layered approach to copyright. The challenge is finding a middle ground where independent artists who are hampered by a hard copyright law are allowed freedom and protected within the flexibility of such a stance, and yet the large corporations with instantly recognizable symbols [like Mickey Mouse] are protected from the soft copyright that many artists are pushing for.)

I'm not going to fall asleep anytime soon, I don't think. I wasn't feeling all that great today, so I crawled out of bed to make it to church, and when I got home, crawled back in and dozed on and off all afternoon until I went to work tonight. ( A little bit TMI, but nothing graphic ) So anyway, all that to say that I slept too much this afternoon, and now I'm going to be awake half the night.

Mariah and I went to see Rachel Getting Married last night. I don't know whether or not it's playing anywhere but New York and L.A. yet (I know that it just opened here and there, but it was supposed to be opening in wider release, so maybe it's starting to), but I really recommend it. Mariah said that some of her friends really didn't like it, but she thought that they were expecting something different.

( Non-spoilery thoughts and reactions )

Anyway, good movie. See it if you get the chance.

And I think I'm going to try and fall asleep... we'll see how easily that happens.

I was treated to a birthday date tonight.

Oh, wait--what's that? It's not my birthday? No, but it is Colin's, and today, the whole "what's yours is mine" thing extended to birthday celebrations. (Hey, he's at work tonight; one of us needs to celebrate, and while I'm sure that he considered sleeping in this morning a pretty great celebration, I thought someone should go see a movie!)

So, in honor of Colin's birthday (actually, for several other reasons, but that one sounds better and made us laugh more), Mariah treated me to a movie and McDonald's tonight. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, which Colin wouldn't see with me anyway, so I had to make it a girls' night out!

She really is the greatest roommate, and she makes a pretty good substitute husband until Colin gets down here. ;)

What could make for a better birthday than huge servings of frozen yogurt, gummy candies, 3 other people in the entire movie theatre, and then McDonald's (with the fries still piping hot!) afterward? I'm not sure. It seemed pretty great to me.

In fairness, it can go the other way, too, and the "what's mine is yours" means that he's entitled to a guys' night out on my birthday. But only as long as we're not actually in the same city on my birthday (or his, for that matter). In that case, no substitute dates allowed.

I just finished reading Atonement, which I picked up at Target and read after watching the movie.

( Cut for spoilers for both the movie and the book, although if you've seen the movie, there's not much else to be spoiled for in the book, but there is mention of one particular scene in the book that's different than the movie )

So now I'm curious: has anyone else read the book? What were your impressions?

I spent a good portion of the afternoon listening to Christmas music by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and now I'm listening to Messiah. It's making me very happy.

( Also making me happy? Disney princesses )

Oh, there are tons of pictures in this post. Lots and lots. Mostly from the Stampede Parade, but a few other cute ones, too.

( Not quite dialup friendly )

There are more, but that's enough for one post. The rest of the gallery is here, though. Go take a look!

Colin and I saw Ratatouille last night. Very cute. Then again, I love movies that turn anything into art. Any story that explores the passion and artistry of something that doesn't seem artistic at first glance is something that I just love. That's why I liked Proof (the play more than the movie, but still--I like the story). I'm not a math person, but I was intrigued by the idea of math as art. Heh. As if it wasn't already obvious where my brain is...

I'm at Starbucks, ostensibly working on the program and script synopses for the showcase next Tuesday, but I keep distracting myself.

So, in the meantime, some random observations.

• I'm wearing a pair of pants today that I haven't worn in ages. They're a size 8, and they're still slightly snug, especially in the waist. Much better than they were a few months ago, absolutely, but if I was in the store, I wouldn't quite be buying an 8 yet. Which is a little bit problematic, because my size 10 jeans are getting kind of loose (although more in the waist than the thighs), so it's almost time to go down a size, but I'm not quite at a comfortable 8 yet, so I'm waiting a little longer. Maybe by the time I actually do the breast cancer walk (2 months), I'll be there, and I can get some new jeans and capris then. I'm getting there, though.


• Colin and I saw Shrek the Third last night, which was cute, but my one thought through the whole thing was, ( Not really anything spoilery, but I'll cut it just in case )


• I'm totally not getting any work done right now.


• I've still got an hour and a half before I have to go back to Colin's office and meet him, though, so I can keep telling myself that I'll get it done before then.


• Kat's home from the hospital today... still sore, still not feeling great, and she can't lift or drive for 4 weeks, but she's glad to be home. We went to visit her last night, and I think she was pleasantly surprised by that and glad to see us.

Anyway. I think that's it for a public post. Anything else will be flocked, and it'll probably be lots of rambling and stream-of-consciousness writing.

Man, it's such a Monday. I'm still sleepy, and everything feels like it's moving extra slowly. Especially TWoP. I can't believe how slow it is this morning. Both the boards themselves and the conversation.

Anyway...

I didn't watch the Oscars last night. I'd been half-planning to go to beauty_awake's party, but by yesterday afternoon, when Colin and I were actually making plans about what we were going to do, neither one of us really felt like going (not least because we hadn't seen most of the nominated movies), so we figured that we'd watch an Oscar-nominated movie instead, so that we could feel at least semi-intelligent in the discussions afterwards.

So, after family lunch yesterday afternoon, I went over to Colin's and helped him paint his room for a while, then we went to see Pan's Labyrinth, which I'd heard so many amazing things about, and really, it didn't disappoint.

( Pan's Labyrinth )

(Side note: Seriously! TWoP is unbelievably slow!!)

Hmmm. I feel like finding more icons. Maybe that's what I should do today, since TWoP doesn't want me to play. Is anyone over at the Dragonfly, or is TWoP only being this dumb for me?

Sigh. I repeat, it's such a Monday.

Today does feel long. It didn't until about half an hour ago, but now, the two hours until I leave work seem incredibly long. It's probably because I'm not taking a lunch break today so that I can leave an hour early, miss the traffic, and get up to the church earlier to get ready for our Q to Q tonight.

I'm still playing around, procrastinating on... finishing my last TWoP card, working on my fic, and editing lady_m2835's last chapter. I really just need to get to work on all three of those (and I also have some MI.net stuff to write, but I can't do that at work, since I'll need the episode in front of me), but instead, I've been finding more icons and mood themes.

I'm finding myself in a very, very Narnia-ish mood today. I want to watch the movie again--I want to get the four-disc special edition--and I really feel like reading all seven books back-to-back.

Heather and I have been working on a script for our Christmas Eve services, using some of the dialogue from "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," and I've been mulling it over all week, and will likely continue to do so, since I'll be acting in the scene in the services. Last night, I had some interesting continuity things hit me--things that I hadn't noticed before, even in reading the series at least 10 times. I won't go into it all now, but in any case, my Narnia love is being renewed, as it is every time I read the books. They're among my favorite children's literature ever--in fact, I'd say that although Madeleine L'Engle is my favorite author, Narnia is my favorite kids' lit series, even more than Little House on the Prairie or Anne of Green Gables, both of which were absolute favorites of mine as a child.

In any case, I love the Narnia books more every time I read them. The theology is so rich, yet it meant so much to me as a child--every time I read them, I discover something new in it, and it's so brilliantly and intricately layered that it takes some time and maturity to get all the levels that Lewis intended, and I'm sure I'm nowhere near finding all of them yet.

Anyway. I'm trying to do some Christmas shopping, and I wanted to get a bunch of my stuff off Amazon, because it'll still get here in time, and there's free shipping, but I can't, because amazon.ca doesn't have all the different stores and products. Maybe it's worth it to pay shipping from amazon.com, just for the convenience and actually getting some of my shopping done. Grrr. Does anyone know of any Canadian websites--preferably sites that will offer free shipping--that are kind of a catch-all for everything, like amazon.com (but apparently not .ca) is?

_standingstill, that song is fantastic.  Freakin' amazing!!!!  I'm listening to it on repeat, and just not getting tired of it.  Every time I listen to it, I get the giggles, just because it's so great.

Just had to get that off my chest.

I watched the Disney version of A Wrinkle in Time last night, finally, which was a double treat, becase a) Madeleine L'Engle is my favorite author of all time, and b) Gregory Smith played Calvin O'Keefe.  Wrinkle isn't necessarily my favorite of her books, but as far as I know, it's the only that's been made into a movie, so I'll take what I can get.

(Although why more of her books haven't been made into movies yet, I'll never understand.  They're so perfect for that.)



Seriously!!  Dude!  Loving this song!!

I have mosquito bites, and I hate them.

I have to pack and I don't want to.