Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Jack of All Trades: The Movies

 What a wonderful year. I am one of the really rare, and very far in between people who really think that 2020 is a wonderful year. I am really proud that I was able to do all of the good work that I could. I am sad cause I had to change it so many times, and that there were some things that I couldn't do. However, I am proud of what I got to do.


One of the things that I did do this year, that I have done with every other project that I have done on here, is watch a movie that went along with my theme of the year. The movies are the reason that I started this to begin with and it was a little weird not talking them. I know that I mention like 2-3 at the start of the year but I didn't mention them anymore. So, this post is dedicated to all of the movies that I watched that some what related to what I was doing that month.



 

The first movie that I watched at the start of the year was Pay It Forward. I was looking forward to this movie. It was all about how this boy started the Pay it Forward movement and how it reached everywhere. However, it ended up being very sad because of the stupid stuff. Like I am mad that I watched it and then it ended in the way it did. However, I wanted to watch it because basically this is what I wanted out of the year. Paying it forward and doing good in the world. So, it was a nice, if not very sad, start to my year.



The month of January Nikki and I went to help out with the Knoxville Dream Food Truck. The truck provides the homeless and lower income families with fresh food. I chose The Hundred Foot Journey because it showed how food could shape and change your life. It really was a great movie that I would really like to watch again. 



I chose The Secret Garden to go with my helping of clearing out the weeds with iJams Nature Center. I chose this because the point of clearing weeds to help the other plans grow and thrive. The whole movie is about a young girl who goes to live with unknown family, and she finds a garden that hasn't been cared for in many years. She cleans in out and makes a new life for herself, and the garden. What she ends up doing is helping her new family find peace in the hardship they have had over the year and find that new, and beautiful, things in grow in the wake of heartache. Helping iJam's with this project gave the plants in the park a chance to shine and giving those who have gone to the park a more beautiful view of the lake behind the weeds that they would have missed out on before.



In March the whole world was sent into a dark place. Everything was canceled, and everything had changed in what felt like overnight. The one thing that everyone did at that point in time was turn to art. They turned to music and movies, and so many people have tried very hard to bring their art to others in a different way. In March I supported art watching some different bands play on facebook. Stacey Mitchhart is a music man out of Nashville whom I love. He started doing multiple facebook live shows at his house since then. I spent the month watching his shows and donating to what I could to him and his band. The Soloist is a wonderful movie about a man who is a cello prodigy who is homeless due to schizophrenia. He was set to become one of the best performers in the world, he even went to Julliard, and could not finish due to his illness. However, years later a man's life is changed by his presence and offeres to help him. He is able to give him musical instruments, and a small apartment so he can not be on the streets. This is all based off of a true story where he still plays his music on the streets of LA today. It's a great movie to give home during a time when art are in trouble and that we see we are still getting home from them.


    

When the world cracked the door open again more people needed help than before. The Salvation Army was looking for people to help pre-package meals to feed everyone who was in need. I will say, it's hard to serve others when you are struggling yourself. I am very blessed to still have my job but mentally March was very hard on me and the idea of going to help in April was something I did not want to do. However, I knew that was the very reason that I needed to do it. Same Kind of Different as Me is a beautifully told movie about a husband and wife who's marriage is struggling. When it got to the point of unbearable, Debbie says they can try again if he goes with her to help feed the homeless. He is very vocal about how he does not want to do that. While they are serving Debbie has a dream about a man who is going to lead them on an adventure. Not long after a very aggressive homeless man comes in and Debbie says that's the man she had dreamed about. Over the next two years they offer friendship to this man and he grows with them in their family. Reflecting on this film now it makes me realize that doing the very thing I didn't want to do made my year better. Everything is still not the same, Things are starting to be a little brighter again. However, going out of my way to helping people, when I didn't want to do it myself, was the thing I needed this year to make my year so much better. Just like it did for this family in the movie.



In May I did work with a very well know group called Second Harvest Food Bank. The time I spent was them was three hours of putting thank you letters into envelopes to be sent off to people who have donated. I watched I, Daniel Blake. The reason I picked this movie was because I had read there was a great scene in the movie that was in a food bank. This movie was good in the showing of how inefficient getting the help we need to get can work. What I think watching this showed me that there is a long way to go with getting people better help, and more of it, but that it really shows how many people are out there that are willing to help in anyway they can.



 In June I went to help sort out donations at a place called Ladies of Charity. They run a food pantry to give out to people in need as well as give out clothes, places to live, and donation to anyone who needs them as well. They also run a thrift shop at the front of the pantry to raise more funds. One of the jobs I had when I got there was to sort shoes. The movie In Her Shoes is about two sisters who have been disagreeing about how to live their lives for a long time. When things come to a head one leaves. The time apart really causes them to come to a reflection of themselves, and the other to find a common ground again. It liked this movie because it's another reminder that we don't know everyone's story, even if we are closely related. We need to give each other grace and help when we can.



July was met the sad realization that we would not be going to shoot off fireworks for the 4th of July. However, I was helping with Anvil shooting instead at Museum of Appalachia. I chose Indiana Jones because it's a movie that help to preserve and safe history in an unconventional way. I would dare to say that shooting anvils and a museum and draw a crowd is one unconventional way. 



August was met with the opportunity to go back to the Tennessee Theatre again. I love that place and so I made a donation and was able to get a tour. I am telling you that gong there is something I love and I can not wait to do again. The Majestic is a movie about mistaken identity, and find a new purpose. This year it's felt very much like that. We have all had to really look at lives and see what's really important and what is just taking up too much of our time. When Jim Carey's character in the film gets amnesia and ends up in a small town his life changed. He looks just like a young man from the town that lost his life in the war. He ends up helping the town fix up the theatre that has been there for a number of years and learns how to run it. When he gets his memories back he has to choose what his real purpose in life is and what is really making him happy. 



Woman in Gold is a movie about a famous work of art that was stolen from a Jewish family during World War II. After many years of struggling to research on the part of her sister, now departed, the last relative to know of the painting must now try retain the painting from Austria. She has a lawyer, who has very little experience, look into it and try to win the painting by restitution. When the claim is denied they think all hope is lost. Until they find a different law that can get the painting to the correct home. Watching this made me see that sometime we have to fight to what is correct rather than what is easy. It's not been easy for me to not have the art in my life that I have come to know. So, doing what I can has helped to find that peace that maybe soon we will be able to enjoy art again.



Getting to help out at a big event was something I didn't think I was going to be able to do this year. However, this year is full of surprises for me. Helping out with Street Rods was a way to help out Visit Knoxville, which is our go to guide for all things Knoxville. They do this gathering every year and show off classic cars. Since I am not well versed in the world of cars, I asked Carl for advice on his favorite car movie. Gone in 60 Seconds is what he told me. I watched it and it's not my thing to watch but you did get to see some impressive cars in the movie. Other than that there is not much cross over in it. I didn't steal any cars and the whole movie was about that. 



November was met with letter writing. I sent letters to soldiers all over with Friends of the Troops. I picked 84 Charing Cross Road because it was a movie about great pen pals that lasted almost 20 years. It started from an ad in a magazine that led to a great friendship. Now, I haven't gotten any letters back, and honestly I would be shocked if I did. I do like hope that maybe one day I will get a reply but if not that's perfectly alright.



 We finally made it to December. A month that is always about reflection, and about hope. Something we need every year. I said this in the post I made about this month's opportunity but working with Wreaths Across America is my favorite that I have gotten to do this year. Honoring all those who have served is something that makes our country great and never letting them be forgotten is something I will be doing for the rest of my life. I picked White Christmas because it's a movie about soldiers honoring soldiers. I am not soldier but I can not think of a better movie to have picked to remind all of us to honor those who are here and those who have gone.


Thank you for coming with me on this weird journey of this weird year with me. I do have some cool stuff coming up in the new year but I will get to that later. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year.

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