Went out with my darling mother Ruth to watch Just Like Heaven today and it was totally great. Never in my lifetime have I ever trusted reviews and I'm glad I never did else I would not have discovered all the greatest books and movies of all time. Maybe that's exaggerating a little but some books and films really don't deserve the reviews they get, both ways.
Just Like Heaven is definitely a successful romantic comedy and somehow the thing about Elizabeth (Me, I know. A nice surprise I admit. Read the summary months back and forgot Reese Witherspoon's character was named Elizabeth. Her surname (Masterson) shares the same two first letters as mine. Quite amazing) being a spirit only serves to enhance the whole "sweetness" of the film, instead of making the lines all cheesy and faked like Must Love Dogs which was the ultimate romance comedy flop.
Elizabeth as an overworked doctor who has no time for anything else in her life. As she drives home one night to a blind date with one of her sister's friend's friend, she crashes into an oncoming truck. Change scene. David is this nice (thought admittedly not great-looking, his character kind of grows on people as he is quite endearing) man whose wife died of cerebral haemorrhage 2 years ago. He's been desperately trying to find an apartment in San Francisco but nothing pleases him because none of the homes have a nice couch on which he can vegetate on and waste his life drowning himself in alcohol (not a bad thing might want to try it myself one day) and hiding in his apartment.
But David starts seeing someone. (Great joke there director, kudos to you!) Seeing Elizabeth. Not that way. As his friend Jack (or JJ heh) puts it, he's hallucinating. Elizabeth (as a spirit) barges into his apartment and yells at him to leave, thinking he's the one with the mental problem.
The result of this ghost-human spiritual communication fiasco thing is that David and Elizabeth grow really close to one another (after all, they do live in the same apartment) and they don't feel at ease without each other. It turns out that Elizabeth is not dead yet, but in a three month coma and her brain activity is rapidly deteriorating. The climax of the movie comes when the doctor is about to pull the plug (I hate that phrase, sounds so clinical and inhumane...taking someone off life support is called pulling the plug?!) and David tries to get Elizabeth's body out of the hospital to give her spirit a little more time to try to "reunite" with her body. Unfortunately during the ensuing body-stealing Elizabeth's inhalator thing gets ripped off and...she stops breathing. The spirit Elizabeth starts turning all ghostly (It's pulling me away David! Fight it, Lizzy, don't go! I can't!) and David, as a last ditch attempt, kisses the body of Elizabeth hoping that the contact will bring her spirit back into her body. The spirit Elizabeth disappears and David gets pulled away. Beep...the green line on the moniter goes flat.
My heart stops beating, and I grip Ruth's hand. I think...stop it, she's not going to die...but I admit I was worried.
My fears are allayed...Elizabeth wakes up but...she can't remember David. (Do I know you? It's me Lizzy. Don't you remember him, honey? It's David. It's me.) David reaches out to touch her hand but she draws it away.) The moment was heartwrenching and I absolutely couldn't believe it (actually was expecting a twist or that sort). But the ending turns out fine anyway. They miss each other and though Elizabeth doesn't remember David she feels something missing. One day she returns from the hospital and goes up to her rooftop (yes she has one). Previously she mentioned to David (who is a landscape architect) she always wanted to have a garden up there but never had the time to do so. So...she walks up there, and lo and behold, there is a beautiful, gorgeous, whatever-you-like garden up there with a small swing, pavilion, fountain, walk and everything else gardens should be made of. Elizabeth still can't remember anything, but as David returns her the key to her apartment, their hands touch. In that brief cataclysmic moment, she remembers everything.
Wouldn't we all like to believe that fate has someone in mind for us? Hopefully.
08:57
it'ssnowing.
__________
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Been writing a new series, and right about now echoing in my thoughts are that of the protagonist. She keeps saying I'm so tired... and I'm wondering if it's true. There's really no reason for me to be like that. School is technically though not officially over, and I've been doing a lot of the things I've been wanting to do since term started at the beginning of the year. So...I should be thankful I survived everything, huh?
It's strange. I don't. Ms Teo saw me yesterday and she commented on how I was looking frazzled. At the time I was like "Huh?" But now I'm not so sure. I mean, I look at my list and most of the boxes are ticked. Movie. Tick. Shopping. Not enough, but tick. Playing MS. Tick, definitely. Reading till I get sick. Tick. Sleeping. Tick. Eating. Tick. Writing. All crap and sappy stuff, but for now, tick. Getting a camera. Tick. The undone stuff: dying my hair, piercing 2 more holes, stopping the nail habit, getting a guitar, doing really crazy stuff. And yet I don't know why I don't feel an urge to do those things. I keep telling myself to go and have fun, but I just want to sleep. Why does it feel like I've done everything that needs doing and none of the rest is important anymore?!?!
Actually I think I know the answer. I just feel so dead inside. Right now I wish this was a private blog, but no one reads so it doesn't matter. I want to sit and cry. Self-pity? I wish I knew. Probably...I don't know. One reason I don't blog so much is that most stuff end up as drafts. Who wants to publish something they'll regret? I keep telling myself I don't need to care, I don't have to care, and I shall stop the voice inside my head (turning multiple personality on you guys) that's yelling bloody murder. I thought I'd love the holidays, but guess what...I think I lost all my enthusiasm and passion. It's an important part of me; I want it back. I want the girl who loves everything and everyone in her life, not the girl with the bitchy attitude and cynical pessimistic outlook that brushes people away and keeps silent when people don't ask her along. Shit I'm going to cry. I want that part of me that loves life and wants to live forever and ever and ever, that piece of the jigsaw that I never knew was the cornerstone of the foundation that made me who I was. Please don't tell me I lost her. I've been hiding in my room and not going out...this week that everyone I know is enjoying life one way or the other. I feel like a fool. The last time I felt this way was when...well, I don't want to say.
Dammit. I don't even want to go to Ms Ng's "cooking party". Why? I don't want to see everyone so happy. It's really selfish and egocentric (another reason why I hate myself), but I don't even know why I'm hurting. Sometimes I feel a knife working its way inexorably deeper in my heart...and the funny thing is it doesn't come from the outside but from inside my heart. I believe they call the feeling like "your heart's bursting". I don't know. How long hasn't the phone rung? I'm a pathetic excuse for a human being. And yes. I do want someone to hug me right now.
Rain outside my window pouring down
What now, you're gone, my fault, I'm sorry
Feeling like a fool cos I let you down
Now it's too late to turn it around
I'm sorry for the tears I've made you cry
I guess this time it really is goodbye
I don't know what to do anymore. I've really let myself down this time. I'm so tired, and I shouldn't be. I don't jump and bounce up and down anymore. I'm losing me. How's that?
MCR - I'm Not Okay Listen, maybe you'll hear something.
21:16
it'ssnowing.
__________
Sunday, October 16, 2005
I love all of you! It's been a really bad day, not just because this post has been deleted twice already! Too cold to think straight and my feet are numb. Major headache the whole afternoon and I can't remember a thing. But kat woke me with a beaaauuuutiful wake-up call. Thanks so much ruth, denise, ps, sk, mian, kat, jingy, jc, for all the encouragement. Talking to you guys or reading your msgs have really made the sun shine on my wet weather. (ooh nice metaphor) The world still has nice people (: Ending soon...in 14 hours will be sitting for my last paper in NY. Thank God.
You had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day
- in honour of my 2 deskmates who have been driving me nuts with this song. it's finally getting to me. & yes...the mtv is nice(: -
