Running On Empty

Few minutes into the movie, I felt the movie was a bit dull, it did not catch my attention, however, when the story progressed, it was not so bad after all. Running on Empty is a good story for families, because it shows perseverance, respect towards the elders, disciplinary, individual responsibility as members of the family, and the trials and tribulations of a teenage life while being a fugitive.

There were a few scenes from the movie that I found interesting. Firstly, on how effortlessly the family communicates. This can be seen as how Arthur Pope speaks openly with their children, and even though he is a strict father, he still maintains healthy communication within the family unit. I believe, communication is essential in every family, and in this movie, I think communication was the glue that was keeping everything together, because just imagine, if Danny, the eldest son, was a rebel? Imagine if Arthur did not get involved in his son’s life? And not giving him life lessons that could be beneficial in the future? But, that is not the case in this movie, for example, as a scene goes by when Danny points out how his dad had thought him how to question authority, few scenes where they would have conversations in the kitchen during meal preparations, and when Arthur asked openly if Danny is sleeping with his girlfriend Lorna. Secondly, the scene when Annie Pope meets her father after 14 years. We can see the build up of emotions from both parties. Apart from the emotions, we can see a mother’s cry for help and her sacrifice, as she wanting to save a teenager’s life, so that he can have a better one, even if it takes not seeing him for a long time.

A few aspects caught my attention, namely, the type of parenting styles the family possesses, the culture of American families and how it differs with Asians, and most importantly, the function of the family as a unit. Throughout the movie, I believe both parents uphold an authoritative parenting style. Even though they have rules to comply, the parents had a give and take policy, is responsive, and more forgiving unlike the authoritarian parenting style. Next would be how the culture of American families differ from Asians, few scenes that depicted this would be again, as mentioned earlier, on how Arthur asked Danny if he is sleeping with Lorna. This is very, very rare in the Asian culture, maybe because it is terribly awkward to ask such questions, but I wonder why. Finally, the function of the family as a unit. The Pope’s are fugitives, and they were trying their best to make ends meet, for example, the father getting clothes from the thrift shops, the mother eventually found a job to contribute to the family, and the sons being the most obedient children I have ever seen. They work together to stay as a unit, they respect each other, have good communications, and know that families should stay together to be strong. However, at the end of the movie, the parents decided that holding back their son’s future was selfish, and thus, they let him go on his own, but the assurance of their love, will keep the family together.

To sum up, I believe this movie has many moral values, and can teach us how to be respectful towards our parents, and also, how parents should also treat their children in an egalitarian manner, because compromising is also another key to all relationships. 

Awakenings

After watching the movie Awakenings, it was instantly placed in my imaginary list of all time favourite movies of mine, as I love movies that are based on true events. As I saw the cast of the movie in the beginning I knew this would be a good movie, as Robert De Niro(Leonard) and Robin Williams (Dr.Sayer) are both astounding actors. In my opinion the movie has its own simplicity, but impacted all of us who were watching.

This movie allowed us, and me to take a step back and to be cognizant of the little things, the simplest of things, things that matter to us. As Leonard was a boy, everything was fine, then those little things were taken away from him, and within a blink of an eye, he was a mere vegetable physically. This transition of the movie made me reflect on my current life. I have to admit I do take the little things for granted at times, however, after this movie, I would change the way I see things and look at it in a different perspective.

Some of the scenes that I found intriguing and captivating is when Dr. Sayer is waiting for the consent of Leonard's mother, and as she mentioned to Dr.Sayer if I can recall correctly “ what more can he look forward to the world”, and to what Dr.Sayer replied “ He can look forward to you”. This scene implied to me personally that, no matter how hard life hits you, there is always someone who is willing to support you no matter what life throws at you, and here a mother’s love, is the ultimate support Leonard had been getting and to continue receive in the movie. 

Another scene that was heart-wrenching and melancholy for me was, when Leonard had developed tics and was talking to Paula. She mentioned how she went out with friends and danced, and Leonard said he cannot do any of that. This scene again, reminds us that, those things such as dancing, eating and talking which we take so lightly, but maybe a huge deal for someone else. We are so engrossed in chasing our personal goals, and fail to appreciate what is around us, and that these little things can make us feel alive, it is what we used to forget. We tend to forget how to live. 

All in all, I loved the movie. The subtle messages that the movie was trying to portray to the 

audience was spot on. The movie is thought-provoking, shows us the dedication and the risk taking of a doctor and the breaking through in the medical field. It displays the essence of what life should be about-embracing life as it is, to live in the moment, as it can be snatched away from us anytime, and thus we all should or try to seize the day or the popular Latin word for it- Carpe Diem.