Today I would like to change tune a little and talk about movies. I'm sure everyone out there have watched a few movies in their time and probably have two or three movies that are your favourites.
What are my favourite movies and what ones have been an inspiration for me? Lets have a look:
1. Empire of the Sun: This is a Stephen Spielberg movie and it is a coming of age movie starring a very young Christian Bale. There is no Batman here. I like how the young hero in the movie changed from a spoiled little boy who basically lived in the lap of luxury in wartime Shanghai to a boy who had to grow up very quickly in a prison camp.
2. Chariots of Fire: This movie is set in and before the 1924 Paris Olympics. It is centered around two main characters, Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell. Both are determined sprinters and are looking to get to the Olympics despite difficulties. Liddell is very christian and his family members want him to do church work while Harold Abrahams is Jewish and has a very professional attitude to his running despite the time being a very gentleman-like amateur period. The idea of competing was more than the idea of running and winning. I like how both athletes over came their problems to win a gold medal and fulfill a dream.
3. The Shawshank Redemption: What guy doesn't say that this movie is one of their favourite movies? When you ever ask a guy what their favourite movie is they will all say this one. Sometimes you wonder if they are saying it because they don't want to say Weekend at Bernie's or Weekend at Bernie's 2 but it is an inspirational film and it has taught me persistence. The fact that he took 20 years to get out of their. He knew that he wasn't guilty but he didn't fight and protest he just went about his job and didn't make any commotion with the exception of a couple of times and he finally got his freedom.
4. Dead Poet's Society: If you are not a Robin Williams fan you may want to give this a miss because you think that it will be all full of his type of comedy, but this is one of those movies that he plays a serious role and I reckon that he has influenced a generation of teachers. I like it how he challenges the traditional way of thinking of the school and in doing that inspires the boys to think a little bit more out of the box than what they normally would have done. I also like the list of characters in the movie with their different personalities. I can certainly identify with one of them, although I am not going to tell you which one it is.
5. Forrest Gump: Quite frankly this is one of the best movies ever made. I like how someone so, and I hate to use this word, simple could achieve so much with just hard work, determination, loyalty and trust. I like how they incorporated a whole bunch of world events in the movie and I also liked the friendships that Forrest made in the movie. It showed me the beauty of friendship and that if you look after them they will look after you. I also enjoyed Forrest Gump investing in a "fruit company." I wonder how much those shares are worth now.
6. The World's Fastest Indian: I had to put in a New Zealand movie, didn't I. I first saw this movie on a flight from Tokyo to Sydney. I had never heard of it and so had bypassed it for other movies on the flight until I saw what it was about and I thought that I better watch it. Burt Munro is an inspiration to people who have a dream and will do anything to achieve it. The fact that he is portrayed as a common man makes it even more inspirational. The persistence he shows and the love to his chosen profession makes it obvious that he is going to achieve his goal. I think the key word is love. He loved what he was doing and he did it. Fantastic.
7. Cast away: Another Tom Hanks movie. Is there a pattern developing here? For people who don't know this movie, Tom Hanks plays a FedEx executive who catches a ride on a trip to the South Pacific and unfortunately the plan crashes. He survives and the whole movie is about his four and a half years on the island. I like it how he survived and became very resourceful with what he had. He was also driven by the love of his wife and the will to survive.
8. The Pursuit of Happyness: This is another awesome true story of persistence, hard work and love. Chris Gardner was struggling as a salesman for medical devices and lost his wife and home. All he had was his son and the ability to work. He worked smart and with a combination of good luck and good management managed to make it as a stock broker and the rest is history.
9. Braveheart: No, it isn't because I like to see guys in skirts. Braveheart is another example of what can be achieved with combination of love and having a purpose. William Wallace wanted the English out of his country and he fought and ultimately lost his life for that purpose. It was obvious his love of his country as well as for a woman that inspired him to do what he did. When I think about it the love of someone is an important ingredient in success. It allows you to have a rock behind you encouraging you, supporting you in your attempt to do something special.
10. Yes Man : A Jim Carrey movie I hear you say. I'm a bit like you in when I think about Jim Carrey I think of his slapstick movies and his funny faces and sometimes, unintelligible dialogue. The message in this movie is that life is full of opportunities and if you keep on turning your back on them then eventually life might turn it's back on you. So if you have time to do things do it. Say yes to life as they say in the movie. You may only get one chance so you may as well give it a go. Do you think Felix Baumgartner even thought about it before he said yes?
What are the main themes in these movies? Persistence, Love, Hard Work are some of the major ones. I think if you find a purpose and work at it with persistence then you can achieve anything. These movies are examples of that.
No comments:
Post a Comment