I'm Reed Fish (2006) popped up in my search for a "turn your brain off romantic comedy" on netflix (unfortunately that was not a genre, but I navigated my way to something similar, I just can't remember how). The film originally appealed to me, I'm not going to lie, because I find the lead Jay Baruchel both funny and attractive, he needs to get a lot more leading roles. Again, I digress, my mind is about 140 different places tonight.
I was honestly ready to turn this movie off about 20 minutes in and chuck it into the "unworthy" pile (I have to have standards if I want to get through this queue), but then, right as I had my cursor over the "x" in the tab, it cut to a theater with all the people from the film watching the film. Suddenly I was intrigued.
The film had quiet a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming, and a lot that I did. If you haven't seen the film, I won't ruin it for you, but I will say that the end definitely got me. What really kept me watching, aside from these hooks, was the charm that the small town had cultivated. Perhaps I'm a sucker for small town movies at this point because I'm from a small town that seems to develop more charm the longer I'm away, or perhaps I like to think of my small town the way it is portrayed in these movies, either way I enjoy films about small towns that embrace film, and this one painted a perfect picture. While "I'm Reed Fish" may have been a little too eager in its assumption that everyone in a small town knows everyone, it's more true than you might think. And that interconnectedness makes us root for these people, because in a way, they are all one big disfunctional family, and in the end, you want the family to stay together. Families have tension, happy endings, and growth...so do small towns.
The second film I would like to write about is "Yes Man" (2008), not to be confused with The Yes Men, who are awesome by the way. I bought a four pack of Jim Carey DVDs so I could get this film and "The Majestic" (2001), another film about film in a small town...if you don't recognize the pattern here, I'm going to be a little worried.
The first time I saw "Yes Man" was in theaters with my Dad and my brother, and I remember laughing so hard I couldn't feel my face anymore...very few movies make me crack a smile, even fewer make me laugh, and barely any make me laugh like that.
After I saw this movie, I really felt like my life was changed. No, I did not go out and say yes to everything that came my way, but I did suddenly have the courage to say yes to things that required me to step outside my comfort zone, and it really paid off. My point here is that the film is funny, but the film will also impact you. When you walk away, you will chuckle to yourself at small little things that suddenly pop into your head from the movie, but you will also find the part of yourself that is more adventurous and it will peak its head out for most of you, and for some it will become the new personality type you see when psychologically evaluated.
Before I end this post, I would just like to acknowledge the acting of the Jim Carey and Zooey Deschanel. The two have undeniable chemistry, and both stepped slightly out of their comfort zones. This was not Jim Carey in "The Number 23" (2007), but it was a different type of comedy, a more laid back type. And Deschanel, as much as I love her, tends to play very similar characters over and over again, but in this one she become less of a stereotypical character and more of an actual person, which makes us care for her when she hurts, and hope that the couple can overcome their problems.
Well, I think that is all for now, I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving and Black Friday sales.
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