As the highest-functioning thinkers on the planet, humans have developed a need to uncover individual purposes and develop personal philosophies. These are constant and evolving processes.
I recently cracked open a fortune cookie at a Chinese buffet, which revealed that the sum of my rewards was going to be measured by my outlook on life. I instantly turned to my dining companion and exclaimed that I was surely doomed.
With that in mind, I have chosen two films to recommend whose protagonists are clearly working on realizing their purposes in life.
The Cruise
Philosophically voicing his life’s purpose from day on, Timothy “Speed” Levitch stars in the documentary, The Cruise. He commands his post atop double decker tour buses in New York City, and guides his new companions?tourists?on The Cruise through the mazes and the history of his colossal city. It is not just his job, he does so in hopes of literally changing their lives from that day forward.
Overlooked buildings and artifacts are not lost on Levitch. He truly stops and “smells the roses” as regular routine. Like a philosophical superhero, he wages war on the Anti-Cruise to attain the blissful rewards of The Cruise. Aside from the metaphors derived from the bus cruises themselves, Levitch proclaims “The cruise is an understanding that living is the art of crafting moments, and at the end of the day each one of us has an art gallery of moments we created in an ongoing collaboration.”
Alternately he says, “The anti-cruise is any fear finding utilization in our lives.” This film is the vehicle in which you will make a wonderful journey, and you’ll catch many laughs along the way.
Ghost World
Ghost World was directed by Terry Zwigoff (Crumb) and was developed from a graphic novel written by Daniel Clowes. Two post-adolescent girls just out of high school try to map out their future, find their identity, and maintain those identities among other humans (as well as themselves). The performances of Thora Birch and Steve Buscemi as social misfits are outstanding. Zwigoff masterfully creates scenes of everyday life, in which the characters react realistically and bizarrely. A very refreshing and original rendering for a movie makes this one very memorable. For some folks hope-inspiring movies, like It’s A Wonderful Life is their fall-back movie for rainy days and such, but for me it became the unlikely Ghost World.
Until next time, I hope you have a great viewing experience. Comments are welcomed at cinespire@gmail.com.
