Georgia on my mind...

Happy Movie Monday everybody, and more importantly Happy On The Road Day! Filming is set to begin today and the excitement we all feel is rather infectious. Can’t wait! I am going to begin this post with the winner of the giveaway, but before I do I must strongly encourage all of you to go and read the comments from last week. I was roaring at some of the stories, seriously. I’m so glad to know that I am in good company with all of you. Then again, I never doubted your company considering you are the best fans in all of FandomLand. 

Random.org selected the winner randomly and chose…..

Congratulations HinkleBelle!!!!!! I will be contacting you very shortly with details on how we carry on from here. To those of you that didn’t win? Do not fret. YOUR NEXT OPPORTUNITY IS ON FRIDAY! 

When last we spoke I decided that The Cake Eaters would be the movie of choice for the weekend. I received several emails from first time watchers on how much they enjoyed it, and I also got a few emails from seasoned watchers who loved it even more. I’m the latter. This is one of those movies that you turn on, and in the blink of an eye it’s over. It goes very fast, and that is a good thing. There is nothing worse than a movie that drones on and on and should’ve stopped eons before it did. 

The Cake Eaters is a splendid story of two families in different states of disarray learning to deal with life as it comes at them. 

The movie opens with Guy calling his house only to be met with the answering machine—riddled with his deceased mother’s voice.  Beagle walks towards the machine and stares at it awaiting his brother’s voice, and yet Guy hangs up instead. This is the first indication that something is strained between this family. Brush by a brief conversation over cereal between Beagle and his father Easy, and we are at the first scene with Georgia.

beautiful.

I loved the way that she comes into view from the camera and not just a shot of the mother taking a picture of her. Her slight jerking is your first inclination that perhaps there is something wrong, and when her mother tells her to sit still it only solidifies this suspicion.

I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that initially the whole picture thing sincerely creeped me out. So much so that as the grandmother picked her up and said, “they got child pornography laws,” I merely nodded in agreement. While I did not think it was pornography in any way, it just struck me as a bit weird, but it’s an important element to this story.

When Georgia and her grandmother arrive at the market and the boys begin harassing her calling her pictures porn? That made me want to hug her. 15 is a confusing age, and boys are dumb. The whole situation just made me feel so incredibly bad for Georgia, as if nothing was truly her own. She needed people to walk her everywhere, and her body was art on display for everyone to see. But what was she in control of? What belonged to her?

Beagle has NO game.

Enter Beagle. 

The thing I love about these two is how frank they are. They have a thought? They say it. 

“Is that why you talk like you’re drunk?”

Whereas I would rather perish than ever state the obvious (I am the one that will NEVER tell you that you have something in your teeth in fear of embarrassing you), he went straight for the kill—and she laughed.

“Are you gonna get better?”

“No, this is pretty much as good as it’s gonna get. Until my heart gives out.”

This is when we, the viewer, finally learn that Ms. Georgia will not be surviving her neuromuscular disease. That broke my heart in two.

Then the movie flashes back to Guy, he is atop his house pulling off shingles in the rain. Beagle and his dad pull up and they all have an exchange. Beagle’s detest for his brother is blatantly obvious, but dually warranted. He missed his mother’s decline and funeral (or death announcement at that) because he was too busy having an unsuccessful music career.  Selfish. I’m with Beagle on this one, fuck you bro.  And when Guy goes in for a hug his father rejects it. That is powerful.

THIS

We then find out that when he departed, Guy left his fiancé high and dry without even saying goodbye. (Gosh I love a good rhyme.) If at all possible, I hated him even more.

Wow, bad case of jaundice, eh?

The next scene was Georgia’s mother practicing a holistic healing treatment where she projected bright colors onto Georgia's face. The first time I saw this movie people laughed. I didn’t. When I look at that scene I do not see a crazy mother. I see a mother who is scared to death that her daughter is going to die and she will do anything in her power to stop it.  Don’t take it at face value; it’s deeper than that. Her mother feels absolutely helpless knowing that her daughter is going to pass away sooner rather than later—and there is not a god damned thing she can do about it. That goes against nature. A parent should never have to burry their child, and when they do—it is nothing short of an incredible tragedy. I get the color treatment because I would freaking do that too.  Whatever it takes.

(O_o)

Enter bed scene. Here’s what I love about Kristen playing Georgia. I picture Kristen as a badass who kicks ass and takes names on a daily basis. If she wants something she is going to get it. I don’t think she’s impulsive, I think she’s determined. That is Georgia. She has no control over her life because everyone is so busy protecting her. She decides to take control and tells Beagle to kiss her, and he does, and they get into it, and I was so glad he didn’t reject her. She took a risk and it paid off. When he left, and she started having a girly moment, I wanted to weep a little. She felt pretty, she felt wanted, but most of all she felt normal.

We then see Marg getting wasted and talking to her dolls. I absolutely adore Elizabeth Ashley’s voice. While I absolutely detest the actual practice of smoking, there is something so appealing about that dark and raspy voice. Anyhow, Easy shows up and that’s when we realize these two aren’t as… disconnected as they lead on to be. In fact, I was willing to bet they connected a lot—with their saggy privates. (Was that gross? I have an aversion to elderly fornication.)

The scene changes only to find out that Georgia’s mom got the grant she wanted, and she wanted to start taking pictures right away. Georgia protests, and this is when I get that feeling that her mother is a pageant mom—and then I get freaked out. 

you should be EMBARRASSED.

I know deep down inside how much her mother truly loves her. I know that her mom is just so fucking scared. I know all of this, but I’ve watched far too much TLC for my own good.

how is this LEGAL

Georgia declares she is going to go and get her hair cut, and then she falls, and everyone rushes to her sides and you watch as her independence slips away from her eyes. Kristen is freaking amazing in this role. Georgia, once again, has to rely on people to pick her up. As her mother insists she uses a wheelchair, Georgia protests saying,

 “mom I don’t need that yet.”

“But Georgia, you’re covered in bruises.”

“You don’t think I know that? I’m the one who’s dying, remember?”

It is said in such a matter of fact way that it nearly takes my breath away. Imagine being 15. Imagine knowing you were going to die. Imagine trying to do it with at least one shroud of dignity left. I just cant. 

Then Georgia has the talk with her Grandmother. I’m so glad that her grandmother isn’t too overbearing, you know? She’s upfront and honest. She doesn’t bother with any virtue bullshit *cough Stephenie cough* and she gives real answers. That being said, I’m so still #TeamCharlie. 

bliss

The haircut, to me, was the next step in Georgia finally doing something on her own terms. It’s rather symbolic this transformation. She went from a girl who could hide behind her hair, to a girl with nearly none. Her veil is down. She’s exposed. She’s vulnerable. She’s 15 and she wants to have sex before she dies, and as convoluted as that sounds, it’s beautiful as well. 

“I don’t really have a lot of time to wait.”

The scene where Beagle sees his father standing between Marg’s legs broke my heart. He took care of his mother—he loved his mother—and it has to fucking kill to see that. When Beagle shows up to the barn dressed nicely for Georgia and his father digs into him, you just know it’s about to go down. Beagle calls him out and who talks? Guy. Guy knew about it, and it’s like you’re watching Beagle have a knife twisted inside of him. Everyone knew except for him. It’s one thing for his father to move on after his mom was dead, but it is an entirely different animal to find out that it went on for years while she was still alive. It hurts to watch your parent get cheated on. I know personally, and I wanted to fucking kill my stepfather—I couldn’t imagine if it were my own dad. 

When Georgia is leaving to go with Beagle it is important to note that her attire has changed. Just as her hair was shed, so was her baggy clothing. She feels pretty. She wants to be noticed. She is taking pride in her body and her appearance. 

free.

Perhaps one of the most beautiful moments in the movie is when Beagle finally picks up Georgia and they are riding on his little vespa. She releases her hands, extends them out, tilts her head back, and in that moment she is free. She isn’t trembling, or jerking, or shaking, or slurring her words. She is free like she has never been before. Brilliant acting on Kristen’s part.

Now let’s cut straight to the bedroom. Remember when I talked about how candid they were? I love when she is like, “something smells like a barn,” and he is like, “that would be me.” GROSSSSSSS. I hate that smell so much. I would never survive anywhere that entailed living amongst cows or horses. I used to ride horses when I was little. After riding I would have to bathe the horse and all this other stuff. I didn’t understand it. It smelled like shit no matter what, so why the hell was I attempting to wash something that was 17 times my size?! I literally abandoned my dreams of being an equestrian at the ripe old age of 8 because I got sick of washing a horse that constantly smelled bad. I’m pathetic, I know.

This makes my first sexual experience seem a WHOLE lot less awkward.

Beagle showers and when he comes out my favorite line of the entire movie is said.

“You don’t work out, do you.”

HILARIOUS. WOULD YOU EVER?! COULD YOU IMAGINE!? If he had a boner that shit just shrank inward and became a lady bit. That is so unbelievably hilarious that as I type this I am cracking up. You come out to a girl who wants to have sex with you and she… insults your physique? God, could that have been any better? The answer is NO. Perhaps that's why he didn't want to have sex with you, Georgia.

Georgia goes for it, slipping Beagle a condom (in a very tactful way, might I add), and he rejects her. Fucking prick. NOW he cares that he’s boning a 15 year old? After he’s already walked into the hotel room, showered, and is wearing nothing but a towel? Puh-lease, SIT DOWN.

Georgia shuts down saying, “I just want to get this over with.” I don’t believe she means that though, I think her pride was seriously hurt. 

ugh.

Beagle struggles to leave, but he ultimately cannot do it. He walks up to the door, knocks, and as soon as she opens he grabs her into his arms. It was a beautiful moment. She looked so innocent and yet relieved but still sad… did that make sense? Hell, does any of this make sense?

Then they make sexytime.

When they awake it is time for school. He scoots her there, stands in the hallway, asks her what she wants for lunch and she simply replies, “you.”

GET IT GURLLLLLL!!!!!

you go, Georgia, you go.

And even better, she looks so happy and so content--finally. Everything she did to get to that point she did on her own. That is will power. That is determination. That is taking charge of your life. That is beautiful. I love Georgia.

When I initially saw this movie, my friend was caught up in it. “It’s about a girl who wants to have sex before she dies so she just uses a guy to do it.” No. It’s not. It’s about a girl who is always so overprotected and so coddled trying to have some semblance of control and individuality over her life. Sure she wants to have sex before she dies, but only because she found a boy that gives her the tingles. Is that so wrong?

The ending to this movie was really good. All of the men reconvene in the kitchen and they get along. Guy had to make peace with his mother, Easy had to lay it out for Marg, and Beagle stopped hating his brother, forgave his father, and got a sweet ass girlfriend as well. So they huddled in their kitchen, a room filled with memories of their mother, and pieced together the relationships they so sadly let slip away.

.... MRS. RILEY!?

[Note: The mother at the end of the movie? With the boys in the kitchen? That was Melissa Leo. I had NO idea they were ‘in’ a movie together before Welcome to the Riley’s]

Mary Stuart Masterson did a brilliant job with this as her directorial debut. It’s a beautiful story, plain and simple, and it wasn’t trite in any way. I also love her because Fried Green Tomatoes is one of my favorite movies (and foods) of all time. 

Perhaps one of the most astonishing things about Kristen’s acting in this movie was her ability to act out this disease. Not only the speech impediment, but also the actual physicality of it had to be so hard. To be so rigid and shaking had to take a toll on her body. The dedication to her craft never ceases to amaze me because as you watch her attempt to walk and talk it seems so laborious and consuming, and she played the part seamlessly.

It is extremely sad to know that some of the girls Kristen met with in preparation for this movie role have passed away. She always said what great spirits they were in and that is so inspiring. Here we sit every day bitching about our lives and yet we are so fucking fortunate for what we have. Sometimes movies like this can put some things into perspective, even if only for a fleeting moment. 

KStew = Georgia

But that’s what Kristen does. She picks roles that mean something. She picks roles that make you think. She picks roles that she can act out so well that at times you believe what you are seeing is reality. She picks roles that affect you. And then she delivers a perfect performance.

I am consistently in awe of this movie and Kristen’s performance, as well as her dedication to this portrayal. If there is anything to learn from this movie, it is that life is far too short to not get what you want.

Because she did an incredible job playing Georgia, a girl suffering from Friedreich's Ataxia, KStew is better than you.

[A/N: Please let me know your thoughts on this movie. This is one movie I simply cannot get enough of. Also, Georgia on My Mind is a song by Willie Nelson. I love Willie and his little pigtails, so if you’re not familiar with the song check it out! I’ll see you all on  Friday for the next giveaway and movie assignment. Have a great week ladies! Now let’s discuss…]