Tag Archives: Tom Hanks

I Never Knew You… Or Maybe I Did – The Films of Nora Ephron

03 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by in Films of Meaning, Guest Posting

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I Never Knew You… Or Maybe I Did – The Films of Nora Ephron

by DarkJade

Last Week, June 26th, was a Truly Sad Day for me… As one of the Greatest Screenplay Writers of our Time Passed away… Nora Ephron.

 

Nora Ephron (May 19, 1941 – June 26, 2012) was an American journalist, essayist, playwright, screenwriter, novelist, producer, director, and blogger.

Ephron is best known for her romantic comedies and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay): for Silkwood, When Harry Met Sally… and Sleepless in Seattle. She won a BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay for When Harry Met Sally…. She sometimes wrote with her sister Delia Ephron.[1] Her last film was Julie & Julia.[1] She also co-authored the Drama Desk Award-winning theatrical production Love, Loss, and What I Wore.[1][2]

Nora Ephron – Wikipedia

When Harry Met Sally – 1989

For me My Journey with Nora Ephron began with “When Harry Met Sally”…

Which is to me, what every Romantic Comedy Screenplay Writer should shoot for…

When I pursued Screenplay Writing from 2002-2005, I never tried to Write a Romantic Comedy… But when I thought about the kind of Quality of Content, and Word-Craft I wanted in my Screenplays, “When Harry Met Sally” was definitely one of the Screenplays on the back of my mind.

Brilliant… Human… Wise… Romantic… Honest… Endearing… And the list goes on and on.

To say this Film was Influential on Me as a Film Maker, and a Screenplay Writer, is to be putting it Mildly. It’s Pretty Much an Epic Film.

Sleepless In Seattle – 1993

Now this one, Nora both Wrote, and Directed… Any True Romantic has to agree with me that “Sleepless In Seattle” is just about as Romantic as a Film Can Be.

There are a hand full of Romantic Movies that I tend to watch over and over again when I’m in between Romantic Relationships… And This one, is at the Top of the List

Damn I even Teared up seeing if that Clip Worked, Lol

Ok, so maybe I’m a bit of a softy, but none the less, the Writing, Directing, Acting, Music… It all just works in this Film.

You’ve Got Mail – 1998

Hilarious, and Brilliant… This Film also makes My List of Films to watch when a “Movie’s” all you’ve got going in the Romance Department, Lol

It looks like Meg Ryan Played a pretty big Role in the Ephron Films that got to me… But Billy Crystal and Tom Hanks were Really, Truly, Remarkable in these Films.

To Write a Romantic Comedy is an Art Form… And that’s a Fact

So is Writing a Good Screenplay, or Directing a Good Film.

But to be able to Tap Into a Human’s Heart, Tell Them a Story, And Make it a Part of that Person for the Rest of Their Life… Well, that my friends, is a Gift…

A Gift That Nora Has Given Us, that Shall Stay with us until the End of Our Days…

And for that, I am Truly Grateful.

Rest In Peace Nora Ephron… You will Forever Be Missed.

Thanks For Reading/Watching/Listening

DarkJade-

DarkJade’s Films of Meaning – Forrest Gump

10 Tuesday Apr 2012

Posted by in Films of Meaning, Guest Posting

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DarkJade’s Films of Meaning – Forrest Gump

by DarkJade

Testing The Limits of Inspiration…

Forrest Gump

 

 

Life Is Like A Box Of Chocolate…

In 1994 Director Robert Zemeckis took one of The Greatest Actors of Our Time, Tom Hanks, and showed us all “What it is to Live This Life”… Through Heart, Simplicity, Beauty and Love.

As a Child, Forrest was a Cripple, and told he would never walk normal… And that he was “Slow” Minded… And Yet, through this film, you will see that even the Greatest Challenges that can be thrown at you, can Lead to a “Life Worth Living”…

Forrest would not only Walk… He would Run…

One of the things that always Fascinated me about this Story was, Any Direction that Forrest would end up going, he would Find Some Form of Success… Driven by “Pure Intention”, and General Curiosity.

Another thing that always Impressed and Intrigued me about this Character, was the fact that “He’d Never Lie”… Never. Something that is Very Important to me, is “Honesty”… “Honor”… And “Truth”… His Character was a Sterling Example of Just How Much Integrity a Human Could Possibly Have… Apparently “Lying”, and other such “Destructive” Behavior is Saved for us “Complicated” Thinkers… Of course, all it ever does is “Make Our Lives More Complicated”, then they ever need to be.

Yes, to Forrest, things like “Friendship”… And “Trust”… And “Good Deeds”, were basically just “Common Sense” (Seen Here with his Future Friend Dan Taylor, played Brilliantly by Gary Sinise).

And when his Good Friend Lieutenant Dan Lost the Use of his Legs, Forrest Never Saw any difference… No to him, he was Simply “Lieutenant Dan”… Legs or no. He was his Friend.

And to Forrest, there was Nothing More Beautiful in The World, than his Childhood Friend, and Love of His Life, Jenny. Jenny on the other hand, took her “Destructive Childhood”, and Blended it with her “Complicate Mind”, and the result was, she barely made it out of her Teenage Life Alive… But Forrest was always there… No matter what she said, or did… To him, she’d always Simply Be… “Jenny”.

Through his Acts of Kindness, and Honor, Blended with his Drive To Live a Full Life, Forrest would end up Finding Himself Being a Multi Millionaire… All because he Lived Simply, and Acted Honorably… And Let His Spirit Lead His Way.

And though the Most Illusive Gift In Life, Finding Someone To Truly Love, And Spend Your Life With, Always Seemed to Elude Him…

In The End Like His Mamma Always Used to Say…

You Never Know What You’re Goina Get

But I’ll Tell You What You “Do” Get From This Film…

Brilliant Acting…

Moving Music…

Timeless Film Making…

A Flawless, and Inspiring Tale of Love, Hope, Dreams and The Thorough Exploration of This Thing Called Life…

From A Simple Man, Who Only Longs To Make Friends, And Share Moments, With The One’s He Loves.

If You Haven’t Seen It

You May Be The Only One On The Planet That Hasn’t…

And I would Highly Recommend That You “Remedy” This Immediately

Nuff Said

Thanks For Reading/Listening/Watching

DarkJade-