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All of Me (1984)
Music in the eye of the beholder!
The film "All of Me" is a story about a working-class man who struggles with the question, "what am I doing with my life", and a wealthy dying woman who has all the material possessions one could ever dream of but has never really lived in her lonely lifetime of debilitating frailty. Together... literally, through a mystical fumbling and transmigration of souls, they each get a second chance.
"All of me" is a funny romantic fantasy comedy, but it also borders on being a dark comedy. It is a hilariously enjoyable film if looking at it from the lighter side without taking it too seriously or its doctrine too literally. However, being able to suspend our disbelief and knowledge of reality for the sake of having a few good laughs, and separating ourselves from the fact that somebody is actually passing away in the story, we can momentarily allow our imaginations to levitate so we can appreciate the sidesplitting humor of these cosmic blunders. The whole story surrounds the death of an ailing millionaire woman who believes she can will both her fortune and herself to the body of a healthy beautiful woman. The appointed lawyer handling the living will sees right through it as a scam, totally legal as it may be, on the part of the "soul beneficiary" who claims the desire of escaping her mortal prison to be at one with the cosmos in a ploy to inherit the millions and the estate. She even had her own father fooled, which acted for her in this scheme. Crazy as it sounds, it actually worked but not the way it was supposed to; the "soul recipient" turned out to be the skeptical lawyer who then shared half his body with the deceased woman's misplaced spirit.
Roger Cobb was a man who worked as a lawyer by day and loved playing in a Jazz band at night. As so many do, he felt he had only been going through the motions and wanted to somehow get more out of life. He struggled with the big "M word" in a relationship with his girlfriend, but even she knew they weren't ready to settle down and get "M'-ed", and they really weren't right for each other. It took the cosmic blunder of sharing his body with Edwina Cutwater for him to finally be forced into realizing it. Edwina lived a lonely life with no real friends, and was a bitter, snobby brat. Being in Roger's body she was still a handful at first, but as awkward and difficult as it was, after a while they began to understand each other and fell in love. Lily Tomlin played her part very well. It was buffoonish and seemed unrealistic at times, watching him trying to control one side of his body while she had the other. Listening to her talk in his body, it was like he was throwing his voice and hard to believe that Peggy could think it was not his, but she was convinced enough to use it against him with her father. However, there was a restroom scene where he talked to her in the mirror (conveniently located above the urinals) while Edwina had to help him take a leak, and it was almost taboo but extremely laughable at the same time. One of the most enjoyable characters was the cosmic guru Prahka Lasa. He was totally likable, seemingly harmless and innocent in his good nature, ignorant of much in the civilized world. He learned that when flushing the toilet the phone rang; it intrigued him and he understood that to be the sole purpose of this musical device. When he learned that Edwina's spirit was not lost but ended up safely in Tyrone, he understood as only a guru could fully appreciate and immediately broke out in laughter.
Despite a few unrealistic elements, the film "All of Me" has a lot of entertainment value. Steve Martin had a difficult job of portraying someone half-possessed with Edwina's spirit, but it was done well enough that the audience can clearly understand what is going on with him. It is kind of a "screwball comedy" that will provoke a lot of laughter, and the romantic chemistry that develops between the two who at first couldn't stand each other makes for a good classic movie.
Forrest Gump (1994)
Forrest Gump packs a good wallop
Forrest Gump is a timeless film that has won the hearts of millions. It's attraction is a combination of an inspirational story that has heart, the likable innocence of Forrest as the pivotal character during significant periods of recent national and even international historical events, and his genuine affection towards the people who become a part of his life. It is a story about life that the audience can relate to on many different levels, containing elements that provoke every human emotion. There are quite a few catchy, memorable "one-liners" that have real meaning for us to ponder, and we can even learn a lesson or two from the simple examples that he sets. Played by actor Tom Hanks, Forrest was a slow-minded southern boy who overcame his disadvantages and challenges through his own sheer will. Often times people are ridiculed by others for being "different", as was the case with Forrest starting in his youth. Whether it was for the braces he wore on his legs or for his below-average IQ, there would always be others who would pick on him for no good reason. Forrest did the best he knew how and overcame these obstacles in spite of those who looked down upon him. With a strong upbringing by his "Mamma", played by Sally Field, he was instilled with a basic sense of good southern values that propelled him to accomplishments of greatness that can be admired by people from all walks of life.
On a few occasions when somebody actually treated Forrest with the decency and appreciation that all human beings deserve, they won a loyalty from him that would last beyond a lifetime. It doesn't take much sometimes to gain somebody's friendship. Maybe it starts with just a simple gesture, like on their first day of school when nobody would let him sit with them on the bus except for the little girl Jenny who let him sit with her (and then she had a friend for life). Forrest's "best good friend" Bubba did the same thing for him when they first met on that Army bus. Since they were both a little slow-minded, they had a lot in common and there was an instant chemistry between them. Bubba shared his dream of being in the shrimping business and invited Forrest to become a part of it with him, but unfortunately Bubba got killed in the war at Vietnam and could never realize his dream. However, Forrest kept his promise to him and followed through with it for Bubba, and when it became a successful business, he remained true to Bubba and gave his half of the profits to Bubba's family. While in the Army, Lieutenant Dan became a part of his life and was right away someone who Forrest looked up to and admired, with the memorable one-liner, "I sure hope I don't let him down". After saving the Lieutenant's life, their friendship and loyalty continued after the Army. When he showed up to fulfill his promise of becoming Forrest's first mate, Forrest was so excited to see him that he jumped out of the boat and swam towards him, leaving it unmanned. When it then took a whole dock out, only half-embarrassed, Forrest looked and proudly said in another one-liner, "that's my boat". Out of continued respect and appreciation, Forrest always referred to him as Lieutenant Dan. Forrest can run, which is a favorite pastime of many people and also can be a source of solitude. When he ran just to run, all of a sudden it just made sense to people and many thought he had "all the answers". "He sure is a running fool", but when it comes to defending the honor of his girl and doing what's right, he is truly a man on a mission and isn't afraid to fight for what he believes in. These all show qualities of friendship and ideals that everybody can strive for.
Not only does this film appeal for it's heart-felt entertainment value, but it also has a lot of replay value as well. It's the kind of movie that, each time it is watched, more is learned about the depth of each character and their relationships with Forrest. The one-liners are always just as enjoyable and, after all, what red-blooded American couldn't be inspired watching Forrest clobber some guy in defending the honor of his Jenny? In every way, Forrest Gump packs a good wallop.