“You think that reality is up for negotiation, that we think it’s whatever you say it is.” This quote from J.K. Rowling’s “The Casual Vacancy” is 100 percent true.
Reality is non-negotiable. Simply put, it is what it is and people must figure it out for themselves.
Movies are literally the worst place to look for when searching for “the answer to life” or what have you. Albeit, they give us immense pleasure and entertainment. However, they mostly hold no basis in reality.
Different movie genres elicit different expectations we, at various ages, have of reality.
No genre really gives a good representation of what life is actually like.
Disney crafted fairytales with happily-ever-after endings. They show princesses and princes who always find love and end up exultant.
Within the film, the characters have brief struggles that are simple to solve but by the end, find happiness once again. Life does not always allow for the possibility of simple answers to tough situations.
Neither children or adults should use these as a place foundation for what life is because life is not guaranteed to be a walk in the park.
While Disney is off in la-la land, love stories generally depict life constantly working out for the best in the real world.
The characters in these stories, as with Disney, continuously, without fail, find happiness and joy.
Usually the protagonist falls in love and there’s a big hullabaloo about it. Life does not always work out in this way, though.
People don’t always marry the person of his or her dreams and not all problems in a relationship can be solved. Thus, love stories are not accurate in showing how romance truly is.
Another genre I have a big problem with – even though it happens to be my favorite – is sci-fi/fantasy.
It is simply impossible to imagine dragons, wizards, elves, R.O.U.S (rodents of unusual size) and the like-existing.
Logic does not reside in these films and I find it comical when people refer to movies as an excuse to go on insane adventures and have crazy ideas to what can actually exist.
The worst example are people who use sci-fi/fantasy as ‘proof’ of Big Foot or other myths. They are myths for a reason: they are not real.
Yes, I have just bashed three major genres. However, I want to say, for the purpose of entertaining and amusing, movies do a bang-up job.
As long as one does not get the expectations of perfection in life most movies portray, there is nothing wrong with enjoying or watching them.
The problem lies not with the movies themselves, but in people who say things such as “But in the movies … ” These people should not be allowed to watch movies. If they want to know what life really is, they should ask real people with real experiences, not rely on actors on a screen to enlighten them.
Movies do show good morals and values, when used correctly. The methods and mechanics may be inaccurate, but morals like “Good triumphs evil,” are mostly true.
With all that said, anyone want to go watch “Lord of the Rings” with me?
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