Coming Soon: Joy

Joy is an upcoming drama directed by David O. Russell, who also directed movies such as Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle. Like those movies, Joy is mainly about the American dream, and what it takes for a person to achieve that dream.

From what I’ve picked up from the trailer and some movie reviews, Joy is a story that is loosely based on the life of Joy Mangano, the woman who invented the “Miracle Mop.” She’s struggling to start her business in a world where women aren’t taken seriously. Most of her family and her colleagues don’t believe in her ability to start a business and raise a family at the same time. At one point in the trailer, her dad says that it was his fault for “letting her think that she was more than an unemployed housewife.”

I haven’t seen this movie yet, but if I had to pick an American value that it represents, it would definitely be overcoming hardships/mediocrity. There’s no doubt that it’s had being a woman in a man’s world. I can already tell that Joy is going to go through so much hardship just for people to hear her voice, and take her product seriously. Very rarely were women encouraged to take the lead in the 90s. Most of the time, they’re expected to sit at home and care for the children. However, I can already tell that this movie is going to be about how Joy works tirelessly not only to start a business, but to make a name for herself.

The trailer shows Joy having so much gumption to start her business, and to be honest I’m totally inspired. I’m really interested in seeing this movie now, because it approaches the American dream from a woman’s perspective. When you typically think of people building an American empire, you think of strong, male characters that work hard to get themselves off of the ground. I like how Joy explores that very same idea, except in a woman’s point of view. It must be hard for people to take you seriously and respect your role as a leader when you’re a woman in a male-dominated industry. Even though this movie was set in the 90s, the feminist ideologies that it communicates are so relevant to today’s society. It’s still hard for women today to be taken seriously, after years of oppression. That’s why I’m so excited to see this movie – because it shows you that women can be just as successful as men (or maybe even more). It’s an important message that young women need to hear, and be inspired by.

I’m so excited to see this movie. I don’t think David O’Russell could have picked anyone better to play the role of Joy. Jennifer Lawrence is going to do that character justice, because of her own experiences as a woman in Hollywood. I’m excited to see her performance, as well as the rest of the cast. It’s definitely going to be an inspirational film for this generation.

“Joy” is set to release on December 25, 2015. What do you think? Yay or nay?

David O’Russell recently did an interview with The New York Times about his inspiration for “Joy”, and how it’s a story about “embracing the ordinary.” Check it out here.

Critics are already raving about “Joy,” and they think it’s definitely going to be an Oscar nominee. Check out what they have to say here.

Jennifer Lawrence loves the fact that out of the three movies that she’s done with O’Russell, this is the first movie that she doesn’t play a crazy character. Check out what she has to say about “Joy” here.

Favorite Quote: “I want you to remember something. Cause a lot of times, people start to get nice things, and they start to think differently. We got here from hard work, patience, and humility. So I want to tell you, don’t ever think that the world owes you anything. Because it doesn’t. The world doesn’t owe you a thing.”

The Social Network

The Social Network is a movie that represents the modern-day American empire. With the use of social media rising every day, it was definitely important to document how one of the largest social media companies came to exist. The movie is loosely based on the story of Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO and founder of Facebook.

The Social Network is a very fast-paced movie that explicitly shows what creating a social network was like. The story focuses on Mark Zuckerberg, a Harvard student who was going through some serious heartbreak, and therefore he had the idea to make up a website that rates the hottest girls on campus. From there, he gradually created Facebook, a website where you can view personal information about your college peers. With the help of his friend Eduardo Saverin, Zuckerberg was successfully able to create a website that generated a lot of hype. People loved the idea that you had access to a person’s personal life with the touch of a button. As Facebook grew and more leadership was added to the company, certain issues about ownership and copyright infringements came about. The movie portrays Zuckerberg as a sarcastic, cold, power-hungry entrepreneur that only cared about the advancement of the company. At the same time, the movie tried to portray him as an attention hog, claiming that he built the website solely from his ideas and without anyone’s help. This, obviously, causes some problems with his colleagues, leading Zuckerberg to pay huge settlements in order to save his company, while losing the trust and friendship that he has built over the years.

If I had to choose a prominent value for The Social Network, I would say that it accurately conveys the idea of overcoming hardships and mediocrity. Zuckerberg’s motivation for expanding his company was the fact that he wanted to prove that he was extraordinary. He wanted to prove to his ex-girlfriend that she was wrong for breaking his heart that night, and that he was capable of doing anything. The movie also shows how Zuckerberg overcame every obstacle that came along with running his company. From his unfortunate mishaps with Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), to the negative twist in his and Eduardo’s friendship, Zuckerberg pushed through all of his issues while improving his company at the same time. I think it’s interesting how Zuckerberg’s character is inspired to overcome his hardships because he wants to overcome mediocrity. The two values intertwine in this storyline, because Zuckerberg’s character was willing to do anything and everything for the power and the fame that comes with running a successful social media site. Overall, I think it’s an interesting story about a modern-day American empire that reflects how hard work and dedication can help you earn status and reputation in the world.

Check out this article about how Zuckerberg’s character ironically ended up alone, even though he was creating a website that connected people together. It must be quite lonely at the top.

Because this movie is loosely based on a true story, you start to wonder what’s authentic and what isn’t. This article is an interview with Mark Zuckerberg, in which he claims that The Social Network made up some situations which never happened.

Did you know that The Social Network recently turned 5 years old? Here’s a list of reasons why you should watch it again. Take a look.

Favorite Quote: “Eduardo, I’m not talking about a dating site, I’m talking about taking the entire social experience of college and putting it online.”

The Terminal

One movie that really hits home for me is Steven Spielberg’s The Terminal. The Terminal stars Tom Hanks as Viktor Navorski, a traveler from the fictional country of Krakozhia. Navorski arrives in New York City with high hopes of exploring America. However, as he touches down on JFK International Airport, he is told that his home country has staged a coup against its government, and therefore his traveling papers are no longer valid. He is not allowed to step foot into American soil, which traps him in the airport lounge. Navorski eventually survives living in the airport with the help of airport employees, with whom he befriends. Not only that, but he manages to stay out of trouble by evading the temporary director of US Customs, Frank Dixon. Eventually, Navorski is granted permission to step onto American Soil, and he completes his goal of getting the autograph of a famous Jazz musician. After that, he heads straight back home.

I watched this movie with my parents right before we were moving to New Jersey. I was just a kid then, so it didn’t really mean as much to me as it did to my parents. My parents and I talked about this movie when I was a bit older, and they told me that it was such an inspirational movie for them. Sure, the fact that he got stuck in an airport freaked them out a little, but it’s a story of achieving your dreams in a foreign country.

This story is so inspirational because I think it’s relatable to foreigners everywhere. When you’re moving to a new country, especially the United States, it’s easy to think of all the things that could possibly go wrong. But in the end, all you really want is to step foot into the place where you believed all of your dreams could come true. I know that that’s why it was so important to my parents. This movie shows you that no matter what obstacles come in your way, patience and persistence gets you to the place you want to go. Not only that, but it has this subtle message saying that you can achieve your dreams once you step foot into the United States. That’s what happened for Navorski, and that’s what happened to my parents as well.

The reason why this movie is so popular between foreigners and Americans is because it’s a story about having big dreams, and being patient and working hard to achieve those dreams. Hard work is not strictly an American value. I think it’s highly regarded across various cultures. It may be a huge component of the American dream, but it’s important and it means something to people all over the world.

Did you know that this movie was based on a real life story? Check out an article about it here.

Also, check out this interview where Tom Hanks talks about how The Terminal was one of the movies that has meant the most to him. He says that his character of Viktor Navorski reminds him of his father-in-law. It’s the 6th movie on the list.

Favorite Quote: “Ever feel like you’re living in an airport?”