American Beauty is a movie I like, very much.
It was written by Alan Ball, who later created one of my favorite TV shows, Six Feet Under (which I referenced in this post).
Have you ever had the experience of really liking something, but someone you love and respect feels very differently about it?
My boyfriend Michael dislikes American Beauty.
Somehow, that doesn’t matter. But I do find our very different judgments imponderable, since I am so very fond of that film.
I thought of that movie yesterday morning, when I saw this, on my way to work.
Here’s the scene I remembered:
(clip at YouTube here)
It was one of those days when it’s a minute away from snowing and there’s this electricity in the air, you can almost hear it. Right? And this bag was just dancing with me. Like a little kid begging me to play with it. For fifteen minutes. That’s the day I realized that there was this entire life behind things, and this incredibly benevolent force that wanted me to know that there was no reason to be afraid, ever. Video’s a poor excuse, I know. But it helps me remember. I need to remember. Sometimes, there’s so much beauty in the world, I feel like I can’t take it, and my heart is just going to cave in.
Here’s more American beauty I’ve encountered, very recently:
I’m wondering, now, if I should have saved some of this beauty for tomorrow’s post, because I’m staying at the hospital tonight, in the follow-up for my sleep study last March.
There’s no reason to be afraid, ever. It helps me to remember. I need to remember. Sometimes, there’s so much beauty in the world…I feel like my heart is going to cave in.
Thanks to Alan Ball, Michael, Thomas Newman (for American Beauty and Six Feet Under music), beautiful things I’ve felt, Saint John’s Seminary, the Summer Shack, incredibly benevolent forces, bags and bunnies, American beauties everywhere, and to you — of course! — for visiting here today.
