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Inherit the Wind (1960)
Exposes the bitter irony of creationism
Inherit the Wind is based on the play, which was in turn based on the real-life Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925, in which a Tennessee schoolteacher was put on trial for teaching evolution.
In the film, the residents of Hillsboro (based on Dayton, TN where the Scopes trial took place) are abjectly offended at the idea of evolution. They think the theory that mankind is derived from a creature so primitive as a monkey is an insult. In one scene, a carnie tries to introduce the idea of "devolution." He explains that the backward, beady-eyed animal was actually de-evolved from man as punishment from God.
Part of the appeal of creationism is the belief that man exists for a divine purpose. God went out of his way to create mankind - in His own image, no less - to carry out His will. Science, however, explains that unfortunately man doesn't exist for a reason, nor does any other type of life. We exist today simply because some monkeys millions of years ago hooked up. One can understand why a creationist would be so upset by this concept.
And yet, the Hillsboro townsfolk's argument against evolution is that they are "simple" people who don't need science complicating everything. If man was really so divine, so above the animal kingdom, wouldn't he be open to expanding his mind? Wouldn't he want to learn others' perspectives to further educate his own worldview?
In the climactic scene, Brady asks Drummond "Is it possible that something is holy to the celebrated agnostic?" to which Drummond responds "Yes! The individual human mind." Drummond further states "An idea is a greater monument than a cathedral. And the advance of man's knowledge is a greater miracle than all the sticks turned to snakes through the parting of the waters." The original play Inherit the Wind was written in 1955 as a commentary on McCarthyism. The message of the story is that ignorance and prejudice cripple intellectual discourse.
For what is more holy than knowledge? And what is more unholy than ignorance?
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
"My God, it's full of stars!"
No movie like 2001 understands the human condition on such a raw level, in all its meaninglessness.
The plot, in essence, is that every great step in human advancement was simply a test conducted by a race of extraterrestrials far beyond our comprehension. The aliens place a monolith at four different points in human history. Each monolith gives man its first step in the next phase of human evolution.
The first helps the first ape think to use a bone to kill an animal, creating the first weapon.
The second, on the moon, sends a signal to the third, orbiting Jupiter.
The third brings Bowman to the furthermost limit of the human form; he watches worlds and realities live and die (in the book and sequel he exclaims "My God, it's full of stars!")
The fourth appears in a replica of a human's home built by the aliens who sent the monoliths. This is the final phase of human experience. Bowman ages a lifetime in minutes and becomes the starchild, the next evolutionary form.
The starchild is set adrift in space, its destination unknown.
Is man simply the plaything of beings far beyond our comprehension? Were our greatest achievements as a species simply because of their intervention?
Liz & Dick (2012)
Really bad, but Lohan and Bowler are likable
Modern tabloid journalism was born in 1962 when Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were photographed together on their yacht in Ischia. The two were playing real-life lovers Mark Antony and Cleopatra in the historical epic Cleopatra, and rumors were circulating of an on-set affair. Both were married with children.
Taylor was never far from the press. A few years prior, she had an affair with Eddie Fisher, then married to Debbie Reynolds. When the affair was made public, Taylor was called a "homewrecker" who broke up America's favorite couple. She married Fisher, only to cheat on him with Burton.
The production of Cleopatra was a scandal in its own right. Elaborate sets and costumes ballooned the budget. Taylor's health and bad weather caused frequent delays. After two years of filming (half of which was scrapped after the original director resigned), the final budget was $31 million, becoming the most expensive film ever made. It held the record for 15 years until surpassed by Superman in 1978. Cleopatra was so expensive it took years to turn a profit despite being the highest-grossing film of 1963.
Cleopatra's production troubles paired with Taylor and Burton's affair made it the "Most Talked About Movie Ever Made," as described by Life magazine. Director Joe Mankiewicz showed up to the premiere completely depressed, much to Johnny Carson's amusement. Burton and Taylor made ten more movies together, the plots of which often mirrored their real lives.
Despite their fame and success during this time, their collaborations were considered the low points of their careers. Burton was an accomplished Shakespearean who was once considered the next Laurence Olivier, but some felt he wasted his talent on drinking and scandals. He was controversially named Worst Actor of All Time in the 1980 book "The Golden Turkey Awards" for the many bad films he starred in. Taylor's career had dwindled by the end of the 1960s as she reached middle age. The press grew tired of Liz and Dick. They divorced in 1974, only to remarry and re-divorce within two years.
In some way, Lindsay Lohan was the perfect choice to play Elizabeth Taylor. Both were child actresses who grew up to scandals and hardships, which the marketing team used to its advantage. The production on Liz and Dick was also appropriately rocky. Lohan's medical issues made her difficult to insure. During filming, she was in a car accident and had the paramedics called on her when she slept late. It's practically a new kind of metafiction. The movie was released on Lifetime to widespread derision.
Liz and Dick is bad. The dialogue is corny, the direction is flat, and the production values make Star Trek look impressive. It's also beautifully fitting. And while Lohan and Bowler can't live up to the originals, their have enough charm and chemistry to carry the movie.
Chaos Walking (2021)
Bad movie, but helped me with my anxiety
The aptly-titled Chaos Walking feels a decade too late, which is probably because it was in development since 2011. At the time, Lionsgate wanted to become Hollywood's one-stop shop for YA fantasy blockbusters. Production on Hunger Games had begun, the rights to Divergent were bought, and the company was in talks to acquire Summit, the studio behind Twilight.
Unfortunately for Lionsgate, the YA fantasy genre faded away in favor of capes and tights. Divergent was cancelled on a cliffhanger, and Chaos Walking cost the studio $75 million.
Chaos Walking is based on "The Knife of Never Letting Go," the first installment in author Patrick Ness' book series, first published in 2008. Charlie Kaufman was hired to write the first draft of the screenplay in 2012, and he was followed by a revolving door of script doctors including Ness himself. Filming finally took place in 2017.
The final product was reportedly "unreleasable," so reshoots were planned. They couldn't take place for another two years due to Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley's busy schedules. The reshoots cost another $15 million (rounding out the total budget to a clean $100 million) and made Holland lose the lead in 1917 and miss the premiere of Avengers: Endgame.
And all of that makes perfect sense, because Chaos Walking feels like the kind of story a kid makes up while playing with action figures. It takes place in the year 2258 on a planet called New World. New World is populated solely by men, whose thoughts can be heard out loud, a phenomenon called the Noise.
One day, Todd (Tom Holland) discovers a woman from Earth named Viola (Daisy Ridley), the first woman he's ever seen. There's a scary mayor (Mads Mikkelsen), a perilous quest, and some emotional bonding.
The one thing that sets Chaos Walking apart is the Noise. As someone with anxiety who deals with a never-ending internal monologue, the idea of my thoughts being heard is surprisingly therapeutic.
For example, there's a scene where Viola tells Todd he should question authority more, and Todd's thoughts show Viola saying "Such an idiot, Todd." Viola responds "I didn't say that." It shows that the opinions you think someone has about you probably don't exist.
There's also a funny scene where Todd and Viola start kissing, but then it's revealed that was just a thought Todd had. Viola looks at him horrified.
Overall, bad movie. It's got clunky dialogue, stilted acting, lame effects, and it pulls a Bright by opening with a quote from its own universe. But it has a cool concept that I related to and got me to think, so I guess that's worth something.