In Defense of Bill Murray: Lost In Translation...

We all have different tastes in movies or music or reading and such, so usually it isn't worth even giving someone else's opinion about something a second thought. If they agree with your view, great and if they don't; big deal. I wouldn't even bring this up, but once again, someone has publicly ridiculed one of my favorite movies, Lost in Translation with Bill Murray.

I was driving into work this morning and flipping between the usual banter on The Big 99 and the news on WOAI with Charlie Parker. Turns out, news girl Charity McCurdy had seen Lost in Translation for the first time this weekend, and she reported that it was a great movie (and, she is correct - it is a great movie). Meanwhile, Parker and Stan Kelly (of "Oowwwch" fame) can't stop talking about what a worthless and crappy movie LIT was. They went as far as suggesting she dump her boyfriend over the matter.

I will confess to enjoying movies that aren't always the top picks by critics and further, I often simply don't see the brilliance in what everyone else seems to think is the best movie ever. Like I say, hardly worth arguing over in most cases. But I have to take a stand on this one. LIT was a great flick. Years of working crazy shift work made it easy for me to appreciate the jet lag Murray and his co-star, Scarlett Johansson were experiencing.

Oh sure, it would be sorta creepy for the older Murray to actually hook-up with the daughter-aged Johansson, but thankfully, writer/director Sofia Coppola stayed clear of that and the two characters experiencing similar issues at different points (ages) in their lives become fast friends in a respectful enough manner that you didn't feel the need to take a shower afterwards.

I'm not into movies where the dialogue is so Dennis Miller smart that the average person can't get it. This wasn't one of those, yet, you had to get into the characters to appreciate their point of view. I don't know; maybe it is that I have been to places where I'm amongst only a few people who speak English (I live in San Antonio, after all), and of course, that whole issue of jet lag and going for days not being able to get the sleeping pattern right. I won't spoil the ending for you in case you haven't seen it, but I can tell you - we never learn what Murray says to Johansson at the end of the flick. Unlike the ending of No Country for Old Men (which made no sense), here, it works.

Does all this have the making of a good storyline? Maybe not for Parker and Kelly, but as someone who hates to watch movies more than once or twice, this is one that I can pick up at any point in the movie when it comes on TV and enjoy it. More importantly, with LIT we learn just how bad it can be to listen to someone attempt to sing Roxy Music's "More Than This" on Karaoke. Unless your last name is Ferry, don't attempt.

Feeling Down? You Should Talk to This Guy…

I have always enjoyed movies that most of the people I know consider to be flops. I find myself attracted to characters that have some weird personal issue of their own, but in trying to find or cure themselves, they end up helping others.

Everyone hated Lost in Translation with Bill Murray, but I could watch the karaoke scene, the absolute butchering of Bryan Ferry’s “More Than This” over and over again. And speaking of Bill Murray, the movie where he gets an anonymous note telling him that he is the father of a kid, so he goes out seeking old flames looking for the child. That was pretty out there, but I loved it.

So yesterday, my wife endured a movie I was eager to see called Mumford. This guy “plays” a psychologist in a small town called Mumford, and as it turns out, his name is Dr. Mumford. He has this way of listening to his patients and imparting small bits of wisdom that in the end, make these townsfolk feel much better. Apparently, this movie didn’t make it big because I saw it on Starz. That ought to tell you something.

So, again taking the long way around the barn… I had this on my mind when I encountered a man today who reminded me of one of these characters with the gift of gab, the ability to very quickly change a person’s perspective on life and perhaps change their entire outlook in a positive fashion.

I ran into the AutoZone on Grissom to grab some small little item (some Teflon tape if you must know - $1.49 in aisle 5, next to the JB Weld), and I got in line behind these two people who were very dirty, possibly drunk, and quite probably homeless.

But who am I to judge?

So, the toothless woman with extremely filthy toenails was saying something or other and her husband/vagabond/acquaintance was carrying on about what problems they were having and the man behind the counter just smiled and cheerfully rang up the few items they were there to purchase.

The lady then said something along the lines of “life just sucks” and with a chuckle that sounded like she was possibly coughing up a lung, she asked the man, “How are you doing?”

“Well,” he started off, “This has been the worst of 55 years in my life.”

The lady sort of recoiled not expecting such a blunt response. Naturally, I began to pay more attention.

“My car caught on fire, burnt the garage, and then burnt the house down. My wife wrecked her car then just a few days ago, I was driving and hit a little kid. The kid was riding in between the cars in the parking lot and when he came out in front of me, I hit ‘em before I could even hit my brakes. It all happened right over here.” As he pointed towards the HEB across the street. Then, he made a clap sound with his hands and used his right hand to motion how the kid just flew up into the air.

“If that wasn’t enough”, he continued. “I had just bought my daughter a 2006 Eclipse and somebody T-Boned her just yesterday.”

I’m pretty sure most of the people around me were starting to feel a little awkward and wondering what else could possibly befall this poor gentleman.

The dusty guy with the toothless wife paid whatever the bill was and said to the snake bitten AutoZone guy, “Well, Sir. You have our prayers for better times. You should go and spend some time with your wife at a time like this.”

“Hell no!” said the man behind the counter as he started to chuckle, “What I need is to get me a Sancha. You know anyone?”

And with that, he and the toothless lady laughed like a fat lady farted in church.

And I felt a little better too.