I was just watching Joe vs. the Volcano the other day (and wonder if anyone else on the planet enjoys watching that movie as much as I do) and there's this part maybe 2/3 the way through where Patricia (Meg Ryan's 3rd character) apologizes to Joe for being rude to him on the dock. It got me thinking. Patricia tells Joe that she was snobby when she met him because she was angry at herself for getting back under her father's control. Her dad had a lot of money and Patricia, unlike her shallow, materialistic, parasitic sister had decided to not depend on her father anymore financially or otherwise. She had broken away from that trap in her life. But her father knew that she loved to sail. He offered her one of his yachts in exchange for her taking Joe on the boat over to the island so he could jump into the volcano. Patricia didn't want to do it, but she knew that her father had discovered her weakness. She had set a goal to break away from depending on her dad, but when he offered her the yacht, she sold out. She was angry at herself for having a price, for selling out.
I thought about my efforts to eat healthy and to exercise. It's much harder after moving than it is when I'm settled and in the swing of things. So I'm continually regrouping and trying to get myself to do what I know works best for my body and all it's crazy conditions. I stay focused in the morning, even through lunch, but at some point in the afternoon (or even after a full day or two of sticking to my goals and feeling great), I sell out. I sell my goal for the price of __________ (fill in the blank depending on the circumstance). For the first few years of me striving to eat healthy, that price was pizza. I've finally moved past that for the most part. It can still be a weak spot, but not during my very long allergy season. Even when it's not allergy season though, I get congested and have other problems from the white flour. The price could easily be chocolate if I'm at the store and haven't nourished by body well enough up to that point in the day. The price could be many things. I won't tempt you with all my weak spots, but I am happy to identify them as a price that is not worth it in the end. It never is. I end the day with the same problems I had the day before (or some new ones -- the other day I ate a bunch of soy ice cream and ended up with zits, canker sores and a headache) and know if I just stick with my plan, I'm much better off.
I could probably write 50 posts on things I learn from Joe vs. the Volcano. Go watch it again if it's been awhile.
Good call, Renee... Joe Versus the Volcano is my weak spot. I can only think of two movies I like more. There's a lot of philosophy mixed into the dialog, and even some of it is unsaid. And the soundtrack is one of the best to truly fit the moods of the various scenes.
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly a movie you have to pay attention to or you'll miss a lot of the subtle overtones as well as the constant clever dialog.
Here's what Roger Ebert wrote about JVTV when it came out in 1990:
"Gradually during the opening scenes of "Joe Versus the Volcano," my heart began to quicken, until finally I realized a wondrous thing: I had not seen this movie before. Most movies, I have seen before. Most movies, you have seen before. Most movies are constructed out of bits and pieces of other movies, like little engines built from cinematic Erector sets. But not "Joe Versus the Volcano."
That's one of the things I liked about it too. It was original, fresh, and non-formulaic, which is rare.
It was a difficult balancing act to maintain, straddling the line between satire and intrigue, without falling too far to one side or the other. There probably aren't many disciplined actors or actresses who could have helped it walk that thin line the way Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan did. Further evidence that they just didn't happen to get lots of good movie roles, but actually made them good movies with their extra touch.
An all-time comedy classic in the realm of The Princess Bride, Groundhog Day, School of Rock, French Kiss, The Jerk, National Lampoon's Vacation, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Sure Thing, City Slickers and When Harry Met Sally. But Joe holds a special place in my heart.
Many life lessons to take away from JVTV. Thanks for sharing that one, Renee. Now I need to apply it to self-discipline in healthy habits.