Treats at the Movies

JJLers; please join me in welcoming Candace Malone of our Ho‘ohana Community with her first guest posting for Joyful Jubilant Learning!

Now when it comes to the movies, I’m all in, all genres, all the time, Popcorn, Snowcaps, Cherry Coke
and all!

When I think of learning and the cinema 3 of my favorites come to mind; Love and Basketball, The Truman Show, and Ocean’s Eleven.

Love & Basketball

I’m really into sweet family love stories and Love & Basketball is just that. It stars the beautiful Sanaa Lathan as Monica and very “pre-House” actor Omar Epps as Quincy; both wanted to be professional basketball stars since they were kids and neighbors. Quincy is the neighboring child of a B-Ball Giant while Monica has to work hard to establish herself, and Quincy is born with natural star potential.

As the two struggle to reach their goals of playing professionally, they must also deal with their love/hate feelings for each other. The two become close friends throughout their turbulent adolescent years to eventually becoming lovers as young adults. The sports love duo separates from each other after Quincy’s ego is altered by Monica’s love for basketball while playing in college. Monica rises to the top and becomes a professional player overseas while Quincy struggles in the U.S. The tear-jerker prism of the movie occurs when Monica returns home due to feelings of isolation and an undying love for Quincy. She must choose between playing basketball her passion/career or fighting for her love, Quincy for which she must sacrifice her, job, status, and ego. She asks Quincy to play her (basketball) for her heart.

So what’s there to learn?

Sometimes you have to sacrifice in order to be happy. “What and How much of yourself are you willing to share with others?” When you know exactly what you want you have to take time out, refocus, direct your life, make sacrifices and fight for what you believe in. Whether, its your career or family, you have to take a chance on what you love.

Ocean’s Eleven

You all know the story of Ocean’s Eleven and seen the screen version with Sammy or Clooney, 12 or 13. A chop-chop group of thieves and shady characters are brought together by one man, Clooney (Ocean) to rob a Vegas casino, owned by his true love’s (Roberts) new husband. Besides Clooney and Pitt’s debonair looks the all-star cast ensemble is a creative genius thievery crew, that manages to provide humor, drama, and the occasional “how did he do that?”

So what’s there to learn?

What I like to call Stone Leadership, think the children’s classic, Stone Soup. Ocean (Clooney) was able to assemble a high functioning team, with each member having input, a unique talent, and buy-in on the project while sharing his vision. LOL, they shared it long enough to make a sequel. Just because someone in your group or work team does things differently to get the job done, don’t write them off, embrace their creative juices and make it work for the mission of the organization.

The Truman Show

Now as far as The Truman Show, starring Jim Carrey, I have one sentence of learned wisdom: Investigate! Investigate! Investigate! When you have a major hunch or gut feeling about something you gotta dive deeper into it. You never know what the outcome may be. Everything is not as it seems. In the Truman Show, Truman was living in a Hollywood reality-show created microcosm from childhood to adulthood unknowingly until he noticed several unique patterns in his environment and investigated by asking questions, listening to stories, and evaluating the behaviors of those around him.

So what’s there to learn?

Always research and evaluate before committing to anything.

I could go on and on but lastly, I’ve learned that buying my favorite treats at the cinema, you know $4.00 cokes, etc. is not being fiscally responsible, nor is enjoying my butter laden popcorn helping my fitness goals, lol!

---Candace Malone

Candace Malone is a "Gen X/Y cusper," Human Resource Development Practioner in Maryland who enjoys volunteering with women & children in her community and is an advocate for mental health services.

---

Editor's note: The movie links we have offered here will take you to The Internet Movie Database --- Mahalo to JJLer Dwayne Melancon for the tip!
[Photo credit: “Jujyfruits” on Flickr by Darwin Bell]

What have you learned from the movies? You can get published on Joyful Jubilant Learning too! ~~~ May Details here

Comments

[Joanna Young]

Thanks for sharing your learning points Candice, and joining us here at JJL. Welcome!

The Truman Show is a very powerful film for me - it works at so many levels. Actually I used it to help me leave my last job. I realised the job had become my world, my reality, everyone I knew functioned and lived within it. This made it very hard to imagine leaving.

I watched the Truman Show a couple of times to help me put things in perspective, to realise it was just a *created* reality, and that when I chose to leave it all I had to do was open the door at the end of the set, and walk on through. I was the only person holding myself back, there were no 'real' barriers, only those that had been created in my mind.

Joanna

[Rosa Say]

Aloha Candace, and welcome to JJL! You've packed a extra-large bucket of learning into your movie ticket for us :)

The more that May unfolds here, the more I realize that I am not much of a movie person, for I haven't seen any of the movies mentioned so far except the one I posted about! However I can relate to the lessons learned from them, and as a workplace coach I love the way you drew “Stone Leadership” out of Ocean’s Eleven!

[Troy Worman]

I haven't seen Love & Basketball, but love both The Truman Show and Ocean's Eleven. And like Rosa, I love the way your drew "Stone Leadership" out of Ocean's Eleven! My take-away from The Truman Show: life is absurd. You just gotta laugh.

[David Zinger]

Candace,
A sweet and electic mix of movies. I appreciate the way you brought the 3 together.
David

[Karen Wallace]

Welcome Candace! It's a joy to have you here, and you've given me two new movies to add to my 'must see' list. I think a special trek to the videoshop is in order after Joanna's writeup of The Truman Show.

I love Ocean's Eleven - and yes, there was more to it than two gorgeous leading men :) I actually like to think of JJL as a team in a similar vein - we're all very different, and that is what is so joyous about JJL. I think you've just added further skills and unique talent to our mix, thank you.

[Candace Malone]

Thanks for the comments! I've actually used Ocean's Eleven when facilitating Team Development and Team building workshops, ironically its an entertaining resource. The Truman Show is such a good movie, I think I might watch it tonight. Thanks for the great topic idea I look forward to reading and writing more JJL posts.