A Place, Just For Us...

'Just Close Your Eyes, And Keep Your Mind Wide Open'

I'm Crying.

This film makes me cry... Everytime.

Okay, since like nobody has seen it i'll quickly summarise. It's pretty simple to be honoust. Boy from a poor family, is fairly miserable. Then the girl arrives, who is free spirited, attractive and very insightful. Together they rise above all their problems and motivate each other to achieve what they want to. However just as it seems that their friendship is about to move to a new level, the young girl, dies in a tragic accident. Clearly the boy is devastated, and retreats into himself. Before using her memory, as a tool to motivate him to re-create 'their' kingdom, and inviting his little sister to join him.

Okay, so the plot doesn't make it seem all that fantastic, but it's more about the feelings and emotion that the film manages to encapsulate that make this a classic (in my opinion anyway). I have yet to see another film that quite manages to capture the sense of happiness, and excitement that comes with meeting somebody that you know is special. Or the feeling of love growing towards another person, all the quick glances, and awkward little moments. It's all here. Building up to the point of course were the girl dies. At first, as a viewer, you react in the same manner as the boy, complete disbelief, then just like him, as it sinks in, you feel like you've been slapped. You have put so much emotional investment into her, ready to watch the happy ending, and then, just like that, she's gone. It's sickening, but brilliant and unexpected (especially for a Disney film).

So why such a big think for me ? Why has it taken me two years to watch it again. This is my third time by the way. Well, the background is this essentially. When i saw this film in the pictures, almost exactly two years ago, i loved it, and then i bought the Dvd, later that month whilst on holiday in New York, and viewed it again on the night of June 18th i believe. Thing is, looking back, those two occasions mark the last time in my life that i would claim to be completely innocent, i was still a child. Shortly afterwards, about 3 nights after my dvd watching i was let down for the 1st time in my life by a girl. Somebody i really liked, and it went bad, it was nothing really, but at the time it felt like everything. The pain of that never going away untill i found someone else, which of course led to much, much, worse, but as you see it's a never ending cycle frankly, with the period of my life that this film entered into marking the start of it all. The end of my childhood, i'd say.

The reason i've not watched this in two years then, is that i was scared to be dissapointed, becuase i was never quite sure whether my warm feelings towards the film stemmed from the film itself or for what it meant to me on a more personal level. Well after watching i can gladly confirm that the film is beautiful, and now i can truthfully say that is is one of my favourites. It's a weight of my shoulders viewing it again after two very difficult years aswell. It's like i've finally let something go.

The themes of the film do ring quite true to me aswel. The sorta main point is that you should never let others put you down, or drag you with them. It's almost a study on how the individual, despite being mocked, can sometimes find the most happiness. I completely agree with this. Also the scenes which focus on the young kids, coming closer together have an almost poetic feel about them, emphasising the 'fairytale' romance kind of idea. Whilst this almost seems too perfect, the screen chemistry between the actors is brilliant, and strong enough to make you believe that this can happen. And as i have realised on occasions, it does. And the sheer amount of energy and life these feelings can give is amazing ! This movie finds a way to show all of this, without the need for any sappy, cheesy, scenes, which whilst looking nice, are basicly just throwing the events in the faces of the audience, narrative economy i suppose best describes what i'm meaning.

So, in the end, I love this movie, seriously, it ranks up there with my all time favourites ! Watching it again has also reminded me, of a place i was in two years ago, that i know i can never return to, before i was polluted, and troubled. Without any of the baggage i carry around now. Just when i thought romance was simple, and that i would never feel the sense of loss that is felt in here, cause that 'only happens in the films'. I was wrong. But at the time i thought it would never happen to me, i was wrong. But i wouldn't change a minute of it.

As the film teaches, keep an open mind and you'll never know what'll find it's way in there. Mines is never shut, and i like to think that every experience i've faced is there for a reason. And that i'll learn from them, like i did from this film, just under two yeas ago, before it all began.

I really do love this film !

I'll be talkin to yaa xxx