Nature-Deficit-Disorder – by Gary S. Smolker

Live A Little

I’ve concluded that life is for living.

I have concluded that the best type of life for me is one in which I stop being afraid of wasting my time by going out or by going to new places or by meeting new people and instead that I should travel to new places, meet new people, have new experiences and learn new things while doing so.

Medicine Is A Way of Life.

In my opinion life is beautiful and how I live my life is either good medicine for me or poisonous.

The key to being “healthy” for me is knowing how to live.

I’ve found I can –

• Be Happy, Healthy and Full of Wonderment.
• Relieve stress, regenerate my spirit, laugh and be joyful.
• Go out in “nature” and see directly in front of my eyes that all living things (plants, animals, fish and fowl] that live naturally in harmony with their nature flourish.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park

I recently went on a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee with my three adult daughters.

One of the great things I discovered while being high up the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is that there is no cell phone reception there.

Consequently it was a place where I could relax and (re)connect with nature.

While I was in the Smoky Mountains I was able to decompress, relieve stress and regenerate my spirit as a result of  being in nature with no distractions – as a result of being in a place where there was no cell phone service.

I personally experienced the value of (a) breathing fresh air, (b) seeing clear clean running water in streams creeks and rivers, (c) seeing picturesque waterfalls, (d) hiking in pristine woods and (e) solitude.

As a result of “being “n nature” without the distractions imposed on me by cell phones, Internet connection, talking texting or emailing I was able to see clearly the way things work “in nature” and as a result of that after I returned from my “retreat” in nature with my daughters I have been able think clearly without distraction about several things of concern to me.

Additionally, my trip to the Smokies was an amazing bonding experience with my daughters, nature and myself.

During the entire time I was in the Smoky Mountains I was happy, healthy, full of wonderment and stress-free.

The kinds of experiences I had on my trip to the Smoky Mountains have provided memories which I will enjoy for years to come and a reference point and base line to use when thinking about things in my daily life that are important to me.

The experiences I had and the observations I made on that trip have increased ability to think many fold about how I spend my time and other resources and about medical, financial, family and emotional issues of great concern to me.

The Area In and Around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The whole area in and around the Smoky Mountains is quite stunning – light traffic on the freeways, lush green all around the hills and in the mountains.

“Nature” is preserved in a pristine state in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

People Who Know How to Live

The people I met in the areas in and around the Smoky Mountains during my vacation/retreat in the Smoky Mountains with my three daughters know how to live.

They live rustic sensible refined remarkable and somewhat “funky” lives.

Every one I met was good -natured, calm, friendly, hospitable and grounded, and seemed to be alert and happy.

The people I saw and met in cafes, restaurants, and grocery stores during my sojourn in and around the Smoky Mountains were striking different from the people I typically see in similar places in and around Los Angeles.

The people I met in the South (in and around the Smoky Mountains) were all very calm, relaxed and laid back.

I didn’t meet or see anyone during my sojourn in and around the Smoky Mountains who was up tight, anxious, or stressed out.

Below is a photograph I took of a man a man I met in the “Lil Black Bear Cafe” in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

I’ve never seen anyone wearing a T-shirt in Los Angeles like the T-shirt the man in the photograph above is wearing.

By the way, the chocolate Bear Claw served in the “Lil Black Bear Cafe” in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is something to write home about.  I ate one.  See photos below of the Bear Claw I ate in the “Lil Black Bear Cafe.”

I survived eating the Bear Claw pictured above.

I purchased a T-shirt to celebrate my accomplishment.

See photograph of the T-shirt I bought.

The people I met, and the culture and way of life I observed, in and around the Smoky Mountains was tremendously different from the culture I experience every day in Los Angeles.

I think people in the South (at least the people I met and interacted with) are more “natural” and more in tune with their core human nature that people in and around Los Angels that I see when I go out to eat or to a grocery store or to any other public place in Los Angeles.

Below is a photograph of a man I met in a grocery store in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and a close up photograph of the T-shirt that man was wearing when I saw and met him.

I’ve never seen anyone in Los Angeles wearing a T-shirt like that.

 

Popularity of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most popular park in the National Park System.

Ten million people per year visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Everyone Needs A Perfect Place to Think

Everyone needs a perfect place to think without distraction, a retreat.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is such a place.

All four of us (Leah, Judi, Terra and me) found the Smoky Mountains to be a perfect place to think.

My Search for A Clear Mind

The search for a clear mind is one of my fundamental goals.

The search for a “clear mind” is the fundamental goal of “all” creative and highly productive people.

During my trip to the Smoky Mountains, the solitude I experienced and my interaction with (a) my daughters, (b) nature and (c) the people I met gave me a clear mind.

My Trip to the Smoky Mountains

I left my in Encino, California on May 14, 2016 and visited the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee for ten days, from May 14 to May 24, 2016, with my three daughters Leah, Judi and Terra.

As a result of taking my trip to the Smoky Mountains, I feel totally connected to life – physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

It is clear to me that the state of my energy, my health and of my over-all-well-being are dependent on being connected to nature.

The Best Way to Live

Life is about choice.

I advocate relieving stress, being healthy and living a creative down to earth purposeful gratifying meaningful healthy life.

I’ve found that the best way for me to live is by being connected simultaneously with my natural core and nature.

I’ve discovered it is okay for me to enjoy a glass of wine, to have a beer, to have a shot of whiskey; it is not crazy or a waste of my time to go for hikes in woods, to do yoga, to read a book, to think and reflect in solitude, or to go to car shows, or to take photographs with my iPhone of whatever strikes my fancy, and that it is beneficial for me yo travel to new places to meet new people and to see new things.

In my opinion going to new places, meeting new people, connecting to nature, and having new experiences should be part of everyone’s life goals.

As a result of my recent vacation in the Smoky Mountains I have concluded that –

1. I will achieve clearer thinking and better health by connecting myself to nature.
2. My live is energized by experiencing a sense of oneness in the energy flow I make when I am in the moment.
3. My life is about making choices.
4. The best “medicine” for me is living the way of right relationship – I found that living a healthy  LIFE is about doing that.

Failure and Making Mistakes Are A Natural Feature of Life and of Making Progress and of Making Something New

Creativity is a resource we continually draw upon to make something from nothing, to make the non-existent come into being.

Part of being healthy is to not be afraid of trying something new, or trying to do something new.

Inevitably active alive and creative people experience failure and make mistakes.

Healthy people realize mistakes are not a necessary evil.

Mistakes are an inevitable consequence of doing something new, and as such, they such be seen as being valuable; without them, we’d have no originality.

Mistakes and failures are learning experiences.

Think of failure like learning to ride a bike; it isn’t conceivable that anyone could learn to ride a bike without making mistakes – without toppling over a few times.

Personality Plus

The first place I landed on my way to the Smoky Mountains was in Asheville, North Carolina.

Asheville is known as “Beer City, USA” because it has so many microbreweries.

We went to Asheville first because my daughter Leah is a beer connoisseur.

I saw “good humor” and “personality plus”, and experienced “positive energy” and “social commentary” everywhere I went during my three day stay in Asheville, North Carolina.

The people I met in Asheville had good nature, and were happy, hospitable, calm, and grounded.

It was pleasant to interact with each person I interacted with in Asheville.

Each of them exhibited a good sense of humor.

Below is a picture of a sign I saw posted in the window of the “12 Bones Smokehouse” in Asheville, North Carolina.

That sign made me laugh when I saw it.

By the way, the “12 Bones Smokehouse” is President Obama’s favorite rib joint.

While in Asheville I saw another which made me laugh.

See picture of that sign below.

It is a sign on the wall of a place where you can self-wash your dog.

The Most Famous Place in Asheville, North Carolina: Biltmore House & Gardens

I love chocolate.

During my trip to the Smoky Mountains, I visited the most famous place in Asheville, North Carolina: the Biltmore House.

The Biltmore House was built in 1895 by George Vanderbilt.

It is a 250 room house.

It is situated on a 8,000 acre estate.

It has gardens and trails, a conservatory, a bass pond, a boathouse, lawns and woods.

In “the house” itself, there are restaurants, a courtyard market, a bake shop, a ice cream parlor, and specialized stores for shoppers and highly specialized shopping experiences.

For shopping there is a store called “Christmas Past”, a store called “Bookbinder’s”, a store called “Carriage House”, a store called “Confectionery”, a store called “Toymaker’s”, and a store called “A Gardener’s Place.”

My favorite part of the house is the candy store (the confectionery).

I am a fan of tasty chocolate and good advertising.

My First Most Favorite Experience at Biltmore House

My favorite experience, while I was touring the Biltmore House, was seeing what was printed on boxes of chocolate for sale in the “Confectionery.”

See photos below.

I also love cupcakes.

I was thrilled when I saw the package below in the confectionery, advertising cupcakes, yum.

My Second Most Favorite Experience at the Biltmore House

My second best experience at Biltmore House was looking at the exotic flowers growing in the Conservatory at the Biltmore House.

Below are photographs of exotic flowers I saw growing in the Conservatory at the Biltmore House.

My Third Most Favorite Experience at the Biltmore House

My third best experience at the Biltmore House was looking at a group of flowers growing in a pond above the gardens.  Those flowers are shown in the photograph below.

Character and Assertive Individuality Have Been Alive and Well in the Great Smoky Mountains in Eastern Tennessee for Many Years

For various reasons the Great Smoky Mountains have always been a very special place.

The people who lived in the Smoky Mountains in the recent past were famous for hiding their stills from tax collectors and for selling their homemade distilled spirits when it was against US Federal Law to do so.

Being surrounded by natural beauty and making homemade distilled spirits and having a great down to earth sense of humor has been a way of living in and around the Great Smoky Mountains for generations.

When it was illegal to manufacture or sell liquor, certain people [who lived in and around the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee were called Moonshiners and also called bootleggers] manufactured and sold homemade distilled spirits nicknamed “moonshine”; they manufactured and sold “homemade” wine and whisky (“moonshine”) in violation of federal law.

Doing that earned them a “romanticized” place in the history of the United States.

Today, it is not against federal law to manufacture or sell distilled spirits.

However, in an attempt to take advantage of romantic and nostalgic feelings about “moonshine” and “moonshiners” , major distillers pretend to sell “moonshine” — and promote the sales of their products (wine and whiskey) with sales messages associating their products to individualistic rebel character traits romantically associated with moonshine and bootleggers.

These messages are printed on ancillary merchandise – soft good items – such as T-shirts, pillows, and dish towels sold in “Moon Shine” stores and boutiques in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Tennessee.

For examples, at their stores in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge the “Old Smoky Tennessee Moonshine” company provides free moonshine tastings, live music, distillery tours and sells “moonshine” (jars of whiskey) as well as T-shirts, Sweat Shirts, and sundry other items.

Master Enjoyment of A Glass of Wine Because You Have Worked Hard and Traveled Far

Wine is a symbol.

The wine industry in Tennessee has made a successful effort to have me associate drinking wine with Individuality, Character, Relaxing, Relieving Stress and Being A Fun and Wise Person.

In their boutique wine and whiskey tasting stores near the Smoky Mountains their customer (me) can’t help but associate Being Fun with Drinking Wine, Wine Drinking.

Below are pictures of miscellaneous soft good items imprinted with messages celebrating and encouraging the consumption of wine.

I recently took the pictures below in a so called wine tasting store in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Notice that each of the items shown in the photographs below cleverly delivers the message that a person who drinks wine is a fun person.

Each message has a “fun”, “be fun”, “have fun” emotional arc I relate to.

I had “fun” reading each message.

I smiled when I read each message.

I took each of the above photographs on May 23, 2016 at the “Bootleggers Home Made Wine” store in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Gatlinburg is a small town located at the foot of the Smoky Mountains in Eastern Tennessee.

The Majesty of Nature

Seeing nature in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a spiritual as well as a physical and mental experience.

I can’t imagine any person with sight not being able to visually spiritually and mentally experience the majesty of nature on display in the Smoky Mountains and our deep rooted connection with nature.

Below is a series of photographs I took of the Smoky Mountains behind a layer of clouds I observed from my Majestic View cabin in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, at 6:30 a.m.

Note: the clouds in front of the Smoky Mountains look like smoke coming up from and rising up from the Smoky Mountains.

 

 

Next are photographs I took of the same view from the cabin with the Majestic View four hours later at 10:40 a.m. – after the morning mist and clouds in front of the Smoky Mountains began dissipating, then dissipated and then disappeared.

Below are photos taken later in the day.

Below are photographs I took at sunset while standing on the deck outside the kitchen at my cabin.

More Than 40 Note Worthy Waterfalls

There are over 2,000 miles of sparkling rivers, prongs and branches and over 40 noteworthy falls in the Smoky Mountains.

During our time together in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, my three daughters Leah (age 28), Judi (age 31) and Terra (age 45) and I hiked together to several of those noteworthy waterfalls.

Below is a series of photographs I took at one of those waterfalls.

The first photograph is of one of those waterfalls.

 

The second photograph is of my one of my daughters standing next to that waterfall.

 

 

The third, fourth and fifth photographs below are photographs of my daughter standing behind that waterfall.

 

 

 

Below is a photographs I took of my two youngest daughters standing in front of another waterfall.

Below is a photograph of my youngest daughter with me in front of that waterfall.

Below is a photograph of me standing in front of that waterfall.

Below is a close up photograph of of the top of that waterfall.

Below is a photograph of another water fall in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park we hiked to.

Sparkling Rivers Prongs and Branches

Professionally taken photographs:

My photographs:

Hiking To Abrams Falls

Below is a picture of my youngest daughter Leah (age 28) Leah took of herself while Leah and I were hiking together through the woods in the Smoky Mountains to Abrams Falls.

It took us five hours of hiking through woods in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to get to the Abrams Falls.

At Abrams Falls water water with the volume of a river plunges 25 feet into a large pool.

The force of the fall throws spray over 50 feet into rhododendron and hemlock on the bank opposite the trail we hiked on to get to the falls.

The deep pool under the falls has a very strong undercurrent.

A sign near the falls warns people not to swim in the pool under the falls – swimmers have drowned.  See sign below.

People are also warned to be aware of bears near the falls.  See sign below.

Below is a photograph I took of myself in front of Abrams Falls.

 

Below is a series of photographs of Abrams Falls.

Messages Printed on T-Shirts Present Moonshine as The Nectar of Pure Unadulterated Living

In Gatinburg, several breweries give free tastings in addition to selling “moonshine (whiskey)”; they also sell  T-shirts on which are printed provocative messages.

The photographs below were taken by me in the “Old Smoky Tennessee Moonshine’s” store on the Parkway, in Gatinburg, Tennessee on Monday night, May 23, 2016, after Leah and I finished our hike to Abrams Falls.

Knoxville Vibe

All of us (Leah, Judi, Terra and Me) got back to our homes by flying out of Knoxville Airport.

Leah and I spent the morning looking around the Art District and the Old City District of Knoxville.

Both are very cool places.

Below are photographs I took which express the “come on in” attitude I experienced in and around the Art District in Knoxville, Tennessee.

I Saw Art and Beauty Everywhere During My Trip to the Smoky Mountains

At the Curious Dog in Old City Knoxville, Tennessee

See photograph below I took of a  booth in the “Curious Dog” in the Old Town section of Knoxville, Tennessee on May 24, 2016.

Photos below are close ups of sections of the mural in the photograph above.

Photograph of a guy sitting in that booth.

Photograph I took the sign on the exterior street side of the entry door to the “Curious Dog.”

Paintings on the Two Walls in A Dead End Alley in the Old Town Section of Knoxville, Tennessee

While walking around the Old Town section of Knoxville on May 24, 20167, with my daughter Leah, we found ourselves walking down a blind alley, an alley the “dead-ended”, an alley which had no exit.

Below are photographs of paintings I saw painted on the two walls in that alley.

Chair In A Shop in the Chicago O’Hare Airport Terminal

Below is a photograph I took of a chair I saw in a shop in O’Hare Airport, Chicago, Terminal 1, Gate B-6, on May 24, 2016 as I was on my way to catch a connecting flight to Los Angeles International Airport, LAX.

I had started my journey home to Los Angeles from the Smoky Mountains on a flight departing from Knoxville Airport.

My trip home involved taking a plane from Knoxville Airport to O’Hare Airport in Chicago and then catching another plane at O’Hare Airport that flew me back to Los Angeles.

It took over 10 hours to get back home from the time I left the Knoxville Airport to the time my plane landed in Los Angeles at LAX, the airport in Los Angeles.

Art and Beauty Everywhere

On Saturday, June 4, 2016 I went to return a computer to the Apple Store at the Grove — a upscale shopping cent in Los Angeles.

While I was at the Grove I discovered there was an event, an auto show, at the Grove.

By the way, the Grove is located near the intersection of Third Street and Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles, California.

Of note to me, as a father of three adult women and a lover of women, I saw more women then men looking at the cars on display on the street at the auto show.

So much for the cliche that boys like cars and girls like dolls.

Below are pictures I took of three of the multitude of  “classic cars” I saw on the street, on display, as part of the car show at the Grove.

Really interesting: on the top two cars pictured above, the rear view mirror is strapped to the spare tire.

 

 

Save Yourself from Nature-Deficit-Disorder, Get Out: Visit The Great Smoky Mountains; Travel to, Visit and Explore New Places

The Smoky Mountains are one of the most bio-diverse places on earth.

According to the National Park Service over 18,000 different types of animals and plants live in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Synchronous fireflies (Photinus carolinus) are one of 19 species of fireflies at Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  They are the only species in the Americas whose individuals can synchronize their flashing light patterns.

No one is sure why the fireflies flash synchronously.

The fireflies do not always flash in unison.

They glow in the dark.

They may flash in waves across hillsides, and at other times will flash randomly.

Synchrony occurs in short bursts that end with abrupt periods of darkness.

The Smoky Mountains is also the home of the “American Black Bear.”

More than 1,500 black bears live protected “in the wild” in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

More statistics:

• More than 1,500 different specifies of wild flowers are found in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, more than in any other North American National Park.
• More than 100 different species of trees grow there.
• More than 240 different species of birds have been spotted there.

The Southern Appalachians are one of the temperate zone’s hot spots for plants.  North of the tropics, only China has more species.

The climate of the park encompasses a range of conditions from warm to cold temperature, and rainfall is abundant everywhere.

Elevations in the park range from 850 feet to 6,643 feet.  As one moves from lower to high elevations the climate becomes cooler and wetter and cloud cover is more frequent.

Rainfall ranges from about 55 inches at low elevations to 90 inches on high peaks.

Differences in elevation and the ruggedness of the mountains – topographical features affect soil moisture – result in a vast variety of environments that produce a wide variety of vegetation.

Slope aspect, slope position and slope shape all combine to determine the amount of sunlight reaching a site, its warmth, and its ability to retain soil moisture.

Even if you stay in a narrow elevation range, the habitat changes dramatically.  And because habitat changes, the species of wildflowers and plants you see growing also varies.

As a result of its biodiversity and its closeness to population centers, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most popular park in the National Park System; 10 million people visit the park each year.

The National Park Services maintains 380 miles of scenic roadways, 800 plus miles of trails and bridges, 9 front country campgrounds, and more than 100 back country campgrounds in the Smoky Mountains National Park.

ASIDE:

• The National Cancer Institute and other groups have repeatedly visited the Smokies to take, under permit, small plant samples, looking for new medicines.
• Fully, 25 percent of our prescription drugs contain at least one ingredient taken directly from a higher plant.
• The Cherokee had documented uses for 60 percent of the flora in the Smokies.
• Over 600 species from these mountains were or are still used as medicines by the Cherokee.
• Generations of trial and error of uses of plants in these mountains represent a refined knowledge of plant biochemistry and the potential for use.
• A recent study showed that study of traditional cultural use of plants in an area is a faster route to discovering new medicines than blind screening of all plants in an area.

The prime directive of all national parks is to preserve not only native species, but also the natural processes that maintain them.

This year (2016) the American National Park Service turned 100 years old.

THE ART OF LIVING

I see art everywhere and beauty everywhere.

I can’t wait to tell you about “the Swag” in Waynesville North Carolina; “Lil Black Bear Cafe” in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; and, “Curious Dog” and a blind alley in Old Town Knoxville, Tennessee, which I will do in a future blog post article on the “Gary S. Smolker Idea Exchange Blog.”

The Swag

Below is a photograph of what I found on my bed when I went to my room at the Swag.

There was also a backpack on my bed.  See photo below.

There was a note explaining the materials inside the backpack.  See photo below.

On one of the night stands besides the bed was a book of poetry.  See photo below.

I adopted “Mr. Rocky”, the Black Bear I found on my bed in my room at “the Swag.”

I can’t wait to tell you more about “the Swag.”

Conclusion

We determine the trajectory of our lives.

We should learn how to see.

We should live with our eyes wide open.

We should travel to places we have never been to before and meet people we have never met before.

Having/enjoying good health is a way of life.

 

 

Copyright © 2016 by Gary S. Smolker, All Rights Reserved

 

Let There Be A Spotlight on Excellence in Movie Making (Part One) – Movies which Deserve A Best in Excellence in Movie Making Award According to Gary S. Smolker

 

Updated October 25, 2014

Best In Excellence in Movie Making Awards

In this post I report on movies presented at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival which I think are world class examples of excellence.

1. I attended the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Canada, from September 7 through September 15, 2014.
2. While standing in line, waiting to get into movie theaters, I met interesting energetic people from all over the world.
3. Those people and I discussed films we had seen at the festival so far and the additional films we intended to see before the festival ended.
4. I saw 20 films; 19 of them are noteworthy.
5. Below is a list of films which won my  Best In Excellence Awards, followed by highlights of each film which won my (a Gary Smolker) Best in Excellence Award.
6. The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is the largest film festival in the world.

In Part One (this post), I give a full write-up of only a few of the following award winners.

In subsequent posts I will give a further and more extravagant write-up (movie review) of the rest of the best in excellence in movie making award winners listed below.

The Gary S. Smolker Best in Excellence Award Winners Are

For best portrayal of a master teacher and passionate perfectionist – “Seymour” An Introduction.”

For best parody of single life and portrayal of current sexual revolution – “Top Five.”

For best costuming – “A Little Chaos.”

For best portrayal of the undistracted environment in which high level thinkers need to operate in order to operate at peak performance level – “Pawn Sacrifice.”

For best example of the “power of shock” – “Haemoo.”

For best portrayal and satire of male fantasies, attitudes towards weddings, the world of sex from a female perspective and of the cultural ferment causing a sexual revolution which is changing the nature of sexual responsibility and marital identity – “Top Five.”

For best portrayal of business genius and the recognition of the importance of style, good taste and elegance – “A Little Chaos.”

For best portrayal of the harsh reality that progress and success aren’t all they are cracked up to be, i.e., that all that glitters is not gold – “Top Five”, “Map to the Stars” and “Foxcatcher.”

For best demonstration of how to choose a spouse – “The Theory of Everything”, “Ruth & Alex”, and “Love and Mercy.”

For most romantic movie – “The Theory of Everything” and “Ruth & Alex.”

For best portrayal of the relationship between creativity, madness and third party exploitation of a creative talent – “Love and Mercy.”

For best portrayal of extremely grounded creative people and extremely sane loving heart choices that would not be made by most people – “The Theory of Everything” and “Ruth & Alex.”

Honorable mention for most sympathetic portrayal of loss of mental acuity – “The Judge.”

“St. Vincent” earns special mention for being a comedic film about current notions about education of young people, bullying, divorce, single parenthood, reverse mortgages, banks, having children out of wedlock, and the cost of assisted living:

In “St. Vincent”,  for the most part, the actors, screenwriters and director manage to turn sad situations into laughter; the emotional resilience of the characters portrayed in this film turns things that would be thought of as a “tragedy” into a hilarious joyful comedy.

“St. Vincent”, is a comedy that is full of joyful chaos instead of tears in spite of the fact that it’s underlying subject matter is the economic impotence of the common man.

Part One of the “I’ve Seen the Light” – Excellent Edifying Movies Presented at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival

 

1.  Master Teacher and Passionate Perfectionist

“Seymour: An Introduction”

In this film eighty-five year old concert pianist turned music teacher Seymour Bernstein reflects upon a life well lived, tells stories which show how he and other master piano players developed their skills and felt before giving public performances.  He also gives great advice on how to work towards your true dreams and goals.

In one scene in this movie, he takes a young pianist about to give a piano recital to a room which is full of Steinway pianos.

They are in that room to choose the piano that the young pianist will play in the recital.

Seymour Bernstein plays each piano while the young man/piano student listens.

As Seymour plays each piano he asks the young man,  “Can you hear that?”

Seymour explains to the young pianist that each piano in that room is built and is designed the same.  Each piano is the same in all other respects except each piano each piece of wood in each piano is different.  That makes each piano sound different.

In this charming way, Bernstein explains how details and attention to detail makes a difference.

By lessons such as that, Seymour shows the audience how giving students piano lesson gives students  guidance on how to live life.

The habits Seymour Bernstein’s students take on as a natural consequence of learning how to play the piano from Bernstein will give them tools for living a life full of personal fulfillment, i.e. his students will never ask “is this all there is to life?”  They will not be bored.

I will discuss this movie more throughly in a future post.

2.  Best Portrayal of the Current Sexual Revolution

“Top Five”

Chris Rock is an astute observer of contemporary life and its imagination.

He has a vital and adventurous point of view and talks about forbidden topics in this film.

In his film”Top Five”, Chris Rock provides a hands-on understanding/portrayal of the current day in-your-face-sexual revolution which is causing ever increasing cultural-ferment.

As a result of that, his large “hip” fan base will enjoy watching this movie.

I don’t know whether he is poking fun at current extreme ideas/fantasies in Western countries about modern sex life, beauty, sex, fidelity, marriage, and/or being a creative artist in this movie or if he is documenting reality as he understands it.

This movie part of the “can you top this” system of popular/mass culture, and a satire about celebrities and wannabes pandering to the movie going public’s appetite and taste for sex in movies.

In this movie Chris Rock portrays (a) how difficult it is to get a foothold on anything, (b) how doubtful it is that men with women are able to co-exist for a long time together, and (c) that life is rich with facts, full of curiosities, many misfortunes, and a sea of tears.

Life’s standard sexual related problems, which as they pass through Chris Rock’s prism, in this movie become by themselves funny, comedic delights.

I haven’t decided whether “Top Five” has a message and/or has an edifying purpose.

I will discuss this movie more throughly in a future post.

3.  You Are What You See

“A Little Chaos”

“A Little Chaos” is a movie that will make people talk and think about creativity, good taste, living a stimulating life and the importance of elegance, style, creativity and imagination.

Among, other things, the star of the movie is the historical figure King Louis XIV, who is the man responsible for the expression “diamonds are a girl’s best friend” coming into existence.

This movie showcases King Louis XIV’s passion for diamonds, fashion, style, sparkle and glitz.  It is a visually spectacular movie.

A complete stand alone movie review of “A Little Chaos” was posted on the “Gary Smolker Idea Exchange Blog” on September 25, 2014 and is now available for your viewing at  www.garysmolker.wordpress.com.

4.  When Silence Is A Vital Necessity

“Pawn Sacrifice”

This is the incredibly personal story of the role “silence” and the “need for silence in order to have the ability to concentrate” played in 1972 World Chess Championship chess match between American challenger Bobby Fischer and the USSR’s defending champion Boris Spassky.

As a person who sometimes needs “absolute quiet” when I do my work, I loved watching this movie because while watching this movie I found out that the greatest chess players in the world Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer were that way too.

I will discuss this movie throughly in a future segment of my “I See the Light” movie review.

 

5.  The Power of Shock

“Haemoo”

This is an edge of your seat non-stop action packed thriller full of drama.

It is the story of one bad thing after another happening to a man (the owner-captain of a fishing ship), his crew and their human cargo.

The high intensity action in this film begins when the captain comes home and finds his wife having sex in his bed with another man, and never stops.

I will discuss this movie more throughly in a future segment of my “I See the Light” movie review.

 

6. Male and Female Fantasies

“Top Five”

“Learning to Drive”

“Ruth & Alex”

I will discuss “Ruth & Alex” more throughly in a future segment of my “I See the Light” movie review and as a stand alone movie review on my blog, the Gary S. Smolker Idea Exchange blog at http://www.garysmolker.wordpress.com.

In one of the early scenes in “”Ruth & Alex””, Dianne Keaton reminisces about how she first met her husband-to-be (Morgan Freeman) when she was a graduate student posing in the nude for him.

He (Morgan Freeman) asked her to take off her glasses and to put on another pair that he handed to her.  She (Dianne Keaton) replied: “You are the only man who has asked me to take off my glasses instead of asking me to take off my clothes.”

I will discuss “Learning to Drive” more throughly in a future segment of my “I See the Light” movie review and as a stand alone movie review on my blog, the Gary S. Smolker Idea Exchange blog at http://www.garysmolker.wordpress.com.

In one of the early scenes in “Learning to Drive”, Morgan Freeman asks his wife – he recently married her in an arranged marriage in the United States without ever seeing her before they were married – who has just arrived in America from a small rural village in India, and who is trying to learn English by watching television, “Which English words did you learn watching television “today?”

She replies “peligro.”  He tells her: “That isn’t English.  That is Spanish.  You were watching a Spanish TV station.”

“Ruth & Alex” and “Learning to Drive” are both very engaging stories about marriages that “work.”

“Top Five” is discussed above.  It as an excellent portrayal of “single life’ – and is either the “best parody of single life” and/or an accurate representation of what it is like to be single in the modern world.

 

7.  Business Genius

“A Little Chaos”

A complete stand alone movie review of “A Little Chaos” was posted on the “Gary Smolker Idea Exchange Blog” on September 25, 2014 and is available for viewing  www.garysmolker.wordpress.com.

“A Little Chaos” is a visually spectacular film about a style obsessed monarch (King Louis XIV) who was a business genius.

Of historical note, Louis XIV is personally responsible for making diamonds a girl’s best friend.

8.  All That Glitters Is Not Gold

“Top Five”

“Map to the Stars”

“Foxcatcher”

“Map of the Stars” is a documentary type tale about sex, drugs, addiction to success and insecurity in the movie industry.

I will discuss “Map to the Stars” more throughly in a future segment of my “I See the Light” movie review.dave

“Foxcatcher” is based on the true story of John du Pont, an enormously rich man, who wanted to “own” a winning wrestling team preparing for the 1968 Olympics in Seoul, and focuses on his (John du Pont’s) interactions with  two US wrestling champions – Mark and Dave Schultz.

It is a tragic story about cold-blooded ambition combined with a over-the-top no holds barred pursuit of success.

“Top Five” is discussed above.

 

9.  Choosing A Life Partner

“The Theory of Everything”

“Ruth & Alex”

“Love and Mercy”

I will discuss “Love and Mercy” and “Ruth & Alex” more throughly in a future segment of my “I See the Light” movie review.

A complete stand alone movie review of “The Theory of Everything” was posted on the “Gary Smolker Idea Exchange Blog” on September 09, 2014 and is now available for viewing at http://www.garysmolker.wordpress.com.

10. Most Romantic Movie Category Award Winner

“The Theory of Everything”

“Ruth & Alex”

“Ruth & Alex” is a delightful story about an “elderly” married couple who decide they should sell their apartment because they are afraid they will not be physically able to continue climb several flights of stairs to get to their home.

The love and consideration they show for each other is inspiring.

The way they go about selling their home is hilarious.

I will discuss “Ruth & Alex” more throughly in a future stand-alone movie review.

A complete stand alone movie review of “The Theory of Everything” was posted on the “Gary Smolker Idea Exchange Blog” on September 09, 2014 and is now available for viewing at http://www.garysmolker.wordpress.com.

11.  Creativity and Madness

“Love and Mercy”

This is a heart breaking story and inspiring story about bad things that happened to singer-songwriter Brian Wilson, of Beach Boys fame, as a result of being exploited by a court appointed conservator as he struggled with his drug addiction and mental illness and the brave loving woman who saved him.

I will discuss this movie more throughly in a future segment of my “I See the Light” movie review.

12.  Creativity and Madness and Saneness

“Ruth & Alex”

“The Theory of Everything”

“Seymour: An Introduction”

“A Little Chaos”

Ruth and Alex and Seymour are each catalysts who ignite artistic endeavor.

I will discuss “Ruth & Alex” and “Seymour An Introduction” and how (what they did and what to do) to be a catalyst to ignite artistic/creative endeavor throughly in a future stand-alone movie review.

A complete stand alone movie review of “The Theory of Everything” was posted on the “Gary Smolker Idea Exchange Blog” on September 09, 2014 and is now available for viewing at  www.garysmolker.wordpress.com.

A complete stand alone movie review of “A Little Chaos” was posted on the “Gary Smolker Idea Exchange Blog” on September 25, 2014 and is now available for viewing at  www.garysmolker.wordpress.com.

13. Most Clueless Person

Al Pacino’s character A.J. Manglehorn (in “Manglehorn”) and Patricia Clarkson’s character Wendy (in “Learning to Drive”) vie for being the “most clueless person” portrayed in a movie.

“Manglehorn”

In “Manglehorn”, Al Pacino plays a man (A.J. Manglehorn) who can’t get over his first love.

He is so obsessed with his first love (the woman who got away), that on a first date with a woman (Holly Hunter) who likes him very much (previously she asked him if he would like to take a bath with her), he (Al Pacino) spends the entire evening (until his date leaves him by walking out on him while they are having dinner at a restaurant) talking about his first love.

TAKE AWAY:  Don’t talk about first loves or prior love affairs, prior husbands or prior people you dated, while you are on a date with someone else.

 “Learning to Drive”

In “Learning to Drive”, Patricia Clarkson plays a woman (Wendy) who doesn’t understand why her husband of 21 years (Ted, played by Jake Weber) left her.

In one scene, while Wendy and Ted are in their house packing their “separate things in boxes, Wendy pulls down a book entitled “The Joy of Sex.”

Wendy turns to Ted and asks: “Who does this book belong to.”  Ted replies, “I gave it to you as a gift.  You put it in a drawer and never looked at it.”

TAKE AWAY:  Be alert.  Pay attention to what other people are telling you.

I will discuss this movie in more detail in a future post.

14. Aging Category

“Ruth & Alex”

“While We’re Young”

“While We’re Young” is a story about an aging documentary film maker (Ben Stiller) who can’t get his act together.  He is a failure who has hit a creative dry patch and does “crazy” things in an attempt to get a creative energy boost.

It is a social portrait of interaction between the culture and aesthetic sensibilities of specific “establishment members” of the young and old New York creative with Ben Stiller, who is part of an aging urban class of “sophisticates.”

In this movie (“While We’re Young), screenwriter/director Noah Baumbach and principal cast Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Adam Driver, Amanda Seyfried, and Charles Grodin.

I will discuss “While We’re Young”  – and aging gracefully – more throughly in a future segment of my “I See the Light” movie review.

“Ruth & Alex” is also a movie about “aging gracefully.”

The movie “Ruth & Alex” is discussed in more detail in other sections of this review.

15.  Best Inside Joke Award

“Ruth & Alex”

Everything “Ruth & Alex” do while their real estate agent is showing their home to potential purchasers is “wrong.”

Every savvy residential real estate agent who sees this movie will get a big laugh.

If you want to sell your home, ask a sophisticated real estate agent to see this movie with you and then discuss everything Ruth and Alex do in this movie while trying to sell their home.

I will discuss this movie more throughly in a future stand-alone movie review and in a future segment of my “I See the Light” brief reviews of edifying movies.

16.  The Most Eye Opening Movie Award

I was exposed to ideas I had never thought of while watching “This Is My Land.”

“This Is My Land”

This is a French film.

The film maker, Director Tamara Erde has done a brilliant job.

In “This Is My Land” we are taken inside classrooms in high schools in Israel and the occupied West Bank where we watch how teachers teach history to their Israeli and Palestinian students.

Separately and apart we are treated to hearing comments on the current state of Israeli and Palestinian mindsets made by Israeli and Palestinian teacher/scholars outside their classrooms.

One criteria I use in measuring the quality of a film I have watched is to ask myself whether or not (after watching the film) I want to know more.

After watching “This Is My Land” I wanted to have endless conversations with each of the teachers the film maker Tamara Erde interviewed in the film and with Tamara herself.

For that reason, I give this film my highest quality rating.

One of the scholar/teachers Tamara interviewed stated that the way the history of Palestine and the Holocaust are taught to Israeli high school students traumatizes them: makes Israeli students blame Arabs for the Holocaust, want to kill Arabs.*

What these teacher/scholars have to say about the state of education and how it forms the minds of the Israeli and Palestinian high school students is very important to me because I believe people “are” what they have absorbed, that history and heritage people are exposed to are essential components of identity.

Watching a lesson being taught by a Palestinian teacher to a classroom of Palestinian high school students in the occupied West Bank made me realize there is a way to achieve lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

For those reasons, “This Is My Land” is a very important and eye opening film.

————–

*Nurit Peled-Elhanan is the teacher who made that statement.

Ms. Peled-Elhanan is a Professor of Language and Education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Her grandfather, Avraham Katsnelson, signed Israel’s “Declaration of Independence.”

In 2001 Ms. Peled-Elhanan was awarded the “Sakharov Prize” by the European Parliament.

She is the author of “Palestine in Israeli School Books: Ideology and Propaganda” (November, 2012) which can be purchased from Amazon.

————-

I will discuss this movie more throughly in a future stand-alone movie review.

17.  Ahead of the Curve

“Black and White”

“This Is My Land”

“Black and White” is an idealistic story about the tensions between a black family and a white man in a child custody battle.

I will discuss each one of these movies more throughly in a future segment of my “I See the Light” collection of reviews of edifying movies I saw at 2014 TIFF.

I will also discuss each of these movies in a future stand-alone movie review.

18. Most Uplifting Message

“Top Five”

My “Most Uplifting Message Award” goes to the movie “Top Five.”

In “Top Five”, Chris Rock plays a successful black comedian and movie star.

In one scene he is interviewed by a beautiful female movie critic.

While they are walking down a high class street in Manhattan, Chris’ character says to the movie critic:

“You can smell the progress: We have a black president and a black attorney general.  But try to be a black man trying to flag a cab in Manhattan.”

He then steps into the street to flag a cab.  He puts up his hand to flag a cab; a cab stops immediately to pick them, and then drives away with them.

I will discuss this movie more throughly in a future stand-alone movie review.

19. The Potential of Stand Up Comedy Monologues to Cause Social Change

“St. Vincent”

“St. Vincent” is a brilliant masterpiece of story telling.

In this movie the main character (Vincent, played by Bill Murray) is a hugely enchanting irascible cantankerous cash-strapped retiree who takes control of every horrible situation he is in by talking.

He is able take control of the horrible situations he finds himself in by thinking quickly (at the speed of light) and by masterfully practicing the art of ad lib stand-up comedic monologue.

The makers of this movie (screenwriter, actors, and director) make you smile.

Throughout this film, Vincent fights back at awful situations by talking at his problems.

Vincent (Bill Murray) fights back at problems with comedic one-liners.

The main characters in this film, who are each portrayed as being impotent frail human beings, each give demonstration after demonstration of the monologic art par excellence.  They turn tragedy into comedy, they turn what would normally be seen and/or thought of as horror into joyous chaos.

Screenwriter/director Theodore Melfi and principal cast (Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts, Chris O’Dowd, Terrance Howard and Jaeden Lieberher) provide a comedic sarcastic freewheeling tour of their grievances about our educational system, single parenthood, the divorce system, and medical care and their pugnacious love which they demonstrate through comedy, of social justice and their overwhelming moral and existential claims against what they think is wrong with and searing critique of the current state of public education, health care and how the legal system deals with divorce, child and spousal support, and single parenthood.

This movie teaches us to strive for emotional resilience by smiling at human failing.

I will discuss this movie in more detail in a future post.

 

 

Wrap Up

At the 2014 TIFF (which was held over 11 days from Sept. 4 to Sept. 15, 2104), 392 films from 79 different countries were shown; 248 of those films were World-,International-, or North American – premiere features.

I saw twenty serious movies at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.

Nineteen of those movies taught me an important lesson relevant to my life.

I recommend each of the following movies (which were presented at 2014 TIFF).

I believe each one of the following films will connect with the public, will capture the world’s imagination, will help people who view them be in touch with what is going on and understand human behavior.

I also recommend each of the following movies for the following additional reasons.

• (a) “Ruth & Alex” (World Premier at 2014 TIFF, Richard Loncraine, director; screenplay by Charlie Peters; Morgan Freeman, Dianne Keaton, Cynthia Nixon, Claire Vanderbloom, Korey Jackson, Carrie Preston, Sterling Jerins, Josh Pais, Miriam Shor and Michael Cristofer, principal cast); “Learning to Drive” (World Premier at 2014 TIFF, Isabel Coixet, director; Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kingsley, principal cast; screenplay by Sarah Kernochan) and “Manglehorn” (North American Premier at 2014 TIFF, David Gordon Green, director; screenplay by Paul Logan; Al Pacino, Holly Hunter, Harmony Korine, and Chris Messina, principal cast) – each taught me, by how the main characters in each movie lived their life, how to generate and maintain good relationships with members of the opposite sex.  How to live life with beauty and poise and how to make sure I do not allow myself or anyone else being a songbird kept in a gilded cage.
• (b) “Pawn Sacrifice” (World Premier at 2014 TIFF, Ed Zwick, director; screenplay by Steven Knight; Tobey Maguire, Peter Sarsgaard Liev Schreiber, and Michael Stuhlbarg, principal cast) and “Learning to Drive” helped me to better understand (i) why I sometimes need absolute silence while, (ii) how what makes me tick (drive, ambition and single minded) sometimes makes me blind to what impact I may/might have on the people I am interacting with, and (iii) why I am the way I am socially, professionally and intellectually.  Each of these movies gave me insight into why the “good” and “bad” of what has happened to me happened. Each movie tells a story which presents an example of the truism that man meets himself in adversity.
• (c) I found reinforcement of my already existing views of the human condition, the on-going sexual revolution, values consciousness, the worldwide spirit of the day, and the mystery of creative inspiration in the following movies:
• (i) “Top Five” (World Premier at 2014 TIFF, Chris Rock, director; screenplay by Chris Rock; Chris Rock, Rosario Dawson, JB Smoove, Gabrielle Union, Tracy Morgan, Cedric the Entertainer, Kevin Hart, Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Shepherd, Jay Pharaoh, Anders Holm and Michael Che principal cast) and “Black and White” (World Premier at 2014 TIFF, Mike Binder, director; screenplay by Mike Binder; Kevin Costner, Octavia Spencer, Anthony Mackie, Andre Holland, Bill Burr, Mpho Koaho, Gillian Jacobs, Jennifer Ehle and Jillian Estell principal cast) each provide a “feel good” portrayal of the status of race relations in the United States today in a very positive evolved upbeat light. (ii)” Ruth & Alex” and “While We’re Young” (World Premier at 2014 TIFF, Noah Baumbach, director; screenplay by Noah Baumbach; principal cast Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Adam Driver, Amanda Seyfried, and Charles Grodin) present a positive and loving portrayal of human frailty and the stages of a life as we grow older. [iii] “Top Five,” “Maps to the Stars” (North American premier at 2014 TIFF, David Cronenberg, director; screenplay by Bruce Wagner; Principal Cast: Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, Olivia Williams, Sarah Gadon, John Cusack, and Robert Pattinson)  and “Love & Mercy” (World Premier at 2014 TIFF, Bill Pohlad, director; screenplay by Oren Moverman and Michael Alan Lerner; Principal Cast: John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks and Paul Giamatti), on the other hand, present a glaringly ugly portrayal of the “tortured existence” of people in the entertainment industry, the pain of expectations, and the crushing unhappiness of discovering that what you thought you wanted isn’t what you wanted at all, because the price is too high.  [iv]“Haemoo” (International Premiere at 2014 TIFF, Shim Sung-Bo, director; screenplay by Shim Sung-Bo and Bong Jooh-ho; principal cast: Kim Yoon-seok, Park Yu-chun, and Han Ye-re) and “Two Days, and One Night” (Canadian Premier at 2014 TIFF, Luc Dardenne and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, directors; screenplay by Luc Dardenne and Jean-Pierre Dardenne; principal cast: Marion Cotillard, Fabrizio Rongione, Pili Groyne and Simon Caudry) show in a compelling dramatic fashion what desperate “ordinary” people will do when threatened economically by having low paying jobs or no jobs, living in a mass unemployment environment where men and women who want to work who can’t get jobs and what they are “driven to do” by hard economic times. [v] “Foxcatcher” (Canadian Premier at 2014 TIFF, Bennett Miller, Director; Screenplay: E. Max Fry, Dan Futterman; Principal Cast: Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Vanessa Redgrave, Sienna Miller, Anthony Michael Hall, Guy Boyd, and Dave “Doc” Bennet) demonstrates one aspects of the old saying “great wealth and absolute power corrupt absolutely.”
• (d) “Foxcatcher”, “Learning to Drive”, “Two Days, One Night”, “This Is My Land” (World Premier, Tamara Erde, director; screenplay by Tamara Erde) , “Breakup Buddies” (World Premier at 2014 TIFF, Ning Hao Director; Screenplay: Yue Xiao Jun, Xing Aina, Sun Xiaohang; Principal Cast: Huang Bo and Xu Zheng) and “Haemoo” personalize the realities of human nature.  Each of these movies deals with the economic, human, social, political and technological conditions that cause things to be the way they today.  Each movie portrays fiscal realities and other conditions under which most people are living today, i.e. each movie shows a different part of the whole of humanity – most people are living today through emotional complexities under the weight of economic and political conditions.
• (e) “The Theory of Everything” is a “twilight and memories” type of movie.  It is a “feel good” movie about the real lives of “gushingly wonderful” people who are heart centered, at all times they act lovingly towards each other.
• (f) “Pawn Sacrifice”, “A Little Chaos”, “Seymour: An Introduction”  and “Haemoo” masterfully tell stories about human behavior under different conditions, which prove that thinking is part of the reality people have to think about.
• (g) “The Judge” –  tenderly portrays the personal and professional complexities of the life of a judge who loses his mental acuity.
• (h) “St. Vincent” – tenderly portrays the “goodness” of a man who on the surface looks like a looser.  It is a feel-good movie, that sparkles throughout with good and wise love of people; it will leave you smiling.

 

Copyright © 2014 Gary S. Smolker