WaterforElephants:LifeisaMostSpectacularShow

TonypromisedasurprisetomeifIwasabletoapplyfor20newjobswithintwodays.WhileIfailedtohitthegoalattheendoftheday,withthesubmissionofonly15newjobs,mysweetMr.HairballdecidedtodeliverthesurpriseashewasconvincedthatIhavebeenmakingarealeffortinordertoaccomplishthatdifficulttask.Theprizecameouttobeabeautifulmoviecalledquot;WaterforElephantsquot;atScotiabankTheater,starredbyRobertPattinson,ReeseWitherspoonandChristophWaltz.ItwasnotamongthemoviesthatcouldgiveyouaneasyandamusingtimeonaSundaynight,butbelongedtothecategoryofmoviesthatwouldtrulyhelpyouthinkandfeel.Thestorywasaboutaveterinarystudent,Jacob,abandonedhisstudiesafterhisparentswerekilledandjoinedatravelingcircusastheirvet.Therehemetthegirlofhisdream,Marlena,whowasalsothewifeofhisbossAugust.Theyfellinlovewhiletakingcareofthenewstarattractionofthecircus:asmartbabyelephant.Withoverwhelmingloveforeachotherandinconceivablecouragetowardbetterfuture,theywereabletodefeatthebrutalityofAugustandthecrueltyofthetimes.Ithinkthemoviehaschosenaverygoodperspectivetotellthestory,forthereasonthatacircusisalwaysaplacefullofironies.Itsupposedtobeaplacethatbringsoutthemostamountsoftruejoys,butitwasactuallywithtremendoushardshipandtragediesunderneath.Itlookslikeaplacefullofintra-speciesloveandcommunication,butitwasactuallydominatedbywildnessandmanipulations.Afterall,acircusshowwasjustanotherlucrativedelusionofjoys,atypicalbloodybusinessasmanyoftheothersinthehistoricalperiodofMid-20-centuryAmerica.WhileJacob,ontheotherhand,whoservedasarepresentativeofthescarcelyexistedhumanitiesduringthatera,hasmadeeveryefforttostrugglefortrueloveandtruecares.Therewardforhimwasagirlofhisdreamandanimmortallifestorytobesharedwithhisdeeplytouchedaudience.IwasveryhappytofindTonylovedthemovieallthesame,althoughIamprettysurethathecouldhavesomeunsharedfeelingsaboutitfromadifferentangleduetohispreviousexperiences.Forthat,Iwouldliketorespectandprotect.“Whatiftherewasahappyendingforourpasttragedies?”Thisisalwaysasentimentalandmagicalquestiontothinkabout.Thesingularityofthechancetoliveandtheunrepeatablenessoftimehaveleftuswithalimitedextentofchoicesaswellasagreatlegacyofmanyunfinishedyetunable-to-be-finishedstories.Inmyeyes,itneverharmstoletthestoriesandpitiesfinishedwiththehelpofmoviesandimagineforthemomentaboutotherpossibilitiesofourownlives.AndIhavemyunleashedthoughtstoo.“WherewereyouwhenIwasseventeen?”WhenMarlenaaskedJacob,helplesslyyethopefully,atthatdancingparty,Icouldclearlyremembersimilarwordscomingoutofmyownmouthinthefar-awaypast.TheanswertothatquestionwasnothingaboutwherewereyouexactlywhenIwasseventeen;itwaseverythingaboutwhatIamgoingtodowithmyalreadychangeddemandandfeelingsforlifenow.However,abigproblemintherealworldaboutthatis:thetruecourageinstrivingforbetterfuturecouldbelookingverysimilartotheungratefulboldnesstoscrewupaprettygoodlife.Peopleneedwisdomtotellthedifferencebetweenthetwo,otherwisetherecouldbeacostlypricetopayforsimplybeingromantic.Forexample,inthemovieItotallyunderstoodJacob’saffectionsforMarlenaandIcompletelycaughtMarlena’sinternalunsatisfactioninhermarriagewithAugust,yetIprettydoubtabouthowwouldMarlenaimmediatelyfeelafterAugust’sdeath.Augustwasherhusband.Hewastherightpersonforhertomeetwhenshewasseventeen.Hewasasuperevilforeveryoneelseintheworldexceptforher.Asanaudience,IfeeldelightedforMarlenaandJacob’slivinghappilyeverafter.ButdidAugustdeservesuchanapplaudedbetrayalanddemiseasthat?Loveistrulybeautiful,butloveisalsoselfish.Thereishardlyright-or-wronganswerinanylovestory.Itistouchyaslongasitisreal.-Onceagainironically,thesewordscamefromsomeonewhowassomehowhurtbythelovestorythatIamenjoyingrightnow.Iamalwaystryingtofeel,whatexactlydidJacobseeinthat1939pictureoftheWinnieBrothers’CircusShowattheverybeginningofthemovie?Cherishedmemoryofhispassedwife,gratefulappreciationtowardhisownlife,mixedfeelingsforhislong-deadfriendandenemyAugust?Despiteallthecomplexityandambiguityinhisfeelings,interestingly,thatfeelingreachesthebottomofourheartsandbecamesomethingthatweareallyearningforattheendoftheday.WhenTonyandI,hand-in-hand,cameoffasthelasttwopersonswhowalkedoutofthecinemathatnight,Icouldnothelpthinkingaboutonesimplequestion:ifthereiseveranyaudienceforourownlife,wouldtheyenjoytheshowasmuchaswejustdid?JessicaMay162011