Week 46: Willow

Dear Avid Reader,

I just realized that this blog represents all the time I've spent watching movies while others in the world struggle to eat.

The unfairness of the world is staggering.

Ignore The Bird, Follow The River

Not enough credit is given to things that are solid. Sure things that are superior are given their due, and rightly so, but what about things that are simply well done. To me, the gap between good and bad is vast, but the line between good and great is slight. I would venture to say that a masterwork only crosses over because of luck. Just ask Malcolm Gladwell.

Now I'm not trying to take anything away from great things. The Beatles, The Godfather Movies, and other stuff deserve their accolades. I just want the works that are really solid to get some love too. And solid is a great definition for the movie Willow.

All You Did Was Hang Around And Eat Our Eggs

Willow has a lot of things. It has action, magic, and truly hilarious dialogue from the Brownies and Madmartigan. And all of the actors are freaking bringing their A-game. Minor characters like Vonkhar add a cool dimension to the world through the strength of the performances. Just look at Arik's death. Even though he only has like three conversations in the whole flick, his death has meaning. THAT'S solid.

But the most important part I feel is the relationship between Willow and his wife Kiaya. For me it's the most important part of the movie. It underpins everything. Willow's journey would be meaningless without the pang of the separation from his true love. And when they reunite at the end, it always gets a little dusty in the room. This movie RULES!

Out Of The Way...PECK

I don't think there is a person alive that hates this movie. If someone watches this movie, they like it. End of story. And I don't mean tolerate it, I'm talking they will find themselves recalling the movie during the course of their lives. I mean the kind of liking that quotes lines. That's the hardcore "like" I'm referring to!

To me Willow is that pair of sunglasses in the car's console, always ready for when the designers ones are forgotten in the house. It's that flashlight that never seems to need batteries, the "good" scissors in the junk drawer.

But why don't movies like this ever seem to break-out from the pack of memory? Once again, I believe the answer is luck.

I Don't Love Her, She Kicked Me In The Face

In 1988, Willow was released along with a class of very high-quality movies. I will list the other 1988 flicks here: Beaches, Big, Beetlejuice, Bloodsport, Bright Lights-Big City, Bull Durham, Child's Play, Cinema Paradiso, Cocktail, Cocoon, Coming To America, Die Hard, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, A Fish Called Wanda, The Great Outdoors, Hairspray, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, Midnight Run, Oliver & Company, Punchline, Rain Man, Scrooged, Talk Radio, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Young Guns.

Now these may not all be classic films, but they are at least all very solid movies. They all are worth a watch. And counting Willow, that's 27 flicks. That's one every two weeks. I submit that it is hard to rise above in such a crowded movie year. This is especially true when there are so few stand-out flicks and a bunch of solid ones.

Give Me A Sword, I'll Win This War For You

I wonder a lot about cycles. I wonder if life closely resembles the seasons in that all things have a time to birth, flourish, harvest, and die. Do human works follow this rhythm? Do movies have bad years, and good years? Do they ebb and flow? Wax and wane?

Maybe it's too simplistic to think that way. But I think there is something to it. There are times of prosperity and want. Nothing can be done about it. We are all subject to the natural order of the seasons. No escape.

Nope. It didn't work. I wrote this whole essay and I still feel guilty about being richer than the world.

I guess I prefer it that way. Solid.

Until Next I Blog,

James