The Hurt Locker

I actually enjoyed the movie more than I thought I would.  At first I found the movie kind of boring and I wasn't very interested, but looking back and as the movie progressed, I enjoyed the movie.  I really liked how close the movie got to the action and I think following the bomb technician was such an interesting perspective.  I felt the suspense of every bomb he was cutting and couldn't help but watch to see if he was going to do it.  I would recommend this movie to others even if they're not interested in war movies, and I would tell them to continue watching past the first parts.

I am really unsure about what the "Hurt Locker" means.  I think it could possibly mean that in the time of war you are metaphorically locked in pain, both physically and mentally.

Captain Phillips

I really, really enjoyed this movie.  I thought the acting in it was incredible, not only by Captain  Phillips, but also by the pirates and I felt like I was watching a pirate attack as it was happening. I had heard a little bit about the issue with the pirates, but I didn't know the exact details, such as that they wouldn't kill anyone, they just held them for ransom.  This was such a recent event in our history that I think the movie was so intense to watch. I felt sorry for how the Samalians were treated in their own country, but I do not think this gives them any right at all to do what the traumatizing deeds that they did. I would without a doubt recommend this movie to anyone who is old enough to not be frightened too much by the movie.

Apollo 13

I liked the movie Apollo 13 a lot.  I learned a lot about the mission to space without the movie being a boring documentary.  I really liked the main character. Not only was his acting incredible, but I liked the person he portrayed.  I liked when he was talking about the trip being a "successful failure".  For me, I feel like I would be so disappointed to have all of the buildup of going to the moon, and then all of a sudden it be taken away from me because of one lose coil. I feel like being on Apollo 13 would put the situation into perspective, however, because it was a matter of life or death.  The movie I felt was a little slow at times when they were in the spaceship and there was one part where the main character walked on the moon, and being unfamiliar with the mission, I was a little confused but the movie quickly explained that it had just been a hope of his.  I would recommend this movie to people even if they have no interest in the story.

I think NASA's budget of over $9 billion dollars is absurd. I understand that a lot of research happens on the moon, however, I feel like the research is not necessary.  That money could go toward so many other things.  Everyone always talks about how bad it is to have so many homeless, hungry children and adults, yet all it is is talk when even a quarter of NASA's budget could make such a difference in the world.

I do not think that we need to stay ahead of other countries when it comes to traveling to the moon because it is not such a huge thing.  Everyone knows that the United States is capable of traveling to the moon, so I think the US should let other countries go to the moon while we improve other technologies that could be more beneficial.  I also think it is a terrible belief that the US should have to stay ahead of other countries because all of the countries should be working together,

Parkland

I thought Parkland was an okay movie.  The movie definitely taught me more about the assassination of JFK, but it did not keep my interest the entire time.  I felt parts of the movie were a little slow and hard to get through.  Most of the movie, however, I thought was interesting and extremely informative.  I think the acting in the movie was incredible, especially by Zac Efron.  I think his acting was so good because it really showed how young and innocent he was until this incident and how hard he fought to keep JFK alive.  I think the movie was very informative, but I would only recommend it to people interested in the topic.

The Pianist

I thought The Pianist was a pretty good movie.  I thought the acting was incredible.  The movie at times was hard to watch because how detailed it was. The only part that I didn't like about the movie was how all of a sudden years had passed.  Overall, I thought the movie was really good and would recommend it.  I think it is so amazing how he was able to survive through such a hard time.   I also thought it was awesome how many non- Jewish people helping him survive. I could not even begin to image how traumatizing it would be to live during such a hard time and witness everything he did yet still fight to stay alive.  The part that moved me the most was when the Nazi even helped Szpilman stay alive and not only did he just let him live, but he provided him with  a coat and food.

Honestly, I can not even begin to think about what was possibly going through Hosenfeld's mind when he allowed Szpilman to live and not turn him in.  I think that Hosenfeld possibly saw the struggle in Szpilman's face and realized that the Russians were coming soon anyways so killing one Jew wouldn't make that big of a difference.  I also think that Hosenfeld probably didn't like the Jewish population, but wasn't as extreme as Hitler and he only became a Nazi to save his own life and because it was what he was taught to be correct. I think Szpilman trusted Hosenfeld with his life even though Hosenfeld was a Nazi and Szpilman has been running from them for five years because he had nothing left.  I believe that Szpilman gave the Nazi his trust because he had no one else in the world and he was running out of hope so he decided he had nothing left to lose.

Defiance

I really enjoyed the movie.  Defiance was totally different than I expected.  I thought the movie would really impact me and show me how traumatizing World War II was.  However, I loved how the movie showed the people surviving on their own.  Defiance was like no movie I have ever seen.  I loved how they didn't glamorize the woods where they broke away and hid, but instead showed that the brothers even fought among themselves with the trauma they were facing.  I can't even describe the movie or do it any justice, but I would most definitely recommend the movie to every teen or older.  I want to say that the movie taught me to never give up hope, but I feel like that isn't fair to say because I have never, and hopefully will never, know what the Jews went through.  

When Tuvia says, "Our revenge is to live",  I think it is obvious by what he means.  To me, Tuvia means that there is no point trying to fight back against the Nazis because that is just sinking down to their level.  Instead, stay alive and the Nazis will be extremely angry because they don't want any Jewish people alive, but then the Jewish people never did anything wrong.  The Jewish people can not be blamed for anything, but are getting the best revenge possible.  Humanity and revenge can coexist and it is proven by what I mentioned above.  To live is doing nothing in the wrong of humanity, but still getting the best possible revenge on the Nazis.  I do not think revenge is an act of humanity because I do not think either thing can be defined perfectly. I think that people can be humane and still get revenge, but in a way that is not doing anything wrong.  I don't feel like I can properly answer if revenge is ever an act of humanity because I think it is a gray area, but I do think both can coexist.

The Godfather

I did not like the movie, The Godfather.  I thought the movie was somewhat confusing to follow at times.  The movie itself did not really capture my attention.  I can't really pinpoint what I didn't like about the movie, I just over all was not interested.  I personally would not recommend the movie, even though the movie is supposed to be a classic.  I think the movie has a huge reputation and I was expecting a lot more.  I thought the acting in the movie was pretty good, but nothing about it was amazing.  Overall, I was pretty disappointed in The Godfather, however, looking back on the movie I don't think it was as bad as I thought it was while I was watching it.

Vito Corleone was not only the center of his family, but also of the movie.  Vito Corleone was the man that would make deals with others and everything needed his permission.  He also always was worried about protecting his family and close friends.  I think Vito Corleone's role in the family was to be the center, and he definitely was portrayed that was in the movie, but I don't think that he was a very intriguing character.  I did not like how Vito just collapsed and died in the garden with the tomato plants.  I thought it was so disappointing considering he had just survived multiple bullets and then died by just collapsing. I would have much rather seen him die in a dramatic encounter with the 5 families and had a huge shoot out where it was a big deal that he died, especially since we was the center of the film and family.  I think the world became a better place when the Godfather died because I don't think Michael would have survived much longer and I think their family would have almost vanished.  The family would definitely have faded out because the Godfather had all of these favors people owed him and all of these plans and I do not think his once so innocent son would have been able to handle it.

I think it is a very interesting perspective to have the movie be told from the inside, however, I do not think it was as genius and creative of a plan as everyone makes it seem.  It did, however, help me learn more about organized crime and how everything was handled, but that was only because I knew nothing about organized crime.  I guess being told from the inside view is the reason so many love this movie, but I definitely don't think it deserves to be a "classic".  In order to be a classic, I think a movie must leave almost every viewer feeling a strong emotion and have the viewer also be feeling those emotions throughout the whole movie. I don't think these characters could cause anyone to feel happy when they were happy or sad when they were sad.  This movie should not be considered a classic in my eyes.

Miracle On Ice

I really likes Miracle on Ice.  The beginning did not really capture my attention but after about a half hour in I loved it. Once I got past the beginning I felt myself cringing at the workouts the players had to do, but also feeling the anxiety before the big games and wanted to be able to cheer the team on. I thought the movie was so well done.  The story itself is amazing.  Not  only did the story completely inspire me and make me want to be the best athlete I can be, the movie made me want to be so determined in every single thing I do, much like the coach.  I think this movie and its moral of hard work will stay with me forever.  I would without a doubt, and have already,  recommend this movie to others.  Miracle on Ice was one of my favorite movies we have watched so far.  I wish I would have been able to see these games first hand, but I think the movie was as close to it as I could get.

Miracle on Ice is a story about exactly what the title is. A team that was not supposed to do well at all put in so much hard work, blood, sweat, and tears into the games and ended up winning the gold medal in the Olympics that they were not even expected to place in. The games took place during the Cold War, so the hockey games also stood for something so much greater.  America, thanks to Herb and the hockey players, showed the world that we may not be the best at everything but if we set our mind to it and put effort behind it, we can be the underdogs that rise to the top.  This hockey team represents America against the world and how we never gave up.  I think this game will be remembered forever for not only the amazing hockey achievements, but also the dedication and hard work Americans put in to everything they do.

 

I believe that an event in my lifetime that is similar to Miracle on Ice would be the situation of gay rights.  Although our country is not unified on the topic, it is such a talked about and argued point.  Most people have very strong beliefs and almost all of the country is involved in debating the topic.  Currently a lot of sports teams are deciding if they're going to allow gay players and if they say yes, to me, it would not only be a miracle on ice, but also the court, field and every sports arena.

42

I really liked the movie 42.  I thought the movie did an amazing job of showing the story of Jackie Robinson and the entering of black men into the MLB.  I think this movie will always stay with me for many reasons.  First, 42 showed me to never give up on my dreams even when everyone else is telling you to.  Also, I think Robinson did an amazing thing of not fighting back even though he wanted nothing more than to be able to defend himself. I would definitely recommend this movie to other people, whether they like baseball or not.  I strongly believe that this movie did an excellent job at depicting the struggle that Robinson felt, and made the viewer feel the same way.  

I think Jackie Robinson helped this country by showing that African American men can be apart of sports and could be on the same team as white men. We must learn from the experiences of Jackie Robinson so no other person of any race, religion, or anything has to go through the pain and torture that he did just to be able to live out his dream.  I also think the Jackie Robinson impacted this country through impacting  his teammates. He showed his teammates how committed he was, even through all of the struggles he was facing.  His teammates then showed America how important it is to support others and work with others, regardless of skin color.

I think Jackie Robinson's value of not fighting back could help me and everyone else in their struggles.  You don't always need to acknowledge the people that are making the rude comments, instead you can just let them say it and use it to motivate you,

Jackie Robinson said, "A life is not important except in the impact it has on others lives."  I agree with this, but I also disagree.  I think it is extremely important to leave a positive impact on at least one person in your lifetime, however, I do not think that all other lives are unimportant.  I believe that the most evil person in the world leaves a positive impact, no matter how small, on at least one person, and therefore I strongly believe that every single life is important.

A Cinderella Man

I think this movie was called a Cinderella Man because James Braddock had a rough life throughout the Great Depression, but ended up coming out on top and making the situation the best it could be.  James didn't complain much, instead he fought to put meaning behind his name.  In a way the Great Depression was like the evil stepmother in Cinderella.  The reason I say this, is because Braddock couldn't speak out against it or do anything to change the way the Great Depression affected his life, instead he could only break away and fight for his love of boxing and family. I really enjoyed the movie and how Braddock fought so hard to overcome his struggles, both figuratively and literally. I loved the character of James Braddock because he was very inspirational and made me want to never give up.  The issues that the Braddock family faced in the movie are definitely present today.  Many people struggle to provide food for their families and pay the bills.  The difference in the issue is that the whole country is not facing the problem, and because of that it is sometimes forgotten about, unfortunately.  Our children could possibly face the same issues of struggling to keep their families afloat, but hopefully they will not have to.

Unlike Braddock's son, I would not steal if my family had not eaten in a week.  The reason I would not is because I would feel extremely guilty.  The people providing the bread were also struggling in the economy and I wouldn't want to harm their families.  I personally would have tried to find a job, even though he was very young, of doing absolutely anything for anyone so that I could help my family, instead of possibly getting them into more trouble.

On the topic of Max Baer's portrayal in the movie, I think it unethical and extremely sickening.  I understand the film makers wanting to make it more dramatic for point of Hollywood, but the death devastated Baer and gave him severe depression.  I believe that if someone was mentally harmed by the death, it should not seem like they weren't.  The film made Baer seem like he was proud of it and that was clearly not the case.  If Baer had done it intentionally and had been proud of the death in the ring, then Baer would have been a sick person and I believe it would have been right to present him like that.  However, it is unfair to present someone who was devastated and trying to provide a living as a criminal when he clearly was not.

I found the scene where Braddock went to Madison Square Garden to beg for money interesting.  I would never say it was pathetic because he was trying to provide a living for his family, and it wasn't like he was not trying for a job. I also wouldn't say the scene made him admirable, however I would call the men that donated the money admirable.  This scene helps define Braddock as a Cinderella Man because it shows he had absolutely nothing and built himself up to his peak of his career by himself, and the help of a few others.

Tombstone

I did not like the movie Tombstone.  I found it to be extremely confusing, partly because I felt like I didn't know which characters were who.  I kept mixing up the characters and was getting lost in how they were related and what their goals were.  I did not feel like this movie left an impression on me or made me feel a certain way, because I was struggling to stay invested in the film due to my confusion.  I also thought this movie was probably not the most accurate portrayal of the cowboys in that period of time.  One part that I liked was seeing the character run off with the girl and finally be happy and content with his life.  I don't think the content of Tombstone is very accurate to today because we don't have cowboys like that and I don't think there were any lessons or morals that could be taught today.  Tombstone is a movie that I would personally not recommend unless you are very interested in the cowboys.

I believe that an event is legendary if it has a big impact on a large and diverse group of people.  Also,  I think that for an event to be considered legendary it must also make a change that will last in the future.  In my opinion, a person can be considered a legend if they have a large role in a legendary event, or they create something themselves that would be remembered and used as an influence for many years following the event. I do not really think that the characters in the movie Tombstone are considered legends.  My first reason for this belief is that  I have never heard of any of these individuals, and although not every person has heard of every legend,  I feel as though the most legendary individuals are heard of even if people don't know what they are known for.  I think the "Wild West" is interesting because it is not something that is talked about very often and is kind of unknown to me.  I would be interested in learning more of the "Wild West" in an accurate, not confusing way.

Glory

I enjoyed the movie Glory. I thought the movie showed not only the gruesomeness of war, but more importantly the unfair treatment of the black men of the 54th regiment and how they were not treated as all the other men were. I really liked Shaw's character and how he fought endlessly for the blacks to be treated fairly. I also liked when the men were so excited to fight for equal rights and be treated fairly, that  it didn't matter if they lost their lives because of it.  One scene that bothered me was when Shaw gave permission to the officer to whip the soldier, however I understand that he needed to do it to show his authority and gain the men's respect.  I felt like the movie was really inspiring to fight for what you feel is right and what you really want.  Shaw's character was extremely interesting to me because he was questioning even taking control of the 54th, but he did it anyways and he put everything he had into it.  I would recommend this movie to people, whether they are interested in war movies or not.  This movie is much more than a war movie and instead shows how the 54th was treated and what heroes they ended up being.

Many people go to war and end up losing their  lives while fighting.  I think people are willing to die for their county because they believe it is the way to get their country's freedoms. I also think many people do it because they believe they need to do something good for their country and if it helps others, they don't mind being a sacrifice. I believe that all men and women who fight in the wars are heroes, but the men of the 54th Massachusetts regiment are without a doubt heroes.  The men were fighting for their own freedom and were willing to do anything to get there.  All these men wanted was equality and to be treated like the white soldiers, so while many people would hope they wouldn't be put on the front lines, these men were eager to get there.  I have so much respect for these heroes and how brave they were to go into some of the deadliest battles and not look back.  Shaw is also a hero without question.  Shaw was the first man to lead a black regiment, which was unheard of.  However, more importantly, Shaw stood up for these men and fought just as hard to give them their equality in war and our country would not be the same without him.  When the men were just left to do  the hard labor, Shaw fought for them to be able to go to the front lines.  Shaw also volunteered his men to go into Fort Wagner first, knowing that almost all of the men would die, and he didn't hide in the back, instead died fighting at the front of the regiment, helping these men achieve their goal of being treated like real soldiers.

This specific story of the 54th regiment is extremely important because it changed our history.  For the first time the black men were able to fight the front lines of a war which had always been only white men.  The men were heroes who entered Fort Wagner first without looking back, and although the Fort was never taken, the 54th leading the troops was so important. These men were fearless and wanted to make sure the  generations after them were able to have equality that they were not able to have.  The story in Glory and of the 54th regiment is one that I will always remember because of these heroes that set the path of our country.

My Introduction

HEY!! My name is Stephanie L.  I would say that a word that describes me would be passionate. I am very passionate about doing well in school and sports.  My interests include volleyball, movies, and spending time with family and friends. One of my goals is to make a difference in Ali's, the special needs girl I work with, life. My favorite thing about school is being able to learn new things and experience new things with my friends. I don't like the amount of work and pressure that comes with school and the focus on grades instead of focusing on learning new material. The qualities of my favorite teachers, Burk and Keller, include being able to joke around while caring that the student actually learns and does well. I have a high interest in history when the teacher can present the information in an interesting and fun way.

I am overall proud in humanity. I feel as though the majority of people really care about making a difference and putting a positive stamp on the world.  One thing that I personally love, and got my friends involved with, is working with special needs kids.  Seeing their smiling faces is what shows everyone involved that it is the best thing to help.  I believe that there are many people in the world that aren't doing the best for others, but so many people are.  People are creating charities and fundraisers every day in the hopes of at least helping one person. With so many people striving to make a difference, I feel as though humanity is working for the better.  There will always be people out there that don't have good intentions, but so many people do.  The bad often overpowers the good, but broken down, there is so much good with our humanity that we should be proud of.