Warrior

Last night I had the opportunity to watch the movie Warrior for the first time. If you haven't seen it, here's the preview:

Then again, maybe don't watch it. I feel like it's almost better going into the movie blind and without expectations. This preview simply does not do it justice.

Much to my surprise, I really loved this movie. The story is fairly deep and complicated, so I won't spend the whole post talking about the plot line. But this movie was incredible. It was so packed with emotion and stress unlike any movie I have seen in a long, long time. The movie is centered around mixed martial arts, and some of the fight scenes are pretty intense and hard to watch (note: I'm also a BABY), but the movie as a whole was really amazing. Not because of the fighting, but because of the relationships portrayed in the movie between these two brothers and their father.

I couldn't help geeking out as the entire Family Processes SFL 160 class (amongst a slew of bits and pieces from other HD classes) ran through my brain for the whole movie as I analyzed the relationships between each character. Dorky as it may have been, I love movies that can make you think that way! Not necessarily in a Human Development mentality, but movies that just make you think and dig a little deeper. Plus, I'm a sucker for movies with deeper meaning, especially when that deeper meaning is the complexity of human relationships.


Although the movie focuses on the sport of fighting at face value, the real storyline of familial hurt and healing was done in such a powerful way that you can't help but feel effected by it. If we hadn't been in the presence of other people while watching it, I would have been sobbing. Emotional problems, amiright?

I highly recommend Warrior it to anybody! What are some good movies you have seen that left you with strong emotions or deep thoughts?

So. Many. Tears.

Growing up, I was never really a weepy person. I certainly never cried in movies or shows. I was told once (by a boy) that I was heartless because I didn't cry at the end of The Notebook. Spoiler alert: it is really, really sad. The end. 

All of a sudden around my second year of college, I became a freaking basket case. I will cry at basically anything. Happy, sad, if there is any amount of "feeling" for the person or character portrayed, the water works will surely turn on. Ugh.

This week was no exception as I came across a slew of very emotional videos.

The first is happy, sweet, and exciting. It shows "Peter Pan" proposing to his real-life girlfriend and stage-love "Wendy." Here's the link to the article that goes into more depth about their story (it's adorable). But here's just the video itself:

The second is emotional for the opposite reason. It pulls on the heartstrings, it's sad, it's inspiring and I was a MESS when watching it. Beyonce fulfills a 12-year-old girl's dying wish to dance and sing with her. Bless Beyonce. Bless this little girl. I gotta go cry again. Bye. 

And in case you aren't in tears yet, here's one more of people just doing really wonderful everyday acts of kindness. All caught on the dashboard cams of Russian citizens (dashboard cams are mandatory there). 

It never ceases to amaze me how much emotion media can evoke in people. Whether it's happiness, sadness, pain, anger -- pretty much every human emotion across the board. It's incredible to me. I think the ability to empathize with others is one of the greatest aspects of being human. I both love and hate it when media is able to have such a profoundly emotional effect on me. 

Crazy.