Hidden gems

I don't know about you, but I have come to realize that marketing can be huge.  Sometimes the power of say commercials can cause a television network to dump an otherwise successful show, or can doom a movie to be a flop simply in the short clip presentation.

Lately I have become aware of the priceless nature of finding the hidden story.  Lurking out there are stories that someone should be reading, and movies we should be watching because you will walk away feeling happy, enriched, and perhaps even appreciating life a little bit more.

This week, I have encountered two such movies.  The first was "We Bought a Zoo."  My guess is that the people putting the clips together to advertise on television latched on to exactly two plot points:


1) There is a cute little girl.

2) There are zoo animals.

Cute girl + zoo animals = schmaltzy kids movie.

WRONG.  So wrong.



These are NOT the point of the movie.  If I were to give a fair summary, I would say this movie is about reinventing yourself after tragedy.  It is about family.  It is about determination.  It is about hope.  It is not about cute kids and parading animals.

While I personally love superhero movies, things exploding, and spies jumping off of skyscrapers, in a world as tense as ours is these days we need things that keep hope alive.  That celebrate the goodness in people.

Love and determination I believe are themes that we can't dismiss.

And not Hollywood love, either, but demonstrations of loyalty, courage, and generosity.

Which brings me to my second undervalued movie this week, which is "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel".

What I believe this drama suffered from was an older cast.  What should be an asset, in the eyes of marketing, becomes a hindrance.   While the movie stars what I consider to be some of the best actors over the age of 50 out there, they are all older.  And the movie is about being older, but also about getting out of your comfort zone and living life to the fullest.

However, we've seen with successful television shows like "Harry's Law" that unless it appeals to an audience of 18-49, you don't exist.  Nevermind the fact that baby boomers are over 49 and assuredly financially strapped...so are 18-49 year olds.  We're all a little more cash poor than we were a few years ago.  Money is money.

I really believe that were this film marketed more and better it would have appealed to a wider audience, much like "We Bought a Zoo."  And much like the other movie, theater patrons would have been treated to solid acting, interesting dramatic plot, and a definite feeling of warmth and goodness to carry with you.

Truly there is value in film, much like literature, that leaves its mark on you for days and years afterwards.

Shouldn't we all be striving to take in films that enrich our lives?

Life is what happened while I made all these plans

I know some of you were followers of my other blog Succisive Thoughts, and to you I say, "Welcome."  As my life changed several upheavals made me realized that my blog needed some changes too.  Such as:


1. While I like the word "succisive" (which means "spare") I thought it would be clever to use a nearly obsolete word representing my blog life at the time which needed a space to dump all of my spare thoughts.  The problem with this choice was that so few people knew it, that it was hard for even me to convey. 

2. I was ending a phase of my life that I was comfortable in, and entering a new, free, and completely scary one called post-graduation.  As such, I knew that my blog life as always would reflect my changing world.  And frankly, I didn't know what I was supposed to be conveying now.

So, with this in mind, my first attempt at a reboot I came up with a blog and a blog title.  It was supremely, ultimately boring.  It was literally, "Sara the Artist."  Yawn. On top of this, it doesn't at all represent me.  I'm not just an artist, I'm also a jewelry designer, a writer, and a hopefully optimistic seller of antique and used books.

I needed something charming and very me.  So I channeled my inner perky 50s bombshell and came up with this blog!  Qué Sara, Sara!

Much like the song, the life of Sara is one that has not gone according to any plan.  Even my sensible plan to get my Master's so that I could be practically guaranteed a job flew out the window with a bad economy and my own problematic health issues.

But why grimace? Why mope?

Que Sera, Sera

Whatever will be, will be

The future's not ours to see

Que Sera, Sera

I decided that I needed to see this as less of an obstacle and more of a challenge.  A time of my life to see if I could make a living by doing a little bit of everything I love.  Will I be successful? I believe so.  If not, we take the failures and we learn from them and move on.

In the meantime, I'll share my life.  The things which encourage me as well as things that concern me about a whole host of topics.  I'll share with you my art and my writing and hopefully help you and inspire you.  Perhaps make a difference in your life in some small way.

And if not...oh, well.

Qué Sara, Sara!