Please read over the various materials I have given you to help prepare you for the paper ahead. Use the
Oh! Thoughts about "The World Is Too Much With Us" also welcome!
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Local Hero Round Table
Please read over the various materials I have given you to help prepare you for the paper ahead. Use the
Oh! Thoughts about "The World Is Too Much With Us" also welcome!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
It's 11:00 o'clock. Do you know where your class is?
ReplyDeleteNot here, evidently.
Just checking in to see if I could be of any help.
Don't forget -- deadline is 6 p.m. Sunday!
9:09 pm.m, Thursday.
ReplyDeleteI'm just sayin' . . . a good paper is not something you can just throw together at the last minute.
I guess I'll jump into this lively discussion just by throwing a few of my own thoughts out there. I'm finding it fairly difficult to do the paper, mainly because I find that the more I think about Local Hero the more I disagree with the themes it presents. It seems as though it could have been written and directed by Ted Cruz or any insane Tea Partier. Why? Because it seems to harken back to a past and to a world that never existed. Based on the film, we should all just be crazy people living in huts wherever our grandparents used to live, because that's far more noble than supporting yourself or actually following the social contract to any extent. Throughout human history people have always strived to make progress and establish more rules, and this even holds true to times back before civilization even existed. I guess if it's all so terrible, why has almost everyone ever wanted some part of all this getting and spending? Although people living in rural areas tend to be happier than those living in cities, I think that the example of Greenland, arguably the most isolated country in the world, proves that, at least to some extent, the world should be with us. Greenland has a population of 50,000 people (15,000 of which live in its capital city) and has the highest suicide rate of any country in the world and there is rampant alcoholism and mental health issues throughout the nation. A quick search of Google Images will show you how incredibly beautiful and nature-rich the country is, but I simply can't stomach the idea that isolation as extreme as the type presented in the movie is psychologically healthy for someone. In the film's happier character arc Happer is won over by the calm beauty of Ferness, but if we're being realistic, based on what is presented in the film, he really just goes from being a mentally ill man in the city to a mentally ill man possibly somewhere else. Maybe he's less forlorn, but he's still remarkably unstable. On this note, if we're looking at who isn't forlorn, perhaps the happiest person in the entire movie is Danny, and he is perhaps the antithesis to the idea that it is necessary to be free of the shackles of earning a living and having a family to be happy. He seems fairly nomadic and lonely, but he just takes life as it goes in his own goofy way, and this gives him various friendships and the business opportunity at the end of the film. Of course, this is all the result of the world being with him, but I'm not sure that's the point Bill Forsyth had in mind. Maybe I'm being a little hard on the film, after all I did enjoy the initial scene between Mac and Happer, where Happer brings up the electronic rendition of the night sky in his office. For me this says a lot about the importance of genuine experiences and appreciating the beauty around you, because it's almost as if Happer sees something no one else does in the stars (including the townspeople of Ferness), yet he refuses to just let himself be happy. I'm not sure how this fits into the whole the world being to much with us thing, but it still feels pretty important. Anyway, that's all the overtly cynical thought I have for the day.
ReplyDeleteWhat I would suggest for Jack is to bear in mind the original assignment -- draw some connections between the themes and ethos of the poem and the movie. Now, those ideas could be completely misguided, and he could work that idea into his thesis. It may help him to go at it from that direction, instead of from one that he can't see/believe in.
DeleteBe careful, though. The main idea is that you all show the connections between the two; your slant is secondary. There are points in the movie that seems to have their doubts: Victor talking to Mac at the ceilidh, etc. {You need to go find the rest, Jack.]
As to Ted Cruz, well. I do know of a politician who once named this as his favorite movie. His initials are A. G., and he's despised by the tea party.
Also, here's an article which shows dissatisfaction in many industrialized nations.
Did any one else find Marina being a selkie/mermaid disconcerting? In a movie realistic in setting, though not plot, she sort of just sprang from nowhere. I realize life is supposed to be inexplicable, but I wish it was a bit clearer why she was working with the developers and so on in the first place. I suppose I'm being picky. None of the other characters had to explain themselves. But her inclusion reminds me of a summer reading book from a few years ago- it was an interesting heartwrenching story about religion and prejudice- then the main character, a Catholic schoolboy, builds himself the Golem and wreaks havoc on the wrongdoers of the entire story, procuring a happy ending. While thankfully Marina showed more restraint than that, she was still a bit...sudden? Although, she does provide a perfect link to the poem, as old Proteus rising from the sea...if I recall correctly, the shapeshifter is a seal in some of his appearances. I'm not really sure what else to write. I disagree with Jack Suitor-certainly, the movie is a bit reactionary in tone, but this is a near-genre of film, developers come to the idyllic town, seek to 'fix it'-heck, I can think of several childrens films that go this way. The message is not that we should all be living in hut s on the beach- old Ben is nearly as 'outside' as Marina- but rather, that sometimes it's good to look away from the money and instead at tidepools or stars. The most striking things don't always have a pricetag on them. I can't really put into words exactly how I'm feeling, so I'll leave you with a quote from one of my favorite stories. "Once I realized that all those little things we took for granted were actually miracles, I came to see this world in all it's ephemeral beauty. This cruel, ridiculous, beautiful world."
ReplyDeleteI think I recognize your first allusion: Snow in August? Where the quotation from?
DeleteAs for Marina, she adds a magical element to it -- a touch of "magical realism", if you will. Ferness is a special place. A little Brigadoonish.
But if Marina doesn't fit -- chip her away, and sweep her into the refuse pile!
To start, I just wanted to say that I really did enjoy this movie. Not quite on the level that Mr. Mac seems to like it, but well enough to have watched it for personal enjoyment rather than for class. Unlike Jack, it seems, I thought that the transition from the urban sprawl of Texas to the very rural and relaxed Scotland was really a great show of how lifestyle can change a person (Mac). Although I completely understand your point about Greenland, I like to look at the idea behind the movie as more of a generalized case rather than specifically in certain places. I won’t try to dispute the fact that of those statistics are true and are probably common in some of the world. I would like to look at the other side though. For example, even much closer to home, there are real life examples of the movie. A few years ago, and even to this day, there are programs that are introduced to city schools such as Hartford Public Schools. I have heard quite a few news programs about these programs where they take the students on trips to apple orchards and teach them in the classroom about nature and plants. To me, and some of my peers, not knowing that there are different types of apples and that they grow on trees probably seems absurd. These students had to learn this by traveling to an orchard (sometimes for the first time ever) and learning. Granted, we learned this as well, but we have lived in a more rural, nature-oriented area. That’s why I really support the idea in Local Hero that by traveling to a less urban and quieter part of the earth, you begin to really see nature and the world. As you saw, when we first met Mac, he had no idea what a comet was or really anything to do with space. When he goes to Scotland, he is amazed by the beauty of the night sky, especially the northern lights (even though he was more than a little tipsy at the time). He learns the names of a couple constellations as well. In addition to Scotland changing him mentally, we saw his attire change throughout his trip too. He starts out very official and dressed up. By the end, he is just wearing a sweater. He also went as far as forgetting his watch on the rock by the shore until the tides drowned it. He is clearly better off as well because he seems less stressed in the conclusion than he did at the start. That’s why I would say that the whole experience was good for Mac and would be for people in general, despite other cases like Jack’s example of Greenland. Most of the city dwellers seem to be missing an essential part of human life, the interaction with nature.
ReplyDeleteGreg has identified several scenes in the movie where Mac is connecting with Nature. This, of course, is connected to Wordsworth's personal feeling. Greg will want to narrow that down, though -- not just that there is a connection to Nature, but what that connection is, or the effect it has on Mac.
DeleteNow, also -- he'll probably be better off taking a single example from that list and explaining it in some detail, rather than piling up a whole bunch of examples, (but not doing anything with them). In a case like this -- a fairly short paper -- less is more.
I found it odd and unrealistic that nearly all the townspeople were overjoyed at the thought that they could become rich off the oil refinery that would destroy their homes and the bay. Marina and Ben seem to be the only ones who would miss the beach and its beauty. Ben outright laughs at the question of the price of the beach. No one else would miss its beauty? This is the home in which all these people have lived probably for their whole lives, yet no one cares the least bit that it will be completely destroyed. I know that people in my neighborhood would be enraged if our land was somehow destroyed, even if it meant they could become rich. Perhaps the film was written this way to allude to humans’ ignorance.
ReplyDeleteI was also confused why Happer seems so in love with constellations, yet he is the manager of a giant oil corporation…Don’t oil refineries pollute the air and, in turn, fog up the sky? Not only is this ironic, but it again shows the ignorance and stupidity of humans. Looks like Happer will have to resort to only viewing the stars from his planetarium in his office if his company keeps expanding.
At the end of the film when Mac looks out over the city of Houston, I certainly got a forlorn feeling. He had just hung up three pictures from Ferness. He was clearly missing the town which he was not much more than a stranger to, but then he looked out over the city he was a citizen of and knew so well, and he felt lonelier than he did in Ferness. This reminds me of the poem “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” which we read in class. Sometimes you feel most lonely when there are lots of people around you.
Also, there might be an obvious answer to this question that I just did not catch, but why is Ben’s last name Knox and the oil company is also named KNOX Oil and Gas? I’m guessing that’s not just a coincidence?
Why isn't there more opposition? Perhaps it is unrealistic, but -- that's how the story goes, and we're here to analyze what the story is (not what it ought to be).
DeleteHowever, these people have pretty meager lives. They don't each lobsters ("too expensive"), but do each rabbits. Nobody's close to being rich. But they know what rich is. Everybody with a tv or a radio knows what rich is. So when they are faced with the prospect of big money, they aren't even thinking about what will happen. They want what everybody else wants -- money. Which is supposed to equate to a better life.
As to Ben Knox? As far as we know from the movie, it is a coincidence. It gives him no special power in the negotiations that follow.
I too was wondering the entire time why Happer had such a great interest in constellations! During the movie, I was expecting the constellations to come into the movie and play a big roll, but they only served as a distraction up until the end of the movie. I suppose it all did come full circle by the end since Happer's obsession with constellations saved the beach. I probably watched the movie too one dimensionally the first time so I didn't realize the significance & irony of his passion and his job until you pointed it out Genna! Thanks for that! It seems that this is yet another way the movie showed how humans spend too much time "getting and spending". Perhaps Happer wanted to pursue a career related to astronomy but instead chose money over happiness?
DeleteLike Greg, I did find a certain charm to the film Local Hero. I found that the message was a little bit heavy-handed at times, with themes of nature and people's ever-growing separation with it become all to plain to see about 2/3 of the way into the film. However, I think that the representation of the character Mac was very well portrayed and kept him from being completely inept from the world around him. Yes, he's a businessman who is very good at what he does in the modern age and I've seen characters like him before in film. It's a pretty standard fish-out-of-water concept. But upon reading some of the notes that Mr. Mac has accumulated over repeated viewings I really began to realize the importance of these kinds of characters. Our world today is all about how fast things can get done and moving on to another task that needs to get done quickly and the cycle repeats. Mac's life consists of going to work and locating new places to drill oil for the modern world. The fact that he works for an oil company doesn't completely surprise me either, since oil and gas are the most important natural resources nowadays. Mac's world is completely taken over by modern technologies and his connection to the natural world is only to destroy it and extract it. As he progresses through the film, we (the audience) witness the evolution of a person from being completely material to appreciative of the free things in life. One of the most important scenes to me was when the Northern Lights were in the sky and his phone call to Happer. Here, Mac has a hard time describing the sight because of two things. The first is because he doesn't really know what it is and second is awe struck by the sight to begin with. Although he does actually give a pretty decent description of the Lights, the clear lack of understanding is still present. Sometimes the best things in life are free. MacIntyre's character really fascinated me as a critical viewer of film. And I'm not just saying that to score brownie points in this class; he really is a fantastic character. Toward the end of the film is another very important scene and possibly my favorite from the entire film. The scene is when Mac wants to swap lives with Gordon. Even though (let's be honest) they were pretty drunk at this point, Mac's proposal to Gordon is still telling of a change within his character. In Mr. MacArthur's notes he points out that when Mac asks for Gordon's wife he is not asking for Stella but a Stella. I think that is a great distinction and one that I also caught onto in the film. Mac's life is too busy for a wife and just to have someone who cares for him at any time would significantly make him happier. Mac may not have changed 180 from his original character, but that sort of change is almost distractingly unrealistic and preachy. Instead, I'm glad that there is still a little bit inside him that remains on business-mode because it adds more of a realistic spin to his character. And although this will probably be said a lot of this page, it is true that we a losing our connection to nature. This film illustrates that we can find it in ourselves to accept natural beauty on earth, as demonstrated by the protagonist MacIntyre.
ReplyDeleteAndy Lenoce
The impact of Nature on Mac is pretty obvious, and there are lots of scenes that play into it. And he's yearning for personal connection (especially with a special woman). This would be a lot trickier to work with, since WW doesn't really go there at all. "The world is too much with us" (check) and now he's feeling forlorn (check), so it's back to "Nature". "We have given our hearts away" -- hmmm. I just caught an ad on tv where Sports Authority offered me the opportunity to "shop the brands you love". Mac's got plenty of things -- he needs people. But -- making the connection, that will be the tricky part.
DeleteHonestly, I am also finding this paper difficult to even start. I can't seem to find a way to connect the poem to Local Hero. The only idea that presents itself is the concept of "getting and spending." In the poem, Wordsworth accuses the modern age of losing its vital connection with nature and everything else that is meaningful in life. It is quite obvious in the begginning of Local Hero that is statement is true. Mac raves about his car, his money, and how much stuff he has. Actually, it is apparent that most of the people living in Texas, the modern age in America, are too attached to their "stuff." For example, Mac didn't really want to go to Scotland, as he claimed himself to be more of a "telex man." However, the tide begins to turn as Mac spends more time in Scotland, with "nature." We begin to see his appearance and his overall attitude towards nature itself change. Nevertheless, it is the other way around with the community in Scotland. They are more concerned about becoming rich, even though they are about to lose everything-their homes, their current life and their community. But they don't seem to care, as long as money falls into play. On the other hand, the only significance I see with Mr. Happer sleeping during the company meeting is that he doesn't seem to find his company interesting anymore; he is bored with the current topics being discussed. He is more fascinated with stars and comets. This idea is especially plausible when Mr. Happer arrives in Scotland. He says he likes the place and no longer wants to use the community for development, but for an institute relating to comets/space. All in all, the connection I currently see is between nature and the modern age, relating to "getting and spending." However, I'm sure there is more to be found once I uncover more information.
ReplyDeleteKirsten Shea
You aren't obligated to consider everything. You get to selectively pick and chose. Don't worry about the old "you must negate the other side" deal. Lay out what you have to work with. Have you tried note cards? That's how John McPhee organizes long articles and even books. One note card for each possible connection, then start chipping away at those that don't belong. (The graphic organizer I gave you does this in a way, too, but it gives you limited space.)
DeleteHapper has everything people think they want. Money, power, a penthouse apartment. He talks with the leaders of countries. But it's an "empty, hollow, meaningless experience". He's forlorn. His therapist suggests a family. At the end of the movie, I think we're seeing a contented man.
This is challenging. That's why I'm giving you the time and space.
I think Local Hero had many great examples of "the world is too much with us". The movie shows Mac living his life by only "getting and spending" like the poem describes. But does "the world being too much with us" only apply to Mac? How about the residents of Ferness? How is "the world" too much with them? Wordsworth suggests that "the world" is the world of business, work, and the material world- this applies more to Mac. If the world of business and materialism is too much with Mac could the world of nature be too much with the people of Ferness? Mac comes from a completely different world than that of the people of Ferness. Mac comes from a life that is always busy and moving while the residents of Ferness come form a rural life and a place that is very stable and never changing. Mac finds the beach of Ferness very calm and pleasing because he lacked the connection with nature while the people of Ferness yearned for the life that Mac was living- one of stimulation and connected to the outside world. So could in someway "the world" be too much with everyone?
ReplyDeleteAnd really, whose baby is that?
Oh, I think everyone in Ferness has a pretty good idea whose baby it is. (Or could there be multiple candidate -- for father? It's a sordid tale, no doubt).
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of getters and spenders. Probably Ben is the only one who doesn't have to be one -- and he's still careful to "work".
So, could the whole paper be about "getting and spending"? It could be, but each new paragraph/example would have to reveal new aspects of the "sordid boon" associated with this behavior. To just say the same thing three times over would not result in an "A" paper. But there are all sorts of ways to skin a cat -- or, in this case, sculpt an ice block.
As I was looking over Kirsten Shea's thoughts "telex man" really caught my attention. At that point I wasn't even reading anymore. My mind kind of wandered off on a tangent and I was reminded of the earlier reviews that we read before watching the movie. Then as I continued to read, the next line gave me an aha moment. She wrote, "However, the tide begins to turn". All I could think about was MacIntyre's watch, and how it was taken with the tide, and how he was a telex man. As we view the watch be drowned by the tide we witness this sort of exchange of material possessions. MacIntyre went from having a gadget to having nature in the for of shells. In that scene there is this sort of surreal feeling as the watch starts to beep and we listen to the noise getting drowned out by the ocean.
ReplyDeleteThis to me, while it shows somewhat of a final release to nature, is more of a trade of possessions then it is MacIntyre giving himself up to nature and this new lifestyle. This works very well because he never truly looses his inner business man.
Through all that time he spends in Ferness he is touched just enough by the nature and slower pace of life that he is willing to trade his life back in Texas with Gordon. Alcohol removing his inhibitions and allowing us to glimpse some of his inner thoughts gives sincerity to what is happening. And while in the end he seems to transition back to his apartment quite easily there is this forlorn feeling as he looks over his city. Where does MacIntyre belong? The world may be too much with us but maybe we need to be more with the world. That is what I felt at the end of the film.
"The world may be too much with us but maybe we need to be more with the world." So here's a great example of what I was trying to say about "defining". Don't assume that we all agree on what WW meant by that. "The world is too much with us" certainly, maybe too "getting and spending" will need some defining on your part, so that your reader will know exactly where you're going with this.
DeleteBut you're on the way. You found a key scene. Now you have to figure exactly how it fits into how you see the connections.
I enjoyed this movie. Personally I found it to be a good way to step back from the hustle and bustle in ever day life and that is exactly what MacIntyre ended up doing in the movie. There is so many symbolic scenes within "Local Hero" that really go hand in hand with "The World Is Too Much With Us". They don't just share a theme but an underlying cause. The constant struggle between morality and money is what it comes down too, for me anyway. The world was too much with most everyone in the movie, Ben was the only character who was never swayed or impressed by any amount of cash flow. To have one faithful resident changed the entire mood of the plan. Even after the discussions and the agreement not to sell the town most people seemed upset while Mac and Ben were very content with the whole idea. I like to think that maybe after all that the towns people realized how special their little place is. I wasn't ready for the movie to end I was still processing what had happened and was working through the meaning of some of the characters. Moritz made no sense to me until I read the "Considerations" packet. He really was just a crazy therapist with some good thoughts. I absolutely found it a tad humorous that they made Ben's' last name Knox. I don't think the movie is telling us that you must slow down or you're life will stink, but more of just take a breath of fresh air every once and a while. I would have to agree with Anna, I also found Marina being a mermaid disconcerting. I personally don't see much need for her as a character she sort of just shows up to keep Danny comfortable (which is weird to me). She does also love the beach but why does she not make a stand if she truly loves this place? However, I really liked all the people from Ferness. They seem happy to just be working, doing whatever needs to be done around town. That makes me smile I am not sure why but I really like that little town. Ricky is an important part of their town, he creates another dimension of mystery to Ferness. Its nothing too big I just enjoyed watching the bike be the only thing that really brings Ferness into the newer age. I did not understand why they didn't knows whose baby that was and if anyone could explain that'd be great. Overall, I loved the message and I think this paper is going to come together pretty well with all the resources available to us.
ReplyDeleteSo let's think about Marina a bit. She brings an element of whimsy into the film. But she's the one who's got it made, isn't she. She's the one working in the Ben Knox sense of the term -- something that you love and that contributes to making the world a better place -- but at the same time that's how she gets. (How she spends, we can't say.) And is she open to love and a relationship with Danny? (Danny, to a lesser extent, mixes "business" with "working" -- although slyly he's the one cosying up to Happer at the end.) Now, she was completely in the dark about the "refinery caper", but she is unconcerned when Danny tells her about "the plan for the place". She's sure that that won't happen. She seems to have "more than mortal knowledge in her." (That's a Macbeth joke, by the way.) Har-har!
DeleteSorry this is a little late!
ReplyDeleteAs we watched the movie in class, I jotted down the connections I found, and was able to re-watch the movie on an airplane. It is very obvious that Mac makes a transformation throughout the movie. In the beginning and towards the middle, Mac makes several comments such as "Could you imagine a world without oil?" "I need electricity," and other comments to that effect. These clearly demonstrate that the world is, in fact, too much with Mac. He displays very materialistic views at first, only concerned with the business. I particularly like the part when he is buying shampoo and asks for the "normal... extra normal" kind. He obviously develops a fascination with the area, as we can see in his wardrobe as it gets more and more casual. We also see that he has grown fond of the area when he collects the sea shells and drops his watch in the water. We know by this point he doesn't actually want to put in the oil drills, and he outright tells us when he tries to get Urquhart to go back to Texas for him. It is also ironic when Mac comments that the loud planes spoil the area, as he is looking to do the same. The inhabitants of Ferness show almost the exact opposite; they are completely immersed in the natural world that it is the norm. Mac is completely in awe by a meteor shower, and one man comments "calm down, it's just a meteor shower." They are completely for selling their town and taking the money, as they had never had much and are excited by the prospect of gaining so much wealth. But, as the deal closes, at the party, they aren't as happy about selling their homes. Ben is the only one who values the beach and thinks that it is priceless. Mr. Happer, with is fascination with the sky, comes up with the "brilliant" idea to use the bay for research, and the people get to stay.
I also looked into the constellation Virgo, one that Mr. Happer was particularly fond of, as well as characteristics of the zodiac sign Virgo. The constellation seems to be a symbol of fertility, which the bay at Ferness was, with the warm waters from the Caribbean. People with the zodiac sign Virgo are typically more introverted, as I believe Mac is. He isn't really one for expressing sentimentality, even though he may feel it. They also like to be very organized and analytical. I think this fits the bill for Mac initially. I could be digging too deep, though.
That's deeper than I've ever looked. I suspect that Virgo is just a constellation, and that another would work just as well. (The meteor shower came from Leo. What have you got on that?) Actually, that would place the movie in mid-November, which I guess is about right (snow on distant mountains, Happer leaving his office in on overcoat).
DeleteAnd, yes, the shampoo. I don't think I mentioned that in my extensive "Considerations". Mac takes pride in being "extra normal". But then it turns out maybe he isn't.
It seems to me that nobody really learns a lesson in Local Hero. Mac goes back to Texas, but now he knows what he's missing and feels even more forlorn than he had before. Gordon and the citizens of Ferness are more concerned with being "stinkin' rich" than maintaining their home, all except Ben. The only people who actually care about the beach are Marina and Ben. At the end of the movie, Danny manages to convince Happer to build a marine observation center, but only because he is trying to impress Marina, not for any sentimental reason. As for Happer, he has spent his whole life striving to put his name on things. He talks briefly about how it's a shame that the company name was never changed to Happer, and even has a boulevard named after him. Although his fascination with the stars would seem to show an interest in nature, all it shows to me is that he wants something bigger to name after himself. As for the people of Ferness, they don't care about or appreciate the place that they live. They're ready to kill Ben to get their money, and don't seem to care at all what Mac wants to do with Ferness once he buys it. Supposedly Ferness is a magic place, but it seems like all of its inhabitants have been corrupted by the modern world, and that there is very little magic left. The similarity between Local Hero and "The World is Too Much With Us" seems to be that they both point out how screwed up our priorities have become. On a side note, did anybody else feel that Happer and his therapist were supposed to represent "getting and spending"? As in, Happer pays him to tell him that he's worthless and needs to buy more therapy in order to be an adequate human being, just as we pay corporations for products so that they can tell us we need more products.
ReplyDeleteMac is more forlorn at the end, but now he's aware that something is amiss, and has an inkling how to get started to change it. Who knows what his future will hold?
DeleteDo you think those nice people were ready to kill Ben? It's a menacing scene, and the first time I watched it I kind of thought that might happen, but do you think they would?
As to Happer, he's got the Big Forlorn. You've got your mid-life crisis -- is this what my life has become? This is the end-of-life crisis. As Macbeth puts its life is "a tale told by an idiot/ Full of sound and fury, signfifying/ Nothing." And all of a sudden the very "successful" Happer feels he is really amounting to nothing. Too late for a family, comets are too hard to find, so an Institute to bear his name into the future.
When we were shown Local Hero, I was surprised as to how it played out. When Mr. MacArthur described it I was expecting the people of Ferness to be apprehensive about selling the town, and honestly against it. When everyone there wanted to sell it, I was surprised, because you would think a place of that beauty would draw people in and keep them there, but it obviously did not. I also find it interesting how Happer wanted Mac to look to the sky for a comet. I think there is a strong juxtaposition there between his job and lifestyle and what he finds interesting and invests his time (and money) in. And then upon investigating Happer you have to look to his therapist. What was the point in him being there? Forsyth could have easily left this character out of the film but he's obviously there for a reason. I think he's there because he's a metaphor for society: constantly prodding and looking for answers and topics that are not always easy or simple to discuss; bugging you and pushing you around and forcing you to open doors that may not want to be opened in the first place. Another character I also found interesting was Marina. There are some obvious points as to why she can portray the highs and lows of getting and spending, but there as some other things that are more interesting about her, specifically her webbed toes. That was a product of design in the movie, but why did they give her webbed toes? I think they decided on that because it, in a way, connects her more with nature in that when you see somebody with webbed toes you think more of a creature like a frog or even a mermaid. I think that with that connection you bring her more toward the spectrum of less "getting and spending." Also she is somewhat naive in thinking that Mac was there to put up a research center in Ferness. There are many examples and connections of getting and spending in this movie and I don't think it will be too hard to write the essay. You just have to dig a little deep
ReplyDeleteMoritz is mostly there for cheap laughs, I think. He is a walking cliche. But that speech he gives to Happer about a wife and family -- that should be taken seriously, even though it comes from the mouth of a daft character.
DeleteQuite honestly, watching Local Hero the first time, I didn't see anything significant. And even after the second time, I did find that the movie has a lot to say about people nowadays, but unfortunately I'm yet to be enlightened by the "magic". Mr. MacArthur -Is this movie one of your favorites because it has a lot to say about life? Or because you really enjoy the plot? I'm just wondering what I've been missing because obviously there is something life changing about this movie for you.
ReplyDeleteIt's possible that this might be due to missing something big in the beginning but one of the things I still don't understand is why there was that man in the beginning that kept harassing Happer. I understand that originally he was hired as a physiatrist or therapist but why did Happer feel the need to hire him in the first place?
I personally thought that movie illustrated the point of the two poems we read in class spot on! The villagers didn't care at all that everything they knew would be lost after the se or even why Macltyre wanted to buy the village so badly. They just saw the money and that was it! Had Ben not known the true value of the beach, the villagers would have scammed themselves and would have been soley responsible for the action! It reminds me of today how we can all be blinded by wealth and reputation. I know with looking at colleges, and even potential careers, both of things can often come in the way.
At the end of the movie -we see Mac's digital watch and the telephone ringing Is there great significance for this? Is it because the villagers have finally learned to not be as materialistic?
*the sale
DeleteIt didn't change my life so much as affirm what I've come to believe. But I think the scenery is a big part of it, too. Maybe because my DNA came from there long ago, it seems especially beautiful to me.
DeleteThis, too. I'm a sucker for the ideal of a small town, a real community, where you know and care about your neighbors.
I agree with many of my classmates, that this paper has been a bit of a struggle to start. Local Hero did not end as I was expecting it to. To me, the ending seemed too quick and unsatisfactory. It doesn’t feel like any of the characters learned their lesson. All of the townspeople just wanted their money at any cost, even though it meant sacrificing the beauty of the area and their simple lifestyles. Gordon seems to be the most content with his own life throughout the movie, yet he still is so anxious to take the money for the town. I really disliked how Mr. Happer seemed to just dismiss Mac after he had decided to make a scientific institute in Ferness. Mac returns to a lonely apartment in Texas, still working the same job for the oil company. He ends up forlorn but without any solution. Even though Local Hero didn’t turn out to be my favorite movie, the essay does not seem like it will be too difficult to write. It’s easy to see all of the connections to be made between the movie and The World Is Too Much With Us poem. The overall idea of “getting and spending” is the clear message of the poem, and it can be tied to many of the characters in the movie as well. While watching the movie, I was actually surprised at how well the two related. Maybe I didn’t enjoy the movie because I found the theme or message to be unsettling, the idea that so many people trade in happiness for money. To me the movie made it seem like regardless who you are or what you do in life, you will be always left wanting something you don’t have. The one exception to this is Ben, who lives simply and quietly on his beach observing the stars. The best aspect of the movie was Mr. Happer’s focus on astronomy, and the fact that this element was shown throughout the movie by various characters as they observed the beauty of the sky on their own.
ReplyDelete"To me the movie made it seem like regardless who you are or what you do in life, you will be always left wanting something you don’t have."
DeleteThat's up to us, isn't it. You just have to be sure that you're chasing your own dreams, and not someone else's.
Oh, this, too. Gordon is a bit of a shape-shifter, too. I'm sure there's a part of him that would like to be using his smarts and skills down in London. Aren't his talents wasted in Ferness?
DeleteOkay -- It's 6 p.m., Sunday. I hope everyone has checked in.
ReplyDeleteThis is a just bit late but I didn't really like the movie as much as I thought I would originally, but while watching it I kept thinking of one idea specifically. No one was really content with what they had and it made me think of how everyone always wants what they can't have. Almost everyone in the movie was chasing something no matter what end of the spectrum they were on. You have Happer who is a billionaire oil tycoon who has all the worldly success a person could hope for. He's on the verge of a $600 million business deal but he doesn't really care about that as much as he cares about his true love which is astronomy. He falls asleep in a meeting discussing the deal, but every time Mac calls about the constellations in Scotland he couldn't be more excited. The townspeople of Ferness all seem so content until they realize that they can sell their beautiful village and become rich. They're willing to give away everything they have just so they can be rich. Towards the end of the movie at the party there is even a man who says that all the money has done for him is make him feel depressed and his friend comically offers him some advice that being rich isn't easy. Then you have Mac who thought he was living the life until he settles into Ferness. Slowly but surely he comes to fall in love with the town and all its charm. He sees beauty in the people's simple lifestyle and and at one point while drunk offers up his $80,000 salary, Porsche and entire way of living to essentially become Gordon and stay back in Ferness and run the inn. The only real exception to the rule in the movie was of course Ben. He sees past all the delusion and refuses to sell his stake of the town. This of course angers the rest of the townspeople and he manages to bring out the ugly in the normally hospitable people of Ferness when they try and almost kill him.
ReplyDeleteJust to reiterate what I said a post or two ago. I like this film because it shows the other side, too. The Fernessians have a hard life, particularly Ricky and "Harriet". So I think the message that I hope students have taken away over the years is not "go live in a shack on the beach", but "figure out what it is you really want out of life." Chase your dreams, not someone else's.
DeleteI did not realize this was due before school tomorrow (and I've been working all weekend) so I may be too late but here it goes..
ReplyDeleteWhat I found most interesting about the movie Local Hero is the way so many of the important symbolic pieces (at least important to our comparison with "The World Is Too Much With Us") were ignored by the movie's characters. All the little interruptions like the motorbike that kept whizzing by and the jet engines, were hardly even acknowledged. However, to me as a viewer these brief pauses in the serenity of a small Scottish village were very purposefully placed. MacIntyre did at one point make a comment about the jets ruining the environment which was incredibly ironic considering he was planning to destroy the whole area. These moments shock us back to the reality of the modern world and remind us that this story takes place in a time blip. The best scene to portray this thought is the watch in the water. No further explanation is necessary for the class.
Although I feel like I have copious amounts of support for this essay I agree with many of my classmates who say the ending threw them off. MacIntyre surprised me by returning to Texas, I expected him to make some drastic life changing decision like stay in Scotland. We'll have to see how I work this change in expectation into my final essay. Maybe it's just further evidence of getting and spending. Even the natural beauty MacIntyre learned to enjoy was thrown away for modern life.
I'd never thought to put this into words, but. . . Ben reminds us that the beach is timeless and eternal, but Ferness has changed and will continue to change. Ricky's part of the town as much as the tides or the phone box. The Happer Institute will change the town, for better or worse. But the beach must be saved.
Delete(By the way, he phone box was put there for the movie. There's one there now on the jetty because people came to town looking for it.)
I agree with those who said they were perplexed by the fact that all of the townspeople were happy about selling their houses and where they came from. When Gordon was first introduced I actually thought he was going to do the opposite of what he did, I believed that he was going to try and convince Mac not to buy and kind of run him out of town because he was proud and happy where he was living and who he was with. I was extremely thrown off when it turned out to be the opposite and that he was just trying to make a deal that would benefit. I found it incredibly interesting as well as accurate about just how fast Gordon jumped on the deal Mac gave him of 20 Million (I believe that's the correct amount), when he could have gotten so much more (upwards of 60). Gordon didn't understand the true value of his town and what it held and I think that speaks a lot towards the "getting and spending". I can only think of 3 major characters who aren't forlorn in this movie, Danny, Ben, and Mr. Happer. Danny seems to have saw the beauty in the world all along, (in my eyes anyway)... And Mr. Happer was never really interested in the land aspect of the town only in the sky and the true beauty of nature within the sky. I found this to be rather telling seeing this man was more than likely filthy rich but didn't care about the next business deal but about the stars more so. Ben was another character who kind of perplexed me at his first appearance, I wasn't really to sure what purpose he would play but I now think he represented ideally how everyone should have been and should be. He refused to let all the money in the world take away what was his and what he found to be beautiful and his home. I really did enjoy this movie and feel as though many things about it do connect to the poem!
ReplyDeleteMarina. She's not forlorn. Victor, the Russian. I don't think he was. (He's following his own dream, a dyed-in-the-wool capitalist from the USSR.)
DeleteHapper's very forlorn at first, but finds happiness at the end.
Could one build one's paper around three characters who were not forlorn? It would take soe work, but I believe I could. Just have to be sure I was tying it back to WW.
Kelsey emailed this to me earlier:
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy watching Local Hero, though I wouldn't consider it a favorite of mine. This movie is riddled with symbolism in almost every scene, and I'm not sure that I can decipher all of it right.
In the beginning of the movie, we see that Happer doesn't care very much about his multi-billion dollar oil company as he is sleeping through a meeting. Instead, he is more interested in the stars, space activity, and the natural world. Happer works in a job that he doesn't really love or connect with, and is one of the few characters that appreciate the world from the beginning of the movie, along with Ben and Marina. This is why he eventually gets along so well with Ben who sees the beauty of nature, and appreciates the fullness of life. He understands that money is materialistic, and they best things in life are observed and felt; not bought.
Mac is too busy with his job and life in the city that he doesn't have time to appreciate nature and the real world around him. His eyes are opened when Happer sends him to this little Scottish town he learns to love. I believe that everyone must make a great change like this in their life to see the world in a new way. The townspeople have lived there their whole life, so they don't know what they'll be missing when it's taken away. They are obsessed with "getting and spending" and money; something they've never really had. Mac learns so much in his short time there, but I can't help to think that he might end up the same as Gordon. Gordon seems to have lived there his whole life, yet will do anything to sell the place. Who's to say that Mac won't want to do the same over time? With so many resources and thoughts to consider, I'm having difficulty choosing a topic!
This is a general caveat for you all -- be wary when you use the term "symbolism". It's over-used and misused by the general populace. It does have a fairly narrow and specific meaning.
DeleteMore more info, go here.
Nicole Howard was also having some trouble posting. She says:
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Genna’s comment on this about how the townspeople were oddly overjoyed over how much money they would be getting if this deal went through. Every time someone is about to purchase land for some development reason, people are up in arms about preserving the nature and the environment. I guess what I’m trying to say is that although I understand how much these people wanted money, it doesn’t make sense to me that they would be willing to give up their beloved land to something that was going to destroy it.
In addition to this, I am extremely confused about Mr. Happer’s therapist. Was this just supposed to be a funny add to the movie or did he have some type of symbolic role? The only thing that I can think of is that he was the figure that was as Wordsworth would say is the “getting and spending.” I guess what I mean by that is: Is this therapist the material possessions that are pulling Mr. Happer away from being one with nature? Am I looking too much into this relationship? I am just really confused about the whole reason for his casting in this movie. If you could possibly shed some light onto this that would be fantastic!
I did enjoy this movie to the extent of learning a lesson, however I did find it extremely slow at some points and a bit excessive on the “being one with nature” hints. I thought Mac was fantastic in his role and I did enjoy the setting very much. Something very small that really caught my attention was when Mac called on the phone booth; there was one phone that didn’t work very well. However, when the call would come through to Knox Oil Company it would be thousands of calls and thousands of people answering the phone. This was one of the references to the lesson of the movie that I really enjoyed. All in all, I see the superficial connections between the movie and the poem and I am really starting to see all the deeper connections that they share.
Nicole -- some of the points you address I have responded to above, so check there.
DeleteAs to the girls answering the phones in Houston -- they sure sounded pleasant and happy to be doing that job. Can you imagine doing that all day long? (Personally, I'd rather be a pagan.)
A couple people have mentioned the ending. I don't know if they mean the ending (Mac returning home), or the ending-ending (the phone ringing in the village).
ReplyDeleteHere's a video made about Local Hero for the 25th anniversary. Around the 34:30 mark there's a little explanation of how that ending came to be.
Last Call! Anybody else?
ReplyDeleteThe film, Local Hero, is contemporary as it echoes the sentiments and thoughts of the Romantics Poets. I see stark similarity with William Wordworth's "The World Is Too Much With Us". Our society is devoured by consumerism as Wordsworth mentions, "getting and spending". I personally think the movie is thought-provoking, as it mirrors the continuous demand for oil around the world. Oil companies like Exxon Mobile, BP, and Chevron are always on the news for their drilling antics.
ReplyDeleteThe film's setting in the West coast of Scotland, in a particularly fictional, scenic village of Ferness, takes me deep into the argument about the destruction of nature. Mac, a typical executive from Houston, Texas (a place where oil barons reside and center of oil industry), arrives in Ferness to buy the village and make way for a refinery. Gradually, he acclimatizes to the slow-paced life and he mingles with the locals, leading to his transformation where he becomes hesitant to destroy Ferness. Here, I notice the similarity of Mac with Wordsworth because like him (Wordsworth), he (Mac) is foreseeing the destruction of nature. I see the changing nature of humanity and the immense power that nature has over us. Wordsworth, too, and the other Romantics, was all in awe of nature, its grandeur and its strength. It plays a pivotal part in the film, where it’s in the beauty of Ferness, or in Harper's (the eccentric billionaire) love of astronomy and the Northern Lights. We, who live a city life (even though Tolland is a semi-rural town), are fascinated by such beautiful places. Today, we are so much into so many materialistic things; yet, simple people living in the lap of nature are much more at peace. Nature does have a calming influence on us. On numerous occasions, the sound of water and other sounds and sights of nature tremendously affect our souls. At the end of the movie, Happer was building an astronomical observatory there. An oceanographic research facility was also set up. It is interesting to see the two sides of Happer’s character. On one side, he is an oil baron, while on the other side, he adores astronomy (that has to do with nature). Characters like Ben, who actually owns the beach and would not sell it for anything, shows his conviction.
Though the story ends well, there have been tragedies in real life like the Exxon oil spill accident in Valdez, Alaska and the BP oil spill accident in the Gulf Coast of Mexico, which have impacted the wildlife greatly and which in turn, harmed the ecosystem. Not forgetting these tragedies, I think we should be more optimistic of the future. This film casts a ray of hope (as seen from the characters’ transformations) and a greater appreciation of nature. We should, too.
I’m going to read this. I’ll be sure to come back. thanks for sharing. and also This article gives the light in which we can observe the reality. this is very nice one and gives indepth information. thanks for this nice article... Mr Fix Solutions
ReplyDeleteA couple people have mentioned the ending. I don't know if they mean the ending (Mac returning home), or the ending-ending (the phone ringing in the village).
ReplyDeleteHere's a video made about Local Hero for the 25th anniversary. Around the 34:30 mark there's a little explanation of how that ending came to be.
Mr Fix Solutions in Houston