Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Groomellette Party

In contemporary Caucajewmexdian circles, it is customary to hold a "groomellette" party, or perhaps three such parties, prior to a wedding. While the complementary "bridellete" parties are typically reserved for women only, the Groomellette is open to men and women.

For the first of my groomellette parties, we're planning on screening a film--but it's been very difficult to choose just one. I'm down to a top three list and stuck.

The candidates at this point are:

Lage Raho Munna Bhai

Synopsis: A musical about a gangster who tries to win the love of a DJ by posing as a history professor. The plot is complicated when the gangster's persistent hallucinations of talking to Gandhi inspire him to send flowers to his enemies. The spirit of independence breaks out across the city: an old man rebels against pressure from his children to marry his widowed high school sweetheart; another old man strips down in a crowded office to protest government corruption. But can the Gangster keep his secret long enough to marry the DJ? Or will the truth ironically destroy what his use of Gandhi's truth-power has created?
Critical Acclaim: Lage Raho Munna Bhai was the first Bollywood film ever to be shown at the United Nations.
Why I Like: a) Because it's one of the greatest films ever b) Because the screenwriter is a personal mentor and I have fond memories of the Columbus, Ohio Amish furniture store in front of which most of the screenplay was written.

Peak Oil: A Love Story

Synopsis: As the world falls apart, people begin to fall back in love with the earth. The film is made up of several apparently disconnected pieces telling stories of different areas in progressive stages of response as oil production peaks, drops, and becomes a thing of the past. Some of it is terryfing/heartwrenching, but a lot of it is gentle and beautiful. Especially love the scene where the Mormons have converted their subarbs back to fields. (Will we someday beat our cars into plowshares and pruninghooks?)
Critical Acclaim: Audience Award from the 2009 Orderville Film Festival.
Why I Like: This is a film to get you grounded and give you hope--the perfect prelude to a marriage, yes?

Yankles

Synopsis: Major League Baseball player Charlie Jones' life falls apart after he misses the catch that would have won his team the World Series. Three DUIs later, he's in a very different kind of uniform. Meanwhile, at Yeshiva Torah V'Limud (a university for Hasidic rabbis-in-training), Reb Yaakov feels inspired to start a baseball team for intercollegiate competition. Most of the players on the "Yankles" however, are highly inexperienced, and the team seems doomed to an eternity at the bottom of the league.
When Charlie is let out on parole, though, he agrees to coach at the yeshiva to work off his community service hours. Is this divine intervention for the team--or for Charlie?
Critical Acclaim: "The yeshiva baseball movie of the year!" -Forverts
Why I Like: Part of the appeal, admittedly, is that I'm in this movie. It's also got some excellent humor (the rabbi who assistant-coaches the team provides Charlie with a list of "kosher swearwords," for example) and a great klezmer soundtrack.

How can I possibly decide? Any advice?

7 comments:

  1. How about the one that is actually available for viewing at said party?

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  2. Well... Lage Raho Munna Bhai is so absurd it must be real...

    Is Peak Oil: A Love Story out on DVD yet? I thought it was still at the dollar movies...

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  3. Wait! Was there a third groomellette party for Stephen that I wasn't invited to? You do realize that one of the great groomellette traditions is to have a sleepover, don't you?

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  4. Judging by the other comments, I think that I was correct in assuming that Peak Oil: A Love Story was not actually real. That and an earlier blog post of yours. The Bollywood movie certainly sounded real, but right now I feel like nothing I know is true. So, I know that Yankles exists, and I know that you are in it so that one would get my vote.

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  5. Welcome to Postmodernity, Cort! It's like Strawberry Fields...

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  6. How does one find a copy of Yankles to watch, aside from coming to the party and hoping it's being shown?

    Just realized that by asking this in a comment, I obligate myself to keep checking the comments, looking for an answer.

    Auntie Sheila

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  7. We watched Lage Raho Munna Bhai.

    Yankles hasn't been released yet, so the only way to see it is by being at the film festivals where it gets screened. Visiting www.yankles.com or doing Google searches for "Yankles" will probably make it easier for them to find a distributor, though, b/c it will demonstrate audience interest.

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