Leaving Normal and Closing
Overall I liked Leaving Normal. I thought it was creative and showed a women's struggle. there were some things in the movie that I didn't like as much as others but overall I thought the film was good. I liked the fact that these women were complete strangers in the beginning of the film. It felt more dramatic, more intense and a less typical female friendship. I didn't like the fact that these women were seeking families. It was weird to me that this filmed made it seem as if women were only searching for homes, families and love. I think there is a lot more to life than this and so this part of the film kind of bugged me. At the end, I enjoyed the pseudofamily at the end of the film because it reminded me more of my own. It reminded me of the formations that people make and call "family". Overall, I liked the film and the independence that the women found through finding each other.
My favorite film of the whole semester was probably Set It Off. I can't really explain exactly why but the women taking control with violence in the hood appeals to me. I thought this film was pretty intelligent because it viewed this film in a womens' view. This film showed women with their children, working and trying to get out of the hard life. I also liked it because it formed serious friendships and also some relationships in the meantime. The end of the film was extremely emotional. I liked how the poilceman filnally realized what he had done wrong and the reason for the girls' actions. Overall, I really liked this film. There are other films I also liked throughout the semester like Boys on the Side, The Grace Lee Project, Priscilla, etc. I didn't really like Easy Rider, Vagabond, Girl on a Motorcycle and The Straight Story because they were extremely slow moving, and the story line was boring.