Tag: grief

The Thin Line Between Chaotic and Lawful: Litigious Grief in Atom Egoyan’s The Sweet Hereafter

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A medium-long shot of Tom McCamus as Sam Burnell sitting on top of a picnic bench alongside Sarah Polley as his daughter Nicole Burnell. Sam has one leg propped up on the bench of the table, his hands resting in his lap and holding a half-eaten ice cream. He's dressed in forest green coveralls and wearing a brown leather toolbelt, staring up and to the left with an inscrutable expression on his face, his shoulder-length dark hair blowing in the wind. Nicole has both legs propped up on the same bench and is dressed in beige, white, and pink clothing, including a patterned sweater with rabbits strewn across the chest. She is mid-bite of her cone and looks amused. The brightly lit background indicates they are at a carnival at dusk.

| Chris Polley | I barely understood what a lawyer was as a teen in the 90s. I especially never thought I’d end up marrying one. The major reference points I had were all from TV and movies: I loyally watched The Practice even as ABC kept messing with its time slot… Continue reading

They Don’t Even Have Romance in Movies Anymore!

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|Caitlyn Speier| This past year, one of the most kind, smart, and justice-oriented people I’ve ever had the honor of calling a friend voluntarily left this world. Saying goodbye has been utterly… confusing. I suspect in large part because we honestly didn’t talk much anymore… Continue reading

Sick Day Story Allegory: The Princess Bride Integrates Grief on the Sly

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Inigo Montoya brandishing his sword, left hand raised to the side, with Fezzik out of focus in the background.

|Jake Rudegeair| Forget everything you know about The Princess Bride.

It won’t be easy. Rob Reiner’s hilarious classic from 1987 is fused to our collective filmic memory like a sixth finger. It would be like asking you to forget your favorite grade school teacher or your first crush. Continue reading