Blast From the Past

“Movies can and do have tremendous influence in shaping young lives in the realm of entertainment towards the ideals and objectives of normal adulthood.”

-Walt Disney

Last week, I had this sudden crave for a night of Julie Andrews. I reminisced the time when I used to watch The Sound of Music everyday (fact: I really did watch it EVERYDAY when I was in Grade 3, never missed a day). As I was counting the days, months, and years that I haven’t watched the said movie, I was sad that I forgot the strong impact of this movie to me when I was a little girl. It may sound funny that I am actually contemplating on this issue, but after years of watching The Sound of Music, I am distressed that I suddenly stopped “remembering” it. Since the last time I watched it was in 2007, I decided to make a “renaissance” with my favorite movie (unprecedented). I began my mission by listening to my CD of The Sound of Music. Singing along with the cast, I felt the urge to continue this “feeling” by watching the movie. Oh, how happy I was again. I felt like I am the little Ayra again who will dance when Liesl and Rolf do their number, who will sing when Maria began to trek through the hills, and who will kiss the television as Maria softly kisses Captain von Trapp (I think that Captain von Trapp is my first crush:-)). This movie truly inspired me as a person, and like what Walt Disney said (quoted above), this movie (The Sound of Music) contributed a great deal of what I am now.

The Sound of Music (1965)

My “Julie Andrews fever” did not end there. I started listening to My Fair Lady (original London cast: Audrey Hepburn got the part for the movie because she was more popular than Julie before, she didn’t even know how to sing! Nevertheless, I still like Audrey.) I sang along with Julie Andrews as she sings The Rain in Spain and I Could Have Danced All Night. After that, I watched her other movies: Mary Poppins, Relative Values, Princess Diaries 1 and 2, and Shrek 2. I was overwhelmed after watching all of these (I still managed to do my assignments even though I did these).

My Fair Lady (1959)

A Little Bit of Broadway (1988)

Mary Poppins (1964)

Watching all of these made me really understand myself and why I am interested with these things that I am presently fascinated. I remember when I will insist to my group mates that all of our group works, assignments and school activities will be presented with a touch of Sound of Music. I was called “Maria” or “The Sound of Music girl” when I was in grade school because of my ardent love for this movie. I even told my parents that I will die for Julie Andrews! That’s how I love and idolize her. I know that this is too much, but she truly inspired me. In a way, she made me feel that I can do something with myself and I am a “someone” in this world. Even though there are billions and billions of people in this world, I feel like I can be someone who I wanted to be. I think that our first movies are really important to us. It hones us. It can define our personality. It can shape our future. The Sound of Music (my most favorite among Julie Andrews’ movies/plays) is something that I will treasure forever because it defines my childhood, something that I will never forget.

Relative Values (2000)

My Dream of Becoming a Chameleon

Acting is something that I am passionate about. Almost all my life, I have been fascinated by many actors who showed great deal of talent and love for acting. I was mesmerized by Maria’s voice as she treks through the hills, stunned by Edmond Dantes’ brilliant façade, saddened by Rhett’s final departure of Scarlett, and moved by Anita’s agony when her lover Bernardo died. Acting has been part of our daily lives. We never let a day pass without seeing/ watching a television, a movie theatre, or perhaps, a theatre play. With this, I want to share something that I found that surely made me love acting even more.

Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing in Friends

My weekly dose: watching Youtube. You may call me Ellen DeGeneres II because of my habit in looking for extraordinary videos about…well, anything under the sun! Last Saturday, I typed my favorite Friends character (though I love them all), Chandler Bing. I found out that he (Matthew Perry) was a former guest of Beverly Hills 90210. I thought that he will be playing a cool, comic guy in the said show, but as it turned out, he played a very opposite character. I watched him in Fools Rush In and 17 Again, and I thought that I saw the “Chandler Bing effect” (that’s what I call funny-Chandler-acting) in both movies. However, this episode (“April is the Cruelest Month”) showed a different Matthew Perry. Matthew Perry performed a slight psycho, accomplished, and stressed Roger Azarian in the said episode. Roger almost has everything in life, except his father’s appreciation of him. He does not have any friends since his father told him not to. He has a life planned before him; all he needs to do is to follow his father’s footsteps. He has several talents that made him a known person in their school. Once a school paper writer approached him to say something about his life, he decided to share to him his written script that he made. The writer was a bit frightened that Roger’s composition is about to come true (the script was about a boy that kills his compelling father). When the writer settled to talk over the relevance of the character to Roger, the writer found Roger about to commit suicide. The writer finally convinced Roger that he does not need to do that because he can be Roger’s friend and will help him pass this difficult stage. Encouraged, Roger decided to drop the suicide idea and live his life.

Matthew Perry as Roger Azarian in Beverly Hills 90210 (“April is the Cruelest Month”)

Unlike his stunning performance as Chandler Bing, in the well- known series Friends, he had a different approach in Beverly Hills 90210. I was quite shocked seeing him holding a gun and shooting his father in Beverly Hills 90210; and quite ecstatic as he makes fun with Joey and Ross. It is somewhat ironic to see two different personalities in one body (much like Sybil). That is the beauty of acting! Quoting from the music from Cinderella, “In my own little corner in my own little chair I can be whatever I want to be,” acting is like an escape from reality, an escape of the “box” that was built around us. I believe that in acting, we can be whatever we want to be. Matthew Perry showed how “chameleon” he is with this two performances, and with that, I am inspired to be more experimental and versatile in acting. I want to see the different personalities I can make up inside of me. I want to explore more of the world and to experience what other practice. I am ready to venture different experiences in my life; after all, acting is my passion.