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CAYOM: Year 4 (Part 1)

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Just because we need more fillers...

Lady Gaga: Born This Way 3D

Genre: Documentary/Biopic/Concert

Date: January 31st

Theaters: 3,005

Budget: $15 million

Cast: Lady Gaga (herself)

Rating: PG

Runtime: 112min (1hr, 52min)

Much in the style of Justin Bieber and Katy Perry's film, this film experience combines elements of concert films with an in depth look at the life of one of the most popular pop stars of the moment. The film will examine how she became famous, as well as her pursuits while she's not performing, including interviews from others close to gaga: The songs performed during the movie are Bad Romance, Poker Face, Born This Way, Judas, Hair, The Edge Of Glory, You & I, and Just Dance.

Edited by Spaghetti
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I'm pretty certain that Riczchang's Stephen Daldry film got removed from Thanksgiving.

Sorry about that, I left on Vacation, and that film just wasn't gonna get finished in time. So, it's hopefully happening next year.
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The Triple Nickels

Director: Taylor Hackford

Genre: Drama

Date: November 14-16

Studio: Guernica Films

Theaters: 3472 theatres

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Budget: $75 million

Runtime: 147 min

Format: 2D digital

Cast:

Terrence Howard as Morris

Kerry Washington as the wife

Derek Luke as Murchison

Anthony Mackie as Walden

John Goodman as Company Commander

Terry O'Quinn as Commanding General Gaither

Donald Sutherland as General Mark Clarke

Robert Duvall as Frank Derry

Tagline: Courage has no color.

Plot:

It’s beautiful summer morning on August 25, 1945. The sky is a light blue and the bright sun is just beginning to rise above the horizon. It is six o’clock and Walter Morris (Howard) is standing in the open door of our C-47 transport plane, which is flying at an altitude of 1500 feet and 150 miles per hour. He is the Second Lieutenant in the 555th Parachute Battalion of the United States Army, an all African American Battalion. He’s looking around the plane and he sees committed, focused faces around. Morris manages a proud smile. He hears in his ears the orders he was given a couple of hours back. “You’re on the way to fight not the Germans nor the Japanese, but a raging forest fire in the Mt. Baker National Forest of Washington State, understood?” and “The mission is classified as Operation Firefly.”

Joe Murchison (Luke) walks up to Morris and sits down next to him. “Mind if I take a sit here, Lieutenant?” Morris nods. They sit silently for a while, then Morris starts a conversation. “Do you often wonder, how the hell did we get here?” Murchison looks at him. “What do you mean, Lieutenant?” Morris smiles. “We are still colored soldiers, according to the white folks, we’re good for driving trucks, port companies, loading ships, mess halls, waiting on tables and do guard duty. So, how did we have Black paratroopers?” He stops for a second and gazes out the open door of the plan before he adds. “Why am I standing here on our way to a dangerous mission that could possibly get me and my men killed? Why should I have to die for a country that thinks so little of me and my people?”

Cut To:

2 years earlier

We’re back to the year 1943. Morris had just washed out of Infantry Officer Candidate School at Ft. Benning, Georgia. The Review Board suggests that he can select one of three service outfits on the Post and reapply to the School after three months. Morris had completed twelve of the thirteen week course. He had almost made it. He selects the Service Company of Parachute School; a school that trains white soldiers to become Army paratroopers. It is early spring in 1943 when he reports to the Service Company and within a few weeks he has an idea that can change the Company from a bunch of bored Black men doing guard duty for the properties of the school into something better. The tour of duty begins at four p.m., when the white student leave the field, and it ends at eight a.m. when the students return. Day in, day out. When not on guard duty, the Company sleeps all day.

Morale is at its lowest. Having just come from O.C.S., Morris thinks he knows how to lead men; after all, he had just missed becoming an officer in the United States Army by one week. He writes out a plan with changes in personnel and presents it to the Company Commander (Goodman). He reviews it and approves it. The Company Commander is a paratroop school failure and is on a list to be transferred overseas. He spends most of his time in the Officers Club and cares less what happens to the men or the Service Company. The men who are running the Company are all in an acting position in rank - Acting First Sergeant, Acting Supply Sergeant, etc. When Morris introduces his plan of operations, no one really objects. Their attitude is - who cares; what difference can it make? They even let a few racist comment slip their mouth.

We show a bit of the mood and the atmosphere of the time. There are "white" and "colored" drinking fountains, blacks are forced to ride in the back of the bus, and restaurants wouldn't serve them.

Morris begins his plan by moving certain people from position to position: the First Sergeant is made Supply Sergeant; the Supply Sergeant becomes one of several Platoon Sergeants. He makes himself First Sergeant. Things begin to shape up slowly. He introduces his idea of having his men imitate the white students as they go about exercises. As they are around them all day, they could do everything they do, with the exception of jumping from the 250 towers or planes in flight. So each day after four o’clock when the white students leave the field, the “colored students” take over. Within weeks we can see the changes in Morris’ men: shoes shined, clothes pressed, hair cut and combed - morale is up. They had found that, given the opportunity, they are just as good as the white students; no better but no worse. There is something else that annoys him. It is customary for soldiers to greet each other with “ Hi, ----,” or to say to a friend as they go to mess hall to eat: “You can go in first, negro.” This is not said in anger, but more as a habit. He decides to change that habit. He starts giving company punishment for any man heard using that phrase. The punishment prescribed is for the soldier to carry on his back the baseplate of an 81 millimeter mortar as he walks around the company area. It isn’t long before the men solve the problem. They begin to address each other by “Baseplate,”

We’re back to 1945. Morris’ mind returns to the plane and 1945, he notices the light over the door has turned red. This means to the Jump Master that they are twenty minutes from the forest fire. The palms of his hands are damp. He checks his equipment; makes sure that he has his cigarettes where he could get to them.

He thinks back again to 1943 - Ft. Benning.

One day, as they are “doing their thing”, they are observed by none other than the Commanding General of the Parachute School, General Ridgley Gaither (O’Quinn). He is a southern soldier who has the reputation of being as tough as nails and just as straight. The General is very impressed with their performance and, within a few days, he sends for Morris to come to his office. To his surprise, he tells him of a highly classified order. The Army authorize the activation of the 555th Parachute Company comprised of all African Americans, or as the orders read “all Colored troops.”

General Gaither asks Morris if he would accept the position of First Sergeant of the Company. Needless to say, he accepts.

We see a montage of the training phase and the end result in months, which is a company of officers and enlisted men qualified to jump out of C47’s. After they received their wings, they help train six Black officers to receive their wings. It is then that the decision is made by the Army to make the Company a Battalion. Because most of the cadre came from Fort Huachuca, they become the “Triple Nickles” in honor of the Buffalo Soldiers. To fill the quota for a separate company, the Army requests African American volunteer throughout the United States and the European Theatre. There is an overwhelming response to the request that we soon they have enough qualified jumpers to fill the quota. We introduce two more characters, with a little background story. We get to know how Roger Walden (Mackie) and Joe Murchison (Luke) got their way to the army.

General Gaither recommends that Morris attends Officer’s Training School at Fort Benning. He does so and we see a clip how he graduates with the rank of Second Lieutenant on November 8, 1944. We get to know a bit more about Morris as well, introducing his wife (Washington) and family and we learn about his beliefs and philosophy.

As he approaches one of his Sergeants wearing his shining Second Lieutenant bars, he snaps to attention, saluting him, and in a voice only he can hear, says “Good morning Baseplate.” a nice reference to Morris' methods.

But the race issue is still present in the country, wherever those folks go and inside the army as well. At Fort Benning, the unit's black officers and sergeants are not welcomed in the base and noncomissioned officers' clubs. After demonstrating that they are capable paratroopers, the Triple Nickles train, work, and eat together with some degree of solidarity with their white counterparts. Off-base, they continued to encounter discrimination, segregation, and police abuse. They recognize that all eyes are on them, with some hoping they would fail. The white soldiers are joking and making harsh comments, also the entire post is making bets that they wouldn't jump, because they'd be too afraid. These comments inspire the Triple Nickels, also the fact that this is the only black combat outfit, and they see it as an opportunity for black troops to enter something they can be proud of.

When the Battalion is preparing to move west on a highly classified assignment, they think that this well-trained unit of 400 plus men is going to fight the Japanese. No such luck; the luck comes to the Army. Since no Field Commander in Europe nor the Far East wants “colored troops” mixing with their racist white troops, the Army is stuck with them. As General Mark Clark (Sutherland) states, “We have a war to fight and win; I don’t need the added war that would be fought between our own men if I have to integrate the soldiers.”

The 555th continues to experience racism in Oregon. The base commander makes it clear that he disliked having an all-black unit, and it's reported that only two Pendleton bars and one Chinese restaurant would serve unit members.

The Forest Service asks for help in fighting the many fires that are spreading throughout the West Coast. The fires are due in part to incendiary bombs carried by balloons on the trade winds from Japan toe the US coast - from Washington to Oregon to California and even Montana. These fire bombs landed and started fires on impact. These balloons are made of a special laminated mulberry paper which is shellacked with a persimmon-juice sealant, thus the balloons could survive the 7,500 mile crossing against high altitude winds. The Japanese launch balloons rise to an altitude which carries the balloons across the Pacific Ocean, allowing them to land in the north-eastern part of the United States - and a few in Canada. These 30-foot wide balloons have bombs attached to them, which were either highly explosive, or are incendiary in nature. The trigger mechanism is simple but not always effective: a small barometer is set to trigger the release of a few sand bags at a time which keeps the balloons rising and descending as they are cruising across the Pacific at altitudes between 20,000 to 40,000 feet. When all 32 sand bags are released, the altitude control mechanism takes over in releasing the bombs and simultaneously igniting the slow-burning fuses that set off the self-destruct devices. The balloons are launched by the thousands. The United States learns from this attack that the Japanese balloons used the air currents. The fires started by the balloons, with the added help of careless campers and lightning, becoming too much for forest firefighters. What to do? Call the Army, with 400 well-trained paratroopers ready and able to perform “Operation Firefly”.

The 555th Battalion is ordered westward to Camp Pendleton, Oregon, to begin two weeks training in the proper method of fighting forest fires. Firefighting, of course, is an entirely new experience. And it is in this field that their new training program begins on 22 May. It is a three week program, which includes demolitions training, tree climbing and techniques for descent if they land in a tree, handling firefighting equipment, jumping into pocket-sized drop zones studded with rocks and tree stumps, survival in wooded areas, and extensive first-aid training for injuries - particularly broken bones. They learn to do the opposite of many things they learned and used in normal jumps - like deliberately landing in trees instead of avoiding them. They jump with full gear, including fifty feet of nylon rope for use in lowering themselves when we landed in a tree. Their steel helmets are replaced with football helmets with wire mesh face protectors. Covering their jumpsuits and standard army fatigues, they wear the air corps fleece-lined flying jacket and trousers. Gloves are standard equipment, but not worn when jumping: bare hands manipulate shroud lines better.

Naturally, their physical training program is intensified, because missions often finds them miles from civilization and in heavily wooded and mountainous terrain. On most of their missions they work with forest rangers. They are a fine group of men. They could walk up the hills like a cat on a snake walk. They teach them how to climb, use an axe, and what vegetation to eat. At the same time, they undergo an orientation program with Forest Service maps. And, above all, the morale and spirit of adventure never sags in the face of this unusual mission. It’s a good team building, few humorous scenes and we get to know more about our main characters.

On 8 June, they begin working with bomb disposal experts of the Ninth Army Service Command, learning the touchy business of handling unexploded bombs, as well as how to isolate areas in which a bomb, or suspected bomb, is located.

Then comes the new parachute. The parachute training is under a civilian, Frank Derry (Duvall), who has designed the special chute for jumping in heavily forested areas. A special feature of the so-called “Derry chute” is its maneuverability. By pulling the white shroud line, the chutist can turn himself into a 360 degree circling movement. This, in turn, gives him a wider choice of landing areas - a vital factor when trying to avoid tangles with the highest trees in the thickly-timbered areas.

By mid-July, the entire battalion qualifies as “Smokejumpers” - the Army’s first and only airborne firefighters. We see a Rocky-type, uplifting montage of them becoming Smokejumpers. Soon, their operations ranges over at least seven western states, and in a few instances, southern Canada. And there are two home bases - one in Pendleton, Oregon, and one in northern California at the Chico Air Base.

The roar of the propellers brings Morris back to the job at hand. He looks up and sees the red light had turned to green. The Jump Master gives the order to jump. They arrive at their fire. All 34 enlisted men and two officers jump and assemble on the ground about 500 feet from the burning trees. They at once establish camp and begin to work on a fire line.

Several enlisted men are injured during the operation. Morris sends one officer and some men to carry the wounded down the mountain to a waiting truck. One soldier has a broken leg above the knee and one a crushed chest. They go by PBY plane to a Tacoma, Washington, hospital. They have plenty of good luck. It rains very hard off and on for two days and nights, making the job so much easier. The fires cool down, and three days after the ground troops arrive, and The Battalion is relieved of their duties. They are prepared to pack up and leave the fire line.

As Morris looks back at the smoldering fires, he is struck with sudden understanding of his reason for being there. He sits next to Hutchinson and finishes the conversation they started. “Why would a Black man risk his life to help his country? The answer is simple, my friend. This is my country; this is my duty regardless of the social climate; regardless of the faults. This is my country, my children’s country and their children’s. It is up to me and many, many people of all races and cultures to fight the haters and racists to make this a better place to live.”

This could be the perfect end for the film, but we haven’t tackled the race issue and the importance of the Nickels’ achievement, so we need a better closure.

They change things in the Army. Their return is welcomed warmly at the base and they earn the respect of the white folks. A special bond is forming and it becomes a common saying around the Army that the only color that matters is Green. We see glimpses of how the shared intensity of Army life breaks down barriers between people of different ethnic or cultural backgrounds. Morris says a great line at the reception dinner. "You have to work as a team and put aside your differences in order to get things done."

That process begins at Basic training. Whatever biases or prejudices new recruits have are shaved away, just like the hair on their heads that gets unceremoniously buzzed off on day one. Individual Soldiers – the dogfaces and the grunts – start interacting with each other, and going home on pass together, and meeting each others' families, and that leads to acceptance. The Triple Nickels having a great night together, proud of their achievement and looking forward to a brighter future.

We fade to present day. It’s the 65th anniversary of Army desegregation and we see the old Morris, Walden and Hutchinson gathering together, sharing old stories and anecdotes, talking about what that experience in the Army meant to them and how it changed their lives. A reporter reaches Morris to comment his role, while he's sitting down watching Barack Obama give a speech on TV. Having grown up during a time when blacks and whites couldn't drink from the same water fountain, he is excited that a black man is living in the White House. "There's a lot of opportunity out there. Much more so today," he says. Then he speaks about the experiences he had as a Paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division that profoundly changed the way he thought about race and color.

"I don't answer to African-American. I'm All-American," he says the last line of the film.

End credits roll and we see archive photos of the 555th Parachute Battalion.

Edited by The Dark Alfred
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Jane & Tony

Genre: Drama

Theaters: 2,287

Date: July 11th

Cast: Natalie Portman (Jane Woodward), Tommy Lee Jones (Tony)

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 116min (1hr, 56min)

Budget: $10m

Jane Woodward was always a true friend, and she id an incredible student in middle school. Everyone liked her because she was a truly good person. However, things change when her parents are killed in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, Tony. While being sentenced to a 15 year sentence as a result of his crimes, a lot has changed since then. The emotional trauma that Jane had to face was overbearing. When she was in college, her grades began to drop, and she turned to drugs, soon dropping out of school. She now lives in a small apartment building with her six year old son, Noah. She is currently single, as she had gotten a divorce from her past boyfriend.

Tony has felt devastated for killing the girl's parents ever since the crime happened. 15 years ago, he was aggresive and stupid, and he has truly changed a lot since those days. In an attempt to apologize for the crime he had committed, he goes to visit Jane in her apartment. When he arrives, Jane recognizes who the man is after he confesses what he had done. She yells at him to leave, angrily asserted that he ruined her life. However, Tony tells her that she wants to set things right, right before Jane is about to call the police. He brings her to let her and Noah live at his house, which is a bit nicer than where she is living now.

Throughout the rest of the film, Tony and Jane try to fix their lives up from the hole that he put both of them in, growing a friendship for each other as well. Both are able to find love, find jobs, and for the first time in nearly two decades, find happiness. Even with the occasional fight, the two stay close together. Tony soon has a heart attack, and is unable to recover. Jane feels sorry for him, feeling as if he had repaid the debt that was owed for over 15 years. He ruined her life, but he also managed to fix it. At the end, Jane becomes a whole new woman. He life is back on track, and she goes on to live the life that she had dreamed of as a child.

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Lord Madship

Director/Co-writer/Producer: Danny Boyle

Co-Writers/Producers: Christopher Nolan and Duncan Jones

Genre: Action/Spy

Date: December 25

Studio: Blankments Productions

Cast: Michael Fassbender as James Bond, David Tennant as Hugo Drax, Emily Mortimer as Tiffany Monts, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Felix Leiter, Tom Hardy as Q, Emma Thompson as M, Hayley Atwell as Miss Moneypenny, and Gary Oldman as Lord Garfield

Music by: John Powell.

Format: Partially filmed in IMAX

Runtime: 134 min

Original Song: “Man of Valor” performed by Adele

Tagline: Initiated.

Plot Summary: Bond goes on his first mission; to rescue a Lord from a corrupt businessman. First of a trilogy.

Plot:

Lord Garfield is leaving Parliament, rushing off. He looks over his shoulders, clearly worried. His MI6-assigned bodyguards tell him to relax, but Garfield won’t pay any attention to that. They board him into his limo, and then tell him not be worried; they’ll be following in a motorcade. They begin heading towards the London Bridge, when Garfield realizes something is wrong. He knocks on the tinted glass in between him and his driver, but the driver ignores him. There’s a quick cut to the motorcade, where suddenly the cars blow up, killing all the guards. The driver then rolls down the glass, and shoots Garfield in the leg, saying that he’ll need him for later. Garfield asks who he is. The driver (Hugo Drax) smiles, and says he’s just a businessman, and then shoots again, leading into the opening credits, set to “Man of Valor.”

ONE DAY AGO. James Bond waits for his job interview to be called in. The secretary, Miss Moneypenny, calls his name to sign some papers. Moneypenny winks at Bond, but he doesn’t notice. Bond is then in a job interview with M, the head of MI6. Bond mentions that he was a commander in the Ministry of Defense during the War in Afghanistan, but he wants to be a part of the secret service to protect the crown. M states that his track record looks spic-and-span, but he’ll need a partner if he wishes to be accepted. Bond is not happy, but he accepts the job. M then sends him out to fill out some more paperwork with Moneypenny. While doing the paperwork, Moneypenny begins flirting with Bond and Bond flirts back, giving her a kiss on the cheek as he leaves.

Bond returns to his flat where he lives alone. He remembers his final mission in Afghanistan, a raid led by the recently elected Lord Garfield. Bond did not enjoy service under Garfield, but he realizes it was necessary for Britain’s safety. He goes to bed, and later wakes up at 9 AM. He turns on the news, and BBC reports on Garfield’s kidnapping. Bond watches intently, when his phone rings, calling him into MI6 for his first mission debriefing. Bond goes into his very nice car to drive to work.

Bond waits for M to let him, and begins flirting again with Moneypenny. Moneypenny expects another kiss, but Bond ignores her advances and just heads into meet with M. M briefs Bond on his mission, telling him that he must hunt down Garfield’s kidnapper. She explains that the kidnapper is Hugo Drax, a British multimillionaire with a monopoly on shipping who resides in America. Drax’s motive is unknown, but MI6 knows that Garfield is being stored in a harbor in California. M wants the retrieval of Garfield to be extremely covert, letting Bond know that if Drax catches him, then MI6 will have to disavow him in worry of an international incident. Only the CIA are allowed to get Drax, since he has American citizenship.

Bond understands this all, but asks about his partner. M states that he will meet his partner after he talks to Q and receives what he needs for the mission. Bond reluctantly goes to meet Q, who proves to be a quirky fellow. Q comments about how he wishes he could be in the field, but he’s much too intelligent to be a fighter. Q then points out that yes, that was meant to offend Bond. Before Bond can respond, Q moves on to give Bond his gadgets. Q gives Bond several guns, including an AK-47 for convenience, a flamethrower since it’s quite fun to use, and a semi-automatic pistol, which Q remarks that you can’t be an MI6 agent without it. Bond asks Q why he’s so bizarre, and Q replies by saying he’s always wanted to be a field agent so he spends his bitter days making fun of all the other agents without getting fired. Q then takes Bond to the garage for the car and the partner.

First, Q allows Bond to pick the car he will take to London International Airport. Bond picks an Aston Martin, and Q laughs, saying it’s a little older than he expected. Bond says he likes the classics, but then hears someone else besides Q laugh at the choice. Bond turns around and sees a man, who introduces himself as Felix Leiter, CIA Agent. Leiter explains he’s Bond’s partner for the mission, and he allowed Bond to pick the car since there’s only one first mission. Bond is annoyed by Leiter’s condescending attitude, but Q ushers them out quickly to drive to the airport.

Leiter is driving, insisting that you can never trust a new agent on the first drive to the airport. Bond rolls his eyes, but then hears the Ashton’s back windshield crack. There are gunmen chasing them. Bond pulls out his AK-47, and begins shooting back at the men, while Leiter drives through the streets of London, trying to avoid pedestrians and civilians getting hurt. Bond shoots everyone except the driver, who begins ramming them. Bond climbs to the roof of the car with the flamethrower and then attempts to shoot the driver with it. The flamethrower doesn’t work, so Bond just throws it at the driver, knocking him out and crashing his car. Leiter pulls over, and climbs out of the car. He asks Bond if this is really his first mission.

After walking to the airport, Leiter explains that they will be impersonating two businessmen that have a scheduled meeting with Drax. They board the plane to California. The flight attendant begins flirting with Bond, to Leiter’s annoyance. Bond shoos her away, and he begins to fall asleep. When he awakes, he is in the bathroom with Leiter. Leiter explains he heard some gunshots, and he carried Bond to the bathroom to hide from the terrorists. Bond and Leiter exit the bathroom, stealthily, and grab some parachutes they hid in the overhead bins. They then parachute out of the plane into Los Angeles.

Bond points out that Drax’s men will be after them after they land, and Leiter has a solution. They go to the car rental dealership, and find it staffed with only one person, a woman named Tiffany Monts. Bond begins flirting with her at the dealership’s counter, but Leiter interrupts, saying that Drax’s men are following them, and they are going to need to take a car without payment. Monts refuses, but then a gunshot is heard. Someone is sniping at Bond and Leiter. Leiter and Bond take cover behind the counter with Monts, and they ask her if there is any way out without being seen. Monts takes them out a side entrance that’s completely covered by a pillar in the street from the gunshots.

They then take a BMW to hide incognito among the airport, waiting to see if any of Drax’s men come out of the airport. Monts wants to leave the two agents, but Bond convinces her that it is too dangerous for her to leave. Leiter agrees, and Monts, while begrudged, stays. One of Drax’s men leaves the airport in a taxi. They begin chasing the taxi in the Corvette trailing it to a casino. Leiter then retrieves two fake IDs, Leiter will be Edwin Duklas and Bond will be Robin Smith. Leiter says they need to disguise their identities, since Drax must know by now who they are. The three enter the casino, and they get two rooms; one for Leiter, and one for Bond and Monts, who is pretending to be Bond’s fiancée. Bond begins flirting with Monts again, who shrugs him off. Bond, annoyed, leaves the room to go down and gamble.

After getting a drink that is shaken, not stirred, Bond finds a Poker table and goes into a game. He begins small-talking with his opponents; finding out one of them is Drax. Bond asks Drax who he is. Drax replies that he is a man who is in town to get rich quicker, by the help of a good man. Bond doesn’t understand this, but Drax then asks him what he is in town for. Bond says this is where he and his fiancée will be married tomorrow. The game soon ends with Drax winning. Bond asks Drax if he’d like to go to his wedding, but Drax says no, and that he is leaving later tonight. Bond goes back up to his room to talk Leiter.

Leiter, who has been napping, listens intently to Bond relaying the information. Leiter says they need to leave and stake out for when Drax leaves. Bond gets Monts and they head to the car and do a stakeout. While they’re there, Monts tells about her personal life, about how she’s dated several people but always feels used by them. Bond then passionately makes out with her and she slaps Bond. Leiter laughs and moves to the front seat as Bond goes in the back. Bond falls asleep.

Bond wakes up and the car is moving. He grabs his pistol and looks at Monts. Monts sees he’s awoken and whispers that they are following Drax. The car soon stops, and Bond sees Drax going into a warehouse alone. Leiter says this must be where they are keeping Garfield. Bond tells Monts to stay in the car while he and Leiter take care of Drax. Monts rolls her eyes, and tells Bond to stop condescending her. Bond rolls his eyes and he and Leiter go into the building with pistols. Suddenly, the door behind them locks and Drax hits Leiter with a pipe knocking him out. Bond shoots Drax, but Drax just smiles, and says his Kevlar vest is quite comfortable, and then he hits Bond with the pipe.

Bond comes to hearing Garfield’s voice. Garfield says it’s interesting the MI6 cares about him so much. Bond looks at Garfield in confusion, tied up on a chair back-to-back with Leiter. Garfield continues that he has been left to guard Bond and Leiter while Drax plans to buy some nuclear weapons from an underground crime lord in Russia. Leiter asks Garfield why. Garfield explains that after he was elected to Parliament, he missed the excitement-filled days of the battlefield. Drax offered him an opportunity to return to those days, and he took it. Garfield’s phone then rings and he picks it up, talking to Drax. He hangs up the phone, and says they will be fleeing the country now, but not Bond and Leiter. He then says that they will be killed five minutes after he leaves, as the chairs will drop down into a pool of boiling water. Bond and Leiter roll their eyes and ask why he doesn’t just shoot them. Garfield frowns, saying he’s not really sure, but Drax has a taste for the macabre. Garfield starts heading out the door, but then turns to Bond and says that by the way, Tiffany says hi. Bond begins struggling, and Garfield laughs while leaving.

Leiter says to Bond if he’s got any ideas how to get out of this. Bond says no, and he begins struggling and kicking. Leiter realizes something; the kicking is causing the rope to move. Leiter says to start kicking like they’re on a swing, and then maybe the rope can get stuck on the edge of the pool, setting them free. Bond says that’s stupid, but Leiter responds by saying they don’t really have a choice. They begin kicking in tandem, swinging the chairs like a pendulum, slowly working their way toward the edge of the pool. When the five minutes are done, they barely get stuck on the edge, and fall out on the floor. The fall breaks the wooden chairs, setting them free. They are relieved, but then hear a computerized voice saying that they have escaped, and the building will self-destruct in thirty seconds. Bond and Leiter run out of the building through a broken window, just in time for the warehouse to explode.

Leiter gets a call on his cell phone from M, telling him that Drax and Garfield have acquired nuclear weapons in Mexico and has threatened the U.K. to give him five billion pounds, or he will launch a nuclear missile directly at Big Ben. M also says MI6 has found where Drax and Garfield are hiding, and Leiter and Bond must get there quickly to kill Drax and Garfield. Leiter asks M how they can get to Russia quickly, and M replies that there is a private jet waiting for them at the coast two miles away from them. Bond and Leiter run there and fly the plane.

They land soon in Moscow, and drive to Zaraysk, where Drax and Garfield are hiding. We then go to Drax and Garfield who are talking about what to do with Monts. Drax wants to keep her as a lover, but Garfield says she is a liability and must be killed. Drax says fine, and to send Monts out into the cold to freeze to death. Monts is thrown into the freezing temperatures, and begins walking towards Moscow a bit before passing out due to starvation. Leiter and Bond drive up, and find her. They take her in the car, and Leiter says one of them will have to stay with her. Bond volunteers, but Leiter refuses to let him for two reasons; Bond is the better marksman of the two, and if Monts woke up with only Bond in the car, she’d want to be dead. Bond laughs at the latter, and then exits the car.

Bond walks his way up to the compound where Garfield and Drax are. He takes his pistol – the only weapon he has on hand – and begins going through the base stealthily shooting the guards. Drax is with a lady, and Garfield is drinking so neither of them notices. After shooting all of the guards, Bond walks into the room with Garfield, and shoots him point blank. Garfield dies, and Bond says that that’s one down, one more to go. Drax walks into the room alone and sees Bond, frightened.

Drax runs away, up to the rooftop, with Bond in hot pursuit. On the rooftop, Drax has nowhere else to run and Bond attempts to shoot him. However, Bond is out of bullets, and Drax laughs. Bond won’t let this stop him, and he gets in a fist fight with Drax. They fight for a few minutes, with Drax appearing to win. Bond is on his hands and knees when Drax begins just beating him to a pulp. Bond looks and sees they are both dangerously close to the edge of the roof. Bond uses his last strength to kick Drax in the stomach. Drax loses his balance and falls off the cliff.

Bond goes down to the front, seeing Drax is still breathing. Leiter drives up and sees Bond over Drax. Drax wakes up, and looks at Bond. Drax is so exhausted he can’t move, and he begs for mercy. Bond looks at Leiter. Leiter tosses Bond his pistol, and Bond shoots Drax in the head.

We then cut to Bond and Leiter waiting to be debriefed by M. Q walks in, and congratulates the two of them on a good mission. Leiter asks Q if he wants to go out for drinks, and Q says sure. Bond stops them as they’re leaving, and Leiter explains he’s already been debriefed by the head of the CIA. Q invites Bond to join them afterwards, but Bond says he has a date. Bond goes to sign in with Moneypenny, who begins flirting with Bond. Bond ignores it, and then goes into the office to be debriefed by M. M says he did a phenomenal job on his first mission, and that he will be promoted to agent 007. Bond thanks her, but asks if the debriefing could wait a day. M is hesitant but says okay, but be in the office first thing in the morning. Bond thanks her and then leaves the MI6 building, finding Monts waiting for him. Monts says that Bond saved her life, and Bond says it was nothing. Monts says it was everything, and then begins passionately kissing Bond. The James Bond theme begins and then it cuts to credits.

Theaters: 3,487

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for violence, sensuality, drinking, and language.

Budget: $175 million

Edited by Blankments
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-- NEVER SAY GOODBYE --

Director & Writer: Woody Allen

Composer: James Horner. The soundtrack will have lots of dramatic opera type music & lots of piano themes.

Studio: Perseus Films

Cast: Leonardo Dicaprio (Andrew Stone), Angelina Jolie (Cindy Stone), Christian Bale (Jason Jones), Kate Winslet (Katy Jones), Michael Caine (Stewart Jones), Diane Keaton (Clara Stone), Nolan Gould (Dan Stone), Adrian Grenier (Pierce Brocka)

Budget: $100 Million

Theater Count: 14th November (68), 21st November (450), 26th November (1200), 5th December (wide - 2,700)

Rating: PG-13

Release Date: November 14th

Original Song: "Never Say Goodbye" By Adelle

Running Time: 121 minutes

Plot Synopsis: Two strangers find they’re both struggling with their marriage and so decide to become friends to solve each others problems. What follows is a series of events that makes everyone question the relationships they are in.

Tagline: A love that broke all relationships...

**Heavily inspired by a bollywood movie named Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna but some characters have been majorly changed & yeah many changes have been made in general lol**

Plot:

London, England

A football stadium is seen quiet, anticipation is in the air as the last penalty kick of the match is being carried. Andy (Leonardo Dicaprio) is seen getting ready for the kick, the name New York University is seen on his football t-shirt. A commentator says, “And this final kick will decide who wins the international university football championship, can Andrew give New York its first win since 1980?”. Andy is shown closing his eyes, opening them, and then moving in for the kick.

The scene switches to Cindy (Angelina Jolie) who is in a corporate meeting. The man at the head of the table congratulates her on her promotion & tells her they called her to London to congratulate her on becoming the head New York branch of the Diva magazine. Cindy is shown looking very satisfied and confidently accepts the promotion and tells everyone she won’t let them down, the scene ends with a zoom in on her wedding run.

The scene switches back to the football stadium where Andrew makes the kick and scores the goal. The whole crowd cheers like mad. And a quick glimpse of a golden cup which says “International University Football Championship” is shown. A quick cut to the changing room sees Andy calling Cindy and telling her about the win & saying how lucky their marriage has been for him so far. She gives him her good news at the same time & says there’s another big surprise she wants to give him.

The scene switches to church bells ringing in a wedding, Jason (Christian Bale), the groom is seen waiting nervously by the altar. He tells his best man it took 5 years to convince Katy (Kate Winslet) for this damned marriage so she better show up now! His father Stewart (Michael Caine) tells him not to worry, he knows Katy better than anyone in the world and he knows she loves him, so she’ll definitely show up. She’s probably just taking ages to get changed.

The scene switches to Andy (Leonardo Dicaprio) on a train station platform, he’s chewing gum and decides to aim it at the bin but it misses and falls next to a bench. Katy (Kate Winslet) is sitting on the bench in a wedding dress, she tells Andy that she hates people who try to aim stuff at bins, more often than not it misses the mark! The two have a little banter on people littering. Then Andy says she looks like a runaway bride, is she going to some fancy dress competition. Katy tells him that it’s none of his business in an angry way, so Andy says so she’s really running away from wedding. Katy still tries to ignore him, that’s when she notices his ring and looks surprised.

Katy asks Andy how he felt when he was getting married. Andy tells her that he was marrying his good friend, they’d dated throughout college & thought the best next step was marriage. He had sports scholarships which he got admission into higher education from & she was going into fashion. Everyone thought it was a perfect match. He was happy while getting married & now years later he even has a kid, they’re a happy family. Katy says he never said the word love when he was talking about his marriage, isn’t that the most important thing. Andy smiled and said love can mean different things. If she means the type that’s in romance novels & movies then she needs to get a bit of a reality check as people spend lifetimes alone waiting for that. Katy says that the man she’s marrying has been her best friend for as long as she can remember. Her parents & his parents were best friends, after her parents died they took her in. She’d grown up with him & she thought she’d be comfortable marrying him because she does love him, but just not the kind of love that she thinks is love. Andy tells her nowadays making do with that much love is enough and who knows she may find that love for him after marriage? He tells her to stop wasting time talking to a stranger and to go and get married already. Before leaving the two exchange names & leave the park going in opposite directions.

A montage begins where Andy is shown looking at the train monitor and realises he missed his train while talking to Katy, the next ones in 5 minutes. A flash and Katy is entering the wedding church, hand in hand with Stewart (Michael Caine), Jason looks at her and smiles. Back to showing Andy getting on a train. A flash and back to Katy & Jason who are shown exchanging rings. Back to Andy on the train which crashes.

The screen blackens up.

*6 years later*

New York, USA

The camera is zoomed in a limping mans legs, it shows him walking. The camera zooms out & we see it’s Andy (Leonardo Dicaprio). Andy is shown coaching a football team in a match and failing badly.

Elsewhere Pierce (Adrian Grenier) is shown telling Cindy (Angelina Jolie) that their fashion magazine is now number 2 in the USA. He tells her she’s the main reason for this.

Katy (Kate Winslet) is shown cleaning a house and having banter with Jason (Christian Bale) who makes fun of her cleaning OCD and tells her she has to see someone about it! The camera shows a newspaper lying on the floor which talks of a child kidnapper.

Andy is shown talking rudely to Cindy on the phone as she tells him not to be angry at Dan for not doing well in the school football match. He tells her if she had time to come maybe they’d do better with the encouragement.

Jason is shown talking to his dad Stewart (Michael Caine) about a party, Jason doesn’t want to arrange it as he reminds Stewart that he’s had 2 heart attacks already, he has to ease up now. Stewart says if he organises the party he’ll finally tell him why he throws one on that same day every year.

Dan gets lost at train station, he is found by Katy (Kate Winslet) who is a little lost herself, Andy remembers the news story about a kidnapper and sees Katy holding Dan’s hand so he goes to them angrily and violently makes turns Katy around.

Katy and Andy meet after a long time...they banter first telling each other about what happened after they met, Andy says if he hadn’t missed his train talking to her his leg would still be fine, Katy says well if she hadn’t spoken to him she wouldn’t be married..and stops mid sentence..he asks her if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. She tells him to mind his own business....she tells him she’s got a job at a school and got lost on the way there.

Cindy (Angelina Jolie) and Andy (Brad Pitt) have a huge fight on Dan getting lost...a power struggle & talks of both of them being failed parents in different ways. Clara (Diane Keaton) who is Andy’s mother interrupts their fighting telling them that Dan is up in his room crying because of their noise. She tells them to tell her to only come to their house when they decide not to have a fight as she’s sick of it.

Andy and Katy interact in school. She sees how rough his coaching is in football...the two sit together at lunch and talk about how Katy moved to New york from England

Pierce invites Cindy for a party. Cindy and Andy have a fight where Andy thinks Cindy hates clothes he’s wearing as it’s not the expensive suit. Andy tells her that even if she makes him wear expensive clothes he won’t suddenly fit into her new world full of rich & famous people.

Meanwhile Katy (Kate Winslet) says she doesn’t want to go to parties. Jason (Christian Bale) & Katy have a fight on the lack of social life & her lack of wanting to enjoy things. Katy says that she isn’t a part of Jason’s partying life, he asks her what part of his life is she in right now. The fight ends in Katy saying she’ll come just because his dad is holding the party.

At the party both couples are shown interacting. Jason sees Cindy and tells Katy he’ll go and meet a friend. Katy rolls her eyes as once again he’s leaving her alone in a party, she does what she always does & decided to go and spend time in the toilet. Jason , Andy and cindy talk & some friction is seen between Cindy & Andy after which andy says he needs to get a drink he goes to the guy serving drinks around and a drink accidentally spills on him. Andy curses under his breath which scared the waiter, but Stewart comes along & apologises to Andy calming him down. Being the wholehearted soul that Stewart is he tells the waiter to not be so scared or he might drop drinks on more people. Andy goes to the toilet to wash up and sees Katy coming out. Katy & Andy talk about how they hate these pretentious parties of the rich & how they would rather be out. The party hall is near the river so they go and sit by the Hudson river. Katy asks Andy if he wants to tell her about his limp. Andy tells her about the accident after he met her, his removal from Football teams due to his injury, the injury not healing & now his 2nd rate job as a coach. Katy talks to Andy about his coaching skills, slightly criticizing them. For some reason he doesn’t take what she says as an insult and even realises a bit of her mistake. The two decide to get back to the party hall, Stewart is giving a speech as they come in. He’s talking about why he throws a party on this day every year, people always asked why, he finally want to tell them. It’s the day he met the love of his life, it’s the day he met his wife. And on this day rather than crying over the time they lost together, he always wants to spend it doing what he knows she loved the most, enjoying with people all around her. He goes on to say that when you lose someone you love, you can become helpless at times, so they should make every moment with their true love count. If there’s been a fight, say sorry, if you feel like you wanna pick them up and scream I love you, do it...don’t wait for the right moment, as your love may be gone before it comes. This conversation clearly makes an effect on the couple as they are once again standing by their respective spouses (Katy with Jason....Andy with Cindy). The respective couples look at each other in an understanding way once they hear the end of the speech. Jason takes Katy’s hand and kisses it. Cindy smiles at Andy. Both Andy & Katy’s response to their spouses love is a positive one, but there is a hint of distance.

Clara (Diane Keaton) & Stewart (Michael Caine) are shown having coffee the next day by, the two say they were nervous about this find a new friend by a date thing. They both realise they are similar in that they became widowers very early and are generally lonely people.

Stewart is later shown talking to Katy over the phone telling her he’s found a new friend after a long time who can completely connect with, he tells her she should try to finally find some friends in New York. Katy complains saying it’s hard and asks him how she’s become a friend, stewart says it’s quite simple, if two strangers have a similar problem & they become friends then solving that problem is so much easier.

Pierce is shown telling Cindy that she is getting a promotion & can head the entire office in LA. She’ll of course have to move there.

Later at the train station near their school Katy tells Andy that her marriage is falling apart & that from what she can see so is his. So with the same kind of problem they should work together to solve it. A montage shows the two meeting every day after that both at school & at coffee shops, both smiling and clearly enjoying themselves (this is the first time they are shown so happy in the movie). They are shown talking about problems in the marriage, issues their spouses have & then issues they themselves have. The montage ends when Andy says he feels things in his marriage got bad after his leg broke, everything was fine when things were good, but the moment things got bad his & Cindy’s relationship started to break. Katy says she finds it very hard to get intimate with Jason which makes things very stressful, she just never has the feelings she wants to feel when she’s intimate with him. Andy says jokingly if her hygiene OCD has anything to do with it, she says no and says she is seeing a therapist about that now. Katy says things got really bad when she found out she had gone through early menopause, the stress took a toll on their marriage as they both realised they could never have a biological child together. The two decide that as their anniversaries are coming up they will try to make it extra special to win over their spouses. Katy & Andy go on to book restaurants for their anniversaries.

Katy and Andy decide to get presents, they chose what the other spouse will be getting. Katy gets Cindy a massage oil and tells Andy to use it to make her feel relaxed. Andy gets Katy some sexy lingerie and tells her to use to spice up their sex life, giving it as a present to Jason should give him the message. A Dinner scene is shown where both couples are having dining with their respective spouses. Katy was making conversation by using advice from Andy, he was doing the same. They were both even complimenting their spouses, but with a distant look on their face. Once home Cindy tells Andy that she’s been offered a promotion. Andy rudely interrupts her by inferring that she must’ve accepted it, without thinking about the family or her child. Cindy says she didn’t accept it or reject it thinking about the family, in fact she was going to reject the promotion the next day. The two have a fight where insecurities are laid bare. It ends with Cindy telling Andy that he’s a man who can’t love anything anymore, he hates himself, his failure & more than anything her success. Andy leaves the house in anger saying the biggest failure in the house isn’t him but their marriage. Dan is shown hearing his parents fight and goes to sleep crying.

Katy finally wears the lingerie she was given by Andy. Katy & Jason get intimate but she’s clearly not into it. As she fails to respond to many attempted kisses, Jason gets frustrated and leaves the bedroom. Katy follows him out and tells him off for getting upset just because she didn’t want to do it one night. Jason shouts at her and says it’s not just one night it’s every night. He tells her she never says I love you to him, or holds his hand, or does anything special, or takes interest in his life. She’s more of a mother than a wife. He asks her why she married him in the first place. Katy just gets more teary as she starts to realise what a sham their marriage is. Jason gets even angrier as Katy doesn’t answer and tries to leave the room, he shouts at her that she couldn’t even give him a child & he never ever made her feel inadequate because of that. Katy stops at the door turns around and says, he just did. She then storms out of the house. Katy ends up going to the harbor and finds Andy there. Katy then confronts Andy and asks him why he told her 6 years ago that she could find love in her marriage if she tried, she asks him what they’re both doing at the harbor on the night of their anniversaries. Andy tells Katy in a fit of rage that ever since he met her again he’s felt like he’s know her since ages, with her he’s completely different, he feels complete & his lost happiness came back but every time he goes home it disappears. He tells Katy that every day his train home actually leaves 10 minutes before hers but he misses it every time so that he can just spend those 10 more minutes with her. He tells Katy that he loves her...Katy starts to leave with a feared shock look while Andy says “and I know you love me too” to her.

The next day Clara (Diane Keaton) & Cindy are talking about the fight last night. Cindy tells Clara that as she’s Andys mum she’ll just take his side. Clara goes on to say old fashion style statements to Cindy about womens role in a marriage & how she should at least think about their child. Cindy storms out of the house saying she’s no weak woman, so what if she has a child, it’s not something which will make her weak and lose. Cindy is shown getting a call then telling her the London office wants to meet her, she’ll have to travel there, she says she’ll go without a seconds hesitance. On the other end of town Stewart & Jason are in a room together. Jason is about to leave to go to London to organise some events. Stewart tells Jason that he shouldn’t have fought with Katy, he’s interrupted and Jason makes it clear that he does regret saying some things that he did, but other things had to be said to her. Stewart then says over the last few weeks he’s seen Katy happy and there’s love in her eyes, it has to be for him.

Katy is shown going to the staff room in school & sees Andy there. The two lock eyes, Katy leaves the room immediately and rushes for the nearest broom closet just to gather her thoughts. Andy storms into the room and asks her why she hasn’t answered his calls & so on. Katy tells him to go away, but doesn’t stop him from coming closer & the two make out passionately. Part way between Katy winces as something pinches her in the back...and Andy stops...it’s his wedding ring. Realising that Katy tries to leave the room in tears. Andy holds her back and she says she needs time to think about all this before leaving. Next the two are shown at the train station where Andy says, “Now What?”...the question is answered in silence. The two talk and know their relationship has no set end result...Andy says should they have one last cup of coffee then? Katy doesn’t answer and says it’s time for Andy’s train, he doesn’t need to miss it for her today. Andy says he doesn’t want to get on the train anymore, what he wants more than ever is to buy a new car, he’s tired of the pain the same train takes him to. He then chuckles and says, that’s all just a dream, then proceeds to get up to go to his train platform. Katy gets up to..the two go in opposite direction and a montage begins.

The montage includes select dialogues from the two first meeting on a train platform when Katy was running away as a bride. Then when the two meet yet again, the talk of love, incompleteness. The montage defines why they love each other. At the end of the montage Katy stops turns around and runs towards Andy. She shouts his name and tell him she wants to buy a new car too, with him. The two hug and kiss on the station.

A montage shows the next few days as the two are shown happily dating as their spouses are both away in London. The montage ends showing them arm in arm moving in an opposite direction to the general crowd. Andy helps Katy deal with her OCD about cleanliness in fun ways. Katy says he did what her therapist couldn’t do in months! On the other hand Katy coaches Andy’s football class with him and shows him a much gentler and more effective approach. Katy is shown dancing around her house happy as she gets ready to go out, just then Jason opens the door and comes in. Her face changes as the two still haven’t resolved that nights argument.

Katy is seen outside a therapists appointment room. She goes in and her therapist is actually Clara. Katy talks to Clara about what’s happened in the past few weeks. The two come to the conclusion that her OCD has lessened. Clara pushes Katy to tell her why. Katy eventually confesses the affair to Clara who at first finds it a bit surprising then goes into therapist mode. Katy ends telling her she doesn’t want to talk about the affair because she’s conflicted herself. She’s never been so happy but she knows it’s so wrong.

Stewart and Clara are shown meeting again in a coffee shop. This time they’re both talking about the marital problems their kids are having. Clara tells him about a patient of hers (Katy), not taking the name to keep confidentiality, and says how even good people may resort to cheating if wedlock becomes extremely difficult. They both only know that Jason & Cindy are friends. So their solution is simple...to get Jason & Cindy to meet each other in London as they’re both there and hopefully together they will find a solution for their love problems. A few hilarious scenes show Stewart & Clara making phone calls to Jason & Cindy respectively and get them together in the same place. Unknown to Stewart or Clara the two had already talked about their problems when they had met in London. This time Jason & Cindy confess that they miss their respective spouses, they want this sudden distance to end and they want them to know how much they love them. Jason tells Cindy who’s stopped her from telling him today? She says the same to him. The two decide to call their spouses.

The screen splits in two and we see Katy & Andy (who is holding roses) talking to each other on the phone. Random lovey dovey conversation, what is made clear is that they are about to meet each other soon. We see Jason & Cindy calling Katy/Andy...they both roll eyes and say, “Voicemail”. Jason decides to leave voicemail, as he’s leaving voicemail the screen splits in 2 and we see Katy on the other screen talking on her phone and clearly in love as her body language shows. Jason basically says sorry and that they should do something special! A similar two screen scene happens with Cindy leaving voicemail and Andy talking on the phone in the other screen. Cindy says they have to resolve this and if he wants to as well he just has to give her one sign. After that Jason & Cindy say bye to each other and part ways.

*dramatic thrilling music starts*

Katy is still on the phone with Andy when her expression changes to more happiness. Andy is accross the pedestrian crossing from her. So they both leave their phone. He’s holding flowers for her. Just then from the side of the street Cindy comes and stands a bit in front and to the side of Katy. The pedestrian crossing goes green. **slight slow motion now**Andy is horrified but tries to hide the expression as both Katy & Cindy come towards him. Cindy looks surprised to see him and stops for a second and continues on towards him happily. Katy realises somethings amiss by Andy’s expression and makes a face and quickens her pace...that’s when Andy calls out, “Cindy! How come you’re here”. Katy realises Cindy is next to her and quickly turns the opposite way just as Cindy moves ahead to Andy. The two say a few words and Cindy says, “She only asked for one sign in her message not so many”, while glancing at the roses. Andy looks confused but doesn’t say anything. They part as Cindy has to get to work. Andy then finds Katy and gives her the stem of a rose flower, he says there was one rose flower that had come off earlier. He says something to the likes of the flowers will wilt but the petal won’t.

Next the respective couples are shown showing more time together for the weekend. Jason & Katy are shown at home having a romantic candle dinner while Katy’s phone which is on silent is shown ringing, the camera shows Andy as the person calling. It stops beeping and shows 20 missed calls. On Monday at school Andy is shown pissed off at Katy as she tries to catch his eye and talk with him. At the station she kisses him on the cheek and teases him saying her weekend was great but his seems to have gone bad. He says no angrily and says he spent good time with his Cindy & his son, “family is family” he says before trying to leave. She asks him to stop having the attitude and says she’s enjoying tonight too by going to the ballet with Jason.

At the theatre Jason spots Cindy & Andy there too. Katy is surprised and realises Andy just followed her here. The two couples talk and Katy + Andy compliment their spouses to try to make each other jealous as tension builds. Cindy & Jason give knowing glances, happy that their plan to reconcile with their spouses is working. The two sit on adjacent balconies in the theatre hall as the ballet starts.

*Cue famous Black Swan Ballet music*

This time physical touches are used by Andy & Katy on their spouses to attract each others attention. Neither Jason nor Cindy realise what’s going on. As the ballet music turns more dramatic. Jason tries to start kissing Katy at which point she gets awkward. Andy sees this and starts to get angry. Katy finds it hard to not give in to Jason’s kisses, even though she clearly doesn’t enjoy it and gives guilty glances to Andy. Andy is clearly fuming, Cindy is unaware of any of this as she lies peacefully in his arms in their balcony box.

Cindy & Jason are shown celebrating in a bar for their friends respective hen & stag nights. They both give a small speech about how important marriage is. They end by secretly cheers’ing each other on their successful reconciliation with their spouses. Andy & Katy are shown by the Hudson river. Katy tells Andy to stop being so angry, Jason is her husband, he’s allowed to me intimate by law. Then Andy says he can’t bear another man touching her, Katy says she also can’t bear him sleeping with Cindy in the same bed every night but they have to, their relationship is nothing but a dream that shatters the moment they reach home. Andy says he can’t take this anymore and starts kissing her passionately. The two are shown going into a hotel room & making love that night. After making love we see them lying in bed hands over one another, both their wedding rings next to each other.

Katy is seen talking to her therapist Clara again. She is crying while confessing sleeping with Andy. She doesn’t know where to take this affair now. Clara tells her the most important thing for her to do is let things settle first, then to come back to decide on an action plan.

Stewart and Clara are shown in a coffee shop again celebrating Cindy & Jasons success on getting their marriages back on track. Stewart says to celebrate he wants to invite them all over for dinner at his house, he’ll finally get to meet Andy, and Clara will finally get to meet Katy. That’s when Clara’s face is shown to lose balance a bit when the name Katy is uttered, she rids such a possibility from her mind and smiles again.

Stewart, Clara, Andy & Cindy are seen at the dinner table at Stewarts house. He says his son is usually late as Katy takes time to get ready. Finally Katy & Jason enter the room, as soon as Katy does she sees Clara and Clara sees her. The say nothing to each other but Katy has tears well up in her eyes but quickly hides them. Katy realises Clara is andy’s mother. Clara glances at Andy with a hurt expression, trying to hide it of course, hoping he is not the Andy Katy talks about. The dinner proceeds full of tension between Katy & Clara. Andy also makes things awkward at points by saying odd things. Stewart gets a bit suspicious of whats going on when he reads Clara & Katy.

The next day Katy & Andy are shown at the station. Katy tells him her therapist is actually his mum and she knows everything about them. Andy’s furious about her telling that to her therapist. Katy says she had to, she felt so guilty but happy, she didn’t know what to do and hugs him crying. They kiss slightly and when they part they see Clara & Stewart standing further away looking at them. The two come closer and say nothing. Stewart tells Katy that they should go home, Katy leaves with him. Clara looks at Andy with extremely hurt eyes. Katy is shown very nervous at home with Stewart, she eventually drops a plate in her clumsiness in trying to make coffee for them. Stewarts gets up and just leaves, Katy says “Dad wait” as he leaves but he doesn’t stop. Andy & Clara are in the car when she says stop and tells him to let her out. Before leaving she says, “Not even all my years of being a therapist have prepared me for this. I don’t care about what you or Cindy will go through, right now my eyes only see my grandson losing one or both of his parents”.

A phone is shown ringing. We see Stewart being rushed into the ICU room in a hospital with Jason & Katy outside looking very worried. The doctors say he’s suffered a massive heart attack. Inside the room Stewart asks Jason if he has any message for his mum. To which Jason leaves the room almost in tears. Katy tries to go after him Stewart stops her. Katy then asks for forgiveness from him but says she probably deserves to be punished. He says he’ll only give her advice, he tells her to leave Andy. He has a child and he will never leave his wife for her because of that attachment. He also says once he is dead both her & Jason will lose the father figure in their lives, they have to be there for each other. Stewart says sorry to Katy for telling her to leave Andy, he doesn’t know if it’s his weakness as a father making him say that or his obligation to die knowing everything under control. Katy hugs Stewart crying. She leaves the room and sits next to Jason. He says he doesn’t want his dad to die crying in her arms and says at least he has her.

Andy & Katy are shown next to the Hudson river sitting on a bench. Andy tells her that their decision is a right one. They will breathe back new life into their old relationships. They have to, too many people would get hurt if they don’t. They both repeat the phrase, "family is family" to each other, even if it sounds unconvincing. They decide that they have to tell both Jason & Cindy about the affair. They agree to never call each other again or see each other. Andy will move to teach football at another school as he got an offer from them. Katy throws away the tissue she used to wipe her tears. Andy remembers Katy’s OCD and asks her if she won’t pick it up, she says no, he picks it up for her and the two hug crying.

Andy tells Cindy about the affair. She deals with it in her usual distant emotionally cold professional way and asks him if he still loves her. He says it doesn’t matter anymore. She says it matters to her and that if she’d done the same thing would he have forgiven her. Andy doesn’t answer. Cindy then goes on to tell Andy that he has to leave her house, their marriage is over, this was the last straw. She then leaves the room.

We se Jason & Katy’s wedding photo fall of a table as Jason is in a fit of anger knocking furniture over. He asks Katy if she slept with Andy. Katy extremely afraid gives a scared nod while crying. Jason then throws the whole kitchen table over. He goes on to tell her that it’s funny she even has a hygiene OCD as she’s now the most disgusting thing he has ever seen. He then becomes more emotional and asks her what he did wrong, why his love wasn’t enough. Katy says it will be now, their love will be enough as she’s ended her relationship with Andy. Jason says none of that matters anymore their relationship is going to have to end too. Jason tells her he wants a divorce as he can’t ever love her again after knowing she won’t ever feel the same way.

Clara is shown going to console Cindy in her bedroom. Cindy tells Clara that she will fight for Dan’s custody, Clara tells her that she won’t have to, Andy has said he wants Cindy to keep him. Clara then goes on to tell Cindy that Dan is losing his father now, he doesn’t have lose his grandmother though and if Cindy would like it she’ll move in with them for a while. Cindy says yes and crumples in Clara’s arms crying.

Katy is shown holding Stewarts photo, she goes to put in her bag while leaving Jason’s home but Jason stops her from taking the photo and says “I’m not gonna let my dads murdered take a photo of him away from me, get out”. Katy leaves crying.

Katy is shown dialing Andy’s number at a train station. Andy is at the bench by the Hudson river. He picks up the phone, Katy hesitates to speak, she doesn’t know what to say. Finally she says she accidentally dialed his number. Andy asks her if she’s okay. Katy lies and says yes. He asks her about Jason’s reaction. She lies and tells him he was very angry at first but will hopefully forgive her in time. She asks what Cindy said. Andy lies too and says she’ll also forgive him in time too and adds in "After all family is family". Katy gives a sad smile through tears. Then Andy pretends to be at home and says, “Yes Cindy I’m coming” so that the sadness in his voice doesn’t make Katy suspicious. Katy says she’s at home too and Jasons here. Andy says, “So stay happy” and hangs up.

An original song by Adelle, “Never Say Goodbye” starts playing.

A montage is shown of the divorce process for both couples. Cindy is shown spending more time with Dan in the montages & with Pierce (her boss). Katy is shown moving to Washington DC & joining a new school. Jason is shown expanding his business. Andy is shown being angry while coaching kids, then suddenly saying sorry & being more timid in his teaching as he remembers Katy. The montage shows Andy & Katy very sad at times, eating from takeaway boxes etc.

The montages & song ends with Katy crossing the road to get to her house and finding Jason standing in front of it

“3 years later” is shown above them.

Jason (Christian Bale) tells Katy (Kate Winslet) that he tried to hate her so much over the past many years but just couldn’t after a while. He tell her he’s grown up more now and that he’s fallen in love again, with a girl names Katherine. He’s getting married and he’d like her to be the best “man” at his wedding. Katy is clearly very happy for him and hugs him while crying. Jason then says he has something for her & gives her the photo of Stewart she wanted to take on the day she was leaving the house. Katy cries as Jason tells her he’s there with both of them, like he always said they’re both his children, not just Jason.

Cindy (Angelina Jolie) is shown talking to Pierce (Adrian Grenier) who asks her if she’d like to take their relationship a step further. Cindy says she’d like to, but she has to go slow as she’s just become a proper mother to Dan after such a long time, and she doesn’t want to give him less attention because of how troubled the last few years have been for him. Pierce lets her know that they’ll go as slowly as they need to. That’s when Andy (Brad Pitt) enters the room. He tells Cindy that he said bye to mum, Pierce leaves the room giving them a private moment, he congratulates Andy on his new job in Chicago before leaving. Andy says he hopes Cindy will have a great life ahead of her, he knows he’s lost the right to say sorry to her. He asks her if Dan’s there. She says she told him he was coming but he had to go to a friends party. Andy says he understands. She tells Andy that she’s sorry for Dans behaviour towards him. Andy says it’s not Dans fault and with that leaves the house.

Cindy & Pierce are shown at a wedding reception with Cindy saying, “sorry we’re late because of me”. The bride greets them and introduces them to her husband, Jason. Cindy and Jason are surprised when they see each other after such a long time. The bride tells Pierce that some of their school friends are here too and takes him to meet them leaving Jason & Cindy on their own. Cindy asks Jason how come he’s getting married, what about Katy? Through talking the two realise that Katy & Andy never told each other that Jason & Cindy respectively kicked them out.

Katy is shown at the reception meeting Cindy’s eye. Katy turns around and decides to go outside the reception tent. Cindy goes behind her and tells her to wait. She tells her that she’s probably embarrassed to look her in the eye. Cindy tells her that she wasn’t the only reason for her & Andy’s break up, on looking back they had been moving towards it for ages, but yes she shouldn’t have come between them. Katy tells her not to have such a big heart. Cindy then says she doesn’t and reveals she left Andy as soon as he told her. She tells Katy that it’s funny that the love that broke all relationships stands without a future while both her & Jason have moved on. Jason comes too then with flowers. He tells Katy that the girl who gets the flowers is meant to be the next one to get married, the next one to get new happiness in her life. He gives the flowers to Katy and tells her he wants her to be that girl. Cindy then says Andy is going to Chicago, his train leaves in 20 minutes, she better go and catch him quickly. Katy hugs Jason and says thank you to both of them before leaving the reception for the station.

Katy gets to the station. Andy sees her and avoids her as he remembers her telling him Jason will forgive her in time and him saying the same thing about Cindy. An extended chase ensues where Andy just about manages to dodge Katy and sit in the train. Finally Katy comes to his train window just as the trains leaving. The both lock eyes and he sees Katy crying as the train leaves the platform. We see Katy leaving the station when we hear Andy calling out her name. He says he couldn’t leave after seeing her. Katy tells him everything and then Andy proposes on the spot. His leg really hurts him while doing so so Katy crouches down too and says yes.

He then tells her that they need to go to the police station first, he pulled the chain on the train, and he needs to prove it was necessary, the two laugh. *camera starts to zoom out* He then comments on her being overdressed for the station. She says she'd gone for Jasons wedding. The camera zooms out as we see them leaving arm in arm, this time in the direction the crowd is moving in.

---- The End ----

Edited by darthdevidem01
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Replacement for First in the Nation:

The Good Die Young

Genre: Drama/War

Stars: Emilie Hirsch (Mike Hudson), Jennifer Lawrence (Alice Hudson), Shia LaBeouf, Jeff Daniels (John Hudson), Felicity Huffman (Lydia Hudson), Anton Yelchin (Kevin Strauss), and Martin Sheen (Dr. Conrad)

Directed By: Martin Scorsese

Written By: Stephen Gaghan

Release Date: 10/3

Theater Count: 3076 Theaters

Budget: $75 million

Running Time: 124 minutes

MPAA Rating: R for graphic violence, strong language, sexual content, and some drug use

Plot Summary:

The film starts with clips of actual news footage of the Vietnam War before one clip segues into the opening scene. Christmas Day, 1969, in South Vietnam, some distance north of Saigon. It is pouring rain in a U.S. military outpost on a grassy hillside surrounded by jungle. The soldiers at the outpost are having what passes for a holiday meal. At one of the tables, two soldiers are leading the group in a very raucous conversation: Lieutenants Mike Hudson (Hirsch) and Kevin Strauss (Yelchin), who are best buddies back from West Point. Both of them have their service time in Vietnam almost completed, and are eager to get home. As dinner winds down, the troops in the mess hall are addressed by their commanding officer, but the address only lasts a minute before a mortar shell suddenly lands meters away and explodes, taking out the commander and his staff. All around the hill and jungle, mortars, machine guns, and rifles open up as elements of the NVA (North Vietnam Army) mixed with allies in the Vietcong launch a surprise attack on the outpost. Mike and Kevin rally a group of men to them and rush to one of the pre-prepared defense positions, hundreds of other soldiers doing the same all around the hill. The fire is intense from both sides, and the NVA soldiers persistently charge up the hill, beaten back each time by rockets, machine gun fire, and grenades. Eventually the pressure becomes too intense and an officer orders “Broken Arrow”, which means that Navy jets would drop high explosives and napalm within meters of U.S. positions to break up the enemy attack. The gambit works and hundreds of Vietnamese attackers are killed in the conflagration, though some U.S. soldiers are killed or wounded too via friendly fire. The attack over, Mike and Kevin look at the charred hillside and forest. Kevin looks at Mike and says “some Christmas.”

Christmas Eve (due to time difference), Evansville, Indiana. The rest of the Hudson family is celebrating the holiday at home. Alice (Lawrence) is a junior at Kent State University and is on break. With her are parents John (Daniels) and Lydia (Huffman), as well as numerous other relatives. During dinner, a somewhat emotional and charged discussion breaks out between several family members at the table concerning whether the United States should be in Vietnam. John and Lydia both support the war and believe their son is doing the right thing, but an uncle asks Alice directly what she thinks about it. Everyone at the table is looking at her for an answer, and even though Alice leans against the war, she doesn’t want to upset her parents so she gives another answer, which is that she doesn’t know because she has never really thought about it. A relative says it’s good that at least one member of the current college generation has other things on their mind than non-stop war talk; though Alice is a bit unsettled by the fact she can’t be open about some of her private thoughts.

A couple weeks later, college break is over and Alice is dropped back off at Kent State by her parents. Walking back to her dorm, she bumps into a stranger, Sal (LaBeouf). Sal is a law student who transferred to the legal school at the university for the new semester. They talk briefly and Alice offers to show Sal around a little. Afterwards they are having coffee in a diner and Sal is telling Alice about what he does aside from being a student, the chief thing of which is organizing and leading student protests against the Vietnam War. When Alice somewhat mentions her discontent with the war, Sal invites her to a meeting for a group he is starting on the campus, but Alice politely refuses since she has heard some bad things about what some protests have said or done, and isn’t sure she wants to be associated with them. Sal understands and says that if she changes her mind she knows where to go, and also says that he would be happy to see her again under other circumstances. Feeling a connection with Sal, Alice says she would like that.

Around the end of January, Mike’s regiment is ordered to make a sweep along the South Vietnam-Cambodia border. They are told to expect limited, if any resistance since bombing runs over the last few weeks should have taken out any strongholds in the area. Things are quiet at first, with the soldiers chatting and cracking jokes as they patrol, even though both Mike and Kevin tell them to keep it quiet. Then…the fit hits the shan as a soldier walks into a tripwire that sets off a string of landmines, wiping out an entire squad. From three sides of woods hidden NVA troops open up with machine guns and mortars on the Americans, taking out many due to surprise. Mike and Kevin rally a group of men to them and get low to the ground to take cover. They fire back but due to confusion and large amounts of smoke, they aren’t really sure where the enemy is. After some more exchanges of gunfire and men on both sides get shot down, Mike sees where a large group of the NVA is gathered and has a radioman call in an airstrike to neutralize the threat. As they wait it out, shrapnel hits Mike in the left hand and lops off his pinky and ring fingers, as well as digging into his left arm. Biting back the pain, Mike doesn’t notice the Vietnamese hand grenade that landed right next to him. Kevin cries out for Mike to roll away and as Mike does so he hears an explosion and is showered with some shrapnel and dirt, though the noise is muffled for some reason. When he turns to look, he sees that Kevin had thrown himself on top of the grenade and took the full force of the explosion. Shocked, he barely reacts when a group of fighters flies overhead and napalms the NVA position. As soldiers start to mop up the rest of the enemy, Mike can only just lie there, still in shock, looking at the remains of what was most of his unit and his best friend.

At Kent State, a party is going in full swing at a campus apartment with revelers having the time of their lives. Alice arrives at the apartment and is greeted very warmly by Sal, revealing to the audience that in the passed time the two have gotten very close. After they spend some time hanging out with others, which includes some drug experimentation, Alice takes Sal back to her place and the two engage in some extremely intimate activity before they are interrupted by the phone ringing. Alice answers and her facial expression changes from joy to surprise and a bit of sadness. When she puts the phone down and Sal asks what is wrong, Alice replies that her brother, a soldier in Vietnam, was wounded. Sal says he’s sorry to hear that and offers to leave but Alice says that now she needs him more than ever.

About a month later, as February becomes March, John and Lydia are waiting with dozens of other people at an Army airfield where a sizeable number of Vietnam vets are returning from active duty. A large plane lands and the two parents strain themselves trying to see their son coming off it. Eventually they do and they rush over and embrace Mike warmly, who awkwardly returns the hugs since his left arm is still sore. Lydia fusses a bit over his bad left hand which is still lightly bandaged but Mike says he is getting used to it. John claps him on the back and says they have a big welcome home dinner planned for him and that Alice will be getting there from college about the same time they do.

At the family residence John and Lydia are just getting Mike settled in when Alice arrives. She goes to Mike and gives him a hug and says she is glad he is home, but her greeting seems a bit cold for some reason. During dinner, Mike is asked by John if he plans to resign his commission since he obviously can’t fight anymore with a bad left hand. Mike is silent for a moment but then says no, that he plans to stay in the Army for a while longer. Lydia asks what he would do and Mike replies that a superior officer of his suggested he act a recruiter at a local college to get people interested in enlisting. A thunk of silverware is heard from Alice’s spot, she had been silent the entire time. She asks, in a demanding tone, why Mike would agree to help send more poor young men off to fight and die in a war they shouldn’t be in. John and Lydia are taken aback by the question and its force coming from their daughter, while Mike doesn’t respond at first. He then says that he isn’t going to make anyone do anything, just give those who are interested the information needed to make an informed decision. Alice scoffs at that and says that Mike is just another one of those war hawks who blindly support what the country does even if it is wrong. She abruptly gets up from the table and leaves to return back to college. John and Lydia apologize to Mike, saying that Alice got a boyfriend who has been an influence on her. Mike replies that he’s pretty sure that Alice has always been this way; it just took a nudge to make her express it.

A little while later, Sal is leading a protest against the war on the Commons of Kent State University, with Alice helping him out and cheering him on as he blasts the military efforts. At this point in early March the atmosphere at the college is leaning against the war as over a hundred students are listening. After the protest, Sal and Alice are cheerfully walking and talking down a hallway in a college building when they see Mike in dress uniform setting up a table for his job as a recruiter. Sal asks if that is her brother. Alice says it is and says they should go but Sal wants to have a talk with him first. He goes over to Mike and asks why an upstanding fellow like him is buying souls for the corrupt government. Mike, who sees Alice standing off to the side, says that he must be Sal. He tells Sal that as per his job he is to provide information to any and all interested in enlisting, nothing more. Sal smirks and says that is a load of fancy talk for getting young men to serve and die in a country they don’t know anything about. He then points at a medal on Mike’s uniform and asks if he go that for oppressing a foreign people. Mike replies that he got it for pulling three of his wounded men, as well as a pair of hurt villagers from a burning building while being shot at. He then asks what Sal was doing at the time, and then answers his own question by saying he was “getting high.” Sal is stung by the comment, but shrugs it off and mutters “baby-killer” under his breath. Mike hears it though and is suddenly and unexplainably set off by it. He jumps over the table, pins Sal against a column starts punching him repeatedly. After several punches Alice is able to pull him away and tells him to stop. Mike does so. Sal, bleeding from the nose and mouth, wipes blood off his face with his sleeve and gives Mike a glare as Alice leads him away.

Mike is taken before the Dean of the College, as well as his superior officer over the incident. They want the incident to go away quietly and tell Mike that he is to report to a psychiatrist for weekly sessions until further notice, and that he is reassigned to work as an aide on the nearby military base. His first session is the following day, with a kindly and insightful psychiatrist by the name of Dr. Conrad (Sheen). Dr. Conrad has Mike lie down to relax and asks why he is here. Mike replies about the incident at the university but Conrad says that is the cause, but not the reason. They talk about Mike’s background for a while as a warm-up session. At the end, Conrad tells Mike that in while, after many more sessions, he will asks Mike again why he is here and that he wants Mike to think about that between now and then.

The altercation between Mike and Sal has driven Alice into even more of an anti-war frenzy, at times matching or even overtaking Sal in his fervor. She and Sal become even more inseparable and she moves in with him at his apartment off-campus. The amount of change she has undertaken is greatly surprising, especially as seen when she brings Sal home to her parents at the end of March. Though everything goes very well at first, with Sal winning over the parents by being charming, a bad turn is made when discussion inevitably turns towards the war and Alice’s role in condemning it at her university. Sal reasons his stance, but Alice snaps and yells at John and Lydia for their total dedication to the war. John and Lydia are shocked, and Lydia asks Alice about Mike and his service. Alice then proceeds to slam Mike as being even worse since he was there fighting. The outburst has shocked even Sal, who while being just as dedicated as Alice, isn’t one to let his passions overwhelm him like that. John calmly suggests that Alice better leave and she does just that. Outside the house, Sal asks Alice if she is okay and Alice replies that she feels better than ever. She doesn’t need Mike or her parents. She has all she wants with Sal and the anti-war movement.

Mike is walking in for another session with Dr. Conrad at the beginning of April. Along the way he is stopped by a pair of men who ask him why he is part of the Army. Not wanting to get involved, he says he has a duty to serve his country and tries to brush past them. The two men get in his way and demand to know why he thinks invading other countries helps the U.S. Knowing for sure that he would snap again if prodded further, Mike pushes by and walks into the building with Conrad’s office as the men taunt him. In the office, he and Conrad talk, this time about Mike’s service in Vietnam leading up to his injury. When it comes to the point of Kevin’s death, Mike chokes up and can’t go on. Conrad soothes him and says that if he can’t talk about it now that is fine. He asks if there is anything else Mike wants to talk about. Mike mentions the incident outside and says he might have attacked the men if it went on for a while longer. Conrad asks Mike why, but Mike isn’t sure, but he thinks it is related to why he punched Sal.

Nearly a month has passed. On April 30th, President Nixon announced in a press conference that American forces had crossed the Cambodian border to root out North Vietnamese soldiers. Alice and Sal are outraged at hearing this since now they feel another country has been violated by the United States. They quickly organize a massive demonstration to be held on the Commons the following day, May 3rd. That demonstration, news of which spread like wildfire, is by far the biggest yet, with hundreds and hundreds of people, not just college students, chanting slogans about ending the war with Sal and Alice leading them on. The climax of the protest is Sal burning a copy of the Constitution which he says is being destroyed by the government. That night, some hot-headed youths cause trouble downtown that leads into a minor riot, causing the mayor to declare a state of emergency and ask for National Guard help. By the time the National Guard arrives on the evening of May 2nd, more pressure and energy is building on the campus, with anti-war minded youths driven to act out on their own. An unknown person or group sets fire to the boarded-up ROTC building on campus. Sal and Alice watch it burn and even though they did not order it, they are glad someone torched it.

May 3rd is another frantic day as the National Guard is present in numbers nearing one thousand. Mike, worried about the situation at the university, tries to see Alice at the apartment she lives in. She answers the door and they briefly talk though Alice is not very receptive. Mike asks her to try to get things calmed down before someone gets hurt. Alice replies that if someone gets hurt it is not her fault, but the fault of the government for letting things get this way. She then shuts the door in Mike’s face. That night, an independent protest is broken up by the National Guard with tear-gas to enforce a curfew. Several students and guardsmen are injured. Hearing this news, Alice and Sal plan the biggest protest yet for the following day.

On May 4th, the biggest anti-war protest so far is held, numbering nearly two thousand people. This time though, the protest is contested as several units of the National Guard march on the Commons around noon and face off with the mob of students. After giving an order to disperse which is not heeded, the Guardsmen fire tear gas into the crowd. Many in the crowd are dispersed by this, but others fight back and throw the gas canisters, along with rocks, back at the Guardsmen. Slowly the remaining students are forced back away from the Commons and Alice starts to feel concern, asking Sal if they should break it up and stop the protest. Sal disagrees and urges the students left on even more and some follow him, continuing to throw rocks at the Guardsmen. As Alice continues to try to tell Sal that the situation is dangerous, an event occurs that to this day is uncertain over the exact cause, much like the “Shot Heard Round the World.” At any rate, gunshots are suddenly heard and Alice is hit in the shoulder. She screams in pain and falls to the ground, hearing more gunshots over a short period of time. Once the shots are over, she tries to sit up with a hand over her shoulder wound and sees Sal lying on the ground. She tries to shake him to get his attention but then notices he was shot in the chest twice and is dead. Alice breaks down in tears and the camera slowly zooms out to reveal a very confused situation as the Guardsmen stand about while students run away or race to tend to the bodies.

The following morning, Mike arrives at the local hospital to find John and Lydia already there in Alice’s room. Her wound wasn’t serious though the doctors want her to stay for a couple more days. Even though their last meeting was on bad terms, John and Lydia comfort Alice and say they are so sorry to hear about Sal’s death. Alice doesn’t say anything, still in shock apparently from the events of the 4th. John and Lydia then leave so Mike can talk to her for a bit. Mike, a bit cautious, says that he is glad that Alice isn’t hurt too bad and that he too is sorry to hear about Sal. The next moment is awkward as Mike struggles to find what to say but can’t, instead deciding to leave. As he starts to, he hears Alice say that she is sorry about the things she said to him and that she loves him. Mike turns around and replies that he loves her to and then walks out of the room.

A short while later, the exact time unknown, Mike is in for another session with Dr. Conrad, only this time he now knows exactly why he is there. Dr. Conrad asks to hear Mike’s reason. Mike says that he applied to West Point not because he was a war junkie who wanted to see combat and not because he was some blind flag-waving patriot but because he thought it was the right thing to do to help people out. He adds that after coming back from Vietnam, after seeing hundreds of men die for their country including friends, it was a slap to his face to hear people criticizing not just a war, but the people fighting in it. Mike doesn’t mind the talk about the war, since some people always believe war is wrong, but says that it is not right for people who put their lives on the line to protect others to receive such ridicule and blame and that to hear it makes him angry, sometimes to angry to control. He adds one final thing, a question in his mind towards the people who attack him and fellow soldiers. It is: How can a person deserve rights and protection when he or she criticizes the very people who risk their lives to uphold those rights and protection. Mike says that that is the reason why he is here. Dr. Conrad says that people always have their own views on things and that many times it isn’t the view that is the problem but how someone acts on it, such as extremism in any direction. He tells Mike that he thinks the issue is now resolved and that Mike is free to go. Mike gets up and before leaving thanks Dr. Conrad for helping him.

The final scene of the film occurs two months later during the 4th of July at the Hudson family home where things, while changed, have gone back to a more pleasant aura. Alice is living with John and Lydia between her junior and senior year and Mike comes by from his place at the military base. Alice maintains her anti-war views, though they are decidedly tempered since the shootings. The family is together talking over dinner and Mike mentions that he has applied for a transfer overseas to Europe where he’ll be an aide at the NATO headquarters in Belgium. John and Lydia are glad to hear he won’t be near any danger and Alice is silent. After dinner, as Mike walks outside to his car, he is stopped by Alice who wants to say something to him. She tells Mike that she has spent a while thinking about things and that she still doesn’t believe the war, or any U.S. intervention is justified, but that she was wrong to blame Mike and people like him for it. Mike understands and says that he isn’t sure if the war is right or not, but that when he was over there he saw people who needed help and a government that couldn’t get it done. Their differences resolved, they hug and Mike then climbs into his car as Alice walks back to the house. They give each other a final wave and Mike then drives off down the street as the streetlights begin to come on in the dusk.

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This is a wikipedia cut-and-paste, but it should fill Memorial Day with an unique choice - a musical. It's also one that would be really fun to do.

Once Upon A Mattress

Genre: Musical/Fantasy/Comedy

Date: May 23rd

Theaters: 3,406

Director: Adam Shankman

Cast: Mandy Moore (Winnifred),Darren Criss (Prince Dauntless), Emma Thompson (Queen Aggravarian), Steve Carrell (King Sextimus), Brittany Snow (Lady Larkin), Andrew Rannells (Sir Harry), Danny Pudi (The Jester), David Tennant (The Minstrel), Stanley Tucci (The Wizard)

Rating: PG for suggestive content and mild language

Runtime: 113min (1hr, 53min)

Budget: $100 million

A fictional medieval kingdom is ruled by the devious Queen Aggravain and the mute King Sextimus the Silent. King Sextimus suffers from a curse that can only be reversed "when the mouse devours the hawk." The Minstrel sings of the Princess and the Pea ("Many Moons Ago"), though he knows the true tale because he was there when it happened. The princess in the story wasn't the first girl tested to see if she was worthy of marrying Prince Dauntless the Drab—she was one of 13 girls. The day the Minstrel arrives, the Queen is testing Princess #12 with an unfair quiz. To the Queen's delight, the princess misses the last question: "What was the middle name of the daughter-in-law of the best friend of the blacksmith who forged the sword that killed the beast?" and is given a rubber chicken by Sir Studley. The populace of the castle complains about an unjust law levied by Queen Aggravain: "Throughout the land no one may wed, 'till Dauntless shares his wedding bed." However, every petitioning princess is sent away after failing an unfair test devised by the Queen. It seems that no one is good enough to marry Prince Dauntless ("An Opening for A Princess").

The crisis escalates when the leading knight of the realm, Sir Harry, discovers that his girlfriend, Lady Larken, is pregnant. Though Lady Larken says that she will run away so he will never have to face embarrassment and the loss of his station, Sir Harry decides that he will set out to find a princess himself ("In a Little While"). He petitions the Queen who immediately says no, but when Dauntless manages to speak up and beg, she gives in.

The Minstrel tells us that in the original story, the princess arrived at the castle on a stormy night (On a stormy night, through the castle door/Came the lass the prince had been waiting for), but it wasn't night at all-and the princess only looked as though she went through a storm. Princess Winnifred the Woebegone, a brash and unrefined princess from the marshlands, was so eager to arrive that she swam the castle moat. She immediately charms Dauntless, Studley, the knights and most of the kingdom ("Shy"). However, she also earns the utter loathing of the evil Queen, who vows to stop her.

The King discovers Larken's pregnancy and pantomimes this to his confidantes, the Minstrel and the Jester. He tells them to not say a word, but they both are more worried about the King letting it slip, because even though he's mute, he can still communicate ("The Minstrel, the Jester, and I"). Later, the Queen, assisted by her Wizard sidekick, design a test for Winnifred based on something they are sure she hasn't got at all—"Sensitivity". They will place a tiny pea beneath twenty thick downy mattresses. If Winnifred is unable to sleep due to the pea, then she will be sensitive enough to marry Dauntless.

Meanwhile, Winnifred tells Dauntless and the ladies in waiting about her home in the swamp ("The Swamps of Home") and meets the King, and they immediately like each other. Then, after spilling a purple vase filled with fresh new baby's breath, Winnifred is caught cleaning the mess by Lady Larken who mistakes her for a chambermaid. Soon Harry gets mad at Larken for her mistake and they get in a fight. Larken vows that she'll run far far away where she'll never see him again.

The King, the Minstrel and the Jester catch Larken trying to run away, and they try to stop her but in the end decide to help her escape to "Normandy". Later that night, the Queen throws a ball so Winnifred can dance the most exhausting dance in the world, "The Spanish Panic". The Queen hopes that Winnifred will tire herself, but the plan fails. Winnifred is the last one standing as everyone collapses from exhaustion at the dance's climax. She asks Dauntless to try to give her a clue as to what the test might be, but he's not sure. He brings out a huge barbell that one of the princesses was asked to lift, but even he can't lift it. Winnifred does easily and Dauntless admits that he loves her. Winnifred mentions that her nickname is Fred and Dauntless sings of his love for her as she practices numerous tasks she might have to do for the test, including singing, dancing, wrestling, acting, playing the Minstrel's lute, pantomiming and drinking herself unconscious ("Song of Love").

Later that night, the Queen leads the knights and ladies as they carry the twenty mattresses to Fred's room ("Quiet"), and she catches the Minstrel, the Jester, the King, and Larken (disguised in Dauntless' clothes) running away. The Minstrel tries to protect Larken by saying he was escaping with Larken against her will. The Queen declares that the Minstrel will be banished by daybreak. Fred and Dauntless study for the test, and Fred convinces Larken to fix things with Harry. Larken leaves to find Harry, Dauntless bids Fred goodnight, and now she is left alone. While studying a fairytale, she complains about how other fairy tale princesses had it easy and how she wants to live "Happily Ever After". King Sextimus has a "Man to Man Talk" with Dauntless about the birds and the bees completely in pantomime. The Jester and Minstrel trick the Wizard into telling them of the test and the Jester reminisces about his father's dancing days ("Very Soft Shoes").

Sir Harry and Lady Larken run into each other and they confess that their love is stronger than ever ("Yesterday I Loved You"). When Fred is finally ready for bed, the Queen brings in various people, including the Nightingale of Samarkand, to sing her to sleep ("Nightingale Lullaby") but Winnifred is kept wide awake. It seems that there is some "lump" under the mattresses that is keeping her from relaxing. She starts counting sheep.

Dauntless dresses in his finest to see Winnifred pass the test, but the Queen tells him to his great disappointment that the test has already happened and what it was. Dauntless is heartbroken until Winnifred drowsily stumbles into the throne room while still counting sheep. Everyone is ecstatic that Winnifred has passed but the Queen insists that Dauntless shouldn't throw himself away on Winnifred. Dauntless has had enough of his mother's attempts to control his life and finally yells, "I told you to shut up!". The curse on King Sextimus is lifted (the "mouse"- Dauntless, has metaphorically devoured the "hawk"- Queen Aggravain). Aggravaine discovers that she cannot talk and the King can, so Dauntless and Winnifred are free to be married. The King forces the Queen to hop, skip, and jump around the room to everyone's amusement.

Finally the real reason why Winnifred passed the test is revealed. After learning about the test, the King, Minstrel, and Jester stuffed the mattresses full of weapons, jousting equipment, and other sharp items. All the items are removed by the Jester in the "Finale". After the items are removed Winnifred still has trouble sleeping until Dauntless takes the pea out from under the mattress, when she then falls asleep almost immediately. Everyone, in classic fairy-tale tradition, lives happily ever after.

Edited by Spaghetti
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Wenan

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Studio: Arcturus Entertainment

Genre: Drama

Format: 2D 70mm Film

Cast:

Russell Crowe as Captain James Cook

Geoffrey Rush as Admiral Arthur Phillip

Jeremy Irvine as William

Paul Bettany as Sir Paul

Unknowns as Rest of British Army, and Government officials in London

Hugh Grant as Chief of the Sydney Aboriginal Clan (British Story Arc)

Unknowns as Aboriginal Australians

Ellora Patnaik as the Child’s mother

Unknowns as the unnamed Child at various ages

Unknowns as Indira (The Girl) at various ages

Unknowns as South-East Asian illegal immigrants

Score: Howard Shore

Score Description: The modern day portions makes use of synthesisers, and modern day instruments not available back then like the brass, carrying a tone that begins in minor, but eventually at the end modulates to a major inspiring hope, and ending the film with a deceptive (V-VI) cadence to leave the feeling that this entire process isn’t finished, and that we still have a bright future of progress in front of us. The Aboriginal Section makes heavy use of their traditional instruments, and grows from simplistic notes, monotonous, arrhythmic, to the full and rich sound utilising the entirety of the native aboriginals repertoire of instruments as we see them on the eve of British arrival. (At this point the melody is slightly intruded on with a very militaristic, highly disciplined background motif that symbolises the coming of Britainia, and all its might and glory.) The British theme makes use of a lot of powerful instruments like the drums, and the horns. It also makes use of the instruments of the classic antiquities such as the lire, to symbolise the strength of Britain. Despite all this power there is also a hint and sometimes more of the unique Grace that Britain has with the use of violins, and other more graceful instruments such as an early variant of the flute, the piccolo, and etc. When the British, and the Aboriginals fight, the battle in the score is a battle between the aboriginal instruments, and the classical ones, eventually molding into one single theme, as the British begin to take the upper hand, and the Aboriginals begin to lose, at which point their motifs take on a minor motif to symbolise the sad waning of an era. After the war as the British deal with the Australians often brutally, the Aboriginals’ motif makes often use of a diminished seventh which is a jarring chord to symbolise the control that Britain now has over Australia, and how the Aboriginals despite living there for over 60 000 years now no longer really belong. At the end of the film where the British motif comes back, and ends with a major key perfect (V-I) Cadence to symbolise that even though Britain no longer has de facto control over Australia, they went out with a bang, and they went out with their heads held high, and very much is still currently a powerful nation. The Aboriginal theme at the end of the film is a minor key perfect (V-I) cadence, perfect to represent the finality of their glory days, to represent that their glory days are ended, and minor to represent the sad state in which they were evicted from their ancestral lands, and the inequality that exists today between the aboriginals and the whites of Australia.

Cinematographer: Emmanuel Lubezki

Budget: $45 million

Theater Count: 3019

Rating: R

Release Date: 26 November

Running Time: 2 hrs 35 mins

Plot:

The film opens with a sweeping shot of the ocean, quite peaceful, slightly churning a bit. We hear the boat before we see it, and it’s a rickety old boat, packed to the brim with south-east Asians. Asylum seekers in search of a better life. It’s dark now, and the ocean begins to churn, we see the squalid conditions they have been surviving in. Damp, Dark, and Dingy, hardly any space between one individual and the next. The camera focuses on a mother, and her young baby, wrapped up in a cloth. He waves his little hands a bit, and the mother tiredly fusses over him, trying to quiet him down. The boat is suddenly rocked with a wave, and we hear the slam of the wave against the hull. There’s a bit of a panic that spreads amongst the immigrants, but soon, the ocean quiets down again, and we can once again hear the hum of the boat’s engine, and the clang of the rest of the machinery.

We cut back to the outside of the boat, and amidst a star lit sky, we see the boat, and we focus on the boat, and see that the name of the boat is “Wenan”. The dark metal of the boat surrounds the white words, and they morph into a title card reading: “Wenan/noun:/The Australian Aboriginal’s word for boat”. That fades away, and we are now at what appears to be a private dock. We see the boat now in daylight, beat down, we see the name again, “Wenan” written in white letters, bold, and clear. In the foreground is the mother again, the entire boat had been discovered by the Australian coast guard, the entire group of them are now slowly walking past Australian Coast Guard, and custom officials, into the back of a van. The door snaps shut, with an ominous thud, and we cut to a different time period. We see waves crashing along the shore, the same stretch of shore we just saw, and it’s so similar yet so different. Here instead of man-made objects, the grass grows wild. Not tall, but wild, growing in every direction, pattern, nature’s natural order to things. We see the water’s current shift slightly as a couple of worn out, and falling apart logboats appear. They carry the earliest Aboriginals. The bottom left corner of the screen displays a date, 60 000 BC. We see them tiredly stumble on shore, relieved to be back on the ground. They’re clad with loincloths made of grass, and other organic materials, slightly wet from the journey but relatively intact.

In the next few scenes we see their struggle, we see as they struggle to forage for food in this desert country, we see them attack by kangaroos, by dingos, and sometimes brutally attacked, and killed, and eaten (implied) by the wild animals. We seem them try to communicate in their language, (no subtitles), we get the meaning through elaborate hand gestures, and body language. But, things must get worse before they get better, so we see them infighting due to the hardship of inhabiting a new and foreign land, some of them are killed, others severely maimed, and in a particular moment of weakness, cannibalism is resorted to. But, the need for food, in this simplistic human world, washes away the seeds of enmity, and eventually we see them develop methods of hunting the dingos, the kangaroo, and the other native species of their land, we see them weather natural disasters, and develop methods after trial and error to fight them. They eventually develop culture, we see them grow in numbers from a few starving individuals to a strong, self-sustaining race. We see a few Aboriginals doing cave art, and as the bang of the stone against the wall sounds, we suddenly cut away from this time period, and into a new one.

We cut back to the modern day era, and the bang of the stone transforms into a bang of a stamp, as asylum is granted for mother, and the young son. They’re shipped to an Asylum’s shelter, and even though the baby is crying due to the bumpiness of the ride, the mother’s face is relieved, tired, but relieved as she musters up a weak smile. They arrive, along with some other fellow asylum seekers, and they begin the long and arduous process of trying to fit in, the days of learning English with little success, the tiring tasks of taking care of the child. They’re housed in temporary housing with the rest of the asylum seekers that were approved, but soon, they funding for these schemes is cut, and we see an emotional scene of which the mother argues via a translator with the Australian official, as she begs him to let her and her young child, now about a year old stay. She cries, and the official is visibly slightly moved, but after some hesitation says no, and the mother and the child are carried out.

Life on the streets of Sydney is a hard one, her, and a few other asylum seekers are provided with temporary housing for a month, and they’re left on their own with no money, no skills, nothing. We see the mother trying to apply for jobs, but no one will take her with her broken English, and unqualified credentials. Eventually she finds work in the kitchen of a diner, washing dishes. It’s pay is little, and hours are long, eventually, the stress of taking care of her growing child, working long hours, and not being able to pay all the bills gets to her, and she increasingly shuns the child, and turns to alcohol.

By the time the child begins school, he’s been shunned for years, and he almost didn’t make it to school, his mother not caring for him. At school, he struggles, teased by the other children for his poverty, shunned by teachers for his perceived stupidity (Because he can’t speak English), and he grows up ever isolated in the world. At lunch children trip him, at first he cries, and he gets upset, but soon he learns to live with it, and he hardens up. At home life doesn’t get better, his mother is so drunk that she barely works now, leaving the boy to have to look through garbage cans for scraps of food, as her salary barely covers the rent on their one roomed apartment. We see a shot of winter as the house is so cold we see the condensation of the boy’s breath, and how he shivers under his tearing duvet that should more accurately be classified as a towel at night. At school things don’t get better, and one day in Year 4/5 he’s tripped again, and he knocks his head against a rock. We see him go down, and he looks highly dazed, and can’t get back up. However no one stops to help him. Then we see this South-East Asian girl shake the boy awake, and offer her hand to him. She tells him in their language (Punjabi), “Hi, my name is Indira, what’s yours?” This is told through the boy’s POV. We can hear the boy try to vocalise some words, but the scene cuts away.

We cut into mid-conversation on the HMS Endeavour as we see Captain James Cook talk to his crew about recording the Transit of Venus, the reason he’d been sent to the south pacific. They land in Australia, however they are attacked by the Aboriginals, forcing them to flee after a few of their crew got injured. Then, the ship runs aground in Australia, and we see a different tribe of aboriginals. These ones are a lot more helpful, and they spend 7 weeks together as the ship gets fixed, and then Cook returns to London, but not before claiming the land under the “Terra Nullius” philosophy. Upon reaching London, he exclaims at the gloriousness of Australia, and after scheming with people, plotting, and currying favours he still falls short of convincing London. However after a decade, and numerous failed attempts it is the threat of other countries stealing this land, and the loss of America that prompts London finally decides to send further expeditions down there to claim more land for their ever growing empire. We end with a shot of an Armada of ships lead by Arthur Phillips sailing out of Dover towards their proposed Penal colony. We see them sail, and we cut.

We cut to a group of Aboriginals travelling, this is back in the Aboriginal timeline. They travel towards modern day Sydney. They are one of many groups who’ve broken off of the main settlement we saw in the previous scenes, as they spread all around the country. Travelling to Sydney is a difficult journey, they find themselves often short of water, and despite their now more developed skill with hunting, and using the land to their advantage still lose a portion of the numbers before making it to Sydney. It is at Sydney with the steady source of water, and vegetation that they decide to settle down. However, with new vegetation, and a different environment than before, they struggle to adapt again. However, this time it is easier, and we see a leader emerge out of this, and soon he is elected “Chief” and this entire government system is born. The settlement they have grows larger, and more prosperous, especially since they have more fertile soil compared to the more arid, and desert climate that they left. They find out about fishing, and as they fish, we end with a shot of a fish baking over the fire. We see the sparks sizzle, and the sparks faze into a new scene.

We’re back on the boat, and we see some of the weapons being tested, and getting prepared. They’re close to Australia now. We see Phillips using a telescope, and spotting out the shore. We cut to a panorama shot of the entire fleet, and we hear a strong militaristic, marching, foreboding theme in the music as the British Navy, unbeatable in its day sails ever closet to their target. We cut back to the Sydney Aboriginals but now of the Brit’s time, still having no idea what’s going on. They’re much bigger than when we left them numbering in the 10s of thousands. As we cut back to the British fleet, the theme of controversy already begins in the edges of the music, and is spreading, getting stronger.

The British land, and the Aboriginals of the Sydney tribe led by their Chief confront them after seeing them clear their land, and over-fish the land. That sparks the violence between the Aboriginals. Despite how much the British Army wants to retaliate, and teach the Aboriginals a lesson, Arthur Phillips refuses, because he’s been instructed to live in Amity with the aboriginals. Despite being non-fatally speared by a spear thrown by the Chief, Arthur Phillips still refuses to retaliate. This causes much tension between him, and the leader of the army, Sir Paul. He thinks that Arthur doesn’t get it, doesn’t get the need for retaliation as he sits in his office as Governor General, safely behind the walls of the settlement. This is particularly problematic for William, Arthur’s secretary, and messenger, who has to repeatedly convey the Governor’s thoughts to Paul, who is becoming increasingly enraged at the refusal to engage.

However, as the Natives become even more violent, and as the prisoners are coming, and the need for safety is pressing, coupled with the increasing pressure of Sir Paul, Arthur Phillips finally gives in, and orders 2 expeditions to calm the natives. These are unsuccessful, and only seek to further enrage the natives. More, and more violence is seen now, and William reports back to Arthur that, “It’s not a war that’s happening out there, but a multitudinous variety of little skirmishes.” The British Army really isn’t designed to deal with these types of battles. However luck is on their side, and due to the Native’s inability to fight off the disease that the British brought with them, they begin to fall, and falter not due to the British success but of natural causes as Small Pox among other maladies gets to them. The British capitalises on this, and in a montage of battles, decisively defeats the Aboriginals. This climaxes with a battle in the plains of the desert as we see, the British technological advantage absolutely destroy a more primitive, and disease stricken, demoralised Aboriginals. As the British army led by Arthur Phillip pulls of a pincer manoeuvre, and defeats the Aboriginals, this serves to be one of the last major skirmishes as the Australians have now mostly been beat into submission. And, although many more fights would happen, spread out over time, this was the last major one. In one of the final deaths in this scene, we see the Sydney Aboriginal Chief get shot in the chest by Sir Paul, who quietly remarks that it is the most satisfying moment of his life.

In the next few scenes we see the British deal with most of the Aboriginals by sending them off to assimilation school where they’re forced to be Christian, and learn English, and forget their old culture. At the same time, the Prisoners are having a hard time coping with the different Australian outback. Despite this they eventually succeed like the Aboriginals did 60 000 years ago, and build towns, and cities, become business people, and traders, and eventually build Australia into a much stronger place than London could’ve hoped for. We see this as shops open, and civilisation begin to erupt in many different places. We see Sydney which was just wood buildings in the time of Arthur Phillip, erupt into a big city.

We cut back to modern day, and the boy remarks, in his language, “Why’d you care? No one ever does.” The girl replies along the lines of that it isn’t fair what everyone else is doing to you? The boy asks why you didn’t act earlier, and the girl is stumped. The boy walks away in a huff, and the girl is left behind in thought, and quickly adopts a determined look. The boy under the persistent efforts of the girl eventually opens up a little, and then all at once, as the girl comforts him as he cries about everything that’s happened to him. However, the girl gives him new hope, often sneaking him food, and under her care he begins to do better in school, and etc. However, at home his mother notices the difference, and treats him even worse. He snaps at his mother, and in an emotionally charged scene with the boy shouting in a mixture of Punjabi and English (With Subtitles), and the mother sobbing, and shouting back in Punjabi (With Subtitles), the boy accuses his mother of cowardice, and taking the easy way out, which culminates with him getting kicked out. The boy shuts everyone out again for a while, but the girl eventually coaxes him out of his shell, and the boy gets taken in with her family. With the care of a loving family for the first time in his life, the boy prospers, goes to University, and eventually after failing a few times, and relapsing into his shell, and low self-esteem, becomes a successful business man.

The final scene is set about 10-15 years after that, and we see him as a middle aged man, with his children, telling them about the story of his life, with the girl, who is now his wife sitting beside him. He tells them about how Life is a boat, and how we come to new places, new destinations on them, and that the journey is rocky, but we’ll reach a good place in the end as long as we hold on. The kids are confused, and asks what that means, but the boy just shares a smile with the girl, and tells his kids, “they’ll see” in time. He looks over the balcony of his apartment building, and we see a crowd of people, each hurrying on their own ways, and as the camera descends into the city, we see different immigrants, and their stories, their boats, and their journeys, as the Modern day Sydney is interest with scenes of Sydney in its heyday under the British, and their Aboriginals. The camera pans up to the sky as the boy remarks, “It gets worse before it gets better.” And the scene fades to black, and the credits roll.

Edited by riczhang
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The Vast Dark: Part Three - The Execution

Genre: Horror/Thriller

Budget: 32m

Release Date: October 31

Rating: R

Director: James Wan

Score: Jonny Greenwood

Running Time: 111 minutes

Theater Count: 3318

Cast:

Dale - Edward Norton

Kenneth Welsh - Tobin Bell

Ashley - Dianne Lane

Oregin - Terry O'Quinn

Robertson - Zachary Quinto

Emperor - Alexander Siddig

Plot:

We start with a little catch up from the previous films. The narrative of the first two films were all over the place, so we keep it straight forward here. We’re going to see scenes that have been showed in the previous films, mainly to make sure that people, who didn’t see the first two films can still understand the core of the story. However that would be a cheap reason to repeat sequences that has been already shown in the previously, so we satisfy the faithful crowd, who did go to see the first to Vast Dark films by showing extended versions of those scenes, more dialogues and more details, which will be important in the end of the film.

So we kick off with the scene, where Dale (Norton) and Ashley (Lane) got stabbed. In the end of the first film, we didn’t know who was the killer and for the most part of the second film, we were under the impression that Kenneth (Bell) saved Dale’s life, only to discover in the end that we was the actual killer. We see in more detail, how he killed Ashley, but decided not to murder Dale.

We cut to a beautiful scenery. Mountains covered with snow. We're in Dale's mind, we see his battle for life. His torn between the beautiful, peaceful nothingness and the cruel, gritty, painful reality that is our world. He starts drifting away from the mountains, the picture gets blurrier and we hear a loud groan, pain is getting back to his body. He starts shivering, the picture gets clearer and clearer. Then he opens his eyes.round him. The doctor and a few agents are all. They break the news to him that Ashley is dead and Agent Welsh is in the madhouse.

Then we cut to the scene when Welsh breaks out from the madhouse. This scene wasn’t shown in the second film.

We’re in Alaska, the climax of the second film was Welsh’s attempt to convince Dale about the existence of God. Dale is stubborn and brings up plenty of reasons why not to believe in God. They also talk about their friendship and Ashley. Dale have mixed feelings, he sees the joy and warmth that Welsh provides with his speech, but can't forgive him for what he did with Ashley. "I'm a murderer. I admit that, Dale. But I do plenty of great things and I don't have to hide. You're always in the dark and always unsure of what to do next." "I'm gonna kill you, how do you like THAT game, Kenneth? For you it's all a game, now it's going to end." Welsh starts running. We see the chase scene, which end up Dale catching his ex-mentor.

Welsh starts clapping. "Look around Dale, we're everywhere. You can prevail when darkness beckons, but the light always find it way. It's a funny old circle, there's no way out. Whatever you do today, it's not gonna change a single thing. It's gonna happen tomorrow and the day after. It's same things gonna happen all over again. And you can NEVER kill me" Dale looks down to his knife. "You're going to make me stronger...you're weak" laughs Welsh. Dale looks down the knife again that he got from Oregin (O’Quinn) in Canada and stabs Welsh three times.

So the first act of the film is cathing up with previous happenings, but it’s still exciting and gives us a clearer picture of the story.

Now back to present day. Dale He keeps seeing Robertson (Quinto) (the serial killer, who somehow connected to Welsh) and a symbol in his dreams. That’s why he’s pleasantly surprised when he finds himself in a beautiful land in his dream. He’s standing on the top off a cliff, looking down to ancient town in the valley. There’s a huge castle on the left hand side and obviously it’s such a mesmerising and inviting view that Dale decided to check it out closely. When he’s entering to the town, he realises that he must be in a Persian territory and an ancient time. He can’t understand the language that people speaking. Some straggling riders go past him, visibly in leather clothing, short skirts, vest and helmets decorated by flashing objects. Most of them having a sword with them. He spends time wandering around the city, impressed by the old, rock-built huge monuments and the simple way of life of the locals, which seems very peaceful. He gets the same relaxed feel that he felt in Pueblo in the first film, before the old man shouted at him and hanged himself. Once he gets closer to the city hall and the huge square in the middle, he notices a certain excitement of the locals and a huge gathering in the middle of the square. The crowd gets bigger and a special ambiguity and mystery is taking over the hall as people are whispering and anticipating something. Then a group of horsed soldiers march in, they start to set up a stage and soon everything becomes clear to Dale. The emperor arrives with his son, followed by a chained victim and it’s obvious that he’s about to witness a public execution. The crowd gets bigger, invade the whole square and people are hanging in the windows, balconies and roofs around the hall as well. Dale is shocked to see many families with their children among the audience. The crowd starts scrambling, everybody wants to get the best place and DC is forcibly pressed into a tiny space himself.

When the emperor signals, the execution begins. The two executioner appear on stage and places the victim into a device that ropes his two hands and two legs in a way that by maintain more pressure it would start breaking his body parts into pieces. Dale tries to take a good look at the victim, but he can’t see his face properly. His mouth is taped, so he can’t scream. Nor can he see the two hooded executioners, who start walking around the victim, talking to the crowd, trying to get cheer and gran their attention. They grab a huge knife and tear the victims clothing apart exposing his naked body to the crowd. As a start they stab him in several places, just to give some blood dropping to the crowd. Then comes a metal iron stick straight from a fire. They only touch the victim’s body at several places, making him start moving heavily from the burning pain. But soon the poor guy realises that each movement puts him into a much bigger pan as the ropes moving apart, casing more severe pain. Now the role of the executioners becomes clear. One keeps the fire going, so the iron stick will always remain incredibly hot and the other executes the torture. The next move is stick the hot iron into his ass. To makes things worse, they remove he tape from his mouth, so the whole square can hear his desperate scream. Dale covers his eyes, but it comes to a complete shock to him that he's the only one, who finds the situation disgusting, the rest of the crowd carries on cheering and clapping. Now the executioners start to skin the victim alive. More blood and gross scenes follow. The victim faints. But it was expected to happen, so one of the executioner hints powder at him and forces some liquid down his throat that brings him back to life and torture. Dale can see his face clearly and he can’t believe to his eyes. The person at the stage is HIM!!! It’s Dale who’s being tortured. He’s trying to force himself get out of the dream, but he can’t. He’s still standing in the crowd watching his own execution. But more surprises are coming. The two executioner reveal themselves. They’re Welsh and Robertson! More bizarre scenes are to follow. Robertson bends down and pushed the stick further down to Dale’s butt, he bends down, goes to the front and puts his genitals into his mouth and gently starts biting it. The crowd gets wild. Meanwhile Welsh continues the skinning, we can clearly see Dale’s guts. The emperor looks down at his son, who’s covering his eyes with his hand. The emperor slaps him and forces him to watch. The convicted DC still hanging in the ropes, probably unconscious. His eyes get big and his face starts swelling and soon it unrecognizably changes. Ages decades in just a few minutes and resembled nothing like a human being at all. Robertson carries on chewing on the testicles, while Welsh rips the guts out which results in a huge cheer from the crowd, just like celebrating a goal or a touchdown. Then they starts pressuring the ropes that first rip Dale’s arms out, then his leg. Soon nothing remains. Robertson cuts his heart out, lifts it up and then brings it over to the emperor, who stands up, kisses the heart and signals the end of the brutal execution. The crowd starts to head home and Dale wakes up from his nightmare. He goes for a morning jog before he goes to work.

Once he steps into his office and consumes his every day tea and donuts, he gets a strange phone call from his boss' wife. It’s Ashley who’s calling. Dale thinks that it’s a sick joke and hangs up. Phone rings again. It’s Ashley again. Dale thinks he’s still dreaming, but that’s not the case. She says that she urgently wants to talk to him, they need to meet up as soon as possible. She sounds quite desperate. The same conversation they had in the beginning of the film. A minute later his a secretary storms into the office and informs him that they need him at a crime scene. His boss and mentor, Kenneth Welsh is waiting for him outside the building in a car. Dale is in shock. Now he thinks that he somehow got back in time, but that’s not the case as Welsh and Robertson appears the next minute. They are both having a weird smile at their face. “What the hell is going on” screams Dale. Welsh starts clapping. “The journey towards your recognition for the truth. Guilt. Without guilt, there’re wouldn’t be sin. It’s time for you to see clearly your role, my friend. You can only think in Good or Bad, you don’t realise that you don’t want to destroy the Evil, how could you? You want to convince yourself about the world without God. Well, here I am. Welsh turns into a symbol and Roberston stands close to him, looking like Jesus. “Now the answer is simple, if I am God, you has to be…”

And then everything becomes clear to Dale. We see the flashbacks of his whole life, while a Saw-type, revealing dynamic music fades in, we see Welsh mentoring him and Dale going against him. We see how Welsh was fighting against crime, while Dale started to be interested in it, we show the scene from the first film when he was student and on the way home, he bumped into a little girl’s body in the dark alley. He KILLED the girl. Then joined the FBI. We see the flashback of the FBI case when they follow the lead to a brutal murder in a small town, the FBI agents are searching for a missing girl in the woods. Dale found the girl tied up to a tree. She's naked, rapped and frozen to death. But she wasn’t dead. She was alive, but Dale let her die. He kidnapped Ashley. He then took her from his mentor and seduced her. We see the flashbacks of the old men in Pueblo, who told him “La muerte, la muerte” before he hanged himself. Because he saw that Dale IS the DEVIL. Robertson and Welsh did indeed killed people, but those people where sinners, who says that God is innocent and Ashley was murdered by Welsh, because she betrayed him, then he pretended to be insane when he realized that he can’t kill the DEVIL, he can’t kill DALE. He tried to tell him that God’s not innocent, there are no such thing as just Good or Bad, they should work together to keep the right balance, but Dale refused to do so. He tried to kill Welsh, but he obviously couldn’t.

“Finally, truth came to you, Dale Castaway!” – shouts Welsh. “So are you coming with me partner or you going on your way, alone, stating everlasting war with me?”

We’re zooming on Dale, who gives us an ambigious EVIL smile.

The end.

Edited by The Dark Alfred
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Automatic generated messageThis topic has been closed by a moderator.Reason: Year one is overIf you disagree with this action, please report this post and a moderator or administrator will reconsider it.Kind regards,BOXOFFICE Forums Staff

Edited by Water Bottle
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