"These are the things that upset me!"

In other words, this is a post about some very random (but oh so very vital) movie pet peeves of mine.  Those storylines, characters, situations, or what-have-you, that send me running for my soap box...or in more desperate situations begin the creative juices for my next novel in which I'm determined to right all wrongs, and do things the way they were supposed to be done!! 

 

(I warn you in advance, this post will most likely have very little rhyme or reason to it.  I'm just going to plunge right in, so goodness knows where we'll end up.)

 

 

1. When a child loves her pet so much that her father's inability to save it from dying causes her to turn her back on her father and be totally cold and unresponsive to him.  Like...grrrrrrr!  I'm sorry, guys, but this makes me so, so mad!!  You can't love a cat more than you love your dad!!  I mean if your dad is really cruel to you or something, then maybe...but the situation of which I speak was not that way, and I consider it very unnatural for a small child to throw away the love of her father simply because he didn't fix her cat!  (Pardon me while I go let off some steam...)

 

AAAAHHHHHHH!!!

 

(P.S.  The movie I'm referring to is an old Disney film entitled The Three Lives of Thomasina.  I had hopes of it being a good movie because it has the kids from Mary Poppins in it...but unfortunately my hopes were dashed.  Yes indeedy, this movie left much to be desired.)

 

2. When a stupid cat that you care nothing about is somehow supposed to be the great heroine of the story...while all the time she's just very obnoxious and you find yourself wishing whole-heartedly that she would find some way to choke, drown, shoot herself, or...or...something!  Just so as we could be rid of her for good and all.  (The Three lives of Thomasina again.  What can I say?  That movie clearly does not bring out the best in me.)

 

3. When girl falls in love with guy and guy falls in love with girl but...oopsy!! Guy is already married.  How are we supposed to get out of this mess??? 

Don't worry.  It's actually quite simple.  Guy's wife is of course nasty and mean which draws our sympathy against her in favor of the true love that guy and girl share...so...the solution?   Quite simple really.  Wife is in the way.  Wife must die.  (Or get a divorce.  *shrugs* That works, too.)   So it's done, and we all go forth happy because once again true love has won!!! 

 

UGH AND DOUBLE UGH!!! 



I'm thinking primarily of this couple here...



...and this couple, whose names I can't remember but who made me very, very mad.  Bad, bad, bad.)

 

Seriously.  Just once I'd like to see a story where the man in question does not have a rotten wife, and where he actually comes to his senses, goes home, honors his marriage vows, and together he and his wife fix their marriage!  And furthermore a story in which we the audience are encouraged to support the marriage rather than the "fuzzy duzzy love-a-thingy."

 

I've said my piece.  I rest my case. 

 

4. The newly widowed heroine pursued by numberless suitors before her husband is cold in his grave.  And the whole "you must be open to love again" jargon.  Give me a break.  Wouldn't it be so refreshing to have a heroine who actually remained unmarried, and who wasn't pursued by every available man just as soon as her first love is out of the picture?  (coughcough...looking at you Love Comes Softly and When Calls the Heart...coughcough.)

 

She's joking, right?  I mean, second marriages, that's what we're all about.  You lose half the romance if you don't allow for a second marriage.  (I mean, literally, you do.)  Come on now!  How could you dare suggest such a thing?  *Very, very affronted at the mere idea* 

 

5.  When the hero falls for a manipulative and obnoxious girl, who the filmmakers don't even seem to realize is a totally annoying person.  You know, like when they think the annoying and obnoxious girl is like the heroine or something and that we're supposed to be happy this is happening!!  No thank you.  (And I'm sorry but I don't have a specific scenario in mind for this one, I just know I've seen this before...somewhere.)

6. When a wife decides not to share a very important bit of information with her husband because she wants to protect him...and all the time you know that's only going to make things worse, and that they're totally setting themselves up for more drama and heartache in the future, so you sit there screaming "COMMUNICATE PEOPLE! COMMUNCIATE!!"  But of course they don't because, I don't know *shrugs*...logical, intelligent thought never was their forte???

Or common sense is dead maybe.

 

Anyhow, I guess that's the end of my rant for today.  I sort of punched a hole in my soap box when I pounded my foot down too hard, and yeah, I kind of need to figure out how to extricate my foot from that painful situation.  Not that I can't endure pain--I mean, it's not like I'm a squeamish person or anything--but it's just a bit difficult walking around with ones foot in a box. 

I'm sure you understand.  

And now I shall leave you with these very intelligent parting words. 

Because as you all know, that's my motto in life.