One of the very best classes I’ve had in years comes to an end tomorrow when they take the final. I’ll miss them! There was no clear loser on the syllabus except Being John Malkovich, which is growing a little stale. Murakami and Gaiman both had loyal supporters, and while it was no one’s favorite, they were willing to tolerate Topper. In a first, no one would wish away the experience of reading Kafka on the Shore. That may be because they had an extra day to read it since equipment failure canceled the screening of Donnie Darko.
I’m eager to get back to writing—several story ideas have been percolating lately—but this class makes it harder than usual to leave teaching behind. Thanks everyone, it’s been a real pleasure. Keep reading. Remember what Colonel Sanders tells you (by way of Murakami): A life without revelation is no life at all.
John Malkovich has grown stale, but Sixth Sense hasn’t?
Sixth Sense as well. I’m definitely shopping around for a different ghost story, though the damn thing holds up incredibly well. Shyalaman’s one good film.
Malkovich is more of a tone issue, I think. It’s maybe not as hip anymore as it thinks it is? It’s never been a big hit with the class and my sales pitch is probably what’s getting stale. I’d like to make room for a Swedish Vampire flick one of the best students did her paper on—Let the Right One In.
I’ve had several enthusiastic papers on Stranger Than Fiction, and I’ll have to give it another screening. I usually despise Will Ferrell, but liked him in this. My problems were with the other characters. I usually love Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman but found their characters (novelist and critic respectively—something I do something about) totally unconvincing. This presented a serious willing suspenders problem.
Have you considered The Orphanage?
Funny you should mention. Another student did an interesting paper on it. I saw it but not under the best of circumstances. I need to watch it again.
I saw it under bad circumstances, too. Namely, at Virginia Center Commons.