"Lego Movie" and "Palm Springs" (Again)

Greetings,

I rewatched some of my favorite films from the last few years, and I'm very glad to say they've held up well!  Like any especially good movies, I in fact found that both films offer new nuances upon being rewatched and as I move into new phases of life.

While I've previously written about both "Lego Movie" and "Palm Springs", I haven't necessarily gone into detail about specific parts of the films I loved.  With the benefit of these recent re-viewings, I'd like to highlight specific scenes as each of these films near their conclusions.  There are therefore spoilers ahead, so do not proceed if you haven't seen these movies!

And also WHAT are you DOING?  Watch these movies!

The big twist of "Lego Movie" is that the story comprising the majority of the film is actually the imaginary play of 8-year-old Finn (played by Jadon Sand) in the elaborate--and real--Lego world constructed by his father (played by Will Ferrell).  The even bigger twist is that Finn's father shows up in his play as Lord Business, who is the controlling and dominating villain in Finn's imaginary world.  Lord Business is launching an evil campaign to permanently eradicate all creativity from the entirety of his Lego kingdom, which the Lego hero Emmet (played by Chris Pratt) and his friends are fighting to prevent.  This battle mirrors Finn's father's in-real-life refusal to let Finn play with the tantalizing and vast Lego world in their family's basement.

At the conclusion of the film, Finn's father asks what Finn would say to Lord Business.  Finn's message is delivered to Lord Business through Emmet: Lord Business, like any master builder, is important, powerful, and creative.  He can use his powers for good and to join with other creators, for the good of all.

This message of son to father rings so differently now, as a parent to ever-growing children, than it did before these new people were here.  First and foremost, it's a reminder that no matter how everyday or insignificant a parent might feel, to your child, you are everything.  It is a deeply poignant invitation to parents to step out of their rote roles as disciplinarians and to step away from their compulsive needs for order and control, and to instead embrace the new, different, and sometimes chaotic beauty of having children in your life.  Heartbreakingly, it's a testimony of how crushing it can be when parents are unable to see their child's creative and uninhibited energies as assets--precious, potentially fragile assets--rather than nuisances.  And as a counterpoint to that testimony, Finn's message is also an entreaty that to continue to liberate oneself through creativity and play--with all of the courage, commitment, and vulnerability that requires--is some of the best modeling a parent can offer a child.  Finally, and at its simplest yet possibly its most powerful, it's an invitation for Finn and his father to play together.

It's such a sweet and emotionally complex moment.  This movie is so good!

As for "Palm Springs", there is a crucial turning point in which Nyles (played by increasing favorite of the blog Andy Samberg) and Sarah (played by Cristin Milioti) debate whether to attempt Sarah's ploy to escape the infinite timeloop they've been trapped in together.  This time around, I was particularly struck by how their love for each other manifests in equal yet opposite stances in their discussion.  

Nyles’s love for Sarah contributes to and is informed by his fear of change, leading him to argue for staying in the timeloop.  They have established their relationship in this one neverending day, and he fears that reintroducing all the complexity that lies beyond that will tear them apart.  He sees their love as fragile, as if it's only capable of surviving in the bizarre microchronosphere they've stumbled into, and he wants to cling to it as long as he can.

On the other hand, Sarah’s love for Nyles contributes to her newfound hope and frees her from her self-loathing and nihilism.  It is precisely because she loves Nyles (and, I suspect, because she also has more self-respect and sense of her own independent identity than Nyles) that she must figure out an escape from the timeloop.  She isn't, as Nyles initially fears, trying to exit the timeloop to leave him behind; she is hoping, out of her love for him, to liberate them both.  She has confidence that they will thrive as they reclaim their future rather than be driven apart.

It's an astute and honest discussion of the inherent risks and possible rewards of loving someone.  The optimism conveyed by the choice Sarah and Nyles make together is beautiful, moving, and exhilarating.

Yet again, I gave both "Lego Movie" and "Palm Springs" 5s.  They are so good!  Please enjoy them if you haven't already, and please enjoy them again if you have!  I can attest that they're fully up to the test.

{Heart}