If you are like most college kids, you shut down over spring break, curling into a tight ball and doing your very best to forget that school was ever a thing. Many members of the Cardinal & Cream staff had busy breaks, but we still managed to find time to watch several movies and shows. Below are some of these movies and shows!
Randall Kendrick
“Spring Breakers” (2012) Directed by Harmony Korine
I didn’t have the money or the leave hours from work to get away for spring break, so of course I watched a movie about people doing exactly that. This movie gave me a lot more than I anticipated. I didn’t expect much from it besides a good performance by James Franco and seeing a bunch of teens doing regrettable things on the beach. However, to my surprise, it was a very thought-provoking commentary on teenage hedonism, irresponsibility and the consequences of living out that kind of philosophy beyond “spring break.”
By the time I got done with the movie, I was kinda glad I couldn’t do anything to celebrate the occasion, and I pondered the film’s message long after it ended. Fans of art house cinema and A24 Films should seek this one out.
Brent Walker
“I Can Only Imagine” (2018) Directed by the Erwin Brothers
I watched the new Christian film “I Can Only Imagine” three times over spring break. “I Can Only Imagine” is based on the true story of Bart Millard, lead singer of the popular Christian band MercyMe, and of the creation of the band’s record-breaking hit single of the same name.
Millard’s story is told in a flashback, his childhood marred by an abusive father and a mother who abandoned him, and his life after graduation spent running from the pain of his past. Millard returns home later in the movie to find his father to be a man who has found forgiveness in Jesus and completely transformed by the power of the Gospel. Millard, confronted by his father’s cancer diagnosis, has to explore what forgiveness, redemption, and healing truly looks like and is prompted by his father’s death to transform his pain over losing “the father he always wanted” into a song that has inspired millions.
“I Can Only Imagine” reminded me that we all have a story to tell, no matter how ugly or painful or heartbreaking. One of the reasons I wanted to become a journalist was to show that every person is valuable and has a story to tell.
The movie actually reaffirmed my desire to be a writer. At one point during the movie, after several record labels dismiss the band as “not good enough,” Millard wants to give up, to quit, to end the band and his music career. Then comes a pivotal moment. The band’s manager tells Millard that he seems like he’s faking his songs sometimes and that his real self never fully emerges. He challenges Millard to let his pain become his inspiration and to write about his pain.
On many levels, I connected with Millard as a writer. Sure, I write articles and he writes songs, but they’re all based on stories. Oh, how many days I’ve wanted to give up. How many days I’ve felt I’m “not good enough.” How I’ve held back at times, afraid of being too transparent and vulnerable. The manager had put all of these things into perspective for me. I can only hope that I can be just as open and vulnerable in my own writing.
Millard’s story subtly yet powerfully declares the truth of the Gospel. As a writer, I hope that, as I seek to tell the truth, I point to the ultimate Truth. And as a writer, I hope to show that there is beauty in every story.
I can only imagine what kind of world we would have if we all shared our stories.
Cameron Woodard
“Solace” (2015) Directed By Afonso Poyart
My mom and I have a habit of watching movies, just the two of us, that no one else in my family will watch. These are either horror films that my father deems too abhorrently evil to watch, or movies that don’t peak anyone’s interest. In any case, this spring break featured one of those. My mom and I sat down to watch “Solace,” which stars Anthony Hopkins, who plays the role of a pyschic who assists the ever-so-handsome “good cop,” played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan. I like to categorize movies into either impactful movies or popcorn movies, insinuating that the latter are just movies to keep my eyes on the screen for two hours. “Solace” is the perfect popcorn movie. Full of action and mystery, Anthony Hopkins does an incredibly job of capturing my attention with his mysterious powers. If you’re looking for a movie to crack open a box of junior mints to, this is the one.
Hannah Eason
“New Girl”
Over break I reveled in the fact that I had nothing to do by watching the latest season of “New Girl.” I have stuck by this show through the many emotional ups and downs involving their friendships with each other and many romantic relationships. However, things are a little different in season 6 since the group “ladies’ man,” Schmidt, is now married and friends Winston and Nick also find themselves in committed relationships. These may affect the group dynamic but nothing’s going to tear this group apart.
I am always on the hunt for a movie or TV show that makes me laugh and “New Girl” definitely satisfies that need to laugh. I would recommend “New Girl” to anyone looking for a good laugh or just a new, entertaining series to invest in.
Grace Sloan
“Gilmore Girls”
Over break I was feeling all sorts of sentimental. If you would have been with me, you would have asked, “Why, Gracie, are you sitting in your room getting teary-eyed over the tree outside your window? It’s not even blooming yet, pull yourself together.” Well, the answer is my parents have decided to pack up the home we’ve made in Murfreesboro over the past 20 years and move to a scary and unknown place called Jackson, Tennessee. It’s really not that dramatic, but I sure am. When I am feeling this dramatic and nostalgic, I log onto Netflix and hit play on a “Gilmore Girls” episode like any sane 20-something girl would do. This show takes me back to days of coming home from school, running to the pantry to grab a snack, and sitting on our living room couch to watch their afternoon special on TV. The witty mother-daughter banter, quirky hometown traditions, and early 2000s everything was exactly what my sentimental heart needed during this transition. Home is a sweet place to be and this show welcomes you with open arms into the Gilmore house every time.
Clark Hubbard
“A Series of Unfortunate Events” (Season 2, 2018)
The single biggest influence on my writing during my childhood was Lemony Snicket’s (pseudonym of Daniel Handler) “Series of Unfortunate Events.” This was my introduction to the world of Postmodern fiction, a world which would soon include Thomas Pynchon, Don Delilo, Zadie Smith and David Foster Wallace, among others. This being the case, I was more than excited when the first season of Netflix’s adaption of the series came out early last year. I loved the first season, and had high hopes for the second season, which just dropped last week.
Although I haven’t finished it, I love this second season. It manages to strike the same perfect balance of sticking to the original material as the first season, but it still contains some new ideas and clever lines that make it an entirely new experience for those viewers who read the series four times in High School.
There’s a sort of optimistic cynicism to the series that I love. Things are bad, and they’re going to get worse, but you can’t help but appreciate the Baudelaire children and their ingenuity. They can do almost anything when they work together, and with the (albeit brief) introduction of the Quagmire triplets (or twins, as Count Olaf insists on calling the two remaining triplets), the series can go even more places.
There’s a certain frustration that comes with reading Snicket’s books, and that frustration can carry over to the show. You know things are only going to get worse, but the protagonists are so lovable (and the antagonists so antagonizing) that you can’t help but cheer when the smallest silver lining appears in a rain cloud.
If you’ve got an hour to burn, check out Netflix’ “Series of Unfortunate Events.” You will appreciate the storytelling, cinematography, acting and humor, and maybe you’ll feel a bit better about your very own unfortunate existence.
