To be honest, I’m having trouble writing this article. I was going to do my “Mount Rushmore of Actors”, but decided to postpone it for next week. Sasha encouraged me to write from my heart and express what I’m really dealing with. So, I guess that’s what I’ll do—and somehow, I’ll try to spin this back into talking about cinema. Please, bear with me!
After all the political assassinations and school shootings, I made a personal stance not to support One Battle After Another. I believed it would only encourage more violence and further divide people at a time when we desperately need to come together and figure out how to stop this epidemic. I do wonder though, how much of my feelings are being influenced by the movie itself, or by all the shootings. My opinions are mine, and I own them—but are my opinions any less relevant to the discussion than if I had been singing the film’s praises? All our opinions are subjective, of course, and mine, I’ll admit, are heavily fueled by my perception of all the recent tragedies, including the latest one.
Sunday, there was a shooting in a city called Grand Blanc, Michigan. A man filled with hatred drove his truck into a church, then went on a rampage shooting people inside, and somehow even set the church on fire before the police were able to stop him. Four lives were lost, and eight others injured. The motive is still unknown, and already everyone is waiting to put their political spin on it—which is gross. We should be focusing on the victims, on finding a solution to this epidemic, and on stopping the power we give to these lunatics. It’s exhausting.
But this shooting is different. Grand Blanc is a city I visit often—I live less than 20 minutes away. One of the men shot was a contractor who works for my mom. Another man, along with his daughter, was a resident at the local hospital where my aunt works. Several acquaintances of mine even knew the shooter and his family; they’ve all expressed how stunned and heartbroken they are. It’s strange to hear celebrities, news outlets, and even Trump commenting on a city in my area. It’s all anyone here is talking about—and I can’t escape it.
Today, I tried distracting myself and my children, until someone brought it up right in front of my sons: “Man, I can’t believe what happened in Grand Blanc.” I immediately said, “No, we aren’t talking about that, not in front of my children. They know nothing about it.” The person responded kindly, but I know this isn’t going away anytime soon. Tomorrow, I even have to reroute my doctor’s appointment because the road I usually take is blocked off by dozens of police officers and FBI agents investigating the church. It all feels so real, so close to my doorstep. You go your whole life thinking these things won’t happen around you—until suddenly, evil rears its ugly head. My heart is heavy.
It’s hard for me to view One Battle After Another in any other light, which may be unfair to the film, but I’m making my bias known. I don’t see the masterpiece others claim to. I don’t see anything good in it, aside from Leo. It’s just not a film I want to support or encourage. And I don’t care what good others see in it. So just know, going forward, my bias clouds my judgment. If you’re a singer of praises for this film, we’ll have to respectfully disagree. Please excuse my sensitivity, and I’ll do my best to respect your love for it.
In dealing with this tragedy—and trying to process it while still figuring out how to write about movies—I realized I’d switched into comfort-watching mode without even thinking about it. Do you all do this too? The other night, while chatting with Sasha, I confessed that I’d slipped back into my guilty pleasure comfort shows. She asked what they were, and I made my confession:
I have a running list of shows I rotate through—Friends, How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, Gilmore Girls, The Golden Girls, The Wonder Years, Boy Meets World, Sex and the City, Downton Abbey, Will & Grace, Young Sheldon, and I Love Lucy. These shows bring me so much joy. But I also have comfort movies, too!
My comfort movies usually fall into romance films or cringe-worthy comedies, but I can’t help it. A good comfort movie lightens the mental load, reminds me of laughter and love, and brings me back to humanity. I don’t know what you all find comfort in when tragedy strikes, but I turn to my shows and movies. And since I know we’re supposed to be talking about the 2000s, let’s break that rule for this exercise. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to share your favorite movies or shows that bring you comfort when your heart feels heavy.
Jerm’s Favorite Comfort Movies (unranked)
- Accepted — A cringey comedy that always makes me laugh. Best paired with Chinese takeout.
- Shakespeare in Love — The notorious Oscar fight movie.
- The Harry Potter series — A yearly rewatch, a yearly read-through, and I’m sure the TV series and new audiobooks will be amazing. Hogwarts is my home!
- Moonstruck — Brilliant and endlessly quotable.
- Crazy, Stupid, Love — You could have guessed this. I never stop singing its praises.
- Ratatouille — Maybe it’s the cooking, maybe it’s just the cleverness, but it’s so good.
- Little Women (2019) — Warm, heartfelt, and beautiful.
- Pride & Prejudice — So good, so underrated.
- Almost Famous — Inspiring, and lately a source of reminding. Philip Seymour Hoffman’s lines should be required listening for Oscar bloggers.
- Big Fish — Who doesn’t love a wild Tim Burton tale?
- All About Eve — Other people’s drama makes mine seem minimal. And yes, I get my flair for drama from Margo.
- A Room with a View — My go-to when I’m sick in bed, I am not sure why though.
- Easy A — The movie that made Emma Stone a star.
- Simon Birch — I laugh. I weep.
- Zootopia — Relevant now more than ever. Clever and original.
- Harvey — How did Jimmy Stewart not win a second Oscar for this perfect comedic performance?
- The Devil Wears Prada — No list is complete without The Queen, of course.
- O Brother, Where Art Thou? — Clooney at his best.
- CODA — A heart-lifting reminder. I’m so glad it came out when it did.
- La La Land — Emma again. I want Emma and Ryan to be a real couple. Best movie of the 21st century.
- Toy Story franchise — Forever holds a piece of my heart.
- The Wizard of Oz — If you read my Wicked: For Good trailer article, you know why.
- Gone with the Wind — If I’ve got time to be sad, I’ve got time for this.
- The Help — Okay, maybe I have an Emma Stone obsession.
- Little Miss Sunshine — Who doesn’t relate to a crazy dysfunctional family?!
I went a little crazy with 25 movies, but honestly, I’m on edge right now, and this was a welcome distraction. I’m grateful to live in a time where I can turn to these films—and the ones I’ve forgotten—and shows that are endlessly rewatchable. In times like these, they do the heart good.
I’ll try not to stay angry at One Battle. I really will. And I hope you all understand and hear my heart—I’m not trying to be mean or hateful. I’m just tired. Hopefully awards season will pick up, maybe even surprise me a bit. Either way, it’s all subjective, and in the end, it doesn’t really matter.
Now it’s your turn, my friends. Drop your favorite cozy movies and shows. Give me something new to add to my list. Remember—be kind, hold on to what really matters, and if nothing else, well… Let’s Talk Cinema!
