Small success

Ernestine 2022-08-09 15:25:13

A very interesting movie. When I read it, I feel much better than when I think about it after reading it. Probably because the new director does not have any special life wisdom to "pass on" to us, we can relax and listen to him with a normal heart. On the contrary, we are more deeply touched. The narrative tone is also gentle, worthy of the ancient Chinese motto of "gentle and honest". But leaving the screen and thinking about it carefully, it was raisins, not olives.

Why can't you be regarded as the word "meaningful"? First, although the protagonist is very good, the supporting role is too full of personality. Second, the music is too sweet and vulgar; the abuse of slow motion is also unbearable. It's almost TV. Third, the content of the screen is poor and there is no "seeing", probably because the director lacks experience in controlling the big screen; it is conceivable that the patience of the audience will be tested even more in the movie theater. Fourth, because it is a kind of "one-idea movie", the dialogue itself is not very elegant, so some lines inevitably sound abrupt and unnatural. Such as the famous saying of the little brother Joe: "Do you ever stop to think that while you're so busy being weird, I have to step up and act normal?" Another example is the father’s "I was just getting use to you". Too cute, too cliché; especially from a flat character cut out of cardboard like Mike.

But no matter what, it was a two-hour happy time. Berlin Silver Bear, it seems unnecessary.

Its success reflects the current “lack” of mainstream Hollywood productions. So once a director makes a movie that is so little related to our lives, the audience and even the judges are already full of gratitude, so the comments will be extraordinarily generous. .

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Extended Reading

Thumbsucker quotes

  • [Justin see's Dr. Perry for the last time in his new office before leaving off to college]

    Justin Cobb: What happened?

    Dr. Perry Lyman: What do you mean?

    Justin Cobb: This place. It looks a little depressing.

    Dr. Perry Lyman: I don't know, I... I guess I stopped trying to be anything. I accepted myself and all my human disorder. You might wanna do the same. Do you remember when you were like, 13 or something, you were... You were always doing an impression of a newsman.

    Justin Cobb: [chuckles] I did?

    Dr. Perry Lyman: You were quite good.

    Justin Cobb: Sorry.

    Dr. Perry Lyman: If that's what you want to do, New York is the perfect place for you. Make the contacts, knock on doors.

    [Dr. Perry lights a cigarette]

    Dr. Perry Lyman: Get the right haircut, take voice lessons. Might work. Then again. You'll have to deal with a lot of fear.

    Justin Cobb: I just came here for a checkup.

    Dr. Perry Lyman: Really? Justin, I'm sorry if I contributed to any feelings of shame you may have about your thumb. I've been reading up on it. Medically, psychologically, there's nothing really wrong with thumb sucking.

    Justin Cobb: I don't think I can agree with that.

    Dr. Perry Lyman: No, really. Look. Justin... there was nothing wrong with you.

    Justin Cobb: It felt like everything was wrong with me.

    Dr. Perry Lyman: That's 'cause we all wanna be problemless. To fix ourselves. We look for some magic solution to make us all better, but none of us really know what we're doing. And why is that so bad? That's all we humans can do. Guess. Try. Hope. But, Justin, just pray you don't fool yourself into thinking you've got the answer. Because that's bullshit. The trick is living without an answer. I think.

    [both chuckle and laugh]

    Dr. Perry Lyman: [Dr. Perry chuckles and lights another cigarette] I think.

  • [Justin lays back in the chair of his dentist who suggests a way to help him stop his thumb sucking condition]

    Dr. Perry Lyman: It's time we were honest with each other.

    Justin Cobb: Yeah?

    Dr. Perry Lyman: I don't wanna fix your teeth all over again. It's time to confront the underlying issue.

    Justin Cobb: What do you mean?

    Dr. Perry Lyman: I know what your problem is. It's an understandable habit. In fact, what's strange is that people ever quit. It's nature's substitute for your mother's breast. How were you fed as a baby? From a bottle?

    Justin Cobb: I can't remember.

    Dr. Perry Lyman: Any tension at home? Anxiety? Any bad memories?

    [Justin has a flashback of playing little league and missing the catch of a high fly ball]

    Justin Cobb: No conscious ones.

    Dr. Perry Lyman: We never remember the big ones anyways. Some dumb babysitter holds your mouth shut so she can watch soap operas in peace. At 40 you wonder why you can't stay married. There's only so much I can do with traditional orthodontics. Justin. Justin. Are you ready to let go of your thumb?

    Justin Cobb: Why are you talking like that?

    Dr. Perry Lyman: Answer my question.

    Justin Cobb: What are you gonna do?

    Dr. Perry Lyman: I wanna try hypnosis.

    Justin Cobb: [Justin smiles wanting to laugh] No way.

    Dr. Perry Lyman: Yeah. Really, I've seen it do wonders. Just try and relax. The more relaxed you are, the deeper we can go. Focus on the moon in the painting.

    [Dr. Perry points to the painting behind him on the wall of his office]

    Dr. Perry Lyman: [Dr. Perry turns out his office lights and lights a candle] Sense of peace... like a white light... fills your body. Imagine the white light... filling your feet... and your legs. Then your torso. Then your head. Imagine you're on a path. You're deep in the forest. A shaft of light illuminates a wild animal.

    [Justin see's the image of a male deer with antlers]

    Dr. Perry Lyman: This is your power animal. See it. Study it. When you feel like sucking your thumb, I want you to call on your power animal. Call it now.

    Justin Cobb: [Justin whimpers out loud] Come here.

    Dr. Perry Lyman: Do it in your mind. Whenever you feel afraid, alone, call on your power animal. You're not alone. You're not afraid. You don't need your thumb. And your thumb doesn't need you.

    [Justin wakes up]

    Dr. Perry Lyman: Justin, from now on, your thumb will taste like Echinacea.

    Justin Cobb: [Justin asks before leaving Mr. Perry's office] What's your power animal?

    Dr. Perry Lyman: That's personal.