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Jennifer Guyor Jowett's avatar

Debbie, we are a huge movie-going family (my oldest is a film major). We all loved the new Superman movie, for all the reasons you shared. We'll have to visit the Tara if we make it to Atlanta. I'm wondering what your brother Mike thought of it!

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Deborah Wiles's avatar

We’ll take you to the Tara if you come to ATL. Cool! We love the movies, too. I almost put a Roger Ebert clip into this post, but excised it before I posted, as it didn’t fit as well with my focus, but I’m sure you’ve seen it… I’ll see if I can post links here. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TFqjwyRjeP4

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Jennifer Guyor Jowett's avatar

Ah, yes! Great clip. Movies and books have so much in common (I'd argue that books do it better).

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Deborah Wiles's avatar

I think they offer different things, or different delivery vehicles, both of them very rich and full of good stuff to learn. I don’t prefer one over the other. I think that’s right. :>

From a writing standpoint, I learn so much about pacing and rhythm and nuance and story arc from film, as a film has to convey so much in so little time, if that makes sense. The details of world building and characterization, detail and description, showing not telling, and having the room to move about in a story, I find in books.

This is off the cuff… I’d have to think about it, just that I think they serve different purposes for me in some ways, and since I’m such a visual learner, the movies sweep me up and carry me somewhere I want to go. We have a family list of must-see movies going way back, and I find that each is a favorite for different reasons. Books are like that, too, eh?

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Jennifer Guyor Jowett's avatar

Absolutely. Maybe it's that movies don't last as long for me to be fully enveloped? Either medium, when well done, has the capacity to transport. And I love them both. This has been a great summer for movies. My son's ability to tell a story and give feedback to writers has been influenced by his love and deep understanding of movies.

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Deborah Wiles's avatar

I love hearing this about your son. I have one of those sons, too. :> I like how they think… or I should speak for the one I know, I guess. ha. But the movies are great empathic machines, as are books, and all art. Let’s keep making it. xo

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Michael de Give's avatar

I loved reading your family story. Mike looks like a little tank. I would have wanted him on my side. I also love that you, Jim and Zack go out to see movies in a theater. I haven't been in a movie theater in many years. Your stories flow like a mountain stream of memories and observations.

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Deborah Wiles's avatar

Thank you, Michael. Such kind words. Mike became a US Marine, and you're right about that tank! Let's go to the movies sometime, all of us.

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