From: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org (onlyJMDL Digest) To: onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Subject: onlyJMDL Digest V2009 #329 Reply-To: joni@smoe.org Sender: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk Archives: http://www.smoe.org/lists/onlyjoni Websites: http://www.jmdl.com http://www.jonimitchell.com Unsubscribe: mailto:onlyjoni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe onlyJMDL Digest Saturday, December 5 2009 Volume 2009 : Number 329 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- I hope Joni gets to see the Amelia film [Lieve Reckers Subject: I hope Joni gets to see the Amelia film A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned this new "Amelia" film that I had heard a radio interview about (yes, on my beloved BBC Radio 4!), made by Mira Nair, with Hilary Swank and Richard Gere. I hadn't seen the film and was wondering if Joni's Amelia song would be used in the credits - which it turned out was not the case. Anyway, I think at that time Dave Blackburn was the only one who had seen the film, and he wrote that it was not well done and that the editing was weak. He also quoted a critic who said that the film "doesn't just not get off the ground, it doesn't even get out of the hangar". Well having seen the film now, I would like to speak up in its favour. I went yesterday, without any expectations, and was very positively surprised. The other people in the cinema (just a handful, admittedly, since the others were possibly also deterred by negative reviews) were visibly impressed and moved at the end. I agree with Dave that maybe the editing is not perfect. For myself, I just had a problem with the film starting with a collage of some of the last moments of the film. That was pointless, as far as I was concerned, but did not really matter for the first minute of a nice 2-hour film. (I may be the exception, but I like my films long, so that I can really lose myself in them.) One of the other criticisms I have heard is that the film's approach is quite distant, that it is hard to sympathise with the Amelia Earhart character. Well I did not find it hard at all. I think we should be able to empathise with people even if some of what they do may be alien to us. (For some people that may be the fact that she was very "open" in her idea of marriage and commitment. For me it was the fact that I could not possibly see me fly a plane...) But she was shown as a real person, and there was quite a bit of social and psychological background, and I assume good historical research (such as her relationship with a certain Gene Vidal and his young son, Gore...!), so I am really at a loss why people don't like this film more than they apparently do. I want to go as far as saying that I believe Joni would love the film, because it really shows the spirit of Amelia Earhart as it was captured in her song. I found it striking, how much Joni must have put of herself in that song, and yet how much it matched the real Amelia Earhart's own character. All through watching the film, that thought kept coming up. And I think this is really remarkable when you remember that the film was made by someone (a woman!) who may not even be familiar with Joni's song, and certainly not inspired by it (because I think otherwise she would have mentioned it in the radio interview.) Not only were there mentions of "icy altitudes", "wanderlust", etc, and quotes from Amelia's talented writings, but also there was the spirit of the woman: wanting to be taken seriously as a woman, wanting to be free to follow her calling, and struggling with how to cope with the constraints of loving relationships. I don't need to spell it out further, do I? I think Joni will be very moved if she sees this film. Lieve in London ------------------------------ End of onlyJMDL Digest V2009 #329 ********************************* ------- Post messages to the list by clicking here: mailto:joni@smoe.org Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:onlyjoni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe