And Teppy, the image of Miles drinking the mythical 1961 wine in a styrofoam cup, with a burger and onion rings, sitting alone in a diner, is one of the most deeply sad things I've seen in a while.

I'm torn on it. On one level it's paralyzingly sad, because you realize that he was saving it in the hopes that he would get back together with his ex-wife. And so if he couldn't drink it with her, then he was going to, in a sense, degrade the experience as much as he could.

But on another level, it's also a relief, and a release, because it had become this Huge Important Thing to him, and when you start thinking that, then there's *nothing* that becomes important enough of a reason to open that bottle. And so it hangs over your head, taunting you that your life will *never* produce a moment worthy of celebrating with a kickass vintage. Maya was absolutely right when she said that just opening that bottle ought to have been an important enough reason -- and I mean that on both the metaphor level and the "Wine! Yay!" level.

Drinking it was a sad moment, because of the loss Miles felt, but it was also a letting-go, of both (1) his hopes of getting back together with his ex (2) and the idea that he has to save up his best [anything; insert your metaphor here] for the Big Amazing Moments.

I can see that, Teppy. I never really thought of him saving it for his ex, though. I was wanting him to save it for Maya.

See, I saw that as a huge turning point for him. It meant that he had reached a polint where he could think of the present moment as something worth savoring. He had realized that simnple daily life had value. In a sense, I think he had to realize that before he could be with Maya, as he couldn't truly appreciate her without that

Aw, Teppy. You made me get all misted up. I found the whole film to be like that--bittersweet and wistful.

As for Jack, I don't think we were supposed to love the character despite his infidelities. He's a big child, lovable at times, and deeply, deeply flawed. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he couldn't stop himself from philandering even after the wedding. But that's Jack. The picture wasn't about Jack learning life lessons.

I did let out of big whoop and clapped when Stephanie beat the crap out of him with a motorcycle helmet. That was a fucking priceless moment, and so well-deserved.

Oh! That's where I've seen Sandra Oh before. Last Night. Okay. I knew the name was familiar.

P-C, you gotta check out Sandra Oh in Double Happiness. I think it'll resonate with you.

P-C, you gotta check out Sandra Oh in Double Happiness.

The IMDb synopsis:

Jade Li is a fiesty, 20something Chinese Canadian, trying to achieve that happy medium between giving in to her parent's wishes and fulfilling her own needs and desires - double happiness. Naturally, something's got to give and when love beckons in the shape of Mark, a white university student, the facade of perfect Chinese daughter begins to slip.

I think it'll resonate with you.

Jesus. Ya think?

The scary rumor I heard is that they're setting it in '87-'88.

Any previous nightmares have been cancelled. A new one is born.

That would break me- I've always considered Rent to be such a snapshot of its time, about finding humanity in a digital age and all. And lots of the lyrics are late 90's specific- it's set in the tech boom, and the line "Living in America at the end of the millenium..". I guess all this could be tweaked or interpreted to work in the 80s, but if it did, I'd pout.

Also, Mimi's line "AZT break!" is pretty pivotal, I think. In the 80's, wasn't AZT still sort of difficult to come by, especially for penniless Bohemians?

t /Old school Rent worship.

I've always considered Rent to be such a snapshot of its time, about finding humanity in a digital age and all.

Which is moderately amusing since it's a remake of La Boheme, about 19th century Parisians.

I just read that Cate's freckles were painted on to play Kate Hepburn. I think the thing that impressed me the most about Aviator was the makeup. It took Ali to point out that the period makeup was excellent too -- I was fixated on the injury makeup, and did remark to myself that it was cool we were seeing Cate's freckles.

Oh, naive me.

Lovely stuff, though.

As for Jack, I don't think we were supposed to love the character despite his infidelities. He's a big child, lovable at times, and deeply, deeply flawed.

This is like the discussion over in the Lost thread -- I don't know if I'd like Jack if he were real, if I knew him IRL. However, as a character, I was surprised at how much I ended up liking him (and, as a corollary, Thomas Hayden Church, who I have NEVER liked in any role before). I think I ended up liking the character because, as the viewer, I got to see the whole character -- not only the philandering, but all of him. There were so many grace notes in his character in his interactions with Miles, whenever Miles was freaking out or just angsting, the way that Jack would extend some emotional support/comfort.

Granted, his character wasn't deep; but even that holds its charms. Basically, he was a wonderful foil to Miles.

And, honestly, because he was a *character* and not someone who I know IRL, even his philandering struck a note of pathos for me, and I actually felt sorry for him that he was so desperate to cling to someone else.

P-Cow, I don't think Jack was a good person, but he was a good friend. You can see how he had served a very necessary and important purpose to Miles over the years - forcing him out of his downward spirals, making him take chances, to engage with people, to live. I could completely understand while Miles would have enough loyalty towards him to go get the wedding ring back.

Also, as Tep notes, Thomas Hayden Church brought a lot of shading to the character. He didn't hide Jack's essential shittiness, and he was also aware (but in denial) that he was a person who had been gliding through life on charm without much ethos at all. And he knew his charm and looks were fading.