Friday, April 8, 2011

like a cat on a hot tin roof

then jump off the roof, maggie, jump off it. now cats jump off roofs and they land uninjured. do it. jump.

 
 xxx
we browsed netflix around eleven. with the television glowing, mummering. pablo curled up with his nose at his toes, slumbering, sighing.

and we were in one of those moods. those indecisive, can't-make-our-minds-up-to-save-our-life kind of mood. twenty minutes later, we found it. cat on a hot tin roof. i'd never seen it, and with the recent passing of liz, i thought it apt.

and i sat. never has a movie so mesmerized and enchanted me. at not since marlon brando in a streetcar named desire, have i so swooned over a fifties leading man. paul newman is glowing in this movie. seriously so strong, complex and beautifully tormented. i ate it up.

and there is a line near the beginning of the movie. where maggie is standing near the fence with big daddy, and she tells him that she has a million emotions running around in her mind. waiting to be lived. waiting to be felt.

and how beautiful. to think there are still some emotions i haven't tapped into yet. haven't felt in my core. i've felt sadness, but i'll feel it deeper one day. i've been scared, hurt and overjoyed, but there are elements of those feelings that i've still yet to process. and there are emotions i haven't given names to yet, because they haven't entered my life.

what do you call the emotion when your child drives away to college? standing alone on the campus lawn, watching your world get smaller as the footsteps between you grow. or walking away from your retirement party. pulling out of that parking space for the last time. looking into your baby's eyes for the first time. getting unexpected phone calls in the middle of the afternoon that change your life.

there are emotions i've yet to feel. some i hope i never do, and some i can't wait to experience. but like elizabeth so passionately declares later in the movie, i'm alive. and as long as i am, i'll get the glorious honor of feeling. deeply. ferverantly. and without fear. because the tin on this roof is hot, and i'm not afraid of heights.

21 comments:

Stitchfork said...

I haven't seen this movie in years and now need to watch it again after reading your beautiful words here.
Cathy

Blondie's Journal said...

I always have the best intentions of watching this movie {and many more of the old ones} and I never seem to have a minute. These lines would have, and have, touched me. One of the greatest things about growing older is knowing you have experienced the best of the best and have learned and grown from the worst of the worse. And it helps to be observant, or some of these moments can pass you by.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, Courtney!

XO,
Jane

sarah nicole said...

Chills! What a lovely post.

And I will definitely be watching the movie this weekend.

xo,

Sarah

Anonymous said...

Watched the play last saturday, Am hoping to watch the film now. :)

melissa said...

Beautiful post =)

I need to see this movie asap! Thanks for sharing! I hope you're having a great Friday! x

Whim Wham Life said...

One of my favorite movies:-) I pretty much was the only girl among all my friends, with a crush on Paul Newman! xoxo

Unknown said...

: )

i've never seen this movie. i guess i must.

Jennifer Rod said...

I'm thinking of renting it one of these days now... :)

Victory Garden Yarn said...

I.Love.This.Movie. I feel like it is one of those I could watch twenty five times in a row and yet still see or hear something new each time. It is truly riveting!

And I mean, come on, who in their right mind could resist Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor!?

Amber said...

I havent seen this film either but I have always meant to watch it, it sounds like a great flick

Signe said...

Never seen this one but it sure sounds good :)

And you write so well, when you do one of your 'what if' posts it always makes me think about how the same things will affect me in my life!

Here is to all the motions we have yet to feel and a happy weekend to you :)

Signe said...

Emotions that is :)

Brandi said...

I've never seen the movie, only read the play, but now I know precisely what I'll be doing tonight! The thing I discovered in theater is that we have everything inside of us, we can feel it all. It's just a matter of time and experience.

kate said...

this gave me so many chills. this is such a beautiful thought. thank you once again for sharing your heart and your mind :)

Dee Paulino said...

what a beautiful thought! I haven't seen this movie but I must watch it after this review. I hope you're having a nice weekend my dear friend, xo.

meg fee said...

um. paul newman. delicious. period.

what a lovely post--to be able to feel deeply, to be empathetic, this is what makes us human. you're right--we must rejoice in all feeling--including those yet to come. sometimes i look back on periods of time where i was so sad with such great fondness--because those are the periods i was getting better--when the sadness was a point to an end.

Some Korean Website Highjacker said...

oh those indecisive moments - Sean & i sometimes spend way too much time staring at the screen, not having a clue what we "feel" like watching. isn't it peculiar when that happens? but your choice is top notch! i haven't seen it in years but what a timeless classic!

that last line says it all really. there's a quote i've always loved that says "live your life on the verge of tears" and i think it means to be bold, stay passionate, keep those internal cells plumped and try not to get drawn in by the decoys out there. your writing always reminds me of those things, it's why i so love visiting you, you always impart wisdom and beautiful depth to my days. xo ♥

Amy said...

Sounds beautiful and like something I need to watch. Elizabeth was so beautiful so I'm sure it suites her well.
Or maybe it's your lovely writing as usual that's pulling me in ;)
I'll deinitely give it a shot because who can turn down a swoonworthy man.
xoxo

Kaylia Payne said...

I'm really going to have to watch this one! I had never thought of life that way before, that there's so many emotions we haven't felt yet. I like it.
Though sometimes it's fear of some of the negative emotions we haven't yet experienced that stops us from really living sometimes.

Ashley {hudson's happenings} said...

One of my favorites ever.

Maggie the Cat is alive. I'm alive.

:)

viagra online said...

I'm sure Robert's grandma will be thrilled to pass on her skill's to you. My mum used to be sewing all the time - all sort of sewing and I so wished that she had taught me her skills whilst she was still here with us.

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