2001-05-09 - 10:07 p.m.

Peyton Place

To continue a long string of excellent movies, I ended up watching the original version of Peyton Place Monday night. How I watched the movie is another story in and of itself, largely because it involves Spring (good news, really). But I wanted to leave a few thoughts about the film. Normally I hate to spoil books and films, but I'm afraid I might (so skip this entry if you've not seen the film).

The film is from 1957 ... er think and was based on a novel. While some of the early dialog sounded as if it came from a play, and the sets, costumes, and even the music, had a very 1950s - 1960s happy feel, the movie was far from. In only a matter a minutes I could tell there was some serious drama involved with the poor family. I've already forgotten the poor girl's name, but her step father watching her was not very subtle at all.

The film as you may know takes place in a quiet town on the East Coast. Though the reference to the Allegeny Mountains (which run through Pennsylvania) and the PA plates on one of the cars, made me suspect that the town was in PA, other references were made to point to Maine. It matters not. The town was filled with lots of little churches (which PA has more per capita than I've seen anywhere else) and one textile factory. Not much else going on ... saving "necking" parties and skinny dipping.

Anyway, this quiet perfect little town was complete with a sexual abusive step-father, town gossip, several controlling parents (mothers and fathers), and general sexual prejudices. What surprised me was that in the course of 2 and a half hours, most of this major small conservative town issues were confronted head on, and in the course of just two years time for this tiny town.

In a strange way I found myself seeing a bit of myself in the ? (forgot his first name) Page ? character. And I'm not saying this because the boy later joined the Paratroopers to get nice boots. In fact, he had a martyr personality, which good or bad is something I can see in myself.

In the late 1950s the book and film were cutting edge. What troubles me about this film and its message is that I still see these problems in my family back in PA, IN, as well as in society here in California.

There are times that I have a grass is greener attitude or outlook on life. And then there are times that I have this feeling that California is a hell of a lot more open minded than other communities.

This last feeling also is a double edged sword. California and other progressive communities always have their own problems, and only stay open minded as long as the people in those communities don't become complacent (sp?). However, communities outside of my own, my home, do slowly have an impact on views and thoughts here as well.

No Man Is An Island Onto Himself

A small part of me regrets that I didn't choose to make a life in Texas, PA, IN, or some other conservative state. In Texas when I started to come of age I can remember arguing for gender equality and less violent behavior. I also strived to lead by example, and yet at the same time I denied large parts of myself. I restrained myself in order that people would take me more seriously. That they would listen to me.

It really is difficult to find this balance in life. Interestingly the Doctor in the film had a similar moral conflict. He aborted the child of the girl who was raped by her step father (which in and of itself is something that just enrages me ... not the abortion, but rape), but he was caught behind honoring the girl's wise to keep the abortion private -vs- telling people so that she would not go to jail for killing her step father when he tried to rape her a second time.

I was throughly pissed off when the lawyer prosecuting her continued to press charges and attack her character even after he found out that she had been raped by her step father before. Lawyers are just sick. Not all of them, but so many of them are.

They get so caught up in words that they forget their meaning.

Cyber Stalker

For nearly half a year I get an private email once a month from a Florida guy who literally is a cyber stalker. Now I feel better because he only harasses me to get in better with the young women he stalks, but I have been saving his emails and I've tracked down his location. But the guy is a moron. Really.

He has admitted to following and harassing people more than once, but continues to pretend he never did this. That is his loss.

What is important about him ... the connection if you will to Peyton Place, is that he publically claims to love debating and law. And yet he really isn't that good at twisting words.

In a way I really do feel sorry for him, but he really needs to just consider getting professional help.

It just amazes me just how many disfunctional people there are. Oh, I have my own problems, and I am working on them. But I also know that my own worst enemy is myself. I certainly wouldn't ever physically hurt somebody, and when I say bitter and hurtful things I really regret it. Especially when it is to people whom I love.

Communities

As people grow older, they make friends with people whom they have similar interests and people whom they can count on. I guess it is a part of human nature to build these communities. I count myself as very lucky as the community, friendships that I've build include wonderful people who care not just about themselves, but others inside and outside of their community.

In the film the doctor gave a speech about how terrible it was that a young girl is raped and instead of seeking help is afraid that her family and community will blame her and think less of her and her boyfriend. Nobody chooses to be molested, sexually assulated, or raped. There never is an age when it is right to be forced into something, but people should be given choices over their own lives. I don't really see any different in age or consent. All the situations involve making somebody do something they don't want.

I know had I been on that fictional jury that I'd have found the girl innocent. But I also would have been enraged at the lawyer. He wasn't really doing his law, and he certainly wasn't interested in the spirit of the law.

-=-

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