O Brother!

You wouldn't expect a movie set in the American south during the years of the Great Depression to be funny. It turns out that it can be done, and done well. O Brother, Where Art Thou? by The Coen Brothers is the movie that portrays the financially depressed, emotionally broke, socially racist Southern USA with humor. The adventures of Everett, Delmar, and Pete—George Clooney, Tim Blake Nelson, and John Turturro respectively—and an assortment of supporting characters (played magnificently by Holly Hunter, John Goodman, and many others) provide a surprisingly good time from beginning to end.

Everett, Delmar, and Pete are buddies, mostly by the unusual circumstance that they are linked together in a prison chain gang. Together they make their escape. Together they flee. And after breaking their shackles, together they seek the treasure that Everett has made their quest. And although Delmar's soul is cleansed and he is no longer a sinner; Pete is captured, whipped, and reveals the trio's plan; and the “treasure” is only Everett's wife's wedding ring left in their abandoned family cabin located in a valley scheduled to be flooded, the three men remain constantly committed to their quest.

Because the movie loosely mimics Odysseus's (aka Ulysses's) trip in Homer's Odyssey—Everett's first name is actually Ulysses!—our triad's escape from the chain gang is only the beginning of an epic voyage, both physical (across long distances) and mental (coming to major realizations about love, life, and the pursuit of happiness). They meet people and have experiences similar to Ulysses' ten-year return home after the ten-years-long Trojan war, though they take far fewer than ten years. They are influenced by a blind seer, tempted by three sirens laundering at a river side, and threatened by a cyclops. They get driven off course, captured, and forced to backtrack. They suffer abuse and get help. Still, they reach their goal, and Everett reunites with his wife Penny (Get it? Penny!) and their children after fighting off her suitor.

Historical figures, real events, and the actualities of life of the Depression-Era South impact the shenanigans that the three fugitives witness, suffer, get into, and perpetrate. Farmers lose their land, money, and homes; banks are robbed; inhabited land is flooded; confidence men work their wickedness; and deals are made with the Devil. Politicians and kin lie and betray. And a boy band makes it big. Every bit of it is laughable, as only the Coens can make it, even the potentially charged scene of a KKK ceremony with a planned lynching and all. (It's successfully thwarted by our bumbling fugitives.)

As you can probably guess, any movie with the scope of an epic journey, offers a plethora of “little wisdoms.” A lot happens in O Brother, Where Art Thou? and a lot is said, so there is a lot to incorporate into everyday life. Look forward to many posts about lessons from this comedy!

Either You're In, or You're Out

Much has been said, by professionals and nonprofessionals, about self-destructive behavior. I'm of the nonprofessional party, but that won't stop me having my say. Here it is: You want to be self destructive? Do it all the way, or don't bother with it. As Yoda in another great movie said, “Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try. ”

Like any endeavor, there is no point in taking on self destruction haphazardly. Self destruction is not a hobby, it's a way of life. The keys to good self destructive behavior are commitment, style, and enjoyment. How do I know this? From watching The Mummy. Where did I find my models? In The Mummy. Who are the best examples? Two characters from The Mummy, Jonathan and Beni. They are the antithesis of the movie's heroes. Watch their antics, and you'll see.

Jonathan is self destructive in many different ways. He's a thief and a liar. He's a coward, and he's weak. He's a drunk who pretends to be a missionary. Maybe he's just a very bad missionary. (That's got to be some sort of sin, or blasphemy, or something.) Jonathan is not nearly as successful an archaeologist as his sister Evy is, or as their parents apparently were. He even has a death wish. (Remember his wish to join the dead when he brings the key to Evy at the museum.) Jonathan has all the self destruction bases covered. But he wears natty British archaeologist chap clothes and is having a damn good time self destructing!

Then there is Beni. What can we say about Beni? One simple sentence is all that's needed to sum him up. Beni is one greedy so-and-so. His commandments seem to be: Make money any way you can and save yourself any way you can. How to make money? Swindle, any and every body. Cheat, the American treasure hunters for one. Sacrifice, your friends, your enemies, any random stranger before yourself. (“You're my only friend” he tells O'Connell. Yeah, right!) Make deals with the “devil,” in this case a powerful, lovelorn mummy. And for the CYA maneuvering? First, lie, lie, lie; to your buddy O'Connell, to your living-mummy master Imhotep. Second, cover all your bases, even if it means wearing a fistful of amulets and memorizing as many prayers to the appropriate deities. Third, run away early and often. Fourth, run away fast and far!

If you're planning to pursue self destruction as a way of life, don't look to drug-addicted actors and underpants-shunning singers for pointers. Turn to the guiding example of the scoundrels of The Mummy.