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Elizabeth Fais

Tag Archives: The Matrix

Be Your Own Hero

17 Monday Mar 2014

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Hero, Inspiration, Writing

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Aragprm, Carrie Anne Moss, Elizabeth Fais, Hero, hero's journey, Hugh Jackman, Joan of Arc, Keanu Reeves, live the dream, Lord of the Rings, Neo, The Matrix, Trinity, Wolverine

It’s amazing how four simple words can resonate with such great intensity:

Be your own hero.

Hugh Jackman as The WolverineI tweeted those words, because they felt *solid* and *true* but without knowing why. I certainly wasn’t thinking or feeling like the Wolverine.

But as with so many other tweets, once I hit Send, the words were forgotten.

That is, until the retweets flooded in. Apparently those words felt solid and true to a number of others.

But WHY?

What does it mean to ‘Be Your Own Hero’?

That’s the question I asked myself when I saw the response to that tweet. And not in the Hollywood-action-film-hero context either. Even though that’s the first imagery that usually comes to mind.

Heros_1

Characters who travel the Hero’s Journey in film and fiction provide valid role models on “how to become a hero” on a number of levels.

But “being your own hero” goes deeper.

It’s not about storming the castle, taking down the evil warlord, or finding the golden fleece. In fact, the exact criteria will vary as wildly as there are people in the world.

I can’t tell you how to be your own hero. But after a much thought, I defined a list of criteria for myself…

How to ‘Be My Own Hero’ — 5 Easy Steps

  1. Take that one thing I have to accomplish or “I won’t be able to live with  myself”, and make it happen. Against all odds.
  2. Do what I’m most afraid of. Because that’s what I most need to learn.
  3. Strive for excellence. Never settle for mediocrity.
  4. Stand up for myself. But more important, stand up for those who may be weaker and need the support.
  5. Live my dream to its fullest … remaining fluid, embracing life circumstances with open arms, while still holding true to the vision. Because that’s the stuff real dreams are made of.

What’s on your “Be your own hero” list?


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5 Movies that Put the FUN in Dysfunctional Holidays!

10 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Film, Holiday Irreverence, Movies

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Alicia Witt, Bruce Willis, Carrie Anne Moss, Chocolat, Die Hard, Die Hard 2, Die Harder, Gerard Depardieu, Giancarlo Esposito, Johnny Depp, Juliette Binoche, Keanu Reeves, Last Holiday, Queen Latifa, The Matrix, Timothy Hutton

I don’t mean to dis the holiday season. But let’s get real. 85% of all families are dysfunctional, in one way or another. For many the holidays can be as much fun as walking on broken glass. Before you’re tempted to string yourself up with those Christmas lights, try a tradition guaranteed to chase away the holiday blues. Put some FUN back in dysFUNctional holidays with these awesome films…

Die Hard

Die Hard poster A New York City cop gets trapped in a Los Angeles high-rise occupied by terrorists on Christmas Eve.

Yes, I’m serious. The original Die Hard movie is one of my favorite holiday movies, for the following reasons:

  1. John McClane’s (Bruce Willis) Christmas Eve is way worse than anybody’s holiday could ever be.
  2. Alan Rickman. Need I say more?
  3. Baddass Bruce tormenting bad guys, as only he can.
  4. Yippe Ki Yay mother **cker! Best action film line ever! Especially when delivered with Baddass Bruce snark.
  5. High intensity fun with a happy ending.

Die Hard 2 –Die Harder

John McClane, officer of the NYPD averts disaster as rogue military officials seize controlDie Hard 2: Die Harder of Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. and save his wife Holly who is on one of the planes attempting to land.

Yes, this is my second favorite holiday movie. Which I usually watch right after the first Die Hard movie. Gotta  keep the adrenaline pumping.

  1. This story is also set on Christmas Eve.
  2. The bad guys are new and the technical tactics have gone up a notch, or 10.
  3. More great snarky lines.
  4. Bruce is his same baddass self.
  5. More high intensity fun with another happy ending.

The Matrix

The Matrix posterI’m only going to recommend the first Matrix movie. The other two felt overdone (story-wise), in my humble opinion. But you go ahead and watch all three, if you need the escapism. Here’s the synopsis for the first in the series:

In the near future, a computer hacker named Neo discovers that life on Earth is nothing more than a virtual reality — The Matrix — created by intelligent-machines, so they can farm our life essence and dominate the “real” world. Neo joins like-minded Rebel warriors Morpheus and Trinity to overthrow The Matrix.

What’s so great about that, you ask? Take the red pill and I’ll show you:

  1. This movie has nothing to do with the holidays. At all.
  2. A lean mean Keanu Reeves and kickass Carrie Anne Moss. Take your pick.
  3. Awesome martial arts fight scenes, and slick dodging of bullets.
  4. The story’s existential undertones make it easy to detach from commercially concocted holiday expectations. I mean, seriously… “There is no spoon.”
  5. Your relatives probably won’t want to watch this movie with you.

Chocolat

Chocolat moive posterWhen Vianne (Juliette Binoche), a mysterious stranger, and her child arrive in a tranquil French town in the winter of 1959, nobody expects the impact she and her daughter will have on their community which is stubbornly rooted in tradition. Vianne has the audacity to open a very unusual chocolate shop right across the square from the church. Then her unusual ability to perceive her customers’ private desires and satisfy them with just the right confection coaxes the villagers to abandon their straight-laced ways.

The resident nobleman and self-appointed leader of the town fears Vianne is ruining his town, and forbids anyone from entering her shop. He is hoping to put her out of business, and drive her away forever. And it almost works. But the handsome gypsy, Roux (Johnny Depp), arrives and joins forces with Vianne to liberate the town. A dramatic confrontation ensues, ultimately changing the town, and the people’s hearts, for the better.

This movie’s magical charm is just as powerful as kickass-badass. Here’s why:

  1. The idyllic French country town magically whisks you away and suspends disbelief.
  2. Juliette Binoche and Johny Depp. Your choice.
  3. Rigid traditions fall away in favor of new ways that free the spirit of the town’s people. You’ve gotta love that!
  4. Did I mention Johnny Depp? He plays a twelve string steel guitar. For reals!
  5. The theme of inclusion as a positive force and exclusion as a destructive force hits the right note.

Last Holiday

XMAS_LastHoliday_Right before Christmas, shy New Orleans cookware sales clerk Georgia Byrd (Queen Latifah) receives the news that she has less than a month to live. This harsh reality causes Georgia to rebel against her timid life. She hops on a plane, jetting off on a dream vacation, living like there’s no tomorrow — because for her there isn’t.

Georgia succeeds in shaking up a glamorous European resort spa, commanding the attention of senators and hotel staff alike! LL Cool J, Georgia’s handsome suitor in New Orleans, chases after her for a surprise happy ending.

For those of you who read last year’s — more politically correct — 5 Get-in-the-Holiday-Mood Movies post, you’ll remember this movie was on that list. This is not a mistake. This movie deserves to be on both lists. Here’s why:

  1. Queen Latifa is a hoot-and-a-half.
  2. Great lines all around. The supporting cast (Timothy Hutton, Gerard Depardieu, Alicia Witt and Giancarlo Esposito) are all laugh-out-loud funny.
  3. The beautiful Eastern European mountain setting!
  4. This movie is deep with meaning and big on heart.
  5. It’s a great reminder about what’s important in life. Don’t waste your energy on your annoying relatives. Watch another movie instead!

Do you have any movies to add to this list?

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Who’s Your Hero?

27 Monday Aug 2012

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Badass, Blake Snyder, Hero, Inspiration, Story

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

Ally Carter, Anne Lower, Aragorn, Blake Snyder, Ellen Gregory, Forrest Gump, Garry Marshall, Jack Sparrow, Janice Hall Check, Joan of Arc, Johnny Depp, Lisa Cron, Maggie Stiefvater, Meg Cabot, Neo, Princess Scribe, Save the Cat!, Shannon Messenger, The Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, Trinity, Winnie the Pooh, Wired for Story, You!

7 Great Characters = Heroic Inspiration

Two friends recently honored me with the Very Inspirational Blogger Award.  I owe a special thank you to Janice Hall Check and Ellen Gregory for this nomination, because they are both true inspirations to me.

The thing is, I feel like a poser accepting this award. Maybe because my inspiration comes from someone else. My heroes to be exact. Let me explain. In a recent blog post Lisa Cron talked about her book “Wired for Story” and the scientific evidence that proves we all are. Wired for story that is. We actually learn from the characters in stories because we…

…turn to story to teach us the way of the world…

So I’m not the least bit ashamed to introduce you to the characters who’ve inspired me the most … the good … the badass … and the ugly.

The GOOD…

This is the Fool Triumphant, the good-hearted soul who bungles through life, yet things work out despite the comic results of their actions. Always a good friend, they’re often helpful to a fault.

1. Pooh, in Winnie the Pooh, is a perfect Fool Triumphant, and one of my first and favorite heroes. Image from Wikipedia

2. Forrest Gump (played by Tom Hanks) is a modern, humanized version of Pooh, especially as portrayed in the film adaptation of the story. Forrest’s innocence keeps harm at bay, even when he’s thrown into the most dangerous situations at the height of the Vietnam war. His guileless simplicity prevents him from holding grudges or judging others. He loves is friend Jenny no matter what she does or how long she stays away. There’s a lot to be learned from the unconditional love in this character’s actions.

The BADASS…

These heroes don’t need much of an introduction. We know and love them because they forsake their personal desires, safety, and gain for the greater good.

3. Trinity, from The Matrix, 4. Joan of Arc, 5. Aragorn, from The Lord of the Rings trilogy 6. Neo, from The Matrix

the UGLY…

The Anti-Hero is a tricky one, because he’s flawed to a fault. So for us to care about this hero, there has to be something about him that we can empathize with on some level. Anne Lower’s blog post about developing the anti-hero in her series explains this character perfectly:

Give ‘em a limp and an eyepatch!” was one of Blake’s favorite phrases. And, by that, he meant try loading your character up with problems, challenges to face, physical quirks, troubled pasts that would work to help the audience identify with or be interested in your hero’s (or heroine’s) journey.

We want this ugly hero to win, despite what he’s done. My favorite anti-hero is …

7. Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp in the Pirates of the Caribbean series (Walt Disney Pictures). What he lacks in a limp and an eye patch, he more than makes up for with swagger and a sword. I admit Johnny Depp can never be ugly, even with eyeliner, dread locks, and a braided beard. But Jack Sparrow is a pirate, who by definition pillages, plunders, and even murders when necessary. What’s endearing about Jack Sparrow, is that he acts honorably toward his friends and ship mates, even when he doesn’t really want to.

Blake Snyder and the “Superhero”


Writers That Inspire

The following authors and screenwriters have been a true inspiration to me … what they write, who they are, and their personal writing journeys …

  • Meg Cabot
  • Ally Carter
  • Garry Marshall
  • Libba Bray
  • Maggie Stiefvater
  • Shannon Messenger
  • Save the Cat! — Blake Snyder
  • The Princess Scribe — Anne Lower

So… Who’s your Favorite hero?

A New Breed of Badass

25 Sunday Mar 2012

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Badass, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Elizabeth Fais, Emmie Mears, Femme Phenom, Paranormal, Supernatural, The Matrix, Vampire, Young Adult

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Al Pacino, Bruce Lee, Bruce Willis, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Carrie Anne Moss, Clint Eastwood, Denzel Washington, Die Hard, Dirty Harry, Emmie Mears, Femme Phenom, Hunger Games, Joss Whedon, Paranormal, Rambo, Sarah Michelle Gellar, supernatural, Sylvester Stalone, The Matrix, Trinity, Young Adult

Badass looked like this…

That is, until Buffy the Vampire Slayer!

Buffy was a new breed of badass … the Femme Phenom. (As in, phenomenal. Come on people, keep up.) Joss Whedon created Buffy, because he was tired of the  pathetic female characters in horror films who maybe screamed before letting themselves get killed.

So not Buffy. She saved the world. A lot. And always did it with a witty quip, while rocking the hottest fashion. She wasn’t just tough, she was feminine and had depth of character. Buffy continues to save the world, as Emmie Mears so aptly points out.

I mean, would there have been a Trinity (of The Matrix series) if Buffy hadn’t blazed the Femme Phenom trail? Not to mention the other terrific Femme Phenoms, in fiction and film?

Take Katniss Everdeen of the Hunger Games (the heroine of the uber-popular book series, now a movie), an awesome Femme Phenom. She’s strong physically, mentally, and emotionally. She has to be to survive the horrific Hunger Games. Check out May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor, if you haven’t read the books or seen the movie.

So… in honor of Buffy, Trinity, Katniss, and all the other hot badass chicks, I declare this National Femme Phenom Week! And to celebrate, I’ll be hosting a phenomenal giveaway! A book with a truly badass Femme. You won’t be disappointed. Promise!

Sign up to follow this blog so you don’t miss out!

Badass is the New Awesome…

At least … during National Femme Phenom Week!

So, tell us … who’s your favorite badass … in film or fiction?

And for the record, badass guys are a total hot commodity in my book.

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