Released on video Feb. 14, 2012, “Tiny Furniture” tells the story of a recent college graduate named Aura. She went to college in Ohio and returns home to New York City, She has just graduated with a degree in film theory and is living with her mother and sister for the time being. In addition to arriving back home, Aura’s relationship of two years has recently ended. Aura is not sure where her life will take her and she tries to figure out the answer in “Tiny Furniture.”

Aura enters her home with nobody to greet her. She finds her family downstairs. Her mother, named Siri, is an artist and is photographing tiny furniture. Aura’s sister, Nadine, is modeling for the photo shoot. Nadine doesn’t seem particularly pleased about her sister returning. She immediately asks, “How long are you going to be staying in our house?” When Aura states she has a bedroom too, Nadine says, “It’s my special space now.” Aura’s room is next to Nadine’s and their bickering continues throughout the film. Aura’s sister seems destined to be successful without trying too hard.

All of the cupboards in the house look exactly the same. When Aura’s mom gives a general direction of where a light bulb is, Aura finds her mother’s diary. She takes it and secretly reads it. Aura relishes her mother’s thoughts from the 1970s as she reads the diary quietly aloud to herself. The diary was written when Siri was Aura’s age and Aura discovers her mother had a similar experience with a boyfriend leaving her. Siri’s insecurities are revealed in this little book and Aura seems to feel a closer connection to her mother.

Aura attends a party and meets a guy named Jed, who is famous in her eyes. He makes humorous YouTube videos and Aura immediately recognizes him. Aura has made YouTube videos as well and relishes this opportunity to meet Jed. When Jed mentions he is in New York City on business and that his living conditions are unsatisfactory, Aura impulsively invites him to stay in her family’s home without consulting her mother first. This inevitably leads to trouble for everyone involved.

Aura reconnects with a friend named Charlotte. The audience learns that Aura was an assistant to a documentary filmmaker over the summer, but Aura did not enjoy the experience. Charlotte helps her friend by putting Aura’s YouTube video in an art exhibit. Although Charlotte compliments her video and says that she is a genius, Aura doesn’t feel as if a career in art is in her future. Aura says, “The art world is my mom’s racket. I don’t know what I want to be.” Aura feels as if she should get a job but notes, “I have no idea what I am qualified for … I have no experience.” and Charlotte suggests being a hostess at a nearby restaurant.

Aura begins her new job and meets the chef. He expresses an interest in meeting Aura outside of work. Aura discovers that the chef is disgruntled with his job. Aura becomes quickly disgruntled as well when she receives her first paycheck and realizes how small it is. Aura feels that she is entitled to more after earning a college degree. Aura describes her state of being as a post graduate delirium.

Siri’s relationship with her daughter becomes increasingly strained. Aura says to her mother, “This is a very hard time for me. … You don’t care about anything I say or feel.” Honestly it is difficult to be sympathetic toward Aura because of her air of entitlement. Aura’s mother tells her daughter their home is not a bed and breakfast or food bank. When Aura obtains employment at the restaurant, she doesn’t take it seriously. Aura tells a friend from college, “My mom actually needs me.” Although the character of Aura may feel as if she is needed, the viewer will most likely feel that Aura’s words should be reversed and say that Aura needs her mother.

Lena Dunham wrote, directed and starred in this film. She is also the creator and star of the new HBO series “Girls” which essentially has the same story line as “Tiny Furniture.” In both plots, Lena Dunham’s character has recently graduated with a liberal arts degree, relies on her family for support afterward, and cannot stay at a job that she feels is unworthy of her time. Although many young people may feel a sense of entitlement after graduating from college, I feel that this air of superiority is wrong and that Aura is not an ideal role model. “Tiny Furniture” contains a multitude of funny and awkward moments that concern a young person’s love life, family, and future. Viewers may or may not be able to relate to those scenes. The film also ends with no sense of real accomplishment. “Tiny Furniture” may be true to life for some but ultimately, it left a bitter taste for me because of the main character’s utter dependence on others and sense of entitlement that is conveyed in the film.

Death connects two young people in “Restless”, released on video Jan. 24, 2012. Instead of being a touchy subject, the concept of death is prevalent throughout this film. The audience first meets Enoch on the way to a funeral. He seems out of place since many of the attendees are not in dark colors. Enoch notices a girl about his age. She notices him as well and asks, “Does anybody here know you?” Enoch doesn’t respond which makes the answer clear. The girl, named Annabel, is intrigued by the strange boy and follows him.

Enoch seems to have become obsessed with death since his parents died in a car accident. Enoch came close to death as well. His aunt moved in order to take care of Enoch. Unfortunately, Enoch doesn’t always seem grateful for her choice. He sometimes blames his aunt for his parents’ death since they were on the way to see her. In addition to coping with death by attending funerals of strangers, Enoch has a friend that is a ghost. Hiroshi, a deceased kamikaze pilot from World War II, appeared at his bedside when he woke up at the hospital after the accident. Enoch and Hiroshi are best friends. They have conversations with each other and play games such as Battleship. Nobody else can see Hiroshi but he is as real as can be for Enoch.

As strange as Enoch is, Annabel does not shy away from him. Enoch takes Annabel to meet his parents. When she realizes they are underneath a grave stone, Annabel kindly has a conversation with them after Enoch makes an introduction. Annabel also asks to meet Hiroshi when she discovers Enoch’s best friend is a ghost. The audience soon realizes why Annabel seems unaffected by Enoch’s behavior. Enoch and the viewer learn that Annabel has cancer and has been told she only has about three months left to live. Enoch quickly counters, “A person can get a lot done in 3 months … You could learn French, go to Africa, pick up the xylophone.” Enoch also tells his new friend that he can help her get ready for her death. She accepts the offer and they soon become very close.

Annabel is a sweet girl who is very close to her family. She tells them all about Enoch, even the details about him talking to a ghost. Annabel considers herself a naturalist and greatly admires Charles Darwin. Enoch had found her in the cemetery drawing birds and insects. Her favorite animals are water birds because they can go in the water, air and land. Annabel says a certain kind of bird sings a beautiful song every morning because it is glad to be alive. Throughout the film, Enoch causes Annabel to feel more and more like that particular songbird.

Enoch develops feelings, much more than friendship, for Annabel. He begins to feel restless at the idea of losing the girl he has grown to love. Enoch and Annabel plan out a dramatic exit reminiscent of a play and a unique assortment of snacks for the inevitable funeral. The stark realization of what the future holds becomes quite difficult for Enoch to grasp. He takes out his feelings on everybody around him, including Annabel, her doctors, his aunt, Hiroshi and his parents. Hiroshi tells Enoch, “You have no respect for anything.” Enoch discovers Hiroshi was in love as well but never told the certain girl how he felt. Hiroshi says, “We have so little time to say the things we mean.” This gives Enoch a push to not leave Annabel when she needs him the most. Hiroshi speaks words of wisdom when he says that death is easy but love is hard.

“Restless” is a quirky film about love amid the brevity of life. The main characters of Enoch and Annabel are simultaneously dark and sweet. I felt the emotion that sprung from their connection with each other. The montages with the two in love convey the importance of telling others how you feel because their time on Earth could be unexpectedly cut short like Hiroshi, Enoch’s parents, and Annabel. This film is an enjoyable film to watch if you like nontraditional love stories and do not mind exploring the concept of death.

I think horror movies are fun to watch but ask anyone who has watched one with me and they will tell you I scare very easily and always jump and become startled at several points during the film. I hadn’t watched a scary movie in awhile so I decided to check out “The Innkeepers”, released on video April 24, 2012. It is about a hotel named the Yankee Pedlar Inn that is going out of business. The hotel is purported to be haunted by a ghost named Madeline O’Malley, who hung herself when her fiance stood her up on their wedding day. She is said to be roaming the halls searching for her lover and perhaps taking up a new one. It is the last weekend the hotel is open and two of the employees decide to find proof that the hotel is truly haunted.

Claire and Luke have a plan for their last weekend as employees of the Yankee Pedlar Inn. They decide to sleep at the hotel in shifts in hopes of finding evidence of the paranormal. Luke has created a Web site with information about the haunted hotel. He is not proud of the way it looks but Claire tells him, “Once we get some proof on there, it won’t matter what it looks like.” Claire is very excited and optimistic about the opportunity to find the ghost of Madeline O’Malley. She notes since the hotel is practically empty, “We might have a good chance of making some real contact … We’re gonna get something good. I can feel it.” Before any evidence of ghosts appears, Claire and Luke have fun scaring one another and the audience discovers how deep their bond really is.

To their surprise, a few guests check into the hotel. One is a TV actress named Leanne Rease-Jones, who Claire admires. She is overjoyed just to deliver towels to this guest who is famous in Claire’s eyes. Leanne tells the innkeepers she is attending a nearby conference. As the audience will discover, Leanne will play a pivotal role in helping Claire contact the ghost of Madeline O’Malley. Another unusual guest in the closing weekend of the hotel is an old man who checks in very late at night. He requests a certain room that is on the third floor, the honeymoon suite that him and his late wife shared. The third floor has been stripped of its furniture but the old man doesn’t mind and is adamant about staying in that particular room. The strange guests, in addition to the ghost hunting, result in an unforgettable night.

Claire alone begins to experience paranormal activity. She discovers a piano playing by itself and hears a feminine voice. Claire also sees an apparition of Madeline and is unsure if she was merely dreaming. When she tells Luke about her experiences, he begins to worry about his friend and tells Claire, “it’s not worth getting yourself worked up over.” Luke and Claire try to relax and have multiple beers, which leads to drunken confessions. They soon lose sight of the danger of delving into the unknown. It is rare a character in a horror movie listens diligently to advice. Claire had been warned by a guest, “You mustn’t go down in the basement.” This foreboding location is where Madeline O’Malley’s body is said to have been hidden. It would be the perfect spot to make contact with the ghost and find out what she wants. Of course Luke and Claire descend to the basement where the climax of the film occurs.

One neat aspect about this film is that “The Innkeepers” was filmed at the Yankee Pedlar Inn, located in Connecticut. This actual hotel is said to be haunted as well. Knowing this makes the film even more creepy. There are a lot of scenes where the camera is moving through a room or a hallway and the audience is waiting for an unexpected scare. The film delivers on a few jumpy moments but not too many. It is more of a film that fills the audience with suspense and dread at the noises on the screen. Many times in horror movies, the characters are not very likable. In “The Innkeepers,” this is not the case; I felt like I could relate with Claire and Luke because of their sweet and awkward demeanor. I could see myself hanging out with them and fearing for their safety.

People who do not like a slow buildup will not like this film because there is a lot of character exposition among Luke and Claire. Like other horror movies, not all is explained in “The Innkeepers.” This is one facet of the film I lamented because it would be interesting to learn more about Madeline O’Malley and if she is connected somehow with the strange old man who checks in. I also questioned why the ghost seemed to be only reaching out to Claire. Despite the absence of explanations, I was thankful this was not another movie with very gruesome scenes. A few characters are noticeably bloody but nothing in the film amounts to a term I call torture porn – when people are in seemingly so much pain that the scene isn’t scary, it is purely gross. I think it can be difficult to find a horror movie where something grisly is not happening to a main character. “The Innkeepers” is one of those films that keeps its scares with suspense, rather than torture. If you feel like watching a ghost story without a lot of horrific images, mark your calendar for spending a night with “The Innkeepers.”

Hay Library at Western Wyoming Community College has a subscription to the Film Movement Series. Because of this, “Amador” is currently able to be checked out and viewed there, although the film isn’t released to be sold to the public in stores until next week on May 8, 2012. “Amador” is a Spanish film that features a female protagonist named Marcela, who is trying to put together the puzzle pieces of her life. The first scene of the movie showcases a single red flower on the edge of the horizon. Marcela seems to be like this flower, a piece of beauty stuck in her surroundings but unable to leave.

The film begins by showing how a group of men unscrupulously obtain flowers in order to sell them. One of these men is Nelson, Marcela’s boyfriend. He enjoys this business because love, life, and death are all celebrated by flowers. Marcela’s love for Nelson has waned and she is about to leave him. She cries while writing a farewell letter with thoughts of their past together such as, “We used to hold each other to keep warm.” After much trepidation, Marcela takes her packed bags and walks to the bus stop. All of a sudden, Marcela drops what she is holding and faints. Marcela wakes up in a hospital and discovers she is pregnant.

Now Marcela is unable to leave her home. Her information, including her address, is needed to schedule follow-up appointments. Marcela returns to Nelson but keeps her pregnancy a secret. She is unsure how Nelson would feel about the timing of this child. He remarks a child could be in their future, but Marcela closes her eyes and cannot imagine a life with Nelson in the future. A new refrigerator is needed for storing flowers. Nelson finds one he likes that beeps when left open. His amusement at the noise is quite childish. Marcela reminds Nelson that they do not have a lot of money and are behind on rent. Nelson brushes her comments aside and says money will be found somehow.

Nelson tells Marcela to find a summer job to help pay for the refrigerator. She finds a job as a caretaker of an elderly man. His daughter, Yolanda, hired her and did not ask for any qualifications. She says, “We don’t think training is really necessary.” Yolanda will be gone for a month while building a new house. Marcela’s job will include keeping Amador company, as well as cooking for him and giving him his daily pills. The first payment from Yolanda would be enough to pay for the first installment of the refrigerator that Nelson has carelessly decided to purchase.

Marcela begins her job as Amador’s caretaker and quickly befriends the old man. They argue with each other playfully. For example, one of Amador’s favorite pastimes is working on a large puzzle. Marcela questions whether buying a portrait would yield the same result. Amador tries to explain the enjoyment from puzzles. He says, “That’s life. Putting all the pieces in the right place. It’s as simple as that.” This sentiment sticks with Marcela as she begins to find puzzles to put together in her own life as well.

Amador is a wise and interesting man. It doesn’t take long for him to realize that Marcela is pregnant and he asks to speak to the unborn child. This is quite unlike Nelson, who doesn’t realize Marcela is pregnant and just notes that she has gained weight. Amador tells Marcela stories about mermaids and the use of clouds. He also receives love letters by someone unknown and a visit by a hooker named Puri, who says she comes every Thursday. Marcela and Puri form a bond, as well. Marcela seems to have the perfect job. It is easy, enjoyable and will provide Marcela with sufficient money.

Soon tragedy strikes and Marcela is left with a pivotal decision. She needs the money from her new job and puts on the facade that everything is fine with Amador. She brings flowers to his room almost daily and diligently prays for him. Nelson sprays fragrance on real flowers in order to help them sell. Marcela uses this art of pretending in order to achieve her desires. There is a lot of dark humor associated with Marcela going about her job and maintaining the impression that Amador is OK. These scenes are funny and awkward at the same time.

Although her actions may come off as cruel at first, the audience is led to genuinely feel for Marcela and hope for a positive outcome. Nelson says he loves Marcela but he doesn’t show it very well. It is clear that the future is absent from his mind. What Marcela does with the money from her job is uncertain at first. It is assumed she will pay off the rest of the refrigerator and maintain a sad life like the lonely flower at the beginning of the film. Marcela begins to piece together her own puzzle like Amador said she must do and discovers perhaps her life isn’t so certain after all. “Amador” is an emotional and funny movie with a strong female protagonist on a quest to change her life for the better for herself and her unborn child.

Although released on video nearly a decade ago on Sept. 14, 2004, “Love Comes Softly” was recently released in Redbox kiosks on April 3, 2012. This made-for-TV Hallmark film is based on the book series of the same name, written by Janette Oke. In this family-friendly movie set in the past, Marty and her husband Aaron leave the city in a covered wagon to create a new life for themselves. Marty is a bibliophile and much of the wagon is filled with books, rather than essential supplies. Aaron and Marty find the perfect spot to build a cabin but their joy does not last long.

When Aaron leaves to go after a horse that has escaped, he does not return. A traveling preacher conducts a funeral and Marty is left pondering what to do next. She is told that a wagon will not be traveling east until the spring. Marty also doesn’t have a lot of money to pay for boarding in a nearby town. A man named Clark overhears Marty’s predicament. He finds Marty crouched near Aaron’s grave in the pouring rain. Clark tells her, “I have a proposition for you.” Marty listens with disbelief when Clark suggests that they marry immediately before the traveling preacher leaves the area.

The marriage would be beneficial to both Marty and Clark. Marty needs a roof over her head for the approaching winter. Clark is raising a daughter all alone and he believes young Missie needs a female influence in her life. Since the marriage is merely one of convenience, Clark promises to pay Marty’s way home in the spring when the wagon heading back east leaves. Clark is very respectful and doesn’t share a room with Marty. He moves his belongings to the lean-to and instructs Marty to share a room with his daughter. Marty is left to grieve her husband in these strange circumstances.

Understandably so, Missie does not readily accept Marty’s presence. It is clear that Missie misses her mother and doesn’t want a replacement. She adamantly states, “I don’t need a mother.” The film does not specifically explain what happened to Missie’s mother but the effect of her absence is conveyed. Clark is concerned that the work Missie does is stealing away her childhood. The young girl milks cows, collects chicken eggs, and creates home-cooked meals such as fried chicken. Instead of teaching, Marty is learning many outdoor chores from the young girl. After relentless taunting, Marty sets out to bake a meal as good as one from a 9-year-old. Missie inquires about all of Marty’s seemingly useless books. Marty attempts to teach the young girl how to read but Missie says she doesn’t want to learn. Everybody who loves books will appreciate what Marty tells Missie: “Once you can read, you can have every adventure you ever dreamed of.”

In addition to showcasing a strained relationship between Marty and Missie, the film reveals that Marty is pregnant with Aaron’s child. Clark welcomes the news and notes he is glad that Marty will have a little one to remember Aaron with. Christmas approaches and Missie asks Marty who she will spend the holidays with back east. The audience learns that Marty does not have any close family left besides her unborn child. Clark helps prepare the way for the new addition and Marty begins to feel more at home than she would anywhere back home. Marty is also confused about her feelings toward Clark. Spring is approaching and Marty is faced with the decision whether to return east or not.

Marty is told by a neighbor, “Sometimes love isn’t fireworks. Sometimes love just comes softly.” This sentiment captures the mood of the entire film. Although Marty marries Clark as an agreement to return home, the concept of home soon becomes fuzzy. Clark believes that God is always right beside him. Marty isn’t so sure of this concept, yet seems to be inspired by Clark’s devout faith. The audience and Marty discover that love does indeed come softly sometimes. “Love Comes Softy” is truly a film that is safe to watch with the entire family. Characters are respectful and do not judge one another despite their differences. There is no profanity, violence, or sex at all throughout the movie. It is very refreshing to be able to watch a film that is safe to watch with parents and young children without becoming embarrassed or feeling awkward at some point in the film.

Facing an unexpected tragedy is dealt with by various methods. In “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,” released on video March 27, 2012, a young boy, named Oskar Schell, is struggling with the abrupt death of his father. The film is based on the novel of the same name, written by Jonathan Safran Foer. Thomas Schell, Oskar’s father, was a jeweler at a meeting in the World Trade Center on 9/11. Oskar isn’t able to give his father a proper goodbye. There isn’t even a body in his father’s coffin at his funeral. After a year of being unable to enter his father’s closet, Oskar discovers a key in a vase and makes it his goal to find what it unlocks.

Oskar is under the impression that the key is connected to his father somehow. Perhaps the key was meant for Oskar to find. Oskar’s father often led his son on scavenger hunts. They had a very close relationship. A primary expedition for Oscar was to find evidence of the vanished sixth borough. He was instructed to find clues in Central Park. Oskar is a very intelligent and imaginative child. For instance, Oskar was told to find an object from every decade of a century and he found a rock. Oskar loved his father’s sense of humor and they would often have oxymoron wars while practicing martial arts. There are many flashbacks in the film that reveal how precious their bond was, especially in comparison with Oskar and his mother.

Oskar often speaks without thinking of the consequences of his words. He seems rather hostile toward his mother, despite her losing the man she has loved as well. This abuse does not hinder a mother’s love for her son as she attempts to make sure Oskar is safe, without him realizing it. There are a variety of objects, people and places that cause Oskar to panic. Oskar’s father tried helping his son overcome these fears. For instance, Oskar’s father showed his son the joy of swinging as Oskar looked on with wary eyes. The aftereffects of “the worst day”, as dubbed by Oskar, lead to more fears such as planes and tall objects.

When Oskar finds the key in his father’s closet, he takes it to a locksmith for advice. There Oskar gains hope that the expedition will not be fruitless because the locksmith tells him, “That’s what I love about keys, they all open something.” The locksmith also notes that the envelope the key is in has the name Black written on it. Like the clues in games with his father, Black is certainly a clue for Oskar. He looks through the many phone books for New York City. Oskar discovers there are 472 Blacks, some in the same residence, and it would take him 3 years to visit each location where a Black lives.

Either bravely or foolishly, Oskar begins to knock on the door of each Black in alphabetical order. He asks each one if they knew his father and tells about his plight with his mysterious key. Oskar acts assertive with each Black and shows no visible fear. Some Blacks welcome young Oskar into their home while others don’t answer their door and tell him to go away. Many of the Blacks have their own stories to tell and have also lost someone or something close as well. Oskar starts creating a scrapbook of each Black he meets on his journey. Oskar says, “I didn’t want to feel better and I didn’t want friends.” He only intends to spend six minutes with each Black but time inevitably slips away.

Oskar is visibly frustrated after visiting various Blacks without producing a lock to the mysterious key. Instead of going alone to each Black, Oskar finds himself a partner. Oskar’s grandmother lives across the street from Oskar. They also have a close connection and talk to each other via walkie-talkies at night. One night, she doesn’t respond and Oskar walks over to see why. Oskar’s grandmother isn’t home and Oskar encounters the renter instead, a man Oskar is instructed not to talk to. The renter does not speak at all. Instead he writes with a notepad or shows the palm of one of his hands that are labeled “yes” or “no.” Oskar doesn’t heed his grandmother’s advice and constantly talks to the renter. When the renter asks to accompany the boy on his journey, Oskar accepts the offer. As the renter and the boy bond, Oskar also tries to solve the mystery of who the renter is and why he doesn’t speak.

After three months of fruitless searching, the renter tries convincing Oskar he doesn’t have to find the mysterious lock while Oskar stresses the importance of the expedition. This adventure is much more than finding a home to a key. It is a quest to provide closure for Oskar after his father’s death. Oscar also has a secret about his father that he has not told anybody, not even his mother. He wants to share this secret with someone but doesn’t want to hurt anyone. Oskar is also on a quest to seek forgiveness for this long-kept secret of his that is overriding his heart with guilt. The audience will also face this secret as they travel with Oskar on his quest to find the missing lock and to let go of his father somehow. “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” is a sentimental film that will give you a mixture of emotions as you are suddenly at close proximity with the events of 9/11.

Although on Netflix and iTunes sooner, “Being Elmo” was released on video April 3, 2012. This film, which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, is a documentary about the man behind the infamous Sesame Street character, Elmo. “Being Elmo” follows Kevin Clash to the present from when he was a small child who expressed an interest in becoming a puppeteer. Even if you are not a huge fan of Elmo or any muppets, the journey of Kevin Clash from mentee to mentor is quite inspiring.

Kevin loved to watch television as a child. His favorite shows were “Captain Kangaroo” and “Sesame Street.” When Kevin was 9 years old, he was dreaming of working with the muppets. Without the permission of his parents, he created a puppet by cutting apart his father’s fur-lined trench coat. Instead of becoming angry upon discovering the puppet, Kevin’s father asked what its name was and told his son to ask next time. Kevin’s parents recognize their son’s talent and their support is shown throughout the film. His parents are very inspiring since they do not try to sway their son away from what makes him happy. Many parents can take a lesson from Kevin’s parents in this film.

Kevin’s father helped set up a stage in the backyard so that Kevin could perform for children in the neighborhood. Kevin also began performing elsewhere; such as, at a benefit for a local child injured in an accident, a school for handicapped children and at the local clinic for blind children. The narrator Whoopi Goldberg says, “He soon discovered he had a gift for bringing smiles to the faces of children who needed it most.” The act of making a child smile made Kevin feel terrific.

Not everybody was a fan of Kevin’s endeavors. Sibling rivalry was prevalent in Kevin’s home. His sister, Pam, liked Barbies but their mother did not get excited about her toys like she was excited about Kevin’s puppets. Kevin’s sister even tried getting rid of her brother’s puppets. Kevin was also teased at school for seemingly playing with dolls rather than being involved in sports. Other adults were also concerned about Kevin’s pastime but his mother said, “I knew it was a talent he had and he loved it.” Despite the criticism, Kevin did not give up his dream and continued to follow his heart.

A man from a local television station spotted Kevin at a performance and asked him to audition for a new children’s program. Kevin’s talent entered more homes and the same peers in high school that teased him dubbed him in the yearbook as most likely to be a millionaire. Besides being another way to perform, television led Kevin to research how the muppets were created, since they seemed vastly superior to his own. For example, Kevin noted the seams were never seen on the muppets and he earnestly tried to figure out how this was done. While watching television, Kevin was introduced to Kermit Love, a man who designed many of Jim Henson’s most famous puppets. He immediately expressed his wish to meet this muppet engineer.

Kevin’s mother takes the time to find a way to get in contact with Kermit and tells him that her son is a puppeteer and would like to meet him. Kermit says whenever Kevin is in New York City, he is more than welcome to come by his workshop. While Kevin’s family couldn’t afford to travel from Baltimore to New York City, a class trip to New York City gave Kevin the opportunity to slip away in order to meet his idol. Kevin travels on the subway alone and meets Kermit. He is finally able to ask the burning questions he has about creating the muppets. Kermit becomes a grandfather figure and mentor for Kevin. He teaches Kevin everything he needs to know and helps him find connections, such as Jim Henson, to make a puppeteering career a reality.

Kevin finds himself on the set of “Sesame Street” with puppeteers who he admires. He feels like a little fish in a big pond. It is a dream come true for Kevin to be surrounded by his idols. The film shows the many characters that Kevin played on “Sesame Street” as well as the evolution of Elmo’s personality. Kevin says, “I knew Elmo should represent love.” The film explains who inspired Kevin for the characterization of this infamous muppet. Kevin soon realizes the profound effect of Elmo in the world in one of the most emotional segments of the documentary. He is told a child’s dying wish is to spend time with Elmo. Kevin says, “I didn’t know how connected and how loved the show really is to the family. That’s when I knew this was bigger than me.” Kevin meets many celebrities and is often far from home.

Despite the fame, Kevin feels guilty about not spending enough time with his daughter. He is forced to decide how much time to spend at work in order to bond with his daughter before she leaves for college. Kevin tells other children to focus on what makes them happy like he did and to not let obstacles get in the way of reaching their dream. The film “Becoming Elmo” comes full circle when Kevin is no longer a mentee of his idols and is now a mentor for those who idolize him. Just like Kermit Love took Kevin under his wing as a young man, Kevin shows a young child named Tau around the muppet studio and answers any questions about becoming a puppeteer. “Becoming Elmo” is truly an inspirational film because it shows how a poor boy with very supportive parents is able to make his dream come true in order to make a positive impact on the lives of children all over the world.

The beginning of “Ocean Heaven” contains an ominous tone. A father and son are about to commit suicide together in the ocean. The plan is averted and the audience learns about this troubled family in this Chinese film about love and responsibility, which was released on video Feb. 14, 2012. Wang Xingchang is a single father raising his 21-year-old autistic son named Dafu. When Wang discovers he is in the late stage of liver cancer, he must figure out the best future for his son.

Wang works with the water and electrical supplies at Ocean Park, a popular tourist attraction in Hong Kong. Dafu enjoys interacting with the dolphins and other marine animals. His father allows him to swim in the aquarium while he works. Dafu is loved by the others at Wang’s workplace, despite sometimes causing trouble such as swimming in the aquarium when he isn’t supposed to. One man remarks, “Your Dafu is like a fish.” Wang says that is because his son was born into the wrong body and became a man. Although Dafu is a sweet boy, his father admits he is a burden to everyone.

Dafu’s mother died when her son was 7 years old. Wang enrolled his son into a school that accepted autistic children. Soon Dafu became too old to stay in the school any longer. Wang searches endlessly for a place that will take care of his son when he is no longer able to do so. Dafu is too old for an orphanage but too young for an assisted living center. When Wang and Dafu do check out one place, it has a prisonlike appearance. Wang relishes the responsibility of being Dafu’s father and wants the best care for him possible. Chai is Wang’s neighbor and a woman who has become quite close to both Wang and Dafu. She is affectionately called Auntie Chai by Dafu. She would gladly give up marriage and take care of Dafu but Wang doesn’t want Chai to have that burden.

Wang can not bear the thought of dying and Dafu having an unhappy life afterward. Pertaining to his eventual death and Dafu’s future, Wang says, “I’d rather take him with me than leave him.” When Dafu escapes from his father’s plan of leaving the world together, Wang decides to help pave the way for his son’s future. “Ocean Heaven” is filled with emotional moments of Wang wholeheartedly attempting to teach his son to be as independent as possible. He patiently teaches his son how to use money to buy items from the store, how to cook an egg, how to leave a bus, and other seemingly simple tasks to successfully get by in life. Wang becomes frustrated at times as most parents would but his anger never lasts long because of his unconditional love for Dafu.

Dafu has a soft spot for flowers and stops whenever he sees their natural beauty. While at Ocean Park swimming, he meets an acrobat named Lingling. She is an orphan and finds a connection with Dafu since he is alone as well in his state of mind. Dafu enjoys their budding friendship and begins to associate any clown with her. Lingling helps Dafu become more independent in addition to his father. Principal Liu and her associates also help Dafu on the path to a promising future. With many people supporting him along the way, Dafu takes an emotional journey to prepare for life without his father.

Wang doesn’t tell other people if he is feeling ill. Instead he always assures that he is fine. He is a strong man to put on a courageous face for others and his son. He must fulfill both parental roles since Dafu’s mother is absent. Dafu does not understand death so his father tries his hardest to make the transition as easy as possible. This proves difficult since Dafu becomes anxious after Wang tries leaving his son in a new place just for one night. Wang then spends every waking moment with his son and tells Dafu, “Dad is turning into a sea turtle soon.” Sea turtles live a very long time and since Dafu feels most at home swimming, Wang wants his son to understand that he will always be nearby.

For Dafu, the ocean is heaven and for Wang, heaven is knowing his son is happy. “Ocean Heaven” attempts to achieve heaven for both Wang and Dafu. The audience is emotionally affected by the bond between father and son. Their relationship alone may induce teary eyes among the most sentimental of viewers as Wang works diligently to assist his son in becoming independent so he can die in peace. The star of “Ocean Heaven” is Jet Li, an actor most commonly known for his martial arts. It is quite a change of pace to witness Jet Li in a fatherly role where there is absolutely no action scenes. Instead of martial arts, Jet Li as Wang fights with the will and love of a dying father. In my opinion, this drama does a heavenly exploration of the relationship between a doting father and a disabled son and is a movie that will not be regretted among the oceans of films available.

The answer is the Reason Rally. It is a day I have looked to with anticipation ever since the announcement was made that it was going to occur. I visit the Friendly Atheist blog daily and that is where I first heard of the news. I excitedly told my fiancé about the event and how amazing it would be to attend a celebration with other nonbelievers. After we were married in August, we had some extra money in our checking account due to wedding gifts. In October, we coordinated with our friend Rick to fly around the same time and meet us at the airport. He also decided to help with the cost of the room, fittingly called an Evolution Room at the Hilton Garden Inn, that I discovered had a discount on the Friendly Atheist blog. Our friend Rick is coming from Murdo, South Dakota. My husband and I are coming from Rock Springs, Wyoming. We are flying from Denver International Airport after stopping for lunch in Denver with a couple of our heathen brethren. We will be wearing our Wyoming Atheist shirts; I am a co-administrator of the Facebook group Wyoming Atheists https://www.facebook.com/groups/wyomingatheists/, which now has 42 members in this rural state. Michael Crowley, the writer of the site http://www.ungodlynews.com/, is the founder of the group and created a shirt that best represents Wyoming Atheists. He told me that, “it’s a play on the idea that some creationists believe that man and dinosaur lived on the planet at the same time. People started putting these pictures of Jesus riding a dinosaur online as a joke. I took that idea and used it as a jumping point. I figured our bucking bronco Wyoming logo would be amusing if replaced with a dinosaur, whose fossils as you know can be found in Wyoming. I used the colors of UW to represent education. So, Wyoming cowboy, Wyoming Dinosaurs, Wyoming colors with the shape of the state in the background.” Living in Wyoming, there is not much interaction with other atheists unless you already know them. I had tried to remedy this problem by creating a group on Think Atheist. It brought a few members but Facebook was more active and I announced the new group on the Think Atheist group http://www.thinkatheist.com/group/wyomingatheists . The Wyoming Atheist group formed when American Atheists asked people state by state to introduce themselves. After that, Michael Crowley found me and Wyoming Atheists was formed.

I have tried to get an actual live meeting with the Facebook group Wyoming Atheists. No luck yet but perhaps someday. Maybe even this summer. It excited me so much to be having a Reason Rally that is filled with people that also declare that no gods at all exist. In my experience thus far, atheists tend to be rather friendly and I believe that when I meet the people I have listened to on YouTube and read on blogs that my husband and I will naturally get along with them and easily make new friends. It is especially important to coordinate at this time in the wake of the presidential election, especially with potential Republican candidates declaring that President Obama has waged a war on religion. One of the most disturbing statements that I have heard thus far from one of the Republican presidential contenders is when Rick Santorum said, “I don’t believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute. The idea that the church can have no influence or no involvement in the operation of the state is absolutely antithetical to the objectives and vision of our country.” Well this is opposite of what I believe America stands for. I believe that our country should keep religious policies totally separate from politics, even if they go against their personal beliefs. It is imperative that they go against their own beliefs because otherwise they are not representing the entire country, only a select part of the country that they believe should be right no matter what others think. For example, if a president believed because of his or her religion that there are absolutely no exceptions for an abortion, they should withhold their judgment on the entire country and instead enact policies that give women freedom of choice although it goes against the lawmaker’s personal convictions. Otherwise the country becomes like a monarchy with no voice for the minority. It is best for all remnants of religion to strictly remain at home, if at all. I am going to the Reason Rally to emphasize that secular minds matter and what is right in the eyes of one religion isn’t necessarily right for another religion or none at all. The realization that there are so many religions with various degrees of rightness is what helped lead me astray from any religion at all. One can’t be right since there are so many. There are so many that they can not possibility all be right. Therefore they must be all wrong since if there was a god, there should be one religion that everyone on the planet knows without having to bump into one another. Besides the political importance of attending the Reason Rally, I am excited about meeting new connections and becoming a member of some national groups and donating to worthy secular causes.

I think I first started to doubt an existence of a god as young as second grade. My parents made home movies when I was a kid of nearly everything. Sometimes over Christmas, we get together and watch them. I grew up in a very Catholic family and one of them is a video of me after my first Communion. I am in a pretty white dress and receiving gifts from my family. I can hear my mom or my aunts asking me how I felt or whether I felt different since I had eaten the body of Jesus who was apparently inside me. My facial expression as a very young girl is quite foreboding. I shrug my shoulders and quietly say not really … Years passed and I went to a Catholic school for the first time when I entered seventh grade. Prior to that grade I had gone to a public school since it was only a block away. Now my parents felt I needed to go to the Catholic school where my mom graduated from. It was a high school that began in the seventh grade. The town I grew up in was probably 80 percent Catholic in Dickinson, North Dakota. There were multiple elementary Catholic schools and even in the public schools there were so many Catholics that no meat was served on Fridays during Lent. Anyways, at my new school, the other kids were mean to me and did not make it easy at all to be friends. I would sit down at a lunch table and others would move away from me. I thought about entering the counselor’s office for help but timidness prevent me from doing so. This was a Catholic school. Weren’t kids supposed to be extra nice to one another? Guess not …

My family then moved to Green River, Wyoming, which wasn’t a prominently Catholic town. I immediately made friends and hardly any of them went to church on a regular basis. They were the ones that were the friendliest it seemed. Confirmation classes began and I went but I honestly wasn’t feeling any joy in the occasion. My only thought was that I was doing this for my parents and that I wouldn’t go to church once I didn’t live at home. One thing that greatly bothered me in church were when the priest would seemingly scold people for not giving money in the offering basket while some gave to the church every week. That didn’t seem very nice to me. I thought that people shouldn’t be forced to give money. Also I hated it when the priest would say he would not advocate a candidate but it strongly seemed like he was since he was advocating their values. He would say if you vote for one thing, vote to save unborn babies and the candidate that opposes abortion the most. Even at a young age, I knew there was something wrong with that. I knew that there was much more to a candidate than that one certain issue, such as war policies. Sometimes a friend and I would skip confirmation class. Sometimes I would openly mock the services with my friends. For example, as the priest was performing the transfiguration of the body and blood, I quietly said “Eat Me” like from “Alice in Wonderland” since it popped in my head as quite humorous, to the laughter of my friends and to the dismay of an elderly lady behind me who scolded me afterward. Sometimes my brother and I would skip church and say we went, bringing a bulletin home as “proof” since I am such a “good” influence on my little brother. In college I dabbled in church services some more, a non-Catholic Christian church and a Catholic church near the University of Wyoming. Both left me feeling numb inside and yearning for factual evidence. Unfortunately my university didn’t have a secular organization at the time or else I would have joined.

When I moved back home, my dad forced me to go to church on Sundays with them or else I couldn’t live with them. Being a recent college graduate with a degree in English, there was no other option except bide my time until I found an apartment to live in that I could afford. There were times when my brother and I skipped church and I would go through the classified ads in the newspaper looking for an apartment. My boyfriend, now my husband, was in South Dakota. But if I found a place to live, he would move down and live with me helping me pay for an apartment and work at the first job he found. He is also an atheist. We met online through a mutual friend. One of the first things he told me was that he was an atheist and asked about my religion and background and I told him how I felt. Our mutual identity with atheism brought us closer together and strengthened our relationship since we could have philosophical discussions without the involvement of religion. My dad told my boyfriend he was sending me to hell since I was moving in with him, emphasizing the hateful rhetoric of religion. If a god exists, it would be awfully petty of me being sent to hell for moving in with my boyfriend and having premarital sex. My best friend is also an atheist, one reason we are best friends perhaps since we agree on so many things. He is also gay, which also emphasizes my discontent with religion and why I believe the Reason Rally is important. Like abortion, gay marriage has become a political issue although it is only an issue since many have a problem with it due to their religion. I believe being gay is completely natural, especially since animals in the wild have been proved to be gay as well. Unfortunately, many politicians and their constituents are not capable of seeing past their religion and believe the Bible says Adam and Eve set the standard for marriage. Even my dad who likes my best friend has said the often quoted, “Love the sinner, hate the sin,” which is hateful speech since that is like saying someone who is gay can never express the deepest form of intimate love to another person through sex. I have unfortunately made a few bloopers with friends in regards to religion. I recall one night playing a silly game with friends where we had to say the best of two circumstances. One card I got said Hell and another word, which I do not recall. I immediately said Hell and when asked why, I immediately replied that it doesn’t exist. I was met with awkward silence and glares.

Ever since then, I have tried to tread more carefully. I worked at a bookstore in a  cafe and spent my time reading God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens in my spare time. I now work as a newsroom proofreader where the publisher had admitted to be an atheist. I also searched on the Internet for atheist blogs. I came across one in particular: The Friendly Atheist. With this blog and its comment section I felt at home with other like-minded people. I didn’t feel so alone anymore. I have followed this blog for at least four years now and still visit daily for updates, news stories, humor, cartoons, Ask Richard, and much more. For this reason, although probably not the most famous on stage at the Reason Rally, I am most looking forward to hearing Hemant Mehta. I am of course excited for Richard Dawkins, whose books I have read as well and bringing with me on the plane to reread. But Hemant Mehta sticks out as the most influential atheist in my life. Besides being handsome, I admire his friendly nature and his passion and hard work he has put into everything that I have noticed on his site. I can also tell he has put his heart and mind into helping plan the Reason Rally. I have read his book “I Sold my Soul on eBay” and felt I could relate to what he felt when he didn’t get anything out of going to church services. I want to meet him at the Unofficial Post Reason Rally Celebration! and thank him for helping me realize that it was OK to be passionate about my non-belief. I keep a Richard Dawkins “A” pin on my desk at work. Not sure if anyone else at work knows what it means but the fact that it is there means a lot to me and if a coworker realizes what it means and that I’m atheist, they will know that I am friendly too like the Friendly Atheist. My dad had outed me once before in North Dakota in front of my family. Then I felt ashamed and didn’t know how to explain my atheism. Now, because of Friendly Atheist, other bloggers and atheists I have met on the Internet, I feel proud of my atheism and want people to know where I stand and why religion is harmful to society, especially in the public arena. I am coming to the Reason Rally to feel more empowered and to help others around me feel this way as well. It will be an event that will encourage many people, including me, to speak up more about atheism and why having a voice for reason is critical, especially in this present time in the election season.

Well I better get to sleep since in five hours from now, my husband and I will be on the road. Even if my husband and I do not receive the opportunity to sit in V.I.P. sitting, I know we’ll enjoy the Reason Rally from wherever we are. I have been looking forward to this day for a very long time and can not believe it is finally here. Hopefully change will happen as politicians realize we are a viable voting block and a strong voice. But even if change doesn’t happen immediately, I will have been around an extraordinary large amount of famous people in my eyes, even if many people haven’t heard of the people I view as rock stars that seem larger than life to see on stage. Also connections with other atheists and organizations will be made by us and many others which will greatly strengthen our cause.

Released on video Feb. 21, 2012, “Sweet Little Lies” is a film about a girl from Kansas trying to find the father she barely knows. Knowing nothing about this film, the cover art of two children and a grisly looking man drew my interest. The movie touts itself as “an incredibly original coming of age story.” Its target audience seems to be more for children, especially since the stars of the film are a young boy and a young girl. I enjoy coming of age stories and decided to see for myself if the film is truly incredible.

The film begins with a teenager named Bess tossing an oatmeal can of ashes into a storm drain and exclaiming “I’ll miss you!” It is not yet clear whose ashes they are. It is also strange that Bess would perform such an unusual funeral service with only her and her best friend. Her best friend is a younger boy named Waldo. Waldo has a very active imagination and is often picked on. Bess believes that his brother couldn’t take care of a pet rock and takes on the responsibility of looking after the boy. Waldo often creates figurines out of wire that he plays with. These toys come to life through his eyes and the audience experiences this with him. The opening credits is comprised of these creatures, which will lead the audience to wonder in what direction this film will go.

Bess is seen clutching an envelope with her father’s name on the return address. She barely knows the man but believes that if she finds him, he will take her in and love her unconditionally. All she has of her father is his address from the envelope and a picture of an Elvis impersonator. Bess looks out the window and notices a social worker asking about where she is. Bess doesn’t want to placed in a foster home and leaves the premises. She enjoys spending time with an eccentric old man. Bess suggests that he could adopt her, but he dismisses the suggestion. Bess sees the only solution to reaching her father in Las Vegas is to steal Waldo’s brother’s car and go on a road trip.

Waldo helps Bess with her endeavor. He is under the impression that they are going to Las Vegas to join the circus. Although Waldo is Bess’ best friend, he often annoys her like any younger brother would annoy an older sister. To maintain peace and quiet, Bess tells Waldo that he must practice holding his breath for eight minutes to join the circus. This seems like a mean trick, but I don’t believe that Bess understands the danger of Waldo’s task. When Waldo is missing later on in the film, Bess is visibly worried and uses any method to get him back to her.

Bess and Waldo travel across multiple states with little money. All Waldo has taken from his brother is a small bag of spare change. In order to complete their trip, Waldo and Bess engage in criminal activities from siphoning gas to stealing food. They encounter another petty criminal named Roach. He is unemployed and has just stolen his deceased mother’s wedding ring from her finger. While he is on the run, he finds the children who are on the run as well. The recent loss of both Roach’s mother and Bess’ mother begins to forge an unusually strong connection between the two characters. Jennifer, the social worker, and Paulino, Waldo’s brother, have been following them, although at a much slower pace since Jennifer refuses to go over the speed limit.

Roach is able to get a free room at a motel with Waldo’s help. He tells Bess, “People are suckers for kids.” Bess takes this advice to heart and finds it easy to manipulate people. With Roach’s help, as well as others in Las Vegas, Bess becomes increasingly closer to finding her father. It is a slim chance that her father is still in the same location as the return address on Bess’ envelope. Bess even discovers that the street name on the envelope has been changed. Despite the minimal possibility, Bess has hope and this carries her to the end of her journey. This hope is admirable and showcases her fiery nature that Roach takes notice of.

The attitudes of Bess and Waldo are very realistic. Throughout the movie, I was constantly reminded of my niece who is Bess’ age and her brother. Like the stars of the film, they annoy each other and are mean but it is apparent that love binds them together. This realism of the characters makes them feel more genuine, even if that makes them less likable at times. Although the film seems to be meant for younger children, Bess has a knack for profanity like my niece and other teenagers her age. There is also not harsh repercussions for the children running away and getting involved with crime. This may bother some parents and make this not a suitable family film. I wanted to like the film with its realistic characters but found it difficult with its many unanswered questions such as what happened to Bess’ mother or why she threw her mother’s ashes in a storm drain or why Waldo likes making wire dolls or why he lives with his brother or any questions relating to the backgrounds of Bess and Waldo, the stars of “Sweet Little Lies.” While not incredible in my eyes, “Sweet Little Lies” has original characters even if the story is predictable.