By Scott Rosenberg Feb 13, 2007, 13:44 GMT
"No one in love is free or even wants to be."
Doug Manning
Sweet Bird of Youth (1962) Heavenly Finley (Shirley Knight)
"You are what you love not what loves you."
Adaptation (2002) Donald Kaufman (Nicolas Cage)
On the occasion of Valentine’s day some inspirational movie quotes to share with your loved one brought to you by Reel Life Wisdom, the brain child of Doug Manning, topper of the website by the same name.
Doug, a former school counselor who has been watching movies to tolerate regular exercise on a treadmill was kind enough to talk with Monsters and Critics about his hobby.
M&C: Doug thanks for talking with M&C. It is really interesting that you have spent almost a lifetime collecting movie quotes for people to learn from. As you know, the theme for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Oscar poster this year is movie quotes. Does that make it all kind of "worth it" – seeing your hobby go international (even though they should pay you a residual for using your idea ; -)
DM: Scott, although I have loved movies all my life, I have only been collecting inspirational quotes for the last three years. As you suggest, it is a hobby I pursue while going to the movie theater (new releases) or exercising on a treadmill (classic films). I think it is great that this year’s promotional theme for the awards is classic movie lines; I’ve already ordered a copy of the poster. However, the focus for our Reel Life quotes is generally different than the ones on this year’s Academy poster.
The Academy quotes are focused on ‘memorable’ lines, ones that are profiled in pop culture. I love the role that quotes like “Make my day” or “Rosebud” played in their respective movies. However, beyond the context of those films, those quotes have no meaning at all. The Reel Life Wisdom site focuses on ‘inspirational’ or ‘thought-provoking’ quotes that have something to say beyond the film. Screenwriters have been writing this meaningful stuff for years, it’s just been hidden behind the more popular quotes. Our website is trying to bring more exposure to the meaningful writing embedded in films from across the ages.
M&C: What is your favorite movie quote (bet everyone asks you this question) and why?
DM: Anytime someone asks me this question, I’m likely to have a different answer. I have had lots of favorite movie quotes over the years, each reflecting where I was at different stages of my own life. When I was younger, quotes that mattered to me were ones like Charlie Sheen’s epiphany in Wall Street (“Life all comes down to a few moments. This is one of them.”), Ben Kingsley’s wisdom in Gandhi (“An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”), Morgan Freeman’s advice in The Shawshank Redemption (“Get busy livin’ or get busy dyin’”), or even Yoda’s classic from The Empire Strikes Back (“Do or do not, there is no try.”) Today, my favorite quote is from Robert Duvall in Lonesome Dove – “The older the violin, the sweeter the music.” People I know are probably tired of hearing that one by now.
M&C: Why did you set up the Reel Life Wisdom website?
DM: I mentioned my interest in giving a higher profile to the useful perspectives of Hollywood’s screenwriters. In addition, as a former school counselor, I have a strong belief that most people are underutilizing their capacity to make their own life more meaningful. There are some great quotes in movies that can remind us to proactively pursue a life of greater meaning. The Reel Life Wisdom website provides a free feed of inspiring movie quotes to anyone who would like a little blast of film inspiration each day. The site blog also features a Quote Review from current and classic movies three times a week.
M&C: You have a book as well? Tell us something about it.
DM: The Reel Life Wisdom book is a great gift for inspiration-seeking movie lovers. There are around 600 inspirational movie quotes about SELF, LIFE, and LOVE in the book. They are organized around a variety of themes like Identity, Purpose, Character, Meaningful Life, and Human Interaction. People can review and purchase the book at the website.
M&C: You mentioned that the theme of the book and the movie is "life is a movie." What do you mean by that? (Some people's lives are more like a horror story)
DM: A movie is a great metaphor for life. Each of us is the director, author, and star character of our own unfolding film. Our role is to make our movie great. The website and the book are organized around three ways you can make a great movie for yourself – Define Your Character, Build Your Story, and Connect to Your Supporting Cast. While I agree with you that some people see their life as a horror story, they are free to make it different. The remainder of anyone’s story can be more passionate, adventurous, dramatic, challenging, and/or fun, if that is the direction they choose.
M&C: In a world that is fraught with so many negatives, how do you remain so positive AND how do you relate movie quotes to that?
DM: This is a great question. I believe that the world is a half-glass of water. We can focus our life’s ‘camera’ on any aspect we choose. It is easier to focus on the things not being cared for – our media prefers to put the more negative/reactive stuff on the front page. It is just a little bit more challenging to see the good/proactive stuff other people are doing or the great opportunities available to us that lie just down the road. This is all just living and that’s what quality screenwriters are writing about. As Steve Martin suggested in the film Grand Canyon, “All of life’s riddles are answered in the movies.” We just have to use the stories and quotes from quality films to answer whatever riddles are the present-day focus for our lives. It works for me.
Scott, these were great questions. Thanks for chatting with me.
M&C: Thank you once again Doug and good luck with the site.
You can visit the Reel Life Wisdom site here.
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