Matt Reviews "Go Set A Watchman"

Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird – to many, a junior high/high school mandatory read – changed my life. I’m not the only one who could say that with no ounce of pretentiousness. For some, the character of Atticus Finch is seen as a father figure, for others an inspiration for getting into law and making the world a better place, to legally fight the inequalities of life. Finch has been on many a list of people’s greatest characters of all time (Jay and I both placed him on our respective Best Movie Dads) and this is mostly due to his silver screen portrayal by the legendary, all-around wonderful human being Gregory Peck in the 1962 film version. 

For me, Finch and his ilk in Mockingbird said many deep, philosophical things without sounding deep and philosophical, but rather more simplistic, realistic speak with which almost anyone could search for meaning. I use Mockingbird quotes to get me through dealing with tough times -- and people -- as well as trying to become a better person. I use Mockingbird quotes to try and make sense of a world that was just as convoluted as it was back in the 1930s setting of the story and 1950s reality of which time the story was written. Mockingbird has not just hope but gritty reality. Mostly, it has hope and that has made it – and its Southern charm, elegant prose – the enduring classic for which it is known.

It’s only been six days since the release of Lee’s much-anticipated novel, Go Set A Watchman, the sequel to her legendary Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, and I finished it in three days. First off, I will quickly get out of the way the known facts of how the novel came together. When Harper Lee originally wrote Watchman back in the late 1950s, she had included flashbacks to her main character’s – Jean Louise Finch’s – childhood. Her editor read the manuscript and enjoyed the flashbacks so much, he gave her the idea of focusing on Jean Louise’s, or as we know her, Scout’s, childhood. So Lee took a few of the flashbacks out of Watchman, inserted them into her new manuscript – originally entitled Atticus Finch – and ran with it. The manuscript eventually became Mockingbird and Lee’s whirlwind entry into literary fame. What was eventually found soon after Lee’s protective, attorney sister, Alice, passed away in late 2014, was the original manuscript of Watchman (without the scenes which were eventually added to Mockingbird), and it was released last week with Lee’s blessing.

Now, on to the good stuff. I will keep this review as spoiler-free as possible, so don’t fret. Watchman, which takes its name from the Bible verse Isaiah 21:6, focuses on Scout once again, although, this time, Scout goes by Jean Louise and she is now twenty-six-years-old and no longer a permanent resident of the Alabama township of Maycomb, but now a New Yorker. The story begins with Jean Louise returning to Maycomb via train, and we are given a history of her native land and its people (more so than in Mockingbird) as well as the joyous news that she is somewhat engaged to her childhood friend Henry “Hank” Clinton (no, not Dill!). The major difference with the story is that, whereas Mockingbird was written from the perspective of six-year-old Scout, Watchman is told from a third-person perspective. However, sometimes, not very often, Lee slips and the narration, without warning or noticeable change in font, switches to Jean Louise’s thoughts. This is further proof that the original story of Watchman was to be told in third-person, and either Lee or her editor made the decision to have Mockingbird told from Scout’s perspective. Most readers may not like the third person narration and prefer the Scout’s first-person voice as they feel more connected to the character. To argue first person versus third person in terms of which is better is an age-old argument in the literary world and I won’t get in to it here. All I will say in terms of the narration is that Lee’s distinct voice is still a heavy presence in Watchman.

The endearing characters from Mockingbird are mostly all here, whether by a simple mention of name or a heavy presence: Atticus, Jem, Dill, Calpurnia, Aunt Alexandra, Uncle Jack, as well as Zeebo, Judge Taylor, a nameless mention of Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewell, and a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it mention of Miss Maudie Atkinson. Whereas Aunt Alexandra and Uncle Jack had somewhat smaller roles in Mockingbird, their roles here are much more significant and the reader gets to know more of their personalities, even if those personalities may have somewhat changed over the past twenty years. There are also some flashbacks to Scout’s adolescence still intact, but they are the clichéd tales of growing pains (i.e., feeling the need to wear falsies), albeit told with Lee’s wit. One can tell Lee wrote this at the same time she wrote Mockingbird as all of the character’s mannerisms, description (although they are twenty years older), and ways of talking are the same.

The book started a bit slow to me as I wasn’t quite interested in the town’s history, but by chapter eight, the story and the bulk of the plot are revealed. The first seven chapters were still a quick, easy read and once the story picked up, Lee’s prose, speeches and situations made the book impossible to put down. Ultimately, Watchman is a coming-of-age tale about a young woman coming home to her small hometown to find that those she turned to for moral inspiration and support are not who she thought they were. It’s about growing up to find out that your parents are human, they make mistakes, and they may not have the same set of ideals as you. Lee’s Jean Louise/Scout is rudely awakened to find that her father is not the man she thought him to be and that her town – a place she is half in love with and half despises – has become a faraway place in terms of who she now is as a person. Anyone who has ever had the same feeling as Scout, having drastically differing views than those of their parent(s) or guardian(s) and/or discovering their parent(s) is not who they thought they were, will most likely be deeply affected by this story. Watchman is the death of a hero … but it is a necessary death. I found myself feeling exactly the way Jean Louise feels throughout most of the last two-thirds of the book, trying her best to ignore the wretched truth of which cannot be ignored. What she speaks is what I have felt in my own personal experiences.

The issue of racial equality is still front-and-center of Jean Louise’s journey as it becomes the catalyst for her adversity with her family and most of Maycomb. What most people want to know is whether Atticus – a strong, moral pillar of a man – is racist in Watchman. Well … yes and no. On its face, he has racist views. Ones not expressed at all in Mockingbird. There is no explanation why or how he came to change, but I believe that is simply what happened to him. He changed. People do that, after all. Atheists can become Christians. Christians can become atheists. Democrats can become Republicans. Republicans can become Democrats. People can switch their favorite sports team or favorite ice cream flavor. It happens all the time during our lives. And there is no exception in the lives of a literary character; that is what's real. Let’s also remember that this story does take place in the South in the late 1950s during the big segregation battle. Nevertheless, above all, Atticus still believes in the law. And he believes the law should service everyone equally, no matter their race. The tragic sting of having an inspirational character revealed to actually be everything you thought they would never be is heartbreaking. No one takes that sting to heart more than Jean Louise and the reader is easily transformed into her and joins her on her journey through Lee’s writing. My only criticism to Lee’s tome is that there is one prevalent line Atticus says in Mockingbird which would completely contradict his own moral character and make him a hypocrite in Watchman (HINT: The line begins, "As you grow older, you'll see white men ..."). Again, even though Jean Louise calls out Atticus’s hypocritical ways here, all one can chalk up his drastic change to is time – time and change of beliefs.

I believe Watchman came along at just the right time. With many debates and outrage today regarding race relations, the NAACP, racially-motivated shootings, and the “true” basis for the Civil War (which could parallel to the creation of the Confederate flag) – all of which are addressed in Watchman – Lee’s 1950s-penned story is uncannily apropos to today’s racial issues. While there is no absolution to such issues within Watchman’s pages, Lee continues the good fight and it is felt through Jean Louise. What is great about Lee’s story is also her ability to not be entirely one-sided. She touches on both sides of the issue with a level head and plenty of respect … even when her characters are freaking out. When a character is dancing around an issue, the reader will feel just as frustrated as Jean Louise and want a flat-out answer. Lee’s characters dance to their own music and answer life’s – and Jean Louise’s – questions in their own melodic ways. It is this which gives them credibility and life.

But there is more going on than just racial issues. There is the issue of a girl who held her father in such high esteem seeing a side of him that she didn’t believe existed or could never exist. That is what lies at the heart of Watchman. It’s about making peace with what you cannot control, learning the true meaning of tolerance of others who are different than you lest you turn into the very thing you claim to despise – a lesson many people on both sides of any issue or political party must learn if we are to grow as a country united – and being true to yourself. My personal take on the ending was that it was very cathartic for me. I related to SO much of what Jean Louise was experiencing, saying and feeling – not so much because of racial beliefs (although I do believe in the equality she does), but more about being different and seeing things differently than a seeming majority. While the story may seem a tad darker thematically than its predecessor, and the story somewhat lulls at the beginning, I believe Harper Lee’s unearthed story still contains what made Mockingbird so beloved. The ultimate message which Jean Louise learns from the most unlikely source near the end is inspiring and endearing and full of hope, yet also delicately, with great understanding, shows any reader the opposite side of their own belief. It was those feelings which permeated me as I closed the final page on Go Set A Watchman – and as Ms. Lee is famously quoted as saying, “The book to read is not the one that thinks for you but the one which makes you think.” Doesn’t that, after all, make for a successful, effective piece of literature? I reckon it does.

Jay Reflects on "Hardhome" and the Past and Future of HBO's "Game ofThrones"

Jay here.

"Holy shit ...."

Those were literally the words coming out of my mouth repeatedly during the final half of what was arguably the best episode in five seasons of Game of Thrones. Twitter blew up as thousands of fans tweeted about the show's most recent hour last Sunday. It was a moment that was compounded by the fact that for the first time in the show's history fans of the books were treated to a chapter that they have never read or saw coming. As someone who has read all of the novels I found myself in the same boat as the friends I watched it with who have not read a word of George R.R. Martin's massive tomes. I realize now that we are officially in uncarted waters and it makes watching the show an entirely new experience for me and for the legions of fans of books.

Fair warning ...... from here on I will be discussing events that happen in both the television show and in the Song of Ice and Fire novels. If you have not caught up with the show or you do not want future events spoiled by my sharing my thoughts from the books, some of which have not happened yet, then do not read any further. There will be SPOILERS. If you already know or don't care, then by all means, read on.

"Hardhome" was the name of last Sunday's episode. It refers to the name of a Wildling encampment on the eastern shore of the frozen lands north of the Wall. Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) travels there with Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju) to convince the thousands of "Free Folk" gathering there to come south and join the Night's Watch in defending the Wall against the forthcoming invasion of the White Walkers.

Jon and Tormund are met with skepticism and downright hostility by the Wildling elders, who for the most part refuse to side with a "crow" even against an assault by a group of demonic ice warriors who can raise the dead to form an army of blue-eyed zombies. Well, they got a good look at what those White Walkers can do as the spectral monsters launched a full-on attack on Hardhome that decimated the ranks of the Wildlings and gave the young Lord Commander his first look at what not only he is up against, but what the rest of Westeros is facing.

I think we can all agree that after seeing the carnage that the evil White Walkers can inflict it makes all of the petty squabbles in Kings Landing, and other places the show visits, seem inconsequential.

This entire scene was masterfully staged. Even better than many feature length films. The sense of dread that builds as the wintery mist descends on the fleeing Wildlings was nearly unbearable. And as hundreds of people are instantly transformed by the fog into the undead Jon picks up his sword to help defend these people who were just contemplating killing him. Hundreds of years of enmity between the Nights Watch and the Wildlings is forgotten as the realization sets in that if all of the people of Westeros don't rise up against this threat they all be transformed in to blue-eyed flesh eaters as well.

Beware evil children raised from the dead by White Walkers. This was one of the creepiest scenes in the show's history.

For a television show the production value here is off the charts. Game of Thrones has always been an expensive show for HBO, but here they pull out all the stops. Everyone should realize that for those of us who read the books, we haven't ever encountered a White Walker attack on a large scale like this. It's uncharted territory. We also don't know if what we're seeing is created just for the show or possibly a spoiler for a scene from Martin's forthcoming sixth chapter in the series, The Winds of Winter.

It has to be exciting for David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, the showrunners tasked with bringing Martin's vision to the small screen. I don't know how much the author has relayed to them about what happens between here and the end of the series, but I'm guessing he's filled them in on a lot. While I watched this amazing episode I couldn't help but think, "How much of this is going to be in the next book and what won't?"

It is a unique experience, watching a show where for five seasons you pretty much know what is going to happen, episode after episode. It is even more exciting to watch it with family that have no idea what is going to happen when you do. It has become part of Game of Thrones' identity. Why else do you think all of those people posted videos of their friends and loved ones watching the Red Wedding unfold during Season 3? There is a pleasure in seeing the shock and surprise when a particular turn in the plot catches the viewer by surprise. This time I was just as shocked.

Well, I'm skeptical that much of this episode will appear in the next novel. If you've read A Dance With Dragons then you know that this battle at Hardhome never happens. Jon Snow never leaves Castle Black, and instead he is able to convince the Wildlings to join his stand against the "Others" (this what the White Walkers are called in the books) without having to leave the safety of the Wall. Also, I don't think Jon will be venturing forth beyond anytime soon on the page, because in the final moments of the fifth novel he is betrayed by a faction of the Night's Watch, upset about him welcoming the "Free Folk" into their ranks. He is stabbed repeatedly and in typical cliffhanger fashion we are left not knowing if he is dead or alive.

No, I have to think this was all conceived by Benioff and Weiss.

Another equally fantastic part of this episode was the well-scripted meeting between Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) and Daenerys Targaryen (Emila Clarke). The back and forth quick banter between these two pivotal characters was a fans dream come true. Especially so because these two have yet to meet in the novels with Tyrion still mixed up in the goings on in the fighting pits. It is already apparent that Dany and the Imp will be well suited for each other. Hopefully he will be able to reign in some of the mistakes she made in short time as a queen and she will give him the significance he has always desired.

Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) and Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) discuss the possibilities of a long term partnership.

The next episode is titled, "A Dance With Dragons". I'm almost positive this will be in reference to Drogon's sudden appearance at the fighting arena and Dany's ultimate embrace of her true role as dragon queen. It's going to be a whopper of an episode if it follows the book. I can't wait to see her hop on the back of her dragon for the first time. 

Now the season finale is titled, "Mothers Mercy" and there is plenty of speculation of what that could mean. The Internet is on fire with theories that point to the possible introduction of Lady Stoneheart, a.k.a. Catelyn Stark back from the dead. I, for one, don't think the writers are going down that road. They seem to have been pretty clear that Stoneheart is not going to be on the show. I think the title has multiple meanings but ultimately deals most with Cersei's confession and ultimate punishment as she is forced to walk naked through the streets of Kings Landing and be humiliated and pelted with rocks and rubbish.

But, we shall see .... in the appendix of the books Lady Stoneheart does have listed as a pseudonym, "Mother Mercy". Hmmmmmm ....

All in all, I was pretty worried about this season and how it would play out, but I have to say I am pretty impressed. Martin has publically confirmed that he will not be involved with the show as much in order to try and complete his next book by the time Season 6 rolls around. I would guess that he's feeling the pressure to complete the series. He has to understand that the sales of his books could potentially be affected by the show spoiling everything that happens. Knowing what we know about how long it takes him to write one of these novels, I feel its a pretty safe bet that he will not be able to beat the HBO show to the ultimate end of the story.

Until then I will certainly enjoy the ride. There is a large part of me that doesn't want this story to be spoiled by its television show and would rather finish it on the page. The way I started it over ten years ago when I picked up the first book and afterwards tried desperately to get anyone I knew to read it. But, I know the show is too good to miss and I can't pull myself away. With "Hardhome", Game of Thrones may have delivered its best episode yet. I feel like there's even better ones to come.

Matt Reviews "Tomorrowland"

Matt here!

As I went to the local theater with my wife and two young daughters to go see Disney’s Tomorrowland (loosely based on its theme park), we awaited the start of the film with the usual trailers for upcoming film releases. One of them was a disaster film called San Andreas, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, about the destruction of California due to a major earthquake along the San Andreas faultline. As we watched that trailer, set to a haunting, slow Sia cover of The Mamas & The Papas' "California Dreamin'," I could see the awe and dread in my daughters’ eyes and, for the first time, thought the trailer alone was pretty intense and gratuitous. Even the end of the trailer has a public service announcement/advertisement stating: "You never know when disaster may strike. Be prepared. Visit _____." This summer’s film release schedule appears mostly full of death, destruction and havoc – and don’t get me wrong, I love plenty of those films – but, from time to time, it’s great to see something inspiring, something full of hope, and something magical … but without causing me to roll my eyes!

Thankfully, Tomorrowland – by director Brad Bird (The Incredibles, The Iron Giant, Mission:Impossible – Ghost Protocol) and screenwriter Damon Lindelof (ABC’s Lost), with an assist from former Entertainment Weekly Online columnist Jeff Jensen – has delivered all of those things! The story starts with boy genius inventor Frank Walker (Thomas Robinson, later George Clooney) who, in 1965, invents a jet pack and is given a secret “key,” in the shape of a lapel pin, to a world in another dimension where all of this world’s inventors, musicians, scientists, writers, mathematicians, engineers, and other creators are brought to make a better world. Flashforward to the present time as we are introduced to Casey Newton (Britt Robertson), an optimistic, curious teenager who “just knows how things work” and is given the same “key” by Athena (an impressive Raffey Cassidy), the same unaged little girl who invited Frank when he was a boy. What sounds like a regular ragtag buddy road movie soon takes a serious turn as a group of overly-polite cyborgs are sent after Frank and Casey to kill them. 

The audience catches its first glimpse of the amazement of Tomorrowland, as seen through the eyes of protagonist Casey Newton (Britt Robertson).

I won’t say anymore than that as Disney was right to show mostly teaser trailers before this film’s release, but what follows is an action film with plenty of exposition but not too much of either. The film reminds me of two things. The first is one of my most favorite Disney animated movies: 2007’s Meet the Robinsons – a movie about time travel and setting your own course when it comes to your future. The second is a clip of filmmaker Kevin Smith speaking a few years ago, talking about the death of his father. It’s a touching, poignant story he tells and Smith goes on to say how there are too many people who are “Why? People”: people who always ask why. Smith goes on to say we should be “Why not? People”: people who are up for trying anything creative and productive to society. He says there are a lot of cynical people out there and we should surround ourselves with the “Why not? People.” This same message exudes from the overall message of Tomorrowland. Athena says, “Dreamers need to stick together.” And this is the film in which will bring said dreamers out of the woodwork!

There is a nice twist of a villainous plot – no matter how gratuitous – and the reasoning for the plot involves the reason for the cynicism pushed so frequently nowadays. Some may find the villain’s overall motivation a bit preachy – and if you do a Google search, you’ll find those reviews – but I found it all a clever spin on how hate and destruction begets hate and destruction … no matter how good the intentions … of anyone. There is a definite connection between this concept and all of the cable news channels today – especially when it comes to the “news” stories of which these networks choose to report on. One scene sees Casey in school, listening to teachers give a barrage of all that is wrong with the world -- or will be wrong -- but Casey brings up the quintessential question that no cable news or even politicians can answer (even though they pretend as if they can): How do we fix it? In fact, the film gives great social commentary by making brief mentions of real-life issues such as the decreased numbers of NASA manned space exploration missions, climate change, 9/11, cable news reporting via pushing a political agenda, and being yourself in an age of conformity. 

Athena (Raffey Cassidy) is the guide to Tomorrowland and proves that appearances can be deceiving!

One of the breakout stars of this film is Raffey Cassidy, who joins the ranks of her co-star Britt Robertson, as well as Interstellar’s Mackenzie Foy, as one of the great, promising young actresses out there right now. A lot of the emotional resonance of the story rides on her character and she pulls it off effortlessly. She, along with Robertson, also contribute a growing list of brilliant young female characters in today’s films – something which I only hope continues on to become normal in cinematic storytelling. Clooney does a good job, bringing on the cool-yet-grumpy tones to the character, but where he really shines are in the highly emotional scenes – one being near the end of the film, focusing on the loss of childhood friendship. Cinematographer Claudio Miranda is not quite the household name amongst cinephiles yet, but with this film – along with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Tron: Legacy, Life of Pi, and Oblivion – under his belt, he soon will be! He plays a major role in taking us from the modern world to this classic 1950s world of sci-fi that most of us born before 1985 all grew up believing. One of my favorite early moments in the film is when the boy Frank Walker is asked why he invented the jet pack. He says something to the effect of, “Can’t an invention just be … fun? … This jet pack will make people believe in a better world. Believe that a better world is possible.” That is the child-like fun and simple genius of Tomorrowland.

I wouldn’t say Tomorrowland is flawless, and some may not agree with my praise of it. I can say there are predictable reveals for a seasoned filmgoer such as myself; however, unlike most films, the predictability here is very much welcomed and nice to see play out. Some may think the optimism too sappy or pretentious, but the same could be said for classics such as It’s a Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, or any other feel-good movie. Nevertheless, Tomorrowland works! It takes me back to being a kid, going to the movies to see films like Back to the Future, Jaws, Star Wars, E.T., The Goonies, and not only feeling the unabashed joy, hope, sadness, and terror myself … but also seeing it (and hearing it) from the people around me. 

Getting ready for the trip to Tomorrowland!

In the end, Tomorrowland is easily one of the best all-around films I’ve seen in a long time … and, so far, it’s a heavy contender to be my pick for best film of 2015. It’s a fun ride the entire family will enjoy and also one of the very few films I can’t wait to see again simply because there is so much to take in and love. It’s everything a truly good film should be: fun, entertaining, emotional, thrilling. Also, the hope and inspiration Tomorrowland instills by the time the end credits roll is what Disney has always been about! And in an age with mostly realistic, gritty drama, it’s a welcome sight to behold!