#275. Government Agencies

Ronald Reagan has said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help.” One of the reasons for the truth behind this statement is the sheer bureaucracy tied to anything with the government. There have been a few films that have made light of this, including Brazil (1985) and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005), both of which play off of the ridiculous and circuitous nature of the government and its propensity for filling out forms. Depending on your political opinion, you may think the government should control everything . . . or you may think they should control nothing but the national defense. Needless to say, many government-run agencies perform some function to help their constituents. This week’s two films examine real and fictional government agencies.

Men in Black 3
Year: 2012
Rating: PG-13
Length: 106 minutes / 1.76 hours

While many people want transparency in their government agencies, the simple fact of the matter is that much of what they do is classified. Somehow, that secrecy is part of what makes these agencies so appealing for use in cinema. Eventually, these secrets become unclassified so the real-life stories can be told. No agency is immune from this. From the FBI and J. Edgar (2011) to the CIA and Argo (2012) to the NSA and Snowden (2016), these real situations are sometimes all too unbelievable. On the other side of this coin, one could argue there are fictional agencies so secret that nobody knows about them. For instance, the Impossible Missions Force (or IMF) from the Mission: Impossible franchise or the Men in Black (or MIB) from its own, titular franchise have given us glimpses into the possible services super-secret government agencies could provide.

For many decades, the Men in Black have helped to cover up the existence of aliens on Earth. Part of the reason for this is due to the ArcNet, a defense system in orbit around the planet that keeps hostile alien races from attacking Earth. One of these hostile races, the Boglodites, is able to finally penetrate the system when one of their own, Boris the Animal (Jemaine Clement), travels back in time to prevent the implementation of the ArcNet. This altered timeline isn’t noticed by anyone, except for MIB Agent J (Will Smith). He has noticed his partner, Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) has gone missing and takes it upon himself to travel back to 1969 to thwart Boris and save K (Josh Brolin). Along the way, he learns some important history regarding the MIB, as well as some essential information regarding his father.

Contagion
Year: 2011
Rating: PG-13
Length: 106 minutes / 1.76 hours

One motif that tends to run through these aforementioned government agencies is the theme of “protecting the people.” What the populace doesn’t know can’t hurt them, so the goal of the FBI’s and CIA’s is to take care of the threats against the people they are sworn to protect in such a way as to not induce a country-wide panic. Now, these threats are often in the form of terrorists, which are people set on harming the citizens of a particular country or ideology. But what about the threats that come from nature itself? While NOAA can see weather trends (as in The Day After Tomorrow (2004)), there’s little they can do to stop them. Sometimes, nature can even cross the boundaries of countries, making it a global problem. This is why the World Health Organization (WHO) exists, and partly why it is featured in World War Z (2013). At home in the United States, we have the CDC to help keep us healthy and safe from the nature of sickness.

Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) returns home to her family with a cold she believes she obtained while on her trip to Hong Kong. Unfortunately, this is no cold. Soon she has infected her son, both of whom die shortly afterward. Upon the loss of two of his family, Mitch Emhoff (Matt Damon) is distraught but also quarantined because the authorities think he may be infected as well. Meanwhile, research is being done at the Centers for Disease Control to determine the origin of the virus and to develop an antidote for it. Popular blogger, Alan Krumwiede (Jude Law) suggests there is a natural cure for the disease, which proves to be nothing more than a false statement to help his financial interests. Pressed for time to save the world, Dr. Ally Hextall (Jennifer Ehle) tests an inoculation serum on herself that then proves her vaccine works. Now it’s up to the CDC to inoculate the remaining survivors.

2 sum it up: 2 films, 2 awesome agencies

#224. Zooey Deschanel

While a lot of actors and actresses have been typecast in a particular role, very few of them have had the opportunity to change their typecasting. Long before Aubrey Plaza perfected the deadpan supporting character, Zooey Deschanel was given this typecast position in a variety of films. That being said, Deschanel was not pleased with playing these characters, as she was only performing to the role as it was written: a cliché representation of friends and family members used to offset the main character of the film. As such, the Zooey Deschanel we know today is actually, more often than not, associated with the “quirky girl” typecast. While this typecasting has been poked fun at, Deschanel seems content to continue portraying this stereotype. This week’s two films cover the two typecasts of Zooey Deschanel.

(500) Days of Summer
Year: 2009
Rating: PG-13
Length: 95 minutes / 1.58 hours

Early on in her acting career, Deschanel had quite a few bit parts, often cast alongside or opposite actors of a similar age. In fact, some of these actors were born in the same place as Zooey: Los Angeles. From The Good Girl (2002) with Jake Gyllenhaal to Manic (2001) with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Deschanel and her actor counterparts began building their careers. Due to the closeness in age to each other, it was no wonder that Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel would again be cast in the romantic comedy, (500) Days of Summer (2009). While this was not her first leading role, her portrayal of Summer Finn really set her apart from her previous typecasting. Partly due to this movie’s success, Zooey Deschanel has become a household name, propelling her into the lead of the television show, New Girl.

Upon starting a new job in (of all places) Los Angeles as the assistant to a manager at a greeting card company, Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel) catches the eye of Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), one of the writers who work under her boss. Even though she has no plans to obtain a boyfriend, and she has told Tom that she does not believe in true love, they inevitably grow closer. Many months into the relationship, they have their first fight, leading to an inevitable breakup. Despite having left her job in this aftermath, Summer and Tom attend a co-worker’s wedding, wherein she catches the bouquet. This superstitious event is quite telling, as she invites Tom to her engagement party shortly after arriving home. Many years later, the two meet again and discuss the gap in their communication, and how her thoughts on love have since changed. With their relationship finalized, Tom soon moves on to his first love: architecture.

Elf
Year: 2003
Rating: PG
Length: 97 minutes / 1.62 hours

The first movie where Zooey Deschanel’s role stuck with me was definitely The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005), wherein she portrayed Tricia Marie McMillan (or “Trillian” for short). While this role was definitely on the path toward her “quirky girl” typecast, mostly due to the quirkiness of the entire film, the real turning point away from the deadpan supporting character was her role in the modern Christmas classic, Elf (2003). If anything, this was once again due to the overwhelming oddity of the main character of the film, portrayed ably by Will Ferrell. That being said, one of Deschanel’s other talents is that of music. As half of the musical duo known as “She & Him,” many know Zooey by her ukulele songs. This is a fortunate talent, considering it comes into play in the character development of Jovie, Deschanel’s character in Elf, even if it was not in the original script.

Jovie (Zooey Deschanel) is a woman down on her luck. Working as an elf in a New York department store, she’s barely getting by, resorting to showering at the store before her shift. Like many, she enjoys singing in the shower, which gives her a shock when she finds Buddy (Will Ferrell) listening to her one day. While he immediately falls in love with her, she is curious how a grown man in his own elf outfit can be so dedicated to the seasonal role. Something in his genuine innocence sets him apart, and she eventually agrees to go on a date with him. Of course, the only way he managed to gain the courage to ask her out was after he accidentally got drunk on some whiskey that belonged to his co-worker. In a sudden surprise, Jovie and Buddy find that Santa’s sleigh has crashed, and the only thing to restore it is Christmas spirit. Jovie sings on live TV, and soon Santa (Ed Asner) is back on track to complete his Christmas deliveries.

2 sum it up: 2 films, 2 zany Zooey Deschanel performances

Bacon #: 2 (The New Guy / Illeana Douglas -> Stir of Echoes / Kevin Bacon)

#127. Traveling Through Space

How many of us have grown up dreaming of being an astronaut? So often, the appeal of floating high above the Earth’s surface, observing the universe from a unique perspective, and exploring the unknown of space are what drive many people to become the select few individuals who get to become astronauts. Unfortunately, for the rest of us who don’t qualify for NASA’s rigorous program or don’t have enough money to let Richard Branson put us in orbit, we have to resort to other means to travel through space. Of course, the primary method for moving through space is using our imagination. There are ways of heightening our imagination, either through the creativity of others or by taking hallucinogenic substances. While I don’t condone the latter, the former is a great way to explore the vastness of our existence. This week’s two films are loosely about traveling across the vast emptiness of space.

                                        The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Year: 2005
Rating: PG
Length: 109 minutes / 1.82 hours

Science fiction has long been the staple of imagining what space is like. Distant worlds and spacecraft to get us there fuel our ideas of “the final frontier.” Sure Star Trek would be the obvious choice for a movie about traveling through space, but what if we wanted to travel by ourselves? We wouldn’t even know where to start. That’s where The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005) comes in. Not only is it an endless source of useful information, but it also comes with the handy advice “Don’t Panic” emblazoned on its cover. If we don’t have the resources to get out to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, hitchhiking is always a viable alternative. But don’t let this lull you into thoughts that it would be easy: space is incredibly big. And since it’s so big, there’s a lot that could go wrong there. So, if you have your towel, are you ready to stick your thumb out and grab a ride?

Since Earth is one of the last places in the galaxy to be explored, what are the chances you’ll be picked up if you manage to get into space? Pretty slim, but not nil. This is what Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman) and Ford Prefect (Mos Def) learn after they are kicked off a Vogon Constructor fleet after narrowly escaping the destruction of Earth. They’re picked up by the starship Heart of Gold, and join its crew of Marvin the Paranoid Android (Alan Rickman), Zaphod Beeblebrox the President of the Galaxy (Sam Rockwell), and Tricia “Trillian” McMillan, a woman Arthur knew from Earth (Zooey Deschanel). Zaphod is using the improbability drive of the starship to find the Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything to match the answer calculated by Deep Thought: 42. In their travels, they encounter many strange creatures and situations, but they learn that Arthur is the only chance they have to learn the question.

Across the Universe
Year: 2007
Rating: PG-13
Length: 133 minutes / 2.21 hours

Another way to travel through space is to take a trip. This, of course, refers to a “trip” in the psychedelic 1960s definition, which undoubtedly influenced many black velvet paintings of unicorns streaking across starry skies interweaved with extraterrestrial planets. While one will also note that the moon landing was in 1969, there is no question the dominant force in music at the time of the 1960s was The Beatles, especially since their career spanned the entire decade. While their earlier material was reminiscent of the musical culture of the 1950s, as the ’60s evolved, so did their style, eventually producing such trippy songs as “I am the Walrus,” “Revolution 9,” and the titular “Across the Universe.” And yet, even though this trip across the universe might be enhanced by psychedelic substances, there is still a beauty to the imagery and lyrics presented in these strange songs.

The film Across the Universe (2007) took the entire Beatles discography and mashed 30+ songs into a cohesive narrative based loosely on the events of the 1960s. Jude (Jim Sturgess) travels from Liverpool to find his father, but along the way befriends Max (Joe Anderson) who takes Jude home for Thanksgiving. This is where Jude meets Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) and immediately falls in love with her. Jude and Max move to New York where Sadie (Dana Fuchs), Jojo (Martin Luther McCoy), and Prudence (T. V. Carpio) join the group of friends. Lucy eventually comes to visit when her boyfriend is killed in Vietnam. Now she is free to fall in love with Jude. As Max is drafted off to war, Lucy joins the anti-war movement, which causes Jude to question her fidelity. As the group splits up and goes their separate ways, a rooftop concert brings them all back together so that Jude can confess his love to Lucy one last time.

2 sum it up: 2 films, 2 saunters through space

#126. Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything

If 42 is the answer, what is the question? This cosmic game of Jeopardy! can produce many interesting results. Perhaps the question is “What was Jackie Robinson’s number?” Or it could possibly be “What is the last number in the series ‘4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42’ from LOST?” Of course, there’s always the obvious mathematical and scientific questions which are answered by 42, such as “What is 101010 in binary?” or “What do you get if you multiply six by nine?” (which is actually 54), but they would only cover part of Life, the Universe, and Everything. The real trick with this number is that, because it does have its famous connotation as “the Answer,” it is often referenced in popular culture. As such, naming conventions that need a number often are given 42, since it is seen as a “completely ordinary number.” This week’s two films examine two different uses of the number 42.

42nd Street
Year: 1933
Rating: G
Length: 89 minutes / 1.48 hours

Some people find their answer to Life in what they do. If they can become famous, they suddenly have meaning. But how does one become famous? For your name to become a household regularity, the best way to do this would be to perform on the stage. Granted, movie stars get to fame much quicker, but where do you think many of them start? If you don’t have the time to work your way up in the theatre, you need to jump to stardom in one great leap: starring in a Broadway production. And yet, Broadway is still a big place, so the question is: what cross-street would you need to perform on? The answer? 42^nd Street. Even though we know (from films like All About Eve (1950)) that fame is fleeting and being the star on stage opens you up for usurpation, we still strive for those 15 minutes of fame as the answer to our lives.

Many lives hinge on the success of a show on Broadway, especially when finances are thin. Of course, funds were the thinnest right after the Great Depression. Julian Marsh (Warner Baxter) has a decision on his hands: does he direct Pretty Lady and risk his health (or his life) or does he pass up this opportunity and risk not having enough money to carry on with life? To make matters worse, the financier of the show, Abner Dillon (Guy Kibbee) is only paying for the musical because the lead, Dorothy Brock (Bebe Daniels), is stringing him along. When Julian learns Dorothy’s relationship with out-of-work actor Pat Denning (George Brent) is still ongoing and could jeopardize the whole operation, he makes sure they know how serious it would be if they were found out. And yet, a day before the show opens, Dorothy breaks her ankle and Abner wants his new girlfriend, Annie Lowell (Ginger Rogers), to be the star. Annie refuses and instead gets Julian to work with up-and-coming actress Peggy Sawyer (Ruby Keeler) to put on a great show, which she does.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Year: 2005
Rating: PG
Length: 109 minutes / 1.82 hours

I would be terribly amiss if I didn’t make the second film this week the source of the theme. Based on the book of the same name, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005) is a pop-culture goldmine of absurdist quotes and situations, including this week’s titular “Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.” Along with “42,” the book series has spawned many other phrases like “So long, and thanks for all the fish,” “Mostly harmless,” and “Don’t panic,” which each have their own meanings and significance. And yet, “The Answer” is perhaps the most well-known part of this series, not only because the characters in the books are trying to figure out what the answer means, but because everyone else in the real world has tried to figure out “The Question to the Answer” as well, but to no avail.

Douglas Adams has debunked all speculations on “The Question to the Answer” by saying that he made up the number since it seemed like the most ordinary number he could come up with. But why is the number significant? Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman) is thrust into galactic travel when he learns that his house is to be demolished to make way for an important road. Oh, and the Earth is about to be destroyed as well. With the help of his friend, Ford Prefect (Mos Def), an alien researching Earth for “The Guide,” Arthur escapes Earth’s demise, only to be caught up with some other strange characters, not the least of which is the President of the Galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox (Sam Rockwell). Zaphod is searching to discover “The Question,” which is unfortunate because apparently it has just been destroyed to make way for an important hyperspace road. Fortunately, “The Question” is being rebuilt, and Arthur is the key to unlocking “The Answer.”

2 sum it up: 2 films, 2 cosmic questions