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Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Crossing the Bridge Part 2 - Place Personification

Driving through each unique place on our way across America got my imagination percolating. Pretty soon, I had compared each state to a movie personality. Here are a few I came up with…

Arizona is a lot like Russell Crowe in 3:10 to Yuma. Russell’s Ben Wade is bad, but not all bad. Christian Bale’s Dan Evans is good, but not all good. “Even bad men love their mamas,” Mr. Wade states. Arizona is a wild-at-heart desert, full of blistering sunshine, lethal animals and hostile vegetation, but it’s still has a lot of love to offer.

Texas reminds me of Chris Pine in Star Trek 2009 as James Tiberius Kirk. I know Capt. Kirk is from Iowa, but come on folks, he’s so much more Texas, don’t you think? Daring, independent, brave, rebellious, sexy… and though on the surface he seems self-serving, his actions always save a bunch of people. As Bones said to him, which describes his personality to a T, “It’s the Kobayashi Maru, Jim! No one goes back for seconds let alone thirds!”

And then Tennessee, my new home state, is like Paula Deen as Aunt Dora in Elizabethtown. Orlando Bloom’s Drew Baylor has come to Elizabethtown (KY) to make arrangements for his father’s funeral, originally from there. Drew hasn’t seen the extended family for years. Still, he is welcomed with that overbearing but to-die-for hospitality the South is known for and ends up learning a lot about himself, life and other people. Despite Aunt Dora’s and others’ innocent misunderstandings (i.e. they keep introducing him as one of the “California Baylors” when in fact he is from Oregon), their sweet, unassuming, all-inclusive, unique acceptance of him as family warms the heart.

So here’s the fun part – what state do you live in, have lived in, or maybe just wish you lived in, and what movie character does that state remind you of? Would love to hear what you and your imagination come up with!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice post.

The first thing that came to mind was Waterworld. And that's really strange because I live in the desert. LOL.

So, I guess, after thinking a little more about it, DUNE came to mind next. You know, when they move to that desert. . . That seems more suitable. Water is life. :-)

This was fun.

Jay Harris said...

Now you know how I felt when I left Arizona. The climate, the mountains, the terrain, the adventure at every exit.

When I was in the Navy traveling around the world, one place we stopped over for a few days was Tahiti. In the harbor was a clipper ship that reminded me of the old movie "Hurricane" with Jon Hall. I was learning to sail, and wondered what it would be like to take the helm (the large wheel) against a starboard or port tack.

KM Wilsher said...

Ok, it took me two days to get Vin Deisel out of my mind. I tried to fit him into a State, but I can only see him in a 1972 Chevelle SS. :) That is a good thing, my fav car, my fav actor :)

So once I let Vin go, I turned my sights to the Four Corners. That's where I grew up, in Colorado, but only miles from where Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico meet. It is a rich land, this area, full of Indian Culture, old west flavor, and the new granola yuppie hippies. The land of my heart.

The desert floor rises into buttes and mesas. Desert scrub turns into pine and evergreen as the elevation reaches up from snow capped peaks.

Aragorn. Viggo Mortenson. This is the only actor that fits. The look in his eyes that makes you feel as if he has lived for a thousand years is akin to Monument Valley, God's masterpeice echoing with the sounds of creation, the beginning. Viggo/Aragorn's strong humility which reminds me of the tradition and culture of where I grew up.

Ok. I am sure that just counted me out of future assignments, but I loved this! Thank you ;)