New York @ MindSay 
Rating: A, 98/100, 10/10
Charlie Kaufman explores the depression of Caden Cotard, a playwright/ hypochondriac (Philip Seymour Hoffman). It all stems from his wife (Catherine Keener), but he knows and the audience knows that she is not the cause of all his problems, although she is quite unsettling.
We are introduced to Hazal (Samantha Morton), a sweet distraction from his decaying family life. However, his sense of loyalty stands in the way of anything meaningful happening with her.
As he grows older, Caden becomes acutely aware of the things that are missing from his life. His focus is on himself, but in his myopic state he cannot identify the problem. So he comes up with the best solution he can. He'll make a play of his life. And in so doing, maybe he'll find out what went wrong. Maybe he'll find out who he is. Maybe he'll only continue to destroy his life.
Sammy, the actor who plays Caden in the play, seems to overtake Caden's life and becomes more like Caden than Caden himself could ever be. Lines of fantasy and reality blur as Sammy makes creative choices about the character of Caden that Caden disagrees with. Then, as if that weren't enough, the role mutates to the point where actress Millicent Weems (Dianne Wiest) takes over the role. She becomes Caden's doppelganger, taking control of Caden's life, when he is unable to cope.
The film starts in October, 2005 and continues over forty years into the future. Nothing much changes in the world around the characters. The only thing that is constant is time, spinning out of control. When his grown up daughter, Olive, falsely accuses him of ruining her life, her perception totally skewed, Caden begs to be forgiven in what is a very moving scene.
Not to be overlooked is Hope Davis' psychotherapist character. She plays the straight guy, nodding, asking how Caden feels. Oh it feels bad? Good! Her collection of self-help books (all written by her) don't help Caden solve his problems. They are only false remedies that Caden tries, in effort to satisfy him in his life. Caden either projects his health problems onto her, or she has problems of her own (a grotesque blister on her toe that mirrors the boils on Caden's legs).
Emily Watson plays an actress that is portraying Hazal's character. To me, she and Samantha Morton are like the same person, the same actress. I only saw their similarities. However, apparently, Charlie Kaufman cast them because of their differences. Also, the characters are supposed to be extremely different. But at first, the overwhelming similarities are often confounding. Emily Watson takes over Hazal's character and acts in ways Hazal would never act, just as Sammy and Millicent overstepped their bounds with the Caden character.
What is moving about this movie? Certainly Caden's connection with his daughter, Olive. Certainly his affection for Hazal, the closest thing he has to a soulmate. Yet he always manages to screw things up with her, no matter what. Also, death is explored in this movie, the idea that we're all going to die one day. That everyone is the main character of their own story. That we all have choices.
Synecdoche, New York is a gross and weird movie too, different from anything that you'll see this year. That's ultimately why I love it. It attempts to show the truth through all the seemingly unimportant details, yet they are tied together in a nice bow without the movie seeming too perfect. It's offensive to many, the way life is shown, yet I laughed at the things I should have been shocked by.
After this film, it almost doesn't make any sense to see any movie by anyone except for Charlie Kaufman. No one has more sense of oneself (and everyone else) and yet no one is more lost and wandering (and boy, I thought I was bad!). Kudos to Kaufman for succeeding yet again, when he could have taken the easy way out and written something more simplistic or less gut-wrenching.
In 24 hours or less, I will be getting bruised by a few hundred elbows.
I will be covered in sweat, most of which will not be my own.
I will be stepped on by a huge herd.
I will lose whatever remnants of my voice my teaching career hasn't killed in the past week.
And I absolutely cannot wait.
thank the lord for concerts. <3
Losing yet another home tonight:
What amazing times have been had there. It is likely there are going to be a lot of tears tonight during the specials. I just saw Tino Martinez on TV and I blubbered a little bit. I can't imagine NOT going to the post-season. I can't imagine NOT having THE stadium as our home game location.
I'm very sad right now.
let's go, Yankees! <3
I interviewed for a spot yesterday, and they called me and told me I got it, and I called them back today and accepted it.
I was up most of last night thinking about it.
It's still a very hard thing for me, knowing that I'm going to be up here while all of my friends are down in New York. I won't get to be a part of the Social Justice teaching group that I love and admire so much, and it is about 20 degrees colder up here in winter than it is where I'm from (It's about 73 right now, and I'm wearing long sleeves and a sweatshirt).
In the end, it's just a year, and a great opportunity. I have a co-teacher, and three students. I've been told they're pretty severely involved, but I know I can handle it.
I'm trying to focus not on what I'm missing, but the fact that I'm gaining a year of experience, and that living at home will let me have more money to pay off my loans, but it's hard. I am excited for tomorrow, though :)
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
July 23, 2008 - The idea that President Harry S. Truman would integrate the armed forces in 1948 was counterintuitive. Truman, after all, was the product of a segregated society in Missouri. He served as an artillery captain in the segregated World War I Army. He had a reputation as a machine politician who didn't rock the boat.
There was really nothing in his biography to suggest he would champion integration.
Yet less than four months before the 1948 presidential election, Truman signed Executive Order 9981.
"It is hereby declared to be the policy of the president that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin," the July 26, 1948, executive order read in part.
The sweeping change virtually guaranteed that Truman would not win the so-called "Solid South" in the elections. The Southern states were reliable wins for Democratic politicians at the time. Truman's stand on race relations caused many politicians to bolt the Democratic Party and run as "Dixiecrats."
Strom Thurmond -- who later would represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate for almost a half century -- opposed Truman in the election, garnering 39 electoral votes as the candidate for the segregationist States Rights Democratic Party.
New York Gov. Thomas E. Dewey, the Republican nominee, was considered a shoo-in for election. Thurmond took four states that normally would have voted Democratic in the November election, but Truman still won.
Through the next four years, Truman battled with military and civilian leaders to ensure they carried out Executive Order 9981. The Truman order was a landmark in American history. It intimated that separate was not equal five years before the Supreme Court agreed.
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