Spider-Man, Ocean's 8, and the Struggle of the Protagonist

So, for #LightTheWorld last week, I did in fact end up giving platelets. And, when I give platelets, I get to watch a movie.

This week it was Ocean's 8. A heist movie. I finally saw it. Took me long enough, considering I love heist movies, but I had been warned that this one wasn't that great. Not bad, just not great.

The warnings were correct. When I left the movie, I just felt, meh.

I, being who I am, started analyzing why. The actors did a great job and were well-cast, I thought, on the whole. The plot itself was interesting enough, although I felt like the twist at the end wasn't as well set-up as it should have been. But then I realized something:

The movie had no conflict.

Seriously. No conflict. Or, at least, none that mattered. Sure, I get that the whole plot was for revenge and lots of money, and there were some tense moments. But I didn't see any inter-character conflict, or major problems with the scheme, that would force the characters to change or grow in any way. The characters were the same at the beginning and the end, and they didn't seem to learn or improve in any way. They didn't overcome.

I watched a film about a bunch of intelligent, professional women pull off a perfectly planned heist with no major hiccups, and then leave. So why should I care about any of that? Where's the struggle, the growth? The ending was pretty much the beginning but with more money.

Fast-forward to Friday night when I saw Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

In a word, this movie is amazing. Absolutely stunning. The animation style is used well and fits the tone of the movie, writing is hilarious, and they strike a good balance between serious and silly (I swear I'll get to that post someday). But most importantly, the characters struggle.

So many characters have character arcs, to start. Miles does, for sure, as the main character (something Sandra Bullock's Debbie Ocean doesn't seem to), but so do two other Spider-people in the group, and Mile's dad, and his uncle, and while the villain doesn't have an arc, he does have motivations that make sense and humanize him. The motivations, and these arcs, are shown through them all struggling and dealing with matters that they're not already equipped to handle. I watched this movie rooting for the characters (villain excepted) and really feeling it when they fall, but loving it even more when, understanding their struggles, I see them get up again. There was a point to the movie, and to their challenges. Guys, this film was a tightly-written heart-filled blast of a superhero movie and you should all go see it. (And stay for the end credits scene.)

But, the point of both of these reviews is that I thought about what it means to have a protagonist in your story.

A "protagonist" is "the one who struggles." Without that struggle, the story doesn't matter much. If a character can easily get what they want, there's no story. In Ocean's 8, the fact that the diamonds are so difficult to get gives it a little more interest, but when the plot goes so smoothly, I'm left feeling unfulfilled. I wanted to see them overcome.

 In Spider-Man, I saw that. Again and again. A major theme of the plot was what it means to struggle and overcome. And that left me feeling a lot more fulfilled. I left the movie satisfied and wanting to see it again, whereas I didn't really care one way or the other with Ocean's 8.

The protagonist needs to struggle. I would even go so far as to say a story is only as good as a protagonist's struggle. I can't root for someone who doesn't have the possibility of failure; they don't need a cheerleader. I need stories where the heroes face odds that are daunting and because of that challenge, have to change and grow and rise to face it and overcome it.

Because that's what stories are really about: characters. How they develop, and meet challenges. Without that struggle, I really hope the character found twenty dollars, because the rest of the story seems somewhat moot.

So, this is likely going to be my last post for a few weeks. I'll be out of town and away from the internet next Monday, and after that, it's still the holiday, so, we'll see.

And, this coming week for #LightTheWorld is Light Your Family. I don't know exactly what I'll do for this one, but considering that I'm going to see a lot of my family this week, I'll figure something out, and tell you about it when I get back to posting.

Happy holidays, everyone!

Holidays Approacheth...And Not a Second Too Soon

Whew, that was a busy week.

Yes, I did do #LightTheWorld this last week. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do as much as I wanted. I made a donation to the International Rescue Committee. I've donated to them before, so I've had this one vetted and I know that the money actually goes to helping the right people, so I like this option and recommend it, though there are many good charities and options.

What have you done this week?

This coming week, Week 2, is about Lighting the Community.

Ideas for this week include:

- Perform an anonymous act of service for a friend or neighbor
- Volunteer at a homeless shelter
- Give blood at blood bank/drive
- Help clean a church building

But, of course, there are lots of other options. This one's all about helping the people around you. I might give platelets. I should have time now.

Like I said, this week was a very busy week. I was hard at work grading, and since I'm up next (a little earlier than planned) for my writing group, I was flying through a revision of my work in progress, tweaking and perfecting so that other minds than my own can understand it.

(By the way, if you want to know what the daily life of a writer is like, yesterday I contemplated the possibility of one day using the phrase "Seinfeldian arms race" in an actual piece of writing. No word yet on the conclusion.)

I don't have a lot to report today. I haven't been pondering very writerly things yet, although I have an idea for a future post about the balance of silly and serious in really good children's books. That, though, needs some thinking and evidence gathering, so it will have to wait.

Today I'm just going to say that holidays are important. I'm busy, and I have present buying left to do, and finals week is breathing down my neck, but someday soon, I'll see my family, I'll fly off to a magical land of joy and wonder with them (Pennsylvania...and then, soon after, Orlando), and I'll have the chance to NOT be in the daily routine of grading and conferencing, I'll NOT have to get up early every morning for work, although I do love my job.

Sometimes, though, taking that break away from normal, even if it's a busy break away, is a good way to remind myself why I like that normal. And the breaks, the vacations, the holidays, are fun and friendly and good on their own. At least, they are for me, and I believe in people making their holidays into whatever they want/need them to be. In my case, that means internet shopping and not fighting the Orem traffic to go to the mall if I can help it.

So, as the holiday season winds up and down, happy holidays, and I'll see you again next week with possibly a post about ridiculous but heart-warming middle grade fiction. But for now, I need to rest and ice my aching typing fingers.

#LightTheWorld 2018

The Christmas season is in full swing. How I do know?

I made fudge. 'Tis the season.

You wanna know how else? The #LightTheWorld campaign from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has started again!

HOORAY!

If you haven't heard of this campaign, but would love a chance to do some good in the world, stick around. Or just go to their website, right here: Light the World This Christmas.

Or watch the video:

Every year the Church does this, and every year I take part as best I can. One year they had a schedule of things to do, one thing every day, but since then they've relaxed it. The break-down this year goes as follows for the weeks of December:

Week 1: Light the World
Week 2: Light Your Community
Week 3: Light Your Family
Week 4: Light Your Spirit

It kind of starts big and gets smaller. This is Week 1, Light the World.

The idea this week is to do good wherever in the world you can. Some of the ideas on the website include seeking out a person from another place/culture and learning their story, sharing a post on social media about a time someone served or helped you, collect supplies to help refugees, or make a donation to a good cause on your own or through a Giving Machine.

I gotta talk about these Giving Machines, because this is awesome.

They're vending machines.

But instead of selling candy and drinks, they sell things like, funding mobile vision clinics, or an empowerment pack for girls, or three soccer balls, or other things to be given to those who need them.

There are 5 Giving Machines, located in Salt Lake City, UT; Gilbert, Arizona; Manhattan, New York City, New York; London, England; and Manila, Philippines.

For more information, check out the story here.

Yes, I'm very excited about this. I've done this before, like I said, and I felt like this really brought a good spirit to the season. It's easy to get caught up in the rush and stress of December (and as a professor who has a stack of 10-page research papers to grade RIGHT NOW, I get it). But when I do this campaign and seek ways to brighten the world around me, my focus is on other and what I can give. I've had less stress and greater joy when I do this, which is why I'm going for it again this year.

Most of the ways to participate are small, like posting on social media or talking to someone you know. Size of service doesn't really matter. I think the benefits come when I do what I can, no matter what it is. They add up over time, and I always end the season feeling like I spent my December well.

So, hey, if you're interested, why not give it a try? Whatever your background or faith, it's a reason to help others (and a list of ideas on how) as 2018 ends, and that's no bad thing. If you do it, keep me posted! I'd love to hear what others are doing and get some good ideas for next year.