Light of Day (1987) and My Heart of Gold.

Before I begin, allow me to go ahead and pre-apologize for all the words we alter by ending them with “letes”–it is simply the threading of an idea-less, 5-lettered theme throughout the site. . .enjoy!

Ahem, this is the first review for Nostalgialetes-- Filmletes dedication to those movies we all grew up on.

Light of Day

Cast:

Micheal J. Fox, Joan Jett, the old dame from The Notebook, Angela’s dad from My So-Called Life, Trent Reznor (just for a second), a song (title song) written by Bruce Springsteen, and a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon.  The latter two cast members, Springsteen and PBR, carried on into my adulthood.  I was under the impression that Micheal J. Fox would also, but I guess you just can’t pick out your husband at age 10.

Watching the film as a child:

I saw this film when I was in grade school and it set a path before me.  My future would be a live reenactment of this movie–scene by scene and self-induced drama by self-induced drama. Here we go. . . . I would be a rock star.  A tough one.  My hair would be black and so would my heart.  I would have a child out-of-wedlock and steal things.  Though it would be impossible for me to have a brother like Michael J. Fox (I’m from a house of women), I would have lots of guy friends to fill in for my brotherlessness.  Besides, I was going to marry Micheal J. Fox anyway and maybe I’m being a little shy about asking more than one thing from a person here, but I say there’s no need in making him into a sibling also.  I would live in industrial Ohio.  I would play my rockin’ music in bars and drink a lot.  I would not get along with my mother until a deeply life-changing, profound, and excruciatingly boring moment occurs in a hospital bed.

How it really went down:

I am not a rock star in the traditional sense, but rather one in my head. . .one that looks and sings like Maynard James Keenan or Johnette Napolitano.  I am tough, my hair is light brown and my heart is the color and material of pure gold. I am a 32-year-old woman with zero children.  I do not steal things. . .anymore (as a child I stole the following: 1 Micheal Jackson glove, 1 box of markers, 1 pair of bowling shoes). I have lots of guy friends.  Oddly enough, I did not marry Micheal J. Fox–boooo–but I have dated quite a few short men to compensate. I live in non-Industrial North Carolina.  I play my rockin’ music (on the jukebox) in a bar I do a lot of drinking in.  I have had deeply life-changing and profound moments with my mother, though I am painstakingly waiting for an excruciatingly boring one. . .

Watching the film as an adult:

I still love this film, always will.  Have to say though, the edge of it did wear down a bit.  No one in it is quite as bad-ass as I remember.  Joan Jett’s character could certainly use a parenting class and a new method of acquiring possessions, but shit, she just ain’t that bad.  Micheal J. Fox is just Micheal J. Fox. . .with cigarettes. He’s still cute and kinda hops around a lot when he gets excited.  The mom ain’t that bad either.  She’s just a mom.  She doesn’t beat anyone with hangers or tie them up to the piano when they need to pee (if you don’t get that, you haven’t seen Mommie Dearest and Sybil. . .do yourself an emotional favor and keep it that way). As as child I just saw it so black and white: Parents are lame and their children are cool and rebellious in a very dangerous way. . .and hospital scenes are boring.  But now I see it differently:  it just a pretty good film (with the best bit being the hospital scene)  about rather regular people who could just use a little tweaking. . . and dish out some forgiveness and understanding more often.

Review:  Watch it as an adult. . .perhaps don’t show it to your young kids (especially little girls who are susceptible to falling in love with short movie stars)