Times have come to a standstill due to the pandemic, the thoughts and the relationships we were putting aside thanks to our fancily busy schedule, have now found their way to the surface. Somewhere we now have the guilt about those cancelled plans, postponed ideas and ignored conversations. Since we can only do our very best to be there or make amends via calls and video calls, I think we have put in our effort to blow some life back into the relationships that had taken a backseat. With so much time in hand, I think we should certainly be grateful for all the OTT platforms that came to our rescue when we were wide awake through the night. I have always enjoyed watching cinema, but I do have my own genres that I enjoy watching. I love the movies that are easy on your heart and head, which leave you with a thought worth following in real life, and something that leaves you happy at the end of it. We are all struggling with our mental health to some point which we may or may not be able to discuss, but it is of utmost importance to look for the grass on the greener side and feel gratitude for everything you are put through. The universe will come around with an alternative, all we have to do is just believe.
Thanks to the quarantine situation, I was finally able to catch up with my friends since most of them live in different countries and we always struggled cooperating over time zones. But I have loved the fact that calls these days with them have always lasted for 40 minutes and above where we are just supporting each other, talking each other out as we recourse our life, reminding each other that this too shall pass and charting out our dreams and aspirations all over again. Of course with the leftover time in hand, the geek in me was lurking to find movies to watch, to have that happy moment of the day and hence I would keep scrolling through Netflix during my free time.
Cinema is meant to move you somewhere and I was absolutely enjoying my time of picking and choosing the movies to watch. Despite being a Bollywood fanatic, my love for English and other regional cinema has grown after the certain must watch recommendations that were thrown at me from the movie buffs I have as my friends. I would watch at least one movie everyday through the last two months and hence I thought, why not share my favorites, the one's that moved me somewhere deeply and my thought just lingered on the message that it meant to give.
Here are 5 movies from Netflix that reminded me, how important the bond of friendship is in our lives and sometimes all you have to do is love and let go of a few things to ensure the bond lives forever. These are the dialogues from the movie that reminded me something about my own life and a few moments of my own journey.
The Kissing Booth
We all have that one special friend that has lived with us through our best and worst moments. We have a rule book that we follow to ensure we don't overstep the bounds and are on the same page about a few things in life. The movie has showcased a strong friendship between Elle and Lee, a bond that they shared right from birth as their mothers were friends. There is also an independent story about Elle and Noah getting into romance and that leads her friendship with Lee in jeopardy. However the one moment that stuck with me was when the classic Lee sends Noah disguised as him and there comes Elle and Lee's "Rule no 18 : Always be happy for your bestie's successes." Through the movie we see the snippet of various rules that they came up with, to never face a turf in their friendship, but this rule is so important to follow for all the friendships we share in real lives. It does not matter whether we think they are right or wrong, it is important to see how happy they feel by doing or choosing whatever their heart and gut tells them. Acceptance is a key to keep the friendship strong and going.
SPF - 18
Cousins have always been the first friends we ever made. How many of us remember that one cousin who was more of a friend than a cousin? The one who pushes us out of our comfort zone and demands us to do things that we may be cynical about doing. But they see the spark and a vibe in us, that we do not see in ourselves. A story about Penny who is invited by his boyfriend, Johnny to a home that he has to house-sit for his friend. Penny ends up taking her cousin Camila too and the situations they face help them discover some parts of their own self. The movie concludes stating, "It's funny how people you thought drove you crazy can actually turn out be your best friends" and that reminded me of the friends and few cousins that have been my strength but I have no memory of how the bond just grew to be the finest of all.
The Perks of Being A Wallflower
I remember my days back in college when I was one of the shy ones to attempt on making new friends. Fortunately there were some souls who initiated the conversation and today some of them are extremely important to me. A story about Charlie and his struggles through high school and personal traumas felt so real. The way he is slowly accepted to the Island of Misfit Toys, I recollected how my friends had put in similar efforts to help me cope with the introvert in me. The dialogues I resonated with, in this movie were more than one certainly. But here are my absolute favourites,"You see things, and you understand. You are a wallflower." Sometimes all you gotta do is be there for your friend, understand them and allow them to vent, motivate them enough during their lows so they can find the strength to fly. The pain of having my friends across the countries is something that will always have a little void in my heart, but I am truly proud of their ambitions and achievements. And one day when I have a reunion, this is exactly what my heart will say, "This one moment when you know you are not a sad story. You are alive. You stand up and see the lights on the buildings and everything that makes you wonder. And you're listening to that song on that drive with the people you love most in this world. And in this moment, I swear... We are infinite."
Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List
Being one of those who is often found hanging out with boys, I have had enough people speculating relationships with the guys that are some of my best friends. It was a sheer joy to watch Naomi and Ely share the love and experiences in life together and yet be the best of friends. When Naomi said "It's bullshit to think of friendship and romance as being different. They're not. They're variations of the same love, variations of the same desire to be close. And like any love, it's difficult, awesome, treacherous, exhilarating, confusing and... precious.", it reminded me of all the soul friendships that I share with my buddies. One thing I realized over the years was, your romantic interests should never ruin the bonds of friendships you share because, "It's a total lie to say there's only one special person you're gonna be with for the rest of your life, If you are lucky and try really hard... you will find more than one." It is extremely important to have that one friend who understands every bit of your mood and desires in life, who knows how to uplift you and most importantly... who knows how to love you!
The Last Summer
The Last Summer is a story about a group of friends who explore their own versions as they are on a summer break before they venture out in their choice of colleges. The parallel stories about Audrey, Phoebe and Griffin, Erin and Alec, Foster, Chad and Reece tell us about the discoveries they make while interacting with each other as well as the world. At the final summer party where they come in together before they move to different cities, there is a moment where Audrey tells Erin about her choice she has made to not go to college. Erin is a little surprised about Audrey's decision to which Audrey responds, "I just need you to not judge my version of success." and that is such an important reminder for us. We need to love our friends the way they are. We will certainly have differences of opinion on various topics but that does not give us any right to judge them or force them to follow the bandwagon if they want to pursue something distinct.
So these were my favorite movies that spoke about friendship and the ones that I would go back to watch on loop on the days I feel low. How many of these movies have you seen? Let me know in the comments below.
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