The New Year is one day old and I like it already. I got back to my apartment last night feeling tired after the long flight from Midway airport (we flew through a snowstorm over the Sierras, and I had a "fear of flying" moment). We landed safely, obviously, so that was the first blessing of 2006. I slept like a dead person yesterday and woke up this morning to beautiful California rain. Examining my apartment, I discovered that my Jade plant on the patio seems to be doing great in this moist weather, despite the dirty Oakland air. The second blessing!
Later in the afternoon, I decided to watch a movie. I chose "Manhattan", by Woody Allen (released in 1979). The movie stars Woody Allen as himself, a divorced 42-year old New York writer dating a 17 year old high-schooler. Besides that, the movie also stars Diane Keaton as a journalist lady friend and mistress of Woody's best buddy. I liked this movie even though I've never been to New York and I still get annoyed by Woody's tendency to ramble on and intellectualize. I give it a 9 out of 10. This is the first Woody Allen movie I ever watched from start to finish. I liked the fact that Woody Allen's character is shown with all his "warts" in terms of his fickle attachment to different women. Also I like the high school girlfriend (Tracy), played by Mariel Hemingway, who was in fact 17 or 18 when the movie was made. To be honest, I probably liked Tracy in the movie because I'm 34 years old and single and she is 17 years old and beautiful, even without makeup or "bling". In fact I like Mariel Hemingway whether she is 17, 18 or 45! (and I like her grandfather's books, too)
In case any of you saw the movie, I thought the ending scene where Woody catches up to Tracy before she leaves New York is wonderful. What happens is that Woody has this "realization" he should never have dropped his young girlfriend (Hemingway) in the first place. So he calls her, gets a busy signal, then runs across town, calling again from payphones along the way (I also love the fact there are no cell phones, and the pay phones of the day actually worked). In the final conversation between him and Tracy, Woody is made to look completely and utterly childish and foolish. I don't know of any living director or actor who would dare to make fun of themselves in this way (in actuality I guess Woody Allen was dating a girl about that age at the time).
About all the discussions whether or not it was "right" to "glorify" a relationship between a 42 and 17 year old - who cares? The movie is a work of art and not a social commentary. Besides, if a guy as nerdy as Woody can date Mariel Hemingway, even in the movies, then it gives us over-30 single guys hope that we can find our princess, too.
