SLICES

This posting is called slices due to its nature which is appealing to the contents - bits of things here and there. Frankly, I spent the whole week in front of the computer, final year project and of course, movies (some pundits may claimed it to be puerile, I called it multi-tasking!)

The first movie was The Blind Side directed by John Lee Hancock based on the 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a game by Michael Lewis. A true story of a 23 years old Michael Oher a.k.a. "Big Mike" (an African-American) who had always getting the shorter end of the stick in life due to his past yet miraculously re-shape the face of American Football history upon his adoption by white family (The Tuohys) who cared and raised him as part of the family. For synopsis, click here.

From what I saw throughout the scenes, Sandra Bullock's performance (who acted as the loving-mother, Leigh Anne Tuohy) is without doubt worthy of her Oscar, seriously. My overall rating would be saccharine-sweet!

"No matter who you were in the past,
let it pass... what counts is now and the way you live it
will definitely affect the future"

Leigh Anne Tuohy.

As much as I wanted to finish up my work, I simply can't resist the temptation to watch another movie directed by Thomas Carter entitled Coach Carter. Based on a true story of a basketball coach named Ken Carter which in his unwavering principles made shocking headlines in Richmond, California, 1999 for benching his undefeated team due to poor academic results.

Richmond High School was back at that time dubbed as incompetent school athletically and academically with poor enrollment grades for students to college was the center of the story which in time will transform America's perception on 'student-athletes' concept. A term which Coach Carter believed to be purposely misinterpreted by many (including the school's administrative board) - since you're an athlete, why bother study and have good grades?

Of which Ken Carter replied "The name is 'student-athlete' isn't it? Student and study comes first, then you become an athlete." His principles and ways of dealing the issue was the limelight of American news in 1999.

The man, who believed in tapping into one's true potential proved his critics wrong when later not only that his basketball team made it to finals losing to St. Francis by merely 2 points but also managed to witness 6 of his students enrolled into various universities upon graduation. And he is Ken Carter.

"What is your deepest fear? Our deepest fear is not that we're inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. It is not in some of us, it's in everyone, and as we let our lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates other" - Ken Carter.

Ya it has been a lot of movies marathon lately but I assure you, they are all worth the day. Most importantly, to me, both stories echo the same message of believing in yourself, as John Ondrasik's latest song 'Chances' summarized it all: It's all about taking the swing and knowing the beauty of the scars.

Till the next postings.