I went and saw Valentine’s Day. It reminded me a lot of Love Actually in that there are a million different people in it, many of them well-known, and they create a myriad of story lines that intersect and interweave over the course of the film. I thought it worked…many of the critics didn’t. Many of you may not. But I don’t care; I liked the movie.
When I got home from the theater that night, my roommate said that she’d been listening to a film critic on the radio who had dubbed Valentine’s Day “homophobic” because the story’s “gay” storyline culminates in one man caressing the other’s face with a flower, rather than a kiss. As I thought about this, I was struck by the ridiculousness of this statement. Has it really come down to the fact that the only way to demonstrate love within a film is by having the characters make out? Gay, straight, whatever, is there really nothing left to be said for tenderness, or does it have to be full-force sexuality all of the time? If that’s the case, it’s sad.
Now, would I ever use this in my classroom? Probably not, especially not this specific example, what with the general attitude regarding sexuality in the public schools in Utah. However, I can see using bits and pieces of the film to help in the instruction of narrative structure, as each individual storyline is relatively short. Further examination of various story lines could also be use to show interconnectedness of story and how each character within one narrative has his or her own specific life and set of circumstances that come into play, even if you’re not telling this particular character’s story.
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