UP and Appreciated

Well, I was super cool the other week and went to see a movie with my folks and my big sister. I drove, and it was funny to see, every time I looked in the rear vision mirror, the terrified look on my mothers face. We decided to be really mature and see 'UP' and it's yet another reason that I like Pixar movies better than Disney.

When I watch a movie, it's great if there's a lot of gore and action, or it makes you think about the posibilities of science fiction, but some of the most satisfying films I've ever watched are those that make you appreciate what you have.
I've discussed this with Leonardo, and possibly one or two others, so I'll say it again because I think people should appreciate this.
Movies like X-men are good, as they encourage the imagination and inspiration, but they always left me thinking that I need something more to feel happy or worthwhile in the grand scheme of things. Having the extra mutant power, in this case, or just having something that makes you unique, or, more often than not, just something that no one else has to make your life special in a mediocre society. It reeks of a capitalist mentality in which possessions automatically equate to some kind of increase of social standing or create some feeling of self worth.
Sure, the mutants were ostracised from the broader community, but they were revered by their own and the audience as the heroes that are just that because of their special abilities. It's like they are placed on that just out of reach pedestal because they possess something no one else does.

But movies like UP are different. Completely different. The stories may also inspire the imagination with the fanciful story that is being told but, for me, it projected a completely different vibe.
I let myself be swept up in the animated story, thanks to my imagination that has not quelled since my childhood, in which a man keeps a promise to a friend and lover and grows from the experience, learning more about himself and those around him.
It just made me appreciate everything I have, and it made me feel content.
While movies like X-men made me wish for more, UP made me far more appreciative of what is around me now. That is an incredible feeling, and one that I have not experienced in a while.

Being able to appreciate those around you, revel in their presence and take in what they have to offer and teach is a beautiful thing, and in my Brutal Honesty month of November I hope to reach more of it.
I can't actually communicate the specific feeling to you, my reader, as I'm writing in retrospect, but I hope I can help you experience it first hand.

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