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I have always loved to read and, for some reason, one of the stories that has stuck with me for many years is The Very Hungry Caterpillar. It’s obviously a children’s book, but it’s always held a special place in my heart – to the point that I now buy a copy for every one of my friends when they have a baby. It allows me to share a cherished piece of my childhood with a new generation.

Why I Love It

This story has stuck with me because, as my mom tells me, it was the first book I read aloud on my own. It is, obviously, an easy book. But, what makes it easy? It sticks to the story spine and keeps the story focused.

• (One night) In the light of the moon there was an egg.

• Then one day the egg hatched and out came a caterpillar who was very hungry.

• Because of that he ate. A lot.

• Because of that he grew.

• Until finally he built a cocoon.

• And ever since then he’s been a butterfly.

Sure I’ve boiled it down and left out some of the “because of that”-s, but it’s a lovely, light, uncomplicated story.

It’s a Rule…Bender

Being such a short story, it doesn’t adhere to all of Pixar’s 22 rules of storytelling, but it does follow a few (and some we’ll never know, since we’ll never see the author’s thought process) and you can bend your imagination a little bit to make a few more work as well. Who’s to say a kid wouldn’t admire the caterpillar for eating all that food (and be a little jealous he got so much sweet stuff)?

#6 on Pixar’s list is an interesting one to consider – what is your character good at? Obviously, eating. Throw the polar opposite at them – give him a tummy ache! It’s very simple, to be sure, but the author definitely understands his audience.

#15 is also accurate in a way I find amusing. “If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel?” Anyone who ate through “one piece of chocolate cake, one ice cream cone, one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake, and one slice of watermelon” would, without doubt, feel quite ill.

The Importance of Being Pretty

One thing that always appealed to me about the book was how colorful it is. The apple he eats on the first day stands out as a beautiful red among a background of green leaves. That red apple symbolizes the beginning of his short journey. From that red apple, his story has truly started. As he eats through the week and gets to a day full of desserts, the page becomes technicolor, bright and fun. This isn’t something that’s mentioned as much, but visual appeal is incredibly important and this translates from print to digital. The hardcover version of the book I’ve owned for close to thirty years has dulled somewhat with age (though I think I’ve kept it in pretty good shape!), so imagine my joy when I found it turned into a stunning animation on YouTube. They stayed true to the illustrations when they animated it, and kept the colour palette.

To Sum Up

Sometimes the best stories aren’t the most complex, sweeping epics. They aren’t always fancy prose and life or death plot lines. Sometimes the best stories are the simple, sweet, colourful books that teach us to love reading when we’re still young enough to see all the possibilities in a single red apple on a page.

The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, is one the most memorable and fun stories which I have read till date. Paulo Coelho’s enchanting novel follows a boy named, Santiago, around the world in search for treasure.

The story, gleaming with wisdom, teaches the reader the importance of journeying around the world to find and discover the treasures of life. Traveling from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried near the Pyramids, Santiago meets and learns about the meaning of one’s “personal legend” from various people. On his journey around the globe, he also learns the importance of the transforming power of his dreams.

Santiago’s journey around the world is narrated in a way which follows in a structure, similar to the one outlined in “Back to the Story Spine” and coincides with multiple elements of storytelling mentioned in class and in the article, “The 22 rules of storytelling, according to Pixar“.

The Alchemist starts off, in Spain, with Santiago believing a recurring dream and going to a Gypsy fortune teller in the nearby town, to ask her about its meaning. The story continues on with Santiago breaking his routine and embarking on a journey to find the treasure, while making sacrifices in pursuing his Personal Legend. It ends with Santiago reaching the pyramids of Egypt only to find out that he must go back to Spain because his treasure was buried in an abandoned church, by a sycamore tree, where he started his journey.

Coelho supplies the reader with a burning belief that one has his/her own path to follow, i.e. our personal legend, and that nature will bring us to our goals. The idea that everything that we do, everyone that we come across, and each lesson we learn, in context of the bigger picture, is a part of our narrative which pushes us closer to our personal legend and forces us to play our role in the universe, becomes the central point.

In terms of the relevancy of content, Santiago’s aim in life is simple and the focus of the story is to propel Santiago forward and help him find the treasure. The story is mapped in a way which guides Santiago in overcoming the detours and obstacles in his path. Along the way, the reader feels for Santiago and in turn embarks on a quest of their own to learn valuable lessons of life. Santiago’s story becomes the guiding force of the reader’s life as it helps us become aware of our own soul’s desire. Our lives become entangled with Santiago’s as we feel that his life story in the context of book, mirrors the story of our life in the context of fate.

What better a story for girls growing up to lean that true love is not always about physical attraction but what is on the inside.

How a beautiful girl can fall in love with someone who won’t even look in a mirror.

How a hideous Beast can learn to see himself the way someone who loves him does.

And the music.  Let’s not forget about the music.

The Spine

Once upon a time there was a young girl who dreamed of love and adventure in the great beyond.

Everyday she would read and dream of adventures somewhere beyond the little, simple town where she lived

But one day, her scientist, father went off to sell his creations and ended up becoming lost and at a castle in the woods to find warmth.

Because of that their horse maurice returned home to a confused and concerned Belle.

Because of that Belle rushed into the unknown in search of her father whom she found locked in a dark mysterious castle.

Because of that a Beast agreed to trade her fathers freedom for hers and she stayed a captive prisoner.

Until finally one day Belle realized that the Beast has a beautiful soul and that he was changing in front of her eyes.  She fell fir him, as he did for her, unfortunately the town “hunk” wanted Belle for himself and tried to kill the Beast for Belle.

In the end, Love overcame and the Beast learned to love and was changed into a human once again.

The Characters

The characters are also very vivid and playful and unforgettable.  With a love sick candelabra, a pompous clock, a serving teapot and her inquisitive son. Who couldn’t love the comedic extras that were so creatively imagined. From their own singing to even there own little story lines.  They created an extra touch of magic to this already magical story.

A Favorite

This movie was a favorite in our household growing up, not just because it was my sisters absolute favorite. Or that she has a sweet memory of our departed grandmother giving her her first VHS copy of it for some occasion.  But the music has always been something that, even my brother and father, seemed to enjoy.

Each song brings out a certain emotion and feeling that is remembered even to this day.  They make you want to cry, dance and genuinely feel something for the characters. Of course my favorite is Be Our Guest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afzmwAKUppU

The colours, the joy in the characters and of course the food with in the song are amazing.  I even got to experience the Grey Stuff when in Orlando Florida at the Beast Castles in Disney World for lunch.  And yes, it does taste as amazing as it sounds.

Would I say that Beauty and the Beast is my all time favorite movie, no.  But it is the most memorable.  However it is my sisters favorite Disney movies, and she is a very important part of my life.  That makes this movie important to me.

I’m sure anyone who has seen this movie could agree that it was a wonderful gift given to us by Disney.

There are plenty of things I can say about the story of Peter Pan and every iteration of the character made since J. M. Barrie brought him to life. At it’s core, Peter Pan is a story about a young boy who’s long been wisped away from his home to a land that grants him eternal youth. Every now and then, he leaves Neverland to collect Lost Boys to keep him company, and that is where Hogan’s film takes off from.

The catalyst for the meeting between Wendy Darling and Peter Pan is her father’s angry outburst at the young girl after embarrassing him at his work. “It’s time for you to grow up!” He hisses in front of his teary-eyed children. Later that night, Peter crashes into the children’s bedroom and takes them away to Neverland for a journey they wouldn’t forget.

“Oh, Wendy… You shouldn’t have…”

I think it would be fair to say that we all feared growing up at some point. Peter Pan’s position as The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up takes the storytelling of every iteration of Barrie’s character into a bittersweet spin of that universal fear. What makes Peter Pan an amazing story to me, is that not only does this facet of Pan’s character tap into something I can closely relate to, it’s also extended to the entire realm he inhabits.

Though at the top of Pixar’s list of rules is the declaration that “You admire a character for trying more than for their successes“— Pan is a character that constantly triumphs over his nemesis. And yet we, as the audience, still root for him. What holds me to the story, despite that, are the rules of the land he occupies and the juxtaposition between both the neveraging Boy and the Adult he faces.

The story of Peter Pan is so simple and focused on this facet of Pan’s character that it doesn’t leave much to spare in terms of the worldbuilding of Neverland. To be perfectly honest, it doesn’t need to. The story is a simple child’s tale about a young boy, and the simplicity of Neverland matches that in tone. The rules don’t need to be overly complex because children don’t care for the details. You need pixie dust in order to fly. Fairies stop existing if you stop believing in them. Simple and clean.

“The second star to the right
Shines with a light that’s rare.
And if it’s Never Land you need
Its light will lead you there.”

Brooke, Jonatha. “Second Star To The Right .” 2002.

Even if you take the mythic boy out of the equation, Neverland is still an alluring environment to explore and that is all in thanks to how well the story has managed to merged Peter Pan and Neverland into one being.

It doesn’t need to be questioned that the above image is of Neverland. Neverland as an extension of Peter Pan’s character is a place of magic and youth; and we can see this even though the above is just a stage designed to mimic the place.

The story of Peter Pan and all of its iterations are what I believe excellent uses of Kenn Adams’ story spine and what it is meant to be at its core. In his final thoughts: “… the Story Spine is not the story, it’s the spine. It’s nothing but the bare-boned structure upon which the story is built.” The fundamentals of Peter Pan’s character are so simple and focused, that both Peter Pan and Neverland build off of each other and can still remain separate.

The storytelling is so compelling to me because Peter Pan was someone I related to as a child who too didn’t want to grow up, and as the years went, I no longer related to Pan but still found myself holding onto Neverland. This hold on me is what makes the story of Peter Pan one of my favorites.

The movie adaptation of the book “The Honest Courtesan” by Margaret Rosenthal.

“Marco Venier: Do you not like my kiss?
Veronica Franco: I wish it were not a sin to have liked it so.
Marco Venier: God made sin, though we might know his mercy.”

This movie is NO ordinary love story, It’s more than just that. It regales of one woman’s fight for her life, her identity and her freedom in a world where beauty is skin-deep and meant nothing more than a dime.

The movie’s story spine would look like this:

Once upon a time, there was this beautiful woman living a commoner’s life.

Every day, she would read a poem or finish a book and goes on to see the world in different perspectives.

But one day, she fell in love with a man, named Marco, who cannot marry her and must marry someone else for duty’s sake.

Because of that, her longing for her lover’s touch made her to step into a life of a courtesan – A life that gave her access to education and opportunity to be with her lover.

Because of her wittiness and boldness to speak, she has become the most coveted courtesan during her time, a published poet that even the King of France succumbed to her beauty and brain, and promised aid to Venice in fourth Ottoman-Venetian war.

Because of the outbreak of a plague, all courtesans became the target of the Inquisition, and she was summoned for heresy and witchcraft.

Until finally, the inquisitor, perplexed by the city’s notoriety in adulterous acts, dropped all the charges against her.

And ever since then, she opened her doors to all the courtesans who were summoned and punished whilst she and Marco remained in love.

My personal take on the movie – since it was based on a non-fiction book, it was more intriguing, but more so because it’s a real – life story of a coveted courtesan and a published poet rolled into one. It also depicted Venice centuries ago. The way Venetian women were viewed and treated in the society. Showed us that political alliance through marriage is a common scene from then and reflects even till now. The way the story transitioned from one scene to another was spot on. The director surely knew exactly how to balance each scene that makes viewers want more. He doesn’t clutter each scene with unnecessary characters. He made sure that viewers will have someone to root for. The characters were given their voice.

The main characters – Veronica and Marco played their parts very well, to the point where I could imagine and actually feel the roller coaster of emotions throughout the film. From serene and blissful innocent love to unfathomable sadness and unquenchable longing. I can feel the disgusted look thrown at Veronica by the women whose husbands found refuge in her bosom, as If I was her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mMTY23lJpg

I was angry at the inquisitor when in their pursuit of holiness, they forgot that Venice left Veronica no option to survive. I was stoked when all the men who broke their marital vows stood up for Veronica and fought for her acquittal, more so because they stood up at the expense of everything, everything they hold dear. I said finally – they became men!

Because it’s an old movie (shown in 1998) that featured Venice in 1583, the movie was created in those days where the technological advancements in the movie industry is far from what it is now. Nonetheless, this story stripped of all modern time movie effects is still a movie that is worth every second of my time.

This movie was engaging, intriguing, and resonates to women in any part of the world, that women were created far more than just for man’s pleasure. That no matter how hard-pressed we are – we have a story to tell and our story can also alter man’s history!

The part that I love the most was towards the end of the film, during the inquisition of Veronica and she said these words:

“I will confess, Your Grace. I confess that as a young girl, I loved a man who would not marry me for want of a dowery. I confess I had a mother who taught me a different way of life, one I resisted at first, but learned to embrace. I confess I became a courtesan. Traded yearning for power, welcomed many rather than be owned by one. I confess I embraced a whore’s freedom over a wife’s obedience… Your Grace, what am I to do? I need to confess my evil as the church instructs, these are my sins… I confess I find more ecstasy in passion than in prayer. Such passion IS prayer. I confess… I confess I pray still to feel the touch of my lover’s lips, his hands upon me, his arms enfolding me. Such surrender has been mine. I confess I hunger still to be filled and enflamed, to melt into the dream of us, beyond this troubled place, to where we are not even ourselves, to know that always, always this is mine. If this had not been mine, if I had lived another way, a child to a husband’s whim, my soul hardened from lack of touch and lack of love, I confess such endless days and nights would be punishment far greater than any you could meter out. You, all of you, you who hunger so for what I give, but cannot bear to see such power in a woman. You call God’s greatest gift – ourselves, our yearning, our need for love – you call it filth, and sin, and heresy. I repent there was no other way open to me. I do not repent my life.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcEI4o3MANU

“Recant the curse you give my kind. Admit I have, as you, a heart and mind.”

– Veronica Franco

A Story That Keeps you Engaged

Star Trek: The Next Generation is a show that captures your attention and your imagination at the opening credits with one of the most iconic intros of all television history.

How can you not be engaged, interested, and involved when each episode is a stand-alone-story!? Whether it’s Data and his daughter, an encounter with the Borg, or a malfunction in the holodeck there’s always a life lesson for the audience to take home.

A Story that Inspires and Instructs

Star Trek takes place in the future to a time where there’s no poverty, no hunger and no war. Humanity has broken free from the invisible hand of greed, and is now driven by the pursuit of knowledge, exploration and scientific discovery –and of course “The Prime Directive”. People of all races, origins and planets call Earth home. As a person of colour, I could see myself in this show, it gave me hope that maybe the Federation of Planets would be real someday. Perhaps, it will, the show has influenced a lot of present day technological achievements like the ipad, robot intelligence, holographic projection and universal translators – teleportation is still in the works.

A Story that Relates

There is one episode that sticks with me the most, even into adulthood. Captain Jean Luc Picard is transported off the bridge to a planet where he must learn how to communicate with the Captain of an alien ship to save his crew. He discovers the species speak in mythology, and later vows to learn from humanities stories. It’s a subtle reminder to not forget our written history. The storylines and characters are used to teach about complex issues like religion, gender inequality, diversity, freedom and the right to education. All hot button issues to this day.

In closing I leave you with some of the most inspirational moments from the series. Live long and prosper.

Hot Fuzz is a hilarious British film I watch at least once a year. It follows Nicholas Angel, a top London police officer who is forced to accept a new job in Sandford, a seemingly boring village, where there are many ‘accidental’ deaths. As the movie progresses, Nicholas and his partner begin to look into these deaths and uncover a conspiracy.

Why Do I Watch This Film Repeatedly? 

The Characters

One of Pixar’s Storytelling rules is that a character’s desire to succeed is more important than the character’s actual success. When Hot Fuzz begins Nicholas Angel is doing so well in his job that he is sent away because his amazing performance is reflecting poorly on his colleagues. Nicholas is so successful that he is not liked by his coworkers and the film cheekily acknowledges that the audience wouldn’t like him either if he remained on this path. 

Nicolas is challenged by his new situation because Sandford is the exact opposite of London; he has gone from solving murders to tracking down missing swans. He tries to prove that the accidental deaths are murders and no one, except his partner, believes him. His colleagues mock him for being uptight and following the rules. By persevering to uncover the truth while doing his best to adapt to his new environment, he becomes a character that the audience wants to succeed. 

Nicholas & Danny: Comedic Partners

It Makes Me Feel Happy

If you haven’t seen Hot Fuzz and you like fun characters and clever comedy, then I highly recommend you block off two hours of your schedule to enjoy it.