inside joke

Hi there.

I do actually like the movie. Perhaps it's something that is uniquely appealing to a certain demographic that others find inscrutable, but I believe the film does have a lot to offer a segment of the viewing audience in ways others may find unappetizing.

Specifically, this film appeals to those who "don't yet know who they are," but know they don't quite fit the model that's been offered them through schooling, parental guidance and example, etc. Think about that line in fight club "We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off."

Albert is that guy. He's been raised by a mother who largely ignored him. He's been educated to believe that ideals matter, even when the world rejects those ideals in exchange for expediency and profit. He needs to re-evaluate his place in the world.

Look at Tommy Corn's disconnect - he wants to be a good person, but he's unable to reconcile the idea of "goodness" with the way we live - addicted to petroleum and willing to kill people halfway around the world to secure it. He needs to re-evaluate his place in the world.

Look at Dawn's existential crisis - she knows she's shilling cheaply produced crap to people who are looking for happiness and fulfillment, but she's slowly coming to realize that all of the things she's selling don't bring those things, and that she, herself, has become as much of a product as the crap she's modeling. She needs to re-evaluate her place in the world.

Enter the Jaffes and Caterine Vauban... both offer methods for re-evaluation that are diametrically opposed. The Jaffes teach that everything is connected, and that if we honor those connections, everything will work out. Vauban teaches that nothing is connected, and those who honor connection are fools who will continue to be caught in the mire of personal human drama.

Through the arc of the story, we learn that both are as partially correct as they are partially wrong. Yes everything is connected, but it's not all beautiful and the connection alone is not enough to get through the pain of personal drama. Just the same way as completely eschewing connection will not solve the problem of why drama continues to cycle and repeat. Vauban is missing that connection teaches us that we're all in the pain together and the Jaffes are missing that the pain teaches us to embrace the connection we have.

And It's presented with humor and wit that is relevant to anyone who has asked the same questions.

That's why I heart "I <heart> Huckabees."