Hello, loyal PopWatchers! (And, you too, not-so-loyal PopWatchers!) The issue of EW that will most likely be in your hands Nov. 24, the day after Thanksgiving (unless you’re Canadian, then it’s, like, the 46th day after Thanksgiving for you), will be devoted to some of our favorite stars — and the artists who inspire them. Which got us to thinking: Has there been a movie, song, TV show, book, actor, or anything entertainment-related that has inspired you in your life? Tell us below, and we’ll choose the most inspired (get it? get it?) response to run on the EW.com page in that issue.
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Without a doubt, I have to go with “Harold and Maude”. Last weekend, I was sick and kind of depressed and spent all day just watching movies. I saw this for the first time, and it blew my away. It’s message tonot sweat the small stuff and live life to the fullest was JUST what I needed to hear. Besides, what’s better then the “I go to funerals,” line?
Regardless of what people think about the writing on Studio 60, I was a huge Sports Night fan, and Aaron Sorkin’s work has always simultaneously made me want to write and want to give up writing because I know I’ll never be able to produce on that level.
The late, great, Oscar nominated River Phoenix. I was in sixth grade when I saw him in “Stand By Me”, and was so moved and inspired that I began to study acting. I graduated college with a B.A. in theatre and a concentration in Performance. And hopefully, my story is still unfolding…
I was inspired by the season 1 finale of Lost to start meeting people in Airport bars.
Less than a year later, I met this amazing woman at the airport bar in Muñoz Marin Airport in San Juan Puerto Rico. The woman is now my fiancé and we’re moving in together this Friday.
I can say for 100% certain that I would never have met the love of my life without “Lost”. For extra kicks, a picture of me and my sweetie is linked to my name.
Hands down, “Memento.” Just when I though there weren’t really any original story ideas left Nolan puts out a story unlike no other. Now, in my downtime at the cubicle farm, I write scripts and stories. My goal is not to develop a working product (although that would be great if it happened), but at least to discover something unique and original. Thanks to that inspiration, the process has been a fulfilling exploration of imagination.
The Color Purple. So much of Celie’s life I can relate to. I was molested by three uncles, my father suddenly abandoned us, tried to protect my 2 siblings from it all and my mother turned me into her maid from junior high through sophmore year of highschool and blamed it all on me. It was not til I watched this movie again last year that I remembered my first abuse by a now deceased uncle. Celie somehow found the strength to say enough is enough, deal with all that happened and start living her life. It forced me to deal with the molestation, abuse and to no longer be afraid of my mother. Still working on the latter part. The song “God is trying to tell you something” gets me through my bouts of depression. Thank you Alice Walker and thank you Celie.
The book: Hemingway’s THE SUN ALSO RISES. I find it truly poetic and tragic. Without a doubt, one of the greatest novels of the 20th century. Plus everytime I read, I’m transported to France and Spain.
The television show: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. I have never been consumed so much by a tv show as I have with Joss Whedon’s greatest creation ever. LOST and VERONICA MARS come close, but BTVS resonated with me on so many levels. It had elements of sc-fi, horror, mystery, love, and teen angst, how could I not dig it? I enjoy things when they’re multi-dimensional.
The music: Anything by Spanish singer/songwriter MIKEL ERENTXUN. His songs stand the test of time like no other when we talk about contemporary music. They have the ability to transport me to other times and places. ERENTXUN is the man!
Without a doubt I’m inspired by Buffy Summers. She was my first “girl kick @$$ once a week” and any time I am in need of a pick me up Buffy does just that. Someone who can’t quite handle her every day problems, but nonetheless can pull it together to save the world (a lot!). What better role model could there be?
After Buffy left TV, Sydney Bristow helped pull me through. Now its Kara “Starbuck” Thrace and President Laura Roslin. But Buffy will always be the best.
Harold and Maude. Who doesn’t want to learn the banjo and sleep with an octagenarian after watching that movie?
The oevre of Billy Joel. For example, his “Tell her about it” inspired me to tell the girl I had a crush on that I was in love with her.
Of course, it was just a stupid crush and I crashed and burned badly. Still, never would’ve taken the plunge and become I the man I am today without a little prodding from the Piano Man.
ps: that’s a nice story Ep Sato. I grew up in Puerto Rico, left 10 years ago when i was 14, and had no idea there was such magic that was possible in Munoz Marin.
One of the greatest inspirations in memory is the Harry Potter series. The values of teamwork, friendship, intelligence, and courage are in every paragraph. Not only that, but how many books today can be truly enjoyed by family members of every generation? For all its virtues, my favorite (and the most inspiring) is introducing magic to everyday life. While reading a Harry Potter book, I will stop with wonder to watch leaves floating from trees and think, “That’s magic!” Even Muggles can appreciate and embrace the delight of wonder when they are reminded it exists.
For me I guess it would be ‘Sex In the City’ and ‘Bridget Jones Diary’ (the movie) Both illustrate how difficult single life can be, but also inspire me to hold out for more and not settle; they also make me feel like I’m less alone, other people ashare the smae challenges.
My earliest inspiration must have been Jerry Lewis. Thanks to all of all his hijinx, pratfalls and wacky characters, he helped everyone who watched him perform feel a little less out of place in this world. And for a chubby kid with glasses who always got mocked in the classroom and at the playground, that left quite an impression. Of course I grew up to be a goofball comic actor, but at least I trip and fall with my self-respect and dignity intact, thanks to Jerry.
Melissa Etheridge singing “Piece of My Heart” at the 2005 Grammys.
I had recently lost my father to cancer, and seeing her up there after having recently beat it really spoke to me. She was so strong, and she really inspired me to take challenges head on and not let them beat me. I still cry just thinking about it.
There are two bits of pop culture that have really inspired me.
“Holy Water” by Big & Rich. This is probably the most beautiful song I have ever heard, and touched me to my very soul. Perhaps it’s the personal connection the singers share with the song (it is dedicated to their sisters, both of whom were victims of abusive relationships), which comes out in every note of the song. I think, for me, it’s the message of the song, which I interpret as a call for all of us to reach out and help each other, and “Love Everybody”, as Big Kenny would happily say.
Hook. This film feels like it was made especially for me. It’s the greatest father/son film ever made, and I have watched it more times with my father than I can remember. There is a moment, during the wonderful “Neverfeast” scene, which is the most magical moment I’ve ever experienced in a movie. As Peter rediscovers the child inside himself, and learns what living is all about. More is communicated in that scene, in that moment, than in most movies I have ever seen. Hook is a film that I can close my eyes and watch straight through, from opening titles to credits, and it can still make me cry every time. If I ever get my dream of making my own movies, I pray that I make something as amazing as Hook, regardless of what others may say about it. Or maybe it simply inspires me with the line “To live would be an awfully big adventure.”
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I had barely started watching television when I caught the show in it’s 5th season. I had no idea television could this be good, this funny, this devastating. Because of it, I want to be a television writer. I hope to create a series that has the emotional intensity of Buffy.
Joyce, you are a survivor, and it is an unfortunate fact that people often blame the survivor rather than accept that someone they love is a criminal who would harm a child.
I hope that you are able to find empathetic people who will help you work past the crimes that were committed against you. And take or leave this idea, but sharing your own story with other young women who may be suffering from the same abuse in a memoir, song or any medium you can work with may prove an inspiration for them to stand up and speak out. You’ve perservered in the face of this, and that makes you a survivor, a fact that itself is inspirational.
Ceballos, I think that Gabriel Garcia Marquez really meant to write about Puerto Rico when he described Macondo, even if he himself will claim Macondo’s in Colombia. Maybe it’s the re-patriated Yoruba saints worshipped in Loiza or the Taino gods who were alleged to rule over el Yunque, but to me the whole island is somehow magical. Okay, maybe not el condado…
A few things inspire me. When I first started to work as a children’s librarian for months the children really drove me crazy(and they still do from time to time). However, after I watched Bill Cosby and Bernie Mac talk about how they handled kids it made me realize that if I can tackle them I can deal with anything. Secondly re-runs of shows like Newsradio, WKRP, and Night Court taught me how to relax because when you work with other employees, you work with a dysfunctional family.
Nancy Drew. I read my first Nancy Drew book when I was eight years old and never looked back. Now I’m in graduate school, writing my thesis on the evolution of Nancy Drew, and she’s still going strong. Even if Emma Roberts manages to entirely ruin the experience for me, I’ll still be in the theater watching the Nancy Drew movie in 2007, enthralled by the girl detective without whom Veronica Mars (and, to a lesser degree, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) would mean nothing.
there are tons of things that inspire me but the most recent would be the song “best of you” by the foo fighters. i finally had to accept that my crummy job was getting the best of me and that it was time to go new job or not. i have never been happier in my entire life.
Iron Jawed Angels continues to inspire me. The suffering these women endured to obtain a right that many of us do not even take advantage of remains a constant reminder of the strength of previous generations. I will not let them down.
Reading Lolita in Tehran has further proven to me the power of reading, something in which I have always believed.
Three Cups of Tea inspired me and reminds me to have faith and remember that there are good people doing good work, and that education really is the key.
And, of course, Veronica Mars, Buffy Summers and Sydney Bristow inspire me to be strong and kick ass.
I’ve had one incredibly unbelievable roller coaster of a year. I’ve had triumphs and tragedies that have gone hand in hand year round. After going back to college on a whim back in 2003, I finally enjoyed my graduation ceremony from Temple University in February. My 89 yr. old grandfather died a week later. The last known picture of him, is with me in my graduation robe & hat, with him looking as optimistic as a dying proud grandfather can. My family likes to believe that he held on to see his last grandchild graduate.
My grandpa was in and out of the hospital from last Thanksgiving until January of this year. My twin brother, Nick & I spent Christmas night visiting my grandfather and his sick roommate in the hospital last year. We basically knew it would be his last holiday with us, but I honestly had hoped that my twin brother wouldn’t be absent this holiday as well.
My twin brother was arrested back in March of 2003 while I was on Spring Break from my first semester back in college. Nick’s trial had been brought up and delayed more times than I could count, but finally this past June, my brother accepted the prosecutor’s plea bargain since the trial suddenly had a definite start date the day my family was leaving for a vacation in Orlando, Fl where my parents were attending since my youngest sister’s fiancee was proposing to her at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. My brother knew if the trial started, my parents would not attend the Fl trip, so he accepted the plea bargain so they could be there to see their daughter get proposed to and Nick was taken away to jail on October 6th. We’re appealing his sentence, but for more or less, my twin brother won’t be around to celebarte out 30th birthday together, which for me, is almost unbearable since I’m gay and more or less will never have another big occassion to celebrate. I didn’t even throw a graduation party in lieu of the fact that my grandfather was dying.
Needless to say, my family will not be celebrating Thanksgiving as we normally have for the past 28 years of my life. The loss of my grandfather and as well as my brother has weighed heavily on my poor parents’ shoulders. I’m usually a very happy, optimistic person, but lately I’ve been saddened realist. One song has given me inspiration and hope this entire past year thoughout all my ordeals. From the very first time I heard KT Tunstall’s “Suddenly I See” I was filled with such hope and promise. This little 3 and a half minutes of pop pleasure made me smile and not only feel GOOD, but gave me the ambition to know I C-A-N make a difference. I wasn’t imagining this beautiful fictional female that would illuminate my life (since I’m gay), until Anne Hathaway’s character, Andy Sachs was strolling along confidently to the same song during the opening sequence of The Devil Wears Prada!
I believe that answers your question of which song and movie (and maybe even book) have inspired me. After spending so much time in & out of hospitals this past year, I’ve applied for a position working in the ER at a local hospital in registration, and I’m awaiting a second interview as I type this. To all my fellow PopWatchers, may you and your families have a blessed Thansgiving holiday, and remember to listen to KT Tunstall’s “Suddenly I See”…”The power to be, the power to give, the power C-A-N…”
Although all the jokes at its expense have made this movie seem less than powerful in the public’s eye, “Brokeback Mountain” remains, for me, a film that drives me everyday to live the life I want to live. It (still) is the only film I’ve ever cried at every time I’ve watched it (even on DVD months after its release) and the scene that always gets me is when Jack remembers Ennis’ embrace before he leaves for the last time.
Jack clings to that one moment of happiness with Ennis wishing that he could have more. It makes me think that you can’t miss out on your happiness because of society or anyone else because once it’s gone, it’s gone. (I will not cry, I will not…)
I’d say inspiration is a strong word because I doubt many people have listened to a particular song/read a book/watched a movie, and after went on to accomplish all they’ve ever wanted, but yes inspiration is a word for it.
For me personally, there are two things that have ‘inspired’ me more than anything:
1. JK Rowling. Her rags-to-riches story of success is unbelievable. But because its unbelievable, and true, is why it can make you feel like any day an tiny idea or action can change everything.
2. A Million Little Pieces. This book (and not its author), like Rowling, made me think that anything can be accomplished- anything can happen. But AMLP showed me that believing in your own ideals and sticking to them can make all the difference.
FREAKS AND GEEKS.
FERRIS BEULLER’S DAY OFF.
Like most gay guys I watch Oprah for the fun episodes and leave the hard-hitting issues to CNN, However her Katrina episodes really floored me. Everything was still flooded and the emotions of the people she met were fresh and hard to watch. But in NYC all I could do was give money, which wasn’t a lot and felt like a drop in the bucket. Two New Orleans police officers saw my show a month after Katrina (I’m a comic) and we talked after the show about what they saw and what the news wasn’t reporting and invited me down if I had the chance, I said how about next week and they accepted. I had never seen the city before and I studied those Oprah episodes before I went. When I arrived I no video truly captured what happened (just like 9/11) and the officers were kind to take me everywhere: Charity hospital, the lower 9th ward and the outside of the Superdome, The people were gracious despite thier hardships, which floored me, and I made some great friends. I came back to NYC and was stunned how organized the trash on the streets of Manhattan were and then I had a delayed reaction from the whole trip. I couldn’t write jokes for weeks and I was filled with rage. I’d watch Oprah through her Christmas shows and Kirstie Alley weight loss updates and every once in a while an inspiration episode and it hit me why women love her show. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH BEING POSITIVE but don’t ignore the bad, let it become a part of you and one becomes a little fuller. I use that in my routine and I see nothing wrong with it. Her shows are complete estrogen, no doubt but I love the message and I’m not ashamed to admit that i LOOOOOVVVEEE OPRAH!
I’ve always idolized Audrey Hepburn, but until I read her biography a few years ago, I never realized how amazing she truly was. I don’t like it when people say that a certain celebrity is their hero, but in this case Audrey is not only my favorite star, but my hero. She’s an inspiration and a true woman in every sense of the word. She went from surviving the bombings of WWII to becoming a Hollywood icon with a never-ending committment to children. She is the only star that I have held up, and not been disillusioned with once I learned more about her life. My motto is “What would Audrey do?” and I only hope that someday I can be a lady like her. It’s an absolute tragedy that she died so young and wasn’t able to continue her work with UNICEF, but she left behind a beautiful legacy.
I think the movie Pay It Forward inspired me to do more in my life for other people. It made me realize how we can affect other people with a few small actions to make lives better. Also one movie that inspired me today was “Marie Antoinette” in this time of turmoil it made me realize we do not know what goes on behind the scenes of our leaders and how history has influenced our lives today.
I love reading these, all your stories are themselves inspiring.
Once as an underclassman in high school I found myself squeezing my pillow into my face, crying for the first time in years. It was typical teenage angst (and rather stupid, looking back), but it hit me hard; I felt really helpless.
I grabbed my MP3 player and hit random; the first song to play was the live version of “No woman, no cry” by Bob Marley. I had of course heard the song before but never did it sound like this. I don’t remember how many times I listened to it but I remember thinking “this song has the power to change the world.” It’s impossible to be anything but giving and friendly and loving to everyone around you for the 24 hours after you hear this song. The part where Marley sings “Eeee, little darlin’, don’t shed no tears…” during the chorus may be the greatest 5 seconds of music ever recorded. The earnestness of the lyrics, the thousands of fans singing along; everything is perfect while listening to this song.