The Arts Desk’s weekly picks for television, movies, novels, music
By JULIE HUANG – arts@theaggie.org
Movie: “How to Train Your Dragon” dir. Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois (2010)
Maybe I was reminded of this movie’s existence from the live-action release over the summer, but a casual listen to the track “Test Drive” from the original score lured me into rewatching the original. It jogged my memory as to why this animated film was one of my childhood favorites; I am forever in awe of the moment that Hiccup and Toothless soared into the sky, finally in sync, with triumphant music ringing out. While the book series on which the films are based on — written by British author Cressida Cowell — is much stranger and gets quite dark, the animated movie is always uplifting and the perfect pick for a feel-good movie night.
Song: “Tonight, Tonight” by The Smashing Pumpkins (1994)
When I first heard it, this song seemed a bit too strong for me. It’s one of those tracks that requires a specific mood (and perhaps environment), in order to reach its full potential as a good song. However, this doesn’t detract from how amazing it is; When all the right conditions are met, “Tonight, Tonight” is a perfect, dramatic rendition of how it feels to be engulfed in nostalgia and dealing with all the mixed emotions that accompany this complex, slippery feeling. I am looking forward to listening to this as I commute back from class in the atmospheric darkness following a 7 p.m. discussion, reminiscing about cherished past moments, even if they ostensibly have nothing to do with campus sidewalks or bike paths.
Book: “The Idiot” by Elif Batuman (2017)
“The Idiot” is a bildungsroman — or coming-of-age novel — that also achieves an aesthetic I like to think of as “casual academia.” Being set in the mid-90s is crucial to the story’s development, but what the novel really captures is the timeless experience of being a freshly-minted student set loose in a university atmosphere, exposed to so much new knowledge but unable to wield it gracefully or with meaningful purpose. Instead, protagonist Selin Karadağ retains an awkward, untempered sense of personhood as she makes choices haphazardly and inexplicably, most of which change her life only slightly. Some of those choices, though, snowball into an entire saga of strange decisions, which sums up the novel’s entire plot. It appears to be as rudderless as a college student who is uncertain of their future and what they want to do with their life, but in that uncertainty, there is meaning for those who are looking for it.
TV Show: “Gilmore Girls” (2000)
Another fall classic for people who want to indulge in romanticized academia and cozy autumn aesthetics — while also wanting to watch a teen girl (and later, young adult) balance the ordeal of being a top student with a full-time job of making dubious decisions regarding her personal life. Rory Gilmore is one of the classic 2000s teen drama protagonists: her outfits and study habits are aspirational and her love life is definitely still entertaining — and still highly controversial, as the question of “Team Jess” or “Team Logan” endures. The show isn’t lacking in genuinely-emotional moments either, especially between Rory and her mother Lorelai, and, at times, her grandparents Emily and Richard Gilmore. They do have their disagreements, and their quirky (sometimes dysfunctional) family dynamics can come off as a bit grating or harsh at times, but the show is called “Gilmore Girls” for a reason.
Written by: Julie Huang — arts@theaggie.org
