The end of something simple…

I watched Ballet Shoes and Driving Lessons over the weekend - both British films, both riveting with lovely accents and spectacular scenery and both dealing with the hardships and frustrations of growing up and grown-ups.

Driving Lessons was about a young boy, Ben Marshall, portrayed by none other than Rupert Grint, who helps out a retired actress, Evie Walton, ironically played by Julie Walters (who portrayed his mother in Harry Potter). Ben is trying to escape his domineering mother, who is extremely religious and rude. Now I won’t spoil the movie for those who want to go see it, but all in all, it was a bloody fantastic movie that dealt with most children’s problems growing up - their parents, and not being understood by most of the world.

“Remember I’m a poet too Evie. I understand the power of words.”

Ballet Shoes is based on the novel by Noel Streatfeild. I actually really want to read her Shoe books - she has written Ballet Shoes, Dancing Shoes, Party Shoes, Skating Shoes, etc. Anyways, the movie deals with three orphaned girls - Pauline, Petrova and Posy Fossil - who grow up together in the same household. The three girls were discovered by Gum on his worldly travels and raised by his great-niece Sylvia and her childhood nurse-companion, Nana. As time passes, Gum disappears for twelve years and the family is left with very little money. So, Sylvia and Nana take in boarders to help make ends meet. However, even this isn’t enough to suffice, but the boarders each bring in something unique. The children develop unique talents and help support the family through their talents. The three sisters make a vow that they will “get our names in the history books, because it’s our own, and nobody can say it’s because of our grandfathers.” The ending is pleasant and somewhat of a fairytale-story ending, but nonetheless, inspiring.

“We three Fossils vow to get our names in the history books, because it’s our own, and nobody can say it’s because of our grandfathers. Amen.”

I think these movies are especially significant to me at this point in my life because I too am growing up and trying to find out what I want to achieve, what I want to do, and trying to get out of my parents’ death-grip-hold on me. But having meaningful friendships helps us get through parts of life we can’t deal with on our own, and having a sense of self and determination of doing things on our own helps us recognize our independence and ability to survive. Life is rarely what we expect it to be, but at least it’s what we make it out to be.

The Shoe books are all children’s books. But I love children’s books. There is a sort of innocence and naivety that can’t be found in adult fiction. And it reminds me of this quote:

“As we grow older, it becomes more difficult to just believe. It’s not that we don’t want to, but too much has happened that we just can’t.”

Not to mention children’s books often take a more optimistic and romantic view of the world. Most importantly, children’s books remind us of that invisible but loyal companion who shall always stay by our sides, imagination. I admire authors who write children’s books. They do not write for children, they write from the child within.

“Imagination has brought mankind through the Dark Ages to its present state of civilization. Imagination led Columbus to discover America. Imagination led Franklin to discover electricity. Imagination has given us the steam engine, the telephone, the talking-machine, and the automobile, for these things had to be dreamed of before they became realities. So I believe that dreams–daydreams, you know, with your eyes wide open and your brain machinery whizzing–are likely to lead to the betterment of the world. The imaginative child will become the imaginative man or woman most apt to invent, and therefore to foster, civilization.”

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