Man on Wire came out on DVD a few weeks ago, and it is the best documentary I've ever seen. Forgive the hyperbole, but seriously it is. I've been trying to think of a documentary I liked more than this, but I can't think of one. I almost did this as an Under the Radar post, but this movie has gotten a lot of attention, so I figure most everyone has heard of it.It is the story of Philippe Petit, a French high-wire walker, who walked across the World Trade Center towers in 1974. It tells the story of this walk from beginning to end. He started planning the walk before the towers were even built. He was sitting in a dentist office with a terrible toothache and was flipping through a magazine and saw an article about the towers being built. He decided right then he had to walk between them. He ripped the page out of the magazine, left the dentist office without his tooth getting fixed, and started planning. He says one of the best lines I've ever heard "what is the pain now that I have acquired my dream?"
The movie has a lot of old footage of him practicing and meeting with his friends who are going to help him run the cable. It's as if he knew there was going to be a documentary made of it. A lot of the movie is reinactments too. The story is incredible, especially when they get to New York. The things they did to get access to the towers is amazing. There are also a lot of interviews with everyone who was part of the team that helped him walk between the towers. Most of the people being interviewed speak French, so there are some subtitles, so if you're a big subtitle baby you'll have to deal with it.
The whole movie is put together brilliantly. The mixing of old footage, interviews, and reinactments is done perfectly. And best of all is Philippe Petit himself. You feel the passion he feels, and he is just one of those funny, eccentric, totally animated people who just love what they do.
Watch it peeps. I highly recommend it.
32 comments:
I've heard of this, but forgot about it. I'll have to check it out. I think Scott will like it, too. He tells a story about a tight rope walker at almost every baptism he speaks at. He leaves out the baptism cheer, however. (Which I still don't think he would ever be caught dead doing)
That high wire story for baptisms is one we used in the mission field. Great analogy, eh?
And you've clearly forgotten how crazy-fool your husband once was...
Dang this blog has good music playing this week!
Yes, Scott got the story from the mission field and still uses it. In fact, he had to speak Saturday night at a 4-stake youth conference and decided to tell it to the youth. It is a great one. And, I'm not forgetting my once-crazy husband. He's still quite crazy, just not one to embarass himself in public...usually just in the presence of my sisters. I will let him see these comments and try to remember if he was the instigator. Yeah, Meatloaf! I love him. Sarah gave me his greatest hits for my birthday last year. You just may see him on my list, too!
I heard this was a good doc. Thanks for the tip, Sue....
I don't think Scott would participate in the baptism cheer. He won't even order a patty melt, because he is too embarrassed of the name!
Hee hee, or "Moons Over My Hammy" at Denny's! That's his favorite thing there so whenever he orders it he just points at the menu and says "I want that." Haha!
Too funny on what embarrasses Scott.
I knew I was over such things the first time I bought feminine hygiene products without Lorri present.
Do you know the story of Scott's late-night purchase of a certain pain-reducing product on his mission?
A pain reducing product? Midol?
Keep guessing....
Preperation H?
Yeah, I believe it was like an anti-itch cream (anti-fungal?) for an embarrassing area of the body. He was not used to the humidity over in Washington!
That's a little more information than I need to know. Pretty funny, however. Nice to hear Dans song list.
Sue guessed it wright.
He was hurting, so we visited a grocery store really late to pick it up. We were the only ones in line and it was the only product being bought.
What was so wild was the woman checker, ringing up the product and asking brightly, "So how are you tonight?!"
Scott didn't really answer her, I don't think, but as soon as we got outside, we started busting out laughing, leading him to start riffing along the lines of "So, how do you think I'm feeling tonight?" He kept it up, eventually coming up with the line about this product being for "painful irritation of the rrrreeeccccctttttuuuuuummmm." The way he said that word was way, way funny and for the whole rest of our companionship he'd just spontaneously say that line whenever he wanted to lighten the mood.
Anyway, pretty funny that the lady would see people in grocery store line buying only one product--and one of that nature--and asking so smilingly how he was!
I remember that one. I think it scarred him for life. He won't even buy toilet paper or deoderant now...I wouldn't even think of sending him for feminine products!
Ah yes, I do remember that one now. I think clerks just become cyborgs and don't think too much about what people are buying. Their lines just come automatically.
It IS nice these days if you have to buy anything remotely embarrassing you can use the self check out.
I'm glad Scott has told you guys this story before! I don't want him to totally suspect that I'm totally revelling in telling stories on him here. (I do love it, of course, but I'm glad most so far aren't things that he's not already shared.)
Steve is also embarrassed about any female product. He turns red even in commercials. I think the self checkout is a great idea at some stores now. I do think some clerks are obliviously to everything now. Being a nurse, I am so not embarrassed by anything sensitive so you can all ask me or share anything. I have been helping Em with Scout. She is such a cutie:) Dan and Scott are funny. What an interesting and funny companionship they seemed to have had. Thank goodness or who knows if Amy would have met such a great guy and have had such an awesome family.
I will definitely check out Man on a Wire. I have heard of it. Let you know. Hey is it me or the words they ask for word verifications really weird and stupid. This one is scoburom and I just had deadvist....LOL.
Ah yes, Jeanine has gotten to hear all about Scout's "yucky juice" and "water poop" this week.
I don't know about scoburom but dare I say- dead Aunt Vesta? Just don't push the little handicap sign, the devil speaks to you.
Funny about what embarrasses who, etc. I'm definitely not overly squeamish about bodily stuff though I admit to an occasional passing though when buying the huge cases of t.p. at Costco that people will think that this big guy must be a big sheesher. Ha Ha!
I'm planning a post soon about some more stories of Scott and me in the mission field. Want to write to David first and am also finishing editing a book hopefully today or tomorrow that can free up a block of time. Right now, I'm just checking into this blog here and there for some quick fun during otherwise pretty hectic days.
And what might 'yucky juice' be? What's going on with Scoutie?
Yucky juice is Scout's term for puke. She has a little stomach bug that has gone on for a week now. She seems to feel fine during the day, but bedtime or 2 in the morning hits and 5 out of 7 nights she has puked. I don't know what it is about the night, but it hits her then (perhaps Jeanine has some insight). During the day she is vibrant and hungry and has more energy then a perfectly well child has any right to have.
Her water poop seems to be clearing up, but man, my nerves can't take too many more middle of the night episodes. Might I add that Rob is the best daddy/husband ever.
Oh, poor Scout. Travis was also chivalrous whenever that happened to occur in our house.
I think our husband's knew what they were getting into when they married us. I told him from the beginning- I will handle any and all poop situations that may come up with a smile on my face. No problemo.
Yep. Life's little compromises. I'm just fine with poop too.
Hahahahaha one of the worst blog conversations ever. I could throw up until the cows come home, and then clean it up just as much, but Matt will be dealing with most "incidents" like the ones mentioned on here. I can deal with dirty diapers, but if anything happens in a bathtub I will be going somewhere far away and buying as many disinfectants as possible. Anways, Man on Wire looks excellent. I love subtitled movies, I follow them way better, plus I'll get to practice my french a little.
Yeah, I suppose we've kind of run the gambit on "B" rated conversations on this particular thread. Sorry B. I think we have gotten off pretty well with Scout in all these departments (I'm sure some other kids are worse), we have had to deal with 2 bathtub "incidents" in our day and man they aren't fun. A tremendous amount of work is involved in the cleanup. My sister in law (Christie) and her husband joked that they were going to get us a slotted spoon as a baby gift. That one puzzled us for a little while, but we caught on.
A slotted spoon! Oh, gross! I get the picture and it's not a pretty one. Speaking of David and water poop. We had a ward campout of the Grossmont or La Mesa II ward and during the night David had diarehirra (sp) in his sleeping bag and then got up and did it in the grass in front of the tent. Mom and I were up half the night trying to clean up that mess. Oh the joys of child rearing. I hope with Matt being there that Scout will have fun and get better quickly. I bet Amy will have fun at her 25 reunion. The only one I ever went to was my 50th 4 years ago. Interesting and fun. Go...Chula Vista Spartins!!
How fun that Uncle G went to his 50th reunion. I mentioned I loved my 25th last summer. Joys of parenthood and poop:) Fortunately we have all been lucky to have pretty healthy children. With all the sad cases I deal with everyday at the hospital, I feel so very blessed!!!!!!
Good one, Neaners. Count our blessings for the children we have and laugh about the brown.
W. V. is doolu: Wright in line with the comments.
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