Right? Story is all about the tension between the action and the reaction, and it's an interesting experiment to see how that tension can be stretched when we put a little distance between the action and reaction - either by using another narrator, or by having a reflective epilogue.
Your comment also got me thinking about why those earl…
Right? Story is all about the tension between the action and the reaction, and it's an interesting experiment to see how that tension can be stretched when we put a little distance between the action and reaction - either by using another narrator, or by having a reflective epilogue.
Your comment also got me thinking about why those early 80s kids movies *were* framed - and I think it was to say "hey, this is a cool movie and you're going to have a lot of fun with it, but I also have a life lesson for you, kid, that I don't want you to forget; and that's [don't grow up too quick, don't let the adult world creep in too fast and steal away your joy and imagination, don't give up fighting for what's important even when it all feels like a lost cause, don't ever let anyone tell you that what's important to you is worthless or silly...]". And maybe there's something powerful in having that advice come so directly, in seeing yourself/your dreams/your shame so clearly reflected in a story, that it sticks with you in a different way. I know I've held on to those lessons as clearly as any I got from trusted adults (parents/teachers).
Well put. Now you mention it, I also realise the Neverending Story was such a really formative experience for me in seeing the pure adulterated escapism (in the best possible sense of the word) afforded to Bastian by poring over this magical book, which I then tried to emulate through my own reading (it also helped that to me, as a European kid, Bastian was not only an introvert like I was but also incredibly cool simply by virtue of being American...)
Right? Story is all about the tension between the action and the reaction, and it's an interesting experiment to see how that tension can be stretched when we put a little distance between the action and reaction - either by using another narrator, or by having a reflective epilogue.
Your comment also got me thinking about why those early 80s kids movies *were* framed - and I think it was to say "hey, this is a cool movie and you're going to have a lot of fun with it, but I also have a life lesson for you, kid, that I don't want you to forget; and that's [don't grow up too quick, don't let the adult world creep in too fast and steal away your joy and imagination, don't give up fighting for what's important even when it all feels like a lost cause, don't ever let anyone tell you that what's important to you is worthless or silly...]". And maybe there's something powerful in having that advice come so directly, in seeing yourself/your dreams/your shame so clearly reflected in a story, that it sticks with you in a different way. I know I've held on to those lessons as clearly as any I got from trusted adults (parents/teachers).
Well put. Now you mention it, I also realise the Neverending Story was such a really formative experience for me in seeing the pure adulterated escapism (in the best possible sense of the word) afforded to Bastian by poring over this magical book, which I then tried to emulate through my own reading (it also helped that to me, as a European kid, Bastian was not only an introvert like I was but also incredibly cool simply by virtue of being American...)