"Who am I? You sure you wanna know? The story of my life is not for the faint of heart. If somebody said it was a happy little tale, if somebody told you I was just your average, ordinary guy, not a care in the world, somebody lied." ~ Peter Parker (a.k.a. Spider-Man)

 

Greetings,

As for SPIDER-MAN, the movie we saw on Saturday:  we were thoroughly entertained then, and it has pleasantly stuck to my consciousness these days later.  Its high action quotient, excellent casting, and tight story line kept our our eyes glued to the screen, mesmerized.. 

I've never read a Spider-Man comic book. In the early '60s, when Stan Lee invented the character for Marvel Comics, my comic book preferences leaned toward Classics Illustrated and Archie. 

I am not at all a super-hero flick buff.  SUPERMAN was okay.  BATMAN was too hip and brooding for me. I never saw  X-MEN. But this super-hero movie, SPIDER-MAN, completely engrossed me. 

It is the perfect movie for the escapist. Given the recent events in our lives, Spider-Man proved to be a fast-acting antidote for the present woes of two escapists, DH and me.

~~~

I was surprised with the film's warm-heartedness, its blasts of refreshing innocence and wholesome, funny sense of humor. I was uplifted by its positive themes of accepting social responsibility; standing up for what’s right; abiding friendships; loving, supportive family relationships; and being single-minded about one’s calling.

Peter's humbleness, respectfulness and dedication to helping others, in the face of tragedy and personal loss, were poignanty affecting. After using his newfound powers for personal gain, Peter Parker / Spider-Man learns the powerful and timeless wisdom of his beloved Uncle Ben the hard way: 

"These are the years a man changes into the man he’s going to be for the rest of his life. Just be careful who you change into. With great power comes great responsibility."

The life lesson of this film is choice:  every one of us is given unique gifts and the choice to use them to do good or evil is ours to make. Peter comes to grips with the responsibilities that accompany his gifts by taking his uncle's sage advice and chooses to use his extraordinary powers to help mankind, not destroy it. 

Spider-Man is a hero with a moral compass.

Sometimes this responsibility is very stressful. Sometimes, doing good in the world can leave one lonely, filled with difficult choices, and frequently unappreciated. 

"This is my gift. It is my curse."
~ Peter Parker (a.k.a. Spider-Man)

Spider-Man's power => responsibility mantra makes lots of true-to-life sense. And talking about sense:  I particularly appreciated Spider-Man's keen ESP-like sixth sense that warns him of impending danger.

The accolades heaped upon it are deserved.  This movie has a conscience and it kicks butt. During these uncertain, convoluted times, this film is smashing box-office records, grossing $114 million in its first three days.  

Go see it.

I enjoyed Toby McGuire's subtle portrayal of Homer Wells in CIDER HOUSE RULES ("Good night you Princes of Maine, you Kings of New England").  His Everyman characterization of Peter Parker / Spider-Man, the sweet geek with a crooked grin, crackly voice, and soulful, pensive gaze, was appealing to me. To that, add heaps of charming naiveté, subtle intensity, and a fetching web-slinging, buffed body.  

Toby is flat-out terrific.

"I think there is great power in just being alive and being a human being. Within that, there is a great responsibility. Every day that I wake up I have a responsibility to myself and to others to be an example for people around me." ~ Toby McGuire
 

Toby McGuire
Photo by Robert Sebree

Go see Toby.

Excelsior!

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