Sometimes, we make unusual choices that only make sense in
hindsight. For the same reason, I had no idea why I picked out Joyful Noise [released 2012]
and 50/50
[2011] together: no two movies could be more dissimilar in genre and milieu.
Admittedly, I had high hopes for Joyful Noise to deliver
joyful noise! Clearly, the title suggests it. Combine that with black gospel choir,
and vocal supremos, Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton, and it seems promising.
The movie takes on a GLEE-type feel and seems unsure if it
wants to preach virtue or parade raging sexual hormones among its choir members.
The underlying message appears to be tolerance for all kinds of mischief as
long as the music is good. But here’s the problem: I don’t think what they
purport to be worship is half as good as what I have at my church services. I
will readily admit that I can’t sing for toffee...or nuts, and am more a consumer
than performer of music. But I think I know a thing or two about making joyful noise
to God, and that compromises or wilful disobedience is a sure off-note for
worship.
Latifah gives a
brilliant tell-off to her onscreen daughter when the insolent youngster tries to
sneak out of their hotel room for a rendezvous with another choir member
travelling with them:
“Treat my snores like it’s a Marvin Gaye
love song! That’s right...because it comes from exhaustion for working hard to
put food on the table and every stitch of cloth on you and your brother’s back!
.... I choose not to flaunt it [my looks] because I’m a married woman and I would
never disrespect my husband like you just disrespected your mother!”
Courtney
Vance as the pastor is the other thinking mature adult on the set of rather juvenile-minded characters.
Parton, flaunting
plastic surgery that looks pretty agonising for a 66-year-old, was clearly
unable to elicit any sort of facial expressions. Really, talking to a woman with a face so taut and plastic-like is like talking to a photograph: there is only one expression. Her anti-ageing
obsession is grossly distasteful when she is the only one in the choir
wearing a robe that is cinched to fit every body curve! I don’t really care much about women who
don’t look or act their age.
Joyful Noise ended on a grumpy note for me! It is inaccurate
in presenting Christian worship, and a sad reflection, if it’s a fact. Most of
the songs are shallow feel-good love songs. I am surprised that this is a
recent movie. I’m not sure that it has much appeal to actual church-going believers.
By comparison, 50/50
feels like a more recent movie, and by far, more realistic. It tells of a young man, Adam, in the dumps after a series
of setbacks. The bad news begins when his doctor announces he has spinal cancer;
his best friend shows him a picture of his girlfriend cavorting with another
while he waits for her food delivery; having an oncology
psychotherapist who is a rookie fumbling to fit him into behaviour models; and of
course, an overbearing mother who feels guilty if she could not be his
everything. Add to that, a love-hate relationship with his best friend whose only
prescription for coping with cancer is promiscuity.
If there
is something about calamity that attracts comedy, perhaps it’s got to do with being
in a place so low that you can only look up.
For me, 50/50 is more uplifting than Joyful
Noise because Adam instinctly knows who to dump [cheating girlfriend]
and who to appreciate and hold onto [best friend, mother, therapist]. His
ability to see kindness and love in its various raw forms – the smothering, the crude, and the inexperienced – helps each one to become better
at it. That, coupled with a successful treatment outcome, makes this a much happier movie to
watch.
Funny line: After Adam told two cancer patients that he had schwannoma neurofibrosarcoma, they looked
at him and explained that the more syllables, the more serious the illness.
It’s ironical that the best part of Joyful Noise comes from a
mother’s line of fire, and the most memorable part of 50/50 is a funny line. Clearly,
it goes to show that it’s possible to have cheerful sounds coming out of even very
iffy 50/50 circumstances. Perhaps intuitively, I knew that all along.