In honor of Independence Day, I thought this gorgeous trailer for the movie Amelia, as in Earhart, would be appropriate. In it, the pilot, played by Hilary Swank, says she flies because “I want to be free.”
This reminds me of being a kid living in Viet Nam during the war, looking at planes from the roof of my house, hoping some day I’d get to fly on one, maybe even go to America where people are free.
Luckily, though the ride was turbulent, I got my wish.
Celebrate your freedom. May it extend beyond the skies.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3iAfXNIsrs]
The movie opens October 23, 2009 in the U.S. (Update: Read my review here.)
14 Comments
BIZMAN5
July 3, 2009 at 11:59 pmOkay….not a fan of the Swank, but gotta admit that that is a beautiful trailer.
Glad you made it to America and hope you continue to cover pop culture.
Shelley P
July 4, 2009 at 5:27 amI second that! Have a wonderful 4th July…
le0pard13
July 4, 2009 at 6:51 amI’m curious about the movie, Swank can be very good, at times. But, I’m more interested in your story, PCN. A former co-worker of mine was part of the perilous Vietnamese migration of the late 70’s. His tales of the journey were truly remarkable. And since we are a country of immigrants, something that should be noted and remembered on this 4th of July, I’m hoping that you share something of your past with your followers (if not here, at least somewhere). Thank you, PCN.
Elizabeth
July 4, 2009 at 6:55 amYou have a beautiful book in you!
Happy fourth of July, to my American friend!
Reader#9
July 4, 2009 at 12:32 pmI was more interested in seeing Amy Adams in the role. LOL! Hillary Swank looks like she’s a fit for Amelia though.
Happy 4th! Glad you made it to America!
popculturenerd
July 5, 2009 at 6:45 pmThanks for all the kind wishes. Hope you’ve all had a good weekend, even if you don’t celebrate the 4th.
le0pard13 and Elizabeth, I’ve been writing down my stories for years—sometimes not by choice but necessity—but have wondered if people would want to read them. Your words and interest are encouraging and much appreciated. If I end up doing something with my stories, I’ll let you know!
Julien
July 7, 2009 at 7:24 amGreat trailer (all the greater since I’m a true admirer of Hilary Swank’s work), thanks PCN!
We don’t celebrate July 4th in France, but we do hear about it! Yet to me, the date marks a gloomier and more personal anniversary…
Anyway, July 14th is coming ahead: here in France, it’s the national holiday called Bastille Day!
PCN, you’re so right about celebrating freedom!
It’s always a great pleasure to learn things about your amazing life and get to know you. Don’t have doubts about whether your story would excite the interest of people or not, cause it definitely would!
I and all the other readers of your excellent blog are the living proof of this! 😉
popculturenerd
July 7, 2009 at 10:50 amJulien, thank you so much for your generous words about my life and writing. Your support means a lot to me!
When you say the date marks a “gloomier, more personal anniversary” for you, were you talking about Bastille Day or something else? If it’s personal, you don’t have to share. I was just confused if you were referencing Bastille Day because I always thought it’s a day of huge celebrations over there.
Julien
July 7, 2009 at 3:55 pmI may have sounded confused, sorry!
Bastille Day is indeed a huge celebration, nothing gloomy about that!
I was referring to July 4th, which reminds me every year of a tragic personal event rather than of the American declaration of Independence… Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned that, sorry.
About your writing, once again, you have all my true support!
A book by PCN is something I would buy without hesitation! 😉
Shelley P
July 8, 2009 at 4:44 amJulien, I’m so sorry to hear about your 4th July memories, but I’m glad you have the happy 14th July coming up shortly to help bring you cheer. I’ll be using it as an excuse myself to pop into the French pâtisserie for a celebratory éclair or two.
PCN, like Julien, I’ll put in an advance order for your book as soon as you give the word. 🙂
Julien
July 9, 2009 at 7:17 pmThanks for the nice words, ShelleyP, and thank you PCN too.
I’m glad both of you appreciate French pastries! They are the best cure when you are down in the dumps and a mandatory reward for any success!
PCN, I admire your creativity for finding excuses to eat some! (Well, today’s Friday: it’s French pastries Day! Just like yesterday and just like tomorrow! 😉 )
popculturenerd
July 8, 2009 at 12:42 pmJulien,
I’m also sorry to hear that July 4 brings forth bad memories for you but you certainly don’t have to apologize for mentioning it. I wasn’t being nosy, just got confused and thought I’d gotten Bastille Day all wrong!
Shell, I don’t need a French holiday as an excuse to eat French pastries. If it’s Wednesday, that’s good enough for me. (Hey, today’s Wednesday!) Or I can just celebrate already having two advance orders for a book I haven’t written yet. Thanks!
yeti9000
July 24, 2009 at 3:37 amHoly crap…I don’t know what made me cry more, that rad-ass trailer (and the movie is directed by Mira Nair too! Who knew?) or the image of you standing on the roof of your house watching planes fly over…good lord…I need some kleenex…
And just for the record, I will totally buy your book when it comes out too! And if you need me to proofread it for you, I’ll call up my buddies at People Support and we’ll get right on it! 🙂
popculturenerd
July 24, 2009 at 2:12 pmWell, I wasn’t standing on the roof; I’d be sitting or lying down. But you don’t need to cry—things turned out okay for me!
Wow, I’m psyched I have orders for three copies of my unwritten book already. And you know I don’t need People Support; I’d be more compulsive with my proofreading than they ever could be!