映画【グッドウィルハンティング】なわとびとカレーとパン🍛🍞｜"Good Will Hunting" skipping rope, curry, and bread

-There is an English translation at the bottom of the text-

映画を観るときのマイルール

noteに初めて映画のことを書いた文章【サブスタンス】はたまごと鶏とシャイニング🍳でも軽く触れたのだが…
映画を観る時、noteの文章を書く時のわたしのマイルール》は…

映画のはなしの前に〈わたし〉のはなし

想定外のコメント

いまは既に変わってしまったのだけれど…。尊敬する上司がいた。彼はめったに人を褒めることがなく、わたしの上司に着任する前〈良くない噂〉ばかりを聞いた。彼がわたしの上司に着任すると決まった時、転職活動をしていたが転職活動に拍車がかかるきっかけとなったのだ。しかし着任してみると、まあ〈噂通り〉のところはあったのだが…。マネージャーとして、彼より会社で優れている人に出会ったことがなかった。人のことをよく見ていて、わたしと信頼関係が出来てきた頃。2人になると「○○さんはこんなことが得意」「○○さんはこんな人」と聞かせてくれたのだが、どれも的確なのだ。

そしてわたしがひそかに思っていただけの〈その人の印象〉を瞬発的に、率直に表現するワードチョイスのセンスがあった。そんな彼に直接褒めてもらったことは、数度しかないのだけれど…。中でもうれしかったのは文章だった。しかし単に文章がうまいとか、そういう話ではない。

わたしは会社でとある文章を書くことになり、彼のチェックでＯＫをもらわないと正式に提出が出来ない文書だった。ワード2枚の文章だったが、わたしは依頼があった時点でテーマを聞いて全く書くことが出来る気がしなかった。彼は人を見る目があるがゆえ、すぐに欠点を見抜く。何度書いても「こんな指摘が来るだろう」ということしか思い浮かばなかった。

依頼が来てから1日しか経っていないのだが…。最終チェックを、もらわなければいけない日程が刻々と迫ってくる…。〈良くない噂〉のいくつかをまとめて、彼のことを短い言葉で言えば《怖い》のだ。このまま提出を引き延ばせば、彼のチェックの時間が短くなり機嫌が悪くなるのは目に見えている。でも、どれだけ時間をかけても彼のお眼鏡にかなう文章を書くことが全くできないのだ。

「さて困った」と思ったが、苦肉の策で自分で赤字を入れた。「こんなところがまだ考察が甘い」「ここが根拠不足」「具体例はいらないのではないか」「○○と書いたけれど伝わりにくい気がする」等…。彼に突っ込まれるであろう内容を全て本文とは別の色で書き込んでから提出した。

《怖い》彼に対して一か八かの掛けだった。「こんなの文章ではない」「完成させてから出せ」とブチ切れられる可能性も大いにあったが、書くことが出来ないのだからしょうがない。文章をみせる時に「ここまでしかできないので助けてほしい」と素直に申しでた。
彼の手に持つペンが全く動かないまま、わたしの目の前でかなり長い時間真剣に読む彼の姿に「あぁ終わった…。」と思った。しかし読み終わるとすぐに「ここをこうして…」と、的確なアドバイスをもらい数度同じラリーを繰り返せば自分でツッコみを入れることも少なくなり…。文章を無事に書きあげることが出来た。

後日、御礼を言いに行ったところ…。「あんなに自分の書いた文章を客観的に見ることが出来る人に初めて会った。」と言われたのだ。まあそもそも、《怖い》彼にそんな方法で文章を提出した人なんていなかったのだろうが…。めったに人を褒めることをしないそして、的確に人のことを言い表す彼に〈書きかけ〉かつ〈苦肉の策〉だったとしても褒められたのは素直にうれしかった。

はちの字とび

複数人で跳ぶ長縄跳びで〈はちの字とび〉というのがあるのを知っているだろうか。わたしは小学校高学年の時に〈はちの字とび〉で住んでいた都道府県の大会で1位になった。数分間に何回飛ぶことが出来るかを競う競技だ。普段は競技でもなんでもなくて…。体育や休み時間の際に和気あいあいと、下記のイラストの様に「大丈夫だよっ飛べるよっ！ほらぁせーのっ」とか言いながらするものだ。

しかしわたしの知っている、はちの字とびはそんなものではなかった。体育館では怒号が飛び、なわの改良を真剣にし〈悔しさ、嬉しさのために本気で何人も一緒に〉泣くものだった。そんな、はちの字とびでわたしは回し手だった。毎日教室の教員用の机の上にハンドグリッパーを置き…。『７つの習慣』を読みながら握力を鍛える、そんな当時30代の担任と回し手を務めたのだ。回し手から跳んでいるところをスローモーションのように見ていると、みな〈一点の同じ場所〉で跳ばなければいけないところをタイミングや歩幅のズレで別の場所で跳ぶと…。回し手はスープをお玉で〈すくう〉ように縄で迎えに行くのだ。

なぜその競技に出ることになったのか全く覚えていない。最初は体育で使う普通のなわとびだったが、改良に改良を重ねた。最後には遠心力でなわの回転を速くすることを考えついた担任は、ホームセンターで売っているチューブにワイヤーを通した重いものになっていった。

普通のなわとびではないし、持ち手など付けて誰かが引っかかり手から抜けていった場合には大きなタイムロスとなる…。それを防ぐためにワイヤーを通したチューブを手に何重にも巻き付け、回すのだ。誰かが全体重をかけて引っかかれば、チューブの厚いビニール越しとはいえ容赦なくワイヤーが手に食い込む…誰かなわに引っかかれば「腕や手首が抜ける」と思ったのは数えきれなかった。また跳ぶ方は体操着がら出た素肌に当たると、みみず腫れになるほど強烈に痛い。冬だとチューブが固くなっているので、なおさらだ。絶対にそんな思いをチームメートにさせるものかと、コンマ数秒でバラバラの位置で跳ぶチームメートを〈すくう〉のにとてつもない集中力を使った。なぜなら痛い思いをさせたくないのはもちろんだが、はちの字とびは1回でも引っかかれば、その瞬間チームの自己ベストは消えるのだ。

体格も筋力も全く違う担任と、1秒間に何回も縄を回す。腕がちぎれるかと思うことが何度もあった。数分といえど最後のほうは終了のホイッスルが鳴るのが待ち遠しく、パワーも落ちてくる。するとわたしの下の名前を「〇〇っーーーーー！！！！（喝）」体育館いっぱいに呼ぶ担任の声が響きわたり、わたしは我に返って最後まで同じペースで縄を回し続けることが出来た。

NHKドラマと小説

60分足らずのNHKのドラマ。観始めて放送時間の途中から、毎週泣きはらしてしまうので…。放送日が来るのが怖くて仕方がない。けれど《絶対に観てしまうドラマ》があった。仲里依紗さん主演の【昨夜のカレー、明日のパン】だ。

旦那と義父と主人公と3人で同居していたが、旦那が亡くなってしまう…。しかし亡くなった後でも、義父と息子の嫁が〈一つ屋根の下で〉暮らし続けている話。このドラマにぐっと引き込まれたのが、呼び方だった。主人公テツコは、同居している義父のことを「ねぇ～ギフ～？鍵どこぉ～？」と、まさかのギフと呼んでいるのだ。

でもこう書いていると、お母さんだってお巡りさん・植木職人さんだって名前で呼ばれない人は身の回りにあふれているのに…。大学生の時に観たこのドラマに引き込まれたのは、ギフという呼び方と〈本来近しいはずでない〉関係性の2人のあまりの《距離の近さ》のギャップだった。しかし観進めれば観進めるほど、2人の距離の近さは納得がいく。義父は息子、テツコは夫《大切な人を亡くす》という経験を同時に同じ人を対象にしているのだ。ちなみに亡くなった息子兼旦那は、ほぼ一瞬しか画面上には映らないのだが星野源さんが演じていた。

このドラマ【昨夜（ゆうべ）のカレー、昨日のパン】には忘れられないシーンがある。夫が亡くなったあとテツコにできる溝端淳平さんが演じる恋人、岩井さんに対してテツコが放つセリフだ。「知らないでしょ。人って簡単に死んじゃうんだから…。」この言葉を聞いた時、わたしは涙が止まらなかった。言いたくないけれど涙声で、つい口から出てしまった《悔しさと怒りと虚しさ》の詰まった声。その声ではなった彼女が肌身離さず持っているのは、夫の遺骨だった。

このドラマ、観終わった後で小説が原作ということを知った。さらに驚いたのは、この小説家〈木皿泉〉さんは夫婦なのだ。

「2人で1つの作品を書くってどういうこと？」と困惑した。このドラマを観て、すぐあとくらいだったと思う。この夫婦のドキュメンタリー番組を観た。わたしが中高生の頃大好きだったドラマ【野ブタをプロデュース】【Q10】【セクシーボイスアンドロボ】の脚本を手掛けていたのが、この夫妻だ。【昨日のカレー、明日のパン】は好きすぎて小説も読み今も大切に本棚に取ってある。

ドラマを観ても小説はどのページを読んでも毎回泣きはらしてしまうので…。パンパンの目で次の日、会社に行くのがほんとうに怖かった。

ネタバレなしの感想

大学の構内で清掃員として働くウィル。そんな彼が清掃中に廊下の黒板に目を向けるとそこには…。

人とのつながりには年齢・経験差は関係ないと感じることが出来る映画。信頼関係を築く上で失敗も多く詰め込まれている。ウィル役のマッドデイモンとプライベートでも幼馴染のベンアフレックの共演に注目。（140字）

ネタバレありの感想

映画館で字幕観て6日後時点。
Netflixで吹き替えで観て当日時点の感想。

ふらふらと映画館の前を通りがかったら

いつもはサムネやポスターのセンスから、観る映画を決めるのだが…。

今週はめぼしい映画が公開になっていないし。と…先週末は映画館で映画を観ることは、はなからあきらめていた。しかし土曜日の昼過ぎ。用事を済ませて京都の街中をふらふら歩いていた。お昼もまだだし、最近お気に入りのお店にランチに行こうと思い立って映画館の前を通りかかった。

すると【グッドウィルハンティング】上映中とポスターが貼りだされているではないか。「なんだって？？？？」と上映時間を見てみると…。お昼を食べて映画館に戻ってきたころに、ちょうどいい上映時間ではないか。すぐさまチケットを購入し足早に遅めのランチへと向かった。

幼少期に母が借りてきた…レンタルDVD【グッド・ウィル・ハンティング】。しかし覚えているのは清掃員が、廊下の黒板の前に立っているシーンだけだった。彼がどんな人で、どんなストーリーだったかまるで覚えていなかったのだ。
本当にふらふらと映画館の前を通っただけだったのに…。「気になっていた映画を《映画館で》観ることができるのは幸運」と、思いながら上映時間を心待ちにした。

文章を一緒に書く

上映開始早々「あれ？この後ろ姿知っている…」となった。すぐに正面の顔が映ってびっくりした。本当に予想があっていたのだ。ベン・アフレックだった。ベン・アフレックという名前を知る前から、彼の出ている映画を観ていたが…。彼の名前を認識してから観たのは、この2つだったように思う。

【アルゴ】を映画館で、わたしに観せたのは母だった。この時は母は、わたしに「ベン・アフレックは脚本を書く」ことを教えてくれたように思う。

そしてその数年後…。津波の被害に遭った被災者と霊能力者のはなし【ヒアアフター】を観た時に「マッド・デイモンは【アルゴ】のベン・アフレックと一緒に脚本を書いているんだよ」と同じく母に教えてもらった。【昨日のカレー、明日のパン】で「夫婦で文章を書くってどういうこと？」と思ったが…。この時初めて「2人で文章を書くってどういうこと？？？」と思ったように思う。

そんなマッド・デイモンが初めて書いた脚本を〈完成させるのを手伝った〉のがプライベートで本当の幼馴染であるベン・アフレックだった。

数回前の文章から、何度か登場し【エンツォ】レーサーになりたかった犬とある家族の物語　名前に込められた願いと運命の文章では、文章の大半を占めた大好きな海外ドラマ【ディス・イズ・アス】

このドラマの脚本家も複数人で脚本を書いている。さらに大好きな海外ドラマ【ストレンジャー・シングス】や【センス・エイト】だってそうだ。

わたしは一人でこの文章を書いてはいるが…。〈わたしのはなし〉に出てくる人々。出てこなくてもわたしに直接でも、間接的にでもかかわった人々がいるからこそこの文章を書くことが出来ている。
そんな人々と対話をするように、文章を書くことはわたしの至福であり癒しの時間だ。

関係性

海外ドラマや映画の中で出てくる〈セラピー〉を日本でうけるのは至難の業だ。日本でいうところの心療内科は、薬を出すのがメイン。薬が体に合わず、薬漬けになり家から出られなくなる例をいくつも聞く。しかし欧米では投薬療法は補助であって、セラピストとの会話中心のセラピーが主流だ。

いろんな映画や海外ドラマで「高い金額を出してセラピーなんてなんの意味があるんだ」という会話が良く出てくる。主人公ウィルはお金さえ払っていないが、なんでこんなことを？と思っている。思っているだけでなく態度で前面に出し、周囲の高学歴の大人や危険豊富なセラピストを複数人困惑させる。

そんなウィルはIQが高く、どんな経験豊富な大人たちをも打ち負かしてしまう方法を瞬時に思いつく。そして実行する度胸をも持ち合わせている。

そんな彼の心を開いていくのは、セラピストとクライアントという関係性を構築するのではなく…。〈対等な関係〉を築きたいと示したのがショーンだった。

対等

セラピストとクライアントだからと言って何を言ってもいいわけではない。相手を意図的に傷付ける発言は、どんな関係性だって許されることではない。そのような関係性でどちらかが我慢して関係性を続けたのならば、その瞬間から対等な関係性ではなくなる。ショーンがウィルに対して怒りをあえて抑えなかったのも、建前上・役割をこなすだけの関係では彼の心を開くことが出来ないことを見抜いていたからだろう。ウィルに対して体当たりで「対等な関係を築く心構えがこちらにはあるが、お前はどうなんだ」と迫るシーンでわたしは唐突に小学校高学年の教室を思い出した。

わたしに《年齢性別関係なく対等な関係性を構築できる》と、身をもって教えたのは小学生の時に、はちの字とびの大会にまで連れて行った担任だった。今思えば、昔の《学園もののような教師》だった。

殴り合いをして相手にけがをさせた男子児童がいれば、その周りで観ていた児童含め男女関係なく並んで立たされ思いっきり殴られた。そんなことをすれば、学校内で問題になりそうなものだが…。日頃、彼が児童と良好な関係を築いていたからだろう。児童も保護者も誰一人として問題にしたことがなかった。

なぜならこんな痛い思いをさせていること、それを見て見ぬふりをしていた生徒は実際の痛みを味わったことがないからそんなむごいことが出来ると彼は知っていた、言葉でもそれを伝えた。
何より怒られている側も理不尽だと感じることなく《素直に自分たちが悪かった》と、どんな悪ガキのリーダー格の男の子だって…。その担任のはなしを素直に聞いていた。

わたし自身、父が亡くなってからどんな大人の男の人にだって100％心を開いたことはなかったが…。その担任にだけは心を開いていたように思う。彼がいなかったら今のわたしはない。

優しい瞳の奥に

「君のせいじゃない」と言ったショーンの瞳の奥に計り知れない孤独と優しさを感じた。ウィルを導く立場のショーンだったけれど、ウィルから自身の《妻との喪失へ向き合わざる負えないきっかけ》をもらうようになる。また妻の思い出話の時にはカメラマンさえ笑いで画角が震えるほど2人の間には、いい関係が構築できていることを観ている者に感じさせる。

そんなショーンを演じるロビンウィリアムスの瞳の奥には、どんなシーンでもショーン同様の底知れぬやさしさが見える。

ロビン・ウィリアムスにも役柄を通り越して、寄り添ってくれるショーンのような存在がいれば…。いたのだろうが依存症を複数持ち合わせていたという彼からの視点では、そのような関係性を構築できる相手がいなかったのではないかと本人にとっても、周囲の人にとっても悲しい想像をするしかないのが悔やまれる。
ロビンウィリアムスの死因を知っている今…。【グッド・ウィル・ハンティング】の中で何度かロビン・ウィリアムスのアドリブでは？と思う切り返しがある。その何点かに中毒や依存症について出てきたのも気なる。

ショーンの講義中の「信頼がなぜ重要なのか」と問いかけるシーンで、学生が「信頼は命そのもの」と答える。アドリブのようには思えないシーンだった。きっとマッド・デイモンもベン・アフレックも信頼の重要性に気が付いていたのだろう。そんな二人がロビン・ウィリアムスの訃報を聞いた時、どんな思いを巡らせたのだろうと思わずにいられない。

はちの字とびの世界をわたしに教えてくれた担任とは、彼のリードのおかげでわたしは信頼関係を気づくことが出来た。彼との信頼関係があったからこそ周囲の同年代の、子とも関係性を構築できたのだと今だからわかる。そんな彼をきっかけに、わたしは中学校への進学について大きな決断を下す。この話はまたの機会に…。

ラストシーンではウィルもショーンもそれぞれ自分の進む道を見つけ行動に移す。親が見守ってくれている環境下であれば、少し離れた先でも子どもが遊ぶことが出来るように…。【ファイト・クラブ】のように銃を突き付けられなくとも、本当の信頼関係を手にした時。もしかしたら人は新たな人生の一歩を踏み出せるのかもしれない。

おまけ

海外ドラマ

前回の文章、【ファイトクラブ】の、おまけでも少し書いたのだが…。【ザ・マーベラス・ミセス・メイゼル】をシーズン３まで観ていたのだが3連休で残りの2シーズンを一気に観てしまった。

ようやくわたしの大好きな【ディス・イズ・アス】のマイロ・ヴィンティミリアが出てきたと思ったのに一瞬だけの登場。さらに少し時間がたってからも出てくるのだが…。ネタバレになるので詳細には書かないがほんとに？【ギルモア・ガールズ】の製作人に嫌われることして報復として【マーベラス・ミセス・メイゼル】に出演させられたのでは？！と思いたくなるほどの役柄。笑

マイロ・ヴィンティミリアの演技力には【ゴッサム】の時といい、驚かされる。一体本当の彼はどんな人なのだろうと、興味をそそられる役柄だったが…。いまのわたしにドンピシャなドラマに出会えたのでよしとする。

ちなみにラストシーンではグレイス＆フランスキーをほうふつとさせる、終わり方だった。しんみりせずポップなラストでロスにもならず「あぁ～観て良かったぁ」と残りのその日も明るく過ごすごとが出来た。

エミー賞

観終わってしまい、次に何を観ようと思ってU-nextを開いたら…。エミー賞の中継・見逃し配信をしているではないか。わたしは英語が出来ないので「アカデミー賞の中継みたいに字幕なしの英語はキツイ」と思いながら、観てみると…。なんと同時通訳付きではないか。棒読みすぎてちょっとわらってしまうのだけど、同時通訳しているだけですごすぎるのでありがたく最後まで観た。

以前の【スーパーマン】の文章で少しだけ書いたピットがなんと作品賞等を受賞。

主演男優賞に至っては…

【ファイトクラブ】の文章のおまけでおすすめしていた【パラダイス】のスターリングKブラウンがノミネートされていたと知ってうれしかった。しかも！受賞者紹介のスピーチでは【ティスイズアス】ネタで「僕らパラダイスの3人をビッグスリーとして受賞させないなんて！」と笑いを取っていたのも、【ディスイズアス】ファンとしては最高にうれしかった。さらには、レオンやハリーポッターで好きになったゲイリーオールドマンもノミネートされていた。【窓際のスパイ】を観るのにAppleTVを本気で契約するか悩んでいたので、また改めて検討したくなるノミネート結果だった。

何よりエミー賞のオープニングのTVの歴史のコント？コメディ？では、スマホでどこでも映画・ドラマを観るのは世界共通と知って少し安心した。他の方の最近noteを読んでいて〈映画中毒〉という言葉を見かけた。当時Xで140字レヴューを書いていたので間違った数字ではないとおもうが、わたしは大学生の時年間300本観ていた。
最近全部記録をつけているわけではないので、肌感でしかないが…。その頃に匹敵するペースで観ていると思う。

そんなペースで観ている人がどれだけいるかはわからないが…ちょっと安心したオープニングだった。

ウェスアンダーソン最新作

今週金曜日に公開になったウェスアンダーソンの最新作【ザ・ザ・コルダのフェキニア計画】。近畿だけなの？上映館が少なすぎてなかなかタイミングのいい時間がなく、観るのに少し苦労した。

しかし結果的に最高のシチュエーションで観ることが出来た。もう、ウェスアンダーソンの世界から飛び出てきたのでは？という赤のギンガムチェックのワンピースに真っ赤な靴下…。そこにGジャンを組み合わせるという、最っ高にかわいいコーディネートをかましたシルバーヘアのマダムの真横で鑑賞できたのだ。

さらに驚いたのは高校の制服をきた男の子が、逆サイドではないか。予告中は映画が始まったら【8番出口】や【鬼滅の刃】と間違えたと席を立つのではないかとヒヤヒヤしたのだが、そんなこともなく友人と談笑しながら座席を後にしていた。なんとセンスのいい男子高校生っ。そんな彼らに挟まれ座席に座るわたしはまさしくウェスアンダーソンの映画の中の一人になれたような気がした。

この映画については詳しい方がきっと、noteで沢山文章を書かれていると思うので、楽しみに読んでみたいと思う。

映画コンシェルジュ

前回書いた【ファイト・クラブ】の文章でコメントをくださった方がいた。本当に長い間葛藤があって観ることが出来なかった映画が【ファイト・クラブ】だった。

そんなわたしに「おめでとう。ついにたどり着いたんだね。」と言葉を投げかけてくださったのである。もう本当に観るという決断をしたこともそうだが…。いろんなことがあり、一度はボツにしようか悩んだ文章だった。そんなわたしにはご褒美のような言葉だったとともに、この10年が報われた瞬間だった。noteに書いて公表する決断が報われた瞬間でもありました。本当にありがとうございました。

そして土曜の昼下がり、最近メキシカンにドはまりしているわたしがホカホカのメキシカンブリトーを膝にバスに乗っていた。noteで次は何を観ようかなぁと他の方の文章を観ていたところ…。まだ、お返事できていないのにも関わらず同じ方からコメントが…。いつもわたしにピッタリな映画をおすすめしてくださるその方から【ノー・カントリー】の、お勧めコメントをいただいたのだ。

なんとメキシコが舞台？？観ないわけがないだろうと、コメントを読んでから15分後家に到着すると同時に…。fireTVをつけブリトー片手に観始めたのである。もう最高に面白かった。この夏、【セブン】をおすすめしてもらい観始め、面白さのあまり麦茶を汲みに行くことが出来なかったのだが…。今回はもう唖然茫然、開始早々開いた口がふさがらずブリトーが全く食べ進まないのである。笑

面白すぎて【ザ・ザ・コルダのフェキニア計画】を観るには家を出ないといけない時間が差し迫る中、きっちり最後まで観てしまった。もう最高だった。なんといってもラスト。きっと意味の分からない人も多いのかもしれない。いつものごとく文章を書き終わるまでリサーチしていないので…何とも言えないが。【MAD MAX】のような高揚感で9.5割の映画を駆け抜けたわたしに、【ネバーランド】の様に突き刺さる最高のラストでした。
あなたは正真正銘わたしの《映画コンシェルジュ》さまです。心より深く御礼申し上げます。

おしまい

My Personal Rules for Watching Movies

In my first movie-related note article, "Substance," I briefly touched upon my personal rules for watching movies and writing about them on note. These rules are:

- Choosing a Film -

• I try to avoid any pre-existing information and decide whether to watch a film based solely on the poster or thumbnail image. This makes the viewing experience more surprising and enjoyable.

- Writing About a Film -

• When writing a spoiler-free review, I keep it within 140 characters.

• Even when writing a review with spoilers, I avoid detailed plot summaries.

• Before discussing the film itself, I write about myself and things related to me, as a form of self-introduction that will later connect to the film.

I try to follow these rules every time.

Before Talking About the Movie, Let's Talk About "Me"

Unexpected Praise

This is something that has already changed, but... I had a boss I respected. He rarely praised anyone, and before he became my boss, I had only heard "bad rumors" about him. When it was decided that he would be my boss, I was already job hunting, but it accelerated my efforts. However, after he took the position, while some of the "rumors" were true... as a manager, I had never met anyone more capable in the company than him. He paid close attention to people, and once we had built a relationship of trust, he would tell me things like, "So-and-so is good at this," or "So-and-so is this kind of person," and they were always accurate.

He also had a knack for instantly and frankly expressing the impressions I secretly had of people, with an incredible sense of word choice. He only praised me directly a few times, but the most gratifying was about my writing. However, it wasn't just about my writing being good.

I had to write a certain document at work, and it couldn't be officially submitted without his approval. It was a two-page document, but as soon as I heard the topic, I didn't think I could write it at all. Because he had an eye for people, he could quickly spot flaws. No matter how many times I wrote it, all I could think of was the kind of criticism he would give.

Only one day had passed since the request, but... the deadline for receiving his final check was rapidly approaching... To summarize some of the "bad rumors" about him in a few words, he was "scary." If I kept delaying the submission, his time for checking would be shortened, and he would be in a bad mood. But no matter how much time I spent, I couldn't write a document that would meet his standards.

"Well, I'm in trouble," I thought, but as a last resort, I added red marks myself. "This part is still not well-considered," "This lacks evidence," "Is a specific example necessary?" "I wrote '○○,' but I don't think it's easy to understand," etc... I wrote down all the points he would likely criticize in a different color and then submitted it.

It was a gamble against the "scary" him. There was a high possibility that he would explode and say, "This isn't even writing," or "Submit it after you've finished it," but I couldn't write it, so I had no choice. When I showed him the document, I honestly said, "This is all I could do, so I need your help." He held his pen still and read it seriously in front of me for a long time, and I thought, "Oh, it's over..." But as soon as he finished reading, he immediately gave me specific advice, saying, "Do this here..." After repeating the same process a few times, I was able to point out fewer things myself, and I successfully completed the document.

Later, when I went to thank him, he said, "I've never met anyone who can look at their own writing so objectively." Well, in the first place, I guess no one had ever submitted a "half-finished" and "last-resort" document to the "scary" him... Even though it was a "half-finished" and "last-resort" document, I was genuinely happy to be praised by him, who rarely praised people and accurately described them.

Figure-Eight Jump Rope

Do you know about "figure-eight jump rope," where multiple people jump rope together? I won first place in the prefectural tournament for "figure-eight jump rope" when I was in the upper grades of elementary school. It's a competition to see how many times you can jump in a few minutes. Usually, it's not a competition at all, and it's something you do playfully during physical education or recess, saying things like, "It's okay, you can jump! Okay, ready, go!" as shown in the illustration below.

I love this illustration style, but the "figure-eight jump rope" I'm talking about isn't like this.

However, the figure-eight jump rope I knew was nothing like that. In the gymnasium, there were shouts, serious rope modifications, and many people crying from frustration and joy. In that figure-eight jump rope, I was the turner. Every day, I put a hand gripper on the teacher's desk in the classroom and worked as a turner with the homeroom teacher in his 30s, who was reading "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" while strengthening his grip. I don't remember at all why I ended up participating in that competition. At first, it was a normal jump rope used in physical education, but it was repeatedly modified. In the end, the homeroom teacher, who came up with the idea of speeding up the rope's rotation with centrifugal force, made it a heavy one with a wire through a tube sold at a home center.

It wasn't a normal jump rope, and if someone got caught and it came out of their hand, it would be a big time loss... To prevent that, I wrapped the tube with the wire through it around my hand many times and turned it. If someone got caught with their full weight, the wire would mercilessly dig into my hand through the tube. Also, it was extremely painful when it hit the bare skin that came out of the gym clothes of the jumpers. It was even worse in the winter because the tube was stiff. I used tremendous concentration to save my teammates who were jumping in different positions in a fraction of a second, because I didn't want them to have a painful experience, and because if you got caught even once in figure-eight jump rope, the team's personal best would be gone at that moment.

I hadn't seen "Rocky" at the time, but it's no exaggeration to say that I lived in that world. lol

I rotated the rope many times a second with the homeroom teacher, who had a completely different physique and strength than me. There were many times when I thought my arm would be torn off. Even though it was only a few minutes, I couldn't wait for the end whistle to sound at the end, and my power was dropping. Then, the homeroom teacher's voice, calling my first name, echoed throughout the gymnasium, and I came to my senses and was able to continue rotating the rope at the same pace until the end.

NHK Drama and Novel

There was an NHK drama that was just under 60 minutes long, and I started watching it and ended up crying every week, so I was scared of the broadcast day, but there was a drama that I "absolutely had to watch." It was "Yesterday's Curry, Tomorrow's Bread," starring Riisa Naka.

She lived with her husband and father-in-law, but her husband passed away... Even after his death, the father-in-law and the son's wife continue to live "under one roof." What drew me into this drama was the way they called each other. The main character, Tetsuko, calls her father-in-law, who lives with her, "Hey, Gifu~? Where's the key~?" She calls him Gifu!

But when I write it like this, there are many people around me who aren't called by their names, like mothers, police officers, and florists... What drew me into this drama when I was a college student was the gap between the way they called each other "Gifu" and the extreme "closeness" of the two people, who shouldn't be close in the first place. However, the more I watched it, the more I understood the closeness of the two people. The father-in-law lost his son, and Tetsuko lost her husband, and they both experienced "losing someone important" at the same time, targeting the same person. By the way, the son and husband who passed away only appeared on screen for a moment, but he was played by Gen Hoshino.

From the left, Gifu, Tetsuko, and Iwai-san

There is an unforgettable scene in this drama, "Yesterday's Curry, Tomorrow's Bread." It's a line that Tetsuko says to Iwai-san, a potential boyfriend after her husband's death. "You don't know. People die so easily..." When I heard this line, I couldn't stop crying. I don't want to say it, but she always carries her husband's ashes with her.

After watching this drama, I learned that it was based on a novel. What surprised me even more was that the novelist, Kisa Izumi, is a married couple.

• Hardcover ISBN: 9784309021768

• Paperback ISBN: 978-4309414263

"What does it mean to write one work together?" I was confused. I think it was right after I watched this drama. I watched a documentary about this couple. They were the screenwriters for the dramas "Nobuta wo Produce," "Q10," and "Sexy Voice and Robo," which I loved when I was in junior high and high school. I loved "Yesterday's Curry, Tomorrow's Bread" so much that I read the novel and still keep it carefully on my bookshelf.

Every time I watched the drama or read any page of the novel, I would cry so much that I was scared to go to work the next day with puffy eyes.

Spoiler-Free Review

Will works as a janitor on a college campus. While cleaning, he notices something on a blackboard in the hallway...

This movie makes you feel that age and experience don't matter in human connections. It's full of failures in building trust. Pay attention to the co-starring of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, who are childhood friends in private life. (140 Japanese characters)

Review with Spoilers

As of 6 days after seeing it in the theater.

I was wandering in front of the movie theater and...

There weren't any notable movies being released this week... So, I had given up on seeing a movie in the theater last weekend. However, on Saturday afternoon, after finishing my errands, I was wandering around the city of Kyoto. I hadn't had lunch yet, and I was thinking of going to my favorite restaurant, so I happened to pass by the movie theater. Then, I saw a poster that said "Good Will Hunting" was playing. What? I looked at the showtimes and saw that it was just the right time to go back to the theater after having lunch. I immediately bought a ticket and hurried off to a late lunch.

When I was a child, my mother rented a DVD... and I watched "Good Will Hunting" at home. However, all I remembered was the scene of the janitor standing in front of the blackboard in the hallway. I didn't remember who he was or what the story was about. I was just wandering in front of the movie theater, but I was happy to be able to see the movie I was curious about "in the theater," and I eagerly awaited the showtime.

Writing Together

As soon as the movie started, I thought, "Huh? I know that back..." Then, I saw his face and was surprised. My prediction was right. It was Ben Affleck. I had seen movies with Ben Affleck in them before I knew his name, but I think these were the only two I saw after I recognized his name.

• "Argo," which I watched in the theater and got so tired from watching it with so much tension.

• "Gone Girl," which I watched with my boyfriend at the time on Christmas. I have no idea why we chose this movie for Christmas. I remember walking around Ikspiari feeling "doomed" after watching it.

My mother showed me "Argo" in the theater. At this time, I think my mother told me that "Ben Affleck writes screenplays."

And then, a few years later... When I watched "Hereafter," a story about tsunami victims and a psychic, I was told, "Matt Damon is writing the screenplay with Ben Affleck from 'Argo.'" I wondered, "What does it mean for a married couple to write together?" after watching "Yesterday's Curry, Tomorrow's Bread," but... I think this was the first time I wondered, "What does it mean for two people to write together???"

It Would Be Great to Have Childhood Friends Like This

From a few articles ago, I've mentioned it several times, and in the article "Enzo," A Story of a Dog Who Wanted to Be a Racer and a Family: Wishes and Fates Encoded in Names, I wrote about my favorite overseas drama, "This Is Us," for most of the article.

The screenwriters for this drama also write the screenplays together. The same is true for my favorite overseas dramas "Stranger Things" and "Sense8."

I am writing this article alone, but... I am able to write this article because of the people who appear in "My Story." Even those who don't appear, but who have been involved with me directly or indirectly. Writing articles as if I am having a dialogue with those people is my bliss and healing time.

Relationships

It is extremely difficult to receive "therapy" in Japan, which is often seen in overseas dramas and movies. In Japan, psychiatric clinics mainly prescribe medication. I have heard many examples of people who become addicted to medication and can't leave their homes because the medication doesn't suit their bodies. However, in Europe and the United States, medication is an auxiliary treatment, and therapy is mainly based on conversations with a therapist.

In various movies and overseas dramas, there are often conversations about "What's the point of paying a lot of money for therapy?" The main character, Will, hasn't even paid any money, but he's wondering, "Why are they doing this?" He not only thinks it, but he also shows it in his attitude, confusing several highly educated adults and therapists with dangerous backgrounds.

Will has a high IQ and instantly comes up with ways to defeat any experienced adult. He also has the courage to execute them.

Similarly, children with high IQs are collectively called gifted, and "Gifted" is my favorite work as a family movie depicting such a child.

What opens his heart is not building a relationship as a therapist and client, but... Sean showed that he wanted to build an equal relationship.

Equality

Just because you are a therapist and a client doesn't mean you can say anything you want. Intentionally hurtful remarks are not allowed in any relationship. If one of the parties endures and continues the relationship in such a relationship, it is no longer an equal relationship from that moment on. Sean didn't intentionally suppress his anger towards Will because he saw that he couldn't open his heart in a relationship that only fulfilled the role on the surface. In the scene where he confronts Will head-on, saying, "I am ready to build an equal relationship, but what about you?" I suddenly remembered my elementary school classroom.

It was my homeroom teacher, who took me to the figure-eight jump rope tournament when I was in elementary school, who taught me that "I can build equal relationships regardless of age or gender." Now that I think about it, he was like a "teacher from an old school drama."

If a male student injured someone in a fight, all the students, including the boys and girls who were watching around him, would be lined up and punched hard. If he did something like that, it would cause problems in the school, but... I think it was because he had built a good relationship with the students on a daily basis. No student or parent ever made it a problem.

Because he knew that the students who were making them go through this painful experience, and who were turning a blind eye to it, had never experienced the actual pain, so they were able to do such cruel things, and he conveyed that in words. More than anything, even the leader of the bullies honestly felt that "we were wrong"... and listened to what the homeroom teacher had to say.

I myself had never opened my heart 100% to any adult man since my father passed away, but... I think I had opened my heart only to that homeroom teacher. I wouldn't be who I am today if it weren't for him.

I was impressed by the woman who repeatedly said sadly that her circumstances of wanting to be on an equal footing with Will were not what she wanted.

Behind Gentle Eyes

I felt immeasurable loneliness and kindness in Sean's eyes when he said, "It's not your fault." Sean was in a position to guide Will, but he also got "an opportunity to face the loss of his wife" from Will. Also, when he talks about his wife's memories, the cameraman even laughs and the angle shakes, making the viewers feel that a good relationship has been built between the two.

Robin Williams, who plays Sean, has the same unfathomable kindness in his eyes as Sean in every scene.

"Mrs. Doubtfire," which I thought was "What is this movie?" as a child, but I watched it to the end because it was interesting.

"Patch Adams," a movie that I can't remember the contents of like "Good Will Hunting." I want to watch it, but I'm scared because I'll probably cry a lot.

"Night at the Museum," which became Robin Williams' last work.

If Robin Williams had someone like Sean, who would be there for him beyond his role... I guess he did, but he had multiple addictions, so from his point of view, it's sad to imagine that he didn't have someone he could build such a relationship with, both for himself and for the people around him. Knowing the cause of Robin Williams' death now... There are several times in "Good Will Hunting" where I think Robin Williams is improvising. I'm also concerned that some of those points mention addiction.

In Sean's lecture scene, he asks, "Why is trust important?" and a student answers, "Trust is life itself." It didn't seem like an ad-lib scene. I'm sure Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were aware of the importance of trust. I can't help but wonder what they thought when they heard the news of Robin Williams' death.

Thanks to the homeroom teacher who taught me the world of figure-eight jump rope, I was able to build a relationship of trust. It is because of my relationship of trust with him that I was able to build relationships with my peers. I understand that now. With him as my starting point, I made a big decision about going to junior high school. I'll talk about that another time...

In the last scene, both Will and Sean find their own paths and take action. Just as children can play a little further away if their parents are watching over them... When you have a real relationship of trust, even if you don't have a gun pointed at you like in "Fight Club," maybe you can take a new step in life.

Bonus

Overseas Drama

I wrote a little about it in the bonus section of my previous article, "Fight Club," but... I had watched "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" up to season 3, but I watched the remaining 2 seasons all at once during the 3-day weekend.

I finally thought that my favorite Milo Ventimiglia from "This Is Us" had appeared, but he only appeared for a moment. He comes out again after a little time has passed, but... I won't write about it in detail because it will be a spoiler, but really? I wonder if he was retaliating for being disliked by the producers of "Gilmore Girls" by appearing in "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"?! The role makes me want to think that. lol

I am amazed by Milo Ventimiglia's acting ability, as I was when he was in "Gotham." I wonder what kind of person he really is, and the role piqued my interest, but... I'm glad I found a drama that is perfect for me right now.

I was happy to see the actress who played Sue Sylvester in the overseas drama "Glee" getting a good role in "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."

The Grinch she played in "Glee" was the best.

By the way, the last scene was reminiscent of Grace & Frankie. It wasn't a depressing ending, but a pop ending, so I didn't feel any loss and was able to spend the remaining days brightly, thinking, "Ah, I'm glad I watched it."

Emmy Awards

After finishing watching it, I opened U-NEXT to see what to watch next... and I saw that they were broadcasting and replaying the Emmy Awards. I can't speak English, so I thought, "English without subtitles like the Academy Awards broadcast would be tough," but when I watched it... it had simultaneous interpretation! It's a little funny because it's read in a monotone, but it's amazing that they're doing simultaneous interpretation, so I gratefully watched it until the end.

Pitt, who I wrote about a little in my previous article about "Superman," won the award for best drama series, etc.

As for the best actor in a drama series...

• Nominees: Sterling K. Brown ("Paradise"), Gary Oldman ("Slow Horses"), Pedro Pascal ("The Last of Us"), Adam Scott ("Severance"), Noah Wyle ("The Pitt") ★Winner

From: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/62fe6d1a79897abf64b8f85d81367c5be74fc9d0?page=2

I was happy to learn that Sterling K. Brown from "Paradise," which I recommended in the bonus section of my "Fight Club" article, was nominated. Moreover! In his acceptance speech, he made a joke about "Not letting the three of us from Paradise win as the Big Three!" which was the best for "This Is Us" fans. Furthermore, Gary Oldman, who I liked in "Leon" and "Harry Potter," was also nominated. I was seriously considering subscribing to Apple TV to watch "Slow Horses," so the nomination results made me want to reconsider.

More than anything, I was relieved to know that watching movies and dramas on smartphones everywhere is common around the world, as seen in the opening TV history segment. I saw the word "movie addiction" in someone else's note article recently. I think the number is not wrong because I was writing 140-character reviews on X at the time, but I was watching 300 movies a year when I was a college student. I haven't been keeping track of everything recently, so it's just a feeling, but... I think I'm watching at a pace comparable to that time.

I don't know how many people are watching at that pace, but... the opening skit made me feel a little relieved.

Wes Anderson's Latest Work

Wes Anderson's latest work, "Asteroid City," was released this Friday. Is it just in the Kansai region? There are so few theaters showing it that it was a little difficult to find a good time to watch it.

However, as a result, I was able to watch it in the best situation. I was able to watch it right next to a silver-haired madam who was wearing a red gingham check dress and bright red socks... combined with a G-jacket, which was the cutest coordination ever, as if she had jumped out of Wes Anderson's world.

The first time I encountered his work was "Moonrise Kingdom," which shocked me when I saw it in the theater.

What surprised me even more was that there was a boy in a high school uniform on the opposite side. I was worried that he would mistake it for "Exit 8" or "Demon Slayer" and leave his seat during the trailer, but that didn't happen, and he left his seat while chatting with his friends. What a stylish high school boy. Sitting in my seat sandwiched between them, I felt like I had become one of the people in Wes Anderson's movie.

It reminded me of "Leon," which I want to include in my top 10 movies of all time.

On the other hand, it reminded me of "The Sound of Music," which I saw in junior high and high school and in a musical in London.

I'm sure there are many people who know more about this movie who will write a lot of articles on note, so I'm looking forward to reading them.

Movie Concierge

Someone commented on my previous article, "Fight Club." "Fight Club" was a movie that I had been struggling to watch for a really long time.

That person threw the words at me, "Congratulations. You've finally arrived." It was really not only the decision to watch it, but... it was an article that I had many things happen and I was worried about whether to scrap it once. It was like a reward for me, and it was the moment that the last 10 years were rewarded. It was also the moment that the decision to write and publish it on note was rewarded. Thank you very much.

And on a Saturday afternoon, I was on the bus with a warm Mexican burrito on my lap, as I've been obsessed with Mexican food lately. I was looking at other people's articles on note to see what to watch next... and despite the fact that I hadn't been able to reply yet, I received a comment from the same person... That person, who always recommends movies that are perfect for me, recommended "No Country for Old Men."

There was no way I wasn't going to watch it, so 15 minutes after reading the comment, as soon as I arrived home... I turned on the Fire TV and started watching it with a burrito in my hand. It was so interesting. This summer, I was recommended "Seven" and started watching it, and it was so interesting that I couldn't go to get barley tea, but... This time, I was so dumbfounded that my mouth was open from the beginning and I couldn't eat the burrito at all. lol

It was so interesting that I watched it all the way to the end, even though the time to leave the house to watch "Asteroid City" was approaching. It was the best. After all, the ending. I'm sure there are many people who don't understand it. As usual, I haven't done any research until I finish writing the article, so... I can't say anything for sure, but... It was the best ending that pierced me like "Neverland," after I ran through 9.5% of the movie with a sense of exhilaration like "Mad Max." You are my true movie concierge. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

The End

-This sentence is being translated by AI.-