So here’s the story behind this particular set of contributor picks. We’d originally decided to celebrate April showers by suggesting oeuvres that stand out for their depiction of rain, but Mother Nature this year has chosen to grace us instead with summer heat, an Autumn breeze, some hail, and even a snow storm or two. Whether you blame man-made global climate change or a shift in the Earth’s axis, please find below four recommendations about temperamental weather.
Frank’s Pick:
G.I. Joe: The Revenge of Cobra (1985)
With a crisis of national identity stemming from post-Vietnam malaise, the America of the nineteen-eighties sought to balance its sociopolitical interests with moral obligations in the international sphere. The military yearned for a neoliberal framework, reshaping its image as responsible actor in global civil society, but more complex challenges were emerging at the time, notably the tide of scientific data on climate change. Never were these two separate trends more shrewdly addressed than in Ron Friedman’s 1985 classic G.I Joe: The Revenge of Cobra miniseries, which captured the tumultuous zeitgeist of the era as America struggled, in post-imperial fashion, to frame its military interventions in the context of a moral response to emerging terrorist networks.
G.I. Joe: The Revenge of Cobra is not merely about the military at war with itself. It tells very human stories by addressing cultural relativism (the fight between Spirit and Storm Shadow), southern race relations (the friendship between Roadblock and Honda Lou West), and the electorate’s dismay at political two-facedness (Zartan’s many impersonations). In the backdrop of all this, the quest for the Weather Dominator still dominates, an existential question that forces the viewer to confront the price of man’s technological ascendancy: chaotic and destructive weather conditions across the Earth. In hindsight, this G.I. Joe series is nothing less than prophetic. Yo Joe!
Nick’s Pick:
Deadliest Catch (2005-2013)
I’m usually not a fan of reality shows, as they tend to create artificial conflict in order to build up the drama. Running for nine seasons straight now, Deadliest Catch does no such thing. Crab fishing on the Bering Sea, one of the most dangerous bodies of water in the world, presents enough dangers as it is! Imagine trying to maneuver a full cargo of 750-pound crab pots on a rolling ship while Mother Nature throws massive swells and ice at you and your sleep-deprived colleagues.
When I started watching the series, I viewed it as a simple documentary, but season after season, I got to know the fishermen more and more, and their lives just became riveting to me. This show has so many memorable moments: some high, like the Time Bandit’s hands saving a man who fell in thirty-foot seas, some low, like the loss of Captain Phil Harris to a stroke, and some funny, like the various pranks the crew members play on each other. I find it fascinating that crab fishing has elicited a stronger emotional response in me than any scripted television fair or movie I’ve seen in recent years. Available on DVD and, of course, on the Discovery Channel, Deadliest Catch makes for a perfect distraction when hurricane force winds prevent you from fishing.
Pamela’s Pick:
The Art of Racing in the Rain (2008)
In fiction, it generally rains when people are sad, and it’s sunny when they’re happy. Sure, a storm can also mean passion, and sun can bring never-ending pain, but the trope exists for a reason. Rarely is weather a key player in the story. Rather, it serves as a barometer for the characters’ actions. In fact, only two exceptions come to mind. The first consists of Hugh Grant and Andie McDowell’s decision not to get married in Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994). The other pertains to my recommendation: Garth Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain.
Told from the point of view of his dog Enzo, the novel centers on a struggling race car driver, Denny, who loses his wife to cancer and faces the loss of his daughter to her overbearing grandparents. According to our canine narrator, driving in pouring rain is about balance, anticipation, and patience. The metaphor permeates the book, be it in reference to an actual race, Enzo’s quest to be reborn as a human, or his master’s ability to adequately parent a child. Weather even plays a strong role in both the prosecution and the defense during Denny’s long custody fight. The Art of Racing in the Rain appears to mainly target racing enthusiasts, fathers, and dog lovers, yet, as a mother who loves cats and has little time for the car racing industry, I must confess that I couldn’t put it down.
Dimitri’s Pick:
Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
I contend that it is impossible to watch Singin’ in the Rain without cracking a smile. Gene Kelly stars as Don Lockwood, a silent-screen actor whose career is endangered by the introduction of sound to the silver screen. Determined to ride the winds of change rather than be toppled by them, our hero, along with his life-long friend Cosmo (Donald O’Connor) and new love interest Kathy (Debbie Reynolds), sets out to make his first “talkie” a bona fide hit, abandoning antiquated customs like stuffy period costumes and Old World swashbuckling in favour of a new cinematic tradition: the musical!
Filled with slapstick humour, energetic dance numbers, and rapid-fire dialogue, Singin’ in the Rain lives up to its title and provides the perfect remedy for a rainy day. Regardless of whether you’ve actually seen the movie, chances are the iconic image of Kelly leaping into puddles and twirling in the pouring rain immediately popped in your mind. This sequence, in which a joyous man turns harsh weather into a festivity, embodies everything I love about the 1952 classic. The film isn’t just a comedy about a difficult transition period in Hollywood. It’s a celebration of life as a whole and a reminder that we can weather any storm so long as we’re willing to get our feet wet.
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