One particular aspect about life that we truly take for granted, is how much freedom we enjoy in our lives. Because there’s little in our way when we get up in the morning. We can take whatever path we want and do whatever we want. Sure, that includes negative things, but there are consequences for that. But beyond going down a bad path, we can take a trip to the mountains ten states away, we can make all kinds of life choices, and no one says a word. Because we’re just an everyday person living in the land of the free and there’s nothing that people can do to stop us from enjoying our best life. Which is wonderful and joyous and genuinely easy to take for granted.
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Because not everyone gets to enjoy that wonder. For there are folks that wake up that don’t enjoy an ounce of freedom. They’re stuck in a part of the world where their lives are deeply controlled and terrifying and they only know fear and suffering because of it, and what’s amazing… is that there are people in the land of the free that also awaken without certain freedoms in front of them. Because prejudices run high in America and so do certain restrictions in certain states and when combined, there are freedoms that people simply cannot take part in, and that’s wrong. Because all should be able to live their lives as they please, and the importance of that, and its impact, was explored in the most unique manner possible, in Ted 2.

Which again, may seem to be a surprise thing to read. After all, Ted 2 was filed with some incredibly comedic moments. For this is the movie that gave us Liam Neeson buying a box of Trix under suspicious circumstances at Ted’s place of work. Not to mention, the New York Comic Con sequences are the stuff of legend. Complete with a Michael Dorn cameo, the Enterprise-D and that Superman joke about Jonah Hill remains as funny and as relevant as ever. Plus, having Giovanni Ribisi find his way back into the fold as the villain was just amazing and gives the film incredible cohesion. All of which should speak to a zany adventure with the Thunder Buddies over something powerful and philosophical and outright deep.

But much like the last film, the devil is in the details. Because this is a story that sees dear Ted, try, and do what so many others do in this life, and start a family. Through marriage, adoption and he is of course, denied in this tale. Because he’s not viewed as an individual. Which leads to shenanigans and frustrations, and some fine commentary on what it means to be a person in this life and what defines our humanity. Which is worth pondering upon simply because… that’s stuff we have to define daily in the current climate, since cruelty is often on display and there are so many people like Ted out there. For instance, there are LGBTQIA+ couples that are denied adoption options because of bias against their sexual preferences or gender identity. Which is of course, stupid and closed minded, but sadly… those people exist and impart their will upon others for the pettiest of reasons.
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Not to mention, there are people from different races about the world that are seen as not human by perhaps the dumbest individuals to walk the planet, and there are people actively working to revoke their rights and make them less than when they are equal to. All of which is a plot that really is designed to give us pause and does so. Because this is indeed stuff that is part of our world for some effed-up reason, and it needs to be discussed and displayed and the resolution present here… is the right one for that matter. Simply because… there are individuals that worry way too much about how people live their lives outside of their own home, and that needs to stop, and people need to be allowed to just live their lives to the fullest.

Because no one is getting out of life, alive, and there’s no point in making the lives of others, miserable. Especially when their business is their own and doesn’t impact us in the slightest really, and well, all of those messages and musings, make this a stunningly powerful feature. One that covers some incredible observations about our world, lensed through the hilarity of a talking teddy bear that still loves his weed like there’s no tomorrow. And the combination of flawless comedy, and bigger jokes combined with bigger concepts, make this a brilliant story as well. One that should be celebrated often, because this kind of intelligent comedy is just rare, but welcome. Because sometimes, the best way to learn about the world is through laughter, and this movie accomplishes that for certain.

It is definitely safe to say that motion pictures, and books, and television shows that explore the complexities of relationships focus heavily on one type of relationship… the romantic kind. It makes sense as to why. For we as a society cherish love deeply, and we are eager to teach others that it won’t be a walk in the park. There will be bad times, there will be fights and there will be real challenges when it comes to growth and sustainability of that love. And seeing and reading stories where people overcome those issues, inspires us to fight hard when we find it and it gives us hope that we will indeed find our one and only and know exactly how to keep them happy and grow with them for the rest of our days.
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But while that focus is indeed fulfilling and audiences flock to them in any form, there is one problem in making that the focal point of all these stories. In that, it doesn’t fully showcase how to handle the other important relationships in our lives. Such as friendships. Which is, yes, a true relationship. It just doesn’t involve romantic gestures and intimacy in the romantic sense, and it is one that we don’t value in the manner we always should. Since we are keen to trim friends now and again as though they’re no big deal, and sometimes… we even shed valued best friends in the name of stupid things. When in reality, friendships also require work, and growth and honesty, and believe it or not, after so many years of stories focusing on the just romantic stuff, not that long ago… a movie finally came forth that explored the importance of maintaining healthy friendships in our lives, and how, by way of Seth MacFarlane’s Ted.

Which well, might be a statement that raises eyebrows. After all, this is a story about a grown man that hangs out with a sentient teddy bear. Wherein they smoke weed, watch Flash Gordon nonstop, and do some unsavory and wild stuff in the name of having a good time. In fact, one could argue, that there is no depth to this film and it’s just a wild comedy about those very things, with some cocaine thrown in for good, measured laughs as well. But one would be wrong. Because all of those comedy elements are just designed to make a story about a grown man and his foul-mouthed teddy bear, palatable. So that the lesson will actually stick with us and well, what we learn in this story is in fact… quite incredible. Because in reality, Ted is a feature that examines two key elements regarding the central theme of friendship. 

For instance, this movie does take a very frank look at how we treat them in this life. Specifically, how we believe that friendships have to maintain a certain border and barrier emotionally. As though being open with a close friend is a crime and that is indeed a societal view of friendships, and it is one that allows for us to just toss friends aside. For if they don’t meet our needs or our criterion, we don’t need them in our lives and this movie makes it clear… that’s not the way to go. Because when you really look at John and Ted’s relationship, it’s deep, they bond as brothers really, and eventually they come to learn some healthy things about friendship along the way. Such as the fact… that it is okay to be open about feelings with our close friends, and that in fact… we should. 
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Because that can promote real growth in us and help us to see our lives through a different lens, and we should also be prepared… to ask ourselves how much this friendship means to us. Because there will be fights and moments of conflict and if the friendship is special and worth it… we need to face those moments head on. And all of those lessons come together in a beautiful manner in this story. Courtesy of moments that showcase growth, that allow for John and Ted to see what they mean to one another and what their bond actually accomplishes, and of course… they come to learn the most valuable lesson of all. The value of friendship, and the power pouring ourselves into making it healthy and sustainable. 

All of which brings forth, a very charming and very hilarious comedy. Because all endearing moments aside, this is a movie where Seth brings his A-game to the table as a writer and a director, and a comedian. Which in turn leads to some amazingly funny moments, many of which leave you laughing deeply and sometimes, leave you gasping for air. But beyond the laughs is a masterful script that is also filled to the brim with dynamic characters that we can relate to, moments that feel straight out of our own lives. Because who doesn’t love Flash Gordon and has some variant of a Thunder Buddy, and all of those reasons allow for this film to endure. For it really is refreshing and original, and fun, and it has an amazing message for all of us, about why we should pay our friends more mind, and more care.

When we are young, we are taught that the holiday season is a truly magical time. Where evil is forgotten and fades into the background, replaced instead by good will toward one another and a sense of unity. Where the bright and colorful lights fill up hearts and fill up the world and that lesson sticks with us hard. Because we do see people be kind to one another during the season, and we see meaningful gifts be given and received and we do see joy and unity. Where everyone has a smile on their faces as they sing songs of Christmas cheer and of letting the past year go, and well… what’s incredible about this lesson… is how quickly we come to learn that it is an outright lie when we leave the wonder of our youth behind and begin to step toward adulthood.
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For as we grow into that all important age where the world comes into focus, do we see that the holiday season is nothing short… of a foolhardy attempt to right the wrongs of the world. Where we put up the façade of those joyous elements in the hopes that somehow… it will ooze into the world’s ills, and fix them, instead of us all working together collectively to impact real change. Which really does shock us and leaves us beside ourselves. For the holidays were supposed to be so much more, but they are instead… just several weeks of the norm with strings of lights placed atop everything and that does leave us to wonder… why we bother with the season. Because what’s the point of celebrating a lie and pushing it forward when people are indeed suffering or struggling beneath the cover of ignorance? 

Well, that’s a question that a great deal of us have asked throughout the years, with a mixed bag of answers. But the fact of the matter is… value can be found in the holiday season and there are valid reasons that make it worth celebrating, as evidenced by what the brand-new feature, The Holdovers, explores regarding the season. For this is a story that introduces us to a trio of individuals that are dealing with a difficult holiday season at Barton Academy in 1970. For instance, Mary Lamb is dealing with the sad reality that her son Curtis, won’t be home for Christmas because of his passing in Vietnam, and young Angus Tully has been left at the school for the entire winter break because his parents want little to do with him, and Professor Paul Hunham is tasked with watching over all of them until the break is over. Which he sees as a waste of his time and talents, and well… that only amplifies underlying disdain that all of them harbor regarding the season and its genuinely hollow nature. But their time together will in fact, do wonders for them this holiday. For having a trio of people that are experiencing grief, loneliness, and a need to find direction… will serve as the perfect formula for helping them to see what the season is really all about.

Which is a concept, that quickly allows for the film to answer to the question that hangs heavy over us. In that what makes the holidays worthwhile and genuinely magical, is coming to understand the incredible reality… that we are a part of something greater. That we are part of an incredible species, that experience similar struggles and similar pains, and live and die together on a tiny blue ball that hurtles through space, and we forget that and should use the holiday season to reflect upon the reality… that we’ve been given the gift of being part of something so special. For we are indeed a true rarity in the universe, and if we took a moment to understand that, and learn from another and care for one another accordingly… our lives and our culture would indeed change for the better. But alas, getting to that lesson is no easy task because of the walls we put up, the clichés we believe in, and the isolation we put ourselves through. 
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Those struggles are of course, put forth via the characters, who come from unique walks of life, and they are what makes this motion picture work so well. Because we are able to connect with each of the core trio here in some capacity, courtesy of their quirks, their experiences and that immediately draws us into a film that offers those lessons and incredible journeys in a unique manner through its setting. For the 1970s are not a place that we often equate with finding learning experiences because of how tumultuous a time it was in modern history. But it parallels the chaos of now and seeing similarities to both eras reminds us, as does Paul in a poignant scene that… our experiences are timeless. That each generation has more in common with one another than we give them credit, and that too, would help us find meaning in this special season, since that would reinforce the lesson at hand give us the perspective, we all desire. 

All of which brings forth, a stunningly powerful motion picture. One that is also carried by some equally as powerful performances. Since Da’Vine Joy Randolph truly sells the power of Mary Lamb’s grief in this tale, and Dominic Sessa is simply electric as Angus Tully and properly reminds us of the uncertainty of youth and its unexpected struggles. But of course, it is Paul Giamatti that steals the show here as Paul Hunham, since Giamatti brings forth an incredible depth to Professor Hunham, one that is rarely seen in period pieces and one that we truly latch onto because his journey reflects a lot of our own and well… he is what brings together a magnificent story that quite frankly… the world needs right now. For we are indeed divided and jaded, and what better a way to cut through the nonsense and the noise, than a pure holiday film that presents a refreshing take on the greatest gift of all… the life we’ve been given.