ii. film archive: auntie mame (1958)

i don't even really remember who first showed me auntie mame; if it was my mother, or grandmother. i suppose in the long run it doesn't really matter because the movie is such an equal part of both, and what they mean to me. it's a movie that is so strikingly good, and while i babble about favorites a lot, this one is it. my number one. 

it's a simple story, really. there's a woman named mame. her brother dies, his child is orphaned, and she takes him in. it follows her life, her ups and downs, the trials she endures raising the kid, and for all intense purposes, it's a story that no one knows, or if they do, don't think much of. 

it means a lot to me, though. and i think it's a damn shame that it's such an unknown film. like a lot of the things i love, i can't tell you exactly what draws me to it so much. it's probably the humor, or the fact that even nearly 60 years later, it still contains relevant themes, and an important message of living life to the fullest. when you think of old movies, you probably think of poor special effects, or slang/lifestyles that are far outdated, and i think for the most part, that's true (not a bad thing always, though). but the glory of auntie mame is that it doesn't feel old. the jokes in it could've been pulled right out of one of many conversations that has taken place in my house. the clothes are different, yes, and things are obviously not from this time period. but there's such a vague thing about the movie; it doesn't really follow the conventions of the time. the women in the stories are unmarried, fiercely independent, or married, yet have carved out stable careers for themselves and don't let any man tell them what they're capable of. it's not a reflection of the 1930's that it was set in, but somehow, a reflection of the world all these years later. people die, relationships fall apart, and yet the whole world just keeps on spinning. and i suppose it's this, mame's perseverance and continuous optimistic outlook on life despite everything that is thrown on her, that captivates me so much. i don't think it's any secret that i'm a half glass empty kind of girl (and very much an agnes), and yet, the life mame leads, and the way in which she lives it, speaks volumes to me. she's a person that i want to be able to become one day. she's the character that i know would not hesitate to prod me, and tell me all the things i can, and will achieve, if only i stop believing that i can't. 

"Oh Agnes, where is your spine? Here you've been taking my dictation for weeks and you don't get the message of my book. Live, that's the message!" 

"Live?"

"Yes! Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!"