Mike Batie - More Thoughts on "Perks of Being a Wallflower"

I was thinking about what happened to Charlie when he was a child, and how it affected him as he got older. Many people may not realize just how much things that happen to children will affect them throughout their entire lives.

Oh the breakdown scene...maybe a little too close to home,
but I knew exactly how the character felt. —Mike Batie

I read that the age bracket of 6-9 is crucial years when children are forming to a greater degree their own identity—mental, emotional, gender, etc. So when things happen to kids during this time, speaking of abuse, it can really screw them up into adulthood, because trauma was introduced into those tender formative years. I was grateful to see the conflicted character of Charlie in this movie, who was dealing with things that happened to him in his childhood, that he so dearly sought to repress and forget about, but it only got worse. Many survivors of childhood trauma can relate to the flashbacks, seeing things, breakdowns...trying to hold it all in but at some point retreating somewhere private to breakdown. Even if the story is fiction, the author clearly knows what he wrote about.

Mike Batie reviews "The Perks of Being a Wallflower"

Well there is just so much that I can say about The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Such a wonderfully moving movie! I think many can identify with Charlie, feeling apart from everyone, not sure if he's sane all the time.

I am grateful that my dear friend Nikki introduced me to this movie. It was good to find a character in a movie that I could just connect with so much. There is a great quote in the movie that I'm going to butcher, but Charlie says that his doctor told him, "We can't choose where we come from, but we can choose where to go from there." 

Mike Batie - Daily Quote

Today Mike Batie's qoute is this: "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less." —C.S. Lewis

Mr. Lewis certainly had a lot of good things to say, he is very quotable. I have collected quite a number of his quotes. I love how he worded what it means to be humble. It doesn't mean being a doormat. That is how I mistakenly viewed myself as being humble, as being a doormat and letting someone walk all over me. This person would try to define me, tell me who I was, and they were often dead wrong...but I would cower or shy away from correcting them or standing my ground, because I thought I was being humble. This person would say mean and hurtful things that made me feel stupid all the time...and I would not stand up for myself or tell them to knock it off because I thought I was being humble, that I was keeping the peace. I could go on and on with examples, but you get the idea. I had the definition of humility all wrong. I THOUGHT LESS OF MYSELF by allowing someone to walk all over me. I should have spoken my mind or gotten the heck out. Now I know that humility is about thinking more about other people, and not thinking less of myself.

Mike Batie reviews "Jack Reacher"

I was pleasantly surprised. I had heard this movie was good, but had some doubts. I came away relatively pleased with the experience. Some of the scenes were disturbing, at least 6 innocent people are killed in this movie, and not in a nice way. That's rather unsettling for me, especially the way it was shown. I can say that the action, plot and even some humor are rather good. I liked the mystery that the movie takes you through the process of solving.

One funny thing, this movie highlights Tom Cruise a lot...like I feel like it worships him, in a "He's still as hot or bad-a as he was in Top Gun." But he's old, and getting older. I just thought it was entertaining in that respect too, like if  you thought about it enough in certain scenes, it was laughable.

All-in-all, I liked this movie pretty well and think any guy would enjoy its action and some good humor that doesn't feel out of place in this action thriller. Mike Batie gives this movie a thumbs-up.

Mike Batie - A New Year - 2013

Mike Batie here again. I'm not going to lie. The year 2012 was the year I hit rock bottom, and when I finally landed at the bottom and lay there on my back, I looked up and saw how far I had to ascend to get to where I both wanted and needed to be. I am amazed at how quickly that ascent has been! Letting go and giving up on things and certain people, and focusing on areas of my metaphorical "garden" that needed tending, and letting the weeds die off on their own while I focused and turned my attention to better things.

I have taken great comfort, solace and motivation in a quote by J.K. Rowling: "Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life." What a positive statement. I can see myself no longer standing on a rickety and unstable foundation I'd built (or rather thrown together) over my life and used coping mechanisms to do a balancing act on that unstable pile. Well now that that has been torn down, I can rebuild on a really solid foundation. I like who I am now, who I am becoming, and where I am going in life. New Year's is about new beginnings, and this year is certainly one I am grateful in which to have to begin anew.

Mike Batie - New Year's Eve: The End of 2012

Well, it's the New Year's Eve that wasn't supposed to be. The earth survived threats of an end to the world sparked by misinterpretations of Mayan calendars and the United States survived a very bitterly divisive election year.

2012 was probably one of the hardest years of my life, but also one of the most rewarding. It was in this year that I was rescued from an awful pit that I was in. With the love and support of my amazing parents, family, and friends, I was able to finally let go and move forward in healing, progressing and getting on with life.

I am forever grateful to those who helped me get through this rough year, there are many who probably don't even know they were a huge influence in helping me get through this year, and come out on the other end a more whole and complete person.

Mike Batie - Daily Quote 12/30/2012

"The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny."

—Albert Ellis

How empowering it is to realize that our situation and our problems are our own, and they belong to us. When we own our problems and seek to work towards resolving them, instead of blaming others, we can really move forward in our lives and really that is when you become more of an adult. It reminds me of another hidden gem of a quote in The Wizard of Oz, when the Good Witch says, "You had the power all along my dear."

Mike Batie - Review of Les Misérables

Ah, the epic awaited by so many this year. I've read that beast of a novel, and so I feel like I get so much more out of the musical, having the backstory on many characters.

I think it's pretty well understood by most that this is a fantastic movie and there's a reason why the musical has been so successful—it's good. Here were my thoughts on the movie, as far as criticisms go, according to Mike Batie:

1) Russell Crowe was kind of disappointing as Javert. I felt like his singing dialogue parts were rather hard to listen to, they just didn't flow well. I do have to say however, I think he did really well on his solo in "Stars." That rather surprised me, based on the earlier singing in the movie that he did, so I have to give him props there, after some of what I thought was horrid singing dialogue, he was rather a delightful voice in "Stars."

2) Hugh Jackman did well as Jean Val Jean, but I also did kind of feel the same about Jackman as I did of Crowe in the singing dialogues; it was a little harsh on the ears. At a few points I wasn't sure Jackman knew if he were going to sing a line or speak a line and that's what it sounded like. Other than that I think he did well, he doesn't have a bad voice, but I also don't think it's a remarkably good voice either. I really liked the new musical number added to this film version performed by Jackman, "Suddenly." I felt like he was in his element with this number.

Okay, now that my criticisms are out of the way, I must praise the casting for the younger characters, particularly Amanda Seyfried, Samantha Barks and Eddie Redmayne. Their trio of "A Heart Full of Love" was divine by the final note. Seyfried hits some beautiful high notes in a couple of songs. Barks is perfect with her powerhouse voice in "On My Own," and Redmayne is impressive in "Empty Chairs At Empty Tables," which I've always thought is a difficult song for a man to sing, but Redmayne proves his dynamic voice range well. There's been buzz that Redmayne will likely be nominated for best supporting male actor, and I wouldn't argue that it isn't deserved.

And then of course, Anne Hathaway blows us away with her emotionally charged "I Dreamed A Dream." I really felt the raw emotion of that song, and who couldn't feel something of their own lives in that song, dreams that you've dreamed yourself and life turns out to deal you a different set of cards than you'd hoped for.

All-in-all, Mike Batie would say this is one great musical brought to film.

Mike Batie - Daily Quote 12/29/12

“Those who do not weep, do not see.” 

―Victor Hugo, Les Misérables 

I almost forgot a quote for today, so here it is. Obviously since I saw the film recently and have been re-reading the novel, quotes from Les Misérables have been at the forefront of my mind.

I think of the times where I have been so profoundly moved to tears, whether for good or bad. It is those times when I am most moved to tears that I feel I  have truly seen...that I have seen much deeper into something, whether joy, beauty, tragedy or loss.

I have known a few people who I have never known to weep, or seen them profoundly moved enough (for good or bad) to weep. I wondered how they get along through life without such deep emotions. I often wonder if their lives feel robotic, without emotion enough to be overwhelmed by beauty to tears, or overwhelmed by loss to tears. I wonder if they can truly see the beauty and feel the sting of loss. So when I think of this I think of them, and I wonder, "Do they see?" Perhaps they are prisoners to emotions that they keep bottled inside and do not express.

Until next time, Mike Batie asks that you try to "see" a little more in every aspect of life. And it's okay if it makes you cry.

Mike Batie Reviews "The Hobbit"

Mike Batie here, this is my first blog post. I saw The Hobbit tonight with my parents. It was entertaining. I've never read the book, so I can only judge it as a movie. I was surprised how quickly the nearly 3 hour movie passed by. I credit that to there being a decent amount of action. I had heard from several people that it was painful to sit through, and from some that they had to take naps during the movie to make it through. I thought I would be one of those people, but apparently I wasn't. I can honestly say I was entertained. Best parts of the film were of course Gollum, and a musical number, "Song of the Lonely Mountain." Long story short, I was pleasantly surprised that I did not become bored or restless in this one. The storyline was easy to follow, the characters seemed to have a clear goal and the plot pushed toward that. There was plenty of action and some moments of suspense that kept this movie rolling along.