Hearts Desire Dolls

It’s generally not a good sign when a film about an u-age virgin who falls in love with an over-the-hill p0rn star opens on a sandwich truck with a twenty-foot metal weenie welded to its roof. Relax. Meet Monica Velour is not simply another overlong string of frat boy gross-outs from Apatow Pictures.

The keys to the kingdom were handed over to Spielberg and Lucas when they started trading mega hits back in the 70s. Since then mall theatres have become asylums for nerds and nine-year-old boys going on forty. The thought of yet another dweeb comedy doesn't sit well, but some days you have to keep telling yourself that there is no such thing as a bad genre, only adolescent storytellers.

No whining, no existential crises, just a simple acknowledgment of what's happening. Sure, she's a little confused as to WHY it's happening, but aren't we all?

"AND THEN SHE WOKE UP"

That is one of the classic "twists" that creative writing classes try to prevent. You know the ones: it was all a dream, actually this is purgatory, we've all been trippin' on PCP, etc. But if ever the line "and then she woke up" is appropriate, it's here. It's a credit to Gaiman's restraint that he hasn't used this line until now.

In fact, he's killing two cliches in one stone: not only does the phrase end the previous story, it begins Rose's new story. And waking up is equally hackneyed at the front of a story as at the end. But it feels right here. Beautiful even....

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Jeanne -

Ok, I get it……NOW. Duh. I was getting your blog through my email and didn’t know you had this blog so you could make comments, thus, my comment about not being able to make a comment. Then you said you had 25 so I knew I was missing something. Are you laughing or frowning now? Did any of that make sense? Don’t frown….wrinkles…..I know all about that. I’m here now so all is good.

Ditto what I said in my email. Absolutely loved this post. We need more parents like you that show their children they are loved!

Connie (akalou) from Sterling, IL

What a sweet story and homage to your husband and son. Isn’t it wonderful when you find that special...

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