The Little Prince Movie Review

Hey everyone! Recently, a movie based off of the book "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (I wrote a blog post about it here) just came out on Netflix. Since I have read The Little Prince, and really enjoyed it, I figured that I would write a review about the movie. I promise I will do my best not to give out any spoilers!

Let me start off by saying that I thought that the movie definitely did not include enough of the original material from the book in it. The movie had a whole new plot line about a young girl, wrapped up in her struggle of trying to get into a special school. Getting into this school was considered a real accomplishment, and this little girl tries very hard to get into it, thinking that getting accepted was the most essential thing to her "Life Plan". From there, the producers weave in the story of The Little Prince, and how Exupery's ideas of how the most important thing (love) can be implemented into our lives. Probably eighty-five percent of the movie was made up material. Honestly, I think that the original story by Saint-Exupery was way better than the one created by the producers, and I think that the movie would've been great without the additional material. They even went to such an extent in adding in the new plot that large chunks of the book were not included!

Despite the fact that the movie missed out on a huge part of the book, the part that it did cover was done very nicely. They expressed, in some of Saint-Exupery's own words, some of the most meaningful and important parts of the book (including the main theme of love, which I wrote about in the blog post linked above). Many of the original illustrations from the book were also used in the movie, which made it seem more closely related to the book. In addition, the movie was very touching (I will admit that I was in tears by the end!) The characters were developed very well, and the movie made up for what it was lacking in accuracy in tenderness and a meaningful plot.

So, overall, I enjoyed the movie, but thought it could use some improvement. I think, personally, that the book deserved more attention and cover, and that the movie had too much new material. I would probably rate this movie 3 stars out of five. It was  a very touching and beautiful story, and for that reason I appreciated it. I think that this was a well-made movie, and, while it could have used some improvement, it is well worth watching.

From my Commonplace Book...

Some of My Favorite J.R.R. Tolkien Poems

Here is a collection of some of my favorite poems by J.R.R. Tolkien, author of  The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (some of my favorite books!), not to mention many other fascinating works. Not only was he a superbly skilled writer, Tolkien knew exactly how to put words, rhyme, and meaning together to make some truly beautiful poetry. I hope you enjoy reading this poetry as much as I have!

The Road goes Ever on and on

Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon.

Roads go ever ever on,
Under cloud and under star.
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen,
And horror in the halls of stone
Look at last on meadows green,
And trees and hills they long have known.

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with weary feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

The Road goes ever on and on
Out from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone.
Let others follow, if they can!
Let them a journey new begin.
But I at last with weary feet
Will turn towards the lighted inn,
My evening-rest and sleep to meet.

Still 'round the corner there may wait
A new road or secret gate;
And though I oft have passed them by,
A day will come at last when I
Shall take the hidden paths that run
West of the Moon, East of the Sun.

Luthien Tinuviel

"The leaves were long, the grass was green,

The hemlock-umbels tall and fair,
And in the glade a light was seen
Of stars in shadow shimmering.
Tinuviel was dancing there
To music of a pipe unseen,
And light of stars was in her hair,
And in her raiment glimmering.

There Beren came from mountains cold.
And lost he wandered under leaves,
And where the Elven-river rolled
He walked alone and sorrowing.
He peered between the hemlock-leaves
And saw in wonder flowers of gold
Upon her mantle and her sleeves,
And her hair like shadow following.

Enchantment healed his weary feet
That over hills were doomed to roam;
And forth he hastened, strong and fleet,
And grasped at moonbeams glistening.
Through woven woods in Elvenhome
She lightly fled on dancing feet,
And left him lonely still to roam
In the silent forest listening.

He heard there oft the flying sound
Of feet as light as linden-leaves,
Or music welling underground,
In hidden hollows quavering.
Now withered lay the hemlock-sheaves,
And one by one with sighing sound
Whispering fell the beachen leaves
In wintry woodland wavering.

He sought her ever, wandering far
Where leaves of years were thickly strewn,
By light of moon and ray of star
In frosty heavens shivering.
Her mantle glinted in the moon,
As on a hill-top high and far
She danced, and at her feet was strewn
A mist of silver quivering.

When winter passed, she came again,
And her song released the sudden spring,
Like rising lark, and falling rain,
And melting water bubbling.
He saw the elven-flowers spring
About her feet, and healed again
He longed by her to dance and sing
Upon the grass untroubling.

Again she fled, but swift he came,
Tinuviel! Tinuviel!
He called her by her elvish name;
And there she halted listening.
One moment stood she, and a spell
His voice laid on her: Beren came,
And doom fell on Tinuviel
That in his arms lay glistening.

As Beren looked into her eyes
Within the shadows of her hair,
The trembling starlight of the skies
He saw there mirrored shimmering.
Tinuviel the elven-fair,
Immortal maiden elven-wise,
About him cast her shadowy hair
And arms like silver glimmering.

Long was the way that fate them bore,
O'er stony mountains cold and grey,
Through halls of iron and darkling door,
And woods of nightshade morrowless.
The Sundering Seas between them lay,
And yet at last they met once more,
And long ago they passed away
In the forest singing sorrowless."

At the Gray Havens

Day is ended, dim my eyes,
But journey long before me lies.
Farewell, friends! I hear the call.
The ship's beside the stony wall.
Foam is white and waves are grey;
beyond the sunset leads my way.
Foam is salt, the wind is free;
I hear the rising of the sea.

Farewell, friends! The sails are set,
the wind is east, the moorings fret.
Shadows long before me lie,
beneath the ever-bending sky,
but islands lie behind the Sun
that I shall raise ere all is done;
lands there are to west of West,
where night is quiet and sleep is rest.

Guided by the Lonely Star,
beyond the utmost harbour-bar,
I'll find the heavens fair and free,
and beaches of the Starlit Sea.
Ship my ship! I seek the West,
and fields and mountains ever blest.
Farewell to Middle-earth at last.
I see the star above my mast!

In Western Lands beneath the Sun

In western lands beneath the Sun

the flowers may rise in Spring,

the trees may bud, the waters run,

the merry finches sing.

Or there maybe 'tis cloudless night

and swaying beeches bear

the Elven-stars as jewels white

amid their branching hair.

Though here at journey's end I lie

in darkness buried deep,

beyond all towers strong and high,

beyond all mountains steep,

above all shadows rides the Sun

and Stars forever dwell:

I will not say the Day is done,

nor bid the Stars farewell.

What is Really Important?

A couple of months ago, I finished reading The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, and have really enjoyed it. What an amazing book! In The Little Prince, Saint-Exupery explains that what is really important is invisible. In the end, the matters of consequence (i.e. buying lots of things, worrying about the way we look, making the most money out of everyone in our circles, having the nicest car, etc.) that many people worry about are not at all important.
   
“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.”  
   
The Little Prince tells of the travels of a little boy, the prince, who lives on Asteroid B-612. When a beautiful kind of flower that the Little Prince has never seen before, a rose, blooms on the Little Prince's asteroid, the prince immediately falls in love with the beautiful flower. He took special pains to ensure her comfort and safety. However, the Prince was hurt by the flower's condescending vanity, and, thinking that she did not want him, left Asteroid B-612. After a series of interesting events, the prince landed on earth, where he met a pilot who was wrecked in the Sahara desert. After a few days, the Little Prince and the pilot (the author) get to know each other. The pilot especially learns a lot about the little prince, including his rose. When the pilot accidentally tells the Little Prince that with one bite, an unsuspecting sheep could eat his rose, the Prince realizes how much he really cares about his rose. The Little Prince sobs out:

""If some one loves a flower, of which just one single blossom grows in all the millions and millions of stars, it is enough to make him happy just to look at the stars. He can say to himself, 'Somewhere, my flower is there . . .' But if the sheep eats the flower, in one moment all his stars will be darkened... And you think that is not important!""

Isn't that amazing? If some one loves a rose, it can make him happy just to look at the stars, because he knows his roseis out there. It is the invisible relationship between the rose and the Prince that is so important.

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye."

The Little Prince slowly begins to understand that his relationship with his rose was much more than putting a screen over her at night, and watering her carefully, it was a real love and care that they both had developed for each other. It was not that the screens and watering didn't matter, in fact, they developed those bonds. They were needed to form the Prince and Rose's invisible relationship. But the relationship was what was truly important.

Later in the book, we see that the Little Prince has discovered that his rose is, well, not quite as unique as he thought she was. In fact, there many gardens that are full of roses just like his. But are those roses just like his?

At first, the Little Prince was devastated to find that his rose was not the only one of her kind, and that he was not quite so rich as he thought himself to be, but he begins to understand more completely the fact that what is important is invisible, when he meets a fox. From this fox, the Little Prince learns that it is not the rose's singularity that makes her so special, but the fact that he had tamed her, and that he had watered her, he had killed the caterpillars that climbed her, he had set up a screen to block the drafts. It was the time that he had given for his rose that made her so special. The things that he had done for her had built a invisible relationship that was indestructible.

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye."

The stars are beautiful because of a flower that cannot be seen. The flower is beautiful because of time that has been given for her.

What is really important is invisible. It does not matter, in the end, whether or not our neighbors had a better car than us, our if we managed to always look "dressed to the nines" while in public, or if we owned a bigger house than anyone on the block. In the end, it is the moments given for those we love that matter. It is the cookies you made for a new neighbor when you could be updating your social media profile. It is the smile you gave a friend when you might be shopping for that new blouse you'll need for an upcoming event. It is the friendship you made with the lonely, the one without a friend. All those things build relationships with people, and relationships (though invisible) are the most important thing in this world. God sent us here for one purpose, to bring others to Him. The only way that we can do that is through relationships. What is really important can only be seen with the heart.

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.”  

This has made such an impression on me that I cannot forget it. It is so scary to think that we might waste our whole lives seeking after things that don't really matter. In fact, this is so important to me, that I want to share it with everyone I meet! Please, please, please, take a little time to read this amazing book. It is relatively short and easy to read, and only requires a few minutes each day. You can find the text for free here (although, it really is better when you can hold it in your hands and underline your favorite quotes!) Thanks for stopping by!

One Nation Under God

I have been reading Whatever Happened to Justice by Richard Maybury, and think that it is SUPER interesting. In chapter two, Maybury quotes John Quincy Adams, saying, "Our political way of life is by the laws of nature and of nature’s God, and of course presupposes the existence of God, the moral ruler of the universe, and a rule of right and wrong, of just and unjust, binding upon man, preceding all institutions of human society and government."
Wow! So, this means that unless we believe in God, then our political life, our laws, the constitution, will not make sense. But there are plenty of people who don't believe in God, and I am sure that they feel like they understand the law perfectly well! Maybury himself, in a later chapter, explains that there are really only two fundamental laws: do not encroach on another person or their property, and do all that you have agreed to do. He clearly states that no matter what God you believe in, no matter what religion you follow, most everyone agrees upon these laws. So, why is Maybury implying that unless we believe in God, our Constitution will not make sense?
Well, let's go back in time a little bit, to the year 1787. In that year, the Constitution was written by Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was asked by a Committee of Five to write the Constitution. The Committee consisted of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Rodger Sherman. Why did the Committee want Jefferson to write the Constitution? These four men wanted Jefferson to write the constitution to secure their freedom and rights. The pilgrims had fled England so that they might worship their God in peace. Our founding fathers were not about to give up the rights that they had fought for so hard to any other kings, monarchs, or sovereigns. They loved being able to worship their God their way! So Thomas Jefferson wrote a document that clearly stated our freedoms and our laws. He was able to do so because the pilgrims had founded a new land so that they would be able to worship God in peace! The whole idea behind the New World was freedom of religion!
Thus, the constitution was written to protect religious rights! So what John Quincy Adams is really saying, is "Since our country was founded on religious rights, beliefs, and freedoms, anyone who does not know and love God, will not ever be able to fully appreciate or understand our constitution." Sure, America has other freedoms and rights that other countries do not, like freedom of guns, speech, and of assembly, but the main freedom that America, and every American, possesses, is freedom of religion. Even though the two fundamental laws keep us in order, and non-believers can still understand the constitution, it will never mean as much to them as it does to Christians.
So, what is the point of all this? Well, maybe it's because I myself didn't quite understand what Adams meant until now :). But I also think that it is extremely fascinating how and why America works, and the more I study it, the more I become intrigued. God and America's government are inseparable. No matter what the government says or does, God's power has been knit into the foundations of America, and sooner or later, politicians will have to realize that. Every time we say the pledge of allegiance, we agree that this, our country, was built upon the foundations of God's Word, and that cannot be changed.

Faith Through Trial

Sitting in the car, my sisters and I chatted as we waited for my mom to return from the AT&T store. She was buying a new phone. It was wet and windy outside, but in the car, it was warm and cozy. The minutes dragged on. Heads nodded. All of a sudden, the most unexpected thing happened- sirens flared, and some police cars shot past us. There was an uncomfortable silence. The reason for the sirens, no one could guess.
Meanwhile, as my mom sat in the AT&T store, waiting on the saleslady, an attendant mentioned that a tornado had just touched down a few streets away, and everyone needed to be ready to get into the safe room, if things got bad.
Miles away in Dallas, my aunt and grandmother shopped at the Galleria. They were picking out gifts for my cousins, Georgia and Emily. In Lindale, red lights flashed, and the wind picked up, but they did not know.
At the Old Mill Pond Museum, in Lindale TX, my cousins, Georgia and Emily, were exploring. The two girls ran excitedly through each of the exhibits, looking at old tools, toys, and buildings. After an hour or so, they left, and returned home.
What none of us knew, or were expecting, was that a tornado was touching down right next to our cousins’ home- at that very moment! It was truly horrifying. After discovering the news, me, my mom, and sisters, left the AT&T store, and drove up to the Pierce’s house to check on it. It was like driving into a nightmare. The front yard was littered with trees and tree limbs. No one could actually see the house. Their electric gate was stuck closed. Suddenly, up the drive ran Georgia and Emily. It was so relieving to know that they were alright. There, in the rain, we cried together and comforted one and other.
We were so happy to discover that no one was hurt, and the house was not damaged. I was reminded of God’s hand, which is watching over us every moment. If the tornado had been a few feet closer to the house, and if my cousins had not been detained by their Dad’s issues at work, and my aunt not in Dallas, miles away, things could have turned out much differently.
Over twenty years ago, my aunt, aged 12, was knocked out of a go-cart at an amusement park. She suffered serious head injury, and was sent from the top of her class, back to the basics. She barely survived. Only a few years after that, my would-be-aunt Shawna was killed in a car accident. She was sitting in the back seat, right next to a little baby that she had been babysitting. As her car passed a street intersection, another car whizzed past a stop sign, colliding into Shawna’s car. Both Shawna and the baby were killed.
When we were met by our cousins at the gate, Georgia, age 9, referred to one of these stories. “You know when that go-cart hit my mom? It was a test. It was a test of faith [in God]. This was our test.”
However simply it may have been said, Georgia was right. Over the years, our family has suffered. From strokes, to car accidents; from diabetes, to head injuries, we have not missed out on any of the suffering of this world. However, we have an unending source of comfort and strength. This comfort and strength comes through God. When we think we have suffered more than anyone, we remember the words of Genesis 6:5-6: “The Lord saw that the wickedness (depravity) of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination or intent of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually. ⁶ The Lord regretted that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was [deeply] grieved in His heart.” When we think that we have no more strength left, we remember the words of the psalmist: 

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
 I will fear no evil, 
 For you are with me;
 Your rod and your staff,
 They comfort me.
…
⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

God has been our comfort and solace in hard times. He has been and will remain greater than any trials and sufferings on this earth.