My "To Do" List

By Susan Varno

I love THE BUCKET LIST (2007), but I don’t like its grim implications. So here is a list of things I want to do in the future. These were inspired by seeing other people do them in the movies.
I want to visit a movie set. In HOLLYWOOD ENDING (2002), a demanding but brilliant director (Woody Allen) deals with temperamental actors and crew. Done in documentary style, FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION (2006) visits the set of an indie film where the director (real director Christopher Guest) encourages the actors to make up their own lines. A producer (Robert DeNiro) asks WHAT JUST HAPPENED? (2008) as he remakes a movie that didn’t screen well. For location shooting, a 1930’s director (Jack Black) transports his crew to spooky Skull Island to film KING KONG (2005). The giant ape shows up along with a herd of dinosaurs. See also TROPIC THUNDER (2008).
I’m not into dogs, shopping or cooking, but I want to write a personal experience column. A woman (Isla Fisher) writes CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC (2009), a magazine column about her obsession that led to twelve maxxed out credit cards. MARLEY AND ME (2008) is the true story of a journalist (Owen Wilson) who wrote a “lifestyles” newspaper column about his family and their lovable but untrainable Labrador retriever. In JULIE AND JULIA (2009), a blogger (Amy Adams) described how she cooked all of Julia Child’s French cuisine recipes. This led to a book and a movie.
I’d like to meet some of the real people portrayed in movies. According to Wikipedia, these people are still alive. Valerie Plame Wilson (Naomi Watts) became FAIR GAME (2010) when her husband (Sean Penn) criticized the Bush Administration for invading Iraq. A newspaper revealed she was an undercover CIA agent, endangering her life and ending her career. As a way of meeting girls, computer genius Mark Zuckerburg (Jesse Eisenberg) created Facebook. Later he discovered THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010) was changing how people communicate worldwide. CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND (2002) describes game show producer Chuck Barris (Sam Rockwell), and THE HOAX (2006) shows how Clifford Irving (Richard Gere) wrote an autobiography of Howard Hughes without interviewing the man.
I want to serve on a jury. How would I have voted in the following cases? In 1987, federal prosecutors in New York City charged twenty members of the Lucchese family with criminal conspiracy. Acting as his own lawyer, cousin Jackie DiNorscio (Vin Diesel) asked the jury to FIND ME GUILTY (2006) but let the rest go. RUNAWAY JURY (2003) shows the trial and jury deliberations of a multimillion dollar suit against a gun manufacturer. One juror (John Cusack) tries to sell his vote. THE LINCOLN LAWYER (2011-Matthew McConaughey) defends a rich man (Ryan Phillippe) accused of beating a woman he picked up in a bar. See also THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE (2005).
The world awaits, and I want to see it. French queen MARIE ANTOINETTE (2006-Kirsten Dunst) lived at the Palace of Versailles from 1769 until the French Revolution. Her home still exists as the National Museum and gardens. YOUNG VICTORIA (2009—Emily Blunt) ruled England from 1827 until 1901 living at Buckingham Palace and several country estates. Similar English palaces are open for tours. IN BRUGES (2008), Belgium, are medieval towers, gothic churches, romantic bridges and quaint homes, untouched by the destruction of World War II. Before all the ice melts, I’d like to visit Antarctica. For a preview, see MARCH OF THE PENGUINS (2005) and WHITEOUT (2009).
The wind in my hair, bugs hitting my teeth, I’d like to ride a motorcycle. BIKER BOYZ (2003) are young men who street race their cycles late at night. They pop wheelies, fly through the air, and sometimes wipeout and die. TORQUE (2004) has bikers involved in crystal meth, but the rides are sweet. At my age, I need to ride with senior citizens. New Zealander Burt Munro (Anthony Hopkins) rebuilt THE WORLD'S FASTEST INDIAN (2005), his 1920 V Wing Indian Scout motorcycle and set off to race for the world speed record at Utah’s Salt Flats. I picture myself riding behind John Travolta with the WILD HOGS (2007). He and three other middle aged guys (Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy) “grow up” as they ride from Ohio to the Pacific Ocean with stops for run-ins with biker gangs.
I’ve never stayed out all night, but I want to. After a high school nerd (Paul Rust) announces I LOVE YOU BETH COOPER (2009) at graduation, she (Hayden Panettiere) invites him to party at her house. When her boyfriend shows up, they escape and drive around all night getting acquainted. In TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT (2011), a recent college grad (Topher Grace) pretends he has a high profile job to impress his high school crush (Teresa Palmer). She invites him to a Beverly Hills party which leads to a night of adventures. A couple’s (Steve Carell and Tina Fey) once a week DATE NIGHT (2010) leads to fleeing from gangsters until sunrise. My favorite “out all night” movie is HAROLD AND KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE (2004). Inspired by a munchies attack, roommates (Kal Penn and John Cho) spend the night in a quest for small, square hamburgers. Along the way they visit a coed dorm, steal a car, end up in jail and more. See also SLEEPOVER (2004).
What movies will you research for your “to do” list?