fly on, freebird.

My mom has a friend (Mary) who's mother died a few years ago. This Mary's mom had stated before her death that she wished to be cremated, and Mary complied with that wish. Mary picked up her mom's ashes from the funeral home, and then proceeded to ride around with them in her back seat for several weeks. At first, it was because she didn't know what to do with them yet, but then she got to kind of liking having her mom so close.

I saw Elizabethtown this week, actually for the second time, because I liked it so much. I laughed, I cried, laughed again, cried again, cry, cry, laugh. It wasn't a perfect movie, a little slow in places, and Kristen Dunst's Southern accent was a little...well, lets call it "vague." (SUB-stitute people)

But other than that, it was a movie that really stuck with me, and the music made up for the uneven spots. The music...can we pause and talk about the music? Cameron Crowe is a genius. On top of "Almost Famous" and "Say Anything", he has created another soundtrack that defines the movie as much as the characters do.

When Drew puts his father's urn into the trunk after he picks them up from the funeral home, but then-- can't leave his dad! in the trunk!, he needs to be safely buckled into the passenger seat!-- I understand where my mom's friend Mary was coming from. Even though it was only his body, and his soul was in another place, we still have attachment to the physical. Incidentally, my mom, dad, and I all favor cremation for ourselves...my mom as a good Episcopalian, my dad as a sailor who wants to be scattered in the ocean and the lake, and me, as someone tring to save space. (no, I'm just kidding...I have deeper thoughts on the issue). I joke with both of them that I'm going to keep them on my mantle.

Beautiful movie, beautiful sentiment. Go see it, and see the place I lived for 3 years. And also see Memphis, the place I grew up.