(2013) ****
Jim should be having a great time
because he is about to spend the day at Disney World. While taking in the view from the balcony of
his Contemporary Resort Hotel room he receives a phone call informing him that
he is terminated from his job. Keeping
this devastating news to himself he takes his family to the Magic Kingdom
Throughout the course of the day
Jim begins to decompensate. Characters
on the famous rides appear demonic and he becomes obsessed with two teenage
French girls who he avidly stalks around the park. Along the way he hooks up with a “witch” who
cryptically warns him about straying too far from his comfortable life. Once in EPCOT he is separated from his
family, captured by corporate thugs and learns the dark secrets of Spaceship
Earth.
Although not always cohesive
Escape From Tomorrow seems to be tackling a few large themes. First, the story might be viewed as the
ultimate midlife crisis. Director Randy
Moore wisely sets his story in the “happiest place on Earth”. Jim seems to be re-evaluating his life. Losing his job strips him of part of his
identity and his wife is portrayed as an unbearable, bitchy companion. Consequently he is tempted by the forbidden
fruit of teenage girls while imbibing like a frat boy.
Escape From Tomorrow also seems to
be a comment on Disney World itself.
When you step into Disney World it is easy to forget that it is not
real. Anything seems possible and everything
is magical when you visit the Disney parks.
In Escape From Tomorrow we see the dark underbelly of the “happiest
place on Earth” and are reminded that beneath the “magic” is a corporation that
constantly taps into the minds of its customers in order to manufacture future
“fun” for the bottom line.
I love Disney World and most
recently visited it 3 years ago with JSP and family. We stayed at the Contemporary Resort Hotel
(the best place to stay because it is a 5 minute walk to the gates of the Magic Kingdom
9 comments:
I feel like I need to watch this just to give an unbiased opinion since the one and only time I went to Disney World was when I was 14 years old and virtually remember nothing about it.
Great review! There is definitely a lot to dig deep on with this one. I think that Disney is such a complex issue, one you get to unfold at each stage in your life. The childhood happiness, the bitter realization that it's all fake, the obligatory trip to appease others, and finally complacency as you realize you can't do anything to change its image or its meaning for others.
Regardless -- having never been to Florida I will have to pick up some MM ears one of these days at Disney World.
Nice review JPX! I knew you'd love this movie. I'm glad it lived up to your expectations.
Cool! This seems to be the one to watch this year. We stayed at the Contemporary when we went to Disney when I was six. Good memories!
I think I need to see this. Disney is, as Crystal says, a complex issue. I don't have any bitterness associated with its fakeness because my fave Disneyland memories are as an adult (a few days before my friends' wedding a group of ten of us hit the Happiest Place on Earth in a state of extreme non-sobriety).
I thought "decompensate" was a typo but it's shrink-speak. Shoulda known!
so i'm guessing the mental illness component isn't a detractor for you, jpx? so hard to get right on film.
AC, Escape From Tomorrow does an excellent job depicting a psychotic break - you need to check it out!
Yeah, I gotta see this just to check out how the guy was able to pull it off. I read that Disney seems to be choosing not to sue him because that would only create more of a story than they want.
That was a great review! More like a verbal "trailer" than simply a review! I must see it!! Just discovered this blog at the advice of a friend, and it's so informative and exactly what I'm looking for!! Thank you for blogging!!
Post a Comment