Monday, October 09, 2006

Even a no-one can become a someone

The very essence of a radio station is to broadcast the life of a city, a music the people want to hear, the voice that people acknowledge. Now when a pretentious voice for a town creates a genius illustration of ordinary people she winds up at the local jail. It is here where she finds the next world wonder.

Lonesome Roads as she immediately nicknames him, cracks jokes and riddles even at the mere idea of talking to Marcia in honor of her radio program. She loosens him up and tapes him singing of being a “free man in the morning.” The audience takes to him and yearns for more. This simple and reasonably awkward situation; where a woman is let into the jail cell full of drunken men in hopes of hearing some stories actually brings light to the movie as it introduces the soon to be main attraction.

As expected the man who woos the audience with his song is picked up the next morning and brought in to the station to continue his singing and words of wisdom. This scene is a classic image of how women are fighting against male dominance. Lonesome Roads decides to talk to the women of the town on his first radio show, stating how he realizes how hard they work and urging them to write to him. This actually if you think about it would still work today. If a man sided with women, and appreciated the work they did, women today would respond as they did in the movie.

The movie continues on with Lonesome being asked to appear on T.V. This also is a classic jump to stardom in which we see happen often with starlets today. For example Hilary Duff, playing Lizzie Maguire, now has a singing career along with a list of movies and endorsements she has appeared in. This was Lonesome Roads path to fame and fortune, and the audience could predict the future of this movie.
When Lonesome hits the television sets, his loud laugh and rambunctious personality makes the country fall in love with him. Like today our country is completely infatuated with its celebrities. He grows in fame and realizes his star power.

As Lonesome Roads, played by Andy Griffith, becomes an American idol. He has a mountain named after him, a boat with his name, and numerous magazine covers. Like today we smear our celebrities pictures and name over everything we read and touch, so back in 1967, they understood the power of a celebrity.

The movie continues to where Lonesome Roads judges a baton twirling contest and ends up marrying Betty Lou Fleckman, after he was to become engaged to Marcia. Of course this creates the controversy that almost every great American movie possesses. You could feel the tension mounting. As time goes on, Lonesome roads takes his fans for granted as well as his former intentions of pleasing the country with his songs and stories. He succumbs to his fame, and winds up drowning in his own power. He realizes how America eats up every single thing he says and does. He gets them to buy pills, vote for congress men.

Eventually Lonesome loses his nerves and “fires” his wife Betty Lou,which only shows the strange power of a star,this is just the beginning of the end for him. The movie hints at Lonesome becoming crazy as every good movie shows foretaste of what is to come.

The movie has a great ending in which Marcia keeps the sound going after one of Lonesome’s show in which he is degrading the people of America calling them slobs and unforgiving names. In a mere matter of seconds Lonesome becomes hated as he once became loved. Marcia admits to her betrayal and leaves Lonesome desperate for anyone’s love and attention, the classic tale of deception.

This great movie had the beginning interest, of finding Lonesome in jail and hearing his songs. His personality attracted and drew in the country’s heart.
The rise of character in the middle was well done with Lonesome becoming the ultimate idol for America.

Of course, the climaxing ending in which we see the rise and fall of a former drunk. The movie has great initial value detailing the strength and potential everyone has within.

Even a no-one can become a someone. While it was somewhat predicting, the movie was a great film for its time. Its underlying theme...shows how people will follow a star. The public will watch their shows, listen to their radio programs, and even vote for the congressman they support. Television has become the most powerful tool for our society. We will do as people tell us too.

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