Day 4,342—3 Runs until TK 100 and the Blue Moon Review—

 

      Despite not going to sleep until 10:30 last night, I was  awake at 4 a.m. with little difficulty. Yesterday was an immensely full day, which means I will be playing catch-up on all the things left undone today. I have both class next Monday and a Dentist appointment. Why is spring break always like this? I started running a little before 4:30, and I decided to sit at one of my favorite spots on a bench with so many initials that I began wondering how many children this family must have had to account for the dedication.

        I noticed one deer and then three more, and started thinking about how so many people don’t like deer or pigeons. Pigeons used to be the most popular pet in America, but suddenly, when we didn’t need to keep them for messages anymore, they all just ended up on the street. Deer are so plentiful because we killed all their natural predators, but what I find magical about deer is how they run. It is easy to see something exotic and find the beauty in it, but it is much more difficult and useful to find beauty in the everyday as if you were experiencing it for the first time.

        I didn’t realize that Blue Moon was directed by Richard Linklater until I saw the credits. It is a triumph of a movie. I think I know why it didn’t get nominated for more awards, but still, it is now in my top 5 movies of 2025, if not higher. It achieves something through the fast-paced dialogue and one main location that is truly captivating. The film transformed me back in time to experience this remarkable yet everyday experience with the author Lorenz Hart. I had never heard of him before, but I knew many of his songs. “My Funny Valentine” I have always loved since I first heard a version in High School. There is something so sad, so tragic, in what should be a simple love song, but nothing is clear in that song, nor in Lorenz Hart’s life, and the movie achieves that. Through some amazing performances, sure, but what I found truly striking was how fast the dialogue was and the editing that was seamless. We also got a love story that matches the ones in his most famous songs. They’re passionate, genuine, and yet unrequited and restrained. It's definitely worth a watch.