The fireworks scene is...

Yeah, that was nice. I live in a town that is similar to that and it still puts on a Fourth of July week of events and party just like that. Cell phone don't even detract from it all that much, they have been useful to help organizing meeting up with old friends.

This scene is simply beautiful. Even if you can't relate to it, there's no denying it's incredibly well made. For me, it's one of the best scenes ever.


You want something corny? You got it!

Fantastic!

When my mom and aunt were kids in the fifties and I was a kid in the seventies, we had block parties like that where nearly everyone on the street would bring a dish and beer and pop. Technology definitely put a damper on those simple things.

But then you're forgetting the awkward silences, the conversation dipping into nothingness, the eye contact that was cringe-inducing...technology thankfully got rid of that and we don't have to deal with that spit anymore.

I was talking about this scene with my students. Boy, it sure is different when looking through the lenses of today versus the 1990's.

I translate that scene so differently now. What was once a callback to the "simpler" times of the 1960's, the connection of friendship and neighbors and community, the lack of technology, etc. is now a scene of children staring at the sky with wonder. They see different colors and images. Different futures. All while "America, the Beautiful" plays in the background. It is almost eerie. The future could represent that American Dream we are all told about when we are young, and how we have that dark realization in regards to how flimsy that particular dream is.

It's 2016, and we have people still fighting for black rights, marriage equality, and prison reform. We are still struggling against capitalistic greed and over-consumption.

Like I said, this scene spurs a lot more thoughts and feelings than when I was a child... It's interesting.

Grant discovered raptor eggs in Jurassic Park

This is kinda corny to say but this scene makes me proud to be an American. It was beautiful.

I don't think technology has anything to do with it. The scene was just so tinged with the glee and awe of a child that it made my eyes water. As we grow up we get stressed out and slowly lose people we could rely on. As the daily troubles of commutes, back-to-back meetings and arguments at home start popping up one by one, we don't have the time to step back to admire the beauty of life. Seeing the expression on these kid's faces as they look at the fireworks light up the sky is something to be seen to be believed. It reminds me of an American Beauty quote: "Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world, I feel like I can't take it, and my heart is just going to cave in." There is something so raw in their expressions, something so deep and genuine, that it truly does make it one of the best (and underrated) scenes in cinema. I think at that moment, they have discovered the beauty in life. With their kid eyes, at least.

Best movie ever.