Hook

For those of you foolish enough to not know, the greatest movie ever made is Hook, directed by Steven Spielberg. It stars Robin Williams as Peter Banning/Peter Pan, Dustin Hoffman as Captain James Hook, and Julia Roberts as Tinker Bell. So its got the star power. More importantly, everyone plays their part to perfection, even the child actors who play The Lost Boys. It is well directed, the camera angles are well done, the set and costuming is some of the best that I have ever seen, and the score is one of the best I have ever heard. Most importantly, it is true to the genius work of Sir James Barrie. Almost every individual line is from his book. All the history is accurate. It is perfect. The basic premise is-what would happen if Peter Pan ever grew up? That is where the true greatness of it lies-even in this break from Barries classic, the film is still true to Barries ideals. I dont think that too many people catch it, but it is very important. I bring this up because today, I was watching the film, and I caught something that I had never caught before. The film is so great that this happens frequently. There are layers to it, and its almost like a religious experience for me to watch it. Its that great. Anyways, there is a pivital scene in the middle of the film where Captain Hook has captured Peter Bannings son, Jack, and is trying to make Jack love him as the ultimate revenge to Peter Pan (trust me, it all makes more sense if you just watch the movie). Hook is afraid of clocks, and the reasoning explicitly expressed in the movie is because he fears the crocodile that bit off his hand. This makes sense, and I will not deny that I believe that that is part of Hooks fear of clocks. But, we learn later in the film that Hook is "afraid of time, ticking away." This is a very adult theme, that as a child I did not grasp, and also did not grasp it while reading Mr. Barries book. But it is a very good metaphor, and it is what Mr. Barrie wanted. It is as if Spielberg adopted his mind. Also, it is a theme that unfortunately, is intended for children. It is unfortunate because children rarely can grasp that theme. Anyway, back to the scene, it opens with Hook being awakened by the feared sound of the clock. Previously in the film, Mr. Banning had given Jack his watch. It is this watch that awakens Hook. He escorts Jack to a museum filled with smashed clocks. Previously in the film we are alerted to the fact that Mr. Banning has broken several promises to Jack, and has overall been a disappointment as a father. Remember that Hooks intent is to make Jack love him. So, Hook instructs Jack to smash his fathers clock. Jack defiantly declares: "For making promises; and breaking them!" and then smashes the watch. Then, we see Jacks reflection in another clock as he says "For never letting me blow bubbles in my chocolate milk!" and Hook says: "Make time stand still." And finally, we see Jacks reflection again, and he says: "For never doing anything with me," this time significantly sadder. There are so many implications of this powerful scene that I dont even know where to begin. Firstly, it is the scene where Jack officially lets go of his dad and succumbs to the temptations of Captain Hook. We can just watch it in his face. The boy who plays Jack does a marvelous job, in this scene especially. Secondly, it is the scene where we see Jack become a man. This is represented in his initial giddines over being allowed to smash something, to becoming saddened over an emotional issue, a true sign of adulthood. This is Berrie-esque. Berrie was obsessed with the pure ecstacy of childhood, and the very real sharp turn it takes into being a man. This is portrayed beautifully through what I am sure is Spielbergs coaching in the face of Jack as he smashes each successive clock. It is a wonderfully depressing thing to watch in a manner of seconds. Jack goes from being a boy, to being a man, and Hook deprives him of his soul. It is so powerful. Thirdly, it is a visual metaphor for "making time stand still." Perhaps you have heard that the Lost Boys never grow up. This is not true. Berrie clearly explains in his book that only Peter never grows old. The other boys are just killed off by pirates and replaced rather quickly so it seems like they never grow old. One major theme of Berries book is that while childhood is a great and glorious time and should be dealt with carefully so as not to let it go to waste, and that, in fact, we should keep our inner child with us throughout our lives, but also, that it is of utmost importance that at some point, we do allow ourselves to grow up. This is where true happiness lies. Peter Pans happiness is false, and only comes from his ignorance. Hook has also deprived Jack of this. He has "made time stand still." So, he has put Jack in a very strange, uncomfortable, and altogether depressing situationl-he has grown up all too quickly, and yet, has been instructed to not let his mind wander into the adult world. See, Hook fears time ticking away, and he truly wants Jack to make time stand still so that he can be miserable like unto Hook. And that last bit, is what I discovered while watching today. In sum, it is a marvelous scene in a marvelous movie, and try as I might, I cannot accurately describe it to you.

Blessings:
My mom. She loves me and misses me and is the best mother anybody could ever ask for. Truly she is on this planet to help me survive daily life because I could not do it without her.