an american genre

I am watching the cheesy end of the world movie "Deep Impact". And I am crying. Seriously. The whole scenario just gets to me. The typical elements of the courageous heroes, the chaos, the heart-ache, the reflection, the do-ers, the waiters ... everything. I think the reason I like these movies the most is because these scenarios - whether it be aliens taking over, an asteroid headed for earth, global warming, an earthquake, a volcano, whatever - simplify life. They force humanity back to the basics, back to the the things that matter most.

Honestly, I get shivers every time I watch these movies. Laugh, make fun, whatever. You know every time you watch a movie like this you think about how you would react or what you would do differently. I know I do. I even wrote a paper in college about the way in which disaster films reflect American culture - we are the only culture or country that have this genre and continue to make these films over and over again. Isn't that interesting? In the 70's they were huge and made a come back in the 90's with new computer animation and effects. In a nut shell it has to do with the American ideal of perseverance and in a sense it reminds us of how this country was built - out of adversity and against all odds. Americans always band together and pull through in these films and in our collective mind.

They typically have a scene where the President of the United States has this ultra-patriotic speech or two about how we are a people that believe in a God, even if it is not the same one, and that we will survive, our way of life will go on! It moves me to tears every time. In Deep Impact the President is Morgan Freeman and in Independence Day the President is Bill Pullman .... ahhh, so good.

In Deep Impact there is another scene that gets me. Young Elijah Wood asks young Leelee Sobieski to marry him so he can save her and her family in the governments hidden caverns. In the end her family come and in a desperate attempt Leelee's mother sends her off with her infant brother, in order to save him (this is another place I cry). The spirit of self sacrifice is awe-inspiring. That to me is patriotism.

In case you need a refresher, here is a list of some good ones (in no particular order):

- Deep Impact
- Independence Day
- Armageddon
- The Day After Tomorrow
- Volcano