Each month, I will be interviewing some of my friends and asking them about their favorite films! “Favorite Films with Frances” is my way of bonding with people about the art that I am most passionate about, but also to see what film has a special place in their hearts and how amazing and influential cinema can be in all of our lives.
This month, I interviewed my sweet friend Jenna Abbassi. She talked about the film, A Long Way Down (2014), directed by Pascal Chaumeil and written by Nick Hornby. I watched this movie a couple years ago and it’s such a heartwarming and tearjerker type of story, so if you’re ever looking for a lowkey feel-good type of movie, I highly recommend this one. I was really happy when I found out that Jenna loved it so much, so I’m excited for y’all to hear about why it’s her favorite movie!
Frances Divinagracia: What is your favorite film?
Jenna Abbasi: A Long Way Down!
FD: Why does this film mean so much to you?
JA: I watched it randomly on the plane because I was bored and I wanted to waste time, so I definitely did not expect to love it as much as I do. Everything about this movie was just right. I loved the characters, the humor, the story, the music, everything. I’m sure if I had watched it in another context there’s a chance it would have just been any other movie for me, but for some reason, everything about this movie makes me happy. I can watch it anytime and never get tired of it, and few movies have that power over me. I love that the story is told from four different perspectives, and each of their stories is impactful in its own way. I just love it. I love it.
FD: What is your favorite scene/sequence/quote in the film and why?
JA: Since the story is told from four different points of view, every time JJ’s story comes up I know I’m about to cry because my favorite scene from any scene ever is during that part of the film. I’m trying not to give any spoilers but it’s basically the scene where JJ is at the peak of his breaking point and he basically jumps in the ocean and swims until he can’t swim anymore and he ends up literally in the middle of nowhere and the camera zooms out and he’s just a tiny bobbing head surrounded by nothing but water and the song Youth by Daughter is playing in the background and tell me that doesn’t sound like the most emotional scene to you. But it’s just a big moment for the character and I have felt just as helpless as he did many times in my life and it was a nice visual scene to express that helplessness.
FD: What do you think is the deeper meaning or message that this film is trying to convey? (About suicide, mental health, society, friendships/relationships, etc.)
JA: This film touches on the very important topic of suicide by exploring the lives of four different people and their reasons for winding up on the roof of a building on New Year’s Eve. Each character has their own surface level reasons they tell each other for why they were up there, but as the story unravels, each character proves that they are battling more than they let on in the beginning. Martin is trying to deal with the humiliation he faces after losing his job and his family, Maureen wants to provide better care for her disabled son, Jess is healing from the loss of her sister and JJ has reached a point in his life where he has given up and struggles to even name a reason for the way he feels. It’s a very heartwarming story about strangers forming a bond with each other during the lowest point in their lives.
FD: Do you like the book or the movie better?
JA: Here’s the thing: when I first saw the movie, I didn’t realize it was based on a book. If I had known this, I would have read the book first then the movie, like you’re supposed to. Well, I’ve seen the movie about a dozen times, and I’ve never read the book. I have it, and I read the first page, but I’m honestly afraid to go past that. A big part of this is because I don’t want anything to be different. I know the book is bound to be more detailed and have different scenes and the characters will be slightly different and I just love the movie so much that I can’t put a different spin on the characters and story I already know and love. I have the book though…and I’m going to read it soon…just not yet.
FD: If you could spend a day with any of the characters in the film, who would it be and why?
JA: My oldest sister is very similar to Jess so I feel like I’ve already spent a lifetime with her.
FD: Anything else you want to say about the film and why you love it!
JA: There’s one part in the movie where Maureen is talking about how it felt not to have her son with her when she went on vacation, her first time away from him in 20 years, and she says that “it felt like I was missing a leg. Strange. Light. That’s probably not like missing a leg at all. I don’t imagine most people’s first impressions of leg loss is weightlessness.” This is probably one of the most profound quotes I took away from the movie and I always think about it. To hear her speak about her son like that broke my heart, and I can think of a few times in my life where it has felt as if family weighed me down like that, even when they don’t mean to. Her bond with him is so strong it’s comparable to him being an extra limb to her, but unfortunately for a lot of her life he held her back.
FRANCES DIVINAGRACIA | 2018 mood: stressed, depressed, yet still best dressed | KXSU Arts Reporter