Me Before You???
I just got around to watching the film “Me Before You” (2015), because when it was in the theater, disability rights advocates protested it. I wasn’t trying to make a political statement by not seeing it, rather, it didn’t seem all that interesting, and I simply didn’t care. Not to mention, films in the theater can be expensive. I recently read the novel, because I came across it at the library, and (needless to say) I wasn’t impressed. It was a bad book. There was no real character development, and all signs not only pointed to, but ushered the viewers towards the ending, in which the paraplegic man ends his life “honorably.” It was too boring to offend me, so I thought I would try the film after all. I don’t remember the character of Lou(ella?) being all that remarkable in the book, just somewhat average and upbeat, but in the film, she’s totally a Lolita. She wears shirts with bugs and butterflies printed on it, a butterfly tiara, and characteristically bright tights and fluffy skirts. Or she dons tiny, short dresses with heart prints on them. Oh, yeah, and she’s “Rubinesque,” except she braids and pigtails her hair and is just so damn cute and curvy! The subject of whether Will could “have sex” wasn’t even raised, as if that were not even an appropriate subject to discuss. They did ride carelessly on a wheelchair together down a hill (after drinking alcohol! OMG!) and exchanged a few kisses when he was still in bed, and she approached him wearing a classic “walk of shame” long, button down blouse. But there were no suggestions of anything behind or beyond the smooch. The plot was equally as non-eventful. As I write all this now, all I can conclude is that I still feel like I don’t care. Me Before You.