Mona Lisa Smile

There are movies that entertain you, movies that make you laugh, movies that make you cry, movies that make you remember some memories, movies that you don't like... and there are some other movies that can change your perspective on certain things and can get to your soul, and those are the type of movies I like to write about.

This was a Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts weekend, so I watched "Love Actually", "Notting Hill", and "Mona Lisa Smile". All good movies, I sort of cried with the three of them, but the only one that really got me was the one I've just finished, "Mona Lisa Smile". I don't know if it can make it to my favorite movies, but it definitely makes it to one of the best movies I've ever seen, which is a completely different thing, I mean, the movie Crossroads, starring Britney Spears, is one of my favorite movies, but one of the worst Hollywood movies ever. The thing is, this movie really, really caught me.

If you haven't watched it, it takes place back in the 50's, the decade where stereotypes were created: men were meant to go to work every morning, and women were meant to take care of the house. A decade where the country was in fear of an atomic bomb being dropped by the Soviets. A decade of discrimination and racism. And sadly, a decade that was far away from revolution and change, two things that finally came in the 60's and later.

"Mona Lisa Smile" is about a woman, Katherine Watson, who gets a job at one of the best universities for women to teach "Art History" (something that I would like to do in some other life). She gets to teach to all of these girls who are brain washed by society, and are waiting for the first rich man to come and propose to them. Katherine comes with her feminist ideals and helps them to look at life with different eyes, letting them know how much they are worth it, encouraging them to be better, to pursue their dreams, to believe in themselves, to stop depending on a man, and to be independent. The movie is basically about how hard it is for them to understand this new perspective that Mrs. Watson is trying to show them. It is an amazing message that I wish women could have had back in the 50's.

"I thought I was headed to a place that would turn out tomorrow's leaders, not their wives!" - Katherine Watson 

But the idea of being independent is not shown only through the ideas of marriage and society. What I love the most about the movie was the respect that Katherine Watson has for her own self. At the end of the movie, the board of education of the school decides to call her back for the next school year, but they do not give her the freedom to give her message to her students, and the only way they are going to let her teach again in that school is by controlling her classes. Even though teaching in that school is her dream, she declines the offer, because she stays true to herself, to her beliefs, and to her biggest goal, which is to make a change. She gives up her dream for that simple goal, and she quits.

That reminded me of myself. I realized that right now, I am quitting my dream. I am on the right track that could lead me to everything I've ever wanted, but something tells me that there is something wrong with it. You know, someday I would like to get to the top, doesn't matter what I end up doing in college, whatever I decide, I want to be the best at it. Being in the USA means that I could go to a really good university, improve my English skills, improve my talent is certain things, meet the right people that could help me, and do the right things that could lead me to where I want to go. But there is something missing: freedom and happiness. I figured that I want nothing if I don't have the freedom to do whatever I want with it, and if I am not able to enjoy my way to the top, so I decided to quit my dream of being in the States, go back to the place where I know I'm going to have a good time, and take another way. At the end, my goal is the same one: be good at whatever I decide to do. I am just taking another road. It can be shorter or it can be longer, but I am taking the road that is not going to just take me where I want to go, but it is also going to make me happy, because happiness is not a destination, it is journey. Mrs Watson ended up going to Europe, not teaching where she wanted to teach, but at the end of the day, she did make a change anyway.

"Dear Betty, I came to Wellesley because I wanted to make a difference. But to change for others is to lie to yourself. My teacher, Katherine Watson, lived by her own definition and would not compromise that, not even for Wellesley. I dedicate this, my last editorial, to an extraordinary woman, who lived by example and compelled us all to see the world through new eyes. By the time you read this, she'll be sailing to Europe, where I know she'll find new walls to break down, and new ideas to replace them with. I've heard her called a quitter for leaving and aimless wanderer. But not all who wander are aimless, especially those who seek truth beyond tradition, beyond definition, beyond the image. I'll never forget you" - Betty Warren

If you are wondering, the name of the movie "Mona Lisa Smile" is referred to looking happiness and smiling even when you are not happy at all. One of the characters, Betty, refers to this painting when she is talking to her mom about her husband, trying to let her know that just because she seems happy, deep inside, she's not, just like the Mona Lisa, who is smiling, but how do we know if she is really happy? How do we know she is not hiding any kind of sadness behind that smile?

Betty: Look at this, mother. She's smiling. Is she happy?
Mrs. Warren:The important thing is not to tell anyone.
Betty:She looks happy, so what does it matter? 

So that's it. This movie made me cry, smile, and learn a little bit more about myself and my decisions. And of course, it showed me once again, that women can do it all, the sky is the limit, and that education and experience can lead you wherever you want to go.

Red Carpet Season

So the red carpet season has officially begun, and it is my favorite time of the year. Actually, it is my favorite time of the year when I'm in Argentina because right now it is the summer there, which means my life is all about vacations, friends, warm weather, an of course, the awards. I get obsessed with the dresses, the interviews, the speeches, the winners, the faces of the losers, the inappropriate jokes, and of course, the talent. But the real reason why I love the red carpet season is not because I love Hollywood, it is because it reminds me of my dream. It reminds me why I want to be an actress and a director, it encourages me to keep fighting for it no matter what, and it makes me feel like I can do it. Throughout the rest of the year I kinda forget, and I start looking for other dreams to accomplish, but the Golden Globes, the SAG Awards, and the Academy Awards, remind me who I want to be, and where I want to be; that I love acting more than anything else. Many people watch these awards to see the dresses and the stuff I mentioned before, and I kinda do that too, I mean, Vera Wang, Dior, and Zac Posen are reason enough to spend two hours watching the red carpet, but for me that's nothing compared to the moment when the presenter says the name of the winner. I just can't explain it. I can sorta feel how they feel and I dream that one day, that's gonna be me. Winning one of those awards is definitely the biggest and greatest goal in my life and in fact, I'm already preparing my speech, I've been doing it for 10 years actually and I'll keep on preparing it for the rest of my life until the presenter says my name and I get to say it in front of these talented people. I don't know when or how it is going to happen, but I feel like if I still have the same dream after so many years and after all I have been through, then I can still fight for it and accomplish it.

I don't want to be in Hollywood to be famous, I want to be there to be talented. I don't wanna be the most beautiful actress, I just want to be the most respected one. I don't care about having millions of fans, I just want to be able to make people cry or laugh with my performances. I don't care about knowing every single celebrity, I just want to work with good directors and actors like Woody Allen or Martin Scorcece. My dream is not about being in Hollywood anymore, now it is really about acting and being good at it, and that can be seen in my decision of going back to Argentina. I live close to New York, I had the chance to go to auditions, but instead, I decided to wait. To wait and get better. To wait and see the world. To wait and grow up. To wait and go through different experiences. I am too young right now, and I want to know about life, about people, and about myself before I can portray different characters and pretend to be in different situations. And I think I made the right choice. Next time I come to NY, I'm going to be ready to go to the best acting school, and do all of the things that I need to do to get to the top.

But always remember... AIN'T ABOUT HOW FAST I GET THERE, AIN'T ABOUT WHAT'S WAITING ON THE OTHER SIDE. IT'S THE CLIMB. And that's the first thing that comes into my mind when I'm watching the awards and when I'm watching the winners giving their acceptance speech. I used to dream about making it to the top as a teenager, but now I realize that as much as I would love to be in Los Angeles right now partying with Clooney and Pitt, it is not the right time for me in every single aspect. So I want to do the right thing, go step by step, and enjoy every minute of my life without thinking too much about the future, and someday, without even realizing how I did it, I know I'll make it there.

The Best Is Yet To Come

This is the first time in my life that I feel like this is really going to be a good year. I feel like many good things are coming and that 2012 is going to surprise me. Let's say 2011 was not as fun as I thought it was going to be, so I'm willing to just enjoy my senior year like it is the last year of my life. I love the fact that it is supposed to be the end of the world because I know it is stupid and not true, but at the same time it is another reason to party like crazy and enjoy every second of this year.

I am going to remember 2012 forever, because I know it is going to me magical and unique, I can feel it. So I'm going to set a goal and a resolution this year, just one. For the first time in my life I am not going to write a list of 101 things I want to do before 2013 or anything like that, all I'm gonna do this year is:

BE HAPPY.

That's it. I wanna be able to do everything I wanna do. Kiss every guy I like. Hug every friend I love. Have long conversations with my mom. Spend time with my family. Learn. Party like crazy. Drink a lot of alcohol and get totally wasted. Just do whatever I wanna do, wherever I wanna do it, whenever I wanna do it, with whoever I wanna do it. Just be happy. Follow my heart. Enjoy. Laugh. Smile. My goal is to be happy and do whatever it takes to achieve it. I think Senior Year is a year where you are actually allowed to behave like crazy, to be irresponsible, to do whatever you want, because it is the last year of my teenager years (even though I am obviously forever young). College comes in 2013 and life changes, you become an adult, you gotta study way harder, everything gets complicated, more responsabilities, blah blah blah.

So like I said a few months ago, the world might not end of 2012, but a part of my life does. Maybe the Mayans were not that wrong, they kinda got it right with me. So I'm going to enjoy. And I know everything is going to go right. And the best thing of all, is that I have never been so sure of my decision of going back. I can hear my heart telling me that it is the right thing, and it makes me feel so, so happy! For the first time I know that not having a plan is exactly what I want. Maybe things are not going the way I planned, but guess what... they are even better. I know going back it is going to be worth it. I feel like if I had chosen to stay, this 2012 wouldn't feel so amazing and so exciting, it would feel like another year to fight for that dream that I don't even know if it's what I really want. Maybe my decision of spending this year with my friends having fun is not going to lead me to success. I know I am not giving up the things I should give up to become who I wanna be, and maybe this decision will influence in my destiny forever, but I don't care. I wanna get to the top knowing that I enjoyed every single minute of the climb, instead of getting there and feeling like I couldn't even enjoy the view.

Live to the fullest. Enjoy this 2012. Have hope and faith. Be happy. Regret nothing. Smile and laugh as much as you can. Give tons of love away even if they don't love you back. Dance under the rain. And remember, life is a climb, and the view is great.