Preserving our History

A dirty undershirt. Apparently it is enough of a historical icon to make it into the Smithsonian Institution. Well, before you go running to the laundry to make your own contribution to the Institute, be aware that the undershirt in question was worn by actor Bruce Willis in the original 'Die Hard' film. Seeing as how it's been about twenty years since the movie was released (and coincidentally the latest sequel opening on the day the announcement was made by the Institute), it's obvious that this movie would garner a place as part of the 'Treasures of American History' exhibit. The dirty undershirt will appear alongside other such closet relics such as Rocky Balboa's boxing gloves and Dorothy's ruby red slippers from 'The Wizard of Oz'. Now is it just me or is it a bit... odd... to hear that the costumes and props from films are now being considered American history? It sounds more like a glamorized yard sale listing.

Now don't get me wrong, those films, among so many others, are iconic and do represent the country in a way. 'The Wizard of Oz' is a staple of most every childhood, you will rarely find someone who has not seen the movie at least once in their lifetime. Similarly with 'Rocky', you have a character that represents the average guy who is given a shot and proves that there is more to him than just his image of being a bum from the neighborhood. Bruce Willis' John Mclean character from 'Die Hard' is another representative of the average Joe found in extraordinary circumstances that leads to an adventure of exciting, though a bit exaggerated, proportions. Still, other than 'The Wizard of Oz' are these or any movies for that matter, 'national treasures?'

I have grown up with movies and still love them to this day. My brother and I have been so emmeshed in movies that we are virtually undefeatable in games of Taboo simply because we make so many obscure references to throwaway scenes in movies that we can guess each other's word without ever coming close to saying one of the list of unmentionable words. It's perhaps a bit disturbing that we know movies that well but hey, it beats getting into any other illicit activities. I've seen each of these movies at least, if not more than once in my life. Some of them, like 'Rocky' have been inspirations to me at times in my life when I needed something and others like 'Die Hard' have a special meaning for me and my brother. Strange as it is, it's one of our traditional holiday movies. While others long for 'It's a Wonderful Life', we usually watch 'Die Hard' on Christmas Eve. It's perhaps a bit disturbing to hear that but it's just a way to unwind and relax with a mindless movie with very little deeper meaning or thought required of the viewer.

But if we derive guilty pleasure from something, I don't think it makes it a national treasure. If that is the criteria then there are virtually dozens of other movies out there that warrant a label of national treasure and deserve a place in the museum. How about the shark from 'Jaws' which served to scare people from the beaches for a few summers or how about the sled, Rosebud, from 'Citizen Kane'? If not that, then how about the original R2-D2 from the original 'Star Wars' film? The list goes on and on and on and the more I think about it, the more I realize that this is possibly yet another way in which Hollywood gets the word out about movies. These days Hollywood seems to be running low on ideas. This current trend of remakes or 're-imaginings' is coming about due to the fact that the original ideas don't sell as well.

Most of the movie going audience that is targeted these days was not even born when the original 'Die Hard' came out in 1987. I remember seeing the trailers and seeing the explosion on top of the Nakatomi Building in the beginning and thinking that this was the sequel to 'The Towering Inferno' but it was something different. It is what the musuem terms to be 'the quintesential action film'. And while that claim is definitely subject for debate, I won't completely disagree with it. But in an effort to draw in the younger crowd who is not quite high school or college aged, they are attempting to tone it down in order to draw in the audience by rating it PG-13. Then you attempt to rekindle interest in the older set by showing that the original films are held in such reverence that they have earned a place in the Smithsonian Institution. While we're at it then why don't we add 'Transformers' in there too. I mean after all, the sale of the toys back in 1984 / 1985 is what defined Christmas. Plus that movie is coming out in a week too..... hmmmmm.