Log #7

In addition to book, I also learn something from movies. I watch a film called Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. It features a senior high school student named Greg. Greg is usually alone in the school. He doesn’t make enemies, doesn’t belong to any small group, and only has nodding acquaintances. The only person he is close to is Earl, but he even doesn’t call Earl a friend. Instead, he says he is a “co-worker”. One day, Rachel, Greg’s classmate, is diagnosed with leukemia, and her health condition is bad. Greg’s mother asks him to spend time accompanying Rachel, and this begins an awkward friendship between the two teenagers.

        This movie reminds me of a book I once read, The Fault in Our Stars. These two works both involve cancers, but I like Me and Earl and the Dying Girl more. The Fault in Our Stars talks about a love and growth story, which directly features a girl who has cancer. On the contrary, in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, the leading role is the cancer patient’s friend. It depicts the growth that this friendship brings to the leading role. The movie doesn’t overly picture cancer, nor does it focus on the wish list Rachel wants to complete before death. However, Rachel, who has cancer, brings huge impact to Greg. I think this movie is far from a typical cancer movie.

        At the end of the movie, not until Rachel dies does Greg know more about her by finding her hobbies and secrets in her room. He seems to re-meet her, and he realizes how neglectful he used to be of the persons around him. I don't have the experience of losing someone close to me, but I believe it's common that not until we lose someone do we find that we spend too little time to understand and to get along well with that person. Life is limited. Thus, I think we should cherish the time we have and go knowing and loving those we want to love. This is also the reason why I always remind myself to be a "genuine person"— to be a person cherishing the chance that brings others and me together, sincerely getting along with others, and trying to find everyone's merits. I think being genuine is an important personality trait, so I value it a lot and hope that I can keep it in mind.