FREEDOMLAND

ASIDE #1 - WHEN YOU ARE LATE TO A MOVIE AND WISHED YOU HAD BEEN LATER - THAT IS NOT A GOOD SIGN.

ASIDE #2 - WHEN MY COUSIN, FAMED FOOTBALL COACH, BILL DAVIS, DIED, HIS MENTOR, COACH WILL JEFFRIES, SAID AT THE FUNERAL SERVICE -- BILL WAS THE KIND OF MAN WHO COULD FALL OFF THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING'S TOP FLOOR - FIND OUT HE HAD ONLY FOUR FLOORS TO GO BEFORE HITTING THE CONCRETE AND THINK TO
HIMSELF, "I STILL GOT A CHANCE !"
WHILE WATCHING THIS FILM, I WAS WONDERING IF I COULD DRAW ON SOME OF BILL'S OPTIMISTIC GENES, TO FORCE MYSELF TO REMAIN IN MY SEAT.

ASIDE # 3 - A FRIEND AND FORMER TEACHING COLLEAGUE OF MINE, PICKED UP THE HABIT OF ARMING HIMSELF, WHILE SPENDING PART OF HIS TEEN YEARS IN BROOKLYN. NOW A RENOWN PROFESSOR, AT A WORLD FAMOUS UNIVERSITY IN THE SOUTH; HE STILL CARRIES A VERSION OF THAT WEAPON, AS A REMINDER OF WHERE HE WAS AND WHERE HE HAS TRAVELED.
I THOUGHT OF THIS HABIT OF BEING ARMED AND REALIZED THAT IF I HAD A WEAPON AVAILABLE, I MIGHT HAVE HARMED MYSELF TO ESCAPE THE BEATING THIS FILM WAS GIVING TO MY SENSES.
I STILL HAVE NOT ASSESSED WHAT LONG TERM DAMAGE AN HOUR AND FIFTY MINUTES OF FREEDOMLAND, MAY HAVE DONE TO MY PSYCHE - I ENVISION SOME FORM OF POST TRAUMATIC STRESS SYNDROME WILL MANIFEST ITSELF IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

ASIDE # 4 - ANGELA FAITH CATHERINE THOMAS, MY GRANDCHILD, WAS FEATURED IN HER SCHOOL'S FIFTH GRADE PRESENTATION OF SHREK - I CONTEND AND I CONTEND WITHOUT FEAR OF CONTRADICTION, HER SHOW WAS SUPERIOR TO THIS FILM IN EVERYWAY. I HATED TO SEE HER SHOW END AND I FEARED I WOULD NOT LIVE TO SEE FREEDOMLAND END.

IF YOU ARE NOT A REAL MOVIE GOER - AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WEEKLY TELEVISION SERIES AND A THEATRICAL MOVIE RELEASE -- YOU MIGHT ENJOY THIS FILM -- OF COURSE, YOU MIGHT ALSO BE THE TYPE OF PERSON WHO SHOULD NOT OPERATE HEAVY EQUIPMENT AFTER TAKING YOUR MEDICATION.

THE ASIDES PRETTY MUCH HAVE CAPTURED MY OPINION OF THIS FILM -- I PAID $6.50 TO ENTER THE THEATRE AND I HAD AN EPIPHANY WHILE THERE -- THE THEATRE COULD HAVE MADE TEN TIMES THAT AMOUNT IF THEY HAD CHARGED TO LET THE AUDIENCE LEAVE THE THEATRE.

ONE LAST ASIDE - WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CAREERS OF SAMUEL L. JACKSON AND JULIANNE MOORE ?