The Florida Project

[MrPromey]

Just saw this movie in the theater last night. It relates to WDW but only in a tangient-like way.

It is a movie about a certain kind of childhood here in the US, particularly in central Florida, that I'm sure most of us never consider.

I find myself haunted by the initial ending and then the potential meaning behind the sepearte ending that follows.

While not a movie for children, I'd recommend it for anyone who lives in or near the central florida area - both for some of the locations that you may recall driving past and for the consideration of some of our neighbors that seem easy to dismiss and even easier to overlook.

The style comes across as real in a way that may not be to everyone's tates. There is no soundtrack save for a single scene and most of the dialog and events play out more like documentary footage than like an actual scripted film. As such, the buildup at parts may seem tedious and it can appear that it may not be leading to any real payoff from a story/plot standpoint until you understand why you're seeing some of what you're seeing later in the film but it does end up paying off.

.... and the last 10 minutes may break your heart but I think it's worth it.

 

[Bullseye1967]

I ran a hotel about a half mile from the Magic Castle. We were a tourist hotel, but had many come to us looking for a cheap weekly rate. We directed a lot of them to Magic Castle Inn. We were the end of the line for the tourist hotels on 192. After 535 everything else to the East has kind of slid into half transient, half tourist hotels. I knew the owners of Magic Castle well. I will not say they were great at the hotel business, because to this day they still have rooms open on websites for tourists. They get a big surprise when they arrive. I will say they have helped a lot of people by letting them live there in exchange for a small salary and a place to live. If I posted the numbers you would be shocked and call it slave labor but they gave people a place to stay in hard times. I also know that they let people slide on their rent for several weeks, if they thought they were trying. I employed a maid and a houseman who lived there. They always spoke highly of them. This film is one story. If you look east of 535 on Irlo Bronson you will see 10 more similar hotels. If you drive 192 at 3 in the afternoon you will see the school buses stop at each hotel and let off 5 to 10 kids.

 

[MrPromey]

I ran a hotel about a half mile from the Magic Castle. We were a tourist hotel, but had many come to us looking for a cheap weekly rate. We directed a lot of them to Magic Castle Inn. We were the end of the line for the tourist hotels on 192. After 535 everything else to the East has kind of slid into half transient, half tourist hotels. I knew the owners of Magic Castle well. I will not say they were great at the hotel business, because to this day they still have rooms open on websites for tourists. They get a big surprise when they arrive. I will say they have helped a lot of people by letting them live there in exchange for a small salary and a place to live. If I posted the numbers you would be shocked and call it slave labor but they gave people a place to stay in hard times. I also know that they let people slide on their rent for several weeks, if they thought they were trying. I employed a maid and a houseman who lived there. They always spoke highly of them. This film is one story. If you look east of 535 on Irlo Bronson you will see 10 more similar hotels. If you drive 192 at 3 in the afternoon you will see the school buses stop at each hotel and let off 5 to 10 kids.

And I have no idea how to even feel about that. It's heartbreaking to consider but I guess on the flip-side, there are alternatives much, much worse for a lot of these folks.

Just curious, have you seen the movie?

 

[Bullseye1967]

And I have no idea how to even feel about that. It's heartbreaking to consider but I guess on the flip-side, there are alternatives much, much worse for a lot of these folks.

Just curious, have you seen the movie?

Yes I saw it, and it is pretty much the way it is.

 

[MrPromey]

It's so much easier to ignore the problem when you don't understand it, don't see it, and don't have to think about the people who are living it, I guess...

 

[BuddyThomas]

I've posted about this absolutely amazing movie several times and in several places on here. It is my favorite film of the year, maybe the last several years. Haunting is totally the right word for this. I cannot stop thinking about it. It has all sorts of rough language and adult situations but wow, so much childhood innocence and joy against the backdrop of a hellish situation, and if the ending doesn't smack you in the tear ducts, you might want to check your pulse to make sure you weren't bitten by a zombie. So far, it's nominated for Best Picture and director for the Spirit Awards. More accolades to follow, I'm sure. Trailer below:

 

[mergatroid]

Saw it tonight. Riveting film but very sobering too, some great acting especially considering the age of the kids.

 

[Bullseye1967]

Saw it tonight. Riveting film but very sobering too, some great acting especially considering the age of the kids.

It is really how it is

 

[macefamily]

My family stays at a condo off of 192 down the road a bit. The movie was very emotional for me. We drove past those places many times and I never knew the real story. I remember stopping at a late night McDonald's on 192 one evening on the way home from the parks and it struck me that people were sitting in front of their motel rooms at 1:30 AM on a weeknight. They didn't look like tourists. The story was interesting, but sad. It was weird seeing the places on the screen that we've come to know over the years....the big orange citrus sales place, the wizard gift shop, the Magic Castle and the Arabian motels, the helicopter ride, and scenes of 192.

 

[Bullseye1967]

My family stays at a condo off of 192 down the road a bit. The movie was very emotional for me. We drove past those places many times and I never knew the real story. I remember stopping at a late night McDonald's on 192 one evening on the way home from the parks and it struck me that people were sitting in front of their motel rooms at 1:30 AM on a weeknight. They didn't look like tourists. The story was interesting, but sad. It was weird seeing the places on the screen that we've come to know over the years....the big orange citrus sales place, the wizard gift shop, the Magic Castle and the Arabian motels, the helicopter ride, and scenes of 192.

Slowest McDonalds in the world!!!!!