Chapter Ten: Agree to agree to disagree to agree.

Repeat until it makes sense, over and over and over like waves. Waves across what I liked enough to show to you in a moment of love, moment of bonding, breakingdownthesewallstoreachandunderstandyou...

Across The Universe.

You know what? I had hoped, stupidly maybe, that you might've ended up liking this movie. That you might see the same things in it that I do.

Instead, you say that it blatantly supports drug culture and only represents a small fraction of the population in the U.S. during the Vietnam war. "Where's the story?" you ask.

Where's the story? What do you mean where's the story? Did you fall asleep? Were you not paying attention as it told the story of a brit looking for his father and found something more, of the good girl who just wants peace, of the lesbian that wants to be accepted, of a guitarist and a singer who lose what they had and find each other? Why is that not a story?

And why is it that I cannot say these things to your face? I go from shock to speechlessness to anger to disbelief to hurt to helplessness. What help is there for those who cannot help what they know they help, they cannot, they don't know?

"It's a love story," Mom says a little disbelievingly to you.

"Love isn't a story," you reply, a little scathingly I think. I can't tell 'cause I'm trying not to cry. "Love is an event."

I don't hear anymore because I'm already gone, gone from the room and the next one over and moving as far as possible towards my refuge with tears and a face that scrunches itself unpleasantly when truly upset.

And I don't even know why what you said hurt so much, or why it feels like my hope has been crushed.

Why are you unable to accept something at face value? Why can't something be wonderful just because it is? Why is it you can't see the theme and the plot and separation and happy ending? Why does it have to present some higher statement? Why do you have to make derogatory comments on what I like? Why is it that you say that the only worthful, useful, meaningful part of the movie is when the moment is broken and her hope and trust and naiveté gone?

"I thought it was the other side that dropped the bombs."

You're fighting. I can hear. For once, I don't want to sit in the hallway and listen quietly. But it doesn't matter, because now you're both screaming and I can hear every goddamn fucking word. Can't you go somewhere else? Can't you agree to disagree? Just for once?

Now there is quiet, quiet but no crickets or birds or sound but the clacking of the keys and my heart, clacking through my heart to the keyboard to the screen to the internet of people who exist in reality. Now there are dried tears on my face and I can tell because when I blink I can feel the dried salt on my skin.

But I don't want your anger. Please?

Let me take you down 'cause I'm going to strawberry fields.
Let me take you down 'cause I'm going to strawberry fields.
Let me take you down 'cause I'm going to strawberry fields.

Across The Universe, directed by Julie Taymor, musically produced/composed by Elliot Goldenthal. Sony Pictures, Revolution Studios, Colombia Pictures.