Monday Movie Meme – Sunflowers for Tina #LifeisGood

“Turn your face toward the sun and the shadows will fall behind you.” - Maori Proverb

Today, the A-to-Z Team is hosting Sunflowers for Tina, a tribute of sunflowers posted in memory of our late Co-Host Tina Downey at Life is Good.

To honor her love of sunflowers, we are splashing the blogging community with photos of a sunflower that we’ve either purchased or planted to remember the woman who, in many ways, embodied the true meaning of what it means to be a great friend.

This week’s Monday Movie Meme is also centered on this tribute: Sunflowers for Tina. Share on your blog or in the comments section, movies featuring scenes where someone offers flowers to another person.

My selections for this week’s theme are pretty slim as only a few come to mind such as the scene where Carrie smashed her bridal bouquet of roses and gardenia during a heated confrontation with Big in “Sex and the City: The Movie,” the scene where Marisa puts a bundle of lavender on Caroline’s bed in “Maid in Manhattan” and of course, the famous scene where a businessman brings roses to his, um, lady friend while professing his love for her in “Pretty Woman.” That’s all I have at the moment.

Today is the day that bloggers around the world are joining us as we brighten the internet with sunflowers the way Tina brightened the lives of so many people. You are welcome to participate by sharing this post on your social media channels or posting a photo of a sunflower on your blog or Instagram page with the hashtag #LifeisGood – right now!

What movies have YOU watched featuring people offering flowers to one another?

Besides flowers, what reminders in YOUR life convey the message that Life is Good?

WATCH NOW:

The Best Friend Challenge - Movie Reviewers Value Empathy, Trust and Confidence

Want to know how to make a friendship last? Just ask Harry Potter, the young wizard whose friends stuck together long enough to land a spot among Roget Ebert's "Best Films of 2011!"Let’s face it; life can be pretty dull without good friends to share our joys, sorrows and odd experiences with, for however long they are around.

Then, there are best friends – a (seemingly) separate title within the friendship zone that is held to a higher standard than all other platonic relationships.

In the short narrative drama “ABYSS: The Greatest Proposal Ever,” a U.S. Army Officer named Eric Foster gets a rude awakening when his definition of what it means to be a good friend, let alone a best friend, differs with one of the closest people in his life.

Much like in the movies, our ideas about friendship vary but may still have a common thread depending on how we interact with each other. So, Shane at Film Actually and Sydney Aaliyah Michelle at Happiness, Passion, Love & Faith were kind enough to offer their insights on my question of the day:

What is the difference between a good friend and a best friend?

Personally, I define this by how the friendship is affected by absence. My closest friends don't live nearby and I'm not the best person at keeping in touch. So when it comes to my best friends, the true BFFs are the ones where we can reconnect easily after weeks (sometimes months) without communication and have it still feeling like we were never apart. Merely "good" friends on the other hand tend to need constant reinforcement/communication to maintain the friendship. – Shane 

I have several good friends -- some I've known all my life, some I've meet at school and at work and some I've meet online, but I only have one best friend. The best way I can distinguish my best friend over my good friends is I never hesitate about telling my best friend anything because no matter what I tell her, I know there will be no judgment and no criticism. – Sydney Aaliyah Michelle 

Can YOU name one movie your friends enjoy, that you refuse to watch?

What is YOUR definition of a good friend and that of a best friend?

*This post is part of my "BFF Q&A" series with LAMB members, authors, film festival goers, travelers and fun-loving figures in the blogging community. Sit back, relax and enjoy!

A Whole New World – Why I Make Movies #atozchallenge #IndieFilm

Early on in my days of wanting to be a film director, I longed for substantial achievements such as award nominations and wins, prestige and money, and satisfaction, above all else. Some of these results still matter, albeit not as much as they once did. Many of the trivial ones have lost their appeal altogether. So then, I had to figure out why the hell I am making movies. What’s the point? What is going to keep me wanting to participate in the madness of independent film? I’m still trying to find my way, and am closer to defining -- for myself -- what it means to make movies, after remembering a letter by Frank Ocean that I read, more than once. That’s when it hit me:

I want to create worlds that are rosier than mine.

No matter what the subject matter is for any movie I make, I can use my work as a tool to help people in some way, shape or form; and thus, creating rosier worlds for the people and causes that are in need of them.

• Maybe that means using films to promote education and build literacy skills among viewers who otherwise aren’t motivated to read and write on a regular basis.

• Maybe that means using films to help survivors of disasters to find a place to stay and get back on their feet.

• Maybe that means using films to help small businesses flourish.

Whatever it means, I think I can do this. I found the edge. Can you live there with me?

Also, be sure to read yesterday's post featuring two socially conscious film directors who share their views on VALIDATION!