Scott Pilgrim Vs. ADD. Pt. 1

So i recently saw the movie: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. i really enjoyed it, but it pointed out something going on in this country. The "trend" or "rise" in cases of ADD and ADHD. it would seem that hollywood is just now starting to follow along in the (false) chorus. now don't get me wrong, there are many cases of true ADD and ADHD. brain chemistry and hormone levels can drastically effect behavior at an early, and even in to late adolescence. but a miss diagnosis of ADD for behavior problems is a huge epidemic in this country. it starts with the parents, and stems into the school systems. the American family is under fire. and i dont mean the 50's Mom, Dad, 2.5 kids, good neighborhoods crap that politican's spout when they wanna appeal to the "over 60" crowd. (although, statically that is the crowd that has the highest voting ratio, i would argue, and anyone who wishes to challenge me can, that Obama was elected by the youngest "margin" in history). the american family that i'm talking about is the current one in america. whatever that means to the reader, be it 2 moms, 2 dads, 2 grandparents (who are currently the largest child-rearing group in the nation), or an uncle or aunt, etc etc. the current american adult works more, and makes less than they did even 5 years ago. thus, they have less time to spend with their children, and have looked to the mexican community to work cheaply as housekeepers and child rearers. and the mexican's see it as a booming industry. american children are the new cash crop for them. now don't get me wrong, its not a bad thing to have a housekeeper and/or child raiser. but when you don't build the bonds of mother/child and father/child that everyone needs/deserves, then of course your kids are gonna have behavior problems. the other stem is the school system. i eagerly await the dvd release of "Waiting for Superman", a new documentary about how crappy the current school system is in this country. we've been under the same system of speaker and Colosseum-esque classrooms since the beginning of this country. the problem with that is that only 12% of children flourish in that environment. those who don't, are either punished (as in the days of old), or diagnosed with ritilin and other drugs to dull them out. it's ridiculous. switch to the Montessori method, and see how fast ritilin goes out of style. just try it.

Alas, rant now over, back to my observation. Scott Pilgrim appeals greatly to the ADD generation b/c its pace and visual style are very kinetic and bright. the movie jumps time periods instantaneously, and yet keeps you focused on the story. anyone not paying attention would surely be lost about 12 minutes in. it takes those of us with minds that can quickly assimilate and understand information to keep up with the story. those of us with a bit of ADD and who grew up with a computer at our fingertips are more adept at this, b/c we deal with it every day. the tv (esp. channels like MTV, VH1 and most of the Disney and Cartoon channels) that we watch quickly go from past info to current info to future info, to commercial, and cycles back again, over and over. its the Soap opera format on speed. and online, we switch from facebook to youtube to blogging (lol.), to Postsecret, to netflix, all in the span of 30 seconds. so when the movie flips from day to night to a week later, to next weekend, all in teh span of 2 scenes, those of us exposed to this type of psychological stimulus are the only ones who can keep up with the story.

now the visual element(s) are really what made the movie for me. with out those, the story becomes about a boy literally fighting for his life, and the love of it. but the special effects take it out of reality just enough that it makes it a good story. the graphic novel or comic book (in the sense of it being loud visually and bright) really pushed it over the edge. it was more kinetic and imaginative than say, the watchmen, (which i'll review at a later date, b/c i loved the graphic novel, one of the best BOOKS i've ever read. and there we few things the movie got right, and most they got wrong.), and the more realistic reboots of Batman, Superman, Spiderman (which started the trend), as well as Ironman, the upcoming Green Lantern (nerdgasm!) and next summer's Captain America and the Avengers (mega nerdgasm!!!), although, that may be because that Mythology is deeper and more elaborate than a single Graphic novel like scott pilgrim or The Watchmen, or Arkham Asylum (though thats a single story element that stems from a much deeper storyline). so that fact makes the storyline is more open to artistic licesense than the longer running comics. it could have just as easily been a drug induced story, with most of the same visuals, and almost no change to the story line. and the movement and kineticism has only one cousin of recent memory, and thats Speed Racer. remember that acid trip on screen? but thats the only movie that matches Scott Pilgrims speed, and visual ridiculousness.

So, are we seeing a trend in Hollywood? more movies that move faster, scream louder, and assault our visual cortexs more fully? i believe so. i mean, the only person to see the full potential of James Camerons Avatar building technology is.....James Cameron........with Avatar! so i think once other directors, especially those who were already visually on the edge: Christopher Nolan (although i see him as an all around ground breaker like cameron, with a smaller (though growing) budget), as well as Richard Linklater (imagine mixing a scanner darkly with the avatar visuals!). or a foriegner (in the good way), like Luc Besson. (the 6th element? super light? The Diva's song on planet Pandora? can you imagine!). so, what the future holds remains to be seen. but in the words of Regina Spektor (total famous crush!!!): the future, its here, it's bright, it's now.

p.s. its part 1 b/c i'm gonna read the graphic novel, and will compare the two, and will do so for the watchmen as well......later. lol.