LumiLens: Andi Mack

Let me start off by saying I am entirely part of the anti Neo-Disney movement. I’m part of the early 90s generation that grew up with Lizzie McGuire, Even Stevens, and Phil of the Future. That was the time of my life when overly complicated jokes like the ones that grace the script of Archer didn’t really matter, and all I needed was some classic humor and sassy female leads to get my day going. That was the era of Disney that helped shape my personality (I wonder where all the wit came from?). So, again, I am 100% anti Neo-Disney.

But… I freaking adore Andi Mack.

First things first, look at how adorable Peyton Elizabeth Lee is. Her pixie cut was something I didn’t have the guts to achieve until I was a junior in high school, and here she is, just turning 13 (in the show), and she’s rocking it. IT’S THOSE CHEEKS! The cheeks, the teeth, oh goodness, I’m fangirling over her as we speak! Alongside all of those things that she was born with, towards the end of the pilot episode, she sports an aqua blue oriental style embroidered bomber jacket. If I could have a little sibling in another life, I hope it’s her. If only I had that sense of style when I was hitting puberty…

I wouldn’t have paid much attention to Andi Mack had I not seen an article come across my Facebook newsfeed about the amazing plot twist at the end of the show’s pilot. Honestly, I assumed it had something to do with the LGBT movement since the new Beauty and the Beast live action movie announced that two gay characters would be part of the storyline, and the community has been raving about the representation in recent media. This was not the case for Andi Mack.

SPOILER ALERT:

Teen pregnancy as a show hasn’t been a thing since the Secret Life of the American Teenager (of which I only saw the first episode and proceeded to mindlessly skim until I got the gist of everything that happened). It’s revealed in the later half of the pilot that Andi’s badass big sister Bex is actually not her sister – she’s her mom.

Lilan Bowden is gorgeous, and she fits the role of a big sister well. This show actually makes you think from the child’s point of view instead of the mother’s like in the Secret Life. Since Andi is already at that age when she’s starting to declare her independence, you can see it more from how she’s trying to approach the situation instead of her sister’s thoughts. Now, I think Bex’s story could start an entirely other show, but I’m guessing her backstory is going to be revealed as the season goes on.

Congratulations, Disney! I can see the direction you’re heading to. Starting with Girl Meets World, Disney Channel is reaching back to their crowd from the 1990s by approaching them through their children with real life situations. I guess you could consider that a fusion between a kids show and adult life resulting in a valuable life lesson? Teen pregnancy definitely isn’t something you’d want your five year old finding fun, but many parents these days are in their early 20s. These are the parents who grew up with Lizzie as well, and Lizzie’s creator Terri Minsky came back with a huge slap to the Millenial’s warped vision of entertainment with Andi Mack.

Remember the days when even Mom and Dad loved Disney Channel and enjoyed it with you? Maybe it’s time for those days to make a comeback.

Best of luck to the cast of Andi Mack! Looking forward to supporting you through your careers.

You can watch the first episode of Andi Mack here!

Follow Peyton Elizabeth Lee on Instagram!

Follow Lilan Bowden on Instagram!

Make sure to follow LumiScript for more reviews!

LumiLens: Midnight in Paris

Sure, I’m six years too late, but, if you’re like me, I find solace in the movies I’ve seen a hundred times. But every now and then, I get the urge to watch something new. I’d wanted to watch Midnight in Paris right when it came out, but I confess I procrastinated. So when I saw it appear on Netflix, I was ready to jump at it. Let’s dive into this film.

Have you ever heard of a soulmate? I’m sure you have. But I’ve heard one more step into that – I was told once before that if your spirit craves for a place you’ve never been to before, a place that even though you’ve only stepped foot on its soil for a couple of days, and it truly feels like home, it means your soulmate is there. It’s your soul city. It’s the sensation of being homesick for a place that you’ve never even been to.

In Midnight in Paris, directed by Woody Allen, Gil Pender struggles with his one-sided love and passion for the city and his one-sided love for his fiancee Inez. She’s a seemingly independent woman who shows more emotion for her college crush than she does for her fiance, and Gil is a hopeless romantic author who is in love with Paris. She finds his passion for the city childish and can only see the amount of romance one might experience from seeing a black and white postcard of the Eiffel Tower. As his passion carries him forward, at the stroke of midnight, a 1920s style cab pulls up in front of him and he finds himself in the presence of the world’s most famous writers and artists. He is able to find inspiration from their company and their 20s era state of mind.

If I’m being honest, this movie wasn’t amazing. I’m not a huge fan of Owen Wilson, and unfortunately, I know too many girls like Inez that it actually made me angry to watch her character obviously disregard her fiance’s hopes and dreams.

However, this is fuel for a writer. I never take pleasure in calling myself a writer. I haven’t published anything, and I find too much embarrassment whenever someone even attempts to read my writing out loud. But I take pride in the responses I’ve received over the years from anything I’ve written. Writers hold an immense amount of power, and it’s a special type of force that can change their readers’ emotions at the drop of a hat. To conjure up enough sadness from a third person, to make them cry, to make them laugh, to make them feel what your character feels – this is a power not easily harnessed. Authors are the real rulers of the generation. Through writing, cities are moved and passion is born.

And while I confess that Midnight in Paris is not on my list of favorite movies, it inspired me. I haven’t written anything in months, and that saddens me. Sometimes the passion to write can falter because of the obstacles that one experiences in life. And I never like to put out anything that I deem subpar. The words need to be perfectly placed, and I need to be able to read it like I didn’t write it and feel the emotions I was attempting to convey.

Midnight in Paris is the perfect depiction of a modern hopeless romantic’s journey to find the words held back by the life he lived. And in the end, he let go of that seemingly idealistic facade, and found his way back to the romance through his adventures in Paris.

How beautiful.