Blinded by the Light
5 bedenimed pretzels
Okay, so, I saw a preview for Blinded by the Light when LeRoux and I went to see Booksmart. I made a mental note to watch it, and then I totally forgot about it. Until now.
You guys, it is so good.
I’m a Bruce fan. Normally, I hate bosses, but for him I make an exception. Born to Run is a pivotal part of the Lynx & LeRoux writing experience. Seriously. If you need to feel pumped and hopeful, it is the tune for you. And you have to give him props for writing Because the Night. It isn’t his fault Patti Smith annihilated that song and made it her own. Here’s the thing, Bruce took that like a champ. He’s not pouty pants about it.
So Blinded by the Light, what’s it about?
It’s 1987 and new wave tunes are all business in Britain. And everywhere else. New wave is dope. I’m a fan. Young Javed is at university and hasn’t really found his tribe. He wants to be a writer, but as a young Pakistani man, he is expected to go into a more financially stable field. Like many of us, he has to balance wanting to pursue his dreams while also not disappointing his family.
He’s lost. He wants to get out of his small town and he feels like no one understands him. Enter Bruce Springsteen. Roops, a fellow Pakistani boy at school, introduces Javed to The Boss and his world opens up.
I’m a sucker for a movie that
- Is set in the ’80s
- Includes an action montage
- Features under dogs
Blinded by the Light has all of that and so much more. Check out the trailer:
Okay, so, those kids are precious pants. This movie, while wonderful, also made me cry my face off.
Look, I have zero tolerance for racism. I deplore it. There are scenes in Blinded by the Light that are difficult to watch. Their mosque is vandalized, Javed is literally spit on, he and his super presh friend are bullied into giving up their seat at a restaurant, little baby children pee through their mail slot while calling them names. It is truly disgusting. Then there’s the casual racism displayed by Javed’s girlfriend’s parents. But the movie isn’t about that. It’s about Javed aspiring to become a writer and actually doing it while also honoring his Pakistani roots.
It is also about denim. Lord, the denim. Anyone who knows me knows I am fond of a denim jacket. Javed somehow pulls off a jean, denim button up, and denim jacket combo. The trifecta of jeans. The holy trinity of denim. It’s glorious.
So, watch the movie. Now.
I gotta get out while I’m young cause tramps like me, baby, I was born to run…
Smoky Lynx
Holland + Harper Productions 