High School Musical

Nobody likes being sick, but it's a good excuse to watch a lot of teev and eat ice cream. (unless it's a G.I. virus, then it's clear liquids, read F.D.'s post scroll down to it)

F.D. told me last week that he would be telling patients that if they weren’t sicker than he was, they didn’t really need to be there.

That's probably what he WANTED to say. He probably said no such thing. I know he said no such thing. You should hear the stuff he tells me he wishes he’d said. But he’s way too nice.

Having a touch of a virus that steadily gained strength (we're talking strength) in this old bod' over time, I worked last week. Didn't kiss any patients, not my style under healthy circumstances, passed out all new pens to people who needed them to sign checks, and didn’t shake a single hand.

But got home and slept and slept, and by Friday night, surrendered.

After a 24-hour slumber felt BETTER (notice, no antibiotics, people, yeah that's in F.D.'s blog somewhere, too. What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger).

Showered, went straight to the family room to check out the night on cable, and lo and behold, there it was, High School Musical!

The very same movie a kid’s mother had brought up in family therapy last week.

That mom couldn’t understand her son’s need to watch it over and over again.

The last movie a parent made me watch because of her kid's obsession was Thirteen.. If you haven’t seen that one it’s about a teenager’s obsession with drugs and dark depressive activities that ultimately might lead to self-destructive behavior like cutting and nasty scarring, scarring that from what I’ve seen in adult borderline cutters really will not fade away without some serious plastic surgery.

So I HAD to see High School Musical.

I know, I know. Fridays were supposed to be movie review days and this is Sunday. But I've little self control and there are so few feel-good venues to recommend (in my line of work it's hard to find them), that when I come upon one feel I must share it. This is on the order of a feel-good venue, but you need the Disney Channel.

No question. People can fault this musical It has derivative songs. It’s so highly formulaic and derivative, that unless you see it as camp you might not even like or appreciate it. I appreciated it as much or more than The Beverly Hillbillies, one of my all-time favorites, and a totally under-rated film. I think. It's been years since I saw that and by now it's surely not P.C.

So you don't need to watch it.

And why watch High School Musical, especially if you'll probably need a shot of insulin first?

The MESSAGE(S) are good, even if you never intend to become a parent.

But first Here’s the quick Wikipedia summary. It’s a quote:

High School Musical is an American made-for-television musical film, produced and distributed by Disney Channel, and was released on January 20, 2006.
The Emmy Award-winning television film was one of the most successful Disney Channel Original Movies ever produced, with a sequel confirmed and soundtrack that is certified triple-platinum, making it one of the most commercially-successful records of 2006.

High School Musical is a story of two high school students: Troy Bolton, who is captain of his school's basketball team, and Gabriella Montez, a shy transfer student who excels in math and science. Together, they try out for the lead parts in their high school musical. Despite other students' attempts to thwart their dreams, Troy and Gabriella persist and inspire others along the way.

Wikipedia’s summary caught the inspiration thing. The kids decide that they can no longer support the status quo, that they have to be themselves, young people growing and becoming in touch with their natural talents. The decide they’re not going to be what everyone wants them to be.

Wikipedia doesn't even tell you that there's no sex or violence in this movie and you don't want any, that it’s a HAPPY movie, on the order of GREASE. There are happy songs and people, young and old, break into song and also, DANCE. Here are the songs as they appear in the movie:

1. "Start of Something New" (Gabriella & Troy) – 3:16
2. "Get'cha Head in the Game" (Troy and the Wildcats) – 2:27
3. "What I've Been Looking For" (Sharpay & Ryan) – 2:03
4. "What I've Been Looking For (Reprise)" (Gabriella & Troy) – 1:19
5. "Stick to the Status Quo" (High School Musical Cast) – 4:28
6. "When There Was Me and You " (Gabriella) – 3:00
7. "Bop to the Top" (Sharpay & Ryan) – 1:47
8. "Breaking Free" (Gabriella & Troy) – 3:27
9. "We're All in This Together" (High School Musical Cast) – 3:51
10. "I Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" (Gabriella, Troy, Sharpay, and Ryan)
11. "Get'cha Head in the Game (Pop Version)" (B5) – 2:43
12. "Start of Something New (Karaoke Instrumental)" – 3:31
13. "Breaking Free (Karaoke Instrumental)" – 3

Where in the world have I been that I didn’t know about it? Not that I’d watch it again, but I can see why kids would want to watch it again and again.

Here’s sample dialogue and I’m totally paraphrasing since I was drinking tea, not writing down dialogue:

Troy’s father: You can’t sing. Why would you want to be in a musical? You’re a playmaker. You play basketball. Now get focused and lead us to the championship.

Troy (storming off): What makes you think I can’t do both?

So Message One- Let the creative person inside come out, don't be afraid of what others will think.

Message Two:

At the end of the movie, everyone is singing and dancing and everyone is on the SAME TEAM. There’s plenty of conflict between the teens and even teachers throughout the movie, but it magically dissolves at the end because:

People get that conflict based upon jealousy is stupid.

Let it go, get along, cheer one another on. Life’s too short not to like and support each other.

Thirteen , friends, it’s not, and we’re so glad.

Let your kids watch this one over and over again.

Copyright 2006, TherapyDoc