Friday, December 19, 2014

A Night at the Movie with Mr. Ruane

By Aine Geraghty




He asked me not to mention it, so of course I must begin by saying Mr. Ruanes hair had a special pumpkin spice shine when I entered his 7th period study hall. Teaching not only English 10 Honors, but AP Lang and English 11 as well, catching him on his free time can prove difficult. Luckily, I am a veteran in the field of hunting down English teachers for a chat. Its impossible to count on one hand the number of times I have spotted Ruane from down the hall and planned my mode of attack to corner him and ask his opinion on an 80s horror film or quiz him on a Kevin Smith screenplay. He never fails to disappoint with his responses either. When I sat down at his desk, he had already propped his elbow up to support his head, giving me his full attention to question him on what I love most; Movies.


Aine Geraghty: So, we always have conversations about movies. What sparked your love for, or interest in movies?


Kevin Ruane: I think the time period in which I grew up to be honest with you. I come from a time of The Goonies and Back To The Future, where it wasnt, you know these crass type of American Pie, Project X, it was more, you know Oh man I wish that could be me, a time where movies could actually transport you to a different place, or get the imagination going, Like a Star Wars or an E.T. I think, truly I grew up in an awesome time with regard to movies.


AG: So what is your favorite movie and why?


KR: I would say my favorite movieat first guess its Back To The Future just because thats been around the longest for me. Its just the idea of time travel is cool, 80s is awesome, and then the idea of, really, who wouldnt want to be in the same setting as your parents to see what your parents were like as teenagers, what they were like when they first got together, as my parents were high school sweethearts to begin with, I think that would be cool. And just the idea of any type of time machine is just awesome. But as I matured, I also fell in love, as we talked about earlier, with the movie The Emperors Club, which is a Kevin Kline movie. He teaches at a private school, it was shot right here at Emma Willard, and the whole idea about having values, having morals, and how that guides you, I mean, obviously as a teacher that rings true more than anything else. But, when I think about movies its got to be Back To The Future.


AG: Who is your favorite film director?


KR: Film directorI never really focused on that, only because of the fact that, you know I always look at the talent. Its kind of like those award shows, when they bring up the producers, who cares? Nobody cares about the producer or the writer, its who can actually deliver that message. But, I guess I would have to say something along the lines of, I do like Richard Donner. You wanna talk about the guy who brought The Goonies to life as a result, because that was originally a dream that Steven Spielberg had. And also, he made the first Superman. And I mean, thats probably one of my earliest child memories, is sitting on my stomach with my head cropped up in my palms and watching Christopher Reeve run across the street, rip open that shirt, go into the spinning doors and fly up in the air. I can remember that as if it were yesterday. So clearly Richard Donner gave me the two movies that pop out certainly in my younger and more vulnerable years.


AG: Has there ever been a film thats changed you life, or your views? Anything like that?


KR: On what? Political views? Point of view?


AG: I guess on how you view anything; the world, how you live your life, how you're spending your time in this world, if youre spending it right.


KR: No, because I think ultimately when it comes down to it, movies are just meant to distract and do nothing else. Its supposed to give you that little catharsis where you dont have to think about anything. Theres certainly been movies that Ive seen that have made my stomach turn, have made me uncomfortable, for instance I couldn't even get through 12 Years A Slave. Not because it was an important topic, but just the fact that thats the way things actually went down, thats the way people actually behaved, that was just, to me, so reprehensible that I couldn't bear to get through it. So, there are movies that have an impact, but change the way I think about things? No.


AG: So, being a teacher and liking movies, who is your favorite cinematic teacher?


KR: Hmmm, thats a good question. Youve got Jack Keating, you have William Hunter. See thats interesting, youve also have someone like Al Pacino, who wasnt a teacher in Scent Of A Woman, but the idea that he takes this kid under his wing and he fights for him, so he acts as a teacher in a sense. I would say I do like Kevin Klines character William Hunter, but I know I could never be like that because hes far too composed, where I have my fits of rage or whatever the case may be, so I would say Im more resemble Al Pacinos character in Scent Of A Woman, but I would like to certainly be more like William Hunter in The Emperors Club, certainly.


AG: So speaking of Jack Keating from Dead Poets Society, he has this quote in the movie where he says We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. Do you agree with this quote?


KR: Oh absolutely. And I mean, I dont even like poetry. Its fun because I dont like it, but I know I have to teach it differently, as in teach it as a code, as in theres a code that we have to break or a message that we have to break. But I love anyone who talks about the idea of passion and having heart and having zeal in doing something. That doesnt exist anymore today. Everyone wants the easy way out, everyone wants the quick fix, no one wants to pay their dues anymore. Look at shows like The Voice, look at Americas Got Talent. You have people who spend their entire lives performing in dumps and poorly lit bars, and now all I have to do is go on  a show and get famous. I dont think theres that passion, so anytime I hear someone talking about passion and drive, youve got me hooked. Most definitely.


AG: I know, from being in you class as a sophomore, that you ask us what we believe the best movie quote is. So in your opinion, what is the best movie quote ever?


KR: Good one. I like everything that Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell) said in Miracle. I mean, he was just such a great educator, he was a master of psychology, knew how to get inside peoples heads. He was good, but if there's one thing that truly stands out to me, theres a quote in The Emperors Club where they present Mr. Keating with a plaque, and they read from the plaque and its just a beautiful, beautiful message and hes very overcome because he believes he has kind of lost some of these kids. He lost one kid, couldnt get the message across to him, but he was so focused on the one kid he couldnt get that he didnt realize the impact he had years later in the lives of these young men, turned successful adults. And its something along the lines of A great teacher has little personal history to record. His lives fall over, travel, spill into other lives, and really just the message is very, very beautiful. So that to me is a very powerful quote. I like it when his student reads it to him.


AG: Are there any movies you know every line of by heart?


KR: Yes.


AG: Which ones?


KR: My good friend, Jim Vardaro and I, we can go back and forth. That used to be kind of one of the games that we would play, just to have an entire conversation in the office only using movie lines, and people would get confused. But movies like Back To The Future, Uncle Buck, Best Of The Best, Big Trouble In Little China, not word by word, but Waynes World the majority of quotes we would go back and forth with. Something like Christmas Vacation, just those little snippets, where if you were sharp, its a literary exercise in allusions. If you can pick up on those allusions, allusions make you smart. You're speaking a language that not everyone can understand and thats what we would have a lot of fun doing.


AG: What is your favorite genre of movies?


KR: I don't like action so much because action is just explosion nowadays, I dont like that. I do like dramas. Comedies are okay, but I think they're starting to lose their comedic effect. And there have even been romantic comedies that Ive sat through that I dont mind. But I would say certainly drama now, at this point, because you could say something along the lines of Stand By Me, which is an awesome movie. You could say its a coming of age story, but a drama is what it is and I think we are more apt to connect with something dramatic then we are comedic or something action-pact. Thats why I think drama is where I find myself now.


AG: If your life was turned into a movie, who would you want to play you and who would you want to direct it?


KR: Well, I would be played by Denzel. And who would direct it?


AG: Just to be clear, Denzel Washington, correct?


KR: (Smirks.) Not Denzel OShaughnessy, no. Denzel Washington. And I would say it would have to be I would say it would be directed by my mother. Shes been with me the longest, she knew me as all this stuff was happening. And I would hope that because of the way she raised me, that even if we get to the college years or when Im not around, she would still understand how I would respond and react to certain things because she should know me better than anyone else. I think my mother would be a good choice to direct.


AG: So because we have all these conversations all the time about movies, and it inevitably always ends up at The Lost Boys and you mock me for that, what is your favorite monster and/or slasher film?


KR: I do like The Monster Squad. The Monster Squad is great. I like the movie Scream. Its not as great as The Monster Squad, but I think its the history behind the fact that wed never seen anything like it before. I think we were maybe in middle school when we went to see it, and that was the first big group date that we all went on where there are like four guys, four girls, so it was that kind of idea. So I think the idea that that was kind of the guise that we used to go out on these dates, because you cant go on a date one-on-one, its got to be safety in numbers. So I think I remember that because of the connotation associated with that. But I do, I like The Monster Squad.


AG: Going back to the conversation we had a few days ago, Im changing it up a little bit. So who would win in a fight, Ellen Ripley (Alien) or Major Dutch Schaefer (Predator)?


KR: Dutch.


AG: Dutch? Why?


KR: More resilient. More fierce. Less emotional.


AG: Less emotional? I think Ripley kept herself together quite well.


KR: Mmhmm.


AG: Shes also in space. She wasnt on home turf, he was on home turf. She was on an alien ship, he was at least on Earth.


KR: So what did you ask me the question for if you already know the answer?


AG: I dont know the answer. Im just presenting you with other options.


KR: (Laughs.)


AG: Are there any movies that have come out within the last year that you think are worth seeing?


KR: Im interested when sequels come out, like X-Men, because I remember years and years and years ago when the first one came out, so I always like to see how something evolves. But as far as like a drive to have to see something, (Shakes head.) Im more so driven now by shows that are coming out. I love Ricky Gervais. Ive always loved Ricky Gervais. And I absolutely adore the British Office and I adore Derek. Absolutely amazing series on Netflix, I mean laugh, cry, it hits everything. Of course theres the movies that came out with Denzel that looks good, but I just feel like its all a regurgitation. Like, there was a trailer I saw for a movie thats already out, I think its called Non-Stop, or something like that, with Liam Neeson, whos awesome, who's like the coolest guy ever. I mean, talk about an action star. But, it was pretty much just Taken, but on an airplane. Hes got so much skill and so much acumen in what he does, now hes just gonna be a gun-toting, throat-chopping man? I dont know, I just see it kind of as the same thing over and over and over again. Like they are redoing Dumb And Dumber, or they are making a sequel to that, which is a catastrophic mistake. Even the trailer looks abysmal. I think theres this constant need to do a reboot, that term is Lets do a reboot. Why? It doesn't make any sense. Lets let the wine age a couple years before we open the cork and enjoy it. I dont think thats happening anymore.


AG: Because you dont think a lot of movies are that great anymore, what do you think the ingredients to a good movie are?


KR: I think first and foremost, the time period, the setting, and the kids in it. And when I say kids, when I think about, whether its The Mighty Ducks, whether I think about Stand By Me, whether I think about Back To The Future (teenagers), or even something like The Sandlot, kids are always the good idea. Kids are always good protagonists. Look at South Park. I mean, its satire at its finest because the idea is that kids are honest. So to see a world throughout the eyes of kids, when they are in the sandlot trying to get the ball from The Beast, thats funny to me. Thats true, and I think it resonates because it takes us back to a time when we were younger, or at least when I was younger, talking about going outside and playing and exploring and finding things. I like that idea as opposed to the jaded adult who's heartbroken and sad. I think that idea of innocence is kind of nice to see and I really dont think that exists anymore.


AG: Are there any movies that you flat out hate?


KR: The Notebook and Titanic.


AG: Any specific reason why?


KR: Ya, because the women are no good in those movies. In The Notebook, she cheats. She cheats on a nice guy. She doesnt even tell him the truth.


AG: And he was nice to her.


KR: He was great to her! He was everything a good guy should be and she didnt care, so I think that idea is bad. And look at Titanic. Whenever Titanic is on I always stop and watch it because, again I remember seeing that with, you know, someone. It wasnt even a girlfriend or anything like that, but I just remember a time when that was almost close to the end of high school, so I think about that time and what was happening. But no, she was engaged to a scumbag, ya, but when she dies she went to Titanic heaven. Where was her husband? At the pearly gates waiting for her and she was making out with a bum she slept with once. Its bad news, shes no good.


AG: Do you have a movie thats like, so bad that you have to watch it? Like one of those ones that is so good because its so bad.


KR: Probably something like Teen Wolf. I mean, thats about as goofy as it gets. If there were a teen wolf today, in 2014, if he changed first period, third period hed be out of school on home instruction because hed be bullied so hard. Thats not the way that things were. But then the whole idea of come from behind, be your own person, its so cheesy, its so goofy that you cant help but say Oh my god, in what world would this kid be cool?


AG: So you mentioned The Goonies and The Sandlot earlier. Of the two, which do you think is a better movie about kids and their summer adventures?


KR: Thats a good question. I think they are both good because both serve the purpose. Obviously, I like the idea about the kids in The Goonies doing something for the greater good, trying to help their parents and the idea is that, I think this goes way back to the John Hughes, who I love by the way too, I love John Hughes. You go back to the idea that he understood kids better than anyone else. He got what they were going through. So, to have these little kids trying to be saviors for their community is awesome. But I think one of the sad things about something like The Sandlot is toward the end it shows what happens when they grow up, so you always wonder Oh, you cant be those little kids forever. So I think summer, I mean really that was a perfect summer movie because of what brought them all together that summer. But I think the idea of these guys getting together in The Goonies and fighting against Big Brother and his big banks and everything like that, and coming together each with their own eclectic skills, thats why it always stands out to me.


AG: Speaking of coming of age movies, of all of the coming of age movies, which one do you like best?


KR: Im trying to think, I mean I like the idea of something like The Mighty Ducks 3, where they always relied on Coach Bombay, he was always there, he always had to do his thing. And, you know, youve got the new guy who comes in, who takes over, that they dont like. And at the end of that movie there was a scene when Gordon Bombay kind of just looks back over his shoulder after they've done what they needed to do without him, and he just kind of smiles and walks away kind of knowing that his job is over. He did exactly what they needed and he gave them what they needed to be successful and then just kind of left like that. I like that kind of idea where the teacher ultimately has to cut the cord and sever those ties and just hope that he did a good enough job. And thats the image that Im always reminded of, that they can do this on their own now.


AG: Going back to a totally different topic, what is-


KR: So were not going back to anything? Thats just a totally different topic, thats your transition.


AG: I totally talk so great. What is the best transformation movie, talking supernatural?


KR: What do you mean?


AG: Like werewolf, vampire transformation.


 KR: Oh, not like Shes All That?


AG: No. (Laughs.)


KR: Oh. I think those Mummy movies do a nice job, where he is just this kind of acrid, decayed, arid type of thing. I mean thats the technology itself, but I always thought those transitions were good.


AG: About how many movies do you own?


KR: So Netflix doesnt count? Even though I own that account.


AG: No.


KR: I would say that I own, I dont know, probably pushing one hundred. And I watch a fraction, I would say even like double digits, low double digits is what I watch. Theyve just been gathering dust.


AG: What is your favorite Disney movie?


KR: The Mighty Ducks would be Disney, wouldnt it? But I think Heavy Weights is pretty funny. Do you mean like Disney animated?


AG: Anything Disney.


KR: Heavy Weights is pretty funny. Is Pixar Disney?


AG: Yes.


KR: I do like The Incredibles. But I would say that Heavy Weights is probably my favorite.


AG: Because we are slowly approaching Halloween, and this question is either a yes or a no for most people, are you a fan of Rocky Horror Picture Show?


KR: Never seen it.


AG: Never seen it?!


KR: Uh-uh.


AG: Youve got to see it.


KR: No because I dont like musicals. Its a waste of time. I would much rather watchthey used to have on, and they brought it back a little while ago, that Elvira girl. She used to show like those b-movies at like midnight, and oh my god they were so bad, they were so terrible. Like Mystery Science Theater terrible. But no Ive never ever seen that.


AG: Have you seen Tales From The Crypt?


KR: It was alright. When I think about Rocky Horror Picture Show, I think about Tim Curry, which makes me think either Clue or The Worst Witch. One of the first Halloween movies I ever saw.


AG: Do you like Hocus Pocus?


KR: Mmm, never seen it.


AG: God.


KR: Im busy being a guy.


AG: Hocus Pocus has nothing to with being a guy or a girl.


KR: Its three witches.


AG: Ya, but its focused on a kid who is a boy.


KR: Ehh, if I wanna watch witches Ill just watch The Crucible.


AG: The Crucible was weird though. Winona Ryder, I love her, but she was not good in that.


KR: I know, she was evil. Oh, I see what you mean.


AG: If you could only watch five movies for the rest of your life, which ones would you choose?


KR: I would say The Dark Knight Rises. Not that great of a movie, but I like the idea that youve got to know when to hang it up, you gotta know when to walk away. I would say, obviously, The Emperors Club, Back To The Future. Stand By Me was always good. And then, I would say The Karate Kid, only because he gave us all such a bad name with the garbage that he did.


AG: Of course you dont mean The Karate Kid with Jaden Smith, right?


RG: No, no, because thats the Kung Fu Kid.


AG: Oh I didnt even know.


KR: Ya.


AG: What is the best sequel ever made?


KR: Back To The Future 2.


AG: Favorite cinematic couple?


KR: Thats really good. Only the silver screen right, not the small screen?


AG: Any screen.


KR: I would say not Pam and Jim, but I really like Dawn and Tim from the British Office. That he tried, she was with someone, she liked him, the timing wasnt right, and then ultimately when it was right, boom because they are perfect compliments of each other, for each other.


AG: What is your favorite movie character ever?


KR: I might have to say Superman, isn't it?


AG: A particular Superman?


KR: Reeve. Christopher Reeve. The only Superman.


AG: What is the funniest movie you have ever seen? Other than Monster Camp.


KR: (Laughs.) Other than Monster Camp. The one that I think makes me laugh the most, I dont know if its the funniest but it gets the most laughs out of me, is probably Waynes World. Thats coming to mind right now just because it seems like its a laugh a minute in that movie.


AG: Theres a lot of like, hidden jokes.


KR: Ya! Exactly. I like something that youre going to have to be a little bit more clever.


AG: So what do you think the best movie soundtrack is?


KR: Rocky. Probably even Rocky 4 to be more specific.


AG: If you were to win a movie trivia contest, what would the topic have to be?


KR: If its 80s, Im winning it. If its sports films, Im winning it.


AG: And because this is the end of our interview, youve been lovely Mr. Ruane, what is the best movie ending ever?


KR: Oh, great question. Well the one that always makes me cry would be Field Of Dreams. I think thats just a very sensationally powerful ending that only guys get emotional for.


AG: Why do you say only guys?


KR: Well because the idea of a guy who lost his father, had a strained relationship for his father, when it comes down to it he did everything for his father. And at the very end when he says Dad, you wanna have a catch? and the father gets emotional, starts to tear up, I mean guys arent meant to show emotions. Were not meant to do that, so when we see that happening, its, oh god, its tough to get through that one. Theres no man alive who should be able to go through that scene without having some semblance of an emotion. Cant do it, its impossible. I defy anyone to do it.


On that note, I left his 7th period study hall, wishing him a pleasant rest of his day. It wasnt unit la few days later though, when I was packing up my things from my 6th period Lang. class that he popped in to solidify one of his answers. Reminding me that I asked him what his favorite movie quote was, he explained that since with 10 AP students decided they didnt want to work, he had come to the conclusion that his favorite one was Kurt Russells character in Miracle say Get a whistle. Im sure his students will discover zoo enough that with Mr. Ruane, they have everything on the line.