MovieChat Forums > Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) Discussion > The Moon Scene

The Moon Scene

posted 18 years ago by oucom52
12 replies | jump to latest

Im not sure if the people who have these blurbs on imdb come on and see what people type...but i just wanted this guy to know this:

Im a intern going to be a resident here in 2 weeks....its been a tough year cause its a tough job. Ive had my doubts about life and what we as a human race are really here for.

I was watching this movie alone last night on DVD and it came to the scene with the moon...During the scene I began to cry because I too had forgotten how great life was...how wonderful it is to be alive...Dear God, whose name I do not know....thank you for my life.....Its the greatest release ive had in my entire life.

Thank you JP Shanley for making such a great movie that not only entertains but sends a message to each person that TRULY watches it.

By the way, which one of us havnt dreamed of kissing our dream girl the way hanks does in that storm in the middle of peril....at that moment nothing else matters...thats PERFECTION at its finest.... And then how life seems to try and take that away at times cause nothing is truly perfect (with her getting hit offboard).

oucom52 at yahoo.

[–] teako170 18 years ago

You hit the nail on the head! This film, while wacky/goofy/dark, is also truly inspirational. Anytime I'm feeling down this movie gives me a much needed lift. It may not solve the problem but it certainly helps alleviate it slightly. And that's why I love this movie.

--
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http://www.teako170.com

[–] ashley-bailey 18 years ago

i really agree, you have to look at the depth of this film, it always cheers me up, and its not at all well known, i love this movies pureity and and, well, its everthing, LOL.

[–] mowkeka 18 years ago

Most of this movie is meant as a metaphor, and Shanley often exaggerates for effect i.e. - crappiness of Joe's workplace.

The moon scene is another example. Obviously the moon wouldn't be that big. But for a split second (ironically, on his deathbed), Joe can see the world and universe for what it is - beautiful. That sense of wonder and awe, that he once had - got lost somewhere. All of a sudden, he remembers. What a beautiful scene.

I'm glad to see that someone enjoys it other than me.

[–] FastEddieMunster 18 years ago

You're not alone. In my mind, this film has become quite idiosyncratic. Those who seem to “get it” are people with an open heart, and open mind, and don’t take the world too seriously; true romantics.

I think that someday I’ll ask my daughter’s boyfriend, “Did you ever see Joe Versus the Volcano?” “What did you think of it?” It would probably tell me more about his nature than an NPA Personality Test. Okay, I wouldn’t leave it at that. It would be nice if he had a job too, but you get my point.

[–] Katz5 18 years ago

That is hilarious! Actually I went out with a girl once and we talked about movies, and I brought this movie up.
She said she absolutely HATED it....loathed it.

I didn't ask her on a second date.
Call me shallow--but detesting this truly great, uplifting, deep and inspirational (and funny!) movie says a lot about a person.

[–] Bear85 18 years ago

Seriously, I think that a person's response to this movie really DOES say something about who they are. I know that my own feelings about people have changed as a result of their hatred of this film.

Of course, now that I think about it, maybe that says more about ME!

[–] I_have_a_brain_cloud 18 years ago

I am a die-hard Joe fan, but I would forgive anyone who wanted to fast-forward through most of the Waponi sequences, up until the point where Patricia and Joe are ready to go up to the volcano. Otherwise--virtually every Tom Hanks scene in that movie is a classic.

away from the things of man, away from the things of man

[–] Chocaca2000 18 years ago

My husband and I both love this movie. We watched it together soon after we were married, so it has kind of a sentimental place in our hearts. I know that it didn't get the best reviews when it came out, and Hanks has moved on to do much bigger, more serious films, but I will always have a soft spot for this one. We just watched it again tonight with our 14-year-old son, and he liked it, too. (I had to keep stopping my husband from saying all the best lines before the actors did--"I know he can get the job, but can he do the job?" "I have no response to that," etc.)

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] krmagley 17 years ago

on the ocean, when there is no frame of reference, the moon will appear much bigger than it actually is. we learned that in high school. i'm sure with extreme exposure and dehydration the phenomenon would be amplified.

[–] TheVoxHumanus 16 years ago

I've never cried during a movie quite like I cried during this one. Not in amounts, but the incredible feeling of awe I had during the moon scene was quite unlike anything I'd ever seen in a movie before.

Beautiful scene, and one of my favorites in cinema. This is why movies are important. They can do that to people.

[–] jashobeam5 15 years ago

It is wonderful you are thanking God for your life. I would suggest you read the Book of Ruth in the Bible where one line in the movie came from: Ruth 1:16 But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.

She speaks of the same God, one you can come to know just as she did. May God bless your searching for His Name and bring you to Him.