How To Grow Your Geek: Parenting and More!

“As Hannah Montana’s popularity begins to take over her life, Miley Stewart, on the urging from her father takes a trip to her hometown of Crowley Corners, Tennessee to get some perspective on what matters in life the most. “

Hey guys,
I wanted to do this review for a long time, ever since I saw the movie. (Twice, hehe.) But today I got a whole new outlook on it. So maybe this will be a much better review. First off let me say I love Hannah Montanna, I love the show, like the music and this movie was really good no matter how you feel about her. Think this is just a kid’s movie? Only something for us “pre and teen girls” to like? Betcha I can change your mind by the end of this posting.

Okay, the movie starts out with MIley trying to get backstage at her own concert where she is to preform, but she and her friend are running late. Her dad is backstage worried, and the lady at the ticket booth doesn’t believe she is who she says she is, so won’t let her in. She’s not in the blonde wig of course, not with all those screaming fans around. But they make it, and she finally get to go on stage. Afterwards, it’s back to living the life of a big star, clothes, shoping, ect. Her best friend has a sweet sixteen birthday party that she just barely makes, and it ends in disaster. And hard feelings, her dad decides to set in and lays down the law. Time to go back home and see Grandma, and time for her to get back to her roots.

The whole movie is all about how she is juggling two worlds, Miley and Hannah. But dig a little deeper and you’ll see there is a lot more going on than just that. Oh sure on the surface it is a funny movie, the fight over a pair of shoes with Tyra Banks in a store was too funny. And how her dad tricks her into going back to Tennessee is funny too.

But really, the whole movie; like Hanna herself is all about growing up. And finding out what’s really important.

Think about this for a second, youre a teenage girl with a bunch of talent. You are know all over the world, you are making but loads of money, you can have anything you want. But is it important? Is it worth what you are giving up? I think that is what we fans forget, looking from the outside in. (that’s what dad calls it.)

We look at Hanna, and we say “wow, wish that was me.” I know I have anyway. But this movie showed me the other side of things, that and our trip to the country today. But i’ll get to that in a while.

In the movie we get to see Miley “back home.” Sure probally all actors, but she comes from a small town and lives on a farm. And things are a lot simpler there. Family and friends are the most important things there. She meets a boy who is helping her grandma out. (her grandma rocks, btw. I really liked her character.) The boy is pretty cute and shy, but he gets caught in Miley/Hannah chaos and sets her straight on a few things.

And her grandma? Samething there, she tells her and shows her important things she has left behind for the bright lights and fame. And reminds her of her mom.

I think it must be really hard to be a star of any kind at all. Think about it, every move you make, every little mistake, every dumb thing you might say, is headlines the next day or sooner. You have people following you around everywhere To get a scoop or a photo.  It’s no wonder some stars do really stupid things. So much pressure every moment. Now add to that being a teen girl, and wow; talk about a wicked hard life to lead. Yep, you read that right; I said hard.

Look we girls have a hard time growning up, we have to deal with boys, our looks, school, trying to be popular, the world and what it tells us we should be, ect. We are going make mistakes, it hust going to happen. Will Miley make mistakes? Sure. But so does everyone.

I love this movie for helping show her growing up and finding out who she really is and where she comes from. I also like that it showed her making some really hard decisions. Ones I not sure I could have made if I was her.

So you see, this wasn’t and isn’t just another “teen girl movie’, this had a message and is one everyone should think about.

Today was the day before mother’s day. Dad and I have a special day all plained out for Jenny tomorrow. (She had forgot the fact that she’s a mom, hehe.) That’s kind of been my fault, I always been calling her Jenny or my Jenny. I am begining to think that was wrong of me.

We took some flowers out to the country for Mom and Grandma Mary. Had to drive two hours, way out in the country. (lots of farms and not a lot else where we went.) Mom and Grandma are buried in a tiny town called Leasburg, right up the road from a big state park and a huge cave. (stick with me, I know this is long.) :)

The town is so small, everything from the post office, the one and only resturant and the post office are all on one side of the train tracks. But where Dad had Mom buried and where Grandma is at is the most prettist place in the whole world. It is high up on a hill, over looking a valley. Years ago they drained water out of the cave so now there is a pretty like down in the valley, and every year where they are at; the dogwood trees are so pretty.

I love going out there and spending time visting and laying flowers out. Jenny helped me make the arrangments, but the country and that small town? It is always soooooo boring there. At home I have my books and my computer, and my games, out there the nearest walmart is miles away. So nothing worth doing there other than visting Mom and Grandma.

But like Miley, I was so wrong. Here is what happened.

While we were putting flowers out, this man came up and started talking with Dad. He is the pastor of the tiny church next to the graveyard. He takes care of both the church and it I found out. He asked me, “You kin to Mary Catherine there?” That was Grandma’s name. So I told him who I was and that my mom was right there next to her. He was quite a bit and then he said, when you get done here, come inside; I want to show you something about your grandma and your mom. ”

Turns out Grandma grew up there in that little town, was actually born there. The old cabin, (not a house, but a real cabin.) was right down the hill. We taleked about her a lot and I found out a lot about her. Then he said, “I met you mom a few times, did you know that?” I had no idea. Turns out she drove out with Grandma a few times, even helped cook food right there in the church for people she didn’t even know! He said, “You mom was really something. You could tell she was a city girl, but she still fit in out here. Even said how she would have loved to have grown up out here, it being less complicated and all.”

Wow, Mom said that??? I never knew she felt that way at all. I remember her trying to grow tomatoes once when i was little, and boy was that ever a mess. I couldn’t picture her all the way out here. But then on the way home I thought about it and what he told me. And I can see it all now. Yeah the country is simpler and not a lot out there but farms and folks. (ah, but there is the key. Do you see it yet?)

Like Miley in the Hanna movie, I had to go back and see what really mattered and look past all my stuff and the city where we drove from. To get back to the roots. True I grew up in St Louis, but I have family out there in that tiny town and family. And I was also shown how a community welcomes a city girl and how family is the most important thing in the world.

So there you go, my new view on Hannah Montanna the movie. (and on life as well.) Go see this or rent it. Better yet buy it, and watch with your whole family. It’s a lot more than you think it is. It will make you think, and isn’t that what a movie should really do?

Darcy