Peace Corps Oscars

 

Best movies to watch about Peace Corps that aren’t about Peace Corps.

 

1. Beauty and the Beast – Belle is a PCV, and we don’t know what medieval France was like, but we do know that the opening sequence was set in Cameroon.

2. Run Fatboy Run – because it’s not just about you, it’s about telling that guy who is cooler than you could ever hope to be, who starts sentences with things like, “Back when I was a Navy Seal…” and “When I was a professional paragliding instructor to Bono…” or “I’m considering a couple offers for the movie rights,” that, “Well, you know, back when I lived in Africa… no big deal…” (we kid!)  Actually, that wall he hits is a real thing, and it comes up often, and you’ve just gotta push through.  And anything starring Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) is a real treat!

3. Batman – the new ones, not that cartoony mess certain directors made of our favorite superhero – fighting corruption, injustice, and evil in it’s many forms…  You can see the parallels, right?

4. The Quiet Gardener or Blood Diamond – because instead of sitting at home feeling riddled with guilt, you can sit at home and feel not so bad, because, well, you’re trying to do something. (But make sure to follow this up with Run Fatboy Run, or Beauty and the Beast, because they’re still depressing…)

5. Zombie Movies – Just think of your Peace Corps experience as preparation for the zombie apocalypse.  Going out after dark is risky.  Bars on the windows and a metal door are good things – again, bolt the door after dark.  Running water and electricity are luxuries.  Machetes (cutlass in NW Cameroon) are ubiquitous gardening tools that double as security/beheading devices. Attend wounds immediately – any open wound is a avenue for infection. Know where your water comes from – dysentery will slow you down.  Remember that nearly everything you learn in Peace Corps, even the hard lessons, will aid you in the inevitable trials to come…

6. The Men Who Stare at Goats – other than the fact that PCVs have Jedi Powers, it’s a raucous ride through foreign climes wherein one is expected to use abilities one may or may not actually have.  And it sort of captures the absurdity of it all.  AND you can enjoy that slight feeling of superiority every time Ewan McGregor calls Mahmoud, “Mohammed,” because you can tell the difference with your PCV powers of integration.

7. The Family Stone, Darjeeling Limited, The Royal Tenenbaums – don’t feel bad about running away to the other side of the world!  There are families way more dysfunctional than yours… And anything that makes you laugh when you are feeling homesick is a good thing.

8. The Adventures of Tin Tin – racing around the world, setting wrongs right, holding up your drunkest and dearest friends…. like you do.  Plus, the voice of Simon Pegg again.

9. The Chronicles of Narnia – because, really, it isn’t all about you.  It’s the opportunity to bring grace into a stranger’s life, to be their answered prayer, to hold to what you believe you’re meant to be doing with your life, even against all odds.  And when isn’t it a good time for Liam Neeson’s fatherly rumble to set all things right?

10. Jurassic Park – whether you still see this film as an action/adventure, or you’ve seen it so many times that it’s become comedy, no matter where you find yourself in the world, you can rest assured that you are safe from velociraptor attack, even if your computer system goes down and you live in an area bearing a striking resemblance to Isla Nublar.  And, come on – it’s Jurassic Park – one of the most quotable movies of all time (see Jack for examples)! And PCVs love movie quotes!

 

What Not to Watch – okay, so some of these are a little unavoidable but view at your own risk.

World War II movies – nothing, no matter how much you think it sucks, will ever make anything clad in a Nazi uniform the bearer of a warm and fuzzy.

No Reservations, Chocolat, other films about Beautiful Food – why torment yourself with things you have approximately one year, five months, nine days and seventeen hours (but who’s counting?) before you can even think about tasting again?

Black Swan or Dorian Gray – you’re already going to have days when you think you might be going crazy… So… just don’t.

Hotel Rwanda – I know you’re in Africa, or someplace equally exotic, and Rwanda is in Africa and/or equally exotic too, but this one goes with the WWII movies, not the African message movies.  Watch Madagascar instead.