1997年的電影,男主角Melvin有潔僻強迫症,不懂如何表達自己的感覺,並用諷刺挖苦的口氣來面對,別人都認為他是個壞脾氣難相處的人。但他其實善良睿智並且感情豐富,他寫出許多部暢銷愛情小說,對於真正需要幫助的人會挺身而出──雖然是用他的壞脾氣表示善意。
女主角Carol是個餐廳女服務生,她直率並且自我要求很高。然而因為她那有氣喘病的兒子,使她拒絕許多約會。Melvin每天總是會到Carol的餐廳用餐,並指定Carol服務他,因為也只有Carol能勉強不被Melvin的壞脾氣激怒。Carol不喜歡Melvin,所以他的餐點總是會晚點上。
男配角Simon是Melvin的鄰居,同性戀,並且是才華洋溢的畫家。
有次扮成模特兒的小偷打斷Simon的手,Simon住院因此他的狗交給Melvin照顧。雖然Melvin起初不喜歡狗,但狗的純真率直讓Melvin打開心防,加上Melvin不需要考慮該怎麼表達自己的感受,漸漸他會跟狗完,買香腸給狗吃,讓狗睡他的床。直到Simon出院後,Melvin把狗交還給Simon,他還因此在房間裡哭了。這一幕著實讓人感到傷心。Simon也在這時候發現Melvin其實沒那麼壞。
另一次,Carol沒來上班,原來是她的兒子病情惡化。為了幫助她,Melvin幫忙找了好醫生。Carol這才發現平常那個討人厭的客人其實心腸很好。
三人出遊的時候,Melvin與Carol在餐廳這幕很經典。Melvin又惹Carol生氣,Carol說你最好講些好話,不然我就要離開。接著Melvin說:
Melvin: Okay, now, I got a real great compliment for you...and it's true.
(我有一些精彩的恭維話,並且是實話)
Carol: I'm so afraid you're about to say something awful.
(我害怕你又說些難堪的話)
Melvin: Don't be pessimistic. It's not your style.
(不要這麼悲觀,這不是你的風格)
Melvin: Okay, here I go. Clearly a mistake.
(好,我要說了,來彌補我的過失)
Melvin: I've got this, what, ailment?
(我得了一種,嗯,精神疾病)
Mevlin: My doctor, a shrink that I used to go to all the time...
(我的醫生呢,精神科的,建議我得持續服藥)
Melvin: says that in 50 or 60 percent of the cases a pill really helps.
(他說這藥對五六成的病人有效)
Melvin: I hate pills. Very dangerous thing, pills.
(我恨藥片,藥是很危險的東西)
Melvin: I'm using the word "hate" here about pills.
(我用"恨"來形容藥片)
Melvin: My compliment is, that night...
when you came over and told me that you would never...
All right, well, you were there. You know what you said.
(我要讚美你的是,那天晚上當你跟我說你絕不會...呃,你知道的)
Melvin: Well, my compliment to you is...the next morning I started taking the pills.
(我要讚美你的是,隔天早上,我開始服用藥片了)
Carol: I don't quite get how that's a compliment for me.
(呃,我不太懂,那讚美我什麼?)
Melvin: You make me want to be a better man.
(你使我想要成為更好的男人)
正是因為Carol知道Melvin的病有多糟糕,Carol被這些話打動。但是感動是一回事,能否相處則是另一回事。Melvin很容易就把情況搞砸了,但Simon鼓勵Melvin,Simon知道Melvin心地很善良,只是需要更多的勇氣。
我比較喜歡最後這一段話:
Carol: I'm sorry. Whatever this is is not gonna work.
(很抱歉,我們不會有結果的)
Melvin: I'm feel...
(我覺得...)
Carol: What?
(什麼?)
Melvin: I'm feeling better, Carol.
(Carol, 我已經比前好了)
Carol: Even though it may seem that way now...you don't know me all that well. I'm not the answer for you.
(也許你感覺好多了,但你並不瞭解我,我不適合你的)
Melvin: Hey, I've got a great compliment for you.
(我現在有句話想讚美你)
Carol: You know what?
(你知道嗎?)
Melvin: Just let me...Let me talk.
(就...就讓我說完好嗎)
Melvin: I might be the only person on the face of the Earth...that knows you're the greatest woman on Earth.
(我可能是世界上唯一知道你是最好的女人)
Melvin: I might be the only one who appreciates...how amazing you are in every single thing that you do...and how you are with Spencer.
(也是唯一能欣賞你做的每件事的人,以及你如何照顧Spencer)
Melvin: In every single thought you have and how you say what you mean...and how you almost always mean something...that's all about being straight and good.
(你的每句話,隱喻的每件事,都是正直且善良)
Melvin: I think most people miss that about you.
(我想很多人忽略你這些特質)
Melvin: I wonder how they can watch you...bring their food and clear their tables...and never get that they just met the greatest woman alive.
(我好奇那些人,每天看你端盤子清桌子,卻從來不懂,原來最完美的女人就在他們面前)
Melvin: And the fact that I get it...makes me feel good...about me.
(我卻知道這事實,讓我感覺我因此成為更好的男人)
Melvin: Is that something that's...bad for you to be around for you?
(難道這讓你覺得我在你身邊是很糟的事嗎?)
以前看這部片時,只領略到這兩段好精彩。現在再看這部電影,看到很多細節,像是Simon如何發現他的壞鄰居一點也不壞,Melvin如何在內心掙扎並且努力變好,Carol如何面對自己的感覺。而其他配角圍繞在他們身邊,太正常太平凡反而顯出他們的好。
也許即使平凡如我們,在深愛上另一個人的時候,才是如此特別。

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