Coincidences common occurrences
By Ryan Eloe
Skiff Staff

Wouldn’t it be crazy if there was an asteroid the size of Texas? Wouldn’t it be crazy if the United States decided to let an oil company drill a whole in the asteroid from space? Wouldn’t it be crazy if you were the best driller and chosen for the mission? It would be quiet a coincidence.

Wouldn’t it be crazy if you gave up your seat on an airplane to a man, and he died when the plane crashed? Wouldn’t it be crazy if you found the wife of the man who died in your place? Wouldn’t it be crazy if you fell in love? It would be quiet a coincidence.

Wouldn’t it be crazy if you were set off on a mission and everyone says that you died? Wouldn’t it be crazy if your best friend falls in love with your girlfriend since they both think you’re dead? Wouldn’t it be crazy if you came returned before one the most catastrophic days in history? It would be quiet a coincidence.

Ben Affleck always lands himself in situations (rather films, “Armageddon,” “Bounce,” and “Pearl Harbor”) that lead to events that seem like more than coincidences.

His next film, “Changing Lanes,” looks like it may run with a similar coincidental scenario.

The revealing trailer as well as the title itself seems to show that this film will revolve around a small accident that happens between two men (played by Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson).

Unfortunately, a little road rage ensues and the two men become quiet angry. Affleck’s character leaves an important document behind, which gets into the hands of the poor and angry character played by Jackson. The situation, set up by an interesting coincidence, suddenly can play out as the two men play with each other’s lives.

I am not saying this film loses any value in itself because of the interesting coincidences that set up the premise of the film. Yet, if films carry a degree of social commentary, what are films like this saying?

Films that set up their premise with a crazy coincidence seem to suggest that everyday life is boring and it takes something unimaginable to occur to get our heart beating, and our brain engaged.

Affleck’s repertoire demonstrates this well. We see that in a movie like “Pearl Harbor,” we can’t watch a love story or a war movie anymore, we need there to be some kooky scenario.

We need the initial love interest to appear to die, and come back soon before Japanese attack the island. Does the story of Dec. 7, 1941 need to be spiced up so much to fill the theaters?

If it’s not a movie dabbling in the fantastical and supernatural, like Universal Pictures April release “The Scorpion King” then why not make even the real world itself seem unnatural.

I don’t deny that random things happen, and that these make life interesting. Yet, I also think audiences are intrigued by that which seems real, where reality is not stretched beyond the imagination every time we watch a movie.

It’s the little coincidences that make life exciting. It’s when you’re craving coffee and you go and a good friend you haven’t seen for a while is there grabbing a cup of coffee.

It’s when you quit your job and are offered another job five minutes later. It’s when you start liking a girl and eventually when you ask her out you find out she started liking you the same night that you started liking her.

These are the little coincidences of real life that make it exciting. No drilling through asteroids, no falling in love because of switching flights with your future lover’s husband, no return from the dead experiences and no fender benders — that change your life forever.

Ryan Eloe is a junior international economics major from Centennial, Colo. He can be reached at (r.c.eloe@student.tcu.edu).

credits

TCU Daily Skiff © 2002