So Back to Basics With Andy Garcia, The New Normal & More ֲ̲] It’s been a while since I’ve done an update on my favorite movies. You know, like re-watch them or something? But hey, it’s 2017 and that means at least some of you probably know where the latest and greatest cinematic gems are hiding. So, let’s rewind back to when we all thought that making a list of the top 10 movies of all time would be impossible. Why, because there is no such thing as an extinct film! There has never been a complete list of the best films of all time! And if there ever was one that should fall under the umbrella term ‘new normal’, it would have to be Andy Garcia’s The New Normal. What is this film about? Well, first off, let me say no spoilers here. If you have not seen it already, do yourself a favor and rent it from YouTube – trust me. But for those who have already seen it (and maybe even if you have not), it is worth a watch simply for the pure charm that Andy Garcia brings to each and every performance he takes on screen.
What is the artistic style of Andy Garcia?
Now, this is a question that many of you may have heard me ask before, but I feel it is a good question to put to the Test! The answer to this one is simple. Yes, Andy Garcia has a great visual style, but it is what he does with words that makes his work great. Generally, when I see a picture, I think of Andy Garcia – not the script. Yes, he is a great poet, but his work is more concerned with the cadence and rhythm of the words than the content. Simply put, Andy Garcia’s visual style is what makes his work great.
Let’s look at his career so far
It’s easy to forget now, but Andy Garcia was actually a very successful actor before this. He had a few small roles in independent films before making his mainstream breakthrough in The Spaniard in 1972. The film managed to earn him some critical praise for its tough subject matter, but was less well-regarded for its setup, which centered around a young female college student (played by Jane Fonda) and her friend (played by Barbra Streisand). Garcia would go on to become the go-to comedic actor for the 1980s, playing supporting roles in such comedies as The Sure-Shot and It’s a Wonderful Life, but was really at his best in 1980, when he starred as Andy Garcia in The New Normal.
## The worst critics of all time
This one is a nice one, as I cannot think of a single critic who has been kind or even helpful to Andy Garcia. Every review I see says how great he is, and then they complain that he wasn’t great enough or that his performance was poor. Perhaps they find his performance in The New Normal to be average, but they will never understand the audacity of calling a film average. If you are a fan of Andy Garcia, you need to be critical. If you are a critic, you need to be critical of your peers. You need to be critical of yourself. You need to be critical of everything.
## The influence of “Groundhog Day”
This is one of the most overlooked aspects of Andy Garcia’s career. It is something that he is well-known for, but few people realize how much of a factor it was in his success. The New Normal is set in the future, where you never know what tomorrow will bring. Earth has been covered in winter snows, and the landscape is covered with frozen tundra. It is a harsh, remote existence, and the only way to survive is to make the most of the time you have. This is the setting of Gremlins 2: The New Batch, and it is what really made Andy Garcia famous.
## The Best Thing He Ever Did
This one is a no-brainer. The film Gremlins 2: The New Batch is based on, and the song “It’s A Wonderful Life”, is about. It is a wonderful movie, and one of the reasons it is so great is because it has such a wonderful story. Andy Garcia plays a model who, upon graduating from college, is faced with the decision of whether he wants to take a job as a model or go back to college. He finds his answers when he looks in the mirror and sees himself, and he is so amazed by the image that he immediately texts his old college advisors to let them know he is open to anything. But what makes The New Normal stand out is that it is not just a story of a man looking back but of a man finding his purpose.
## The Writing On The Wall
We have all heard complaints that the writing on the wall is unfair, but it is not. The wall in The New Normal is simply the physical space that we occupy as humans. It is where we live, work, and play. We are all connected to it, and we all have a responsibility to our fellow humans to the best of our ability. But the wall is not the only thing that makes Andy Garcia great. The writing on the wall is what makes the film great. There are so many pauses, so many silences, and so much room for improvement that Andy Garcia cannot help but fall in love with the environments and characters that he play.
## Is This Movie Your “New Normal?”
This one is obvious, but I would like to address it from the other side of the coin. Is this movie your “new normal”? Yes, I get that it is a little far-out, but it is not the norm. Sure, there are going to be moments of black and white, but there are also going to be moments where you are in the middle of a color (or in some cases, a combination of color and black and white). It is what makes Andy Garcia great.
## Andy Garcia in One Scene
This is one of the rare occasions when I would like to see Andy Garcia in one frame. Let’s be clear on this: there is some serious B&W lube in this film, and there will be moments when you are in the middle of a color and you just want to run back to your bed and crawl into bed with your bedside table. But the point is, Andy Garcia is great in one frame.
## Where Does Andy Garcia rank on your list of the top 10 movies of all time?
The answer to this one is very simple. Well, it depends on who you are talking to. If you are a fan of Andy Garcia then you will definitely want to see this film because it is an amazing example of what a great director can do. If you are a newbie to the whole “new normal” thing then you probably want to see this movie because the acting is amazing, and the setting is truly unique (I prefer to call it “new” because it has nothing to do with the old). There will be many new viewers to this film who will want to see how they could improve on this list.
## (No. 1) – Field of Dreams, 2006 (No. 2) – Good Times, 1978 (No. 3) – Good Times, 1980 (No. 4) – Good Times, 1982 (No. 5) – Good Times, 1984 (No. 6) – It’s a Wonderful Life, 1941 (No. 7) – Caddyset, 1998 (No. 8) – Dancer in the Dark, 1986 (No. 9) – Gremlins 2: The New Batch, 2009
