iPhone app iPad app Android phone app Android tablet app More

Featuring fresh takes and real-time analysis from HuffPost's signature lineup of contributors
Matthew Modine

GET UPDATES FROM Matthew Modine
 

Somebody

Posted: 03/ 2/2012 8:01 am

It's easy to bemoan our political leaders and we no doubt expect way too much from them. They are, after all, no more than elected public officials. We vote them into office to represent us. When they fail to represent the will of the people and the nation, we need to replace them and find those that will. This democratic process is but one of the goals of the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement. OWS can now be found in 951 cities in 83 countries including Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Africa. OWS is a people-powered movement that began in the financial district of New York City and has grown into a global occupation. It's people from all over the world asking for better management. People asking this from their leaders and nations. People recognizing that governments commitment to the future is short-sighted. People exercising their right to demonstrate -- which is the most basic emblem of democracy. Everybody is each of us. If you think you're too small to make an impact, remember how annoying it is to try and sleep with a mosquito in your bedroom. I made this film to demonstrate.

SOMEBODY: A NEW SHORT FILM BY MATTHEW MODINE

This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done. The best way to create hope is to create opportunity.

 

Follow Matthew Modine on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MatthewModine

It's easy to bemoan our political leaders and we no doubt expect way too much from them. They are, after all, no more than elected public officials. We vote them into office to represent us. When they...
It's easy to bemoan our political leaders and we no doubt expect way too much from them. They are, after all, no more than elected public officials. We vote them into office to represent us. When they...
 
 
  • Comments
  • 45
  • Pending Comments
  • 0
  • View FAQ
Comments are closed for this entry
View All
Favorites
Recency  | 
Popularity
Page: 1 2  Next ›  Last »  (2 total)
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
decaf
11:10 PM on 03/16/2012
This is such a powerfully simple message about democracy.

Everybody that lives in a democratic society MUST participate in the system.

SOMEBODY is EVERYBODY and each of us must hold our ELECTED officials responsible for REPRESENTING the will and the good of the citizens that voted them into office. Politicians should NOT be representing the desires of corporations that pay "donations" (contributions and donations are veiled bribes) for private corporate gains.

Thank you for making this film. SHARE IT!
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
rutroGeorge
Silence is Golden, unless I have something to bark
06:33 PM on 03/04/2012
The least he could do is give credit for the quote he lifted. "If you think you're too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito. ~ Bette Reese
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
decaf
08:12 PM on 03/04/2012
my mom used to say something like that when i was a kid. i don't know who bette reese is. graham green said something like, the mosquito has no sympathy for the thin man. there are probably thousands of mosquito sucking, biting, annoying sayings. maybe reese was quoting my mom?

either way, the point is WE matter and each INDIVIDUAL can make an impact. he could have also said, "be the change you want to see" m. gandhi. but that quote is WAY over used.
photo
phoebequeen
I blame the dog
05:56 PM on 03/04/2012
Well done.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
critterzdad2
Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
12:38 PM on 03/04/2012
No offense, Mr. Modine- but having you try to lecture us is a bit like having a white man chair the naacp- No matter the opinions or the sincerity of belief it still will be more readily accepted and acted on by someone whom this issue directly affects. Not a member of the 01 percent. We love you, Mr. Modine... and we love and respect your acting ability and your intellect and we respect your right to have views- we just think you should try to find a proponent to throw your support to and to get behind and let US do the talking, the organizing and the leading. Thanks, but no thanks!
07:22 PM on 03/04/2012
No offense. Just my opinion/view. Perhaps not a lecture but a reminder. Member of the 1%? Could be. He is part of US and gets to talk too. Perhaps the proponent he has found is US and is "giving" his support to US because he does perhaps belong to the 1% and he is ashamed of what the 1% is doing to US and would like to change that. OWS has gotten a bit out of hand, in my opinion/view again, because people are angry. Yelling and screaming certainly doesn't solve anything. So, perhaps not a lecture but a reminder to those who are very disenchanted. That there is a system to utilize and the more voices who step and utilize that system properly, as is their law given right, perhaps change will occur for the good of US, as history has shown. It is nice to dwell in a place where you can talk and say... "Thanks, but no thanks!"
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
critterzdad2
Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
10:55 PM on 03/04/2012
I must most humbly apologize for the tone in my remarks. What was meant as a rallying cry for the people of the world who are finally finding their own voices did sound as though I wanted to silence Mr. Modine and other like him who merely meant to cheer us on and encourage us to find a voice in a different light than mine. Actually, what he did and said was very encouraging and we should never shoot the messenger! I am truly sorry. I often say this and I will say it again- its up to us. The system is one person, one vote. Its up to us to elect the people we feel will represent the 99 percent! Its not up to those who think its one vote per dollar spent on an election or one vote per dollar of net worth! We CAN.
Lets take back America again.
Occupy USA
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
decaf
08:23 PM on 03/04/2012
critterzdad2 - your comment is the definition of passive aggressive. you praise - then immediately criticize.

googling modine shows me that he is from a family of seven. that his dad was a drive-in movie manager and his mom was an accountant. his family is working class. electrician, pipe fitter, barber, swap meet manager, and phone company worker. maybe modine made the film because he himself grew up working - making minimum wage or maybe he made the film for his family? or maybe he made it with the young college student in the video - and thousands of other students with student loans.

regardless. having SANE, RATIONAL, INTELLIGENT attempts to address the financial and environmental problems the world faces shouldn't be considered the domain of passive aggressive critics.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
critterzdad2
Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
12:49 AM on 03/17/2012
So tell me, Dr Freud; which Ivy League school did YOU graduate from or are you just another psych 101 one day wonder? Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar- and sometimes being acerbic and sarconic is an art not mastered by others. So which is your issue? Never mind- I don't care... thanks for your opinion (and toss your psych books in the trash before you get in trouble with them).
11:38 AM on 03/04/2012
I guess this means that everybody needs to pay for somebody's contraception? Anybody can get everyone to pay for someone's healthcare? I am someone who is not interested in paying for everyone's contraception. No one should have to pay for anyone's inability to keep the pants on.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
rutroGeorge
Silence is Golden, unless I have something to bark
06:21 PM on 03/04/2012
Not interested in paying for everyone's contraception? How about the ED medications for 4-hour hard*ons presently being supplied courtesy of your tax dollars? Paying for someone's inability to keep their pants zipped up after fixing their floppy.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Ally Solver
Problem Solver Extraordinaire
10:27 AM on 03/04/2012
ows is a bunch of thieves looting from successful Americans. Nobody is concerned with fairness. All these LOSERS want socialism. This means they do nothing for themselves but are supported by others.

Yes, each individual can affect change. But two things are necessary: individual must take action and two get guidance from a source that is both intelligent and fair. Fair does not mean everybody gets pie. In fact, fairness means some people will never get pie, because they do not deserve pie. The world gives most people what they deserve.

Censorship is evil.
02:48 AM on 03/04/2012
Whether you vote Republican, Democrat or somewhere inbetween, after all is said and done "We the People" have access to all of them. That access is through communication. The communication is so much easier now especially with internet and e-mail. Phones work great too. Remember when the budget was at a stalemate? Phone systems and computer servers went down with the abundant communication attempts "We the People" did. All it takes is one voice. Sounds corny, I know. But if i tell 2 friends and they tell 2 friends and so on and so on, just think what kind of snowball effect it will create, and the realization that "We the People" are not going to put up with it anymore. No screaming and yelling. A threat to them? Perhaps, but the adjective I would use would be "fact".
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
lifepanels
We are a center-LEFT country.
12:21 PM on 03/03/2012
Wow. The power of simplicity and words. Great film, Matthew. Thank you.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Kurtis Tegman
10:06 AM on 03/03/2012
Nicely said...but SUPER obscure on this vast web page...Send this to the fools that are fighting for the positions to run our country. Will it inspire them to wake up and BE better? Its a nice thought, but that is like 'asking a tiger to change its stripes'. They developed their political acumen based on what works and gets them further in a system that has evolved into what we have now. Did the USA MAKE our system as it exists...NO. The politicians have perverted it into something that gets THEM, personally something on the side...a LOT of somethings. A system that turns people corrupt.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
decaf
01:48 PM on 03/03/2012
it's not necessarily the politicians that are bad, it's the corporations that own them. puppets. follow the money and you see who's pulling their strings.
12:32 PM on 03/04/2012
well said; it is not the size of govt but the amount of private money influencing it. but remember "corporations are people too", so the US supreme court ruled, changing the face of politics so what was not legal and only done under the table, can now be done in the open by the 1% to buy any political cause they want. truly a travesty...
photo
carolineeaton
I am a Goddess who runs with the wolves
02:24 AM on 03/03/2012
Thank you Mathew:).
01:04 AM on 03/03/2012
Loved it! Time to get to work
photo
tnkeating
Dyslexic agnostic insomniac
06:49 PM on 03/02/2012
While we can agree that we need to replace 98% of congress and the President for all to obvious reasons, if you support the OWS movement, please use your money to do so.
05:41 PM on 03/02/2012
I realize that your motivation is correct in many cases, but unfortunately your movement resemble the hippi culture of the 60s. Not too many people believe anything really good came from that other than music. Many of us still have a negative image of the way vietnam soilders wer treated by the hippies. Time will tell as to whether your movement will have a positive impact on America or not. With no real leadership and so many conflicting statements being reported I think you will have trouble convincing average Citizen.
photo
carolineeaton
I am a Goddess who runs with the wolves
02:23 AM on 03/03/2012
No one is expecting anything from you because we all know those that sit and criticize generally do nothing because if they were doing something, they wouldn't be sitting there criticizing. It's called: Getting off your rump and doing something if you don't like what others are doing.
05:03 PM on 03/02/2012
Thank you Mr. Modine for your clarity...a 'be positive' post in a sea of 'bang and blame'....
03:23 PM on 03/02/2012
ows, the: we are not keeping score and everyone gets a trophy generation.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
decaf
01:54 PM on 03/03/2012
"trucker clock" what does that even mean in reference to the post?
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Alex0393
Are you people for real?
12:47 AM on 03/04/2012
Haaaaaa! Well put brother