Tommy Penner

I started attending Lawrence Tech in Fall 2004, straight out of high school. I graduated from high school and began college absolutely gung-ho about getting my degree in mechanical engineering. My dad had graduated with two bachelors degrees from Lawrence back in the 70's, my mom earned her bachelors from West Negros University in the Philippines, my Pastor had actually attended Lawrence in the 70's, my girlfirend's (at the time) brother graduated from here in '02, and hell, her dad was even a professor here. Needless to say, I felt I had tons of connections to this school before I even attended my first class.

I was thinking about how long I've been here at LTU, since by the calendar I've been here for over 6 years. In my freshmen year, first semester university seminar class, I remember introducing myself to everyone and saying, "Hi, I'm Tommy Penner, I'm going into mechanical engineering, and I hope to graduate by the end of the decade."

Funny how that's kind of bit me in the ass. But I have attended LTU non-stop from fall 2004 until the spring 2007 semester. I attended Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts during 2008, I didn't come back to LTU until the spring 09 semester. So going by attended semesters, I'm in my 5th year at LTU.

That's not bad, I had always figured that I would be in college for five years.

Although I also figured that I would be done by the end of the decade. Meh.

I love movies. While I am a little slow at actually getting around to watching movies (I still have not seen Avatar), I do eventually get around to watching the good ones. There are movies that I love to watch for their entertainment value, like The Dark Knight and Iron Man, movies that I love because they are so bad, like the Starship Troopers trilogy, and there are movies that I absolutely love because they connect on some personal level.

So in no particular order, here's my list of movies that I feel connected to, in some shape or fashion. Basically, if you are a close friend of mine, you have to watch these movies to understand a part of me.

Oh, and, uh, spoilers ahead.

The Shawshank Redemption


Even more than any Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Godfather, or Harry Potter movies (anyone not offended with that list?), I believe Shawshank is one of the greatest movies of all time. The hope that main character Andy Dufresne holds onto throughout the film is inspiring. Also inspiring is how he was able to spread that hope and a sense of optimism onto Red and the other prisoners, despite the fact that all the others are "institutionalized" and have settled into life on the inside. Shawshank is a movie about the endurance of the human spirit, and how it can never be conquered.

High Fidelity


High Fidelity stars John Cusack. For most people that's enough to make them love the movie. Cusack plays record store owner Rob Gordon, who breaks up with his girlfriend at the start of the film, goes on to review all his past relationships, and analyzes why each one failed. He comes to realize that what he had given up before is what he has always wanted; basically Rob didn't appreciate what he had until she was gone.

Better Luck Tomorrow

A group of Asian-American over-achieving kids are bored in suburbia. They descend into cheating, drugs, and crime, all while still trying to maintain their straight-kid facade. The main character, Ben, has a set life, and knows what the life ahead of him will be like, revolving mostly around his stellar academics. However at the end of the movie, his set life was changed, and for the first time he doesn't know what life would be like ahead.

Lost in Translation

Two things I love about Lost in Translation: Scarlett Johansson with red hair, and Bill Murray playing a serious role. Johansson and Murry play Charlotte and Bob Harris, respectively, who are two people that connect with each other when they meet in a Japanese hotel. The story and imagery are ambiguous, but play out like trying to recall a memory. In their "American" lives Charlotte is still sorting out her early-20-something life, while Bob is dealing with his own family and personal issues. Together they cast away their worries as much as they can, while learning from one another. When Bob leaves to go back home, Charlotte sums it up saying, "Let's never come here again because it will never be as much fun."

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

While most people may associate Jim Carey with over-the-top comedy movies, I will always think of him in Eternal Sunshine. Carey plays Joel Barish, who undergoes a procedure to erase the memories of his ex-girlfriend. The majority of the film takes place inside Joel's head, who realizes through re-living these memories what he and Clementine had to begin with.