In WhichI Fall in Love with Hushpuppy

Just saw Beasts of the Southern Wild. It was one of those movie experiences where the theater falls away (except for the popcorn) and you are totally immersed in the story. I was enthralled. It is the story of a young girl named Hushpuppy and her life in a Louisiana bayou (The Bathtub). She lived with her father, a volatile and complex--but also affectionate--man. As the film progresses, we learn that he is sick, dying. This is where a wonderfully magical, playful, ironic symbolism comes into play. The Bathtub is in danger because of rising water levels and increasingly violent storms. In school, Hushpuppy learns about global warming, the melting of the icecaps that will eventually flood her home. And far away,  we catch a glimpse of a beast, frozen in a glacier, trapped outside of time. But the time is coming when the beast will be released and The Bathtub will be threatened, and with it Hushpuppy's entire world. I cannot believe how amazing this movie was. There was so much hype (Sundance), that disappointment was almost inevitable. But Hushpuppy proved me wrong. She stood tall and showed the world--and the beast--just how strong she is.