The Saving Madness of Burton/Depp's "Alice in Wonderland"

Sometimes parts of you may not survive indefinitely, if they are not befriended. Well, they survive, but they go sadly dormant. You can miss them. I had this feeling for a while that things are too real, way too real, even the beauty of things round me wasn't what I wanted--though it's better than not having it, certainly--as I was walking back from the movie into my area, I felt that I have become completely responsible. There was no part of me that didn't feel responsible or that every last thing was real around me, in other words: no imagination.

I heard that Johnny Depp resonated with the character of the Mad Hatter. I know he had a tumultuous life until he met his wife, who finally was the person who understood him. I think I relate to Johnny Depp in some ways as an artist. He said this was his ideal role, and it's my ideal role as well in another way. When I saw the hatter's table, that crazy rabbit (love that rabbit so much) and all their irrational behavior, I started to cry. I could have missed half the scene. I miss that madness in myself. I used to go crazy,  and it was wonderful. Now there's not a bit of madness anywhere in sight. I think I was happier when I was living a little more in a dream world. That's nonsense, of course, but it was much more real to me, and very lovely, and reality is not wonderful without it.

My reality is in better shape than it used to be, but my dream life seems to have suffered in the bargain. Ironic, eh?

Anyway, the movie did provide me some renewal. I came out and the world looked different to me (partly because they've renewed Cambie area, which helped, but it wasn't just that).

The movie showed me that there are dreamers in the world exactly like me, that they are strong and valid and functional, and that there is a place in the sane mind and body for the dreaming madness.