Premium Rush--Why I Levitt

By Diana Chan on October 8, 2012

I don’t know if it’s the hipster bike culture on campus, the fact that the star of the movie was Joseph Gordon-Levitt, or that the movie was essentially one long chase scene, but I really enjoyed Premium Rush. The storytelling format is similar to 500 Days of Summer; it’s confusing at first, but by the end of the movie, everything makes sense. To top it all off, it taught me a few things that I think applies to life, especially for us college students. For those of you who haven’t watched it (yet), you should. If you want to avoid any spoilers, just read the bold.

Credits to: flickr/stopdown

Credits to: flickr/stopdown

1. “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” I remember that quote from my wee elementary years, but I haven’t thought about it since—until I watched Premium Rush.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character, Wilee (as in the coyote), redefined the word “persistence.” He outsmarted the gambling-addicted bad cop, Monday, who had the advantage of driving a car, while also outmaneuvering a second, more relentless bike officer through the busy streets of New York City. After realizing the importance of the document he had given up on delivering, Wilee proceeded to chase down his rival co-worker, Manny, in a race to the wrong destination, so that he could intercept and redeliver it to the letter’s original destination—only he was hit by a taxi cab driver, injuring his shoulder, and thus, ended up in the back of an ambulance with Monday, where he was beaten until he revealed the envelope’s whereabouts to the cop. Of course, he fooled Monday and continued in his effort to deliver the document in time.

This just goes to show how much persistence does and will pay off. If you failed your first midterm, study smart for the next two and you could ace your final (that’s the perk of having 3 midterms per class). If you didn’t get your dream job, brush up on your job interviewing skills, edit your resume, and try again. You’re not supposed to get it right the first time, but practice and persistence will get you closer to perfection.

2. You can find a job that you love, if you don’t mind how much you make. Some of you who aspire to be surgeons or airline pilots, you’re in luck, because you’re going to make a lot of money, whether you want to or not. But for others who dream of being an ice cream truck vendor or a florist, don’t expect a fat six-figureCredits to: flickr/spencer77

3. Hold on to good friends. And when I mean good, I mean they would at least contemplate going through maybe half of what Wilee endured for Nima. If Nima had trusted Vanessa and not been so secretive about her plans, her document may have arrived in the right hands much earlier. Luckily for her, Wilee understood how important this delivery was, and was willing to go hunt it down to complete the transaction.paycheck.

Good friends are hard to come by, and you’re going to have days when you will need to rely on someone for something. It might be an intimate heart-to-heart, a brutal session of truth, or a skill he or she possesses that you need to “borrow,” but regardless, you will need that support system of yours from time to time. Just remember that all relationships are a two-way street.
4. You can get a job doing just about anything. So brush up on your talents and skills, because you never know when you might need it. We have been in such an awful job slump, yet it’s reassuring to know you can get a job with just a one-speed and a messenger bag—even though you might have to live in New York.

5. Don’t gamble if you’re not good at it.

And last, but far from least…

6. Karma’s a b*tch. 

The most important thing to take from this movie is to not give up. Even when things look dire, life has lost all meaning, and you have a broken arm, persistence pays off. Unfortunately for those of you who haven’t yet experienced this awesome bike chase, Premium Rush is no longer playing in theaters. However, there are always ways around that.. *wink.. or you can wait until the DVD release on December 21st. But either way, watch it!

 

(Second photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons and spencer77)

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