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Max  from 
3/5/2005 4:43:37 AM 

hi all ! ;) nice site :)


KJC  from Houston, TX
3/4/2005 10:25:00 AM 

I've been pondering upon Joe's experience when he watches the "huge moon" rise in the sky over the vast ocean as he and Patricia "float for a while..." On one level, Joe does realize that he is, indeed, small in comparison with the universe (and God the Creator). But I think there is more...

I see an image on the moon being the outline of what could be a man on the right and a woman on the left, locked together in a passionate kiss. To me, there is a "veil" that encircles the top of them, and such represents unity.
The moon here is such a powerful sign of what is to come for both Joe and Patricia, I believe. A "marriage" that could be corporal, spiritual, or both.

I can put myself in Joe's shoes here, and being Catholic, see myself discovering just how "little" I am in relation to God as if I were kneeling in front of the Eucharist, the Blessed Sacrament, when in a Chapel. Yet there is more... Believing that the Eucharist is, indeed, the actual total presence of Jesus Himself (body, blood, soul, and divinity) simply in the form of bread transubstantiated, I am in commUNION with Christ in this moment.

There is a powerful Christian metaphor that portrays Christ as the Bridegroom and the Church (body of believers) as the Bride. It is our vocation (or job - "I know he can get the job but can he do the job?") to unconditionally love in this life - regardless of our state be it single, married, divorced, separated, widowed, etc.. Unconditional love is our supreme calling, and we see Joe at this moment in the movie beginning to answer that calling, if you will, to love not himself but another person unconditionally (being Patricia of course).

Ultimately, when we love our neighbor selflessly, we learn to love God above all else. The first and second Commandments are (1) Love God with all you heart, mind, soul and strength and (2) Love you neighbor as yourself. These two commendments are inseparable. To do one is to do the other. Herein lies the key to true unity. When we love somebody selflessly - be it a loved one or a stranger - we reflect or mirror (like the moon reflects the light of the sun) the unconditional love God has for mankind (created in His image and likeness).

So the profound image we can see in this "huge moon" sign presented here reminds me of my ultimate objective in life - to be in union with God. I am "the Bride" and Christ is "my Bridegroom." This is "the secret" that the Catholic nun possesses in her special relationship with Jesus as a Bride of Christ. Yet the married woman, too, can experience this deep relationship with Christ simply "once removed" through her husband. KJC


KJC  from Houston, TX
3/2/2005 4:46:43 PM 

Just spent some time reviewing the various comments and "speculation" about the significance and meaning of JVTV, and it is clear that there are as many "meanings" as there are viewers ;-) . But that's the wonder of art...

Here's my "two cents worth..." for posterity if nothing else LOL! And I'll try to keep it short (but I must warn you, like Joe when he changes into his "Safari Outfit" to board the Graynamore yacht, being "on the wrong side of the Horn of Africa," I'll probably still express myself here in an "overstated manner..." As Patricia tells Joe, "that outfit is wearing you...").

Coming from a Judeo-Christian perspective, in particular a Roman Catholic mind-set, I experience JVTV as a profound illustration of such theology. The "threes" I see often remind me of the trinity - God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Joe Banks (mind you, not "Joe" - remember the reaction of the Waponis to the Chief's query "are you Joe" vs. "are you Joe Banks"?) to me is a kind of Christ figure in the movie for his sacrifice and suffering. Matter of fact, this movie alltogether is a profound illustration on the Christian meaning of suffering, I think. That suffering does have meaning and that we all can "participate" in suffering that parallels (but never accomplishes) Christ's ultimate suffering on the cross. I guess you could say my take here represents the "Hebrew and Latin" influences on the island of Waponi Woo (or my own "little island" where I live).

The "twos" I see in the movie - particularly how Joe and Patricia end up in the water together twice (first when she's knocked unconscious off the yacht and Joe dives in to save her, and second when both are spewed out of the volcano back in to the water) illustrate the justice and mercy of God. I believe that God does give us "second chances" at life when we have courage (by grace) and faith in Him. My own life's patterns are a testimony to such, as I'm sure many of you can attest to as well. It is interesting to note how Joe and Patricia are given a "second chance" and kind of end up back where they started (in the water). The first time, it is Joe's courage that "saves" the two and it is Patricia's new-found faith the second time (remember, she's the one who says "I don't know how but we're gonna be alright...")that "saves" them, I think. In the Bible, there is scripture that speaks of how Christ will "vomit" out of his mouth those He finds to be lukewarm in their faith - not those either hot or cold - and I find this profoundly illustrated by the volcano scene at the end of the film. Both Joe and Patricia have been "lukewarm" in their faith in God at certain times in their lives up to this point, but through the justice and mercy of God, they get their "second chance" to rediscover their faith and to do so together. How wonderful!

Another "two" is the connection between the character DeDe and Patricia, who I see as the same person moving from a "child" spiritually (DeDe) to a "mature woman" spiritually. Patricia is the fulfillment of DeDe's potential.

You can of course view all three of Meg Ryan's characters - DeDe, Angelica, and Patricia - as the illustration of one woman's spritual progression in her life. Many of the great Catholic saints wrote of the spiritual journey towards holiness here on earth in terms of three stages - childhood (DeDe), adolescence (Angelica), and adulthood or spiritual maturity (Patricia). The fourth stage would be sainthood but of course, who among us reaches that before we die LOL!!! (I haven't arrived yet that's for sure...)

And Joe himself goes through three stages of spiritual growth in the movie, where DeDe/Angelica/Patricia simply mirror or parallel his stages accordingly.

St. John of the Cross, one of the Doctors of the Church and a Catholic mystic from the Carmelite order, viewed the path to holiness as a kind of summit to climb, and I liken his spirituality to Joe and Patricia's "climb up the volcano" to make their "leap of faith together..."

(Note: Of course, DeDe/Angelica/Patricia can also be three different women in Joe's life, and probably are.)

I could go on and on... I love how Patricia discovers love for Joe "without ever sleeping with him" as she says when she declares her love for him before he makes his trek "up the crooked path." Mind you I'm no prude but in a world that's so degraded the beauty and sanctity of sex and the marital act in particular, I find this detail in the movie refreshing and beautiful.

Well, I'll stop for now. Don't know if anybody else experiences this movie from a Christian perspective but I do and just want to share that... KJC


KJC  from 
3/2/2005 2:55:44 PM 

Just discovered this website as I never knew one existed for "affectionadoes." Thanks for keeping it going so I could find it for Joe Versus The Volcano (JVTV) is one of my alltime favorite movies!!! It is grossly underrated and unappreciated, but those who do get the most from it are those who have a natural aptitude for symbolism and metaphor. Not everyone does... I've been watching this movie alot lately, and I always find something new with each view. For me, this movie is "love at first sight" because the patterns so closely fit with the patterns of my own life and the lives of those close to my heart. Funny how you can "find yourself" in the movies, isn't it? What is so awesome about the movie is it's depth - layer upon layer of symbol and metaphor to ponder and relate to. Indeed, very few people it seems are truly "awake" to see this glimpse of what I would call a kind of "beatific vision..." As it's been said, "only the examined life is the life worth living..." and JVTV is one of those movies that is worth the effort to watch with "a passion..." KJC


Mark  from  Website
2/24/2005 4:31:56 PM 

OK KIDS!!!!!!!!! THE BEST NEWS HAS FINALLY HAPPENED!

I have been granted permission to ask a list of questions to none other than JP Shanely himself! We have A WEEK to get a list of questions together and he will answer them all (within reason, of course). So either post away, or email me, or email Lanny.

LANNY... EMAIL ME!

Have Fun!!! Mark B


hamer  from  Website
2/22/2005 5:24:18 AM 

You have a great site! I found interesting things.Thank you.
Thank you for visiting my site also. :-)
http://mp3.newruss.com - MP3 Music Downloads.


Ken Couch  from 
2/20/2005 8:44:36 AM 

Wanted to say thanks so much for keeping this site open. Like so many who have visited here, "Joe versus the Volcano" is what all movie should be and only a very few become. Glad to see you are still "awake."


Andy  from 
2/20/2005 5:13:38 AM 

Thanks Rick, I have been trying for months to get the name of that song.
Thanks again.


Rick  from Deepinaharta, Nowhere
2/20/2005 12:06:32 AM 

Hey Andy - the song was "Come Go With Me" by the Del Vikings


Andy  from United Kingdom
2/19/2005 10:53:00 AM 

Hi all. does anyone know the name of the song which plays when Tom Hanks does that dance on the cases, after the ship sinks. Been trying to think of it but cant remember?? Cheers, Great film.


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