Conspiracy | Define Conspiracy at Dictionary.com

con·spir·a·cy

[kuhn-spir-uh-see]

noun,
plural con·spir·a·cies.
 
1. the act of conspiring
.
2. an evil, unlawful, treacherous, or surreptitious plan formulated in secret by two or more persons; plot.

3. a combination of persons for a secret, unlawful, or evil purpose: He joined the conspiracy to overthrow the government.

4. Law. an agreement by two or more persons to commit a crime, fraud, or other wrongful act.

5. any concurrence in action; combination in bringing about a given result.

Conspiracy | Define Conspiracy at Dictionary.com:

***

Both the Moral Majority, who are recycling medieval language to explain AIDS, and those ultra-leftists who attribute AIDS to some sort of conspiracy, have a clearly political analysis of the epidemic. But even if one attributes its cause to a microorganism rather than the wrath of God, or the workings of the CIA, it is clear that the way in which AIDS has been perceived, conceptualized, imagined, researched and financed makes this the most political of diseases.

Dennis Altman

Dennis Altman (b. 1943), Australian sociologist. AIDS in the Mind of America, ch. 2 (1986).

***

Up until receiving the following email from Bob and Janet concurring against me, 99.9% of all dialogue between my household in which I, James E. Avery, DVM  lived alone with 2 cats, and their household in which the two lived alone together as Bob continued leaving his wife home alone most days of the week coming and going on a regular schedule fitting for a full time job...

was between me and this elderly woman, Janet Claire Seger Gary; whom only just recently after this whole mess started did I learn was wife of  "nationally known pastoral consultant" G. Robert Gary, Sr. ThD according to a letter uploaded to Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church's website.

Up until the day receiving this email from them concurring together against me for the very first time and every step of the way since, as neighbors who's dialogue between our household didn't begin until Janet introducing herself  to me and her husband Bob after crossing over to my side of the street first;  we were officially still just supposed to be Janet, Bob, and Jim Ed.

As if the two-facedness and the subtle forms of perniciousness and prevarications able picking up on as I read this email from the two of them concurring against for the first time wasn't going to be enough,  what was Bob thinking signing off on this email the way he did?  What made him so foolishly believe I was going to be intimidated enough by this after all those years, since first introducing ourselves,  me and his wife continued a quite friendly, as well as respectable I was wanting to believe, neighborly relationship?

***

                                             

Sat, Nov 27, 2010 a 1:33 PM

Nov 27, 2010

Contact and Boundaries

FROM ggary@emory.edu TO You + 1 More

From ggary@emory.edu

To jimedavery@att.net

CC jgary@emory.edu

Hello Jim Ed,

You must know that in the future, there will be clear boundaries for making contact with Janet and me, especially Janet. This is not to say there will be no further contacts with us, but it must be under a number of conditions.

Janet wanted to add her word before we set the conditions together. Here is her note to you:

Jim Ed,

I was more than a little disturbed by your visit on Wednesday. In the spirit of neighborliness and the Thanksgiving holiday coming up, I opened our house to you, even though I felt s bit uncomfortable doing so, especially in Bob?s absence.

We ironed out what you perceived to be a rejection on my part.

When you wanted to share the symbols that are meaningful to you, I was interested, although having a hard time ?getting it? in the way you told it to me. No input from me seemed to even get through to you, or matter at all.

I was very disturbed when you talked of your depression, thinking about getting your gun, and when you told me you are the ?Anti-Christ? and a ?crack-head? I began to be somewhat afraid of you and wished I had not opened my door to you.

When I told you I needed medications and even that didn?t stop your monologue, I said it again and began to leave the room. At that point you did thank me for listening and left, saying you would leave your stuff so you could come back. You either didn?t hear me or didn?t pay attention when I said, ?No, take them with you.?

Bob and I both feel we and our space were violated, and Bob has drawn up some conditions under which we may all co-exist as neighbors. I concur with what he has written below. Janet

The Conditions:

1. There can be no further non-negotiated visits on your part with either or both of us.

2. We are not available to participte in your theological doctrines

which you presented to Janet for more than one hour and fifteen minutes. You failed to leave our house until the second time Janet indicated she needed a break for medicines. You may not know that Janet has Parkinson's and extended stressful events activate her symptoms. Furthermore, Janet needed to take her

medicines and tried to bring your theological discourse to a close,

but you continued. Furthermore, you left your basket of possessions in

our house in order that you would have assurance of returning to our

house. That is far too presumptuous for us.

3. You do not have permission to enter our property or phone our house

unless you can abide by these limits.

4. We do not listen to religious talk from anyone, let alone invite

them into our home. We do not do that with you. We share our faith

with people who ask questions of us and our religious convictions. You

had no questions for Janet, only pressing her to agree with your

doctrine.

G. Robert Gary, Sr. ThD

***

Will be adding additional information as a reportage.

 

***

Sat, Nov 27, 2010 at 4:08 PM

Nov 27, 2010

Re: Contact and Boundaries

FROM James Avery TO 1 recipient

From James Avery

To ggary@emory.edu

I'm sorry for the pain I caused you. It was not my intention. I do not deny having personal problems. Was actually reaching out for some help.

Again, I apoligize for barging into your home and upsetting Janet. I do not own a gun or plan to.

jim ed

''The physicists say that I am a mathematician, and the mathematicians say that I am a physicist,'' he said. ''I am a completely isolated man and though everybody knows me, there are very few people who really know me.''

Snow Falling on Cedars (film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An underlying theme throughout the trial is prejudice.

"It,

it takes a rare thing,

a turning point,

to free oneself from any obsession. 

Be it prejudice or hate or...

even love."

~(Attorney Nels Gudmundsson)~

Snow Falling on Cedars (film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Snow Falling on Cedars is a film directed by Scott Hicks. It is based on David Guterson's award-winning novel of the same title. It was released in 1999 and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography.

Set on the fictional San Piedro Island in the northern Puget Sound region of the Washington state coast in 1950, the plot revolves around the murder case of Kazuo Miyamoto (Rick Yune), a Japanese American accused of killing Carl Heine, a White fisherman. The trial occurs in the midst of deep anti-Japanese sentiments following World War II. Covering the case is the editor of the town's one-man newspaper, Ishmael Chambers (Ethan Hawke), a World War II veteran who lost an arm fighting the Japanese in the Pacific. Ishmael struggles with his love for Kazuo's wife, Hatsue (Youki Kudoh), and his conscience, wondering if Kazuo is truly innocent.

Leading the defense is the old, experienced attorney Nels Gudmundsson (Max von Sydow).

***

Although this movie plodded along

 at a slow monotonous pace throughout the whole movie; 

did still enjoy watching this movie.

The cinematography was indeed beautiful.

But, 
same as it was for the movie, 

AVATAR,

this movie can also be accused 

of 

being guilty 

of 

"WHITE MAN'S BURDEN."

After all was said and done,

 in the end, 

it still took the investigative work of  the editor of the town's one-man newspaper, 

Ishmael Chambers,

 finding the evidence needed at the very last minute successfully clearing Kazuo Miyamoto, 

a Japanese-American, 

of any charges relating to the death of Carl Heine, 

a White fisherman.

Had it not been for the efforts of this one newspaper man,
working on his own initiative separate from the trial,
 this Japanese-American citizen accused of murdering a white man would not have been cleared
of
the charges against him.

Even with how this movie ended,
with this Japanese-American cleared of murder charges,  

it still gave me the overall
sense of America's Judiciary System being pretty much nothing more 

than 

a complicated system more of formalities,
the appearance of justice,

more than any actual injustice caught and/or prevented through trials by our peers.

***

My own experience is beginning to teach me the truth about how our court system works.

At the very lowest level,
the beginnings,
nothing more than an extremely rigged system set up to clear out the bulk of people waiting to have their cases heard,
quickly,
getting to as many of the guilty verdicts in the shortest time possible,
of
all those people herded into these packed courtrooms
as
if nothing more than cattle.


These judges,
always conscience of the time,
are under pressure some days more than others,
finding themselves sometimes needing to pick up the pace of these hearing;
by cutting corners if necessary.
And who they choose cutting these corners with is where the opportunity arises
for
prejudices of their own being entered into these hearings.


And this doesn't even begin to touch upon hearings with the likes of me up against someone the likes of nationally known pastoral consultant, G. Robert Gary, Sr. ThD.

With the networking available to him through Emory University,
and the potential for DeKalb County's elected officials to be persuaded by pressure from Emory University, too powerful a force to ignore within DeKalb County , and on down to the judges presiding over these hearing chosen by DeKalb's County's elected officials...
not about to hire a lawyer representing me up against the possibility of this very scenario no matter how unlikely.

This would too easily give them the appearance, in front of everyone else, of me having had a fair hearing.

Not even mentioning...
  my "Right to a Speedy Trial" already having been violated.

***

"Honestly, Mother.  
In the beginning of all this,
 didn't really know what I was doing...
other than certain that I've done nothing wrong; 
nothing more than me refusing to be intimidated, 
backing down."

  "And,
I can't help but be amazed, 
how, 
with each and every day, 
I'm finding myself becoming becoming better and better at this...
 up to the point, now, being by leaps and bounds."
~(Jim Ed / The Son)~

"Jim.
Are you having help with this?"
~(My Mother / The Holy Spirit)~

"No, Mother.
Still just me, 
all by my lonesome doing research on the Internet,
 trying to come up with a language 
able 
getting us all on the same page 
as 
'to who God is?'"
~(Simply Jim:  One Pearl, Total Pig, Anti-Christ.)~

***

Although still labeling myself a radical atheist,
can't help but have this strange feeling there may be someone
concurring...
with me after all?

Isaiah 6:9

New International Version 

(NIV)

9 He said, “Go and tell this people:

“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding;

    be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’

Isaiah 6:10

New International Version 

(NIV)

10 Make the heart of this people calloused;

    make their ears dull

    and close their eyes.[a]

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

    hear with their ears,

    understand with their hearts,

and turn and be healed.”

Galatians 6:9
New International Version 
(NIV)


9 Let us not become weary in doing good, 
for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Just too many strange things have been happening since this all started... 

not able explaining.

Simply Jim:

~(6!9)~

One Pearl,

Total Pig,

Anti-Christ.

"We all want progress, 

but if you're on the wrong road, 

progress means doing an about-turn 

and 

walking back to the right road;

in that case, 

the man who turns back soonest 

is 

the most progressive."

~(C. S. Lewis)~

In spite of everything else about this man, C. S. Lewis, I disagree with; 

most certainly not able disagreeing with this statement attributed to him. 

Not about to let our disagreement over Jesus prevent me from hearing anything that makes sense.

I've never understood why Mr. Lewis believes Jesus had to be perfect, true to his every word spoken, before able being considered a worthy moral teacher?  How failing to actually be God, Mr. Lewis is interpreting to be Jesus claim through his use of the trinity, discredits all other words spoken/actions by him.

The way I see it, 

 no way possible for Jesus choosing his words in a way the message/lesson of his sermons would be interpreted the same by all who heard them.  

It's call pragmatic competences, 

with his choice of words always dependent upon the type of people making up any given audience at any given time; and whom within this audience he has selected to be the target of any given sermon.

"Quality of a good leader is one able disappointing his own people at a rate they can absorb."

~(Ronald Heifetz and Martin Linsky)~

NEYTIRI MEETS EINSTEIN

"Geometry and Experience"

Albert Einstein (1921)

An expanded form

of

an Address to the Prussian Academy of Sciences

in

Berlin on January 27th, 1921

ONE reason why mathematics enjoys special esteem, above all other sciences, is that its laws are absolutely certain and indisputable, while those of all other sciences are to some extent debatable and in constant danger of being overthrown by newly discovered facts. In spite of this, the investigator in another department of science would not need to envy the mathematician if the laws of mathematics referred to objects of our mere imagination, and not to objects of reality. For it cannot occasion surprise that different persons should arrive at the same logical conclusions when they have already agreed upon the fundamental laws (axioms), as well as the methods by which other laws are to be deduced therefrom. But there is another reason for the high repute of mathematics, in that it is mathematics which affords the exact natural sciences a certain measure of security, to which without mathematics they could not attain.

At this point an enigma presents itself which in all ages has agitated inquiring minds. How can it be that mathematics, being after all a product of human thought which is independent of experience, is so admirably appropriate to the objects of reality? Is human reason, then, without experience, merely by taking thought, able to fathom the properties of real things.

*** 

"She

talks about a network of energy

that

flows through all living things. 

She

says all energy is only borrowed,

and

one day you have to give it back."

~(Jake Sully's Describing His Teacher of the Navi Ways)~

*** 

“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe,

a part limited in time and space.

He experiences himself,

his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest,

a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.

This delusion is a kind of prison for us,

restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.

Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison

by

widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures

and

the whole of nature in its beauty.”

~(Albert Einstein)~

***

Another way I've heard that's pretty much saying the same thing:

"Our universe is a great recyclers of it's resources."

Clash of the Titans (2010 film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"What is it, son?"

~(Spyros / The Parental Father)~

"I'll have a brother or sister soon"

~(Perseus)~

"Think we're gonna love this child 

differently 

to the way we love you?  

We won't."

~(Spyros / The Parental Father)~

"This child will be yours.

Me...

I'm no one's son."

~(Perseus)~

"I am your father, Perseus.

Marmara is your mother.

And you'll always be our son.

The bond between us is much more than flesh and bone.

The love we have for you...

...it's that love that gods and kings fight over.

I've never understood the gods.

But even I don't question that you were saved for a reason.

And some day...

...that reason is gonna take you far away from here.

[LIGHTNING]

But not tonight, eh?"

~(Spyros / The Parental Father)~

"So, what happens when we get there?"

~(Ixas / Soldier)~

"Just another beast to kill."

~(Eusebios / Soldier)~

"A beast?

Medusa was beautiful once.

So beautiful as to tempt Poseidon.

When he came for her...

...she ran to Athena's temple thinking that the goddess would protect her.

She didn't.

Poseidon took her on the cold floor.

She prayed to Athena for comfort...

...but  the goddess felt nothing but disgust.

She made sure no one would ever want Medusa again.

One look at the creature she has become will turn any living thing to stone.

I cannot assist you there.

A curse prevents me.

It was Athena's one bit of solace to Medusa so that Medusa would never harm a woman.

Only men are allowed in the Temple.

Though no man has ever made it out."

~(Io)~

Clash of the Titans (2010 film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Clash of the Titans is a 2010 American fantasy adventure film and remake of the 1981 film of the same name (the rights to which had been acquired by Warner Bros. in 1996). The story is very loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus.  Directed by Louis Leterrier and starring Sam Worthington, the film was originally set for standard release on March 26, 2010. However, it was later announced that the film would be converted to 3D and was released on April 2, 2010.  Clash of the Titans grossed $493 million worldwide, though it received generally negative reviews from critics and received two Golden Raspberry Awards nominations.

The film's success led to a sequel, Wrath of the Titans, released in March 2012.

PLOT

In ancient times, the gods divided the Universe among themselves; Zeus took the skies, Poseidon took the seas, and Hades, tricked by Zeus, was left with the Underworld. The gods created the mortals, whose faith and prayers assured the gods' immortality. As time passed, however, mortals began to question them and soon resist their creators, angering the Olympians.

As Perseus and his family fish from a boat, they watch soldiers from the city of Argos destroy a statue of Zeus. The gods, infuriated at this desecration, unleash the Furies, who attack the soldiers and destroy the fishing vessel. Only Perseus survives.

CRITICAL RECEPTION

 AskMen.com felt actor Sam Worthington's heavy Australian drawl was so distracting it "manages not only to single-handedly unhinge any suspension of disbelief we might have had, but his fellow actors often seem to be visibly struggling as they impart fantastical ancient truths to a true-blue brickie in a studded leather dress."

***

"I'm a fisherman.  Perseus is a fisherman.

They've even taken that away from us.

Still they want us to love them anyway.

One day...

...somebody's gonna have to make a stand.

One day, somebody's gonna have to say:

'ENOUGH.'"

~(Spyros / The Parental Father)~

(dialogue beginning of movie)
8
(dialogue ending the movie)

"I wanted man to worship us again, 

but

 I didn't want it to cost me a son."

~(Zeus)~

"That's almost human of you."

~(Perseus)~

***

When I pulled this movie NETFLIX had sent me,

out of the mailbox,

didn't understand why?

Along with the other one,
either!

I've already seen them?

Both of the them?

 Several times...
 already?

In fact,

I used to own

CLASH OF THE TITANS,

until

I gave it to my sister on one of her visits to give to my eldest niece, Stephenie. 

On more than one occasion, when my mother and sister visit,

my sister Donna comments on Stephenie being the one who collects movies.

I also own a copy of

AVATAR.
   

Although my friend kept insisting it wasn't,

 my copy of AVATAR I'm afraid is probably a bootleg copy. 

Even his claim of downloading it from a legit movie sharing site didn't sit well with me. 

But how could I refuse this friend's gift.  

Honestly,
didn't come to view this copy of AVATAR downloaded off the Internet as a gift
until
he died not long after due to complication from A.I.D.S....
on
The Eve of Christmas 2010.

Oh how I remember that Christmas Eve so well;
and
 this was before someone called to tell me about Matt.

How so alone I was that night.

How,
that very same evening had just finished
writing and uploading
"Who's Child Is This"
to my blog;
the only one, out of two eventually, I had at that time.

How,
I then looked out the window into the dark of the night;
seeing for the first time,
the beginning that winter's first snow...
 almost midnight straight up.

How,
in place of the crying I felt like doing;
instead,
finally getting up out of the chair from in front of my computer, turning out all the lights,
then
sitting quietly on the couch watching the snow falling as I stared out the window overlooking my back yard. 

How,
eventually before falling asleep,
thinking about a song,
RUDOLF THE RED NOSE REINDEER;
wondering if this was suppose to be my cue
as
to a darker, far less colorful,
meaning
behind this seemingly jolly song.

[LIGHTNING STORM]

"Just like the day you come to me.

The storm brought me right to you.

I know you have questions, son.

I wish I had the answers."

~(Spyros the Parental Father)~

"I have everything that I need...

...right here."

~(Perseus)~
 

"Good night, son."

~(Spyros the Father before Killed by Hades)~

[LIGHTNING STORM]

That very same night,

only the beginnings of all that snow and ice heading toward and about to shut down,

bringing to a virtual halt,
all
of  Metro Atlanta.

In the middle of all that snow and ice that same year was also January 14th...

my birthday. 

The middle of that very same kind of storm that welcomed me into this world the day I was born,
January 14th, 1962.

So....

why did I que these two movies in line to be seen again?

Have no memory of me even doing this.

Anyway...

long story made short...

glad I did.
 

Both of them.

The dialogue between Spyros the Parental Father and his son Perseus at the beginning of the movie along with the dialogue between Zeus and his biological son Perseus at the end of the movie fits perfectly with the interpretation I'm wanting to believe Jesus meant by his use of the trinity.

 

I really do

 believe

 it makes far more sense,
the

"FATHER"

Jesus was referring to
was
probably

JOSEPH THE PARENTAL FATHER.

As for the movie,
AVATAR...
this was the first time watching it in closed caption.  Was not aware I had yet to watch this movie in close caption until I actually began watching this one sent me by Netflix.  Only then did I realize what was happening, after questioning not long into the movie,  why everything sounded so different;   completely floored learning just how much of this movie I had been missing until now.

Was not able watching in close caption, the one Matt had given me as a gift.

Would not have caught this line had I not eventually watch it on closed caption:

"It is hard... 

to fill a cup which is already full."

~(Mo'at / Spiritual Leader)~

Just hope...
 writing about this gift doesn't end up getting me arrested.

"Over the years, I've always gotten a laugh out of telling people:
'Some of us HAVE to be Charming!'
Now I feel must say this:
'MATT
was
someone I've always
found...
TO BE CHARMING,
WITHOUT HIM HAVING TO BE!'"
 ~(Simply Jim)~

 Better not get arrested,
now!

Not how,
when the funeral was over,
 everyone who had gathered our small little gossip group immediately afterwards
agreed
wholeheartedly with this statement I made about Matt.

Not when,
 hearing for the first time only after the funeral was over,
then becoming angry,
at
how
Matt's partner/longtime companion had listed himself
behind
Matt's mother, Matt's father, and Matt's sister...
before
listing himself fourth in order of those having survived Matt.


Not when,
also,
 having just learned,
only Matt's sister came to the funeral;
his parents
still
wanting nothing to do with their son.

 

I even printed this picture,

one I found online and saved,
 full size on photo paper and took it with me too Matt's  funeral.

Not sure why.

Just did.

Only after the funeral,
was I told about a more private group that would be gathering at someones home.
Once at this home,
I pulled one of the two hosts off to the side and handed him a manila envelope containing this picture.

"For some reason,
this picture made me think of Matt.
It's yours.  
I'm going to let you use your judgement, 
whether or not,
 to share it with the rest."
~(Simply Jim)~

Later that afternoon before leaving,
 noticed the host had found a frame for it and placed it on a well lit table in an otherwise dark room...
 all by itself.

I can only hope,
one day,
 Bob and Janet Gary will read this blob entry and  feel the shame they should upon realizing themselves on the other side of this white washed wall.

4. We do not listen to religious talk from anyone, let alone invite

them into our home.  We do not do that with you.  We share our faith

with people who ask questions of us and our religious convictions.  You

had no questions for Janet, only pressing her to agree with your

doctrine.

 

G. Robert Gary, Sr. ThD

 

 

"It is hard...

to fill a cup which is already full."

~(Mo'at / Spiritual Leader)~

I'm even beginning to wonder...
if these two are even capable of this emotion by the likes of me and the rest of us who gathered at this home
after
Matt's funeral.

I'm sure they are capable of some shame;
Janet, anyway.

Janet would not be able believing herself a
"LIBERAL"
without a certain amount of empathy.

As for her husband Bob,
or
a different way of saying the same thing,

"nationally known pastoral consultant"
George Robert Gary, Sr. ThD,

will no longer make the mistake of giving this man the benefit of the doubt.
He will be having to prove himself
every step of the way for the rest of the life he's got left.

Man,
 did I learn the hard way....
the difference between a good doctor and a bad doctor!

"God helps those who helps themselves."
~(Benjamin Franklin)

Believe I've finally figured out the secret to this quote;
one I've came across credited to Benjamin Franklin,
that's been baffling me since this whole mess first erupted between me and the Gary's three years ago.

Even if Benjamin Franklin's original intent was more derogatory in nature when he first utter these words;
do not care. 

My intent was trying to find a way making these words
making
some useable sense from the perspective of a God.

Secret's in the pronoun,
Saint Bob(!).

Apparently,
this one's only interested in the SIZE of his church congregation,
or the SIZE of his ego;
not sure which one come first.

Too close to call.

Then again,
depends on how one chooses to measure/define ones...
"greatness."

 Said it before and will say it again,

"Far as I'm concerned...
that was a BOTCHED crucifixion!"
~(Simply Jim:  One Pearl, Total Pig, Anti-Christ.)~

***

 "Is this right?
I just say whatever to the video log?"
~(Jake Sully /  Avatar Driver)~

"Yeah, we gotta get in the habit of documenting everything.
You know,
what we see,
what we feel.
It's all part of the science."
~(Dr. Norm Spellman / Avatar Driver)~

"And good science is good observation."
~(Dr. Max Patel)~

"Plus, 
it'll help to keep you sane for the next six years."
~(Dr. Norm Spellman / Avatar Driver)~

"All right.
Whatever.
So, 
uh...
Well, here I am, doing science."
~(Jake Sully / Avatar Driver)~

"How much lab training have you had?"

~(Dr. Grace Augustine / Avatar Driver)~

"I dissected a frog once."

~(Jake Sully / Avatar Driver)~

"You see?  You see?

I mean, they're just pissing on us without even the courtesy of calling it rain."

~(Dr. Grace Augustine / Avatar Driver)~

 

(Jake's first dialogue exchange with Dr. Grace Augustine, head of Avatar science program)

8

(Jake's first dialogue exchange with Mo'at, spiritual leader of the Omaticaya tribe)

 

"Why do you come to us?"

~(Mo'at / Spiritual Leader)~

"I come to learn."

~(Jake Sully / Avatar Driver)~

"We have tried to teach other Sky People.

It is hard... 

to fill a cup which is already full."

~(Mo'at / Spiritual Leader)~

"Well, my cup is empty, trust me.

Just ask Dr. Augustine.  

I'm...

no scientist."

~(Jake Sully / Avatar Driver)~

"What are you?"

~(Mo'at / Spiritual Leader)~

"I was a Marine.

A...

a warrior of the Jarhead clan."

~(Jake Sully / Avatar Driver)~

 

 

Avatar is a 2009 American epic science fiction action film written and directed by James Cameron, and starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Joel David Moore, Giovanni Ribisi, and Sigourney Weaver. The film is set in the mid-22nd century, when humans are mining a precious mineral called unobtanium on Pandora, a lush habitable moon of a gas giant in the Alpha Centauri star system. The expansion of the mining colony threatens the continued existence of a local tribe of Na'vi – a humanoid species indigenous to Pandora. The film's title refers to a genetically engineered Na'vi body with the mind of a remotely located human, and is used to interact with the natives of Pandora.

Avatar premiered in London on December 10, 2009, and was internationally released on December 16 and in the United States and Canada on December 18, to positive critical reviews, with critics highly praising its groundbreaking visual effects. During its theatrical run, the film broke several box office records and became the highest-grossing film, as well as in the United States and Canada, surpassing Titanic, which had held those records for twelve years (and was also directed by Cameron). It also became the first film to gross more than $2 billion. Avatar was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and won three, for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects. The film's home media release went on to break opening sales records and became the top-selling Blu-ray of all time. Following the film's success, Cameron signed with 20th Century Fox to produce three sequels, making Avatar the first of a planned tetralogy.

CAST

Humans

• Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, a disabled former Marine who becomes part of the Avatar Program after his twin brother is killed. His military background helps the Na'vi warriors relate to him. Cameron cast the Australian actor after a worldwide search for promising young actors, preferring relative unknowns to keep the budget down.  Worthington, who was living in his car at the time, auditioned twice early in development, and he has signed on for possible sequels. Cameron felt that because Worthington had not done a major film, he would give the character "a quality that is really real". Cameron said he "has that quality of being a guy you'd want to have a beer with, and he ultimately becomes a leader who transforms the world".

Na'vi  

• Zoe Saldana as Neytiri, the daughter of the leader of the Omaticaya (the Na'vi clan central to the story). She is attracted to Jake because of his bravery, though frustrated with him for what she sees as his naiveté and stupidity. She serves as Jake's love interest. The character, like all the Na'vi, was created using performance capture, and its visual aspect is entirely computer generated. Saldana has also signed on for potential sequels.
• C. C. H. Pounder as Mo'at, the Omaticaya's spiritual leader, Neytiri's mother, and consort to clan leader Eytukan.
• Wes Studi as Eytukan, the Omaticaya's clan leader, Neytiri's father, and Mo'at's mate.
• Laz Alonso as Tsu'tey, the finest warrior of the Omaticaya. He is heir to the chieftainship of the tribe. At the beginning of the film's story, he is betrothed to Neytiri.

ORIGIN

In 1994, director James Cameron wrote an 80-page treatment for Avatar, drawing inspiration from "every single science fiction book" he had read in his childhood as well as from adventure novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs and H. Rider Haggard.

DEVELOPMENT

After Fox accepted Avatar, one skeptical Fox executive shook his head and told Cameron and Landau, "I don't know if we're crazier for letting you do this, or if you're crazier for thinking you can do this …"

In December 2006, Cameron described Avatar as "a futuristic tale set on a planet 200 years hence … an old-fashioned jungle adventure with an environmental conscience [that] aspires to a mythic level of storytelling". The January 2007 press release described the film as "an emotional journey of redemption and revolution" and said the story is of "a wounded former Marine, thrust unwillingly into an effort to settle and exploit an exotic planet rich in biodiversity, who eventually crosses over to lead the indigenous race in a battle for survival". The story would be of an entire world complete with an ecosystem of phantasmagorical plants and creatures, and native people with a rich culture and language.

Estimates put the cost of the film at about $280–310 million to produce and an estimated $150 million for marketing, noting that about $30 million in tax credits will lessen the financial impact on the studio and its financiers. A studio spokesperson said that the budget was "$237 million, with $150 million for promotion, end of story."

THEMES AND INSPIRATIONS

Avatar is primarily an action-adventure journey of self-discovery, in the context of imperialism and deep ecology. Cameron said his inspiration was "every single science fiction book I read as a kid", and that he was particularly striving to update the style of Edgar Rice Burroughs's John Carter series and the deep jungles of Pandora were visualized from Disney's 37th animated film, Tarzan. He acknowledged that Avatar shares themes with the films At Play in the Fields of the Lord, The Emerald Forest, and Princess Mononoke, which feature clashes between cultures and civilizations, and with Dances with Wolves, where a battered soldier finds himself drawn to the culture he was initially fighting against.