KIDS FIRST! Jury Blog

Inspirational quotes are something that many people like reading because it keeps their hopes alive and pushes them to remain working on whatever they are trying to accomplish. In many situations, I find myself looking up to various people in hopes of clarifying and motivating me for whatever path I should take in life. All of these women have in one way or another inspired me to accept who I am, be confident, work hard, be bold and to do what I feel is right. Here are some inspirational quotes from a few women in the film industry that have inspired me and will inspire you as well. 

“The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance – and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.”
Oprah Winfrey (Talk Show Host, Television Producer, Philanthropist, Film Actress)

“Without pain, there would be no suffering, without suffering we would never learn from our mistakes” Angelina Jolie (Actress, Filmmaker, and Humanitarian)

“ If you truly pour your heart into what you believe in, even if it makes you vulnerable, amazing things can and will happen” Emma Watson (Actress, Model, and Activist)

“Young women, don’t worry so much about your weight. What makes you different or weird – that’s your strength.” Meryl Streep (Actress)

“I believe in kindness toward people, but I also try to voice what I want and not be shy about standing up for myself.” Natalie Portman (Actress, Producer, and Director)

“My friends, failure isn’t shameful, but cowardice is. So let’s take risks. Let’s raise our voices, honor the fire within, ignore our fears. In short, let’s stand tall and never, ever apologize for it.” Nicole Kidman (Actress and Film Producer)

I am very grateful that we have so many women participating in the film industry that are helping others become great people, by not only their actions but also by their words.

Today, it seems as if nobody really has an original idea anymore. The majority of films are remakes reboots or sequels. With the new film Jurassic World being a reboot of the original Jurassic series and Avengers: Age of Ultron a sequel to the original Avengers, the pattern continues. Of course, I’m not saying that it is always bad. But, it’s expected and predictable to some degree. Once you see a remake of a film you already know, do you think about how the whole story of that idea will be done again?

Of course, there are so many original ideas out there. For example, Disney’s new films Tomorrowland and Inside-Out are great examples of completely original ideas. But, it seems as if we only see those maybe three or four times a year.

Why did this happen? Well it is most likely that Hollywood has been overdone many times. There are literally thousands of films out there that we can watch. Funny enough you can say. In a way, Hollywood has been overused. Some people may argue that these reboot sequels are actually good. They continue a story, explore character development. There is a good side. We know the characters. We love them. They practically have become members of our families.

But, you might ask yourself, why don’t we just create new ideas? Is it because it’s quicker, safer and easier to pump out a film that already has a set of characters that are already tested? It take so much longer to make an original film then to make a reboot or a continuation. I mean, it takes a few months just to create the idea of a film.

I think its time that we say goodbye to all these reboot, sequels, epilogues and prologues. It is time for some original ideas instead of Star Wars Episode 8th, 9th and 10th.  Everybody loves Star Wars but it’s time for something new. The same goes for all these superhero movies. We all know how Super Heroes Ant-Man: Captain America would end. Take something like Inside Out. Nobody knew how that would end. Or Tomorrowland – that has a complete surprise ending. These films are actually entertaining because you’re waiting for something you don’t expect.

Sometimes it’s nice to continue the story, to get to know the characters in the world they live in, but sometimes enough is enough.

Sofia Vergara is the star of one of the hit TV shows, Modern Family.  At 42, she is on top of the world with everything she has going.  She earned a total of $140 million dollars from June 2013 to June 2014. It is reported that she earns $325,000 per episode but also earns income with her endorsements.  She is the face of Diet Pepsi, Cover Girl, Head & Shoulders and the co-founder of Latin World Entertainment.

Sofia was born, July 10, 1972 in Barranquilla, Colombia by her mother, Margarita and her Father Julio.  She attended a private bilingual Spanish/English school and studied dentistry.  She was discovered by a photographer and it led to many jobs in the modeling and television industry. From 1995 to 1998, Sofia co-hosted a travel show, Fuera de Serie which gave her exposure in the United States.  The exposure led to a film roles and a TV series.  She faced many hardships during her days in Colombia and even after becoming a TV star.  She divorced and became a single parent.  In addition to this, she was diagnosed with cancer but, after being treated has had a full recovery.  She has received four Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.  She has one Son, Manolo, and they reside in Los Angeles, California.

Sofia is great at what she does.  She has great comedic timing and always brings out the best in her characters. One of my favorite quotes by Sofia is “I guess at the end of the day, all women like to be appreciated and treated with respect and kindness.”