14 Important Things John Green Has Taught Us

John Green, oh wise one. You’ve taught us so many things with your books and their movie adaptations — not to mention your smart social media musings. Here are just some of the lessons we’ll take with us in our day-to-day lives:

1. Good use of metaphor.

2. Pain demands to be felt.

3. Being nerdy is cool.

4. Fantasy girl does not equal real girl.

5. Everyone gets a miracle.

6. Liquid courage is not the answer.

7. Pizza is the answer.

8. Go on adventures.

9. Always take care of your friends.

10. It’s okay to love someone, even if it hurts. Okay? Okay.

11. Sometimes you need to lighten up.

12. The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive.

13. Someone can change your life when you least expect it.

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14. All of the below:

Thanks, John, for teaching us the ways of life.

9 Essential Components to Every Boxing Movies

Southpaw, starring Jake Gyllenhaal as boxer Billy Hope, enters the ring today (July 24). In honor of the film’s release, we’re looking back on some other great boxing films and narrowing down the essential components you can usually find in each one.

1. The rise to fame:

Usually the person is young and cocky when they first become a champ.

2. The fall from grace:

Something happens to derail the boxer’s success – an injury, a drug addiction, some kind of personal tragedy.

3. Family drama:

 

Out of the ring, the boxer’s home life is typically not great.

4. The long-suffering girlfriend/wife:

 

This one’s for the movies about male boxers. The woman typically stands by her man, but it’s not always easy.

5. The trainer that believes in them when no one else does:

 The trainer doesn’t stand for self-pity, either.

6. The climb back to the top:

 Victory tastes that much sweeter (and sweatier) after hitting rock bottom.

7. A training montage:

 

Usually with some triumphant music playing in the background.

8. The rival:

There’s typically that one main rival with whom the boxer must have a showdown.

9. The big fight:

Everything in the movie leads up to this. It’s a make or break moment. You can likely expect lots of slow-mo punching and tense reaction shots from the audience.

If a boxing movie has all of these, it’s on its way to a knockout!