Image courtesy of Babyzone.com

Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet? The process of finding the ideal baby name is one that parents often take very seriously over the course of a pregnancy. Should it reflect a loved one passed, have religious or cultural significance, or be unique? With celebrity baby names like Apple, Diva Thin Muffin, and Pilot Inspektor floating around, it seems there’s no limit to how extreme a baby’s name can be. Yet for every wacky name we hear of, thousands more are being denied as official. Can limitations really be set on what you name your child?

In some nations, there are laws in place that stipulate names must be approved by certain parties before going on a birth certificate. In Finland, if you wish your child to be baptized, the name must be approved by a minister. If you want your child to be added into the national census, the name must be presented before a committee which will then deem the name acceptable or not. The Finnish laws consist of different factors from having no more than three first names, being gender-specific, no sibling can retain the same first name, and it must not be a curse word or derogatory term.

Particular countries set laws in order to preserve traditional names. In France, saint names are commonly used and encouraged in order to protect historical and religious figures from Marie (Mary) to Jean-Baptiste (John the Baptist). Heritage plays a predominant role in the naming process and it’s common to be named after parents or grandparents.

The 1982 naming law put in place in Sweden has allowed for names like Lego and Google to be approved while Superman, Metallica and even Elvis were denied. Parents have fought tooth-and-nail to try to uniquely name their children like the case of the Swedish family striving to call their baby son Q and New Zealand parents requesting the moniker 4 Real.

On a personal level, while I don’t think that off-the-wall baby names should be condemned, it’s important to consider the impact a name can have on a child. While wanting to represent your favorite movie character from Superman (referring to Kal-El, Nicolas Cage’s son) or controversial regime leaders (referring to a child named Adolf Hitler Campbell in Easton, PA.), please consider the long-term impact such a name could generate for the child in their daily lives.

So would a rose by any other name smell as sweet? Yes, of course. No name, despite how commonplace or outrageous, can alter one’s personality. Undoubtedly, little Apple, Diva Thin Muffin and even Adolf Hitler Campbell will grow up to be exceptional adults through the love and guidance of their parents. Though, if Apple was named Anna, Diva Thin Muffin was named Dina, and Adolf Hitler was named Andrew Henry, do you think it would make their lives easier? Only time will tell when these little tots can tell us how their name affected their lives.

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The Sundance Film Festival hit, Hamlet 2, arriveth in theaters nationwide this week.  An irreverent comedy from the co-writers of Team America: World Police and South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, the film stars Steve Coogan (Night at the Museum) as eccentric high school drama teacher, Dana Marchz.  Marchz is a failed actor and what he lacks in the talent department, he makes up for with passion for his art and the desire to inspire his students.

When his stage adaptation of “Erin Brockovich” flops and receives harsh reviews from the ninth grade drama critic, the principal of Tucson’s West Mesa High School threatens to shut down the drama department.  Marchz rallies his ragtag group of students and hopes to save the program with a sequel to the Shakespearean classic “Hamlet,” which he ingeniously coins “Hamlet 2.”  Like the film itself, the inappropriately hysterical play which explores what would happen if “Hamlet” didn’t end with the death of the entire cast, is a huge hit with the community.  Despite opposition at almost every turn, with the help of Elisabeth Shue (playing herself) and an ACLU representative (Amy Poehler), freedom of speech and artistic expression prevail.

In a summer of raunchy comedies, this film stands out for its true originality.  While often outright offensive and tip-toeing the line between stupidity and insanity, the film proves to be hilarious and oddly genuine at heart.  In an impressive feat, Coogan somehow makes this loser lovable and the audience roots for him from start to finish.  Elisabeth Shue provides the film’s more subtle humor and shines playing herself, but in the form of a character who left the superficial world of acting to become a nurse.  The film’s highlight is the climatic performance of “Hamlet 2,” which brings down the house with musical numbers like “Rock Me Sexy Jesus.”  The story drags a little on its way to this impressive finale, but once you accept the preposterous and profane world that director Andrew Fleming (Nancy Drew) has created, you can appreciate Hamlet 2 for being inappropriately endearing.  As Shakespeare wrote in the original “Hamlet,” “though this be madness, yet there is method in’t” and the same is true for this wacky, but funny film.

That Girl says: Like it!  While Hamlet 2 may not be for everyone, fans of Napoleon Dynamite and Christopher Guest-like comedy will enjoy this off-beat laugher.  As for the rest of us, like the patrons of the play in the film’s finale, we’ll just be ‘simultaneously horrified and fascinated.’

Release Date:  August 27th, 2008 (Wide)
Running Time:  92 minutes
Rated:  R
Company:  Focus Features
Cast:  Steve Coogan – Dana Marschz
Catherine Keener – Brie Marschz
David Arquette – Gary
Amy Poehler – Cricket Feldstein
Elisabeth Shue – Herself
Director:  Andrew Fleming
Official Site: http://filminfocus.com/focus-movies/hamlet-2/movie-splash.php

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