document_title: Life of Pi (film)

question_text: who won a best director oscar for the 2012 film life of pi

text: Life of Pi (film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: In Canada, novelist Yann Martel meets Pi Patel; Martel has been told that Pi's life story would be a good subject for a book. Pi tells his story to Yann:

text: Pi's father names him Piscine Molitor after the swimming pool in France. In secondary school in Pondicherry, he adopts the name "Pi" (the Greek letter, π) to avoid the sound-alike nickname "Pissing Patel". He is raised in a Hindu family, but at 12 years old, is introduced to Christianity and then Islam, and decides to follow all three religions as he "just wants to love God". His mother supports his desire to grow, but his rationalist father tries to secularize him. Pi's family owns a zoo, and Pi takes interest in the animals, especially a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. After Pi gets dangerously close to Richard Parker, his father forces him to witness the tiger killing a goat.

text: When Pi is 16, his father announces that they must move to Canada, where he intends to settle and sell the animals. The family books passage with the animals on a Japanese freighter. During a storm, the ship founders while Pi is on deck. He tries to find his family, but a crewman throws him into a lifeboat. A freed zebra jumps onto the boat with him, breaking its leg. The ship sinks into the Mariana Trench. Pi briefly sees what appears to be a survivor, but it turns out to be Richard Parker.

text: After the storm, Pi awakens in the lifeboat with the zebra, and is joined by a resourceful orangutan. A spotted hyena emerges from under a tarpaulin covering half of the lifeboat and snaps at Pi, forcing him to retreat to the end of the boat. The hyena kills the zebra and later the orangutan. Richard Parker emerges from under the tarpaulin, killing the hyena and attempting to kill Pi, before retreating back to cover for several days.

text: Pi fashions a small tethered raft from flotation vests which he retreats to for safety from Richard Parker. Despite his moral code against killing, he begins fishing, enabling him to sustain the tiger as well. When the tiger jumps into the sea to hunt for fish and then comes threateningly towards Pi, Pi considers letting him drown, but ultimately helps him back into the boat. One night, a humpback whale breaches near the boat, destroying the raft and its supplies. Pi trains Richard Parker to accept him in the boat, and realizes that caring for the tiger is also helping keep himself alive.

text: Weeks later they encounter a floating island of interconnected trees. It is a lush jungle of edible plants, fresh water pools and a large population of meerkats, enabling Pi and Richard Parker to eat and drink freely and regain strength. At night, the island transforms into a hostile environment. Richard Parker retreats to the lifeboat while Pi and the meerkats sleep in the trees; the water pools turn acidic, digesting the fish in them. Pi deduces that the island is carnivorous after finding a human tooth embedded in a flower.

text: Pi and Richard Parker leave the island, eventually reaching the coast of Mexico. Pi is saddened that Richard Parker does not acknowledge him before disappearing into the jungle. He is rescued and brought to a hospital. Insurance agents for the Japanese freighter company interview him, but do not believe his story and ask what really happened. He tells a different story, in which the animals are replaced by human survivors: his mother for the orangutan, an amiable sailor for the zebra, and the ship's brutish cook for the hyena. In this story, Pi kills the cook and feeds on his flesh. Eventually he reaches the coast of Mexico. The insurance agents are dissatisfied with this story, but they leave without questioning Pi further.

text: Yann recognizes the parallels between the two stories, noting that in the second one, Pi fills the role of the tiger. Pi asks which story the writer prefers, and Yann chooses the first, to which Pi replies, "and so it goes with God". Glancing at a copy of the insurance report, Yann sees that the agents also chose the first story.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel

Gautam Belur as Pi, age 5
Ayush Tandon as Pi, age 11/12
Suraj Sharma as Pi, age 16
Irrfan Khan as Pi, adult

Rafe Spall as Yann Martel, the real-life Canadian novelist who wrote the novel Life of Pi
Tabu as Gita Patel, Pi's mother
Adil Hussain as Santosh Patel, Pi's father
Ravi Patel, Pi's older brother:

Ayan Khan as Ravi, age 7
Mohamed Abbas Khaleeli as Ravi, age 13/14
Vibish Sivakumar as Ravi, age 18/19

Gérard Depardieu as the Cook
Wang Po-chieh as Sailor
Jag Huang as Sailor
Shravanthi Sainath as Anandi, Pi's teenage girlfriend
Andrea Di Stefano as the Priest
Elie Alouf as Francis[a]

text: Jump up ^ Pi refers to Francis in the film as "Mamaji", a Hindi word for "Maternal Uncle"

text: Production[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text:
"I wanted to use water because the film is talking about faith, and it contains fish, life and every emotion for Pi. And air is God, heaven and something spiritual and death. That's how I see it. I believe the thing we call faith or God is our emotional attachment to the unknown. I'm Chinese; I believe in the Taoist Buddha. We don't talk about a deity, which is very much like this book; we're not talking about religion but God in the abstract sense, something to overpower you."

—Ang Lee, on the use of water and the spiritual element of Life of Pi, November 17, 2012.[11]

tag: div

text: The project had numerous directors and writers attached, and the Los Angeles Times credited Fox 2000 Pictures executive Elizabeth Gabler with keeping the project active.[12] In February 2003 Gabler acquired the project to adapt Life of Pi into a film. She hired screenwriter Dean Georgaris to write an adapted screenplay.

text: The following October, Fox 2000 announced a partnership with M. Night Shyamalan to direct the film. Shyamalan was attracted to the novel particularly because its main character also comes from Pondicherry in India. The partners anticipated for Shyamalan to direct the film adaptation after completing The Village. He also replaced Georgaris as the screenwriter, writing a new screenplay for the film.[13] Ultimately, Shyamalan chose to film Lady in the Water after The Village; he said later, "I was hesitant [to direct] because the book has kind of a twist ending. And I was concerned that as soon as you put my name on it, everybody would have a different experience."[14]

text: In March 2005, Fox 2000 entered talks with Alfonso Cuarón to direct.[15] Cuarón decided to direct Children of Men instead, and in October 2005, Fox 2000 hired Jean-Pierre Jeunet to direct the film. Jeunet began writing the adapted screenplay with Guillaume Laurant, and filming was scheduled to begin in mid-2006, partially in India.[16] Jeunet eventually left the project.

text: In February 2009, Fox 2000 Pictures hired Ang Lee to direct the film.[17] In May 2010, Lee and the producer Gil Netter proposed a reported budget of US$120 million, at which the studio balked, placing the project's development on hold for a short time.[12] David Magee was hired to write the screenplay, as Lee began to spend several months looking for someone to cast as Pi. Lee stated that water was a major inspiration behind making the film in 3-D: "I thought this was a pretty impossible movie to make technically. It's so expensive for what it is. You sort of have to disguise a philosophical book as an adventure story. I thought of 3-D half a year before 'Avatar' was on the screen. I thought water, with its transparency and reflection, the way it comes out to you in 3-D, would create a new theatrical experience and maybe the audience or the studio would open up their minds a little bit to accept something different."[11] Following the premiere of the film, Lee stated that his desire to take risks and chances helped with his direction, saying "In a strange way it did feel like we're the vessels, we have to surrender to movie god. We have to let things happen. I just had this feeling, I'll follow this kid to wherever this movie takes me. I saw the movie start to unravel in front of me."[18]

text: Pre-production and casting[edit]

text: After 3,000 young men auditioned for the film's lead, in October 2010 Lee cast Suraj Sharma, a 17-year-old student and an acting newcomer.[19] Upon receiving the role, Sharma underwent extensive training in ocean survival, as well as in yoga and meditation practices to prepare for the part.[20] Two months after Sharma was cast, it was announced that Gérard Depardieu would play the role of the Cook, Irrfan Khan would play the adult Pi, Adil Hussain would play Pi's father, while Tabu was in talks to play the role of Pi's mother.[21]

text: Canadian child actor Rajiv Surendra, best known at the time for a small part in Mean Girls, was one of the auditioners for the role of Pi. In 2016, he published The Elephants in My Backyard, a memoir of his failed campaign to win the part.[22] In an interview with Deccan Chronicle in 2017, American actor Naren Weiss revealed that he too unsuccessfully auditioned for the role of Pi.[23]

text: In April 2011, it was announced that Tobey Maguire would be joining the film in the role originally referred to as "a reporter."[24] However, in September 2012, it was announced that Lee had cut Maguire from the film. He justified the cut by stating that he did it "to be consistent with the other casting choices made for the film, I decided to go with an entirely international cast."[25] Like Shahrukh Khan, Lee described Maguire's presence also as "too jarringly recognizable." He reshot the scenes with Rafe Spall in the role of the book's actual author.[25]

text: Filming[edit]

text: Principal photography for the film began on January 18, 2011 in Puducherry at the Holy Rosary Church in Muthialpet. Filming continued in Puducherry until January 31 and moved to other parts of India, including the popular hill station of Munnar in Kerala, as well as Taiwan. The crew filmed in Taiwan for five and a half months in Taipei Zoo, an airport in Taichung, and Kenting National Park, located in Pingtung County where Lee was born.[26][27] The ocean scenes of the film were shot at a giant wave tank built by the crew in an abandoned airport.[28] The tank is known as the world's largest self-generating wave tank, with a capacity of 1.7 million gallons.[29] With production scheduled to last two and a half months at the tank, cinematographer Claudio Miranda assisted in the tank's design in order to get the most out of it for lighting, explaining, "We knew we were going to be inside there shooting for 2.5 months, so it was worth it to be able to do anything we want. On all these kind of scenes, we had an idea of what the weather would be like. In that tank, I can create storm clouds, nightfall. We had curtains that I can block out [light], doors to open and let in real sunlight," Miranda says. "So lighting-wise, [the movie] had a big ebb and flow."[30] After photography was completed in Taiwan, production moved back to India and concluded in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.[19]

text: Post-production[edit]

text: The lead visual effects company for Life of Pi was Rhythm & Hues Studios (R&H). 3D effects for the film were created by a team of R&H artists in Los Angeles, Mumbai and Hyderabad (India), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Vancouver (Canada), and Kaohsiung (Taiwan).[31][32][33][34][35][36]

text: The R&H VFX (Visual Effects) Supervisor Bill Westenhofer said that discussions of the project began with Ang Lee in August 2009.[37][38] Westenhofer noted that Lee "knew we had done the lion in the first Narnia movie. He asked, 'Does a digital character look more or less real in 3D?' We looked at each other and thought that was a pretty good question."[39] He also stated that during these meetings, Lee said, "'I look forward to making art with you.' This was really for me one of the most rewarding things I've worked on and the first chance to really combine art with VFX. Every shot was artistic exploration, to make the ocean a character and make it interesting we had to strive to make it as visually stunning as possible."[40] Rhythm & Hues spent a year on research and development, " building upon its already vast knowledge of CG animation" to develop the tiger.[41] The British Film Institute's Sight & Sound magazine suggested that, "Life of Pi can be seen as the film Rhythm & Hues has been building up to all these years, by taking things they learned from each production from Cats & Dogs to Yogi Bear, integrating their animals in different situations and environments, pushing them to do more, and understanding how all of this can succeed both visually and dramatically."[42]

text: Artist Abdul Rahman in the Malaysian branch underscored the global nature of the effects process, saying that "the special thing about Life of Pi is that it was the first time we did something called remote rendering, where we engaged our cloud infrastructure in Taiwan called CAVE (Cloud Animation and Visual Effects)."[43]

text: Additional visual effects studios that worked on the film include MPC, yU+co, Buf, Crazy Horse Effects, Look Effects, Christov Effects, Lola VFX, Reliance Mediaworks, and Stereo D.[40]

text: Music[edit]

text:
Life of Pi: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Soundtrack album by Mychael Danna

Released
16 November 2012

Recorded
2012

Genre
Soundtrack
Indian Classical Music

Length
65:11

Label
Sony Classical Records

Producer
Mychael Danna

Mychael Danna soundtracks chronology

Moneyball
(2011)Moneyball2011
Life of Pi
(2012)
Devil's Knot
(2013)Devil's Knot2013

Singles from Life of Pi: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

"Pi's Lullaby"
Released: November 19, 2012

text: The film's musical score was composed by Mychael Danna, who previously wrote the music to Lee's films The Ice Storm and Ride with the Devil. A soundtrack album of the music was released by Sony Classical Records on 16 November 2012.[44] The album features the track "Pi's Lullaby", which was co-written by Danna and Bombay Jayashri, who performs the song in Tamil.[45]

text: Distribution[edit]

text: Marketing[edit]

text: Due to the film's holiday release, Life of Pi's financial success had been under review. Dorothy Pomerantz of Forbes said, "It looks like chances are very slim that the film will earn back its production and marketing costs let alone turn a profit." Pomerantz attributed this to the fact that film was not led by a big name star and faced other winter blockbusters.[46] John Horn and Ben Fritz of The Los Angeles Times compared the film to Martin Scorsese's Hugo, a large-budget 3D film that opened during the 2011 Thanksgiving week. They said that Life of Pi could have ended up like Hugo by "failing to connect with moviegoers" and become a "financial failure."[47] Similar speculation had been made by other news sources.[48][49]

text: Whether or not Hurricane Sandy would affect the film's publicity was also a question. Because the film includes a massive storm, it was speculated that the recent storm might result in lower box office revenue due to the unintentional overtones of Sandy's devastation. A Fox spokesperson made note that there were no plans to change the film's marketing approach.[50]

text: During the marketing campaign for Life of Pi, the film was promoted as "the next Avatar" in trailers and TV spots.[51] James Cameron, the director of Avatar, later became the subject of two featurettes that focus on the film's 3D and computer-generated imagery.[52] In addition, the original novel was re-released in a movie tie-in edition.[53] This was later followed by the release of The Making of Life of Pi: A Film, a Journey, a book by Jean-Christophe Castelli that details how Life of Pi was brought to the big screen.[54]

text: Theatrical release[edit]

text: Life of Pi had a wide release in the United States on November 21, 2012 in both traditional and 3D viewing formats. It was originally scheduled to be released on December 14, 2012, but when The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was announced for the same release date, Life of Pi was postponed a week. It was then shifted a month in advance.[55]

text: Home media[edit]

text: Life of Pi was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and Blu-ray 3D in North America, on March 12, 2013.[56] The film's 2D Blu-ray release contains many special features, including a one-hour making-of special entitled A Filmmaker's Epic Journey, two featurettes focusing on the film's visual effects, as well as two behind-the-scene looks at storyboarding and pre-production artwork. In addition, the film's 3D Blu-ray release contains five deleted scenes and a featurette entitled VFX Progressions that takes a look at what was shot and how it evolved to be what was rendered on screen.[57] The Film was later was released on 4K UHD on March 8, 2016[58]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: As of May 8, 2013[update], Life of Pi has grossed US$124,772,844 in North America, and US$484,029,542 in other countries, for a worldwide total of US$609,006,177.[8] During its opening on the extended Thanksgiving weekend, the film debuted in 2,902 theaters throughout the United States and Canada and grossed US$30,573,101.[59] On the Chinese mainland, from November 22 to December 24,[60] the film topped the box office for three weeks,[61] and grossed over US$91 million.[62] As of January 24, 2013[update], it had also topped the box office for three weeks in Australia,[63] Chile,[64] and four weeks in Mexico[65] and Peru.[66] The film became the biggest Hollywood hit of the year in India[67][68] and is also estimated to be the third-highest grossing Hollywood release of all time in the country behind Avatar and 2012.[69] Life of Pi has earned HK$45,058,653 (US$5.8 million) at the Hong Kong box office, making it the highest grossing Ang Lee film in Hong Kong.[70]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: Life of Pi received highly positive reviews, with praise directed towards the visual effects, Ang Lee's direction, David Magee's screenplay, Mychael Danna's musical score, and the editing. It has an 87% approval rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes based on 232 reviews with an average rating of 7.9/10. Its consensus reads "A 3D adaptation of a supposedly "unfilmable" book, Ang Lee's Life of Pi achieves the near impossible -- it's an astonishing technical achievement that's also emotionally rewarding."[71] On Metacritic, the film has an average score of 79 out of 100, based on 44 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews."[72]

text: Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave Life of Pi 4 out of 4 stars, referring to it as "a miraculous achievement of storytelling and a landmark of visual mastery" as well as "one of the best films of the year." He particularly praised the film's use of 3D that he described as "deepen[ing] the film's sense of places and events."[73] Comparatively, Peter Travers of Rolling Stone highlighted the use of 3D in the film suggesting that "like Hugo, from Martin Scorsese, Life of Pi puts 3D in the hands of a worldclass film artist. (Ang) Lee uses 3D with the delicacy and lyricism of a poet. You don't just watch this movie, you live it."[74] Parmita Borah of Eastern Fare says, "There is this one scene in particular where the entire ocean is covered with jelly fish which makes you feel like 'this is what heaven must look like'."[75]

text: The Los Angeles Times critic Betsy Sharkey referred to the film as a "masterpiece," stating that

text: There is always a poetic aesthetic that Lee brings to his best work – the brutal martial arts ballet of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or the homophobic hatred against the backcountry grandeur of Brokeback Mountain, which would win him an Oscar for directing in 2006. In Life of Pi, certainly given its technological achievements, the filmmaker has raised the bar. Not since James Cameron's breathtaking blue Avatar in 2009 has 3-D had such impact.[76]

text: In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Cameron himself highlighted the film's use of 3D, noting that

text: Life of Pi breaks the paradigm that 3-D has to be some big, action fantasy spectacle, superhero movie [....] The movie is visually amazing, inventive, and it works on you in ways you're not really aware of. It takes you on a journey, and unless you've read the book – which I hadn't – you have no idea where that journey is going. It does what good 3-D is supposed to do, which is, it allows you to forget you're watching a 3-D movie.[77]

text: According to French journalist Marjolaine Gout, the movie is "a philosophical tale where Noah's Ark metamorphoses into 'The Raft of the Medusa'". She adds that it is "a visual masterpiece" in which "Ang Lee proves, once again, his talent as a universal storyteller". She also writes about the visual poetry of the movie reminding viewers of the works of classical painters and the symbolic of kolams. The film got 8 out of 10 stars, the readers gave 7 stars.[78]

text: Yann Martel, the author of the novel on which the film is based, found the film to be a "delightful" adaptation, saying,

text: I'm happy it works so well as a film. Even if the ending is not as ambiguous as the book's, the possibility that there might be another version of Pi's story comes at you unexpectedly and raises the same important questions about truth, perception and belief.[79]

text: A. O. Scott of The New York Times was critical of the film's narrative frame, arguing that "the movie invites you to believe in all kinds of marvelous things, but it also may cause you to doubt what you see with your own eyes – or even to wonder if, in the end, you have seen anything at all." Scott further criticized the film for repressing the darker themes of the tale.[80] Nick Schager of The Village Voice also panned the film stating "A stacked-deck theological inquiry filtered through a Titanic-by-way-of–Slumdog Millionaire narrative, Life of Pi manages occasional spiritual wonder through its 3-D visuals but otherwise sinks like a stone."[81] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, and states "despite some lovely images and those eyepopping effects, it is a shallow and self-important shaggy-dog story – or shaggy-tiger story [....] It deserves every technical prize going."[82]

text: Richard Corliss of Time selected the film as the third-best movie of 2012, as well as calling it the next Avatar.[83]

text: The film has been described as containing a "subtle, artistic warning" about the dangers of increased anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions and ocean acidification, the acidic island Pi and Richard Parker encounter being compared to Castello Aragonese in the Tyrrhenian Sea near Naples and Richard Parker's final dismissive departure representing the "not too pleasant face of Gaia (see Gaia hypothesis)."[84]

text: Top ten lists[edit]

text: Life of Pi was listed on many critics' top ten lists.[85]

text:
1st – Anne Thompson, Indiewire
1st – Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times
2nd – David Germain, Associated Press
2nd – Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
3rd – Richard Corliss, Time
3rd – Noel Murray, The A.V. Club
4th – Richard Roeper
4th – Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post
4th – Mary Pols, Time
6th – Oliver Lyttelton, Indiewire
6th – Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald
6th – David Edelstein, New York
8th – Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
9th – Sean Axmaker, MSN Movies
10th – Mike Scott, The Times-Picayune
Top 10 (ranked alphabetically) – Phillip French, The Observer
Top 10 (ranked alphabetically) – Claudia Puig, USA Today
Top 10 (ranked alphabetically) – Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Top 10 (ranked alphabetically) – Stephen Whitty, The Star-Ledger

text: Rhythm & Hues Studios controversy[edit]

text: Despite the Oscar for Best Visual Effects at the 2013 Academy Awards, Rhythm & Hues Studios (who provided most of the visual effects for the film) was forced to file for bankruptcy on February 11, 2013, citing unfair competition from subsidized and tax exempt foreign studios.[86] This sparked a demonstration of nearly 500 VFX artists who protested outside the 2013 Academy Awards.[87] Inside, during the Oscars, when R&H visual effects supervisor Bill Westenhofer brought up R&H during his acceptance speech for Life of Pi, the microphone was cut off.[88] This started an uproar among many visual effects industry professionals, changing profile pictures on social media such as Facebook and Twitter to show the green key colour, in order to raise awareness for what is happening to the effects industry.[89] In addition, director Ang Lee was criticized by the protest leader for his failure to thank the effect industry, "Ang thanked the crew, the actors, his agent, his lawyer and the entire population of Taiwan right down to the team that built the wave-pool on the soundstage where Pi was shot, but failed to mention hundreds of artists who made not only the main character of the tiger, but replaced that pool, making it look like a real ocean for 80% of his movie."[90] He was also criticized for earlier complaining about the costs of visual effects.[90][91] In February 2014, Christina Lee Storm and Scott Leberecht released the documentary Life After Pi to YouTube.[92] The documentary details the role Rhythm & Hues played in Life of Pi as well as the consequent bankruptcy. Bill Westenhofer also discusses his experience at the Oscars as he accepted a Visual Effects award for Rhythm & Hues' work on Life of Pi.[93][94][95][96]

text: A trust named after Carnatic musician Irayimman Thampi has accused Bombay Jayashri's Oscar-nominated song "Pi's Lullaby" of not being an original composition.[97] The trust has alleged that the first eight lines of the song is a word-by-word translation of composer Thampi's renowned lullaby in Malayalam Omanathinkal Kidavo. Jayashri has denied the allegation.[97][97][98][99]

text: Animal abuse allegations[edit]

text: A 2013 investigation by the Hollywood Reporter brought to light leaked emails suggesting that animals involved in the filming of Life of Pi had been mistreated during the filming despite the American Humane Association’s "No Animals Were Harmed" certification on the film.[100][101][102] In an April 7, 2011 ACA monitor, Gina Johnson, wrote that “last week we almost killed King” The email goes on to suggest that the incident, in which the tiger apparently nearly drowned while filming a scene, would be "downplayed" in the official report to the ACA. Additionally, the exposé alleges that Johnson was involved in a romantic relationship with one of the film’s producers, possibly representing a conflict of interest. Life of Pi director Ang Lee has described the animal abuse allegations as "an accident" in interviews. Following the publication of the Hollywood Reporter investigation, Gina Johnson resigned from her position with the ACA.[103][104]

text: New animal welfare concerns were raised in 2015 when PETA released a video that appeared to show Life of Pi animal trainer Michael Hackenberger swearing at and whipping a young tiger 19 times.[105] In April 2016, the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals filed animal cruelty charges against Hackenberger based on the video evidence.[106]

text: Accolades[edit]

text: Life of Pi was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and won four (more than any other film from 2012): Best Director (Ang Lee), Best Cinematography (Claudio Miranda), Best Visual Effects (Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan de Boer and Donald R. Elliott) and Best Original Score (Mychael Danna).[107][108] It was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards and won for Best Original Score. The film also won awards for cinematography, film editing, sound effects and original score at several other awards ceremonies. In addition to the Academy Award, Ang Lee won best director awards from the Kansas City, Las Vegas, and London Film Critics. The film was awarded the Best Picture award by the Las Vegas Film Critics Society and was named one of the top ten films of the year by the New York Film Critics and the Southeastern Film Critics.


document_title: List of Fairy Tail episodes (season 6)

question_text: what episode does the tournament start in fairy tail

root

text: List of Fairy Tail episodes (season 6)

text: Episode list[edit]

text:
No.
Official English title[a]
Original Japanese title
Original air date[b]
English air date[c]

151
"Sabertooth"
"Seibātūsu" (剣咬の虎 (セイバートゥース))
October 6, 2012
November 17, 2015

The Legion Platoon is tasked by Zentopia's archbishop to retrieve the missing pieces of the Infinity Clock and seal them again. Before embarking on their mission, they visit Fairy Tail and make amends with the guild for their previous hostility against them. It is later discovered that Fairy Tail has lost their title as the strongest guild in Fiore to the Saber Tooth guild over the past seven years. Two of the strongest wizards in the guild include a pair of Dragon Slayers named Sting and Rogue, who are obsessed with fighting Natsu Dragneel and Gajeel, respectively. Meanwhile, Makarov brings Gildarts to their abandoned guildhall and shows him Lumen Histoire, a light that Makarov says is Fairy Tail's greatest secret. Makarov then tells Gildarts that he has been chosen to become the next master of Fairy Tail.

152
"And So We Aim for the Top"
"Soshite Ore-tachi wa Chōjō o Mezasu" (そしてオレたちは顶上を目指す)
October 13, 2012
November 24, 2015

Natsu and his friends discover that a power gap has developed between them and the rest of the guild members who were not on Tenrou Island. The group meets with Poluchka for medicine to strengthen their magic, but are unsuccessful. Wendy recognizes Poluchka's voice and scent as those of Grandine, the dragon who raised her. Poluchka reveals herself as the Edolas counterpart of Grandine, and gives Wendy written instructions for two advanced spells that Grandine failed to teach her. Meanwhile, Makarov announces Gildarts' succession as master to the rest of the guild, only to find he has gone on a journey, leaving a letter of resignation behind. In the letter, Gildarts reinstates Laxus into the guild, returns mastership to Makarov, and tells him to make Fairy Tail the strongest guild in Fiore again. Romeo suggests they participate in the Grand Magic Games, an annual festival designed to determine the guild rankings in Fiore.

153
"Song of the Stars"
"Hoshiboshi no Uta" (星々の歌)
October 20, 2012
December 1, 2015

With the Grand Magic Games occurring in three months time, Natsu and his friends train at a beach resort. On their second day of training, Virgo appears and tells the wizards that the Celestial Spirit World is in danger of destruction. When the wizards arrive, they instead find a surprise party held by the Celestial Spirit King celebrating their return from Sirius Island after seven years. They spend the day in the spirit world partying with the spirits. Before they leave, however, Virgo informs them that one day in the spirit world equals three months in the human world, and they find the Grand Magic Games are upon them.

154
"For All the Time We Missed Each Other"
"Surechigatta Jikan no Bun dake" (すれ违った时间の分だけ)
October 27, 2012
December 8, 2015

While mulling over their lost training time, the Fairy Tail wizards receive a message via carrier pigeon requesting a private meeting in the forest nearby. There they meet a runaway Jellal, Ultear, and Merudy, who have formed their own guild, Crime Sorcière, to defeat Zeref and any dark guilds that try to use his power. The three ask Fairy Tail for their help in determining the source of a magical anomaly similar to Zeref's magic that they have sensed around the Grand Magic Games arena, Domus Flau. In exchange, Ultear uses her magic to invoke their Second Origin in order to double their magic power. As the others undergo the painful process of awakening their Second Origin, Erza talks with Jellal over his regained memories. The two nearly kiss, but Jellal decides that he and Erza cannot be together and lies to her that he has a fiancée. Erza quickly picks up on this and respects his decision, seeing Crime Sorcière off as they leave.

155
"Crocus, the Flower-Blooming Capital"
"Hanasaku Miyako: Kurokkasu" (花笑く都・クロッカス)
November 3, 2012
December 15, 2015

Natsu, Lucy Heartfilia, Gray, Erza, and Wendy are chosen to represent their guild in the Grand Magic Games, which are to be held in Fiore's capital, Crocus. As they tour the city, Natsu and Happy encounter the twin dragon slayers, Sting and Rogue, who mock Natsu for not being able to kill Acnologia, and boast of becoming true dragon slayers by killing the dragons who raised them. At midnight, Fairy Tail and the other participating guilds are put through a preliminary event—a race through a massive floating labyrinth—designed to narrow the number of participating guilds down to eight teams.

156
"Sky Labyrinth"
"Sukai Rabirinsu" (空中迷宮 (スカイラビリンス))
November 10, 2012
December 22, 2015

Natsu's team notices that Wendy has gone missing, so Elfman replaces her to keep them from being eliminated. As they make their way through the enchanted labyrinth, the five encounter various other guilds and steal the maps made by the other guilds to better navigate the maze. They manage to reach the end of the maze and pass the elimination round, confident they have arrived first, only to discover they have barely taken last place. Meanwhile, Happy, Lisanna, and the rest of the guild search for Wendy and Carla. They eventually find the two in the garden of the king's palace, Mercurius, with their magic power depleted.

157
"New Guild"
"Shinki Girudo" (新规ギルド)
November 17, 2012
December 29, 2015

Wendy's body is weakened as a result of losing her magic power. As Poluchka helps her recover, she formally requests Elfman to take her place in the Grand Magic Games. Fairy Tail steps into the arena with a negative audience reception, but they are bolstered by their guild mates and the spirit of Mavis, whom only the Fairy Tail guild members can see. The next four participating teams are revealed to be Quatro Cerberus, Mermaid Heel, Blue Pegasus, and Lamia Scale. Following them is Raven Tail, a former dark guild led by Makarov's son Ivan, who confess to attacking Wendy and Carla. To everyone's shock, the next team is revealed to be a second team from Fairy Tail composed of Gajeel, Juvia, Mirajane, Laxus, and Jellal (disguised as Mystogan to help investigate the arena). The final guild to be announced is Saber Tooth, much to the joy of the audience. With all eight teams announced, they each send out one member to participate in the first contest of the games, with Gray and Juvia representing their teams.

158
"Night of Shooting Stars"
"Hoshi Furu Yoru ni" (星降ル夜ニ)
November 24, 2012
January 5, 2016

The games' first contest, "Hidden", requires the eight participants to score points by finding and attacking each other in a virtual city filled with copies of themselves. Raven Tail member Nalpudding repeatedly targets Gray, who scores last place in the contest while Saber Tooth's Rufus scores first by using his Memory-Make magic to attack all the other participants at once. Humiliated, Gray swears revenge against Raven Tail and Saber Tooth. Afterwards, Lucy is chosen to fight Raven Tail member Flare in the tournament's first battle round.

159
"Lucy vs. Flare"
"Rūshii vs. Furea" (ルーシィ vs. フレア)
December 1, 2012
January 12, 2016

Lucy displays tremendous skill in her battle against Flare by being able to summon two spirits simultaneously. As Lucy gains the upper hand, Flare cheats by using her magic hair to hold Alzack and Bisca's daughter Asuka as a hostage, blackmailing Lucy into not fighting back to keep her from harming Asuka. As Lucy tearfully speaks of Asuka's danger, Natsu is able to hear it and rushes to Asuka to incinerate Flare's hair, allowing Lucy to counterattack with her Urano Metoria spell in combination with Gemini. However, before the spell fully activates, Flare's teammate Obra nullifies Lucy's magic, causing her to collapse and lose the match.

160
"Portent"
"Kyōzui" (凶瑞)
December 8, 2012
January 19, 2016

Blue Pegasus' Ren defeats Mermaid Heel's Araña during the games' second match, while Saber Tooth's Orga effortlessly defeats Quatro Cerberus' War Cry in the third match. For the day's fourth and final match, Jellal is pitted against Lamia Scale's Jura, intending to avenge the humiliated Fairy Tail members. He mimics Mystogan's magic to keep up his disguise, but he finds it ineffective to use against Jura and is forced to use his own magic instead. Before he can cast a spell that will expose his true identity, Ultear uses Merudy's sensory to force Jellal into submission. Meanwhile, the hospitalized Carla awakens after having a troubling premonition of the future.

161
"Chariots"
"Chariotto" (战车 (チャリオット))
December 15, 2012
January 26, 2016

Fairy Tail is undaunted by their poor performance on the first day. As the guild celebrates, they are visited and taunted by Bacchus, Erza's rival from Quatro Cerberus, who has come to replace War Cry. Carla relays her premonition to Poluchka, saying that she saw Mercurius collapsing around what appeared to be a tearfully singing Lucy. The second day of the tournament begins with a footrace atop a train of moving chariots, causing the participants Natsu, Gajeel, and Sting to suffer from motion sickness as a side effect of their Dragon Slayer magic. As Natsu and Gajeel force themselves forward, Sting inquires about their determination to which Natsu responds that it is as a result of the strength of Fairy Tail's bonds. Sting eventually throws the race while Natsu and Gajeel manage to finish as sixth and seventh placers, respectively, earning Fairy Tail the audience's respect.

162
"Elfman vs. Bacchus"
"Erufuman vs. Bakkasu" (エルフマン vs. バッカス)
December 22, 2012
September 1, 2015

Due to a miscomunnication between the king and his knight Arcadios, Elfman is chosen as Bacchus' opponent instead of Erza. Before the match commences, the two opponents make a wager: if Bacchus wins, he will court Elfman's sisters, and if Elfman wins, Bacchus' team name will be changed to "Quatro Puppy" for the rest of the games. Bacchus ruthlessly attacks Elfman with his bare palms, who manages to damage Bacchus with his defensive Lizardman transformation. Elfman manages to outlast Bacchus as he exhausts himself, winning the match and forcing Bacchus' team to be renamed. Meanwhile, Natsu finds Wendy, Carla, and Poluchka being kidnapped by a group of masked men. Upon being caught, the men claim they were hired to kidnap Lucy by Raven Tail. They are soon revealed to have actually been sent by Arcadios, who intends to sow discord between the guilds as he plots to use Lucy for his "Eclipse Project".

163
"Mirajane vs. Jenny"
"Mirajēn vs. Jenī" (ミラジェーン vs. ジェニー)
January 5, 2013
September 1, 2015

The second day of the Grand Magic Games continues, with Mirajane of Fairy Tail Team B fighting against Jenny Realight of Team Blue Pegasus. Since the two competitors are well-known for being magazine models, their battle consists almost entirely of a fashion showdown, much to the pleasure of the audience. Eventually as the showdown becomes redundant, Jenny proposes a wager: the loser must pose nude for the Sorcerer Magazine, which Mirajane accepts. Jenny then transforms into her battle armor while Mirajane shifts into her Satan Soul "Sitri" form and easily defeats Jenny. The final match of the day is announced, with Kagura Mikazuchi of Mermaid Heel pitted against Yukino Aguria of Saber Tooth. Yukino proposes to Kagura that they wager their lives on their battle. Meanwhile, Arcadios is confronted by Darton, the kingdom's defense minister, about his "Eclipse Project".

164
"Kagura vs. Yukino"
"Kagura vs. Yukino" (カグラ vs. ユキノ)
January 12, 2013
September 1, 2015

Yukino is revealed to be a celestial spirit wizard when she summons Libra and Pisces to attack Kagura. Using her gravity-altering magic, Kagura defeats the two spirits, thus forcing Yukino to use a Gatekey that summons Ophiuchus, which is regarded as the strongest among the Celestial Spirits. However, Kagura slays Ophiuchus with her sword still sheathed and easily defeats Yukino. Later, Jellal discusses the fact that he has not sensed the evil power similar to Zeref's even though the second day of the Grand Magic Games has ended. Erza reunites with Milliana, who is revealed to be a member of Mermaid Heel. Meanwhile, Saber Tooth's master Jiemma is dissatisfied with his guild's performance. Though Sting is given another chance, Jiemma humiliates Yukino for her failure.

165
"Hatred at Nightfall"
"Urami wa Yoru no Tobari ni Tsutsumarete" (怨みは夜の帐に包まれて)
January 19, 2013
September 1, 2015

After Yukino is expelled from Saber Tooth, she offers her two golden Gatekeys to Lucy to complete the latter's collection of the Zodiac Gatekeys, stating that when the twelve Zodiac Gatekeys are all gathered, a gateway that changes the world will open; however, Lucy turns down the offer. Meanwhile, Milliana tells Erza that Kagura's sword, Archenemy, is intended to kill Jellal, and that she and Kagura share the same resentment towards Jellal. Natsu and Happy run after Yukino in an attempt to apologize; however, Natsu realizes that Yukino had been expelled, and infiltrates the Crocus Garden to fight Jiemma.

166
"Pandemonium"
"Pandemoniumu" (伏魔殿 (パンデモニウム))
January 26, 2013
September 1, 2015

After Natsu punches out Dobengal, the guild member summoned to fight him, he and Jiemma engage in a duel. However, the guild master's daughter Minerva appears, ends their duel and, taking Happy hostage, convinces Natsu to settle their dispute in the Grand Magic Games. As Natsu leaves, he states that Saber Tooth will never surpass Fairy Tail because they care for their friends, words that are echoed by Rogue, while Sting is left in awe at Natsu's strength. The following day as the Grand Magic Games continue, an event called "Pandemonium" begins. It involves the participants entering a magical citadel filled with 100 monsters of varying strengths and individually doing battle with any number of monsters they choose. Representing Fairy Tail Team A, Erza requests the 100 monsters as her opponents.

167
"100 Against 1"
"Hyaku tai Ichi" (100対1)
February 2, 2013
September 1, 2015

Erza kills the 100 monsters using various types of armor to match their strength and weaknesses. As a result, the crowd praises Fairy Tail, and the guild is awarded with 10 points. Moreover, the game officials decided to determine the ranks of the remaining participants by means of a device called "Magic Power Finder" (sometimes abbreviated as MPF). Using this tool, participants must attack it with their magic power, which will, in turn, calculate and display their equivalent scores depending on the extent of power used. In the end, Cana of Fairy Tail Team B dominates the event by using the Fairy Glitter spell lent to her by Mavis, much to Makarov's surprise. With Cana's victory, Fairy Tail Team B receives 8 points, and the audience began to burst once more into a resounding swarm of cheers and claps due to the finish of the two Fairy Tail teams. Meanwhile, the Raven Tail team somehow managed to get an insider information regarding the battle matchups for the day, so the masked leader Alexei tells his subordinates Flare, Obra, Nalpudding, and Kurohebi that it's about time to proceed with their true mission.

168
"Laxus vs. Alexei"
"Rakusasu vs. Arekusei" (ラクサス vs. アレクセイ)
February 9, 2013
September 1, 2015

In the battle portion of the Grand Magic Games' third day, Milliana of Mermaid Heel beats Semmes of Quatro Puppy while Saber Tooth's Rufus swiftly defeats Blue Pegasus' Eve. For the third match, Laxus of Fairy Tail Team B is chosen to battle against Alexei of Team Raven Tail. Since the opponent is from a suspicious guild, the Fairy Tail members take extra precautions by watching the actions of Ivan Dreyar as well as the other four Raven Tail members. However, as the match commences, the spectators are shocked to see Laxus being beaten by Alexei, although no cautious movements can be seen from the Raven Tail team. It turns out that the two dueling people are just illusions created by Alexei in order for him to have a talk with Laxus. Also, the other Raven Tail members being monitored by Fairy Tail are just lifelike illusions, for in reality they are with Alexei in the battlefield. Alexei reveals himself to be Ivan Dreyar. Unable to interrogate Laxus of the Lumen Histoire's location, Ivan and the Raven Tail members are forced to fight him. Before their battle begins, Ivan declares that Raven Tail is an anti-Fairy Tail guild.

169
"Wendy vs. Shelia"
"Wendi vs. Sheria" (ウェンディ vs. シェリア)
February 16, 2013
September 1, 2015

After Laxus defeats Ivan and the four Raven Tail elite members, Ivan's illusions disappear to the shock of everyone in the stadium. The game officials declare Laxus the victor, and Ivan tells him that Lumen Histoire is Fairy Tail’s 'darkness'. Due to the infraction of the rules, the Raven Tail team is disqualified for the remainder of the Games, and its members are captured by the soldiers. Later, Wendy of Fairy Tail Team A and Sherria Blendy of Team Lamia Scale face off to compete for the final match of the day. As the two exchange attacks, gusts of wind surround the arena since Sherria is revealed to be a Sky God Slayer. Wendy employs an advanced Sky Dragon Slayer attack much to Poluchka's astonishment, causing Sherria to fall on the ground. Wendy is about to be announced as the winner of the bout when Sherria suddenly stands up with her wounds fully healed. Meanwhile, the Crime Sorcière guild senses the nefarious aura, and Jellal proceeds to the Domus Flau audience, oblivious that he bumped into Doranbolt, who, in turn, wonders what is Mystogan doing in Earthland.

170
"Small Fists"
"Chiisana Kobushi" (小さな拳)
February 23, 2013
September 1, 2015

With Cheria being fully healed and Wendy being almost depleted of magic power, their battle continues, with the former casting a high-level spell towards the latter. However, it seems that Wendy enhances Cheria's physical strength, causing the attack to gain much force and thus missing Wendy. The two competitors then engage in a hand-to-hand combat, but due to the time limit and neither side is giving up, their battle resulted in a draw, giving both teams with 5 points. Meanwhile, Jellal manages to track the sinister aura among the crowd in the form of a mysterious, hooded person. Jellal is about to confront the aura source, but he is abruptly cornered by Doranbolt, Lahar, and other Rune Knights. Doranbalt then interrogates Jellal, and as his cover was blown, the Rune Knights, as well as Kagura and Milliana glancing nearby, are startled to see the true identity of Mystogan. Yajima convinces the Rune Knights that Mystogan is Jellal’s Edolas counterpart, prompting Lahar to release the fugitive. Meanwhile, Laxus and Makarov have a small conversation regarding Lumen Histoire when Mavis appears and explains that Lumen Histoire is the ‘light’ of Fairy Tail.

171
"Naval Battle"
"Nabaru Batoru" (海战 (ナバルバトル))
March 2, 2013
September 1, 2015

As the jubilant Fairy Tail members celebrate their victories, the other people, such as Sting, Kagura, and Milliana, are contemplating on their own concerns, while Yukino is enlisted as a sergeant under Arcadios' command. Meanwhile, the fourth day of the competitions comes to a start with an event, "Naval Battle", which involves the participants swimming in a giant water sphere and knocking the other competitors out. After the other participants fall out of the aquatic sphere, a five-minute battle between Lucy and Minerva ensues. However, Minerva quickly attacks Lucy, and she manages to steal the keys of the Celestial Spirit mage. Regardless of this, Lucy refuses to surrender. After hearing Lucy's intentions, Minerva stops from attacking up to the extent that the five-minute mark was reached. However, Minerva resumes attacking Lucy until the game officials decide to halt the match. The Fairy Tail members snap, and Minerva dangles Lucy out of the sphere while the others rush to her aid.

172
"A Parfum for You"
"Kimi ni Sasageru Parufamu" (君に捧げる香り (パルファム))
March 9, 2013
September 1, 2015

While Lucy is hospitalized and taken to the infirmary, the Fairy Tail members warn Saber Tooth that they have angered the worst possible guild to do so. Later, Makarov announces that the two Fairy Tail teams must merge as a result of the disqualification of Raven Tail and to compensate for the odd number of teams for the battle round. He also reveals that the new team will have the former Team A's 35 points to start with. The new Fairy Tail team, consisting of Natsu, Gray, Erza, Gajeel, and Laxus, are well-received as they enter the field. The second part of the tournament begins with a tag battle between Blue Pegasus' Ichiya and "Rabbit" and Quatro Puppy's Rocker and Bacchus. To everyone's shock, it is revealed that "Rabbit" is actually Nichiya in disguise, and after the Exceed is punched by Bacchus, Ichiya bulks up to defeat the Quatro Puppy opponents, awarding Blue Pegasus with 10 points.

173
"Battle of Dragon Slayers!"
"Batoru obu Doragon Sureiyā" (バトル・オブ・ドラゴンスレイヤー)
March 16, 2013
September 1, 2015

Mermaid Heel's Kagura and Milliana and Lamia Scale's Lyon and Yuka face off for the second tag battle of the games. The two teams struggle to earn a victory, only to have their battle ending in a draw due to the time limit. For the third and final match of the day, the spectators look on in silence as Natsu and Gajeel of Team Fairy Tail and Sting and Rogue of Team Saber Tooth enter the field. As the battle commences, Sting and Rogue were about to take the initiative when they were suddenly attacked by Natsu and Gajeel. The four mages then exchange attacks; however, the audience watches in shock as the Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers overpower the Saber Tooth Dragon Slayers. Unable to keep themselves on par with their adversaries, Sting activates 'White Drive' while Rogue powers up using 'Shadow Drive'.

174
"Four Dragons"
"Yonin no Doragon" (四人の竜 (ドラゴン))
March 23, 2013
September 1, 2015

The tag battle continues, with Sting and Rogue beginning to attack Natsu and Gajeel with their powers being increased. After receiving heavy blows from the Saber Tooth Dragon Slayers, Natsu and Gajeel manages to hold them off, thus forcing Sting and Rogue to activate "Dragon Force" on their own will, to the shock of the Fairy Tail audience. Sting decides to finish the Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers alone, for he held a promise to his Exceed friend Lector many years ago. As the three mages fight, the tide turns in favor of Sting as he unleashes a powerful attack on Natsu and Gajeel, resulting in the collapse of the arena floor, and after a hand-to-hand combat underground, Sting was seemingly the victor of the match. However, the Fairy Tail duo stands up, comments on Sting’s strength, and argues about his position while attacking, thereby causing Natsu to drag Gajeel on a mining cart and send it away. While Gajeel is left incapacitated due to motion sickness, Natsu challenges the Twin Dragons of Saber Tooth alone, in retribution to what Sting did earlier on them.

175
"Natsu vs. the Twin Dragons"
"Natsu vs. Sōryū" (ナツ vs. 双竜)
March 30, 2013
September 1, 2015

The tag battle of the Dragon Slayers comes to a close, with Natsu overpowering the combined attacks of Sting and Rogue. The Saber Tooth members watch in dismay, while Jiemma seethes in anger over the defeat of the Twin Dragons, frightening the nearby spectators away. The rest of Fairy Tail celebrates in joy as its team receives 10 points, finally surpassing Team Saber Tooth by a single point. Meanwhile, Gajeel, back to his senses after being dragged by Natsu into a cart earlier, stumbles upon a cave full of dragon skeletons. During that night, Jellal manages to corner the source of the dark aura, standing in disbelief at the identity of the mysterious, hooded person.

tag: table

text: Notes[edit]

text:
Jump up ^ All English titles are taken from Funimation.
Jump up ^ Date the episode originally aired on TV Tokyo.
Jump up ^ Date the episode first aired on the Funimation Channel in an English dub.

tag: ol


document_title: I Can Only Imagine (MercyMe song)

question_text: who sang the original i can only imagine

text: I Can Only Imagine (MercyMe song)

text: Background[edit]

text: "I Can Only Imagine" was the debut single for United States contemporary Christian and Christian rock band MercyMe. The father of Bart Millard, the band's vocalist, died in 1991. Millard was 18 at the time.[1][2] Millard began writing the words "I can only imagine" on items when he was thinking about his father.[3] During the recording of the band's 1999 independent album The Worship Project, MercyMe needed one more song to fill out the album.[4] Millard, alone on a bus in the middle of the night, finally wrote the lyrics to the song by drawing on his thoughts and personal faith about what one would experience standing before God in Heaven. Millard attests that "['I Can Only Imagine'] is one of the only songs I have ever written where there wasn't any mistakes, it was just written the way it is and left at that",[4] and estimated that it took him only ten minutes to write the lyrics.[3]

tag: p

text: In writing the music for the song, however, the band faced more difficulty; Millard noted that "at first it was a fast song... it was all these random ideas".[4] Keyboardist Jim Bryson noted that "we were literally tearing down the stuff... [Millard] and I were talking about arranging it differently and doing a slower version, so we just tried out a piano intro... it was literally the first thing I played. It wasn't anything to do with me, I think it was just a God thing. [Millard] said 'here it is, this is what's going to happen', and we laid the song down in about five minutes."[4] At that time, the other MercyMe members were Robby Shaffer on drums and percussion, Nathan Cochran on bass guitar and Michael Scheuchzer on guitar. This line-up recorded the first version of the song for The Worship Project.[2][5] In 2006, it was included in the 'Platinum Edition' of Almost There.[6]

text: Composition[edit]

text:
I Can Only Imagine

A sample of "I Can Only Imagine". MercyMe's debut single, "I Can Only Imagine" is "a passionate piano-driven ballad. The song considers what it would be like to be in the presence of God. Delivered with conviction, the song is emotionally compelling".[7]

Problems playing this file? See media help.

text: "I Can Only Imagine" is a ballad with a length of four minutes and eight seconds.[7] The song is set in the key of E major and has a moderately slow tempo of 80 beats per minute with a vocal range from B3–G♯5.[8] The song opens up with only a piano, and builds up to include guitar and drums.[9] Millard is credited with both the lyrics and music to the song.[10] The song was produced by Pete Kipley, who had worked with MercyMe previously[1] as well as with artists including Rebecca St. James, Phil Wickham and Lincoln Brewster.[11]

text: The lyrics to the song are based around the narrator wondering what it will be like in Heaven and to be standing before God.[7] Regarding this theme, Millard explained to Fox News that "I was always told that if he could choose, he would rather be in Heaven than here with me. As a Christian I believed that, but as an 18-year-old it was a little hard to swallow. So the questions in the song came from me asking God what was so great about Him that my dad would rather be there."[1]

text: Release and promotion[edit]

text: "I Can Only Imagine" was re-recorded for their major-label debut record Almost There and released as its lead single in 2001.[12] The album was recorded in various locations: Ivy Park, The Indigo Room, Paradise Sound and IBC Studios.[10] The single gained radio airplay on some contemporary Christian formats; by November, it peaked at number-one on the Radio & Records Christian AC format and in the top twenty of the Radio & Records Christian CHR chart.[13][14]

text: In 2003, a Dallas mainstream radio station, 100.3 Wild-FM, first played the song on its morning show, The Fitz Radio Program.[2][15][16] They had responded to a caller's repeated requests and the urgings of the program's producer, Todd Sheppard.[1][3] The song soon became the most requested and most played song on the station.[16][17] After hearing the song played on the station, Millard called-in and spoke with the crew; MercyMe then came in and played the song live.[16]

text: As other stations around the country caught on, MercyMe's label, INO Records, partnered with Curb Records.[16][18][19] They marketed the single to wider audiences, such as Top 40 radio.[18][19][20] In September, INO and Curb also released a double A-side physical single, "I Can Only Imagine/Word of God Speak".[12] The latter track was co-written by Millard with the band's producer, Kipley.[21] Eventually, the song cracked into secular charts, including the Billboard Hot 100[22] and the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts.[23]

text: Impact[edit]

text: MercyMe did not expect "I Can Only Imagine" to gain mainstream success, in part due to its explicit references to Jesus and Heaven.[15][16] Millard noted that the band joked around about "the top five songs never to cross over,[15] and they had included "I Can Only Imagine" on that list.[15][16] Millard also believed some radio stations were playing the song to prove it could not succeed on mainstream radio.[16] The song had a significant effect on the band's musical image; in an interview, Millard commented that "We were a rock band when we started 11 years ago. But we kind of became the 'adult contemporary poster child' when 'I Can Only Imagine' took off".[24]

text: Music video[edit]

text: A music video was released for "I Can Only Imagine".[25][26] Millard recalled the video's inspiration: "I just kept seeing all these people holding picture frames [at MercyMe concerts] that are empty because we all carry these people with us in some way. I've had so many people after a show pull out a picture of someone they've lost. These people embrace these photos and I just thought how can we tap into that".[26] The video features everyday people as well as several music artists including Michael Tait, Tammy Trent, Bob Herdman, and Jesse Katina, each holding an empty picture frame to signify their loss of a loved one; as the video progresses, they are holding pictures of their loved ones including Millard with his father's photograph.[26]

text: The video opens with a shot of an empty room and a chair, shifting to show a young boy climbing up a flight of stairs. The camera then shifts to the band before returning to the boy, now in an attic which is filled with many empty picture frames. The video alternates between shots of the boy and the band before shifting to individual shots of other people, each holding an empty picture frame. As the other instruments join in, the camera comes back to the band, focusing on them before returning to shots of the people, whose picture frames now contain pictures of deceased relatives. At the end of the video, the camera returns to the boy, now running down a street with an empty frame, climaxing with him lying down in a field with the empty frame.[25][26]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: Critical reception for "I Can Only Imagine" was positive. Steve Losey of Allmusic commented that "[the song] is a passionate piano-driven ballad. The song considers what it would be like to be in the presence of God. Delivered with conviction, the song is emotionally compelling".[7] Jesus Freak Hideout's reviewer Kevin Chamberlin felt "The lyrics for the song are amazing. If you haven't listened to the lyrics, because you're afraid of hearing pop music, get over it and listen to it."[27] Kevin McNeese of NewReleaseTuesday commented that "The definite highlight on [Almost There] is the worship/ballad 'I Can Only Imagine'... The song starts out with just piano that instantly invokes chills and builds dynamically into a powerful display of drums and guitar. But what makes the song are the lyrics, penned by Bart Millard himself. The song speaks about that day that we all dream about when we finally meet Jesus... It's a song that can't be listened to with eyes open".[9]

text: Chart performance[edit]

text: "I Can Only Imagine" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 for the chart week of 11 October 2003 at No. 76.[22] The song peaked at No. 71 for two weeks and spent 16 non-consecutive weeks on the Hot 100.[13][22] On the Adult Contemporary chart, "I Can Only Imagine" debuted at No. 29 for the chart week of 23 May 2003, with an eventual peak of No. 5 for the chart week of 8 September 2003; in all, "I Can Only Imagine" spent 30 weeks on the chart.[13][23]

text: On the Adult Top 40 chart, "I Can Only Imagine" debuted at No. 39 for the chart week of 9 August 2003 and reached a peak position of No. 27, holding that spot for three consecutive weeks; in all, the song spent 26 weeks on the chart.[13][28] On the Mainstream Top 40 chart, the song debuted at No. 37 for the chart week of 12 July 2003, reaching an eventual peak of No. 33.[13][29] On the Country Songs chart, the song debuted at No. 58 for the chart week of 27 December 2003, reaching an eventual peak of No. 52, which it held for two weeks.[30] According to Mike Curb on the Curb Records website, "I Can Only Imagine" also peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales chart for 10 weeks, No. 1 on the Radio & Records Christian AC chart for two weeks,[13][14] and No. 15 on the Christian CHR chart.[13]

text: In April 2010, "I Can Only Imagine" was certified platinum by the RIAA, signifying sales of over 1,000,000 digital downloads.[31] It is the first single by any artist in the Christian music genre to go platinum.[32] The song was certified 2x platinum in 2014.[31]

text: Awards and accolades[edit]

text: "I Can Only Imagine" earned two GMA Dove Awards in 2002; 'Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year' and 'Song of the Year'.[33][34] Millard also won 'Songwriter of the Year' at the same ceremony.[33][34] In November 2009, the song was played on board Space Shuttle Atlantis as a wake-up call for Barry E. Wilmore during STS-129.[35]

text: Other versions[edit]

text: The original version of "I Can Only Imagine" was a track on MercyMe's 1999 independent release The Worship Project.[5] In August 2006, both an acoustic and live form (as well as the original 1999 version) were included in the 'Platinum edition' of Almost There.[6] MercyMe recorded a version of the song for their iTunes Originals album.[36][37] In 2009, two further variants were included on their compilation album 10; a 'symphony version' featuring the London Symphony Orchestra, and a live version.[38]

text: "I Can Only Imagine" has also been covered by several artists.[39] In 2002 Amy Grant released a reworked version of the song (titled "Imagine" and paired with "Sing the Wondrous Love of Jesus") on her album, Legacy... Hymns and Faith.[40] In 2003, Jeff Carson and Kathryn Scott each issued variants of the song;[40][41] Carson's version peaked at No. 50 on the Country Songs chart.[42] In 2005 Wynonna Judd issued her form of the song;[40] while in 2007 Emerson Drive provided theirs.[43] The song was covered again in 2010 by Marie Osmond and in 2013 by gospel artist Tamela Mann.

text: The song was performed live by Garwin Dobbins, a man struggling with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, a crippling disease referred to as Stone Man's syndrome, in which the body's repair mechanism replaces muscle with bone, causing many joints to become permanently frozen in place.[44] Dobbins, who died in 2004, sang the song on a broadcast of Austin Awakening, accompanied by pastor Randy Phillips of Phillips, Craig and Dean. Footage of the performance was featured in the finale of the Trevor Glass documentary "Suffer the Children."[45] There is also a German version "Ich kann nur davon träumen".

text: Track listing[edit]

text:
"I Can Only Imagine" – 4:08 (Bart Millard)[8][39]
"Word of God Speak" – 3:07 (Peter Kipley, Millard)[21][49]

text: Release history[edit]

text:
Date
Territory
Label
Format

2001[12]
United States
INO
Airplay

23 September 2003[12]
INO/Curb
CD

4 January 2005[31]
INO/Epic
Digital

text: Charts and certifications[edit]

text:
Weekly charts

Chart (2001–2002)
Peak
Position

Radio and Records Christian AC[13][14]
1

Radio and Records Christian CHR[13]
15

Chart (2003–2004)
Peak
Position

US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[50]
5

US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[51]
27

US Billboard Hot 100[52]
71

US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[53]
52

US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[54]
33

Chart (2012)
Peak
Position

France (SNEP)[55]
65

Year-end charts

Chart (2003)
Position

Billboard Adult Contemporary[56][57]
20

Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales[58][59]
24

Chart (2010)
Position

Billboard Christian/Gospel Digital Songs[60]
9

Chart (2011)
Position

Billboard Christian/Gospel Digital Songs[60]
7

Certifications

Country
Certifications
(sales thresholds)

United States
2x Platinum[31]


document_title: Vascular tissue

question_text: what are two types of vascular tissue found in most plants

text: Vascular tissue

text: Vascular tissue is a complex conducting tissue, formed of more than one cell type, found in vascular plants. The primary components of vascular tissue are the xylem and phloem. These two tissues transport fluid and nutrients internally. There are also two meristems associated with vascular tissue: the vascular cambium and the cork cambium.  All the vascular tissues within a particular plant together constitute the vascular tissue system of that plant.

text:
The cells in vascular tissue are typically long and slender. Since the xylem and phloem function in the conduction of water, minerals, and nutrients throughout the plant, it is not surprising that their form should be similar to pipes.  The individual cells of phloem are connected end-to-end, just as the sections of a pipe might be. As the plant grows, new vascular tissue differentiates in the growing tips of the plant. The new tissue is aligned with existing vascular tissue, maintaining its connection throughout the plant.
The vascular tissue in plants is arranged in long, discrete strands called vascular bundles.  These bundles include both xylem and phloem, as well as supporting and protective cells.  In stems and roots, the xylem typically lies closer to the interior of the stem with phloem towards the exterior of the stem.  In the stems of some Asterales dicots, there may be phloem located inwardly from the xylem as well.

text: Between the xylem and phloem is a meristem called the vascular cambium.  This tissue divides off cells that will become additional xylem and phloem. This growth increases the girth of the plant, rather than its length.  As long as the vascular cambium continues to produce new cells, the plant will continue to grow more stout.  In trees and other plants that develop wood, the vascular cambium allows the expansion of vascular tissue that produces woody growth. Because this growth ruptures the epidermis of the stem, woody plants also have a cork cambium that develops among the phloem.  The cork cambium gives rise to thickened cork cells to protect the surface of the plant and reduce water loss.  Both the production of wood and the production of cork are forms of secondary growth.

text: In leaves, the vascular bundles are located among the spongy mesophyll. The xylem is oriented toward the adaxial surface of the leaf (usually the upper side), and phloem is oriented toward the abaxial surface of the leaf.  This is why aphids are typically found on the undersides of the leaves rather than on the top, since the phloem transports sugars manufactured by the plant and they are closer to the lower surface.[citation needed]


document_title: Cis–trans isomerism

question_text: why is the boiling point of the cis isomers higher

text: Cis–trans isomerism

text: Organic chemistry[edit]

text: When the substituent groups are oriented in the same direction, the diastereomer is referred to as cis, whereas, when the substituents are oriented in opposing directions, the diastereomer is referred to as trans. An example of a small hydrocarbon displaying cis–trans isomerism is but-2-ene.

text: Alicyclic compounds can also display cis–trans isomerism. As an example of a geometric isomer due to a ring structure, consider 1,2-dichlorocyclohexane:

text:
trans-1,2-dichlorocyclohexane
cis-1,2-dichlorocyclohexane

text: Comparison of physical properties[edit]

text: Cis and trans isomers often have different physical properties. Differences between isomers, in general, arise from the differences in the shape of the molecule or the overall dipole moment.

text:
cis-2-pentene
trans-2-pentene

cis-1,2-dichloroethene
trans-1,2-dichloroethene

cis-butenedioic acid
(maleic acid)
trans-butenedioic acid
(fumaric acid)

Oleic acid
Elaidic acid

text: These differences can be very small, as in the case of the boiling point of straight-chain alkenes, such as pent-2-ene, which is 37 °C in the cis isomer and 36 °C in the trans isomer.[4] The differences between cis and trans isomers can be larger if polar bonds are present, as in the 1,2-dichloroethenes. The cis isomer in this case has a boiling point of 60.3 °C, while the trans isomer has a boiling point of 47.5 °C.[5] In the cis isomer the two polar C-Cl bond dipole moments combine to give an overall molecular dipole, so that there are intermolecular dipole–dipole forces (or Keesom forces), which add to the London dispersion forces and raise the boiling point. In the trans isomer on the other hand, this does not occur because the two C−Cl bond moments cancel and the molecule has a net zero dipole (it does however have a non-zero quadrupole).

text: The two isomers of butenedioic acid have such large differences in properties and reactivities that they were actually given completely different names. The cis isomer is called maleic acid and the trans isomer fumaric acid. Polarity is key in determining relative boiling point as it causes increased intermolecular forces, thereby raising the boiling point. In the same manner, symmetry is key in determining relative melting point as it allows for better packing in the solid state, even if it does not alter the polarity of the molecule. One example of this is the relationship between oleic acid and elaidic acid; oleic acid, the cis isomer, has a melting point of 13.4 °C, making it a liquid at room temperature, while the trans isomer, elaidic acid, has the much higher melting point of 43 °C, due to the straighter trans isomer being able to pack more tightly, and is solid at room temperature.

text: Thus, trans alkenes, which are less polar and more symmetrical, have lower boiling points and higher melting points, and cis alkenes, which are generally more polar and less symmetrical, have higher boiling points and lower melting points.

text: In the case of geometric isomers that are a consequence of double bonds, and, in particular, when both substituents are the same, some general trends usually hold. These trends can be attributed to the fact that the dipoles of the substituents in a cis isomer will add up to give an overall molecular dipole. In a trans isomer, the dipoles of the substituents will cancel out[citation needed] due to being on opposite sides of the molecule. Trans isomers also tend to have lower densities than their cis counterparts.[citation needed]

text: As a general trend, trans alkenes tend to have higher melting points and lower solubility in inert solvents, as trans alkenes, in general, are more symmetrical than cis alkenes.[6]

text: Vicinal coupling constants (3JHH), measured by NMR spectroscopy, are larger for trans (range: 12–18 Hz; typical: 15 Hz) than for cis (range: 0–12 Hz; typical: 8 Hz) isomers.[7]

text: Stability[edit]

text: Usually for acyclic systems trans isomers are more stable than cis isomers. This is typically due to the increased unfavourable steric interaction of the substituents in the cis isomer. Therefore, trans isomers have a less exothermic heat of combustion, indicating higher thermochemical stability.[6] In the Benson heat of formation group additivity dataset, cis isomers suffer a 1.10 kcal/mol stability penalty. Exceptions to this rule exist, such as 1,2-difluoroethylene, 1,2-difluorodiazene (FN=NF), and several other halogen- and oxygen-substituted ethylenes. In these cases, the cis isomer is more stable than the trans isomer.[8] This phenomenon is called the cis effect.[9]

text: E/Z notation[edit]

text: The cis–trans system for naming alkene isomers should generally only be used when there are only two different substituents on the double bond, so there is no confusion about which substituents are being described relative to each other. For more complex cases, the cis/trans designation is generally based on the longest carbon chain as reflected in the root name of the molecule (i.e. an extension of standard organic nomenclature for the parent structure). The IUPAC standard designations E–Z are unambiguous in all cases, and therefore are especially useful for tri- and tetrasubstituted alkenes to avoid any confusion about which groups are being identified as cis or trans to each other.

text: Z (from the German zusammen) means "together". E (from the German entgegen) means "opposed" in the sense of "opposite". That is, Z has the higher-priority groups cis to each other and E has the higher-priority groups trans to each other. Whether a molecular configuration is designated E or Z is determined by the Cahn-Ingold-Prelog priority rules; higher atomic numbers are given higher priority. For each of the two atoms in the double bond, it is necessary to determine the priority of each substituent. If both the higher-priority substituents are on the same side, the arrangement is Z; if on opposite sides, the arrangement is E.

text: Because the cis/trans and E–Z systems compare different groups on the alkene, it is not strictly true that Z corresponds to cis and E corresponds to trans. For example, trans-2-chlorobut-2-ene (the two methyl groups, C1 and C4, on the but-2-ene backbone are trans to each other) is (Z)-2-chlorobut-2-ene (the chlorine and C4 are together because C1 and C4 are opposite).

text: Inorganic chemistry[edit]

text: Cis–trans isomerism can also occur in inorganic compounds, most notably in diazenes and coordination compounds.

text: Diazenes[edit]

text: Diazenes (and the related diphosphenes) can also exhibit cis/trans isomerism. As with organic compounds, the cis isomer is generally the more reactive of the two, being the only isomer that can reduce alkenes and alkynes to alkanes, but for a different reason: the trans isomer cannot line its hydrogens up suitably to reduce the alkene, but the cis isomer, being shaped differently, can.

text:
trans-diazene
cis-diazene

text: Coordination complexes[edit]

text: In inorganic coordination complexes with octahedral or square planar geometries, there are also cis isomers in which similar ligands are closer together and trans isomers in which they are further apart.

text: For example, there are two isomers of square planar Pt(NH3)2Cl2, as explained by Alfred Werner in 1893. The cis isomer, whose full name is cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II), was shown in 1969 by Barnett Rosenberg to have antitumor activity, and is now a chemotherapy drug known by the short name cisplatin. In contrast, the trans isomer (transplatin) has no useful anticancer activity. Each isomer can be synthesized using the trans effect to control which isomer is produced.

text: For octahedral complexes of formula MX4Y2, two isomers also exist. (Here M is a metal atom, and X and Y are two different types of ligands.) In the cis isomer, the two Y ligands are adjacent to each other at 90°, as is true for the two chlorine atoms shown in green in cis-[Co(NH3)4Cl2]+, at left. In the trans isomer shown at right, the two Cl atoms are on opposite sides of the central Co atom.

text: A related type of isomerism in octahedral MX3Y3 complexes is facial–meridional (or fac/mer) isomerism, in which different numbers of ligands are cis or trans to each other. Metal carbonyl compounds can be characterized as "fac" or "mer" using infrared spectroscopy.