I saw three movies this weekend! Imagine that.
1-
Rachel Getting Married - As most of you know, I spent last holiday season making my way through what I thought would be Oscar nominated movies. This was one I didn't see. My brother-in-law, Brad, really loved it, and I kept meaning to see it, but there were other movies I wanted to see more. Anyway, it's now on Starz On Demand, so I finally saw it. The set-up is a simple one: Kym has been released from rehab in order to attend her sister, Rachel's, wedding. They are from a well-to-do family, but definitely an eclectic one. The wedding seems to have an Asian flavor, and Rachel's intended is a musician, as is Rachel's father (or maybe he's in the business), so it's an unusual group of people at the wedding. Needless to say, it's a somewhat tough atmosphere for Kym to come into. There are strangers everywhere, Emma, Rachel's uptight best friend is trying to run interference, Kym hooks up with the best man after a particularly strange first meeting at an NA meeting. On top of that, there are many undercurrents in the family. You see, Kym accidentally killed her little brother, Ethan, while babysitting him while she was high. Kym has been an addict most of her life, and she struggles with her guilt, but also her need to have everything as it has been, which is all about her. Rachel, for her part, is completely furious that Kym is trying to steal her thunder during her special weekend. And yet, at the same time, the girls love each other so much. I can describe this movie in one word: uncomfortable. The interactions are painful and you just never know what is going to happen next, as Kym is tremendously unpredictable. The entire movie made me squirm, as those socially uncomfortable moments do. And yet, the movie is gorgeously acted. Anne Hathaway scored an Oscar nomination for this movie. And it was really well deserved. It is a role that is unlike any I've ever seen her play. She's at turns truculent, antagonistic, resentful, sweet, thoughtful, and always damaged. The movie is directed by Jonathan Demme, and it is shot almost like a home movie. It feels very intimate, and almost Altman-like. There were times when I wanted the camera to go to black rather than experience the discomfort. At the end, though, all I could think was how powerful the movie is, like a snapshot into this incredibly damaged, yet overtly loving family.
Final grade: B+2-
Bride Wars - This movie was on HBO On Demand. I have a
thing about "women behaving badly". I hate all movies where I think women come off like shrews. And in seeing the trailer for this movie, I thought, "Absolutely no way. I hate these types of movies." Turns out, I was right. I watched it mostly because I love movies that focus on weddings. I love seeing the decorations, clothes, vision for the weddings - it's the event planner thing. Anyway, the set up is that Liv and Emma are best friends, who have dreamed of their weddings all their lives. The go to the most famous wedding planner in New York to have her plan their weddings. They both want to get married in June, at the Plaza Hotel. In a clerical error, they are both booked the same day at the Plaza. Of course, this won't work, one of the brides will need to move their date, but neither is willing to budge. This sets up some very, very bad behavior on both bride's parts: swapping hair dye so that Kate Hudson's character has blue hair, and ensuring that Anne Hathaway's character ends up with a blood orange spray tan. SIGH. What to say about this movie? I was right, both women behave SO badly, making me embarrassed for my entire gender. The weddings themselves were lovely. But it didn't make up for the terrible behavior, poorly conceived plot, and incredibly overacted script. It's a bad movie, friends. There was not a single cute thing about it, except perhaps the guy who played Kate Hudson's groom. He was cute. That's it though.
Final grade: D-
3-
The Blind Side - I went to see this movie in the movie theater. I went to see it because I love me some football, and I'd read the
New York Times article which inspired the book
The Blind Side about Baltimore Ravens Offensive Tackle, Michael Oher's extraordinary journey from homelessness to first round draft pick. The movie is about this boy, Michael Oher, ward of the state, homeless, and without hope. He's sent to a small Christian academy because of his athletic ability. He basically survives sleeping occasionally on friend's couches, and by collecting half eaten popcorn bags from the gym in order to survive. One night, he's walking through the rain. It's wintertime, and he's wearing shorts and shivering. It is that night that he meets LeeAnn Touhey. She gets out of the car as her family is driving by, and asks him where he's going. He says he's going to the school gym because it's warm there. She bundles him into the car, takes him home, feeds him, and puts him to bed on her couch. Soon she's buying him clothes, and having him join her family for Thanksgiving. Then she realizes that he has no one. Soon Michael is living with the Touheys. He goes out for spring football, but just doesn't really want to hit anyone. That is, until LeeAnn takes him aside, and explains to him that the football team is like his family (the Touheys) and the quarterback is her. He needs to protect the quarterback. Michael takes to football like nobody's business then. Soon big time college football scouts come calling. And Michael might have a shot at a real future. He just has to get his grades up, in order to qualify for college level football. The Touheys put their resources into hiring Michael a tutor, Miss Sue, who makes it her mission in life to get Michael into school. This movie isn't really about football. It's about one woman's incredible heart, and her drive to get a boy she takes into her home, her heart, and her family moving toward his future. I'll say this, Sandra Bullock was terrific casting. As LeeAnn, she's all brass, and sass, and steel will -- and nothing but love. She's tough, but sweet, and the relationship that she builds with Michael is one that brought tears to my eyes over and over. This is an extraordinary, wonderful story of one family opening it's heart to a boy who had no reason to hope for the future. And a story of that boy drawing strength from the love of a family, and making something of himself. It's such a terrific ride - one I can't recommend enough.
Final grade: A
1- Rachel Getting Married - As most of you know, I spent last holiday season making my way through what I thought would be Oscar nominated movies. This was one I didn't see. My brother-in-law, Brad, really loved it, and I kept meaning to see it, but there were other movies I wanted to see more. Anyway, it's now on Starz On Demand, so I finally saw it. The set-up is a simple one: Kym has been released from rehab in order to attend her sister, Rachel's, wedding. They are from a well-to-do family, but definitely an eclectic one. The wedding seems to have an Asian flavor, and Rachel's intended is a musician, as is Rachel's father (or maybe he's in the business), so it's an unusual group of people at the wedding. Needless to say, it's a somewhat tough atmosphere for Kym to come into. There are strangers everywhere, Emma, Rachel's uptight best friend is trying to run interference, Kym hooks up with the best man after a particularly strange first meeting at an NA meeting. On top of that, there are many undercurrents in the family. You see, Kym accidentally killed her little brother, Ethan, while babysitting him while she was high. Kym has been an addict most of her life, and she struggles with her guilt, but also her need to have everything as it has been, which is all about her. Rachel, for her part, is completely furious that Kym is trying to steal her thunder during her special weekend. And yet, at the same time, the girls love each other so much. I can describe this movie in one word: uncomfortable. The interactions are painful and you just never know what is going to happen next, as Kym is tremendously unpredictable. The entire movie made me squirm, as those socially uncomfortable moments do. And yet, the movie is gorgeously acted. Anne Hathaway scored an Oscar nomination for this movie. And it was really well deserved. It is a role that is unlike any I've ever seen her play. She's at turns truculent, antagonistic, resentful, sweet, thoughtful, and always damaged. The movie is directed by Jonathan Demme, and it is shot almost like a home movie. It feels very intimate, and almost Altman-like. There were times when I wanted the camera to go to black rather than experience the discomfort. At the end, though, all I could think was how powerful the movie is, like a snapshot into this incredibly damaged, yet overtly loving family. Final grade: B+
thing about "women behaving badly". I hate all movies where I think women come off like shrews. And in seeing the trailer for this movie, I thought, "Absolutely no way. I hate these types of movies." Turns out, I was right. I watched it mostly because I love movies that focus on weddings. I love seeing the decorations, clothes, vision for the weddings - it's the event planner thing. Anyway, the set up is that Liv and Emma are best friends, who have dreamed of their weddings all their lives. The go to the most famous wedding planner in New York to have her plan their weddings. They both want to get married in June, at the Plaza Hotel. In a clerical error, they are both booked the same day at the Plaza. Of course, this won't work, one of the brides will need to move their date, but neither is willing to budge. This sets up some very, very bad behavior on both bride's parts: swapping hair dye so that Kate Hudson's character has blue hair, and ensuring that Anne Hathaway's character ends up with a blood orange spray tan. SIGH. What to say about this movie? I was right, both women behave SO badly, making me embarrassed for my entire gender. The weddings themselves were lovely. But it didn't make up for the terrible behavior, poorly conceived plot, and incredibly overacted script. It's a bad movie, friends. There was not a single cute thing about it, except perhaps the guy who played Kate Hudson's groom. He was cute. That's it though. Final grade: D-
3- The Blind Side - I went to see this movie in the movie theater. I went to see it because I love me some football, and I'd read the New York Times article which inspired the book The Blind Side about Baltimore Ravens Offensive Tackle, Michael Oher's extraordinary journey from homelessness to first round draft pick. The movie is about this boy, Michael Oher, ward of the state, homeless, and without hope. He's sent to a small Christian academy because of his athletic ability. He basically survives sleeping occasionally on friend's couches, and by collecting half eaten popcorn bags from the gym in order to survive. One night, he's walking through the rain. It's wintertime, and he's wearing shorts and shivering. It is that night that he meets LeeAnn Touhey. She gets out of the car as her family is driving by, and asks him where he's going. He says he's going to the school gym because it's warm there. She bundles him into the car, takes him home, feeds him, and puts him to bed on her couch. Soon she's buying him clothes, and having him join her family for Thanksgiving. Then she realizes that he has no one. Soon Michael is living with the Touheys. He goes out for spring football, but just doesn't really want to hit anyone. That is, until LeeAnn takes him aside, and explains to him that the football team is like his family (the Touheys) and the quarterback is her. He needs to protect the quarterback. Michael takes to football like nobody's business then. Soon big time college football scouts come calling. And Michael might have a shot at a real future. He just has to get his grades up, in order to qualify for college level football. The Touheys put their resources into hiring Michael a tutor, Miss Sue, who makes it her mission in life to get Michael into school. This movie isn't really about football. It's about one woman's incredible heart, and her drive to get a boy she takes into her home, her heart, and her family moving toward his future. I'll say this, Sandra Bullock was terrific casting. As LeeAnn, she's all brass, and sass, and steel will -- and nothing but love. She's tough, but sweet, and the relationship that she builds with Michael is one that brought tears to my eyes over and over. This is an extraordinary, wonderful story of one family opening it's heart to a boy who had no reason to hope for the future. And a story of that boy drawing strength from the love of a family, and making something of himself. It's such a terrific ride - one I can't recommend enough. Final grade: A
Look at my beautiful niece, Rebecca and her boyfriend, Allen at VMI's 2011 Ring Figure dance.
Wow. The storm clouds are roiling in Romanceland in the last few days. Drama everywhere! Most of it author related. As many who hang in Romanceland know, Harlequin decided to start a vanity press called Harlequin Horizons. They promptly lost their particular status with Romance Writers of America, and have decided to rename this enterprise to deaffiliate it with Harlequin.
The view of pad 39A from the Banana Creek Viewing Site about 3.5 miles away.
6 seconds before launch
Lift off! God speed, Atlantis!
Airborne!
52 miles up, in less than 13 seconds.
The exhause plumes after the Shuttle had disappeared from sight.
So, I ended up reading two of the four MacKade brother books by Nora Roberts yesterday. I've read the series before, but it's been years, and I felt like this would be a great chance to revisit one of my favorite author's contemporary series books.
As chronicled earlier, I've been sick with the oink this week. The first three days involved a lot of me moving from my chair, to the couch, to the bed and feeling generally ick and watching a ton of movies on On Demand. I've now slept through: Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day, Apollo 13, The Mummy Returns and several other movies I've seen 10,000 times. Anyway, yesterday I finally turned the corner. Although I still have quite a *lovely* singing voice, I'm at least feeling a bit more human and was cleared to return to work tomorrow. This oink thing isn't kidding around, it'll kick your ass.
