Movie #11 Elizabethtown

#11 ELIZABETHTOWN (2005)
CAST: Orlando Bloom, Kirsten Dunst
Drama
Rating; B
Setting: Elizabethtown, Kentucky
Where seen: Home
Seen with : John & Kristin
Reason for Viewing:
Synopsis: After causing the Oregon shoe company he works for to lose hundreds of millions of dollars, Drew Baylor is fired for his mistake, and promptly also dumped by his girlfriend, Ellen. On the verge of suicide, Drew is oddly given a new purpose in life when he is brought back to his family's small Kentucky hometown of Elizabethtown following the death of his father, Mitch, as it falls to him to make sure that his dying wishes are fulfilled. On the way home, Drew meets a flight attendant, Claire Colburn(Dunst), with whom he falls in love, in a romance that helps his life get back on track...

Comments: This was a sweet movie with likable characters. I particularly enjoyed the last portion where Drew is taking this road trip. All in all an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours.

One of the best things of this movie – the soundtrack – it’s a Cameron Crowe film after all.

My Favorite Book of All Time - Katherine by Anya Seton

I am so glad this book is now more readily available. It is my FAVORITE READ OF ALL TIME. It is a love story of epic proportions unlike anything I've ever read or experienced. This is truly a real-life fairytale.

Set in the mid 14th C. Katherine de Roet is a convent-raised young woman who, with her sister, comes under the care of Queen Philippa (wife of Edward III), and despite being without dowry marries the rather difficult Sir Hugh Swynford. Eventually she becomes the mistress of Philippa and Edward III's son John of Gaunt, and after bearing him four children, becoming his wife. The children's births are eventually legitimized and John and Katherine eventually are the forebears of both the Tudor and Stuart dynasties.

But this story is of the relationship between Katherine and John and the many twists and turns it takes before these lovers can be together. When Katherine turns 15 the Queen summons her from the convent to Windsor and she soon gathers much attention for her beauty. When Sir Hugh Swynford attempts to ravish her, the King's third son, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster comes to her rescue. Hugh gets out of the situation by saying he wishes to marry the fair young maiden. Sir Hugh is a rather disagreeable and homely man, but it is seen as a step up for young Katherine, without dowry, to marry him. She does but very reluctantly. Meanwhile she is befriended by the Duke's wife, Blanche, and returns her friendship for which young Katherine is eventually richly rewarded.

Katherine and Hugh go to live at his mismanaged estate, Kettlethorpe, near Lincoln which is not too far from the Duke and Duchess of Lancaster's favorite home of Bolingbroke Castle. Katherine is not exactly happy but accepts her life. But when she befriends Blanche again and then sits with her as she lays dying from the black death, her whole life changes.

To give more details than this is to rob the first-time reader of the discoveries they will read. It is a story to particularly savor as when the Duke tells Katherine "She is my heart's blood. My life. I want nothing but her." Talk about a Cinderella story! Those better versed in English history of the mid to late 14th C than I am will realize just what is happening in some of the dramatic historical scenes than I did.

But even after Katherine and the Duke are finally together, all does not go well. Seton details the history of this time beautifully and, sometimes, painfully.

Seton includes quotes from Chaucer (who was married to Katherine's sister Philippa). It is also surmised Chaucer may have had Katherine in mind for some of his passages, particularly in "Troilus and Criseyde."

This book made slow reading for me as every few pages I was either picking up a historical reference to read more or searching on the internet. I do have to warn readers though, keep the hankies handy. I could have used an entire box and even woke my husband up with my sobbing. Most of these tears were tears of joy though.

Readers who enjoy their books both historically accurate and very romantic are sure to enjoy this beautiful story.

CD Review: TIMELESS by Martina McBride

Despite hearing Martina McBride open for Garth Brooks back in 1992, I have never been a real fan. That's not to say I don't appreciate her talents, it's just that I have found her material lacking as far as the style and content of the genre I call "country" music. What is heard on country radio today is, sadly not country music and despite giving lip service to some of the greats, there are only a mere handful of today's so-called country singers who the greats would call truly country. By paying homage to the country music of yesteryear, Martina McBride has redeemed herself in my eyes (and ears) by gifting us with an album that any true country aficionado would be proud to add to their collection.

From the very popular to some that may be less familiar, these covers are like listening to country music history from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. And although many of these songs have been covered by others over the years (and sometimes a bit better) it's great to have them all in one concise package.

One complaint is that these are still a bit over-produced unlike the more simple productions of most of the originals. That said it is hoped by listening to some of these classics that the so-called country fans today will get a taste of what country music really is.

It is fitting that McBride should open with a Hank Williams tune with You Win Again - Williams is not only a name everyone should be familiar with but also absolutely worthy of the distinction of being included on a CD of classic country songs.

I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me) was a hit for Ray Price but I recall the great Gail Davies cover in the 80s. This version, while good, does not come close to Davies'.

I Can't Stop Loving You was written by Don Gibson and was a country hit for him but is best remembered as a Ray Charles hit from several years later and one of the greatest (if not THE) greatest country song of all time.

With her version of I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, McBride does more than justice to the song for which Lynn Anderson won Grammy in 1970.

Merle's Haggard's Today I Started Loving You Again is another example of a nearly perfect country song. Full of the heartbreak that has made both fans and critics of the genre, this song can make a grown man cry.

What would a CD of country classics be without a good Loretta Lynn song? McBride has chosen You Ain't Woman Enough (to Take My Man) that although lacking Loretta's grit, certainly belongs here on the CD

And then we come to the wonderful Once a Day. Although this may have been Connie Smith's greatest hit it is only one of her great songs -- Smith may be one of the most under-rated of the great country singers of our time and I urge anyone reading this to give her a listen.

Mc Bride follows by two more classics Pick Me Up on Your Way Down, a Charlie Walker hit penned by the incomparable Harlan Howard and I Don't Hurt Anymore which was a hit by the great Hank Snow.

A surprise addition is True Love Ways, a hit for Buddy Holly and then again the English duo Peter and Gordon, I never really thought of it as a country song even after Mickey Gilley covered it.

A welcome addition is Tammy Wynette's 'Til I Can Make it On My Own. All these years later, I can't listen to this song without getting tears in my eyes and thinking of somebody very special - Jerry Johnson in 1978 who gently and kindly soothed me through the end of our relationship. I am sure the words in this song spoke to many women out there and still do.

On Johnny Cash's I Still Miss Someone, McBride is joined by Dolly Parton. It goes without saying that no one will ever do this song better than The Man in Black. That said, it was a good choice of a Johnny Cash song to include.

One of my favorite cuts is Heartaches by the Number, the old Ray Price song. Perhaps it's because I just like duets and McBride's duet here with Dwight Yoakam is wonderful.

Satin Sheets is another song whose words I know by heart. I remember singing duets with my friend Pam in 1973 pretending the hairbrush was a microphone. Oh how I loved Jeanne Pruett"s song! And oh how glad I am that another generation is hearing it by McBride including it on this CD!

Satin sheets is followed by three other memorable classics Thanks A Lot (Ernest Tubb) Love's Gonna Live Here (Buck Owens who I used to watch as a grade schooler when he had his TV show in Tacoma, Washington) and the poignant Eddie Arnold hit Make the World Go Away

McBride ends the CD with a song from my favorite composer of all-time, Kris Kristofferson, Help Me Make it Through The Night, first made popular by the late Sammi Smith in the early 1970s.

A group of old classics, songs for a new generation. Whether you've heard these songs for years or are just now hearing them for the first time, they are all so very special, award-winning by so many Country Music Hall of Famers, I am so glad that McBride has brought these to life again. Thanks for making me relive so many wonderful old memories from those times. And for those of you in your 20s and 30s who are just now listening to these songs for the first time -- remember THIS IS WHAT COUNTRY REALLY IS.

Concert #1 Kris Kristofferson

Here's a review from a recent concert I attended -- not written by me, I was too busy just enjoying myself to write a set list:

Kristofferson fans get what they came for: A simple but powerful show

By TIZZY ASHER
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER

Johnny Cash's spirit must've been smiling down from a seat high up in the packed Moore Theatre on Thursday night as Kris Kristofferson played, accompanied only by a small table bearing his harmonicas and a bottle of orange Gatorade.

Kristofferson owes many debts to Cash. Not the least of which is that Cash made it acceptable and even desirable for an old man with an acoustic guitar to stand up and sing with no adornment and no perfectionism -- in short, nothing but the power of his songs.

As Kristofferson worked his way through his vast repertoire of songs, it was clear the audience was here for just that. From the moment he ambled onstage with his peculiar stiff-legged walk and squinty eyes peering out from under wavy gray hair, he held the packed house enraptured. They screamed, they cheered and one woman even shouted, "You're still sexy!" "Compared to what?" Kristofferson responded.

Kristofferson launched with the lonesome "Shipwrecked in the Ighties" and worked his way through essential hits, such as "Darby's Castle" and a strangely rhythmic version of "Me and Bobby McGee." Despite his 69 years, his voice sounded surprisingly smooth, like an old saddle that's been ridden until it gleams. Guitar experts might find fault with his playing -- and indeed he joked about it more than once -- but his simple, spare parts kept the focus on the evocative stories in the songs.

There was little in the way of between-song banter. This did not mean that the show was apolitical, however: The fervently anti-war song "In the News," from his forthcoming album "This Old Road" made a bold statement, as did his mumbled commentary on "The Best of All Possible Worlds," where he noted that the United States has more people in prison than any place in the world.

He closed his first set with the hopelessly mushy "Help Me Make It Through the Night."
After a 20-minute intermission, the second set kicked off with "The Junkie and the Juicehead, Minus Me," a comical song that had the audience laughing along. Cash reappeared with "The Pilgrim: Chapter 33," Kristofferson's tribute song, and a rousing version of "Sunday Morning Coming Down." The crowd worked itself into a frenzy by this point, and it erupted as he launched into a perfect version of "To Beat the Devil."

By the three-song encore, the crowd was ensconced in collective Kristofferson worship. He closed with "Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends," and one could feel Johnny smiling down with silent approval.

Movie #10: Greenfingers

#10 GREENFINGERS (2000)
CAST: Clive Owen, Helen Mirren
Comedy
Rating: B
Setting: England
Where Seen: Home
Seen With: John
Reason for Viewing: Recommended on Netflix
Synopsis: What happens when a group of prisoners are released to a minimum security prison and begin creating prizewinning gardens, even being invited to the most prestigious garden show in England? Clive Owen plays Colin Briggs the leader of this misfit group of gardeners – prisoners with hearts of gold – most of whom have never ever even thought of working in a garden before. Yet when they are forced to do so they take advantage of the opportunity. Helen Mirren plays the expert gardener who comes to their aid and you have to know she’s an avid gardener, she has even named her daugher Primrose.

Comments: What a fun, delightful movie. My husband enjoyed this even more than I did, I think! I had never even heard of it before but it sounded intriguing and I was in the mood for a comedy. This was just pure fun to watch and was a feel-good movie.

Movie #9 Grizzly Man

#9 –2/3/03
GRIZZLY MAN
Documentary – Cast Timothy Treadwell and a cast of Grizzlies
RATING: C+
WHERE SEEN: Home
SEEN WITH: Self
REASON FOR VIEWING: Have always been strangely intrigued by grizzly bears
SETTING: Alaska
SYNOPSIS: In his mesmerizing new film GRIZZLY MAN, acclaimed director Werner Herzog explores the life and death of amateur grizzly bear expert and wildlife
preservationist Timothy Treadwell. Treadwell lived unarmed among the bears for thirteen summers, and filmed his adventures in the wild during his final five seasons. In October 2003, Treadwell's remains, along with those of his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, were discovered near their campsite in Alaska's Katmai National Park and Reserve. They had been mauled and devoured by a grizzly, the first known victims of a bear attack in the park. (The bear suspected of the killings was later shot by park officials.) In GRIZZLY MAN,Herzog plumbs not only the mystery of wild nature, but also the mystery of human nature as he chronicles Treadwell's final years in the wilderness. Herzog uses Treadwell's own startling documentary footage to paint a nuanced portrait of a complex and compelling figure while exploring larger questions about the uneasy relationship between man and nature.


COMMENTS: I had this in my Netflix queue but noticed it was on the Discovery Channel so decided to take advantage of it. Ever since seeing my first grizzly bear up close over 30 years ago at the Olympic Game Farm, where animals used in many Disney movies were trained, I have been not as much obsessed but certainly VERY interested in reading about grizzlies – their behavior and even books such as Alaska Bear Tales, Jack Olsen’s very wonderful book Night of the Grizzlies about a series of attacks in Glacier National Park, and most recently Patricia VanTighem’s The Bear’s Embrace. Timothy Treadwell was one strange dude. He obviously did too many drugs at one time. They fried his brain. No one in his right mind could act this way. He claimed to love animals and I supposed that is true, but the love turned to an unhealthy obsession. I can’t even call this a brilliant piece of filmmaking. Herzog has basically taken Treadwell’s footage, provided extra narration, and given us a portrait of a mad man whose omnipotent behavior lead to not only his death but the death of his girlfriend. I found this a portrait of a madman and although no one deserves to die, he certainly put himself in harm’s way and set himself up – playing his own type of Russian roulette one too many times. This was a winner at Sundance but I can’t really understand why. I have to give Herzog credit though—he didn’t use the footage of Treadwell’s actual death although alluding to the fact that is was beyond horrifying. He must have known that he would eventually be killed by the bears he loved. No one could have been that naïve even though on the film just a few days before his death he ironically says he has found a way to live with the bears and “to do it right and survive”. Even after seeing this movie, I still would like to go on one of the treks to Alaska where one sees grizzlies in their natural habitat in a controlled environment. But I never want to meet one on a mountain trail.

Movie #8: The Upside of Anger

THE UPSIDE OF ANGER
CATEGORY: Drama
CAST: Kevin Costner, Joan Allen
RATING: B+
WHERE SEEN: Home
SEEN WITH: John
REASON FOR VIEWING: Reviews, enjoy these actors
SYNOPSIS FROM NETFLIX: Joan Allen plays Terry Wolfmeyer, a woman who's dumped by her husband (he lives the cliché and runs off with his secretary) and is left to
raise her four daughters (Erika Christensen, Alicia Witt, Keri Russell
and Evan Rachel Wood) alone. There could be a silver lining behind it
all, however, when Terry hooks up with Denny Davies (Kevin Costner), a
retired baseball player.

COMMENTS: Kevin Costner does some of the best, if not THE best, acting of his career in this interesting character study without much of a plot. The Anger in the title of Terry’s (Joan Allen) at her husband for leaving her for his secretary. Kevin Costner is her neighbor who deftly guides her through her the next few years and the ups and downs with her four daughters.

I loved this quote from the end of the move: “Anger and resentment can stop you in your tracks…. it needs nothing to burn but the air and the life that it swallows and smothers. It can change you into somewhat you’re not. The only upside of anger is the person you become.”

Written and directed by Mike Binder (Shep in the movie) and brother of producer Jack Binder.

Other info of note: Song - One Safe Place by Marc Cohn
Filmed in England 2004

Movie #7: Brokeback Mountain

#7 – 2/1/06
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
DRAMA
CAST: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway
RATING: B
WHERE SEEN: Rose Theater, Port Townsend, WA
SEEN WITH: Stacy and Ashlee
REASON FOR VIEWING: Read short story, plan to see all Oscar-nominated movies
SETTING: 1963-1983 Wyoming
SYNOPSIS: Two cowboys meet while working as sheepherders in Wyoming during the summer of 1963 and begin a sexual relationship that spans 20 years, denying their sexuality, marrying and having children, in a time where to admit to being gay might mean suffering a gruesome death.

COMMENTS: This movie followed the short story very well. The movie did allow Ennis to become more of a sympathetic character than he was in the short story, but I never did like Jack. Although I did see this as a story of infidelity, I don’t think Ennis and Alma’s marriage had much of a chance from the get-go. The movie didn’t do anything to change my mind about the fact that it was less a love story than a story of one man’s (Jack’s) obsession with another. This was well-acted and the three actors (Ledger, Gyllenhaal, Williams) all deserve their Oscar nominations. It certainly is a movie that is great discussion material! Did Lureen know of Jack’s relationship with Ennis? If not for Jack, would Ennis ever have had a relationship with another man? Not the best movie I’ve ever seen, but I am glad I saw it, particularly after reading the short story. Oh and breathtaking scenery as well!

Movie #6: Dear Frankie

#6 -- 1/28/06
MOVIE: DEAR FRANKIE
DRAMA
YEAR: 2004
CAST: Emily Mortimer, Gerard Butler and others
RATING: A+
WHERE SEEN: Home
SEEN WITH: John and Kristin
REASON FOR VIEWING: Ebert and Roeper review, Scottish setting, Gerard Butler
SETTING: Present Day Scotland
SYNOPSIS: Nine-year-old Frankie and his single mum Lizzie have been on the move ever since Frankie can remember, most recently arriving in a seaside Scottish town. Wanting to protect her deaf son from the truth that they've run away from his father, Lizzie has invented a story that he is away at sea on the HMS Accra. Every few weeks, Lizzie writes Frankie a make-believe letter from his father, telling of his adventures in exotic lands. Then Frankie discovers the real HMS Accra is arriving in only a fortnight, Lizzie must find the perfect stranger to play Frankie's father for just one day...

COMMENTS: This is my favorite kind of movie – a quiet, sensitive film that hasn’t gotten a lot of hoopla, that not a lot of people have heard about. I heard it reviewed by Roger Ebert when it first came out but forgot about it then saw it on my Netflix recommendations and knew I needed to see this right away.

I read somewhere this movie was described as “wise and wondrous”. That is an understatement. This tender, poignant, sweet movie is so perfect I can’t for the life of me understand why it hasn’t been talked about more or why it didn’t win all sorts of awards. The scene with Gerard Butler and Emily Mortimer walking along the quay after the dance had me in tears as Frankie’s Mom opens up to the stranger she has hired to be Frankie’s “Dad”.

And as if all this weren’t enough – it has the magnificent Gerard Butler. This is a movie I will always remember fondly – like an old, dear friend. In addition, it has a wonderful soundtrack. A movie that can move me to tears. It doesn't get much better than this.

Movie #5: Millions

#5 1/23/06
MILLIONS
Comedy
YEAR: 2005
CAST: Unknowns
RATING: B+
WHERE SEEN: Own living Room
SEEN WITH: John and Kristin
REASON FOR VIEWING: Reviews
SETTING: Present Day England

SYNOPSIS: Two brothers find a satchel filled with British pounds, but with the country just days away from switching to the Euro, they must quickly find a way to spend and share the wealth. Trouble is, Damian wants to give to the poor, while Anthony aims to live it up. But then the source of the found money tries to get it back. The two boys are both mourning the recent death of their mother in different ways as well.

COMMENTS: Yet another SLOW starting movie. If you stick with it you will be soooo richly rewarded almost beyond words. What a special film. I read where at the London Film Festival this film was given a five-minute standing ovation at the end. I can see why. My favorite quote came at the end of the movie. If you watch it you will probably have no trouble figuring out what it is. Talk about a feel good movie. This one has a PG rating and can be seen by the entire family.

Movie #4: Fingersmith

#4 1/20/05
MOVIE: FINGERSMITH (2005)
Drama
Setting: Victorian England
CAST: Mostly unknowns
RATING: B+
WHERE SEEN: Home
SEEN WITH: John
REASON FOR VIEWING: Read and enjoyed the book
COMMENTS: It seems I keep getting movies with slow starts! But since I had read the book I knew what was going on and so I persevered. This is a BBC television adaptation of the novel with mostly unknown actors other than Imelda Staunton who received an Oscar nomination last year. Despite that, the performances were first rate. The actresses playing the roles of Sue and Maud were perfectly cast. The first hour or so of the three hour mini-series is Sue’s version of the ruse while the second hour gives Maud’s version. The third hour brings it all together. The twists and turns in the adaptation may be hard to follow if one hasn’t read the book but I had no problem even though it had been several years since I had read the book. To give more details would be to rob the viewer of the surprises discovered. This was well worth the three hours’ viewing time.

DISCLAIMER: Sarah Waters, the author of the book, is known as a writer of lesbian fiction, but the plot of this story is not so much the lesbian relationship – although it is there – but the amazing twists and turns the story takes.

Book #4: The Bear's Embrace by Patricia Van Tighem

#4
Title: THE BEAR's EMBRACE: The True Story of Surviving a Bear Attack
Author: Patricia Van Tighem
Rating A
Date Finished: January 20th (wee hours) 2006
Genre/Date Published/# Pages – Memoir/Published in Canada 2000/273 pages
Main Characters: Patricia Van Tighem and her husband Trevor Janz
Setting/Time Period 1983 to 1998 Alberta and British Columbia, Canada (with a small part in New Zealand)
Where Book Came From: Bought from Amazon Marketplace
Reason for Reading: I have enjoyed this kind of story in the past
Brief Blurb: Patricia "Trish" van Tighem – a vicacious, pretty young nurse and her pediatric resident husband of three years are out hiking when they are mauled by a grizzly bear. This is the story of the ensuing 15 years including the many surgeries Trish went through and her depression that ensued as a result of the
pain she has had to endure along with the disfiguration caused by the
attack.

COMMENT: Trish and Trevor had everything going for them when they,
two experienced backpackers, took a well-deserved weekend off to do something
they enjoyed. They took all the necessary precautions but the couldn't escape
a particularly aggressive female grizzly one fall day in Waterton Lakes National Park south of their home in Calgary, Alberta. Trevor was attacked first and Trish was torn between helping him or climbing a tree to save herself—she had always been
told grizzlies couldn't climb trees. But due to their experience, the cold weather, and two hikers who find them soon after the attack, they both survive the attack. This book is less about the attack itself than the years afterwards including quite a bit about their initial time in the hospital, Trish's many surgeries, and their life in rural Canada with (eventually) four children.

This book was a bittersweet read for me as I read it after hearing of Trish's death by suicide in December of 2005 at the age of 47. So I knew that although the book
ended on an upbeat note, that the real story hadn't ended and it didn't end happily.
I also knew that at the time of her death Trish and Trevor were separated. That
may have colored my opinion of Trevor from the very beginning, but I did find
him a bit selfish throughout the entire book and even though he seemed to try
to accept Trish after her injuries, I don't think he ever truly could deal with
her disfigurement. All in all though the book was a mesmerizing read. Trish was a talented writer and this is a stunning story. I highly recommend it.

Book # 3 The Mammy by Brendan O'Carroll

#3
Title THE MAMMY
Author Brendan O'Carroll
Rating A
Date Began/Finished January 3 - January 7, 2006
Genre/Date Published/# Pages - Fiction/Published in US 5/1999/174 pages
Main Characters: Agnes Browne, her friend Marion, and Agnes' children
Setting/Time Period 1960s Dublin
Where Book Came From: My TBR pile
Reason for Reading: I love Irish settings and Agnes Browne is one of
my favorite movies
Brief Blurb without Spoilers: Agnes is a recent widow struggling to
raise her children in a very poor area of Dublin. Verrryyyy funny but
also very touching.

The movie Agnes Browne is an all-time favorite of mine and the book
follows it very closely -- except the object of Agnes' affections is
not Tom Jones but Cliff Richard which really excited me because as a
teenager I adored Cliff Richard myself -- before The Beach Boys, about
the time of Bobby Rydell and Bobby Vee -- his rendition of "All in the
Game" was the song that sent me swooning. I plan on reading the
others in the series right away.

Movie #3 The Constant Gardener

#3 1/11/05
MOVIE: THE CONSTANT GARDENER (2005)
Drama
Setting: Africa – Present Day
CAST: Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz
RATING: C+
WHERE SEEN: Own living room
SEEN WITH: John
DVD EXTRAS:
REASON FOR VIEWING: Nominated for Golden Globe for Best Picture
INTERESTING ASIDE: The story was filmed in the slums of Kibera and Loiyangalani, Kenya.
The situation affected the cast and crew to the extent that they set up the Constant Gardener Trust in order to provide basic education around these villages. Weisz, Fiennes
and Le Carré are patrons of the charity.

COMMENTS: After a slow start – this movie with a complicated plot and enough flashbacks
to give one whiplash – finally started making sense about 2/3 of the way through. Was Tessa
using her husband? Was she having an affair? What was she up really up to? Unlike others
though, I didn’t like it well enough to watch it again right away in order to understand it
better. I am not a huge fan of any of the actors so that wouldn’t be a reason to see it again
either. The African scenery was beautiful though and I predict an Oscar nomination in
cinematography.

Movie #2 Crash

#2 1/9/05 and 1/10/05
MOVIE: CRASH (2005)
Drama
Setting: Los Angeles – Present Day
CAST: Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Brendan Fraser, Matt Dillon, Ryan
Phillippe (biggest names I am familiar with) but many more wonderful
performances
RATING: A-
WHERE SEEN: Home
SEEN WITH: John
DVD EXTRAS: Not viewed, wasn't interested in those offered
REASON FOR VIEWING: Reviews, particularly recent Ebert and Roeper Best
of 2005 having it as #3 and #1 respectively
COMMENTS: Wow! Do you think you're not racist? Do you really?
This is a movie about racial stereotypes -- all types from many points
of view. A black man calling his half Puerto Rican half El Salvadoran
girlfriend Mexican to a Persian (Iranian) being thought of as a Arab
and the Persian thinking a Hispanic man was out to cheat him, to the
more common prejudices. Even characters in the movie who thought they
weren't prejudiced found out they were. Really a must see!! I gave
this a mark off for the a plot point at the end but otherwise it was a
terrific film that had me saying "Omigosh" several times out loud
during the film.

MOVIE #1 - 2006 - THE NOTEBOOK

MOVIE: THE NOTEBOOK (2004)
CAST: James Garner, Gena Rowlands, Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling
RATING: A
DVD EXTRAS: B+
WHERE SEEN: HOME
SEEN WITH: John
REASON FOR VIEWING: Read the book and loved it - HUGE fan of Garner and also a fan of Rowlands
COMMENTS: Wonderful, wonderful movie. Followed the book quite closely. I wondered for awhile whether I'd be getting as emotional while viewing the movie as I did while reading the book since I already knew the story and found that I had tears streaming down my face for the last half an hour or so and couldn't talk for about 15 minutes afterwards. The DVD extras were also nice with a piece on the director, Nick Cassavetes (son of John C and Gena Rowlands), a piece on the book's author Nicholas Sparks, and a piece on the selection of locations for the movie.