Archive | November 2009

Movie Review – The Blind Side

Nov30

I love Sandra Bullock movies, so I had to see this one well before I saw any of the promos!  Then, the promos came and I started reading about the story and was hooked!  The critics hate it, but I never listen to the critics – they rarely like what I like (or what most average Americans like, for that matter)!  Once in a while I am sorry I didn’t listen to them – this was NOT one of those times!  I am so glad I went to see this movie on Sunday afternoon!!!  I was just getting back from a week-long vacation (holiday visit to my Mom’s) and I was tired and had a TON of things I needed to be doing!  BUT – the movie had already been out for a week and I hadn’t seen it yet and I REALLY wanted to see it!  So — the outside Christmas decorations had to wait cause I chose spending the afternoon at the movies instead of putting them up and it was too dark by the time I got out and back home!  Them’s the breaks!!!  It was worth it!!!

This is the true story about All-American football player, Michael Oher – but, it is not a movie about football.  Yes, there is football and lots of sports related scenes, but it really isn’t about that!  It is about a well-to-do southern white family who takes in a poor, homeless black teen, makes him part of their family, and gives them every advantage they gave their own children.  It is about that poor, homeless black teenager’s struggles to overcome his past and work hard to have a successful future.  It is about a very large, but very shy, quiet, and appreciative young man who realizes what an amazing gift a family who truly cares about him and his potential is.  Sound like a work of fiction?  A story someone created in a novel?  Well, it isn’t — it is a true story and an amazing one, at that!

But, beyond the story, itself…..the movie, as a whole, is well put together, well acted, and told gracefully.  Sandra Bullock does an incredible job portraying Leigh Anne Tuohy - an ex-cheerleader who married her college sweetheart and became a very rich lady who dabbles in charitable causes.  Tim McGraw portrays Sean Tuohy, who was a college basketball star and earned his fortune starting several fast food chains, like Taco Bell.  I like Tim McGraw in films – he did a good job in this role – no, not Oscar worthy, but all performances don’t have to be Oscar candidates to be good!  Quinton Aaron is exceptional as Michael Oher - an amazing performance by someone who barely speaks throughout most of the movie, but you know exactly what he is thinking, feeling, and what he is like inside!  Incredible!  Kathy Bates also has a noteworthy performance as Miss Sue – the tutor the Tuohy’s hire to help Michael bring his grades up so he can have a chance at a college scholarship to play football.   The other standout performance was by young Jae Head, who portrayed SJ (Sean Junior) Tuohy.  We’re gonna see a lot of this kid!  He was a lot of fun to watch as the precocious, enterprising 8-year-old son of the Tuohy’s.

I found this movie to be thought-provoking, heartwarming, interesting, and encouraging.  I laughed and cried and left feeling good – everything I expect out of a movie of this type!  I don’t like or understand the game of football, but found myself engaged and interested in the football scenes – probably because it really wasn’t about that, at all, but, at the same time, it was more than just a back drop.  I highly recommend this movie and hope that the critics don’t ruin the chances of this movie being recognized on some level during the awards season – at least by receiving some nominations!

I rate this one a solid A+!  DON’T listen to the critics – go judge for yourself!  Take some tissue or napkins in with you, sit back, and enjoy – it’s a good one!

Lots to be thankful for…

Nov27

It is always easier to dwell on what you would like to have more of or what you don’t have that you wish you did have!  But, it is so much more satisfying to focus on what you DO have and be thankful for those things that make your life comfortable and happy.  This time of year – the holiday season – usually brings out these types of thoughts and reflection.  I try to find things to be thankful for all year-round – I’m usually a “glass half full” type of person who tries to find the good in just about everything.  One of my favorite sayings is “everything happens for a reason”.  But, there are times when that outlook is extremely difficult to maintain.  It is those times that it is even more important to focus on what you can be thankful for in your life!

So — in giving with the season — here are the things I am most thankful for:

  • I am thankful for my family.  If you know me even remotely, you know that I am close to my family.  I am thankful that I still have my Mom – even though she’s 800+ miles away, we are able to talk via phone or computer every day and we can visit several times a year.  I’m thankful that I can travel to her at least a couple times a year and I’m thankful that she is still able to travel to me at least once a year.  I am also thankful for a brother I have always been close to.
  • I am thankful for my friends.  I’ve been blessed with many close friends over the years – some I am still close to, some are fairly new friends, some I’ve recently reconnected with, and some I’ve lost touch with.  But all have enriched my life and contributed heavily to my memories.  I feel lucky to have so many friends I know I can count on, if necessary, and that know they can count on me!
  • I am thankful that my Grandparent’s home is still in the family and we can still have holiday dinners in the same room we did all the years I was growing up!  Grandma and Grandpa are gone, now, but my brother lives in their house with his family.  We had Thanksgiving there this year.  And, while it was strange and sad to look around the table and not see Grandma, Grandpa, Poppie, Aunt Betty, and others who have eaten there with us for many, many years, it was still a joy to share another holiday meal with family in that house! 
  • I am thankful for my three dogs.  I can’t imagine my life without at least one dog in it!  I have always had dogs who have brought absolute joy to my life.  The three I am blessed with now are no exception.  They are loving companions and make me smile and laugh every single day.  I adore them and am so lucky that they found me and are filling my heart with love!
  • I am thankful for my job.  With so many people unemployed and struggling, I am reminded every day how lucky I am to have a job.  It may be stressful and trying, at times, but it sure beats the alternative and I definitely don’t take it for granted!  I don’t understand those who constantly complain about their jobs when there are long lines of people who would gladly take whatever is dished out to them just to have a paycheck to provide for their families!
  • I am thankful for my health.  Yes, I do have some health problems – some fairly serious, but nothing I can’t live with and keep under control.  I am blessed with the ability to live a normal life and get around and do just about anything I want to do.  I am reminded that health and life is so precious because of a family friend who is seriously ill.  A little over a month or so ago, he was healthy and active.  Then, he had some stomach pain and they diagnosed him with liver cancer.  In a few short weeks, he went from an active, vibrant man to a meer skeleton going in and out of awareness and ability to make any sense.  He has been given 3 months or less.  We went to visit him in the hospital the day before Thanksgiving and it was heart wrenching!  Be thankful for whatever level of health you are in — it can change in an instant!
  • I am thankful for laughter!  I love to laugh and to hear laughter!  Life is tough lately and people don’t tend to laugh enough!  Laughter is healthy and makes you feel so good!  There is an old saying – Laughter is the best medicine!  From little chuckles to hard belly laughs that bring tears to my eyes and make it hard to breathe — laughter is something I strive for every single day to some degree!
  • I’m thankful for my home.  It isn’t a mansion and isn’t huge, but it’s mine and I’ve been able to make it a comfortable refection of me and what makes me happy!  The only thing that would make it better is if my Mom would come live with me so we can be together all the time!

So — yeah, there are a lot of things I’d love to have, but don’t and lots of things that I wish I had more of.  But dwelling on them is depressing and unhealthy!  I have a TON more to be thankful for – much more than I’ve listed here!  Life is good!  I choose to be happy and make the most out of what I do have!

What are YOU thankful for?

Home

Nov23

Home is where the heart is.  Home sweet home.  There’s no place like home.   We know all this, but what makes home, home?  Is it where you were born, where you grew up, where you currently live?  Is it a specific place, an area, a feeling, a structure?  Is it reflective of the # of years you spent living there?  Can there be more than one place you call Home?  I hope it is obvious that I am not talking about just where you hang your hat at the moment, but the place you call “home” when you are talking about it from your heart.  This can be an easy question, but it can also be a complicated one!

For me, Home has always been and will always be my original home town!  It is where I was born and raised and where I plan for my body to go when I leave this earth to walk with the angels!  It is where I have most of my ties – family, friends, memories!  It is where I went to school and where I got married!   It is where I skinned my knees learning to ride a bike, where I tore up the roads learning to drive a car, and where I took more than a few spills learning to ride mini-bikes, dirt bikes, and motorcycles!  I feel comfortable and content when I am there!  It is where I can find peace looking out over the lake or visiting those I have loved and lost at the local cemetery or just being where my history is!  It is where I can laugh so hard I can’t see or breathe and I lose all control!  It is where my soul will forever live!  It is where I know I can always go and not be judged, not be stressed, and just enjoy the love of family and dear friends! 

I never thought I would call anywhere else Home!  It took me many years of living in the city I currently live in to start considering it home.  But, over the past several years, I have gotten active in my community, found some good friends, and am finding comfort there.  I am quickly approaching an equal # of years that I have lived in each area – I lived in my original home town for the first 28 1/2 years of my life and in my current home town for the past 24 1/2 years.  It is finally more than just a place to live and work – which is what it was for far too many years.  It is where I find joy in taking pride in my community and working with non-profits.  It is where I am making NEW memories and learning NEW things and enjoying NEW experiences!  It is where I purchased my first home as a family when I first moved there with my new husband and son.  It is where I purchased my first home on my own and where I have made that home a reflection of my personality and a source of pride in what I have accomplished with it.  It is where I can sit out on my patio on a lovely evening and shut out all the troubles of the day.  It is where I find comfort in mingling my past, my present, and my future with things, memories, and dreams that define each chapter of my life and help to blur the lines between the chapters.  I have come to love my current home town, but find sadness that it is so very far away from my true home town.  It has become my “second home”, but my first home will still always be what I refer to when I use the term ”Home” in reflection of where my heart is!!!!

As for my final home:  I find comfort in knowing where I will go for all eternity and that it is a breathtakingly beautiful place near family!  My Grandfather gave me an incredible gift many years ago – he deeded a spot in the family plot to me.  It is directly beside my Grandparents and an Uncle I never knew because he died when he was just a child.  It is down just a few slots from my Poppie and where my Mom will eventually be placed beside him.  It is in a cemetery where many, many of my ancestors are laid to rest – both those I had the pleasure of knowing and loving and those I never knew in this life, but will meet when we all gather in the after life.  Just this year, I went ahead and purchased a memorial stone that was recently placed on my final home.   I put a lot of thought into it and it is a wonderful reflection of me.  It is made from Himalayan Blue granite, has an angel with a garland of roses on the right side and a rose laying on the bottom left corner.  It includes the words “beloved daughter and granddaughter”, which is something I feel in my heart always.  I also had the phrase “In the arms of the angels” written on the base.   I love it!  While I have absolutely no desire to actually take up residence in this final home for many, many years, it gives me a warm feeling knowing that when that time comes, I will have a place to go that is in the area I hold dearest in my heart, in a place that is so beautiful and peaceful, and where so many of my family and friends are and will be with me.

So, yes — Home can be a complicated thing, but no matter where you are or how you view it, there is always a past, current, and future aspect of what you call Home.  And there is always ONE that is stronger and closer to your heart and what defines that one place is different for everyone!  Think about what defines Home for you and remember it and be thankful for it during this holiday season — reflecting on memories is what makes a Home and what makes the holidays and life in general so precious!

Doggie Dreams

Nov10

I’ve always found it interesting to watch my dogs while they sleep.   They take sleep very seriously – painstakingly fluffing the dog bed, blanket, pillows, or whatever they are preparing to nap on – circling and patting down the area so that it is just the way they like it, nice and cozy!   Sometimes they sleep so soundly that they are totally oblivious to everything going on around them – sprawled out on their backs in the most awkward looking poses in total trust that nothing is going to happen to them!  Their world is safe and good!  Sometimes they are just catching a few winks, but are really sleeping with one ear open to be sure they know if I move or do something they think they need to be involved in!  Then there are the doggie dreams…..the times when they are obviously dreaming about running in a field or confronting some bully or chasing after squirrels!

Katie and Megan rarely have active dreams — once in a while they will twitch a little or make some growling or whimpering sounds.  Amy, on the other hand, acts out her dreams quite often!  She gets so animated and noisy!  Maybe it is because she is the timid one, for the most part, when she’s awake.  She gets to act out all her fantasies in her dreams.

Just a bit ago, she had one of her more active dreams!  I can only imagine what she must have been dreaming about — I really wish she could wake up and tell me all about her adventures in dreamland, but she can’t!  She was making a lot of little “woofs” that puffed out her cheeks, so I sat and watched for a while.  Soon, she was totally involved in whatever was going on — her entire body twitched and jerked, her legs flailed around like she was running, her face twitched and wrinkled up in weird contortions, and she was barking, growling, and moaning loudly and excitedly.  It didn’t last terribly long – just a minute or so - and she was back to a relaxed sleep and all was done!  All the time, Katie and Megan slept peacefully near by – not at all disturbed by the noises and actions Amy was exhibiting.

This looked like a fun dream — of course, I have no way of knowing that, but it seems obvious to me when it is a good or bad dream.  This one had excited sounding noises – like when she’s playing.  Bad dreams have more scared or aggressive sounding noises.  I try to not wake her from her dreams, but if it appears to be a bad one and seems to be lasting a long time, I will usually call her name or move the bedding or touch her to gently wake her from it.  If I do, I hug her and tell her that it was just a dream and she’s safe and OK — she usually leans into me to snuggle and gives gentle kisses of thanks!

My girls — what joy they add to my life!!!

Movie Review – The Box

Nov7

thebox_tempposterThe previews looked intriguing, the cast was a sure bet (Cameron Diaz – love her in just about everything she does, Frank Langella - one of my favorite character actors, James Marsden – such a cutie), and I was all geared up to see a movie!  So, I went to my hair appointment this morning and then to meet a friend for lunch at Elizabeth’s.  The movie didn’t start until 1:35, so I went back home to let the girls out, check email, and do a couple things.  I almost got wrapped up in something and realized almost too late that I needed to leave to make it to the movie on time.  I got there with about 10 minutes to spare, got my small popcorn and bottle of water, and went in to grab a seat!  There were only two previews that came on while we waited for the movie to start — a REALLY good-looking new Mel Gibson movie called “Edge of Darkness” due out in January and a futuristic looking movie with Denzel Washington that I’m sure I’ll not bother with.

And the interesting parts of my day, so far, came to an end!!!  What happened next can only be described as the worse waste of 2 hours I’ve ever experienced in my life!!!  I am not going to waste more time by going into a lot of details about the plot – you’ve seen it on the trailers – woman is given a box with two choices:  push the button and become an instant millionaire while someone she doesn’t know dies OR don’t push the button and her life will remain as it is!  She chooses to push the button — the rest of the movie takes us on a very painful journey through the consequences of her decision!  And I do mean painful!!!

This movie made no sense what-so-ever……the acting was so low quality, I wouldn’t even call it acting (everyone sounded and looked like they were reading cue cards being held just off the set and read them with no emotion at all)……Cameron’s southern accent was horrible……it was hard to follow……and it was just plain stupid!!!   There were all these characters wandering around like zombies in a deep trance with their mouths gaped open ”watching” Diaz and Marsden to make sure they do what they are expected to do — whatever that is!  They don’t really seem to have a purpose at all!!! 

I loved Twilight Zone and Outer Limits — this had that feel, but was sooooo much more hokey and no where near the level of entertainment of those classic shows!

The only bright side is that it did send a powerful message — you ALWAYS have a choice and there are ALWAYS consequences to whatever choice you make – good or bad!!!

Usually, if I don’t particularly like a movie, I recommend you wait until it comes out on rental or cable if you have a strong urge to see it — not this time!!  I wouldn’t recommend spending a penny on it, I wouldn’t recommend wasting a spot on your Netflix list, and even if you get to see it for free, I wouldn’t waste the time!  Go to the dentist and have a few teeth extracted, instead – you’ll find that more enjoyable!!!

I give this one the lowest rating I have ever given any movie, regardless of how much I disliked it (there is usually “something” worth a medium-ish rating) — I rate this one a HUGE F- and wouldn’t recommend it to anyone!!!

Movie Review – Law Abiding Citizen

Nov1

lawabidingcitizen_smallposterWOW – what an intense experience this movie was!  I actually wasn’t looking for this particular movie when I decided to go to a matinee yesterday.  I haven’t seen any trailers on it and wasn’t aware of any details.  I logged onto Yahoo Movies to see what was playing in the area yesterday to see if there was anything that caught my eye.  I noticed this title, but the poster didn’t do anything for me.  So, I opened it up to see what the write-up was about – and I was instantly intrigued!!!  Then, I saw the cast list – Jamie Fox, Gerard Butler (that one, alone, was enough to convince me), and Colm Meaney.  OK, sounded like it would definitely be worth the price of a matinee ticket, so I decided to give it a try!

The story opens with Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) enjoying an evening with his family – wife and young daughter.  While the wife is fixing dinner and the daughter is washing up, he goes to answer the door.  The minute he opens the door, two thugs push their way in and bash him in the head with a baseball bat.  They proceed to beat him, tie him up, and duct tape his mouth.  Then, his wife comes out of the kitchen and starts to scream, so one of the thugs goes after her.   While he is beating and raping her with Shelton and the other thug looking on, the little girl appears in the doorway.  To Shelton’s horror, the thug grabs the girl and disappears into another room saying, “don’t worry, children love me”!  Shelton survives the invasion/attack, but his wife and daughter don’t!   His nightmare doesn’t end there, though!  Jamie Fox plays the prosecutor on the case.  He ends up making a deal with the one who did the actual violent parts of the crime – he would plead guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for his testimony against the other guy!  So – he only served about 5 years and the one who was only there to rob the place ended up charged directly with the murders and was sentenced to death!  How’s that for justice????  Shelton was, of course, in shock and appalled at how the system failed him and his slain family!

Fast forward 10 years……beginning with a horrifying mix up at the execution of the one who got the death sentence that resulted in an agonizing death and then the ingenious, yet sickening, brutal slaughter of the one that got away with murder, the story starts to blossom!  I won’t go into any more detail — all this happens very quickly in the beginning!  But, suffice it to say that it is an intense psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat and made me jump and gasp more than once!!!   Shelton spends the rest of the movie cunningly and brilliantly getting his revenge and staying one step ahead of Fox and Meaney as they try to figure out what he’ll do next and how in the world he is doing it!!!! 

On the down side – it was way too gory for me!  I don’t particularly care for that much graphic violence and blood!!!  But, there were only a couple really bad scenes and I was able to turn away and not watch the sickening parts without spoiling any of the story and intensity!  And the ending actually surprised me!!!  That rarely EVER happens!!!

Even with what I would define as unnecessarily extreme graphic violence, I still rate this one an A+ — very intense, very good story, exceptional acting (particularly by Gerard Butler), and not even the slightest second of slow or boring moments!   I highly recommend it for anyone really into psychological thrillers — I seriously doubt anyone will be disappointed!  If you are, I’d love to hear why!!!  CAUTION:  Definitely NOT for kids — if you usually allow your kids to see movies like this, you may want to see it first OR wait until it comes out on DVD so you can skip the really graphic scenes!

Movie Review – Amelia

Nov1

amelia_smallposterI know…I’m behind on my reviews!  But, not too far behind – I just saw Amelia last Sunday, so I’m only a week late!  Last weekend was my birthday and my dear friends, Ron and Lisa, took me out for a great day to commemorate it!  We went to Cary and did some shopping at BJ’s, went to see the movie Amelia, and had dinner at Olive Garden!  It was a great day!

So – on with the review!  Amelia is, of course, the story of Amelia Earhart.  Hilary Swank stars as Amelia and Richard Gere portrays her husband, publishing mogul George Putnam.  Ewan McGregor also stars in the movie as Gene Vidal, father of Gore Vital and long time friend and lover of Amelia’s. 

The acting is top notch!  I usually don’t care a lot for Hilary Swank, but she is perfect as Amelia Earhart – she even looks like her! 

The story chronicles Amelia’s love of flying and her inherent knowledge of aircraft and what can make a flight efficient and successful against the odds.  The story admits she may not have been the best pilot, but she was smart and had great instincts, as well as an intense passion.  It also focuses on her personal life and her relationships.  The world fell in love with her and so did everyone she came into personal contact with.  She was a charismatic woman who was able to use her celebrity to raise the funds she needed to finance her flying desires. 

One thing I really liked was that it stuck to the facts about her last flight.  It used written journal entries that were among the things she sent to her husband on one of her stops to lighten the weight in the plane, as well as radio logs, phone conversations, and other records.  It didn’t take liberties to assume things that must have happened or romanticize an alleged ending.

All in all, it was a good movie — very interesting and endearing.  I would have liked for it to go into more about her life by focusing more heavily on specific parts, rather than just touching on so many aspects of it.  But, that probably would have made for a very lengthy film – this is a difficult balance for most movies to make.  I think they did a nice job of giving just enough to keep the audience interested and perhaps wanting to go research the more in depth details.

I rate this movie a solid B+ and recommend it for anyone who likes historic stories, aviation themes, and real life romance.

Review – Stones In His Pockets

Nov1

StonesPosterSM02Last Friday evening, I went to see the latest production at the Temple Theatre - Stones in His Pockets, starring Michael Brocki and Derrick Ivey.  It is the story of the extras, crew, and main star in a movie being shot in Ireland.  The primary story is of the relationships of the extras and a young man who has fallen on hard times, was rejected in his attempt to obtain a job as an extra on the movie, and subsequently kills himself by putting stones in his pockets and walking into the lake.  But, it isn’t all that gloomy – although the suicide is an important aspect, it doesn’t put a damper on the feel of the story.  It is funny, touching, and emotional.

The hook and amazing part of this production is that there are over a dozen characters who are both male and female, but only TWO actors who are both men!  And the real kicker?  They never leave the stage or change costumes (except for a few minor accessories or props) at any time during the production!!!  Sound confusing?  Well, you’d think so, but it really wasn’t!!!  I admit, it took me about 5 minutes or so to “get it”.  At first, I thought it was hard to follow and I was working way too hard to figure out what in the world was going on.  But, once they made it through the characters and started to go back and forth between them, it all came together and was so obvious!

Brocki and Ivey did an amazing job of making sure we knew exactly which character they were portraying at any given time.  They would be one character and then spin around or change positions and suddenly they were another character!  The expressions, mannerisms, voices, and even dialects of each character were so distinctive, you knew the second they “transformed” who they were!  It takes a special talent to be able to pull this off and make it totally believable and Brocki and Ivey both have that talent – BIG TIME!!!  They were absolutely successful in making me “see” each distinct character and visualize exactly what they look like!  I was mesmerized!

 I always enjoy being at the Temple Theatre and am rarely disappointed.  Granted, some shows are better than others, but that’s natural.  This was definitely among the better shows I’ve seen.  I really enjoyed it.  Today is the last show of this run.  If you haven’t already seen it and are looking for something to do this afternoon, I recommend you give this a try!