♫ Animal Crackers In My Soup ♫

Earlier this week, a fabulous lady passed away.  Maybe you knew her too.

Shirley Temple was one child star who grew up without the prescribed train wreck.  She survived breast cancer--long before the Susan G Komen Foundation--and even spoke of her mastectomy from her recovery bed and urged other women to check themselves and not be afraid.  She served her country as an ambassador and diplomat throughout the world.  But who can forget her sweet face, ringlet curly hair and age-appropriate dancing in the early movies?

I can still hear her voice coming from an old record player sitting in the corner of the Grange Hall in Gilroy, California, with a tap dancing teacher (who for all I knew may have worked with Shirley temple in those early days of film) shouting out the steps...hands on knees, bounce, point, point, bounce....♫ monkey and rabbits...loop to loop...gosh, oh gee, but I have fun, swallowing animals one by one.♫

My favorite comment made by her family after her passing Monday night was that for all the wonderful things she did in her life, it was really WHO she was to them that made the difference in the world.  She was their mother, grandmother, a wife of 55 years.  Ultimately, that is what we will each be gauged by...who we were to others.

I'm sad to hear of her passing, but glad I got to see a Hollywood success story, and a lovely women who lived--from what I could see on the outside--true to herself once the glamor of the movies shook off of her.

Irreverent Traditions?

Each Christmas eve, at least when the kids were small, we would include a special dessert to help the kids remember that we were really celebrating the Savior's birth.  we'd have "birthday cake for Jesus".

I didn't realize that the kids noticed this "tradition" much less, as The Girl said, "It's my favortie thing we do."

Whether its because we love cake, or because she loves Jesus, I don't know but I'm glad she liked it enough to remind me to do it.

 She looks unsure of the whole idea here.

And here she looks more than normally awkward.

THERE we go.  That's a more normal girl. 

When she got it out of the fridge, she mimicked in her best Nacho Libre accent "Dees are de Lord's Cheeeps."  Then added gher version, "Dees iz de Lord's cack."

It was funny, if you were there.  And if you'd seen Nacho Libre lately.

Retired and Extremely Dangerous, 2

Dear Friend Amy and I went to he dollar movies near my home last night and saw RED 2.  If you missed the first one, it is a collection of retired assassins who get framed by corrupt government leaders and are hunted down themselves. This version is about a bunch of retired assassins who get framed by corrupt government military leaders and are hunted down themselves.

But the plot is secondary in a show like this. The characters are, well, real characters! These are older folks who are kicking butt and taking names.  And probably my favorite role of Bruce Willis' since Moonlighting is this Frank Moses. I love Helen Mirren in anything she does--but this looks like she was having the time of her life.  Plus John Malcovich playing a now-paranoid, trained killer?  Genius!

If you are looking fro swomething to do this weekend, see if it is in the RedBox yet.  However, the cautionary point is this:  It is violent!!  These characters are assassins, remember?  And everyone who is hunting them is too.  Don't complain that I didn't warn you.

You're Killing Me, Smalls!

It's been 20 years since The Sandlot was originally released.  Crazy, right?  The anniversary was celebrated by the reunion of the cast (and lots and lots of fans) on the actual Sandlot...right here in Utah this past weekend. The Salt Lake Tribune had a great story about it:  HERE 

I especially like the Wendy Peffercorn reference.  Awesome.  You've gotta love Squints...and the whole gang.

"Is This A Kissing Book?"

Some movies just give you more to work with on a day to day basis.  This is one of the best!

What Do You Mean, You've NEVER Seen It?!?

Maybe if you lived under a rock.  That could be the only reasonable excuse for a fight breaking out over a t-shirt like this:

But apparently, some people don't get out much...or at least watch really awful movies.  Because there was a fight on an airplane over just such a tshirt.  Read about it HERE .

♫ A Heart Full of Love ♫

The Girl and I got a sneak peek at the new film version of the brilliant Broadway musical Les Miserables.  It opened everywhere on Chirstmas day but we were lucky enough to see it on the 19th, thanks to Miss Melanie, a terrific PTA friend with superb connections.

It was marvelous.  I loved the musical stage version.  I have seen it twice by a professional touring Broadway company, and once by an outstanding high school cast locally.  I weep every time.  It is a beautiful story of repentance, forgiveness, redemption and love.  It is one of my favorite books, so the story has been familiar for a long time.  The music has been a favorite since the musical came out in the late 80s.  But putting it all together and in front of an unfurling 19th century Paris is a visual and auditory feast.

I had looked forward to seeing this preview showing almost as much as kids look forward to Christmas morning.  It did not disappoint.   I went through four tissues and two napkins.  Yep.  It was powerful.

Performance-wise, this was stunning.  Hugh Jackman plays Jean Valjean with gut wrenching emotion.  His face reads the emotion as you hear it through his voice.  Russell Crowe is the Police Inspector Javert and I didn't realize he could sing.  His take on the character was different from the previous versions I've heard, but it was emotionally true and gave him a deeper resonance.  Anne Hathaway played a beautiful and tortured Fantine with grit and focus.  Wow.  She really went there for that character's truth.  Stunning, and a little bit uncomfortable--as her character felt life slap her in the face over and over again.  Eddie Redmanye, who looked familiar--but have since realized he has been in several of the Masterpiece TV series over the years, just not the Jane Austen ones--played Marius in such a way that I finally "get" why Cosette falls for him.  In the other shows he always seems very shallow and wishy-washy, but this portrayal was strong and youthful and determined.  The Thenadiers are the general show-stealing pair because they get to be played so over the top, but Sasha Baron Cohen and Helena Bohnam-Carter were more subtly comedic--if those characters can be played that way.

The production let the actors sing the songs live--rather than prerecorded in a studio and then lip-synced on film.  What a difference that made!  Wow! There was an element of in-your-face raw emotion that you can't get any other way.  And you could feel the difference as they performed those beautiful songs.

I was thrilled to get to see this, and have already asked Genius Golfer to put the Blue Ray version of this on my Valentine's wishlist.  It is an inspiring story that echoes the understanding I already have of the atonement and redemption.  I can't recommend this enough.  But take some tissues with you.

Movie Reviews

I have two movie reviews for you today:  Spielberg's Lincoln and Breaking Dawn part 2.

Dear Friend Micheale and I saw Lincoln yesterday in the afternoon.  It is based on the book "Team of  Rivals" and is really a short look at the president's life--January 1865 until his death in April.  The majority of the film focuses on his push for the 13th amendment.  Brilliant, I tell you.  Daniel Day-Lewis is absolutely terrific as the president.  And Sally Field, who I usually visualize as Mrs. Gump or Shelby's Mama (from Steel Magnolias) is the very best kind of mentally-ill, grief-stricken woman to play Mrs. Lincoln.  The supporting cast is fabulous too,and the history is wonderful.  I thought, throughout the film, we need this kind of leadership in Washington today.  It was a fantastic film,and I highly recommend it.

This morning Dear Friend Pam and I went to see Breaking Dawn...because she wanted to go and her good youngest son--who went to the other Twilight movies with her--has left for a mission and isn't here to see it with her.  Of the Twilight movies I have seen, this was the best production quality wise, but the acting still leaves much to be desired.  The story is really quite silly, but I'm sure there are worse things out there.  The really horrible part was the woman sitting next to us with her three little girls--very little girls.  The smallest might have been 5.  Are you kidding me?!?  This movie was rated PG-13...and I covered my eyes in parts.  These poor little girls....they will either have nightmares from what they saw--sex, violence, scariness--or else what a sad life they live if this is the stuff they are used to seeing. 

So, if you have a chance to see a movie over the Thanksgiving holiday...check out Skyfall (the new James Bond film) or Lincoln!  They were both great.  Save the Breaking Dawn show for a free movie rental at RedBox.  But not for the kiddies.

Not So Timeless

On Sundays lately, the kids have been going through and watching the old Disney movies we have on VHS.  Yes, we still have a working tape machine in our house. (!) Yesterday she got through a handful of flicks, mostly becasue her brother has a novel he has to read for his English class that he just started Thrusday.  It is due in two weeks, and he isn't the fastest reader around here.  So he wasn't arguing her selections yesterday.

Anyhow, she started with "Beauty and the Beast" which is definitely a classic. 

 
However, she shifted to the Christmas  version--direct to video--sequel.  Not so classic.  It did give me a few good memory shots of her being a little girl and watching it and loving it.  But now?  Not so much.

 

Another one she watched was "Little Mermaid".  Again, a timeless classic.  So clever and the music is SO good. 

 

"The Little Mermaid 2" however, is forgettable at best and the music isn't even worth mentioning.  I hadn't even remembered we had that one.

 

She also caught up with "Sleeping Beauty"--one of my total favorites from being a kid, thanks to an LP version with the follow along booklet, even if it skipped and I thought there were 4 good fairies : Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, and Merryweather.

And she watched "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" which, while classic, has some musical eccentricities.  The Girl even mentioned that she had forgotten how nasally the Snow White voice is.  When I told her that it was from a different musical time period, she asked "How old IS this movie?"  When I told her, she was surprised and seemed to accept the crazy singing voice.

I'm glad she is watching some of these, just so I can remember tiny moments of her childhood, and mine at times.  The classics are classic for a good reason.  The sequels, well, they leave much to be desired.

Better Examples Than Us

After yesterday's post abut  The Boy and his buddies leaving an inappropriate movie, I will give you the background that The Boy--at least-- judged the movie they walked out of.  It was a trip to the movies with Genius Golfer and me that we SHOULD have left and walked out of, but we were too dumb to do it.

Probably a year ago or so, GG and I took The Boy to the movies, as The Girl was probably with friends or on a date. Superhero movies were in full gear and we heard about The Green Hornet and thought it might be a good one to do see.  It was PG 13 and though I hadn't heard any reviews, there were new superhero movies coming out each week it seemed, so we went.

It was the most perverse PG 13 movie I have watched.  The language was not only filthy it was written to be condescending and insulting as well.  The story was thin and the characters were weak.   But the sexual and thematic content was off the charts.  Throughout the film I was thinking, "This has got to get better!"  But it never did.

Come to find out, GG was thinking the same thing.  And The Boy was probably wondering "What did my parents bring me to!?"

In the car on the way home we all commented that the movie made us uncomfortable--but being a little less sure about the way everyone else felt, not any one of us did anything.  What a wasted teaching moment there.  Bad parenting, at it's finest.

So we talked about what we should have done instead....hoping that this would never happen again, and vowing that if it did, we'd take action instead of being afraid.

Lucky for us, The Boy learned from the bad example, and he and his buddies--when faced with the same situation--DID do the right thing!  These are good kids, in spite of their parents.

He Shouldn't Have Surprised Me...But He Did

While The Girl was going to the Homecoming Dance on Saturday night, The Boy was having a fun night of his own with some buddies from football.  They had gotten together and went to the indoor trampoline place they love in the afternoon and then planned to go the movies about 7:30 PM.

Genius Golfer and I took advantage of having no one with us and went to dinner.  While we were at dinner I got a text from The Boy that said they were headed back to out house to play night games.  But it was less than and 1.5 since their movie was supposed to start.  GG thought they had not told the whole truth about going to the movies, but maybe had some ulterior motive going on.  I worried that they hadn't planned well enough and the movie they meant to see was sold out or something.  Either way, we were soon headed home to supervise the six or so boys that wee headed to our house.

When we got home, the boys ended their outside night games and came in to watch a movie in the family room.  While they were settling in, I asked the group if their movie was sold out or did they decide to see something else instead.  They boys hesitated a bit before answering me. Finally The Boy piped up and said, "Mom we went to he movie we told you but we left early.  It wasn't a good movie.  There was some bad  language in it like The Green Hornet (there is another story here, but I'll tell you in tomorrow's post) and we were kind of uncomfortable about it so we left early."

You could have knocked me over with a feather.

They had gone to a PG 13 movie, at the $3 movies theater that is walking distance from our house.  They thought they had all the checks in place to see something fun and would have a good time together.  But even with the "rule" in place they still found themselves in a spot they knew better than to be in and they did the right thing to get out.

I was so proud of the boys and I told they how impressed I was that they had done the right thing and stuck together and got out of it.  I patted them on their knees or shoulders and told them that I thought they were good boys for doing the right thing even if it was hard at first.  I was so proud of them.

I have been worried with this group--being football players, and "too cool for school" sometimes--but they chose to do the right thing, and they did it together.

After that experience, I figure The Boy knows how to make good friends. And I should probably relax my worry about them--but not relax my continued emphasis on the standards I want them to embrace.  It made me so happy to see them do that as a group and come away proud of themselves for knowing they did the right thing too.

KissThisGuy(dot)com

There is a website, here (and see the title above), where people can record--forever, and everyone--song lyrics they have always understood WRONG.  For example, Jimi Hendrix never recorded a song called "Kiss This Guy" .  His song was called "Kiss the Sky".  This is the basis for the title of the site.

Anyhoo.  Genius Golfer and I ran away from home this morning to the "early bird" special at the movies to see "Rock of Ages".  It was a completely guilty pleasure--both being children of the 80s, and loving the now classic big-hair-band rock anthems of the age.

We we joined in the theater by one other guy, who left half way through and then came back in for the ending.  This is not a movie you will hear about when the Academy award nominations come out, but it was good for an embarrassed laugh and a few cringes and rolled eyes.  But Tom Crusie, if he is really doing the singing, did pretty well.  For a guy that is 50 next week.

Again, anyhoo.

On the way home we were laughing together about how when I was a kid and these songs were current radio fodder, I never heard the lyrics as that overtly sexual or racy or pro-illicit-drugs or anything other than just a 'good song with a beat you can dance to'.  But seeing them as a mom (and a YW leader) I sure hear the differences now.

Yikes.

But that beats GG's take.  He understood the lyrics to say something totally wrong, so they were never naughty songs for him.  He was surprised by the lyrics too as we watched this dumb movie today.  He heard these songs for the first time with their actual lyrics--sex, drugs and rock and roll!

You can't take us anywhere.

How Many Years Has It Been?

This weekend a new musical movie comes out.  "Rock of Ages" is based on the Broadway show of the same name...and contains music from Big-Hair 80s bands.  Just my style.

Actually the setting of the movie is 1987.  That is the year that I graduated from high school.  In fact, this week on Facebook, a fellow graduate and friend posted that "25 years ago today we were let loose on the world".  Yikes.  Has it really been that long?!  Twenty-five years ago?  That is crazy.  How did that happen?

I'm hoping to make trip to the movies tomorrow...probably during the cheaper, matinee screening. Man.  Maybe it has really been 25 years.  I sound like an old lady.

Titanic Goes On and On

This weekend marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.  Recently, I read a report based on Twitter strings, that many people--I'd guess mostly young adults who have grown up having watched Jim Cameron's film from 1997--didn't realize the Titanic was an actual ship that sank, killing 1500+ people. I don't know why this surprised me. But it did. 

It is rather telling that so many people get their "news" from the entertainment that they choose. Sadly, you can hardly tell the real "news" from the entertainment anymore...like that Larry O'Donnell piece (and his pathetic apology) from MSNBC.  But I do worry a little bit that kids--including my own--don't really see the need and interest to study history, or even current events.

Many of the kids I see, especially if I try to talk to them about current events stuff, want the info in 140 characters or less.  They don't see the need to delve any deeper to understand the parameters to which new legislation reaches, or the unintended consequences of a Supreme Court ruling may create.  Our world doesn't work that way.  And it certainly seems so biased one way or the other, it is difficult to get both sides of a story told accurately.

I feel for these kids.  And worse, I worry for our society.

In the meantime, the rush of Titanic remembrances--including a pretty great on on the National Geographic channel I caught up with last week--might spark a little interest of days gone by.  Before we know it, these will be days gone by too.  I hope we can learn our lessons well enough to do better in the future.

Time Keeps On Slippin'...Into the Future

I came downstairs yesterday after trying to nap (while Genius Golfer watched a golf tournament and kept talking to the TV golf announcers--oh well for that idea) and found The Boy watching a Back To The Future marathon.  He was halfway through the second movie.

I sat down to watch with him.

First, I don't remember the language being that rough when I saw it before.  That may be a recognition when you watch it with your kids kind of thing.  Secondly, I forgot how much I enjoy Marty McFly and Doc Brown together.  And thirdly, what a crazy, imaginative, Inception-like layered story!!  I watched the rest of the trilogy with him.

The whole afternoon made me think, I wonder what films my own kids will be watching in 25 years with their kids on a Sunday afternoon.  Maybe they will be watching the movies we love to watch together now--The Princess Bride, A Christmas Story, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Back to the Future.  I hope so.  They are classic for a reason.

Just for Keith

A while ago I posted about the couple of movies we saw over the break.  Well, my dear friend--from way back, and frankly the best friend I have left from my hometown--emailed that I missed a great movie.  "Where," he asked, "was Mission Impossible?"  I told him I hadn't seen it yet, but that it was on my list.

Well, I saw it today.  Genius Golfer and I took The Boy to see the early show while The Girl was at a swim meet in Ogden today. 

Talk about a ride!!  This was non-stop from the get-go.  Light the fuse...and buckle your seat belt.  Whoa.

When the star escapes from a Russian hospital after surviving a bombing that blows up the Kremlin right off the bat, that is the beginning of a terrific popcorn-movie ride!

Then, let Agent Ethan Hunt dangle a hundred or more floors up, on the outside of the most shi-shi-poo-poo hotel in Dubai--which, by the way, made me a bit light headed--while under an impossible deadline.

And throw in a little undercover seduction of a flamboyant Indian business man with the needed satellite codes by a Lady-agent who can kick butt, even in a gorgeous dress...

so the ultra-cool team can get the bad guys in the end....

And you have got yourself a great, cold-weather, got-the-time-cause-its-the-weekend, testosterone-filled, family-bonding, how-much-popcorn-did-I-eat?, exciting kind of movie.

So, Keith.  Thanks for the recommendation.  And here is a post full of pictures for you, since you remind me just a little of Ethan Hunt. (It might be the teeth.)  But remember, you will be disavowed if you or your team is recognized or identified.  Love ya, man.

Oh. One last thing: This message will self--destruct in 5 seconds.

In Review

No, this isn't a year-end wrap up of all that I have done and written and the regrets I have of what I should have done and written instead.  Rather, I thought I'd give you a couple of good movies to go see.  Having some time off for Christmas vacation has let us go to the some early matinees with the kids, and while Genius Golfer has been working from home.unemployed we have seen a few others without the kids since October.  So here are the movie reviews.

This week I went with a friend, The Girl and her friend and saw War Horse.

My mom and dad saw this Christmas weekend and raved about it.  They were exactly right.  It is a beautifully shot picture with absolutely nothing that would be offensive--unless you can't stomach a panning shot of the battlefield littered with the bodies of men and horses.  It reminded me a lot of Black Beauty that The Boy used to watch over and over again when he was little.  So tender and pretty to watch.  And if horses and dogs, and any other creature that really loved you isn't in heaven--we might want to rethink our hoped for destination.


GG and I saw Sherlock Holmes: The Game of Shadows, and yesterday the kids went to the movies on their own to see it with movie passes The Girl picked up somewhere.

I really liked the first one.  And missed a little of the smart-ness of the first film in this one.  Though this was a fun, popcorn movie, to be sure.  And what isn't to like about the Robert Downey Jr--Jude Law combination?!  There are still scenes coated in steampunk set dressing and brilliant costuming, so it is very fun to watch visually.  Holmes and Watson have a great reparte, as usual.  I just think the action got away from the wittiness and snappy dialog I so enjoyed in the first one.  The kids loved it.  Genius Golfer thought it was great.

And finally the other film we went to see was Tower Heist.

GG likes Ben Stiller, and the premise of this film sounded very apropos.  Bernie Madoff should maybe have had these guys come after him.  Alan Alda plays the best bad guy I've seen for a while--outside of the Wizarding World.  I like him, so to feel real disgust and hatred for him by the end--well, that is good acting.  Eddie Murphy's character was lifted right from Eddie Murphy's stand up routines in the 80s.  Sadly, he never changed.  His language was as raunchy as it was back in the day--certainly nothing was toned down like  Shrek's Donkey for this role.  And Ben Stiller did a great job as the mastermind of this rag tag, revenge-seeking collective of former employees.  This wasn't as good as I had hoped, but not bad for the $5 early matinee price, with an old gift card we hadn't used yet.  But wait until it is on TV, possibly edited for content to avoid Murphy's filthy mouth.  Or maybe RedBox it when you can get it for $1.  Timely, though it is, it just didn't live up to expectations for me.

So save your money--and just go see War Horse.  It was fantastic.  And worth every penny.

A LibriVox Recording Is Now In The NetFlix Que

I recently began a new audio book on my iPod.  I listen as I walk/jog or while I am stuck at home doing mundane chores in the house.  There are several free audiobook recordings--particularly the Librivox recordings of works in the public domain.  This new novel is one of those. 

I am listening to The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baronness Orczy in 1903 for the theater, and then as a novel in 1905.  It is like the Anti-Les Miserables.  The "reign of terror" but through the eyes of an aristocrat sympathizer.

I remember hearing friends talk about the film version starring Jane Seymour and thought they were crazy.  But I am beginning to enjoy the story so much, I will have to watch.  I'd better request it on NetFlix, since Hollywood Video and Blockbuster have gone the way of the dinosaurs.

But in the meantime, I am quite happy to listen to a few chapters at a time, for free.  Makes me anxious too to see what other undiscovered treasures I can find for my iPod.

Dread and Anticipation in One

July 15th cannot come soon enough for me. But when it does, I am dreading the feeling of not having any more Harry films to look forward to. This magical world has been such a fun side track for me. I love the books and, while the movies don't exactly follow the books, the films give me another Harry Potter outlet. I do love them.

I was given a wonderful Harry Potter themed thank you gift basket from my Council PTA board...and on the July 15th opening I will be wearing my radish earrings. Mark my words, in the Daily Prophet.

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

I went with some friends to see The King's Speech on Saturday.  Today I am rejoicing that my favorite Mr. Darcy himself, Colin Firth, won the Best Actor Academy Award last night and am even more excited that the film won for best picture and best director.

But here's the rub.  It is rated R.  That is for restricted.  As a young women's leader and a mom I have taught my kids to listen to the prophet's advice and follow it.  Well, President Hinckley specifically said "no rated R movies".

Here's my justification of the 'do what I day and not as I do' philosophy:  The ratings system is messed up!

This film had two strings of profanity--including the f-bomb--and that earned it an R rating.  There was no nudity, no sex, no violence.  Not even a heaving bosom, like many otherwise benign period dramas.

A few weeks ago, Genius Golfer and I took The Boy to see The Green Hornet.  We paid actual money--American money--to see it.  It was filled with crude, lewd and raunch.  But it was rated PG-13.  I should have walked out.  What kind of example am I setting for my son?!  I wouldn't want him to think I think that kind of humor and treatment of women was ok.  Not at all.  But we didn't.  I should have listened to my gut on that one.

I researched The King's Speech a little bit, and in all I heard and read of it, it sounded like a charming, real life inspiring tale of triumph.  It was.  The fact that Mr. Firth was in it just added to it's appeal for me.  With other adult friends to go with to see it, I jumped at the chance.  It was marvelous and very deserving of the Oscar attention.

The only regret I have is that for me to see this uplifting and inspiring movie, I went against the teachings I dole out to the youth I work with and my own kids.  And the really sad thing?  They hear this kind of language anyway, in real life.  The difference is that in the movie the profanity is not directed at any person in a put-down sort of way or even in a blasphemous way.  I chose to rebel just enough to not be "exactly obedient" and that gives me a little guilt, to be honest.  But I also feel that this was a much better choice than the Hornet disaster.

Hypocrisy is a fine line to follow, I guess.  But I still loved seeing the triumph and sensing the overcoming such tremendous obstacles by a man who stood up and answered his call to nation and duty and family.