tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56049988677260029382024-03-12T21:39:28.511-07:00Bloggin' My Way through Oscar's Best Picturesladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-40219511860688887332024-01-16T19:52:00.000-08:002024-01-17T10:31:15.158-08:00Everything Everywhere All At Once, 2022<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZZcCLmfAUsL5uavssGk1q47DDMvWdo4YUVUKzmMvSf6akB8HwKK5U-X-sI-KgHoEE9tyhYx6mntWrz2ftWXfspNFDb3Z3G1fqFVpuuzljirTiT3Z-13QTjHuI3g29cp3Zw-fQ2nVZeIqcEROiZaxxXU8XpxgsZtcxdsczdAYRiCt7C58TYs3p5Ik5AN4/s972/EEAAO.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="972" data-original-width="647" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZZcCLmfAUsL5uavssGk1q47DDMvWdo4YUVUKzmMvSf6akB8HwKK5U-X-sI-KgHoEE9tyhYx6mntWrz2ftWXfspNFDb3Z3G1fqFVpuuzljirTiT3Z-13QTjHuI3g29cp3Zw-fQ2nVZeIqcEROiZaxxXU8XpxgsZtcxdsczdAYRiCt7C58TYs3p5Ik5AN4/w133-h200/EEAAO.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><p>Rated R</p>To be honest, I couldn't bring myself to watch the winning film after the Academy Awards ceremony; then, I couldn't wrap my head around it or put it into words once I had. So I almost threw in the towel and skipped over this year entirely. But since I'm not a quitter, I will at least write what I need to to carry on...<p></p><p>"Everything Everywhere All At Once" is a perfect title for this cinematic visual assault. At first, I thought the premise sounded quite interesting... Evelyn Wang is going through the motions working the family laundromat with her apathetic husband and sharp-tongued lesbian daughter. She prepares for and attends an important meeting with a cantankerous auditor from the IRS with husband, Waymond, in which she learns there are multiverses. Who is she really in each (and the people she knows and loves)? What are they capable of?</p><p>Intriguing, right? Throw in some awesome kung fu, and it's almost a little like "The Matrix", "The Bourne Identity", and "Inception". It also gives off very superhero-y vibes. But then... they threw in hot dog fingers, talking rocks, and the black hole which is really an everything bagel. I cannot count how many times I asked "what am I watching?!" </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyy4E0tO2qx00zGuzNfpvZRArUq29G3EZGAQQ8-17exZ3AoqI6C8Yrcy6zZIGNCodXqtKSz8j6uNtPJ1zZLyGWXtcrO1NzGPmzkIIqJG_jfHHIbBet0TMUL4-hu9jcrdiMySc5bFL94h0mqvAlt6wBWuNU1wd6vYb__F-S0Qb4XUNJRngMw2ZFE02L6Wx/s673/EEAAO1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="673" data-original-width="640" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyy4E0tO2qx00zGuzNfpvZRArUq29G3EZGAQQ8-17exZ3AoqI6C8Yrcy6zZIGNCodXqtKSz8j6uNtPJ1zZLyGWXtcrO1NzGPmzkIIqJG_jfHHIbBet0TMUL4-hu9jcrdiMySc5bFL94h0mqvAlt6wBWuNU1wd6vYb__F-S0Qb4XUNJRngMw2ZFE02L6Wx/w190-h200/EEAAO1.jpg" width="190" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxGJjPBA1Yo1_iyUzNjuRYha4XMZkeyl_kVdzxeSkuFsOUZLh4UYtBNf2-Qoh_yka-eoEj4vVThixY0zFY9hAeDLo7FIksDRUZsfZs0ds1OkTAHn6wLVWpLiIW_3zR0DomsLKRVW-_3UwwkEdKEePFiZ1BGlEAWNRrWxTdCiaaUeLo97OQRBfNe71h_5N/s967/EEAAO2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="967" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxGJjPBA1Yo1_iyUzNjuRYha4XMZkeyl_kVdzxeSkuFsOUZLh4UYtBNf2-Qoh_yka-eoEj4vVThixY0zFY9hAeDLo7FIksDRUZsfZs0ds1OkTAHn6wLVWpLiIW_3zR0DomsLKRVW-_3UwwkEdKEePFiZ1BGlEAWNRrWxTdCiaaUeLo97OQRBfNe71h_5N/w200-h127/EEAAO2.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQOGXviMrAEWkWq5FBMpsmNY3y6To0ykXrK4CbADiAgIi4sWqQAlUzEG3dftmCh5JORlNBBCpXtp_GxyEavzSfgsEmgn1Zfa7kg2rqagbz4CoAn7daLA2m4wWm_L_RhEKwNRkJmla1Y4mN9I-h2eNjUBdrwsMZgenY3WtHKXc9Vnpqp6dhvyu0Zc1pqXT/s1058/EEAAO3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1058" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQOGXviMrAEWkWq5FBMpsmNY3y6To0ykXrK4CbADiAgIi4sWqQAlUzEG3dftmCh5JORlNBBCpXtp_GxyEavzSfgsEmgn1Zfa7kg2rqagbz4CoAn7daLA2m4wWm_L_RhEKwNRkJmla1Y4mN9I-h2eNjUBdrwsMZgenY3WtHKXc9Vnpqp6dhvyu0Zc1pqXT/w320-h170/EEAAO3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>My husband and I laughed out loud, not because something was funny, but because it was ridiculous, and I don't think that's honestly a sign of a good movie. There were truly so many asinine images and scenes, I found it hard to develop true empathy for the characters when they <i>had</i> moments of seriousness and monologues meant to garner empathy from the audience. </p><p>Fights were won, tears were shed, growth was made. But sadly, I was not moved. I applaud the creative minds behind the project but it should not have won the coveted award IMO. </p><p>After having an impressive run at the box office, and I'm sure due to some swaying by film critics, this became the "obvious" front runner during award season. I say that in quotes, because there were several blockbuster hits that year when you look at the nominations. Perhaps I've gotten a little disenchanted by the process since I've listened to a few podcasts that explained a bit of the 'behind-the-scenes' of marketing and promoting. So much of a film's success during awards' season has to do with timing (when to release the film) and then, of course, there are the gift baskets given to voters (yuck). </p><p>This film was up against "All Quiet on the Western Front" (a German re-make), "Avatar: The Way of Water", "Elvis", "The Banshees of Inisherin", "The Fablemans", "Tar", "Top Gun: Maverick", "Triangle of Sadness", and "Women Talking". Of those nominees, I saw "Elvis" and the "Top Gun" sequel, both of which I enjoyed and was surprised that "Elvis" walked away empty-handed. "EEAAO" collected an impressive 11 nominations and won 7 awards including Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress (I didn't think this was an award-worthy performance; I actually even preferred Jamie Lee Curtis in "Freaky Friday"), Best Supporting Actor (he's from "The Goonies" and "Indiana Jones"! - GREAT acceptance speech), Best Director(s), Best Film Editing, and Best Original Screenplay. It is the third film in Oscar history to win three acting awards and the first official science-fiction Best Picture in Oscar history. </p><p>MEMORABLE SCENE:</p><p>I think the first multiverse jump was my favorite and most memorable because I wasn't expecting it. Evelyn is introduced to the ways of verse jumping by an alternate version of her husband. And the tasks the travelers have to accomplish can be hilarious or harrowing. </p><p>MEMORABLE LINE / LESSONS LEARNED:</p><p>In one multiverse, Evelyn is a successful spoiled star, and this dashing version of her husband sadly claps back in an argument, "I would have really liked just doing laundry and taxes with you." It was just the right amount of sappy to remind us that <u>when you have a partner in life whose company you truly appreciate and whose character you respect, any task can be enjoyable.</u> She sees his optimism as a weakness, but he fights to see the positive side of situations - he sees it as a strength. </p><p><u>It is up to you to find meaning/purpose in the life that you've been given.</u> No, nihilism isn't an/the answer, nor can you look to others to fill the void you think needs filling. Personally, as a Christian, I think there's someone we can turn to for truth and meaning and go from there...</p>ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-81889391810994342782023-01-31T14:41:00.001-08:002023-01-31T14:42:21.747-08:00CODA, 2021<p><span style="text-align: center;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqI062tnTmLZoF8VwjZNDSAw0JKVLvlb0mcHus8iMRvIonoK4qpNr1kafos17WSuuZEbUIki3HhyKqx7h__Q1eVzWFv0ScJ5UMOigcwnqvRs7HXwkomSQp55xgO-wqPUIRrXylqferCm--9Tl0YsHXFFQJaUU8qGdQ9nZP4k34Vjfq0EQu71jdOwBXg/s500/Coda.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="337" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqI062tnTmLZoF8VwjZNDSAw0JKVLvlb0mcHus8iMRvIonoK4qpNr1kafos17WSuuZEbUIki3HhyKqx7h__Q1eVzWFv0ScJ5UMOigcwnqvRs7HXwkomSQp55xgO-wqPUIRrXylqferCm--9Tl0YsHXFFQJaUU8qGdQ9nZP4k34Vjfq0EQu71jdOwBXg/w135-h200/Coda.jpg" width="135" /></a></div><br />Rated PG-13<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Ruby Rossi is a senior in high
school and the only hearing member of her all-deaf family. She helps her older
brother and parents with the fishing business after school and on weekends, but
her passion is singing and she’s good at it. Ironic? She signs up for choir
when she sees her crush do so too, but chickens out at auditions. She comes back for a second chance, and Mr. V,
the teacher, accepts her after seeing her potential. He also chooses a duet for
her and Miles (the aforementioned crush) to start practicing.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">The family relies on Ruby; she’s
the only one who can hear the radio on the boat. As an interpreter for the business,
she shoulders a great amount of stress in doing so. We can tell there’s a level
of protection she’s proud to take on, but also burdened by, so it’s a doubled
edge sword. When she’s overscheduled from pursuing music and practicing for an
audition at a prestigious music school, she puts the business in jeopardy and
adjustments have to be made. The parents have used her as a crutch; the brother
wants to be able to try running the business on their own… so will they let her
be her own person and pursue her dream of music?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">I really enjoyed watching this coming-of-age
story. I kept saying how “refreshing” it was to watch a film that made me feel
a nice range of emotions and also didn’t have me shutting my eyes from gratuitous
violence or unnecessary sex scenes, or rolling my eyes from the overuse of
curse words or certain agendas being shoved in my face.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">The title of this film was simple
and perfect. CODA is an acronym for Child of Deaf Adults. Ruby is the CODA as
this film gives us a peek into her daily life as the only hearing person in a
family of non-hearing individuals. But also, a coda is a musical term. It is an
element, long or short, that signifies the end of the song or composition. It
brings the piece to a close. As I reflected on this, I couldn’t help but see Ruby’s
own eloquent coda in the final scene of the film. She’s being whisked off in
her brother’s girlfriend’s car, but has to stop and get out for one last group
hug. Then she flings her arms out of the window to sign “I love you”. The
end. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gh_pooBAjHH0Qzo8RkJlHkfQfxyISaYMfa4ukF2bL5zcqoaV8d9qc8oQYTKVHf4PspT9Lbru_YBtRq7cONgKgrwRvGxADn2e14yaHw38B8AN1TPko4JjtReKdkCUX8vIQcpui7B-mVGAwNfhLjF81i2LphVYg5KojUHsSuOK8WB3Dbz8S-v4ib5aiA/s474/Ruby%20ILY.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="474" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gh_pooBAjHH0Qzo8RkJlHkfQfxyISaYMfa4ukF2bL5zcqoaV8d9qc8oQYTKVHf4PspT9Lbru_YBtRq7cONgKgrwRvGxADn2e14yaHw38B8AN1TPko4JjtReKdkCUX8vIQcpui7B-mVGAwNfhLjF81i2LphVYg5KojUHsSuOK8WB3Dbz8S-v4ib5aiA/s320/Ruby%20ILY.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">CODA was up against “Dune”, “The
Power of the Dog”, “West Side Story”, “Belfast”, “King Richard”, “Drive My Car”,
“Don’t Look Up”, “Nightmare Alley”, and “Licorice Pizza”. (I had only seen Spielberg’s
remake of “West Side Story”, and while I thought it was excellent, I didn’t
think it was going to win). CODA won all three awards it was nominated for
(making it the 7th in history for a clean sweep like that) including Best
Adapted Screenplay (it’s a remake of a 2014 French film) and Best Supporting
Actor (the dad, Frank).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">I probably couldn’t get away with
talking about this year’s award show without mentioning “The Slap Heard ‘Round
the World”. When comedian Chris Rock came out to present an award, prior to
listing the nominees, he motioned to Jada Pinket Smith sitting in the front row, and said, “Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see you.” He was
referencing Jada’s closely shaved head (which is a hairstyle she has chosen to
proudly flaunt while suffering the effects of Alopecia, a condition that causes
hair loss and/or thinning). Jada’s husband, Will Smith, got up, quietly walked
up onstage, stood squarely in front of Chris, slapped him across the face, and walked
back to his seat. Once there, he yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f--in’
mouth!” Now, since this is <i>my</i> blog, I’m obviously representing <i>my</i>
opinions, and I’m not interested in starting debates. I know that we are living
in volatile times where tensions are high and points of view can be polarized. But
here are my quick two cents: Was the joke insensitive? Sure. Chris is a
comedian. It’s common knowledge that comedians hit below the belt. Most of a
stand-up’s routine is either spent shelling out uncomfortable truths, backward
revelations, or jabs that nobody else is brave enough to say. <i>If you can’t
stand the heat, then get out of the kitchen.</i> You’d think Hollywood actors
would’ve grown some tougher skin than this by now. Doesn’t anyone remember
Ricky Gervais? What you DON’T do if you don’t like a performance by a comedian,
or a musician, or an actor, or ANYONE, is walk up on THEIR performance space
and assault them. I was in musical theatre for years. It frightens me to think
that if I offended someone by singing offkey, I might get a bicycle kick to the
neck these days. Chris handled it like a pro onstage. Will <i>should’ve</i>
been escorted out that evening; instead, he went on to receive the award for
Best Actor that evening (and later, the Academy announced he’s not to return to
the Award Show for 10 years, thankyouverymuch). I think Will is a brilliant actor, so I truly hope he's taken a step back and done some personal work and accountability. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrztvQDW_dX_jHgW_tXrfkm_JQ4Yl-kXWzLXULTSnAC3NVlR1g-xszzvxi5FzACUqrYFu0fIg2ORZfuFqAjqlTM8GNtlh-6KskSYY25jVwLlPXwTSSo0oSBNuCr0T6kW4tmUqfgyA0NrDxEII3j9ZC3FoN8zYRuLlnT-Pkl9b-ZixaW6QUZb3KkWUpA/s1536/will-smith-oscars-slap-00-1.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrztvQDW_dX_jHgW_tXrfkm_JQ4Yl-kXWzLXULTSnAC3NVlR1g-xszzvxi5FzACUqrYFu0fIg2ORZfuFqAjqlTM8GNtlh-6KskSYY25jVwLlPXwTSSo0oSBNuCr0T6kW4tmUqfgyA0NrDxEII3j9ZC3FoN8zYRuLlnT-Pkl9b-ZixaW6QUZb3KkWUpA/s320/will-smith-oscars-slap-00-1.webp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">MEMORABLE SCENES:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Ruby’s family attends her class’s
recital (along with her brother’s girlfriend who helps interpret). It’s a
touching scene because you can sense Ruby’s nervousness and excitement to
perform and the pride she takes in her family being there even though she knows
they won’t be able to truly enjoy it. It’s also a little heartbreaking to watch
her parents look around the room at the faces of the other parents. They’re wondering
if their daughter is any good. They see the entire audience smile, nod along,
and even tear up at such a moving performance. This was the one time in the
movie where the director decided to take our hearing away too which I thought
was a very interesting and well-timed choice. We sat in silence for part of the
duet and in solidarity with Frank and Jackie as they just watched their
beautiful daughter do something she professed she loved doing. At the end, they
waved their hands in utter pride. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmwStpqP-_qUSTMq_MNO40y-GyjCZPtyhgiOcxHuUbZuFR-w9DB2OlBBrJlEl82A_SHkSLiX4fJG4FF9ll57b3BseMDvoPUpy9k4t7zeQbUBIZZP0MPYKgP2IjmAEbjZXngIL-NnWxpipKaFsPrPVqYBqObcEWjkUorpV6szgLelI7l9dGJr7VidhVg/s1024/Coda%20audience2.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="1024" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmwStpqP-_qUSTMq_MNO40y-GyjCZPtyhgiOcxHuUbZuFR-w9DB2OlBBrJlEl82A_SHkSLiX4fJG4FF9ll57b3BseMDvoPUpy9k4t7zeQbUBIZZP0MPYKgP2IjmAEbjZXngIL-NnWxpipKaFsPrPVqYBqObcEWjkUorpV6szgLelI7l9dGJr7VidhVg/w200-h96/Coda%20audience2.webp" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHEt34UX-vw6EoFdKRD3N_HXTORUc4CCtUzU3HecnwBs207utSO4290-TzR3IR3AnIpfpBcRZHjircIBKhg5B8iEH6aTQm875BvKrx2hDChv5SnwSLXy8JCpxi0Ok2BW5uTakTi6hFWUDhSXy8mMVN_LrosRwZcQV5TcyWjDHmrn9KcwiTb4LWZbK0Kw/s2048/Coda%20audience.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHEt34UX-vw6EoFdKRD3N_HXTORUc4CCtUzU3HecnwBs207utSO4290-TzR3IR3AnIpfpBcRZHjircIBKhg5B8iEH6aTQm875BvKrx2hDChv5SnwSLXy8JCpxi0Ok2BW5uTakTi6hFWUDhSXy8mMVN_LrosRwZcQV5TcyWjDHmrn9KcwiTb4LWZbK0Kw/w200-h113/Coda%20audience.jpg" width="200" /></a><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">When they returned from the
recital, Ruby’s dad asked her what the song was about and for her to sing for
him again. Her placed his hands on her throat and neck so he could feel the
vibrations and asked her to sing louder. It was a touching, bonding moment. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkDoKlMNW0SI9FTIkrly67p3D2d0zxbd8CfUdyed__84w1ayeXLJkTNTX-jCO9enWytC0FV2pTAIrG6b2C8cTXfG-BLqw3yNDCVZQWTdzcKTXLnxRsJDmQPHnrxFRVI_Li0UQRFe4ivCAJHyERLLjGN43b3KnxE4xktIfrMy0xBgasIfSsdjAcUfrYw/s1024/Coda%20truck.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="1024" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkDoKlMNW0SI9FTIkrly67p3D2d0zxbd8CfUdyed__84w1ayeXLJkTNTX-jCO9enWytC0FV2pTAIrG6b2C8cTXfG-BLqw3yNDCVZQWTdzcKTXLnxRsJDmQPHnrxFRVI_Li0UQRFe4ivCAJHyERLLjGN43b3KnxE4xktIfrMy0xBgasIfSsdjAcUfrYw/s320/Coda%20truck.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">LESSONS LEARNED:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><u>1. Keep those lines of
communication open in the teen years.</u> I admired Ruby’s relationship with her mom. They joke around but
they also have a sweet heart-to-heart when Jackie is vulnerable and admits
something that’s hard to hear. You can tell that has only come from years of practice
and little “check-ins”.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">2. <u>Sometimes, teachers are the saving grace in a kid’s
life.</u> If you’re a teacher and you’re reading this, never underestimate the
power you have in motivating a student. Your encouragement (even if it comes
from a place of “tough love”) may be just what this one kid needs to hear to change
his/her mind, or make him/her feel loved, appreciated, valued, or heard. <o:p></o:p></p></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></p></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></p></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-1741018189724838612021-10-21T16:06:00.001-07:002021-10-21T16:25:00.694-07:00Nomadland, 2020<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsSJeCCrR6ErQ7ScbpIxf5XDi3lfMr-GYGBoYIsyhTPhuVvR1umnZ1QUCyt6Mcel0saDfW0ZfLSM0fIq94h3FpFBPrDkVWb2pzJ8pr_HBkuJjiY4D9FzTWNiRXYxAy5Bz4E1yrqGYmCmW/s565/nomadland-poster.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsSJeCCrR6ErQ7ScbpIxf5XDi3lfMr-GYGBoYIsyhTPhuVvR1umnZ1QUCyt6Mcel0saDfW0ZfLSM0fIq94h3FpFBPrDkVWb2pzJ8pr_HBkuJjiY4D9FzTWNiRXYxAy5Bz4E1yrqGYmCmW/w142-h200/nomadland-poster.jpg" width="142" /></a></div>Rated R<p></p><p>This year's Academy Awards show was just about the worst one I've had to sit through (and yes, I sat through the Hathaway & Franco debacle and the "Is it Moonlight or LaLaLand?" disaster). The show was broadcast two months later than usual to allow for a longer eligibility period for films. I was ready to extend all sorts of grace given this was the first year they've had to navigate an award show during a pandemic, but it had<i> high school dance</i> written all over it. Critics wrote afterward that it was the lowest-rated and viewed award show in history. Many viewers even turned it off mid-air due to the politically- and racially-charged comments of the celebrities. But I'm not here to discuss the caliber of the show itself, so I'll jump ahead to what should have been the most exciting, but was rather anti-climactic (par-for-the-course) - the Best Picture winner....</p><p>"Nomadland" follows Fern, played by Francis McDormand, as she travels across the American west in her van after losing her job at a factory that has shut down due to the recession in 2008. Her husband recently passed away and she's off to find temp work and live the nomadic life since the entire town has dissolved as well and now she is "house-less". She ends up selling rocks in Arizona, working the Badlands National Park in South Dakota, and packing boxes for Amazon around the holidays. We're also given a peek inside "van life" complete with the harsh realities of surviving frigid winters and my least favorite: bathroom situations. She meets new friends (some she returns to seasonally) in different nomadic communities, but you can tell she keeps her distance somewhat and won't invest too deeply. </p><p>There is a difference between being secluded and feeling lonely. A lot of us probably dream of peaceful retreats - time away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the noise, the responsibility, (the kids?) - where we are sheltered with our own thoughts and given time to process and reflect. Granted, seclusion <i>can </i>lead to loneliness, and I think Fern ended up going through periods of this during her journey. She was an empath who related surprisingly well with others. We'd see her listen, laugh, and give occasional pieces of advice. But she'd also close up like a clam. </p><p>Also, there is a difference between wanderlust and a purely nomadic lifestyle due to circumstantial loss or grief. People have looked at this film and thought, <i>"wouldn't it be great just to pick up and go?"</i> First, they've missed the point of the impetus of this community's "movement". We hear from [real-life] nomads in the film who travel for reasons of financial ruin, addiction, and family dysfunction, among others. Some stop and "settle back down" like one character named Dave, but most are on the move, never putting down roots again and you can sense this has altered their perspective - definitely making them more jaded and/or guarded in a way. </p><p>I didn't <b>not </b>like this movie, but it wasn't one I connected with on a personal or spiritual level. I respected the somber tone and the persevering gumption Fern had to keep surviving. But overall, I felt the movie dragged on; I wanted it to pull over and let me out. </p><p>The film's cinematography had its moments though for sure - there were shots that were quite stunning, proving that the breathtaking landscape of the American west is one that should be noted and visited. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaVuGruWBmY6MBd6ckvOEmVFRKgJGO6i0SI5OQONk3sDMRRo340i4WqM_7gfqPpOeOhVMtZvqHz_c2DXWW4cjkhfjEre0m3hNFLG3qAY-VK4CbaRnwWXrNhMpsoCI86JmE6fnuIM3KArKY/s1024/Nomadland3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaVuGruWBmY6MBd6ckvOEmVFRKgJGO6i0SI5OQONk3sDMRRo340i4WqM_7gfqPpOeOhVMtZvqHz_c2DXWW4cjkhfjEre0m3hNFLG3qAY-VK4CbaRnwWXrNhMpsoCI86JmE6fnuIM3KArKY/s320/Nomadland3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>"Nomadland" was up against "The Father", "Mank", "Minari", "Judas and the Black Messiah", "Promising Young Woman", "Sound of Metal", and "The Trial of the Chicago 7". I had not seen any of these films and honestly, I still don't care to. So I'm not offering a very good defense of "Nomadland"'s win- but this is my blog and opinion anyway. All eight films grossed a worldwide total of barely $35 million at the time of the show, which is an unimpressive amount for even <b>one </b>film usually. "Nomadland" had six nominations and walked away with three wins including Best Director and Best Actress. (While she was entertaining, I much preferred McDormand in "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" in 2017). </p><p>MEMORABLE SCENES:</p><p>Whenever Fern would have little heart-to-hearts with the other older female nomads, I tended to smile. They swapped truth bombs and nuggets of wisdom. These are two real-life nomads, Swankie (L) and Linda May (R).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy6qKQ56e9n41C7Kiq9iuGTpVGzQqzzCawxM92c5cAJZz9X9oYh7Lzzn8ZSZBhVh9DHmac0s-JF9u7MN5k0BJAjyDlD38wpkDqPbsKhf1uvRe5yAVInZGZWaXC3zrgCVwyU4pyyQiiZopv/s727/Nomadland4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="727" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy6qKQ56e9n41C7Kiq9iuGTpVGzQqzzCawxM92c5cAJZz9X9oYh7Lzzn8ZSZBhVh9DHmac0s-JF9u7MN5k0BJAjyDlD38wpkDqPbsKhf1uvRe5yAVInZGZWaXC3zrgCVwyU4pyyQiiZopv/w200-h133/Nomadland4.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZD74ITtOiyI6wcDgmUjvYkLgcwQUYuqgPo3sg4jBWK6fgMg0tdOgItiS1CFI-5MQhk_yPVbcmnbDjBcFxrjQuSroztp3oQ3wD_f5wWUfcr5V07a8B4hX9UIDULkK2rDtLVRlm7kTdAvn/s727/Nomadland5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="727" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZD74ITtOiyI6wcDgmUjvYkLgcwQUYuqgPo3sg4jBWK6fgMg0tdOgItiS1CFI-5MQhk_yPVbcmnbDjBcFxrjQuSroztp3oQ3wD_f5wWUfcr5V07a8B4hX9UIDULkK2rDtLVRlm7kTdAvn/w200-h133/Nomadland5.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p>LESSONS LEARNED:</p><p>1. <u>For many hardworking Americans, "the American Dream" is a cruel joke.</u> </p><p>2. <u>Community is where it's at.</u> Even though Fern chose the life of a nomad, she would meet up with these traveling communities, because it is with sharing and a sense of community that one finds companionship and purpose. She smiled more; she served and helped others, and carried on conversations that made her think more about herself and her predicaments. </p>ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-60187474811817181932021-06-24T14:20:00.006-07:002023-01-30T16:13:10.644-08:00Parasite, 2019<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBRN04HTk58S2CsziaE3kkaLUk_H63mxM2iGjSTiPTrmLkhlTkEyp7dNBfX2RfL7Vtub9bB3jogje1vAWWpOl2SpingUtb7o07HgxrGDXBOgym7pKHMARRhIfB9hXtRdq6DMRTEgjTqBC/s1093/Parasite.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1093" data-original-width="629" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBRN04HTk58S2CsziaE3kkaLUk_H63mxM2iGjSTiPTrmLkhlTkEyp7dNBfX2RfL7Vtub9bB3jogje1vAWWpOl2SpingUtb7o07HgxrGDXBOgym7pKHMARRhIfB9hXtRdq6DMRTEgjTqBC/w115-h200/Parasite.jpg" width="115" /></a></div><p style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Rated R<br /><span><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span>I actuall</span><span>y watched this Best Picture winner not long after it won the award back in February of 2020, but the next month the world seemed to shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We were all strongly encouraged to shelter-in-place; "distance learning" commenced, and my hubby and I decided to homeschool our children the next year. It literally felt like we were surrounded by the living representation of the title of this movie - our own parasitic creations. Our beloved offspring seemed to suck every moment of "spare" time and patience right out of me, not to mention every bit of food out of our pantry. </span></span></p><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">That said, I'm a year behind in posting this review, but better late than never, right? I'm holding myself accountable to comment on every Best Picture winner, and this one is special. "Parasite" is the first non-English language film to win Best Picture. (It was the first nomination for a South Korean film in the Academy's history). The film is a combo satire/suspense/psychological thriller. I mentioned to a good friend of mine that Hubby and I were going to watch it one night and she said, "Oh, I loved that movie!" I asked her if there was a lot of blood or if it was scary, because I'm not really a fan of either. She said, "Uh.. no. Not that I can remember." Dear reader, let me warn you now, if you haven't watched it, that my friend had amnesia. 😑 We only got through half of the film the first night and we thought it was extremely clever, even laugh-out-loud funny at times, and I questioned its R rating. Right at the halfway point, where we stopped it, I thought, <i>this could take a very different turn</i>. And it did. </span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">The Kims, a working-class family who live beneath a shop, take odd jobs and end up weaseling their way into working for the affluent Park family as they each pose as different skilled workers that the Park family suddenly (and conveniently) find themselves needing to hire. The thrilling twist comes when the Kim family discovers what is already residing in the Park household when they find themselves housesitting one weekend. Without giving away the psychological pieces of the story, prepare yourself for bloodshed at the end if you're opposed to that. (I turned my head at a few very gruesome moments). </span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Overall, I am so glad I saw this film (after I yelled at my friend) because it was through this sardonic experiment of human behavior that my mind continued reeling for days afterward. I kept thinking about class discrimination, ignorance, the lengths one goes to when driven by greed, the sacrifices one makes for one's family, and the holes one can dig themselves into if not careful. And even now, almost a year and a half later, I'm realizing that writer/director Bong Joon-ho was likely calling us all to action or at least responsibility within our stations/classes or we will continue to feed off each other in a continual cycle of stubbornness and/or greed. The goal is to find our shared humanity. Although I didn't see all the nominated films this year, I believe this one deserved Best Picture and I am so pleased that an international film won the distinguished award. </span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"Parasite" was up against "Ford v Ferrari", "The Irishman", "Jojo Rabbit", "Joker", "Little Women", "Marriage Story", "1917", and "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood". This was the first year that four films had double-digit nominations (10 or 11); "Parasite" only had six. It took away four of those wins with Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film. Interestingly, many of the nominated films had dark or gloomy plotlines. "Little Women", however, was a remake of a beloved classic. I thought it was truly lovely. I enjoyed the interactions between the four sisters (although I thought the woman who played Amy actually looked older than Beth). However, I'm still partial to the 1995 version with Susan Sarandon, Claire Danes, and Winona Ryder. I was also incredibly impressed with Adam Driver's performance in "Marriage Story". </span><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">FAVORITE SCENE(S):</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I'm not sure that I had a specific favorite scene but I especially enjoyed the second quarter of the film, which detailed how each member of the Kim family came to be employed by the Park family. I thought it was creatively done.</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamIzmPRwQBOMLlBw7eYorS-aoBq65CERaDcQZ_ZpOKtnv1LiqNzInrbPkBp2WxxCF1QVg0j__GFt_CKh5AFoZtJ7CwCsvHm4c-8WnqKP1342iz5XhSsXCqUTphFINf4bawwnLon0oxKRC/s1200/parasite-movie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="822" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamIzmPRwQBOMLlBw7eYorS-aoBq65CERaDcQZ_ZpOKtnv1LiqNzInrbPkBp2WxxCF1QVg0j__GFt_CKh5AFoZtJ7CwCsvHm4c-8WnqKP1342iz5XhSsXCqUTphFINf4bawwnLon0oxKRC/s320/parasite-movie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div></span></span>MEMORABLE QUOTE:<br />"You know what kind of plan never fails? No plan. No plan at all. You know why? Because life cannot be planned." Mr. Kim says this to his son after a flash flood destroys their home under the shop and they are forced to sleep in a gym. While I understand the sentiment - life can throw you curveballs that you can't control or are unprepared for - this is not an excuse to not have a rough plan or dream for your life. Successful people become that by dreaming and putting a plan into action. Will everything always go according to plan? No, but having options and avenues to pivot to are valuable when there is a diversion.</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">LESSONS LEARNED:</span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><u>Envy can make us blind. </u>Thinking that finally having what someone else has will make us happy is a fantasy. It's a temporary fix to a deeper problem. Focusing on what's missing in our lives only makes us blind to what we <i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">have</i>. There's a reason it's one of the "seven deadly sins" - it can be destructive and all-consuming. </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><u style="background-color: white;"><br /></u></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><u style="background-color: white;">Wealth doesn't make one immune to misery. </u></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><u>Do a background check or at least ask for more than one reference when hiring people to work in your home.</u> Yikes. </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><u>Don't rely on friends to remember everything about a movie and give good recommendations</u>. 😉</span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div>ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-21140949310859060722019-07-10T17:41:00.001-07:002021-10-21T16:25:12.878-07:00Green Book, 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1R6o4ii6M9x2f3uySs-zZe6NrmGkFIdNxpyAtwdsDXcMrq4lPqab8y156FxXhdax8d6bcobB0qEZy1EFQRRan65z0VNgCewwqEnDB9vKazthLxG3AEYA4gD3lQXG7Q3EuTzZIm4r364f/s1600/%252718+-+Green+Book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="666" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1R6o4ii6M9x2f3uySs-zZe6NrmGkFIdNxpyAtwdsDXcMrq4lPqab8y156FxXhdax8d6bcobB0qEZy1EFQRRan65z0VNgCewwqEnDB9vKazthLxG3AEYA4gD3lQXG7Q3EuTzZIm4r364f/s200/%252718+-+Green+Book.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;">
Rated PG-13<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Green Book was the
award-winning biopic that snagged the top honor this year, and I finally had
the chance to sit down and watch last month. I can always appreciate a film
that teaches me something about history, and in this film, I learned that the
title refers to <i>The Negro Motorist Green
Book</i> that circulated for those traveling in the south from 1936-1966. This
thick pamphlet, a “safe traveling companion” of sorts, indicated where people
of color could dine and stay the night, navigating its owner through the
volatile areas of the segregated south. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWg4edd9maHJNSznQtr0MM6UubhLm9ci2jKqG2-02SdHZ6xvw2IncSJUlBOLttCCwce9bJ1OW7OKlprsBiP0GDRHEaQk8y_ButouwhP3ijVA9uGiRA-7LxZb1FN7mVGy13_bV0HuNY1Pyz/s1600/%252718+-+green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="371" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWg4edd9maHJNSznQtr0MM6UubhLm9ci2jKqG2-02SdHZ6xvw2IncSJUlBOLttCCwce9bJ1OW7OKlprsBiP0GDRHEaQk8y_ButouwhP3ijVA9uGiRA-7LxZb1FN7mVGy13_bV0HuNY1Pyz/s200/%252718+-+green.jpg" width="148" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The movie is inspired by the
true story of Dr. Don Shirley, a classically trained and talented pianist who,
in 1962, has been scheduled to tour the southern states for several months
giving highly-anticipated performances for wealthy and well-known people along
the way. Here’s what makes for an interesting story though… Dr. Shirley is an
African-American man and he doesn’t like to drive. He not only needs to hire a
driver but needs to hire someone who can “take care of business” if something
comes up. Since he’s a learned, wealthy black man about to travel deep into Jim
Crow territory, unpredictable situations might arise. Enter Tony ‘Lip’
Vallelonga, played brilliantly by Viggo Mortensen, who knows how to throw a
good punch, doesn’t take backtalk, and will eat 26 hot dogs just to win a $50
bet. At first Tony doesn’t think he’s the right man for the job, but because he
needs the money to support his family, he signs on to be at Dr. Shirley’s beck
and call for several months, as long as he’s back by Christmas. Tony’s given
the Green Book as his guide and the road trip commences. And the audience is
treated to a reverse <a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/09/driving-miss-daisy-1989.html" target="_blank">“Driving Miss Daisy”</a> in a way – plenty of sarcasm,
cantankerous comments, and odd looks in the rearview mirror will have you
laughing out loud. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
This odd couple couldn’t be
more different… Dr. Shirley lives like a king above Carnegie Hall and comes across
as elitist and snobbish. Tony is a practical working-class Italian-American from
the Bronx who says what he means and is lacking in etiquette. BUT, given those differences,
these men learn to not only work well together, but actually get along
(eventually). Along the way, we get to see a more compassionate side of Tony
and a vulnerable side of Dr. Shirley. It’s understandable how this real-life
duo developed a life-long friendship. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
It wasn’t all funny and
feel-good though- there are scenes that had me shaking my head in shame at our
country’s ignorance and inexcusable hatred. But at times, I was proud of both
men and how they handled certain situations, albeit differently. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
In the end, it was clear that
these men were changed for the better because of the time they spent together.
Lessons were learned, opinions were altered, and lives were thus impacted
forever. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
“Green Book” was up against “BlacKkKlansman”,
“Black Panther”, “Roma”, “A Star is Born”, “Vice”, “The Favourite”, and “Bohemian
Rhapsody”. (Is it fair that “Roma” is in Best Picture category and the Best
Foreign Language Film category…?) I would’ve liked to see “Mary Poppins
Returns” get a nom, simply because I am a Disneyphile and I thought it was a
brilliant sequel. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen any of the other nominees so I
can’t rightly compare, but I will say that almost all of them were the
forerunner at some point. After “A Star is Born” came out, that’s all anyone
talked about and it was a shoo-in to win. Then “Bohemian Rhapsody” won the
Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture, Drama [and “Green Book” won for Best
Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy…. does that confuse anyone else?!?!], so
people thought “Bohemian Rhapsody would snag the Oscar. But then, like days
before the Awards ceremony, all people could talk about was “Roma”. So really,
I had no idea who would win and figured they were all probably pretty good. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
“Green Book” had five nominations and three
wins including Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor which went to
Mahershala Ali (for Dr. Shirley). This was almost a back-to-back win in the same
category for him since he won for <a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2017/04/moonlight-2016.html" target="_blank">“Moonlight”</a> in 2016. Interestingly, this was
only the fifth time in Oscar history that the winning film’s director wasn’t
even nominated. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
FAVORITE SCENES:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
It is abundantly clear that
Tony is not one with romantic words, and Dr. Shirley is made painfully aware of
this during a pit stop when watching Tony attempt to write a letter home to his
wife. Dr. Shirley ends up giving him some writing advice (that have the lady
relatives back home swooning) but keeps it real enough for Tony. It’s a
humorous scene as Dr. Shirley even works in a spelling lesson. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-nM-YftqrDuWdxWdxX5PufNIJnn7XLqVArqA5tWI3tFc4XjGfsOcFIY14geYr1NvqVF5ayjjyJA6nplHo15OXWYwkU3Ge_zGMeKY7XiswZbyCTBkYMQiT0QrKz4ifSTt2Q8Oa_qPGuI0x/s1600/%252718+-+fave1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="927" data-original-width="1600" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-nM-YftqrDuWdxWdxX5PufNIJnn7XLqVArqA5tWI3tFc4XjGfsOcFIY14geYr1NvqVF5ayjjyJA6nplHo15OXWYwkU3Ge_zGMeKY7XiswZbyCTBkYMQiT0QrKz4ifSTt2Q8Oa_qPGuI0x/s320/%252718+-+fave1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Tony gets Dr. Shirley to let
loose in a club unlike any he’s played in before and it was a joy to see him
smile so naturally like that.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjAXQTFvrdqjbyUqoMPjWV0CevZzM0zZQb2_6W0Zvt1Uk4zcIg5K_NF3q-LpbYNzkrnX6oSTPMh784FzOVnlOzph1K6o9WZTikY2k3yLQleiHAWgznwdsuDhoDQ_YWw5ALPAIiCea_yGh/s1600/%252718+-+fave2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjAXQTFvrdqjbyUqoMPjWV0CevZzM0zZQb2_6W0Zvt1Uk4zcIg5K_NF3q-LpbYNzkrnX6oSTPMh784FzOVnlOzph1K6o9WZTikY2k3yLQleiHAWgznwdsuDhoDQ_YWw5ALPAIiCea_yGh/s320/%252718+-+fave2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
LESSONS LEARNED:<br />
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">1.</span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Another favorite scene
of mine was when the two men were arguing about how the other didn’t know who
the other really was (their background). Tony accused Dr. Shirley of
complaining while living in a castle and Dr. Shirley shot back with,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i><span style="background-color: white;">“<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Yes, I live in a castle, Tony! Alone. And rich white
people pay me to play piano for them because it makes them feel cultured. But
as soon as I step off that stage, I go right back to being just another nigger
to them. Because that is their true culture. And I suffer that slight alone,
because I'm not accepted by my own people 'cause I'm not like them, either. So,
if I'm not black enough and if I'm not white enough and if I'm not man enough,
then tell me, Tony, what am I?</span>”</span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I thought this was a profound
statement. Whether we mean to or not, we expect people to fit into a nice
little box. It’s easier for us if people behave the way we expect them to behave,
but this is too simplistic. We are all complicated and unique. Imperfect people
make gross exaggerations on racial, social, and economic profiles too. Obviously,
it’s wrong and massively unfair for all involved. It’s sickening that Dr.
Shirley didn’t feel at home with “his people” because of his education and talent
and also didn’t feel accepted elsewhere because of his skin color. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I wish I had a profound answer
or solution to this. Instead, I just keep ruminating on it and wishing there
was a way we could accept each culture for what it offers and each person for
the child of God that s/he is. <u>If God sees us all as the <i>human race</i>, then why can’t we?<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">2.</span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><u style="text-indent: -0.25in;">A long road trip is
a great way to get to know somebody (or get on somebody’s nerves).</u> <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-83854634837081541392018-08-21T16:57:00.000-07:002021-10-21T16:25:22.854-07:00The Shape of Water, 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2VJlb1sWLeo1Hmgdx65pXh6-_P_zklkQm9uQMH_vsfy6m7MnMoE9HElfShT5pwHhCxEeFOjx5H0sPe6jcONy_BcTK9tGRujHMjg-VO2QCNZzkVomoXBVEQZ3Ues_ptccOsLr9zREfALt/s1600/Shape+of+Water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2VJlb1sWLeo1Hmgdx65pXh6-_P_zklkQm9uQMH_vsfy6m7MnMoE9HElfShT5pwHhCxEeFOjx5H0sPe6jcONy_BcTK9tGRujHMjg-VO2QCNZzkVomoXBVEQZ3Ues_ptccOsLr9zREfALt/s200/Shape+of+Water.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Rated R</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I started to watch this year’s
Best Picture winner on board my flight to Europe this summer, thinking it was
the perfect time to relax and jot down some of my thoughts. I guess I totally forgot
that I was traveling with my four children and that I wouldn’t have one minute
of peace or silence since my two year old would be in my face the whole time. I
also noticed twenty minutes in that something was blurred out and I then
remembered it saying that the film had been “modified and edited for
content” so I turned it off. If I couldn’t watch the “real” version, I couldn't give an honest opinion.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I was able to sit down a couple
of months later, and I have to say, I did not fall in love with this movie, nor
with the aquatic creature that our main character does. The Director/Writer
Guillermo Del Toro says this is a “fairytale for troubled times”. Overall, I
found it rather ridiculous and sometimes laughably so. But, for tradition’s
sake, I’ll go through with the plot line and my thoughts on it all…<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The narrator introduces the
main character, Elisa, and describes her as a princess, letting us know off the
bat how we should feel for her and this fairytale film. Elisa cannot speak, but
can hear and use sign language, so she seems to get along just fine. She even
cares for her next door neighbor who appears to be one of her two friends. The
other is Zelda, and the two of them work as night-time cleaning ladies at an
aeronautical research institute. The setting is early 1960’s Baltimore, in the
middle of the Russian space/science race. A “highly sensitive specimen” gets
delivered to the institute (Lord knows why exactly), and Elisa befriends it,
bringing it her favorite food, hard-boiled eggs, and playing music for it on a
record player. Though wild, the amphibious creature (who looks a whole lot like
the Creature from the Black Lagoon) learns she is a gentle soul, unlike the fairytale
villain, Strickland, who uses an electric cattle prod when he doesn’t behave as
expected. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Elisa decides, with the help of
her two friends, to bust Fish-Man out of his watery cage and release him when
the canals are at their fullest, on a specific date in October. He spends a
good deal of time in her bathtub waiting for his release date. (Meanwhile,
drama goes down between a Russian spy/scientist and Strickland who’s in deep
water, no pun intended, for letting the specimen escape.) While it is clear
Elisa has sincere feelings for Fish-Man and his well-being, I think it is too
far-fetched of an idea to believe she actually falls in love with him. But she
does; she feels connected to him like no other, and they share a love scene in
her flooded bathroom. Then we have to learn about a few of the details as she
signs them to Zelda. TMI, thanks. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">ENDING SPOILER: In typical
fairytale fashion, the monstrous villain is destroyed and the happy couple is
reunited in love and live happily ever after… in water. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Del Toro is quite the visionary
though, I’ll give him that. He wanted people to see this film as “realistic historical
fiction” and NOT as fantasy, or sci-fi, bless his heart. His film definitely
had a well thought out look. Almost everything in the film appears to be wet or
relates to water… whether it’s actually raining, or there’s a massive leak, or
the main character is mopping the floor of the institute. Also, the color
palette for the whole movie seems to have settled on blues and greens, aquatic
in tone. Add to that the music and camera work, both of which sound/seem fluid
in nature, and it’s a wonder I didn’t get seasick. The camera’s focus almost
floats from scene to scene rather effortlessly, and the accompanying music
sweeps you along melodically, not punctuated at all. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">There were three or four scenes
that contained nudity, most of which I thought were unnecessary. There was also
offensive language- they seemed to want to cover all bases so there were
inappropriate comments made to or about women, blacks, homosexuals, and the
disabled. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I went ahead and watched the
special features on my rented DVD which had a few interviews of the cast and
crew. Ironically, they each exuded more heart-felt emotion <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">describing</i> the film than when they actually made it. Regardless, I
still didn’t believe them when they said this is “the ultimate love story”. And
all I felt was bad for Sally Hawkins (Elisa) who said that for us to believe
they were falling in love, it had “to be real and right”…. agreed; and it was
not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then she lost me for good when
she tried to convince us that “love can literally break down walls”. There
aren’t enough eye-rolling emojis in the world to go after that. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">This year’s broadcast had the
lowest viewing audience in history which could be due to a number of reasons:
the disinterest from the lack of more popular blockbusters on the ballot, the ever-increasing
run-time of the show year after year, and/or even the politicization of
Hollywood and cultural movements like #MeToo and Time’s Up. “The Shape of
Water” had a whopping thirteen nominations and won four awards, including Best
Director, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design (those three didn’t
surprise me based on what I mentioned above). This drama/fantasy/romance film
was up against “Darkest Hour”, “Call Me by Your Name”, “Ladybird”, “Dunkirk”,
“The Post”, “Get Out”, “Phantom Thread”, and the oddest titled one, “Three
Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”. Most critics predicted that last one to
win BP.</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">FAVORITE SCENES:<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“Favorite” meaning this</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> scene
is memorable because it made me laugh out loud and roll my eyes at the same
time. There is a black and white daydream sequence where Elisa starts
professing her love for Fish-Man through song and dance. It looks like it came
straight from the ending of the Best Picture winner of 2011, “The Artist”.
Compare….</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYAtYMaJFApEXm25bOjozTitt1OWicV_d3MbwtOHNEolweUeYUTYXGNB-W7kRvuNc50FZ69u1FILgU7QYBgRfxrZ3XLp5WqESpnGAih64iB5XDiFoSKQXMl9HbxECkeDZljv85U-tRAauZ/s1600/shape+water+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYAtYMaJFApEXm25bOjozTitt1OWicV_d3MbwtOHNEolweUeYUTYXGNB-W7kRvuNc50FZ69u1FILgU7QYBgRfxrZ3XLp5WqESpnGAih64iB5XDiFoSKQXMl9HbxECkeDZljv85U-tRAauZ/s200/shape+water+4.jpg" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7XCPjtKN2O9tlQA2sDbZhW0ugP5LS8jcIvT9153AdW4RdC-S8o6EHEFH64Lj6wEI5_7z6NQtr67HGpUE1Car_iUl0mvEAg4BS4lLjlJkxG2XC_x5uDIa0guGZquNfRYYC_oeNDHWUtQRt/s1600/shape+water+3.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="993" data-original-width="1600" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7XCPjtKN2O9tlQA2sDbZhW0ugP5LS8jcIvT9153AdW4RdC-S8o6EHEFH64Lj6wEI5_7z6NQtr67HGpUE1Car_iUl0mvEAg4BS4lLjlJkxG2XC_x5uDIa0guGZquNfRYYC_oeNDHWUtQRt/s320/shape+water+3.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I have to admit that the ending
suited this fairytale well. No matter how harebrained the storyline is, I root
for love. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgQBumRhRndagzZfwvY9mFXK58EbyCEH6dH7guQ0db-48PuQzDvnqc86n8HYGHq36sopSme21Cu7oqji7Dt33UBSDuLykAkGeKunUtkY2jgKIQV-hJpveJGlnccsKBjZ2-WNXVQfCQqjGZ/s1600/shape+of+water+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="335" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgQBumRhRndagzZfwvY9mFXK58EbyCEH6dH7guQ0db-48PuQzDvnqc86n8HYGHq36sopSme21Cu7oqji7Dt33UBSDuLykAkGeKunUtkY2jgKIQV-hJpveJGlnccsKBjZ2-WNXVQfCQqjGZ/s200/shape+of+water+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: black;">LESSONS LEARNED:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><u><span style="color: black;">Empathy is an honorable
character trait and/or complicated skill to possess and/or cultivate.</span></u><span style="color: black;"> No matter how it is properly defined, a person who is
empathetic is automatically more trusting and relatable. Empathy allows for
more intimacy, tearing down barriers like facades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
<u><span style="color: black;">Love can grow in the oddest
of places.</span></u><span style="color: black;"> And who am I to question its
validity? Just a critic. </span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-40914677673244043002017-04-28T11:45:00.002-07:002021-10-21T16:25:34.619-07:00Moonlight, 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2d38eXqsMtnilsPM4u-X07S0j6K914MzaqjtFy2-b3R91CkNXKWfer5gJQHrFnVpRCWT9aQmW7kAXHFMBsfmiR7JTp_yZtMNhneztpSrbdVaadvOBJ80WZEySgy9VQJUgRCTNhMBAD0SV/s1600/Moonlight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2d38eXqsMtnilsPM4u-X07S0j6K914MzaqjtFy2-b3R91CkNXKWfer5gJQHrFnVpRCWT9aQmW7kAXHFMBsfmiR7JTp_yZtMNhneztpSrbdVaadvOBJ80WZEySgy9VQJUgRCTNhMBAD0SV/s200/Moonlight.jpg" width="136" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Rated R<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Following last year’s winner,
“Spotlight”, we have “Moonlight”. This came as quite a shock to me… as well as
EVERYONE that night in the Dolby theatre and watching at home. In case you
missed it, the already 6-time winner, “La La Land” was pretty much a shoo-in
for the top award. That’s all anyone was talking about. “La La Land” was
special; it was different; it was a fun musical with an interesting love story.
Critics and fans all over called it. Nobody was really talking about
“Moonlight”. Then Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway take the mic to announce the
Best Picture winner. Warren, for a brief second, looks a little confused, but
keeps smiling and shows the card to Faye, who happily says, “La La Land”!!! The
appropriate people take the stage and start making speeches, except Warren
comes back out with Jimmy Kimmel, the host, to explain that this was NOT a
joke, but that the wrong card was handed out (it was a duplicate from when Emma
Stone won Best Actress for “LLL”), and “Moonlight” was indeed the real
winner. Cue gasps from the audience and the awkward switching of important
people on stage. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“Moonlight” is a coming-of-age
drama told in three acts. Chiron, who goes by the nickname Little, is a young black
boy living in the projects of Miami (in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s?). We see he
is a shy, quiet boy who lives with his crack-addicted Mama, and occasionally gets
picked on by his peers. He finds a friend in an adult black man named Juan
who kind of takes him under his wing, providing him with home-cooked meals and opportunities
for safe and open conversations. We get the first glimpse of Chiron’s struggle
with identity: he asks Juan what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">faggot</i>
means and if he is one. At one point, the little nine-year-old comes home to an
empty house and pours himself a bath using hot water from the stove; I just
wanted to pull him out and hug him tight. Unfortunately, Juan is a drug dealer
who ironically is providing Chiron’s mom with her fixes. When Chiron discovers
this, you can tell it will affect their relationship. We don’t know how it does
though, because act two starts and we learn that Juan has passed away years
ago. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">In act two, Chiron is a
teenager who still seems shy and naïve. He has one friend, Kevin, who he has
one (non-explicit) sexual/sensual encounter with while sharing an intimate conversation
on the beach late at night. It’s clear Chiron is inexperienced and perhaps confused,
like many adolescents. Kevin ends up betraying him though when, egged on by the school
bully, he beats up Chiron. This clearly was a turning point in Chiron’s life
that hardened his heart and closed him off from having any other future intimate
relationships of any kind. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: black;">In act three, we find Chiron a
decade older, and hardened into manhood. Apparently, upon release from juvie,
he started “trapping” (which I had to look up- it means setting up drug deals
on corners) and made quite a name for himself. I held out hope that he had
listened to Juan’s advice years before, </span>“At some point, you gotta decide
for yourself who you’re going to be. Can’t let nobody make that decision for
you.” I mean, I guess he did; I had just hoped it would be for the positive. The
film ends shortly after Kevin reaches out to him by phone one random day and
Chiron decides to drive back to Miami from Atlanta to visit him. The encounter
is a little awkward as both men avoid talking too much about the past and their
unstable futures. We don’t know what the future holds for Chiron… will he ever turn
his life around and open his heart? </span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7vqm0lSxVFv5-Cp-DwWpdenjrTKhUy-WEsX5yk4OVCVEK7DLEF8tO1z8dEJJ8KaqaBEcWFsi8vXueNIf4xrBgDN8RXtL1fBxAi87Ru4WpbHUMr5AXrEPfrIK8myq_V0SZRWQERY35dj_/s1600/Moonlight+pic2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7vqm0lSxVFv5-Cp-DwWpdenjrTKhUy-WEsX5yk4OVCVEK7DLEF8tO1z8dEJJ8KaqaBEcWFsi8vXueNIf4xrBgDN8RXtL1fBxAi87Ru4WpbHUMr5AXrEPfrIK8myq_V0SZRWQERY35dj_/s320/Moonlight+pic2.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="color: black;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">Overall, I thought the movie
was alright. I thought the acting was great. I can appreciate the story itself
and the gravitas it has in today’s society. But I did think the film moved on a
little too slow. </span></div>
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;">I LOVE the movie poster. It’s
very simplistic in its image and coloring, but intriguing in its effect; the
three actors’ faces are sliced into one face- the three different, but related,
colors also symbolizing the three parts of Chiron’s life journey in the film:
childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The color palette was fitting; in the
first third of the film, Juan explains to “Little” why <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">his</i> nickname was “Blue” (an old Cuban lady said that when little
black boys run under the moonlight, they soak up all the light and look
blue).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t help but think of the
phrase, “black and blue” throughout the film. Chiron’s body took a beating, but
more importantly, his heart did too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;">This film was up against “Arrival”,
“Fences”, “Hacksaw Ridge”, “Hell or High Water”, “Hidden Figures”, “Lion”, “Manchester
by the Sea”, and the one everyone thought would snag the award, “La La Land”. Of
these nominees, I have seen “Arrival” and “La La Land”, but I’m very interested
in seeing a few of the others. I thought “Arrival” was VERY interesting- a
subject I haven’t seen done much in movies (and I’m not talking about alien
invasion). “La La Land” was cute. The ending kind of threw me and I’m not a fan
of Emma Stone, so that may be why I’m not singing its praises (as a BIG fan of
musicals). “Moonlight” also won awards for Best Supporting Actor and Best
Adapted Screenplay. It was the lowest-grossing film among its nominees. From a historical
standpoint regarding the Awards, this is the first film to win Best Picture
that not only had a homosexual main character but also had a completely
non-white cast. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;">FAVORITE SCENE:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">Juan, albeit not perfect, was
the father-figure that young Chiron was missing in his life. “Little” was
desperate for the positive attention and their relationship was special, even
if short-lived. It was reassuring to know that Chiron experienced a parental
love like that in small doses. Who knows where he’d be if Juan (and his sweet
girlfriend) never stepped into his life? One scene that made me smile was when
Juan took Chiron to the beach to teach him to swim. The dialogue is barely
audible over the music, but that’s intentional; it’s not the point. You can see
the trust Chiron has in Juan as he learns to relax in the water and float. The
symbolism here was not lost on me either… Juan’s hands, lightly supporting this
emotionally fragile boy’s body, saying in so few words, “I’ve got you”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjn2xO38skaNenu5Zu7qdx0t44NWc6bqcsXPWWToBEbssqTfSBk4a478J2VcqgOfkVXGNa7VMWZEkk4MUs53Okbk7XN7pDycrSyjA2NzENsD2QJGQPdau8fP-DVzrAY8bpqigQgXSwWGxS/s1600/Moonlight+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjn2xO38skaNenu5Zu7qdx0t44NWc6bqcsXPWWToBEbssqTfSBk4a478J2VcqgOfkVXGNa7VMWZEkk4MUs53Okbk7XN7pDycrSyjA2NzENsD2QJGQPdau8fP-DVzrAY8bpqigQgXSwWGxS/s320/Moonlight+pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span><span style="color: black;">LESSONS LEARNED:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">A child’s upbringing shapes who
s/he becomes as an adult. The past leaves physical, emotional, and mental scars
that affect the person’s life forever. This may seem obvious and almost cliché;
but it is painfully apparent how precious the time is when a child is young. <u>As
adults, we have the responsibility to mold and shape our youth, equipping them
with self-confidence, awareness, compassion, hope, and a drive to do good. </u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">Children want (and need) to be
heard. As parents/teachers/friends, we need to lend an ear as they learn to
work through difficulties. <u>We need to be available for them.</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<br />ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-1360292380407256912016-06-11T17:54:00.002-07:002021-10-21T16:25:44.656-07:00Spotlight, 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDn-P0_FFT0vLhXLdexKBI-cNoUm0aapRG1iCH37kqJVn0GZwRzOljVs0Z2X31Tsngnstc5c6y07WqYEHwBvO4-v5IM6R0EON1kwX8SbABkHp1mOdEZVvj8jmoZZeYSwrfQTweUKAMM5U_/s1600/Spotlight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDn-P0_FFT0vLhXLdexKBI-cNoUm0aapRG1iCH37kqJVn0GZwRzOljVs0Z2X31Tsngnstc5c6y07WqYEHwBvO4-v5IM6R0EON1kwX8SbABkHp1mOdEZVvj8jmoZZeYSwrfQTweUKAMM5U_/s200/Spotlight.jpg" width="138" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Rated R</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I admit I was hesitant to watch
this film. I am a born-and-raised Catholic and am proud of my faith. I am
certainly not proud of the atrocities that have happened under the shroud of
this religion. I had a fear this film would Hollywood-ize these tragic events
and end up making blanket statements that ‘Catholicism is corrupt’ or ‘most
priests are pedophiles.’ “Spotlight” did not do that, in its defense, but I
can’t help but wonder how many more people were turned off to religion because
of it, and that saddens me.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The journalistic team behind <i>Spotlight</i>, a side circulation of the
Boston Globe, is responsible for focusing on and bringing to light major
stories, and in 2001, they dig up a doosie. What is first an investigation into
a few child abuse cases within the local Catholic Diocese, snowballs into a
major scandal that involves a shocking 80+ cases and reveals that these priests
were not punished, but rather just relocated to different churches or dioceses.
It’s a sickening revelation. Boston has a very large population of Catholics,
many of whom we realize have been affected in some way by abuse but have been
too afraid to come forward. We learn the Church capitalized on this fear, paid
out-of-court settlements when needed, and simply rerouted the offenders rather
than jailing them and seeking therapy. The movie follows the team as they
discover more and more cases and speak to more and more victims. The end of the
film lists the names of the dioceses across the US that were/are under question
(although the list is not complete) after this sparked a nation-wide
investigation. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Another disconcerting piece of
this scandal though is that the Boston Globe had been sitting on information
given to them by previous victims for many years before this was sufficiently
given the attention it deserved. Boxes of evidence were shelved in the basement
because somebody dismissed it as speculation or insubstantial. Later victims
could have been saved if this had been brought to light sooner. Yet another
upsetting part of all this, is the small group of lawyers who represented the Church,
settling for pittances in order to basically shut the victims and their
families up. So. Many. Disastrous. Mistakes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Overall, I think the film was
well done but don’t think it deserved this top award for the year. I can’t help
but wonder if the Academy felt pressured to vote for it because it would make a
political and social statement in doing so. The proper media didn’t give it the
deserved attention when it was appropriate, and perhaps they felt they could
now. The film almost felt like a made-for-TV movie or a documentary… I feel
that a Best Picture winner should represent the very best we had to offer in a
year, taking the viewing audience on a journey and reaching a range of emotions
doing so. I don’t think I’m alone in this thinking, as it turned out to be the
second lowest-grossing film to win this award (behind “The Hurt Locker” from
2009). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
“Spotlight” also won Best Original
Screenplay and had four other nominations. It was up against seven other movies
for BP: “The Big Short”, “Bridge of Spies”, “Brooklyn”, “Mad Max: Fury Road”,
“The Martian”, “Room”, and the one most deserving of Best Picture IMHO, “The
Revenant.” I saw “The Martian” in the
theatre on date night and was pretty impressed. When the hubs was first telling
me about the movie, it sounded so extreme but realistic, and in my late pregnancy-brain
haze, I asked, “Wow, true story?” Face palm. I will say though, if we <i>had</i> been to Mars and left a man behind,
that movie shows exactly what would have happened- it all looked very
plausible. I also recently saw “The Big Short” which was considered a top
contender for this award. I’m not entirely sure it should’ve been though. Aside
from it being a very interesting/distressing/true story, it didn’t have that
certain <i>je ne sais quois</i> to win. (It could be the fact that I felt like it was
really a foreign language film… sadly, that vernacular and certain intelligence
is not compatible with my brain.) “The Revenant”, on the other hand- holy
mother of intensity! I saw a preview for that movie when we saw “The Martian”
and I immediately thought, <i>no way man</i>.
If I could get an anxiety attack from the preview alone, there was no way I
could handle the whole movie, even IF my main squeeze Leo is in it. After
“Spotlight” won, I figured I couldn’t accurately judge whether it was the
deserving winner or not unless I watched the film everyone thought was a
shoo-in for the award. So, I forced myself to watch it. On a small screen. With
a crappy sound system. There’s no doubt in my mind that it deserved to win Best
Picture. It’s just the type of film that encapsulates that achievement in
cinema. From the nail-biting storyline and passion of the actors to the
award-winning cinematography and breathtaking beauty of the rugged landscape-
it is an overall pretty phenomenal film. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
MEMORABLE SCENE:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Spotlight’s Team Leader, Peter
Canellos, said something that hit me hard: “They say it's just physical
abuse but it's more than that, this was spiritual abuse. You know why I went
along with everything? Because priests are supposed to be the good guys”. He’s
absolutely correct and that’s what’s so tragic. Along with the physical and
mental abuse as a direct result of these acts, the victim is also being given a
very distorted and false depiction of a spiritual mentor. The victimized will naturally come to question and likely
renounce their faith if the very person who’s supposed to be trusted is the one
taking advantage of them. I worked for a year as a second grade teacher at a
Catholic school in a suburb of Chicago where I witnessed the closure of several
schools in the Archdiocese as a result of declining enrollment. One of the
reasons: people were just too afraid to send their children to an educational
institution run by the Church. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMatnD77S2YIXFLnAQ_GMg0OdgMgYtwre_xYqkK4KVZaGi7P8pysBuRTQndS0Ro2fvDZp712Ojz-w7q2wxHJNKBkUgn1TH0088oDFgbl-7DLFzWMQNSiKtS-w0u2zkxO6sPpEdRHCUmK4/s1600/Spotlight+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMatnD77S2YIXFLnAQ_GMg0OdgMgYtwre_xYqkK4KVZaGi7P8pysBuRTQndS0Ro2fvDZp712Ojz-w7q2wxHJNKBkUgn1TH0088oDFgbl-7DLFzWMQNSiKtS-w0u2zkxO6sPpEdRHCUmK4/s320/Spotlight+pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
LESSONS LEARNED:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<u>Don’t ignore someone’s pleas
for help or dismiss them as insignificant.</u><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<u>Bringing attention to
something so monumental takes patience and a whole lot of guts.</u> The journalists worked long, hard hours making sense of
clues and notes, researching, and interviewing both victims and offenders all
in order to attempt to right a very big wrong. <o:p></o:p></div>
ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-58747893906945869682015-07-26T17:06:00.001-07:002021-10-21T16:25:56.267-07:00Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PdAKQ7Tl9y2t9PsoF6E2pmWPa-axzB0JUWzHBPiDlvXmONJ8Py378i2p2gYGhxr-DnxlIfqxjj4srZ4hcAghbuIu2PIOdPe8kb7chrdkQaBdEuIwMm3fzdRWnm0ZGK5RmzipH2JrhyZb/s1600/Birdman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PdAKQ7Tl9y2t9PsoF6E2pmWPa-axzB0JUWzHBPiDlvXmONJ8Py378i2p2gYGhxr-DnxlIfqxjj4srZ4hcAghbuIu2PIOdPe8kb7chrdkQaBdEuIwMm3fzdRWnm0ZGK5RmzipH2JrhyZb/s200/Birdman.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Rated R</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The title. I mean, seriously…
Are you asking me to pick which title I like best? Because, neither. The title(s),
and the movie, for that matter, are pretty ridiculous. I was floored when this
movie won the Academy’s most coveted award. I hadn’t even seen it yet, but
based on all the movies’ previews alone, I knew it shouldn’t have even been in
the running. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I’m being harsh. It was mildly
entertaining, but certainly not up to the caliber I’ve come to expect from my Best
Picture winners. The film follows Riggan Thomson (played by comeback kid
Michael Keaton), a washed up actor known as the superhero “Birdman”, who is
trying to hack it on Broadway by finally directing, funding, and starring in
his first play. But… the thing is, his alter-ego “Birdman” talks to him in his
head, berating him for being a nobody, and insisting he be great again. But it’s
not just that internal battle with his ego… Riggan has <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">powers</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He can move things
across the room with his mind. He can levitate. (But apparently, no one can see
this.) Here are my problems: There is no explanation of the supernatural; for a
film that has everything else based in the nitty-gritty of reality, I don’t get
how he can turn into Birdman for a couple of minutes and no one sees anything.
Also, what was Birdman’s super power?? He looks like a completely narcissistic,
oddly-costumed bird that does nothing for society. Why was he even popular? </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMfcAxuzonj_MNNwrcb95EAGbe_1LyK4x-n9dXr9aKNuWUMEawr53ssHMl97Nm-zC4Rjxc3LUpwhvpuOfF-KE6rXBrmp5MKFYsArVNwnywREGze61hZTvGgmToA1mWhT7nAOIU0zIR9JIj/s1600/Birdman+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMfcAxuzonj_MNNwrcb95EAGbe_1LyK4x-n9dXr9aKNuWUMEawr53ssHMl97Nm-zC4Rjxc3LUpwhvpuOfF-KE6rXBrmp5MKFYsArVNwnywREGze61hZTvGgmToA1mWhT7nAOIU0zIR9JIj/s320/Birdman+pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="color: black;">Seriously?</span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p><span style="color: black;">I was more intrigued by the
play that Riggan wrote and was starring in and his quest for the right actor
(entertainingly played by Edward Norton). Emma Stone, who plays his daughter,
on the other hand, drove me bonkers. So. Much. Overacting. (Oscar nomination? Really?)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
</o:p></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: black;">Throughout the movie, Riggan is
internally fighting for his self-worth, a better relationship with his grown-up
daughter, and some sort of closure (?) with his ex-wife. He basically wants
what everyone wants: to feel validated and be heard. He wants to leave his mark
on the world and he’s feeling rushed to do so.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The music in the film kept
throwing me off. It was endless jazz drum solos, varying in intensity and
volume. I didn’t like the end of the film either, but I guess it matched the
rest of the movie: just silly and a bit ridiculous. Overall, I was not a fan of
this film, nor would I recommend it, but I do however, know that I do not speak
for everyone, as many people online tout this film as being a psychological and
philosophical masterpiece. To each his own.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span><br /><span style="color: black;">This film was up against
“American Sniper”, “Boyhood”, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, “The Imitation Game”,
“Selma”, “The Theory of Everything”, and “Whiplash”….. ALL which I thought
would’ve won over “Birdman”. (I would’ve liked to see Angelina Jolie’s film “Unbroken”
in that list as well.) It had a whopping nine nominations with four wins
including: Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Screenplay. I’m
sure it was awarded Best Cinematography because it was entirely filmed with a hand-held
camera. While this style of film can be interesting and effective, sometimes it
can be plain irritating. In this film, I often got unattractive shots far too
close to an actor’s face during dialogue, and got a little nauseous following
Riggan backstage through endless corridors and around countless corners to get
to his dressing room. I did notice and was intrigued that because of this
style, the film was made to look like one long, never-ending scene. From
beginning to end, we were one with Riggan. <o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">FAVORITE SCENE:<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: black;">I’m a fan of Norton as an actor,
so I enjoyed this scene where he plays a highly-sought-after, albeit often
intoxicated, actor who agrees to perform in Riggan’s debut play. He ends up
coaching his director in the parts and it’s comical. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNakJzO8NEVScTFHkq5QtY6K-5nsusmdVtHYZ5AnmKrW5yAPoCHvxw3WST-J6B-6PEua4dktnUIkRvQ1sbaNZ4zBQR1j5dMvLJv31Sl5WpL9K-5S6X9AYTzXdrgKhsCQFPMKVTqe4-HXxb/s1600/birdman+pic2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNakJzO8NEVScTFHkq5QtY6K-5nsusmdVtHYZ5AnmKrW5yAPoCHvxw3WST-J6B-6PEua4dktnUIkRvQ1sbaNZ4zBQR1j5dMvLJv31Sl5WpL9K-5S6X9AYTzXdrgKhsCQFPMKVTqe4-HXxb/s320/birdman+pic2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span><span style="color: black;">LESSONS LEARNED:<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span><br />
<u><span style="color: black;">We are our own worst
critics.</span></u><span style="color: black;"> We’re hard on ourselves,
demanding the best. While it’s good to strive for greatness, accept your faults
and failures and don’t be too tough on yourself. Chances are, nobody else saw
what you saw.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span><br />
<u><span style="color: black;">Don’t be too consumed with
the admiration of others, that you fail to see the love of people who truly
matter.</span></u><span style="color: black;"> Riggan’s relationship with his
daughter was a bit strained and almost non-existent since he was so preoccupied
with being everybody else’s idol. <o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span> </span> </span><br />ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-90552765470111232202015-07-23T16:12:00.004-07:002021-10-21T16:26:06.609-07:0012 Years a Slave, 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUuNRkYQ-N16NF50piNL2xvzgPaV-abPlc5kEQJDaSj4w48So8qAIuLmQihe_xocec1j6m7ZX8H0kvQbWwiCfrycYvv4gbQwp24SDfCXBBTLMTDLheZwerJ9TkJGSoRiFjftlBo-3L0bF/s1600/12+Years.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUuNRkYQ-N16NF50piNL2xvzgPaV-abPlc5kEQJDaSj4w48So8qAIuLmQihe_xocec1j6m7ZX8H0kvQbWwiCfrycYvv4gbQwp24SDfCXBBTLMTDLheZwerJ9TkJGSoRiFjftlBo-3L0bF/s200/12+Years.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rated R</span></span><br />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tightness. Anxiety. Heart
in my throat. Pit in my stomach. That’s how I </span></span><span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">started watching this movie,
based on what I had read and heard from others regarding the harrowing scenes that
this film depicts about the brutal honesty of slavery. This is not an easy film
to watch. It has what seems like one unimaginable scene after another. Yet, I
will admit, it is a poignant film; one that is fully deserving of this year’s
Best Picture award. </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Chiwetel Ejiofor BRILLIANTLY portrays Solomon Northup, a
Northern-born musician and free man who when traveling away from his wife and
two children for a gig, gets drugged, kidnapped, and awakened in shackles. His
nightmare (or anyone’s really) is now a reality: he is sold into slavery and
brought to the Antebellum South. Nobody believes he is free, and why should
they? It was far too easy for absolutely everything to be taken away from him. An
educated and respectful man, he eventually succumbs to keeping his head down
and mouth shut in order to survive the following years after he’s sold yet again,
to a ruthless, despicable slave-owner, played villainously by Michael Fassbender.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s impossible for me to imagine how Solomon had the
will to survive TWELVE years of back-breaking and spirit-crushing work knowing
his freedom papers and his family were safe on another side of the country. It
is also impossible for me to envision that there was such hatred,
discrimination, and brutality towards fellow human beings. The tension that mounts
between Solomon, Master Epps, and even the young female slave, Patsy (who is
the object of both Epps’ lust and beatings), is enough to make you shake with
fury. One such outburst leads to one of the film’s most disturbing scenes; it
is burned into my memory. But Solomon’s steadfast devotion to his family, his
quiet pride, and his honest work ethic are all admirable. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sadly, slavery didn't end
with the Civil War or the Emancipation Proclamation. It was outlawed, but it
has not ended. Human trafficking is one example of the modern-day slave trade.
Stereotypes and attitudes that surrounded slavery then still permeate our
society today. The same racism that fueled the slave trade can be seen around
the country on a daily basis, and the media have field days shoving the
resulting violence in our faces, often blowing some instances out of proportion
thus instigating new aggression.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="background: white;">“12 Years a Slave” was
nominated alongside some other award-worthy (and -winning) contenders: “Dallas
Buyers Club”, “Gravity” (the film with the most wins this year), “Her”,
“Philomena”, “American Hustle”, “Captain Phillips”, “Nebraska”, and “The Wolf
of Wall Street”. Interestingly, six of these nine films were based upon true
stories with real people and events. This film received only three wins from
its nine nominations, including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting
Actress. </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Ejiofor was nominated for Best Actor, but lost to Matthew </span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">McConaughey</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> for “Dallas Buyers Club”. Oh, how I wish Ejiofor had won…
I’m not sure I’ve seen a more deserving actor, considering his role. </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white;">His facial
expressions conveyed what no uttered words could.</span></i><span style="background: white;"> The man barely had to change the look in his eyes, and
we were right there with him feeling his struggles. My hat is off to you Mr.
Ejiofor. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">FAVORITE SCENE:</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is difficult to pick a “favorite” scene when the film
is riddled with heart-wrenching ones, but my spirits were raised when Solomon
confides in Samuel (Brad Pitt) and a glimmer of hope is sparked. Samuel admonishes
slavery. There’s a chance he’s willing to risk his life to retrieve Solomon’s
freedom papers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaudTSGUGEvS0ZWsFIDwkWWHCreL5ScHsiifHGW0PZifwb5E605g9Okr_fRuJVUz97XyjKsbPE2IUquLzGhLDQBWd2S4SrXapBYsAXpzxQ6oRBbefa0MTVd004oya8lsvtEaQi8C3OauOx/s1600/12+years+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaudTSGUGEvS0ZWsFIDwkWWHCreL5ScHsiifHGW0PZifwb5E605g9Okr_fRuJVUz97XyjKsbPE2IUquLzGhLDQBWd2S4SrXapBYsAXpzxQ6oRBbefa0MTVd004oya8lsvtEaQi8C3OauOx/s320/12+years+pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The very last scene is one I will never forget. I
literally stood up from sitting on the couch with tears streaming down my face,
surprised at the ending (and upon learning that this film was based on Solomon’s
own autobiography). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4K7KqCmrYxEJSIDQWejCEgLollsrwfkdGeKK3s6KSI27JIaZKdJhu2hYR0znxsJedZySWrrJEeue6lmFB2W2k5j1sCoaKJ0cfNK030FxZtGKVzyuCZr3mBh_DZK6itJvnspbsK5CgdyZ/s1600/12+years+pic2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4K7KqCmrYxEJSIDQWejCEgLollsrwfkdGeKK3s6KSI27JIaZKdJhu2hYR0znxsJedZySWrrJEeue6lmFB2W2k5j1sCoaKJ0cfNK030FxZtGKVzyuCZr3mBh_DZK6itJvnspbsK5CgdyZ/s320/12+years+pic2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">LESSONS LEARNED:</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u>The Bible was and still is deliberately used to
manipulate and control the gullible or unsuspicious.</u> Its context is
constantly misconstrued in order to satisfy the person doing the preaching. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u>“Is everything right because the law allows it?”</u> This
loaded question was posed during a fantastic dialogue between Samuel Bass and Master
Epps. Our country was founded on certain principles, mandated a set of laws,
and even amended those in years that followed. I pray that as we continue to
fight today for what’s “right”, we are showered in and guided by God’s grace
and mercy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-89438819446071718122013-05-02T08:47:00.005-07:002021-10-21T16:26:13.811-07:00Argo, 2012
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvZNvSRbHqSijaE5cUKYgleKXRnSQoOrVI4yRi-QL3BHMgWI7vlQ-4HIHPeK5T93_nlNXbIxEke89emFgNsYyvRfOy_A9qgPgbkznie6F3p4QAi8wvY1cJ-rQeEBu-1ViGj2M4TY_0AC8/s1600/'12+-+Argo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvZNvSRbHqSijaE5cUKYgleKXRnSQoOrVI4yRi-QL3BHMgWI7vlQ-4HIHPeK5T93_nlNXbIxEke89emFgNsYyvRfOy_A9qgPgbkznie6F3p4QAi8wvY1cJ-rQeEBu-1ViGj2M4TY_0AC8/s200/'12+-+Argo.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rated R</span></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Academy Awards have come
and gone again and I’m back to comment on last year’s winner for Best Picture. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Argo” is a drama/ thriller
that is based on the true events taking place during the Iran Hostage Crisis in
the Middle East during 1979. Six US Embassy workers escaped the building during
a storm of Islamic revolutionaries and take up hiding in the private home of
the Canadian ambassador. CIA agents then concoct a scheme on how to free the
homebound six without being noticed and/or identified at the airport.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">CIA “exfiltration” specialist,
Tony Mendez (Affleck), comes up with a risky idea to sneak the diplomats out of
the country: He’s going to go over there, posed as a movie director, and take
the six trapped Americans out in public as the rest of his Canadian film crew
in search of ideal filming locations for their new sci-fi adventure flick
“Argo”. Of course, he has to change their appearance a bit, but not too much,
so that they aren’t immediately recognized by the revolutionaries who have word
of their hiding, but enough so that their Passport pictures still look like
them. Given all new identities to memorize, the six are understandably shaken
at the prospect of this literal life or death covert operation. And they’re not
the only ones, several CIA members back home aren’t too thrilled with this plan
but admit, it’s their best chance. It’s an incredibly precarious move for
Mendez too though. Not only is he risking the lives of the six, but if this
situation fails, it could be a national embarrassment for the US AND Canada.
The plan is so crazy that it just might work.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwIQkOIIxyC7_v-pJ7jxxh15hQkysjcDDSeNIZcJES3rl_RqhKwPBepQEAehkermV-Pvh0K3V5TrkiiwDQR5W7xwAQmO9e_3s8WhSce_j5abx0uA7Jt2Wzlgtlm27fkKXwya1pG7YCv0a/s1600/'12+-+new+identities.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwIQkOIIxyC7_v-pJ7jxxh15hQkysjcDDSeNIZcJES3rl_RqhKwPBepQEAehkermV-Pvh0K3V5TrkiiwDQR5W7xwAQmO9e_3s8WhSce_j5abx0uA7Jt2Wzlgtlm27fkKXwya1pG7YCv0a/s1600/'12+-+new+identities.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This secret mission was kept
secret from the public for decades in an effort to protect everyone’s
identities. I’m glad it was eventually revealed though, because I knew nothing
of this story. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The costuming and make-up
departments did an excellent job recreating this time period. Everything looked
incredibly authentic. In fact, I think there was real footage of the protests
interspersed with the film in the beginning. I did wonder how true it truly was
towards the end (the escape). My heart was racing like I was standing there
next to Mendez waiting to be interrogated at the airport. Was the getaway
really that close? Or were things a bit “Hollywoodized”?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This film was up against eight
other films including “Amour”, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”, “Django
Unchained”, “Life of Pi”, “Lincoln”, “Silver Linings Playbook”, “Zero Dark
Thirty”, and “Les Miserables”. I didn’t go to the theatres much last year, but
being that I adore the stage version, I did make time to see “Les Mis”. It was
a bit of a surprise that “Lincoln” didn’t win since that was the favored
frontrunner and highest grossing film that year. Although, six of the nine
films pulled in quite a bit of box-office sales all within a small range of
each other. There are some claims that “Argo” won the sympathy vote for the
obvious snub of Ben Affleck’s nomination for Best Director… who knows. He did
win that award at the Golden Globes, and it’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">very</i> unusual (only three films in the past) for a Director not to
be nominated when the film is nominated for Best Picture. No matter what, I
recommend this film and am very pleased I was “forced” to see it for this
continuing Oscar challenge. “Argo” was nominated for 7 awards and walked away
with 3 including “Best Adapted Screenplay” and “Best Film Editing”. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">FAVORITE SCENE:</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The whole last half hour or so
kept me glued to the screen due to the suspense of the escape. Here they are as
they’re being interrogated by airport security after showing their Passports.
They have to pull out all their fake film materials and really sell it to them.
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFnlh9soddFxV-nXujNrhJ1YL7_Jxvecss7LC4iFEDioK0O67_1vx-vJReJB0_P_sONEYHbcc559xpOE2g2QYwJrWavUQulzWIFksDR46K8MjVRnlErSbWzkyj9rPRNk3xBR6xRJmG6GNX/s1600/'12+-+fave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFnlh9soddFxV-nXujNrhJ1YL7_Jxvecss7LC4iFEDioK0O67_1vx-vJReJB0_P_sONEYHbcc559xpOE2g2QYwJrWavUQulzWIFksDR46K8MjVRnlErSbWzkyj9rPRNk3xBR6xRJmG6GNX/s1600/'12+-+fave.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">LESSONS LEARNED:</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">Think of others.</span></u><span style="color: black;"> Mendez could’ve been a coward and refused to put his own
neck on the line, but he had confidence in himself and knew he had to do what
was right in order to save innocent lives.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<u><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sometimes, you have to take
risks in order to get rewards. </span></span></u></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<u><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The CIA has some crazy
stories hidden in their secret files that we may never know…<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></div>
ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-2605717595776739922013-04-24T12:13:00.002-07:002021-10-21T16:26:21.524-07:00Final Thoughts<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My thoughtful husband is having
all of my posts from this blog bound in book form for me as a memento. Before
he sent it in for publication, I reread all my posts to check for any errors,
and to be reminded of my thoughts. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am so happy that I gave
myself this challenge… It “forced” me to see a lot of films I would have never
thought to watch. It was very interesting to be able to see the large range of
films that won the coveted Best Picture award. There are dramas, comedies,
westerns, musicals, and everything in between. I especially enjoyed watching
how movies have changed over the decades. To see how humor, story-telling, and
visual effects have changed through the years is quite apparent. I plan on
revisiting this blog every year, around Awards time, to comment on the newest
member of the club: the current holder of the Best Picture title. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hopefully you feel driven to see
a few films you haven’t seen yet based on my reviews. Now it’s your turn… I
challenge YOU to see all the Best Picture winners. If you watched just one new
film a week, I bet most of you will have seen all of them in about a year’s
time. Make it a New Year’s resolution some year. Then you can see how cinema
has evolved, audiences’ tastes have changed, and how some classic films have
stood the test of time. Then come back here and let me know what you thought. :)</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I thought I’d compile a few
lists (in no particular order) for you in case you were wondering how I would
rate these 84 films. What's interesting is that my five favorites are all films I had seen prior to this challenge, meaning no first-time viewing of another film could usurp any of those. However, I was pleasantly surprised with many movies, so I added another section for that. </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">MY 5 MOST FAVORITE FILMS:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/07/beautiful-mind-2001.html" target="_blank">A Beautiful Mind</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/09/driving-miss-daisy-1989.html" target="_blank">Driving Miss Daisy</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2012/10/dances-with-wolves-1990.html" target="_blank">Dances with Wolves</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/02/sound-of-music-in-1965-rated-g-this-has.html" target="_blank">The Sound of Music</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/04/titanic-1997.html" target="_blank">Titanic</a></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">MY CLOSE “SECONDS”:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2012/01/braveheart-1995.html" target="_blank">Braveheart</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2012/02/gladiator-2000.html" target="_blank">Gladiator</a></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">MY 5 LEAST FAVORITE FILMS:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2012/04/midnight-cowboy-1969.html" target="_blank">Midnight Cowboy</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/05/tom-jones-1963.html" target="_blank">Tom Jones</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2012/04/no-country-for-old-men-2007.html" target="_blank">No Country for Old Men</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2012/04/departed-2006.html" target="_blank">The Departed</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/07/american-beauty-1999.html" target="_blank">American Beauty</a></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5 FILMS THAT PLEASANTLY SURPRISED ME:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2012/03/ben-hur-1959.html" target="_blank">Ben-Hur</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/10/amadeus-1984.html" target="_blank">Amadeus</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/02/kramer-vs-kramer-1979.html" target="_blank">Kramer vs. Kramer</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2012/04/rain-main-1988.html" target="_blank">Rain Man</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/04/it-happened-one-night-1934.html" target="_blank">It Happened One Night</a></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You can see how the Academy
seems to favor those films with an adult rating (once the MPAA ratings system
was set in place). </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">RATINGS: </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not Rated: 35</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rated G: 6</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rated PG: 12</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rated PG-13: 9</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rated R: 22</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I also wanted to included a
little section of the facts and records compiled from the Best Picture winners.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">RECORDS:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Three films have tied for <strong>most wins</strong>: “<a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2012/03/ben-hur-1959.html" target="_blank">Ben-Hur</a>” in 1959, “<a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/04/titanic-1997.html" target="_blank">Titanic</a>”
in 1997, and “<a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/07/lord-of-rings-return-of-king-2003.html" target="_blank">The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King</a>” in 2003. Each film walked away with
11 wins, with the only “clean sweep” (winning every nominated category) being “LOTR”.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Two films have tied for being the <strong>most nominated</strong>: “<a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2012/01/all-about-eve-1950.html" target="_blank">All About Eve</a>”
in 1950 and “<a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/04/titanic-1997.html" target="_blank">Titanic</a>” in 1997, each with 14 nominations.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Only one film has won this <strong>one award</strong>: “<a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/07/grand-hotel-1932.html" target="_blank">Grand Hotel</a>” in 1932, and interestingly, it received no other nominations other than Best Picture, so in a way, it was a "clean sweep" as well. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The <strong>lowest-grossing film</strong> in Oscar history is: “<a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/05/hurt-locker-2009.html" target="_blank">The HurtLocker</a>” in 2009.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Three films have <strong>won the "Big Five"</strong> (Picture,
Director, Actor, Actress & Screenplay): “<a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/04/it-happened-one-night-1934.html" target="_blank">It Happened One Night</a>” in 1934, “<a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/05/one-flew-over-cuckoos-nest-1975.html" target="_blank">OneFlew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest</a>” in 1975, and “<a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/05/silence-of-lambs-1991.html" target="_blank">The Silence of the Lambs</a>” in 1991.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The <strong>shortest film</strong> is: “<a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/07/marty-1955.html" target="_blank">Marty</a>” in 1955 clocking in at 90 minutes.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The <strong>longest film</strong> is: “<a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/10/amadeus-1984.html" target="_blank">Gone With the Wind</a>” from 1939 clocking in at 238 minutes. Although... the <em>Extended Edition</em> of the winning film“<a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/07/lord-of-rings-return-of-king-2003.html" target="_blank">The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King</a>” from 2003 is 251 minutes long. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">And because I am such a Disney fan, I have to boast...</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">The <strong>most awards won by one person</strong>: </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">22 Oscars won by Walt Disney (22 competitive,
4 honorary). <span class="googqs-tidbit">He also won the most Oscars in one
year (4) in 1953.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span class="googqs-tidbit"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And the <strong>most nominations for one person</strong> is also Walt Disney with an astounding 59. </span></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">THANKS OSCAR FOR THE MEMORIES
AND ENTERTAINMENT! See ya next year….</span></span></div>
ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-91525161327367881332012-12-31T09:34:00.000-08:002021-10-21T16:26:31.407-07:00The Greatest Show on Earth, 1952<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZi1vYgWiv9xqo8_zjy3QGNEqndAkCTRPYhNUIhe_X0rinb31jhLaepC9Ha3QBz7nCLeExnMC2Y36M4aiyTFpYKWi_p92H8tO0HJd9iRUM_pqEa-wNoclCgQSBeKavmZorvRBqUXlFOM2/s1600/'52+-+The+Greatest+Show+on+Earth.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZi1vYgWiv9xqo8_zjy3QGNEqndAkCTRPYhNUIhe_X0rinb31jhLaepC9Ha3QBz7nCLeExnMC2Y36M4aiyTFpYKWi_p92H8tO0HJd9iRUM_pqEa-wNoclCgQSBeKavmZorvRBqUXlFOM2/s200/'52+-+The+Greatest+Show+on+Earth.png" width="130" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not Rated</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“The Greatest Show on Earth” is
most certainly <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> the Greatest Movie
on Earth. It’s such a bummer that I had to end this fun challenge with such a
crummy film. The story is obviously one about the circus, Ringling Brothers
Barnum & Bailey’s to be exact. Its part drama, a little comedy, and part
documentary. A narrator comes in every once in a while and gives a detailed
account (along with visuals) about the tedious jobs involved in setting up or
tearing down traveling circuses. Watching the absolutely enormous canvas tents
get laid out fascinated me a little bit, I’ll admit, but overall, I was bored
throughout a majority of this movie. Many (long) scenes were just like watching
a circus (ie. trapeze acts, elephants, tigers, clowns, parades around the
rings….).</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve never been drawn to the
circus, and it’s not for an obvious reason- I’m not afraid of clowns; I just
don’t think they’re funny. They were my least favorite part of Cirque du Soleil.
Circuses are just weird. I feel bad for the performing animals and hope they’re
being taken care of with love. In watching this film, I wondered why it was
ever appropriate to make fun of or laugh at homeless people, aka ‘hobos’.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As far as the storyline goes, Brad
the circus owner, played pretty poorly by Charlton Heston, is a man “with
sawdust in his veins”. He eats, thinks, and breathes his circus. So much so
that he doesn’t have time for a high-flying artist, Holly, who apparently is
his girlfriend. (Which reminds me… why was “pigeon” ever a term of affection? I
remember the Tramp calls Lady that in the Disney movie. If my boyfriend/husband
ever referred to me as a disgusting street bird scrounging for scraps of trash,
I’d probably punch him in the throat.) Brad hires The Great Sebastian, another
high-flyer who will work the center ring, in order to draw up more business.
Holly, distraught over being bumped to the second ring is disappointed in Brad
and ends up falling for the suave womanizer Sebastian. She yo-yos between the
two vying for their love in return. Her character is absolutely pathetic, and
Brad’s is a sap for not doing anything about it. Holly is such a poor example
for women (almost as bad as Bella Swan from Twilight). She drove me up the wall
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">entire</i> movie.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeddQR2rvv1KiGsnsPrd7RLZ0vFMRdHYjZg-Vp7xBSWbdsvAqB_NY5-Ligc2h7v6On0ACujrJ4VDuBcxxYtf5aF4rM5CDDOGDWB5SLMl378NwaBfjzcbsrrTDd71AoGBnIZP519s-2ZyOD/s1600/'52+-+actors2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeddQR2rvv1KiGsnsPrd7RLZ0vFMRdHYjZg-Vp7xBSWbdsvAqB_NY5-Ligc2h7v6On0ACujrJ4VDuBcxxYtf5aF4rM5CDDOGDWB5SLMl378NwaBfjzcbsrrTDd71AoGBnIZP519s-2ZyOD/s320/'52+-+actors2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Holly and Sebastian</span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The film also stars Gloria
Grahame, as another circus performer, who is recognizable as Violet Bick in “It’s
a Wonderful Life” and Ado Annie from “Oklahoma!”. James Stewart (the lead in “It’s
a Wonderful Life”) is also in it… as the clown “Buttons”, who never takes off
his make-up. He’s got a dirty little secret that eventually catches up with
him. It is a very different role for him and I’m not convinced it was meant for
him. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3vSzG55Q5ZcXWj1RM305kpSUpiVme3ZU7fED6kEcv8LZLf0tubZpYm015E846nxpWRCY5MN0PhRUwRKiE1hI3IX0n7JtM_EEwcxYu0wtoBuq5pZhfcVuRDo-EMwEdImryrxrnV97o19o/s1600/'52+-+actors.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3vSzG55Q5ZcXWj1RM305kpSUpiVme3ZU7fED6kEcv8LZLf0tubZpYm015E846nxpWRCY5MN0PhRUwRKiE1hI3IX0n7JtM_EEwcxYu0wtoBuq5pZhfcVuRDo-EMwEdImryrxrnV97o19o/s320/'52+-+actors.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Heston and Stewart</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have no idea why this film
won the coveted award. The story was long, melodramatic, and disjointed, the
acting was pretty poor, and the special effects were laughable. I know I
shouldn’t knock technology in the 50’s, but SO many scenes are obviously green-screened,
that I wonder if these actors ever even left their living rooms. One of the
most impressive scenes for the time, was the train wreck, which to me looked
like bad special effects from an old Thomas the Train episode. By now, you can
tell I wouldn’t recommend this film, but if for some reason, you’re dying to
see some circus action and have no opportunity to see a real one, then by all
means, grab some popcorn and “enjoy” this spectacle. (I’m sure that’s what
director Cecil B. DeMille had in mind when this came out… attract crowds whose
town couldn’t host a circus- although I wouldn’t call this a “kid’s movie”.)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My sentiments were confirmed
when I read that this film has been considered the Academy’s worst choice for
the top prize. Critics believe the Academy felt obligated to honor a great
director who had not won an award before as his career was coming to an end.
The film somehow was nominated for five awards and won two, including Best Writing:
Original Story (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">please</i>). This film’s befuddled
competition was “High Noon” (“the western for people who don’t like westerns”
which was expected to win), “Ivanhoe”, “Moulin Rouge”, and “The Quiet Man”. “The
Bad and the Beautiful” won the most awards this night (5) but was snubbed a
nomination for Best Picture. But most shockingly, “Singin’ in the Rain” also
came out this year, was only nominated for two awards, and won none! This was
the first year that the awards ceremony was televised- bummer it was such a
disappointment.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">FAVORITE SCENE:</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I refuse to say that the circus
stunts were my favorite since I’m convinced they were either involving stunt
performers or the actors themselves were really only inches off the ground, I
will go for a more human scene. Buttons knows the chances are high that he’ll
get caught if he hangs around after the train wreck, but he stays to be a
physician to the ailing Brad. It was a selfless move that really made me feel
bad for him. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That</i> was a moment of decent
acting. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRJTs54t8ub6rN6gQkuxhVn_35FvKSgwaWKDdOyC2EFE1ihhyphenhyphenq02ByJRdzXQ38erQPxZSrx4lrA1ui-o3SPNnxVB33Up4YuKA8LT6UvPk3f5Qy1GMoI_69bc9FQZtVTBl4lyKXUscamV0/s1600/'52+-+fave.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRJTs54t8ub6rN6gQkuxhVn_35FvKSgwaWKDdOyC2EFE1ihhyphenhyphenq02ByJRdzXQ38erQPxZSrx4lrA1ui-o3SPNnxVB33Up4YuKA8LT6UvPk3f5Qy1GMoI_69bc9FQZtVTBl4lyKXUscamV0/s1600/'52+-+fave.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">LESSONS LEARNED:</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">Everyone makes mistakes.</span></u><span style="color: black;"> Academy, I hope you learned your lesson. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">Work hard to pursue your
dream but don’t trample on or ignore people completely on your way to the top.</span></u></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">Parents, do not raise your
daughters to be like Holly, thinking she needs a man, any man, to complete her.</span></u><span style="color: black;"> Teach her to recognize what real love is.</span></span></div>
ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-11882785914044190352012-12-27T15:35:00.000-08:002021-10-21T16:26:40.487-07:00Ordinary People, 1980
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDsU-6CS3k5oes83V5ndC5WoxbLMzxnlfFwrAu1TvcZAdeORgI4aXxN6785pRMykvLVREbYpfFhJXhiWZt5EMAu6jJ0ydnnRGMVLuvK9tVnO935xGNZaobl3PGk1-RERgp8VLdzjhJBBAt/s1600/'80+-+Ordinary+People.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDsU-6CS3k5oes83V5ndC5WoxbLMzxnlfFwrAu1TvcZAdeORgI4aXxN6785pRMykvLVREbYpfFhJXhiWZt5EMAu6jJ0ydnnRGMVLuvK9tVnO935xGNZaobl3PGk1-RERgp8VLdzjhJBBAt/s200/'80+-+Ordinary+People.png" width="131" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rated R</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
<br />
I can't say I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">enjoyed</i> this film but
it was interesting. It depicts the heart-wrenching story of an upper-class
suburban family who is dealing with grief, each member in his/her own way. I
figured this film was based on a novel because there were inner dialogues. It’s
difficult to translate what is known as “third-person voice” to the screen
otherwise. I was right- this best-selling novel came out in 1976. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We learn, through
flashbacks and references, that the older son of the family accidentally
drowned while out fishing with his younger brother. The surviving high-school-aged
son is understandably self-tormented and even suicidal. He spent some time in a
mental hospital. The family doesn’t bring up the tragedy and instead walks on
eggshells avoiding conversations about feelings. The mother specifically,
played by Mary Tyler Moore, disgusts me. I know I shouldn't judge- everyone
deals with grief in a different way- but the way she acts as if nothing has happened
and doesn’t reach out to her grieving son saddens me. It becomes obvious that
she’s always favored/preferred her older son even though she doesn’t cry at his
funeral (!), and it’s even more obvious that she’s not getting the help she
needs to heal. I wanted to reach in and bear hug Conrad (the surviving son). </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The father has
a healthier relationship with his son, seems more open to communication, (which
is refreshing to see in a father and a husband), and it’s because of him that
Conrad agrees to see a psychiatrist. (This part of the film becomes very “Good
Will Hunting”- in fact, I wondered if Robin Williams and Matt Damon watched
these scenes before filming their own bonding sessions.) The psychiatrist,
played by Judd Hirsch, (who plays David Levinson’s very Jewish father in “Independence
Day”) is equally fantastic and gives us my favorite line (below). </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Newcomer actor,
Timothy Hutton, plays the teenage lead in this his debut film. In addition to
being in high school and all the drama that implies, Conrad’s also balancing
his own guilt and grief, dealing with insensitive adults (including his swim
coach), and trying to make/keep friends. I think Hutton is a terrific actor in
this film and deservingly won the Best Supporting Actor award for his honest portrayal
of this complex character (although I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i>
can’t figure out why it was considered a Best <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Supporting</i> role…) making him the youngest winner in that category,
at age twenty. Interestingly, Donald Sutherland, who plays the father quite
brilliantly as well, was denied a nomination. In fact, he’s never been
nominated in his whole career, which surprises me because I think he’s a good
actor. (You may recognize him from “The Hunger Games”, “Cold Mountain”, and
“The Italian Job”, to name a few.)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This film
certainly isn’t a “feel-good” movie and won’t leave you with a happy ending (a
nice ending piece of dialogue- yes, but a nice ending- no). But if you’re up for
a film filled with good acting and deep issues, this is a pretty good one. I
shed a few tears at times and feel I learned a few parenting lessons from it. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">"Ordinary
People" was up against "Tess", "Coal Miner's
Daughter", "The Elephant Man", and "Raging Bull". I've
heard of all of those but seen none of them. Interestingly, most of the films
were about "ordinary", struggling, "real life" people. The
winning film walked away with four awards from its six nominations, including
Robert Redford for Best Director. Some may think the movie “The Shining” was
snubbed a nomination this year; I will never know if I agree because I will
never see that movie.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">PUZZLED:</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The mother
hands out true candied-apples to trick-or-treaters on Halloween, served on a
silver tray and all. Did people seriously do that in the early 80’s?? Where
would kids put them? Did they have to scarf them down before making it to the
next house? ‘cause those were big apples...</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">FAVORITE SCENE/LESSONS
LEARNED:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">All of the psychiatry sessions are brilliant, but the
last one that they had together was especially poignant. Conrad finally admits that
he’s afraid to feel, inferring it’s easier for him to go numb. Dr. Hirsch
responds, “<u>Feelings are scary and sometimes they’re painful. If you can’t
feel pain, then you’re not gonna feel anything else either. You’re here and you’re
alive</u>.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2TIuQULlXbWn_pnqgXGVTJ3SAUPXG7W4_Kwh6zrsSJVnwsX7_Dd7X1jIXb_8i_9kT4-j-0HbDiFD_VpDX_4p8YzuG2k2NKSuHcIrsjMW4saohz5UUl5sneuiweqLYuZ6U3q-GPCDXCFGT/s1600/'80+-+fave.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2TIuQULlXbWn_pnqgXGVTJ3SAUPXG7W4_Kwh6zrsSJVnwsX7_Dd7X1jIXb_8i_9kT4-j-0HbDiFD_VpDX_4p8YzuG2k2NKSuHcIrsjMW4saohz5UUl5sneuiweqLYuZ6U3q-GPCDXCFGT/s320/'80+-+fave.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Denial is a powerful thing. <o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u>Communication is key</u>. Keeping emotions and
thoughts bottled down does damage to oneself and one’s loved ones. Find help.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u>Forgiveness is also key</u>. I think this goes hand in
hand with communication and healing. </span></div>
ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-49193790614145134542012-12-04T09:16:00.003-08:002021-10-21T16:26:54.012-07:00The Great Ziegfeld, 1936<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivgLQehVWzdWdbtbDmLeRdex-KC38dP57ptq_p_HuMAuSxDZF4qmTWl3njFsWROn8SIMl1gmgnDKJRzfT5avmlo_EXc6kiOpQZiqTVQ0_V1PPW7qg1VoTYwLg1xzMMSub3FXtWK2RLZY9k/s1600/'36+-+The+Great+Ziegfeld.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivgLQehVWzdWdbtbDmLeRdex-KC38dP57ptq_p_HuMAuSxDZF4qmTWl3njFsWROn8SIMl1gmgnDKJRzfT5avmlo_EXc6kiOpQZiqTVQ0_V1PPW7qg1VoTYwLg1xzMMSub3FXtWK2RLZY9k/s200/'36+-+The+Great+Ziegfeld.png" width="135" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not Rated </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ll admit I was thrilled to
see this film as soon as I heard what it was about… This biopic is about
Florenz <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ziegfeld, or “Ziggy”, who became
one of the most famous names in showbiz. The film reveals to us how he came
from lowly beginnings to create what he’s known for: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>his “Follies” and their elaborate costumes and
productions. He basically created the American chorus girl and put on the most extravagant
creations on stage. At his death, a friend said to him, “You’ll leave them with
the memories of the finest things ever done on the stage”; I only wish more
people recognized his name. I “know” him as the man who hired Jewish comedienne
Fanny Brice (played brilliantly by Barbra Streisand) in one of my favorite
movies of all time, “Funny Girl”. I was eager to see his story (especially when
I read the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">real</i> Fanny Brice starred
in it) and even more excited to see it with my mom who was visiting, since she
was with me when I first saw “Funny Girl”. </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This was MGM’s most expensive
film to date costing them $2 million. Rightly so, this movie needed a big
budget to correctly mimic Ziegfeld’s life and career on the stage. It is a
three hour “musical extravaganza” with seven production numbers and
twenty-three songs, but interestingly, I wouldn’t categorize this film as a
musical. The musical numbers merely show us what Ziegfeld accomplished rather
than being a part of the storyline. Ziegfeld was known to seesaw from extreme
debt to extreme riches a few times in his life. His fast-talking showmanship
definitely helped his business, but at his death, he was in debt yet again, and
left that debt to his second wife, Broadway maven, Billie Burke. (A little
Hollywood trivia: in order to work off his debt, she had to star in a few minor
roles, including Glinda the Good Witch in “Wizard of Oz”. </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> If you’re a fan of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i>
film that came out three years later, you’ll recognize both the Scarecrow and
the Wizard in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this</i> film.)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Overall, I was
pleasantly surprised with this film and definitely want to see it again. If you
enjoy the life of the musical stage, big showmen, complicated love stories,
and/or have seen “Funny Girl,” I recommend you see it too. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">This film was up against </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“Anthony Adverse”, “Dodsworth”, “Libeled
Lady”, “Mr. Deed Goes to Town”, “Romeo and Juliet”, “San Francisco”, “The Story
of Louis Pasteur”, “A Tale of Two Cities”, and “Three Smart Girls”, and won
three of its seven nominations that evening. I haven’t seen any of the other
competitors, so I can’t rightly compare, but I’m sure glad this one won so I got
to see it for this challenge! Although, I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">am</i>
interested in seeing “San Francisco” now that I’ve read it stars my new
old-movie crush, Clark Gable, at the time of the great ‘quake. This was the
first year that the categories of Best Supporting Actor and Actress were added
to the Academy’s ballot.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">FAVORITE SCENES:
</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In one
particularly extravagant production, Ziegfeld designed a rotating stage in
which silk curtains slowly moved to reveal singing actors on higher levels
designed a bit like a wedding cake. My mom and I sat amazed at the scene
wondering when the rotating and climbing was going to stop and how on Earth
they filmed that. It had to be the biggest stage I’ve ever seen. (Turns out, cameras
back then couldn’t hold that much film, so the cameraman would zoom in on a character,
change the reel, zoom back out, and continue panning.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOiS50ZnbMq85WP6iW7EzleWxs6loBEJpSdweCBig-eAHcgRXGbFEMaAHa4q5YfXE7x47YJz1IBaDjI-U7n-mAR24RR5_MCvnegrKa39S7XbE_2wb7w7zI7zzbJF0FP4TyzDbzCdDGrWR/s1600/'36+-+fave.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOiS50ZnbMq85WP6iW7EzleWxs6loBEJpSdweCBig-eAHcgRXGbFEMaAHa4q5YfXE7x47YJz1IBaDjI-U7n-mAR24RR5_MCvnegrKa39S7XbE_2wb7w7zI7zzbJF0FP4TyzDbzCdDGrWR/s320/'36+-+fave.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Although Fanny’s
name was quite high in the billing, she had such a bit part in the film. But, being
the comedienne she is, she owned that scene. Here is “Flo” presenting Fanny
with a mink coat as his way of inviting her to the Follies. She, naturally,
thinks he’s an imposter and the banter between the three of them is fantastic.
(Fanny is on the right.)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKx3L8TAuXgHWOTLWuiUkngoqd-jybUqwUNVt0VJ-OazF6D9hj3Xg_4254z0jTff_ZeddtLo2CU6wqFOa-KITL2wX0PfasQoEK-5iY_-RuaipkM76RyW8BQ-0G0SFXKfypu-eavDHWHf8K/s1600/'36+-+fave+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKx3L8TAuXgHWOTLWuiUkngoqd-jybUqwUNVt0VJ-OazF6D9hj3Xg_4254z0jTff_ZeddtLo2CU6wqFOa-KITL2wX0PfasQoEK-5iY_-RuaipkM76RyW8BQ-0G0SFXKfypu-eavDHWHf8K/s320/'36+-+fave+2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">FAVORITE LINE:</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A very broke Ziegfeld
and his new star, Billie Burke, declare their love for each other and Burke
utters the most beautiful line ever (which ends up being their proposal to each
other)…</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">FZ:</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> There’s little I can offer you, nothing I can give you except my love.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">BB:</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> That isn’t good enough. I’d expect part of your ambition, half of your
trouble, two thirds of your worries, and all of your respect.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">LESSONS LEARNED:</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I vow to look
at my marriage through the same lens that Billie Burke did.</span></u><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> I appreciate the way she looked at the
special relationship. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">If you have
enough ambition, passion, and confidence, go for broke!</span></u><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> You may actually wind up there, but then
those qualities should put you right again. </span></span></div>
ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-51030625933308388492012-10-30T22:51:00.001-07:002021-10-21T16:27:04.061-07:00Crash, 2005<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-E8517vVq-8QswLhr-DVzmYJniBOoh18pffFvceqlgcrr6T9LCHRDmR3tDdVYYAm5tvRSJt9T3zfrm1_zYiZm8jAJcAxJ1glsObyJNfdO3LVmWsnhdkYIiDBiS0PBmqC80BSqgFoFqxn/s1600/'05+-+Crash.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-E8517vVq-8QswLhr-DVzmYJniBOoh18pffFvceqlgcrr6T9LCHRDmR3tDdVYYAm5tvRSJt9T3zfrm1_zYiZm8jAJcAxJ1glsObyJNfdO3LVmWsnhdkYIiDBiS0PBmqC80BSqgFoFqxn/s200/'05+-+Crash.png" width="135" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rated R</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nobody feels comfortable
admitting that there are racial stereotypes, but there are. In this film, an
ensemble cast of recognizable actors shows us how those stereotypes affect us
all and how though we may not know each other, we can still affect one another.
Each character in this film is jaded in his/her own way and falls prey to
racial profiling. This is not a “politically correct” film and the filmmakers
wanted that way. They felt a “PC” film wouldn’t be portraying the truth. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This film takes place in Los
Angeles over the course of thirty-six hours. There are six stories that are
delicately woven together up to the very end, insinuating that we are all
connected. Since their lives cross, it gives you a “small world” feeling. I
like ensemble casts (BIG fan of the hit TV show “Friends”) and I especially
like stories that intertwine. The downside to ensemble casts, and my husband’s
argument, is that because there are no true lead characters, one can’t get
truly invested in someone’s plot (or plight) before being whisked off to
another scenario. I believe this film does it well. You are concerned for each
character and invested in their decisions and actions.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ll admit I walked away from
my first viewing saying it was okaaaay. I got more out of it this time around
and am glad I “had” to watch it for this challenge. I was put off by the racism
and violence the first time. Now I realize that’s exactly what the director
wanted. In watching the special features on the DVD, I learned that the
writer/director wanted to make a film about strangers affecting strangers- how
a person can affect another without knowing or even touching them. He knew the
views could/would be polarizing but he believes that when people get angry,
they start talking, and it’s when they start talking, that issues can start to
be resolved. Most importantly, he wanted us to question, “Is this about me?”
Sadly, I don’t think we’re anywhere close to getting issues of racism and
prejudice resolved. We’ve made progress, yes, but the task ahead is monumental.
</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Don Cheadle, who plays a
detective in the film, told an interviewer “You want to laugh but you ask
yourself, ‘should I laugh? Why or why not? A movie that makes you think or
question is always good’.” Sandra Bullock, who plays an uptight upper-class
housewife in the film, added that “we’re not safe from ourselves and our
prejudices”. Don is right on… some of the lines in the film reflect extreme
stereotypes and are funny but you war with yourself as to whether laughing is
appropriate- for that reason, I’m glad I didn’t see this in a packed theatre. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rapper Ludacris plays one of
the ensemble and his character runs his mouth like he’s got society all figured
out. The beauty of this film is that every character walks away having learned
something and been impacted. There is no “happy” ending, but knowing that each
life is changed appeases that. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The theme of “crashing” is
particularly evident in this movie and I wouldn’t really call it symbolic- it’s
just obvious. Cheadle’s character even states in the beginning of the film that
we are so desperate for human touch that eventually we will just crash into
each other. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This incredibly low-budget film
was up against “Brokeback Mountain” (highest-grossing film this year), “Capote”,
“Good Night, and Good Luck”, and “Munich”. I’ve seen two of those and wasn’t a
fan of either. Don’t ask me why “Walk the Line” or “Cinderella Man” weren’t
nominated! (Another one of my favorites this year was the winning documentary “March
of the Penguins”.) No one film was a top-nominated film and all six top awards
were split between six winners (Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress,
Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actor). “Crash” walked away with three awards
from its six nominations, including the deserving Best Original Screenplay. Audiences
were a little caught off guard about its major win since it wasn’t even up for
nomination at the Golden Globes (which is usually a good predictor of the
winners at the Oscars).</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think the picture on the movie poster was an interesting pick. It may seem like such a random shot to put up there to advertise your movie, but the more I thought about it, the more I appreciated what it represented. The repercussions of our actions can be serious. Misunderstandings happen all the time. Hopefully, we can be blessed with second chances when we realize our wrongdoings. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">FAVORITE SCENES:</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the characters is in a
car crash and a cop, who she unfortunately had an incident with before, is
first on the scene to rescue her. She refuses to let him help her, and part of
you can’t blame her. But then you see a shift take place in each character, and
I think it’s pretty powerful to witness.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMhPbBon4GflMfbspQjEy2kICYjxZPLImq5U4FgprGhYdh1f8Oji9tQyUGg_deQtwMWqxwkakvS-KV8yKtfUC7fSF0Ic4eLMxu010nLk21sckWaXrZwpi6Bc4PW5bm_IGcoa96X6K0jW9/s1600/'05+-+fave2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMhPbBon4GflMfbspQjEy2kICYjxZPLImq5U4FgprGhYdh1f8Oji9tQyUGg_deQtwMWqxwkakvS-KV8yKtfUC7fSF0Ic4eLMxu010nLk21sckWaXrZwpi6Bc4PW5bm_IGcoa96X6K0jW9/s1600/'05+-+fave2.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Michael Pena places the role of
a working father and has a couple scenes with his little daughter that just
melt your heart… like this one where he takes off his invisible protective cape
so that she can wear it and have nothing to be afraid of. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKp5zYK7JcRkEcRbQKa2NENl_5RCN0iz7K6zmZWZaqx-qu7DaORB6eeecu0fGhQfb7EfSR2V4x1TfwGXqlAOnRf_-gxXUqkPgcUweiL-hidpH79fgtGs8ixungXqLhKVWXGUMaqB9QQckC/s1600/'05+-+fave.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKp5zYK7JcRkEcRbQKa2NENl_5RCN0iz7K6zmZWZaqx-qu7DaORB6eeecu0fGhQfb7EfSR2V4x1TfwGXqlAOnRf_-gxXUqkPgcUweiL-hidpH79fgtGs8ixungXqLhKVWXGUMaqB9QQckC/s320/'05+-+fave.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">LESSONS LEARNED:</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Exactly what Sandra said: <u>We
are not safe from ourselves and our prejudices.</u></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">Think before you speak.</span></u><span style="color: black;"> Your words, though perhaps unintentionally, may hurt
someone.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">Stand up against racism.</span></u><span style="color: black;"> Have a no-tolerance policy about speaking ill of a certain
race, religion, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">Do your part to make this
world a more peaceful and accepting place to live.</span></u></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">Every person has their own
fears, anxieties, and insecurities.</span></u><span style="color: black;"> That’s
another thing that connects us all as human beings. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">Try to go into new
situations with an open mind</span></u><span style="color: black;"> (including
watching new films). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-47054020800067793702012-10-29T13:15:00.000-07:002021-10-21T16:27:14.621-07:00Schindler's List, 1993<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ajmzIPoVLdnlAJg9fAQhVumT00H5ZDHuiyh4zkMVq6FhGWfjDkz09R_sNVg_ZWx6KRhBvpZE1P2ujTI4XLSAFDUpNaXHubv5rAhAmmhsj2M_-ibYFtd6tL4x_R9MiOCXLsra8zxSN38Z/s1600/'93+-+Schindler's+List.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ajmzIPoVLdnlAJg9fAQhVumT00H5ZDHuiyh4zkMVq6FhGWfjDkz09R_sNVg_ZWx6KRhBvpZE1P2ujTI4XLSAFDUpNaXHubv5rAhAmmhsj2M_-ibYFtd6tL4x_R9MiOCXLsra8zxSN38Z/s200/'93+-+Schindler's+List.png" width="130" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rated R</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is one of those films that
everyone needs to see at some point, and preferably more than once. It is a powerful
masterpiece that is incredibly eye-opening, moving, and influential. It is a
historical dramatization (based on Keneally’s novel from 1982) about the Third
Reich’s Holocaust and how Oskar Schindler ended up saving the lives of more
than 1,000 Polish Jews (because of his infamous list).</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The three hour-long epic recreates
the period during World War II when Jews, living in Nazi-occupied Krakow, are
taken from their homes, stripped of their possessions, and placed in
impoverished ghettos and forced labor camps, only then to be relocated to
concentration camps, damned for execution. Oskar Schindler, a German
industrialist and war profiteer, becomes an enamelware factory owner and
appoints a Jew, Itzhak Stern (played brilliantly by Ben Kingsley), as his accountant
and right-hand man. Although he has his faults, one can see the glimmer of a
conscience starting to grow. Stern is keen on his somewhat softening heart and
when plans of relocating and refitting the factory are made, helps Schindler
create a list of “necessary” employees they’ll need. They both know that their employees’
jobs are the only things keeping them from the gas chambers. Schindler starts
to add more and more names (with Stern’s advisement) in an effort to save more
and more lives from their inevitable fate, all the while either bribing Nazi
officials or going behind their backs. In an incredibly powerful scene near the
end, after Schindler has lost his fortune and is now a fugitive, he breaks down,
wondering how many more he could have saved had he just tried even harder. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTpRYELkwFUwgOoJAsHnh5K41ORHvPbqHI9isoI2gUqhJLNj4eC72zyrSBxkiojY5tt4IEdiflW6XLnK3jAEJEXZtuSPvwhBO6S7dg4SHHKYalEjje2TuYqSrhWDxGAjwdcfGg8GW_iCE/s1600/'93+-+Schindler+&+Stern.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTpRYELkwFUwgOoJAsHnh5K41ORHvPbqHI9isoI2gUqhJLNj4eC72zyrSBxkiojY5tt4IEdiflW6XLnK3jAEJEXZtuSPvwhBO6S7dg4SHHKYalEjje2TuYqSrhWDxGAjwdcfGg8GW_iCE/s200/'93+-+Schindler+&+Stern.png" width="195" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is all juxtaposed to the
character of Amon Goeth, a soul-less and despicable human being (played by the
nominated Ralph Fiennes), who exerts his power over the Jews without restraint
or remorse. It is sickening to know that there were/are people in this world
capable of such unbridled hatred of others. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Most people remember the pop of
color in this black & white film... Before the evacuation of the ghettos,
Schindler watches as a little girl walks down the street wearing a red coat.
Much later, when piles and piles of clothes and shoes are being burned,
Schindler catches that same coat in one of the piles. I’m sure this was a
deliberate decision to make this more personal to the viewers… you immediately
recognize it and frown. It suddenly snaps you back to the reality of it all in
case you were starting to go numb from the sheer volume of unnecessary deaths.
It’s not just a pile of coats. Each coat represents a real innocent person. The
fact that the coat was a child’s makes you ache even more. (It is her arm that
is depicted in the movie poster above.) That is one example of the deservingly
award-winning cinematography, in addition to its interesting uses of
contrasting light and shadows and some <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cinema
verite</i> (hand-held camerawork). </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DvSz6M6s8pKRpjQk5d8S6tUQq0YRM5cX9GHSN-fVjAMg3rfssGiBjR2E8wQ1H_vsuclf-Na5FMqHoTxRr5e7uYWCdBt0dAn4r97yaQrZjAEfqHTMYRwFxjZOzyJJ1XFaq-0BeZ0mvsxh/s1600/'93+-+coat.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DvSz6M6s8pKRpjQk5d8S6tUQq0YRM5cX9GHSN-fVjAMg3rfssGiBjR2E8wQ1H_vsuclf-Na5FMqHoTxRr5e7uYWCdBt0dAn4r97yaQrZjAEfqHTMYRwFxjZOzyJJ1XFaq-0BeZ0mvsxh/s320/'93+-+coat.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A random note about the award-winning
music… I recognized the song “Gloomy Sunday” being played at times throughout
the film so I looked into it a little more to understand its significance. It
is a Hungarian “love” song written around 1933. The original instrumental
version was titled “End of the World” until a lyricist told a story about
suicide and translated the new version to be “Sad Sunday”. It didn’t become
famous in America until Billie Holiday sang it (with slightly different lyrics
in English) in 1941 (the version I’m familiar with). It is such a pretty song
for being so depressing and it is an interesting addition to the film.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="FR" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: FR;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Billie’s
version: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBIqLqUenz0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBIqLqUenz0</a><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="FR" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: FR;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I
think Bjork’s version adds a certain <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">je
ne sais quoi</i>: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCEJtUNe90A">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCEJtUNe90A</a></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Schindler’s List” won seven of
its impressive twelve nominations that night, considering it was the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">second</i> highest-grossing film this year.
This film’s competition was “The Fugitive” (the highest-grossing), “In the Name
of the Father”, “The Piano”, and “The Remains of the Day”. Spielberg finally
won his first Best Director award; this was his sixth nomination. He also won
three technical-advancement awards for another box office hit he produced this
year at the opposite end of the spectrum: “Jurassic Park”. A film that I feel
got snubbed a nomination is “Philadelphia”- a moving film about a man,
diagnosed with AIDS, who is fired from his conservative law firm. Tom Hanks won
the Best Actor award for his role in that film, edging out Liam Neeson as well
as Anthony Hopkins and Daniel Day-Lewis. Another memorable film that came out
this year (and especially meaningful for me since I have a sister with mental
retardation) is “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?” with one of Leonardo DiCaprio’s
finest performances earning him the film’s only nomination (at only 19 years
old!). </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">MOVING SCENE:</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s wrong to say I have a
“favorite” scene in a movie about the Holocaust, so I’ve renamed this section.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the most powerful scenes
for me was the very very end. I was crying so hard I could barely see the
screen. The camera (in full color now) focuses on Schindler’s grave and slowly
pans out to show a moving line of people coming to pay their respects by
placing a rock on his gravestone. These people are known as the “Schindler
Jews”- those whose generations were saved by this man simply marking their name
down on a piece of paper. It wasn’t until about halfway through the line, when
I started recognizing actors, that I realized each survivor (or descendant) was
being escorted to the grave by the actor who portrayed them in the film. It was
incredibly moving and respectful and an appropriate ending to the film.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEVUZdVrIH-XP4wqcOPrzKG3_PZfXVnL__0a-1CF3SfSJFwqQkSbwXkq76kZIcpVl5aXPM6JGDly83vFduZcRq3dCFF_FsUq_SnMRIBfCDIP0KZo_KlQHcsa5FiPH07PDNjz463hGRGcYt/s1600/'93+-+grave.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEVUZdVrIH-XP4wqcOPrzKG3_PZfXVnL__0a-1CF3SfSJFwqQkSbwXkq76kZIcpVl5aXPM6JGDly83vFduZcRq3dCFF_FsUq_SnMRIBfCDIP0KZo_KlQHcsa5FiPH07PDNjz463hGRGcYt/s320/'93+-+grave.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Spielberg paid homage to the
millions of victims of this atrocity by making a movie in their honor… the
least we can do is watch it. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">LESSON LEARNED:</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">Truly, one man can make a
difference. </span></u></span></div>
ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-83787730788460875512012-10-28T08:54:00.001-07:002021-10-21T16:27:23.737-07:00Dances with Wolves, 1990<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEVSwf2FMWmcs3T5FTbJ_aFmXpTD-3EhcqUHupR-68H7XDdOx4v_5XjEANNbQpaPN17VtBiIDN2viqEh46hpBYOiagaIIKzEaqTBTY0LbJkK2NTbemZ-F1Fzl9G0b_CGVdc3mQmMBO0feY/s1600/'90+-+Dances+with+Wolves.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEVSwf2FMWmcs3T5FTbJ_aFmXpTD-3EhcqUHupR-68H7XDdOx4v_5XjEANNbQpaPN17VtBiIDN2viqEh46hpBYOiagaIIKzEaqTBTY0LbJkK2NTbemZ-F1Fzl9G0b_CGVdc3mQmMBO0feY/s200/'90+-+Dances+with+Wolves.png" width="138" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rated PG-13</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve seen this award-winning
film three times now and I know I’ll see it again. It’s a long one, but it’s
worth it; I consider it a classic. The film tells the saga of Civil War Union soldier
Lt. John Dunbar (Kevin Costner) who becomes disillusioned with war and in an
attempt at suicide, inadvertently helps the Union soldiers win the battle. Now
a promoted hero, he requests to be repositioned out west. The commanding
officer (intoxicated and crazy) sends him to a post in the middle of nowhere.
Dunbar eventually realizes it has been abandoned, but learns to take care of
and live off of the land making the frontier his new peaceful home. We can tell
he prefers the solitary life as he is a pensive man, taking notes in his
journal daily, but he does make a friend in the hesitant but devoted
neighborhood wolf. He also encounters members of the nearby Sioux tribe and
after a slow introduction due to their language barrier and preconceived
prejudices, he becomes a trusted friend of theirs. Romance is perfectly
intertwined with the drama in this film when he falls in love with the only
white woman in their tribe (a woman they’ve taken care of since she was an
orphaned child played by Mary McDonnell who I recognize as the First Lady in
“Independence Day”). Dunbar is accepted into their community and given his new
appropriate name: Dances with Wolves.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kevin Costner,
co-producer/director/lead actor, could not have been more perfect for this
role. Unfortunately, he lost the Best Actor award to Jeremy Irons in “Reversal
of Fortune”, and to be fair… I didn’t see that movie, but I thought Costner was
fantastic. One can tell this must’ve been a passion project for him; the
attention to detail is impressive. I enjoyed watching the “making of” special
feature on the DVD almost as much as the film itself. I learned that Costner
did a majority of his own stunts, specifically during the scenes of the buffalo
migration. It made me appreciate the filming of that scene even more; the
cinematography had already impressed me.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was first shown this film in
fifth grade at my <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Catholic school</i>… the
last time I checked, fifth graders weren’t thirteen. Although I remembered a
few scenes, I can guarantee you that most fifth-graders aren’t capable of
understanding and appreciating this film at that age regardless if they learn
about the Civil War in their history curriculum. For example, three things
stuck out in my mind: a Sioux man scalping a white man (I covered my eyes then…
turns out they didn’t show it); a fast-forwarded sex scene; and the line “Put <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> in your book” (the man taking
Dunbar to his new post is annoyed that he is always writing in a journal, so
when he loudly passes gas one evening, he says that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hysterical</i> line). </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Two questions: What’s up with
Stands with a Fist’s hair? Every woman in the tribe’s hair is nicely braided
and hers is out of control. I’m sure the messiness was intentional… an
unbridled sexiness of sorts, but I just wanted to yell, “Girlfriend needs a
comb, y’all!”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVi1SyiSAkcSOizeOzffDNHpnlBD0Z1Mgl3cbLfda_NL8AvUZyUfyKUMNap_65xNIQfN1hn8lB7_qDj_mUVKw_NEn_tocyluwghkLfEv3FYxlwOt8gEbaERDyDpJWUKyQ43aA27Q4rC-Pd/s1600/'90+-+hair.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVi1SyiSAkcSOizeOzffDNHpnlBD0Z1Mgl3cbLfda_NL8AvUZyUfyKUMNap_65xNIQfN1hn8lB7_qDj_mUVKw_NEn_tocyluwghkLfEv3FYxlwOt8gEbaERDyDpJWUKyQ43aA27Q4rC-Pd/s320/'90+-+hair.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And why is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">that</b> picture of Costner on the movie poster? This poster quite
possibly wins the “worst movie poster ever” award for its irrelevance. It’s a
lame close-up and he doesn’t even look like that in the film! When you buy the
DVD now, here’s what it looks like:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_80KEyTQBhFyp2GEODdOaabmnhfa2PbQeJxNye0l7HpVDub21VYrdRzv2BS22cPrNBZoaNEzQkuIbaL4yMFzr__bJ3OD3eahTbdtWhiezIQFnX0CZDIWU-2dmwTYCWhSHpDW-TPCAuJS/s1600/'90+-+movie.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_80KEyTQBhFyp2GEODdOaabmnhfa2PbQeJxNye0l7HpVDub21VYrdRzv2BS22cPrNBZoaNEzQkuIbaL4yMFzr__bJ3OD3eahTbdtWhiezIQFnX0CZDIWU-2dmwTYCWhSHpDW-TPCAuJS/s200/'90+-+movie.png" width="145" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The genre this film was placed
in is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Western</i> (although some
disagree) which makes it only the second Western to win Best Picture in Oscar
history (after “<a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/08/cimarron-1931.html" target="_blank">Cimarron</a>” sixty years earlier). Its competitors included
“Awakenings” (didn’t see), “Ghost” (good), “GoodFellas” (eh), and “The
Godfather, Part III” (awful). It won seven awards from its astounding twelve
nominations even though it was not the highest-grossing film that year… “Ghost”
was. Another popular movie that came out this year was another one of my faves
and a permanent resident of pop-culture, “Pretty Woman”. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">FAVORITE SCENE:</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nobody can dislike the scene
when Dunbar is trying to find the word for “buffalo” in order to communicate to
Kicking Bird… it’s a fabulous game of charades. TATANKA!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwL0kvLJ0rygAOMh92DxvqOnD4iyWU_KlO34Vh5bK5Va_QVgqE9QgdnyUZGjFX_zTaNyGr7wH4EPh4n7X0bRWRS7bLyI-1sOY1uNQq8OH7Rlsa8o9rjrSYrvswO8vtVMUtLErCieNpAWqg/s1600/%252790+-+tatanka2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwL0kvLJ0rygAOMh92DxvqOnD4iyWU_KlO34Vh5bK5Va_QVgqE9QgdnyUZGjFX_zTaNyGr7wH4EPh4n7X0bRWRS7bLyI-1sOY1uNQq8OH7Rlsa8o9rjrSYrvswO8vtVMUtLErCieNpAWqg/s200/%252790+-+tatanka2.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5IlIYtANHLooAh_61Phyphenhyphenc5UQR-dSVNrXxU1cEWc1-VyU_DImLDqu___d_v7Bv0KXGuHtsxh9ftjLdtSjxN4_umLGsgSlTmuJuIeyMXLKNh3nN8xnHMJlMO_cWXrPboZYrb4ppISEFtWT/s1600/'90+-+tatanka.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5IlIYtANHLooAh_61Phyphenhyphenc5UQR-dSVNrXxU1cEWc1-VyU_DImLDqu___d_v7Bv0KXGuHtsxh9ftjLdtSjxN4_umLGsgSlTmuJuIeyMXLKNh3nN8xnHMJlMO_cWXrPboZYrb4ppISEFtWT/s200/'90+-+tatanka.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">LESSONS LEARNED:</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">You should try to learn from
and accept people who are different from you. </span></u></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<u><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Travel to what’s left of the
frontier and marvel in the beauty God made.</span></span></u></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">We all need time away (from
people, schedules, and technology) to “regroup” and/or reflect about the persons
we are and who we want to be.</span></u><span style="color: black;"> Take time to
take a deep cleansing breath.</span></span></div>
ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-2290782104924204192012-09-21T16:18:00.002-07:002021-10-21T16:27:31.690-07:00Rocky, 1976<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFU85jdJ6W_iFNvB7UJ26OMq-lgEcav_n2sc4o4TXJx82FwN1YYJEyAyP5mKVk4rhFtA-FfGPAlsDjHZrKe46zxNHI1IGPtRpFbm5oYgDBfETPaXmG7RGn2h35fHARSgZdVbr9n2aOQxh/s1600/'76+-+Rocky.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFU85jdJ6W_iFNvB7UJ26OMq-lgEcav_n2sc4o4TXJx82FwN1YYJEyAyP5mKVk4rhFtA-FfGPAlsDjHZrKe46zxNHI1IGPtRpFbm5oYgDBfETPaXmG7RGn2h35fHARSgZdVbr9n2aOQxh/s200/'76+-+Rocky.png" width="160" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rated PG</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You may remember that I’m not a
fan of boxing from my previous post “Million Dollar Baby”… I find no appeal in
it whatsoever, so I wasn’t particularly looking forward to seeing this film for
a second time. (My husband made me watch it shortly after we got married when
he discovered I hadn’t seen this classic.) I ended up enjoying it more this
time around but it’s still not one I need to rush back to. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oscar’s first sports film Best
Picture winner features “The Italian Stallion”, Rocky Balboa, (played by
Sylvester Stallone) as South Philadelphia’s underdog/has-been boxer from the
slums. Rocky explains that he was simply told, “You weren’t born with much of a
brain, so you better start using your body.” But he’s what the field calls a
“southpaw” meaning he’s left-handed. This can throw off a boxer’s timing so
proper training is even more crucial. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Apollo Creed, the heavyweight
champion of the world, decides to challenge somebody from the town and picks ‘a
nobody’: Balboa. Rocky accepts the challenge to “prove he’s no bum”. And
therein starts the infamous comeback. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Intertwined with the boxing
drama, of course, is a love story. Rocky falls hard for the local shy girl,
Adrian. Their opposites complement each other; in his words (when defending their
relationship to her brother): “It fills gaps, I guess. She’s got gaps. I got
gaps. Together, we fill gaps.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not
as memorable a line as “He completes me” from “Jerry Maguire”, but it has the
same meaning. He talks too much and she doesn’t talk at all. In time, he brings
her out of her shell and she goes through quite a transformation. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My dad (who’s a BIG fan of this
film franchise… I believe there’s<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> six</b>
of them now) brilliantly pointed out to me (how did I miss this??) that the
Disney/Pixar movie “The Incredibles” is a cartoon version of this story… the has-been
comes out of “retirement” for one last hoorah, trains night and day, and
becomes the hometown hero once again. Wouldn’t you guess, my dad’s favorite
Disney movie is “The Incredibles”. </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMO7RRRCKhlo4Zu7l_1glsiDYKPF5AdBVeBGLtyVKe7Z6HXR-rkgcM1O3JYsh6pQyHc0Og7A7wy3MmDzztnUEWF08KGXLr_RdjE89AvE3vJkhHXS3Xm2Y8MvEBIiWRsux3aTGu6pqbSFSE/s1600/'76+-+incredible.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMO7RRRCKhlo4Zu7l_1glsiDYKPF5AdBVeBGLtyVKe7Z6HXR-rkgcM1O3JYsh6pQyHc0Og7A7wy3MmDzztnUEWF08KGXLr_RdjE89AvE3vJkhHXS3Xm2Y8MvEBIiWRsux3aTGu6pqbSFSE/s200/'76+-+incredible.jpg" width="113" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My hubby and I visited some
friends in Philadelphia a few years ago and stopped inside the Philadelphia
Museum of Art. No, I didn’t run up the stairs and reenact Rocky’s triumph like
hundreds of tourists do each year, but I did remember that scene from the
movie. Nearby the museum, there is even a statue of Rocky.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheBGFEU12fuZil10ow_6yz0tDE3L4TBnDfrk-Mdsn-kz7Op8TGC86AfCy_CHJUbsEZLPasdM-osoYLpsWjLelUEQxSkt0a85KQx9poWZ6F4C1OBVhqstuiuHN4_ORUkzy2sNJU_TqPUVqA/s1600/'76+-+museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheBGFEU12fuZil10ow_6yz0tDE3L4TBnDfrk-Mdsn-kz7Op8TGC86AfCy_CHJUbsEZLPasdM-osoYLpsWjLelUEQxSkt0a85KQx9poWZ6F4C1OBVhqstuiuHN4_ORUkzy2sNJU_TqPUVqA/s200/'76+-+museum.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJivHKuozqLJDBLJWtnZLfsW486D3kMG0r42N6BWlQ2PMLVG9vGDA2stSmvCTipWIOmTb4Ce6oMPRK2zRycyFHp9lihRXBfHjtD09OiHTyjcPJo0CHniHnikG36zCTwws3h5PBpZzd_7j/s1600/'76+-+statue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJivHKuozqLJDBLJWtnZLfsW486D3kMG0r42N6BWlQ2PMLVG9vGDA2stSmvCTipWIOmTb4Ce6oMPRK2zRycyFHp9lihRXBfHjtD09OiHTyjcPJo0CHniHnikG36zCTwws3h5PBpZzd_7j/s200/'76+-+statue.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This fighting film was up
against “All the President’s Men”, “Bound for Glory”, “Taxi Driver”, and
“Network” and big surprise here, I haven’t seen any of those. This very low-budget
film had an impressive ten nominations and walked away with three awards
including Best Director and Best Film Editing. I did <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">not</b> know that Sylvester Stallone also wrote this film (in a
three-day time period)! He was nominated for two awards, Best Actor and Best
Original Screenplay, putting him in the same group as Charlie Chaplin and Orson
Welles- the only other two people ever to have been nominated for those two
awards. Stallone was an unknown, unemployed struggling actor trying to catch
his break. Boy did he. After writing 32 previously-rejected scripts, he
demanded he play the title role in this film if it got picked up. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">FAVORITE SCENES:</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rocky and Adrian’s first kiss
is pretty romantic and I can see how the filmmakers appealed to the women in
the audience with this love story.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another emotional scene was
when the old boxing coach comes around asking to be his manager for the big
fight. Rocky gets infuriated that this man wants this respectful job when he
never had any faith in him. But he changes his mind and chases after him in the
street. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">LEAST FAVORITE SCENES:</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When Rocky starts his heavy
training, he wakes up before dawn and immediately cracks six eggs into a glass
and drinks it. I, meanwhile, audibly gagged. You couldn’t pay me to do that.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz9rRLUyULa8ZVnq9LyhCM3Vxksxclfqzjp7TNBHfk1AeIYU9NsxyILmnhn5_AaqMUusT76D0UbqvD6Lnwo4KT7G0-a4LbtNw9tKjrldJdUQ_D2Bq3_qmse0-JBy0NyDOlpx6PilqSW67v/s1600/'76+-+eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz9rRLUyULa8ZVnq9LyhCM3Vxksxclfqzjp7TNBHfk1AeIYU9NsxyILmnhn5_AaqMUusT76D0UbqvD6Lnwo4KT7G0-a4LbtNw9tKjrldJdUQ_D2Bq3_qmse0-JBy0NyDOlpx6PilqSW67v/s200/'76+-+eggs.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another scene that grossed me
out, but is a scene that’s famous in this film, is when Rocky starts hitting
the hanging slabs of meat in the butcher’s refrigerator like a punching bag.
Just yuck.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9k6Bhby_R3m_i1Bh5YYZPYzIWpmozsWLiF1cQ3uxGfsdmcrwKeVuyG2xTmhOZy817sqwjcouzd8UL4HPfkKbHW-LJHqzHUlcCPYSjZESUhs8r2Fc28L2Zu3Pj5UCjdaXKEiVCc8pJGOlR/s1600/'76+-+punches+meat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9k6Bhby_R3m_i1Bh5YYZPYzIWpmozsWLiF1cQ3uxGfsdmcrwKeVuyG2xTmhOZy817sqwjcouzd8UL4HPfkKbHW-LJHqzHUlcCPYSjZESUhs8r2Fc28L2Zu3Pj5UCjdaXKEiVCc8pJGOlR/s200/'76+-+punches+meat.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">LESSONS LEARNED:</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<u><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Whatever you decide to do in
life or whatever goal you make for yourself, put your whole heart into it. </span></span></u></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rocky imparts some of his
wisdom when trying to convince the local “gangster” girl to go home and stay
away from the riffraff. He plainly states, “<u>You hang out with smart people,
you get smart friends</u>, you see? It’s simple mathematics”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Adrian: “Why do you wanna to
fight?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rocky: “Because I can’t sing or
dance”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<u><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Always choose to sing or
dance. </span></span></u></div>
ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-67519414910984483942012-07-30T12:05:00.001-07:002021-10-21T16:27:42.388-07:00You Can't Take it with You, 1938<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI27PkboxF3ORYy9wSWd2K-T4FE9cYh9mblZOLptWwpqAa6WcZMQp5G2QPvlrZ8w46nE3vwKjMstAnVIyWvE9L2m5sjgISuQuFMVxpgXNRdCOuSq8KdlpR-z_XJrDBp1KvJiZpmpNLbOUO/s1600/'38+-+You+Can't+Take+it+with+You.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI27PkboxF3ORYy9wSWd2K-T4FE9cYh9mblZOLptWwpqAa6WcZMQp5G2QPvlrZ8w46nE3vwKjMstAnVIyWvE9L2m5sjgISuQuFMVxpgXNRdCOuSq8KdlpR-z_XJrDBp1KvJiZpmpNLbOUO/s200/'38+-+You+Can't+Take+it+with+You.png" width="128" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not Rated</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This delightful little comedy
is an adaptation of a Broadway stage play and is directed by Frank Capra (who
brought us one of my all-time holiday favorites eight years later, “It’s a
Wonderful Life”). The story follows the eccentric Vanderhof/Sycamore/Carmichael
extended family that lives in a large house in Manhattan. The granddaughter of
the family, Alice, works at a bank alongside her beau Tony (who is the bank
owner’s son and second in command). Mayhem and comedy ensue as Alice invites
Tony (played adorably by Jimmy Stewart) and his uppity family over for dinner…
only they come a night early and surprise the Vanderhofs. It turns out that
Tony actually planned on having them come over a night early in order to catch
the Vanderhofs in their natural state (and not trying to put on airs for his
wealthy family). This, naturally, leads to a heated argument between Alice and
Tony… will they get back together!? Each actor in this film performs his/her
character’s uniqueness perfectly; it’s what makes this film so fun to watch. If
you’re a fan of my Christmastime fave, you surely won’t be disappointed with
this one.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIH28krEcDp7jcGxgCsvuheV8UaagB_kkVKAkKZKI07pq57FqoI45A79sXoSi1DSMVVTXbWfmwr46j_LWThxFIDBpDxQXKfivmlHqLFe757HPWkHrL22Fm8z_-p6zzr2tvlZ_HWjgvp538/s1600/'38+-+family.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIH28krEcDp7jcGxgCsvuheV8UaagB_kkVKAkKZKI07pq57FqoI45A79sXoSi1DSMVVTXbWfmwr46j_LWThxFIDBpDxQXKfivmlHqLFe757HPWkHrL22Fm8z_-p6zzr2tvlZ_HWjgvp538/s200/'38+-+family.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For those of you who have seen “It’s
a Wonderful Life”, you’ll see a few familiar faces in this film… for one, the
lovable James Stewart (who’s also in Capra’s “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”).
Lionel Barrymore (Drew’s granduncle) who plays the crotchety miser Mr. Potter,
plays the simple-minded but wise Mr. Vanderhof (aka Grandpa) in quite an
opposite role. You’ll also recognize George Bailey’s father. I guess Mr. Capra
enjoyed working with people he felt comfortable with and accustomed to…
although I do know that back then, actors had contracts with studios, so he may
not have had any say in the matter. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The title of the film comes
from the dialogue that Mr. Vanderhof has with Mr. Kirby (the bank owner) during
their surprise dinner visit. Mr. Vanderhof doesn’t see the point of stashing
riches, of “making more money than you can ever use. You can’t take it with
you, so what good is it? The only thing you can take with you is the love of
your friends.”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Interesting little thing I
noticed: while cleaning the house, one character appropriately starts whistling
the tune “Whistle While You Work”. Now I’m sure you all know that this song is
originally from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves”, but did you know that it
came out only the year before? It had already become so popular and engrained
in pop culture (just like another Disney song reference in the Academy’s first
comedy win <a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/04/it-happened-one-night-1934.html" target="_blank">“It Happened One Night”</a>.)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This film’s win was a bit of a
surprise given it was a comedy. It had an impressive seven nominations but only
received two wins (including Best Director). It was up against “The Adventures
of Robin Hood”, “Boys Town”, “Alexander’s Ragtime Band”, “Four Daughters”, “The
Citadel”, “Grand Illusion”, “Jezebel”, “Test Pilot”, and “Pygmalion”. I haven’t
seen any of those though I’ve seen the “modern day” version of “Pygmalion”: <a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/03/my-fair-lady-1964.html" target="_blank">“MyFair Lady”</a>. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">FAVORITE SCENE:</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The best scene in this film is
when the Kirbys come over for “dinner” and surprise the clan in all their glory.
Each family member is a little oddball in their own way and you simultaneously
feel embarrassment and delight in their new predicament. Since the food was not
going to be ordered and made until the next day, Penny Sycamore is in a tizzy
about what to do for dinner. Mr. Vanderhof seems unaffected and simply lists
some items they have on hand and can prepare in a hurry: “Get some beer, canned
salmon, frankfurters, canned corn, and sauerkraut”. I was crying laughing
watching Mrs. Kirby’s reaction as she looks as if she’s about to vomit. <br />
<br />
LESSONS LEARNED:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">I couldn’t helped but be
reminded of this Bible verse after Grandpa’s little speech to Mr. Kirby</span>:
“<u><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Do not store up for yourselves
treasures on earth</span></u><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">, where
moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But <u>store up
for yourselves treasures in heaven</u>…” Matthew 6:19-20. In today’s society,
we place a lot of emphasis on material goods. Keep in mind <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we can’t take them with us</i> and should be practicing important
virtues of patience and love with one another here on earth. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Along those lines and at the
risk of sounding cliché: <u>money can’t make you happy</u>. You can’t buy your
happiness- it comes from within. And it’s what you do with your money,
property, belongings that really matters. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’d like to revise Mr.
Vanderhof’s last part of his lesson though… you can take the love of your friends
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AND family and the kindness you bestowed
on others</b>. <u>It’s important to do nice things for others (not just the
people you know well). </u><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">We’re all embarrassed by our
families.</span></u><span style="color: black;"> But remember, our individual
quirks and insanities, if you will, are our own family inheritance. So c’mon-
let’s put the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fun</i> back in
dysfunctional! </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div>ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-60962040123028448282012-07-13T21:04:00.001-07:002021-10-21T16:27:54.008-07:00Gandhi, 1982<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9sqQeCizFm2Qses-CfhslEmm7OVQ1aXJ4hp1g42bngl9h23E1IxwQ4byTW9FvsGGLJ_lUY0-JdFUsDZ94PNssrBSq9zLfyMFHf1XU_t7YF-Wi5Ze5yzlNG5NhRsmYlf_apvxrJQlC5zWF/s1600/'82+-+Gandhi.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9sqQeCizFm2Qses-CfhslEmm7OVQ1aXJ4hp1g42bngl9h23E1IxwQ4byTW9FvsGGLJ_lUY0-JdFUsDZ94PNssrBSq9zLfyMFHf1XU_t7YF-Wi5Ze5yzlNG5NhRsmYlf_apvxrJQlC5zWF/s200/'82+-+Gandhi.png" width="134" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rated PG (may be a little
lenient)</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I thought I’d follow up my last
post with another post about a religious and historical film. Interestingly,
this is the second year in a row that a film with religious themes won the top
honor (following <a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/06/chariots-of-fire-1981.html" target="_blank">“Chariots of Fire”</a> the year before).</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My husband knows practically
everything there is to know about me (and vice versa) since I’ve been with him
now for more than half of my life. But, when we sat down to watch this Oscar
winner, I was surprised that he had never seen this before. He was equally
surprised that I had seen this twice already. (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How can you NOT have seen “Gandhi”??</i>, I thought.) Thanks to my
parents, I saw this when I was young, (actually too young to really appreciate
it), but many things stayed with me encouraging me to watch it again when I was
an adult. I got even more out of it watching it a third time. I highly
recommend this film to anyone; it is a good history lesson in addition to having
valuable lessons in servitude, humility, and faith.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This three hour-long epic is
the life story of Mohandas K. “Mahatma” Gandhi, a man who became a prominent
Indian leader promoting civil disobedience through non-violence. In his early
life, Gandhi was an established lawyer in South Africa who helped attain civil
rights for Hindis and Muslims through acts of non-violence. Upon returning to impoverished
India in 1915, he decides to actively continue his campaign of non-violence and
non-cooperation while “fighting” for India’s independence from Britain. He also
works for the emancipation of the “untouchables”- the lowest class on the caste
system required to clean latrines, sweep, and scavenge. He selflessly forsakes
worldly possessions and fasts many times in his life, even to the brink of
death. He is imprisoned for political offenses but continues to preach peace
and truth and “fight” for a self-sufficient India up until the day he is
assassinated in 1948. (As you can see, the film covers a good chunk of time.) </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">Gandhi is known as “The Father
of the Nation” in India and his birthday, October 2<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup>, is a national
holiday and celebrated worldwide as the International Day of Non-Violence. This
is an excerpt of a speech given at Gandhi’s funeral (also in the film): </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The object of this massive tribute died as
he had always lived - a private man without wealth, without property, </span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">without<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">
official title or office. Mahatma Gandhi was not a commander of great armies
nor ruler of vast lands. He could boast no scientific achievements or artistic
gift. Yet men, governments and dignitaries from all over the world have joined
hands today to pay homage to this little brown man in the loincloth who led his
country to freedom. Pope Pius, the Archbishop of Canterbury, President Truman,
Chiang Kai-shek, The Foreign Minister of Russia, the President of France... are
among the millions here and abroad who have lamented his passing. In the words
of General George C. Marshall, the American Secretary of State, "Mahatma
Gandhi had become the spokesman for the conscience of mankind, a man who made
humility and simple truth more powerful than empires." And Albert Einstein
added, "Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this
ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.”</i> After reading that, who <u>wouldn’t</u>
want to see this movie and learn more about this remarkable man!?</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There were quite a few terms
thrown around in this film that I was naïve to their meanings: Sammie (a
derogatory term for an African-American), coon (an offensive term for a black
person), kaffir (an insulting term for a black African), coolie (a Hindi word
for West-Indian baggage carriers, turned derogatory), and fakir (a Muslim or
Hindu who lives solely on alms). I had heard of “coon” before, but all of these
words were derogatively used towards Gandhi (an Indian), so that’s why I was
confused. Name-calling is so childish; I don’t understand it or have patience
for it.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Perhaps I’m being too
conservative, but I think this film is violent enough to warrant a PG-13
rating. There are beatings, riots, and open shootings in crowds; that and the
subject matter should be saved for someone old enough to understand and handle
its meaning. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">From its impressive eleven
nominations, “Gandhi” walked away with eight awards including a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">well</b>-deserved Best Actor award for Ben
Kingsley. Kingsley <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">became</b> Gandhi.
His transformation in looks, mannerisms, and speech is amazing. This winner was
up against “E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial”, “Missing”, “Tootsie”, and “The
Verdict”. I am confident that the correct film one; no other competition comes
close, even though “E.T.” was clearly the blockbuster hit this year, and I do
enjoy that film. (“Gandhi” only grossed one-seventh that of “E.T.”). However, I
am very surprised to learn that a very influential movie was left out of this
year’s nominations: “Sophie’s Choice”. That is a powerful and emotional film
with one very traumatically scarring scene (her <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">choice</i>) that I think should have deserved a nomination. Meryl
Streep won one of her three Academy Awards for Best Actress for her portrayal
of Sophie (see another one of her award-winning performances in <a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/02/kramer-vs-kramer-1979.html" target="_blank">“Kramer vs.Kramer”</a>). </span></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The real Gandhi (very late in his life) and Ben Kingsley… </span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6c53Y_tud1zIF66wXx3If9JZLg1yxQsahE-AA5Znf9ZDfDQ6NAEoBtwMhNpOysICPHK6TB8Gfv9DBNBp3Bz5uNOk6UzquIF3A7C8u3gRD0Hlba_eMvYboGs58J71GaneE8c3-cOiCGxok/s1600/'82+-+real+gandhi.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6c53Y_tud1zIF66wXx3If9JZLg1yxQsahE-AA5Znf9ZDfDQ6NAEoBtwMhNpOysICPHK6TB8Gfv9DBNBp3Bz5uNOk6UzquIF3A7C8u3gRD0Hlba_eMvYboGs58J71GaneE8c3-cOiCGxok/s1600/'82+-+real+gandhi.png" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzuSBFaM4VQwhScRyRJl_LmZTRy2RFB-BI1Xaobzn0lo_4mBVqRHCWxLf7e0rh6QRcbJ-JdCWBGDLwrZufvSvw5FKjb5Kh3cwb13FjIrUx1xBwlSc_y3OX40BL5CbSA9IazyzRgYEY1wUx/s1600/'82+-+kinglsey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzuSBFaM4VQwhScRyRJl_LmZTRy2RFB-BI1Xaobzn0lo_4mBVqRHCWxLf7e0rh6QRcbJ-JdCWBGDLwrZufvSvw5FKjb5Kh3cwb13FjIrUx1xBwlSc_y3OX40BL5CbSA9IazyzRgYEY1wUx/s200/'82+-+kinglsey.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">FAVORITE QUOTES:</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Charles Andrews, an English
priest and Gandhi’s friend, walks away with him after narrowly escaping a
beating by some neighborhood ruffians…</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">Charles:</span></u><span style="color: black;"> That was lucky.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">Gandhi:</span></u><span style="color: black;"> I thought you were a man of God.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">Charles:</span></u><span style="color: black;"> I am, but I’m not so egotistical as to think He plans his
day around <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">my</i> dilemmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Gandhi: An eye for an eye only
ends up making the whole world blind. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">LESSONS LEARNED:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">See last Favorite Quote. <u>Don’t
seek revenge; seek forgiveness. <o:p></o:p></u></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When asked to give the people a
message, Gandhi responded, “My life is my message”.<u> Make your life your
message.</u> Act and speak the way you want others to, and remember you are all
the while teaching younger generations. </span></span></div>ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-83059687644635418322012-06-17T20:15:00.001-07:002021-10-21T16:28:05.049-07:00A Man for All Seasons, 1966<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQefVNvTWcxbfQHInBGqPyy804d8LQCGb9wZYUxIPJivOLviyAO7NyZlV4O1e2bdgyvWNzbIy30XnwnI8hn8mpfLL0h52cI7oOe7I3A-tIeQGRYMhRbm6qSqNHHO2QEEcpQMyY3Qy1XFUy/s1600/'66+-+A+Man+for+All+Seasons.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQefVNvTWcxbfQHInBGqPyy804d8LQCGb9wZYUxIPJivOLviyAO7NyZlV4O1e2bdgyvWNzbIy30XnwnI8hn8mpfLL0h52cI7oOe7I3A-tIeQGRYMhRbm6qSqNHHO2QEEcpQMyY3Qy1XFUy/s200/'66+-+A+Man+for+All+Seasons.png" width="121" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rated G</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I would bet this is one of the
most unrecognizable Best Picture winners, and yet I’d seen it before. In the
summer of 2006, I was hired as a Kindergarten teacher at St. Thomas More
Catholic School in San Francisco. Wanting to know a bit more about the man from
the 16<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> century whose namesake I would be honored to teach under, I
was recommended this film by my dad. I’ll be honest and say it is not the most
riveting film, but being Catholic myself, I found great interest in it. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">King Henry VIII wants to have a
son (to secure an heir to the throne) and his current wife, the Queen, is
barren. He has taken up a mistress who “is fertile” and therefore requests a
divorce so he can marry her. Now that is against Catholic teaching. The Pope,
did however, grant him a dispensation allowing him to marry his brother’s widow
“for state reasons” (ensuring him a child) but the King does not want that…
apparently he’s also in love with his mistress. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sir Thomas More (now a saint) is
a very respectable and respected member of the King’s Council and a staunch
believer and follower of the Church’s teachings. Therefore, he personally discourages
the King to seek divorce. The rest of the Council is displeased with STM for
not acquiescing to the King… can’t he go along with it like the others to make the
King happy? The Cardinal, specifically, reprimands him for being the only
member opposing the divorce and making it “a matter of conscience”; if he could
only look at the “common sense” instead of “through his moral squint”. Ouch.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BCFcqbLY96dBJGlem-pt33D6-WvBdGO2XDGa9__jYRwn-WFATe7U3NV84LkFlzHc7PK1dfG-Jv9DJ4Ew9YPyYK_Wqb4s8yQkXH_q0QdUCP7ap3ejXF7eU0kD4HY2Kr1859w4_-zxBCGz/s1600/'66+-+king+and+stm.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BCFcqbLY96dBJGlem-pt33D6-WvBdGO2XDGa9__jYRwn-WFATe7U3NV84LkFlzHc7PK1dfG-Jv9DJ4Ew9YPyYK_Wqb4s8yQkXH_q0QdUCP7ap3ejXF7eU0kD4HY2Kr1859w4_-zxBCGz/s1600/'66+-+king+and+stm.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In short, Sir Thomas More resigns
as Chancellor in attempt to keep the peace by keeping his mouth shut, but his
stubborn refusal to give his approval results in his confinement in prison and
eventual beheading. This was obviously during a time when there was no
separation between Church and State. It was very important that the royalty be
supported by the Church. Further, a marriage was not something that could be
dissolved by common-law courts since it was an institution granted by the Church.
Since the founding of America, there has been this separation of Church and
State for us, but I can’t help but wish we were somehow held responsible to a
good moral compass.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This film raised questions for
me about divorces versus annulments. I read that playboy King Henry VIII ended
up having three annulments (and obviously broke away from the Catholic Church
forming his own Church of England). But from what I’ve known, infertility is
not grounds for an annulment unless this was information that was purposefully
kept from the spouse prior to marriage. Deception or dishonesty are key
requirements in most cases for annulments, so the King must’ve gone about his
annulments another way. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Just because it’s rated G,
doesn’t mean I would let little kids see it… only because they would be bored
to death with the subject matter and dialogue; it’s too cerebral. It’s rated as
such because there is nothing worrisome like language, violence, etc. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I watched this movie for the
second time on my portable DVD player while on a long flight. Apparently, the
gentleman behind me also watched it because when we started to deplane, he asked
what it was. I told him, and seeing the puzzled look on his face, explained
about my Oscar challenge. He admitted he was reading the subtitles and was
confused… He thought it was going to be a movie like “Monty Python”. “I kept
expecting it to be funny… I’m not sure it should’ve won,” he finally said. I smiled
and said, “That’s the great thing about this challenge- there are so many
different movies that won and for different reasons,” while in my head, I was
saying, “I’m not sure the creepy guy behind me, who should have prepared his
own in-flight entertainment, should be giving the Academy advice on their
picks, okay pumpkin?”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The other nominees this year
included, “Alfie”, “The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming” (sounds hysterical),
“The Sand Pebbles” (sounds incredibly boring), and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf”
(the sequel to Disney’s “Three Little Pigs”). I jest. I haven’t seen any of
those so I can’t rightly compare. The last nominee was its closest competition
with a very impressive thirteen nominations (compared to eight), and
interestingly, these two films were both rewritten from stage plays. “A Man for
All Seasons” won 6 awards that evening including Best Actor (well-deserved) and
Best Director, among others.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is not a film I would
recommend to just anybody. If you have an interest in history, English history,
Church history, or would just like to see some fine acting, then please, watch
this film and let me know what you think. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">FAVORITE SCENE:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><span style="color: black;"><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
The last ten minutes of the film kept me pretty focused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sir Thomas More was finally given a “trial”.
He was found guilty of treason and executed. The dialogue that happened at the
very end was perfectly poignant:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">Sir Thomas More:</span></u><span style="color: black;"> I die His Majesty’s good servant, but God’s first.
(Turning to his executioner), I forgive you right readily. Be not afraid of
your office. You send me to God. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">Archbishop:</span></u><span style="color: black;"> You’re very sure of that Thomas?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">STM:</span></u><span style="color: black;"> He will not refuse one who is so blithe to go to Him. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">LESSONS LEARNED:</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sir Thomas discusses
occupations and positions with a young gentleman (who eventually betrays him).
He desires a political position with a lot of power but Sir Thomas recommends becoming
a teacher. “If I was…” he asks, “who would know it?” Sir Thomas simply replies,
“You, your pupils, your friends, God- not a bad public, that.” <u>Do what you
feel called to do using the gifts God has given you not because you seek fame
or wealth, but because it brings glory to God.</u> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you get nothing else out of
this movie, you at least can be inspired by Sir Thomas More’s courage. It calls
to question: <u>what are you willing to die for?</u></span></span></div>ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-27510438090795494542012-06-16T21:10:00.000-07:002021-10-21T16:28:15.063-07:00In the Heat of the Night, 1967<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqWjbLodQiB1lYRNtebXUqz7pEI33Z-FStRtEDTqDPb3RVp1Nh6Btos9XGqkeMuJwlbOozPDgTqd99dk58gyZXdCC80erhZj_O-dH6om_dWMpMHXpJHv6ajdGAy9JRPCnI8I2uhIk_2Mig/s1600/'67+-+In+the+Heat+of+the+Night.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqWjbLodQiB1lYRNtebXUqz7pEI33Z-FStRtEDTqDPb3RVp1Nh6Btos9XGqkeMuJwlbOozPDgTqd99dk58gyZXdCC80erhZj_O-dH6om_dWMpMHXpJHv6ajdGAy9JRPCnI8I2uhIk_2Mig/s200/'67+-+In+the+Heat+of+the+Night.png" width="134" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not Rated</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The 1968 Academy Awards show
was postponed two days due to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
just several days earlier. This also was the year that the cinematography
categories were merged back together (after 28 years) meaning there would no
longer be separate awards for black and white films versus color. Now, aren’t
those two very interesting tidbits of information considering this year’s Best
Picture winner is about an African American man encountering racism in a
Southern white town? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sure thought so. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This story opens, as you’d
guess, in the heat of the (middle of the) night, in Sparta, Mississippi. A
well-known businessman has been killed and found lying in the streets. The
officer on duty is told to search for subjects and stumbles across a black man-
the only man sitting in a deserted train station: Virgil Tibbs (if this famous
line popped into your head: “They. Call. Me. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Mister</b>. Tibbs!”, then you’re right, it’s from this movie: ). He’s
immediately silenced, searched, and taken into custody. The chief ends up
putting his foot in his mouth when he discovers his officer just arrested
Philadelphia’s leading homicide detective. Well, isn’t that a nice coincidence
though? After realizing just how knowledgeable and valuable this guy is, the
chief recruits him to help figure out the case. But being in the South, the
locals aren’t too keen on a colored man, much less a colored law enforcer, in
their community, so tension arises thus adding to the heat.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had never seen a film
starring the great Sidney Poitier and I was satisfyingly impressed; I loved him
in this film. He has a certain presence in this film that demands respect.
Sure, it could have just been the character he was portraying, but he gave off
the air of a respectable actor. (It amazes and saddens me to learn that having
an African-American man in a leading role was so controversial during that time
that many scenes had to be filmed in Illinois- far, far away from the Deep
South!) This was not the only film Sidney Poitier starred in this year… he was
in the other racially-charged fellow nominee “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”
which was the first mainstream movie made about inter-racial marriage, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">in addition</b> to “To Sir, With Love”. I
was very surprised to see that Rod Steiger won the Best Actor award from this
movie for his portrayal of the bigoted cop instead of Sidney Poitier… Sidney
wasn’t even nominated! It looks like it was stiff competition though which
included Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman, Paul Newman, and Spencer Tracy.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This film is a classic murder
mystery/”who-dun-it?” which is very rare to find in the long list of Best Picture
winners, making this film’s win a bit of a surprise, especially considering on
specific film it was up against. Nonetheless, it brought home five awards from
its seven nominations. This film’s competition included “Bonnie and Clyde”,
“Dr. Doolittle”, “The Graduate”, and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”. I’ve only
seen bits and pieces of “Dr. Doolittle” when I was growing up- (it’s with Rex
Harrison from <a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/03/my-fair-lady-1964.html" target="_blank">“My Fair Lady”</a>)- and don’t think it needed to be nominated. “The
Graduate”, however, is a very popular movie (that I haven’t yet seen). Because
of this film’s success, two sequels were made and Sidney reprised his role for
both: “They Call Me Mister Tibbs!” in 1970 and “The Organization” in 1971. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">FAVORITE SCENE:</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I loved it when Mr. Tibbs
reveals the depth of his knowledge of homicides to the officers at the station.
Although it’s still infuriating that they doubted him so, it’s a little bit of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘ha HA! In your face!’</i> satisfaction. </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(I couldn’t find a picture of
this scene online, so instead I found this for you….)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAd-apoi-Y7PS_OtIPVK0ptKW3SJcG6EPaJejh5n81B87YbN5xgqbBoFOn27kus8qUDaV1V9kp7YRLBnrqZhfRRWdaH8F3bY25orAHWFXL92Btw98rWaaxScqewSZ3SdOlj7WaShQ7tGYU/s1600/'67+-+mr.+tibbs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAd-apoi-Y7PS_OtIPVK0ptKW3SJcG6EPaJejh5n81B87YbN5xgqbBoFOn27kus8qUDaV1V9kp7YRLBnrqZhfRRWdaH8F3bY25orAHWFXL92Btw98rWaaxScqewSZ3SdOlj7WaShQ7tGYU/s1600/'67+-+mr.+tibbs.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnvmOY1NUGo">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnvmOY1NUGo</a>
(specifically 1:04-1:07)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">and Disney’s nod…</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82LORcxD1eA">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82LORcxD1eA</a></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">LESSONS LEARNED:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<u><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pray for ignorance to be
extinguished and for racism to end. </span></span></u></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">Treat people with respect</span></u><span style="color: black;">, especially if you want it in return.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">Don’t let pride or
embarrassment keep you from apologizing</span></u><span style="color: black;">,
especially if you’re wrong. </span></span></div>ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-70694377705058907662012-06-07T15:47:00.002-07:002021-10-21T16:28:24.293-07:00Unforgiven, 1992<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSdxSR6weEjrg2vc90UaPFkOUFG5g0Bg6dEI-CNr-XFEAokNuDRQWyksuMZyWmD3VY_09AOqZkwpXDOVt4uS_pAlX1elccR3VxjgfOLRHMwYQm8yQPusNwQx0fYWi7oVAaagSZNxxrY9X/s1600/'92+-+Unforgiven.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSdxSR6weEjrg2vc90UaPFkOUFG5g0Bg6dEI-CNr-XFEAokNuDRQWyksuMZyWmD3VY_09AOqZkwpXDOVt4uS_pAlX1elccR3VxjgfOLRHMwYQm8yQPusNwQx0fYWi7oVAaagSZNxxrY9X/s200/'92+-+Unforgiven.png" width="133" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rated R<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">No other name, aside from John
Wayne’s, is associated with Westerns like Clint Eastwood’s is. And before this,
I had never seen an Eastwood Western. He starred in a few “spaghetti westerns” in
the ‘60s and since I had no idea what that term meant, I looked it up: a
western made cheaply in Europe by an Italian director (or a Spanish director
when referring to “paella westerns”). This was the third Western to win Best
Picture, following the second just two years earlier: “Dances with Wolves”, and
the first from way back in 1931. </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The story takes place in the
1880s in the town of Big Whiskey, Wyoming. One night, two men come into a
brothel seeking some nighttime pleasure. One of them, irritated that the
prostitute laughed at his “size”, slashed her face a few times with her knife
(it’s not graphic). Obviously, the rest of the whores get pissed and secretly
put out a reward for whoever kills those two men after the corrupt sheriff
(Gene Hackman) of the town refuses to do anything but require a few horses from
them. Will Munny (Eastwood) gets wind of this reward, and even though he’s a
retired and repentant gunfighter who’s sworn off a life of violence since
meeting his (now-deceased) wife, decides to go after these women-beaters. He
enlists the help of his pal Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman) and they join forces
with a guy who’s practically a kid. They creatively call their third wheel,
“Kid” and we soon discover he talks a big game. So those three are after the abusive
men and the crooked sheriff and other men of the town are after the three of
them (for attempting to take the law into their own hands). </span></span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are some thought-provoking
themes running throughout the film: justice vs. the untamed West, feminism vs.
masculinity, repentance vs. revenge, honor vs. pride. I’m not sure why it’s titled
“Unforgiven” though. Does Munny consider himself unforgiven for the way he
acted before he reformed? Is the woman-beater still unforgiven even though he
paid his debt in horses? Regardless, after hearing from the special features
that the original title was “The Cut-Whore Killings” (no joke), I’m glad it was
changed.</span></span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Can you believe that before
this film, Eastwood hadn’t even been nominated for an Oscar before? To be
honest, I wasn’t very impressed with Eastwood’s work in this film… I preferred
his acting performances in “Million Dollar Baby” and “Gran Torino”. But I will
admit, the guy’s voice is fantastic. There’s just something about its timbre
that makes you listen. </span></span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The competition for the film
included “The Crying Game”, “Howards End”, “A Few Good Men”, and “Scent of a
Woman”. I have only seen the last nominee and think that definitely should have
won over “Unforgiven”. Al Pacino is nothing short of magnificent in that film
(and beat Eastwood for the Best Actor award). Chris O’Donnell’s not too shabby
either. I recommend THAT one to watch from this year. I know that “A Few Good
Men” is also very popular, but I haven’t seen it, so I can’t compare. Another
popular film this year was “My Cousin Vinny” for which Marisa Tomei won the
Best Supporting Actress award. I also thought “The Last of the Mohicans” was a
good film. </span></span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">FAVORITE SCENE:</span></span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The end scene was by far the
most climactic- a gun-slingin’ bar fight. </span></span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYkzlQ1VYxoUyhKAuICHgTAFPGTmlm-jXctATcMPoN1CA1JvFRj8wmd_0IVhVpgqZwerywuvmAvowrd9w7-hqW4tzVicq5UqJx5keMMKUY1gIXDXlZ3_7TwVO-ZWksk88cEjmLdevXkrZp/s1600/'92+-+end.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYkzlQ1VYxoUyhKAuICHgTAFPGTmlm-jXctATcMPoN1CA1JvFRj8wmd_0IVhVpgqZwerywuvmAvowrd9w7-hqW4tzVicq5UqJx5keMMKUY1gIXDXlZ3_7TwVO-ZWksk88cEjmLdevXkrZp/s320/'92+-+end.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">LESSONS LEARNED:</span></span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">Just ‘cause they’re down
doesn’t mean they’re dead.</span></u><span style="color: black;"> Don’t get
cocky.</span></span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">Keeping you’re cool can be
more important in a fight than your aim.</span></u><span style="color: black;"> If
you’re hurrying and flustered, you’re more likely to miss.</span></span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span style="color: black;">Sometimes you’re not as
brave as you think you are until the situation arises</span></u><span style="color: black;">, so don’t talk a big game.</span></span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<u><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have a plan B when your
life’s on the line.</span></span></u><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<u><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Camaraderie is respected.</span></span></u></div>ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604998867726002938.post-41644591253511305792012-06-05T13:52:00.002-07:002021-10-21T16:28:31.421-07:00Patton, 1970<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESiMAiC6jx9e4510c3VvRW7ROQnCvsnPFzhFx0QfmQh2bVjjiwQUOC8SzKUa5GuLrT_Q4bngTg9tazYjlgVis_-wqVv9NP2EzjiOvCEU7iP4p7xdbmCzIIxOM62351LYdZ5vwooUwse_n/s1600/'70+-+Patton.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESiMAiC6jx9e4510c3VvRW7ROQnCvsnPFzhFx0QfmQh2bVjjiwQUOC8SzKUa5GuLrT_Q4bngTg9tazYjlgVis_-wqVv9NP2EzjiOvCEU7iP4p7xdbmCzIIxOM62351LYdZ5vwooUwse_n/s200/'70+-+Patton.png" width="110" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rated PG (which might be a
little too lenient)</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">BOOORIIIIING! And forgettable….
like in the amount of time between my watching it and sitting down to write
this blog. (And <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">again</b>, I must be in
the minority… I read that this is an “American classic” and it scored a 97% on
rottentomatoes.com.)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This film is a (long) biography
about an American commander during World War II, a true non-conformist if
nothing else: General George S. Patton. He was temperamental and controversial
but successful in certain commanding areas. “Patton” is considered a war film,
but it’s not really about the war- it’s all about Patton, also known as “Old
Blood and Guts” (??).</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">This film’s subtitle (A Salute
to a Rebel) was aimed to attract a younger crowd at the time of its release. This
rebel believes in harsh discipline and has no patience for cowards. He is
determined to lead his men to victory, but his loud mouth and quick temper get
in the way. He </span>believes <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“there's
only one proper way for a professional soldier to die: the last bullet of the
last battle of the last war.”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not sure if he wasn’t a
little bit crazy though too, because when he comes across a vacant battlefield,
he tells his fellow commander that he fought there once for Napoleon… so… did
he believe in reincarnation? He was “there” two thousand years ago when the
Carthaginians were attacked by three Roman legions. Seriously, what?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is the first PG-rated film
that won Best Picture since the institution of the MPAA rating system, however,
I’m not sure that’s an appropriate rating. The eccentric general liberally
throws around the words ‘bastard’ and ‘goddamn’ among other curse words and
crude sayings. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Patton” was up against
“Airport”, “Five Easy Pieces”, “Love Story”, and “M*A*S*H” (</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">ß</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;"> the precursor to the TV series). It had a pretty
successful evening walking away with seven awards from its ten nominations.
Among them, was Best Actor winner George C. Scott (Patton). He was AWOL at the
ceremony and became the first actor to refuse the award claiming “</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">the competitiveness was demeaning to actors
– ‘a two-hour meat parade, a public display with contrived suspense for
economic reasons’” according to filmsite.org. (The second actor to deny an
Oscar would be Marlon Brando two years later for<a href="http://oscarsbest.blogspot.com/2011/11/godfather-1972.html" target="_blank"> “The Godfather”</a>. And how’s
this for strange... Francis Ford Coppola wrote both of those screenplays!)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">FAVORITE SCENE:</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Perhaps the most
memorable was the very beginning. The film starts with a six-minute monologue
by General Patton standing in front of the largest American flag I’ve ever
seen. He appears to be giving his speech to incoming soldiers. It actually kept
my full attention and it was a perfect introduction to who he was.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_rsYn-e0rDVSFGft4WeoRejDGUOmjNHH8vJuN0mHwu-GRYDBizhXoCBtCce4POi0rVckbw5yyFFTMbH3pb31__vZpfSYhyphenhyphenWvTCKt2eXakDE84IDWtLgiRTKdJttKHpIvZT79fwn3gjLT/s1600/'70+-+flag.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_rsYn-e0rDVSFGft4WeoRejDGUOmjNHH8vJuN0mHwu-GRYDBizhXoCBtCce4POi0rVckbw5yyFFTMbH3pb31__vZpfSYhyphenhyphenWvTCKt2eXakDE84IDWtLgiRTKdJttKHpIvZT79fwn3gjLT/s200/'70+-+flag.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">LESSONS LEARNED:</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<u><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Academy
likes war films. <o:p></o:p></span></span></u></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">If you’re a
loudmouth, you need to at least know when to bite your tongue.</span></span></u></div>ladyamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15786728700413253683noreply@blogger.com0