DVD Review: Life After Tomorrow

I just watched "Life After Tomorrow" on NetFlix Instant View. It's a brief [72 minutes] documentary about the little girls from various shows and tours of Annie who, as grown women, share their memories and sometimes quite sad stories of making it big as a little kid and the feelings they had of outgrowing their fame. Ultra famous Annie, Sarah Jessica Parker, does an extensive interview and comes off as remarkably well adjusted. Another personal fave of mine, Martha Byrne, who I came to know as Lily Walsh on As the World Turns, does a nice interview, too. There are many, many, many others and their post-show biz struggles are poignant.

I think this film should be required viewing if you have any plans of putting your daughter in show business or on the pageant circuit.

I am an Anniephile. Dad must've belonged to some record club because I remember hearing Broadway Cast albums of many shows. Dad would play them on Sunday mornings after 7 a.m. Mass when he would cook breakfast for Mom and the rest of us. I wore out the grooves of my Annie album. We bought the piano music to "Tomorrow" and I played it always. I knew the words to every song. The National Tour came to Milwaukee when I was a junior or senior in high school. I bought tickets and dragged my boyfriend to the show. We made a day of it, riding with his folks there and back and having three meals on the road that day. I was in heaven. I bought the t-shirt and wore it until it became a gym shirt and then I wore it for gymnastics practices. I know there's a picture in a high school yearbook where I'm wearing it. That musical touched me. About 10 years ago, the show was coming to Winston-Salem and I won the easiest trivia question possible about Daddy Warbucks [first name 'Oliver'--duh!] and took my man to see it. I was way up in the balcony on the edge of my seat, enraptured. I still knew every word to every song, even though I had only seen the show the one previous time in the late 70s.

And then there's this.

It was a little sad for me to see this film and tarnish some of my golden memories. I highly recommend this pic, but only for people who loved the musical.

Male Movie References

Before David came into my life, I was woefully uneducated on some classic movies that appeal to men. Over the years, I have learned to incorporate references to "Cool Hand Luke," "Apocalypse Now," and "The Godfather," among others, into conversations. Here's a new one that I added today to my male movie reference repertoire:



The little birdie told me about it from "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" in reference to today's news about Illinois politics and the 'rules' of Chicago pols. Apt.

Movie Recommendation: Fireproof

Dave and I had a date night and scrambled across town to walk into the movie 'Fireproof' about 4 minutes late. I was surprised that the theater was crowded. This surprised me because the movie has been running for two months. The movie is a story of a young married couple, Caleb and Catherine, who are unhappy in their marriage and are contemplating divorce. Caleb, played by former kid actor Kirk Cameron, is a fireman and Catherine, played by an actress I have never seen before, Erin Bethea, is the public relations manager at a hospital.

The movie is undeniably Christian, though it never shows a denomination and never ventures into controversial theological waters. It has a PG rating and we were wondering where that even came from in the car ride home. Because he's a fireman and there are some scenes depicting danger, and because there are marital adult themes, that garnered the PG. But there is not a bad word uttered or a lewd image portrayed. It squeaks. The downside of the movie is that its acting is uneven. This is mostly because the cast is composed almost entirely of real people who are not actors. If you can get past that and delve into the script, the story and the relationships, you are set for a good movie. I cried a few times throughout the movie. It was very intense and very earnest and it was very worth my time to see it.

If you are married, go see this with your spouse.

ADDED TIDBIT: Actor Kirk Cameron, who is in real life 37 years old and married for 17 years to his wife Chelsea Noble, promised her that he would never kiss another woman on or off-screen. To fulfill this promise, wife Chelsea appeared in silhouette for the one and only kiss in the movie. They must be doing something right. The last report is that they have six children.

DVD Review: 'Saint Ralph', 'Blind Spot: Hiltler's Secretary,' and 'Downfall'

Summer reruns chez Adams means Netflix!

Dave and I watched a study in contrasts. First up was 'Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary,' which was a documentary interview with Frau Junge who was one of a pool of several young women in Hitler's steno pool. She was in the bunker for the final days of Hitler's life and the Third Reich's. [I had heard 'bunker' all these years and thought it was a small room, but it was actually a subterranean maze housing dozens of people.] It was gripping enough for me to forget she was speaking German and I was reading subtitles. We followed this with 'Downfall' which was the biopic of the last 10 days of the Reich. Also subtitled, it was gripping and powerful and well acted. The actor who played Hitler was brilliant. The most difficult scene for me, however, was when Frau Goebbels killed her own six beautiful vonTrapp look-alike children in their sleep. The stench of evil in that foul place must have been fierce.

A couple nights later, we watched 'Saint Ralph' a little sleeper story of a 14 year old Canadian boy, set in the late 50s, whose widowed mother was ill with a brain tumor. When she slipped into a coma, he realized he needed a miracle to help her. The Nietsche-reading priest who taught him theology told him he needed faith, purity and prayer for a miracle. So he set about to win the Boston Marathon, which would be a miracle 'on order of loaves-and-fishes.' The recent scandals have jaded me because I kept waiting for the priests who fill this movie to be abusive. But no. They were complex and interesting and the story depended upon all the characters' development. No great big names appeared except for Meg Jennifer Tilley and Campbell Scott, but that didn't distract from a lovely coming-of-age film. All the Catholic archetypes were there: beloved Mother, ne'er-do-well son, gruff priest, rebellious priest, Grace-Kelly-in-training love interest, and it was punctuated with calendar mentions using Saint-of-the-Day references. Just lovely.

DVD Reviews: Curb Your Enthusiasm and Charlie Wilson's War

We spent a couple evenings watching the sixth season of "Curb Your Enthusiam" starring former Seinfeld creator Larry David. The schtick is that David is a real-life noodge, obsessed with unwritten social rules and unaware of what most polite people internalized at age 8. He spends the shows getting into trouble, lying and apologizing. His show is unscripted and well-cast and usually quite funny. But this is the sixth turn on this ride and I'm getting a little tired of the schtick.

Charlie Wilson's War, starred Tom Hanks as a real-life Congressman from Texas' 2nd District who got interested in the Afghan's plight in the early 80s when they were attack by the USSR. It was the undeclared front in the cold war and Afghanis were willing to fight. His challenge was to finance their cause with untraceable weaponry. The movie co-starred Julia Roberts and Phillip Seymour-Hoffman as a Houston socialite and a CIA agent who shared Wilson's determination to help the Afghanis. It was a good little picture and the bonus features were excellent. What an interesting chapter in our recent history. Tom Hanks as producer kept it more on the facts and less on the preaching to great effect.

DVD Review: Stranger Than Fiction

A surprising little gem of a movie, especially for those who love books. There's star power in every scene--Emma Thompson, Will Ferrell, Dustin Hoffman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Queen Latifiah--but it's mostly an interesting story. It's set in Chicago and that's my kinda town, so of course I loved that. And there are clever on-screen mathematics [CGI, of course] which helps you to see inside the obsessive/compulsive mind of Will Ferrell's lead character. I think Emma Thompson, chain-smoking and writer-blocked, makes the movie. She's excellent. Will Ferrell plays against type as a buttoned-down IRS auditor and is empathetic and charming. There's a little twist, which I won't ruin. It's a nice snuggle-on-the-couch with the spouse rental.

"Truly, You Have a Dizzying Intellect"

For some reason, this classic scene sprang to mind today. And Wallace Shawn as a lisping Sicilian? Brilliant.

And cyber-hugs to one of my favorites, Meade.

Maverick vs. Maverick

So John McCain won the Florida primary. Looks like the Senate's Maverick will live to fight another day. I listen to talk radio and am mystified at the intense loathing some pundits have for McCain. Then I thought of this analogy:

Tom Cruise played a self-assured fly-boy in "Top Gun."


His call sign was "Maverick." Tom Cruise's character showed loyalty, guts, cockiness, despair and grit. The movie was beloved by many in my age group [especially for the beach volleyball scene.]

Tom Cruise hung around, made a lot of movies, and went nutso on Oprah's couch.


So maybe those talk show nay-sayers don't hate John McCain per se. They might've liked "Top Gun" McCain; they loathe couch-hopping McCain. They've lost that lovin' feeling.


IN THE COMMENTS: Matt directs us to this little catchy tune called "Tom Cruise Crazy."

Date Night: Dinner and "Juno"

Dave and I had a lovely date night. I had to leave work early to bring home dinner for the kids. Our sitter, now fully mobile with his own license and a car, was pulling up as I did. Zeke was winding down his one-day probation from the computer and I told him that the sitter's assessment of him tonight would affect whether his privileges resumed tomorrow. He responded with Eddie Haskell-like zeal and is now riveted to the small screen.

We called ahead to our local fave, but when we arrived to an over-full parking lot, we realized it was just not to be. I suggested the Golden Corral on the north side of town en route to the theater. And so it was. I was a little surprised by the price of the buffet--$9.95--and mentioned this to Dave. I limited my meal to a few side items and desserts, but he reminded me that the price included steaks, too. There was often a disconnect in how pretty the food looked versus how good it tasted, but their yeast rolls were top notch. That's the kind of place to go when you have an empty stomach and a hollow leg and time on your hands.

Onto the movie. We saw "Juno" and I absolutely loved it. It's the story of a 16 year old Minnesota girl who becomes pregnant and decides to have the baby and place it in an adoptive home. I got lost in the story and actually cried on three different occasions [hormones?] and felt like the story did justice to those characters. From the opening credits, you expect quirky and off-beat. You get that and so much more. A life-affirming movie well worth seeing.

Best yet: I got to spend some time with my man, whom I often misplace amid the daily grind of parental, work and home maintenance duties.

Truly "Enchanted"

I took advantage of having the day off and the back-up nanny and slipped off to an afternoon matinee of "Enchanted" with Zeke. Two thumbs up from me and the boy. What a delightful Disney confection! It gently pokes fun at all the happily-ever-after stereotypes, while still relying upon them. Susan Sarandon is perfectly cast as the evil step-mother [channeling Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, right down to the dragon], and Giselle, the princess-wannabee is delightful. This is the typical Disney musical, and it features some very clever songs from the genius Alan Menken. I completely missed Dame Julie Andrews in the role of narrator [gotta love imdb.com!] and a couple other sneaky little jabs. I'll probably put this into the DVD collection when it's available. Fun and family-friendly.

Date Night: Movie "No Country for Old Men"

Dave and I enjoyed a date night. His pick was the movie "No Country for Old Men," starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin and several others. It is a Coen Brothers dismal-fest, based on a book by Cormac MacCarthy, that David read and liked. He didn't give me any spoilers, so I went into the theater knowing nothing much and left knowing not much more. It's a good movie--well made, well acted--but it is not a feel good holiday flick. Javier Bardem, Spain's Russell Crowe, plays a psychopathic killer, and Tommy Lee Jones plays an aging Texas sheriff on his trail. I love Tommy Lee Jones and have ever since "Coal Miner's Daughter." Much like the Coen's "Fargo," the desolate scenery [west Texas] plays an important part in establishing a mood of desperation and bleakness. Josh Brolin performed well, making a complicated character likeable. If you're up for a downer, this film is it.

Date Nights: "Evan Almighty" and "Little Miss Sunshine"

We had a date night last night and saw "Evan Almighty." We both enjoyed it. Some of it was silly but the heart of the film was love-, family- and God-affirming. Morgan Freeman plays an excellent God, even though his teeth on the big screen look British.

Similarly, our recent DVD rental of "Little Miss Sunshine" surprised us with an uplifting family comedy/drama [some of it found amid some crude language]. The family there was struggling with dysfunction, but opted to pull together amid a very challenging road trip. Some of my greatest recollections of childhood are the cross-country vacations we took in the family station wagon. There is a unifying act of being alone together out in the world. It's the core of familiality.

Both featured Steve Carrell, known mostly for "The Office," who Dave and I agree is really behaving like himself most of the time. It's o.k. He's quite charming.

Family Fun Outing: Ratatouille

This morning's plan: go to the early show [10:45 a.m.] of "Ratatouille" [sound at link] with the children. Nanny came along on the field trip and Dave surprised me with his presence. This was the first time ever to go to the movies for the girls and all three of the children did well. The first movie I remember attending was "Herbie the Love Bug" [must've been a re-release] when I was in second grade. It was March and the girls from my class were celebrating Keely Blish's birthday. How come I remember it was March? Because we had Shamrock Shakes at McDonald's on the way home. Another first for me.

I think a love of the cinema is in my familial blood. My great grandfather owned the movie theater in Manistique, Michigan where my father attended every Saturday morning. Dad described all the shows he watched, and all for a nickel! My mother tells us of the time she saw "The Wizard of Oz" and insisted on getting her money back because the movie was billed as color and all she saw was black and white. The usher shushed her back to her seat and she was wowed. My sister, Peggy, is a certifiable cinephile and loves the whole movie experience. We both agree popcorn makes a meal. I didn't see many movies as a child because there was no theater in my little town and I just don't think it was high on my parents' priority. But I do love the movies, the huge screen, the dark room, the group experience and I hope that we have begun to pass that on to our crew.

Movie review: I loved it and am sure to put it into the family collection of all things Pixar. Zeke announced at 10 minutes from the end that he had had enough. Both girls got a little fidgety, but remained quiet. This time next summer, they'll know the dialogue by heart and they'll be laughing in French [aaanh haaanh haaaawnh].

Date Night: "Knocked Up" and Dinner with Friends

It was a rare double date and on a Friday, too. I scrambled home from work just in time. Tonight is was Jimmy's Seafood again [hey! Fish on Fridays isn't just for Lent!] and we scrambled off to see "Knocked Up." Its R-rating was well-deserved. There were lots of f-bombs throughout, plus gross-out adolescent humor and lots of pot smoking. Amid the marijuana haze, though, there were some life-affirming moments. We laughed a lot and enjoyed the not-so-neatly-tied-up ending anyhow.

Michael Medved gave it a tepid review. He liked it, but had great difficulty with the premise that a schlubby Jewish geeky guy could ever win the gorgeous blonde. Seeing as that's exactly what happened in his life, I have to say: Medved, look in a mirror.

DVD Reviews: 'Last King of Scotland' and 'The Good Shepherd'

We're well into the NetFlix routine. We finished 'Last King of Scotland' two nights ago. Forest Whitaker acted the cootie out of that role. I almost forgot he wasn't Idi Amin. He was gentle and menacing and embodied the petulant, immature, brutal dictator beautifully. The problem with this film for me was that the central character was a novelized, fictional, composite sort of fellow: a Scottish doctor. Unless you check out the bonus features, you're left with the impression that the good doctor actually exists.

I had much the same difficulty with last night's 'The Good Shepherd' starring Matt Damon as a CIA Agent from its inception to the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961. His character, too, was a composite of several agents and their stories. His co-star, Angelina Jolie, portrayed his beleaguered wife of many years. Matt Damon portrayed an intelligence agent who never got angry, smiled twice that I counted, and walked without moving his arms. It was near-death watching him. You knew something was going on inside, but it never made it to the screen. I have major difficulty with Angelina Jolie. The film covered 30 years and she never aged much [Damon, too, failed to age; his glasses did change over the years, however.] I have great difficulty separating Angelina the homewrecker from Angelina the actress. She was also completely modern in a period piece. She just never convinced me that she was born in the 20s, married in the late 30s and mother to an adult son in the 50s. All the vintage dresses in the world won't help, either. The story was looooooooooooooooong, running well over 2 hours and hopping incessantly from one time period to the next. Robert DeNiro directed it and seemed to require an Oscar statuette holder in each and every scene [Damon, Jolie, William Hurt, Joe Pesci, DeNiro]. Alec Baldwin made several brief appearances as a faithful FBI Agent. I like his acting so much that I can overlook his public persona [plus: I love him in "30 Rock"]. Still can't do that with Miss Lips, though.

Would I recommend either? Eh. I'd probably say they're a solid B, but nothing worth losing sleep over.

The Lone Dinosaur

Dinosaur fever has overtaken my five year old son. We saw a preview on a DVD for "The Land Before Time" series. Neither Dave nor I were young enough to have them and so we didn't quite know what to expect. He saw a three-pack on special and bought it just for kicks. [Note to DVD sellers: previews on other DVDs work.] All three of them love the stories. Yesterday Dave brought home more dino-paraphernalia and now it's strewn at kid level in all the rooms.

Today I ordered the books for Zeke's kindergarten curriculum. The history component is pre-history and is all about -- guess what? -- dinosaurs. The boy can tell the difference between an apatosaurus and a diplodocus. I confess I never went through a phase where dinos fascinated me [except for that brief spell during "The Flintstones"] and so I find I'm travelling in uncharted waters. I have trouble distinguishing Jurassic from giraffe's neck, but I am excited to continue the home schooling if for no other reason than to fill my trivia addled mind with yet more trivia.

Date Night: "Hot Fuzz," Dinner & Shopping

Dave and I enjoyed a date night tonight. We grabbed a quick soup and salad dinner at Ruby Tuesday's and then hightailed it north to see "Hot Fuzz." On the way home, we did some quick grocery shopping. The movie is a British shoot-em-up comedy by the same folks who made "Shaun of the Dead" [which I had not ever seen]. It had a slow start, but was quite satisfying at the end. Its story is about an over-achieving London police officer who gets reassigned to a bucolic rural post. Mayhem ensues as the stars pay homage to the movies "Bad Boys" and "Point Break." I saw this movie as a perfect depiction of the false sense of security one might get in a small town.

I am noticing myself noticing everything. I'm very aware of myself out in the world. I scan regularly and practice noting car makes and models and plate numbers. I cannot say if this is an unwelcome tic or a temporary thing. I don't know if I'll ever be quite the same. Having David with me is and has always been a comfort. I never feel ill-at-ease in his presence.

Date Night: The Movie "300"

We enjoyed a date night yesterday. Until some genius starts movies at 8 p.m., we're not going to get a movie and dinner. Even though the sitter arrived early, it was just enough time to go to our favorite theater and eat there. We got hot dogs and sodas which cost 16 bucks. I was too hungry to be outraged.

Then we watched the beautifully bloody "300" [sound at link] about the ancient Spartans who fought against the vast army of Xerxes. One of my absolute favorites, Dominic West [from "The Wire"] portrayed a Spartan politician quite at odds with the dominance of their warrior culture. Noble warriors, invading foreigners, disreputable politicians were all played to type. There was gruesome goriness, but it was shot beautifully, much like what I've seen in The Matrix or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

The theater was almost empty. Quite a spartan crowd, I might say. If you're going to see this in a theater, I suggest you go soon. Hey, hey now. Don't kill the messenger.

Medved, Mel, Magisterium and Me

I was privileged to speak with Michael Medved on his nationally syndicated radio show today. The Mel Gibson controversy has been swirling lately, and Michael has devoted much air time to it. My disagreement with Michael was that he [and myriad others in the media] refer to Mel as "Catholic." In shorthand, "Catholic" means to most people to be "Roman Rite Catholic" or "Catholic in communion with Rome." Mel is not Catholic and I told Michael that. Gibson belongs to a sect that separated from Rome following Vatican II's introduction of Mass celebrated in the vernacular. They are radical traditionalists.

When Pope John Paul II issued apologies for centuries of church anti-semitism and when he visited a rabbi in a Rome synagogue, Mel's group denounced it. While Michael didn't disagree that Mel belongs to a break-away sect, he still maintained that people can self-identify as they wish. The call ended and I ripped off the following email to Michael [in its entirety]:

Michael:
If you knew a pork-eating, non-Sabbath observing man, would you allow him to self-identify as "orthodox Jew"? This stuff matters to me. I think you fluffed me off too lightly. When John Paul II apologized for a history of anti-semitism going back to the Inquisition, Mel's group repudiated it. HE AIN'T CATHOLIC. A duck can call itself a rhinocerous, but it's still a duck.

Ruth Anne

I don't expect a reply, but he was a good sport for putting me on the air.

This small issue matters to me because Catholics are often bashed and a lot of it is well-deserved. We'll take the medicine we have coming. But I repudiate Mel Gibson's anti-semitic and sexist remarks made during his DUI arrest and I don't want that to be perceived as the Catholic norm.

UPDATE: By way of disclosure, I've blogged about Mel Gibson before here and here. I am so disappointed in his latest behavior and pray for him and his wife and family.

Medved and Me and United 93

I had the privilege of speaking with Michael Medved's guest, Lloyd Levin, one of the producers of today's newly-released movie "United 93." I asked him about ads for the movie touting that 10% of the first weekend's box-office would be donated to the United Flight 93 Memorial Charity. I asked him if he would consider extending that pledge to include 10% during the film's entire theatrical run. I didn't get a definite answer. I told him that to extend the charitable contribution would make it look less like a ploy to fill the seats during the premier weekend and more like a tribute to those killed in United 93.

I have heard nothing but spectacular reviews from all who've seen this movie. I plan to see it in the theater. For us, movie night is about a hundred dollar deal when you figure in baby-sitter and concession stand trips. I think this will be worth it.