Movie Date

We're off to see The Croods today, and I already know what is going to happen:

1. I'll dread the movie as a dumbo kiddie deal but will end up sniffling at the sentimental parts and laughing like a hyena at the comedy, just as I did with Despicable Me, Toy Story 3, etc etc

2. My kid will want a drink (a precedent set by someone's father) and I'll order the smallest one they have at the snack bar. The snack dude will hand me a filled soda cup the size of a small oil barrel. 

People rail against drink limitations, stating they should be able to buy a beverage as large as they want - but couldn't we buy one as small as we want too? In other words, movie theater companies, could I please have the option to buy a Sprite for my kid that is smaller than her entire head and shoulder area?

3. We will stick to the floor , probably because other movie-goers spilled their massive drinks.

4. The tallest man in the world will come and sit right in front of my kid.

5. Halfway through the movie, just as I decide I love the film and am happily sniffling away, my daughter will have to pee, thanks to the.... 

oh, I'll stop.

6. The woman behind me will get lots of texts, and her alert will be "Gangnam Style."

7. I'll lose the car in the parking lot and have to use my embarrassing (to my 8 year old) Honk Option on my key fob.

8. On the way home she'll beg and beg me to put the DVD on her birthday wishlist. 

9. Despite all of my whining, we'll have a wonderful time.

How I Got it All Wrong or, Pocahontas

Last night my kid watched the movie Pocahontas, the Disney version. She came across it by accident, on Netflix, as I surely would have never chosen that film to show her.

Yup, gorgeous. But real? I don't think so.

Why not?

Well, let's start with the serious disregard of history, plus the demeaning of a princess's act of kindness and courage turned into a ploy to save her boyfriend. Plus - a one-shoulder dress that just happens to showcase the girl's body .... mutter.... Lovely though she is, and I do think that Pocahontas is one of the prettiest Disney Princesses ever, the movie was on my Do Not Watch Ever list.

But!!!

The real Pocahontas, in England. OK, girlfriend was still gorgeous.

My kid loved it. LOVED it.

I mean, she kept stopping the film to research what really happened, plus she couldn't wait to find out the end. I've tried to get her interested in the Disney Princesses, to no avail, and it just figures that the one I never showed her captured her interest.

So, Mom is being all PC, and kid is simply enjoying a movie.

There are some things I can take away from this:

1. Kids love history and facts. Once I told my daughter, "Parts of this actually happened" she was enthralled. While I was all excited about Tangled, she was more interested in finding out about Captain John Smith (who did not look like that in real life, FYI, kid.)

2. Kids are going to love what they love, and parents simply can't stop that. Sure, I can provide guidance along the way, but at the end of the day Miss Thing is her own person.

3. My daughter was critical of the music in the movie. "Look, mommy - now even the willow is singing." Not every movie has to be eventually turned into a stage musical, Disney.

What Captain John Smith really looked like. That's very different, now, isn't it.

4. MUST POCAHONTAS HAVE A PERFECT MODEL'S MOUTH AS WELL AS LONG LEGS AND HAIR DOWN TO HER BUTT? REALLY? REALLY? AND HE HAS A CLEFT CHIN AND BLUE EYES.... argh - Obviously, I still have issues with this movie. Does that mean I forbid my daughter's watching it? In the end, I have to say No. Hopefully, I can provide some real historical content soon.

5. *SPOILER ALERT* The ending is really, really sad. No, I'm not talking about the movie - I'm talking about what happened for centuries afterwards. That's the main reason why I didn't want to watch Pocahontas - it makes me too depressed.

Still - back to the main point - my kid really, really loved it. And that, I suppose, is all.

Favorite Book Turned into a Movie

The 30 Days of Books Meme continues ...

This was a tough one, since I wanted to choose a book that I loved, as well as its movie version.

See, the book - movie combo can fall in several categories:

1. The book and the movie are both bad. I realize I may outrage some readers, but I feel The Da Vinci Code falls in this category. Look, I liked the premise, and Tom Hanks rocks. But - really? A codex expert can't tell that it's backwards handwriting at first glance? And the Professor Teabing character- could he have been more stereotypical? Why not just call him TeaBag and be done with it? And then there was the movie.... and that haircut... *shudders*

DUUUUUUDE.

2. The book is bad and the movie is good. The Bridges of Madison County fits in this category, IMO. The Da Vinci Code made my brain weep with pain, but at least I managed to get through half of it. Bridges didn't even make one page before I hurled it across the room in anger. However, the movie version was pretty decent, thanks to the directing and the actors, Streep and Eastwood.

3. The book is good and the movie is bad. The Golden Compass fits this one for me, as well as any version of my old standby, Jane Eyre. (Everybody drink!) The only Eyre that stood up for me was the recent PBS version with Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens, thanks to the script writers slashing most of Mr. Rochester's most ridiculous dialogue. Ahem, duuuuuude -  "It will atone, it will atone..." (Jane makes an excuse and slips off to the local pub until he finishes his monologue.)

4. Both the book and the movie rock. When this happens, it is like a batter getting that sweet spot. The Prisoner of Azkaban did this, in my opinion, and WHY didn't Alfonso Cuaron direct EVERY SINGLE HARRY POTTER MOVIE? Hm? He could have prevented the headache that was The Order of the Phoenix (which was my favorite book - ruined I tell you. Ruined.)

Ditto Holes, which I loved as a book and loved even more as a movie. Holes has become, along with Working Girl and The Shawshank Redemption, a flick that I'll watch any time, any place. The younger actors (Shia Lebeouf!) are incredible, as well as Sigourney of course, who could make an insurance ad magical. And let us not forget Patricia Arquette, who is luminous in her role as the Kissing Bandit.

As for Indie books, well - there aren't many of those that are movies. YET! I do think that will quickly change, since there are many wonderful Indies out there.

If I could be a producer, here are some of the books I would turn into movies:

Losing Beauty
Sax and the Suburb
Sin
The Prospect of My Arrival
Emeline and the Mutants
Land of Nod: The Artifact

That is a very shortened list, and I would love to hear other suggestions for Indie books that should be movies .... have at it!

The French Disconnection

I've noticed a growing trend in television and films (such as Mad Men and Awake) lately, and one that occurs in some of the best written scripts. There  seems to be a strange disconnect between the characters, as though they are all speaking a different language and cannot understand each other.

I first saw it in Lost, when I was such a huge fan. Someone (usually Hurley) would say something that  was perfectly pleasant, and no one would respond with corresponding pleasantness. Then, when someone else would say something nice to Hurley, he would respond with a cutting remark or an incredulous scoff - there are loads of incredulous scoffs, if you begin to notice- and walk off, alone.

Of course Sawyer was a master at this, with his oft-repeated "Yeah, well, what do you know about it, doc?"

It happens in Twilight - in both the books and the movies - where Alice, as hard as she tries, just  can't seem to connect with Bella in true friendship. I see it in Awake, although there I give the writers a pass, since they are dealing with themes of  recent loss and devastating life changes. I do hope that  some connections begin to develop between Michael and his partners, however.

Mad Men is a repeat offender. The women in the office just can't find a footing for a friendship beyond bitching about the boss or snippy gossip. In fact, the one way the characters really connect is with sex. And I say all this with love - I am a Mad Men fiend.

It was particularly noticeable when Peggy defended  Joan, and that gorgeous redhead responded by biting back. Peggy's reaction to that was, "Excuse me?!" And I felt like applauding.

Is it  a mark of good writing to have constant loneliness and a lack of friendship between the characters? Has that become a hallmark of a well-written script? Perhaps that is why Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption stand out for me, since they showcase believable friendships and continuing, deepening connections.

Maybe, in a plot-driven show,  it is difficult to give time to a real human connection - but, no. I refuse to believe it. It  can be done. The writers are incredibly talented, and I hope that friendship does become a bigger theme in the future.

Cool Movies Coming Out in 2012

Darn it, Harry Potter has ended (except for the millions of times that we'll watch the DVD's in a DeLuca family HP festival) and there aren't any more instalments to look forward to this year.

Still, there are some cool movies coming out in 2012, and here are a few that I'd like to see:

1. The Hobbit : This was one of my first favorite books, ever. I read it and reread it, loving the dwarves and the songs and the way Bilbo Baggins, who was such a homebody at the start, turned into a gifted "burglar." Okay, it doesn't come out until December, but with Peter Jackson at the helm, I'll be waiting, popcorn in hand.

2. While I anticipate Smaug, I'll watch John Carter, the movie of the American soldier who time travels to Mars. I loved these books by Edgar Rice Burroughs, and I'll hope for a series, that will maybe include my favorite, Thuvia, Maid of Mars. (I love all types of Pulp Fiction. Mm Hm. *nods*)

3. Since I can't have Harry Potter, how about Daniel Radcliffe in a ghost story, The Woman in Black? Oh yes please. While we're at it, can somebody please put Rupert Grint in another film? That would be just great.

4. Fresh out in January, ready for the new year,we have The Divide. I wonder, will I be able to watch this extremely disturbing movie of a group of survivors in a basement, after a nuclear event? I don't know if I can, especially since there is a child involved. Nope, don't think I can do it. Although, if it was a book I'd read it; since I survived The Road (Horrifying but fantastic,) I can read anything.

Naaaaaaaah

5. Dorothy of Oz, coming in April: I read as many Oz books as I could when I was a kid, and this animated version looks pretty cool.

6. Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter: I love it. There's no guesswork involved with that title.

8. The Hunger Games: Hurray! It's the start of a new addictive series! I'm saved!

Coming soon: Books to read in 2012

A True Kind of Love Story; Or, An Ode to Friendship

There are loads of romance novels out there, and I have enjoyed quite a few of them. Georgette Heyer, for example, is a goddess to me. A well written romance, especially if it includes humor and some nice historical touches, is a delight. I'm talking a rainy day outside, a fire within, me, the couch, and a pot of tea... and a book in my hands.

Nurse Gwen must choose between Dr. Jack or a man about town!!!!!!!!

As a woman, I find romance very important. But there is a different kind of love that is also important, nay, vital to my happiness. I mean the relationship that I have with my girlfriends, the ones I chat with on the phone, the ones who are there to hear me vent, the ones who used to listen to me sob over the end of some great romance in my life.

There are some stories out there about friendships. During the seventies, the move Julia told the story of Lilliam Helmaann's friendship during the second world war. The Turning Point looked at the friendship between two ballerinas.

In the nineties there was that great love story about two friends, The Shawshank Redemption, but naturally that was about male friendship. I'd love to see a female version of that.

I wish there were more stories like this. Friendship is sometimes seen as a background. You have the sassy friend, the supportive friend, the rebellious friend, the bitchy friend, and they're usually there to help the main character through a mystery or a love affair.

But how about the development of the actual friendship itself?

Friendships sometimes grow, like romances, over time. Friends bump heads. We quarrel, and make up. We chat. We go out. We are there for each other, no matter what.

I wish, as an author, that I had the creds to detail that relationship. The story and the importance of friends, after all, is a special thing, and it is a bit neglected.

Anyone out there writing anything about pure friendship?

Harry Potter and the Deleted Scenes

When my daughter and I watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 (and one of just might have worn Gryffindor robes and brought a Pygmy Puff and Ginny Weasely's wand to the cinema) we thoroughly enjoyed it. However, there were some scenes from the book I missed in the movie.

Ginny's Pygmy Puff

My favorite, and one that seemed to reflect the second quote in the front of the book, was set in the Lovegood home. When Harry, Hermione, and Ron went upstairs to Luna's room, they saw a mural of the three of them and Luna as well as Ginny and Neville. The six figures in the mural were interconnected with a gold chain which, about closer inspection, proved to be made of the word "friends," written over and over again.

I know it's not terribly exciting, but the theme of friendship was so important during the books that I wish the painting had made it to the big screen. They could have cut out the scene of Harry and Hermione dancing in the tent, IMO, although I did like that song they danced to.


Of all the characters in the book, Ron got the most shortchanged. Where was the whole story line about the Keeper in Quidditch? It got shoved in as a reason for Lavender to jump him in the Half-Blood Prince, but where were the Weasely is King buttons?

Speaking of that, how are Ron and Hermione going to hook up without the whole SPEW plot? It got cut from the films (and rightfully so - it was a bit silly) but it was the whole reason that - oh, they'll have to come up with something good.


(All right, I'll admit here and now that I'm a bit obsessed with Ron. OK? OK.)


Finally, there was a scene from the DH 1 movie that was filmed, but deleted. It's a piece between Ron (shocker) and Hermione, and I think it's too good to miss:

How about you? What scenes from the books do you wish had made it to the movies?