Movie Mom: Reviews by a mom for moms on new releases, DVD picks and hot TV shows.

Uninspired...

Well, that's how I feel right now.  Uninspired.  I just can't seem to write much of anything.  It's not for lack of movie watching.  We've watched The Kingdom (Peter Berg directed movie that is basically Friday Night Lights in Saudi Arabia - a good watch), Lions for Lambs (excellent performances by all - Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, with the best by up-&-comer Andrew Garfield), The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (altogether unmemorable or should I say unwatchable, which is saying a lot from someone who actually enjoyed the first two movies), The Love Guru (god awful, I said in a previous post that Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer may have been the worst movie ever, but amazingly Mike Myers has figured out a way to top it - when the "climax" of your movie is two elephants getting it on at a hockey game you know your career as a filmmaker is officially over), I Am Legend (not bad, never quite delivers on the whole thrills & chills level though), Dan in Real Life (a rare bright spot - Steve Carrell confirms that he is truly a star on all levels), Into the Wild (another bright spot, but totally haunting) & Charlie Wilson's War (completely overlooked by most of the awards from last year, but all involved shine - Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman).

I guess I'm not alone though, because pretty much all of the big-name movie critics have lamented about 2008 being a sub-par movie-going year.  I don't know if it was because of the writer's strike or even the economy, but 2008 held very few bright spots (the ones I mentioned above were actually from 2007 - of late Netflix isn't coming up with many decent DVD's from 2008).  So, I'm sending it out to all of you good people.  What were your favourite movies of 2008?  What inspired you?  What was disappointing?  I'd love to hear, so maybe, just maybe, I could be inspired too!

Christmas Is Actually All Around...

So, it is the weekend after Christmas & I have to admit it...I have major Christmas let-down.  Not that my Christmas wasn't lovely (even though we had no family in town we were invited to friends' for both Christmas Eve & Christmas Day).  Not that I didn't get nice presents (thank you hubby & "Ann Taylor" for the lovely clothes).  Not that I didn't enjoy every exuberant moment of my 3-year old discovering the magic of Christmas (asking for a jingle bell from Santa just like the little boy in The Polar Express).  You see, I get Christmas let-down every year.  And every year I have wonderful Christmases. But on Dec. 26, I always feel the same.  A little bit of "that's it?" wrapped up with a great, big "oh no, don't go yet!!"  Unfortunately, I'm not quite sure if I can ever change it.  I am a Christmas baby.  Dec 22 to be exact.  The lead up to "Christmas" starts the day after American Thanksgiving for me.  I try (some years in vain) to put the tree up, crack open White Christmas (the perfect start to every Christmas movie season) & I flutter around (don't laugh) Christmas-ing up my house (read: life) while my hubby basically "Bah humbugs" under his breath.  Then, there's cookie baking, endless Christmas-movie/special watching, Christmas shopping, a few parties or get-togethers (I actually had a gift-wrapping party this year & it was fantastic), using Santa as the greatest discipline trick, & so on, & so on.  It all leads up to that wonderful 3 days between my birthday & Christmas, & then...it just ends & I have 362 more days (or, gasp, 363 in a leap year) to trudge through until those 3 wonderful days arrive again.  So, what's a girl to do to make the "season" last just a little longer without driving my hubby into a White Christmas/Scrooged/Polar Express/Christmas Vacation-induced coma?

Well how about a Christmas movie, but not a Christmas movie.  I'm not quite sure if I can explain the distinction.  Maybe it is that one is about Christmas, the other uses Christmas as a backdrop.  A set piece, if you may, but not the whole set.  So, I began perusing our DVD collection & what did I stumble upon, but Love Actually.

 

If you haven't seen this movie, rush right out & rent it now.  It is a classic romantic comedy wrapped up in a great big Christmas bow.  It has eight separate story lines, interwoven such that in the end all of our characters arrive in the same "place."

Funny story about this movie.  I went to see it with my Mom while she was visiting during one of our many moves.  My hubby was already working in Ohio & in his true cheap smart fashion he was living with his grandparents until I arrived.  So, one Friday evening my hubby decides to take his grandparents out to a movie as a little thank-you for putting him up at their house.  It was between Pirates of the Caribbean & Love Actually & since he knew my Mom & I enjoyed Love Actually he suggested that.  Flash forward to our conversation the next day.

Hubby: We went to see a movie last night.

Me: Oh ya, what did you see?

Hubby: Love Actually.

Me: NO! NO! NO! You didn't!?!

Hubby: You said it was cute!

Me: I never said "cute".  I said it was "good", not "cute"....what did they say?

Hubby: Well Grandma wanted to walk out & Grandpa thought it was quite enjoyable.

Let's just say that besides the fact that the f-bomb is dropped about 100 times in the movie, one whole storyline involves the stand-ins used to light/block a scene, during the filming of a movie, when the actors themselves don't necessarily want to be "exposed" that long.  Okay...I'll say just a little more.  The two characters are in various stages of undress & are (frankly, quite comically) acting out different, well, "acts".  All the while they are talking about the weather or traffic or something else as innocuous.  Basically the recipe for Grandma wanting to walk out & Grandpa having a good chuckle (either at the movie or at the fact that Grandma wanted to walk out, not quite sure which).

What gets me every time (I pretty much cry in the first 2 minutes) is that the movie opens with footage of random people connecting with their loved ones at an airport arrivals area with a voice-over saying that whenever he is feeling down he goes to the arrivals level at Heathrow Airport & it helps him to see that "Love is, actually, all around..."  (wipe tear as I write this).  I have spent my entire adulthood being the one arriving or picking up someone from an airport, & there is something so real & honest about the emotion of seeing your "person" on the other side of that door.  Go check out the movie & I challenge you to finish up with a dry eye.  If that's not enough for you how about this: Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Kiera Knightly, Billy Nighy, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Rodrigo Santoro, Billy-Bob Thornton, Rowan Atkinson, Denise Richards (my hubby made me put her in) & Claudia Schiffer.  If you check there is even a kitchen sink.  So what are you waiting for?!?  Go, watch, & enjoy.  And maybe, just maybe, you too can let the Christmas season last just a little bit longer.  Happy Holidays.

As a little footnote, whenever my hubby & I see movies separately now we always ask "Is it something we could take the grandparents to?!?"

The Worst Movie....EVER!!!

So, I know I'm supposed to be giving you movie recommendations, but let's just consider this a Public Service Announcement.  Like one of those "The more you know" ads on NBC with all of those celebrities.  Except this isn't a major TV network & I'm no celebrity.  So, exactly like one of those "The more you know ads".

The movie in question is Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. (I'll spare all of you the trailer because, let's be honest, even that would be a waste of your time!!)

I'm not quite sure why it ended up at our house.  Obviously we need to pay a little closer attention to our Netflix queue.  But we thought we were up for a good action movie, so why not?  How wrong could we be?  About 30 min into the movie I turned to my hubby & asked "who exactly is this being aimed at?"  The gags/stunts would appeal to my 9 year old nephew, but I'm fairly certain he could care less (as frankly I did as well) about a seemingly extraneous wedding storyline.  The villain (or at least what we think is the villain for 3/4's of the movie) is a cheap version of the T-1000 Terminator (the liquid metal guy) who flies around on a surfboard.  Yep, I couldn't think of a more menacing form of transportation than a surfboard.  I live by the beach.  Menacing doesn't really describe most surfers.  Turns out the real villain is a big cloud of cosmic dust.  I think I'll take the surfer. 

Throw in some pretty standard superhero action effects, the worst chemistry between 4 characters I have ever seen on screen, & a plot thinner than an Olsen twin, & you pretty much have the worst movie I have ever seen.  Or as I like to call it: 92 min of my life that I will never get back.

I'm not quite sure if my beef should be with Fox for making such a dud of a movie, or with Marvel for dreaming up this "fantastic" group (please don't come & sling comic books at my house...I haven't read any of them, I'm just speculating).

The funny thing is that my hubby & I have been having an ongoing discussion ever since we watched it.  What is the worst movie ever?  He seems to think that there are many worse movies, but all of the ones he has come up with pale in comparison.  Yep, & that even includes Ishtar.

So what do you think?  What is the worst movie you have ever seen?  I want someone to top the Silver Surfer.  If you dare.  Or just dare to admit it!!

On DVD Now: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

This movie was released theatrically back in March, 2008. I had heard some good buzz and really wanted to see it at the time, but it had a somewhat limited release and I wasn't able to catch it in theatres here in Calgary. So I was eagerly looking forward to its recent DVD release, and I sure wasn't disappointed! In fact, I actually (very indulgently) watched it twice in a row: back-to-back!

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is produced by Focus Features, the people behind Burn After Reading (released September 12, featuring an all-star cast including the hilarious duo of George Clooney and Brad Pitt, as well as George Malkovitch, Tilda Swinton and Pettigrew star, Frances McDormand) and acclaimed spoof Hamlet 2 (released August 22).

Set in 1939 London, this film takes us on a whirlwind ride with Miss Guinivere Pettigrew, middle-aged unemployed governess who decides - for once in her life - to take a chance, lying her way into a job as "social secretary" to aspiring American actress Delysia Lafosse (played brilliantly by Amy Adams of Enchanted fame). As an impostor in the glamourous world of the London "it" crowd, Miss Pettigrew is clearly out of her element: at first amazed and overwhelmed, then quickly disillusioned. Moved by tenderness for the charming but misguided Delysia, Miss Pettigrew decides to help her manage not only her busy social schedule, but also her overly busy love life. With three men on the go at one time, Delysia is frantic. Miss Pettigrew offers her the wise and timeless advice (and one of my favourite lines in the film): "sometimes choices just have to be made." But watch out! The opportunistic Edythe knows what Delysia does not: that Miss Pettigrew is not who she seems. Will Edythe be able to turn this knowledge to her advantage? Well, she'll certainly try. But will Edythe's plotting spell disaster for Guinivere, or will her "terribly old-fashioned" values serve her well in the end?

This isn't your typical Hollywood movie folks: it's something much better! Refreshingly funny, poignant and thoughtful, Miss Pettigrew is kind of like a cross between Mary Poppins and My Fair Lady with a decidedly modern edge. The outdoor scenes have an oppressive and stormy feel, as if the very environment is charged with the tension of pre-WWII Europe, in spite of the artificial, almost defiant glamour of the indoor shots: all gold-leaf, red velvet, green drinks (that's an inside joke: watch the movie!) and big bands.

The cast all deliver excellent multi-dimensional performances, but the two to watch are definitely Academy Award Nominee Adams and Academy Award Winner McDormand. Also worth paying close attention to is Lee Pace (of Pushing Daisies, among many other television, film and stage credits) as Michael Pardue, one of Delysia's three competing suitors.

Be sure to swing by your local library and check out the book of the same title on which the movie is based, written by Winnifred Watson in 1938.

urbanmoms.ca staffer Kath is subbing for our regular Movie Mom, Margot, who's being kept very busy being plain ol' Mom to her two little guys.

Margot at the Wedding

Make sure you have your say at urbanmoms.ca!  Have you seen Margot at the Wedding yet?  Let us know what you thought in the comments section below & be sure to rate the number of stars you would give to Margot at the Wedding.  Five Stars - Run, don't walk, to the theatre.  Four Stars - Worth seeing.  Three Stars - Not bad.  Two Stars - Marginal.  One Star - Do not waste your time.

It is so very rare that I hear my name on tv or in movies.  Especially rare is seeing it with the wonderful, silent "t"....word of advice to people naming children out there, put a few silent letters in your child's name & then sit back & enjoy the world butchering the name for the rest of said child's life.  It is just soooooo much fun!!  No really, honestly, I like my name.  It is uncommon, but not odd.  I just wish I didn't ever have to hear another "Marg-it" or "Marg-et".  And don't even get me started on the lovely elementary school nickname that some "genius" boy thought of (maggot).  But I digress.

On DVD Now

Kath requested last week that I review Margot at the Wedding, & I love a good challenge, so I couldn't disappoint.  It stars Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, & Jack Black, so I figured it has a pretty good cast, why not give it a chance.  This movie has been on my radar since before it came out in theatres, & I have to admit it is because of the name.  Doesn't everyone feel a bit strange when they hear their name in a movie or on tv?  Maybe its just me, because it so rarely happens.  And unfortunately, the "Margots" portrayed on tv & the big screen, have not been entirely endearing characters.  Neurotic?  Yes.  Self-centered?  Yep.  General pains in the ass?  Yessiree.  Let's just say that Nicole Kidman's Margot does nothing to break those stereotypes.

The basic story is that Margot (Nicole Kidman) is a successful writer who is returning to her hometown, with her pre-teen son, for her younger sister Pauline's (Jennifer Jason Leigh) wedding.  Margot brings her destructive personality to basically wreak havoc on all involved.  This movie is all about family dynamics, particularly the sister relationship between Margot & Pauline & the parent child relationship between Margot & her son Claude. 

I don't have sisters.  I have cousins who are like sisters & friends who are like sisters, but I know in the end it is not the same.  There is baggage (both good & bad) that you carry with a sister that you can never carry with someone who doesn't share the same parents as you.  So watching Margot & Pauline's relationship implode on screen was a bit foreign to me.  I  kept thinking "they both say they are each other's best or closest friend, but behave so unbelievably to each other."  Pauline is just so desperate for her older sister's approval at anything, & Margot won't, or is incapable, of giving it.  As far as the parent-child relationship between Margot & Claude, it was hard to tell who was which at times.  Margot came off as so selfish in most of her conversations with Claude, more concerned with her own feelings than those of her son.  I was a bit shocked at some of the topics that she would discuss with him, her son playing the role of confidante, which frankly I found totally unsettling.

I hate to use the word dysfunctional to describe this family, as I sort of wonder what a "functional" family is?  We all have strange family dynamics.  Some are just "stranger" than others.  We all learn to put up with each other's quirks & eccentricities, in order to maintain some sort of balance in our family.  It is a constant give & take.  Unfortunately for Pauline, her sister doesn't give much in return for what she takes, or destroys for that matter.

As far as the movie goes, it feels like you drop in on these people's lives for a small amount of time, entering in the middle of the story & leaving somewhere a little farther along.  So if you are looking for closure on any of the characters, don't expect it.  It is truly a character study with almost a voyeuristic quality to it.  The acting is fantastic, particularly by the two female leads, who could be real life sisters both physically & emotionally.  I enjoyed the performances, but overall I can't really say that I enjoyed the movie.  I like a little more closure, & frankly a little more escapism in my movies.  This definitely would have been a tough sell to get the hubby to watch, even if I told him that Jack Black was in it.  It was not terrible, because the performances are fantastic, but unless you are looking for some fairly depressing fare with pretty much no closure, then I wouldn't bother.

So, thanks to Kath for the suggestion for this week's movie review.  Hopefully this helps you out.  My task for all of you is to let me know if there are others you would like me to review & I'll see what I can do.  Getting out to the theatre may be a bit of a stretch right now, but if it's on DVD then I'm totally game!

Oh ya, & I totally cringed every time they said my name in the movie!  I just couldn't help it!  That Margot was such a b#@ch!!!

A Good "Thinking" Movie

Make sure you have your say at urbanmoms.ca!  Have you seen Fracture yet?  Let us know what you thought in the comments section below & be sure to rate the number of stars you would give to Fracture.  Five Stars - Run, don't walk, to the theatre.  Four Stars - Worth seeing.  Three Stars - Not bad.  Two Stars - Marginal.  One Star - Do not waste your time.

Don't you just love those movies that challenge you to use your brain?  Okay, sometimes it is nice just to have a total escape where you can shut your brain down & just let the movie wash over you without worrying about which synapses are & aren't firing.  But those real thought-provoking movies that either challenge you to figure something out or even just to keep up with the storyline, they can be fabulous too.  Maybe its because you can feel like you've given your brain a little 2-hour challenge or tune-up with very little effort on your part.  Insert DVD in player.  Press play.  That's pretty much it.  But I think my fav part of a "thinking" movie is the discussions that you can have afterward with your fellow movie-watchers.  One of my fondest movie memories is from when Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace came out in theatres.  My hubby & I joined our equally-avid Star Wars friends at the theatre for the first showing & then we all sat around afterward for hours eating pie & dissecting every last minute of the movie & what it meant to the greater Star Wars universe.  Oh, dear god, I just admitted that out loud!  Anyway, my point was that we all got to enjoy each other's take on the movie & we all gleaned different things from different parts.  Now I will admit that The Phantom Menace is not your typical example of a "thinking" movie...but you get the idea (ya, I'm a total nerd).

Now On DVD

Fracture

Fracture is actually a very simple movie.  Anthony Hopkins is Ted Crawford, an older man with a young wife.  She just so happens to be having an affair.  He kills her (this is not a spoiler, we know that he did it from the very beginning), but somehow seems to manage to get away with murder.  On the other side is young Assistant DA Willy Beechum, played by Ryan Gosling, who is just biding his time before he can get fully settled into the big shot corporate lawyer position he has all lined up.  Willy is driven almost to the point of madness because he can't seem to convict Crawford, on a case that should be open-&-shut.  What follows is a cat-&-mouse game between Hopkins' & Gosling's characters, where the roles seem to reverse themselves without notice.

I found Fracture to be a fairly solid "thinking" movie.  You are never really wondering if he did it, but how he got away with it.  That being said once you figure it out, you realize how simple it really was.  I guess I just had the overwhelming feeling that this movie thought it was "smarter" than it actually was.  It was sort of like watching a 2-hour episode of Law & Order.  Very little character development, just enough to prevent you from turning off the movie, & once the case is done, so too is the movie.  It was entertaining, & certainly had good performances from both Gosling & Hopkins.  It just fell a little flat in the end to me.

This whole idea of a good "thinking" movie got me thinking (I know, I shouldn't strain myself) about what the best "thinkers" have been.  So it's been a while since I did a Top Five & between my parents, hubby & myself we came up with some doozies (not all, obviously, made the final list).

Top Five "Thinking" Movies

5. Michael Clayton - I reviewed this movie back in the fall, & the more I think about it the more I love it.  I love the fact that you start 3/4 of the way through the movie & work your way back, all the while thinking "how do we get from A to R?!?"

4. The Sixth Sense - Okay, so once you know the hook of this movie then you look at it through totally different eyes.  But isn't that the sign of a great "thinking" movie?  You just need to re-watch it to catch all of those little signs you missed.  And please let me know if you are one of the 5 people who figured out the twist ahead of time.  It had me hook, line & sinker!

3. The Insider - This story of a tobacco-industry whistleblower, is loosely-based on a true story, & it had me reeling by the end.  So many topics to discuss.  Corrupt government.  Corporate cover-ups.  Character assasination.  And how did Russell Crowe make himself look so horrid?  Sorry, off-topic.

2. Memento - Okay, I have to admit that I haven't actually seen this movie (I was desperately ill the night my hubby & friends watched it & I fell asleep 2 minutes in), but from everyone I have ever talked to it is unanimous that it certainly makes you think.  I think this movie is either a "love it" or "hate it", there seems to be no gray area.  My Hubby & Dad hated it.  My Mom & friends loved it.  If you've never seen it the basic idea is that you start at the end of the story & work your way back, because our main character (Guy Pearce) suffers from short-term memory loss.  I really need to see it, because the dang movie already has me thinking about it...& I can't remember why!

1.  The Usual Suspects - For anyone who has seen this movie all I have to say is "Who is Keyser Soze?"  If you haven't, then what are you waiting for?!?  It's genius that you will be talking about for weeks afterward.

So what do you think?  Did some of your fav "thinking" movies make my list?  What are your fav "thinkers?"  Do you prefer a "thinker" or an "escape" movie?  Let us know what you think (couldn't resist) in the comments section below.

Documentaries: Week 2

Make sure you have your say at urbanmoms.ca!  Have you seen Sicko yet?  Let us know what you thought in the comments section below & be sure to rate the number of stars you would give to Sicko.  Five Stars - Run, don't walk, to the theatre.  Four Stars - Worth seeing.  Three Stars - Not bad.  Two Stars - Marginal.  One Star - Do not waste your time.

Sicko

So, I seem to be on a bit of a documentary kick of late.  Blame it on the writer's strike (personally I like to blame everything, including the weather, on the writer's strike), there just isn't that much worthwhile on tv.  So when my copy of Sicko arrived from Netflix, I thought, "what the hey, let's make it 2 documentaries in a row.  People might actually think I'm a little cultured."  Sicko is a documentary about the health care system in the U.S.  I was actually really looking forward to seeing this movie, as I think I have a fairly unique perspective, being a Canadian living in the U.S.  I also have never seen a Michael Moore film, so I figured this was a good one to start with.  I remember seeing Michael Moore on Oprah last summer talking about this film.  What struck me during the interview was that this film seemed to be less political than his past ventures, he was basically saying that everyone, on both sides of the aisle (as we say in the U.S.), had dropped the ball on health care.

Sicko is a series of stories chronicling average U.S. citizens' experiences with the health care system in the U.S.  When I say health care system, I mean the for-profit system of health insurance companies.  This movie doesn't even touch on the almost 50 million Americans who do not have health insurance.  Moore makes that painfully clear in the first 5 minutes.  Moore started all of this by sending out an open invitation to people to submit their health care horror stories.  Within a week he had over 25,000 e-mails in his inbox.  And he also had his next documentary.  It must have been a very difficult task to pick which stories would make it to the film.  I found it heartbreaking (I cried a ton) just to watch these people talk about how they thought that they were taken care of because they had insurance.  What they didn't know was the lengths to which "insurance" companies would go to in justifying denying their claims.  Moore holds his most vehement criticism for the HMOs (insurance where you can only seek in-network treatment, or you pay totally out of pocket).  One woman told the story of her 2-year old daughter who had a fever so high that she had a seizure.  She called 911 & they transported her to the nearest hospital.  An out-of-network hospital.  The hospital contacted her insurance company & was told they could not provide any care there (or they wouldn't be paid for it), & she should go to an in-network hospital.  The woman was told she should transport her child, by car, to the other hospital.  When she refused, she was removed from the hospital because she was considered a threat.  By the time the little girl was transported to the in-network hospital she was in cardiac arrest, & she was pronounced dead 30 minutes later.  I shook from the thought of it.  This little girl need not die.

Then Moore explores why we don't have universal health care in the U.S., like every other developed nation in the world.  The dreaded & evil words "socialized medicine" come up.  He wonders why Americans are so afraid of those two words?  So he travels to Canada, the U.K., France & finally Cuba to see what life is like for not only the people who receive medical care under the evil "socialized medicine", but also the people who work within these systems.  Not surprisingly, everything seems to go smoothly & care is swift & thorough in every one of these countries.  Not only do they receive the care that most Americans receive, but many other fringe benefits like extended maternity leave, mother's helpers, extended vacation time & cheap prescription drugs, all provided for by the government.  I cried as an American woman living in France talked about the guilt she felt over the things that were provided to her by the French government, that she knew that her parents, who had worked hard in the U.S. their entire lives, would never have.  The expression of "why" on her face was heartbreaking.

I have had a bit of experience myself with the health care system in the U.S.  10 years ago I was hospitalized for 8 days with an E. coli infection that spread to my blood, lungs & heart.  I received excellent care & when all was said & done owed a little over $1000 out of pocket.  Just this past fall my husband was hospitalized with what was believed to be a mysterious virus.  6 days in they told us it was Typhus (which we still don't know how he contracted).  He came home 3 days later & has fully recovered from his illness.  In the following months I dealt with the insurance company, to ensure all our ducks were in a row.  When we finally received the statement from the insurance company for the hospital bill (not the dr's, those were separate) I was shocked to see that 9 days in the hospital (& all of his medications/tests) came to $136,000.  Then I saw that the insurance comapany deemed these services to be worth a little over $18,000, our share of which was about $1,200.  For everything, including dr's, we paid about $2,000 out-of pocket.  Not something we were counting on spending a decent chunk of money on, but manageable nonetheless.  The startling thing to me is the fact that I know nothing of how either the hospital or the insurance company determine their prices.  And that is the way they want it.  I am not allowed to know what I am paying for, just that I need to pay.  I was extremely pleased with his care, & considering some of the horror stories in Sicko, I feel very lucky to have come out of that situation with only a minor financial dent.  But I shouldn't have to feel lucky.  I pay for this insurance so that I shouldn't have to worry.  And that is precisely why the system in the U.S. is so broken, as Moore so rightly points out.  I know from experience that no system is perfect, but one that leaves so many out, & so many others wondering & worrying about getting sick, is fatally flawed & should be addressed.  It should not be acceptable that the #1 reason for bankrupcy & homelessness in the U.S. is medical debt.  It should be embarassing that the U.S. has higher infant mortality rate & lower life expectancy than any other developed nation on earth.

My overwhelming thought about this movie is that every American should see it.  Heck, anyone of any nationality should see it.  Moore is a master at using humour even when dealing with uncomfortable subjects.  He is also an amazing interviewer & plays the part of the "average guy" so well, all the way down to his ever-changing baseball caps.  He managed to make a movie that chronicles the issues at hand without delving too much into the political side, & places the impetus on the citizens to force the change.  Honestly, I think the movie is brilliant.  It made me want to get out & do something about it.  You can too.  Check out Michael Moore's website to see what you can do to help.  If you haven't already seen this movie, rent it as soon as you can.

   

Shut Up & Sing

"Freedom of speech is fine, but you don't do it in another country & you don't do it in mass public"                                                                    -quote from Dixie Chick's documentary Shut Up & Sing

Once I heard this quote I knew I had to see this movie.  I remember hearing about it a year or so ago, & then it slipped my mind (shocking).  I subscribe to Entertainment Weekly & recalled the famous cover of the Dixie Chicks with some of the many nasty words (& some a little more appropriate, like brave & peace) they had been called, painted all over their bodies.

You may remember a little bit about this story, way back from 2003.  The Dixie Chicks were the greatest selling female band in history (not just country music), they sang the U.S. national anthem at the Super Bowl, & then there was a little concert in England at the start of their Home tour.  The Chicks were in London playing a gig, shortly after the U.S invasion of Iraq.  Lead singer, Natalie Maines, said to an extremely supportive crowd  "Just so you know, we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas."  She laughed, & the crowd roared with cheers & applause.  Two days later, when the U.S. media picked up the story, the fall-out began.

This documentary basically chronicles the Chicks as they record their most recent album (2006's Taking the Long Way) & how the whole album evolved due to the controversy over Maines' comments.  They flash back to the comment & what life was like for Maines & sisters Martie Maguire (fiddle) & Emily Robison (banjo) in the aftermath.  There was a huge backlash against the trio, mostly from the country music community, as they were pretty much massacred for being everything from "unpatriotic" to "treasonous".  Watching these 3 women go through meeting after meeting, trying to digest what was happening to their career's & their lives' was a bit heartbreaking.

What really struck me about this movie was that these 3 women are just like us.  They are Moms.  Their kids are so much a part of their lives (all of the kids travel with the band), not just accessories or mere annoyances (ala Britney).  Watching these women go through terrible two's, fertility issues, pregnancies, career troubles & how they were there to support each other through all of it, the good & the bad, well it reminded me of our (not-so) little community that we have here at urbanmoms.ca.  It was quite inspiring to watch them all stand together as one to defend what they believed was right. 

There were 2 moments in the movie that really summed up the insanity of this whole controversy for me.  First was one of the many protestors outside a Dixie Chicks concert.  She was standing there holding her young daughter (maybe 3 years old) & she said something to the effect of "Dixie Chicks, all I can say is Screw 'em".  Then she looked at her daughter & said "say it.  SAY IT!" Thankfully, the little girl didn't parrot her mother, but can you imagine saying that to your child?  Teaching them to say such a negative phrase & just breeding hate & intolerance in them?  The second moment that really struck me was watching the Chicks right before they went on stage for a concert to which they had received a death threat on Maines' life.  Watching these 3 women try to mask their fear, as they prepared to go out & entertain tens of thousands of people, all the while knowing that a serious threat was leveled against one of them, well it brought me to tears.  Their unspoken sisterhood was inspiring, even at the worst of times.

Now, I know that hindsight is 20/20 & it is very easy for me (or anyone) to look back now & say that the Chicks were right from the get go & the war in Iraq has been a disaster politically & socially (yep, yep & yep).  There is an almost laughable moment when one of the Chicks agents/managers says (just after the "incident" in 2003) "The war couldn't be going any better. The troops will probably be out in a few weeks.  And Bush's approval ratings are sky high."  That whole hindsight thing again. I guess, in the end for me, whether I like what she said or not, Maines had every right to say it (even on foreign soil...egads I know), because that is free speech.  Just like the people who responded had every right to say what they said.  People get to say all kinds of things I don't like, trust me I've been living through over 7 years of "nu-CU-lear" & "stra-TE-gery", so I know all about the "joys" of free speech.  I just like to think about what I say before I say it.  That doesn't mean that everything I say comes out right (ask my husband, or my parents, or my friends, or....), but I hope that I try.  The original comment seemed to be sly, a bit funny, & an interesting social commentary to the appropriate audience.  The resulting backlash seemed mean-spirited at best, & malicious at its worst.

So, you're saying, that's all fine & well, but should I take the time to watch it?  I think the documentary is very well done, the director is a two-time Oscar winner.  I just think that you really have to be in the mood to watch it.  If you want to watch a combo of a concert tour/political commentary/parenting struggles movie with great music, then this is definitely worth a rental, but it may not be your great escape for a friday evening.  So I think I have to give it 3 stars, not because it isn't well done, but because of the fact that documentaries are not always everyone's idea of good entertainment.  Although, if you feel like having a documentary-fest, this should definitely be on the list.

Make sure you have your say at urbanmoms.ca!  Have you seen Shut Up & Sing yet?  Let us know what you thought in the comments section below & be sure to rate the number of stars you would give to Shut Up & Sing.  Five Stars - Run, don't walk, to the theatre.  Four Stars - Worth seeing.  Three Stars - Not bad.  Two Stars - Marginal.  One Star - Do not waste your time.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like....

So I have spent the whole day arranging for Christmas cards to be sent out (yes it is Dec 16 & half of my cards have to cross the border...wish me luck), because my husband guilted me into this after this year's group of cards started pouring in from all of our wonderful friends & relatives (show-offs).  This is what I heard.  "We should really send out Christmas cards" & "Ah hon, look at the picture of so-&-so's kids, we should really do something!"  We.  We.  WEEEEEE.  Which basically means....me!  So now everyone on the list is getting a generic card (albeit a cute one, because the little guy is on the front) that I was able to create online.  Oh ya, & BTW, they address, stamp & mail them for me too (I love Shutterfly).  I know, its a bit of a cop-out because I actually don't sign them myself, but I have a problem when I sit down to write out cards of any sort that I tend to be a little long-winded.  I know, you are all shocked.  Which is why I usually start Christmas cards a lot earlier than this, but I let myself off the hook this year, only to be put squarely back on it by the hubby.  He means well.

And if this adventure didn't put me in the holiday spirit (how could it possibly have not), then I have the 14 phone calls we received today from friends & family to tell us how much its snowing there.  Bah Humbug to you all while I go put lights on my palm tree with my light spring coat on (listening to the "natives" complain about how "cold" it is). 

BTW, this is what snow is to Southern Californians...

Basically a big pile of Zamboni ice in the middle of a parking lot!  Check out the girl in the background with snowpants, boots, & mittens on.  It was 70 degrees by noon that day!

This is one of the most difficult things for me about living in Southern California.  Christmas just always seems a bit odd without snow.  This girl has these slightly idealized memories of Christmas morning in Southern Ontario with tons of snow & my brother & I in snowsuits building forts & snowmen.  Whether or not that actually ever happened is irrelevant, because it ain't gonna happen here.  For sure.  It actually rained here last week.  All day.  One glorious side-effect of rain here is that it washes away all of the smog & we could enjoy the view of the snow-capped mountains for 2 whole days before the smog came back.  It made me feel better that I could get to snow if I wanted to, but then again I'd need to drive there & frankly I need a whole other post to discuss driving in LA.

So what to do to get me in the Christmas spirit?  Well, since I am the Movie Mommy I have mapped out the next week's worth of evenings revolving around watching Christmas movies & specials, big bowls of popcorn (like I needed an excuse) & big bowls of hot chocolate to go with it.  So come with me along the journey that will be my total and utter Christmas-ication all culminating with the Grand-daddy of all Christmas movies.  Some I'm sure you'll know, others you might be able to add as a new holiday tradition.  I'd like to call it a Top Five list, but there is no way I can stick with just five.  So maybe it will be a Top Seven.  Or Nine.

Top Five (Seven...okay Nine) Movies to get you in the Christmas Spirit

9.  Christmas Vacation.  I know every joke & gag in this movie, but every year when I watch, I laugh like its all new.  Personally I think this was the funniest of all of the Vacation movies & that Chevy Chase was at his comedic best (okay, we can argue on Fletch if we must).  My hubby & I always remark that we are Clark & Ellen as we are constantly being invaded by our crazy families (I wouldn't have it any other way though).  I might actually start calling him Sparky.

Best Line:  Clark to Cousin Eddie - "Can I refill your eggnog for you?  Get you something to eat?  Drive you out to the middle of nowhere....leave you for dead?

Bonus Best Line:  "And why is the carpet all wet, Todd?" "I don't know, Margot!" (the line that seems to be endlessly amusing to everyone...but me)

8. Scrooge.  I had never seen this musical version of A Christmas Carol, with Albert Finney, before I met my husband.  Apparently this was his fav growing up & they even watched it in school on a movie projector (remember competing over who would help wind the reels?  Okay maybe just me).  It is an old-style, big budget UK production with big musical numbers & tons of extras.  I have grown to love this telling as well, with all of its musical goofiness.  Definitely a way to get the kids to enjoy some Dickens.

Best Line: From one of the many people who owed money to Scrooge, to Scrooge's coffin during his funeral procession (singing, of course) - "Thank you very much.  Thank you very much.  That's the nicest thing that anyone's ever done for me!"

7. A Christmas Story.  Any movie that has gained such a cult following that it is shown on one TV channel continuously for 24 hrs, has earned its spot on any Top Five list.  Really, need I say more about this movie?!?

Best Line: "Aunt Clara had for years laboured under the delusion that I was not only perpetually 4 years old, but also a girl."

6.  Its a Wonderful Life.  No list would be complete without it.  George Bailey's life doesn't necessarily turn out the way he imagined, but his choices (made by him or for him) contributed to the betterment of so many of the lives around him.  The feel good movie of the holidays.  I'll watch it after my last shopping day...I'll need it!

Best Line:  George to Mary after the dance - "You look a little older without your clothes on.  I, I, I mean, without a dress you look older.  I mean younger.  You look, you, just..."

5.  Rankin-Bass Christmas Specials.  What better way to ring in the Christmas cheer than to sit down to an evening of this classic stop-motion animation, direct from your childhood?  The best known ones are Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, & The Year Without a Santa Claus.  The last one has become a favourite in our house of late, as the little guy insists several times a day that he must "watch Santa Claus".  It is the classic with Heat-Meiser & Snow-Meiser, & Santa Claus in a pimp suit (go check for yourself...Santa is all pimped-out).  Lesser known is The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus based on the L. Frank Baum book.  This one is a little trippy, with a council of immortals recalling Santa Claus' life trying to decide if he is worthy of having immortality bestowed upon him.  It is really hard to come by (only available on VHS) & seems to be a bit of a cult fav, garnering $60-$120 in online auctions.

Best Line (The Year Without a Santa Claus):  Jingle (Elf #1) on phone "Oh, hi Mrs Claus.  Yes Mrs. Claus.  Okay Mrs. Claus.  Sure thing Mrs. Claus.  Right away Mrs. Claus."

Jangle (Elf #2) "Who was that?"

Jingle "That was....come on."

4.  Scrooged.  Honestly, Bill Murray at his best.  And frankly Carol Kane as the ghost of Christmas Present is classic.  Who can forget the two of them kicking the crap out of each other with toasters & other Christmas presents?!?

Best Line:  Bill Murray to a stagehand inquiring how to attach antlers to a mouse.  "Have you tried staples?"

3.-2.  Holiday Inn/White Christmas.  We are going to try to get the little guy to bed early one night & do a marathon of these two movies.  Holiday Inn was the predecessor & isn't necessarily a traditional Christmas movie (follows the story of an Inn that is only open for major holidays...President's Day anyone?), but the combo of Bing Crosby & Fred Astaire is priceless.  It is also the movie that introduced the best selling song of all time, "White Christmas."  My personal fav is White Christmas (I wanted to marry Danny Kaye as a little girl), with its big production numbers & catchy songs.  Plus the comedic timing of the four leads is so spot on that you will find yourself rewinding it to catch all of the quips & one-liners.  They actually wanted Fred Astaire to reunite with Bing, but he either had a scheduling conflict or took one look at the script & said no, just depends on who you ask.  We'll see if we can stay awake for both!!

Best Line: (White Christmas) Rosemary Clooney to Danny Kaye & Vera Ellen, after walking in for the final dip of a particularly energetic dance number - "What is this?  The best two out of three?"

1.  A Christmas Carol.  Yes, the Grand-daddy of them all.  Well, I think if you grew up in Canada it is.  And not just any A Christmas Carol, the 1951 Alastair Sim version.  My hubby doesn't quite get the importance of this one, but he's American, so what do you expect (he he he)?  The way that Alastair Sim's face softens after he sees the error of his ways, brings tears to my eyes every time.  Maybe it is more about the experience of watching this movie, than the movie itself.  To get the full effect you have to watch this is on Christmas Eve.  We would get to stay up late after dinner to watch this with the whole family.  I think it always started late, around 9pm.  I probably didn't stay awake 'til the end most years, but afterward we would be chased off to bed by the threat of Santa skipping our house because we were still awake.

Best Line:  Maid to Scrooge - "Are you quite yourself sir?"

Scrooge - "What?  I don't know.  No.  I don't think so.  I hope not!"

I believe that this list will get me sufficiently in the mood for Christmas, so I won't be Bah Humbuging around after my in-laws (who will be here for 8 days...oh my)!!  I'd love to hear the Christmas/Holiday movies that get you in the spirit in the comments section below.  Did I miss any of your favs?  Now I just need to find the time to do all of this movie watching!  Popcorn anyone?!?

The Wizard of San Francisco

So, somehow between my husband coming down with a mysterious illness (which turned out to be Typhus...I know, I had to Google it too) & being in hospital for 9 days, & us finding out, 3 days before the hubby was admitted to hospital, that we are expecting our 2nd little one, we managed to inadvertently guilt my parents into offering to watch our little guy for a few days, while we jet off to some exotic destination.  I'm sure the conversation between my parents went something like this.  "Grandpa (I'm not quite sure if my parents actually call each other by their first names it is always "Grandpa" or  "Dad", weird), we're going to go out to Cali to look after the little guy while Margot & the hubby get away for one last hooray before the next "tiny perfect one" is born."  Grandpa's response.  "What was that?"  Suffice it to say it was a one-sided conversation.  And, probably not something that was open for discussion.  So Gram & Grandpa arrive with extra suitcase in tow stocked with goodies for the little guy...I mean it has been since August since they've seen him. 

The best thing they brought, which I just had to share with all of you because it is too hysterical, is this...

which I'm fairly sure bears an excellent likeness to Mats Sundin (don't even get me started, weirdly enough he's at the top of my list...you know...that list).

Funny though, this is how the little guy chooses to dress him...

 

He's a total California boy.  It's scary.

So, Gram & Grandpa shoost us out the door, to enjoy our time alone.  I mean come on, we're already giving them another grandchild...we currently can't make anymore!!!  We jet off to exotic....wait for it...Sequoia National Park & San Francisco for 5 days.  Not exactly what I had been hoping for (my one stipulation to the hubby was that there be a spa), but with the recent Typhus outbreak, we were still not quite sure what our share of the bill was going to be (trust me, there will be more on that whole ordeal in the future), so Hawaii was out of the question. 

We had a great time in Sequoia.  I basically felt like I was on another planet, as it was like nothing I'd ever seen before.  Big trees...

Big trees, bigger trees, biggest tree in the world.  Nonetheless, spectacular & really interesting the preservation efforts that have gone on to ensure these trees are here for generations to come.

So on to San Fran (if you haven't been, get on a plane, NOW) where we had a wonderful 3 days of museums, shopping, rain (it is San Francisco), cable cars, & virgin pomegranate mojitos (the best I could do, considering my current circumstances).  So after dinner one night at a fabulous restaurant in the Union Square area, we considered our options for the evening's entertainment.  What do you think won out?  Dancing?  A cool club? Even pool or darts at a pub?  Nope, we decided to return to the condo, get in our pjs, make a big bowl of popcorn (90% for me really....okay 95%), & check out what was on the tube!  I know, we are so very exciting.  Watch out gossip blogs, here we come!

Much to our delight we found the very beginning of The Wizard of Oz.  It seems that every year around American Thanksgiving The Wizard of Oz is on somewhere on the tube.  We sat & watched every minute of the movie, as entranced as we were when we were little ones watching the movie.  We recalled our childhood memories of watching this very special movie with each of our families.  I remembered the wonder of seeing the door open into the beautiful Technicolor of Munchkinland & how the change between B&W & colour was truly happening (in my eyes anyway) right then & there in the world of movies.  My hubby remembers watching with his Mom & sisters & learning all of the words (probably by force from an older & younger sister) to all of the songs.

When we returned home from our 5 child-free days, it just so happened that The Wizard of Oz was on TV that night as well.  Even though we own the movie on DVD, there is something about finding a great classic by happenstance on the tube, commercials & all.  Something about being able to run to the bathroom, or make a bowl of popcorn, or cleaning the kitchen in 2 minute increments that is so old school.  Having to rush back in time so as to not miss a minute brought me back to pre-PVR, pre-VCR, simpler days.  What was a pleasant & totally unexpected surprise was our 2-year old son's reaction to the movie.  He was mesmerized!  Now he is interested in many cartoon movies, but never live-action movies.  He sat there on Daddy's lap so still that we considered putting a mirror under his nose just to see if he was still with us. I almost cried at his interest in a movie that was so important to both the hubby & I growing up.  I loved being able to share this wonderful piece of movie history with him, & revel in the fact that it could still be relevant & fantastic generations after it was made.  Very few filmmakers can say that about the movies they are making today. 

So my suggestion is that you not only expose your children to these wonderful old movies, but also the experience of the anticipation of the movie coming on live TV (commercials & all) as opposed to always plunking in a DVD.  It is amazing the conversations you can have with your kids in those 2 minute intermissions.  Not to mention the memories that come rushing back to you as you sit there & enjoy the movie, old-school live-TV style.

I would love to hear about your memories of watching The Wizard of Oz on TV. Are there movies that you have to sit down & watch when you catch them on the tube?  What are the movies that you make plans to watch when they come on TV every year?

Make sure you check back next week for a newly-released movie review.  What will it be?!?  A little hint....I love a little controversy!  I'll see you at the movies.