CHRISTMAS JARS is the story of a young lady named Hope Jensen. The story begins with a woman finding Hope as an infant with a note from the birth mother telling the finder to take good care of the baby. The woman ends up adopting Baby Hope, and together, they have a wonderful life. The story then fast forwards to Hope as a grown woman. At this point, her adoptive mother has recently passed away, and to make matters worse, she one day walks into her apartment to discover she has been burglarized. She is further taken by surprise when she discovers that someone has left a jar full of money at her doorstep. Being a journalist, she starts digging into past newspaper records to see if she can find any stories about people receiving a mysterious jar full of money. She finds a few instances of this occurring, but oddly, the recipients of the jars aren't very willing to talk about it. Eventually, she's led to a particular family that might be the originators of the Christmas Jar tradition. She approaches the family by telling them that she is a college student writing a report on small businesses, but all the while her intent is to earn their trust and find out the details of the Christmas Jar.
This is a story of the transforming power of giving. Its a story of how the giver of the gift is changed just as much as the receiver of the gift. True giving does not seek attention because it is it's own reward.
The book said "Major motion picture coming in 2008", and since this is 2009, I started googling for information on the movie. I came across the author's blog, which gave a quick update on the movie. The movie has been delayed, and the best guess is for a 2010 release.
CHRISTMAS JARS was a pretty quick read - only 150 pages. But it had the feel of an inexperienced author. It was a good story, but I felt as if I was reading facts, and not at all like I was being drawn into the story or getting to know the characters. It had potential to connect with the reader on an emotional level, but it never quite reached that point. I didn't feel as if the characters were fully developed. I also didn't think Hope was all that likable, but that can also be attributed to lack of character development. I think the movie might be good - I imagine it might be a feel-good movie similar to The Ultimate Gift.
Mr. Wright is a well-known editorialist and also the founder of PoliticalDerby.com. He's published four novels at this time, with his most current book being The Wednesday Letters, which reviewers say is reminiscent of The Notebook. CHRISTMAS JARS is his second published novel, and was on the New York Times bestsellers list. I think he created an interesting plot, but the writing was lacking a bit. I sincerely hope he improves as his writing career progresses, and I would definitely give him another chance by reading his more current books.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
THE MITFORD SERIES, By Jan Karon
I began reading this series a few months ago, and have already reviewed the first book, AT HOME IN MITFORD in a previous post. However, once I started reading one volume after the other, I thought it best to review the series as a whole, since it is, in essence, one story.
Note: I've also read HOME TO HOLLY SPRINGS, the first in the new Father Tim Series, which is a continuation of this story, but a separate series. That will be reviewed at a later date.
THE MITFORD SERIES is the continuing saga of Father Tim, an Episcopal priest, who lives in the quaint town of Mitford. He's been a bachelor for many years, and has taken good care of the parish he leads. In the first novel, we meet most of the characters that will make an appearance in the rest of the series. They each have their own dramas going on, and they all seem to involve Father Tim in some way or another! Throughout each book, there are births, deaths, marriages, storms, fires, health crises, addiction, homelessness - you name it! As for Father Tim, he's a busy man with a lot on his plate - including the unexpected arrival of an 11-year-old boy, for whom Father Tim must now become a guardian. And then there's his new neighbor, who, much to his distress, he finds himself falling in love with. A lot happens in these nine volumes! You'll find yourself laughing on one page, and then crying on the next.
As I had mentioned in my earlier review of the first volume, there isn't lot of edge-of-your-seat-suspense. This isn't to say that its a boring story! It's an engaging story, but with a cozy and relaxing feel. Better still, we are encouraged by Father Tim and his relationship with Jesus Christ. If you feel a bit stressed and need to go somewhere to relax, head to Mitford!
I was sad to reach the end of this heartwarming series, and actually started reading a bit slower when I hit the final book!
The Mitford Series includes:
At Home In Mitford
A Light In the Window
These High Green Hills
Out To Canaan
A New Song
A Common Life
In This Mountain
Shepherds Abiding
Light From Heaven
Note: I've also read HOME TO HOLLY SPRINGS, the first in the new Father Tim Series, which is a continuation of this story, but a separate series. That will be reviewed at a later date.
THE MITFORD SERIES is the continuing saga of Father Tim, an Episcopal priest, who lives in the quaint town of Mitford. He's been a bachelor for many years, and has taken good care of the parish he leads. In the first novel, we meet most of the characters that will make an appearance in the rest of the series. They each have their own dramas going on, and they all seem to involve Father Tim in some way or another! Throughout each book, there are births, deaths, marriages, storms, fires, health crises, addiction, homelessness - you name it! As for Father Tim, he's a busy man with a lot on his plate - including the unexpected arrival of an 11-year-old boy, for whom Father Tim must now become a guardian. And then there's his new neighbor, who, much to his distress, he finds himself falling in love with. A lot happens in these nine volumes! You'll find yourself laughing on one page, and then crying on the next.
As I had mentioned in my earlier review of the first volume, there isn't lot of edge-of-your-seat-suspense. This isn't to say that its a boring story! It's an engaging story, but with a cozy and relaxing feel. Better still, we are encouraged by Father Tim and his relationship with Jesus Christ. If you feel a bit stressed and need to go somewhere to relax, head to Mitford!
I was sad to reach the end of this heartwarming series, and actually started reading a bit slower when I hit the final book!
The Mitford Series includes:
At Home In Mitford
A Light In the Window
These High Green Hills
Out To Canaan
A New Song
A Common Life
In This Mountain
Shepherds Abiding
Light From Heaven
Monday, January 26, 2009
MARTIAN CHILD, PG
David Gordon (John Cusak) is a recently widowed, science fiction writer. His late wife had wanted to adopt a child, and so he begins to think that he should do it, even though he is alone. He meets Dennis, a little boy that spends his days at the foster home hiding in a box. The sun bothers him...because he's from Mars. David finds himself drawn to this seemingly disturbed child, and little by little, David befriends him. Slowly, Dennis learns to trust him a little. So David begins the adoption process, telling Dennis that this will be a trial basis so that he can see if wants to live with David permanently. At first, David thinks that his love will help Dennis get a grip on reality. But Dennis maintains that he is a Martian on a mission to learn how humans live. In addition, he insists that "they" will come back to get him soon. Everyone knows that Dennis can't really be from Mars, but he does a few things that make David think twice about Dennis's planetary citizenship. However, the adoption committee keeps questioning if this child is thriving in David's care, so he tells Dennis that he needs to "act" like everyone else. Things go unrealistically well with them, but eventually David becomes frustrated with Dennis' "fantasy" stories and finds that he needs to discipline Dennis. Dennis reacts by running to the place where "they" are going to pick him up and take him back to Mars. At the same time, David is struggling in his writing career. He is obligated to write a sequel to his latest successful book. But his creative juices are just not flowing in that direction. So he writes a book called "Martian Child", which, as you might guess, has been inspired by Dennis. He loves it - he thinks its great. His publisher, however, tells him "This might be great, but we just want you to do what we want you to do!" Aha! The light bulb goes on for David. Now he knows how Dennis feels.
The best quote of the movie is this:
Sometimes we forget that children have just arrived on the earth. They are a little like aliens, coming into beings as bundles of energy and pure potential, here on some exploratory mission and they are just trying to learn what it means to be human. For some reason Dennis and I reached out into the universe and found each other, Never really know how or why. And discovered that I can love an alien and he can love a creature. And that's weird enough for both of us.
Joan Cusak costars as David's sister, and Amanda Peet plays his best friend. A funny detail that I noticed was that in the scene where a teacher expels Dennis from school, the shot of her face as she's speaks to David has a picture of George W. Bush behind her. And, when the "Adoption Committee" grills Dennis about his life with David, there's a picture of George W. Bush behind them as well. Not sure if that was intentional, but it seem curious that his photo was conspicuously there in the scenes with the rigid, self-righteous characters.
MARTIAN CHILD wasn't a great movie, but it was an enjoyable, sweet, heartwarming story.
Friday, January 23, 2009
BEDTIME STORIES, PG
BEDTIME STORIES stars Adam Sandler - but don't let that stop you from going to see it, Parents! It is actually quite a delightful story - funny, clever and entertaining!
Sandler plays "Skeeter", a hotel handyman. His father used to own the hotel, but before his death, sold it to "Mr. Nottingham". Skeeter has waited patiently to one day manage the hotel, but it doesn't look like his dream will come true anytime soon. Mr. Nottingham has promised the job to Kendall, a snotty guy who just happens to be dating Mr. Nottingham's daughter, Violet. (Violet's character closely resembles a certain hotel heiress that we see in the tabloids frequently!).
Courteney Cox plays Skeeter's sister, Wendy, who calls on her brother to babysit the children while she goes to an out-of-town job interview, since she has just lost her job as a school principal. (The school she works at is closing).Wendy's friend, Jill, played by Keri Russell helps Skeeter take care of the two kids (she takes the days, he takes the nights). Their relationship has a rough start.
At bedtime, Skeeter makes up a bedtime story for the two kids, and they join in the fun, making
up things like "and then it rained gumballs". Once Skeeter finds himself standing in the middle of a street while gumballs fall from the sky, he figures out that these stories are actually coming true! He tries to manipulate the stories, only to discover that the only parts that come true are the parts that the kids are coming up with.
With some prompting from the kids storytelling, Mr. Nottingham decides to give Skeeter a chance at becoming hotel manager. The boss tells Kendall and Skeeter to come up with a theme for his new hotel. Whoever's theme he decides to go with, will also manage the hotel.
What I loved about the story was that the kids came up with some hair-brained story plots, and and when the stories materialized in Skeeter's life, it wasn't anything "magical". The things that happened had logical explanations even though it was their story taking place. (yeah, even the gumball rain!) My favorite part was when they told a story of Skeeter being a space alien speaking an unknown language with a side-kick interpreting for him. What happened in Skeeter's life to parallel that was very clever! Loved it!
The movie was rated PG, and for the most part very clean. You've got a few things that some might object to - for example, in one of their stories, they made up a character for Kendall, and named him "Sir Butt-Kiss". Also, in one of the story sequences, there is a "booger monster". Most of these instances are simple childish humor.
Sandler says, "I do have kids now. I always wanted to do a family movie. I always loved every Sunday night we’d watch the Disney movie. A lot of times kids see my movies anyway, but their moms yell at me. I wanted to make sure I do one movie in my career that moms hug me for. This might be it." It might not be Winnie the Pooh, but BEDTIME STORIES is good clean-ish fun!
Sandler plays "Skeeter", a hotel handyman. His father used to own the hotel, but before his death, sold it to "Mr. Nottingham". Skeeter has waited patiently to one day manage the hotel, but it doesn't look like his dream will come true anytime soon. Mr. Nottingham has promised the job to Kendall, a snotty guy who just happens to be dating Mr. Nottingham's daughter, Violet. (Violet's character closely resembles a certain hotel heiress that we see in the tabloids frequently!).
Courteney Cox plays Skeeter's sister, Wendy, who calls on her brother to babysit the children while she goes to an out-of-town job interview, since she has just lost her job as a school principal. (The school she works at is closing).Wendy's friend, Jill, played by Keri Russell helps Skeeter take care of the two kids (she takes the days, he takes the nights). Their relationship has a rough start.
At bedtime, Skeeter makes up a bedtime story for the two kids, and they join in the fun, making
up things like "and then it rained gumballs". Once Skeeter finds himself standing in the middle of a street while gumballs fall from the sky, he figures out that these stories are actually coming true! He tries to manipulate the stories, only to discover that the only parts that come true are the parts that the kids are coming up with.With some prompting from the kids storytelling, Mr. Nottingham decides to give Skeeter a chance at becoming hotel manager. The boss tells Kendall and Skeeter to come up with a theme for his new hotel. Whoever's theme he decides to go with, will also manage the hotel.
What I loved about the story was that the kids came up with some hair-brained story plots, and and when the stories materialized in Skeeter's life, it wasn't anything "magical". The things that happened had logical explanations even though it was their story taking place. (yeah, even the gumball rain!) My favorite part was when they told a story of Skeeter being a space alien speaking an unknown language with a side-kick interpreting for him. What happened in Skeeter's life to parallel that was very clever! Loved it!
The movie was rated PG, and for the most part very clean. You've got a few things that some might object to - for example, in one of their stories, they made up a character for Kendall, and named him "Sir Butt-Kiss". Also, in one of the story sequences, there is a "booger monster". Most of these instances are simple childish humor.
Sandler says, "I do have kids now. I always wanted to do a family movie. I always loved every Sunday night we’d watch the Disney movie. A lot of times kids see my movies anyway, but their moms yell at me. I wanted to make sure I do one movie in my career that moms hug me for. This might be it." It might not be Winnie the Pooh, but BEDTIME STORIES is good clean-ish fun!
Monday, January 19, 2009
PAUL BLART: MALL COP, PG
This year, I had given thought to seeing as many award-nominated movies as I could.
Instead, I went to see PAUL BLART: MALL COP.
My first reaction had been to skip it altogether. But Hubby and Little Boy wanted to go see it, and this morning I heard it had come in NUMBER ONE at the Box Office this weekend - so I thought, what the heck, maybe it's kinda funny.
As you probably already know from the movie trailers, Kevin James plays Paul Blart, who is...well, a mall cop. He's a police academy flunky, he's been dumped by his wife, and he lives with his mother and daughter. Oh, and he's hypoglycemic. That's an important recurring fact. He's also infatuated with Amy, a kiosk worker in the mall. The story takes place on Black Friday, when an organized group of robbers take over the mall, with a plan to steal the approximately $3 million in sales receipts on the credit card machines in the mall's stores. As it turns out, they end up with hostages. Since Paul was busy playing video games when the criminals entered the scene, he doesn't realize the mall has been evacuated. Once he realizes whats going on - and that Amy is one of the hostages - he decides he's going to save the day. What follows are a few funny moments and a lot of silly moments.
MALL COP was DIE HARD and HOME ALONE rolled into one film. It pretty much is what it looks like - A silly, predictable movie that you can take the family to.
Friday, January 16, 2009
GRAN TORINO
There are many talented actors out there today - but few elicit the expectations of names like Robert DeNiro. Al Pacino. Clint Eastwood.
Watching Clint Eastwood in GRAN TORINO did not disappointment.
Mr. Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a Korean War vet who is a crotchety, bigoted, cranky old guy. The movie opens at the funeral of his wife, where the young priest eulogizes her by saying "Death is bittersweet. Bitter in the loss, and sweet in the salvation". Walt is visibly irritated by this young man trying to sound like he knows anything about life and death.
We are soon introduced to Walt's sons and their families, who share the opinion that Walt is a grumpy old guy who is always is disappointed in everyone.
And so begins his life without his wife in the same house where they lived for years, in a neighborhood that is quickly being overrun with gangs of every ethnicity you can imagine. Walt is alone, except for his dog, and his prized Gran Torino, which he keeps in mint condition.
Through a turn of events, his Asian neighbors - "Hmong" people - become indebted to him for his act that protected the young son, Thao, from the gangster cousin who wants to initiate him into a gang. (In reality, the thugs were beating on Thao, and when the fight inched over to Walt's lawn, he pulled out his shotgun to scare them off his property)What Walt didn't know then, was that a few days earlier, Thao was the kid he had caught trying to steal his Gran Torino. The young man tries to make amends by working around the house for Walt, who soon befriends him and tries to make a man out of him. Eventually, Thao and his sassy sister Sue, find their way into Walt's hardened heart. Though he tries not to get to close to them, their persistence pays off as his exterior begins to soften. We start to think that he is good at heart, as Sue keeps telling him. As the conflict with the cousin's gang continues, Walt begins to protect Thao and Sue, but soon he becomes a target of the gang himself. Walt realizes that the conflict can never end unless the gang is removed for good.
In the end, he does what he has to do, but its only partly predictable.
The movie is rated R - there is a generous amount of profanity, although it's relevant to the type of person that Walt was. There's a lot of of racial comments, and a good amount of violence.
Clint Eastwood was 42 years old when he played Dirty Harry, and at 78 years old, he is everything we expect him to be as Walt Kowalski. You could say that GRAN TORINO was bitter and sweet.
Watching Clint Eastwood in GRAN TORINO did not disappointment.
Mr. Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a Korean War vet who is a crotchety, bigoted, cranky old guy. The movie opens at the funeral of his wife, where the young priest eulogizes her by saying "Death is bittersweet. Bitter in the loss, and sweet in the salvation". Walt is visibly irritated by this young man trying to sound like he knows anything about life and death.
We are soon introduced to Walt's sons and their families, who share the opinion that Walt is a grumpy old guy who is always is disappointed in everyone.
And so begins his life without his wife in the same house where they lived for years, in a neighborhood that is quickly being overrun with gangs of every ethnicity you can imagine. Walt is alone, except for his dog, and his prized Gran Torino, which he keeps in mint condition.Through a turn of events, his Asian neighbors - "Hmong" people - become indebted to him for his act that protected the young son, Thao, from the gangster cousin who wants to initiate him into a gang. (In reality, the thugs were beating on Thao, and when the fight inched over to Walt's lawn, he pulled out his shotgun to scare them off his property)What Walt didn't know then, was that a few days earlier, Thao was the kid he had caught trying to steal his Gran Torino. The young man tries to make amends by working around the house for Walt, who soon befriends him and tries to make a man out of him. Eventually, Thao and his sassy sister Sue, find their way into Walt's hardened heart. Though he tries not to get to close to them, their persistence pays off as his exterior begins to soften. We start to think that he is good at heart, as Sue keeps telling him. As the conflict with the cousin's gang continues, Walt begins to protect Thao and Sue, but soon he becomes a target of the gang himself. Walt realizes that the conflict can never end unless the gang is removed for good.
In the end, he does what he has to do, but its only partly predictable.
The movie is rated R - there is a generous amount of profanity, although it's relevant to the type of person that Walt was. There's a lot of of racial comments, and a good amount of violence.
Clint Eastwood was 42 years old when he played Dirty Harry, and at 78 years old, he is everything we expect him to be as Walt Kowalski. You could say that GRAN TORINO was bitter and sweet.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
MARLEY & ME
I love movies that make me laugh and cry...and this was one of them.
MARLEY & ME stars Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston as John and Jen Grogan - a young couple beginning their married life together. It chronicles various changes in their life: marriage, careers, buying a house, etc. They feel like they've got it all - except a little creature to love and nurture. Not sure he's ready for a baby, John buys her a dog. Marley is a sweet little puppy, who soon becomes a large, uncontrollable dog! He chews everything, barks at everything, and has a neurotic fear of lightning (they live in Florida!). He pulls them along when he's leashed, chases birds, poops in the ocean at the dog beach...well you get the picture. He is a nightmare. But for some reason they love him. They try taking him to obedience school - but it doesn't quite work out. (By the way - the doggie teacher didn't look familiar, but that voice was unmistakable. It was Kathleen Turner - and she looked...different.)
It had a PG rating and so my friend and I took our kids (ages 7, 8, 9, 12). Mostly it was clean - no bad language, no violence. But there were some suggestive scenes which surprised me for a PG rating. In one scene, Jen faces John, and takes off her dress and jumps in the pool. (they only show her from behind). A couple of other times it shows them in bed - nothing graphic, but it alludes to what they are about to do (i.e., squeaking bed).
The only other thing I can say critically about it is that Jen and John look the same through the whole movie. I'd guess its a time span of about 10-12 years, and while they wouldn't have been old and gray, you'd think that after three kids, they might have changed a little bit. They could have at least given her a "mom" haircut or something! Also, you never quite feel their characters connect with their children. I felt totally aware that the kids were only playing their children.
But other than that, it was a good movie. Wilson and Aniston are both excellent, and portray the ups and downs of marriage and parenthood very well. From the time Jen got pregnant for the first time, I had a lump in my throat - and it pretty much stayed there til the end if the movie.
As you can already guess, the movie spans the lifetime of a dog. And while you can probably predict the ending, it still is incredibly sad. As I was trying unsuccessfully not to cry, I heard sniffles around the theater.
The friend I was with wondered if it had been a good idea to take the kids to see this movie, since her daughter was sobbing as we walked out. My son said he "almost" cried. The older boys said - a little too enthusiastically to believe them - that they didn't cry and that it was a boring movie. (Methinks they doth protest too much...)
I came home feeling tenderly towards my dog.
But I'm sure I'll get over it the next time I go on a poop safari in our yard.
MARLEY & ME stars Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston as John and Jen Grogan - a young couple beginning their married life together. It chronicles various changes in their life: marriage, careers, buying a house, etc. They feel like they've got it all - except a little creature to love and nurture. Not sure he's ready for a baby, John buys her a dog. Marley is a sweet little puppy, who soon becomes a large, uncontrollable dog! He chews everything, barks at everything, and has a neurotic fear of lightning (they live in Florida!). He pulls them along when he's leashed, chases birds, poops in the ocean at the dog beach...well you get the picture. He is a nightmare. But for some reason they love him. They try taking him to obedience school - but it doesn't quite work out. (By the way - the doggie teacher didn't look familiar, but that voice was unmistakable. It was Kathleen Turner - and she looked...different.)
It had a PG rating and so my friend and I took our kids (ages 7, 8, 9, 12). Mostly it was clean - no bad language, no violence. But there were some suggestive scenes which surprised me for a PG rating. In one scene, Jen faces John, and takes off her dress and jumps in the pool. (they only show her from behind). A couple of other times it shows them in bed - nothing graphic, but it alludes to what they are about to do (i.e., squeaking bed).
The only other thing I can say critically about it is that Jen and John look the same through the whole movie. I'd guess its a time span of about 10-12 years, and while they wouldn't have been old and gray, you'd think that after three kids, they might have changed a little bit. They could have at least given her a "mom" haircut or something! Also, you never quite feel their characters connect with their children. I felt totally aware that the kids were only playing their children.
But other than that, it was a good movie. Wilson and Aniston are both excellent, and portray the ups and downs of marriage and parenthood very well. From the time Jen got pregnant for the first time, I had a lump in my throat - and it pretty much stayed there til the end if the movie.
As you can already guess, the movie spans the lifetime of a dog. And while you can probably predict the ending, it still is incredibly sad. As I was trying unsuccessfully not to cry, I heard sniffles around the theater.
The friend I was with wondered if it had been a good idea to take the kids to see this movie, since her daughter was sobbing as we walked out. My son said he "almost" cried. The older boys said - a little too enthusiastically to believe them - that they didn't cry and that it was a boring movie. (Methinks they doth protest too much...)
I came home feeling tenderly towards my dog.
But I'm sure I'll get over it the next time I go on a poop safari in our yard.
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