The Adjustment Bureau

Your life.  What things are chance, and what things are you predestined for?  Do the choices you make affect the rest of your life?  Or is your life already mapped out for you, and you're just following that predetermined path?  What if you deviate from that plan?  Do you mess things up for good, or is there a new path created for you?  And do little things - like missing your bus because you spilled coffee on your shirt and had to go back home to change it - affect what happens in your day...or even your life? 

This is the stuff of The Adjustment Bureau, starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt.  Matt Damon plays David Norris,  a politician who accidentally meets Elise (Blunt) in a men's restroom one evening.  (She's hiding from Security for crashing a wedding, and he is about to give a concession speech).  But sparks fly when they meet each other. Matt Damon's acting is amazing,  because as he meets her and is captivated by her, it was his eyes and his facial expressions that said all that he was feeling, and not necessarily the dialogue.   Naturally, David wants to see Elise again.

But quite by accident, he discovers the Adjustment Bureau, those unseen forces that make sure your life goes according to plan.  (He would have never met them if he had spilled his coffee on his shirt that day and been 10 minutes late for work...)  And by the way, he needs to stay away from Elise and forget he ever met her, because that's not in the plan.  And if he tries to find her, he will set off a chain of events in both their lives that they will both regret. 


This is quite a philosophical movie.  I couldn't help but think of some stories we heard about 9/11 - people who escaped the attack because they overslept, or had to stop and buy a band-aid for a blister on their foot.  I also thought about my hubby, who was on his way out to start a job at a small store, but heard his phone ringing as he was leaving.  He came back in to take the call (he had no answering machine!), and it was a job offer in his current profession.  Had he never taken that job, I would have never met him many years down the line through mutual friends!  Or..would we have met anyway?  I mean, if there's a plan and you mess it up, can your life be "recalculated" to get back on track, just like a GPS unit?

I really enjoyed The Adjustment Bureau.  It was serious in parts, and fun in parts.  There were a few scenes, that seemed almost comical, and I started thinking it was sort of corny...but the funniness added charm.  It also made the men in the Bureau not so menacing, as we realized that they weren't perfect either. 

From the perspective of a Christian - its pretty obvious that we humans pretty much always deviate from the perfect plan for our lives.   But God in His wisdom already knows where and when we will go off our path!  The bible says that all things work together for good to those who love Him.  And its true.  If we take a wrong turn, He is there to teach us something or change us in some way that is for our good. And He is always there to pick us up and put us back on the path that we are supposed to be on.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

They were funny, witty and charming...yes, I'm talking about the bad guys!  And even though I'm often a bit conflicted to watch movies where the bad guys are the heroes, I loved this one! 

I'm sure you know that I'm talking about Paul Newman and Robert Redford, who starred as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  They're lovable outlaws who spend their time running from the law, then relaxing at the local brothel before the next big heist.  But when they find it difficult to outrun one particular posse, they hightail it out of the U.S. and head to Bolivia. 

There were a couple of scenes that seemed to drag on unnecessarily - in one particular part of the movie, they are shown traveling through the desert and wilderness, and it just seems to go on and on...we watch them ride their horses for what seems like forever.  Another scene that also seems unnecessarily long, is when they travel to Bolivia.  We are shown still shots of their trip..and that part also seems to go on for a while!  Those parts almost felt like they were just there to fill time.   But I so loved the rest of the movie, that I was willing to overlook those scenes. And actually, it was ok, because those long scenes gave me time to run to the kitchen for something to drink!

The dialogue was great- very funny lines, and I especially loved the deadpan delivery they each had.  In one scene where they were cornered by the posse, Butch is trying hard to convince Sundance to jump off the cliff into the river below.  Finally, Sundance admits he cant swim.  Without missing a beat, Butch says, "You cant swim?  Hell, the fall alone will kill you anyway!"

This movie has immortalized these two actors - I'm sure that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is the first movie we think of when we hear either of their names. They are at their prime here - extremely handsome and charming!  This is a must see!  I might even watch it again!

Country Strong

Gwyneth Paltrow and Tim McGraw play husband and wife Kelly and James Canter in this story of a troubled country singing star.  When we first meet them, Kelly is in rehab, flirting with Beau (Garret Hedlund), a young employee at the facility.  Beau also happens to be a country singer and songwriter.  James is taking Kelly out of rehab, because he's anxious for her to get back on the road.

We soon learn that Kelly is not only an alcoholic, but that a fall she took at a show, because of her drunkenness, caused the death of her unborn child.  Needless to say, this incident was bad for her career.  James, who is also her manager, has one goal in mind - to get her going on a comeback tour, to prove to her fans that she is "ok" now.  It soon becomes evident that she left rehab way too soon. Sadly, their relationship is so distant, that he cant see that its the career that's killing her.  All he can think about is saving her image to save her career. 

At Kelly's request, James reluctantly, asks Beau to join them on as the opening act on the tour.  They also take young beauty-pageant-queen turned-country-singer, Chiles Stanton (Leighton Meester) as another opening act.  As you can guess, all the relationships get a little complicated.

Kelly needed to dull the pain she felt in her life, and drinking was how she did it.  It seemed that the life of a star became too much for her.  James didn't seem to care that she wasn't "all better".  He just wanted her to look as if she was, so that her career could carry on.  Kinda reminded me of a scene in the movie Coal Miner's Daughter, where Loretta Lynn - about to have a nervous breakdown on stage - said,  "Patsy always said, 'Little girl, you've got to run your life'...but I fear my life is running me".

Country Strong was slow at times, and a bit predictable.  But it was an OK movie with good acting and good entertaining music. A good home DVD movie. 

IN THE COMPANY OF OTHERS, By Jan Karon

This is the most current release by Jan Karon, author of the beloved Mitford Series books.  After completing the Mitford books, Karon began the new "Father Tim" series.  This one is the second of those books  ("Home to Holly Springs" is the first)

If you've read my past reviews on Karon's previous books, I'm sure you know that I was  excited to see this book at the store. Couldn't wait to read it! I'm sad to say,  it was a huge disappointment.  In fact, I couldn't wait for it to end.

As the story begins, Father Tim and wife Cynthia have arrived in Ireland, for the trip of a lifetime that he'd been promising her for years.   They arrive at a Bed & Breakfast,  where we read about what they ate, what they wore, what the dog did, how many swans were in the lake...it seemed that for most of the book, it was one dull detail after another.   Cynthia had hurt her ankle, so they were stuck at the Inn for most of the time.  It was over 100 pages into the story before anything of note happened.  Additionally, since the dialog was written in an Irish accent, it was very difficult to understand what was being said between characters. 

Tim and Cynthia discover and old journal at the lodge, and spent a lot of time reading it, since they cant do much else because of her ankle injury.  Long passages from that journal are written out for us, and wouldn't you know it, the journal is also full of dull details!   

Toward the end,  a little drama starts happening, but since we're about 3/4 of the way into the book, its hard to really care.  I felt no connection with the characters at all, in fact, it was hard to keep them all straight!  There was the family that ran the Inn, and the additional staff, the guests, and the rest of the family and staff at a nearby home - not to mention all the people that were written about in the journal!  I finally gave up trying to figure out who was who. 

I was determined to finish it, and I did.  But it was difficult.  So disappointed in this one.

The Shop Around The Corner (1940)

A fun little movie!

And by the way, it served as the basic story for the later, modernized remake which was "You've Got Mail", with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan!

The Shop Around the Corner was set in 1940's Budapest, in a gift shop where the two main characters were co-workers who could barely tolerate each other!  What they didn't realize, was that they were corresponding with each other by mail, and had fallen in love with each other through their letters! 

The "pen pals", Klara and Alfred, are played by James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan.  James Stewart is soooo handsome and looks soooo young in this movie.  He was only 32 year old in this!  The supporting cast are wonderful characters too! From the lovable and funny "Pirovitch" to the adorable "Pepi", this was a very entertaining ensemble and a great movie!  Yes, it probably is as predictable as "You've Got Mail", but in this genre, predictable is ok!

It's Always Fair Weather

At the end of the war, three soldiers promise to meet in 10 years, just for the sake of proving that they will always, always be best of friends!  Well, they keep their "appointment", but soon discover that they have nothing in common, and can hardly stand being with each other! 

Each guy has his own issues, but the story focuses mostly on "Ted", played by Gene Kelly.  Through circumstance, Ted meets a program coordinator (Cyd Charisse) for a live TV show, where the 3 friends are going to be suprise guests.  It amazes me that this movie was made in 1955, and yet the premise involved somewhat of a "reality" bit in the show! 

I LOVED this movie - I loved the dance sequences and the story was great!  Gene Kelly is AMAZING...I mean, he tap dances with ROLLER SKATES on his feet!!  Tap Dances.  With ROLLER SKATES!!  Loved it!! 

And I cant really say that I love ALL musicals...In OTHER musicals, I've found myself forwarding past the music, which defeats the purpose of watching a musical, right?  I guess what I dont like is when the story comes to a screeching halt, the "scene" fades away, and then a song is thrown in.  But in this type of musical movie, the song is part of the story progressing within the scene...which I love! 

This is my 2nd Gene Kelly movie...but I tell you..I'm gonna dig up and watch all his stuff!  (I decided this after the first time I saw him!) 

Loved it - recommend it! 

NUMBER THE STARS, By Lois Lowry

Set in 1943 in occupied Denmark, this fictional story is about 10-year -old AnneMarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen.  At this time in their young lives, Copenhagen is filled with Nazi soldiers, watching their every move. But thats just the start.  Soon, the Jews of Denmark are to be "re-located", so Ellen's parents flee, leaving Ellen to pretend to be part of AnnMarie's family.  

Although it is fiction, this book is based on actual people and events, including the work of the Danish Resistance, who protected the Jews at that time by smuggling them into Sweden. The story was told through Ann Marie's point of view, and I think the author captured the fear and anxieties that this young girl faced as she risked her life to help out her beloved friends.  

This is a 5th grade book, and the winner of the 1990 Newbery Medal.  I read this along with my 10 year old son, who's class was reading it together.   The story was sad, but it was also interesting and yes, educational.  I found myself Googling various topics from the book for further reading and info.  It seemed as if the author did her research on the topic. Its an excellent book to use to introduce children into the difficult topic of the Holocaust.  

My Darling Clementine

Wow - does Henry Fonda look YOUNG in this movie!  Indeed, he was 41 years old when he played the Marshall Wyatt Earp in this!  I love me a good Western, and this was a good one!  Of course, part of my enjoyment is that it's set in Tombstone, Arizona.  (I grew up in a nearby town!) I loved seeing the stagecoach marked "Bisbee - Tombstone - Tucson"...yes, all those places are quite familiar to me!  Last time I was in Tombstone was in 2008.  Here's how it looked then:

 

As the movie opens, the "Earp" brothers are traveling towards California with a herd of cattle.  One evening, 3 of the Earp brothers go into town and leave their youngest brother to watch the cattle.  When they return to camp, the cattle is gone and their brother is dead.  So Wyatt  decides to take the Marshall job in Tombstone until he finds out who killed his brother.  Enter Doc Holliday - who pretty much runs the scene in town. Basically, its a retelling of the feud between Earp and the Clanton gang, and their famous shoot out at the OK Corral.  

Here's some more pics of modern day Tombstone: 

I can just see the Earp brothers herding their cattle through this land, can't you?

I really enjoyed the movie!  I've seen old Westerns that are corny and over-acted, but this one stands the test of time.  Worth your time to watch it if you enjoy classic Westerns!  

TRUE GRIT (2010)

I was kinda curious about how good this movie would be.  I was raised by the biggest John Wayne fan, so a movie like this had potential to be really great or really bad.  I purposely did not re-watch the original True Grit before seeing this one, because I wanted to judge this one on its own merit.  Im happy to say that this movie was AWESOME! 

Newcomer Hailee Steinfeld plays14-year-old Mattie Ross, who has decided she needs to make sure her father's killer is brought to justice.  Unfortunately, the case is not high on the list of priorities for the local law.  So she hires a Marshall that she hears is the meanest around - Rooster Cogburn. They strike up a deal to track and find Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), the murderer.

Texas Ranger, "Mr. Lebeof", played by Matt Damon, has been tracking Chaney unsuccessfully for months.  After much bickering about who should and shouldn't go, the three of them head off to get their man.  At first, the men tried to go without Mattie, but she was stubbornly determined that she was going to be a part of this job. 

What follows is bad weather, arguments, shoot-em-up scenes, crazy mountain men, whiskey-drinking,  and everything you would expect to see in a good western!  This movie was GREAT!   Jeff Bridges played a great Rooster Cogburn, & Matt Damon played a great Leboef.  Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross did an outstanding job - a very big role for a new young actress!

You MUST see this movie - it's a great story to begin with, and it's retold beautifully!

CALL OF THE WILD, By Jack London & BEAUTIFUL JOE, By Marshall Saunders

It was unintentional, but I ended up reading two stories, back to back, which just happened to be told by dogs!

Call Of The Wild is about a domestic dog named Buck, who - up to the point where the story begins - has led a pretty nice life with a family on a large estate.  However, a series of events lead him to be stolen and sold to serve as a sled dog in the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush.  It's interesting to see Buck transform from a leisurely dog, into a dog whose wild instincts begin to emerge as he adjusts to the cruel and harsh environment of the snow and mountains.  He says he "remembers" things, but we realize that he is merely feeling his ancestor's animal instincts rise up in him.  In other words, he is feeling the "call of the wild". We see the "pecking" order of the pack, as well as how the pack relates to man.  To me, the ending was somewhat sad as I saw Buck finally commit fully to being a wild dog...but my husband saw it as the natural order of things.  Hubby is right, but it still felt kinda sad to me.


I'd never heard of Beautiful Joe, but I found it as I was browsing Amazon.com on my Kindle app on my Droid phone.  The book was free, and I really just wanted to try the app out to see how it would be to read a book on my phone.  I loved the app, but sorry to say, I didn't really love the book. The story is told by "Joe", a dog, who starts off by saying that he's going to tell his life story.  Joe's story is true - he is an actual dog that endured abuse by his owner before he was rescued by a family.  The author was so taken with Joe's story, that she decided to write this book told by the dog's perspective. It starts out interestingly enough, but at a certain point, it begins to be overly preachy about cruelty to animals.  Let me just say, I dont think animals should be treated cruelly, but the characters in the book talked about the subject soooooooo much, that the conversations seemed very unnatural.  It's hard to imagine that people could spend days and days and days talking about the topic with each other!  At first, its ok, but it begins to drag on and on, and it almost feels as if Joe's story is lost in all the preachy-ness.  I discovered that the author had submitted the story in a writing contest being run by the Humane Society - which puts the preachy-ness in perspective! 


These arent the first books I've read that were told by dogs - last summer my son and I read a book called A Dog's Life:  The Autobiography of a Stray, By Ann M. Martin.  That was a good book! 

So I have been accidentally gravitating to stories told by dogs...hmmm...maybe I should switch it up and read a story told by a horse or something.  Hey, I've never read Black Beauty...

Book of Eli

The description of "post apocalyptic" usually steers me far, far away from a movie. Blade Runner? Ick. I Am Legend? No thanks. Mad Max? The PostMan? Omega Man? No, No, NO!!

But one of my Facebook friends (Hi Julio!) posted that he had gone to see The Book Eli, and that it was good. "And by the way," he said, "The Book of Eli is the Bible, and its the last one on earth".

OK, then. I'm in.

This..ahem.."post apocalyptic" tale stars Denzel, as Eli, a lone stranger, traveling westward, protecting a sacred book. He's survived for 30 years by hunting small animals and finding supplies and water wherever he can. When he reaches a small town run by powerful mobster, Carnegie (Gary Oldman), he is offered a job to stay and work for the mob boss. And when Carnegie sends Solara, (Mila Kunis) a young girl, to spend the night with Eli to "convince" him to stay, she sees the book. This happens to be THE book that Carnegie has desperately been looking for. But he wants it in order to gain control of people. Eli, on the other hand, has been "told", by a voice in his head, to take the book and go west. So he leaves, and the pursuit of The Book begins.

The Book of Eli was filmed in a dark, ashy, color, which really enhanced the idea of a dismal earth. It was also quite a violent. Unfortunately, telling you any more will only spoil the story. But if you can hang on through the darkness and violence...it is a beautiful story with a beautiful end. You could say the journey will be worth it for the destination. This movie is a must see.

TOOTH FAIRY

For about the first half hour, I was thinking this was the corniest movie I'd ever seen, and that it was geared for very young kids. I also thought that Dwayne Johnson and Ashley Judd didn't have a lot of chemistry as a couple.

But then I found myself laughing out loud and really enjoying it! Which is good, because I wanted to like it. I think Dwayne Johnson has been good in these kinds of movies - such as Race To Witch Mountain or The Game Plan. (Kinda reminds me of Vin Diesel in The Pacifier...which I loved!)

Johnson plays Derek Thompson, a washed up former pro hockey player that is now playing in the minors. He's been nursing a shoulder injury for years, and hasn't even attempted a goal in 6 years. He's come to the point where he thinks dreaming is pointless. The only way to happiness and satisfaction, in his opinion, is to lower your expectations. He's been dating "Carly" (played by Judd), a single mom with two kids. But he's afraid of commitment - he's afraid of trying and failing. And so his relationship with Carly is suffering.

One night, he tries to tell Carly's daughter, Tess, that there is no tooth fairy - because he doesn't see the point in a childish fantasy. Carly stops him, but later that night, he gets a surprise. He is transported to...hmmm, well, I guess you can call it "Tooth Fairy Land". He is informed by the Tooth Fairy in Command (Julie Andrews), that he has to work as a tooth fairy, in order to pay off his debt for the offense of trying to destroy a child's belief in fantasies/dreams.

This is kinda where the movie starts to get good. Derek isn't allowed to tell anyone he's a tooth fairy, so when he gets a call to pick up a tooth, he starts to sprout wings, and he's got to go - in a hurry! Since he has to leave at a moments notice - without being able to explain - this adds even more tension in his relationship with Carly.

But its fun to see how he scrambles to do the job - especially since he's gotta do it right, or else he gets more time added to his "sentence". And the "tools" he receives to do the job, are pretty funny - especially when he uses them.

By the way, Billy Crystal makes an appearance. He looks different, but his voice and style are unmistakable.

It was rated PG, and it really was a clean movie. I loved that Derek never spent the night at Carly's house. While Tooth Fairy was a predictable movie, it was cute and funny. It was a little corny, and I was definitely glad that I didn't pay to see it at the theaters. AND..I still think that Ashley Judd and Dwayne Johnson had NO chemistry! BUT..it was a nice, clean movie to settle down and watch on a Thursday night at home.

LITTLE BILLY'S LETTERS, By Bill Geerhart

This was a fascinating read. And really, an original idea, as far as I'm aware. Little Billy's Letters is a compilation of letters and responses to those letters, by some of the most famous people in the world.

But here's why its so entertaining..."Little" Billy is actually an adult, pretending to be a child in the letters he writes. He sends letters to everyone from Donald Rumsfeld, to Charles Manson, to Tori Spelling, to the Lucky Charms Leprechaun.

He asks Charles Manson for his advice on dropping out of school, and receives a very chilling, strange reply.

He asks Robert Shapiro for advice on how to clear his name for destroying his sister's doll (Billy claims he's innocent and that the dog ate it). Mr. Shapiro replies with a long letter outlining various tactics Billy could employ, such as using DNA from the dog's mouth.

Yep...I said it was fascinating, didn't I?

Each page includes a photo of Billy's letter, some brief information about the person or organization he's written to, and a copy of their response. It's amazing to think that he actually got responses from all these people!

Its a quick read, something you can pick up, read a few pages, and then put down. My son gave it to me for Mother's Day along with the receipt, just in case I wasn't interested. But I read one of Billy's letters and was hooked til the end.

*One last note...Little Billy obviously grew up to be a liberal democrat, judging from some of the comments he writes about certain politicians and religious figures. But dont let that deter you from giving this book a try! Its fun and...did I already say...fascinating?

Vertigo (1958)

The plot was quite intriguing, but the main character's vertigo seemed to be a very inconsequential part of the story! In that regard, it sort of threw me off. I was waiting for it to be a major factor, and it never was.

James Stewart plays John "Scotty" Ferguson, a police officer who's had to retire because a traumatic event has triggered a severe fear of heights in him. An old friend of his, Gavin, wants his wife, Madeline, investigated. She's been acting odd lately. Shes goes places, and can't remember where she's been; or she drifts off in the middle of conversations. Scotty reluctantly agrees, and he begins to follow her. She goes to a museum, and sits and stares at a painting of a woman. Then she goes to a grave and stares at the headstone of that woman. Then she goes to a hotel room and sits. After some investigating, Scotty discovers that the woman in the painting, the woman who's grave Madeline visits, has also lived in the hotel room to which she goes. Finally, Gavin tells Scotty that unbeknownst to Madeline, the woman in the painting is actually Madeline's great grandmother, who went "mad" and committed suicide at 26. Madeline is now 26 years old. Oh, and there's another complication: Scotty and Madeline met and have fallen in love.

I read that Hitchcock blamed James Stewart for the commercial failure of this movie. He felt that Stewart looked "too old to attract audiences". But I felt the complete opposite. I thought James Stewart was very appealing. I've only seen him in this film, and in Rear Window. He has a good chemistry with his leading ladies, and he's also charming and charismatic!

This is a story of doomed love. There are twists and turns in the story, but alas, they would just be spoilers. Vertigo was good - there were even a few times that I gasped aloud while watching it! I'd recommend it if you like the classic Alfred Hitchcock thriller!

The Way We Were (1973)

I was really expecting this one to more romantic that it actually was.

Barbara Streisand and Robert Redford play Katie and Hubbel. They attend the same college and she's got a crush on him. But she's a political activist and he's a writer and they have very different views on life and politics.

The movie begins 10years or so after college, as she runs into him at a restaurant. As she looks at him, we go back in time to their college days. Once their past is established, we go back to them at the restaurant. He's quite intoxicated and goes home with her, where he passes out on her bed.

They sort of start up a romance after this evening. But their relationship never quite seems comfortable for either of them. Their rocky romance spans years. They almost give up a few times. Eventually, they give up for the last time. They are just too different.

That's it in a nutshell, and I think it's ok to write the spoiler since its a very old movie.

Here's what I didn't like about Katie and Hubbel's story. To begin with, Katie was just too desperate. She was begging him to be with her, while he just looked aloof. This is really evident the first night they were together. In that scene, they are in bed, he's drunk and passed out, so she takes off her clothes and slips into bed. He comes over to her and eventually passes out again. She taps him and says something like, "Hubbel? Its Katie. Did you know it was Katie?". For such an educated and outspoken woman, Katie was just the desperate school girl in love with the jock. Their love AND their conflict lacked any passion at all, which made me not really care what happened in their relationship.

In the last scene they run into each other after years of not having seen on another. He's with his wife, and as they exchange pleasantries, he asks Katie if she's still married. They hug...for a long time. It's obvious they still love each other. But again, I just didn't really care because their story did not touch me. The got together and they broke up. That's about the extent of the romance. Not very memorable.

Extraordinary Measures

This touching movie is based on the lives of John & Aileen Crowley, played by Brendan Fraser and Keri Russell. They have three children, and two of them have a rare genetic and fatal disorder called Pompe Disease. Children with the disease are generally expected to live no more than 9 years, and the Crowley's daughter has just turned 8.

Enter Dr. Robert Stonehill, played by Harrison Ford. He does research at a Nebraska University, with much of his research pertaining to a treatment for Pompe Disease. John hunts the good doctor down and together they embark on a a journey to try to get funded by a major drug company for their research. Together - the cranky, anti-establishment scientist, and the business man, who is also a desperate father, fight against the politics of drug companies and the bottom line of "making a profit".

The movie is rated PG, and I did take my 9 year old son to see it. While it was a bit long for him, he did follow the story and it was pretty clean, with the exception of a few words.

Brendan Fraser and Harrison Ford are outstanding actors and, as expected, did a great job in these roles. Since we are dealing with a story about terminally ill children, there were a few gut wrenching moments. But mostly, it was a triumphant story, filled with hope and the love that drives a mother and father to do anything they can for their children.

The Princess Bride (1987)

The movie begins in the present day, with a grandfather, (Peter Falk), visiting his sick grandson at home. He's come to read his grandson (Fred Savage) a story. He says, "In my day, television was called books!" As he begins to read, we see the story take place, with occasional flashes back to present to see the discussion the grandson/grandfather are having about it. One of the cutest parts is in a scene where one of the book's character is in the sea, surrounded by killer eels, and just as the drama climaxes, it flashes back to to Grandpa, who assures Grandson that the character won't get eaten. He says, "I just wanted to let you know, because you looked a little nervous...".


This is one of Robin Wright Penn's earlier works, and actually, she was "Robin Wright" at the time of this movie. She plays the lovely "Buttercup", who lives on a farm and finds herself in love with the farmhand, Westley, played by Cary Elwes. After they profess their love for one another, Westley leaves the farm to seek his fortune so that he can come back and provide a life for himself and his beloved Buttercup. Unfortunately, Buttercup soon receives news that Westley has been killed.

Not long after, the Prince Humberdink chooses Buttercup to be his queen (against her will, of course, since she is still in love with Westley). She ends up being kidnapped, and thus begins the adventure of the Princess Bride. There is swordplay, pirate ships, magic spells, dungeons and everything you'd expect from this move.



On a side note, I was SURE Prince Humperdink was Mark Ruffalo, but actually turned out to be Chris Sarandon (Susan Sarandon's first husband). See the resemblance on the right? (Ruffalo on left, Sarandon on right)





My son was not sure he wanted to watch a movie with "princess" in the title, but the minute the story began with the grandfather and grandson, he seemed to be drawn into it. He was having a lot of the same reactions that the grandson was having! But all in all, The Princess Bride was a movie we both enjoyed. It was funny, witty and pretty clean!

Rear Window

I was biting my nails the whole time I was watching this movie!!

Rear Window is an Alfred Hitchcock thriller starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly. Stewart plays Jeff, a photographer who is temporarily wheelchair-bound after breaking his leg. Not being able to do much else, he spends his time looking out his window, at his neighbors who live in apartments surrounding a small courtyard. He looks into the windows of their apartments, and in essence, into their lives. His nurse Stella, played by Thelma Ritter, comes in every day to check in on him and take care of him. His girlfriend, Lisa (Kelly), also visits him regularly.

I knew the premise of the movie was that he witnesses a murder as he looks out his window. So the whole time I was watching, I was waiting for it to take place. But, wow - Hitchcock really strung out the suspense. Jeff looked from window to window, and the whole time I was watching wide -eyed, not wanting to miss a thing. Who would it be? Would it be "Miss Torso", the beautiful dancer with no shortage of gentlemen callers? Or the couple that is always fighting? Or perhaps the frustrated musician at the piano? The lonely woman? Or wait, how shocking it would be if it turned out to be the newlyweds? Or what about the sculptor? Jeff just watches to pass the time, and out of curiosity, but WE are waiting to see who will be the ill-fated neighbor! I was on the edge of my seat. And even when I found out who it was....there was a point where I began to wonder...did he really see it? Or has he made a mistake?


Grace Kelly plays his girlfriend Lisa, and they are a beautifully matched pair in this. I watched Grace Kelly in High Noon, and mentioned in my review that there was absolutely no chemistry between her and Gary Cooper. In this film, there was chemistry abounding between her and James Stewart!


Hitchcock usually makes a cameo in his movies, and this one is no exception. I recognized him instantly when I saw him - casually winding a clock in one of the apartments!

If you love suspense thrillers - this movie is a definite must-see!

Up In The Air

George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a man who spends most days of the year on the road. He's single, alone, and he's pretty convinced he likes it that way. He loves his job - he fires people for a living. Employers hire the company he works for to go in and do the dirty work of letting their employees go. He's a "termination facilitator".

Natalie Keener, played by Anna Kendrick, is Ryan's 23 year old co worker. She's a recent grad, young and optimistic, and is ready to climb that corporate ladder. She's got a new idea, which she presents to their boss, Craig(Jason Bateman). She believes that they could save a lot of money if instead of traveling to terminate employees, they could do it via video conference. Not only does this sound like a cold, impersonal, and ridiculous idea to Ryan, but it also threatens the very lifestyle he loves.

So the boss insists that Ryan take Natalie with him on his assignments so she can learn what he does and see if this new idea of hers is gonna fly. Ryan is good at what he does - he "knows" people and their reactions, and he understands that this is one of the worst days of their lives. He believes that he does what he does in a humane way - something that can't be replaced with a web chat. (It's almost like being dumped via text message!). This is evident when Natalie fires someone via the computer, using all the canned lines that she's learned, but doesn't really know what to say when the 56 year old man begins to cry on the screen, after being fired from a Detroit factory that he's worked at for decades.

There are plenty of side stories here as well. There's Natalie and her boyfriend. And there's Ryan and his two sisters, one of whom is getting married soon. Another major character here is Alex, which seems to be the female version of Ryan. They are both always traveling and meet up every so often for a "casual relationship".

When the video conference terminations seem to be a certain future of the company, Ryan has to face the fact that he may not be able to distract himself from his lonely existence once he's home for good. Suddenly, the single life...actually, not really even the single life, but rather the emotionally isolated life...doesnt seem quite so attractive to him anymore. And even though he tries to tell himself he's not alone - since there are people all around him at the airport, at the restaurant, at the hotels - he's starting to realize that he is actually lonely. He even decides to take a chance on Alex. you'll have to watch it to see if the risk is worth it for him.

Clooney does a great job, which isn't surprising. Kendrick is great as the arrogant young person climbing the corporate ladder without much regard to anything else but her own advancement. While Jason Bateman's role isn't very big, he is a fine actor.

I really liked this movie - it grabbed you right from the beginning. Surprisingly, it put a high value on marriage. This makes perfect sense, since director Jason Reitman was married and had a child in the six years that he was working on the script.

And by the way, some of the people you see in the movie that are reacting to being fired, are actual people who have just been fired in real life. Reitman asked them to say what they had said when they were fired. I wondered that when I watched the movie.

Up in the Air has a few nominations for a Golden Globes as well as the Screen Actors Guild, which will probably lead to some Oscar nominations. Good movie - recommended.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)

Set in England at the turn of the century, this movie stars Gene Tierny as Lucy Muir, and Rex Harrison (whom we also know as Dr. Dolittle and "Henry Higgins") as the brash Captain Daniel Gregg.

Lucy, a young beautiful widow, is tired of living under the thumb of her mother in law and her sister in law, so she decides to go off on her own. She takes Martha, her housekeeper, and her young daughter Anna (played by a 9-year-old Natalie Wood).

Counting on income from one of her late husband's investments, Lucy rents a cottage by the seaside. The realtor warns her that it's haunted, but Lucy finds this delightful - a haunted cottage by the sea! However, she soon encounters the ghost of the former owner, Captain Daniel Gregg. He wants her to leave - after all, its his home! But she stubbornly refuses! Amazed at her fearlessness, he decides to lets her stay. Unfortunately, she soon discovers that the source of income she was counting on has dried up. Captain Daniel tells her to write a book, the story of his life. It becomes a best seller and she is able to support herself. Needless to say, Lucy and Captain Daniel form a bond as they spend time together.

Along the way, she meets a charming Miles Fairley (George Sanders) who she plans to marry. Sadly, Captain Daniel decides to let her live her life without him, among the living. As she sleeps, he tells her that her conversations iwth him have all been a dream, and that she wrote the book on her own. But Mr. Fairly, it turns out, is not as charming as he appears. He has a secret that Lucy soon discovers. She is left alone again.

The story continues through the years. We see Anna grown, and Lucy aging. The ending...very romantic and sweet.

This movie was funny, sweet and romantic. I was drawn into the characters immediately, and there was never a slow moment. I truly enjoyed it and recommend that you see it if you get the chance!