Wild about Wild

Yesterday I saw the movie trailer for Cheryl Strayed's "Wild" starring Reese Witherspoon. It opens December 5, 2014. I am so excited! I can't wait to see it. Or maybe I can.

The book stirred up a lot of feelings I could relate to. At some point in our lives we all reach crossroads. Do we continue on the road we know? Or do we take a road less traveled? Do we dare to lose our way? To take a chance? If we let go of the things we know what will will we find at the end of the journey? Happiness? Forgiveness? Acceptance? Ourselves? Or will we simply be all alone left with nothing?

You may recall I read and reviewed the book Wild here on the blog late last year after my friend Tracy gave it to me as a gift. Tracy now calls me "Wild Stacie." She saw parallels in Cheryl's experience and the journey I began last year. Where Cheryl chose to hike 1,100 miles along the Pacific Crest Trail, alone, with no experience back packing, I chose to travel almost 15,000 miles across the country and back (twice) as well as other shorter trips with my tiny travel trailer, alone, with no experience road tripping, rv'ing, or camping.

Now my biggest question is will it open where I am on December 5th? Or will seeing the movie on opening day require a drive to the city (Grand Rapids) and if it does will I want to see it enough to drive there through snow? Because I'm certain there will be snow by then. The last time I drove in snow was 27 years ago. It's been a while. If I don't feel like tackling the road conditions I can always wait until the movie is released on DVD, order it online, and have it shipped directly to me. I guess my adventurous days may be on hiatus until spring.

A lot of people have asked me how I'll handle a winter in Michigan. Lately I've been thinking I may tackle it like this woman on the satire news website "The Onion". . . LOL

wild: FROM LOST TO FOUND ON THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL

Will you love or hate Les Misérables? A movie review.

In the past three weeks I'd read so many negative reviews about Les Misérable the film I wasn't quite sure what my ultimate reaction would be. Disappointment? I hoped not. Last Friday I saw it, loved it, and want to see it again.

Post-viewing tips I can share with you are:

1. Sit further away from the screen instead of closer. Because a lot of the movie is shot close up I think it makes it easier to take in if you're further back in the theater. For me, being a person who loves details I enjoyed the close ups. It allowed more emotion to come through the screen and I wish more movies were shot in this style focusing on the actor's ability to convey the intensity of their feelings using only their eyes, facial expressions, vocal tone, and script to do so. 
2. If you ever cry at movies bring Kleenex. If you cry more than the average person or are highly sensitive also bring a garbage bag. As it turned out I wasn't boo-hoo-hooing through the entire show. I just had a sniffle and a few tears every time Fantine or Eponine sang. One tissue in each hand tided me over until the end at which point I had to reach for another three, as did my friend Jewel who saw the movie with me.
3. Try not to compare it to the stage production. While more similar than different they are not the same in several aspects. Most noticeably they differ in the more realistic way the songs are performed as dialogue, not as polished musical numbers.
4. If you don't like musicals you probably won't like this movie. It's not just songs inserted into a film, the entire film is an almost three hours long continuous song.

The acting, singing, and casting were, imo, superb. I saw the stage production in NYC almost 20 years ago so I do have a basis for comparison. The singing in the film, while imperfect here and there, felt real to me. We don't always speak in perfectly pitched voices so if a song felt a bit strained by emotion at times, for me, it only brought more believability to the characters.

I wasn't at all disappointed by Inspector Javert, played by Russell Crowe, who has been faulted by many for not having a strong enough singing voice. I do understand why some wanted him to cut a more imposing figure but I felt his vocal range and strength were appropriate for his character. Despite his tenacity as an inspector, his vocal limitations showed he wasn't an invincible dark force. He was just a man, quite a simple man, who rigidly believed in God and the law.

While Fantine and Eponine have the two best songs, I have to say it was Hugh Jackman's acting performance as Jean Valjean that was the most striking and convincing mostly because he was, whether a prisoner or gentleman, completely unrecognizable as the Hugh Jackman I've always seen in interviews. The handsome man with the engaging smile and a perpetual twinkle in his eye was gone. The twinkle wasn't just dimmed, it was snuffed out completely in this film.

And the women delivered. I couldn't have been more moved by both Anne Hathaway's performance of I Dreamed a Dream and Samantha Bark's On My Own. I'd already purchased both songs off iTunes before seeing the film and had been playing nothing but those two songs for days before I saw the film.

Cosette as an adult, played by Amanda Seyfried, with her lyrical, lilting voice evoked a nightingale, even though I've never heard a nightingale sing and have no idea what they sound like. Eddie Redmayne's voice as Marius complemented Cosette's perfectly. Thank goodness they epitomized the happily ever after we all hope for or this would have been the most sad movie I'd ever seen.

And while it is a musical, the biggest takeaway for me was the message Victor Hugo wanted to share with the reader. So many decades later Les Misérables is still a story that needs to be told:

The Preface to “Les Misérables”

By Victor Hugo

1802–1885

"So long as there shall exist, by reason of law and custom, a social condemnation, which, in the face of civilization, artificially creates hells on earth, and complicates a destiny that is divine, with human fatality; so long as the three problems of the age—the degradation of man by poverty, the ruin of women by starvation, and the dwarfing of childhood by physical and spiritual night—are not solved; so long as, in certain regions, social asphyxia shall be possible; in other words, and from a yet more extended point of view, so long as ignorance and misery remain on earth, books like this cannot be useless."

All in all the ensemble cast is an entertaining and winning team proven by all of the awards the show has already won this season. In fact, just two days after I saw the film both Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathway won Golden Globe awards for their performances as did the show as Best Picture for a Musical or Comedy. Congratulations to all. The acknowledgements are well deserved.

Les Misérables is a musical where people sing. A lot.

It may seem obvious that people sing in musicals yet I've read a few reviews since the professional movie critics began publishing their thoughts a week ago that has led me to believe that even some pros didn't understand just how much singing would occupy the script as they took their seats.

Les Misérables isn't The Wizard of Oz or Rock of Ages where a few songs are scattered amongst a lot of dialogue. Nor are the songs lip synched to a pre-recorded sound track. Instead Director Tom Hooper went out on a limb, or asked his actors to, by singing live during the filming. This has made the songs in the trailers so much more poignant and emotional I can well up a few tears just watching the commercials.

Buy hey, I'm not poking fun at anyone's ignorance. I'll admit when I went to see the first installment of Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, I didn't realize it was a trilogy. Insert *face palm* here. And don't worry. I'm already hip to that The Hobbit will also come in three parts. LOL

Les Miserables is sad. That may be an understatement. It's overflowing with angst and heartbreak. That means unless you're a robot you'll probably cry at least once before the movie is over. So bring kleenex or duck into the restroom and make yourself a toilet paper mitten before taking your seat. I may have to do both.

If you forget to bring Kleenex to a tear jerker movie a tp mitten is a quick fix.

Alice Jones at the UK's The Independent quoted director Tom Hooper recounting at a press screening: “For a minute, I freaked out, wondering, what’s that odd sound on the soundtrack,” said Hooper. “I looked around and realised it’s the sound of people crying en masse.”

Hubby often accuses me of enjoying feeling bad. I've disagreed with him in the past but in this instance, he may be right because in her review The Guardian's Catherine Shoard said:
"By the end, you feel like a piñata on the dancefloor: empty, in bits, the victim of prolonged assault by killer pipes."

I can't wait to come out of the theater emotionally drained with the remnants of my toilet paper mitten trailing behind me like tear stained confetti littering the theater floor along with all of the spilled popcorn.

Can. Not. Wait.

Les Misérables opens on Christmas Day

Searching for Sugar Man

If it's playing in your city see this movie. It's so outrageous it's almost unbelievable. But it's true. An American musician who never made it, fades into obscurity in the US. But becomes an icon bigger than the Rolling Stones and Elvis, in South Africa. For decades. And he doesn't know it.

Oddly, even though the movie won the "World Cinema Audience Award Documentary" and a "Special Jury Prize" at the Sunset Film Festival in 2012, I heard about it through my hubby who heard about it while listening to a UK radio station. So even now anonymity continues to follow Rodriguez.

Searching for Sugar Man tells his most incredible story:

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Yesterday I want to see the movie Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close based on the novel by author Jonathan Safran Foer. I'd heard on tv that even though the events of 9/11 are part of the story line, it isn't a movie about that day but rather the healing process a young boy creates for himself after losing his dad (played by Tom Hanks) in the World Trade Center.

This review contains no spoilers.

I loved this movie. Aspects of the lead character's quirkiness reminded me of my husband and his fearfulness reminded me of myself as a child. From a technical standpoint the way the movie was shot is very pleasing. In particular I really appreciated the focus on tiny details, small actions and the ability of the movie to draw out (of me) all encompassing emotions. There were moments where feelings were depicted and conveyed so strongly, like when Oskar felt small, alone and fearful, that I was absolutely able to identify with him. Some of the lighting and lens effects were beautiful. That said, I don't think this is a movie for everyone.

I think this is the kind of movie that people will either love or hate.

I thought the events of 9/11 would be included at the beginning of the movie to set the stage for all that happens after. But instead, what happened that day is carried throughout the film revisited from the perspectives of Oskar and his mother. So I don't know if it's fair to say the movie isn't about the day itself because the day is featured throughout the film from the beginning to almost the very end.

Why some will love or hate the film is because I think there's always a danger when one uses a real life tragedy in a story of fiction. Some events, like 9/11, call for such reverence that for many, to use them in a movie (at all) feels exploitive and opportunistic. For me, if done respectfully, it feels like a way to bear witness so that those lost are never forgotten.

Surprisingly, I think the film's biggest challenge is the audience's reaction to its lead character, nine year old Oskar who struck me as a combination of Dustin Hoffman's character in "Rain Man" and little Brick Heck from the tv sitcom "The Middle." There are two ways to take him. On the surface, he's bossy, angry, loses control of his emotions, is neurotic and speaks with no filter saying hurtful and cruel things just because he thinks them. He says he was tested for Autism but the results were inconclusive. If you can't get past his unlikable persona you probably won't like the movie. But he is also fearless, tenacious, loving in his own way, incredibly intelligent, wounded and struggling to overcome the guilt he feels related to the loss of his father. If you can empathize with his personality beyond his abrasive qualities I think you'll be deeply moved by his experience.

Oskar's mom is portrayed by Sandra Bullock. She offers an authenticity that makes her grief, vulnerability and loneliness convincing and consistent throughout the film. Tom Hanks as his father is the yin to Oskar's yang. You get the feeling that with his dad beside him he "fit" into his family and the world better than without him. His dad was kind, fun, creative and adventurous and brought out the best in Oskar as he encouraged him to expand his imagination, resourcefulness and ability to love. Most of the other people he meets along the way might best be described as character vignettes with little development. But each conveys a strong personality trait or sense of emotion (rather than self) ranging from kindness, sadness, altruism, anger, hope, love, or compassion that adds to the emotional momentum of the movie from beginning to end.

If I had to describe Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close in a single word it would be poignant. Often, overwhelmingly so. It is raw and emotionally wrenching with a fairly constant sense of sadness coming like waves throughout the film. The culmination is profound and not what I had anticipated it would be. For some the strength of the ending won't be enough to overcome the sadness that came before but for me it did.

If you forget to bring Kleenex to a tear jerker movie a tp mitten is a quick fix.

Two tips about this movie:

1. If you enjoy quirky characters and dramatic movies that contain a lot of sadness but are ultimately uplifting, you will probably enjoy Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close as much as I did.
2. If you go, bring Kleenex with you. And make sure it's the kind with lotion in it so that your nose doesn't chafe or turn red by the end of the film. If you forget to bring Kleenex make sure you stop by the restroom on the way in and roll yourself a toilet paper mitten so you'll have an endless supply of tissue during the show. I'd say on the safe side to make sure you take at least 12 squares of toilet paper to EL&IC. 

---

Jonathan Safran Foer also wrote the (non-fiction) book Eating Animals that I reviewed here on the blog back in 2010. Before Eating Animals he also wrote the fiction novel: Everything is Illuminated.

Oct 20, 2011 you can view "Miss Representation" on tv

I don't have a daughter to teach not to believe that her worth is determined by her looks and sexuality. Nor do I have a son to teach that women are more, and are worth more, than just the way they look. That's what went through my mind when I saw the trailer to the movie Miss Representation. I'll be watching the movie when it premieres on TV on the OWN network on Oct. 20, 2011, 9/8c.

So how does my awareness about the superficial, sexualized, objectified, unintelligent portrayal of women in media (meaning the press, TV, movies, music videos, etc.) matter?

If you watch the trailer below you may ask yourself the very same question.

But after just a few minutes I realized my awareness does matter because there are things I can do to raise more awareness and break through the stereo types:

1. Writing about the movie here on my blog to bring it to the attention of those of you who will be interested in watching it is something I can do.
2. The way I value other women and myself may be two of the most important things I can do.
3. In my day to day life I can lead by example, being the best role model I can be to everyone (of every age) I interact with showing through my actions this woman is more than how media too often, too easily and probably unthinkingly portrays us.

Miss Representation Trailer (2011 Sundance Film Festival Official Selection) from Miss Representation on Vimeo. "When the new documentary film Miss Representation premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, audiences were riveted. . . As the most persuasive and pervasive force of communication in our culture, media is educating yet another generation that a woman’s primary value lay in her youth, beauty and sexuality—and not in her capacity as a leader, making it difficult for women to obtain leadership positions and for girls to reach their full potential. The film accumulates startling facts and statistics that leave audiences shaken, armed with a new perspective, and asking the question, “What can we do?” Miss Representation premieres Oct. 20th at 9/8c on OWN. Host a House Party and spark a dialogue in your neighborhood and community."

Here are some things you can do and places you can go to learn more about and support the Movie:

Watch the movie Tuesday Oct. 20, 2011 on the OWN network 9/8 central time.

www.MissRepresentation.org

Take the Pledge

Host a Screening

On Facebook

Nationwide Screenings

---

And thanks to my friend Wendy for including me in a Facebook message where she shared the trailer two days ago. I'm really shocked it was the first I'd heard of the movie.

I Hope You'll Be Able to See "I AM" the Movie

72 hours ago I had no idea who Tom Shadyac (pronounced Shay-dee-ack) was. If "Name a movie Tom Shadyac directed" was the million dollar question on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and I'd used all of my lifelines, I would have left the show with less than a million dollars.

Most people know Tom as the director behind some of Hollywoods biggest comedy block busters like Ace Ventura, The Nutty Professor, LIar, Liar, Bruce Almighty and more. Two days ago he was talking about his new, non-fiction, documentary movie I AM on Oprah. What I heard him say moved me so much less than 24 hours later I'd driven to the closest movie theater showing I AM, down in Santa Cruz, because I couldn't wait to see it.

CLICK HERE to learn about Tom on the I Am movie website

Tom was, by American standards, "living the dream." He was young, rich, successful, owned a private jet and was living in a 17,000 square foot mansion with people to manage everything from his career and finances to his swimming pool and tennis courts.

But in the midst of his success Tom realized that being financially rich didn't create or guarantee his happiness. Despite the picture our society paints that wealth equals happiness, the point is made in the movie that if you earn twice as much money it doesn't mean you'll be twice as happy. So true right? Sure there are happy rich people but there are also miserably unhappy, lonely and angry rich people.

His message isn't that money or being rich is bad. The distinction is made between having enough and when enough becomes too much so that acquiring more or holding onto excessive wealth can come at the cost of your happiness. It's about following your heart's authentic passion in life and by doing so is the only way we can live truly content and fulfilled lives regardless of our income levels.

I AM

the shift is about to hit the fan

In 2007, 13 years after Ace Ventura, Tom's life came to a screeching halt, literally, when he was in a cycling accident (him vs. gravity, not a car) and suffered post-concussion syndrome. The excruciating pain and side effects lasted for months and so impaired his quality of life that he wanted to die to escape the pain. He thought if he were to have any last words, what would they be? That was when he realized he had something to say. Something to share with the world. The slow growing epiphany that began the day he moved into his first mansion but didn't feel any happier had become a moment of clarity: His life was a lie. He wasn't living the way he was meant to. He had allowed his success to turn him into part of the group of people that he perceives are responsible for what is wrong with the world.

He sold his humongous mansion and moved into a 1000 square foot trailer. He got rid of the jet and now rides his bike to work. He's given away millions of dollars to others who he knows need them more than he does and most importantly, he took a four person film crew and set off to create a new and different kind of movie to create the opportunity for our country to have a new and different kind of conversation.

Learn about the scientists, philosophers and people of faith interviewed in I AM 

I AM is an exploration of two of the most important questions we can ask ourselves: What is wrong with the world and what can we, as individuals, do to make it better?

The three key concepts explored in the movie are:
1. It is scientifically proven that the entire human race is connected.
2. It is human nature to be cooperative rather than competitive.
3. If you don't do what your heart wants you to do and follow your passion, it will destroy you.

It's easy to blame the world's problems on large things like politics, the economy and other countries. And while it's true that these things often are the cause of our perceived problems, the reality is: What is wrong with the world boils down to the thought processes and actions of individuals and the trickle down effect of each person's existence. As long as we are comfortable blaming others and not examining our own actions to see if in fact we are also a large or minuscule part of the problem, the problems will not only persist, but through misplaced priorities, we can deny ourselves our own happiness without even realizing it.

He draws easy to follow analogies and explores the science of "connectedness," how (in a scientific not metaphysical way) our energy, the way we think and subconsciously output our emotions, can effect not only other people but all living organisms and even non-living things like computer algorithms, in the world around us. Suffice to say if you see the movie you'll never look at yogurt the same way again. LOL

People have often said to me that given many of my negative life experiences they are surprised (sometimes even shocked) that I am not a cynical and bitter person. The movie confirmed that the reason I am for the most part unscathed by my past is because it's through caring for other people, animals, plants, the environment, the world and myself I've found my path to happiness. And you can too :)

The premise of the movie, and what I truly believe, is that, for better or worse, one person can make a difference. Living life with passion, compassion for others, embracing a spirit of cooperation and not allowing material things or money to ever matter more than people permeates almost every thing I do, every day. Caring shouldn't be a once year, once a month or once a week gesture or state of mind. Caring is something we can all strive to do 24/7.

Now I have to figure out where to buy a copy of Darwin's book "The Descent of Man" because the movie has made me incredibly curious to read it. I want to verify some things for myself. I hope it goes better than the time I was curious to read a book about quantum physics. That was totally over my head. LOL


In the meantime if you want to see I AM, cross your fingers and use the link below to see if it's playing near you:

CLICK HERE to Find a Nationwide Theater Showing I AM

In the SF Bay Area it's playing in:

Sacramento - Crest Theatre - May 6, 2011
San Rafael - Rafael Film Center - Now Playing
Santa Cruz - Nickelodeon - Now Playing • Leaving Soon
Santa Rosa - Summerfield Cinemas - Now Playing
Sonoma - Sebastiani Theatre - May 9, 2011
St. Helena - Cameo - Opens May 25, 2011

And it was only fitting I'd have my new favorite burger the same day I saw my new favorite movie. If you go to Santa Cruz you might want to grab a Jalapeno Burger at the Saturn Cafe for lunch or dinner. It's a fun and retro styled vegetarian diner just minutes from the theater.

With beer battered, deep fried jalapenos, a slice of jack cheese and a spicy chipotle-buffalo sauce on a potato roll hamburger bun it's not super healthy, but it is super delicious! I think you'll love it!

Weekend King & Being Geeky

Recently my friend Elisa Camahort from Blogher.com put together a group outing for a bunch of geeky types (my hubby and myself included) to head up to SF to see an independent movie she had heard about. The premise of the film "Weekend King" reads as follows on the IMDB website:

"Weekend King" is the story of Rupert Coleman, a Silicon Valley computer programmer who made a fortune in the dot com boom. Stuck in an unfulfilling job, Rupert discovers an internet story about a bankrupt town in Utah called New Spring. Rupert sets out to buy the town... "

Can you believe this pic is from my iPhone?

It's a sweet story, a love story to be exact. There are some very funny scenes and a great script. There were a few things in the script that I kind of got lost on but I really did like it. The acting was spot on. All in all I liked the movie. The guys I was with were hoping for more geeky moments but the secondary story line is about Rupert's love affair with an artist and that his best friend is an artist. Being an artistic creative type and a geeky type I think the overall plot appealed to me more then my super geek companions.

Here our friend Scott and I geeked out a bit as I attempted to take a photo of my popcorn with my iPhone. I could tell it was too dark in the theatre...

So Scott held up his iphone screen to my popcorn creating just enough light for me to take a much better photo. Scott's wife and my hubby were not as amused as Scott and I. We were really proud of our accomplishment. What would have been even cooler would have been if my hubby had taken a picture of Scott lighting the popcorn with his iphone, as I photographed the popcorn with my iPhone, on his iPhone. LOL

Fun times! Thanks to Elisa for setting this very fun outing up for all of us.

Miss Potter

I just watched the movie Miss Potter and have to say I found it completely charming. The movie is based on the true life story of Beatrix Potter, a children's book author and illustrator in Victorian England, who brought to the world many of the most beloved children's stories ever written.

Her most famous story would have to be The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

The movie is poignant, sweet and utterly inspiring to anyone who has ever hoped to pursue a career doing something they love. And perhaps even more important... Living the life they know they were meant to live, even if it doesn't fit into the plans others have made for them.

Renée Zellweger plays the role of Beatrix Potter perfectly with just the right amount of strength and vulnerability. After watching the movie I have to say I think Beatrix was the epitome of a Flirty Girl. Unafraid to follow her own inner voice, and gracious the entire way as she traveled her own unique path.

The movie made me laugh and cry. Just like real life.