Monday, May 23, 2011

movie poster


movie poster, originally uploaded by authorwannabe.

“Happy Thank You More Please”

After waiting nine months to see the film, the day finally arrived. I heard that it was playing when I turned on my radio right in the middle of an interview with the writer, director, producer and star (one of them anyway) of the film, Josh Radnor.

When last we met in September, Josh had just finished a one night fund raising screening of his movie and was on his way to promote the film at a festival in San Sebastian (Spain) while we were off to Venice, where yet another prestigious film festival was underway as well.

Suffice it to say, it was well worth the wait. The movie was everything I expected and more. There are so many memorable bits of dialogue it's hard to quote them all. Th e music, casting, cinematography, and just about everything was done expertly, and Josh and the crew definitely deserved the audience award at Sundance (Film Festival).

The movie reminded me a little of other generational films like “Singles” and “Reality Bites,” 'but less self-absorbed' my husband said. Both of those were about people in their 20's struggling to define themselves and make their way in the world. They were to the 90's what this movie is to whatever they're calling this decade.

During the Q & A session following the film I had a chance to ask Josh the following question, “What movies and filmmakers influenced and inspired you?” He replied that, as unusual as it might seem, he's not much of a movie buff and instead prefers to read. The reason being, he explained, is because “movies are such a commitment (of time), and often don't pay off in the end, whereas with a book you can just set it down and walk away.” Thinking about it, he said some of his favorite films were by Richard Linkletter like “Dazed and Confused,” or “Before Sunset” and “Before Sunrise.” “For some strange reason I could just watch both of those on a continuous loop” he said. He said “Tootsie” was the main reason for liking NYC and dressing like a woman (just kidding about that last part he said). He also mentioned “Broadcast News” and “Network” as films he's enjoyed as well.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

511 Things Only Women Understand

I recently purchased a funny book at a charity rummage sale called 511 Things Only Women Understand (by Lorraine Bodger). In this comprehensive guide, I came across the following that I feel particularly apply to me.

• That finding a pair of perfectly fitting jeans approaches having a religious experience.

• Buying that perfect t-shirt in 5 different colors.

• The thrill of a bra that fits perfectly.

• How you can have a closet stuffed to the walls and still not have anything to wear.

The first three are pretty self-explanatory, but I feel some elaboration is necessary on why having a full closet isn’t always a good thing. Every now and again a woman will have a function to attend that calls for just the right item whether it be a cute, sexy top or more formal business attire. She has a picture in her head of the perfect article of clothing, and sometimes that item can’t be found in her current wardrobe, calling for a trip to the mall (since most of the time you need it in a hurry and mail order simply won’t do!).

Friday, May 6, 2011

A Carefree Childhood Moment...

Last night I was walking to a local playground with my niece and two nephews. When I turned around to see what was delaying my younger nephew, I saw that he had stopped when he saw a patch of dandelions (now in the fluff stage). He picked one and said he was going to make a wish, and only blow away some of the fluff, because he wanted to make more than one wish. After he told me his wish he handed it to me and said, "Here Aunt Cindy, you make a wish," so I did, and blew away a little of the fluff before handing it back to him. He then proceeded to give it to his big brother to finish it off (not sure whether he made any wishes, but if he did, he didn't say them out loud).

I was too touched by this magical moment to even care about scattering seeds on random peoples' lawns.

In this age of gadgets and electronics where children rarely grow up as innocent and naive as we were when we were their age, it's nice to see that there's still a few childhood traditions that haven't completely died out yet.