For the past almost-22 years, my husband and I have had a standing Saturday night date. On our first date (which was also a
blind date), we saw DRIVING MISS DAISY. We've seen so many since then, and often make it our goal to see all the Academy Award nominees before Oscar night. We love watching the Golden Globes and for years subscribed to
Entertainment Weekly magazine.
So we're movie buffs. In an age when good movies are harder and harder to find. We prefer the smaller, indie films, foreign stuff and documentaries over the big commercial jobs that usually cleanup at the Box Office. Some Saturdays we don't go to the movies at all because there is nothing we want to see. (It's just like books: lots of hype over certain films that aren't even original when we crave original.) Which saddens me greatly.
And now for the good news: this past Saturday we saw MY WEEK WITH MARILYN. And I loved it! Sure it is cliche-ridden, and really, what does it add to the canon of Marilyn Monroe mystique? But it's a lovely movie. I loved the focus on Marilyn's insecurities, her struggle to be a "real" actress, and how others were frustrated by her bad behavior (ALWAYS late to the set, always some drama) yet folks were also completely fascinated and eventually, forgiving.
As an artist/writer/creator, I relate to those insecurities. I understand her need to escape her own life -- but only for a little while. I left that theater smiling. I haven't enjoyed a movie that much in quite a while.
Next time I do, I'll write about it here for Movie Monday.
Any good movies you've seen lately?
The most delightful thing about this post is that you and your husband still have a weekly date night after 22 years. YAY! That is just fabulous!
ReplyDeleteI saw Hugo, when flying back through NYC and was charmed by this dramatization of a wonderful book!
Lately there seem to be a lot of movies I intend to see, and don't get to! I must remedy that.
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting my blog. You mentioned you were going to adopt the 12 x 12 manuscripts in a year idea. I want to invite you to join the official group -- you see, it wasn't my idea, it's the brainchild of a woman named Julie Foster Hedlund. You can read all about it here: http://writeupmylife.com/2011/11/30/12-x-12-in-2012-picture-book-writing-challenge/
Hope you'll join us! I'm sure it could be adapted to genres other than picture books.
I've been perusing your blog and love all the buttons you've got on the side. I need to add more to mine! mpflory.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteOkay, you've convinced me to go see this! I also enjoyed Hugo, which might be up for some Oscar love. I, too, love your Sat night dates, but am glad to have a "date" with a girl I knew from a few days old, now home from college, to see The Descendants tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteyou will like War Horse but I don't think you'll love it I'm not a huge new movie goer... I'm more wait until HBO has it on for free
ReplyDeleteOh yea I did see Mr. Poppers Peguins and loved it even though it was silly
I can't get past how sweet it is that you guys still have Sat. night dates!
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to get a writer's opinion/review on a movie. After watching the trailer for MY WEEK WITH MARILYN, it looked really interesting, though I was a bit skeptical. I'm glad I stopped by your blog this morning and happy to meet another kidlit blogger through Comment Challenge. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteBlessy Mathew
"We are reflected in our writing and our writing is a reflection of us."
www.reflectingrunes.com
www.blessymathew.com
I love watching a good movie. The problem is I don't know if I'll like a movie beforehand! A bit of a catch-22! The last good movie I saw isn't even a whole movie, My husband was watching it and I was catching scenes here and there. It was a Chinese movie, about what happened after an earthquake devastated a family, killing the father, and forcing the mother to choose one of her two children to be saved. She chose one but unbeknownst to her, the other one survives and is adopted. I don't even remember the title. But those scenes I saw were authentic and very well done.
ReplyDelete