Movies, Mom & Me

1. Who's watched:  G
2. Mentions:  none
3. Commentary:  This is one of the few movies I've purchased since Mom died. It came out the Tuesday after she died. We'd talked about getting it so that we could compare it with the first version and looked forward to seeing it. I'd talked, the week before she died, about it's release coming up the next week. Thus, of course, I bought it.
     There are two critical schools of thought on this remake. The first is echoed in the link to the title of the movie above. The second is here, courtesy of The New York Times. The former expresses my sentiments, although not completely. Roger Ebert seems not to have watched either movie closely enough to realize that the remake actually follows the structure of the first one very closely. Some of the dialogue is even repeated. The resolution is completely different and the satire is toned down significantly so, yes, these are two "different" movies. And, I definitely missed the presence of the hats and the silly clothes that Sylvia wears in the first movie. I also missed the hilarious actress credit sequence from the first movie that wasn't even attempted in the second. I was curious to see what the producers of the remake would do with that. The second movie also explores the eternal mother character much better than the first, and I like the twist in the remake on the relationship between the mother and daughter. The first is much cattier, but the second portrays deeper friendships which would be trivialized by the catty fast talk of the first. Both movies, as well, have interesting fashion runway sequences. My preference is for the first. I prefer the context, love the fact that the movie switches to color for that sequence, and I love the clothes in the first movies' fashion sequence much better than the clothes in the second. I should have been born so that I could have been in my clothes-horse prime during the thirties through the early forties. For satiric dazzle I prefer the first movie. For emotional satisfaction I prefer the second. I'd love to know which my mother would have preferred. I will be keeping both movies.
     You'll notice that I categorized the first as a romance. It was. I can't categorize the second as such, because it isn't; unless you count romancing one's friends, and one's self, which is a clear slant of the second movie. Ah, what the hell; why not. It's a romance. Just not the usual kind.

Labels: dramedy, romance, satire

# posted by gail @ 18:22    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  none
3. Commentary:  This movie is purely Mom's delight. From the beginning, when the narrator begins to tell the story of what her mother means to her, my mother follows the movie all the way through. That's why I decided to purchase a copy one day when I saw it selling at the grocery store at a ridiculously cheap price. I enjoy it, too...even though my Adam Sandler fandom runs more to movies like Punch Drunk Love. It was fun for me to watch Mom watching this movie, though. She just beamed through the entire show. I think she identified strongly with Flor.

Labels: dramedy

# posted by gail @ 16:41    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  My reaction to this movie is complicated.
   • I'm sure you've heard the following: "If you love the series, you'll love the movie." Not so. I agree that in order to become involved in the movie one has to be familiar with the series, but I love the series and the movie was a disappointment. I can see how my mother liked the movie. Aside from her reaction noted above, it was so colorful and splashed so broadly on such a huge canvas that it was kind of like watching a cartoon.
   • That having been said, I was deeply affected, after my mother's death, by the scenes involving Carrie's mourning of what she assumed to be the definitive death of her relationship with Mr. Big. These scenes tugged mercilessly at my heart. At one point, the week after the first group of visitors left, I would watch the series of scenes, from her phone dropping at the wedding site when she hears that John has decided not to come to the wedding, straight through to her finally arising from an emotionally drugged three day sleeping binge in Mexico and joining the rest of her friends, endlessly. I would weep uncontrollably throughout...then continue my own mourning, which while it didn't include constant sleep, did include loss of appetite, drawing of all drapes, extinguishing of all sources of light and a strict isolation from everything that implies the continuation of life. That part of the movie continues to tug at my heart. On bad days, I make it a point to watch that series of scenes, yet again.
   • I was completely disappointed in something about the movie, but I couldn't place my finger on what until MCS and MCNC came to visit in early spring and we watched the movie (they hadn't seen it). When MCS pronounced it, after having watched about a half hour of it, as "a bunch of privileged women buying things", I realized what bothered me about the movie: The hard-driven focus on fashion, which is so relentless that the story lines get lost in the shuffle. Although the series has a decent fashion thrust, it isn't relentless; nor does it obscure story lines and ideas. The movie, unfortunately, took the fashion/money thrust to the limit and, in doing so, limited the ability of the story lines to come through.
     I'll keep the movie, though, as a part of my SATC collection. I hope the company doesn't plan to do another, though. My hope is that they consider all loose ends tied up tight. Enough is, as this movie proves, more than enough.

Labels: buddy, dramedy, romance

# posted by gail @ 15:39    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  none
3. Commentary:  I resisted placing this movie in our collection for some years, even though Mom insisted on watching it every time it came on TV and, I have to admit, I love the dancing, especially the "athletic" (as one critic called it) sequence involving the testosterone soaked brothers against suitors of the town vying for the affections of seven sprightly town maidens. Finally, winter before this last, I found it at Costco and brought it home for a weekend surprise. We watched the movie twice in a row, at Mom's request (and have watched it several times since). I was fascinated to discover that my mother's favorite dance sequence was the one done in the dead of winter while the seven brothers are chopping wood and bemoaning their singular (pun intended) fate. As she would watch that sequence, every time, she'd mention how much she liked it, her body would weave to the adagio accompaniment of the silken cowboy ballad and she'd swing her arm in an arc from her elbow each time an axe swung to a down beat. She loved the rest of the movie, as well, the Sabine Women sequence, in particular, and I loved watching her watch it. I will continue to love watching it and remembering the her high pleasure in the production.

Labels: action, dance, dramedy, musical, period, romance, shared-favorite, spectacle

# posted by gail @ 15:25    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  none
3. Commentary:  I picked this up because Mom and I so enjoyed the video versions of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility that we own and a friend told me that I'd probably like this version of the JA novel, too. I'm usually wary of friends recommending movies to me, but she was right. Mom and I both enjoyed this one. Film adaptations of Jane Austen and others' works can be disappointing; Mom and I have been disappointed before. This one isn't. I still prefer the books, but this movie and the other two JA adaptations we own bring the characters and environments to life.

Labels: dramedy, period, romance

# posted by gail @ 14:45    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  none
3. Commentary:  This is a delightful pastiche of a movie with some very good ensemble acting and an interesting interlinkage of romantic stories that simply captured us. Look, especially, at Lynn Redgrave's performance as the mother of one of the characters. Brave and brilliant! I've watched this movie several times on my own, as well as the special features, because it, well, it feels good to watch it.

Labels: dramedy, romance

# posted by gail @ 19:04    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None specific to this season
3. Commentary:  We now have completed our collection of Northern Exposure seasons. This last season was, for many people, the most confusing. It's definitely the season I love the most, because of the many, many dream and fantasy sequences. I remember when this season first aired. Lots of people were put off by the appearance of the new doctor and his wife. The show stayed on its wide, every winding track, though, and the final episode was a credit to the entire series.
       This is not Mom's favorite season, because she has trouble following all the dream and fantasy sequences. She watched it through like the moose-trooper she is, though, and I'm sure we'll watch all these episodes again and again.

Labels: dramedy, dream, fantasy, haunting, TV

# posted by gail @ 02:09    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  Mom like this one better than Funny Girl. I'm not sure which I like more. From my point of view, these two movies are completely different and this one almost doesn't, in my mind, qualify as a sequel to the first. Everything seems different about the Fanny Brice character Barbra Streisand plays in this one; so much so that her continued infatuation for Nicky Arnstein seems unbelievable. There are some splendid production numbers in this movie, Ben Vereen is incredible and James Caan is a huge surprise. We watched this on TCM during their "31 Days of Oscar" this year and Mom's eyes popped when she watched it. They're still popping...we've watched this movie a couple of times since I purchased it.

Labels: biography, dance, dramedy, musical, romance

# posted by gail @ 19:08    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  I was surprised to see that I mentioned this movie in my journals, albeit some time ago. I'd forgotten about it until some cable channel showed it not too long ago, I clicked into it and Mom was not only thoroughly entertained by it but enjoyed the idea that time can collapse forward as well as backward. It's very dated, true, and the singing is not well woven into the movie, but Streisand's performance, especially as her re- and pre-incarnated personalities, is riveting. Jack Nicholson has a forgotten part in this movie, as well, which renders it fun to watch, simply because he participated in this movie long before he became known for his portrayals of ticklish, "Nicholsonian" characters.

Labels: dramedy, fantasy, period

# posted by gail @ 18:24    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  Both, partially
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  Yes, although we haven't completely watched it, we own it. This is the movie that MCF tried to get Mom and me to watch over Christmas. Mom fell asleep on the couch. I saw parts of it and began to understand why they raved about it. I think we will enjoy this movie, too, and watch it again. From what I saw, it reminds me a little of Holes in structure, but I may be mistaken about that. Hmmm...today seems like I good day to watch this for the first time. If anything else strikes me about this movie and/or Mom's reaction to it, I'll be back. Please note, the labeling is pre-viewing.

Labels: adventure, buddy, dramedy, period, road-movie

# posted by gail @ 10:55    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  This is the season that contains one of my favorite story-in-a-stories, "The Warrior and the Stallion", to which I've linked the title, above.

Labels: dramedy, shared-favorite, TV

# posted by gail @ 11:40    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G, several times
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  This is one of those movies that's guaranteed to please, in one way or another, both of us. Since we watch parts of it every time it appears on television, when I noticed a cheap, widescreen copy of it for sale I snatched it. We watched it that night. Much better to have constant favorites on DVD, since it's easy enough to pause them or watch only the parts we happen to be thinking about at any time.
       The truth is, I'm not a fan of the after-death philosophy behind the movie, although it's pretty enough and certainly makes for a unique thriller. The famous love scene is nice but give me Diane Lane's first fuck with her extra-marital lover in Unfaithful over wet pottery clay and "Unchained Melody" any day. I especially love, though, Whoopi Goldberg's performance as Oda Mae (this character deserves mention in some tome of memorable, perfectly played movie characters) and Tony Goldwyn's as Carl Bruner. I read someplace that Tony Goldwyn's preference is not for acting, which is too bad. I've seen him in lots of bit parts and his performances are always memorable and enlightening.

Labels: dramedy, fantasy, mystery, suspense

# posted by gail @ 22:28    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  I'm not surprised this movie hasn't been mentioned in my journals. When I bought it I thought I remembered that Mom liked it. She may have, but had little patience for it this time around. I thought I had found it interesting. I did, but immediately after watching it for the first time in a long time, I decided it would be one I'd never enter in here and would sell back as soon as I had a few other movies to turn in. Then, I found myself going back to the movie, replaying particular scenes, looking forward to the well planned music score, watching Gary Sinese closely...and decided, hmmm, I'd better keep this one. It does remain one of the strangest movies ever made. Being a movie maven, this is a good enough reason for me to keep it. Who knows. The next time I play it "in front of" Mom, she might like it again.

Labels: biography, dramedy, fantasy, period, satire

# posted by gail @ 22:27    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2*
3. Commentary:  This is not an often watched movie of ours. Sometimes my mother can stand it, sometimes she can't. Same with me. We both have a little bit of a problem with the dancing couple, although they add outrageous comic relief. We both agree there are a few offensively cliched depictions of the elderly but, overall it's clean. Mom's favorite relationship is the one between the couple whose wife has advanced dementia. Mine is the relationship between Jessica Tandy's and Hume Cronyn's characters.

Labels: dramedy, fantasy

# posted by gail @ 22:25    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  This is just one of my favorite little fripperies that I thought Mom would enjoy as well when I noticed it on ridiculous sale and was right. I especially enjoy Toni Collette's performance, but, frankly, I'm a sucker for her in any film. Mom was charmed by the premise of the film and so surprised by the ending that she said, "Well, that's what I like to see. The guy doesn't necessarily get the girl, but gets something better." My sentiments exactly.

Labels: dramedy, romance

# posted by gail @ 22:24    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  This is one of my favorites. I think we originally watched it without Closed Captioning. Mom isn't as familiar with Shakespeare and 17th century English as I am but I think she'll like this story. I love it. To me it's an overview of much of the best of Shakespeare.

Labels: dramedy, fantasy, historical, romance

# posted by gail @ 02:28    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  Mom has never cared for Barbra Streisand, neither her voice nor her presence. I have always adored Barbra Streisand without question. Having said this, we both enjoyed this movie and Mom has a few other Barbra Streisand favorites, like Nuts and Yentl, neither of which we've yet collected. She also has a problem with Omar Shariff. She considers him overwhelming. I think he's great in this movie.

Labels: biography, dramedy, musical, period, romance

# posted by gail @ 02:20    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  I'm truly surprised I've never mentioned this film in the journal. Since I saw it in the theater I've rented it for both of us to watch. We are both always delighted with it. My mother consistently snorts her ironic disapproval during the scenes in which De Marco talks about women. At one point, the first time she saw it, she rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, brother!" By the end, though, she is always won over. This is one of those movies that makes me wonder which I enjoy more; watching the movie or watching my mother watch the movie.

Labels: dramedy, me-favorite, romance

# posted by gail @ 02:19    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  none, yet
3. Commentary:  We've only watched this season informally in TV reruns. It's just one of our "must haves". I know we will watch it, probably in a marathon.

Labels: dramedy, shared-favorite, TV

# posted by gail @ 07:26    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  We've only just received and begun to watch this season. I think this is the one where they do lots more dream work. I'm hoping this is the season when they produced the episode with Maggie and the bear.

Labels: dramedy, shared-favorite, TV

# posted by gail @ 07:25    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  This is one of our feel good movies. Neither of us ever tires of watching this movie, so, when I noticed it on sale, I figured it would be a good addition.

Labels: dramedy, romance

# posted by gail @ 10:30    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2* *3* *4*
3. Commentary:  You already know a lot about our love affair with this series. We finally saw the pilot, yes, another one of those. We were not disappointed.
       My mother loves the moose. I notice that Janine Turner's name appears against the moose in a particularly gawky stance. Interesting.

Labels: dramedy, shared-favorite, TV

# posted by gail @ 01:59    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  Mom doesn't like this one as much as the other two Hepburn/Tracy movies we have. I think she considers some of the sentiment about marriage dishonest. She also, for some reason, has a hard time following the conversation in this movie; maybe because a lot of political and sports metaphors are used.
       I consider it an unusually brave movie, for the time because of the subject matter and for all time because it dares to complicate the issues of love and marriage for highly ambitious women, something we continue to consider daring, today.
     This movie is a part of the Tracy/Hepburn Collection.

Labels: collection, dramedy, shared-favorite, tracy-hepburn

# posted by gail @ 01:55    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  This movie is a treat for both of us. My mother is an animation fan, anyway, so she was an easy sell. She often requests this movie when I'm drying her hair, then watches it through to the end. We play the credits at least a couple of times per viewing because she and I both like the theme song (including the fact that it's written and sung by Randy Newman).
        I'm a very hard animation sell, but everything about this movie charmed me, including the concept and its development. I am a devotee of children's literature, anyway (all ages), but animation has never done much for me, even as a kid. Pixar, though, seems to know exactly how to seduce my eye, and I'm a big fan of most of their stuff. I consider this movie one of their most brazen and imaginative.

Labels: animated, dramedy, kids, mom-favorite, suspense

# posted by gail @ 10:48    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  Another favorite that we watch fairly often, when we need to believe in political integrity.
       Mom especially likes the state dinner for the French President and his wife. Every time we watch that scene she can't help but say, "Wouldn't you just love to attend one of those dinners?" The truth is, I think she would like to spend her entire life going from State Dinner to State Dinner. It would suit her.
       I particularly like that, after I'd established my affection for the movie, a good friend of mine told me that he considers me the real life Sidney Allen Wade. I spend a lot of time preening in as I watch this movie.

Labels: dramedy, political, presidential, romance, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 10:47    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2*
3. Commentary:  I think I've said quite a lot about our reactions to this movie throughout the main journal. We both find it entertaining and "feel good" inspirational.

Labels: dramedy, political, romance, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 10:46    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G, many times
2. Mentions:  *1* *2* *3* *4* *5* *6* *7* *8* *9* *10*
3. Commentary:  We both remain fascinated with this show and continue to watch it, and discuss it while watching it, regularly. As you can read in the mentions, we have eccentric opinions about and reactions to this show.

Labels: dramedy, erotic, shared-favorite, TV

# posted by gail @ 10:45    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G, many times
2. Mentions:  *1* *2* *3*
3. Commentary:  As I recall, my mentions of this movie speak for both my mother's and my delight in it. Aside from my favorite scene with Bruce the Shark, which I've seen many times, I love being transported by the oceanic graphic environment of the movie. It is truly one better than the ocean, only because it is so available. Watching the movie is practically like having a virtual experience without the nerve stimulation technology.
       My mother, I should note, usually takes a nap after this movie.

Labels: animated, dramedy, kids, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 23:15    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched: M & G, both more than once
2. Mentions: *1* *2*
3. Commentary: Mom 'caught' me watching this the afternoon I purchased it when she was napping. I was surprised that she was as seduced by it as I am.

Labels: animated, biography, dramedy, film-art, me-favorite

# posted by gail @ 09:38    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched: M & G
2. Mentions: None
3. Commentary:
   Mom: Really enjoys this one, although not as much as Monster's, Inc.
   Me: I'm with Mom on this one. It's one of the very few animated movies I can handle, but not my favorite. I often do chores when Mom watches it.

Labels: animated, dramedy, kids

# posted by gail @ 09:33    0 comments    email......this post