The Movie Time Meme (More Sunday Stealing :-))

Heehee, Sunday Stealing is the best thing to do whilst drinking coffee on a Sunday morning ... you get to answer random questions, readers get an insight into you they wouldn't otherwise, and ... well, it's fun :-)  The Movie Time Meme is this week's offering ... good times :-)

1. What is your all-time favorite movie costume?

In Wolfgang Petersen's The Neverending Story, there is a giant bat with wings that look like black trash bags.  My siblings and I had so much fun laughing at that (like, we'd reference it on trash day ... "Time to take the bat wings out") that it has to be my favorite movie costume.

2. What classic film would you nominate for a remake?

The Legend of Billie Jean.  That movie had potential ;-) (And, yes, it WAS a classic!)

3. Name your favorite femme fatale.

Kate Winslet, because she has the coolest name and managed to become a serious and successful actress despite being closer to a typical weight than most.

4. Name the best movie title.

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.  Only because the title is the best thing about it ... absolutely the worst  movie I've ever seen ...

5. Describe the worst performance by a child actor that you’ve ever seen.

The Olsen twins on Full House.  I can remember really being bothered by them.

6. Who gets your vote for most tragic movie monster?

Severus Snape ... the monster that was, ultimately, the true hero of the Harry Potter series.

7. What is the one Western that you would recommend to anybody?

Gotta go with The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (it's all about Eastwood, except for the unfortunate Honkeytonk Man)

8. Who is your ideal movie-viewing partner?

Anyone that doesn't talk during movies.  When I'm watching a movie, I want to focus on watching the movie ... a very good way to piss me off royally is to talk during a movie.

9. Has a film ever made you want to change your life? If so, what was the film?

Dead Poets Society definitely changed my approach to teaching and my bottom line attitude regarding my profession.  Plus, it always makes me cry.

10. Think of one performer that you truly love. Now think of

one scene/movie/performance of theirs that is too uncomfortable for you to

watch.

The scene where Tom Hanks is screaming, "WILSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" during Castaway makes my toes curl.

11. On the flip side, think of one really good scene/performance/movie

from a performer that you truly loathe.

Lindsay Lohan was pretty amazing in Mean Girls ... it's kind of sad, because it makes you realize how truly talented she is (or was).  

12. What is your favorite romantic comedy?

Dirty Dancing ... nobody puts Baby in a corner.

13. What is your favorite drama?

Beaches.  You would think I'd no longer cry by now, but I do.

14. Worst film you've seen?

Hmm, at the moment (one cup of coffee into the day), I'm feeling like it's the aforementioned Santa Claus Conquers the Martians or Honkeytonk Man.  

15. How do you feel about the majority of romantic films being labeled "chick flicks"?

Eh, I guess I'd be offended if I thought about it overmuch, but let's be real ... how many guys get together to watch Sleepless in Seattle?

16. Favorite on-screen couple?

Han Solo and Princess Leia, natch :-)

17. Favorite off-screen couple?

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner (because since Ben is clearly never going to be mine, at least he's got a girl that loves her kids, has a good sense of humor, and is occasionally photographed by paparazzi sans makeup and wearing glasses and sweatpants)

18. Best kiss in a movie?

Gotta go with From Here to Eternity in this one.

19. Favorite scene?

In The Godfather, when Marlon Brando's Vito Corleone is filling in his son Michael (Al Pacino) on the ultimate facts of life.  "It was Barzini all along."

20. Who are 2 film characters you wished had gotten together, but never did?

I am clearly overthinking this one ... are we talking the same movie?  Random characters slapped together from different films?  I haven't had enough coffee to answer this one, obviously.

21. Two actors you think would have great chemistry, but have never done a film together?

No idea ... creativity is flowing faster than the coffee this morning ...

22. Favorite song in a film (doesn't have to be from a musical)?

"The Wind Beneath my Wings" because it always makes me BAWL in the context of Beaches (even though the song annoys me otherwise since I've heard it a zillion times).

23. Best score from a film?

Pretty much anything John Williams scored.  The master of the major fifth ;-)  I especially like Star Wars and E.T.

24. Best film quote?

"Fra-gee-lay.  That must be Italian."

25. A film you'd recommend that is a "Must See" for us to watch?

The Legend of Billie Jean ... I'm telling you, it was ahead of its time.

My Bone to Pick with "The Lorax" Movie

So I saw The Lorax today (with Belle and my ex-husband).

Okay, it goes without saying that I'm going to be all over any movie adaptation of a book.  It's just my nature (no pun intended, heehee).

That's not my biggest problem with the new adaptation of The Lorax, though.  Well, not directly anyway.

Here's the thing ...

The bottom line of what I got from the movie is that allowing technological advances can lead to some dark, dreary, downright desolate places.  What appears to be shiny, flashy, and new is almost always merely a surface thing.

(MINOR SPOILERS FOLLOW, ALTHOUGH YOU'LL STILL BE ABLE TO SEE AND ENJOY THE MOVIE)

The fictional city of Thneedsville is perceived as a paradise; its citizens, after all, don't know any better.  Their opinions are shaped on the unscrupulous, money-obsessed O'Hare, who's made a fortune selling air (said fortune, of course, would be threatened by trees, which make air for free).

It takes a boy named Ted, whose noble quest for returning trees to the world is initiated at first by his shallow crush on a girl obsessed with nature, to get to the root of the matter (sorry, the puns just keep writing themselves).  He gets the dirt from the Onceler (who is, annoyingly, human ... what exactly he was actually happened to be an open-ended question of my youth), who of course destroyed all the truffula trees and deeply regrets it.

So Ted convinces the good citizens of Thneedsville how valuable a tree is, how what's shiny and new and seemingly better than the original ... well, just isn't.

Is the irony of this movie, cute as it may be (and, to be fair, it is cute ... Belle adored it, and I was pretty entertained myself), basically serving as a new, flashy, graphically ingenious "new and improved" version of a classic, timeless book lost on anyone else, or am I just overly critical?

Sometimes my inherent need to hate movies based on books gets in the way ...

Sunday Stealing: The Fifteen Movie Questions Meme

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand ... it's time for Sunday Stealing again :-) This week's fare is about movies ... should be fun!

1. Movie you love with a passion.
I think it has to be The Godfather. That movie has everything in it--action, drama, romance, suspense, mystery ("It was Barzini all along ..."). That is, in my humble opinion, a gold standard movie.

2. Movie you vow to never watch.
Twilight, or any of its asinine sequels. Reading the books was quite enough ;-)

3. Movie that literally left you speechless.
Wayne's World. It was so bad that I literally walked out of the movie theater ... and rendered me speechless, which is kind of hard to do. I have a really juvenile sense of humor, and it seemed like a give that I'd like it, but it was stupid that I just couldn't handle it.

4. Movie you always recommend.
Okay, I always recommend this movie because it epitomizes pure '80s cheesiness but isn't necessarily what I refer to as "The '80s Canon" (Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and so on). It falls into the "so bad it's good" category with its Velveeta goodness ... yup, for anyone that's known me for awhile (especially in my childhood), let's get your hands up for The Legend of Billie Jean. Fair is fair!

5. Actor/actress you always watch, no matter how crappy the movie.
It should go without saying that it's Johnny Depp. And any other certain bloggers that think that they own the Depp patent ... I'll fight you for him ;-)

6. Actor/actress you don’t get the appeal for.
Tom Cruise (and I was saying that before he was bouncing on couches and partaking in odd religious circumstances).

7. Actor/actress, living or dead, you’d love to meet.
Sean Penn. Definitely a bit out there, but a fascinating guy.

8. Sexiest actor/actress you’ve seen. (Picture required!)
I'm backing off the Depp thing here (I hate being predictable), so here's a pic of Rob Lowe from The Outsiders. I would so hit that!

9. Dream cast.
Gosh, I don't know ... there are so many variables involved ...


10. Favorite actor pairing.
DeNiro and Pacino.  Obvs.

11. Favorite movie setting.
I'm going with Harry Potter here.  The books created the magical mysteries of Hogwarts, but the movies brought it to life.  Those shifting staircases, the castle, the Quidditch field ... very cool :-)

12. Favorite decade for movies.
There was no decade quite like the '80s :-)

13. Chick flick or action movie?
It depends.  Some action movies (Gone in 60 Seconds jumps to mind) are just so stupid that you walk out feeling like you wasted two hours of your life.  Same with chick flicks.  There are a lot of good ones in both categories, though, so I sort of judge on a case-by-case basis.


14. Hero, villain or anti-hero?
I tend to be a little complex ... I always loved Severus Snape even before he was ... well, you know, the hero.  And I adored Marlon Brando (and Robert DeNiro, too, now that I think about it) as Vito Corleone, even when he was causing death and pain and dismembered horses and such.  I don't like my heroes to be too heroic, if that makes any sense ...

15. Black and white or color?
There is nothing quite like the moment that Dorothy steps out of her Kansas house from her black and white midwest world into the glorious colors of Oz.  

Nitpicking Harry Potter--Because You Can Only Nitpick Good Movies ;-)

I finally got to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II yesterday, and I loved it. Yes, I did. I also kept saying, "I haven't cried this much at a movie since Beaches."

I absolutely cannot wait to see it again (especially since Belle and I had to make a quick bathroom run ... fortunately, Addie had already seen it and told us "the best" time to go).

That being said, though, there were a few things that bothered me.

Okay, I know, movies are for entertainment and should be enjoyed as such. However, I am an English teacher (not to mention a ridiculously voracious reader), and the magic of the movie your mind makes while reading is going to be limited by a film adaptation, no matter how good the movie might be.

The Harry Potter books were so exemplary, in my humble opinion, that transferring them to the big screen was a downright draconian task.

And for the most part, I think the movies are fairly true to the books, no mean feat. I mean, J.K. Rowling created an entire world with her stories, a world with complexities and political repercussions and betrayal and intertwining storylines and seemingly innocuous actions having serious ramifications and so on and so forth.

That being said, I had three glaring issues with HP7-2 that I felt either egregiously countered the magic of the book or else left open plot holes that bugged me. A lot.

If you haven't seen the movie yet and want to be surprised, please stop reading right now. If you haven't seen the movie yet and don't care about being surprised, by all means read on. (By my logic, any of the real hard-core "Pottheads" that would care about scene spoilage have probably seen the film by now)

****************SPOILER ALERT**********************************

Still reading? Good :-)

Here you go ...

1. Neville Longbottom somehow knew that he needed to use the sword of Gryffindor to kill the snake.
In the book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry made very clear to Ron and Hermione that, should he die, it was imperative that he kill Voldemort's pet snake, Nagini. In turn, Ron and Hermione sent this message on to Neville. As the last horcrux (well, the last known horcrux), Nagini had to be destroyed no matter what the cost.

The film left out the conveyance of this message to Neville. Addie argued that it was "implied", but Neville roaring out of the clear blue sky and beheading the snake with the only weapon that could have killed it just as it was about to strike at a defenseless Hermione and Ron without any sort of foreknowledge seemed ... well, contrived.

It irked me.

2. The backstory of Dumbledore's little sister, Arianna, is all but ignored.
I can remember leaving the theater with Addie after seeing HP7-I and talking about how great it was that they divided the book into two parts so that important events, specifically including the sad death of Arianna Dumbledore, could be addressed more directly.

Uh ... it wasn't.

Perhaps it's because the filmmakers didn't want to get political with the fact that Albus Dumbledore blew off his family responsibilities because he was having a homosexual affair with the dark wizard Grindelwald (he of "for the greater good" fame).

Maybe exploring the possibility that the great Dumbledore might have killed his damaged sister was considered potentially too much for filmgoers.

It's even possible that the violent rape of Arianna Dumbledore by Muggle boys and her father killing them in retribution was just too much for the necessary PG-13 rating. (And I know these events are touched on in HP7-1, but if I hadn't read the book in advance, I'm not sure I would have gotten the full picture)

For whatever reason, this plot arc is seriously minimized in the movie, and it's significant because of the conflict faced by Dumbledore's younger brother Aberforth, who helps Harry, Ron, and Hermione when they arrive in Hogsmeade (in a far less interesting way than in the book, I might add) and plays a significant part in the battle for Hogwarts.

3. Dumbledore is ultimately portrayed as an uncaring jerk who falsely befriended Harry knowing full well that he was just going to let him die at some point.
This is perhaps what bothered me the most.

While it's technically true that Albus Dumbledore knew that Harry Potter would have to be "killed" by Voldemort in order to defeat him, it is made very clear in the book that Dumbledore had a degree of foreknowledge that Voldemort's actions would once again ricochet against him.

As I recall, Harry confronts Dumbledore at King's Cross following his "death" at Voldemort's hands with his frustration at being used so cheaply by a man he trusted, even revered. Dumbledore basically says it was a hunch, adding with a typical Dumbledore wink, "a strong hunch".

This allows Dumbledore to remain a "good guy" ... a flawed character, certainly, and a man who spent most of his life trying to make up for his role in the death of his sister, but ultimately "good".

The impression I got from the "King's Cross" chapter of the book was that his actions toward and feelings for Harry Potter allowed him redemption for his past failures. It made Dumbledore "real" as well as "good", and that was very important to me as a reader.

The Dumbledore portrayed at the end of the movie? He basically affirmed to Harry that he'd been playing Russian Roulette with a loaded gun. I kind of wanted to punch him.

If I was Harry Potter, I would never have named my son "Albus" after a man that had treated him so shabbily and appeared to have no remorse, floating off into space with so many questions unanswered.

But anyway ...

Those were the three main sticking points for me. Otherwise, I thought the movie was outstanding and would highly recommend it to anyone.

Also, I've started writing a piece on Snape as the true hero of the Harry Potter series ... it's very good, I think, but quite time-consuming. Is this something y'all would be interested in reading?

If you saw HP7-2, what were your thoughts? And am I being too nit-picky here?

Sunday Stealing: The Nameless Fourth of July Meme

And now it's time once again for Sunday Stealing, which has somehow become a staple under the "highlight of the week" category for me. Good thing, because I'm having kind of a rough week ...

1. Last movie you saw in a theater?
Oh my gosh, I think it was Hop. That's completely unacceptable, since it wasn't even a good movie. Anybody want to go to the movies ;-)? Well, I'm seeing Harry Potter 7-II in another week and a half, so that'll be some redemption, anyway.

2. What book are you reading?
One of my students encouraged me to read his favorite book series, The Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan. In general, I always read books that students recommend, but young adult literature is not my favorite, so I've struggled a bit with that this year.

Well, this kid is awesome, and I think it really hurt his feelings that I was dragging my feet, so I finally brought the first two books home on a weekend a couple of weeks before school ended and plowed through them. They were really good.

He brought in the next two, and I finished them pretty quickly.

This young man was then faced with something of a dilemma. You see, he's pretty familiar with my desk, my lack of organization, and so on.

He finally said, "Ms. Loud, I'm considering lending you the next books in the series to read over the summer, but I have to know. Do you lose books?"

I laughed. "Nope. I sometimes spill pizza on them and fold over the pages instead of using bookmarks and occasionally fall asleep and drool on them, but I never lose books."

I'm on the eighth book right now, with two more to go :-)

3. Favorite board game?
Either Trivial Pursuit (I'm a fountain of useless information) or Scattergories (because I always win :-)).

4. Favorite magazine?
People. I have an unhealthy obsession with celebrity gossip.

5. Favorite smells?
The ocean, apple pie cooking, and lilacs.

6. Favorite sounds?
My seven-year-old daughter's sweet little voice, especially when unexpected (and inappropriate) things come out of it accidentally and just sound so funny that you have to bite back the laughter while you're dishing out the discipline.

To wit, Addie, Belle, and I were cleaning the living room (like, deep cleaning ... removing all furniture, bleaching baseboards and such. Hard core), and Addie decided to alphabetize the DVDs. Why? I have no idea. But anyway, she did, and she talked her sister into helping her. I went to Subway to get lunch while they spread out stacks of movies all over the room. When I got back, the following conversation transpired.

Addie: I just realized that I am missing five--five--of my Harry Potter movies!
Belle: (mumbling so I won't hear what she's saying and taking on a bratty tone as she prepares to antagonize her sister) That means you only have two left.
Addie: You're a dick!
Me: (to Belle, since I had no idea what had brought forth such a reaction from the usually mild-mannered Addie) What did you say?
Belle: Oh, she said, 'You're a dick!'

Oh my gosh, it was so hard not to laugh ...

7. Worst feeling in the world?
Getting a phone call from a drunk Pythagorus asking for me to come get him and drive him home (a two hour drive), reinjuring my back when trying to drag him out of the car, then having him call a couple of days later and act like nothing happened. He has fallen off the wagon three times in the past two weeks. In fact, I think his wagon has totally derailed. Belle is a mess, I am just sick and tired of the whole situation, and I want to scream.

8. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?
Where is my phone? Yes, I sleep with my phone. No, I don't think it's healthy. And no, it's not dirty ... it's because I sleep deeply and my phone is also my alarm clock. And when I get the occasional text at midnight, I like to be able to hear it.

9. Favorite fast food place?
This is horrible, but I'm kind of a fan of McDonald's french fries. I also used to really enjoy the Baconator from Wendy's before my pancreas decided to go nuclear every time I eat something with that much fat in it.

10. What’s under your bed?
A bunch of boxes belonging to my mother. When you live in the attic of your mother's barn, you have to work around boxes of stuff belonging to her. It makes for an interesting storage situation ... and that's all I have to say about that.

11. Finish this statement. “If I had lot of money I’d….?
Buy a house of my own (not a mansion or anything, just a real house), set up trust funds for Addie and Belle for after they graduate from college, give a sizable amount to my mother, my father, my sister, and my brother, and donate the rest to a good charity. And yes, I'm serious.

12. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
Nope. I believe I already mentioned that I sleep with my phone. What's more fun than an object that states, "DROID" at all hours?

13. Storms – cool or scary?
Scary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In fact, storms are probably my biggest fear :-(

14. Favorite drink?
Captain and Coke ... or apple juice if we're talking non-alcoholic.

15. Finish this statement, “If I had the time I would….”?
Organize my stuff instead of adding to the mass of crap in my rented storage unit each time the attic barn starts to really overflow.

16. If you had to dye your hair another color, what would be your choice?
I'd probably go for green or pink or something really crazy. Otherwise, what would be the point of dyeing my hair ;-)?

17. Favorite place to relax?
The beach.

18. Name all the different cities/towns you’ve lived in?
Dover, Portsmouth, Plymouth, North Hampton. All in New Hampshire. Man, am I boring ;-)

19. Favorite sports to watch?
On TV, baseball or football. In person, hockey.

20. Would you like to be born as yourself again?
Only if I could give myself a number of caveats first.

And I guess that's all she wrote.  One quick request ... if y'all could send happy thoughts to the amazing Bud Weiser of WTIT, Sunday Stealer extraordinaire, who had surgery on Friday, I'd much appreciate it, and I'm sure he would, too.

A Movie Review of Sorts: My Thoughts on "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince"

I was one of the crazy people sitting in a movie theater at midnight to catch Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Although I love movies, I don't as a rule love movies based on books. There are, of course, exceptions, but in general if I've read and enjoyed a book I make it a point not to see a film adaptation.

The whole Harry Potter experience has been a bit unusual for me, though. I wouldn't read the books for the longest time on general principle ... I have a kind of overly stiff-necked aversion to "the latest craze" when it comes to literature. However, I also take very seriously the component of book sharing in my relationships with my students. In other words, if a kid tells me to read a book, I do so (or at least I'll try really hard). I feel like, if I'm going to recommend books to students or assign them required texts, I should at least extend them the common courtesy of giving their recommendations a chance. However, I broke that rule when it came to Harry Potter ... I only started reading J.K. Rowling's masterpieces when Addie did. Naturally, I loved the books and I (somewhat shockingly) am a fan of the movies as well (except the third one, although it's my favorite of the books ... kind of weird).

All of which is way off base of the intended topic of this post, which is to share with you my thoughts on the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, a film I took in last night at 12:04 a.m. Oh, and I guess I should warn that there are spoilers here (albeit minor ones--I'm making a concerted effort not to wreck the movie for anyone).

In a nutshell, it was a good movie. If my entire Harry Potter experience had been of the cinematic bend, in fact, I'd go so far as to say it was great. I don't want to completely ruin the plot for anyone, so I guess I'll share my three main criticisms and repeat again that it was definitely worth the midnight thing and suffering what some are referring to as a "Harry Potter Hangover" today.

I thought the beginning of the movie was horrible. It was not remotely engaging, and in fact it showed the character of Harry in a light that I found kind of pathetic. Basically, Harry is hitting on a waitress in a little diner, going so far as to arrange what appears to be a casual hook-up when the waitress gets off shift at eleven. I'm certainly not a prude or anything, but it was just ... crass. Anyway, nothing happened because Harry was forced to accompany a suddenly-present Dumbledore to a creepy-looking house in order to convince a former Hogwarts professor to return to teaching duties. It was too long, too much, and too boring, particularly when you consider that a secret meeting between the enigmatic Professor Severus Snape and two Death-Eaters soon follows. The latter scene is fast-paced, interesting, and effectively sets up circumstances that are the very meat of the movie. Pretty waitresses and the magical cleaning up of a house seem pretty draggy when such a crackling interchange is waiting in the wings. As far as I'm concerned, that's where they should have started the movie.

I enjoy humor as much as the next person. In fact, I take heat from time to time about laughing at things that are really pretty stupid (at a meeting today, for example, the word "oral" kept coming up, and I just giggled like an adolescent every time). Furthermore, I realize that any accurate depiction of teenagers is impossible without dumb jokes, particularly of the sexual variety (Harry and Ginny go alone to a secret room to hide a book and, when they return to their friends, are asked, "Did you do it?"), and I laughed as hard as anyone at these little zingers last night ... but I know that if I see the movie again, I'll know the jokes already and will just find them stale and kind of a detraction from the story. Half Blood Prince is extremely plot-driven; I don't think you need excessive sophomoric humor to entertain your audience.

Finally, I noticed when leaving the theater in a huge throng of people that several people were saying, "So who was the half blood prince? How did Harry get his book? Why does this matter?" and so on and so forth. Since I've read the book I had a deeper understanding and, while I don't expect filmmakers to elaborate in a way that is far easier to do through the written word, it bugged me that several major parts of the story were glossed over as almost an afterthought. The half blood prince, his annotated potions book that serves Harry very well, and the explanation for why he took on that dubious nickname are the sort of details that make the book a rich, thought-provoking experience. Yeah,not so much in the movie.

Other than those three criticisms, though (and remember, those criticisms are solely my own and I freely confess to having a bias against film adaptations of books I loved), it was very well done. If you haven't seen it yet, definitely make it a point to do so. You'll be glad you did, and it might even look something like this ...

The Midnight Show Phenomenon

Addie, Belle, two of Addie's friends and I are at the midnight showing of the latest "Harry Potter" offering. This place is a zoo!

Obviously, I'm in no position to be objective (seeing as how I'm sitting on the dirty floor of a movie theatre lobby) but I'm curious to know your nuggets of wisdom as to why people go to midnight shows.

Did I mention that we're three hours early? I think we're kind of crazy :)

Keeping "My Sister's Keeper" Out of It

I saw the film adaptation of Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper this past weekend. Honestly, it was much better than I'd expected it to be. I only went to see it in the first place because my mother asked me to go--I very rarely watch films based on books I've read and enjoyed. I hadn't planned on being into it, on having tears pouring down my face for the film's duration ... but that's what happened.

If I'd walked out of the theatre at the requisite beach scene (this seems to be a requirement in films about the dying), I probably would have given it a grade in the B range.

However, I didn't. I stayed for the ending. And that's where my issue with the film came into play ...

******SPOILER ALERT: DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT THE ENDING RUINED******

Picoult's novel builds up some heavy themes--death and dying, the bonds between siblings and the incredible depths to which they reach, legal rights for children whose parents aren't necessarily acting in their best interest, and so on.

After reading My Sister's Keeper, I kept the book in my heart. I thought about the agonizing choice faced by Sara and Brian Fitzgerald, who must cause two of their children agonizing pain (one physically through forced blood, bone marrow, and potentially a kidney transplant and one emotionally through serious neglect) in order to pour their energies into keeping their cancer-stricken daughter Kate alive. The book's denouement, which sort of puts their decade-long fight into a grim and terrible perspective, brings up questions about fate and God and karma. It makes you think.

The ending might not be realistic (as my ever-practical nurse practitioner mother points out, there's no way a girl weakened to the point of death by leukemia would ever survive a kidney transplant), but it makes you think.

The film adaptation went for the cop-out. It went for the cliche. It turned Picoult's carefully crafted work into a watchable tearjerker, sure, but it was a story we've all seen or read before: kid-with-cancer-suffers-terribly-and-so-does-her-family-and-then-she-dies-and-everyone's-really-sad.

This is where the English teacher and writer in me comes out. For one thing, and not to beat a dead horse, but that book makes you think. It leads to rich discussions, to moral debates, to mind-stretching. Furthermore, I know a lot of people who read that book that haven't read a book in years. I've recommended it to students, many of whom have never finished a "real" book, and they couldn't put it down. It's what bothered me about Holes, about Twilight, about Bridge to Terebithia. Here are these great books that kids will actually read, and they make movie adaptations that make reading the books obsolete, at least as far as many kids are concerned.

But anyway, if you've read My Sister's Keeper and you take in the film, leave after the pizza in the hospital. Trust me. You won't be disappointed that way, and you can imagine the ending how you want it to be.

Movie Review: "The Godfather" (Book Review is Forthcoming)

"The Godfather: A Movie You Can't Refuse"
by KLo
---------------------------------------------

Many moviegoers identify themselves by genre—-horror, chick flicks, action, comedies. There are a rare few movies that can be thoroughly enjoyed by film connoisseurs of all types. Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 gem The Godfather, based on Mario Puzo’s book of the same title, is one of those movies.

The Godfather is the story of Mafia boss Don Vito Corleone, who maintains his status as leader of the most powerful of New York City’s “Five Families” by masterfully balancing favors with payback. When Don Corleone’s position is threatened by a sneak attack backed by an anonymous member of one of the other families, New York City quickly becomes the battleground for a Mob turf war unlike any seen before. There is sufficient gun action, car chases, and gore to satisfy the most bloodthirsty theater attendee.

This unavoidable violence makes it easy to overlook the emphasis on family, a theme recurrent in The Godfather. Don Corleone is a man resigned to his fate; as an Italian immigrant, he has long been aware that his life, out of necessity, will be one of hard work, violence, and balancing the good and bad both within himself and in the world he lives in. However, Don Corleone had always dreamed of a better life for his four children, but his first two sons, Santino (or “Sonny”) and Fredo decide to stay with the “Family Business” and his daughter, Connie, marries an abusive man primarily interested in moving quickly up the rungs of the ladder that is the Corleone family. It is only his youngest child, Michael, that opts for the American dream; a decorated war hero, Michael attends an ivy league college and dates a girl from a small town in New Hampshire. However, Michael is awakened from that dream when an assassination attempt on his father is nearly successful. Michael Corleone realizes when he returns home that his family is at war as surely as his country was when he fought overseas. He was willing to fight for his country, and he recognizes that he has no choice but to fight, and fight hard, for his family.

The movie is not without its comic moments as well. Two men dispatched to kill the man that set up Don Corleone’s assassination attempt hide their true purpose by stopping at a bakery along the way. After shooting the snitch during a bathroom break on the side of an abandoned road, the head hit man instructs his apprentice, “Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.”

While Puzo’s storyline is one of sheer genius and Coppola’s directing is masterful, it is the actors that truly make The Godfather shine. Marlon Brando as Don Corleone balances the regality of a king with the humility of an Italian peasant boy merely by his presence; the true gist of Vito Corleone is evident even before Brando speaks in what is possibly the most-imitated movie accent of all time. As Michael, Al Pacino is able to believably change from a naïve college boy to a hardened Mafiosio in the course of the film, and a pre-Rocky Talia Shire gives a powerful performance in the supporting role of Connie Corleone. Also noteworthy are a young Robert Duvall as Consigliere-by-necessity Tom Hagen and James Caan as the hot-headed but big-hearted Sonny Corleone.

The Godfather is a film that lived up to the hype surrounding it in every way, and it is as enjoyable and relevant today as it was in 1972. This epic film truly deserved its Best Picture Oscar. You’ll cry, you’ll laugh, you’ll turn your face away in disgust, and you will never forget the many lessons in the movie.

The (Short) List of Movies that are Better than Books

If you're reading this blog, you've probably inferred that I much prefer books to movies. This is true ... and it is false. I love movies, and a blog post I just read that mentions one of my favorite movies ever, Major League, reminded me of my cinematic adoration.

In that vein, here's a list of cases where I believe the movie is better than the book. It's a short list, but that's because I truly don't believe it happens very often. Your thoughts are welcome, appreciated, and expected (since this tends to be a hot topic) : )

1. The Silence of the Lambs
2. Forrest Gump
3. The Lord of the Rings
4. The Wizard of Oz
5. The Neverending Story

And, of course, there has to be a tie. The book is on my top five. The movie is in my top two.

And that would be ... The Godfather, book by Mario Puzo, film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, and just an experience everyone should have.