Double Feature Weekend in Opposite Land

So this weekend I saw MY SISTER'S KEEPER and TRANSFORMERS 2....you cannot get further apart than these two movies, let me tell you.

Let's begin with the girly weep-fest. Based on a Jodi Piccoult book, MY SISTER'S KEEPER is a movie steeped in emotion and tragedy. A 15 year-old girl is at the end of her lifelong battle with cancer, and to survive she needs a kidney transplant from her younger sister, who has been her own personal donor her entire life. However, the younger girl is done- she hires a lawyer for medical emancipation so she can sue her parents for the rights to her own body. The very premise of this story is one that automatically produces an emotional reaction - typical two. A heartbreaking sorrow for both young girls, dealing with issues beyond their maturity, and secondly, some shock at the idea of, Can a child really do that? Would she do that to her sister?

The movie is an interesting blend of sticking to the book's mechanics (for example, the novel is broken into chapters for each character's point of view/experience, and the movie begins with voice-overs from all of them so we see how their lives have changed in the midst of this drama, or trauma depending on who you ask.) However, the film also makes marked departures from the book, namely the ending - which is a totally different idea and one that I actually think is better and less cloying - and the elimination of a character related to the court case. That second change is understandable, but what it does is take the emphasis off the courtroom drama, eliminating a large portion of the lawyer's role (And a shame since Alec Baldwin had such potential for this character) and minimizing the struggle associated with suing your parents. (And a lot of the mechanics of what that actually means.)

Overall, I'd say the movie was a moderate success in its adaptation - they chose to focus on the family and the life associated with having a very sick child. It's heartbreaking and confusing and maddening, and as a viewer, somehow very cathartic to watch it and cry your eyes out. Performances were great, and while I missed a few things that felt key to the story, I thought the filmmakers did well by the story. Biggest success if the romance between the teen girl and a fellow cancer patient. They spent a lot of screen time on it and for good reason.

Now, moving onto to another movie that also might induce crying, but for a wholly different reason - TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN. Now, hearing the full title for this movie, you might think this is Megatron's revenge, since he "fell" (or was dumped, technically) into the ocean at the end of the first movie. But it's not. The "Fallen" has a wholly separate - and completely stupid - meaning in this movie. So I guess let's start there- with the story...or lack thereof. The movie's storyline makes no sense. Seriously, try to follow it and you'll eeek out a kind-of legitimate plot that takes us through the movie, but in truth, as you dig just a fraction of a milimeter below the surface, it falls apart. The movie is really just, forgive the language, Michael Bay jerking off onscreen for two and a half hours. Now, some people might say, "Isn't the always the case with his movies?" I would argue "no". BAD BOYS, THE ROCK, even ARMAGEDDON and BAD BOYS 2 were so much better than this. As I sat there watching it, I felt the first hour was decent, "watchable", I'd say. And then we go to war....like a big war in the desert for about an hour. At least it felt that way. And again, none of it really makes sense. I didn't have a problem following which robot was doing what, which a lot of reviews had mentioned. Visually, I was okay to follow, but it didn't matter- I was bored. I thought that Shia and Megan Fox, and the roommate, and the parents, were fine. (And actually, I'd venture that John Turturro was less annoying in this movie, but mainly because he had less screen time.) The acting wasn't the issue- it really boiled down to the story and how incessently long the battle was.

So yeah, I could go on and on, but I don't feel like it. I've already wasted a lot of time on this movie. No more. Moving on....dying to see HURT'S LOCKER and CHERI this week.

Coolest Tables EVER!!

Last night, we went to a launch party for the new production company Ten/Four Pictures, which our friend Sharon is the lawyer/business affairs person for. There, I saw the MOST AMAZING tables ever....I have to have these some day!!Aren't they amazing!! They're from a store in LA called "Sonrisa" and here's a link to their site in case you are interested in any of their other cool stuff. Very pricey but pretty awesome!

http://www.sonrisafurniture.com/

A big "Whatever" to this apparently devastating news...

Michael Jackson is dead at 50. Yes, it's sad. It's sad when anyone dies suddenly or before their time. But I have a lot more sympathy for a lot of other people that have died and/or suffered than I do for this man....and I am going to be really really sick of all the MJ coverage very soon, I kind of already am. Whether or not you believe he was a child molester and whether or not you feel sympathy for him that he was beaten as a kid and forced into a destructive world of fame, I think the bigger issue is that Michael Jackson was no longer a relevant part of pop culture, and the news reporting that we've lost a huge piece of that is ridiculous. We lost it YEARS ago when he essentially turned himself into a freak and stopped making good music. So, RIP MJ? yeah, of course. But I think more like RIP the "real" MJ of the 1970s & 1980s.

and p.s. why do we continually look the other way with celebrities and their criminal wrongdoings? A friend made this point about Mike Tyson being in THE HANGOVER and how we're glorifying a convicted rapist...just sayin'.

Short lived new lease on life

It's a cloudy morning again...which means I got up slowly and have yet to fully awaken three hours later. I hate this overcast B.S.! I mean, this is LA, not CT! sigh.

Good Day Sunshine!

Alright LA! It appears that the worst of the "June Gloom" may be behind us! It was bright, sunny and beautiful this morning when we woke up. Chris and I remarked how much easier it was to get out of bed, despite it being a Monday morning!

So, I get up- am feeling great. I think, and even say outloud to Chris, "I think that this is a great day to get back on the horse at work and stop feeling so lethargic and bored. The sun is shining! Here we go!" I then get dressed and head to my 8am physical therapy appointment like always....and as I am about to park, I realize that oops- my appt isn't at 8am. It's at 9:30 today!! Sigh. So much for my big start....instead I start Monday morning realizing I'm a moron.

haha. Just thought I'd share that tidbit with you. But despite being an hour and a half early, I at least made good use of the time, going to my own gym for an hour and then doing some errands. I'm still on my full energy, kick ass, sunshine kick!

More wedding bliss!

Yes, folks - it's another wedding post. Yay! This time, the happy couple was the son of family friends of the Danisons'. Chris grew up with Brad Fallon (and his brothers and sister) playing in their neighborhood cul de sac, riding bikes, etc. Their wedding was at The Reef in Long Beach, which is right on the water and the ceremony was up on the "sunset deck", overlooking the bay. (I think it's a bay...) Reception was indoors at The Reef's big ballroom, with beautiful glass windows as a backdrop. It's cool at night b/c all the city and marina lights are on and it's very colorful.

Anyways, we really didn't take photos b/c we were just enjoying hanging out, but they have the always-enjoyable photo booth that we took a few spins in. (As the night went on, we got progressively drunker in the photos, but I declined to scan that one in!) But I did scan in their save-the-date, which was really neat. (Yes, I said "neat". Remember when people said "neato-skeato"? I do. I was def one of them.) Anyway, they are big Anaheim Angels fans and they were able to go out onto the field to take their engagement shots- very cool!

We realized that we only have one more wedding in 2009 (October 10th- and it's another one of the Fallon kids), and probably will have 3 come 2010. Phew! After that, who is left to get married?! Just kidding. We love celebrating with friends and family....especially when there is an open bar. Ha!

Kitty Post

Where is it Sundance?

I don't know Butch...keep looking!

Hmm, I can't see anything up here.
You idiot, it's not on top! I told you it fell in here!

What were we looking for again?
Sigh, this is boring. I'm leaving.

Nephew love

So during my trip back east, I got to spend an afternoon with my nephew when Tom & Rebekah brought him down to visit Mom, Dad and me in good ole Guilford. Eric's currently 4 months shy of being 3 years old and it's amazing to me how much he's talking and how big he is!! I took a couple of videos - the first of me trying to get him to say "Hi, Uncle Chris" on video - I was mildly successful, as you can hear him say "unk crisss" twice - and the second trying to get him to count, which he's very good at, but he's having none of it.




In fact, it's funny b/c he really has no interest in having his photo taken these days. He likes to close his eyes at you instead. I managed to get a couple of snap shots, but not many.


You'll see he's holding this purple caterpillar toy, which is mine from childhood and sat on the end of my bed for years. Every time he comes to my parents' house, he runs into my bedroom to grab it. Incidentally, it's a toy that my brother won for me at a fair when I was really young. I also introduced Eric to my plush Guilford Indians soccer ball...not the best choice, since he kept wanting to throw it around the house. Whoops!

Baby Mania!

No - not that kind. (Take a deep breath Chris!) This baby mania was all about Mara and Matt's soon-to-be little girl and her baby shower last weekend that I helped throw in Cambridge, Mass.

Mara's just over eight months pregnant and looking fabulous! I'm so amazed and jealous - it's all belly on her! When she turns around, you can't even tell she's preggie. Sigh, I just know that that won't be me.

But back to the main event. So at her mother's home in Cambridge, we gathered a bunch of her family and a few friends for the afternoon. We lucked out with some incredible weather, considering it's been raining pretty constantly all spring and early summer in New England. The afternoon began with some drinks and apps out on the deck, with everyone greeting each other and chatting a bit.

We then moved out of the sun for an ice-breaker to get the party started! I'd put together a little baby shower trivia game, with questions ranging from "When was the first disposable diaper introduced in the US?" to "Which celebrity named their baby Phinneaus?" Mara's cousin Rebecca won, and most people think it's because she's a doctor and there were a bunch of questions about baby's developments, etc.

Then we did lunch- which Mara's mom had organized and provided. A beautiful summer salad and swordfish & veggie kabobs! Yum!

After we ate, the crafts began! First, everyone designed and decorated a bib for the baby (Mine was naturally an LA-themed one). Following the bibs, we got the women to do a page in a baby scrapbook for Mara so that the pages were ready for her to put some photos. Because what new mom has time to make scrapbook pages, right?! I think some of the ladies were skeptical at first about the crafty-ness of the activities, but then got really into it. AND they each got to write a note to the baby to be inserted into the baby book pages, so she can read them when they're older. (This was Mara's idea, but people kept giving me credit for such a great idea :)

Dessert and presents were up next. Mara's mom-in-law Claire brought a gorgeous chocolate cake with pink polka dots on it, along with some of her famous chocolate chip cookies and Mexican wedding cake cookies.

The afternoon wound down after the presents, with people slowly scattering their departures. It was such a fun day and it seems that everyone had a great time.

I was SO glad for Mara & Matt, but also selfishly for myself that I was able to be there and celebrate with them! Here are the photos from the day:

Not saying I told you so....BUT

I've been complaining about this for awhile now! (and I am sure I'm not the only one) Nice that people are finally recognizing it at the top.

Check out this article in Variety about the summer stockpile of big, franchise movies...

Hollywood's May melee

UP, Up and Away!

Pixar's newest flick UP is worth a post of its own, in my opinion. If you haven't seen this delightfully whimsical and heartwarming movie yet - go to your local (3-D supporting) theater! Chris and I saw this on Monday night, and I must say it's a great date movie.

I don't want to give too much away, but I will say a few things about the story. First off, Pixar continues its growth towards more mature material as it has been doing since THE INCREDIBLES, with each new picture becoming more and more sophisticated (especially the most recent, WALL-E). UP begins with the story of our main character as a boy, seeing his love of adventure and then how he meets his future wife. We're privy to a beautiful, romantic montage of their life together before we finally land in present day - maybe 20 minutes into the movie. Now we're prepping for our big adventure and get to know both main characters Mr. Fredericksen and Russell a bit. Once they take off in the house, as you've seen in all the trailers, get ready for a beautiful trip. Pixar's animation is just amazing - there's no other way to say it. These guys continue to top themselves and get better and better with texture and subtleties in the frame that make it feel so real. This is the first 3-D Pixar movie, and what's great about it is that they don't exploit the technology and have things jumping out at you. Instead, it simply enhances your experience and gives the picture an incredible depth and sense of motion.

I think that what makes this movie special is the sweetness that lies in its story and the very lyrical nature of the film. It's no wonder that the French loved this film at Cannes. It's feels a bit French in the way that it blends a sense of reality with the most fantastical elements you can imagine. The colors are brilliant and so inviting.



I don't know that this was my favorite Pixar movie, but I was very moved by it and cried about 3 times. I cannot imagine anyone not enjoying the movie and finding it a bit breathtaking.