Monday 5 List #29-Recent Films I Enjoyed

I've watched some terrific movies lately, two are book-to-film adaptions and while the critics have hated on them, I loved them. So for today's Monday 5 list, here are my recent favorite films.

1. The Great Gatsby. Directed by Baz Lurhmann this film version is lush and fantastic and mainly stays true to the book (with the exception of a completely un-necessary story for narrator Nick). Paul and I saw this in 3-D and loved it, even though the critics hated it. Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby is perfect and while Carey Mulligan doesn't have a lot of screen time, she is great as Daisy. The Great Gatsby is one of favorite books, so much so that last year Paul and I hosted a Great Gatsby Party. My wonderful son bought me a 1953 edition of the book this year for Mother's Day, he knows me so well. 
2. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Killer. Produced by Tim Burton and adapted from the popular novel, this movie was surprisingly great. An action/horror movie about Abraham Lincoln's secret life of hunting vampires it's a wild ride mixing history with fantasy. The special effects are stunning, especially a chase scene atop horses and a fight scene on a runaway train. Lincoln fights with an ax and surprisingly this film is not as gory as it is humorously dark. 
3. The Five-Year Engagement. Starring Emily Blunt and Jason Segal, this rom-com was sweet and happy. After getting engaged the couple relocates to Michigan from San Francisco and that is where the fun starts. Two great wedding scenes in parks I just visited in San Francisco made this movie even better for me. 
4. W.E. Directed by Madonna, W.E. is the story of King Edward VIII who gave up the throne of England to marry the twice divorced Wallis Simpson. The story jumps back and forth between a modern day love story and the story of Edward and Wallis. The locations are beautiful and the legendary fashion and jewelry of Wallis are recreated for the film. Overall I though Madonna did a terrific job of showing that not every great love story has a perfect happy ending. 
5. Tangled. Disney's version of Rapunzel is charming. A happier retelling of the dark fairy tale, a very spunky princess leaves her tower and has the adventure of a lifetime. While Disney still can't create a Prince worthy of a Princess who can take care of herself (with 1 exception, the Beast in Beauty and the Beast) this is still a fun film. 

Finding Your Eat, Pray and Love

I recently rewatched the charming Julia Roberts movie, Eat Pray Love based on the best selling novel Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert. When the movie came out in 2010 I was in the midst of a divorce and I deeply related to the story of a woman who leaves an unhappy marriage and travels for a year to find her passion and purpose. The book and movie were widely popular, both for the women who wish they could do what the author had done and by those who related to her wanderlust.

In the past 3 years I have experienced unforgettable travel experiences (France, Spain, NOLA) and met people who changed my life but as I rewatched the movie I realized my connection to the story has changed. I found my Eat (travel and indulge in the culture you are in) and my Love (my true love) but I haven't experienced nor am I looking for my Pray. Instead I am looking for my balance. Where Gilbert (and in the movie Roberts) went to India and found balance through prayer and meditation, I'm trying something else.

Due to repetitive movement (work, painting my house) and other factors I have cervical and lumbar sprains in my back and neck. I am receiving physical therapy twice a week and as part of the treatment I am doing yoga. Besides relieving the pain I'm finding it incredibly soothing to do directly after work to release the tension in my shoulders and increase my mood. When I leave for California in a week, I am hoping to find a place to do yoga each day, my version of finding a church to pray in.

Trying to Find Time to Read Fifty Shades...

These days it seems like the only time I have to read is when I find something interesting online such as this article on the Top 5 Page to Screen Adaptions and Fictional Boys We Want to Date Who Would Make Awful Boyfriends. (I agree with the movies and characters in each article).

It's been a busy few weeks, my kitchen remodel is nearly complete but not without a few major disasters along the way including:

• The plumber installed a water line for my new fridge and a gas line for my new stove. 2 days after he completed the work I randomly walked into the storage room in my basement (the room where the water heater and water lines are) and into a puddle. The plumber did not sauter the new pipe completely and it had sprung a leak, spraying the back wall of my downstairs bathroom wall for 2 days. Needless to say I freaked out and called him, he did come over immediately and fix the problem. He will also be re-drywalling my basement wall.
• The new vinyl floors that were put in by a friend who had done floor work for me before were a total disaster. He removed the old vinyl floor in the kitchen but did not remove the plywood subfloor, instead he installed the new vinyl over the buckled subfloor. I then had to hire someone else to remove the new vinyl floor disaster and install new ceramic tile. In the process of removing the mess my new floor guy discovered multiple subfloors in the kitchen, removed them and installed tile, he really did a beautiful job. The kitchen looks very modern and the floors are warm and cozy. 

Over the weekend my new appliances were hooked up and I'm having fun relearning how to cook on gas after years of cooking on electric. The kitchen is freshly painted and I am currently working on sanding and painting my new wood table and chairs. I plan on hanging some artwork and then the kitchen remodel will be complete.

In the meantime I have been trying to find time to read the Fifty Shades trilogy which apparently everyone has read except me. I started Fifty Shades of Grey about a month ago and frankly the writing is so bad it's a struggle to get through it but I'm determined to finish the books which I know will be made into movies. The awful writing reminds me of another series that became a sensation, the Twilight series but I never finished the first book, I couldn't stand the writing or the character of Bella. Strange cause I surprisingly enjoyed all the movies.

In the first 5 weeks of 2013 I have sold multiple items from my Etsy store, Lively Vintage. In the past week alone I've sold 2 items of clothing and a vintage wicker train case. My parents have shipped me some items from the estate of a family relative who recently died in her 90's and I may add some of the items to the store. Maybe when I go on vacation to LA, San Francisco and Napa with Paul in a couple of months I can get some reading done on the multiple plane rides. I doubt it but I will pack the books...

The Great Gatsby Inspires a Summer Party

Recently Paul and I both re-read the classic, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. If you haven't read this beautifully written novel about the Jazz Age, you should read it as soon as you can get your hands on a copy. Especially after an article in last weeks Chicago Tribune called this "the Year of Gatsby" and before the latest film version is released later this year starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby.

As we were reading the book over the winter, a particular section in chapter 3 sparked the idea for a summer party, "There was music from my neighbor's house through the summer nights. In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars."

So we started planning a party. Paul created an amazing invitation, we rented a roulette table, hired 3 college kids to work as dealers for roulette, poker, blackjack and video horse racing, bought some vintage clothes and before we knew it, we were hosting a 1920's inspired lawn party in the afternoon and a speakeasy in the evening. The party was a huge success and all but one of our 40 or so guests dressed in 20's attire, some guests even wore 2 outfits, an afternoon and evening costume. There were gangsters, flappers, bootleggers, gin, jazz, gambling, croquet and lots of laughs, it really was a party to remember. (The image above was taken after we changed from our garden party clothes into our formal wear for the speakeasy party. My vintage fringe flapper dress was found on eBay, my feather hat is also vintage and was bought at an antique mall.)

Now we have to figure out a way to top this party, we've already started planning...

If you've read Gatsby or you're going to read it for the first time, here are a few of my favorite passages from the novel:

"I've been drunk for about a week now, and I thought it might sober me up to sit in a library."

"The bar is in full swing, and floating rounds of cocktails permeate the garden outside, until the air is alive with chatter and laughter, and casual innuendo and introductions forgotten on the spot, and enthusiastic meetings between women who never knew each other's names."

"And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.  He did now know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night. Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us...So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back carelessly into the past."-The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1925.

Book to Academy Award Nominated Film

Did you know that 6 of the 9 Best Picture nominees were adapted from books? How many of you saw the movie, read the book or both?

• The Descendants, by Kaui Hart Hemmings
• Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
• The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett
• Moneyball by Michael Lewis
  
• War Horse by Michael Morpurgo

My Annual Oscar Party was fantastic, a PJ party with "Hugh Hefner" serving cocktails, trivia, contests and lots of laughs. The food was movie themed and guests brought favorites, here are a few of the dishes we shared:

• Cheesy grits with shrimp-inspired by The Help
• Macaroons-inspired by Midnight in Paris and Hugo
• Chocolate covered espresso beans and popcorn with the $ symbol on them-inspired by Moneyball
• Pineapple and mango salsa-inspired by The Descendants
• Cucumber sandwiches-inspired by The Iron Lady
• Popcorn-inspired of course by The Artist and all the movies
• Lots of cocktails including appletinis-inspired by Bridesmaids

And of course, thanks to Sara, chocolate!

Who's the Fairest of them All?

I LOVE fairy tales. Being a child of the 70's, I grew up with the books, not the Disney movies with 2 exceptions (the classic Snow White 1937 animated masterpiece and the equally wonderful 1950 animated Cinderella). In the last 20 years Disney has recreated animated and live action versions of many of the fairy tales we all grew up with, some I've enjoyed, many I have not. Disney has never been one to stick to the original story. Understandable for the Disney audience since most fairy tales are dark, scary gruesome tales of betrayal, death and sadness that only occasionally have a happy ending.

Years ago when I started collecting rare books I began buying fairy tales at antique stores and online auctions. I have a few wonderful books including:

• Aesop's Fables, 1887. Not fairy tales, but fables. Charming stories with beautiful illustrations.
• The Children's Blue Bird, 1913. Wonderful stories with stunning illustrations. The frontispiece illustration is of a little boy and his sister (Tyltyl and Mytyl) perched on a bed peering at the vision of a witch and a magical land, "The hat was no sooner on the little's boy's head than a magic change came over everything." You will have to read the stories to figure out what the blue bird symbolizes.
• The Fairy Mythology by Thomas Knightly, 1850. Fairies, elves, spirits, it's all here. Irish author Knightly introduces what is now widely known as the modern leprechaun in this book.
• Legend of the Rhine, 1869. This stunning book of German fairy tales is a treasure.

Fairy Tales are popping up all over TV and films right now. I've started watching Once Upon a Time on ABC and after a rough couple of episodes it seems to be hitting its potential. Robert Carlyle as Rumpelstiltskin is fantastic. There is also Grimm on NBC which I have saved on my DVR but yet to watch, I've been told it's gruesome. Nice.

In 2012 there are 2 versions of Snow White being released. Universal Pictures is releasing, Snow White and the Huntsmen. The trailer looks interesting, I appreciate that is appears they are retaining the darkness and fear of the story. Strange casting choice of Kristen Stewart as Snow White, I'm hoping her Snow White is stronger that the whiny Bella she is famous for in the Twilight films. Charlize Theron looks lusciously psychotic as the Evil Queen.

And Relativity Films has made Mirror, Mirror. Hmmm, trailer is funny and odd. Julie Roberts as a snarky Evil Queen could be great. Snow White is played by singer Phil Collin's daughter. Nice to also see Nathan Lane in the film too.

I am including both trailers below. Enjoy!

Films with Style and Romance

The famous song Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes is known as a hit of the 1980's but unfortunately not many people are familiar with the woman who inspired the lyrics. I am slightly...ok, completely infatuated with the actress Betty Davis. I watch her movies over and over and each time fall a little bit more in love with her, the glamour of the 30's and 40's and with the characters she played. (I posted back in 2008 about my love for Bette Davis movies which you can read here, Bette Davis Eyes).

There are few true movie stars in this day and age. Modern society is ruthless in it's obsession with fame and the personal, often sordid lives of those in film and TV. Is there anyone who can watch an Angelina Jolie movie and NOT think of her half a dozen children and her nomad life with Brad Pitt. She just can't become a character anymore, she is always her famous persona. Ditto with so many other film actors such as Tom Cruise (with the exception of his character in Tropic Thunder, hilarious!), Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston or Cameron Diaz. I want to escape when I go to the movies and sadly unless it's a Harry Potter film or another fantasy adventure, I rarely can think of anything but the film star's latest headlines for their personal life. There are a few exceptions such as Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ewan McGregor and Meryl Streep.

People who love movies say it often, "They just don't make films like they used too." I wholeheartedly agree. Sure there are exceptional films being made and lately I've seen a few including True Grit (although a remake of a classic), The Social Network, The King's Speech and the final Harry Potter film. And then there are the same films that get made over and over and over again. How many rom-com movies are there and isn't the new film Friends with Benefits (Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis) the same film as No Strings Attached (Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman). No way would I spend $10 for either movie.

So I buy DVD's on Amazon of beautiful, original, classic films when movies were always an escape to another time or place with stunning costumes, true romance, real ladies and their gentleman and manners we've all forgotten about. If you are interested in films that will make you sigh with wonder, cry over the romance and wonder over the loss of a gentler time here are a few of my favorite films from the 1930's and 40's.

• The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. 1947. Oh my. The romance. The location. The stunning Gene Tierney, a very young Natalie Wood and the gruff Rex Harrison. The perfect wrong place-wrong time romantic film. Oh and the ending...
• Dark Victory. 1939. Bette Davis is young and beautiful in this film. A rich socialite changes her life and falls in love after a terrible diagnosis. It doesn't get any better than this for a weepy romance. Trust me, no one has a dry eye at the end. This film also stars Humprey Bogart in a small role before he became a movie star.
• The Enchanted Cottage. 1945. Robert Young is terrific in this film about a soldier with terrible war wounds and the quiet woman who loves him. I don't think there is a film that better expresses the beauty of love than this one. Don't miss it.
• Waterloo Bridge. 1940. A little seen Vivien Leigh (Scarlet from Gone with the Wind) film. War, England, guilt. A classic.
• Mr. Skeffington. 1944. Gorgeous sets and costumes. And an unlikely romantic leading man in Claude Rains (famous for Casablanca). Bette Davis is ruthless and perfect in this role.
• To Have and Have Not. 1944. The film that started it all with Lauren Bacall and Humprey Bogart. One of the greatest movie lines in history is spoken by Bacall in this film, "You know how to whistle don't you Steve...you just put your lips together and blow." I don't know if there is a woman alive who has seen this film who hasn't tried to imitate Bacall's chin down, peekaboo look when flirting with a man. Classic. I met Lauren Bacall at a book signing years ago and she is still this character, sassy, sexy and gorgeous.

Do you watch old films? What are your favorites?

Can you get past the actor to the movie?

Last weekend I had a friend in to visit and after a late evening of catching up over multiple bottles of wine we popped in the DVD of Eat, Pray, Love. My guest had not seen the movie yet and even though I had seen the film in the theater I was happy to watch it again for the eye candy that is Javier Bardem.

As the movie started and I watched Julia Roberts in the starring role I started to think about Julia Roberts as a happy hooker in Pretty Woman and Julia Roberts as that busty lawyer and Julia Roberts in that horrible movie where she plays a maid with a terrible British accent (Mary Reilly or some other nonsense). Anyway, I realized I was watching Julia Roberts instead of getting lost in the movie. As my mind wandered I started making a mental list of all the other actors who never really become the character they are playing. No matter what the role, they are still the celebrity known as:

• Jennifer Aniston. Love her. I think I would be friends with her, we would girl gab about our failed marriages over margaritas and guacamole while watching the surfers in Malibu and waiting for our personal yoga trainer to arrive. As an actress though...ya she is always the celebrity Jennifer Aniston. Same hair, same fabulous wardrobe, same girl next door role. Her movies don't get me in the theaters, but she does make good mindless movies for rainy Sundays.
  
• Angelina Jolie. The anti Jennifer Aniston. I used to love her. Who didn't. I guess eventually the tabloids ruined her for me and I think every other movie watcher on the planet. I just can't separate the supposed husband stealer-mother to orphans-world peace-french kissing your brother wacko that she may or may not be from the actress on the screen. It doesn't help that EVERY movie she does is so depressing that I would rather be anywhere else than watching it. How many assassins can she play? Ridiculous.
• Drew Barrymore. She's cute. In everything. Enough said.
• Hugh Grant. He's cute in everything. Enough said.
• Brad Pitt. So bored with him. Just don't care what he does, it's always "That former hottie now baby daddy to crazy Angelina Jolie in yet another pseudo wanna be indie film".
• Keira Knightly. Love her. I want to drink Guinness with her in a London pub. Love her movies too. But I'm a little bored of the spunky English lass characters and the latest films I've seen her in, I just think about having a beer with her in the pub.
  

And those actors that become the character to where I can forget their real celebrity personality.

• Meryl Streep. Obviously. Although her as Julia Child was pushing it.
  
• Kate Winslet. Hands down my favorite actress working today. She WAS Marianne in Sense and Sensibility.
• James McAvoy. From his doomed soldier in Atonement to playing a half man, half faun in The Chronicles of Narnia to a killer in Wanted to the wheel chair bound MS character in Inside I'm Dancing. So very, very talented.
  
• Renee Zellweger. She WAS Bridget Jones. And Beatrice Potter.
  
• Colin Firth. One of the finest male actors ever. From playing Mr. Darcy to King George VI, he is amazing.
• Matt Damon, Javier Bardem, Ken Watanabe. What is there to say. Talented.
• Daniel Day-Lewis. Every role he is perfection. My Left Foot is one of the most amazing performances ever.
  
• Johnny Depp. He is borderline for me, cartoonish characters versus serious acting.
• Liam Neeson. Sigh. Who knew he would become my new favorite ass kicker after Taken?
• And the up-and comings, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Carey Mulligan. Sure they haven't been in many movies, but no matter what other small roles I've seen them in or how many internet pictures of Watson in college or modeling Burberry I've glimpsed or read about Radcliffe acting naked on Broadway, they ARE Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Mulligan was extraordinary in An Education and shined in her small role in Pride and Prejudice. She's a chameleon.
  

Who am I missing? Have any favorites?

Harry Potter and The Deathly HallowsTrailer

I can hardly wait. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 will be released in the US on November 19th. The first Potter film to be seen in 3-D. Hard to believe the most successful film series in movie history is almost over. Part 2 arrives in theaters on July 15, 2011. I've enjoyed the books and films for so long with my Kid it will be strange to no longer anticipate the next one.

Jane Eyre Film Adaption

When I was a little girl I watched the 1944 movie version of Charlotte Bronte's book Jane Eyre. The movie starred Joan Fontaine as Jane, Orson Welles as Rochester and a young Elizabeth Taylor as Jane's best friend Helen Burns. As a young girl the movie frightened me, especially the death of young Helen as she slept next to Jane. Truly one of the most heartbreaking scenes I've ever seen in film. Elizabeth Taylor was radiant and unforgettable even as a 12 year old girl. The movie also fascinated me...the British class system, the love story between a Governess and the Master of the Manor, Jane's triumphs against a terrible childhood and betrayal. I loved it all. Jane Eyre is perhaps the basis for my love of Regency historical romances.

When I was older I read the book by Charlotte as well as books by her sisters: Agnes Grey by Anne and Wuthering Heights by Emily. A good Gothic story is my favorite tale to read again and again and a good book to film adaption is my favorite to watch over and over.

So a few nights ago after reading about the Masterpiece Theatre adaption of Jane Eyre that was made for television in 2006, I rented the film and sat down with a cup of espresso to lose myself in Thornfield Manor. I wasn't disappointed. The book to film adaption was wonderful and has joined my top ten list which includes (in no particular order):

1. The 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth
2. The 1995 film version of Sense and Sensibility starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet
3. The 2005 film version of Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightly and Matthew Macfadyen
4. The 2001 version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone starring Daniel Radcliffe
5. The 2006 Masterpiece Theatre version of Jane Eyre starring Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens
6. The 1939 film version of Gone With The Wind starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable
7. The 1939 film version of Wuthering Heights starring Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier
8. The 1962 film version of To Kill a Mockingbird starring Gregory Peck
9. The 2001 film version of The Lord of the Rings
10. The 2001 film version of Bridget Jones's Diary starring Renee Zellweger

Funny thing happened while I was watching the DVD. Just at the part where Jane finds out about Rochester's crazy wife in the attic, just at THAT EXACT MOMENT, the DVD froze. I mean seriously, Jane was stepping into the attic and then the screen went black. The DVD had a scratch and wouldn't play. I was crazy, stomping around my house, trying to clean the dang DVD. Finally I calmed down (too much espresso at night=nutty Shannon) and watched the last 40 minutes or so of the film thanks to Youtube. Didn't miss a thing. So thank you Youtube! Whether you rent the film or watch it in 9 minute clips on Youtube (last choice only), it's a not to be missed book to film adaption.

The Winner of Lively Librarian's 3rd Contest is...

Stevethree! Congratulations! Please email me at livelylibrarian at comcast.net to claim your Amazon gift card. The winner was chosen by random using http://www.random.org/

Love your favorite book to film adaption, it's the same as mine! Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.

Thank you to everyone who shared their favorites. I'll post another contest soon! Have a great weekend!

Lively Librarian's 3rd Contest!

Hello Readers

It's time for another contest on Lively Librarian!

For a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card just answer the following question by leaving your answer in the comments.

What is your favorite book to film adaption?

The winner will be chosen by comment number at random and is not based on your answer. If you are a blogger or have a URL please feel free to share that info! Deadline to enter is 8:00 am 5/7/10.

I will post the winner's name by noon on Friday, May 7 on Lively Librarian and the winner must contact me at livelylibrarian at comcast.net with an email address to claim your prize.

Good luck and thanks for reading!

P.S. The picture above is my favorite book to film adaption. I'm sure that doesn't shock any of my readers.

Home Views

Here is a little secret... I am the daughter and sister of 2 women who like myself, are home spys. (Oh and cemetery lovers, but that is another post.) To summarize a trip with my mom and sister, we shop, eat, wander through cemeteries and tour homes. During our trip to Charleston last month we toured a number of historic homes and gardens organized by the Historic Charleston Foundation. Here is what I found interesting about Charleston homes.

• The kitchen is not the heart of the house. In the Old South, kitchens were often separate buildings in the yard due to residents fears about fire. As kitchens were moved inside the homes they were almost an afterthought. In the dozen or so homes we toured, we never saw large kitchens or open concept living. There were no kitchen islands or great rooms, but small rooms which flowed into one another. The kitchens are often small and in the middle of the house, surrounded by cozy libraries, formal dining rooms, expansive entry ways and almost always surrounded by large verandas and porches. I found it fascinating that the hostess wants to be out of the kitchen, mingling with her guests outdoors or enjoying formal dining. A very, very different style from the Midwest and one I really liked. It created a much cozier atmosphere, but also one of formal living, where guests still dress up for parties and enjoy a cocktail in a library not standing around a kitchen island and the hostess mingles with her guests throughout her home and garden.
  

Last year during the weeks I spent at Oxford (my mom was my companion for the trip) we had a nightly ritual. First we enjoyed a delicious meal with friends at our college dining hall and then we walked. We wandered through the streets of Oxford, often at dusk, just as people were arriving home from work, sitting down for dinner or relaxing in their gardens. Dusk...just as the lights come on but it's not quite dark...is the perfect time to glimpse the way people live.

However because I don't want to get arrested for being a "Peeping Tom", and a glimpse into a house when walking by is a quick fix, I feed my home/real estate addiction through films, TV and the Internet. It should come as no surprise that I religiously watch HGTV's House Hunters and House Hunters International. And then there are my 2 favorite websites dedicated to all things home spying. I've been reading The Real Estalker for a couple of years and love it. Hysterically written and always full of big, beautiful usually celebrity homes. Recently I found the site Hooked on Houses, the perfect mix of regular homes, before and after pictures, featured celebrity homes and the houses, brownstones, vacation getaways etc we love from our favorite movies. There are dozens of your favorite film homes listed on the site (Father of the Bride, The Holiday, Notting Hill, An Affair to Remember, Twilight) but my favorite movie house of all time, is Diane Keaton's beach house in Something's Gotta Give. You'll find a few movie homes adapted from novels such as Atonement, Brideshead Revisited, Chocolat and Gone with the Wind. Enjoy the tours!

Stop Ron Howard Please!

I had the unfortunate experience of watching Angels and Demons as directed by Ron Howard. Since I rented the movie for free from my library I am trying to figure out how to contact Ron Howard and ask him to reimburse me for those 2 hours of my life that I will never get back. Ya the movie was that bad.

Now you would HOPE that when a movie team is working with an excellent book, the process of translating it to the screen would be easier than say...rewriting it and having it end completely different! Uh huh, cause that's what happened and it totally pissed me off. Now I gave Ron (yes we are on a first name basis after a lifetime of watching him on and behind screen) the benefit of the doubt after the crap that was his big screen version of The Da Vinci Code. I like Ron, I do, I loved A Beautiful Mind and that Tom Cruise Ireland movie. And he was a first crush when I grew up watching Happy Days, the motorcycle crash episode made me cry. So I had faith that THIS time he would get it right. And for the first few minutes I was OK and then I spent the remainder of the movie confused.

So here is what I think. Ron Howard needs to stop making movies based on books, especially fiction as loved and equally as hated as the Dan Brown books. Ron, Tom Hanks was too old to play Robert Langdon and I have more fun looking for your family members in your films than actually paying attention to the action. Yes, it was easy to tell which Cardinal was played by your Dad, the American twang gave him away. Seriously when you are given material like Dan Brown writes, how hard is it to just follow along? Sure cut out a bit, but really, changing too much just made me want to throw firewood at you. And no I'm not taking back the bird I flipped at the credits, you made a bad movie.

"Not as Good as the Book?"

I've said that many a time in regards to films based on books. It's a rare movie that has successfully created a three dimensional world from the words of a writer. I've learned to watch "based-on-the-book" films with skepticism and have rarely enjoyed the film as much or even more so than the book. There are a few exceptions of course, most of the Harry Potter Films, the 1939 classic movie Gone with the Wind (can you imagine all of Scarlett's children included in a film, they are better left in the book) and the 1995 BBC television version of Pride and Prejudice are all in my opinion as magical as the books.

Book-to-film adaptions have me wondering...the things we dream about and wish for and sometimes write down into stories, when they come to fruition, are they ever as good as what we had envisioned in our minds?

Growing up I had a few dreams.
1. I wanted to be a mermaid. Didn't happen and that's ok. I grew up and realized the oceans are polluted, sharks kill you and the water is freezing. Next dream.
2. I wanted to be a princess and live in a castle. Ya, I grew up with the "fairy tale" life of Princess Diana in the newspapers every day. We all know how that ended.
3. I wanted to find my 1 true love, the man who would understand me, make me laugh and be my perfect match. Well then I started dating, got married a couple of times and gave up on that happily-ever-after. Next.
4. I believed in goodness and humanity. That dream I'm desperately holding on too even though we are bombarded with death, war, and destruction from every media outlet.

When our dreams do come true, maybe the realization of a family or the success of a long studied for career, is it as good as you hoped? Are you worried more about providing for those you love than loving them? Do you spend your work days trying to hold on to your job instead of creating or helping or building? Is it all about the big picture, the grand finale or the right location or look? Do you wish you could go back and re-read the pages you wrote or dreamed when you were planning out your life?

I'm thinking of writing a book. Well actually after I finally finish the fiction book I began a few years ago I'm thinking of writing a "modern fairy tale". In my version reality is the dream and finding the balance between child-like innocence and responsibility is the magic. I hope I can write a story that someone wants to re-read over and over and even if it's made into a movie, they don't lose the lesson in place of the big picture.

Too Scary for Children?

I've recently read that there has been some controversy concerning Spike Jonze's adaption of Maurice Sendak's classic children's book, Where the Wild Things Are. Apparently some parents are disturbed that the film is "too dark", "too scary" and "not suitable for children". Hmmmmmmm.

As a parent, I read Where the Wild Things Are over and over to my son when he was a small child. We loved the monsters, Max in his wolf costume and following Max's journey to the land of the Wild Things and back home again. It was and remains a favorite book. I haven't seen the Spike Jonze film yet but am anxious too, I want to see for myself how "dark" he made a book that wasn't very light to begin with.

I've been wondering what I would do if my son was still small enough to be scared by a film based after all on monsters and a little boy taking a journey by himself. Would I see the film first? Would I ask other parents or friends who have seen it what they thought? Would I reread the book with my son first and then explain the movie is someone taking the book and making it into something you can watch, like a dream? I would definitely ask my son if he was even interested in seeing the film. He was never a child who scared easily, might have been all those Grimm's fairy tales I read him.

Maybe it is the scariness of certain books that appeals to children and adults alike. Fairy tales like those collected and/or written by the Grimm's are certainly not fluffy Disney tampered tales. There is as much death, wickedness and sadness in fairy tales as any Greek legend but fairy tales somehow retain that child friendly feel about them. Orphans, step mothers who want you dead, malicious forest animals, broken hearts and monsters are all common and sometimes there is no happy ending. (Have you read the original Hans Christian Anderson book The Little Mermaid?) But still children and parents alike return to these stories generation after generation.

As a child my favorite books besides my cherished and dogeared collection of Grimm's Fairy Tales were books by rather "gothic" children's authors like Roald Dahl, or by cartoonist Charles Addams. I loved the conflict between good and evil, the triumph of bravery over cowardice and the reality that sometimes there just isn't a happy ending. To this day I can still recite from memory a dark children's poem I found in a book of nursery rhymes about 2 siblings who get lost in the forest and guess what...they die. The nursery rhyme book, yes a NURSERY rhyme book had a drawing of the children dead in the forest too. Dark, hell ya. Do I still have the book, hell ya.

So who is more disturbed by the "darkness", parents or children? And what does the author of Where the Wild Things Are Maurice Rendak have to say to those disturbed parents? Well you can read his response here.

Living Life Backwards?

If you've either read the short story The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald or seen the movie starring Brad Pitt(which is loosely based on the story) you will know that the character ages in reverse. Over the weekend while visiting my younger sister I felt a little like Benjamin Button and it's not the first time I've felt that sometimes I'm living my life backwards.

I visited my younger sister and her family in Denver for an extended weekend to celebrate her daughter's 1st birthday. My niece Lily is a charming and happy baby whose parents surround her with love and comfort. Being born and raised in the Chicago area my sister moved to Denver around the same time that her closest friends from high school also relocated there. My sister and her friends are now in their early 30's, married and raising young families. At Lily's birthday party this weekend she happily played with her little friends, the daughters and sons of my sister's life long friends. It was quite lovely to see this extended group of women who have known each other since they were children now raising their own children together. It's during events like these that I have my "Benjamin Button" moments.

When I had my son I was a very young woman and the first of my friends to have a child. My friends were still working on their educations, starting their careers and getting married so by the time they began their own families my child was already a teenager. I never commiserated with my best friends over our baby's sleeping habits or feeding schedules, potty training or preschool. The children who attended my son's birthday parties were not the children of my friends but his little friends from school or the children of older parents like my boss or my neighbors. Now when I attend the birthday parties of my friend's children I am one of the only parents without a small child on my hip and while they talk about their choices for kindergarten I talk about my son getting into college. Now as my friends are home on Saturday nights with their sleeping babies, I'm often enjoying a late night dinner at a trendy new restaurant or planning a vacation that doesn't involve Mickey Mouse or water parks. These are my Benjamin Button moments.

While I may not be aging in reverse (unfortunately) I definitely chose a life that society may seem as backwards...raising a baby before you really had a life. I've enjoyed every minute of my rather unconventional adulthood and have proudly raised an exceptional young man. While I may wistfully view my sister and her friends happily sharing every milestone of their childrens development together, it wasn't the life for me and I'm thrilled to live my life backwards.

Reading and Watching as Escapism

Jade Goody died yesterday. Jade was the 27 year old British reality star I blogged about a few weeks ago (http://livelylibrarian.blogspot.com/2009/02/reality-star-is-dying.html)who was dying in the public eye. The news that she lost her fight with cancer and left her 2 young sons, new husband and family and friends truly saddened me, but somehow also relieved me. Once her very large and public funeral takes place in the next week or so her stories will be taken off the front page and her family will go on without her larger-than-life personality. I truly hope she found peace and that the reality driven life she led benefits her boys. Financially Jade left her sons a comfortable legacy, emotionally no one can predict how they will be affected from her very public lifestyle. Regardless of the controversy, Jade was a devoted mother and lived life on her own terms and I will miss reading about her antics.

During the media siege over the tragic news of celebrities dying over the past week (Richardson and Goody) I felt the need to retreat a bit into make believe. On Saturday I hosted my favorite 4 year old for a tea party. We dressed up, drank "tea" with our pinkies up, watched a Disney Princess video and wore lots and lots of "diamonds". I really can't think of better escapism than Disney, although Jane Austen comes in close.
On Sunday I watched the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice (with Keira Knightly as Elizabeth Bennett)and when my husband walked into the bedroom last night and heard, "Mr. Darcy" uttered on screen he said, "Mr. Darcy? Is that what we saw at the theater last weekend? Haven't you had enough?". I answered, "No I can never have enough, it's the perfect love story".
In between my Princess tea party and Pride and Prejudice I retreated into my historical romance novels and for an hour or so I'm a heroine during the Regency era. In the pages of my favorite books, everything is left to fate, love prevails and there is always a happy ending. No one dies in a skiing accident, cancer doesn't kill young women and motherless children grow up to find love and happiness.

Yup there goes my tax refund...

So as many of you know from my previous posts, I am a shopper. An abiding love of shoes, coats and designer bags is my cross to bear. I'm not in the category of Rebecca the character in Confessions of a Shopaholic but like her I am lover of high quality but happily without ANY credit card debt (Rebecca's descent into debt is a large part of the book).
At my library I teach an online shopping course and many of the websites I show the patrons are great bargain shopping sites. I'm a bargain and comparision shopper and hate to pay full price although as my standards of quality go up alas...the opportunities to get a deal go down. I've definitely learned with quality you get what you pay for, so shop well.
I'm feeling frivilous and girly today so I'll share with you some of my favorite shopping (more like browsing) websites and the latest entries on my long-term-investment-shopping-wish-list.
Back in the 80's there was a fabulous flea market near my family's vacation home in Florida and it was a regular weekend destination. My favorite stalls were the high end designer knocks offs like Gucci and Louis Vuitton. I had copies of their bags through high school and college but it wasn't until I was much older that I could afford my first authentic bag.
On my first trip to Italy I dragged my husband through every Louis Vuitton store in Milan until I finally found the perfect bag and it was well worth the wait (no my husband does not pay for my shopping trips I just popped into shops inbetween grabbing a few beers with him). I'm currently adding a piece of their iconic luggage to my wish list (see the famous ad of Sean Connery on a beach in the Bahamas with a Louis Vuitton duffle)
To browse their website click here:
http://www.louisvuitton.com/
Oh boy, then there is Dior. I want a Lady Dior bag. I just do, no excuses. The fabulous new ad with Oscar winner Marion Cotillard hanging around on the Eiffle Tower with her Lady Dior practically makes me weep it's so perfect. Go ahead and take a glimpse here:
http://www.ladydior.com/
Who hasn't passed a Hermes boutique in a major international airport? Sure I browse but I have yet to buy one of their classic scarves. Their website is quirky and fun to browse and one day I will find the perfect scarf and commit. Don't even get me started on Hermes Birkin bags, I will have one someday but until then reading books like Bringing Home the Birkin will have to do.
For a lovely look go here: http://www.hermes.com/
The iconic and classic Burberry is a favorite indulgence, who hasn't envied the perfectly cut trench cut. So London. For a peek: http://www.burberry.com/
And then there is Jimmy Choo. Just holding a pair of stilettos makes me shake. Crazy huh. To drool, click here: http://www.jimmychoo.com/pws/Home.ice

Wonderfully Spooky Read-The Graveyard Book

It was no surprise to his devoted readers when Neil Gaiman recently won the Newberry Medal for The Graveyard Book. I've been a fan of Gaiman since I started his comic book series The Sandman back in the 90's. I've recently reread the series and I consider the characters and stories some of the most fascinating, tragic, frightening and fantastic tales I have ever read. Truly Gaiman's imagination gives me many a sleepless night. (See my post on The Sandman here: http://livelylibrarian.blogspot.com/2008/08/have-you-met-sandman.html )
I had heard of Gaiman's tale of a boy raised in a graveyard and was fascinated. I have a weird appreciation for cemeteries and have spent many a day wandering through graveyards locally and in countries around the world. My Mom has told me stories of myself as a young toddler wandering a local cemetery licking the fresh snow off the tombstones while my father was doing research (he was a history teacher). After watching a recent interview with Gaiman on the Today show shortly after he won the Newberry he spoke of his inspiration for the story, his own son riding his bike through graveyards. Well that was it for me, another weird parent who takes their child to graveyards, I have been doing the same with my own son since he could walk.
So it was luck and chance that I stumbled into a bookstore in Naperville last week that not only had copies of The Graveyard Book on the shelf, but SIGNED copies by Gaiman himself who stopped by the store on his book tour last fall. I bought more than 1 copy and have been reading ever since.
The Graveyard Book is about a little boy named Nobody Owens who is given "The Freedom of the Graveyard" and raised by the dead after his family is murdered. Chilling, imaginative and haunting is how I would describe this book and a must read for anyone who has ever wondered if it's the dead or the living we should fear.

To listen to Gaiman read you the book, chapter by chapter, click here:
http://www.mousecircus.com/videotour.aspx