“My Heart’s Keeping Time to the Speed of Sound”

I love musicals. Some of my earliest memories are listening to Cats [we named one of our cats “Tugger” after Rum Tum Tugger] or Phantom of the Opera with my mother. (Dad was classic rock on the radio or The Beach Boys). I took dance lessons for eight years and I started singing in church choir in kindergarten; I played the piano, flute, and viola. I would create my own dances in living room to songs as a kid. At one point I wanted to be on Broadway, but I hate practicing and I realized early on that I would have to be very lucky, no matter how good I was. I was fortunate to have good music instructors; the Ellenbergers as a child in church, Dr. Barr once I got to college. I fully support singing in the shower and my favorite part about driving is singing in the car. I’ve learned most songs without ever seeing sheet music or lyrics; just repeatedly listening. I remember music (well, more singing than actually playing) better than some school subjects. I always sing along to those “try not to sing” videos with musicals and love it when I know a song.

I was excited for high school since it meant I could be in musicals. Freshman year, I did not make it into 42nd Street, so I went on stage crew, which was fun in its own right. Sophomore year was Music Man, junior year South Pacific, and senior year was Brigadoon. I was always in the ensemble; which I was happy enough to at least be in the shows, but still stung a little, especially senior year. I joined choirs in college and wanted to get involved with the theatre, but I already had a double major (Creative Writing and History…like y’all couldn’t tell), and part of the Honors Program and after joining choir, I figured I wouldn’t have enough time to do everything.

I believe I have mentioned before that I was on cast at a local-ish (it’s an hour from my house) medieval faire one summer; and it was a blast. But I can’t always make that time commitment. I still appreciate the work the cast goes through every year. My community is lucky enough to have a volunteer chorale and theatre group, but working retail means I rarely have time to get involved. I managed to participate in the chorale for two years and then left, for reasons. Still love musicals, always will. I will probably still dance around my room. And now I share that love with all of you.

Some classic or well known musicals that are not entirely my favorites, but I figure deserve at least a mention.

West Side Story: This is an iconic show and Steven Spielberg is actually working on a new version, possibly due out this year. Features gangs in New York City in the 1950s, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and screenplay by Ernest Lehman (he’s also done the screenplay for Hello, Dolly and Sound of Music). The film won 10 Oscars, including Best Picture and is a modern re-telling of Romeo and Juliet. I do not like Romeo and Juliet, so I’m not terribly fond of this story (it also ends really sad). But, I love the music and dancing. A lot of what the men do is a crossover between ballet and modern. America is my favorite number. As part of a choir, I have sung a medley of several numbers. Tonight is pretty, but schmaltzy, as is Somewhere (I vaguely remember singing that for high school graduation). Gee, Officer Krupke is a bit funny.

Fun note: the teacher at the dance played Gomez Addams in the 60s television series. Riff, leader of the Jets, is played by Russ Tamblyn, who we will see in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (for some reason, his character reminds me of Captain Kirk from the original series; I think it’s the hair and the fact he wears yellow). The film also famously stars Natalie Wood, and Rita Moreno (I was surprised to learn she voiced the titular Carmen Sandiego in the 90s educational cartoon Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego? along with appearing in The King and I).

My Fair Lady: Julie Andrews starred in the original Broadway run of this show, but the part went to Audrey Hepburn for the film; Julie was cast in Mary Poppins instead (for which she went on to win an Academy Award). I don’t mind a couple of the songs, like With a Little Bit of Luck, but the show drags. I do imagine that it is hard for someone who has spoken proper English to spend half the show with a rough accent (maybe we should have studied this in my Historical Development of the English Language Class).

The King and I: A classic Rodgers and Hammerstein that tells the story of British (actually Welsh) Anna Leonowens traveling to Siam (present-day Thailand) as governess to the king’s many children in his effort to join the modernizing Western world. Of course, the two disagree at first, but eventually fall in love. It actually is a bittersweet ending, just when they both realize they care for each other (after avoiding each other for weeks due to an argument), the king dies. The story takes place in 1862, so mentions are made of Queen Victoria and the American Civil War and Abraham Lincoln (the king wants to send elephants to aid the war effort). Slavery is brought up and the play based upon Uncle Tom’s Cabin that the one wife creates is…interesting.

shall we dance

The children are adorable. This time period also means that Anna wears large hoop skirts the entire time (a bit humorous when the Siamese ladies try to wear them). There are two songs in this production that I really like, Getting to Know You and Shall We Dance. The film stars Deborah Kerr as Anna, Yul Brynner (who created the role of the King on Broadway, along with playing Rameses in 1956’s The Ten Commandments) as King Mongkut, and Rita Moreno is back as Tuptim.

Singin’ in the Rain: As with many other musicals on this list, I don’t mind a few songs. The titular song that Gene Kelly famously dances is a great piece, but I like Moses Supposes or Make ’em Laugh better. Carrie Fisher’s mother, Debbie Reynolds also stars in the film.

Oklahoma: A classic that, like West Side Story, I am not fond of the story; it gets creepy at the end. The only reason we own a version on DVD is because it stars Hugh Jackman.

Yankee Doodle Dandy: An old musical, from the forties, in black and white, starring James Cagney as George M. Cohen, who wrote Over There, Give My Regards to Broadway, Yankee Doodle Dandy, and You’re a Grand Old Flag; all of which appear in the musical. I’ll sometimes watch it around Independence Day.

RENT: I have never seen the show, but I do like Seasons of Love and enjoy parts of La Vie Bohem. My friend Nikki likes the show (oh, and Idina Menzel appears in the movie version).

Sweeney Todd: Saw it once, against my will on a bus trip. Nope, nope, nope. Doesn’t help that it was directed by Tim Burton (I am not a Burton fan), and stars Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, and Timothy Spall (Peter Pettigrew). Stephen Sondheim wrote the music and everyone in the most recent movie did their own singing. Angela Landsbury was the first Mrs. Lovatt, and ain’t that a way to mess with your mind. In case you are unaware, a major part of the musical, which is subtitled The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, is two of the main characters bake people into pies. Hence why I didn’t want to watch it in the first place, but I was outvoted (so I hid), and why I will never watch it again.

Into the Woods: One of Stephen Sondheim’s most well-known shows. I have only seen the film version from 2014. It is a star-studded production with Anna Kendrick, Daniel Huttlestone (we’ll see him in Les Mis), James Corden, Emily Blunt, Christine Baranski, Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, and Chris Pine. I admit that Agony with Chris Pine was hilarious. I liked his character, until he turned out to be a jerk. All the performances were great, but it is a darker look on our favorite fairy tales – that’s the point, taking them back to their roots.

Wicked: I have not read the book it is based on, which tells the story of the Wicked Witch of the West in Wizard of Oz (I believe I have already mentioned, not a fan of the movie). But, I saw the show in Chicago while on a college choir trip. Idina Menzel really made her name for her role as Elphaba (the Wicked Witch) and played opposite Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda. The show explains the backstory of many of the supporting roles from Wizard of Oz and really makes Elphaba sympathetic. Stephen Schwartz composed the music and I have sung a medley of the tunes in choir in high school, such as One Short Day, For Good, and of course, Defying Gravity (I do like this song and is an awesome solo to belt out). What is This Feeling and Popular are hilarious. There are rumors of making a movie out of the show.

Chicago: I like All That Jazz and Cell Block Tango; I do not like the story. The 2002 film stars Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Richard Gere.

Footloose: I actually prefer the newer one. The original starred Kevin Bacon (and new footloose included music, like the title track by Kenny Loggins, who also did Danger Zone from Top Gun). Big city kid moves to small town to discover they have outlawed dancing due to an accident several years ago. He hooks up with the preacher’s daughter, Ariel, who’s acting out against her father. Everything is eventually resolved and they do hold a dance at the end. The newer version came out in 2011 and starred Julianne Hough (Dancing with the Stars pro) as Ariel and Kenny Wormald (a professional dancer as well) as Ren. Dennis Quaid plays the town’s preacher. It was updated from 1984 and I like the newer dance moves, though it is a very close remake. There’s a fun country song by Big and Rich, Fake ID (I can stand country music, I will not claim it as a favorite). Ok, the demeaning way his friend talks about women sometimes makes me want to slap him.

Hairspray: The 2007 film was an all-star cast with John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes, James Marsden, Queen Latifah, Allison Janney, Brittany Snow, and Zac Efron. I enjoyed it for the most part, and I still remember all the words to You Can’t Stop the Beat (the ending of the movie is a lot of fun), which I sang as a freshman in high school choir [translating to over ten years ago].

High School Musical: I was in high school when these came out. It made stars out of Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, and Zac Efron, and was directed by Kenny Ortega. The original was better than either sequel. It was a bit funny when they featured it in an episode of Suite Life of Zach and Cody with the running gag that Maddie didn’t look like Ashley Tisdale (Ashley played Maddie). When I was in Disney senior year, my friends and I joined that Pep Rally they had going on and learned the dance to We’re All in This Together (so when ABC just did their Disney Sing-Along Night; which I loved period, it was fun to see the cast reunited and doing the dance). The soundtrack is a bit nostalgic.

org hsm

Now, my experience in high school musicals was different than depicted here; a lot of my classmates were involved in the arts (our school supported students being well rounded with academics, arts, and athletics). Our marching band was over 200 strong, the lead guy senior year musical was on the football team (actually, football players had a habit of being in our musicals), track practices didn’t start until musical was done, a bunch of the kids were also in Advanced Placement courses…we were all just a bunch of overachievers. Yeah, we don’t Stick to the Status Quo. I do think this movie helped get more kids interested in musicals, making it more relevant to them.

Next: We will carry on with musicals, starting with Music Man. Let me know what some of your favorite musicals are.

“I Sent the Swarm, I Sent the Hoard, Thus Said the Lord”

Prince of Egypt

I probably should have included this around my Disney section since it’s an animated film; but I had forgotten. Besides, the soundtrack is phenomenal. One of the first full length films produced by DreamWorks (same company who would later create one of my favorites: How to Train Your Dragon, and did you know that Steven Spielberg is one of the founders?). Includes a stellar cast: Val Kilmer voices Moses, Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort) voices Rameses, Michelle Pfeiffer is Moses’ wife, Tzipporah, Sandra Bullock is Hebrew Miriam and her brother Aaron is voiced by Jeff Goldblum. Danny Glover is Tzipporah’s father, Jethro and Patrick Stewart is Rameses’ father, Seti, with his queen voiced by Helen Mirren. Steve Martin and Martin Short are the priests, Hotep and Huy. Hans Zimmer composed the score and Stephen Schwartz ( he also wrote for Disney’s Pocahontas, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Ella Enchanted, and Wicked) wrote the lyrics.

It tells the story of Moses and the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt. The film opens with Deliver Us, illustrating the plight of Hebrews as slaves in Egypt. Seti, the pharaoh, has just issued the order to slaughter newborn Hebrew boys. Moses’ mother and her older children sneak to the river, put baby Moses in a basket and set him adrift, praying her son will have a better life. Her young daughter follows the basket, making sure he arrives safely, to the pharaoh’s wife (biblically, his daughter instead).

The film jumps to two young men, Moses, and his older brother, Rameses, racing carts princes of egypt through their father’s buildings. They cause mayhem and are chastised by Seti afterwards. He expects a lot from Rameses, who will succeed him as Pharaoh. Moses pleads for his father to not blame Rameses and suggests that his older brother only needs an opportunity to prove himself. Rameses is granted that opportunity at a banquet that night; Rameses in turn elevates Moses’ position. Priests Hotep and Huy are told to give the princes a gift; they have captured a foreign young woman. Moses is not the kindest to her upon meeting, but that night, he distracts guards to let her escape. He follows her to the slave quarters where he encounters Miriam and Aaron. Miriam thinks her brother has knowingly come, but he is unaware of his true heritage. Aaron pleads for mercy, but it’s not until Miriam repeats their mother’s lullaby that Moses realizes the woman speaks truth when she declares “I know who you are, and you are not a prince of Egypt.” She suggests he asks the man he calls father.

Moses runs back to the palace, trying to take comfort in All I Ever Wanted. He knows his history, it’s etched on every wall. So he investigates. And finds proof of what Miriam said, playing out as animated drawings on the walls. Seti attempts to comfort his son; Moses begging his father, “tell me you didn’t do this.” Seti considers it a sacrifice for the greater good, his parting words “they were only slaves.” (That just sounds so wrong coming from Patrick Stewart). The Queen does a bit better, but she counsels that Moses should simply ignore the truth; “when the gods send you a blessing, you don’t ask why it was sent.” It does show that his family have never looked down on him for being adopted; Rameses may have been young enough he doesn’t even remembering his mother finding his baby brother.

Yet Moses wanders confused the next day. He accidentally kills an overseer who was beating an elderly Hebrew. He flees; Rameses attempts to stop him, telling his brother he can absolve him of his crime; “you will be what I say you are.” If Rameses wants the truth, Moses instructs him to “ask the man I once called father.” Moses still leaves. Eventually, he removes all pieces of his old life, aside from the ring his brother gifted him. A camel comes across him and he is dragged to a watering hole. He saves three young girls, then promptly passes out into a well. Their older sister, the same woman Moses freed comes to help, though she remembers the prince and lets him drop back into the well. Their tribe takes Moses in; the priest happy to thank a strange young man for saving his daughters. Moses quietly tells the boisterous man he has done nothing worth honoring; which the woman, Tzipporah finds odd, but her father explains a better mindset to Moses. People on earth cannot see their true worth; they should look at their lives Through Heaven’s Eyes (I love this song).

Moses becomes a part of the tribe, becoming a shepherd and eventually marrying Tzipporah. One morning, while tending his flock, one sheep wanders off. He goes after it and comes across the Burning Bush. God speaks to him and tells Moses to go before Pharaoh and free the Hebrews. Moses is unsure, but God promises to be with him and instructs Moses to take his staff, with it, he will do God’s wonders. Tzipporah is initially unsure, but Moses wants the same freedom that her family has for his people. She tells her husband she will go with him back to Egypt.

Rameses is now Pharaoh, so the brothers share a joyful reunion, until Moses tells his brother why he has come. As much as Moses wishes in his heart, things cannot be as they were. Pharaoh must release the Hebrew slaves. To demonstrate God’s power, Moses has his staff turn into a snake. To prove that their gods are just as great, Hotep and Huy mock that Moses is Playing with the Big Boys and they too turn staves into snakes (with smoke, and in the background Moses’ snake devours theirs). After the demonstration, Rameses and Moses speak privately. They’re brothers for a brief moment, recalling that while Moses got Rameses into trouble, he also got him out. (Ralph Fiennes commented behind the scenes “when brothers are enemies, they don’t stop being brothers.”) But life has made them different people and Moses return’s his brother’s ring. Rameses doubles the Hebrew’s workload in retaliation. The Hebrews disparage Moses, but he continues with his mission, with some kind words from Miriam; God saved Moses, he should not give up on the Hebrews. Moses approaches the river and turns it to blood for Pharaoh. The priests imitate the phenomenon, but Moses warns Rameses that matters will only get worse.

The Plagues descend upon Egypt. Frogs, then bugs and flies infest Egypt. The livestock die. Locusts blot out the sun. Egyptians are covered in boils. Fire rains down, then darkness. While a choir chants in the background, Moses cries that it pains him to see what has happened to his home. But he blames Rameses for “all the innocent who suffer for your stubbornness and pride.” Rameses (this is Ralph Fiennes singing; several of the other characters’ singing voices were dubbed) will let his heart be hardened, “I will never let your people go.” The last plague is the death of the first born; Moses instructs the Hebrews to mark their doors with lamb’s blood, and the angel of death will pass over their house. Rameses young son is killed. Moses meets with Rameses; Pharaoh will let the Hebrews leave. But Moses mourns for his brother’s loss and his own.

when you believe

Miriam cheers the people, “there can be miracles, When You Believe.” The song becomes more joyful by the time the children beginning singing in Hebrew (I sang this song as a child in church choir, probably the first time I ever sang in another language…actually, I think the same director taught it to my junior high choir as well). Then they come to the Red Sea. And Pharaoh has decided he will not let the Hebrews go and chases after them. Moses parts the sea with his staff; God has sent down a pillar of fire to bar the Egyptians. Once they’re almost through, the fire dissipates and the Egyptians charge. But the parted sea returns to its home, destroying the army. Moses has succeeded in his mission. The ending of the film shows him descending from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments.

This film, which has since been adapted into a stage show, came out when I was five or so and I still enjoy it to this day. Once again, the music is phenomenal (ooh, an adult church choir should really do The Plagues; that’d be cool) and the characters were well casted; though it wasn’t until I was older that I began recognizing the voices. The studio managed a good retelling of the Bible story (they consulted with many religious experts and even went to Egypt for research purposes) and made the royal Egyptian family sympathetic at times (it was banned in Egypt, however). I will say that the animation quality of DreamWorks has come a long way since this film (they have done a spectacular job with Dragons; their characters are so lifelike), but it is a different style than the classic Disney look. I highly recommend this film.

Up Next: A proper introduction to more traditional musicals

“Now You’re Hiring People Who Fail the Interview?”

Ten Inch Hero

My best friend got me to watch this movie; she has said it is the only rom com she will watch. And the reason we watch it: it stars Jensen Ackles (Dean in Supernatural) as Priestly, along with Danneel Harris (she’s now appeared as Sister Jo in Supernatural, as well as small roles in a variety of TV shows like JAG and Charmed) as Tish. Elizsabeth Harnois (the titular President’s daughter in 1998 TV movie opposite Will Friedle, she was also in an episode of Boy Meets World) is Piper, Sean Patrick Flanery (Connor in Boondock Saints; the same friend had me watch that movie. I have seen it, now I don’t have to; though that was the film that I exclaimed “it’s Dain!” at ten o’clock at night) appears as Noah, and Jordan Belfi (lead in Hallmark’s Snow Bride Christmas movie from 2013, as well as several spots in a variety of TV shows) makes an appearance.

The film takes place in Santa Cruz, California; mainly in the Beach City Grill, a sub shop (hence the title “ten inch hero,” meaning a sandwich). Piper arrives in town and applies for a job at the shop, which on its “Help Wanted” sign warns “Normal People Need Not Apply.” To prove she’s not normal, she just begins to doodle on their specials’ sign. The interview by hippie owner, Trucker involves answering whether famous people are dead or alive. She’s hired unanimously and works alongside Tish and Jen at the counter. The next day, cook Priestly makes an entrance, colored Mohawk, piercings, and odd shirts. We discover that Tish likes to flirt with guys and it drives Priestly nuts. Jen messages a guy online back and forth, Trucker likes Zo, the crystal shop lady across the road, and Piper keeps running into a father and daughter. Turns out, Piper had gotten pregnant young and had to give up her baby. She had been told that they would name the daughter Julia and the father’s name was Noah. Piper saw an article about gifted children and believes the local girl Julia is her daughter. Piper ends up becoming friends with the small family, under her middle name “Anna.”

ten-inch-hero

Cute guys (not that I’d be attracted to them) Tad and Brad come into the shop and Tish is right on them. The innuendo about their subs being ten inches comes out (this shop enjoys discussions on sex). Tad later comes back and asks Tish out. Jen now has a conumdrum, does she meet with her online friend? Her co-workers urge caution but also find out she has never slept with a guy or…experimented. Jen ultimately chooses to meet with the guy and the other two girls join her on a brief road trip in Trucker’s “cause-mobile,” gotta say, it makes a road trip look like fun. However, when they get there, Jen runs out when she discovers the guy (he was to be waiting with a white rose) is good looking. On her end, she wouldn’t mind if a guy isn’t good looking, but she figures a good looking guy wouldn’t be interested in her.

There is a hilarious scene where Priestly goes on a supply run for the shop and has to pick up tampons. He calls Tish for help, then gets to tell two teenaged boys off for laughing at the scenario, oh, he’s also wearing a kilt. He is not happy when he finds out that Jen wouldn’t meet her mystery man due to looks; she’s judging him on his looks. Tish demands an explanation; he retorts that women are so interested in the package (we sense underlying tension between Tish and Priestly).

Meanwhile, with Piper, she has gotten closer to Noah and Julia, under the name Anna. Noah asks her out and she agrees. One evening, Noah opens up about his ex-wife; she tried to kill her and Julia when Julia was a baby. He got her help and eventually left her alone with their daughter again. Then she hurt Julia a few years later. Noah divorced her and got custody. This confuses Piper a bit, because he mentioned post-partum depression. She realizes that Julia “is not my baby” and runs off.

Things are not going perfectly between Tish and Tad. Brad accompanies them on their dates a lot, then he comes in and wants to try a threesome. Tish refuses and ends up bumping her head because Tad wouldn’t let go. Tad blames her. When he comes back to the shop to pick her up, she lets him take her outside, but breaks things off with him. Then calls him out for trying to use her as a buffer between him and Brad, though Tad denies being gay. He slaps her. Priestly tackles him, but then Tad punches him. Trucker comes out and takes care of Tad. He calls everyone back to his place. Revelations come out. He knows how to fight because he was in Vietnam; he never went to Woodstock. When he came back after three tours, he got invovled with surfers and it soothed his soul; but that is why he doesn’t make a move with Zo, because how could she accept him? Jen discovers Zo in Trucker’s yearbook; while he was a senior football star, Zo was a freshman.

Noah comes back to talk to Piper and they settle things, promising honesty; he and Julia voted that they wanted Piper to fill the hole in their family. A homeless guy enters the shop (Jen is nice to them) and speaks to Jen. Then reveals himself to be her online friend. He just wants a chance. Also turns out that Priestly set them up, answering Jen’s computer after she left. The next day, a well dressed man comes into the shop to speak to Tish. It’s Priestly, but without product in his hair and no piercings and he’s dressed like a businessman. He’s a nice guy, asking her out, like Trucker wanted. She accepts, on one condition; he has to say what his first name is. Boaz. Trucker and Zo hook up and have a ceremony on the beach (why they’re naked, I’m not sure).

In the end, all turns out well. Everyone hooks up with the person they’re supposed to.

Oh, and a note about Jensen and Danneel; they had known each other before this film and hadn’t realized each other had been cast until they met on set. They fell in love on set and married in 2010.

I like this film. It’s fun, and fairly believable. Does it make me melt like some other romance scenes in other films and shows? No. But it’s good to put on if my brain needs a break. And I love Jensen’s look in this, mainly since it’s so different from how he typically looks (he did rock the dressed up look when he was on a soap opera. In Supernatural he is mainly in jeans, t-shirts, and flannel.)

There is a rather good fanfiction story about how Priestly ended up at Beach City Grill by fanfar3 entitled Born Again. I like the background on Priestly she came up with and his interaction with Trucker. The ending was a bit odd for me, but I encourage you to check it out!

So, what are some of your favorite romantic comedies?

Up Next: The beginning of the musical section, starting with Prince of Egypt (because the music is amazing)

A Little More Current

Made of Honor

Stars Patrick Dempsey (famous for Grey’s Anatomy, which I don’t watch) as Tom and features Kevin McKidd (we saw him in Last Legion and Kingdom of Heaven; he was Poseidon in Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and voiced the MacGuffin clan in Brave) as Scottish Colin.

made of honor The film opens in 1998, at Cornell University where Tom gets in bed with the wrong girl at Halloween. Ten years later, they’re best friends. Tom sleeps around, he has rules (to keep him from getting close to someone), but he and Hannah meet up once a week, joking and sharing food. Hannah has the opportunity to spend six weeks in Scotland for her art job. While Hannah is gone, Tom misses her and realizes he wants to take the next step with her. But when they meet for dinner once she is back, she announces she is engaged to Scottish Colin who rescued her during a thunderstorm. She asks Tom to be her maid of honor (she expects to be his best man when he marries).

With some encouragement from his guy friends, Tom accepts, so he can break up the wedding from inside. He’s set up to throw an embarrassing bridal shower by a jealous bridesmaid, but he does point out that due to the whirlwind nature of their courtship, Colin doesn’t know about the unique details of Hannah, that Tom knows. Overall, Tom impresses Hannah with his maid of honor duties. They fly to Scotland for the wedding, with the knowledge that Hannah plans to live there after the wedding. *sigh* I love the scenery. The film features Eilean Donan castle, near the Isle of Skye and the men participate in the Highland Games (a real thing). Colin even sings My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose, a poem written by Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns (I adore the song and simply melt when I hear Welshman Bryn Terfel perform it) and plays the bagpipes. This all further cements that Hannah doesn’t truly know her fiancé (this all occurs in roughly two months).

Tom kisses Hannah during her bachelorette party, but Hannah is set to marry Colin. Tom leaves before the wedding, but soon realizes that he can’t let her go. He makes it to the church in time for the bit where the priest asks if anyone has cause for the couple to not marry “speak now or forever hold your peace.” He’s flung inside the church and admits “I love you,” to Hannah. She returns the ring to Colin, who then promptly punches Colin in the face. The film ends happily for the couple with their own wedding.

Overall, a fun, light-hearted film. I like it for the Scottish bits; I would gladly marry a man like Colin.

27 Dresses

Stars Katherine Heigl as Jane and James Marsden (Prince Edward in Enchanted and Cyclops in X-Men; he was also in Hairspray) as Kevin. Jane loves weddings and goes above and beyond for her friends as their bridesmaid. She meets Kevin, a wedding cynic while she is going between two weddings on the same night. He picks up her planner by accident, but keeps it when it gives him an idea for a story; he writes the commitment section of the newspaper, but wants a front-page story. He has met the typical “always a bridesmaid, never a bride.”

Jane happens to have a massive crush on her boss, George and bends over backwards as his assistant. Her friend calls her out on it; she really ought to say something, everyone knows it. This is interrupted when Jane’s younger sister, Tess comes to visit and hits it off with George. George ends up proposing to Tess a little while later, even though she hasn’t been completely honest with him about some aspects of her life; Jane has to witness it quietly. To top it off, Kevin is writing an article about the upcoming nuptials. He and Jane spend time together since she ends up doing a long of the planning. At her home one day, Kevin discovers a closet full of bridesmaid dresses, twenty-seven precisely. They spend a fun afternoon with her trying them on and him taking pictures. Later, they are stranded in a storm at a bar (singing Benny and the Jets together). Jane is recognized the next morning, not for that, but as the feature story, which the editor ran before Kevin could tell Jane.

Already upset, Jane discovers that her sister has cut up their mother’s wedding dress. She walks away from her sister and plans her revenge. At the rehearsal, Jane reveals the secrets Tess has been hiding, but meanly as her friend points out. George breaks off the engagement. he finally realizes that Jane has had a crush. They try kissing, but realize it does nothing. Jane leaves her job. Her father forces her to make up with Tess, her sister pointing out she is an adult now and does not need Jane to mother her any longer. Jane races off to find Kevin and reveals she has fallen in love with him.

The film ends sweetly with their wedding. George and Tess even seem willing to give their relationship another try. And all of Jane’s friends return, wearing the bridesmaid gowns from their weddings.

27-dresses

The Holiday

This is actually one of my favorite rom-coms and it certainly has a recognizable cast to it! Stars Jack Black (this is a much different role from School of Rock), Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet (Titanic, Sense and Sensibility), Jude Law (young Dumbledore in Fantastic Beasts, Dr. Watson in Sherlock Holmes, starred in Anna Karenina, he was in Captain Marvel, the abomination that was King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, and voiced the bad guy in Rise of the Guardians), and Rufus Sewell (I think we’ve already covered that I adore him in period roles, such as A Knight’s Tale, Tristan and Isolde; he was in Amazing Grace and Masterpiece’s Victoria as well). Oh, and if Maggie looks familiar, she was in A Knight’s Tale as well, opposite Heath Ledger.

Both American Amanda (Cameron Diaz) and English Iris (Kate Winslet) are fed up with their love lives around Christmas and decide they need to get out of town and meet on a house exchange website. Amanda has just broken up with her long-time boyfriend and thrown him out of her house. Iris finds out that the man she has had a crush on and periodically dated for three years in engaged to another woman. Iris is thrilled by Amanda’s large L.A. home, while Amanda is a bit bored in Iris’s English cottage. At least, until Iris’s brother, Graham (Jude Law) stops by. He’s a bit drunk, she’s ready to go home in the morning, so given the circumstances, they decide it’s alright to sleep with each other. Then Amanda decides to stay and continues to meet up with Graham (he is a gentleman and does not have sex with her when she’s drunk to the point of unconsciousness)

In L.A. Iris’s ex, Jasper (Rufus Sewell) calls her for proofreading help [remember, the one that cheated on her, but they’ve stayed friends, though he’s now engaged to someone else]. She’s now a bit depressed until she spots a lost elderly man she recognizes from Amanda’s neighborhood. Turns out the man was a big time Hollywood writer back in the day. She convinces him to attend a celebration in his honor and works with him to improve his walking. She also meets Miles (Jack Black), a film composer. When he discovers that his girlfriend has started seeing someone else, he and Iris start hanging out.

the holiday

In England, Amanda and Graham are enjoying each other’s company, though Amanda wonders why Graham is getting calls from an Olivia and a Sophie. She discovers they are his daughters; he’s a widower. His daughters are utterly charming. Things are now a bit complicated, but they try to make it work. Graham admits that he has fallen in love with Amanda; she has promised she won’t fall in love with him and is frustrated by the idea of working on a long-distance relationship. We can tell she’s fallen for Graham though [and who wouldn’t fall for Jude Law?]. They part with no specific plan.

Jasper pays an unexpected visit to Iris (right after Miles’ ex calls him away). He needs her, he doesn’t want to lose her. Oh wait, he’s still engaged. Iris finally lets him have it and becomes the leading lady in her own life with a bit of gumption. She eagerly escorts her elderly friend to his celebration to a packed auditorium. Miles has left his ex and suggests he visits Iris at her home for New Year’s.

Amanda has also decided to stay for New Year’s after shedding a few tears (she hasn’t cried since her parents’ divorce when she was fifteen). The film ends with a heartwarming glimpse at a New Year’s party at Graham’s with his daughters, Iris, Amanda, and Miles.

I probably prefer these rom coms to some of the older ones, and The Holiday is really cute. Just one romantic comedy movie left, Ten Inch Hero

Let’s Start in the Eighties

I have discovered I am not a rom-com person; though that’s not to say I don’t like romance. I just don’t like romance as the pure focus of a film; I adore the relationship between Hiccup and Astrid in How to Train Your Dragon series, and I will watch shows for romance, where the characters can develop. So, in the interest of carrying on to more exciting films that I can delve deeper into, I shall quickly summarize a few romances that I enjoy, but not quite worth a whole post.

Pretty Woman, was pointed out to be its 30th anniversary this year. Of course, there is the iconic song. It’s the film I best know Richard Gere and Julia Roberts from. Jason Alexander (much funnier in the Wonderful World of Disney presentation of Roger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella) shows up, as does Hector Elizondo (we love him in Princess Diaries as well and he is now the boss on Last Man Standing). I think part of the reason I was not terribly fond of this film growing up (because it’s as old as me) is that I was never comfortable with the hooker aspect (once I knew what that meant). But the transformation sequences are the best.

Overboard, an 80s film starring Goldie Hawn (fun note; her daughter is Kate Hudson) and Kurt Russell (Colonel Jack O’Neill from the original Stargate movie [before they switched to Richard Dean Anderson for the series]); the two have actually been together since 1983. Edward Hermann (Gilmore Girls) also appears in the film. It’s a fun story where a rich socialite falls overboard, loses her memory, and a struggling carpenter takes advantage. He has her be his wife and raise his rambunctious sons. Of course, they actually fall in love along the way, though she initially leaves when she regains her memories. Yet she ultimately decides to stay with the family because she cares about them; she wants a daughter at the end due to the number of boys. Basically, the whole film is “breaking the haughty,” as TV Tropes would say.

American President, is one of my mother’s favorite films and has an all-star cast. Annette Bening (she’s Dr. Wendy Lawson in Captain Marvel) is the lead female, a professional political strategist; Martin Sheen (after he was Robert E. Lee in Gettysburg, and he would later play the president in the hit show West Wing) is one of the president’s advisors. Michael J. Fox is another advisor, and the president, Andrew Shepherd is played by Michael Douglas (son of famous actor Kirk Douglas and husband to Catherine Zeta-Jones, he shows up in the MCU as well as Hank Pym, but I know him from the films Romancing the Stone and The Jewel of the Nile).

It’s a well-written movie that shows and widowed president attempting to have a relationship with a woman he finds intelligent while avoiding the media. It also shows that some of the major issues have not changed in twenty-five years. Gun control global warming are the two issues that are called out in the movie…and we’re still dealing with those.

Prince and Me (a combination that Hallmark loves in their movies) stars Julia Stiles and Miranda Richardson (Rita Skeeter) shows up as the queen of Denmark with James Fox (he’s shown up in Downton Abbey, Robert Downey Jr’s Sherlock Holmes, BBC’s Merlin, and Patriot Games [I’ll be covering that film in the action section]) as the king. The film has three sequels, though never getting the original cast fully back together. A common storyline now, prince comes to America (hoping to sweet-talk unsuspecting college girls into taking their tops off), hiding his identity. Paige is focused on her goals and wants to become a doctor. She and Eddie get off to a rough start, but then begin helping each other out. Their relationship is discovered and splashed across the news causing Eddie to return to Denmark. Paige eventually follows and accepts his proposal of marriage and begins training to become the new queen. But she doesn’t want to put her life on hold, so she breaks it off and returns home. But Eddie comes after her, willing to wait to marry. There is an adorable part where Paige takes Eddie home for Thanksgiving. Fairly light-hearted.

princess diaries makeover In similar vein are the two Princess Diaries movies that Disney put out. Now, I read the books by Meg Cabot before the movies came out, but they also came out when I was a teenager, the age the movies are geared for. This was Anne Hathaway’s first big role as Mia. Teen heart-throb (though I was never into him) Erik von Detten was in the film, along with Mandy Moore (later plays the president’s daughter [the president was Mark Harmon] in Chasing Liberty and voiced Rapunzel in Tangled), and Sandra Oh. Hector Elizondo is back and the ever-lovely Julie Andrews as the queen of fictional Genovia. There is the iconic “shut up” scene when Mia finds out she is the princess of Genovia. She now must attend lessons with her grandmother. There is also the hilarious makeover scene involving broken hairbrushes and glasses. Mia learns who her true friends are and she does have it in herself to become a princess.

princess diaries 2 A sequel came out subtitled Royal Engagement, taking place five years after the first. An old law comes into play, where an unmarried woman cannot rule. Viscount Mabrey (John Rhys-Davies, though not as nice in this film as in others) brings up the fact that there is another possibly heir, his nephew, Lord Devereaux. It is passed that Mis has thirty days to marry or she must abdicate. Lord Devereaux happens to be the charming Nicholas (Chris Pine, yep, before he was Captain Kirk). While Mia courts the dashing Andrew Jacoby (Callum Blue and he appeared in The Tudors), Nicholas attempts to woo her as well. Raven Symone also drops by (oh, and a Stan Lee cameo, way before MCU). Mia and Nicholas develop feelings for each other, but Mia decides not to marry Andrew and abolishes the marriage clause and Nicholas decides to give up his right to the throne. The film ends with them possibly starting a relationship while Mia takes over as queen.

I adore Julie Andrews whenever, so she makes a perfect queen. And Chris Pine really should have more roles as a romantic lead because he was quite dashing in the sequel. There are rumors of a third movie coming out, but nothing confirmed.

A few more rom-coms are left, but I shall post those in another block.

Let me know what you think of romantic comedies 🙂

One Hundred Strong

One hundred posts…wow. I had no idea when I started this exercise that I would carry it on this long (seriously; I originally figured less than a year, then I finally laid things out and understood what all was invovled). I am blown away by the reading response I have built up and the fact that I have over fifty followers – thank you all.

Yes, my posting schedule has lessened a bit, but I am also trying to work on some other writing projects. I’d love to write some short stories to enter in contests to get published. And I have a massive fantasy series that needs laid out…when my brain cooperates. Right now it likes to play around with fanfiction and in turn focus on like the fourth and fifth generation of characters rather than background and world building. And my books also beg my attention; they cry to be read.

With the…current situation, I do have some more free time, so we’ll see how everything best fits in. I do apologize for the breaks that have occurred and I cannot promise that they won’t happen again. When not watching movies for this blog, I’m keeping up with the current MacGyver series (some of the episodes this season have been excellent), the final season of Supernatural (which will end in tears, when it finally does end…my guess is that both boys will die) and also working my way through the original MacGyver series (there are times it is hilarious; though personally I prefer Lucas Till to Richard Dean Anderson, that may be based on my age). Also catching up on Outlander (I finally read the first book; along with the first book of Game of Thrones; both are good, but I kind of prefer the show so I can see the full scope. I prefer the earlier seasons of Outlander, when it is more based in eighteenth century Scotland [a time period I like to study].)

But, I still have a huge collection of movies (one of these days, in a few years hopefully, I will have a place of my own and space to display and organize all of them) and I am looking forward to the upcoming genres. Next are musicals, which I love. Then action/adventure films (another genre I am more fond of) which will phase into the superhero genre (yep, I will attempt to tackle a good portion of the MCU…that’s going to be practically a year on its own). And I will finally get to some of my favorite series, like Star Wars, Harry Potter, and nearest to my heart, Lord of the Rings and Hobbit, and How to Train Your Dragon. And once we get into some newer and more popular films, I can add in the various fanfiction stories that I have read (and keep re-reading…which is how I distract myself from reading proper books).

Let me know what you think and here’s to another hundred!

I Never Felt This Way Before

Dirty Dancing

An iconic 80s movie; I know it was referenced in Full House and Dean even knows it in Supernatural. It stars Jennifer Grey as Baby (her most famous role, she was a contestant on Dancing With the Stars in 2010), Patrick Swayze (tragically passed away in 2009, also known for Ghost [I have not seen that movie], Orry Main in North and South [the mini-series based on a Civil War triology], The Outsiders, and Tiger Warsaw [interestingly, filmed at my church and in my hometown]) as Johnny Castle, Jerry Orbach (passed away in 2004, best known for Law and Order, and the voice of Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast [I still cannot hear it; he does very good French accent]) as the father, and Kelly Bishop (Gilmore Girls) as the mother. And Kenny Ortega (Newsies, which we will soon be visiting, and High School Musical) choreographed.

Set in the summer of 1963, before the Beatles came to America, before JFK was assassinated, a wealthy family vacations at a resort in the Catskills Mountains. The youngest daughter is nicknamed “Baby.” Though she plans on going into the Peace Corps, it’s her summer at the resort that truly opens her eyes. Her father is pleased to send her off with the owner’s grandson, who seems like a respectable young man. But Baby soon meets the staff and notes a difference between the wait staff, who are instructed to show the young ladies there a good time, and the instructors, who indulge in “dirty dancing.” Johnny Castle catches her eye.

When Johnny’s dance partner, Penny ends up in trouble (growing up, I never noticed the fact that she was pregnant and subsequently gets an abortion), Baby offers to help. She gets the money off of her father and lets Johnny teach her to dance (Patrick Swayze was a trained dancer and even appeared on Broadway; he and Jennifer Grey also did not get along on the shoot). Baby ends up in bad grace with her father when she has to get his help to fix Penny’s botched operation. But she has fallen in love with Johnny and continues her relationship with him in secret.

Baby’s older sister, Lisa, has started seeing one of the waiters, Robbie, who is actually the one who got Penny pregnant and left her. But when Lisa goes to sleep with Robbie, she finds another woman in his bed. That same woman discovers Baby leaving Johnny’s room the e=next morning and reports him a thief, who stole her husband’s wallet. Baby backs up Johnny’s alibi and reveals her relationship. Johnny is still fired for sleeping with her and is forced to leave. But Baby made Johnny believe in good people again. However, he returns for the final dance of the season, tells her father “Nobody puts Baby in a corner,” and dances the final number with her.

dirty-dancing-lift

It’s a fairly simple storyline, but full of nuances. Like Baby growing out of her nickname. She ends the movie not as naive as she started. It demonstrates classism; the difference between the guests and the waiters and the staff. Baby’s doctor father looks down on Johnny the entire film, until the end when Robbie accidentally reveals his indiscretion. (Her father had thought Johnny had gotten Penny in trouble). The owner’s grandson treats Johnny like an idiot.

There are plenty of steamy scenes, which makes it a perfect romance and I love how the music was worked in. The Baby scene was a bit funny. And no one can forget the ending with Time of My Life and the big lift; it’s my favorite part of the film. And Patrick Swayze is rather good looking here.

Next Time: Collection of Rom Coms #1

Taking “Love is a Leap” a Bit Literally

Kate and Leopold

A rom-com from 2001 starring Meg Ryan (I like her in You’ve Got Mail, opposite Tom Hanks) as Kate, and Hugh Jackman (X-Men, Australia) as Leopold. Hugh faces off with Liev Schreiber (Victor Creed/Sabertooth from X-Men: Wolverine) who plays Stuart. Leopold’s valet, Otis is played by Philip Bosco, who was the servant Vincenzo in It Takes Two with the Olsen twins (I loved that movie as a kid).

The main premise of the movie is that Leopold is from the nineteenth century and due to time travel, ends up meeting Kate in twenty-first century New York City. It opens in 1876 with the dedication of the East River Bridge, better known as the Brooklyn bridge. Leopold spots an odd man in the crowd, but loses him. Only to find him at a ball in his home later that night. Leopold’s uncle is forcing his nephew, the Duke of Albany, to choose a bride, preferably wealthy. Leopold does not like this ultimatum; he does not like being an aristocrat, he admires inventors more. Leopold follows the strange man again, ending up on top of the not-yet-finished bridge. They fall…through time. Kate is introduced as the strange man, Stuart’s downstairs neighbor, and ex-girlfriend. She hears thumping upstairs and investigates. Stuart makes her leave. Come morning, she barges in and meets Leopold, who is very confused by everything around him.

Stuart has to take his dog for a walk, only to discover that the elevators are not working…because Leopold is supposed to invent them, but by coming forward in time, he has not invented them yet. We meet Kate’s boss, JJ at the market research office; Kate is interested in him, but JJ is a bit demeaning. He thinks he is complimenting Kate when he says she is more like a man than a woman. Kate’s brother, Charlie arrives and meets Leopold. They spend a pleasant afternoon talking about Pirates of Penzance. Kate is not impressed when she gets home, especially to find out that Charlie has invited Leopold to dinner. No one, aside from Stuart, who is now laid up at the hospital, believe that Leopold is actually a duke from the nineteenth century. Leopold and Kate butt heads over differences in etiquette and Kate has to help Leopold out the following morning.

Then she gets an idea; he should read for the commercial she is overseeing. And he is a hit, turning on the aristocratic charm. Kate comes to believe Leopold’s history when he chases down a thief in Central Park on a horse. Leopold helps Charlie get a date that evening while Kate dines with JJ, hoping for a promotion. Charlie, who is a bit drunk, crashes his sister’s date and Leopold catches JJ in several lies and demonstrates his class and knowledge. Leopold later writes an apology letter to Kate for embarrassing her. Her assistant talks her into a romantic dinner with Leopold. This leads to a dance, and then a kiss.

The couple spends Saturday together, even visiting Leopold’s home which is now a museum of sorts. Leopold is obviously in love with Kate. Sunday brings the commercial, kate_leopold which hits a snag when Leopold actually tastes the “fresh creamery butter” and discovers it to be horrible. Kate tells him that sometimes, you have to do things you don’t want to do, despite your morals. Afterwards, she informs Leopold, they’re kidding themselves. He has to go back (another time portal will open). He goes through with it. Kate gets her promotion. Then Charlie and Stuart notice that Kate was in Stuart’s pictures from 1876. They persuade her to jump off the Brooklyn bridge in order to join Leopold. It works and Leopold names her as his bride at the same ball.

Not my favorite rom-com, though I’m not really a rom-com girl. Characterization is pretty flat, though it’s fun to see Hugh Jackman as a proper duke. The film plays off the idea that we want guys with those kind of manners…which, yes. But they don’t fall off a bridge and out of time for us.

Up Next: Dirty Dancing

Dream-Song

Australia

As the title suggests, a movie about Australia. So much, that it starred Australians, was shot in Australia, and was directed by an Australian. Hugh Jackman, one of the stars, even joked when he opened the 2009 Oscars, where Kate Winslet and Robert Downey Jr were both nominated for their range in acting; “I’m an Australian, playing an Australian, in a movie called Australia, hosting.” [He then goes into an entire song and dance number, because that’s how he got his start, though he ended by stating “I am Wolverine!”] Hugh Jackman’s character is only known as the Drover. Nicole Kidman (her parents are Australian) plays Lady Sarah Ashley (she worked with director Baz Luhrmann on Moulin Rouge). David Wenham (Faramir in Lord of the Rings, shot in New Zealand; he was also in 300, and worked alongside Hugh Jackman in Van Helsing) is Neil Feltcher. The film spans a six-year time frame, starting in September of 1939 and concludes during Japan’s attack on Northern Australia after they hit Pearl Harbor December of 1945. There is a note at the beginning of the film to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island viewers in deference to their culture, and explaining that this was a time where Aboriginal children of mixed race were taken from their families and “trained for service in white society.” “These children became known as the Stolen Generations.”

To be honest, the main reason I wanted to watch this movie is the fact that Hugh Jackman is in it. Throw in a bit of history and I’m intrigued. After the opening notes, the movie begins with an Aboriginal boy witnessing the murder of a white man. The boy is fearful of coppers (police) taking him to Mission Island. But then, the boss lady arrives. The boss lady is Lady Sarah Ashley who flies from England to the Northern Territory of Australia to force her husband to sell the Faraway Downs property. She meets the Drover, while he’s in the middle of a bar fight. It’s a rocky start for them, difference in culture and all that. He shock her on their travels the first night by bathing [yep, like that scene], then commenting they all huddle up in the one tent for warmth. Truth is, the men are more used to sleeping under the stars. But the Drover takes Lady Ashley to Faraway Downs (which is what the boy sees before he hides), and they discover that the man who had been killed was her husband. Lord Ashley is the only one to stand up to the Carney cattle monopoly in the area, though his death is blamed on an Aboriginal leader, King George (the boy’s grandfather).

The boy, Nullah, appears to Lady Ashley and reveals that she cannot trust the manager, Mr. Fletcher. Partly because Neil Fletcher is his father. Which wouldn’t sit too well with his fiancée’s family, the Carneys. Nullah proves Fletcher a liar and when caught, Fletcher starts hitting the boy. Sarah steps in and fires Neil. Drover isn’t happy when he comes around; Lord Ashley had promised him a drove (driving cattle) and rights to breed an outback brumby with an English thoroughbred. Sarah insists that everyone left on the ranch can pull together and make the drove. Faraway Downs is competing against the Carneys for an Army contract. The accountant of the ranch, when he’s sober, reveals to Sarah that Fletcher had been siphoning off the best cattle to Carney land; that is what her husband had been investigating when he had been killed.

australia stars

The actual police arrive the next day, setting Nullah and his mother to hide in the water tower. Sadly, the mother drowns before the police leave. Drover sends Sarah to comfort Nullah; she admits she’s not great with children, but tries to cheer him up by recounting the recent film, The Wizard of Oz, and attempting to sing the main song Somewhere Over the Rainbow [I am odd and not fond of the film or the song (it’s overplayed)]. Nullah likes the idea of dreaming and wishing; songs are important to the Aboriginals. The drove is back on the next morning. But Fletcher isn’t finished; he and his men set a fire to spook the cattle and drive them off a cliff. Nullah stands firm at the edge and halts the cattle, after the accountant (Kipling Flynn) is trampled to death. There is a rather tender scene of both Drover and Sarah diving after Nullah before he passes out over the edge. Tender moments start cropping up between Sarah and the Drover, even a kiss after they get tipsy in memory of Kipling. Drover admits he was married previously, to an Aboriginal woman. She got sick and died because the hospital wouldn’t treat her.

Fletcher’s at it again; he poisons the drinking holes along their way. Their only option is the wasteland known as Never Never Land. But King George offers to lead them. News is reported that they all die. The Army is about to sign a contract with Carney for their cattle…until there is a disturbance in town. Sarah and her people survived and there is a race to load the cattle. Drover gets in front and blocks Carney’s cattle. Nullah sums up that everyone gets what they want; everyone happy. Except him, because he is half-caste and doesn’t belong anywhere. Well, his friends disguise him so he looks fully Aboriginal and sneak him in to see The Wizard of Oz.

Meanwhile, there is a ball for the upper class to donate money to Mission Island. Sarah tries to argue to keep Nullah; the priest insists that Aboriginal women forget their children, she retorts no mother forgets her child and points out that the fathers of the mixed race children are in the room. The high society women start looking down on her, though Kaitlin Carney is sympathetic (she is “King” Carney’s daughter, and engaged to Neil Fletcher). “King” Carney wins the auction to dance with Lady Ashley and they discuss the sale of Faraway Downs. Sarah informs him of Neil’s involvement in her husband’s death and she is almost ready to sell when a cleaned up Drover enters the ball. He had already turned down her offer to be the new manager of Faraway Downs, insisting he doesn’t mix with the upper class. But he has apparently changed his mind and Sarah is willing to give Northern Australian society something to talk about. They run off after a dance and the rain comes. Their relationship really takes off [yep, another one of those scenes I love and reminds me why I watch the movie]. With the rain, Faraway Downs is like an island; Drover, Sarah, and Nullah can be a little family. Drover leaves again to go droving once the wet is over, but he comes back.

Everything is idyllic for a few years, until Neil leads Carney into an alligator attack and takes over the business. He then returns to Faraway Downs, intent on buying; it was his family that worked it for generations for the Ashley family. And a big drove comes in for Drover, and Nullah wants to go on walkabout to become a man. Drover leaves, hurting Sarah. And then Nullah is taken. Katey Carney, now Fletcher, begs her husband to help. He strikes a deal, Sarah will work for the war effort, he’ll buy Faraway Downs, and then he’ll get Nullah back.

Then the Japanese attack. Drover, after being called out for being scared to get close to Sarah, returns to town, only to find it destroyed. Sarah is believed to be dead. Drover knows he has to get Nullah, Mission Island is where the radio tower is and is sure to have been hit. The boys on the island did survive. And so did Sarah; it was Katey Fletcher who died in her place. Just as Drover, Nullah, and Sarah are about to be happily reunited, Fletcher aims a gun at them. A shot goes off and Nullah drops, but so does Fletcher. King George escaped prison and saved his grandson. Nullah is fine and they return to Faraway Downs. Sarah lets him go on walkabout. The film ends with another note. The Australian government ended the assimilation program in 1973 (that’s another twenty-eight years after the events of the movie) and in 2008, the Prime Minister officially apologized to the Stolen Generations.

This film is long. It honestly could have been cut down into two movies for it tells almost two different stories. There is the action/adventure plot of the first half, driving the cattle to town. Then there’s the war part, which could have been expanded for it holds most of the character depth. I like the family group that Sarah, Drover, and Nullah become without meaning to. They all need family and end up blending well with each other. We see how far the Drover has come throughout the film, first being annoyed by Lady Ashley, to loving her, to leaving, then being heartbroken when he believes she’s dead. Nullah is a sweet child, and Sarah Ashley’s character softens throughout the film, though she is still strong and determined. Parts of the movie drag and I tend to just fast forward to the bits I like. It is interesting to see how other places in the world were affected by the Second World War.

I much prefer some other movies to this, especially for some of the actors; David Wenham is much nicer as Faramir. Hugh Jackman is a good leading man and he did well opposite Nicole Kidman, but I think we see a larger range for her in Moulin Rouge. Not the most romantic role for Hugh, we’ll get to some of those later.

Up Next: Kate and Leopold

“Near…Far…Wherever You Are”

Titanic

I would think most everyone has heard of this movie, as well as the historical disaster. This was the big blockbuster of the late-nineties; it was nominated for fourteen Academy Awards and won eleven, including Best Picture. And a fairly long movie; when it released on VHS, it had to be on two tapes; and as of 2019, the third highest-grossing movie of all time. Directed by James Cameron (Avatar), who did a lot of detailed research, and a full “hey, I know that guy!” Stars Leonardo DiCaprio (who finally won an Oscar) as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose Dewitt Bukater. Billy Zane (did not realize this until looking him up, but he was the voice of John Rolfe in Disney’s second Pocahontas movie, as well as appearing in a few episodes of Charmed) is fiancé Cal Hockley; historical character Molly Brown [there’s a movie about her from the sixties staring Debbie Reynolds] is played by Kathy Bates (who has shown up as Amy’s mother in Big Bang Theory, and was Miss Hannigan when Wonderful World of Disney re-did Annie in 1999). Rose’s mother is played by Frances Fisher (who has appeared in Hallmark movies, an episode of Castle, among other TV spots), Captain Smith is Bernard Hill (later to be King Theoden in Lord of the Rings), Victor Garber (lead in Alias, Professor Callahan in Legally Blonde, Oliver Warbucks in 1999’s Annie, and King Maximillian in 1997’s Cinderella with Whoopi Goldberg, Bernadette Peters, Brandy, and Whitney Houston) is the architect Thomas Andrews. Jonathan Hyde (Prince John in Princess of Thieves) is Bruce Ismay, the managing director of the White Star Line (the company that built and maintained Titanic and its sister ships), and the one I always enjoy seeing for the few minutes in the film, Ioan Gruffudd (Amazing Grace, Fantastic Four) as Fifth Office Lowe.

titanic

The film opens with an underwater exploration of the wreck [Dr. Robert Ballard, retired U.S. Naval officer and professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, famously discovered the wreck in 1985, and later found the wreck of the Bismarck in 1989 and the Yorktown in 1998; he was also one of my brother’s heroes when we were growing up; he was very interested in the Titanic, so he was very interested in spying the White Star Line shipyards when we were in Belfast, Northern Ireland…I have a picture of that somewhere]. They find a safe and bring it to the surface, looking for a famous blue-diamond necklace from Louis XVI that would be worth more than the Hope Diamond. Instead, they find a drawing that includes the necklace. A news report brings it to the attention of an old woman, Rose Calvert, who then informs the crew she is the woman in the picture. There’s some speculation that she could be lying, but she knows details about the necklace and the ship that only someone there could have known. Most of the film is her flashback memories (totaling the amount of time it took the actual ship to sink).

Rose and her family were returning to America for her wedding to Cal Hockley, but she is unhappy. At the same time, Jack Dawson wins his tickets in a poker game. He and his friend excitedly race to the ship and explore a bit once its underway. They make it to the bow, where they climb up and Jack yells “I’m the king of the world!” He encounters Rose later that evening at the stern of the ship, when she flees dinner and is ready to jump overboard. He talks her down and when Cal arrives to collect his fiancée, Rose puts it straight that Jack saved her, though she was only looking at the propellers. As a reward, Cal invites Jack to dine with them the next evening. Hoping to cheer his fiancée up, Cal presents her with the “Heart of the Ocean,” a 56 carat blue diamond. Rose is impressed, but not with her intended. She seeks Jack out later, to thank him for his help and discretion, but they get stuck on the point whether she loves Cal or not. Rose is upset that no one notices she is not happy with the role she is made to play, but Jack gives her another outlook on life; one of adventure, never knowing what the day will bring or where you will end up.

Meanwhile, Captain Smith wants to ensure a smooth voyage to America, while Ismay wants headlines. Smith orders the ship to speed up (not wholly historically accurate). Molly Brown, part of the “new money” of the time, and thus frowned upon by the aristocracy, aids Jack in lending him a proper tux for the evening. He charms his way through the upper class, but later passes a note to Rose, inviting her to a real party, in third class. I adore this scene, and the accompanying music, which features Celtic band Gaelic Storm (a big breakthrough for them). Rose proves herself to be more than a pretty face, she drinks and to further prove herself, she goes en pointe (I took ballet for about ten years and never went on pointe, but I know what kind of strength someone needs to balance all their weight on the tip of their toes).

However, come morning, Cal confronts Rose about her below-deck antics; she was spotted. He throws the table, stating she is his wife, even if they’re not married yet (I have a feeling he has been pressuring her to sleep with him before their wedding; just my interpretation). Rose is startled and her mother speaking to her does not help matters. It spells out to the audience that Rose has been forced into this marriage to save face; they have the name, but Cal has the money. Ruth is a teeny bit sympathetic; she knows this is unfair for Rose, but it is a woman’s lot in life, their choices are never easy. Jack sneaks up to see Rose and she tries to send him away, but he’s worried about her. The fire he has seen in her will go out; but it is up to Rose to save herself. Later, Rose goes to Jack; she has changed her mind. He helps her up to the railing at the stern of the ship: “I’m flying!” Cue main theme. The couple shares a kiss. And we cut back to “present day.” That was the last time Titanic saw daylight. The scavenger comments that everything Captain Smith knows from his experience will not help him with Titanic.

jack and rose

Back to Rose’s memories: Jack returns to Rose’s room with her. She requests a drawing and shows him the Heart of the Ocean. “I want you to draw me like one of your French girls. Wearing this. Wearing only this.” She disrobes and lies on a couch, completely nude and Jack dutifully draws her (behind the scenes note: apparently, the hand that draws Rose is director’s James Cameron’s), and cue main theme. (This intrigues all of the present day crew). Rose leaves a note once they are finished for Cal and leaves again with Jack. They end up running from Cal’s valet, ending up in the cargo hold, in a car. It is there they sleep together, steaming up the window. [And it’s here that I always wonder how this movie is only rated PG-13; I distinctly remember not being thirteen and wondering how my classmates got in to see this movie.] Rose declares that when Titanic docks, she’s getting off with Jack. They are on deck when the iceberg is spotted by the lookouts (no wind makes them hard to spot). The crew try to maneuver the ship around the berg, but they’re too close. (Research has suggested that if Titanic had hit the iceberg head-on, it would not have suffered the same damage and would have remained afloat long enough to dock in New York; of course, that is hindsight). Captain Smith, Andrews, and Ismay are all wakened. Mr. Andrews declares that the ship will sink; five of the compartment are flooded, there was a chance with only four filled, but not five. The ship is iron, it will sink, despite Mr. Ismay’s insistence. Distress signals are started and passengers are told to dress warmly and put on their life vests.

Rose and Jack return to her room to warn her mother and Cal, where Jack is framed with stealing the blue diamond and arrested. Alone, Cal slaps Rose for her indiscretion. They receive word to report to the deck. Rose spies Mr. Andrews; she remembers from his tour that there are not enough lifeboats. Mr. Andrews confirms her thoughts. Women and children are ordered to the lifeboats first; but it is slow going. Most of the passengers do not know of the danger, or else do not believe it; Andrews has to order the crew to ensure lifeboats are filled to capacity. On captain’s orders, the band continues to play to calm the crowd. Ruth wonders blasé whether the lifeboats will be seated by class. Rose sternly tells her mother the truth, to which Cal remarks that the better half of the boat will not die. She then refuses to get on the lifeboat and runs to find Jack. Cal tries to stop her. She spits at him and proclaims she’d rather be Jack’s whore than Cal’s wife.

By now, the bow is underwater, the ship is starting to tilt and take on water in the halls. Rose does find Jack and has to use an axe to cut his handcuffs. They try to make their way back up, but the gates from third class are locked (historically inaccurate). There’s a riot and they break out. The ship is in utter chaos. We see Ismay get on a lifeboat when no one else comes forward. Cal goes back for Rose, putting his coat (which contains the blue diamond necklace) on her and he and Jack tag team to encourage Rose to get on a lifeboat. Partway down, she jumps off (a dumb move, yet terribly romantic). Jack asks when he finds her why she was so stupid; she couldn’t leave him: “you jump, I jump.” Well, this final defiance sets Cal off and he grabs a gun and starts shooting at the couple. He runs out of bullets as they go back into the ship and down several levels. And it’s then that he realizes the coat that has the diamond is on Rose. Cal finds a child lost and crying and takes her on a boat.

The final moments of the ship are approaching. Mr. Andrews and Captain Smith go down with the ship. The band continues playing, ending with the hymn Nearer My God to Thee. An old couple huddle together, not wanting to be parted. A mother in third class tucks her children in, telling them of the Irish land of Eternal Youth, Tír na NÓg. All remaining passengers on deck flee to the stern as the ship splits. The stern rises in the air, Rose ironically notes that she and Jack are back where they first met. As the stern gets sucked down, Jack and Rose and the others prepare to enter the water. It’s the North Atlantic; it’s freezing. Jack manages to find a door floating and pushes Rose on to it. Jack remains in the water. Only one life boat (helmed by Fifth Officer Lowe) returns to find survivors. Molly Brown speaks up, but those crew members overrule her. Contemplating their fate, Rose admits she loves Jack; he insists they will make it and makes Rose promise to survive. But the elements take their toll. Jack freezes in the water and Rose is forced to let him go in order to get a whistle to attract help. Old Rose summarizes that of the 2200 souls aboard the Titanic; 1500 went in the water. Only six were rescued. They and the 700 in the lifeboats had to wait for the Carpathia (of rival company Cunard) for rescue at dawn.

On board, Rose avoids Cal and when asked her name in New York, she gives Rose Dawson. That’s when she discovers the Heart of the Ocean in her pocket. She finishes her tale that Jack now only exists as her memory. But, she walks out to the edge of the ship that evening and drops the diamond into the ocean, to rest with Titanic. I view the final ending, as we pan over her pictures showcasing her adventures, proving she fulfilled her promise to Jack and lived her life, that Rose passes away and is greeted on the Titanic, returned to its glory by all her old friends, Jack waiting to kiss her.

As a result of the disaster, regulations were made enforcing enough lifeboats for all passengers and mandatory safety drills. When one takes the romantic storyline out of Titanic, one can get caught up in the sheer enormity of what happened. I think it was well done on Cameron’s part. There has been a lot of controversy however, on whether Jack and Rose could have shared the door and thus ensured Jack’s survival. The Mythbusters tested the theory that both could have fit on the board and they proved it plausible, though they had the idea to tie Rose’s life preserver to the bottom of the board to give it more buoyancy. Director James Cameron weighed in on the show; Jack was fated to die, so that is why he did not get on the door. The main theme, My Heart Will Go On, performed by Celine Dion, does not play until the ending credits, but it became a smash hit and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, though it became overplayed (just like Let It Go from Frozen). Personally, I prefer an instrumental arrangement of the piece; it’s still beautiful.

I am not as emotionally invested in this film as some others; probably because I am more invested in other films and just cannot bring myself to get too invovled. Again, it’s an extremely well done movie; the CG effects have withstood the test of time. Kate and Leo have excellent chemistry.

If so interested, there is a well done AU fanfiction story with the characters from Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast and Titanic; with Adam as the wealthy heir in a forced marriage and he meets poor Belle. My Heart Will Go On by DisnerdingAvenger can be found on AO3.

Up Next: Australia