Movies

Make some Plans

~ MaryG ~ 7 Comments

What things give you energy?

I tend to suffer from a bit of inertia. I really love to sit on my couch – in my favorite spot – and drink coffee and read or write things on my phone or computer.

Now that my kids are grown and my job is mostly remote, nothing really forces me to get dressed and get out. Sometimes I throw on clothes and makeup five minutes (or less) before my first Zoom meeting of the day.

Eventually I always get dressed and go for a walk, swim, or bike ride. Exercise give me energy. I also like having plans with people I like, to do things I like. For example, last week I took Wednesday off to go see the big Edward Hopper exhibit in Gloucester, MA. It was a beautiful day and I went with my parents. We had fun and it was energizing to be with my dear mom and dad and also to talk about the art we saw.

No photos were allowed in the Hopper exhibit, but you were allowed to take pics in other parts of the museum.

Gloucester fishermen, 1907
Gloucester fishermen, 2015, by Jim Hooper

And guess what? It turns out Edward Hopper’s wife, Josephine Nivison Hopper, was a painter herself and was almost entirely responsible for his tremendous success, but got no credit at all during her lifetime! Ain’t that always the way? I’m ready for a Hollywood biopic about their fascinating lives, love, and art. I hope that writers’ strike ends soon.

The Bittersweet

~ MaryG ~ 3 Comments

What brings a tear of joy to your eye?

The last thing that brought a tear of joy to my eye was the final scene in the film A Man Called Otto starring Tom Hanks.

The film is based on the book “A Man Called Ove,” by the Swedish writer Fredrik Backman, which I had listened to on tape.

SPOILER ALERT

In the final scene, Otto has died of natural causes (rather than by suicide, which he had been planning) when his neighbor Marisol finds him. She is heartbroken, but finds a note with his final wishes. He has left his home, car, and money to her and her young family. He signs the note Abuelo (grandfather) Otto.

Aw.

The childless grumpy old man, whose heart had turned to stone after the death of his disabled wife (tragically crippled while pregnant years earlier), had found a family in his final years.

It’s the happy and the sad mixed together that tends to get me. The Bittersweet.

Tom Hanks in a Man Called Otto

Favorite films seen on The Big Screen

~ MaryG ~ 4 Comments

What are your top ten favorite movies?

Let’s face it, seeing movies is different these days. The fact that you can wait for films to be available on streaming means that you’ll be seeing many great productions on your TV, where they’ll be up against a myriad of amazing series and documentaries. I think it’s hard for a film you saw on your TV to be truly memorable (over decades).

All of the films on my list are ones I remember seeing on the big screen (sometimes more than once) and loving.

I was born in 1965, the first year of Generation X, and I think my list reflects that. Plus, I do love a musical! (If Hamilton had been a movie instead of a play first, it would’ve been on my list for sure.)

1. Sound of Music (1965)

2. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

3. Star Wars (1977)

4. Grease (1978)

5. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

6. Schindler’s List (1993)

7. Good Will Hunting (1997)

8. Bridesmaids (2011)

9. Black Panther (2018)

10. Barbie (2023)

Seeing the original Star Wars in the summer of 1977 in Nantucket’s historic Dreamland Theater was the most memorable movie-going experience of my life. I was 12. I’ll never forget how the audience cheered. Also, the score by John Williams was such an important part of the film. Goosebumps. I bought the sheet music for the main theme and learned to play it on the piano.

Final note: In my opinion, Meryl Streep is our best living American actress. Sophie’s Choice, Out of Africa, Kramer vs Kramer, Mamma Mia and all her other films would be my second top ten (or top twenty) all on their own.