The Lessons Disney Teaches Us

It seems to be the "in" thing now to hate Disney and refuse to show your daughters. I've encountered this a few times, each with the idea that "I don't want to raise her in a Princess culture." As someone raised on Disney films, both from the Golden Era at home and the Renaissance in theaters, my knee jerk reaction is one of indignation and annoyance. But it keeps coming up, so I stepped back to look at it.

I know what people are trying to say when this conversation happens. They're trying to say that they don't want to raise a daughter who waits around for a man to come along and save her from her life. I get that. But that seems to ignore a couple of points about Disney films. Since I can't tell someone how to parent their children (Being an Adult Rule #5), I can make some general points here so it will stop going over and over in my mind.

1. Disney films should not be raising your child. Your children will develop their ideas of gender roles and life goals based, in large part, on the example that the adults in their lives provide. Sure, the media plays some part, but I see this as a jumping off for discussion, rather than a lesson in itself. Watching the Golden Era, which is especially fraught with Beleaguered Princess Who Comes Across Terrible Circumstances (usually in the form of an older, jealous woman) And Must Be Saved By True Love's Kiss, I wonder why the response isn't to watch the movie and talk about it. A lot of movies made before our own have context that has to be explained (the black face numbers in musicals from Hollywood's Golden Age are a particular point). As a parent, you provide the context for everything your kid watches or reads.

2. Most Disney animated features are based on fairy tales, which aren't known for the "ladies take the lead" attitude. Some are (Mulan totally is) and Disney tends to follow through with that. But what a neat way to introduce classical fairy tales to young children and to discuss societal norms from different eras. It's a jumping off point that is accessible, and honestly, are fun to watch.

3. There are beautiful messages throughout Disney. Female empowerment isn't an obvious one until some of the Disney Renaissance and the post-Pixar era, but it's also not the only message worth looking for. I would love to see more people enter into tough situations with a joyful attitude (Snow White, Cinderella - this is a mainstay of Disney ladies) and that being yourself, even when others judge you for it,  is better than pretending to be someone you're not (Belle, Eugene from Tangled - boys get to teach us lessons to!). How many Disney characters have to push outside their comfort zone, either by choice or by circumstance, and grow because of it (Rapunzel, Snow White, Mulan)? And don't forget the importance of not judging people on appearance or social class (Dwarves, Merekat, Scary Guys in a Pub, Frogs).

4. Nature is beautiful. You will never think of the American outdoors the same way after you watch Pocahontas. The ocean goes from being a large, kinda scary thing to a stunning array of color and life in The Little Mermaid. And it's possible that The Lion King is as close to the Serengeti most people will ever get (or ever want to get). Walt loved nature, which is why there are so many Disney films (non-animated) about the glories of outdoors.

There are more, some broad concepts and some narrow ones, but the point stands - movies, Disney and otherwise, will be to your children what you make them. Such a vehemence against something designed for entertainment keeps you and your children from enjoying the beauty that comes from it. I'm not a parent yet, but it's something I'm preparing for and I know that Disney films, animated and non, will be a part of my children's lives. If nothing else, they remind you, film after film, that dreams are worth something.

Review: Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State

I will admit that I have a lifelong fascination with the events of WWII and the Holocaust, beginning from when I read Number the Stars and The Diary of Anne Frank in school. Part of this, I think, comes from the fact that I have no connection to it. My family supported the American war efforts, but were not members of the military (my maternal grandfather tried, but he was told he was too short). I am not Jewish nor have a Jewish ancestry. I didn't even know a Jewish person until adulthood, at least to my knowledge. The war and the events that led to it, therefore, have always been removed from me slightly. I feel horrified at what happened, but it's not a personal horror, it's a horror at things that happened to other people and were committed by other people.

In the continued efforts to expand my academic understanding of the era, I watch a lot of documentaries and read a lot of books. I recently began tackling the 6 part documentary Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State (later released as a box set titled Auschwitz: The Nazis and the Final Solution), which is available on Netflix. It's a monster of a piece, with each 50 minute segment moving chronologically through the events that led to the building, functioning, and liberation of Auschwitz. The last episode, entitled Liberation and Revenge, speaks of what happened to many of the people involved, including the difficulties faced by survivors, as well as the disposition of several SS officers.

The series, produced by BBC, is incredibly detailed, and I have found it hard to watch more than two at a time, not because of the graphic nature of it (there are other documentaries that have been more graphic), but because of the sheer weight of it. The BBC was not interested, it seems, in letting the watcher off easy. They take great pains to make sure that the watcher is aware, deeply, of the meticulous nature in which the mission at Auschwitz was undertaken, that this was a carefully managed and planned affair. It's something I really like about the series, though it does make it hard to digest....but isn't that good?

Some of the survivors interviewed were familiar to me from other documentaries, especially Eva Mozes Kor, who was the subject of Forgiving Dr. Mengele. But the interviewee whose presence struck me the hardest was Oscar Groning, a member of the SS who had been stationed at Auschwitz. He is forthcoming with details, and doesn't seem to be reluctant in the least to be involved, but he is detached, as though he's speaking about someone else. Perhaps that is how he has managed to survive with the knowledge of what happened there, and to make a life for himself. He was asked if he thought it was right that he has lived comfortable while many of the survivors have struggled in attempts to get back portions of their property. His response summed up to "This is the way the world works. Does it help someone else if I live in poverty?" Apparently, he became public about his involvement at Auschwitz to counter Holocaust deniers, which adds a whole other level of complication to him.

An item of surprise to me was how hard those who had survived found it to return home and that their previous property ownership was ignored. Several survivors who were interviewed talked about how the communities that had once been full of their family and friends were not only filled with strangers, but were hostile towards them. It sounded like very few ever truly were able to go home, which adds to the sense of their incredible loss - their own freedoms, their family, their friends...and now their own homes.

Overall, the series left me, who has done a great deal of research and reading on this topic, once again with the impression of the size and scope of the atrocities committed at Auschwitz.  It also reminded me that the pain is ongoing, even 70 years after the camp was liberated and despite it being mostly out of site as those who experienced it are dying. I recommend it.

Review: The Buccaneers (1995)

This showed up as a recommendation in Netflix because of my love for costume dramas. It's a 5 part miniseries (though Netflix compresses two of the episodes so that it airs as 4) with each part being around an hour. I admit, it was a little slow of a start, in part because it's hard to tell the four girls apart at first. But the characters develop nicely and the story is rather engaging.

The Buccaneers is Edith Wharton's last novel and was unfinished until the 90's when it was finished in multiple versions, one of which is for this miniseries. It's about 4 young American women (compressed from 5 in the book) who go to England to seek husbands. It has Mira Sorvino (as a brunette!) and Carla Gugino as two of the young women and the overall cast is rather fantastic.

This has all the period drama I love. The pressure to marry well (whether you need money or title), disapproving family, baby-drama, lovers...all the awesome. Plus pretty costumes and houses. What more could a girl want?

The series is excellent and worth watching - just get past the first 20 minutes or so. It's on Netflix Streaming.

Review: Gangster Squad (2013)

I have always liked gangster movies and I love a period piece (especially set from the 30s - 50s) so I was excited to see Gangster Squad. I also like the primary cast a lot, which is an added bonus.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie. Despite portraying some real people (Sean Penn as Mickey Cohen, Nick Nolte as Bill Parker, and a few other minor characters) the movie is not historically accurate. It's best to treat it as what it is - a work of fiction that uses some real names and places as setting material.

I really like Emma Stone (did you know she's a natural blonde? Red suits her so well...) and I enjoyed her vampy look and her general performance. The huskiness of her voice was nice on this character. Sean Penn is always fun to see on screen and I love him as a bad guy. He had great flamboyance as Mickey Cohen. Nick Nolte had very little screen time as Bill Parker, but he never needed a lot of time to make an impression, which he does as the Chief of Police trying to clean up Cohen's operation.

Now to the titular Squad itself. Josh Brolin as John O'Mara was fantastic. He's believable as a veteran who never really left the way and he has the look for the role with his square jaw and reluctant smile. Since Men in Black 3, I think of him as "little Tommy Lee Jones", and this is the kind of roll Jones might have taken when he was younger. Ryan Gosling was...well, he was Ryan Gosling. So pretty. Looks aside, he gave a solid performance as Wooters, the playboy. Everyone in the Squad held their own, but my love falls to the spook. Giovanni Ribisi was awesome as the slightly nerdy wire tapper. Having worked with similar people, I also found him highly believable.

Finally, I have to give recognition to Mireille Enos as Connie, John O'Mara's wife. I liked Enos in Big Love and The Killing, so no surprise that I would like her here. We saw more range from her in this, I thought, since she (or her characters) tend to be a little stoic and guarded. She handled the role as a knowledgeable, but frustrated and concerned wife really well.

All in all, I enjoyed the movie. It suffered from some pacing problems, but it was pretty and fun, which is what I had expected it to be.

Review: Les Miserables (2012)

As a big fan of the musical, I was skeptical. Movie versions of musicals don't always translate well, but my utter love for Dreamgirls and Mamma Mia spurred me on, and so I approached with good faith.

My good faith was rewarded with a beautiful film.

We'll start with the acting. The acting was incredibly well done, but that wasn't in question with such a stellar cast. The large roles were played by reliable, excellent actors who took the desperation and hope of the story and expressed them with every expression and word. The chemistry between Hugh Jackman as Val Jean and Russell Crowe as Javert was incredible. As important as that relationship is onstage, it's doubly so when the audience can see the flash of determination and the glint of unwavering righteousness in the actors' eyes.

The singing was my biggest fear. I was familiar with Amanda Seyfried's voice from Mamma Mia and expected exactly what I got - a clear soprano that uses a bit more vibrato at the high ranges than I like, but is understandable for someone who isn't a professional singer and thus doesn't use her voice enough to develop a really strong high range. I thought she did beautifully. I've never liked the role of Cosette (partly because I like Eponine so much), but I at least like the character more under Seyfried's management.

The surprise for me came with Anne Hathaway. I knew the woman could act, but I was unprepared for what a stunning voice she has. Fantine is a tragic and heart-wrenching role and Hathaway did it not only justice, but embraced it in a beautiful way. Her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" broke my heart. Stunning.

The men were less stunning vocally. As actors, I can't say a word against them - both carried the intensity and conviction of their roles on broad shoulders. Val Jean's death is beautifully done. Neither actor could carry the role vocally onstage, as Jackman's voice is a little thin and Crowe doesn't have the range. But for a movie, Jackman was good and Crowe's singing didn't detract from his moving performance.

Finally, I was really happy to see both Samantha Barks and Colm Wilkinson onscreen. Barks reprised her role as Eponine (Barks performed the role on the West End and sang it for the 25th Anniversary Concert) and proved she could do it with a camera in her face. I really like her voice and I was very happy to see that she translates nicely to film, since not everyone does. Colm Wilkinson was a treat. I have a deep love for that man's voice and to see him in the role of the Bishop was lovely. The addition of him to the death of Val Jean was perfect.

The scale of the drama as presented on the screen was phenomenal. Stagecraft creates a breathtaking moment with the building of the barricade, but to see the prison, the barricade, Paris, onscreen in full scope...I think it brought the message of the production home.

Review: Rise of the Guardians

I saw Rise of the Guardians shortly after it opened and I love this movie. I will own it once it's available in March, it's that good.

To recap the plot, the Guardians are tasked with the protection of the things that make children sacred - wonder, hope, memories of childhood, and dreams. They consist of Nicholas St. North (Santa, voiced by Alec Baldwin), E. Aster Bunnymund (the Easter Bunny, voiced by Hugh Jackman), Tooth (the Tooth Fairy, voiced by Isla Fisher), and Sandy (the Sandman, who does not speak). They are informed by the Man in the Moon that they need to bring Jack Frost (voiced by Chris Pine) on board to deal with Pitch Black (the Boogeyman, voiced by Jude Law), who is turning Dreams into Nightmares and killing the belief in the Guardians.

The voice acting is fantastic. I love Jude Law as a villain and all the Guardians are well voiced.  I'm a sucker for a beautiful movie and this one fits the bill, both with plot and visuals. The animation is so beautiful and avoids the hyper-realism that animation leans towards, which annoys me. Hugh Jackman is always a favorite, but him as the masculine, Australian Easter Bunny is really enjoyable.

I highly recommend this movie and encourage everyone to see it. It restores hope.

Review: J. Edgar

As a avowed Leonardo Dicaprio fan, I have been wanted to see J. Edgar since it came out, but it managed to disappear through the cracks along with many others. Tonight, that was rectified.

J. Edgar is a biographical film of J. Edgar Hoover focused on his time in the FBI...which is everything except the first 24 years of his life, which are touched on through reference and flashback with him mother, played by Dame Judi Dench. Armie Hammer is fantastic as Clyde Tolson and Naomi Watts is the formidable Helen Grandy. The combination of Hammer, Watts, and Dicaprio creates a really fascinating triangle that allows a certain depth to the movie that would have been missing otherwise. Clint Eastwood continues his stellar directorial career.

The movie is incredibly accurate by most biographers notes. It touches on the cross-dressing rumors (which are disputed) and examines the relationship with Tolson, which has a lot of credible backing. Considering the man was the eminent spook, and had files on everyone without much existing on him, they did a great job at building a narrative that was credible and wove together what is known (such as the senate hearings and public statements) with the gaping holes in historical record.

Hoover is someone that intrigues me for many reasons, both personal and professional. The movie was compelling and makes me want to read more about him, which I think it indicative of a good biopic. The cast is stellar, including some excellent cameos (this was one of those "Hey, that guy!" movies). The movie is restrained to great benefit - I never felt that it was portraying Hoover as a character, but as a very nuanced man. It should also be said that the aging work was fantastic, covering over 50 years.

I highly recommend it.

Review: The Hunger Games

So I loved the Hunger Games trilogy. I read all three in about 72 hours and absolutely loved them. I was excited about the movie, but as always, a bit cautious going into an adaptation. That said, I had great faith in the cast and held out hope.

It should be said that the movie was fantastic. Jennifer Lawrence delivered another solid performance as Katniss. It had to be hard going from the indy world into one of the most anticipated big-budget movies with a rabid fan base. I thought she really embodied Katniss beautifully and look forward to seeing her in the next two movies, since Katniss goes through a really interesting character arch that I think she'll handle perfectly.

Surprise performance for me was Woody Harrelson as Haymitch. He doesn't look like I pictured Haymitch and he was the casting about which I was most skeptical. Karina, who went with me and hasn't read the books, commented that she always forgets that Harrelson is, in fact, an incredibly talented actor, and I do the same. I used Karina as my gauge on a lot of things since she was approaching it without the background and love for the books. She agreed with me that Harrelson's performance was incredibly nuanced and moving. Haymitch is not my favorite character in the book, but he might be from the movie because of this remarkable performance.

Cinna, one of my favorite characters in the book, was really well represented by Lenny Kravtiz. From the descriptions of Cinna in the book, I always pictured Alan Cumming and was skeptical of Kravtiz in the role. I'm happy to say I was wrong and he delivered a performance that was strong and soft at the same time. Also, his gold eyeliner might be my new favorite thing.

Last note on casting - the Tributes were all near dead ringers for their book descriptions as far as I can remember. I knew who each was by looking at them. Really well done.

One of the things I really enjoyed about the movie was that they were able to show things happening in the background that were only vaguely referenced in the book. We got to see President Snow more (played devilishly by Donald Sutherland) and his gentle manipulations of the Games. We got to see Haymitch lobbying for Katniss. We got to see Seneca Crane's sadistic glee in manipulating the games. It was so beautifully done, so artistically realized, that it elevated the movie from a faithful adaptation (which it was) to a truly moving piece.

Overall, I loved the movie. What I did not love was the theater full of chattering, screaming, squealing teenage girls making sounds I am certain never came out of my mouth. I was happy that the movie was good enough that it wasn't ruined for Karina by the atmosphere and it taught me an important lesson. For future releases, wait a week to see it. Less chance I'll commit homicide.

Disney Animated Films (and assorted others that are logically associated)

In the grand tradition of lists (I love lists...), I am beginning one for tracking my ownership of Disney animated films, which, next to musicals, are my favorite genre. They are listed in order of release (thank you to http://www.thecompletistgeek.com/ for the information). I have noted if they are owned on Bluray (the goal), DVD (intermediate) or unowned. Disney's limited release schedules may make some harder to find than others. Also, I have made some changes since this is the "to buy" list and I have removed those movies I'm not interested in, which are usually the smaller market releases (sorry, Saludos Amigos) or the never-ending sequels (Bambi II? Really?). The list does include Pixar as well given their on-again-off-again relationship with Disney.

1. Snow White (1937) - DVD
2. Pinocchio (1940)
3. Fantasia (1940)
4. Dumbo (1941) - DVD - this was my favorite as a child
5. Bambi (1942)
6. Song of the South (1946) - this has never been released for home viewing because of racist content, but if it ever is...
7. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
8. Cinderella (1950) - DVD
9. Alice In Wonderland (1951)
10. Peter Pan (1953)
11. Lady and the Tramp (1955) - this is about to released on Bluray
12. Sleeping Beauty (1959)
13. One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
14. The Sword and the Stone (1963)
15. The Jungle Book (1967)
16. The Aristo Cats (1970)
17. Robin Hood (1973) - my dad's favorite
18. The Rescuers (1977)
19. The Fox and the Hound (1981)
20. The Black Cauldron (1985)
21. The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
22. Oliver and Company (1988) - introduced me to the great Billy Joel
23. The Little Mermaid (1989) - DVD - Ariel is my favorite heroine because she looks like me!
24. The Rescuers Down Under (1990)
25. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
26. Aladdin (1992)
27. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - Touchstone, technically, but has been so integrated into Disney culture that it counts.
28. The Lion King (1994)
29. Pocahontas (1995)
30. Toy Story (1995)
31. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
32. Hercules (1997)
33. Mulan (1998)
34. A Bug's Life (1998) - DVD
35. Tarzan (1999)
36. Toy Story 2 (1999)
37. Lilo and Stitch (2000)
38. Monsters Inc. (2001) - DVD
39. Finding Nemo (2003) - DVD
40. The Incredibles (2004) - DVD
41. Cars (2006)
42. Ratatouille (2007)
43. Wall-E (2008)
44. The Princess and the Frog (2009)
45. Up (2009)
46. Tangled (2010)
47. Toy Story 3

These movies aren't technically animated features, but they heavily feature Disney animation and thus are on the list.

Mary Poppins (1964)
Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
Pete's Dragon (1977)
Enchanted (2007)

Logan's Run

When I was in high school, I had serious insomnia and spent my evenings watching Nick at Nite and the SciFy channel. At some point in there, I saw Logan's Run for the first time and fell in love it it. It was crucial in developing my love of the post-apocalyptic genre, such as The Hunger Games series or the Planet of the Apes movies (I've seen them all). But Logan's Run started it all.

The movie was filmed in the 70s and a lot of that is felt in the movie. People live in pure pleasure and free of responsibilities until they are killed on their 30th birthday in a ritual called Carousel, where they face the option of rebirth. Those who try to evade this fate are called Runners and tracked down by elite police (likened by star Michael York to the SS) called Sandmen. York plays a Sandman, Logan 5 who is put on a mission to find Sanctuary, which is supposedly where the 1000+ missing runners have gone. He pairs up with Jessica 6 (played by the lovely Jenny Agutter) in this pursuit and becomes a Runner himself.

It's a rather complicated movie, actually. Some of the things are illogical (the aging scheme is inconsistent and the world would have deteriorated far more by the 23rd century). However it's rather fascinating to watch and consider. On a production scale, they did a great job at creating a futuristic world, though the free love concepts of the 60s and 70s definitely make their way in. I am also caught off guard by the free expression of sexuality in the movie compared to the tame way we address it today. Jessica 6 is nearly naked the first time we see her and fully naked at least once in the film (she apparently was originally supposed to be naked more, but it was cut for timing ,though a "knicker reel" - her words - apparently circulated Hollywood). We get flashed repeatedly by women in very short skirts and loose tops. And in the Love Shop, people are naked and having sex, right on screen! It was a bit startling. I don't particularly object to it, I think we've gotten a bit prude as a society, but it was so unusual.

That aside, it is one of my favorite movies. If you haven't seen it, you should. It's available on Netflix (DVD only right now) and worth the rental. And Michael York remains one of the most attractive British actors ever. Even now, he's a stud.

A Good Day!

Finally!

The weather was beautiful so I turned off the heat and opened windows to give my house a chance to air out a little. I got some cleaning and laundry done, as well as caught up on the ironing that has been building up. Knitting made some headway and I read for class tomorrow. No calculus, but hopefully some will get done tomorrow night.

I made rosewater out of the beautiful bouquet that Kyle got me for Valentine's (except the one that I pressed). I used the method from Care2 and it was pretty easy. I didn't remove the extract at small intervals and the initial amount was really strong, so I let it go awhile longer and got a slightly diluted form which I prefer. I left the pot on the stove (which was off) and let it perfume the house after I was done. Huzzah to a really good astringent and making use of something that would have otherwise gone into the trash. The remaining petals will be put in the flowerbeds outside.

Also watched the Oscars tonight (though I was on a delay to begin with because I got caught up in a Criminal Minds marathon and couldn't stop halfway through, so I DVRd the Oscars and got to fast forward through the commercials for most of broadcast). I wanted Hailee Steinfeld to win for True Grit, but Melissa Leo was so cute on winning that I couldn't be too upset. I also wanted Jennifer Lawrence to win for Winter's Bone (if you haven't seen it, go rent or Netflix it - it's amazing), however I knew there was no one who was going to beat Natalie Portman. And rightly so - Black Swan was utterly haunting. I hoped when she was thanking her parents that they would be shown so I could see her mom*, but I was disappointed.

My favorite speech of the night was David Seidler, the writer behind The King's Speech. His speech was funny and eloquent and seemed natural, rather than some of the forced humor in some speeches. I really loved his voice and it was just touching.

*Side note here: When I worked at Equinox, I had the distinct privilege of meeting (and signing up) Natalie Portman's mother. She was a classy lady who never once mentioned her daughter's name (she told me her daughter launched a line of vegan shoes, which she totally had) and was truly one of the nicest strangers I had ever met. I will never forget how sweet she was to me for the handful of months that I knew her and as much as I loved Miss Portman already, meeting her mother made me love her even more.

Rediscovering The Sound of Music

I grew up with The Sound of Music. I have known every word the music, the timing and the pacing since as long as I can remember. But it's been years since I watched it, maybe even a decade. I have seen it on stage, but I know the show so well, I never thought about how long it had been since I watched it.

My sister, in her wisdom, chose the 45th Anniversary BluRay version for my birthday present. It arrived today and I put it in. It's amazing what time will do to your perception of a film.

First, I forgot how long it is. This is why I'm writing this at 2 am - I just finished watching it. Heavens, but it's long. On a positive note, I didn't realize how late it was until I stopped watching the film, so that's a good thing.

There's so much I never noticed as a child. I never noticed how different the Captain is when he's with the Baroness and Max at the beginning of the film - how his tone and temper changes drastically from the way he addresses his children and Maria. His charming banter, as well as the Baroness' flirting and suggestion, completely went over my head before. That's a pattern, actually. The development of the relationship between Maria and the Captain is so much clearer when you've been through it yourself. I can see the looks and the moments that worried the Baroness - as well as her jealously, which I had never caught. I knew for some reason I didn't quite like her, because I think I knew that the Captain was supposed to marry Maria, so this woman was in the way, but the jealousy is rather subtly played, as is her victory attitude when she convinces Maria to leave. I still, however, found the same reaction to her comment about boarding school, which can't be typed in polite company. I just have better words for it now.

I also noticed how well acted this movie is. The music and the children were always my focus as a child, because of course I noticed and was interested in the things I could relate to. Also, the children are entertaining. But the awkwardness in the Captain when he goes to find Maria (after he and the Baroness have called it off in a rather adult way) - that is the awkwardness of a man who is interested in a woman and doesn't know how she'll react. I know that emotion, I've seen it! The attempt at being playful that comes across poorly - accurate. And her response (Something Good, one of my favorite songs) is so very real - what did I ever do to deserve this and how can I do it again? It's so touching and captivating when you have something to relate it to, rather than wishing they'd hurry up so we could get back to the kids.

Speaking of the kids, Liesl's attempt at and then dissolution of relationship with Rolph is very hard to watch. So beautiful when they have their first kiss - that tension and excitement. And then so very sad when it all crumbles and she realizes it fully. I think she handled it better than any 16 year old I knew...but then again, she is going on 17.

Small things I noticed too. For example, I know that the girl who played Gretl almost drowned in the scene where they fall in the lake. And sure enough, when the boat topples, she grabs on to the side and then is seen being carried to land. Everyone else is laughing - she's crying. It's only a second, but there it is. Apparently, the actress has been deathly afraid of water ever since.

So, yes, it was wonderful to see again. I had missed this movie, and a lot of other Rogers and Hammerstein films that I grew up with. Like I said to my sister, the hardest part about growing up is realizing you don't own any of your movies - your parents do!

A Darker Disney

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs aired on ABC Family tonight (followed by Enchanted, which I love) and I realized how very dark Disney animated films were. Kellie and I discussed Pinocchio in the same light - boys being lured to an island of eternal fun (including cigars!) and then turned into donkeys? That's some dark stuff.

Snow White has a Queen who tries to cut out Snow White's heart, a really ominous brewing of poisons (both the transformation one and the apple) and the Queen cackling about her being buried alive. She also falls off a cliff and gets squashed by a boulder.

So, once upon a time, Disney told stories that were dark and had actual scary elements to them. Even The Little Mermaid was not to nice - remember Ursula getting a schooner through her abdomen? It's hard to pinpoint, but I think the change came with Pixar. Beauty and the Beast, Alladin and The Lion King all contained pretty dark elements, though Scar wasn't nearly as scary as the previous villains. But Toy Story? Monsters, Inc.? Finding Nemo? Fantastic movies, but they lack the evil element.

What is the purpose of this? A different style of storytelling, certainly. But maybe it's a move towards realism. The reason for really dark elements of fairy tales is to scare children into behaving and to provide a really dark side so that the happy elements are that much brighter. But the dark elements in Cars is Lightning McQueen's own ego and some competition at the racetrack. More true to reality, but not nearly as dramatic. We do get a villain in The Incredibles, but it lacks evil.

I love the Pixar movies and own several of them. They are great movies. But I miss the evil and dark of the original Disney animated films.

Summary of a Wonderful Weekend

I had the most amazing weekend. Yes, it's Tuesday (okay, Wednesday) already, but the weekend went through Monday so I'm justified in being a little late.

Kyle was in this weekend, which means it would have been amazing if we had stayed in the house. We did not, however. Now, among my boy's many charms is his utter detestation of the snow. Not to mention he has no natural defense against it at all. I would not have been surprised if we hibernated this weekend for although we had sunny, clear days, the temperature peaked at about 30.

But no, we braved the cold! On Saturday, we saw Black Swan, which was fantastic. Haunting is a great word for it. They mean it when they call it a psychological thriller. Amazing, truly amazing. Everyone was really great in it, but Natalie Portman gave a truly thrilling performance. She also did all her own dancing except for the long shots that required her to be en pointe for an extended period (it takes years of training to be able to stay en pointe for long lengths of time and though she trained for a year, I'm glad she didn't risk breaking her feet). Even hours later, we were still talking about it. It sticks with you. Wow. Just wow.

After the movie, we grabbed dinner at The Melting Pot, which I always like. Kyle, who is not a fan of cheese, braved a cheese course and liked it. The chocolate course is always amazing and we shared an outstanding bottle of wine. He is dedicated to his pursuit to get me to like reds. Afterwards, we caught another movie, this time True Grit. Completely different and truly fantastic. I like westerns since they have a lot of what I like in movies. We already knew Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges could act and Josh Brolin was unsurprisingly captivating for his few minutes on screen. But hands down the movie was owned by Hailee Steinfeld. What a debut. I think it's tragic the way it was shut out of the Golden Globes, but this girl has some future ahead of her.

We came home and watched Social Network, which we both missed in theaters. It was good, I certainly enjoyed it and it was interesting. Justin Timberlake was really good - he's got some chops and I'm glad to see him getting bigger roles. However...I don't understand why everyone thought it was so groundbreaking. Maybe it's because it's the topic that was fascinating - we all use facebook, even if we hate it, and seeing how it started, and how young they were, is really interesting. Maybe it's just because we saw two really phenomenal movies earlier, but it didn't wow me. I'd watch it again and I enjoyed it, but eh.

Sunday we ventured into the city and saw Avenue Q. Everyone knows I'm a Broadway fan, but Kyle is not the biggest musical guy. I thought swearing puppets might be a good intro and, thankfully, he really seemed to enjoy it. I was disappointed that the understudy for Kate/Lucy the Slut had such a weak voice. Kate has some great songs and, more importantly, an important vocal line in the harmonies, so the performance was missing something without a strong vocal. Maybe the girl got called in at the last minute - it was the matinee. But the show was fun, regardless. We followed with the thing Kyle had been truly looking forward to - dinner at Brasserie Les Halles, Anthony Bourdain's restaurant before he became a chef at large. The menu hadn't changed since he was there and it was to die for. We had clams for a starter, then I had scallops in a champagne sauce while Kyle had steak tartar. Spectacular. The food tasted so good, I couldn't even describe it. For desert Kyle had profiteroles, which were new to him, and I had the most amazing creme brule I have ever tasted. The sugar was so thick, I had to take a good whack at it to crack it. The bourdeoux was had was eh and definitely did nothing for the scallops, but the port we had with dinner (and shared with our neighbors on both sides) was divine. Truly a fantastic dining experience. I really want to go there for breakfast...

As if the weekend couldn't get any better, Kyle gave me the most beautiful earrings for my birthday. Simple, elegant and classy, they will be added to the staples of my jewelry collection. The man has excellent taste (though no surprise there). And the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. His parents gave me a really lovely charm bracelet, which came with a puppy print (Indy), a horse (I ride), J heart K, a garnet (my birthstone) and a mortarboard (for school). Not only is it beautiful and utterly versatile, it clearly took some thought and time to put together, which I appreciate even more.

So, a week before my birthday and I'm already feeling utterly spoiled. I have 2 lab reports and a final this week - but at least I'm going into it with a smile.

The Santa Clause and Christmases Past

I've watched The Santa Clause one and a half times tonight (I caught it halfway through the first time). This is one of those movies that my sister, father and I kinda wore out when it came out - watched it over and over. I can still recite most of the movie, it turns out.

The movie is cheesy, but so much fun. I actually like all three of them. Maybe it's Christmas movies. Somehow, Christmas always seems much less complicated in movies, doesn't it? Even when they tackle the stress of Christmas, it always works out. Of course, that's the point of movies. Happy endings to make life a little more fun and maybe provide hope.

As a kid, Christmas was kinda stressful. In California, there was always the going between Grandma and Grandpa's houses. You couldn't take presents from Grandpa's house into Grandma's because if she asked about the presents, you'd have to mention Grandpa which was verbotten. There were also trips up the mountain to my uncle's house. When we went to Oklahoma for Christmas (every other year or so), we drove so there was at least a day on either side of the trip and often stops along the way to see friends and family in Arizona. When we moved to Oklahoma, we had the same in reverse, though with added trips in California to see friends we had left behind.

It took a long time for me to find magic in Christmas again. I got a taste of it in Korea (of all things) when Brendan and I had a snowy Christmas walk through the base. It was beautiful, especially considering how much I disliked Korea. We had a great Christmas here in NY with my parents when they came to visit a few years ago. And the next year, Christmas was quiet, spent with friends working in a soup kitchen and then having a quiet soup at their house.

Those small moments have slowly been reclaiming Christmas in my view. Less something to dread and more and more something to be excited about. I'll be in Oklahoma this year - first time in a decade. And since my brother-in-law is in the sandbox, it will be me, my sister and my parents for the last time. In the future there are in-laws and kids and while those will be wonderful, this is the last time in this part of our lives. I'm really excited.

It's December!

So it's December and in NY we were greeted with a rain and windstorm that was impressive. Wind howled, rain poured and Indy hid his face in the blankets all day.

I picked up Christmas cards today. They're pretty, I like them. Over 70 to send out this year, so I'm hoping to get a good tackle on them once I'm caught up on school stuff. My research project isn't coming along as well as I want, so I'm hoping to get a little extension to collect data. Biology is moving along and, unexpectedly, I'm caught up in Logic. I'm just ready for this semester to be over.

Practical Magic has been on Oxygen tonight and I've watched it twice. I discovered this movie at DLI with my roommate, who remains one of my favorite people from the military even though we haven't spoken in quite awhile. It's the bond between sisters that I find so alluring. And it always impressed me that the sisters have red and brown hair. My mom is a red-head and her sister is a brunette, as are me and my sister when we haven't messed with nature. And I've always had a special relationship with my aunt so that relationship in the movie is enjoyable for me. Too, there's something magical about the relationships women form with each other and the movie highlights and magnifies those.

So, holidays are in full swing. I want to decorate a little, even though I won't be here most of the month. Not a lot of sense in getting a tree given that, but I can at least hang a wreath and maybe some lights. Ahh, Christmas...