I have seen 'Almost Famous' probably 15 times, so it’s probably not fair to call this a review. Last night, we hooked up a projector and our iPod speaker deck and watched the movie upstairs on our roof deck, projecting it onto a building across the way. We had talked about this hypothetically for years, and in the spirit of Getting Things Done before we leave Boston, we just decided to make it happen. We chose ‘Almost Famous’ because it’s such a crowd pleaser, and it seemed like the type of movie that should be projected on a brick wall.
Maybe it was the setting, maybe it was the company, maybe it’s the ever-increasing sentimentality as we prepare to move, but every second of the movie was even better than the first 14 times I saw it. Some thoughts:
After the credits, the movie shows San Diego during Christmas time in 1969. The Chipmunk Song is playing. This cracked me up last night, because of how Jason Lee was just in the movie version of ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks.’
Why did Patrick Fugit disappear after this? The only other thing I’ve ever seen him in was the movie version of ‘White Oleanders’. Did he not age well? Was he *too* William Miller to make it seem like he could play other characters?
When I had this thought last night, I thought it was totally insightful…now I’m realizing I brought the same thing up with ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’: Do you think that movies set in the past (at the time of release) age better?
Jessica shared with us some trivia about the movie, and Jack Black was up for the role of Lester Bangs, which eventually went to Philip Seymour Hoffman. I find it mindblowing how much this could have changed his career. This was after Tenacious D, and right around the time of ‘High Fidelity’ – it could have really reshaped him. Instead, he did ‘Shallow Hal.’
Frances McDormand is so good: She says more with one eyebrow raise than I could get out in a week. Her character is so strongly developed – she is this powerful, hard headed woman, with this amazing soft heart. I think this is one of my favorite movie characters of all time.
Two Elton John songs feature prominently in the movie: 'Tiny Dancer' and 'Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters.' Beautiful stuff. He’s so not lame, I don’t understand how he became a mainstay of soft rock stations (and I wonder if he does).
If you haven’t seen 'Almost Famous' before, step away from my blog right now and go to your nearest Netflix queue. This is one of the movies I compare other films to when evaluating their Twix bar worthiness, it's that movingly good. 9 Twix bars!
Robert Downey Jr. and Sarah Jessica Parker dated for 7 years in the 80s.
Seal’s scars are from lupus.
Patrick Swayze and his wife have been married since 1975. They met when she was 15 and he was 19, and she was a student at his mom’s dance studio.
Barack Obama became the only president ever sworn in by a Chief Justice whose appointment he opposed.
Isn't that interesting, Morris? (You should look up interesting in the dictionary, Dad.) Sorry, sometimes 'Camp Nowhere' quotes just come out. I'm working on it.
After a week that included Elizabeth Hasselbeck saying Michael Phelps is now likely to take performance enhancing drugs, I would like to thank Alex Rodriguez for bringing illegal drug use in professional sports back into perspective.
Let’s compare:
Michael Phelps consumed a “drug” that is not even a banned substance in his sport and is certainly not a performance enhancer, during the off-season. He acknowledged and apologized for the indiscretion.
Versus:
Alex Rodriguez took two banned substances during a year he was awarded the league’s MVP and traded to a team where he would go on to become MLB’s highest paid player. He has gone on ’60 Minutes’ before, denying ever taking steroids and in this case responded: “You’ll have to talk to the union. I’m not saying anything.”
Sure, in A-Rod’s “defense” the results were supposed to have been anonymous. And – at this point – all accusations are “alleged.” That’s about as far as I can go in terms of defending him. And, yes, Michael Phelps makes a lot of money as a spokesperson for products that are marketed towards children. Besides the fact that he’s barely more than a kid himself, and that marijuana is barely a drug, please see above about how he admitted what he did and took responsibility for it. That is what we call personal accountability and it's commendable.
I would like to thank Seth Meyer and ‘Weekend Update’ for really summarizing the Michael Phelps situation accurately – you can see it starting at 1:32 in the below video.
For those of y’all without Hulu access, let me transcribe:
"If you’re at a party and you see Michael Phelps smoking a bong, and your first thought isn’t ‘Wow, I get to party with Michael Phlelps” and instead you take a picture and sell it to a tabloid, you should take a long look in the mirror, because you’re a dick. I mean, really.”
I don’t know if I can say that I enjoyed ‘Revolutionary Road,’ but I am glad to have seen it. That being said – most of my issues with the film are plot-driven, so if you haven’t seen it, and plan to, you should stop reading now.
As a good AP English student, I read a lot of so-called feminist literature in high school. At some point, I realized that feminist literature seemed to mean that, at the end, the heroine either marries (‘Jane Eyre') or dies (‘The Awakening’). This frustrated my 16-year old self, and it’s a large part of the reason I try to avoid chick lit today (If high-brow feminist literature is disappointing in its portrayal of women because it winds up being clichéd, what hope does Bridget Jones have?).
What does this have to do with ‘Revolutionary Road’? Well, I haven’t read the book, but according to my sources (Read: Trevor), the Sam Mendes-directed adaptation is very accurate, so I feel pretty confident saying that ‘Revolutionary Road’ is a feminist novel. This is interesting, because it’s written by a man. While I believe that men can be feminists (The idea that to be a feminist is to hate men and not shave your armpits is an out-of-date, close-minded, ridiculous view), I am not entirely comfortable with the idea of male writers – and film directors – using a woman’s feelings about and actions toward her body as a symbol for their a bigger statement, which is what I think was happening here.
Let’s get into the specifics:
Kate and Leo play a married couple, living a supposed perfect life in the suburbs of New York City in the 1950s. Under the surface, it’s far from perfect. When they met, they had ideas and plans and passions – and now they’ve somehow wound up the bored parents of two living in the suburbs, and they blame one another. She’s manipulative and prone to depressive behavior; he’s wandering, patronizing and self-righteous.
They decide to break out of this mold, to grab their lives with both hands and to make it into the one they always imagined. For them, this means picking up and moving to Paris, where Kate Winslet’s April will support the family in a well-paying secretarial position while Leo’s Frank, for lack of a better term, figures his s**t out. This decision – one that they make together, based on an amount of mutual respect they hadn’t shown one another in years – reinvigorates their marriage, and they go about making plans and feeling superior to everyone around them. It’s the kind of idealistic glow you can only hope will last. Then (again, SPOILER ALERT), she gets pregnant and he gets cold feet and cancels their plans. She freaks out, tries to abort the new baby to take some semblance of control over her own life, and winds up killing herself.
In the end, we’re left with an image of her children swinging on a jungle gym, being absentmindedly watched by their now devoted (so we hear) father. We also get to see the neighbors – who, if I had time/space and thought you were interested, I could write a whole lot more about. Let’s just say that one of them, the “perfect husband” is in love with Kate Winslet, and does more than fantasize about it – gossiping about the story of the Wheelers as they welcome a new couple to Revolutionary Road.
I know that the movie is about the cyclical attempt to recapture the American Dream. Richard Yates was challenging his readers to ask what this so-called picture perfect post-war America was really hiding. But, I can’t help but feel like there’s this underlying point being made about the futility of life as a woman, and that’s what’s really bothering me.
Wow, you’re still with me?
Plot-aside, the movie was well done. I kind of felt like Leonardo Dicaprio was channeling Pete Campbell and I wasn’t as impressed with Kate Winslet as I was expecting, but it was beautifully shot and there was excellent support from Kathy Bates, the Oscar-nominated Michael Shannon and Kathryn Hahn, who looks way too much like Ana Gasteyer:
I know I just spent a few paragraphs ranting about the plot, so it probably won’t shock you to say that I didn’t love the script. I’ll reiterate what Trevor said afterward: Because the script pulled so directly from the book, it would have been better served on stage, where such formal language seems at home. But where the script was good, it was great. For me, in the movie world, there are few things more hard-hitting, nerve-wracking and intense than arguments you can imagine participating in – the kind that leave its on-screen participants in tears, broken up, or silently sitting on the edge of a bed, broken down. These are more intense for me than any fight scene where actual punches are thrown, and this movie has raised the bar with some serious doozies.
I was lucky enough to be able to watch most of the inauguration ceremony today at work – they set up a full projection screen in the kitchen, but I opted for the privacy of my office, so I could share thoughts with Trevor, and (just maybe) shed some tears in peace.
Here I am with President Barack Obama:
What did you think? Here are just some things that went through my head:
Aretha Franklin is amazing, even if she dresses up like a bow.
It’s hilarious that Diane Feinstein is considered this evil beacon of liberal-ness – and she’s just this normal-looking woman with Grandma hair.
Do you think that Joe Biden and Obama decided what color ties to wear, so that one would be in red and one in blue?
He’s only the 6th youngest president?
Bill Clinton got WHITE hair.
Just two things I appreciate from Obama’s inauguration speech: He mentions non-believers in line with all those of all different religions that make up this country. And he points to the great heroes who make up this land, including the soldiers and the firefighters, and wrapping up with mention of some the greatest heroes: Parents. My favorite tiny quote excerpt: “As the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself." (Complete inauguration address text)
That benediction from Reverend Joseph Lowery (co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Martin Luther King Jr.) was amazing: "Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around, when yellow can be mellow, when the red man can get ahead, man, and when white will embrace what is right...Say Amen!" Amen!
In all seriousness – it has been a long time since I thought about America as a democracy and about the position that we hold, to have had 44 consecutive peaceful transfers of power. It’s something to be proud of. Something else to be proud of: There are qualities that we all as Americans have in common, regardless of political and religious leanings:
"Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true."
Thanks for the reminder, Mr. President. And so it begins!
I loved this poem - though not the reading - of Yale Professor, Elizabeth Alexander (my advance apologies for any error in transcription):
Each day we go about our business Walking past each other Catching each other's eyes or not About to speak or speaking All about us is noise All about us is noise and bramble, thorn and din Each one of our ancestors on our tongues
Someone is stitching a hem Darning up a hole in a uniform Patching a tire Repairing the things in need of repair Someone is trying to make music somewhere With a pair of wooden spoons On an oil drum With cello, boom box, harmonica, voice
A woman and her son wait for the bus A farmer considers the changing sky A teacher says ‘Take out your pencils. Begin.’
We encounter each other in words Words spiny or smooth whispered or declaimed Words to consider, reconsider
We cross dirt roads and highways that mark the will of someone And then others who said ‘I need to see what’s on the other side. I know there’s something better down the road. We need to find a place where we are safe.’ We walk into that which we cannot yet see.
Say it plain that many have died for this day Sing the names of the dead who brought us here Who laid the train tracks Raised the bridges Picked the cotton and the lettuce Built brick by brick the glittering edifices They would then keep clean and work inside of
Praise song for struggle Praise song for the day Praise song for every hand-lettered sign The figuring-it-out at kitchen tables
Some live by “Love thy neighbor as thyself” Other by “First do no harm” or “Take no more than you need” What if the mightiest word is love? Love beyond marital, filial, national Love that casts a widening pool of light Love with no need to preempt grievance In today’s sharp sparkle This winter air Anything can be made Any sentence begun On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp Praise song for walking forward in that light.
I’m clearly more of a pop person than a politics one, but the relevance of what’s about to go down in Washington cannot be ignored. Barack Obama is January’s Man of the Month.
As President, the demands will be huge: Fix the economy and end the war. As Man of the Month, I have just one demand: Do your best. As President, he will rub elbows with the leaders of the free world. As Man of the Month, he joins the illustrious company of previous title-holders, including Paul Rudd, Joshua Jackson and Taye Diggs. As President, he will be ridiculed mercilessly by late night talk show hosts, looking for errors in every action. As Man of the Month, I will choose flattering photos to pepper the blog with, and, just as I did with James Franco, overlook any missteps in my (one-month long) blind devotion.
There you have it: If he’s going to be president, he can probably live up to the title of Man of the Month as well.
On a more serious note, to say that I’m excited about the dawn of the Obama era would be a little bit of an understatement. It’s not just that he can put a sentence together. It’s not just that he stands more to the left than most mainstream politicians. And it’s not just that his beliefs happen to coincide (for the most part) with my own. It’s the fact that he’s committed to bringing this country together, regardless of political leanings, religious credo and personal convictions, to be a productive member of the global village we all now live in. And that I believe he can actually do it.
I have this wonderfully hopeful feeling about the United States under such a president – and it’s more powerful than any giggly butterflies previous Men of the Month have given me (no offense, guys).
The Daily Beast recently released its list of 2008's best viral videos. I'm sure there are a million lists out there just like this, but as one of my most trusted news aggregators, I'll defer to theirs (Bonus points for including my own personal favorite - 'You Can Vote However You Like.'). Have you seen this one? It's a heartwarmer.
Now, I have had a blog planned for a good long while about my long-time love, admiration and appreciation of Oprah Winfrey, so I won’t get into all of that now, but I would just like to point out that while “amazing” is a word that I’ve always used to describe her and her ascent to the top, never has the word “adorable” been considered. And watching her cry on the shoulder of the man in front of her at Obama’s speech on Tuesday was incredibly adorable.
I felt a lot of emotions yesterday: I’d been insanely nervous for days. As I saw the voting lines wrap around the block and read everyone on Facebook update their status to say they voted, I was inspired and really, really proud. As the results started coming in, I was thrilled. And, at the end, I was the most unrecognized of all: patriotic.
I have never felt prouder to be an American than to see the battle end so early, with a mandate bestowed upon a progressive, young, African American. And it did me good to hear both John McCain and Obama speak last night. Yes, I felt McCain’s speech was a little too focused on the history-making fact that Obama is black, but I was also moved by his sincerity and his graciousness in defeat. He did the right thing, in the right way, and that made me pretty damn proud.
Now, onto the victor.
Man oh man, did he ever nail that speech? Here are just some of the amazing, beautiful words he said (complete transcript here.)
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer. … It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America. It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day. It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America. … I know you didn't do this just to win an election and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair. … Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, "We are not enemies, but friends...though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection." And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.
For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow. … America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.
Really heart-warming stuff – practical, sincere, inspirational and hard-hitting in all the right places. I am thrilled that this man will be my President.
Unfortunately, a huge amount of these warm fuzzy feelings have disappeared with the results coming in about California’s Proposition 8. I am repulsed and disgusted by my home state, and I am also completely shocked. How did the state of California, one of the traditionally most liberal and forward-thinking states out there, get a measure like this on the ballot in the first place, and then actually pass it? What kind of person goes into the voting booth and chooses to discriminate? And (speaking as a pretty pro-animal rights person), how can a state expand the rights of animals while restricting the rights of humans? I am truly blown away by this.
This won't be a Jobs that Should be Mine, because in real life, I know absolutely nothing about fashion and could therefore never before the day-to-day requirements of Founder of GoFugYourself.com.
However, this is a major shout out to the girls who make my lunch hour fly by, and provide an awesome resource when searching for new haircut ideas, because I love this post from today:
Also - bonus points for anyone who wants to guess what I voted for.
Have I mentioned before how important it is to me that every human being in this country votes? It is in the Top 3 things of 'What I Care About' - it's like: Family, Friends, People Voting. Seriously.
Here are three videos about that very subject - don't worry, they're totally pop culture related:
Apparently TI has a song called 'Whatever You Like' - These kids turned it into a song about voting 'however you like'. Sample lyrics: Obama on the left/McCain on the right/We can talk politics all night/And you can vote however you like/You can vote however you like, yeah.
Here's an interview with some of the kids - really inspirational stuff from a group of 6th & 7th graders:
Celebrities get involved! A lot of them - probably one for each member of the alphabet: Ashton, Benicio, Courtney Cox, Demi, Ellen...I really could keep going...
Make sure to watch from at least 2:10 on with this one:
As background - this movie poster was banned in the US by the MPAA for being indecent.
While my first intention with this image was to discuss the MPAA and decency and what should be considered offensive and how certain pop culture offerings become scape goats to prove there's still interest in "protecting" the "innocence" of the youth or the conservative ideals of America... All I can find myself thinking about is how much Elizabeth Banks and Rachel McAdams are starting to look like one another.
Sheryl Crow performed at the Democratic National Convention this week. And, while I can, I suppose, applaud her participation in the political process, I really find her song choice - "Strong Enough" - a dubious one.
The first 2 verses are almost applicable - if I squint my eyes, I can think that this applies to a frustrated citizen...
God, I feel like hell tonight Tears of rage I cannot fight I’d be the last to help you understand Are you strong enough to be my man?
Nothing’s true and nothing’s right So let me be alone tonight Cause you can’t change the way I am Are you strong enough to be my man?
It's the chorus where she loses me. I mean, is repeating the phrase "Lie to me" really the most appropriate thing to do when dedicating a song to a political candidate?
Lie to me I promise I’ll believe Lie to me But please don’t leave
And then it's just completely senseless.
I have a face I cannot show I make the rules up as I go It’s try and love me if you can Are you strong enough to be my man?
Okay, maybe it works again.
When I’ve shown you that I just don’t care When I’m throwing punches in the air When I’m broken down and I can’t stand Will you be strong enough to be my man?
Yeah, no.
Lie to me I promise I’ll believe Lie to me But please don’t leave
