Life is Beautiful

I’ve been watching more movies lately as I’ve shifted from sewing to knitting in the evenings, at least on the evenings there is no adult conversation to be found. My most recent flick was Life is Beautiful, recommended to me by Netflix. . .and recommended to you by me. My Italian is limited to buon giorno, arrivederci, and the names of my favorite pastas, so I went for the dubbed English; if I hadn’t been knitting I might have watched the original Italian with English subtitles.

The storyline is neatly divided in two parts. The first half is a romantic comedy set in late 1930s Italy, with the struggling waiter Guido meeting the “princess” Dora quite by accident. He falls in love with her and manages to create future accidental meetings until the feeling becomes mutual. With the advantage of hindsight, it is clear that the story takes place on the eve of World War II, although it is well into the movie that we find out Guido is Jewish.

Several years pass offstage, and now Guido and Dora are married with a young son named Joshua. Guido finally has his own bookshop, but the effects of the war are seen everywhere. . .except in Joshua’s eyes. Even when Guido and Joshua are herded onto the train to the concentration camp, the father manages to create a sense of happiness for his son. He tells them that they are playing a game where points are tallied daily and the grand prize is a tank. Guido’s part is to work long and hard every day; Joshua earns his points by not complaining and hiding from the guards.

In reading reviews of this movie, it seems viewers either love or hate it. Some point out that real concentration camps were a far grimmer place, and that is true, but it is still clear the camp is not a happy place outside Joshua’s mind. Men and women are segregated, with the men spending their days in intense physical labor. The guards are stern and omnipresent while food is sparse. The children and the elderly, including Guido’s uncle, are lured to the gas chamber by promise of a shower soon after their arrival at the camp. But this movie is not so much about the atrocities of reality as it is about the alternate reality a father creates to protect his young son. And the lead actor’s comic abilities are well suited to do just that without trivializing the Holocaust.

We like Harry

Harry Potter started flying off bookshelves and into children’s lives during the years that I wasn’t paying much attention to juvenile fiction. I had already received my B.A. in English with a focus on children’s literature and was no longer spending my summers working in the children’s department of the local library. I was a mother, but at the time I was busy introducing my children to characters such as Madeline, Peter Rabbit, and Christopher Robin.

So it was that I didn’t take much notice of J. K. Rowling’s series of books until Drama Boy started reading them about three years ago. I still didn’t really pay attention, even when Boy Genius began the series as well. I knew there were some Christians who objected to the magic in the books, but I didn’t have much reading time and fantasy is not a genre I particularly enjoy. Larry was listening to the audio version with the boys while they ran their paper route so I left it to him to discuss any elements that needed discussing.

Fast forward to this spring, when I was waiting for someone in the van and saw that Drama Boy had left Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone (the first book in the series of seven) in the front seat. Never one to resist a book, I reluctantly picked it up and started reading. And was hooked. I still don’t care for fantasy as a genre, but I was impressed by Rowling’s writing in general and the development of characters (and their imaginary world) in particular. One book led to another, and pretty soon I had devoured the entire series.

In the meanwhile, Boy Genius resumed reading (he had never gotten past the Prisoner of Azkaban) and Twirly Girl started reading. As I read, I did decide to set some age guidelines because I felt some of the scenes in the later books are rather intense for my younger kids. Even with those restrictions, suddenly all three older children had something in common with each other–and with me (and Larry). I finally understood some of the things that Drama Boy had been saying and doing for years, and meanwhile the kids set up a Quidditch field in the back yard and made their own wands so they could work on their Patronus charms.

As for the ever-popular movies, the most recent of which was released last week, we’ve held to our standard movie rule:

You must read the book before you can watch the movie.

The boys had already purchased and watched the first three movies; Larry and I ended up buying the next two (which are rated PG-13) when I became possessed with the urge to watch all five before attending Half Blood Prince. We had hoped to attend the midnight showing last Wednesday, just for fun, but were unable to find a babysitter at that hour. We settled for going Wednesday evening, which is just as well because enough caffeine to keep me awake until 3am is not a good thing. We both enjoyed the movie very much, more so as we couldn’t remember the last time we went to a movie just the two of us, but even so my standard movie review applies:

The book is always better than the movie.

Miss Potter

I can’t remember when or why I put Miss Potter in my Netflix queue, but I’m very glad I did. I watched it while sewing one evening last week and then again on Sunday afternoon with Twirly Girl, thinking she might also enjoy this film (she did).

I don’t know how many liberties were taken with the life of Beatrix Potter. The script largely follows her entrance into the world of being a published author and includes a healthy helping of chaste romance (you may want to keep a hanky handy). The main storyline as well as the occasional flashbacks show her at odds with her parents as well as the Victorian world about her. There are also a number of whimsical animated sequences involving Peter Rabbit and his friends that serve as our window into Beatrix’s mind.

As an aside (to amuse those who know I seldom can tell one actor from another), Lloyd Owen plays a role in this movie. I only recognize him because he was Paul in Monarch of the Glen. . .and I only mention it because he happens to be easy on the eyes (and ears, come to think of it).

Rainy day

We don’t normally allow movie watching on weekdays, but this morning it is raining and the big kids are at the library’s summer reading program. A couple little boys were miffed at not being old enough, so I told them if their rooms were clean they could watch a movie.

It looks like Baby Boy isn’t too impressed by Silly Boy’s favorite movie, Cars; when I went down to check on them he was fast asleep in Twirly Girl’s beanbag chair. Bouncy Boy, in the middle, is awake, he’s just very mellow. “Hey, was that floating like a Cadillac or stinging like a Beamer? I’m confused.”

One Night with the King

Being a little under the weather yesterday, I watched a movie last night: One Night with the King. I can’t remember if it was suggested by a friend or by Netflix, but it caught my attention since Esther was one of our choices for naming a second girl. I enjoy historical movies of this sort because they put major events into a context of everyday life during that time period. I confess I’m not familiar enough with Esther’s story to recognize how much artistic license was taken with the details, but the major events were left unchanged from the Biblical account.  I was especially impressed by the costumes and scenery that showed both the wealth of ancient royalty and the vastness of their cities. I would recommend it if you are looking for a clean positive movie.

Boys & Movies

Here it is, pizza and movie night again. The kids take turn choosing the movie; they have their own queue on our Netflix account. Last week I wasn’t altogether thrilled to be watching “Cars” again. It’s a cute movie, but we’ve seen it several times lately. Now that’s sounding pretty good compared to this week’s selection, “Buzz Lightyear of Star Command.” I’m not a big “Toy Story” fan, but either of those movies are better than this one! It’s basically an hour long Saturday morning cartoon featuring my 4 year old’s favorite super hero, Buzz.

I’ve been trying to put my finger on why I have such a hard time sitting still for the kids movies. I don’t mind the G rating at all; in fact I almost always choose PG movies for myself and usually regret trying to watch anything that is rated R. But instead of the many classic, family friendly movies that are out there, the kids tend to choose cheesy cartoons like Buzz Lightyear or Strawberry Shortcake. The 10 year old asks for Batman and Bionicle cartoons, but I’m spared for now as the family night movie must be G-rated so that everyone can watch.

In some ways I miss the days when the Friday night movie came from our own collection (unless we happened to go to the library that day). They still got to take turns choosing what to watch, but Larry & I were the ones who had chosen what movies to buy in the first place! However, we don’t have a very large collection so that had its frustrations too, for the kids as well as the parents.

At least my pizza was good tonight! I made a whole wheat crust with ham. I use less cheese than most pizza places; it’s still plenty cheesy but without the grease from too much cheese.

The Chorus (or, Les Choristes)

I’ve had this French drama (thank you Netflix!) to watch for some time, and only just got around to watching it this week while Larry was out of town. I tried to watch it in my sewing room awhile ago, only to find that the dialogue is in French and it’s hard to read subtitles while sewing. I was pleased that I could understand a little of what was said, but it’s been too many years & the natives talk really fast!

It;s a “To Sir With Love” type story set at a boys’ boarding school in the late 1940s. The boys are mostly delinquents and/or orphans, and the headmaster is just plain nasty. Clement Mathieu, main character, takes a job at the school as prefect and makes some progress in reining in the boys by forming a choir.

This wasn’t an easy movie for me to watch. The boys are irrepressible, the headmaster’s discipline is severe, and the school building itself is abysmal. But it is the kind of movie that I find myself still pondering the next day.

1776

I could watch this movie over and over and over. . .actually, I must confess that I’ve watched it at least 3 times in my sewing room this past week or so! Or rather, I listened (and sang along) while I stitched.

As odd as it sounds to depict the founding of our nation in a musical comedy, it works.  The founding fathers are portrayed as thoroughly human; although literary license is taken in some places, in other places the script draws on quotes from the real men’s writings. The songs may not be great music, but they are great fun and tend to get stuck in my head. We like to watch it every July 4. . .and look forward to the kids being old enough to watch with us (it is rated PG for language we don’t want them repeating).

The Lake House

I really, really liked this movie! Starring Sandra Bullock & Keanu Reeves, this is a love story with a unique twist: the pair are living 2 years apart in time, connected by the lake house where each had lived. This difference in time is never explained and got a little confusing, especially at the end. However, that didn’t detract from the fact that this was an endearing (and clean!!!) love story.

Calendar Girls

A friend recommended this movie some time ago, and I finally got around to watching it a couple days ago. I’d like to second her recommendation, with one exception: it’s rated PG-13 but no 13 year olds will be viewing the film on my watch. This was definitely a chick flick. Larry might have tolerated it, but I’m glad I got it while he was gone. . .the main focus was on the friendship between the women, and how they helped one another in a time of need. With, of course, a healthy helping of humor regarding the creating of their calendar!