Three Things Thursday

Thing preface:
Between a nasty cold and allergies, I've been swimming in Kleenex and sleeping only thanks to Benadryl. But I'm better and my head doesn't feel so foggy, so I'm back and here goes:

Thing one:
The UPS store is amazing. I don't remember the last time I walked in one, but I had something to ship through them this week and within seconds of entering, I was offered a bottle of water (why yes, thankyouverymuch) and noticed they had Legos for kids to play with. Add to that some helpful, kind employees and yes, I will be using them again.

Thing two:
I finished the Hunger Games series in about two weeks. Good stuff. Can't believe it took me so long to get on the bandwagon, but I finally did. Everyone said the last book was their least favorite, and I have a feeling it had to do with the fact that Katniss doesn't end up with the guy they wanted her to, but my problem with the last book was that it got a little too Sci-Fi for me. Seems like all my well-educated, well-rounded, ultra-witty English professor buddies can't get enough Sci-Fi, but it's just not for me. Maybe it was all the Star Trek episodes I watched with my dad when I was little, but futuristic alien space explosions make me the opposite of excited. That being said, I lost half a night's sleep finishing Part III of Mocking Jay, so clearly it wasn't all bad. :)

Thing three:
Between watching Argo (incredible, based-on-a-true story movie) and reading American Sniper (fascinating memoir of America's #1 sniper), I'm apparently going through a shoot-'em-up phase. In tune with the good guys, the bad guys, and how to take the bad guys down, I'm more and more grateful to live in a country and on a street where violence is not normal. 

Three Things Thursday

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Thing one: I have a love-hate thing with sending Christmas cards. I have a love-love thing with getting them. As for sending them, I love taking time to let old friends know they're thought of and loved during this season and to update them on our lives. But I don't particularly love the work of it all. My Christmas cards sat on my dining room table from Thanksgiving until early this week when I finally got my act together and wrote and made copies of the letter and addressed, licked, and stamped the envelopes. It's fun when I actually sit down to do it, but it's daunting every year. I'm reminded each day when I get others' letters, though, how much all that work is worth it. I rip open the mail before I'm even inside just to see family pictures and read about the lives of people I love. So, if you sent me a Christmas card this year, thank you for taking the time. I really do feel loved.

Thing two: Micah took his first steps yesterday! Four of them. He's still a far too efficient crawler to make the jump to walking, but we're close!

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Thing three: Movie rec for you. Last weekend, Phil and I watched Safety Not Guaranteed and really, really liked it. It was a Red Box gamble, but we won this time. Starring Aubrey Plaza from Parks and Rec and Jake Johnson from New Girl, the 2012 movie was an artsy (but not too artsy) and quirky movie about magazine writers who go to interview a guy who wants to travel back in time. Underlying the rather ridiculous plot are deeper themes of the need for human companionship, healing from past wounds, and the nature of love. Definitely not a comedy, but not completely a drama either. So, a dramedy. or a comedrama. You pick. I think you might like it. Here's the link to the trailer.

Loving better

You may recall my brief but raving review of Dan Merchant's Lord Save Us From Your Followers. At the time of the post, I intentionally kept my opinions about the movie vague. I didn't want to taint your view of it before you had a chance to watch it yourself, but I also needed time to figure out exactly what I thought about it. Since some time has passed, here are a few thoughts.

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I liked how the movie didn't feel like one big attack on Christians, but in the end, I still felt convicted. I don't mind that kind of conviction, the kind you aren't guilted or shamed into. I felt convicted because the overwhelming message from the non-Christian population was: I'd like Christians a lot more if they were more loving. Fair enough. (It's also important to note that several non-Christians said that many Christians they knew actually were some of the most loving people they knew.) But overall, if God is love and Christians are to be "little Christs," then non-Christians aren't getting an accurate picture of Jesus from Christians, on the whole.

On the one hand, I whole-heartedly agree. Christians often live hypocritically. We say we love Jesus but we have road rage and high divorce rates and are addicted to alcohol and shopping; we yell at our kids, eat too much, and often don't know when to shut up. We can't handle down time, alone time, unplugged time. We think bad thoughts and sometimes say them out loud. We gossip. We're jealous. We're a pretty sorry bunch. And make no mistake: those things are not okay.

BUT.

That's not all (thank God).

The reason Christians don't always act the way they should is that they're human, and by human I mean sinful. I don't say that as a cop out, because being sinful is not an excuse to sin, but being sinful does mean that we won't be perfect this side of heaven, that we'll mess up (often), that we're in process, that we're growing but haven't arrived. God has changed us, but He's also in the process of changing us. Surely that process of becoming is a human quality that both Christians and non-Christians can identify with, which means we all need to give each other a little more grace in that growth.

That being said, the documentary challenged me not to love perfectly, which is impossible, but to love better. Before you think I've gone all let's-hug-it-out-and-draw-hearts-and-rainbows-in-the-margins, I realize that LOVE is a loaded word. It's not always hugs. It's not always acceptance. It's not always tidy. What does it really look like to love better, then? I plan to write more of what I'm learning about that in some upcoming posts (along with some more lighthearted posts to keep us afloat amid the deep thoughts). Looking forward to processing with you!

God, documentaries, and a movie trailer.

If you know me, you know I love a true story. It's why I read so much nonfiction, why I always watch the special features after a movie, and why I'm a sucker for documentaries. That being said, I recently watched Dan Merchant's Lord Save Us From Your Followers (FREE streaming for Amazon Prime members and most of it free, in segments, on youtube), and found it to be really interesting. He raises the question of what America (and the world, really) thinks of God and Christians and he goes all over interviewing a variety of people from all walks of life. Fascinating. If you have an extra hour and a half, I'd say it's worth your time. Check out the trailer:

Last day of summer

By my absence in cyberspace lately, it's probably pretty clear that the school year has begun. BUT before I started back, I took full advantage of my last official day of summer, a Wednesday, & Phil just happened to have the day off as well, so double wonderful!

The day began with an hour-long walk with my friend Jessica. It was early enough that the heat didn't scorch us and we enjoyed an easy sway of serious & silly conversation. 

Next, Phil & I barely made it to V. Richards for brunch before they started serving lunch only. We'd actually never been there before, but had heard rave reviews from lots of friends, and we were not disappointed! I ordered the Greek omelette (spinach, tomatoes, feta), which came with toast, fresh fruit, and cheese grits, and Phil ordered the eggs benedict, complete with grits & fruit. The decaf coffee finished off the meal nicely and we enjoyed a leisurely conversation in the tiny diner, which has since become one of our favorite places in town to eat! 

After brunch, we decided to avoid the heat by watching a movie (because we could). We were hoping that Redbox still had Jane Eyre, but they didn't, so we landed on the most recent Narnia movie. Not the best, honestly, but it I don't remember the last time I watched a movie in the middle of the day, so that made up for any lack in the movie itself. 

Next, we hit up the UAB gym & enjoyed getting a little activity in our day, and I followed that by going to coffee with a friend and having one of those God-ordained conversations. Love those.

The evening held slow hours spent watching So You Think You Can Dance and reading one of the four books I'm in the middle of. 

All in all, not a bad way to finish off the summer--especially our last kid-free summer. It felt good to relax and slow down, and it's made the first two weeks of school more restful as well because I've had something to give. How would you spend your last day of summer?

Movie marathon

I spent the weekend catching up on several movies--all recommendations from my friend, Jessica. I had to get them in before starting work again tomorrow! They were all outstanding films, and, of course, the special features (my favorite part) did not disappoint.

Then She Found Me (2007) With a star-studded cast (Helen Hunt, Matthew Broderick, Coin Firth, Bette Midler), this movie was surprisingly enjoyable and unpredictable. Helen Hunt directed, produced, and starred in the film, which is about a woman (Hunt) who finds herself "on the other side of the biological clock," whose husband (Roderick) leaves her, and who meets an equally undone person (Firth). It's the story of betrayal, trust, and longing, and includes a really positive commentary on adoption, which I love. Beautifully written and powerfully performed, this film is a must-see!

Last Chance Harvey (2008) Starring Academy Award winners Dustin Hoffman and  Emma Thompson, who are friends in "real life," this movie had depth and a human quality that was particularly appealing. In his interview in the special features, Hoffman claims that he and Thompson acted as much like themselves as possible, giving them an accessible quality rather than an unattainable ideal that so many actors leave us with. This film tells the story of two people who have given up on love and find it, by chance, in an unexpected place. While the story line is a bit far-fetched, the script is smart and meaningful and the acting, of course, brilliant. Another winner.

{Proof} (2005) I had never heard of this movie before, and discovered that it's a film adaptation of a play that Gwyneth Paltrow also starred in. The movie version also has a strong cast including Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins, Jake Gyllenhaal. Hopkins plays a mentally ill former math genius whose mind is reduced to gibberish in his later years. His daughter (Paltrow) shares his genius as well as his tendency toward mental instability, and she quits school to care for him in his final years. In the process, she meets one of her father's students (Gyllenhaal) who provides her great love and great pain. The title has multiple meanings--something that becomes clear as the movie progresses. Don't be intimidated or turned off by the math part of the movie; it's minimal and serves as a perfect backdrop for the deeper themes of doubt, belief, relationships, loyalties, and sanity. A phenomenal movie!

Movie recs

Happy-Go-Lucky
My friend, Sarah, recommended this this me, and, as she described it, "It's British and it's a comedy, but I wouldn't exactly call it a British comedy." This 2008 gem stars Sally Hawkins who plays Poppy, a carefree elementary school teacher who constantly sees life as half-full. While the movie is upbeat and cheerful, it also has more serious side stories woven throughout, making the film a bit complicated to place in a genre. And, because it's British and has the happy-go-lucky feel, the movie has a slower pace, is full of odd quirks, and lacks a plot based on significant conflict. While I wouldn't say it was my favorite movie, it was definitely intriguing and one that I enjoyed and would recommend to others. If you like quirky foreign films that don't drain you emotionally, then this is a movie for you!


The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
I can't say enough about this movie that Phil and I picked up at the Homewood Library the other day! Winner of the 2008 Golden Globe Awards Best Picture of the Year and nominated for four Academy Awards, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a must-see movie. It's based on a true story about Jean-Dominique Bauby, a famous editor for Elle magazine who suffered from "Locked-in Syndrome" after suffering a stroke. "Locked-in Syndrome" means that a person is physically paralyzed from head to toe, unable to do anything except blink. However, their mental capacity is in perfect condition: they can feel pain, hear, comprehend, think, and formulate sentences in their head, but they cannot communicate apart from blinking; hence, they are "locked in" to their own body. This fascinating movie tells the story of who Bauby was before and after his stroke, and how he went on to write a book from his locked-in state. It gave me compassion and insight into caring for people with disabilities and a new appreciation for my health, family, and my ability to communicate. An extremely powerful movie.


27 Dresses
A girly movie from beginning to end, but I love Katherine Heigl and thought it would be a good way to pass an evening with Phil gone. I give the movie a B. Definitely not a waste of time, but also one that I'm glad I didn't pay for. It's a cookie-cutter wedding/marriage chick flick complete with predictable scenes, a hopeless girl who finds the right guy in the end, and a guy whose perfection is the reason so many girls today have unrealistic expectations of men. That being said, it was a movie with lots of "aww" moments and one that I really liked. I enjoyed it the way I enjoy a beach read: shallow, indulgent, simple, but really entertaining and not a bad way to spend your time once in a while.

Must-See Movie

I'm a little late in seeing The Invention of Lying, which came out sometime in 2009. How I missed it, I don't know. Possibly because we don't watch a lot of TV, which means I missed the previews. Or maybe because it received poor ratings in several media reviews. But somehow, I missed this gem of a movie starring Ricky Gervais and Jennifer Garner with cameos by Jonah Hill, Tina Fey, Jeffrey Tambor, Rob Lowe, and Jason Bateman--some of my all-time favorite actors! If you like discussion-provoking, quirky, romantic comedies, then this movie is for you.

Without giving too much away, it's about a world in which everyone tells the truth...all the time (accounting for much of the hilarity of the film). However, when everyday loser Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais) discovers that he can tell a lie, he learns the power (for good and evil) that lying affords. The movie raises questions about what a lie really is and when/if it's okay to lie, and it forces you to consider what it is that you're really thinking about when interacting with other people (mostly about how we compare ourselves to others and try to promote ourselves as the "winner" in any given situation).  It also has a really interesting spiritual commentary that would be worth some discussion...borders on sacrilegious at times, but actually moves beyond it to some thought-provoking concepts.

Beware of an opening scene that involves Jennifer Garner's character talking openly (but not graphically) about masturbation (part of the "tell the truth all the time" fall out), but other than a few other off-color saying-what-they're-thinking moments, the film was a 10 for me. Phil, on the other hand, liked it, but didn't love it like I did.

While I'm about a year late watching this movie, the plus side is that I rented it for $1.00 at Redbox. Can't beat that and a little microwave popcorn (or pop c., as Phil would say) and some caffeine free Diet Coke!

(Dis)connected

I recently discovered that hulu.com has documentaries--really good ones (and a few questionable ones).  Most of them are around an hour long and, of course, it's free, so I always like that.  Most of you know that I'm a sucker for true stories, so documentaries are like sirens drawing me in.  


The one I saw recently, Disconnected, was about three college students who voluntarily chose to go at least three weeks (some went five!) without their computers. No email, no Facebook, no typing papers, no using their phones for anything other than calls, and no letting other people read your email to you--nothing. They were in a documentary film class and this was the project they came up with.  Mind you, it was five weeks before finals.  


The documentary was thought-provoking as I watched these college students unplug from their livelihood, the machine they spent most of their days on (I'm not exaggerating). They literally had to go through withdrawal, complete with tears, hair pulling, and rocking back and forth.  They didn't know what to do with themselves. Now, I would be incredibly inconvenienced without a computer, especially in school, so I sympathize with their frustration about that, but to not know what to do with your free time? Yikes. Over the course of the experiment, these students had to learn to go outside, talk to people in person, actually do their homework, and pick up new hobbies.  I was shocked that their worlds had shrunk to the size of a computer screen.


I won't give everything away, but I think the social experiment had the positive effect fasting has--it broke them of relying on something too much.  In disconnecting, these students actually connected to reality much more. If you have an hour are willing to be a little disturbed and fascinated, check out this documentary, and let me know about other hulu documentaries you like. 


P.S. Can anyone explain why my blog is suddenly putting massive spaces between paragraphs?

Say Anything

Today was a rainy Sunday afternoon, so Phil and I decided to watch a movie and found ourselves thoroughly entertained by the 1989 classic, Say Anything, starring John Cusack and Ione Skye. We had both seen pieces of it and, of course, knew the famous scene where Lloyd Dobbler holds up the boom box playing "Your Eyes" when trying to woo back Diane Court, but we had never really had the full Say Anything experience. It did not disappoint. We were entertained--not so much because of the movie's quality, but because of it's dated hilarity. If you need a good laugh, watch an 80s movie; the clothes, subpar acting (although I love John Cusack and think he's brilliant in most of his movies), and cheesy lines certainly had us laughing the entire hour and forty minutes! It's quite possibly one of the most quotable movies ever created. Here are just a few of our favorite lines:

Diane Court: Are you shaking?
Lloyd Dobler: No.
Diane Court: You're shaking.
Lloyd Dobler: I don't think so.
Diane Court: You're cold.
Lloyd Dobler: I don't think I am.
Diane Court: Then why are you shaking?
Lloyd Dobler: I don't know. I think I'm happy.

Lloyd Dobler: The rain on my car is a baptism, the new me, Ice Man, Power Lloyd, my assault on the world begins now.

D.C.: Lloyd, why do you have to be like this?
Lloyd Dobler: 'Cause I'm a guy. I have pride.
Corey Flood: You're not a guy.
Lloyd Dobler: I am.
Corey Flood: No. The world is full of guys. Be a man. Don't be a guy.

Lloyd Dobler: What I really want to do with my life - what I want to do for a living - is I want to be with your daughter. I'm good at it.

Lloyd Dobler: I'm gonna take Diane Court out again.
Corey Flood: Well, that's unlikely.
Lloyd Dobler: Is the movies a good second date? You know, as a date?
Corey Flood: Well, you never had a first date.
Lloyd Dobler: Yes we did. I sat across from her at a mall. We ate together. We ate. That's eating. Sharing an important physical event.
Corey Flood: That's not even a scam.
Lloyd Dobler: What's a scam?
Corey Flood: Going out as friends.
D.C.: No, it's not. Scam is lusting.

Joe: Dude, where'd she dump you, man?
Lloyd Dobler: In the car.
Denny: Oh man, your car? Man, Dissed in the Malibu. Thats your castle, man.

CLASSIC. To read more, go here. I think I'm going to go on an 80s movie kick. Any suggestions of ones I need to see?

Nerd alert!

It's no small secret that I am one of those people who always wants to learn more, so when watching TV (which is rare), I find myself drawn to channels like Discovery and Discovery Health (along with a few other must-see shows like The Office). Since we don't have cable (the philosophy behind that is a blog for another day), I have discovered the joys of online watching and have most notably discovered that PBS's Frontline shows are all archived. Frontline is an hour-long show covering anything from sex-trafficking to the elderly to poverty to medicating kids--basically just plain old stimulating topics that are worth digesting. So, if you're in for a nerdy moment, check out the frontline video archive and choose a topic that interests you. If you don't have a whole hour to spare, each video has 7-10 minute chapters, so you can watch it in small segments. If you watch one that is particularly fascinating, let me know!

Put in my place

Check out this video.

Romantasy

I've never seen a movie on its opening night--not Titanic, not Star Wars, not Lord of the Rings, not Harry Potter. I'm not sure if that means I'm uninteresting or just plain smart to avoid all the fans dressed as their favorite characters and squealing at the actors on the screen. I certainly do not make a habit of seeing movies targeting the teen population...on opening night...in the area where I teach. It's a little hard to get away from work that way and some of my students are still baffled by the fact that I don't live on a cot in my classroom all weekend.

However, to honor a birthday promise to one of my favorite 16-year-olds, I accompanied her and several of her friends to the premier of Twilight tonight. And even though I spend time around teenagers all week, I still forget how squealy and ecstatic girls become over what I have coined "romantasy," or a fanciful romance story. That's right: the movie started and girls throughout the theatre squealed with anticipation and excitement. And the first shot of the lead male character, Edward Cullen, provoked yet another round of squealing with additional comments like, "He's so hot" and, "Oh my gosh, look at him!" and, "There he is! He's freaky, but I like that." There was a stirring, a physical current of anticipation in the room, complete with girls giggling and speaking to each other in high registers. I just sat there and inwardly grinned--so thankful to be finished with that era in my life, but also enjoying watching them experience the thrill of a craze. Of course, a romantasy just wouldn't be complete without the kissing scenes, which earned themselves a dreamy "aww" from the crowd. The movie ended with yet another squeal session before everyone began filing out, smiles on faces and brains already preparing a full dissection of each moment of the movie. The matinee was a brilliant time to go because the line for the 7:15 movie was out the door when we left!

While I found the whole spending-the-evening-with-teenagers experience humorous, I was also honored that they would invite me into their social lives for an evening. It was nice to forget bills, Christmas gifts, cleaning, and work for a few hours; for just a few hours, everyone lived happily ever after--romantasy at its finest.

This is your face on Meth

While most people were out eating, watching a movie, or dancing last night (Saturday), Phil and I were home watching a PBS documentary on meth use in the U.S. Phil heard about it in a lecture at the hospital, and our combined nerdiness compelled us to watch it online last night.

Actually, the documentary was fascinating...and quite frightening. It discussed the trends of meth use in the U.S. including where it's being made, the purity of the ingredients, and the effects of meth on children and adults alike. If the picture above is any indication, meth causes irreversible and fast-moving damage to a person's body and brain. In a matter of months, their physical appearance changes, and they actually lose their natural ability to experience pleasure, having to seek it through drug use instead. Additionally, meth use has a heavy influence on physical and sexual child abuse. It's one of the most overlooked and silent epidemics in our nation, and I encourage you to take an hour and watch the online documentary at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/meth/view/.

Juno

A few weeks ago, my friend Melissa told me about Jason Reitman’s movie, Juno. The trailer had me hooked along with a killer cast consisting of Jason Bateman, Ellen Page, Michael Cera, and Jennifer Garner. The movie, about a 16-year-old girl who finds herself pregnant and looking for a family to adopt her baby-to-be, is surprisingly witty, clever, honest, and free of any political agenda. It's not a film about abortion or adoption or pro-choice or pro-life; it's a film about the grit and glories of life, and about love.

While the movie tackles difficult issues of teenage pregnancy and the possibility of abortion, the writing is brilliant, wedding clever humor with serious conversations. Not only was the writing perfect, but the acting was excellent--not over the top, but the actors genuinely and convincingly depicted the characters. The music reminded me a bit of Napoleon Dynamite and Little Miss Sunshine, having that retro, edgy feel while simultaneously being very accessible to a variety of audiences. In my opinion, it's a must-see movie. I'd even pay full price for it.

The Muppet Christmas Carol

If you haven't been exposed to the muppet movies yet, you would be a fool not to go out and rent one tonight. One of our favorites is the Muppet Christmas Carol, narrated by Gonzo himself, along with Rizzo the rat. It had been several years since Phil and I had last seen it, so we had some friends over, ate chili, and then settled into an hour and a half of holiday entertainment. The songs left something to be desired, but there's something utterly hilarious about watching a movie that stars puppets. And not just any puppets at that--muppets! Needless to say, it was certainly an enjoyable way to ring in the season. Other Christmas movies on my list to see: Charlie Brown Christmas, It's A Wonderful Life, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and maybe a new one: White Christmas. It may be 70 degrees outside, but it's Christmastime for me!