Watch “The Butterfly Circus” and feel the hope

Posted on 26. Feb, 2010 by kchristieh in movies

The Doorpost Film Project is a short film contest with seven categories every year: Authenticity, Community, Sacrifice, Commitment, Truth, Identity and Hope. Entries must be less than seven minutes long, and focus on one of the seven categories.

I watched the finalists from last year’s contest, and I agree that The Butterfly Circus deserved to win. Gather the family around and watch this thought-provoking, uplifting film about what happens when some travelers come upon a Depression-era freak show and befriend a man with no limbs. It’s a wonderful illustration of how we’re all worthy of being loved and forgiven.

If I were running a film competition, I’d want to run it like the Doorpost. Their mission is to seek truth, honor creativity, serve visionaries, build community and share discoveries. Their website says that they allow the finalists to meet each other and the Doorpost staff, and that their events have “marked the beginning of various creative and professional partnerships among filmmakers as well.” It sounds like they’re not stereotypical Hollywood bloodsuckers.

Speaking of freak shows, yesterday I heard someone on NPR compare the animal shows at SeaWorld to 19th century freak shows. I’ll admit that I’ve enjoyed my share of SeaWorld shows and 3-ring circuses, but I’d never looked at them that way. I think he’s right, and hopefully the other day will open peoples’ eyes so that we do right by orcas, elephants, and other animals who live in inadequate conditions so that they might be available to entertain humans. I’ll keep this in mind when I watch the DVD of The Cove that we received from Netflix.

My new role model: Leigh Ann Tuohy

Posted on 28. Nov, 2009 by kchristieh in inspirational people, movies, parenting

I was slightly hesitant to see “The Blind Side” movie with my family. I felt like I already knew the story after having read the 2006 Michael Lewis article, “The Ballad of Big Mike,” in the NY Times Magazine years ago and seeing numerous previews for the movie.

I’m so glad I went. I only knew the framework of the story, but the beauty of it was in the details.

The framework is this: a rich family takes in a homeless African-American teen who has been given the chance to play football at their children’s private school if he gets his grades up. They help him get his act together, and he becomes a football success in high school and college, and has now moved on to the NFL.

I knew that much of the story was driven by the strong, determined mother in the family that takes him in, but I had no idea what a role model she was. Leigh Ann Tuohy’s two dominant characteristics are ones I strive to have: she cares deeply about others, and she’s true to herself. She takes in Michael Oher because she wants to give him a chance to have a decent life after all the struggles he’s had, and she does it despite the racist remarks of some of her fellow Southerners. I also admire her confidence and outspokenness. It takes a special personality to get away with stopping a high school football practice by marching out onto the field and telling the players what to do. I’m too polite, and would never do that. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, actually, but I’m impressed that she knew when it was the right thing to do and succeeded because she already had the respect of the coaches and players and said exactly what needed to be said. Sandra Bullock played Leigh Ann Tuohy beautifully, and showed that despite all her strength, she was also a sensitive person who would retreat to a bedroom or the car when she had to cry.

Of course, I also deeply admire Michael Oher, who survived his difficult childhood by “closing his eyes” when pain and evil swirled around him. Leigh Ann describes him lovingly as “Ferdinand the Bull,” and she’s right. His big body may scare some, but he’s got a big, soft heart within.

It’s too bad that smaller kids in his old neighborhood don’t get the same chance that he did.

“Precious” lessons

Posted on 14. Nov, 2009 by kchristieh in movies

I wish that the movie “Precious” wasn’t based on a book (“Push” by Sapphire) that was based on real-life people. It would be so much more palatable if the story could be dismissed as total fiction, because as Wikipedia describes it,

In 1987, obese, illiterate 16-year-old Claireece “Precious” Jones (Gabourey Sidibe) lives in the New York City neighborhood of Harlem with her dysfunctional family; she has been impregnated twice by her father, Carl, and suffers constant physical and mental abuse from her unemployed mother, Mary (Mo’Nique). The family resides in a Section 8 tenement and subsists on welfare. After a visit from her high school principal, Mrs. Lichtenstein (Nealla Gordon), Precious is invited to an alternative school where she hopes that her life can change direction.

I feel so fortunate, not just for the material comfort I enjoy, but even more for the loving relationships I have. Precious’ situation is interwoven with the poverty that she suffers, but her biggest problem is with her parents, who constantly abuse her. Other people root so hard for her, because they care, and they see a spark that could ignite into a more positive future. But whatever Precious does, her mother figuratively and literally kicks her down, and life circumstances pull the rug out from under her.

I’m glad I saw the movie. I grow when I see how others live, and I gain empathy when I understand what they might be going through. I also appreciate what I’ve been blessed with, and want to give my own family and friends an extra-big hug. Now to figure out how to give people like Precious the same hug. It’s an age-old problem, but one we should never give up on.

Kathy & Don’s Big Adventure

Posted on 06. Sep, 2009 by kchristieh in movies, my life

About 24 years ago today, my husband and I went on our first date, to the movie “Pee Wee Herman’s Big Adventure.”

I’ve found that most people either love or hate this movie. There aren’t many who are neutral on the subject. I love it, though in moderate doses.

If you’re also a fan, check out this YouTube video of a combo movie/live action Pee Wee Herman tribute:

Of course, we played “Tequila” at our wedding. I didn’t have platform shoes, but I danced pretty well anyway.

If Julia Child could do it, so can I

Posted on 09. Aug, 2009 by kchristieh in books, food, inspirational people, international, movies

The new movie Julie & Julia inspired me so much that I’m half-tempted to make boeuf bourguignon for dinner tonight. Instead, I opened up my cookbook cabinet and told my kids that they could each choose a recipe that contains no ingredients that I’m allergic to and I’d make it for them this week.

I knew I’d love this movie. I loved reading both Julia Child’s and Julie Powell’s even before I knew a movie was being made about them. Although I perfectly fit the demographic for someone who’d love these books – a French-speaking, American woman blogger – I think the books and the movie have a more universal appeal. They portray passionate people looking for a purpose in life who are willing to work hard at what they do. I also appreciated both the literary and on-screen representations of their marriages. Both women were in loving marriages full of mutual support and respect. Nora Ephron did a wonderful job of knitting both books together, and Meryl Streep, Amy Adams and the rest of the cast are absolutely marvelous.

I can’t wait to see what my kids choose for me to cook.

Am I a Disney Princess?

Posted on 28. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in movies, my life

After watching Enchanted again last night, I came to the realization that perhaps I am a Disney Princess. The evidence is overwhelming:

1. I have a handsome prince.
2. I’m allergic to apples.
3. When I sing the animals come to me.

The last one was the clincher. Before I went to bed, I belted out my best falsetto and a spider crawled out from the floorboard and my dog emerged from under the bed.

Is it good to be a Princess? In “Stranded in Neverland,” Christianity Today writer Skye Jethani argues that the Disney Princess franchise appeals to our most base consumer instincts. I think that’s true, and I confess that I am susceptible to that sometimes.

However, Enchanted reminds us that it’s all about love, especially true love. And that’s and ideal that everyone should strive for.

Why I’ve fallen in love with Netflix

Posted on 16. May, 2009 by kchristieh in movies

After listening to “The Story of Stuff” video, (which I’ll blog about when I have more time) I’ve decided not to have Etsy Fridays anymore. No need to promote using up our environment more. Not that I’m a saint in that regard, but I might as well not promote it.

To that end, today I’ll gush about my new Netflix membership. For $8.99 a month, we get unlimited movies streamed to our television, plus one DVD mailed to us each month. I don’t think we’ll bother with the DVD: the streaming is amazing.

Here’s how it works:

• After signing up with Netflix, I rated movies that I’ve seen by clicking on anywhere from 1 – 5 stars. I also told Netflix what genres I like. (e.g., I like drama, but not martial arts) So far I’ve rated nearly 400 movies.
• Netflix recommends movies that it thinks I’ll like in various categories. When I mouse over them, I see a description of the movie.
• I can click on the movie, and add it to my queue.
• When I turn on my tv and go to Tivo, the movies are there. When I click on it, it takes about 30 seconds to start.

It’s that simple. Tonight my husband and I watched “The Visitor.” I’d never heard of it until Netflix recommended it, and it was fantastic. I can’t wait to see more recommended movies!

Here are some that it’s currently recommending. There are many, many more.

Movie recommendation of the week: “17 Again”

Posted on 25. Apr, 2009 by kchristieh in movies, my life, work

I didn’t celebrate my birthday well enough this week, so I promised myself to resume celebrating at 3:00 pm today. I was working too hard on the parcel tax website, but by 4 pm I had enough done on that I decided to see “” with my teenage daughter.

I’m so glad I did!

We both loved this movie. It was a fun, romantic comedy with an excellent message (appreciate the life you have, love the ones you’re with, etc.) that had excellent acting. It was perfect to see with my daughter, but would have also been fun to see with my husband. It made me appreciate my 22-year marriage even more and I look forward to seeing it with him on DVD some day.

I’d heard a few negative things about “The Soloist,” so I’m glad we chose to see this instead.

Do “Madea” movie ads contribute to racism?

Posted on 22. Feb, 2009 by kchristieh in movies, sports, things that bug me

Studies show that a majority of whites in this country harbor an often-subconscious racial bias against blacks. According to Charles M. Blow in today’s NY Times op-ed piece, “A Nation of Cowards,” no matter how hard we try, our brain often has a mind of its own, and will process the input it receives to form an opinion that goes against what a person doesn’t consciously want it to.

If anyone’s wondering what these inputs might be, one should just take a look at today’s print edition of the NY Times. After reading Mr. Blow’s piece, the first image of a black person I saw was this one of Tyler Perry in the new Madea movie. It was on the front page of the Arts section, and was 7.5″ high.

On page 2 of the Arts section, I saw this article / picture of Chris Brown at the top of the page:

Then, a few pages later, I saw this ad for Madea:

That was it for the Arts section. There were no blacks pictured in the Business section, but Mets players Duaner Sanchez and Francisco Rodriguez were pictured in the Sports section. (Are they black?) There was also a black man sitting on the bench behind Utah State basketball coach Stew Morrill.

I finally took a look at the front section (I’d read the racism story online) and the lead story featured this picture of the Stanford Superstars cricket team with the club’s owner, Robert Allen Stanford. (No relation to my alma mater!!)

The front section also included a picture of Illinois Senator Roland W. Burris, who is being urged to resign.

Final tally:

• 4 pictures of blacks in trouble with the law
• 3 pictures of blacks in sports

With images like these, it’s no surprise that many whites show a bias against blacks.

Of course, I try not to have these thoughts. I truly believe that God created all races in His image, and everyone should be accorded the same respect, opportunities and rights regardless of race. The article points out, however, that often whites who try not to appear biased are perceived as more biased.

Aaargh!! It’s like Angelina Jolie, when she’s stuck in the asylum in “Changeling.” A fellow patient advises her that if you try too hard to appear “normal” they’ll think you’re crazy. But I digress…

As Blow concludes, it’s good to face the facts and start a dialogue. I think a good place to start would be the entertainment industry, which produces movies such as Madea and bad-boy artists such as Chris Brown.

Teens who watch tv with lots of sex are far more likely to be involved in a pregnancy

Posted on 05. Jan, 2009 by kchristieh in movies, parenting, startling statistics, things that bug me, tv

No matter how hard I’ve tried to manage my kids’ media exposure, stuff sneaks in. Whether it’s watching “Sex and the City” at a teen sleepover or the R-rated “Romeo Must Die” at an eight-year-old’s birthday party (yes, this happened), my kids have been exposed to way more sex and violence than I ever intended for them to be, or than I was at their age.

It turns out my vigilance was justified: a recent RAND study titled “Does Watching Sex on Television Predict Teen Pregnancy? Findings From a National Longitudinal Survey of Youth” shows that

Teens who were exposed to high levels of television sexual content (90th percentile) were twice as likely to experience a pregnancy in the subsequent 3 years, compared with those with lower levels of exposure (10th percentile)

I’m not surprised. Parents need to watch not only their kids’ tv exposure, but what they see in video games, movies, books, magazines, and other influential sources. And it’s not just teens, either: if you’re not careful, your younger children will see this stuff too. The younger kids may not see as much sex and violence, but they might see more bad attitudes and hear more foul language than a parent would like. (Click here for my tips on monitoring your child’s media input.)

The Los Angeles Times story about this study brought up a very good point: that teens want to learn about the REAL effects of sex. They’re cynical when rich, popular girls on tv get pregnant, and assume they’ll have a miscarriage and resume their former lives. They also don’t usually see teens struggle with raising the baby after it’s born. Maybe it doesn’t make for great drama, but it’s reality, and if we’re going to expect teens to make good decisions, we need to show them what the real potential consequences of those decisions may be. The same should be said not just for sex, but for violence. Don’t just show the dramatic chase scene and shooting: show the grieving family, the longterm disability.

Don’t just titillate: educate.

Note: After I wrote the above post, I picked up my son from the church high school program. He said they had a guest speaker who shared the consequences he faced after getting a girl pregnant as a teenager, and the even more dire consequences a friend of his faced in a similar situation. My son said the topic wasn’t teen pregnancy, however: it was accepting responsibility for your actions, and surrounding yourself with a strong support network. I think he got it. We’re so blessed that our kids can hear good messages from other people than just us.

Christmas wrap-up; self-imposed blog vacation OVER!

Posted on 28. Dec, 2008 by kchristieh in movies, my life

I’ve never taken so long off from posting…but it’s been a little crazy here, so reality took priority.

The holidays officially started on the 23rd, when we picked up the buche de Noel, tamales and empanadas from Porto’s. The wait was worth it! Next year I might get the snowman cake, but I don’t think it’ll fit in the fridge. Here’s a picture of the buche de Noel. We finally finished it this evening. Or rather, I did. MUST WORK OUT TOMORROW!!!

My sister and her family arrived that afternoon. They even brought their new toy poodle, Jacques. He weighs 2 lbs., and I think I can fit my fingers on one hand around his body. His fur makes him look bigger. He’s very sweet.

On Christmas Eve morning, I treated my nieces and nephew to see “Bolt” at the El Capitan theater in Hollywood. There was a goofy (dopey) stage show beforehand, complete with dancing chipmunks. The snow was cool, however, and the movie was great.

Bolt reminds me of my dog.

We stopped by Whole Foods on the way home and picked up our ham and way too many delicious Italian cookies.

That afternoon my mother and stepfather arrived, and we all went to church in the evening. Afterwards, we enjoyed the tamales. Actually, I didn’t – I’m not into tamales. I’m not sure what I ate, but I probably topped it off with peppermint marshmallows. We had seven extra people plus the dog sleep at our house that night and the next night.

We opened our gifts quickly on Christmas morning, since my husband drove to the airport to pick up his sister. We pushed the tables together and had a wonderful dinner, and even enjoyed a few rounds of Table Topics before we left the table.

My guests left on the 26th, but I’m not sure what I’ve done since then that’s kept me so busy. There was a lot of cleaning up to do, plus I made the mistake of going to the Glendale Galleria yesterday with my son and taking a half hour to find a parking spot and another half hour to get out of the garage. I saw “Slumdog Millionaire” with my husband (FABULOUS!!!) and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (very good!) with the whole family. I learned how to use iMovie on my Mac (way better than any program I’d had on my PC) and paid some bills before year-end.

On Tuesday the guests return…hopefully I’ll be ready!

I hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season!

Businesses We Miss

Posted on 13. Dec, 2008 by kchristieh in economy, local news, movies

At 4:00 pm yesterday, the Gordon Biersch restaurant in Old Town Pasadena closed its doors to the public. No longer will we be able to reserve the private room with the round table and nibble on garlic fries and calamari as we sample fine micro-brews.

I wonder whether some day my kids will tell their kids, “Back in my day, there were stores dedicated to the most specialized products and restaurants for every cuisine. In some places, it seemed like every street corner had a fancy coffee store, and there were more cleaners, nail salons, and framing stores than we could count.”

Is that day coming soon? While I admit that we consume way too much, and could easily scale back, I’ll miss some of the places that have closed or that are likely to close soon. I also feel bad for the owners and workers at these establishments, as it’s tough to find a new job in this economy.

So today I’ve started a “Businesses We Miss” page on this blog. I’ll also include a New Business section, and would love to see that be bigger than the Closed Businesses section. This page will include businesses that I frequented or were located near where I live. I may even include a few others that are just so cool I don’t want to forget them.

Please let me know if I miss any!!

Besides Gordon Biersch, I’ll miss its next-door neighbor at One Colorado, the Laemmle Theater. The last movie I saw there was the poorly-reviewed Clone Wars, an animated Star Wars spin-off. I saw it with my son and our young friend Obed from Pakistan. We enjoyed seeing the wish trees afterwards. The theater’s been purchased by an Australian firm that’s converting it to a high-end viewing experience, complete with gourmet food and blankets when you get cold. I can’t wait to put that in my New Business section.

I also hear that Triangle, the little clothing store next to the La Canada Vons, is closing. I never went in there. I wonder if Vons will ever wind up expanding? I used to go there all the time so that the eScrip dollars would go to my kids’ school, but when Ralphs added their school rewards program I decided to shop there instead.

A parent’s review of “Nick & Nora’s Infinite Playlist”

Posted on 09. Nov, 2008 by kchristieh in movies, parenting

I finally saw “Nick & Nora’s Infinite Playlist” with my family last night. We all enjoyed this story of NJ teens who spend a whole night gaining self-confidence, getting to know each other better and backing each other up as they search for their elusive favorite band. There were great lessons about true friendship, and not surprisingly, the movie had a great indie soundtrack. I’d give it four stars.

It was odd that no parents were shown in the movie. I guess that’s not surprising, since these kids clearly had complete freedom from parental restrictions. I can’t imagine letting my high schoolers run around in New York City until dawn. When I was a teen growing up in NJ, we never imagined doing this. At least the main characters made a point of saying they choose not to drink.

It was a bit awkward to watch with my kids, who were completely embarrassed when I softly whispered “you know that isn’t appropriate!” when there was an implied sexual encounter. At least it was implied – if it wasn’t, the movie wouldn’t just be rated PC-13. Even though it’s PG-13, I wouldn’t take a kid to it unless they’re at least 14 or 15, and even then I’d watch it with them to provide some perspective.

I’ll always be Young at Heart

Posted on 06. Oct, 2008 by kchristieh in cool websites, inspirational people, movies, music, my life

I figure that at 45, I’m theoretically halfway to retirement. I say “theoretically” because I don’t ever see myself “retiring.” I like what I do, so I can’t imagine wanting to stop. Hopefully at some point I’ll slow down a little and put together a few photo albums, however.

Maybe some day I’ll reprise my high school choir training and sing in a chorus like the stars of the wonderful documentary “Young @ Heart.” The average age of their chorus members is 80, and instead of singing old standbys, they conquer the works of artists such as Sonic Youth and David Bowie. Three generations of our family sat down together and watched this movie this weekend, and we all loved it. I loved the spirit and energy that the chorus members had, and I admired how they’d found a group of like minded people to have fun with. Their music videos were hilarious, but there were some very poignant moments also. It comes with the territory, I suppose. I also admired the group’s director, Bob Cilman. He was incredibly patient and persistent, and had a real gift for leading the chorus. He’s a true hero.

I wonder/fear what it will be like some day if I don’t die before all the people I love. I’ll probably become an expert at attending funerals and mourning people.  Maybe I really should take up the bagpipes, so I can at least participate in the ceremonies. Death will be certain for all of us, but the living must go on with their lives. It’ll be hard to strike the right balance. Hopefully I’ll have the same good attitude that the “Young @ Heart” singers do.

One more thing: besides singing, I still hope to be blogging. Like Margaret and Helen. Best Friends for Sixty Years and Counting…. (or is it The Blog As Performance Art? Who cares? I love it!!)

PS – When I’m old, don’t call me “Dear” or “Sweetie.” It’s demeaning. See this great NY Times article about the topic, “In Sweetie and Dear, a Hurt for the Elderly.”

I’m baaaack! The return of the busy blogger, and all that I’ve done this week

Posted on 03. Oct, 2008 by kchristieh in education, local news, movies, music, my life, non-profits, social networking

T’was such a busy week that – gasp! – I didn’t even blog. It was all I could do to eat and sleep, but now that I’ve survived, here’s a summary of what I’ve been up to since the last post:

On Saturday, we saw the Angel City Classic at the Los Angeles Coliseum. This annual event features two historically Black colleges or universities (HBCU) who not only play football, but compete in a Battle of the Bands. This year, we got to see Morehouse compete against Prairie View A&M. I was there for the bands: I LOVE innovative and energetic marching bands. Prairie View clearly won the Battle of the Bands, IMHO. It’s hard to beat a band that does :

That evening, we attended the annual fundraiser at the Community Center. I was tapped to roll the dice for the Pinata Race. Seriously. I got pretty good at it, but if I ever get to do it again I have a few more ideas up my sleeve.

On Sunday we attended the premiere screening of the documentary “Viva la Causa.” It depicts the events that led up to the grape boycott, and shows how much of an impact Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta and Bobby Kennedy all had during that time period. I was really young and on the other side of the country when these events unfolded (late 60’s), so I never realized that the women had to hold up blankets in front of each other since there weren’t bathrooms, and that everyone shared a tin can to drink from the same bucket of water. I’m really glad we brought the kids, and it just confirms our support for the sponsor, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and its Teaching Tolerance project.

Earlier this week, I lived on Facebook as I trolled for class notes. My column was due on Wednesday. I also wrote a speech for accepting my award last night, and bored my dog to tears practicing it. It went well, and I really appreciated all the nice things people said last night.  :)

“Gone Baby Gone” asks whether ends justify means

Posted on 24. Aug, 2008 by kchristieh in life lessons, movies

I’ve never seen a movie that shows that life’s choices aren’t always black and white as well as “Gone Baby Gone” does. Characters are forced to make decisions that are right by some measures, but wrong by others. Where they fall on the spectrum of grey depends upon each person’s perspective. The characters also need to decide if they ends justify the means.
I know that’s vague, but I don’t want to spoil the plot. Just trust me: Casey Affleck, Morgan Freeman, Michelle Monaghan, Ed Harris and the rest of the cast do an excellent job of portraying what happens in the aftermath of a little girl’s kidnapping. It’s disturbing, but very thought-provoking. Watch it and decide what you’d do in each circumstance. It’s clear, and yet it’s not.

By my age, I’ve learned that life isn’t always clear. You just have to try to keep your motives good, and be courageous enough to make tough decisions. And be willing to ask for forgiveness when you mess up. We’re not perfect, and the world isn’t either.

Why you should boycott “Tropic Thunder”

Posted on 12. Aug, 2008 by kchristieh in disabilities, movies, things that bug me

I bet you know what the F-word, N-word, and the L-word are. But do you know what the R-word is? If you had Down Syndrome you would, and you’d cringe every time you heard it.

The new Ben Stiller / Robert Downey, Jr. movie, Tropic Thunder, has 17 uses of the R-word in it. One of the characters plays an actor who pretends to be mentally handicapped in order to win an Academy Award. The movie spoofs Hollywood and all it takes to be successful there. But does it have to use the R-word so much? No. According to Tim Shriver in today’s NPR interview, the N-word is only used twice. He says the use of the R-word leads to suffering, injustice and exclusion.

Why do people feel so comfortable using the R-word? Is it because the people it stigmatizes don’t fight back?

Well, now they are. The Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles (DSALA), one of my longtime website clients, has joined with the Special Olympics, the National Down Syndrome Congress, ARC, and many other groups to encourage people to boycott this movie. No matter how hard we try, the more we hear certain speech patterns, the more we’ll emulate them. So the last thing our society needs is more people using a hateful word like “retard” to describe a person.

So stand up and do what’s right. If you see a movie this weekend, see “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.” I saw it last night, and it was actually really good. If that’s too chick-flicky for you, go see Wall-E or Dark Knight again. Either way, you’ll sleep better knowing you didn’t support Tropic Thunder, a film that promotes disrespect to innocent people.
Pledge your support at R-Word.org and find out more about why the R-word is so hurtful.

Stormtroopers in Hollywood

Posted on 10. Aug, 2008 by kchristieh in movies

Here’s a photo I took as we drove down Hollywood Blvd. today showing my father-in-law and his nephew around L.A. These stormtroopers were at Grauman’s Egyptian Theater to promote the new animated Clone Wars movie, which will be released on August 14th.

My son can’t wait to see it. I’d thought he’d think an animated Star Wars movie would be lame, but he’s a Star Wars fan to the core.

All American Girls should see Kit Kittredge

Posted on 06. Jul, 2008 by kchristieh in books, feminism, movies

Even though my daughter’s 16, she agreed to go see the movie “Kit Kittredge,” which is based on the American Girl books. Although the books and the movie are aimed at younger audiences, we both thoroughly enjoyed it, and are glad we went.

The movie centers on Kit Kittredge, a 10-year-old girl who lives in Cincinnati during the Depression. She watches sympathetically as financial woes strike those around her, but eventually her own family has to make some major adjustments. She dreams of being a newspaper reporter, and the Depression provides ample material for her stories. She’s inquisitive and confident, and after she learns that hobos aren’t all bad, she tries to convince the people around her to have more sympathy for them. I won’t reveal what happens in the end, but there’s one scene where a boy tells a hobo to do something that made every woman in the theater cry.

The acting was great. Abigail Breslin, from Little Miss Sunshine, is completely convincing as Kit. Although Jane Krakowski’s Miss Dooley is basically the same as the Jenna character she plays on “30 Rock,” that’s ok, since she’s pretty funny. We also particularly liked Joan Cusack, who plays a mobile librarian. Oddly enough, I was also struck by how the realistic browns and greens in the movie reminded me so much of my childhood. Although the 60’s was a time of bright colors and wild patterns, my homes and those of my grandparents were much older, and more reminiscent of the 30’s.

I wish there were more great G movies, and that people would go to them. I truly enjoyed this movie, and feel lucky that I have a daughter to go with. I’d hate to have missed it.

“Live and Become” is an amazing movie

Posted on 05. Jul, 2008 by kchristieh in international, movies

I agreed to see “Wall-E” last week only if my family would see “Live and Become” (translated from “Va, Vis et Deviens”) with me this weekend. I’d heard about it awhile back, but when I got a special Laemmle Theatre email touting it, it sounded like a movie I didn’t want to miss. I’m SO glad I went!

The movie’s about a Christian Ethiopian refugee boy whose mother places him with a Jewish Ethiopian woman who is being airlifted to Israel during Operation Moses in 1984. He hides that he’s neither Jewish nor an orphan for many years, and leads a completely Jewish life until his secrets overtake him.

I looked the movie up on Wikipedia, and it doesn’t mention anything about it being a true story. It sure seems real, however, and I’m guessing it’s a combination of many true stories. It’s a long movie – 140 minutes – but it kept me completely enraptured. The story is gripping, the acting is wonderful, and at the end it totally made me cry. It’s no wonder this film won too many awards to list. (Bonus for you Francophiles: much of the dialogue is in French!)

The adults in our group loved it, but my teenage son thought it was too long. I think my daughter would have liked it, but she wasn’t there. I took her to see “Kit Kittredge” tonight, so I made up for it. More about that tomorrow…

“Persepolis”: the perfect 4th of July movie

Posted on 03. Jul, 2008 by kchristieh in books, international, movies

Here’s why you should rent Persepolis this weekend:

• This movie about a girl growing up in Iran reminds us to cherish our freedom, and to be willing to make a stand to preserve it.
• It’s appropriate for most of the family (it deserves its PG-13 rating).
• The animation is so amazing that it was nominated for an Academy Award earlier this year and won the Jury Prize at Cannes in 2007.

I enjoyed reading Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical graphic novels, and several years ago. This movie combines both books. She’s a very brave, intelligent woman, but is also very humble and willing to share very personal details about her life. Our whole family enjoyed this movie.

WALL-E: Great movie, but oh so depressing

Posted on 29. Jun, 2008 by kchristieh in education, environment, movies, my life

We loaded the kids into the Prius last night and saw WALL-E at our local theater. As all of the reviews I’ve read agreed, this is a great movie. The animation and story are top-notch, and the music is wonderful.

So why am I still so depressed after seeing it? Perhaps it was the bleak vision of the future, a world so filled with trash that humans escape to outer space, where they lose their individuality and bone structure and suck on protein drinks. Even though the end of the movie could be considered optimistic by some, the realist in me doesn’t think it would play out that way. I hope our great-great-grandchildren don’t blame our generation for all of their woes. We’re trying!!!!

On a happier note, I think that WALL-E could score some good summer employment cleaning up the destruction at my kids’ alma mater, Palm Crest Elementary School. I drove past today and saw that the district decided to go ahead and build a new cafeteria / auditorium (a “cafetorium” as we say) and has commenced destruction. Many of us fought hard to pass the bond to support this, so it’s satisfying to see that all of our efforts weren’t for naught. Hopefully there will be enough kids to keep the school open! (If we were in Europe, I wouldn’t bother.) Although my kids spent Kindergarten through 6th grade at the school, and I was a PTA president there for two years, it seems like a long time ago that we were part of the PCR community. Still, if I walked around campus during the school year, I know I’d see lots of people I know and feel part of it again.

Here’s a picture of the destruction so far. Go for it, WALL-E!

Every senior’s worst nightmare, solved

Posted on 26. Jun, 2008 by kchristieh in education, movies, my life

When I was a senior in high school, I applied to six colleges. That was a lot for 1981, but these days kids are often advised to apply to nine or more. Today I read about a guy who applied to 18 – and got into 17 of them!

My worst nightmare was that I wouldn’t get into any. I remember how relieved I was when I got my first acceptance letter. At least I knew I’d go somewhere, and I could exhale and relax.

But what if you don’t get in anywhere? What do you do? If you’re the main characters in the movie Accepted, you start your own college. I was too tired to work this evening, but had to stay up late to pick up my son, so I watched this on HBO with my teenage daughter. It was actually pretty good (though it completely deserved its PG-13 rating), and brought up some good topics for discussion. (fraternities, following your passion, how long four years is) It’s a silly movie, but it was the sort of brain candy we needed now that school’s out and she’s gearing up for a tough junior year.

Pan’s Labyrinth deserved all the awards it received

Posted on 18. May, 2008 by kchristieh in international, movies

Last night I had the most bizarre and imaginative dreams I’ve had in a long time. It makes sense: I finished watching “Pan’s Labyrinth” right before I went to bed. This Academy Award-winning Spanish movie was one of the most creative I’ve ever seen. It ties the Spanish Civil War in with a story of a little girl who believes in fairies. The special effects are incredible, and the story is both disturbing and riveting at the same time. It’s in Spanish with English subtitles, but if you speak even un poquito of Spanish, you’ll probably understand a lot.

It’s rated R, but don’t think it’s any more mature than most PG-13 movies. Even so, my teens didn’t like it. They saw it several months ago, before they knew about the Spanish Civil War. Without understanding the context of the story, the movie seemed downright strange to them. It’s probably best to keep this one for the adults.

Are there Scientologists in Iran?

Posted on 27. Apr, 2008 by kchristieh in international, movies, religion, sports

Just kidding. Bad idea.

But I couldn’t resist the analogy after watching the following two shows back-to-back on my Tivo last night:

• An with Jenna Miscavige, daughter of Scientology leader David Miscavige. Jenna spoke about what it was like to grow up in the Church of Scientology, and what drove her to leave.
• The movie Offside, about Iranian girls who dressed like boys to try to see a 2006 soccer match between Iran and Bahrain which will determine which team goes to the World Cup finals.

I felt like we had a Repression Film Night. The Nightline interview reiterated for us how wacky Scientology is, and how it has serious issues with anyone who disagrees with it. (I guess this blog post means I won’t be invited to Tom & Katie’s any time soon!) As for Offside, it offered a view of Iran that we seldom get in the West. The girls tried to use logic to convince the soldiers to let them see the game, but the soldiers weren’t driven by logic. They lived in fear of their Captain, and didn’t want to mess up their own chance to finally get out of the military. So the repression continues.

Ironically, as repressive as Iran is, Offside made it clear that Iranians are quite proud of their country. In fact, my husband pointed out that it’d be folly for us to ever think we’d have a chance of winning a war against such a patriotic country. I agree.

So once again, last night I was once again reminded how fortunate I am to live in a country that values freedom, and to practice a religion based on love, not repression.

Additional links:

• Great blog posting about Offside
• Legendary Spy Magazine article about Scientology
• Tom Cruise expounding on Scientology (video)

We’re all “Under the Same Moon”

Posted on 06. Apr, 2008 by kchristieh in international, movies, politics

Meet Carlitos. He’s nine years old, and hasn’t seen his mother in four years. She’s an illegal immigrant living in Los Angeles while Carlitos lives in Mexico with his grandmother. “Under the Same Moon” (“La Luna Misma”) chronicles what happens when the grandmother dies and Carlitos decides to cross the border and find his mother.

I loved this movie. The acting was superb, the story was engaging, and even the hardest of characters were touched by Carlitos’ determination and heart. No matter what your views are on illegal immigration, I think this story will touch you, too.

We went as a family, and we all enjoyed it. Besides the entertainment value and political discussion that ensued, I’m glad it allowed my teens to see one view of what life can be like in Mexico and for illegal immigrants here.

The dialogue and music were in both English and Spanish with English subtitles. I’ve often wondered if mariachis ever play songs with subversive words to unsuspecting cholos, and now I know that if they play the corrido, “Superman es Ilegal,” they’ll be singing words such as,

He came from the sky but is not a plane
He came in his spaceship from Krypton
And though it hurts to admit it
Superman is an illegal
He’s a journalist?
Well so am I.
He didn’t serve in the army.
What’s up with that?
But he’s blond, blue-eyed and well-built
And I am dark and fat and really short
Why do they let him work?
Without Social Security or a green card?
They let him fly without a license
And even call him Superman!

Not so subtle! You can see the clip from the movie that includes the song on YouTube by clicking .

West Bank Story spoofs Israeli-Palestinian relations

Posted on 07. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in international, movies

I think I started laughing the moment that “West Bank Story” began. After years on our wishlist, this 2006 Academy Award Winner for Best Live Action Short Film finally showed up on our Tivo. The movie follows the story arc of “West Side Story,” but instead of the Jets and the Sharks, it features the Palestinians who run the Hummus Hut right across from the Jews who run the Kosher King. There’s music, snapping fingers, a love story, and a great lesson at the end. All of this in only 30 minutes! My kids and I got a big kick out of it, and I laughed constantly.

Shakespeare would be pleased. After all, “West Side Story” itself was based on “Romeo & Juliet.” “West Bank Story” makes the story that much more modern and therefore accessible, and is daring enough to attack a topic as incendiary as Palestinian-Israeli relations. Hopefully this movie will make people on both sides of that debate take a second look at how unproductive hate can be.

When did “R” become “PG-13″?

Posted on 16. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in movies, parenting

Have you noticed how many new movies that are rated PG-13 would have been rated R 15 years ago? Apparently I’m not the only one who’s noticed: CommonSense Media nominated the MPAA for a 2007 “OFFul” Award for “Gaming the System.”

The nominees included:

• The MPAA for changing its standards behind closed doors and with no explanation so that a movie that would have gotten an R rating a decade ago gets a PG-13 rating today.
• Broadcast networks for tinkering with their own standards and practices and allowing ads for erectile dysfunction drugs and condoms during afternoon and primetime shows when kids are watching.

And the winner is:

• Rockstar Games for resubmitting Manhunt 2 to the ESRB and getting the rating reduced from “Adults Only” to “Mature,” ensuring that the game will be widely accessible to teens.

You can see more of their award categories, including awards for merit, on the CommonSense Media website.

When in doubt, check CommonSense Media or one of the other sites that reviews movies with kids in mind. We were saved by Screenit.com recently. My husband and son wanted to see “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” and I objected because it’s rated R. My husband didn’t think it could be too bad, but when I looked up the Screenit review it mentioned some things I won’t mention in this blog and he instantly nixxed the idea. Of course, then I made the mistake of renting the PG-13-rated “I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry” for my son at Blockbuster, only to discover some pretty inappropriate scenes in that, too. Ugh. At least I watched it with him and could comment on it. Too bad Blockbuster doesn’t have an in-store kiosk with a parental review site on it.

Should teens see “Juno”?

Posted on 07. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in movies, parenting

When my daughter and I approached the Laemmle Playhouse 7 theater in Pasadena yesterday, we were surprised to see a “Junoverse” truck parked out front. The bright orange truck promoted the movie we were there to see, Juno, and included a replica of Juno’s bedroom inside. Pretty cool! (see picture below)
It was a great movie. In case you don’t already know, it’s about a 16-year-old girl who gets pregnant and decides to give the baby up for adoption. I wasn’t completely sure it would be a good one to take my 16-year-old to see, but I’m glad we did.

Juno’s a tough girl, and she really wants to do what’s right. She wants to make sure her baby goes to a good home, and she’s good at looking at what a person’s like inside instead of outside. I really liked how much her parents supported her. Even though they’re disappointed (there’s a funny line about how it would have been easier if she’d just been doing hard drugs) they make sure to meet the adoptive parents and accompany her to the doctor. Her stepmother even sews elastic on her jeans. I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen a kind stepmother in a movie.

So does the movie encourage girls to get pregnant? Let’s hope not! But I think that people who watch it should remember that Juno’s probably much better able to endure the behind-the-back comments and stares than most teen girls. She was already a rebellious outsider at school, so she’s somewhat insulated from what others say. I think it’d much tougher for most girls to endure the social and personal implications of pregnancy than it was for Juno.

Also, the movie compresses a nine-month pregnancy into two hours, so it leaves out details like whether Juno has to miss school at the end of her pregnancy or after she gives birth. Not all pregnancies go as well as Juno’s did, and even when they do, they can be very tiring at the end or during recovery. It’d be tough for many girls to keep up with classwork.

So should teens see the movie? I think so, but I recommend that they see it with a parent who can discuss it with them afterwards.

Fans of “The Office” will LOVE seeing Rainn Wilson (Dwight) as the snarky store clerk, Rollo. Also, the movie has a wonderful soundtrack, with lots of great music by Kimya Dawson. It’s available on iTunes.

My most popular blog posts of 2007

Posted on 31. Dec, 2007 by kchristieh in books, local news, movies, tv

When I call my blog “An Eclectic Mix of Musings,” I’m not kidding. I cover a pretty wide range of topics.

According to my blog stats, here are the Top 10 most popular posts on my blog for 2007:

1. Little Manhattan: Great movie, fantastic soundtrack
   The soundtrack isn’t available on iTunes, so I listed all the songs from the movie.
2. San Diego fire status links
   My parents evacuated up here, so we kept track of the fires near their house.
3. “Ugly Betty” wedding announcement in NY Times
   I can’t wait until the writer’s strike is over!
4. “Atonement” movie better than book
5. Yiddish word of the day: kaynahora
   The most useful Yiddish word my Jewish stepmother has taught me so far.
6. Does the direction of a man’s hair whorl indicate his sexual preference?
   I wonder if parents are checking their sons, or people are checking their friends or themselves…
7. Kids say the darndest things
   Includes quotes and Charles Schulz cartoons from the 1957 book
8. Did today’s teens kill chivalry?
9. Here’s the best gift for your wife or girlfriend
10. Which is worse: “slut” or “prude”?

Thanks for reading my blog, and stay tuned for even more fun in 2008!