Lars & the Real Girl: Spoiler Alert!

Posted on Thursday, May 14, 2009

I'm on a movie kick lately--a cheap movie kick. I bought Leonard Maltin's 2009 Movie Guide (which I believe Hope bought and annotated every year, bless her) and it includes a list of 50 Movies You May Have Missed (overlooked movies, in other words). I don't know if I've shared this factoid with you, but there is nothing that gives me more satisfaction than putting check marks to the items on a list. Back in the O'dark Ages, Hope and I worked our way through Alfred Hitchcock's movies on the strength of this motivation. Today, I'm getting Leonard's picks through the library and making my slow way through.

Tonight it was "Lars and the Real Girl." I found myself crying at the funeral scene for the doll. If that's not the height of sappiness, I don't know what is. But it struck me as belonging to a category of movies where a town is featured, not as a setting really, but as a character. "Our Town" would be the seminal example of this category probably. Can you name any other movies that would appear on such a list? Because I'm liking my list these days.

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Happy Mothers' Day

Posted on Sunday, May 10, 2009

Yes, I realize probably no one will be reading this, but I've decided to post it up here anyway. I have news. I've qualified for a scholarship to attend an Esperanto immersion program in San Diego this summer. My course fees are all waived--I only have to pay my room/board. Get this--I'll be gone for three weeks. I've NEVER been separated from my kids for more than three or four nights at a stretch, so this is a bit scary, especially for my son (who has a sometimes troubled relationship with my husband). Nevertheless, I can't help but think that the circumstances that are allowing me to do something this quixotic and fun may never converge again. Either one has the money for this sort of quest, but no time--or has the time and no money. Since I'm hoping to be more consistently employed next year, this might be my only shot.

And if I go through another sun-less Seattle summer, life won't be worth living.

Now, anyone have any advice on surviving a 30+ hour trip on Amtrak?

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