Tag: Movies/TV

Holiday Movies – My Favorites

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I never really had many “must-see”s on my holiday viewing lists before now, but these last couple years I’ve loved having some Christmas movies to indulge in during the month of December.  Some quick Internet searches of popular holiday movies, and I see that not many of mine match up with most lists, but here are some of the ones of some I really enjoy:

Arthur Christmas (2011)

This one is definitely at the top of the list.  I’m always surprised how few people have heard of this movie.  When people hear its name and that it’s animated, they usually assume it’s the aardvark book character named Arthur, but it definitely is not.  This is one of my favorite Christmas movies ever, if not THE favorite.  Arthur Christmas, son of the current Santa Claus, loves Christmas.  He loves the magic of it, he adores his dad, and he answers children’s letters from all over the world. But everyone, including Arthur, knows that when his dad eventually retires, Arthur’s brother, Steve, will be the one taking over the role.  Steve has Christmas down to a science.  He treats Christmas Eve like a top secret mission, complete with camouflaged troops of elves, fancy communication gadgets, and precise calculations.  But when one present is found undelivered after the Christmas Eve gifts have been distributed, Steve sees this as simply a small margin of error, whereas Arthur can’t bear to think of a child without a present from Santa on Christmas morning.  Arthur joins forces with his granddad and a feisty elf and faces his many fears in order to deliver this one missed gift.

This movie is entertaining and heart-warming, and I love it every time I see it.  I did wait to show it to our oldest until we’d had a certain conversation, only because I had always held such a magical idea of Santa’s village and a workshop of tinkering elves as a child, and this movie definitely turns that on its head with the mission talk and communications. –In a completely clever and hilarious way, of course, but I wanted to hold that magic for my kids.  The idea of the Clauses all being white and British has got its limitations, but there is really so much to love about this extremely well-done, Christmas movie.  It tops the charts for me, and I really think it deserves much more of a place in people’s Christmas movie lists.

The Grinch (2018)

I seriously love this version of The Grinch, and it’s one of the only movies that I feel fine with both kids watching, unedited.  I almost, almost gave up on this one when the first sort of loud, beatbox-y (I don’t know what kind of music this is called, honestly) song came on just a couple minutes into the opening.  I’m so glad I didn’t let that deter me.  This is one of the sweetest, funniest movies ever.  It’s a go-to in our house all year, but especially near Christmas.  One of the very few actual family-friendly movies that we all enjoy.  The Grinch in this is still grinch-y, but we also see the hints of sweetness to him before his heart grows three sizes, and it makes it all flow so beautifully.  I love this Grinch so much.

 

Spirited! (2022)

A new one!  A musical (which I do love), but one that pokes fun at musicals.  Will Ferrel and Ryan Reynolds are fantastic, and I love this twist on A Christmas Carol.  I’ve only just seen it, but it’s already on my annual must-see Christmas list. (Definitely an adult movie though)

 

Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas (2021)

I know not all adults enjoy kid shows, but I adore Shaun the Sheep.  And while I haven’t seen this nearly as many times as my kids, I always love watching this or other Shauns.

 

How to Train Your Dragon: Gift of the Night Fury (2019), Homecoming(2011), and even the Snoggletog Log

I love the HtTYD movies!  But the scarier bits have prevented me from sharing them with my kids just yet, so I was thrilled to find these holiday shorts.  I always confuse which plot is which on these, but they have my stamp-of-approval for unedited watching and they’re just so great.  Each of the shorts is 22 minutes, and even though I’m not always a fan of the background fireplace-on-TV thing, the Snoggletog Log is super cute.

 

I Hate Christmas (2022 and 2023)

Definitely R-rated.  (This Netflix mini-series has two seasons now!)  It’s based in Venice; you can watch it dubbed or with subtitles.  (I chose dubbed)  Such a fun watch about a young woman who is frustrated by outside pressure from family and friends to have a boyfriend and be on the road to marriage.  A kick-back-in-your-slippers-sort-of-watch, and I totally binge the whole thing every time, staying up way too late.

 

Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas (2021)

I had Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist on my show queue for so long without ever watching it.  It wasn’t until I noticed and wanted to watch this Christmas special that I realized it would be helpful to have the background knowledge of the show first  (which I watched and binged and totally loved).  And while I didn’t make it through the series and onto this one exactly in time for Christmas day itself, I still got to it in the window of Christmas.  And, of course, it was great.

 

Love Hard (2021)

I love this Netflix movie.  It is so flippin funny and has some truly great lines.  Definitely on our annual Christmas watch list, but enjoyable throughout the year as well!  (Teen and up)

 

Dash and Lily (2020)

More of a mini-series, rather than a movie, but I really like this one!  (A teen-and-up watch)  Dash and Lily are teens in NYC who haven’t actually met but share thoughts and dares back and forth in a notebook they hide for each other throughout the city.  Spoiler: Sadly, I did love Dash and Lily apart more than when they actually get together, but, ah well.

 

A Christmas Story Christmas (2022)

Another new one!  I had no idea this was coming.  I had, of course, seen the original as a kid.  It terrified me, especially the bit with Santa.  So, even though I’d watch the reruns of it on TBS when it was on, I never really sought it out since then.  But, I really loved the take on this one.  Super sweet, and so many of the outfits and decorations and details of this 70s setting took me back to my childhood.  (There was only one scene that was a little too unrealistic for my liking – almost every one of those sledders would be seriously injured or dead.). (Although some would show this to their kids, I would consider it a teen-and-up movie.)

 

A Christmas to Remember (2016)

I only just saw my first Hallmark movie a few weeks ago, when I noticed there were some on our library’s Hoopla channel.  This one has Mira Sorvino in it, so I figured, Academy Award winner… couldn’t be all that bad.  Despite some things you just have to accept as you go, I thought it was super sweet.  Again, a cozy-up, mama-by-herself movie.

12 Dates of Christmas (2011)

This one is definitely an indulgence – one of those, I’ve-got-the-TV-to-myself-and-my-bunny-slippers-and-popcorn kinda movies, but I dig it.  I almost gave up on it with the opening song originally, but I’m glad I hung in.  Just for fun, but cute.

Other movies to mention: 

<Not that any of these rank differently, I just don’t personally watch them during the holidays, even though they are holiday movies.>

While You Were Sleeping (1995)

One of my favorites from my teen and young adult days!  This one is very much set at the holidays, but, again, I just tend to watch it at random times during the year.

Holiday in the Wild (2019)

Helping elephants in Africa?  Yes, please.  This is such a chill, sweet movie, and it helps gain awareness around elephant conservation.

The Holiday (2006)

Can I please live in Kate Winslet’s character’s little English cottage for the holidays?

The Actor’s Life: A Survival Guide

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The Actor’s Life: A Survival Guide (2017)
by Jenna Fischer

I am not an aspiring actor.  But I picked up this book because I love listening to the Office Ladies, and the more I hear from Jenna Fischer, the more I realize we share a lot of similarities.  I don’t usually listen to audio books.  Like, almost never.  But, our library only had this as an audio, and so I gave it a try.

I loved it!  It’s read by Jenna, which I think is a very important piece of a good non-fiction audiobook.  And even though she does offer really great tips and advice for actors, I found so many important life lessons in here for myself.  It was enjoyable and enlightening, and I honestly view actors differently than I used to.  But most importantly, it is helping me with many of my creative hang-ups and blocks.  I highly recommend this book, especially to actors and creatives.

Jenna Fischer deftly weaves her own story in with some really great practical advice for actors.  It never focuses too much on her life, but it also gives the reader plenty of looks into what she was doing before, during, and after The Office.  (And I love hearing these stories!)  Her words of wisdom for actors never come across as preachy or belittling; in fact, she openly admits she wishes she had followed much of this advice in her own journey.  She is honest about the fact that there isn’t really a set path in an actor’s life, but that many of her tips can at least help pave the road for being ready for opportunities.  I love that she includes interviews/stories in the back of the book from four different actor friends as well, to drive home that everyone’s journey is unique.

So, I’m not completely naive about the entertainment world.  I was never in it, the way some are, but I grew up near L.A.  My dad worked in the entertainment business, and I’ve been on a set here and there.  On the outskirts, I’ve been to events, and I even worked for a writing agent in Hollywood one summer.  I lived in the L.A. area for a year as a young adult and met people in the business and many trying to work their way in.  Still.  After listening to The Actor’s Life, I realize how many general assumptions I have been making about actors.  When I don’t see an actor in any films or TV for awhile after they’ve been in something “big,” I have always, always assumed this was by choice.  I admit, I even say a “Good for Them!” thinking they’ve chosen to embrace some quiet life instead.  As if this choice –my choice- is preferable for them.  Jenna discusses just how brutal this business can be.  Actors can land a big break and then not get cast for years, despite a desire to keep on as a working actor.

And as for the pay?  Yeah, I’ve been cynical about that too.  First of all, California, and L.A., specifically, are expensive places to live!  So, salaries are generally higher for many professions.  Then, Jenna explains the 10% off the top that goes to an agent, 10% to a manager, and, of course, taxes.  This is not to mention the years of classes and headshots and driving to and from auditions and sets.  The 23 minutes of a show we see as the audience does not include the many hours of prep and rehearsals and reshoots and so on.  (To be fair, Jenna Fischer really didn’t linger on the financial aspect all that much (other than to remind actors not to get into the biz for the money), but it was something that really struck me while listening.).
When I was a school teacher, I remember how jaded one of my co-workers was about the fact that the guest art teacher made about as much in an hour as we made in a day.  I knew even then, that there was more to it than that.  The art teacher didn’t have the steady work we had.  She had a unique training and skill set we didn’t have.  She had supplies and prep and clean-up we didn’t have.  Not to say there weren’t elements of this in our teaching jobs, and not that we were receiving the pay we deserved (ha!), but I got it.  It’s like the plumber who quickly fixes one thing and charges what seems like a lot.  We’re paying for his or her knowledge about what to fix and how to fix it, not for the actual time it takes. … I digress…  I, sadly, never gave actors this consideration before.  I was pretty cynical about the pay, and I’m grateful to this book for changing my mind, even though that wasn’t really one of the main points.  And while Jenna does offer “survival” tips for poor, aspiring actors, obviously the same tips can apply to sooooo many jobs and situations out there.  I remember while working as a teacher scouring the floor of my car in grocery store parking lots, looking for loose change so that I could buy some basic food items.

But, as I said, most of what I took away from this book was not about acting or money, but about my own journey.  I love writing.  I love blogging and making my little videos about reducing and reusing.  And even though it’s in my heart, and I love doing it, there is a bit of a bummer element to it knowing that I am basically invisible on the Internet.  I don’t like the spotlight, and I don’t need it.  But, I work hard and put my whole self into what I’m doing, so it can be discouraging.  But Jenna talks about the years that some actors spend just seemingly waiting.  She relates to the frustration, while also encouraging action.  Her inspiring words about creating your own work, collaborating on projects that mean something to you, and knowing that it will pay off, was definitely a helpful and hopeful message.  I’d like to think if I was an aspiring, non-working actor that I’d be making my own videos and projects and living my passion.  So, wouldn’t I do that now?  What I am doing?  I know exactly what’s in my heart.  This is an amazing time in history when people can create and share with the world at the click of a button.  So, yes!  I love writing and blogging and talking about helping our environment.  So, what is all my internal whining about?  I’m doing what I love.  As the successful playwright in The Incredible Jessica James tells Jessica, “There’s really not much more to it than this.”  To get to do what I love from the comfort of my home without anybody’s permission?  Wow!  I’m going to embrace this.

Derek Waters (of Drunk History fame) wraps up his interview at the end of the book by saying this:

I was in tears.  The combination of hearing Jenna’s book and hearing those words was just what I needed.  Read this book.  It’s awesome.

This Changes Everything

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This Changes Everything (2019)

During our month with Netflix, I’ve tried to be more focused about watching things from our list.  I came across This Changes Everything and thought I’d just preview it for a few minutes to get a feel for it and then move on to something else for the evening.  Well, an hour and a half later…

I really liked this film and think it is such an important one for people to see.  This documentary discusses the underrepresentation and inequality faced by women in Hollywood.  I think it’s important to note though, that the focus is on women.  The stats, the interviews, the stories are about women in Hollywood.  Looking at the low percentages of women writers or directors or female leads, I can only imagine how much smaller (to non-existent) that number is for people of color, transgender people, non-binary people, and so many more.  And while this discrimination is obviously equally important to explore, This Changes Everything‘s focus is women.  There were many criticisms I read about this in reviews, but I personally think it was important for the documentary to keep a focus.  It would be like saying this film should have explored discrimination faced by women in all fields.  The topic is women in Hollywood.  Ok, moving on.

This Changes Everything was a big wake-up call for me.  Even as it began, I seriously thought, ‘Oh, well, maybe this used to be the case, but certainly not now.’  But as more and more women shared their stories and statistics were given, I was shocked.  I guess I didn’t fully realize things like why a big deal was made of Gerwig’s Little Women being directed, written, and produced by women.  I don’t tend to watch a ton of movies and I can be a bit particular in what I choose to spend my time watching, so I’m not always ‘in the know.’  But, I think these low numbers would probably surprise most everyone.  It’s interesting because I feel like the book world has made huge strides recently in representation.  I can find everything from picture books to YA to adult about so many people’s stories.  But, oddly, in the ‘open-minded’ Hollywood, this isn’t the case.  And, as much as I far prefer and adore books, let’s be realistic – The average person is way more likely to experience story on the screen than in a book.

I can understand and appreciate that big change doesn’t happen overnight.  So, seeing responses like these in this link of Hollywood women speaking up might seem awesome, but looong overdue.  But I get it.  It’s a process.  Still, I was very surprised by the inequality that’s been happening in Hollywood this long.  And when audiences continue to hear or see a story from a white, male perspective then that is what we think is the norm.  I really loved Shannon Hale’s post about Do Boys Only Get to Read Half the Books? but it seems that female authors get more opportunities to storytell than females in Hollywood.  It was interesting to think of that from the TV/movie perspective where the women’s perspective isn’t as readily an option.  I heard several times in the documentary that studios weren’t sure if they were willing to risk telling a woman’s story for fear of losing half their audience.  Seriously?  So, much like Hale talks about, women are just expected to watch a male’s view, but men can’t do the same for women?  (Or seriously, like I said, fill in the blank of any minority group.). Do we think so little of men?

And yet, another huge issue of (certain) men being at the helm of these productions has been the gross sexism and appalling behavior that women have had to deal with.  Isn’t it fortunate for this male-centric bubble that the young female actors they most desperately want for these parts are also the ones trying so hard to navigate this new show-business world and become a success that they are more likely to put up with such bull crap?  I loved one quote from the documentary – “Progress will happen when men stand.  It’s the chivalry of the 21st century.”  Although I don’t know much about FX, I loved seeing the male head of this channel really take it to heart that women and minorities were being so under-represented on the network.  He did something about it.  And, when big change and lots of change needs to happen, we really do need the help and support of people ‘on the inside.’  Much like the groups of men in the early 19th century whose votes would decide the fate of women’s suffrage.  And to create change, we also need women to come together in community.  So many of these male-centric stories have shown women pitted against one another in competition and that has influenced our culture.  Even interviews will try to perpetuate this and keep women separate.  We don’t all need to be BFFs, but women need to support each other and stand up for one another.  Divided, alone, and silent is when we fall.  We are stronger together.

And is this gender imbalance in production the same reason our cartoons have been so lopsided for so many years?  Makes sense, I guess, if men are the ones writing and producing them.  I remember when I was teaching elementary school, I used to do an exercise where I had the students think of a male cartoon character.  Preferably a human-looking one for the sake of the exercise.  What did he look like?  What was he wearing?  What were his hobbies?  What did he spend his time talking about?  And then, I asked them to do the same with a female character.  Now, I know things have changed since I did this.  I know they have.  But, is it as balanced now as I’m assuming?  At the time I was doing this with students, Tinker Bell had a huge comeback.  This jealous, mean fairy from 1950s Peter Pan who wears very little clothing and spends a good amount of time pouting or playing mean tricks on the only other female? Yeah, her.  (Link that is hilarious but rated-R) That is not a role model for young girls or an appropriate view of the female for any audience members.  Characters like Tinker Bell are one of the reasons my children have not seen any of the classic Disney films.  And, actually, it was the imbalance of females in cartoon movies that led Geena Davis (producer of This Changes Everything) to start her Institute on Gender in Media in the first place.

So, yes.  We’ve had too many moments of “This Changes Everything!” in this and so many other aspects of the way our world is.  But like that 100th monkey, I just have to believe that all these steps, whether small comebacks in an interview or large movements like MeToo and TimesUp, these will make a difference.  And even though Hollywood, and specifically women in Hollywood, is one, just one, piece of a much, much bigger problem, every change helps.  And whether we agree with it or not, people do look to movies, TV, and celebrities as guides from a young age and into adulthood.  Seeing women’s stories, hearing women stand up for themselves, watching women finally be recognized for their talents and hard work, and not just the dresses they wear to the awards shows, these things all make a difference in how we all view ourselves and those in our lives.  These people in Hollywood – actors, directors, writers, producers, interviewers, critics – they have great power and responsibility to create change.

1-minute video-Ask Better Questions
Tina Fey Talks About Hiring Women Comedy Writers

 

You might also enjoy:

Witches: The Transformative Power of Women Working Together
Women, Weight, and Hollywood Delusion

Best. Show. Ever!

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Trying on AppleTV is by far one of my favorite shows of all time.  The show follows couple, Nikki and Jason, on their parenting journey.  After finding out they won’t be able to get pregnant, the couple pursues the adoption path.  Trying is full of reality, humor, and heart.  Everything about the show comes together so beautifully—the wonderful scripts, the perfect casting, the seamless music, the locations, the direction.  I’m beyond grateful for everyone who has been involved in making this heartwarming, beautiful show.  

I have loved joining, not only Nikki and Jason on their parenting journey, but also all the other characters.  Screenwriter/creator, Andy Wolton has an incredible ability to write all the characters of this show so well.  He’s given the characters depth and humor in a way that makes them all so human.  As much as I adore Nikki and Jason and their amazing chemistry, I can’t think of one character who wasn’t given a truly great story of their own in Trying. 

Watch this show.  Or don’t.  But it rocks.  And it’s one of the best things I’ve seen on television.

 

(Trying just wrapped up its 3rd season on AppleTV.  Will it be the last?  You know, I would take more if it came, but, as much as I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this show, I feel like Season 3 wrapped up the story quite wonderfully.)

Women, Weight, and Hollywood Delusion

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Can I just vent for a moment about how women’s weight is represented on television and movies?  Yes, I know it’s ‘Hollywood.’  Yes, I know we’re to suspend disbelief for a lot of things that happen in TV and movies and that many of these productions are a space for their audiences to escape reality – a place where characters have funny, witty responses, where life is always interesting, and where loose ends are tied up in the time period allowed.  I get that.  But the way that women have been portrayed, and ARE portrayed, in these worlds has a long way to go.  And dare I say, has some pretty damaging effects.

Gone are the days of TV house mothers vacuuming and cooking in their best dresses.  Gone are the days of women on TV cracking jokes about how eating certain foods will go right to their thighs or hips.  Nope.  Somewhere along the line, it became ‘cool’ for female leads to be relaxed, eat loads of junk food, and act like strangers to exercise.  Of course, all of the women playing these parts are thin and healthy, energetic and entertaining.  Were we to watch an overweight, lethargic woman on TV eating pizza and dissing on health food, audiences would cringe and shake their heads in judgement.  But by trying to make these women seem relatable and ‘fun,’ instead of obsessed with dieting and hitting the gym, media outlets have created even worse issues for women.

Carl’s Jr.’s degrading commercial campaign objectifying women eating hamburgers is one of the earliest instances of this obnoxious trend.  If they showed women who did regularly indulge in those massive, fatty burgers, the ad campaign would have been over before it began (especially considering the stance of slimy, former executive, Andrew Pudzder).  If we want women to truly embrace eating what they want and feeling secure in their bodies, then can we please show a realistic picture of what these lifestyle choices would look like?  These women would be larger (aka “normal-looking”), and if they consistently ate the way many of these female TV characters ate, they’d also probably have some health consequences.  We’d see the effects of their long-term choices in their emotional moods, their energy levels, and even other parts of their appearances, like their eyes or skin.  (For reference, these ads, shows, movies, have spit buckets right out of view for when the director yells, “Cut!”  This food is NOT being consumed by these women.)

There’s a long list of TV shows that have embraced this story plot of the gluttonous, but thin and beautiful woman.  Some of them are shows I really enjoy, but the message sent is an unfortunate one.  Grace Adler, the Gilmore gals, Leslie Knope, Liz Lemon, Jessica Day –  I’m sure many, many others, but I have a limited knowledge of TV –  These women love their takeout and sweets and it’s a big part of their characters to fully embrace this, while simultaneously being horrible at exercise and shunning the idea of eating healthy or even being able to cook a meal.  Do we have to swing so far away from the 1950s woman cooking for others, but not for herself, in order to reach a happy medium?  As much as I appreciate a realistic picture of what women enjoy eating, I actually prefer to see the contestants of the pageant in Miss Congeniality eating what a woman in that position would eat – very little- and acting like a piece of pizza was a foreign object than to see this idiotic idea that women should eat freely, not obsess about her health or the gym, and still look crazy thin.

I recently re-watched Bridget Jones’s Diary, a movie and book I love.  The film starts with Bridget listing her weight as 136 and claiming that she needs to lose 20 pounds.  Yes, pounds, because why list her weight in British stones when we American women can hear the utter absurdness of this number and goal and feel bad about ourselves?  It’s not just that Bridget weighs a certain amount and has this goal for herself; the entire plot is centered around the fact that her weight makes her chubby and undesirable.  For reference, her height and that weight put her exactly in the middle of a normal BMI.  So, I’m sorry.  But, what?!  And the book is worse.  She claims to be 129 “post-Christmas” and says she’s “terrifyingly sliding into obese” when she checks in later at 130.  This book was written by a woman, who was also on the team of screenwriters.  Umm…

Then, there’s Father of the Bride 2.  Another of my favorite rom-com indulgences.  Cute, predictable, comforting, starring Steve Martin – a perfect Sunday afternoon escape.  But when George Banks lists his daughter’s and wife’s 9-month weights as 128 and 132, respectively??!!  It is hard for me not to type an expletive here.  There were not one, but two women as screenwriters on this!  These weights, with their heights puts them directly in the ‘normal’ BMI range WITHOUT being 9 months pregnant!!  Depending on pre-pregnancy weight, a woman should usually be gaining 25-40 pounds in pregnancy, the higher end of that range reserved for those with low BMIs to start with.  These women would have been severely underweight and unhealthy if these were their 9-month weights, which probably would have made it very difficult for the pregnancies to occur in the first place.

And just to digress a little bit here, inspired by FotB2, women’s pregnant bellies in movies and shows are laughingly small.  I must bring up another Steve Martin movie, another favorite of mine, The Big Year.  His daughter-in-law being pregnant is a small side story, but she looks rail thin when announcing she’s 4 months’ pregnant.  And when she introduces (Steve) to her newborn, she’s the exact same rail thin.  Any woman over the age of 20 (and who doesn’t live in Hollywood) and has had a baby, knows that you’re gonna look pregnant for some time afterwards.  Weeks, months, years…whatever.

So, Huzzah to the idea that women should be able to enjoy food, and not just for comedic effect when they’re feeling down about a break-up or something ridiculous like that.  But, for the sake of, well, everyone, regardless of gender, let’s paint a realistic picture of that.  Let’s show people making healthier, balanced choices, or at least show the consequences of not doing that.  Like it or not, audiences take these shows and movies into their subconscious and carry them for life.  Young women may be seriously baffled by the fact that they can’t sit and eat piles of junk food, poke fun at people who use the gym, and then not look like Rory and Lorelai.   Screenwriters, directors, actors, producers – whatever gender you are, stand up for this!  This unrealistic picture of women is no better than the ones from the distant past.  We can do much, much better.