With all of two weeks' context from which to look back on 2013, I have decided the lessons of the year merit an airing here.
1. Cancer sucks – Too many people I know have it, had it, are recovering from it – or worse. This news is always devastating and life-changing. And while I know people do survive it – I am one, having survived colon cancer back in 2000 – I am angry that cancer interrupts their lives and crushes their hopes. I know we are mere mortals, but this diagnosis is a slap upside the head for those who receive it themselves, their families and their friends. Let’s give our support to these individuals, donate to the cause and pray that science can gain the upper hand so we can eradicate this dreaded illness. Signs of optimism abound.
2. Losing weight is better than gaining weight – I had a year of no net weight loss, despite going to Weight Watchers faithfully. Apparently just showing up isn’t enough. I feel and look better when I am losing, so I am determined to get back on the wagon and head down that path again after a minor interruption. Your health is everything, and losing weight for me is the key.
3. Along the same lines, work out! – I went through a tough year with my knee in 2013, seeing two different orthopedic docs and going through months of physical therapy. Now I know I can push – but not too much. It is so important to be active, although I now understand that I can’t walk 3 miles every day. But I can do better and be aware of what my body tells me.
4. Wisdom & Self-control – This was the motto when I went to Douglass College (unlike the fictional Faber College from “Animal House,” where the motto was “Knowledge is good”), and I had to call on it more than ever in 2013, as I had to deal with a number of tough issues as president of the Associate Alumnae of Douglass College. My term is over at the end of June, and it has been as rewarding as it has been challenging. I never realized how much “wisdom and self-control” I would need, and how much I could muster.
5. Sometimes your team loses – I am a passionate fan of many teams, but the Yankees, Giants and Rutgers Football had off-years in 2013, and my beloved Rutgers Women’s Basketball Team did not get into the NCAA tournament for the first time in many years. Surprisingly, I survived, as did they all, and we live to fight – and cheer – another day. It’s only a game, right?
6. What you say or do can have a profound effect on people – I had many instances where people cited things I said or did that meant something to them during the past year. Some people told me they decide which movies to see based on my reviews. I have had people quote me to my face from an essay that moved them in some way. Sometimes it was just to provide a laugh, but other times it was more meaningful. It made me think about what I say and do and that I should take it all a little more to heart. People who listen to what I say expect it to make sense, I suppose. But I will always try to leave them laughing, which is sometimes just what they need.
7. It’s OK to spend money – I know this because my financial advisor assured me it was true. So when I bought another camera that I didn’t need (but love) and a new car to replace my 16-year old Mercedes, Gracie (I welcomed a 2014 Mercedes, Emma Rose, in September), I didn’t have to justify it to anyone, including myself. As long as I also support causes that are meaningful to me, I can justify my self-indulgent spending. After all, I am contributing to the economy, right? Think of it as the Tina Gordon Stimulus Package. And that 30% off at Kohl’s must be a win-win.
8. Time is of the essence – I wish I could spend more of it with friends, but sometimes our mutual obligations and busy schedules get in the way. I don’t want to regret anything, and time is a precious commodity. I lost some people who were important to me in 2013, and I saw friends lose people who were important to them, too. We don’t get them – or the time we missed – back. In 2014, I vow to spend more of it with the people who mean the most to me – whether they like it or not!
9. Social networking is the new water cooler – I spent a lot of time on Facebook in 2013, but I think of it this way: I live alone, and all these clever thoughts I used to share with my co-workers would just go to waste if I didn’t have an audience. So my Facebook timeline is loaded with bon mots – or what I think of as witticisms – that just lie out there until someone reacts. It’s fun and much easier than doing a stand-up routine. After all, I can sit down while I type, you know?
10. Peace and joy – I spend a lot of time thinking about this subject, and how, sometimes, it takes so little to make me happy. Watching a good movie and sharing it via my reviews, talking on the phone to a dear friend, cleaning out the pantry, knowing that the garbage service will whisk away the expired food – any and all of those things can make my day. I love coming home to a clean house and clean sheets, courtesy of the cleaning lady. Most of the time, I AM the cleaning lady, but twice a month I pay someone to do the heavy lifting. That makes me keep the house neater and tidier, and that gives me peace. As I get older, my highs aren’t all that high and my lows aren’t all that low, but peace and joy, friends and loved ones, help me to experience contentment. I appreciate every day and am grateful to live this life. Peace and joy to all.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Tina's December 2013 Movies and Top 5
I ended the year with a flourish, seeing 23 movies, including what turned out to be my favorite of the year ("Philomena"), bringing my total to 158 for 2013. Here is what I watched in December. At the end you will find my list of Top 5 Movies of 2013. Happy New Year and Happy New Movies. Remember, numbering picks up from the previous month and movies marked with an asterisk as the ones I had not previously seen.
141. A Place Alice, but he soon meets socialite Angela and they fall for each other. The pregnant girl represents an obstacle he must overcome to move up in society. And even though we all know he wants her gone, the overarching question still makes me feel ambivalent (see it for yourself so I don’t spoil it entirely). This romantic melodrama/courtroom drama is based on a novel by Theodore Dreiser that is a big and juicy book, just as this is a big and juicy movie. It certainly solidified Taylor ’s status as the star of her generation, and Clift held his own against the beauty queen. Classic. 4½ cans.
136. Memories of Me (1988) – Billy Crystal is Abie Polin, a heart surgeon who suffers a heart attack. Long estranged from his father, a Hollywood actor who describes himself as “The King of the Extras,” Abie goes to California to establish a relationship with the father who walked out on his mother when he was just a child. Alan King is Abe Polin, a gregarious and popular guy among his cohorts on the fringe of acting. There are amusing moments and a valiant attempt to be heartwarming here (Crystal as a heart surgeon, the father who named his son after himself), but establishing a real rapport takes time and exposure, and that’s something in limited supply. There are a few good lines, but this movie is no “When Harry Met Sally.” 3 cans.
137. The Book Thief* (2013) – Based on a book that I own but haven’t read, this movie is about Liesel, a young German girl whose poor mother is forced to give her up. She is adopted by a cold woman (Julie Walters) and her more kindly husband (Geoffrey Rush). The entire town is forced to endure the strife of WWII, complete with air raids and fear as the men in the town are drafted to go off to war. Lisle learns to read, her one real enjoyment, and is befriended by the wife of the town mayor, who allows her to “borrow” books from their library. This movie is longer than it needed to be and slower, but is full of heart and love as the family becomes a real family, especially as they harbor a fleeing Jew in their basement. The remarkable performance by the young actress who plays Lisle is understated and punctuated by her enormous eyes. 4 cans.
138. Philomena* (2013) – Steve Coogan does yeoman’s work in this movie as one of the writers and as the co-star, but he is outpaced by the low-key and affecting performance by Dame Judi Dench in the title role. Philomena is a motherless teenager living in a convent and forced to work for her keep when she gives birth to a baby boy. The nuns treat the sinner with disdain but provide care for the baby and the young mothers like Philomena, until, without any notice, the boy is taken away and adopted. Over the years, Philomena returns to the convent to try to find out what happened to him but she is told all records have been destroyed in a fire. Martin (Coogan) is an unemployed writer and former news reporter who reluctantly, at first, takes on her search so he can write a human interest story. The story unfolds, revealing the paths taken by mother and son. Philomena is a content woman who gets excited by a juicy novel or having an omelet made to order. Martin is more forceful and angry about her treatment by the nuns. They take to the road, eventually going to the US to track down her beloved son. Every nuance, every gesture by Dench feels true to the character in a story that is based on the real-life Philomena. Holiday season always ushers in a glut of movies, but this one is destined to stand out in the crowd. See it. 4½ cans.
139. The Sound of Music* (2013) – It is impossible – if unfair – to judge this live television performance of the classic musical without comparing it to the movie version. Country singer Carrie Underwood gamely tackles the role of the errant nun, Maria, and does so with nary a twang in her delivery of such well-known songs as “My Favorite Things” and “Do-Re-Mi.” But where Julie Andrews proclaimed “the hills are alive” from the actual Alps , Carrie is relegated to a sound stage, which gives this version more of the feeling of a play that is strangely performed with no audience. The story of the Von Trapp Singers and their escaping Austria just as the Third Reich was moving in is familiar to everyone who has seen the movie – and has anyone NOT seen the movie? Underwood has a clear and beautiful voice but is an acting neophyte, and she can’t command the stage against the likes of seasoned Broadway vet Audra McDonald as Mother Superior. But Underwood does a valiant job, even without displaying any sort of twinkle in her eye. Less successful is Stephen Moyer as Captain Von Trapp, a stiff, uptight, autocrat who suddenly melts after a minimal exposure to earnest nanny Maria. Technically, this is not a movie, but after sitting through 2½ hours of this corny show feeling rather unmoved by it all, I thought I should get credit on my list! Ironically, I watched this live performance (the challenge for which I give the entire ensemble kudos) recorded on my DVR. 2½ cans and a vow to never see this version again.
140. Six by Sondheim* (2013) – If you have enjoyed musical theater in the last 40 years or so, chances are you have seen the work of composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim. From “West Side Story” (where he did the lyrics while Leonard Bernstein composed the score) to the shows he mounted with Hal Prince and others (“A Little Night Music,” “Sunday in the Park with George,” “Company” and “Follies,” among others), the prolific Sondheim has taken characters and created magical musical moments with his thoughtful lyrics and rhythms. In this HBO documentary – which is a master class in how to create music – Sondheim himself explains how he writes, how he relates to the characters and creates stories in his music. The next time you think of sending in the clowns or want to celebrate being alive, think of Sondheim. If you like Broadway and favor the complexities of music and character, you’ll love this examination of a complicated and creative artist. 4 cans.
142. Kind Hearts and Coronets* (1949) – I recently saw the hilarious Broadway show “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” which is based on this British movie. Louis (Dennis Price) learns he is a distant relation of the Duke of Chalfont, but in order to become the Duke himself, the 8 relatives who are ahead of him in line would have to die. No problem for the supercilious and conniving – yet very proper – Louis, who proceeds to knock them off one at a time. All of the victims, from an old banker to an old woman, are played with great style by Alec Guinness. This clever story is highly entertaining, but I much preferred the stage version, which is more animated as a musical. I always have trouble understanding British dialog. Still, the premise of this black comedy is funny even if I didn’t catch every word. How he gets rid of Lady Agatha is hilarious. 3½ cans.
143. The Verdict (1984) – From “The Young Philadelphians” to "Butch Cassidy” and “The Sting,” Paul Newman has been on the top of my list of favorite movie stars forever. Here an older, more wizened Newman plays alcoholic attorney Frank Galpin, a hack who drums up business by attending wakes and slipping his business card into the hands of the deceased’s loved ones. He happens to catch a medical malpractice case that looks ripe for a handsome settlement, but when he goes to visit the comatose victim, his conscience kicks in and he decides to let it play out in court. His formidable opponent (James Mason) pulls out all the stops, and it looks like Frank might have blown his payday. The odds are against him in every conceivable way, but will justice prevail? 4 jars of Newman’s Spaghetti Sauce, please.
144. Shall We Dance? (2004) – There is one scene in this movie – when star Richard Gere ascends an escalator wearing a tux and carrying a single red rose – that elicits a universal “ahhhh” from every female viewer. We all know and love that scene in this pleasant story of a nice guy who, despite a happy marriage (to Susan Sarandon) and lovely daughter, a thriving law practice and material success, finds himself lacking something in his life. As his train passes Miss Mitzi’s Dance Studio, he looks up and sees the forlorn face of a beautiful woman (Jennifer Lopez, looking regal and sad at the same time) and he is intrigued, so he signs up for dancing lessons. He and his fellow hoofers become a supportive if awkward group, and once again he experiences joy. The always reliable Stanley Tucci is a fellow lawyer with a passion for dance. This movie reminds us of how the arts enrich our lives in so many ways. But just seeing Gere in that tux was enough for me. Sigh. 3½ cans.
145. Mame (1958) – Rosalind Russell so dominates this movie as madcap Mame that it is impossible to even think about anyone else playing the role – and this from someone who loves Lucy but thinks the movie musical version just does not measure up. Mame Dennis is a wealthy society dame who unexpectedly finds herself having to raise her young nephew, Patrick. The education she provides about life may be unconventional, and the “family” of Mame, Patrick, drunken Auntie Vera and two loyal servants may be different, but their lives are filled with love. This energetic movie traces Mame’s ups and downs (with apologies to the scene later where that phrase appears) through men, money and the roaring ‘20s to the mid-century. Patrick is her “little love,” and the bond between them is unbreakable. I’d like to think my connection with my own nephew has just a dash of Mame in it. Three cheers for Mame and 4 cans.
146. Chasing Madoff* (2011) – When something seems too good to be true, it usually is. So when financial analyst Harry Markopolos was asked by his firm how they could get returns similar to those of investment pro Bernard Madoff, if took Harry just a few minutes to spot the fraud that Madoff was perpetuating on investment institutions and large investors. Madoff, now serving 150 years in prison for his financial dirty deals, ran a Ponzi scheme, which relied on constantly getting new investors to pay off the older investors. It didn’t take Harry long to uncover the extensive acts of fraud, but it took 9 years for the regulatory agencies (SEC) with jurisdiction over investments to believe him. Harry went to the press, submitted extensive documents to the SEC, contacted government officials – and all his attempts (except a few stories in the financial press) were ignored. It took the economic collapse of 2008 to unearth Madoff’s fraud, and now Harry’s long quest to bring it to light was lauded. This documentary is a cautionary tale and the impassioned story of one man, risking his safety and security, who tried to do the right thing. How many individuals whose entire life savings were wiped out might have been saved? Too many, and too many sad stories. Truth is stranger than fiction. Kudos to Harry Markopolos and 3 cans to this film.
147. Ghost (1990) – Patrick Swayze had two really memorable movies in his too-brief career: “Dirty Dancing” and this one. Here he plays Sam, a banker who lives with his love, Molly (Demi Moore with a great short haircut). When Sam is gunned down, seemingly at random, his time here is not finished. He has to warn Molly about the bad guys, led by his former friend and colleague Carl (Tony Goldwyn). But how can a ghost communicate to a real person? Sam finds phony psychic Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg, in the part that brought her an Oscar), who is shocked to find she actually can hear Sam. In fact, he annoys her, but he is persuasive. And who can forget Molly and Sam using a potter’s wheel in the sexiest craft scene ever? I hadn’t seen this movie in a long time, but it was a great one to fit into the home stretch of this year’s movies. 4 cans.
148. A Christmas Story (1984) – What Christmas would be complete without the annual airing of Jean Shepherd’s hilarious stroll down Memory Lane ? I’ve seen this movie every Christmas Eve Day for years, and it never fails to amuse. The leg lamp, the Chinese restaurant, the kid with his tongue frozen to the pole, Ralphie in those absurd pajamas and almost shooting his eye out with his Red Ryder BB Gun – what could be better? A Christmas classic. 4 cans.
149. Woody Allen: A Documentary* (2012) – This documentary traces the long and prolific career of comic-turned-movie star/director Woody Allen. Here’s what I didn’t know: Allen wrote one screenplay (“What’s New Pussycat”) as his first venture into films and saw it and the film’s director get mangled during production. He vowed to never have that happen again, and he then demanded complete control of all of his work. He got it, and turned out “Bananas,” “Annie Hall” (one of my personal favorite movies), “Sleeper,” “Zelig,” “Broadway Danny Rose,” “The Purple Rose of Cairo,” “Manhattan ,” “Hannah & Her Sisters,” and, more recently, “Midnight in Paris ,” among many movies over a 40-year span. Actors universally laud his propensity toward minimal direction and interference as they work out the motivation of their on-screen characters. This documentary made me want to revisit some of Allen’s films, which I intend to do in the near future. 4 cans.
150. Nebraska Montana to Nebraska , where he thinks a $1 million prize is waiting for him from a magazine sweepstakes. Tired of seeing him picked up by the cops as he walks down the road, his son David (Will Forte of “Saturday Night Live”) gives in and hits the road with the ornery old coot, embarking on a road trip that provides David with some startling insights into his father’s past. Shot in black and white, the film shows great stretches of desolate land, finally settling on Woody’s hometown in Nebraska , which is nothing more than a series of bars and dilapidated houses inhabited by downtrodden plain folk. Dern gives a bravura performance as a man of few words, but possibly enough to earn him a thank you at Oscar time. This was not my favorite movie of the year, but I’ll give it the respect and admiration it deserves. 3½ cans.
151. American Hustle* (2013) – I wish they would have hustled through the plot of this plodding picture, which, to me, languished – particularly in the opening third. Based on the Abscam incident, this entrenched-in-the-1980s movie is equal parts hair, clothes and all those visual reminders of 30 years ago. And it is all about the con. Who’s conning who? Who’s legit? Who can you trust? You can’t even believe in their hair. Christian Bale as Irving sports the biggest comb-over this side of Donald Trump, while an FBI guy (Bradley Cooper) has a tight home permanent. Love interest Amy Adams has a mane of hair, while Irving ’s wife (Jennifer Lawrence) wears a streaked up-do. Jeremy Renner, as the corrupt mayor of Camden , has a huge boufant. So much for the hair. The story is convoluted, as Cooper arrests con artists Adams and Bale and forces them to work with him to set up a sting to entrap government officials. I know I am the contrarian here, but I thought the film dragged on and on. The acting, however, was outstanding, even though I thought Jennifer Lawrence – whose loose-lipped character nearly blows the scam – seemed too young to be Bale’s wife. She steals the show anyway. Call me an uncooperative witness, but I’ll give this one just 3½ briefcases full of money.
152. The Way* (2010) – This poignant movie is the story of Tom Avery (Martin Sheen), a California doctor whose adult son dies while making a pilgrimage on the Camino del Santiago in Spain. This route is called “The Way," and thousands of people walk it each year for a variety of reasons – spiritual or physical – but mostly to find their way. Tom decides to finish the route his son had started, which involves walking hundreds of kilometers alone, staying in hostels and relying on locals for food and assistance. He carries with him the cremated remains of his son, which he hopes to scatter at graveyards and in the ocean. Along the way he meets other pilgrims and, despite the bitterness he bares for the loss of his son, he develops friendships and has adventures. I wouldn’t have known anything about this actual pilgrimage or the movie were it not for my friend Ellen, who recently completed an abbreviated version of the journey and loaned me the DVD. I was almost inspired enough to tackle it myself, until I realized I saw no four-star hotels (except toward the end) along the route and could never deal with the lack of bathroom facilities. The movie is filled with beautiful shots of little villages and the Spanish countryside, enough to make you feel you could really get away when you take The Way. Emilio Estevez wrote and directed the movie for Sheen, his father, whose roots go back to Spain . Moving and lovely and off the beaten path but worth the trip. 3½ cans.
153. Sideways (2003) – This is my second Alexander Payne road movie this month. Paul Giammatti is Miles, a morose wine enthusiast with a distaste for Merlot. He and his buddy Jack (Thomas Haden Church ) head to Northern California wine country to celebrate Jack’s forthcoming wedding, though Jack’s interest is more focused on sowing a few last wild oats along the way. Divorced, Miles is a teacher and would-be author whose novel has yet to attract interest from a publisher. He is miserable and has no idea how to have fun. He comes alive only when describing in great detail every aspect of a wine he tastes. If his novel was as well expressed as his description of various wines, he’d have a bestseller. Virginia Madsen and an outstanding Sandra Oh (then married to director Payne) play the women who become the objects of their attention, and Oh has a great scene where she exacts revenge on Jack. 3½ cans, because Miles could bring down anyone’s good mood.
154. American Masters: Johnny Carson (2012) – Since I just finished a detailed biography of Johnny Carson written by his former attorney and friend Henry Bushkin, I thought it would be interesting to get another point of view about the King of Late Night TV. Carson came from stoic mid-western stock. He became a magician and performer to counteract his painful shyness. His impeccable timing and ability to engage with his guests during his 30+ year reign as the host of NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” belied his aloofness with people outside the show. This documentary chronicles his career, how he got started, failed, rose again, and ascended to legendary ranks. Tributes by his successors and competitors – Dick Cavett, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Joan Rivers, Arsenio Hall and others – pay homage to his talent and how he defined the late night medium to which they all aspired. Carson was an American Master. 4 cans.
155. Silkwood (1983) – It is almost impossible to settle on the singular role that defines the greatest actress of her generation: Meryl Streep in “Sophie’s Choice,” “The Deer Hunter,” “The Bridges of Madison County,” “The Iron Lady,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Kramer vs. Kramer,” among so many others. In this movie, based on a true story, she is Karen Silkwood, an employee of the nuclear energy company Kerr Magee in Texas . She lives with her lesbian friend Dolly (Cher , in the role that showed she had acting chops) and boyfriend Drew (a terrific Kurt Russell) and worries about getting exposed to cancer-causing plutonium – though not enough to stop smoking. Her growing devotion in working with the union estranges her from Drew, the company and her friends, but she is on a mission to improve the safety of herself and her co-workers. This movie brings us the amazing Meryl in one of her best roles and performances. 4½ cans.
156. Sleeper (1973) – Woody Allen’s early films were hilarious, and this mockery of the future of society is probably Woody at his zaniest. The proprietor of a health food store in New York , Allen is frozen and thawed out 200 years in the future, where the vegetables are enormous and where all the things previously thought bad for us – fatty foods, etc. – are now considered good. He meets Diane Keaton and has to fight in the Underground against a society dependent on robot servants and totalitarianism. The lines come fast and furious, with pointed barbs about society then and now. This is not one of his angst-riddled works, so you can sit back and enjoy the wild ride. 3½ cans.
157. Saving Mr. Banks* (2013) – Here’s a story I didn’t know: Walt Disney had to beg, borrow and practically steal to get the film version of “Mary Poppins” made. The author of the children’s classic, P. L. Travers (Emma Thompson), is reluctant to turn her character over to the Disney machine. She eschews animation and music for this story that reflects on her childhood, but, needing the money, she agrees with great trepidation to spend some time in Hollywood listening to Disney’s team reveal their plays to put it on the big screen. P.L. apparently stands for “Prickly Lady,” because Travers (who insists on being called “Mrs.” Travers) is like Mikey in that cereal commercial – she hates everything. She’s about to tell them all to go fly a kite, when they almost win her over with the song by that name. Ultimately, Walt (who insists on being called by his first name) must understand who is the hero of this story before he can translate it into a movie that will win Mrs. Travers’ approval. Oscar-winner Hanks tries a little harder than I’d like as Disney and Emma Thompson’s hair reminded me of Bradley Cooper’s hair in “American Hustle.” Don’t go by the previews, which make it appear that this is a light and frothy ditty, because it has many dark moments, but there is enough charm and interest to make this one worth seeing. 3½ spoons of sugar.
158. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) – If you had told me that this drama about men in a prison would be one of my top five favorite movies of all-time, I wouldn’t have believed it. But the lives of these men, their friendships, their survival skills, their humanity in an impossible environment, are heartwarming – even amid brutality and obtuse zealots. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman are unforgettable, and my list of favorite scenes could go on forever. I’m sentenced to watch this movie at least once a year, and I hope I’m serving life. 5 cans for this must-see and beloved movie.
Top Movies of the Year:
Philomena
Captain Phillips
The Butler
20 Feet from Stardom
The Queen of Versailles
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