I will never understand how light bulbs get loose when you don’t
touch them, how double and triple knots in my shoelaces still manage to
untie, and why Tom Brady left the New England Patriots.
Two more things I will NEVER understand: Where does lint come from and how do “soft close” drawers work?
I rely on my Alexa for a lot of things – the weather forecast, my shopping list and my calendar, among others. She also helps me to relax and sleep by playing guided meditations, music and soothing sounds. The other day she offered to play ocean sounds, a rainfall, nature sounds and silence. Silence? Really? So, I asked her to play the sounds of silence just to see what happened, and there was no noise (and no Simon & Garfunkel, either). How could I tell if she was done with the silence? When I told her to stop, there was still silence, so was that the silence sounds she was playing or the sound of nothing? All I know was that the next sound was me, laughing out loud in bed. It’s a good thing I live alone.
Has anyone actually ever died of boredom? Is there any anecdotal evidence of such a demise? Not that I have nothing to do – the To Do List doesn’t get shorter on its own, after all – but there is nothing I want to do besides the things I don’t feel comfortable doing, like meeting friends for an outside the restaurant lunch or venturing into a store for some retail therapy. I don’t want to go anywhere where it is too peopley. I even rescheduled my long-overdue dentist appointment. I’m just not ready.
Sure, this would be a great time to straighten out my list of passwords, but is that what I want to do to occupy my time? I could reorganize my office, I suppose, and it would feel great if I got that done, but there’s always tomorrow for that. And the day after that.
Even with subscriptions to Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Peacock, HBO and Apple TV+ (Prime Video comes free from Amazon), it seems hard to find something to watch. This might be the right time to binge-watch some series like Grey’s Anatomy, that has been on the air for 20 years. I have plenty of time on my hands to do it.
The damn Hallmark network has displaced my regular morning and evening dose of "The Golden Girls" with their inane Christmas movies. This had better not last until Christmas.
I am starting let down my guard just a tiny bit lately, like letting the handyman into the house to take care of two real emergencies. First, my TV died recently after a long illness, so he had to mount the new 50” TV on the wall of the bedroom (with my help; we both wore masks). That was a necessity. I need to see my Golden Girls in the morning! And second, he had to open the new bottle of vitamins for me. No matter how hard I tried to “push down while turning,” I could NOT get the damn bottle open. I feel stronger from taking the vitamins now, but weaker from not being able to open the bottle on my own.
When I can’t find something nowadays – my computer glasses, the case for my phone – I know they can’t REALLY be lost since I rarely leave the house. They must be here somewhere!
I think half of my newsfeed on Facebook consists of ads for facemasks. They are becoming fashion items. My latest order of 5 came in and they are so attractive, I wish I had clothes to match them.
I had a bunch of knives sharpened by someone in my neighborhood who offers that service. He did a great job, but my knives are now so sharp that they are shredding my kitchen sponges. It can’t be long before they get a finger, too.
I woke up recently convinced it was Saturday. I had to ask Alexa to learn it was actually Friday. And then I realized that it just doesn’t matter anymore.
If you watch a program called “Unsolved Mysteries,” should you be disappointed when the mystery is not solved by the end of the show? I mean, think about the name, Tina. But I wanted to know “who done it.”
Sometimes I wish Book Bub would stop recommending books for me to read and Netflix would stop suggesting movies for me to watch, or Amazon would stop showing me things I might like to buy that are similar to other things I have bought or am buying this time. I’m starting to feel like Lucy in the candy factory with all that stuff rolling my way to consider buying!
On June 16, I finally put gas in my car for the first time since March 9. It wasn’t running on fumes yet, but I figured that gas prices – which had dropped – would be going up soon, so why not get my gas while it was less expensive? Let’s see now if I can hold off refilling the tank until the fall. I’m not planning any big trips, that’s for sure.
If all the watermelons I buy have no seeds, where will the next generation of watermelons come from? Should I be worried about that?
If the weather report calls for rain and I DON’T water the flowers, it does not rain. And if I do water the flowers, regardless of the forecast, you can usually count on rain that would have done the watering for me. I realize that this should be my biggest problem in life.
People, enough with the emojis on social media! Many new ones have been introduced, so the original ones for thumbs up or using a heart to indicate love have been greatly expanded. To me, words matter, not commercially created little symbols. While they may be fun, please don’t overuse them to the point where they detract from your message. Half the time, I can’t figure out what the emoji is supposed to represent. Less is more!
I may have signed up for a few too many Zoom sessions. I watched one about the moon recently with my legs on my desk, leaning back in my chair, and the melodious voice of “Ranger Bob” lulled me to sleep. I guess if I can’t go to the movies and sleep in the theater anymore, I’ll have to find some other place to get in my naps!
I have mastered the art of filing my nails while attending a Zoom session. I just keep my hands low and you can’t tell they are moving while I am filing. Don’t tell anyone, OK? Thanks.
No matter how late I go to bed, I am up at 4, 5 and/or 6 every morning. No wonder I have bags under my eyes. If I go to bed earlier, I’m up at 2, 3 or 4. I can’t sleep! Except when there is a movie on. Or I am someplace where I should NOT be sleeping.
I notice when I drive now, my car instinctively stays further away from the other cars. It won’t wear a mask, but it is practicing vehicular distancing.
I have succumbed to the trend of using only one space between sentences – but only for items that will appear online. Let me tell you, a 60-year habit is tough to break.
You know what is annoying? It is that burning smell from the toaster when a crumb is caught inside. I shake it, turn it upside down and try to force the culprit to leave its position, but often to no avail. It sounds like a boulder bouncing around inside. You can’t see it or get it to fall out – but you can hear it moving around, taunting you. And if it finally becomes dislodged enough to fall out, you can’t even brag about your triumph, because no one will really care.
I must confess that my addiction to the Food Network has gotten worse during the quarantine. I can have the channel on all day, just to see if somebody finally beats Bobby Flay or whether the competitors on “Guy’s Grocery Games” can make an award-winning dish using only ingredients from two aisles. But the show I cannot stop watching is Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” where he drives his red Camaro around the country to uncover all of the above. He goes to the most unlikely looking places that turn out to serve plenty of scratch-made food (like their own ketchup, mayo and breadcrumbs), or use recipes from the original owners. These are gourmet-quality places, often family-owned for generations, still using grandma’s meatloaf recipe or creating “Sunday gravy.” Especially now, when restaurants are off the table (so to speak), it is fun to watch people packed into small places enjoying the house specialties. I literally can’t get enough. The show is my white noise as I do whatever around the house, pausing long enough to see the incongruity of a Jewish deli in Iowa, jambalaya in Minnesota and Italian dishes in Phoenix. It all makes me hungry, but I can’t gain weight from watching, right?
Stay safe and wear a mask -- for your sake and mine!
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
Tina's June 2020 Movies & More
I watched several top-flight TV series and some terrific documentaries in June along with a bunch of old and new movies. Numbering picks up from previous months and programs I had not seen previously are marked with an asterisk. Ratings are on a scale from 1-5 cans of tuna fish, with 5 being the highest.
79. Lance* (2020) – This ESPN documentary about disgraced world champion cyclist Lance Armstrong comes on the heels of last month’s monumental “The Last Dance” about Michael Jordan. There have been several previous documentaries about Armstrong in which he vehemently denied using performance-enhancing drugs. By the time of this production, he had already confessed on “Oprah,” so the film focuses more on when he started doping, how it worked, and the feeling around the cycling community that if you didn’t dope, you were not on a level playing field because – allegedly – everybody was doing it. I find Armstrong to be a cold, calculating liar, and I wonder if anything he says is genuine and true. He never minded accusing his accusers and he used denial as his key defense for years. I admire his recovery from testicular cancer that spread and almost killed him. His resilience pushed him to recover (along with a lot of medical help) and outdo his previous cycling achievements. In the second part of this series, he semi-excuses his behavior because of the success of his Livestrong Foundation, which sold those ubiquitous yellow rubber bracelets to raise awareness about cancer. His foundation was supported by numerous corporate sponsors and was trusted by so many beneficiaries of its work that Armstrong felt he would risk the funding and support if he admitted to doping. He was right. Once he came clean – so to speak – his sponsors dropped him and funds for the foundation vanished. Lance Armstrong was arrogant, amazing, aggressive and accomplished – not all in a good way. But the documentary is all good. 4 cans.
80. Queer Eye, Season 5* (2020) – This Netflix series bills itself as “More than a Makeover,” and that claim could not be more accurate. The 10-episode series (which I watched in 24 hours) features five gay men who make over the life of one person – house, looks, place of work and attitude – leaving the person in just a few days with more self-esteem and life skills (and a beautiful home) sorely lacking previously. Whether they are working with a 6’3” woman who owns a dog grooming business, a man preparing for his daughter’s wedding or a fishmonger from Mexico trying to open a restaurant in Philadelphia (where the show was filmed this time around), the “Fab Five” bring compassion, fashion, good taste and moral support, leaving their new friends with self-confidence. Love this show! 4 cans.
81. Lenox Hill* (2020) – Filmed right before COVID-19 pandemic hit New York City, this Netflix documentary series focuses on the city’s Lenox Hill Hospital, its staff and patients. The stars of the show are two male neurosurgeons who are building the hospital’s capabilities in the field, and two female physicians, one an OB/GYN who is pregnant throughout the series and the other a DO who has a baby in an early episode. The neurosurgeons have the high profile here, with fascinating cases of brain tumors and targeted therapies to keep their patients alive and functioning. We see plenty of brain tumors being removed (not for the squeamish) and quite a few births – all dramatic and occasionally traumatic. There have been several previous series with the same focus at different hospitals, and I find them all extremely interesting to follow. I finished all eight episodes in 24 hours. And a few weeks later, a ninth episode was added to look at the effects of the COVID-19 virus on the staff and patients in Lenox Hill Hospital. Check it out on Netflix. 4 cans.
82. The Good Liar (2019) – The title of this intriguing drama points to the main premise; there are plenty of lies and liars here, and good ones at that. Helen Mirren plays a widow who meets Roy (Ian McKellan) online and the two start a relationship. Both are older people who have lost their spouses and they seem very compatible, although she is not looking for a romantic relationship. Turns out, neither is he. Roy is a con man, interested in bilking the wealthy widow out of her money. He’s done it before, and he relishes the chase in doing it again. He’s hardly a nice, gentle older man, but it seems that Mirren isn’t merely a genteel woman, for that matter. It’s hard to say more without spilling the beans on the plot, but it is worth seeing this movie both for the performances of these mature actors as well as for a story with twists and turns. Cleverly done. 3½ cans.
83. Loving* (2016) – When Richard Loving falls in love and marries Mildred in 1958 in rural Virginia, he is not aware that he and his young bride have committed a crime. Richard (Joel Edgerton) is white and Mildred (Ruth Negga) is black, and inter-racial marriage is illegal in their home state. They move to more progressive Washington, DC, but Mildred longs for the family she left behind and the quiet, simple life in the country. Moving back puts them in jeopardy again, but the ACLU decides to defend them and challenge the Virginia law all the way to the Supreme Court. This movie is based on a real story of a loving couple leading a simple life with their family. They don’t need notoriety or fame. They just want to be together and raise their kids. This is an understated film which has minimal dialog, and which could have benefited from more detail. I wanted more about how they met and fell in love, how they felt about the injustice they faced and fewer languorous shots of the fields surrounding their house. 3½ cans.
84. 13th* (2016) – Director Ana DuVernay provides this deep dive into the complexities of racial inequality, the prison system in this country, the “law & order” policies of the 1980s on that led to mass incarcerations for relatively minor offenses (possession of marijuana), the profiteering of prison management companies, the passing of legislation promoted by a lobbying group with ties to corporations that benefit from keeping prison enrollment up – all stemming from what is referred to here as a “loophole” in the 13th Amendment. That amendment abolished slavery and guaranteed freedom – “except as a punishment for a crime.” Out of that approach came Jim Crow laws, segregation and systemic ways to deny Black people their equal rights. Once out of prison, they cannot vote or take advantage of other freedoms. The participants in the show include professors, politicians and activists. This is a lot to wrap your head around, but it all points to the disparities in the justice system and the disproportionate number of black males serving time in horrendous conditions. Catch it on Netflix. 4 cans.
85. Aunt Mary* (1979) – Picture “The Bad News Bears” with more heart and a more sincere, responsible adult coach, and you’ll find “Aunt Mary.” Jean Stapleton plays the real-life Mary Dobkin, an older woman who has lived as a ward of the state all of her life due to countless medical conditions. She and the little boy across the hall love to listen to their beloved Baltimore Orioles games on the radio, and, since Mary knows all the subtleties of the sport – like when to bunt, take a pitch and hit to the opposite field – she has the makings of a great coach. She and young Billy recruit the neighborhood boys – some of whom are already getting into scrapes with the law – to be the Dobkin Dynamites, a rag-tag team with the coach with the heart of gold. She includes a young boy with an amputated arm and integrates the team in this drama based on a true story. Mary went on to coach thousands of young boys, injecting some love and attention into their lives. Not a great movie, a bit corny, but a feel-good movie when I needed one. 3 cans.
86. Black or White* (2015) – Here is the question: Is an 8-year old bi-racial girl better off living with the large and loving family of her Black grandmother or staying in the place she has lived all her life with the white grandfather who loves her dearly but drinks too much? Octavia Spencer is Rowena, otherwise known as Grandma Wiwi, and Kevin Costner is Elliott, the grandfather who raised the little girl with his wife since their daughter, the child’s mother, died in childbirth. But when Elliott’s wife suddenly dies in a car accident, he is left in charge of the little girl. The girl has never known her father, who, despite being from a strong family unit, has suffered problems with drugs and served time in jail. Grandma Wiwi decides that little Eloise (Jillian Estell) would be better off with her and sues Elliott for custody. There is a lot of anger and a lot of love on display here. Costner is good as the loving and well-intentioned grandfather who drinks too much, and Octavia Spencer could get an Oscar just from her masterful “sideye.” When she’s unhappy, everyone will know it. How can these two adults compromise for the sake of the granddaughter they each love so fervently? Good question. 3½ cans.
87. Every Little Step* (2008) – If you are an aficionado of musical theater and you have seen the thrilling “A Chorus Line” live, this documentary on Netflix is for you. It recounts the behind-the-scenes work of casting a revival of the Broadway hit, Michael Bennett’s masterwork about the little-known dancers whose personal stories he wove into an unconventional and moving show. Just as in the original show, which is about the dancers auditioning for a Broadway show, here we see dancer/singers auditioning for the revival, along with clips of the original cast. It is a great group of talented performers and the competition is fierce to land each part. Just listening to the stories of how it all began and recalling the individuals in the show with their music and moment to shine gave me chills. Each of these performers face not getting a role, but they are dedicated to the craft and persistent in putting themselves in a position to be cast. They can each say that whatever challenges they face, it is “What I Did For Love.” 4 cans.
88. Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years* (2016) – Acclaimed director Ron Howard takes on the Beatles, using plenty of documentary footage showing the lads from Liverpool performing live everywhere from the Cavern in their hometown to Shea Stadium. Their legendary tours of American stadiums in 1964-65 attracted throngs of screaming fans, drowning out the music and eventually disillusioning the group. Everywhere they went, they sold out the venues, and everyone they met wanted a piece of them. Their songs, which started with a pop innocence that reflected their youth (George Harrison wasn’t even 21 when they started touring), but their musical interests became more complex and their distaste for the road more pronounced, until they decided to stop touring completely after 1966 and stick to studio albums. Their first one, “Sergeant Pepper,” became one of the most honored and popular albums of all time. This movie shows us the fresh newness of the band, before they started getting more experimental and a bit jaded with always having to be The Beatles. 3½ cans. Available on Hulu (subscription only).
89. 7500* (2020) – Since all of the action in this thriller takes place in the cockpit of an airplane, the direction and acting has to be topflight (so to speak), and here it is. Joseph Levitt Gordon plays pilot Tobias, working with a German captain on a European flight when hijackers burst into the cockpit and injure both men. Tobias’s arm is badly hurt, but it is much worse for the captain, who dies, leaving Tobias to land the plane safely while the terrorists bang on the door of the now locked cockpit and hold passengers – including the girlfriend of Tobias – hostage. I couldn’t quite comprehend the point of hijacking the plane, but seeing Gordon trying valiantly to fend off the intruders and fly the jet provided plenty of action. One young terrorist ends up in the front with Tobias and they warily work together when Tobias isn’t being tortured or restrained. Very gripping. 3½ cans. Seen on Amazon Prime Video.
90. Athlete A* (2020) – This Netflix documentary is a searing look at the USA Gymnastics regime that allowed Dr. Larry Nassar to sexually abuse athletes without contacting the authorities or making any legitimate effort to stop him. Although hundreds of young female gymnasts were his victims (they call themselves “survivors” now), and they were mostly very young and afraid to come forward. The verbal and physical abuse of the coaches in the sport played a major role, as the girls found Nassar the only “nice adult,” someone who would sneak them food and candy behind the coaches’ backs. As the team physician for decades, Nassar had access to hundreds of these young athletes, most of whom suffered injuries as a consequence of the physical demands of the sport. The gymnasts didn’t understand that his manipulations of their bodies should not have included touching them inappropriately, and it was only when they talked among themselves that they realized they were being abused. Parents who reported the abuse to Steve Penny, the head of USA Gymnastics were told it would be handled by the organization and it was not reported to law enforcement as required. It took several brave gymnasts and the Indianapolis Star newspaper to uncover the droves of athletes violated by Nassar and failed by the system. This is a sad story but with a justified ending. But though Nassar is out of the picture as he lives the rest of his life behind bars, how long will these victims suffer the consequences of his behavior? 4 cans.
91. Gloria: A Life* (2020) – Christine Lahti brings iconic women’s activist Gloria Steinem to life in this PBS “Great Performances” program about Steinem’s life and career. A troupe of players portray the women who both influenced her and worked with her as she became a writer, a feminist, a magazine publisher (when she created Ms. Magazine) and a role model for generations of women. Now in her 80s – and fielding questions from the audience after the conclusion of the play – Steinem has argued, marched, combated and conquered in her quest for equality. Yes, times have changed, but women and other marginalized communities still have a long way to go – and Steinem is still leading the way. A bravura performance by Lahti and creative staging and acting by the ensemble. 4 cans.
92. The Remains of the Day (1993) – I have seen this outstanding film numerous times, but I felt more of the political story rather than the love story this time around. It is set in the 1930s at the Darlington Estate in England, where Lord Darlington fancies himself as a political influencer in the years before World War II. The house is run with great efficiency and dedication by Mr. Stevens (Anthony Hopkins in one of his best roles). He is assisted – and sometimes confronted – by Mrs. Kenton (Emma Thompson), the housekeeper, who turns out to be a worthy foe and a woman he really would like to have in his life. On the diplomatic front, Darlington hosts gatherings of “important” people who sympathize with Hitler and his henchmen. Stevens stays out of the politics; his loyalty is to the master of the house and his service. He won’t allow himself to listen to the discussions any more than he would break the house rule on dalliances among the staff. He is so single mindedly dedicated to his job that he barely blinks when he is informed that his father, who is part of the staff, has passed away in an upstairs servant bedroom. The byplay between Stevens and Kenton is the star of the show, as this man eventually realizes that he has regrets for things that were said and left unsaid in the house he served so nobly. The late Christopher Reeve has a small but key role as an American Congressman who eventually purchases the estate. 4 cans.
93. AKA Jane Roe* (2020) – This FX documentary on Norma McCorvey, the “Jane Roe” in the landmark Roe v. Wade legislation that made abortion legal in the US, is illuminating. A poor, uneducated woman seeking an abortion, Norma was used by the pro-choice advocates to win the Roe v. Wade case in the Supreme Court. As an advocate for abortion, Norma was miffed when celebrities were introduced at a rally supporting the right to choose and she was not featured. Although she publicly supported the cause, even working as a counselor in an abortion clinic, she was courted by the Christian antiabortion movement, and was a relatively easy target for conversion when they deliberately moved into an office adjacent to her clinic. She professed to be “born-again,” renounced homosexuality despite the fact that she was a lesbian, and she was exploited by the Christian right as an anti-abortion spokesperson. As she approached her impending death, she confessed that she was paid by the anti-abortion leaders to be the face of THEIR movement, flipflopping from her notoriety as Jane Roe and a supporter of Roe v. Wade. My conclusion is that Norma supported whatever Norma felt gave her the best advantage and that in her heart, she wanted women to have the right to choose. 3½ cans.
94. Nothing in Common (1986) – Here we have a little Garry Marshall-Tom Hanks gem. Hanks has played in many movies I have enjoyed, but this one seems to have been overlooked since I rarely find anyone who is familiar with it. David Basner (Hanks) is a glib, funny, charming 30-something ad exec who loves working with his team and chasing women, and he’s good at both. He’s trying to land an airline account and the exec (Sela Ward) whose father owns the company. And then one day his mother leaves his father (Eva Maire Saint and Jackie Gleason) and David is forced to face family responsibilities, the truth about the relationship between his parents and how it has affected him. You’d never know from this description that this movie is equal parts comedy and drama (the advertising scenes in the office draw the most comedy). David leans on his old high school girlfriend (Bess Armstrong) for emotional support even though they have both moved on. Gleason is terrific as irascible Max Basner, still trying to sell children’s clothes and ignoring his failing health. David has to balance his work and family life for the first time. 3½ cans.
79. Lance* (2020) – This ESPN documentary about disgraced world champion cyclist Lance Armstrong comes on the heels of last month’s monumental “The Last Dance” about Michael Jordan. There have been several previous documentaries about Armstrong in which he vehemently denied using performance-enhancing drugs. By the time of this production, he had already confessed on “Oprah,” so the film focuses more on when he started doping, how it worked, and the feeling around the cycling community that if you didn’t dope, you were not on a level playing field because – allegedly – everybody was doing it. I find Armstrong to be a cold, calculating liar, and I wonder if anything he says is genuine and true. He never minded accusing his accusers and he used denial as his key defense for years. I admire his recovery from testicular cancer that spread and almost killed him. His resilience pushed him to recover (along with a lot of medical help) and outdo his previous cycling achievements. In the second part of this series, he semi-excuses his behavior because of the success of his Livestrong Foundation, which sold those ubiquitous yellow rubber bracelets to raise awareness about cancer. His foundation was supported by numerous corporate sponsors and was trusted by so many beneficiaries of its work that Armstrong felt he would risk the funding and support if he admitted to doping. He was right. Once he came clean – so to speak – his sponsors dropped him and funds for the foundation vanished. Lance Armstrong was arrogant, amazing, aggressive and accomplished – not all in a good way. But the documentary is all good. 4 cans.
80. Queer Eye, Season 5* (2020) – This Netflix series bills itself as “More than a Makeover,” and that claim could not be more accurate. The 10-episode series (which I watched in 24 hours) features five gay men who make over the life of one person – house, looks, place of work and attitude – leaving the person in just a few days with more self-esteem and life skills (and a beautiful home) sorely lacking previously. Whether they are working with a 6’3” woman who owns a dog grooming business, a man preparing for his daughter’s wedding or a fishmonger from Mexico trying to open a restaurant in Philadelphia (where the show was filmed this time around), the “Fab Five” bring compassion, fashion, good taste and moral support, leaving their new friends with self-confidence. Love this show! 4 cans.
81. Lenox Hill* (2020) – Filmed right before COVID-19 pandemic hit New York City, this Netflix documentary series focuses on the city’s Lenox Hill Hospital, its staff and patients. The stars of the show are two male neurosurgeons who are building the hospital’s capabilities in the field, and two female physicians, one an OB/GYN who is pregnant throughout the series and the other a DO who has a baby in an early episode. The neurosurgeons have the high profile here, with fascinating cases of brain tumors and targeted therapies to keep their patients alive and functioning. We see plenty of brain tumors being removed (not for the squeamish) and quite a few births – all dramatic and occasionally traumatic. There have been several previous series with the same focus at different hospitals, and I find them all extremely interesting to follow. I finished all eight episodes in 24 hours. And a few weeks later, a ninth episode was added to look at the effects of the COVID-19 virus on the staff and patients in Lenox Hill Hospital. Check it out on Netflix. 4 cans.
82. The Good Liar (2019) – The title of this intriguing drama points to the main premise; there are plenty of lies and liars here, and good ones at that. Helen Mirren plays a widow who meets Roy (Ian McKellan) online and the two start a relationship. Both are older people who have lost their spouses and they seem very compatible, although she is not looking for a romantic relationship. Turns out, neither is he. Roy is a con man, interested in bilking the wealthy widow out of her money. He’s done it before, and he relishes the chase in doing it again. He’s hardly a nice, gentle older man, but it seems that Mirren isn’t merely a genteel woman, for that matter. It’s hard to say more without spilling the beans on the plot, but it is worth seeing this movie both for the performances of these mature actors as well as for a story with twists and turns. Cleverly done. 3½ cans.
83. Loving* (2016) – When Richard Loving falls in love and marries Mildred in 1958 in rural Virginia, he is not aware that he and his young bride have committed a crime. Richard (Joel Edgerton) is white and Mildred (Ruth Negga) is black, and inter-racial marriage is illegal in their home state. They move to more progressive Washington, DC, but Mildred longs for the family she left behind and the quiet, simple life in the country. Moving back puts them in jeopardy again, but the ACLU decides to defend them and challenge the Virginia law all the way to the Supreme Court. This movie is based on a real story of a loving couple leading a simple life with their family. They don’t need notoriety or fame. They just want to be together and raise their kids. This is an understated film which has minimal dialog, and which could have benefited from more detail. I wanted more about how they met and fell in love, how they felt about the injustice they faced and fewer languorous shots of the fields surrounding their house. 3½ cans.
84. 13th* (2016) – Director Ana DuVernay provides this deep dive into the complexities of racial inequality, the prison system in this country, the “law & order” policies of the 1980s on that led to mass incarcerations for relatively minor offenses (possession of marijuana), the profiteering of prison management companies, the passing of legislation promoted by a lobbying group with ties to corporations that benefit from keeping prison enrollment up – all stemming from what is referred to here as a “loophole” in the 13th Amendment. That amendment abolished slavery and guaranteed freedom – “except as a punishment for a crime.” Out of that approach came Jim Crow laws, segregation and systemic ways to deny Black people their equal rights. Once out of prison, they cannot vote or take advantage of other freedoms. The participants in the show include professors, politicians and activists. This is a lot to wrap your head around, but it all points to the disparities in the justice system and the disproportionate number of black males serving time in horrendous conditions. Catch it on Netflix. 4 cans.
85. Aunt Mary* (1979) – Picture “The Bad News Bears” with more heart and a more sincere, responsible adult coach, and you’ll find “Aunt Mary.” Jean Stapleton plays the real-life Mary Dobkin, an older woman who has lived as a ward of the state all of her life due to countless medical conditions. She and the little boy across the hall love to listen to their beloved Baltimore Orioles games on the radio, and, since Mary knows all the subtleties of the sport – like when to bunt, take a pitch and hit to the opposite field – she has the makings of a great coach. She and young Billy recruit the neighborhood boys – some of whom are already getting into scrapes with the law – to be the Dobkin Dynamites, a rag-tag team with the coach with the heart of gold. She includes a young boy with an amputated arm and integrates the team in this drama based on a true story. Mary went on to coach thousands of young boys, injecting some love and attention into their lives. Not a great movie, a bit corny, but a feel-good movie when I needed one. 3 cans.
86. Black or White* (2015) – Here is the question: Is an 8-year old bi-racial girl better off living with the large and loving family of her Black grandmother or staying in the place she has lived all her life with the white grandfather who loves her dearly but drinks too much? Octavia Spencer is Rowena, otherwise known as Grandma Wiwi, and Kevin Costner is Elliott, the grandfather who raised the little girl with his wife since their daughter, the child’s mother, died in childbirth. But when Elliott’s wife suddenly dies in a car accident, he is left in charge of the little girl. The girl has never known her father, who, despite being from a strong family unit, has suffered problems with drugs and served time in jail. Grandma Wiwi decides that little Eloise (Jillian Estell) would be better off with her and sues Elliott for custody. There is a lot of anger and a lot of love on display here. Costner is good as the loving and well-intentioned grandfather who drinks too much, and Octavia Spencer could get an Oscar just from her masterful “sideye.” When she’s unhappy, everyone will know it. How can these two adults compromise for the sake of the granddaughter they each love so fervently? Good question. 3½ cans.
87. Every Little Step* (2008) – If you are an aficionado of musical theater and you have seen the thrilling “A Chorus Line” live, this documentary on Netflix is for you. It recounts the behind-the-scenes work of casting a revival of the Broadway hit, Michael Bennett’s masterwork about the little-known dancers whose personal stories he wove into an unconventional and moving show. Just as in the original show, which is about the dancers auditioning for a Broadway show, here we see dancer/singers auditioning for the revival, along with clips of the original cast. It is a great group of talented performers and the competition is fierce to land each part. Just listening to the stories of how it all began and recalling the individuals in the show with their music and moment to shine gave me chills. Each of these performers face not getting a role, but they are dedicated to the craft and persistent in putting themselves in a position to be cast. They can each say that whatever challenges they face, it is “What I Did For Love.” 4 cans.
88. Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years* (2016) – Acclaimed director Ron Howard takes on the Beatles, using plenty of documentary footage showing the lads from Liverpool performing live everywhere from the Cavern in their hometown to Shea Stadium. Their legendary tours of American stadiums in 1964-65 attracted throngs of screaming fans, drowning out the music and eventually disillusioning the group. Everywhere they went, they sold out the venues, and everyone they met wanted a piece of them. Their songs, which started with a pop innocence that reflected their youth (George Harrison wasn’t even 21 when they started touring), but their musical interests became more complex and their distaste for the road more pronounced, until they decided to stop touring completely after 1966 and stick to studio albums. Their first one, “Sergeant Pepper,” became one of the most honored and popular albums of all time. This movie shows us the fresh newness of the band, before they started getting more experimental and a bit jaded with always having to be The Beatles. 3½ cans. Available on Hulu (subscription only).
89. 7500* (2020) – Since all of the action in this thriller takes place in the cockpit of an airplane, the direction and acting has to be topflight (so to speak), and here it is. Joseph Levitt Gordon plays pilot Tobias, working with a German captain on a European flight when hijackers burst into the cockpit and injure both men. Tobias’s arm is badly hurt, but it is much worse for the captain, who dies, leaving Tobias to land the plane safely while the terrorists bang on the door of the now locked cockpit and hold passengers – including the girlfriend of Tobias – hostage. I couldn’t quite comprehend the point of hijacking the plane, but seeing Gordon trying valiantly to fend off the intruders and fly the jet provided plenty of action. One young terrorist ends up in the front with Tobias and they warily work together when Tobias isn’t being tortured or restrained. Very gripping. 3½ cans. Seen on Amazon Prime Video.
90. Athlete A* (2020) – This Netflix documentary is a searing look at the USA Gymnastics regime that allowed Dr. Larry Nassar to sexually abuse athletes without contacting the authorities or making any legitimate effort to stop him. Although hundreds of young female gymnasts were his victims (they call themselves “survivors” now), and they were mostly very young and afraid to come forward. The verbal and physical abuse of the coaches in the sport played a major role, as the girls found Nassar the only “nice adult,” someone who would sneak them food and candy behind the coaches’ backs. As the team physician for decades, Nassar had access to hundreds of these young athletes, most of whom suffered injuries as a consequence of the physical demands of the sport. The gymnasts didn’t understand that his manipulations of their bodies should not have included touching them inappropriately, and it was only when they talked among themselves that they realized they were being abused. Parents who reported the abuse to Steve Penny, the head of USA Gymnastics were told it would be handled by the organization and it was not reported to law enforcement as required. It took several brave gymnasts and the Indianapolis Star newspaper to uncover the droves of athletes violated by Nassar and failed by the system. This is a sad story but with a justified ending. But though Nassar is out of the picture as he lives the rest of his life behind bars, how long will these victims suffer the consequences of his behavior? 4 cans.
91. Gloria: A Life* (2020) – Christine Lahti brings iconic women’s activist Gloria Steinem to life in this PBS “Great Performances” program about Steinem’s life and career. A troupe of players portray the women who both influenced her and worked with her as she became a writer, a feminist, a magazine publisher (when she created Ms. Magazine) and a role model for generations of women. Now in her 80s – and fielding questions from the audience after the conclusion of the play – Steinem has argued, marched, combated and conquered in her quest for equality. Yes, times have changed, but women and other marginalized communities still have a long way to go – and Steinem is still leading the way. A bravura performance by Lahti and creative staging and acting by the ensemble. 4 cans.
92. The Remains of the Day (1993) – I have seen this outstanding film numerous times, but I felt more of the political story rather than the love story this time around. It is set in the 1930s at the Darlington Estate in England, where Lord Darlington fancies himself as a political influencer in the years before World War II. The house is run with great efficiency and dedication by Mr. Stevens (Anthony Hopkins in one of his best roles). He is assisted – and sometimes confronted – by Mrs. Kenton (Emma Thompson), the housekeeper, who turns out to be a worthy foe and a woman he really would like to have in his life. On the diplomatic front, Darlington hosts gatherings of “important” people who sympathize with Hitler and his henchmen. Stevens stays out of the politics; his loyalty is to the master of the house and his service. He won’t allow himself to listen to the discussions any more than he would break the house rule on dalliances among the staff. He is so single mindedly dedicated to his job that he barely blinks when he is informed that his father, who is part of the staff, has passed away in an upstairs servant bedroom. The byplay between Stevens and Kenton is the star of the show, as this man eventually realizes that he has regrets for things that were said and left unsaid in the house he served so nobly. The late Christopher Reeve has a small but key role as an American Congressman who eventually purchases the estate. 4 cans.
93. AKA Jane Roe* (2020) – This FX documentary on Norma McCorvey, the “Jane Roe” in the landmark Roe v. Wade legislation that made abortion legal in the US, is illuminating. A poor, uneducated woman seeking an abortion, Norma was used by the pro-choice advocates to win the Roe v. Wade case in the Supreme Court. As an advocate for abortion, Norma was miffed when celebrities were introduced at a rally supporting the right to choose and she was not featured. Although she publicly supported the cause, even working as a counselor in an abortion clinic, she was courted by the Christian antiabortion movement, and was a relatively easy target for conversion when they deliberately moved into an office adjacent to her clinic. She professed to be “born-again,” renounced homosexuality despite the fact that she was a lesbian, and she was exploited by the Christian right as an anti-abortion spokesperson. As she approached her impending death, she confessed that she was paid by the anti-abortion leaders to be the face of THEIR movement, flipflopping from her notoriety as Jane Roe and a supporter of Roe v. Wade. My conclusion is that Norma supported whatever Norma felt gave her the best advantage and that in her heart, she wanted women to have the right to choose. 3½ cans.
94. Nothing in Common (1986) – Here we have a little Garry Marshall-Tom Hanks gem. Hanks has played in many movies I have enjoyed, but this one seems to have been overlooked since I rarely find anyone who is familiar with it. David Basner (Hanks) is a glib, funny, charming 30-something ad exec who loves working with his team and chasing women, and he’s good at both. He’s trying to land an airline account and the exec (Sela Ward) whose father owns the company. And then one day his mother leaves his father (Eva Maire Saint and Jackie Gleason) and David is forced to face family responsibilities, the truth about the relationship between his parents and how it has affected him. You’d never know from this description that this movie is equal parts comedy and drama (the advertising scenes in the office draw the most comedy). David leans on his old high school girlfriend (Bess Armstrong) for emotional support even though they have both moved on. Gleason is terrific as irascible Max Basner, still trying to sell children’s clothes and ignoring his failing health. David has to balance his work and family life for the first time. 3½ cans.
Monday, June 15, 2020
Tales From Quarantinaville
Surely there is a video on YouTube about how to braid your hair. I’m not there yet, but until I finally get a haircut, I need options.
I put my hair behind my ears for the first time since my senior year in high school. It didn’t look that good then, either.
My latest shopping list includes headbands, barrettes, scrunchies, rollers and all kinds of hair accessories to help me deal with my new, longish hair. Not having any hair accessories on hand, I briefly considered using a binder clip, but that notion passed quickly.
My hairstyle is no longer a “hairdo.” It is more like a “hair don’t.” It seems to have a mind of its own, deciding one day to go neatly back and other days to flip up behind my neck.
There should be a new TV series called, “Below the Desk.” It would feature what people are wearing that we aren’t seeing on Zoom calls. And thank goodness no one can see the back of my hair! Even I avoid looking at it, and it isn’t visible on Zoom calls.
And speaking of Zoom calls, where would we be without it, FaceTime and other ways to stay connected? Virtual church services, cocktail hours, reunions, meetings – you name it – are being conducted on these various platforms. Hey, they didn’t have this in the 1918 flu pandemic, so let’s consider ourselves lucky!
Throughout the quarantine, I have tried to maintain some semblance of normalcy by continuing to make my bed each day, shower and wash my hair and put on a spritz of perfume. The other day I spritzed on a bit too much before a Zoom call, but I don’t think anyone on the call noticed.
I washed my custom-made facemask and it came out wrinkled. I thought about ironing it, and then realized that when I wore it again I would be the “Girl in the Ironed Mask.”
One thing I no longer worry about are road construction alerts. I’m not going anywhere anyway.
I have been hearing TV commercials for a Senior Dating site. Sure, at this age, nobody wants to get dressed and go out, but is this really the time to try to meet a life partner? Maybe people are lonely and more likely to go online to meet someone right now, but if he’s not taking me out to dinner – not a take-out, drive-by dinner – this relationship is OVER before it begins!
I have never been much of a drinker, and never at home. Until now. Now I can whip up a refreshing smoothie with frozen strawberries, some cling peaches, a shot of rum and some peach schnapps and be happy the rest of the day. Another bad habit of the quarantine.
The sales of lipstick must have nosedived during this pandemic. Not only are we not going anywhere (except to attend Zoom meetings), but everyone who goes out is wearing a mask. Or should be. (Don’t get me started…)
The magazine and newspaper business already was on the decline. Now, with reading materials being banned from waiting rooms – where there actually ARE waiting rooms – their business will suffer even more.
Now that we are routinely wearing masks – or SHOULD BE! – we will have to rely on our eyes and eyebrows to communicate. I wear a hat and glasses, so you can’t see much of my face at all.
Even though I have been faithfully wearing a mask since before it was required on those rare occasions when I leave my house (including when I take a walk), it is still hard to get used to seeing everyone in ShopRite with masks on. I don’t see any time in the next few months when we won’t be wearing them.
I saw a video shot in a Staten Island supermarket where everyone was wearing a mask except one lone woman, and the crowd viciously called her out for it. This is New York, after all, where people say what is on their minds – loudly and in no uncertain terms. That woman – who was wrong to show up in a store without a facial covering – must have really needed a drink when she got home after practically being thrown out of the store. She probably still needed groceries, too!
Whoever invented the break-and-bake cookie should get the Nobel Prize. They have one for baking, right?
One of my friends pointed out that now she really could put things off until tomorrow instead of doing them today since she would be home with time on her hands.
Now we are told that we need to clean our glasses, because the sneaky coronavirus can get on them and easily be transmitted into our eyes when we touch our faces. Can hazmat suits be far behind? I just ordered a UV cleaner for my glasses and cell phone, another object prone to attract the cooties. This all makes sense, but wow, it is like playing Whack-A-Mole. You just keep trying, I guess.
And then I read that you should not keep adjusting or touching your mask as you wear it, just in case the virus is living on the outside. Another thing to think about.
Given the sameness of each day of quarantine, I now understand Maggie Smith's line in Downton Abbey when Matthew Crawley says he can do something on the weekend. The privileged dowager countess queries: “What is a weekend?”
In the past week I have watched random episodes of “The Donna Reed Show” (that Paul Petersen was cute!), “Bosom Buddies” with Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari, “Family” with Sada Thompson, “The Good Wife,” Season 1 and “The Bob Newhart Show.” I’m not stuck in any particular decade, but I seem to be stuck somewhere in the past, at least in my choice of entertainment.
When I see reports of people in other places cavorting at the beach or a bar, I’m not sure whether to feel disdain and disappointment, jealousy or pity for when someone in the crowd gets or transmits the virus to a loved one. I know I feel sorry for the health care workers who will have to care for the patients they or their loved ones become.
You know we are still in lockdown when one of the leading stories on ESPN is the score of a rugby match in New Zealand.
My friends were planning a gathering at a local restaurant with outside seating, but I have already decided not to go. I am afraid of the risk from interacting with the wait staff, of people moving around and not able to stay 6 feet away, of sitting in chairs previously occupied, and don’t get me started on the rest room situation. I’ll reluctantly pass.
Recently I had to have blood work done. Just going into the lab, trying not to touch a doorknob or handrail and having to take a seat for the blood to be drawn was scary to me. When they asked me to provide a urine sample, I had to say no because I did not want to use a public bathroom, so the tech gave me a container to use at home and bring back. You really have to think about EVERYTHING.
After more than 3 months in isolation, I have come to the conclusion that every day may not be a productive one. I can’t write, edit and publish humorous material every day. Yes, the house could be cleaner, but the lack of productivity is a result of the onset of the frustrating sense of sameness that permeates each day. This isn’t easy, but I didn’t know it would be this hard, even for someone who has always lived alone as an adult.
Even so, most days seem to fly by, and I look at the clock at 4 and I wonder where the time went!
It just doesn’t feel right to provide this level of frivolity about our COVID-19 quarantine situation without acknowledging that more than 100,000 people have died in this country as a result of this pandemic. I understand that everyone wants things to return to “normal” so they can live their lives, get back to work, eat in a restaurant, get their nails done and have their hair cut again. I do, too, but I will continue to stay home as much as possible and follow every precaution recommended. The job of placing, easing, and lifting restrictions is a difficult decision for our government officials and the medical experts they should be relying on. This situation is unprecedented, and our government officials are not going to get everything right. No one wants to see small businesses suffer any more. We all want to experience an economy with full employment and thriving businesses. But how many lives are we willing to sacrifice so that you can get your hair colored? Is it wise to go out in public without a mask in places where masks are not required but only recommended? Are we still in the first wave of this virus and can we expect a second wave? When, and how bad will that be? So many questions and so few answers. Meanwhile, more than 100,000 husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters have died as a result of an epidemic that no one could have anticipated but which could have been better handled by those in charge – and it wasn’t.
I put my hair behind my ears for the first time since my senior year in high school. It didn’t look that good then, either.
My latest shopping list includes headbands, barrettes, scrunchies, rollers and all kinds of hair accessories to help me deal with my new, longish hair. Not having any hair accessories on hand, I briefly considered using a binder clip, but that notion passed quickly.
My hairstyle is no longer a “hairdo.” It is more like a “hair don’t.” It seems to have a mind of its own, deciding one day to go neatly back and other days to flip up behind my neck.
There should be a new TV series called, “Below the Desk.” It would feature what people are wearing that we aren’t seeing on Zoom calls. And thank goodness no one can see the back of my hair! Even I avoid looking at it, and it isn’t visible on Zoom calls.
And speaking of Zoom calls, where would we be without it, FaceTime and other ways to stay connected? Virtual church services, cocktail hours, reunions, meetings – you name it – are being conducted on these various platforms. Hey, they didn’t have this in the 1918 flu pandemic, so let’s consider ourselves lucky!
Throughout the quarantine, I have tried to maintain some semblance of normalcy by continuing to make my bed each day, shower and wash my hair and put on a spritz of perfume. The other day I spritzed on a bit too much before a Zoom call, but I don’t think anyone on the call noticed.
I washed my custom-made facemask and it came out wrinkled. I thought about ironing it, and then realized that when I wore it again I would be the “Girl in the Ironed Mask.”
One thing I no longer worry about are road construction alerts. I’m not going anywhere anyway.
I have been hearing TV commercials for a Senior Dating site. Sure, at this age, nobody wants to get dressed and go out, but is this really the time to try to meet a life partner? Maybe people are lonely and more likely to go online to meet someone right now, but if he’s not taking me out to dinner – not a take-out, drive-by dinner – this relationship is OVER before it begins!
I have never been much of a drinker, and never at home. Until now. Now I can whip up a refreshing smoothie with frozen strawberries, some cling peaches, a shot of rum and some peach schnapps and be happy the rest of the day. Another bad habit of the quarantine.
The sales of lipstick must have nosedived during this pandemic. Not only are we not going anywhere (except to attend Zoom meetings), but everyone who goes out is wearing a mask. Or should be. (Don’t get me started…)
The magazine and newspaper business already was on the decline. Now, with reading materials being banned from waiting rooms – where there actually ARE waiting rooms – their business will suffer even more.
Now that we are routinely wearing masks – or SHOULD BE! – we will have to rely on our eyes and eyebrows to communicate. I wear a hat and glasses, so you can’t see much of my face at all.
Even though I have been faithfully wearing a mask since before it was required on those rare occasions when I leave my house (including when I take a walk), it is still hard to get used to seeing everyone in ShopRite with masks on. I don’t see any time in the next few months when we won’t be wearing them.
I saw a video shot in a Staten Island supermarket where everyone was wearing a mask except one lone woman, and the crowd viciously called her out for it. This is New York, after all, where people say what is on their minds – loudly and in no uncertain terms. That woman – who was wrong to show up in a store without a facial covering – must have really needed a drink when she got home after practically being thrown out of the store. She probably still needed groceries, too!
Whoever invented the break-and-bake cookie should get the Nobel Prize. They have one for baking, right?
One of my friends pointed out that now she really could put things off until tomorrow instead of doing them today since she would be home with time on her hands.
Now we are told that we need to clean our glasses, because the sneaky coronavirus can get on them and easily be transmitted into our eyes when we touch our faces. Can hazmat suits be far behind? I just ordered a UV cleaner for my glasses and cell phone, another object prone to attract the cooties. This all makes sense, but wow, it is like playing Whack-A-Mole. You just keep trying, I guess.
And then I read that you should not keep adjusting or touching your mask as you wear it, just in case the virus is living on the outside. Another thing to think about.
Given the sameness of each day of quarantine, I now understand Maggie Smith's line in Downton Abbey when Matthew Crawley says he can do something on the weekend. The privileged dowager countess queries: “What is a weekend?”
In the past week I have watched random episodes of “The Donna Reed Show” (that Paul Petersen was cute!), “Bosom Buddies” with Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari, “Family” with Sada Thompson, “The Good Wife,” Season 1 and “The Bob Newhart Show.” I’m not stuck in any particular decade, but I seem to be stuck somewhere in the past, at least in my choice of entertainment.
When I see reports of people in other places cavorting at the beach or a bar, I’m not sure whether to feel disdain and disappointment, jealousy or pity for when someone in the crowd gets or transmits the virus to a loved one. I know I feel sorry for the health care workers who will have to care for the patients they or their loved ones become.
You know we are still in lockdown when one of the leading stories on ESPN is the score of a rugby match in New Zealand.
My friends were planning a gathering at a local restaurant with outside seating, but I have already decided not to go. I am afraid of the risk from interacting with the wait staff, of people moving around and not able to stay 6 feet away, of sitting in chairs previously occupied, and don’t get me started on the rest room situation. I’ll reluctantly pass.
Recently I had to have blood work done. Just going into the lab, trying not to touch a doorknob or handrail and having to take a seat for the blood to be drawn was scary to me. When they asked me to provide a urine sample, I had to say no because I did not want to use a public bathroom, so the tech gave me a container to use at home and bring back. You really have to think about EVERYTHING.
After more than 3 months in isolation, I have come to the conclusion that every day may not be a productive one. I can’t write, edit and publish humorous material every day. Yes, the house could be cleaner, but the lack of productivity is a result of the onset of the frustrating sense of sameness that permeates each day. This isn’t easy, but I didn’t know it would be this hard, even for someone who has always lived alone as an adult.
Even so, most days seem to fly by, and I look at the clock at 4 and I wonder where the time went!
It just doesn’t feel right to provide this level of frivolity about our COVID-19 quarantine situation without acknowledging that more than 100,000 people have died in this country as a result of this pandemic. I understand that everyone wants things to return to “normal” so they can live their lives, get back to work, eat in a restaurant, get their nails done and have their hair cut again. I do, too, but I will continue to stay home as much as possible and follow every precaution recommended. The job of placing, easing, and lifting restrictions is a difficult decision for our government officials and the medical experts they should be relying on. This situation is unprecedented, and our government officials are not going to get everything right. No one wants to see small businesses suffer any more. We all want to experience an economy with full employment and thriving businesses. But how many lives are we willing to sacrifice so that you can get your hair colored? Is it wise to go out in public without a mask in places where masks are not required but only recommended? Are we still in the first wave of this virus and can we expect a second wave? When, and how bad will that be? So many questions and so few answers. Meanwhile, more than 100,000 husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters have died as a result of an epidemic that no one could have anticipated but which could have been better handled by those in charge – and it wasn’t.
Sunday, May 31, 2020
Tina's May, 2020, Movies and More
As you can see from the 25 entries here, I am back to watching movies (and TV series) again after a lack of focus in April. In May, I watched 25 movies and series, including the 10-part Michael Jordan classic on ESPN, the delectable "Dead to Me," a Netflix mini-series, and others. I spent lots of hours spent in front of the screen in May so I can share a bunch of movies and more to keep you entertained during the quarantine. Numbering picks up from previous months and programs I had not seen previously are marked with an asterisk. Ratings are on a scale from 1-5 cans of tuna fish, with 5 being the highest.
54. Mrs. America* (2020) My first foray into an original Hulu presentation, this mini-series is about the ERA amendment, its supporters – Gloria Steinem, Bella Abzug, Betty Friedan – and its chief opponent, Phyllis Schlafly, a whip-smart housewife from Illinois who characterizes the amendment intended to help women gain equal access to all that men have as a sinister piece of legislation that threatens to draft women and set up unisex bathrooms. It is 1972, the Democrats are about to nominate George McGovern, and the feminists want to see black Congressman Shirley Chisholm (Uzo Aduba) oppose him. But is she running as a woman of color or as a feminist? There are major cracks among the party leaders, as the photogenic Steinem (Rose Byrne), the editor of newly-created Ms. Magazine, is put forth as the spokesperson for the feminists, while the mother of the movement, the more radical Betty Friedan (Tracey Ullman) is shunted aside. Also pulling strings is the wise but overbearing NY powerhouse pol Bella Abzug (Margo Martindale). Meanwhile, in the Midwest, housewives sip their tea and bake bread while listening to Schlafly (the brilliant Care Blanchett) oppose the ERA on the grounds that women will lose their rights – by remaining second class citizens. There is a lot of tough talk here and shrewd negotiating about issues like abortion, a woman’s right to choose and equal pay, marginalizing women and making them tokens. Sadly, 50 years later, those issues have not died down and Schlafly and her sturdy crew of highly controlled women prevented the ERA from being passed. And here we are. This is a very well-cast, well-played drama on those times that carries over into 2020.
3½ cans. It would have been 4 had the ERA ever passed.
55. A Secret Love* (2020) – This lovely documentary from Netflix is about two women who shared a love affair for more than 60 years. The two, Terry and Pat, arrived from Canada to play in the Girls All-American Baseball League (the focus of “A League of Their Own”) and became fast friends. Soon that friendship blossomed into love, and they began to live together. They would pass as cousins or as friends sharing a house for economic reasons, but they were not about to come out of the closet. People in their lives may have suspected the two were lesbian lovers, but in the 40s-50s and on, such a relationship was considered unacceptable by many. The documentary focuses on their deep love for each other and the practical considerations of leaving their beloved house for a place better suited to an aging couple with health issues. I won’t spoil the rest, but I can say that this film makes it clear that love is love, and what could be wrong with that? 4 cans.
56. The Art of Racing in the Rain* (2019) – Call it overly sentimental, call it too dramatic, or mushy or whatever. I’ll call this movie wonderful. Milo Ventimiglia plays race car driver Denny, who adopts a loveable dog he names Enzo. The pair are inseparable, until along comes Eve (Amanda Seyfried), the woman Denny falls in love with. We know exactly how Enzo feels about this new person in their lives, because his thoughts are conveyed via the voice of Kevin Costner – and this dog has a lot to say. He loves going to the racetrack with Denny and he understands how Denny strategizes his races. Denny’s friendship with Enzo withstands all kinds of heartbreak. To say more would take away the discovery of the plot, and I couldn’t do that. I’m not a dog lover, but I loved Enzo and this movie. Milo definitely reminded me of his role as Jack Pearson in “This Is Us.” I cried so many times that I had to shut the windows so the neighbors couldn’t hear me. If you loved the nostalgia of “My Dog Skip,” this movie is for you. 4½ cans.
57. Natalie Wood, What Remains Behind* (2020) – This loving HBO documentary was put together by Natasha Gregson, daughter of the late actress Natalie Wood, who provides an intimate look at her life with Natalie and her stepfather, Robert Wagner, whom she calls “Daddy Wagner.” Wood and Wagner were married to each other twice and had several other children with other partners, but theirs was clearly a special love story. Gregson provides plenty of footage of the comingled family enjoying holidays and everyday life together. From the time she was a little girl – and became the breadwinner in her family – Natalie Wood was an actress and a star. Whether you remember her from “Rebel Without a Cause,” “West Side Story,” the splendid “Splendor in the Grass” or one of my personal favorites, “Love With a Proper Stranger,” if you are of a certain age, she was everywhere. When she died by drowning in 1981, the circumstances of her mysterious death kept her in the news for years, with some holding Wagner responsible. Natasha directly asks him about that horrible time and it is hard not to believe him when he shows his grief and proclaims his lack of involvement in her death. I enjoyed the look back at her famous films and her transition from young woman to major star. Only in her 40s at the time of her death, Natalie Wood had plenty more parts left to play. In his movie, she plays her favorite role, as a great mother. 3½ cans.
58. The Final Season* (2007) – Sean Astin of “Rudy” fame plays Kent, an earnest and determined young man, an assistant high school baseball coach working under a celebrated and successful head coach (Powers Boothe). Despite winning 19 state championships with his team, Coach Jim Van Scoyoc is told that this school will be merging with another school for budgetary reasons, and that costs Jim his job, which is given to Kent for the final season. The grizzled coach is a fair and knowledgeable veteran who speaks only in sports clichés, and I while there was a true friendship between the older and younger man, I don’t think I ever saw Astin smile. This movie was based on a true story of Norway High School in Iowa, but that didn’t make it better. This one is a passed ball. 1 can.
59. Rainman Twins* (2008) – If you recall Dustin Hoffman’s character from “Rainman,” you will understand the amazing abilities of Flo and Kay Lyman, the world’s only female autistic savant twins. The women, filmed by local newsman Dave Wagner (bless his heart), have the uncanny ability to recall every detail of their lives. They can spout out the day of any date, what they had for dinner on November 3, 1995, and they know the release date and artist of any record you can name. And they were obsessed with Dick Clark, watching his game show, “The $10,000 Pyramid,” daily, tracking every detail, every time the bell sounded. With the death of their parents, they were taken in by their younger sister and eventually had a chance to meet Dick Clark twice, thanks to Wagner, who documented their lives for more than 13 years. Theirs is a sad and fascinating true story that provides viewers with an understanding of what a savant really is. Available on Amazon Prime Video 3½ cans.
60. Fame* (2009) – Fame is a lame remake of the original 1980 stunner, which was the exciting story of a bunch of exuberant, talented kids and their quest to get into and thrive at the New York Performing Arts High School, the first step in their dreams of success in the arts. The first movie gave us breakout performances by Irene Cara and the rest of the class; by comparison, this one lacks that level of performance and the songs made famous by the original. I even loved the television series sparked by the original film more than this needless remake. This version looked and felt like it was made by the kids who might not have made the cut at PA in the first place. Nice try, but you had too big shoes to fill. 2 cans.
61. Dead to Me, Season 2* (2020) – The second season of this Netflix dark comedy picks up where the first season ended, with the murder of bad guy Steve by Jen (Christina Applegate). And we are off and running for 10 more episodes of this rich, suspenseful, silly and dark comedy. Jen and BFF Judy (Linda Cardellini) have plenty of secrets, side convos and quickly-devised plans to keep themselves out of trouble with the cops, the FBI, their families and friends. The twists and turns continue, and there were plenty of things I saw that made me say to myself, “I didn’t see THAT coming.” No spoilers here, I promise, just high praise for the surefooted performances by the main characters, who are both supportive of each other and ready to kill each other. My favorite episode was the penultimate one, where both Applegate and Cardellini really show off their acting chops. Don’t watch this if you haven’t seen Season 1, but I promise you that both seasons are a good investment of your time and much better to see than to read about. 4½ cans.
62. Becoming* (2020) – Former First Lady Michell Obama wrote a book after her husband, President Barack Obama, left office. This documentary on Netflix covers her tour to promote that book, and while it differs from the book itself, it still presents so much information on her background, her family and the huge responsibility of being the First Lady. Just having her sign a book was an overwhelming experience for some people, but she makes sure she has a meaningful exchange and encouraging words for each person. I found her story inspiring and appreciated particularly her ability to instill hope in the young people she was able to interact with in smaller groups. Being the First Lady carries a huge responsibility and being the first black woman in that role was an overwhelming challenge that she carried off with grace and depth. After serving in such a confining role, it is clear that Michelle is ready to start a new journey of her own and relishes a chance to be herself. 4 cans.
63. Freeheld (2015) – Laurel Hester is a tough-as-nails, dedicated police officer in Ocean County, NJ. She plays by the book, and she keeps her private life private because she is sure that being a lesbian will hold her back in a male-dominated environment. Laurel (Juliane Moore) doesn’t even share that part of her life with her trusted partner Dale (Michael Shannon). But when she finds out she has terminal cancer, all she wants to do is leave her pension benefits to her domestic partner, Stacie (Ellen Page), so Stacie can remain in the house that they lovingly renovated and shared. The Ocean County Freeholders don’t want to defy the state ban on gay marriage, even though they could easily choose to vote in her favor. Spurred by the enthusiastic head of Garden State Equality (enthusiastically played by Steve Carell) and supported by Dale, fellow officers and friends rally to force the politicians to grant Laurel her dying wish. Moore plays the role with an understated dignity, refusing to become the poster child for gay marriage. Her interest is equality. Page looks pained throughout most of the movie, but Shannon, who is typically intense, and Carell, who brings levity, are superb. The happy ending here is that seven years after Laurel’s death (trust me, I did not spoil it for you), NJ approved gay marriage, followed by a national approval. Love is love. 3½ cans.
64. Return to Me (2000) – Bob (David Duchovny) loses his beloved wife in a car accident. That heart ends up being transplanted into Grace (Minnie Driver), a young woman whose heart has betrayed her. Through a series of coincidences, Grace ends up meeting Bob when she waits on him at her grandfather’s Irish/Italian pub/restaurant. There’s instant chemistry, even as Bob and Grace feel wary because of his love of his late wife and her reluctance to show the scar from her surgery. Neither knows why this connection of the heart seems so strong. Will she let him into her heart? Will he understand he can have a new love? Will they figure out that Bob’s wife’s heart lives on in his new love? Tune in to find out. Director/co-writer Bonnie Hunt (who also acts in the film) is at her best in this charmer about finding love and finding a new life. The Irish/Italian pub run by Grace’s grandfather (Carroll O’Connor) has a host of warm and wonderful characters who all love Grace and whose stellar friendships made me smile. The relationship between the shy couple is a joy to watch, as each grows in new ways. I won’t spoil the movie but I will encourage anyone who hasn’t seen it to rent it, buy it, record it – just watch it. It starts with Dean Martin singing the title song and just keeps getting better. What a delight! 4½ cans.
65. Peanut Butter Falcon* (2019) – This buddy movie conjures up the iconic “Midnight Cowboy,” named Best Picture of the Year in 1969. Shia LaBoef is Tyler, an angry, disappointed man mourning the death of his brother and given to stealing crabs from the fishermen off the coast of Carolina. Zak Gottsagen is Zak, a young man with Down’s Syndrome, stuck living without family in a nursing home and determined to get out on his own. He wants to become a professional wrestler and is obsessed by videos of his wrestling hero, Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Hayden Church). Though deemed a flight risk by Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), a staffer at the nursing home, Zak escapes and hides out on a boat that Tyler steals. The two become friends, with Tyler on the lam and heading to Florida to escape the guys whose fish he stole. Tyler agrees to take Zak to Redneck’s wrestling camp, and even though he knows nothing about the sport, he agrees to train and coach Zak to do the things he was always told he was incapable of doing. The two create the character the “Peanut Butter Falcon” for Zak’s professional wrestling name and finally find the now defunct former wrestling camp. This is a sweet and caring film, depicting a warm relationship between two markedly different men. And even Eleanor, desperately searching for Zak, finally shows true compassion for the differently abled man. 3½ cans.
66. On Golden Pond (1981) – Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn had never worked together before this film, but their chemistry is immediate. He is cantankerous grouch Norman, a retired and respected university professor coming to grips with the short time he has left as he turns 80. Hepburn is so completely warm and convincing as Ethel, a tough old broad who adores her grumpy husband, even as she has to help him remember not to set the house on fire. Their grown daughter Chelsea is played by Fonda’s own daughter, Jane, in a story that in many ways reflects their own allegedly rocky relationship. Chelsea joins her parents at their beloved lake cabin for a visit with the news that she and her dentist-boyfriend are going away for a few weeks and plan to leave his smart-mouthed 13-year old son Billy (Doug McKeon) with them. Where Chelsea and her father never were on the same page, it doesn’t take Billy and Norman long to bond over fishing and sneaking around. Billy is the son Norman wished Chelsea to be. My favorite part of the movie is seeing the old man and the young boy begin to appreciate each other and enjoy spending time together. And maybe there is still time for Chelsea and Norman to build an equally strong bond, even if she has to do a perfect backflip off the dock to make that happen. The outstanding cast, the heartwarming (if sentimental) story, the cinematography and the music make this movie one of my favorites. Fonda-Hepburn-Fonda is a formidable trio. 4 cans.
67. The Upside (2019) – Kevin Hart is Dell, an ex-con desperate for a job (or at least to prove he’s looking for one), and Bryan Cranston is Philip, is a wealthy quadriplegic author living in a stunning NYC penthouse who requires extensive care. Dell takes on the assignment despite his discomfort with some of the responsibilities (inserting a catheter tops the list) so he can pay his child support and reestablish ties with his son. As can be predicted, the two men from very different backgrounds forge a bond. Dell becomes less of a wise ass and Philip, who is ready to die, becomes better at living. The secret sauce here is the chemistry between Hart and Cranston, which could bring a smile to anyone’s face. Life is not easy for either man and they both have their own handicaps. This movie is “hart”-warming. 3½ cans.
68. A Dog’s Purpose* (2017) and 69. A Dog’s Journey* (2019) – Dennis Quaid, playing Ethan, is the titular star of each of these movies, but the real action centers on the dog/dogs that are part of his life for generations. Josh Gad does a perfect job of voicing the dog’s thoughts, which always center on protecting his (or her) master. When the first dog, Bailey, dies, he is reincarnated as a new dog with a new owner, but he always remembers the smell of Ethan and his quest is to get back and show Ethan he is the same dog. I liked the Journey installment better than the Purpose, but each movie was a lovely escape from reality and a reminder of why people love their dogs. Although I am not a pet lover and have never owned a dog, I enjoyed everything about these movies, which you can watch with your kids and grandchildren. 3½ cans and a bunch of dog treats.
70. The Last Dance* (2020) – This remarkable 10-part ESPN series on basketball legend Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls’ last championship run in 1998 tells the story of a man driven by competitive desires, ready and eager to not only beat but crush his opponents, especially if he perceived the smallest slight or disrespect. When the game is on the line, who has the ball in his hand and the defense on his back and is STILL able to make the winning shot? The greatest player of all time – the “GOAT” – demanded excellence from himself and encouraged, cajoled and bullied his teammates to achieve not just their potential but play to HIS exacting standards. In most cases, his intensity was matched by his joy when the team won, but there were times he won and seemed to take no pleasure, just relief. I thought the most moving scene in the series was when Jordan, having lost his father but having just won the championship, clutches the trophy while sobbing on the floor of the locker room. Thanks go to the unprecedented access to Jordan and the Bulls that the documentary crew had and to Jason Hehir, the director, and his crew for somehow editing all of that footage into an cohesive drama so compelling that I would have watched all 10 hours in a row if they had chosen to air it that way. I had always considered “Hoop Dreams” to be the best sports documentary I had ever seen. That movie is now number 2 on my list. 5 cans.
71. Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel* (2012) – Diana Vreeland was the prophet of fashion as fashion editor of Harper’s Bazaar and editor of Vogue for decades. She had the sense of what would be on trend, went to all of the best shows around the world, discovered hired the most talented photographers and models (like a young Lauren Bacall) and made them important like no one else. Her selections could be the life or death of a career, as she featured the work of designers in the pages of her magazines. If you saw “The Devil Wears Prada,” you can understand some of the stories about Vreeland in this documentary. As I was watching this show wearing the same clothes I had worn the day before during the quarantine, I could not escape that irony or the reality that I know NOTHING about fashion. But for decades, Diana Vreeland was its doyenne, a word I have always wanted to use in a sentence. 3 cans.
72. The Post (2017) – I thought another look at this movie about the venerable Washington Post was timely in light of the constant “fake news” declaration by our current president whenever he doesn’t like what he reads. This movie is led by the dynamic duo of Post Editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) and Publisher Kathryn Graham (Meryl Streep) as they wrestle with whether to publish The Pentagon Papers. The Pentagon Papers were a confidential history of the war in Vietnam over many years that was done by the Department of Defense and stolen by Daniel Ellsberg, who provided copies to both The New York Times and The Post. At the same time, the Post is about to become a publicly-traded company, anticipating a cash infusion from the shares sold that will keep the paper going during difficult times. Graham might be risking the financial support needed for the transaction by challenging the administration – and her old friend, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara (Bruce Greenwood). Will she rise above the politics by defying President Nixon and his henchmen and informing the American public what they needed to hear? There are so many parallels, even between the unhinged Nixon and the miscreant Trump, that make this story current. 3½ cans.
73. Cocktail (1988) – This frothy mix finds a way to elevate the Tom Cruise megawatt smile and charm while offering little dramatic challenge for his limited acting chops. His Bryan Flannigan can’t find a job in marketing or sales or anywhere else, for that matter, but he gets hired for a job as a bartender so his good looks can attract the female customers. He thrives under the tutelage of Doug (Bryan Brown), a veteran bartender/philosopher, and soon the pair are flipping bottles to the strains of “Hippie, Hippie Shake.” Both men see better things for themselves, but eventually their partnership goes off the rails, with Bryan hitting the Caribbean to dazzle the ladies on vacation. He still wants his own place and has plenty of ideas but no financial backing. But when he meets Jordan (Elizabeth Shue), he seems ready to get off the bartender/woman chaser circuit and man up. And then Doug shows up with his gorgeous and insanely rich young wife, starting the dream all over again. Good music, nice tropical settings, and rampant overacting by Cruise. It’s one of those 80s movies you really should experience. 3½ cans.
74. Hearts Beat Loud* (2018) – Frank (Nick Offerman) is hooked on music, although his moribund record store in Brooklyn has few visitors, no less customers. His daughter Sam (Kiersey Clemons) is getting ready to go off to UCLA to become a doctor, but the daughter and dad still have some jam sessions to do. Together they write a song and he uploads it to Spotify, where it gets some air play. The duo that he calls “We Are Not a Band” has a few more songs they create. His dying record store isn’t bringing in the cash he needs, his mother (Blythe Danner) keeps getting caught shoplifting, and the landlady (Toni Collette) proposes they form a partnership to refresh the store and give him a place to play. This movie has its moments of sweetness and poignancy, and it never stops being about his love for his daughter and music. Available free on Hulu. 3 cans.
75. Can’t Buy Me Love (1987) – Looooong before he was Dr. McDreamy, Patrick Dempsey was Ronald Miller, certified nerd in his sunny high school filled with cheerleaders and jocks. The high school caste system, where social status dictates cafeteria seating, makes him eligible to sit only with the dorky friends he had since grade school. When his dream girl, head cheerleader Cindy Mancini (Amanda Peterson), needs money, Ronald gladly puts up his lawn-cutting earnings with the proviso that she pose as his girlfriend for a month so he can hang out with the cool kids. It works. They have a convincing month together, during which time he goes from geek to chic, and he doesn’t need her anymore. The plot is obvious, but the cast and the plot are secondary to the good feeling you get from watching this movie about high school and reexamining the stereotypes. 3½ cans.
76. The Bridges of Madison County (1995) – In this movie, the incomparable Meryl Streep lends subtlety and nuance to her portrayal of an Iowa farmer’s wife, stuck in a mundane existence, until a photographer (Clint Eastwood, who directed) arrives to take pictures of local bridges. She offers to assist him, and the two spend the next few days falling into one of those once-in-a-lifetime loves. Can she leave behind her husband and children to build a new life? Or will she take the path she has led for so long and remain on the farm? The haunting score and beautiful scenery, combined with the details of the simple farmhouse, Streep’s clothes and hair, all build a reality that depicts every phase of the character’s life. This movie has a great cast, a great story and it always gives me a good cry. Definitely a chick flick on that score, but I couldn’t love it more. 5 cans.
77. Love Happens* (2009) – Jennifer Anniston is such an appealing actress. She is believable, reliable and attractive – even wearing a knit hat. But here, as in so many movies, there is just not a part she can sink her teeth into. She plays Eloise, a florist in Seattle who services a local hotel where Burke (Aaron Eckhart), a self-help guru, is lecturing audiences on surviving a personal loss. Burke’s wife was killed in a car accident, and, unlike his bigger-than-life, “A-Okay” persona, he has never really dealt with the loss. Let’s see: Attractive and inwardly sad man means vivacious, attractive woman. What could possibly happen? The movie isn’t as frothy as that description (after all, his wife DID die), but it would never be on a list of “must-see” movies. I watched it on a day when I needed a distraction from reality. This did the trick. 3 cans.
78. Defending Jacob* (2020) – This mini-series on Apple TV is based on a book I read for my book club. Chris Evans stars as Andy Barber, a devoted father and an assistant district attorney in Newton, Mass., who initially gets assigned to case involving the murder of a 14-year old boy who turns out to be a classmate of his son, Jacob (Jaeden Martell). It is not long before authorities turn up information that points to Jacob’s possible involvement in the case. Andy and his wife Laurie (Michelle Dockery) hire good local attorney Joanna Klein (Cherry Jones) to defend Jacob, but Andy isn’t done with his own unofficial investigation into a possible suspect when he is removed from the case because of his conflict of interest. Andy has a few secrets of his own that he has never felt the need to share with his wife that come out as the case moves forward. As for Jacob, who is a bit of a loner, young teenagers leave a trail of their lives all over social media, and Jacob is no exception. Was he bullied by Ben, the boy he is accused of killing? Will his posts and information shared by his friends point the trail to him? Do his parents really believe in his innocence or are they blinded by their love for him? The end of the book and the end of this 8-part series are not exactly the same, but they are equally powerful. Very worth your time if you can get Apple TV, a $4.99 a month subscription (I got one free week by signing up, so I can drop the charge if I can’t find anything else to watch.) 4 cans.
54. Mrs. America* (2020) My first foray into an original Hulu presentation, this mini-series is about the ERA amendment, its supporters – Gloria Steinem, Bella Abzug, Betty Friedan – and its chief opponent, Phyllis Schlafly, a whip-smart housewife from Illinois who characterizes the amendment intended to help women gain equal access to all that men have as a sinister piece of legislation that threatens to draft women and set up unisex bathrooms. It is 1972, the Democrats are about to nominate George McGovern, and the feminists want to see black Congressman Shirley Chisholm (Uzo Aduba) oppose him. But is she running as a woman of color or as a feminist? There are major cracks among the party leaders, as the photogenic Steinem (Rose Byrne), the editor of newly-created Ms. Magazine, is put forth as the spokesperson for the feminists, while the mother of the movement, the more radical Betty Friedan (Tracey Ullman) is shunted aside. Also pulling strings is the wise but overbearing NY powerhouse pol Bella Abzug (Margo Martindale). Meanwhile, in the Midwest, housewives sip their tea and bake bread while listening to Schlafly (the brilliant Care Blanchett) oppose the ERA on the grounds that women will lose their rights – by remaining second class citizens. There is a lot of tough talk here and shrewd negotiating about issues like abortion, a woman’s right to choose and equal pay, marginalizing women and making them tokens. Sadly, 50 years later, those issues have not died down and Schlafly and her sturdy crew of highly controlled women prevented the ERA from being passed. And here we are. This is a very well-cast, well-played drama on those times that carries over into 2020.
3½ cans. It would have been 4 had the ERA ever passed.
55. A Secret Love* (2020) – This lovely documentary from Netflix is about two women who shared a love affair for more than 60 years. The two, Terry and Pat, arrived from Canada to play in the Girls All-American Baseball League (the focus of “A League of Their Own”) and became fast friends. Soon that friendship blossomed into love, and they began to live together. They would pass as cousins or as friends sharing a house for economic reasons, but they were not about to come out of the closet. People in their lives may have suspected the two were lesbian lovers, but in the 40s-50s and on, such a relationship was considered unacceptable by many. The documentary focuses on their deep love for each other and the practical considerations of leaving their beloved house for a place better suited to an aging couple with health issues. I won’t spoil the rest, but I can say that this film makes it clear that love is love, and what could be wrong with that? 4 cans.
56. The Art of Racing in the Rain* (2019) – Call it overly sentimental, call it too dramatic, or mushy or whatever. I’ll call this movie wonderful. Milo Ventimiglia plays race car driver Denny, who adopts a loveable dog he names Enzo. The pair are inseparable, until along comes Eve (Amanda Seyfried), the woman Denny falls in love with. We know exactly how Enzo feels about this new person in their lives, because his thoughts are conveyed via the voice of Kevin Costner – and this dog has a lot to say. He loves going to the racetrack with Denny and he understands how Denny strategizes his races. Denny’s friendship with Enzo withstands all kinds of heartbreak. To say more would take away the discovery of the plot, and I couldn’t do that. I’m not a dog lover, but I loved Enzo and this movie. Milo definitely reminded me of his role as Jack Pearson in “This Is Us.” I cried so many times that I had to shut the windows so the neighbors couldn’t hear me. If you loved the nostalgia of “My Dog Skip,” this movie is for you. 4½ cans.
57. Natalie Wood, What Remains Behind* (2020) – This loving HBO documentary was put together by Natasha Gregson, daughter of the late actress Natalie Wood, who provides an intimate look at her life with Natalie and her stepfather, Robert Wagner, whom she calls “Daddy Wagner.” Wood and Wagner were married to each other twice and had several other children with other partners, but theirs was clearly a special love story. Gregson provides plenty of footage of the comingled family enjoying holidays and everyday life together. From the time she was a little girl – and became the breadwinner in her family – Natalie Wood was an actress and a star. Whether you remember her from “Rebel Without a Cause,” “West Side Story,” the splendid “Splendor in the Grass” or one of my personal favorites, “Love With a Proper Stranger,” if you are of a certain age, she was everywhere. When she died by drowning in 1981, the circumstances of her mysterious death kept her in the news for years, with some holding Wagner responsible. Natasha directly asks him about that horrible time and it is hard not to believe him when he shows his grief and proclaims his lack of involvement in her death. I enjoyed the look back at her famous films and her transition from young woman to major star. Only in her 40s at the time of her death, Natalie Wood had plenty more parts left to play. In his movie, she plays her favorite role, as a great mother. 3½ cans.
58. The Final Season* (2007) – Sean Astin of “Rudy” fame plays Kent, an earnest and determined young man, an assistant high school baseball coach working under a celebrated and successful head coach (Powers Boothe). Despite winning 19 state championships with his team, Coach Jim Van Scoyoc is told that this school will be merging with another school for budgetary reasons, and that costs Jim his job, which is given to Kent for the final season. The grizzled coach is a fair and knowledgeable veteran who speaks only in sports clichés, and I while there was a true friendship between the older and younger man, I don’t think I ever saw Astin smile. This movie was based on a true story of Norway High School in Iowa, but that didn’t make it better. This one is a passed ball. 1 can.
59. Rainman Twins* (2008) – If you recall Dustin Hoffman’s character from “Rainman,” you will understand the amazing abilities of Flo and Kay Lyman, the world’s only female autistic savant twins. The women, filmed by local newsman Dave Wagner (bless his heart), have the uncanny ability to recall every detail of their lives. They can spout out the day of any date, what they had for dinner on November 3, 1995, and they know the release date and artist of any record you can name. And they were obsessed with Dick Clark, watching his game show, “The $10,000 Pyramid,” daily, tracking every detail, every time the bell sounded. With the death of their parents, they were taken in by their younger sister and eventually had a chance to meet Dick Clark twice, thanks to Wagner, who documented their lives for more than 13 years. Theirs is a sad and fascinating true story that provides viewers with an understanding of what a savant really is. Available on Amazon Prime Video 3½ cans.
60. Fame* (2009) – Fame is a lame remake of the original 1980 stunner, which was the exciting story of a bunch of exuberant, talented kids and their quest to get into and thrive at the New York Performing Arts High School, the first step in their dreams of success in the arts. The first movie gave us breakout performances by Irene Cara and the rest of the class; by comparison, this one lacks that level of performance and the songs made famous by the original. I even loved the television series sparked by the original film more than this needless remake. This version looked and felt like it was made by the kids who might not have made the cut at PA in the first place. Nice try, but you had too big shoes to fill. 2 cans.
61. Dead to Me, Season 2* (2020) – The second season of this Netflix dark comedy picks up where the first season ended, with the murder of bad guy Steve by Jen (Christina Applegate). And we are off and running for 10 more episodes of this rich, suspenseful, silly and dark comedy. Jen and BFF Judy (Linda Cardellini) have plenty of secrets, side convos and quickly-devised plans to keep themselves out of trouble with the cops, the FBI, their families and friends. The twists and turns continue, and there were plenty of things I saw that made me say to myself, “I didn’t see THAT coming.” No spoilers here, I promise, just high praise for the surefooted performances by the main characters, who are both supportive of each other and ready to kill each other. My favorite episode was the penultimate one, where both Applegate and Cardellini really show off their acting chops. Don’t watch this if you haven’t seen Season 1, but I promise you that both seasons are a good investment of your time and much better to see than to read about. 4½ cans.
62. Becoming* (2020) – Former First Lady Michell Obama wrote a book after her husband, President Barack Obama, left office. This documentary on Netflix covers her tour to promote that book, and while it differs from the book itself, it still presents so much information on her background, her family and the huge responsibility of being the First Lady. Just having her sign a book was an overwhelming experience for some people, but she makes sure she has a meaningful exchange and encouraging words for each person. I found her story inspiring and appreciated particularly her ability to instill hope in the young people she was able to interact with in smaller groups. Being the First Lady carries a huge responsibility and being the first black woman in that role was an overwhelming challenge that she carried off with grace and depth. After serving in such a confining role, it is clear that Michelle is ready to start a new journey of her own and relishes a chance to be herself. 4 cans.
63. Freeheld (2015) – Laurel Hester is a tough-as-nails, dedicated police officer in Ocean County, NJ. She plays by the book, and she keeps her private life private because she is sure that being a lesbian will hold her back in a male-dominated environment. Laurel (Juliane Moore) doesn’t even share that part of her life with her trusted partner Dale (Michael Shannon). But when she finds out she has terminal cancer, all she wants to do is leave her pension benefits to her domestic partner, Stacie (Ellen Page), so Stacie can remain in the house that they lovingly renovated and shared. The Ocean County Freeholders don’t want to defy the state ban on gay marriage, even though they could easily choose to vote in her favor. Spurred by the enthusiastic head of Garden State Equality (enthusiastically played by Steve Carell) and supported by Dale, fellow officers and friends rally to force the politicians to grant Laurel her dying wish. Moore plays the role with an understated dignity, refusing to become the poster child for gay marriage. Her interest is equality. Page looks pained throughout most of the movie, but Shannon, who is typically intense, and Carell, who brings levity, are superb. The happy ending here is that seven years after Laurel’s death (trust me, I did not spoil it for you), NJ approved gay marriage, followed by a national approval. Love is love. 3½ cans.
64. Return to Me (2000) – Bob (David Duchovny) loses his beloved wife in a car accident. That heart ends up being transplanted into Grace (Minnie Driver), a young woman whose heart has betrayed her. Through a series of coincidences, Grace ends up meeting Bob when she waits on him at her grandfather’s Irish/Italian pub/restaurant. There’s instant chemistry, even as Bob and Grace feel wary because of his love of his late wife and her reluctance to show the scar from her surgery. Neither knows why this connection of the heart seems so strong. Will she let him into her heart? Will he understand he can have a new love? Will they figure out that Bob’s wife’s heart lives on in his new love? Tune in to find out. Director/co-writer Bonnie Hunt (who also acts in the film) is at her best in this charmer about finding love and finding a new life. The Irish/Italian pub run by Grace’s grandfather (Carroll O’Connor) has a host of warm and wonderful characters who all love Grace and whose stellar friendships made me smile. The relationship between the shy couple is a joy to watch, as each grows in new ways. I won’t spoil the movie but I will encourage anyone who hasn’t seen it to rent it, buy it, record it – just watch it. It starts with Dean Martin singing the title song and just keeps getting better. What a delight! 4½ cans.
65. Peanut Butter Falcon* (2019) – This buddy movie conjures up the iconic “Midnight Cowboy,” named Best Picture of the Year in 1969. Shia LaBoef is Tyler, an angry, disappointed man mourning the death of his brother and given to stealing crabs from the fishermen off the coast of Carolina. Zak Gottsagen is Zak, a young man with Down’s Syndrome, stuck living without family in a nursing home and determined to get out on his own. He wants to become a professional wrestler and is obsessed by videos of his wrestling hero, Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Hayden Church). Though deemed a flight risk by Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), a staffer at the nursing home, Zak escapes and hides out on a boat that Tyler steals. The two become friends, with Tyler on the lam and heading to Florida to escape the guys whose fish he stole. Tyler agrees to take Zak to Redneck’s wrestling camp, and even though he knows nothing about the sport, he agrees to train and coach Zak to do the things he was always told he was incapable of doing. The two create the character the “Peanut Butter Falcon” for Zak’s professional wrestling name and finally find the now defunct former wrestling camp. This is a sweet and caring film, depicting a warm relationship between two markedly different men. And even Eleanor, desperately searching for Zak, finally shows true compassion for the differently abled man. 3½ cans.
66. On Golden Pond (1981) – Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn had never worked together before this film, but their chemistry is immediate. He is cantankerous grouch Norman, a retired and respected university professor coming to grips with the short time he has left as he turns 80. Hepburn is so completely warm and convincing as Ethel, a tough old broad who adores her grumpy husband, even as she has to help him remember not to set the house on fire. Their grown daughter Chelsea is played by Fonda’s own daughter, Jane, in a story that in many ways reflects their own allegedly rocky relationship. Chelsea joins her parents at their beloved lake cabin for a visit with the news that she and her dentist-boyfriend are going away for a few weeks and plan to leave his smart-mouthed 13-year old son Billy (Doug McKeon) with them. Where Chelsea and her father never were on the same page, it doesn’t take Billy and Norman long to bond over fishing and sneaking around. Billy is the son Norman wished Chelsea to be. My favorite part of the movie is seeing the old man and the young boy begin to appreciate each other and enjoy spending time together. And maybe there is still time for Chelsea and Norman to build an equally strong bond, even if she has to do a perfect backflip off the dock to make that happen. The outstanding cast, the heartwarming (if sentimental) story, the cinematography and the music make this movie one of my favorites. Fonda-Hepburn-Fonda is a formidable trio. 4 cans.
67. The Upside (2019) – Kevin Hart is Dell, an ex-con desperate for a job (or at least to prove he’s looking for one), and Bryan Cranston is Philip, is a wealthy quadriplegic author living in a stunning NYC penthouse who requires extensive care. Dell takes on the assignment despite his discomfort with some of the responsibilities (inserting a catheter tops the list) so he can pay his child support and reestablish ties with his son. As can be predicted, the two men from very different backgrounds forge a bond. Dell becomes less of a wise ass and Philip, who is ready to die, becomes better at living. The secret sauce here is the chemistry between Hart and Cranston, which could bring a smile to anyone’s face. Life is not easy for either man and they both have their own handicaps. This movie is “hart”-warming. 3½ cans.
68. A Dog’s Purpose* (2017) and 69. A Dog’s Journey* (2019) – Dennis Quaid, playing Ethan, is the titular star of each of these movies, but the real action centers on the dog/dogs that are part of his life for generations. Josh Gad does a perfect job of voicing the dog’s thoughts, which always center on protecting his (or her) master. When the first dog, Bailey, dies, he is reincarnated as a new dog with a new owner, but he always remembers the smell of Ethan and his quest is to get back and show Ethan he is the same dog. I liked the Journey installment better than the Purpose, but each movie was a lovely escape from reality and a reminder of why people love their dogs. Although I am not a pet lover and have never owned a dog, I enjoyed everything about these movies, which you can watch with your kids and grandchildren. 3½ cans and a bunch of dog treats.
70. The Last Dance* (2020) – This remarkable 10-part ESPN series on basketball legend Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls’ last championship run in 1998 tells the story of a man driven by competitive desires, ready and eager to not only beat but crush his opponents, especially if he perceived the smallest slight or disrespect. When the game is on the line, who has the ball in his hand and the defense on his back and is STILL able to make the winning shot? The greatest player of all time – the “GOAT” – demanded excellence from himself and encouraged, cajoled and bullied his teammates to achieve not just their potential but play to HIS exacting standards. In most cases, his intensity was matched by his joy when the team won, but there were times he won and seemed to take no pleasure, just relief. I thought the most moving scene in the series was when Jordan, having lost his father but having just won the championship, clutches the trophy while sobbing on the floor of the locker room. Thanks go to the unprecedented access to Jordan and the Bulls that the documentary crew had and to Jason Hehir, the director, and his crew for somehow editing all of that footage into an cohesive drama so compelling that I would have watched all 10 hours in a row if they had chosen to air it that way. I had always considered “Hoop Dreams” to be the best sports documentary I had ever seen. That movie is now number 2 on my list. 5 cans.
71. Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel* (2012) – Diana Vreeland was the prophet of fashion as fashion editor of Harper’s Bazaar and editor of Vogue for decades. She had the sense of what would be on trend, went to all of the best shows around the world, discovered hired the most talented photographers and models (like a young Lauren Bacall) and made them important like no one else. Her selections could be the life or death of a career, as she featured the work of designers in the pages of her magazines. If you saw “The Devil Wears Prada,” you can understand some of the stories about Vreeland in this documentary. As I was watching this show wearing the same clothes I had worn the day before during the quarantine, I could not escape that irony or the reality that I know NOTHING about fashion. But for decades, Diana Vreeland was its doyenne, a word I have always wanted to use in a sentence. 3 cans.
72. The Post (2017) – I thought another look at this movie about the venerable Washington Post was timely in light of the constant “fake news” declaration by our current president whenever he doesn’t like what he reads. This movie is led by the dynamic duo of Post Editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) and Publisher Kathryn Graham (Meryl Streep) as they wrestle with whether to publish The Pentagon Papers. The Pentagon Papers were a confidential history of the war in Vietnam over many years that was done by the Department of Defense and stolen by Daniel Ellsberg, who provided copies to both The New York Times and The Post. At the same time, the Post is about to become a publicly-traded company, anticipating a cash infusion from the shares sold that will keep the paper going during difficult times. Graham might be risking the financial support needed for the transaction by challenging the administration – and her old friend, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara (Bruce Greenwood). Will she rise above the politics by defying President Nixon and his henchmen and informing the American public what they needed to hear? There are so many parallels, even between the unhinged Nixon and the miscreant Trump, that make this story current. 3½ cans.
73. Cocktail (1988) – This frothy mix finds a way to elevate the Tom Cruise megawatt smile and charm while offering little dramatic challenge for his limited acting chops. His Bryan Flannigan can’t find a job in marketing or sales or anywhere else, for that matter, but he gets hired for a job as a bartender so his good looks can attract the female customers. He thrives under the tutelage of Doug (Bryan Brown), a veteran bartender/philosopher, and soon the pair are flipping bottles to the strains of “Hippie, Hippie Shake.” Both men see better things for themselves, but eventually their partnership goes off the rails, with Bryan hitting the Caribbean to dazzle the ladies on vacation. He still wants his own place and has plenty of ideas but no financial backing. But when he meets Jordan (Elizabeth Shue), he seems ready to get off the bartender/woman chaser circuit and man up. And then Doug shows up with his gorgeous and insanely rich young wife, starting the dream all over again. Good music, nice tropical settings, and rampant overacting by Cruise. It’s one of those 80s movies you really should experience. 3½ cans.
74. Hearts Beat Loud* (2018) – Frank (Nick Offerman) is hooked on music, although his moribund record store in Brooklyn has few visitors, no less customers. His daughter Sam (Kiersey Clemons) is getting ready to go off to UCLA to become a doctor, but the daughter and dad still have some jam sessions to do. Together they write a song and he uploads it to Spotify, where it gets some air play. The duo that he calls “We Are Not a Band” has a few more songs they create. His dying record store isn’t bringing in the cash he needs, his mother (Blythe Danner) keeps getting caught shoplifting, and the landlady (Toni Collette) proposes they form a partnership to refresh the store and give him a place to play. This movie has its moments of sweetness and poignancy, and it never stops being about his love for his daughter and music. Available free on Hulu. 3 cans.
75. Can’t Buy Me Love (1987) – Looooong before he was Dr. McDreamy, Patrick Dempsey was Ronald Miller, certified nerd in his sunny high school filled with cheerleaders and jocks. The high school caste system, where social status dictates cafeteria seating, makes him eligible to sit only with the dorky friends he had since grade school. When his dream girl, head cheerleader Cindy Mancini (Amanda Peterson), needs money, Ronald gladly puts up his lawn-cutting earnings with the proviso that she pose as his girlfriend for a month so he can hang out with the cool kids. It works. They have a convincing month together, during which time he goes from geek to chic, and he doesn’t need her anymore. The plot is obvious, but the cast and the plot are secondary to the good feeling you get from watching this movie about high school and reexamining the stereotypes. 3½ cans.
76. The Bridges of Madison County (1995) – In this movie, the incomparable Meryl Streep lends subtlety and nuance to her portrayal of an Iowa farmer’s wife, stuck in a mundane existence, until a photographer (Clint Eastwood, who directed) arrives to take pictures of local bridges. She offers to assist him, and the two spend the next few days falling into one of those once-in-a-lifetime loves. Can she leave behind her husband and children to build a new life? Or will she take the path she has led for so long and remain on the farm? The haunting score and beautiful scenery, combined with the details of the simple farmhouse, Streep’s clothes and hair, all build a reality that depicts every phase of the character’s life. This movie has a great cast, a great story and it always gives me a good cry. Definitely a chick flick on that score, but I couldn’t love it more. 5 cans.
77. Love Happens* (2009) – Jennifer Anniston is such an appealing actress. She is believable, reliable and attractive – even wearing a knit hat. But here, as in so many movies, there is just not a part she can sink her teeth into. She plays Eloise, a florist in Seattle who services a local hotel where Burke (Aaron Eckhart), a self-help guru, is lecturing audiences on surviving a personal loss. Burke’s wife was killed in a car accident, and, unlike his bigger-than-life, “A-Okay” persona, he has never really dealt with the loss. Let’s see: Attractive and inwardly sad man means vivacious, attractive woman. What could possibly happen? The movie isn’t as frothy as that description (after all, his wife DID die), but it would never be on a list of “must-see” movies. I watched it on a day when I needed a distraction from reality. This did the trick. 3 cans.
78. Defending Jacob* (2020) – This mini-series on Apple TV is based on a book I read for my book club. Chris Evans stars as Andy Barber, a devoted father and an assistant district attorney in Newton, Mass., who initially gets assigned to case involving the murder of a 14-year old boy who turns out to be a classmate of his son, Jacob (Jaeden Martell). It is not long before authorities turn up information that points to Jacob’s possible involvement in the case. Andy and his wife Laurie (Michelle Dockery) hire good local attorney Joanna Klein (Cherry Jones) to defend Jacob, but Andy isn’t done with his own unofficial investigation into a possible suspect when he is removed from the case because of his conflict of interest. Andy has a few secrets of his own that he has never felt the need to share with his wife that come out as the case moves forward. As for Jacob, who is a bit of a loner, young teenagers leave a trail of their lives all over social media, and Jacob is no exception. Was he bullied by Ben, the boy he is accused of killing? Will his posts and information shared by his friends point the trail to him? Do his parents really believe in his innocence or are they blinded by their love for him? The end of the book and the end of this 8-part series are not exactly the same, but they are equally powerful. Very worth your time if you can get Apple TV, a $4.99 a month subscription (I got one free week by signing up, so I can drop the charge if I can’t find anything else to watch.) 4 cans.
Friday, May 15, 2020
May Message from Tina - More Tales from the Quarantine
Quarantina is back! Here we are, two months into a lockdown designed to protect us from the COVID-19 virus. We have been ordered to shelter at home, and as a result of adhering to that instruction, the curve has flattened somewhat. Personally, I am planning to stay at home even after the restrictions have been lifted, JUST IN CASE. And I will wear a mask and take all precautions necessary to get through this pandemic with my health intact. Meanwhile, I have some observations on life in lockdown.
I have officially reached the “I don’t really need to change my clothes every day” stage of quarantine.
Now that the weather has improved, people are heading out to their gardens in droves, digging in the dirt as if they are tunneling out of Shawshank Prison. As the owner of a black thumb, I am staying out of the fruits and vegetable business and look forward to friends and neighbors sharing their abundant crops this year.
I long for the days when I could just bop over to ShopRite without wearing a hazmat suit because I needed bananas and I would come out with $100 worth of items I wasn’t even sure I needed. Now, each trip is plotted out like the Invasion of Normandy, with the route (produce first, then go directly to meat, then detour to paper products for precious toilet paper) defined in advance and the goals set for each stop (fresh fruit and vegetables, meat for the freezer for long-term eating). I keep a list going on Alexa and then rewrite it on paper before I go to the supermarket so that my phone won’t be contaminated by taking it out in the store. D-Day took less planning, but I am more likely now to stick to my shopping list, assuming the store has the items I need/want.
You know what is useless now? Those sales flyers from ShopRite. There’s no way to know what they actually have in stock until you get there. I’m not even sure they are mailing them out anymore.
Speaking of the supermarket, I had no idea how much I relied on wetting my fingers to open those flimsy plastic bags in the produce section. I almost gave up buying the zucchini one day because I couldn’t get one open. But can you imagine licking your fingers now in public? I’d probably be arrested. And think of the conversation in the prison yard: “What are you in for?” “I licked my fingers in the supermarket.” I think I’d be knifed in the communal shower for that kind of transgression.
I haven’t availed myself yet of ordering food from the supermarket online and waiting for a precious “slot” to be open for pick-up or delivery of my order. People who get good slots and can get their groceries the same week they ordered them are celebrating as if they won the lottery. And I swear I see more ShopRite employees shopping for these people than I do regular shoppers, like me (once every two weeks or so).
I asked my personal assistant, Alexa, what was on my schedule for today and I swear I heard her snicker. Last week I asked her what day it was and when she told me I thought she was wrong. We almost had our first fight over that.
Now is when we finally figure out whether toilet paper math is accurate. Do nine rolls really equal 36?
In the beginning of this quarantine I noticed I was talking to myself more than ever. Now, even I am bored with me, so things have quieted down here considerably.
I took an online cooking class recently. Mostly what I learned was that for $300 I can take the rest of the classes in the series, but even at a “discounted” price, I can’t see me signing up for 48 online cooking sessions. Not that I don’t have the time…
Every day I receive emails with menus from some of my favorite restaurants, and every day, my mouth starts watering. Even the things I don’t normally order sound SO yummy. I need to eat and read less!
When I call someone now and they don’t answer immediately, I assume that 1) They are in the shower or on the phone; 2) They are out for a walk; 3) They are digging in the garden or 4) They don’t want to talk to me.
I received a package from Amazon the other day and I had no idea what it was. I put on my rubber gloves and escorted it into the "decontamination zone" in the garage before it was allowed into the house a day or so later. I finally removed it from the box, left the box in the garage and brought the package into the house. I sure don’t want to die because I opened a package, you know?
OK, now that Kohl’s is closed, I guess I’m back to returning my unwanted Amazon items the old way, via UPS. And I was just getting used to not having to pack anything up to return it!
The first few minutes of any Zoom meeting are spent trying to get everyone to press the right buttons so they can be seen and heard. And I have seen more of the ceilings of people’s houses than Michelangelo ever saw at the Sistine Chapel. People, adjust your camera position! I don’t want to see your head in the bottom corner of your screen!
It takes more time and more shampoo now to wash my long(ish) hair.
I always wanted to know how my hair would look once it grew out. Now that I know, get me the hedge shears!
My hair is in that in-between stage – not long enough to put into a ponytail or pull it back, but too long to just hang in front of my face. The hair salons will be overrun with people when they open, but I don’t want to take any chances, so it will be a while before my hairdresser can make me look presentable again.
My hair can best be described as somewhere between Keith Urban and Keith Partridge with that Florence Henderson flip in the back. And when I look at my face, forget Keith Urban. I’m seeing Keith Richards.
I found a sure-fire way to not have my hair look bad, especially in the back. I don’t look. It’s not like anyone else is seeing it, either. When I go out, I wear a hat.
When I get on the scale, I automatically deduct 5 pounds for the extra hair.
I was looking for something to watch on TV and started "Parks & Recreation." There are 9 seasons to catch up on, but it’s not like I have anything better to do.
I have never done so much cleaning and laundry, even though I don’t have my aqua aerobics towels to wash since class has been canceled and the pool is closed. I’m constantly changing bath and hand towels, dish towels and rags to wipe the counters. The cleaning lady will be relieved to know she is now considered an essential worker.
This quarantine has me planning dinner while I am eating breakfast. Or, more accurately, the night before, so I’ll know what I need to take out of the freezer. So far, I have not used my InstantPot even once. But I cleaned my gas grill to within an inch of its life – and promptly used it to grill a steak. Here we go again, but yum!
How am I going to explain to my dental hygienist that I’m STILL not flossing? It’s not like I don’t have the time.
I have watched the same video for Misen Knives at least a dozen times. And they have another video for a $450 set of cookware. I haven’t succumbed to the temptation yet, but all this cooking is making me think I should up my equipment game. UPDATE: The knife set arrives in 7-10 days. I promise I will be careful because I don’t need a trip to the emergency room any more than I needed those knives.
It seems everyone I know is either baking bread or planting vegetables. I feel left out of this survivalist movement. I’d bake another loaf of bread, but getting yeast is as hard as getting a COVID-19 test right now.
Being this available seems so strange. My calendar has few notes each week beyond birthday reminders and the occasional ZOOM session with friends. But now I can watch a movie or a series the same day it debuts. No waiting in line at the movies, just a few clicks and I’m checking out the latest entertainment. I binge-watched the entire second season of "Dead to Me" last Friday. I recommend it highly (Netflix).
The calendar for my active adult community was published in our May newsletter with absolutely nothing on it. No mah jongg games, no pickleball, no trips to Broadway shows, no Veteran’s Club meetings. These seniors must be going nuts without their quilting club, bowling league and Hadassah meetings. Our last Shutterbugs meeting (my photography club) was done via Zoom. I even skipped that.
I nearly ran into a friend last week at the doctor’s office (she was outside in her car, waiting for her mother to be done with her appointment, and our schedules ALMOST overlapped). I was actually relieved that I didn’t see her because I don’t know how I could have refrained from giving her a big hug. I know I will remove the handshake from my greeting repertoire, but please, it has to be safe to HUG again someday. I know grandparents who are going crazy not being able to be with and hug the grandchildren. And as my friend said to me, when she can hug me again, she’s not letting go. Me, neither.
These long stretches of being alone have made me much more emotional than I usually am. I watched a movie recently that made me cry for almost an hour while I tried to see it through tears ("The Art of Racing in the Rain"”). I caught myself getting teary over the Michelle Obama documentary and I felt a lump in my throat over an article in People Magazine about a mail carrier who bought toilet paper for an older woman on her route. In real life, I am NOT a crier. Except at the Yankees’ Old Timers Day. But now? I am weeping over the smallest and strangest of things. Is there a phenomenon called Quarantine Crying?
If hindsight is truly 20/20, remind me to never look back. I sure don’t want to see or remember anything about this year except to take extreme precautions in all interactions.
I have officially reached the “I don’t really need to change my clothes every day” stage of quarantine.
Now that the weather has improved, people are heading out to their gardens in droves, digging in the dirt as if they are tunneling out of Shawshank Prison. As the owner of a black thumb, I am staying out of the fruits and vegetable business and look forward to friends and neighbors sharing their abundant crops this year.
I long for the days when I could just bop over to ShopRite without wearing a hazmat suit because I needed bananas and I would come out with $100 worth of items I wasn’t even sure I needed. Now, each trip is plotted out like the Invasion of Normandy, with the route (produce first, then go directly to meat, then detour to paper products for precious toilet paper) defined in advance and the goals set for each stop (fresh fruit and vegetables, meat for the freezer for long-term eating). I keep a list going on Alexa and then rewrite it on paper before I go to the supermarket so that my phone won’t be contaminated by taking it out in the store. D-Day took less planning, but I am more likely now to stick to my shopping list, assuming the store has the items I need/want.
You know what is useless now? Those sales flyers from ShopRite. There’s no way to know what they actually have in stock until you get there. I’m not even sure they are mailing them out anymore.
Speaking of the supermarket, I had no idea how much I relied on wetting my fingers to open those flimsy plastic bags in the produce section. I almost gave up buying the zucchini one day because I couldn’t get one open. But can you imagine licking your fingers now in public? I’d probably be arrested. And think of the conversation in the prison yard: “What are you in for?” “I licked my fingers in the supermarket.” I think I’d be knifed in the communal shower for that kind of transgression.
I haven’t availed myself yet of ordering food from the supermarket online and waiting for a precious “slot” to be open for pick-up or delivery of my order. People who get good slots and can get their groceries the same week they ordered them are celebrating as if they won the lottery. And I swear I see more ShopRite employees shopping for these people than I do regular shoppers, like me (once every two weeks or so).
I asked my personal assistant, Alexa, what was on my schedule for today and I swear I heard her snicker. Last week I asked her what day it was and when she told me I thought she was wrong. We almost had our first fight over that.
Now is when we finally figure out whether toilet paper math is accurate. Do nine rolls really equal 36?
In the beginning of this quarantine I noticed I was talking to myself more than ever. Now, even I am bored with me, so things have quieted down here considerably.
I took an online cooking class recently. Mostly what I learned was that for $300 I can take the rest of the classes in the series, but even at a “discounted” price, I can’t see me signing up for 48 online cooking sessions. Not that I don’t have the time…
Every day I receive emails with menus from some of my favorite restaurants, and every day, my mouth starts watering. Even the things I don’t normally order sound SO yummy. I need to eat and read less!
When I call someone now and they don’t answer immediately, I assume that 1) They are in the shower or on the phone; 2) They are out for a walk; 3) They are digging in the garden or 4) They don’t want to talk to me.
I received a package from Amazon the other day and I had no idea what it was. I put on my rubber gloves and escorted it into the "decontamination zone" in the garage before it was allowed into the house a day or so later. I finally removed it from the box, left the box in the garage and brought the package into the house. I sure don’t want to die because I opened a package, you know?
OK, now that Kohl’s is closed, I guess I’m back to returning my unwanted Amazon items the old way, via UPS. And I was just getting used to not having to pack anything up to return it!
The first few minutes of any Zoom meeting are spent trying to get everyone to press the right buttons so they can be seen and heard. And I have seen more of the ceilings of people’s houses than Michelangelo ever saw at the Sistine Chapel. People, adjust your camera position! I don’t want to see your head in the bottom corner of your screen!
It takes more time and more shampoo now to wash my long(ish) hair.
I always wanted to know how my hair would look once it grew out. Now that I know, get me the hedge shears!
My hair is in that in-between stage – not long enough to put into a ponytail or pull it back, but too long to just hang in front of my face. The hair salons will be overrun with people when they open, but I don’t want to take any chances, so it will be a while before my hairdresser can make me look presentable again.
My hair can best be described as somewhere between Keith Urban and Keith Partridge with that Florence Henderson flip in the back. And when I look at my face, forget Keith Urban. I’m seeing Keith Richards.
I found a sure-fire way to not have my hair look bad, especially in the back. I don’t look. It’s not like anyone else is seeing it, either. When I go out, I wear a hat.
When I get on the scale, I automatically deduct 5 pounds for the extra hair.
I was looking for something to watch on TV and started "Parks & Recreation." There are 9 seasons to catch up on, but it’s not like I have anything better to do.
I have never done so much cleaning and laundry, even though I don’t have my aqua aerobics towels to wash since class has been canceled and the pool is closed. I’m constantly changing bath and hand towels, dish towels and rags to wipe the counters. The cleaning lady will be relieved to know she is now considered an essential worker.
This quarantine has me planning dinner while I am eating breakfast. Or, more accurately, the night before, so I’ll know what I need to take out of the freezer. So far, I have not used my InstantPot even once. But I cleaned my gas grill to within an inch of its life – and promptly used it to grill a steak. Here we go again, but yum!
How am I going to explain to my dental hygienist that I’m STILL not flossing? It’s not like I don’t have the time.
I have watched the same video for Misen Knives at least a dozen times. And they have another video for a $450 set of cookware. I haven’t succumbed to the temptation yet, but all this cooking is making me think I should up my equipment game. UPDATE: The knife set arrives in 7-10 days. I promise I will be careful because I don’t need a trip to the emergency room any more than I needed those knives.
It seems everyone I know is either baking bread or planting vegetables. I feel left out of this survivalist movement. I’d bake another loaf of bread, but getting yeast is as hard as getting a COVID-19 test right now.
Being this available seems so strange. My calendar has few notes each week beyond birthday reminders and the occasional ZOOM session with friends. But now I can watch a movie or a series the same day it debuts. No waiting in line at the movies, just a few clicks and I’m checking out the latest entertainment. I binge-watched the entire second season of "Dead to Me" last Friday. I recommend it highly (Netflix).
The calendar for my active adult community was published in our May newsletter with absolutely nothing on it. No mah jongg games, no pickleball, no trips to Broadway shows, no Veteran’s Club meetings. These seniors must be going nuts without their quilting club, bowling league and Hadassah meetings. Our last Shutterbugs meeting (my photography club) was done via Zoom. I even skipped that.
I nearly ran into a friend last week at the doctor’s office (she was outside in her car, waiting for her mother to be done with her appointment, and our schedules ALMOST overlapped). I was actually relieved that I didn’t see her because I don’t know how I could have refrained from giving her a big hug. I know I will remove the handshake from my greeting repertoire, but please, it has to be safe to HUG again someday. I know grandparents who are going crazy not being able to be with and hug the grandchildren. And as my friend said to me, when she can hug me again, she’s not letting go. Me, neither.
These long stretches of being alone have made me much more emotional than I usually am. I watched a movie recently that made me cry for almost an hour while I tried to see it through tears ("The Art of Racing in the Rain"”). I caught myself getting teary over the Michelle Obama documentary and I felt a lump in my throat over an article in People Magazine about a mail carrier who bought toilet paper for an older woman on her route. In real life, I am NOT a crier. Except at the Yankees’ Old Timers Day. But now? I am weeping over the smallest and strangest of things. Is there a phenomenon called Quarantine Crying?
If hindsight is truly 20/20, remind me to never look back. I sure don’t want to see or remember anything about this year except to take extreme precautions in all interactions.
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