Amelie (the edited version)

I loved this movie. Quite different than my initial reaction to having to read subtitles throughout the entire movie (as an excuse we were eating, I was more interested in concentrating on food than reading). The subtitles did not effect the movie at all. And it was a great pleasure to listen to French, it is such a beautiful language.

The story of Amelie who has been sheltered all her life because of her "weak heart." She is home schooled and therefore has no friends; she dreams and prays for a younger brother but does not receive one. As an adult she finds a box hidden in the wall of her bathroom. A little boy filled the box with treasures and hid it 40 years earlier. Amelie sets out to find the owner. If he receives joy from the box she will set her life on a course to do good continually. After Amelie sees the joy on the man's face, she immediately goes to find ways to do good and she is so creative in how she accomplishes her good deeds. She walks with a blind man for a little and tells him all the sights she is witnessing. She makes friends with her reclusive neighbor, referred to as the "glass man" because of his brittle bones. She finds the owner of a lost scrapbook and of course finds love in doing so. Moral of the story: If you do good unto others, you will find love... or something like that.

Shouldn't we all be anxiously engaged in doing good continually. The movie did give me desire to do good to others, now I need to go and do. I tend to think of service only in terms of grand projects but really I should just focus on the little things: sharing a smile, picking up trash, holding the door open, giving out more compliments, telling someone if they drop something, sending little gifts just because...

The movie also displays individual quirks. We all have them, I too love the feeling of running my hand through grains or sand, I eat my sandwiches and hamburgers in a circle to save the middle for last...

Paul Blart, Mall Cop

Kevin James is the main character and has the same quirky and slightly awkward characteristics as his Albert Brennaman character from Hitch. If you loved him in Hitch, you will love him in this movie! Single father trying to become a New Jersey Police Officer but fails due to his hypoglycemic condition. He continues to put his effort into his job being a security officer, not to be confused with a security guard, at a mall. Black Friday is given a whole new meaning when the mall is taken over. Because of his oath to "protect the mall and all inside," Paul Blart uses his police academy training to save the hostages which include his intended sweetheart and his daughter.

Definitely a fun movie, nothing too serious taking place on screen, but certainly entertaining. Plus it is a good PG movie... so we have to support the wholesome!

Fun fact for you (just as Paul Blart would interject)... the film began shooting in late February 2008 in Boston. The main shooting took place at Burlington Mall in Burlington after being denied a permit from Willowbrook Mall.

Born Yesterday, 1950

Don't let the black and white/old movies scare you they are full of charm, whit and humor. Born Yesterday was such a film. It is the story of a corrupt villain, Harry Brock (at least that is what I thought of him) who is trying to work a congressman to get more money for his business. He is embarrassed by his fiancee of seven years, Billie, by her coarse and slightly ignorant and uneducated nature. He hires a journalist, Paul Verrall, to help her unsightly ways. He gives her books and newspapers to read and takes her to the various monuments in Washington, DC. She highlights those words/ideas which she does not understand and he helps her understand. She finds a desire for learning and realizes there is something more than her beautiful looks, clothing and other fine things.

Judy Holliday plays Billie and is fantastic in this movie: she's sassy and spunky.

The Dark Knight

Wow! I was a little worried as I had heard comments on how dark and violent it was, but it is a great movie. Yes, it was dark and violent but not gruesome, just disturbing. Heath Ledger is very convincing and Christian Bale is a fantastic batman... and he is quite handsome too!

The struggle between good and evil continues in this film and brings into play the need for a hero through society's organized means. Batman partners with Harvey Dent, Gotham's District Attorney, and Lieutenant James Gordon to stop the organized crime running rampant in Gotham. The people feel Batman is causing the deaths of people as the Joker will not stop until he meets "the bat" face to face. Let's be honest, this movie doesn't need a description as it is Batman and plenty of people will see it.

This movie brings all sorts of themes out: the obvious good vs. evil, choices, the good in people, etc. My brother-in-law even pointed out a tie to the Atonement as Batman essentially takes the deaths (sins) caused by Harvey Dent upon himself so Gotham can have a hero.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Good but not as good as the back of the book professed: "A remarkable novel about divine female power, a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come."

Set in South Carolina in 1964 tells the story of one Lily Owens. Her life is a struggle between herself and finding peace with her parents. Memories of her mother are blurred from an accidental death and three items she has left from her mother. Lily tries to find happy memories of her father, T-Ray, but he is not the "father" type.

She escapes with her "stand-in-mother," Rosaleen, after Rosaleen insults three racists in town. Lily has a plan to find her mother in Tiburon, South Carolina. She believes her mother was there from one of the three items, a picture with this city and state written on the back. Lily and Rosaleen find August, June and May; three black sisters who own a Pepto Bismol colored house and make a living as bee keepers.

Lily is now free from T-Ray but is still haunted by the blurred vision of her mother's death. From living with August, June, May and Rosaleen she learns about the hard facts of life and love and she finds herself as she is connected to her mother.

There is also a movie out, featuring a great cast: Dakota Fanning (Lily), Queen Latifah (August), Jennifer Hudson (Rosaleen), Alicia Keys (June)and Sophie Okonedo (May). I will probably see this... but it will only be dollar theater or NetFlix worthy.

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and Davdi Oliver Relin

I just finished an amazing book on my trip to and from Denver. Three Cups of Tea is about "one man's mission to promote peace... one school at a time."This book was so inspiring. Greg Mortenson started his life as a nurse and a mountaineer. After failing to climb a mountain in Pakistan his perspective changed as he saw a group of children gathered to attend "school." Their school was gathering outside in the cold and they used sticks to write their lessons in the ground. This image altered his course and he became the head of the Central Asia Institute building schools for children in Pakistan and nearby regions. He truly believes in his mission that by building schools and educating the children we can bridge the gap of ignorance and hate.

Sometimes I don't feel we are even in a war. The scenes on TV have died down, the deaths have decreased and our focus has switched to the new President elect Obama. As the husband said, we aren't so much in a war but we are now building a nation. Thoughts rise as I think about what I could possibly do to help. Lucky for me, they gave ideas on how to help at the end of the book. One of the ways is to spread the word about the book... http://www.threecupsoftea.com/

I just ordered two calendars from here: https://www.ikat.org/limited-edition-calendar/