Dear John & Valentine's Day: Where did Cupid's Arrow Land?

Our two Valentine's weekend front-runners were Dear John starring Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum and Valentine's Day starring every actor in Hollywood.  Seriously, how can you compete?

Dear John, an adaptation of Nicholas Sparks's novel and the first film to overthrow the reigning Avatar, is a tearful story of boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl (in two weeks might I add!), boy leaves for war, many love letters ensue.  The love letters between John Tyree (Tatum) and Savannah Curtis (Seyfried) carry the plot.  What makes the plot convincing is the undeniable chemistry between Amanda and Channing.  For those who haven't seen Dear John, there's a flush-inducing, steamy nighttime barn scene that makes those two hours worthwhile!  I'm just saying...

Anyway, as an avid Nick Sparks reader, I was quite surprised how closely the film followed the events of his novel.  More often than not, as most of us romance novel readers can attest to, the novel rarely translates to film 100% accurately, resulting in inevitable disappointment.  Disappointment is how I felt after seeing Message in a Bottle and A Walk to Remember (I didn't dare give a dime to see Nights in Rodanthe, Sparks's worst novel, hands down).  I was pleasantly pleased with Dear John until the end.  The happily-ever-after ending may have been what the audience paid to see but definitely not what Sparks wrote, which in my opinion, was the more realistic ending, not to mention the more clever one.  Hollywood took liberties to give audiences what they want: A sappy Valentine's Day movie that ends predictably happy.

Valentine's Day, directed by the ever-so popular Garry Marshall (creator of classic TV show, Happy Days and the director of hit films, Pretty Woman and The Princess Diaries), is a two hour tribute to romance with a handful of intersecting (and at times, surprising!) story lines, some bittersweet and others downright hilarious!  

Recruiting Hollywood's most attractive and attractively humorous cast, probably wasn't too difficult for Garry Marshall seeing as how the majority have previously starred in his movies.  And it was an ingenious idea.  If it hadn't been for the A-list cast, would the box office numbers reflect the millions of love-stricken, shameless women who rushed to the theatre to indulge in a movie aimed at their demographic?  Hard to say.  I mean, let's face it, those who saw the trailer for the film knew not to expect much from the plot except for silly enjoy-ability.  Aha!  That's where we were all fooled!  For those lovelorn and hopeful romantics who were gullible enough to open their pocketbooks for this film, our low expectations gave way to high marks for a movie that made us laugh heartily and love even more deeply (and it didn't hurt that McSteamy Eric Dane appears shirtless or that the Marina del Rey Marriott, my wedding reception venue, had a cameo!)

So it looks like Cupid made his mark on both our Valentine's movies... and our hearts!

An Education on Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Happiness

When I was 16 years old, I was a sophomore at a Catholic high school in Orange County and my primary concern was remembering to look out for cross-walking pedestrians when making a right-hand turn so that I wouldn't fail my driving test (I still forget to look out for pedestrians from time to time - oops!).  My secondary concern was not-so patiently waiting for some immature, albeit cute, high school boy to ask me to my first high school Homecoming dance (which I later regretted as said immature high school boy ditched me the moment we stepped onto the dance floor).  And my last concern was how in the world I was going to pull an all-nighter to finish my religion project (my fault entirely as I was quite the procrastinator back in the day... unfortunately I still am).  None of my concerns included achieving high enough grades to be considered an applicant for Oxford University and they certainly didn't include wondering whether or not my father would allow me to accompany my 35 year old boyfriend on a trip to Paris.  However, that is exactly the two concerns of our heroine, Jenny (captivatingly played by Carey Mulligan) in An Education.

Jenny, a 16 year old schoolgirl in early-1960s suburban London, falls for a charming and mysterious older man (Peter Sarsgaard) and soon finds herself in over her head socially and emotionally.  Jenny is at a crossroad having to choose between her thirst for knowledge and her desire to be cultured.  Her two choices raise this question: What should be valued more? An education from textbooks and classroom lectures or an education from living life properly (in Jenny's case enriching her life with art, poetry, jazz music, traveling, and fine dining)?  When David Goldman (Sarsgaard) introduces her to this new world, Jenny has a decision to make: College or Culture?  

Which would you choose, dear reader, when both options are presented to you on a silver platter?  Would you choose the responsible, long-term investment of a school-bound education or would you choose the short-term gratification of fulfilling your passions?

In hindsight, having a college degree under my belt, I'm proud that I made the decision to seek out a higher education.  On the other hand, I graduated almost three years ago and I'm unemployed so a romantic weekend get-a-way to Paris and sipping champagne and munching caviar at a jazz nightclub doesn't sound so bad.  In fact, if I'm really honest, it sounds downright tasty and there's a good chance I'd give my left arm to be doing that right now!

It's Official!

It looks as though my predictions weren't far off.  For the most part, the actual nominees match my predictions in most cases and were surprising in others.

Here are the actual nominees for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards in the eight major categories (the nominees in italics are ones I did not predict):

BEST PICTURE

Avatar

The Blind Side

District 9

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Precious

A Serious Man

Up

Up in the Air

BEST ACTOR

Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)

George Clooney (Up in the Air)

Colin Firth (A Single Man)

Morgan Freeman (Invictus)

Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker)

BEST ACTRESS

Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)

Helen Mirren (The Last Station)

Carey Mulligan (An Education)

Gabourey Sidibe (Precious)

Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Matt Damon (Invictus)

Woody Harrelson (The Messenger)

Christopher Plummer (The Last Station)

Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones)

Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Penelope Cruz (Nine)

Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air)

Maggie Gyllenhaal (Crazy Heart)

Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air)

Mo'Nique (Precious)

BEST DIRECTOR

James Cameron (Avatar)

Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)

Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds)

Lee Daniels (Precious)

Jason Reitman (Up in the Air)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

District 9

An Education

In the Loop

Precious

Up in the Air

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

The Messenger

A Serious Man

Up

Watch the 82nd Annual Academy Awards live, Sunday March 7, and check back before then to see my predictions for the winners!

Oscar Nom Predictions

Below are my nominee predictions for the top eight categories for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. 

(My predictions are based on previous Golden Globe, SAG, BFCA, etc. nominations and wins) 

And the Nominees Will Be...

BEST PICTURE

**This year there will be five additional Best Picture slots to fill.

Avatar

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Precious

Up in the Air

(if there were only five slots, my guess is the five films above would be nominated)

An Education

Invictus

The Messenger (or District 9, both films have cult followings)

A Serious Man

Up

BEST ACTOR

Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)

George Clooney (Up in the Air)

Colin Firth (A Single Man)

Morgan Freeman (Invictus)

Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) 

*The fifth slot could also go to Viggo Mortensen for The Road

BEST ACTRESS

Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)

Carey Mulligan (An Education)

Gabourey Sidibe (Precious)

Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)

Helen Mirren (The Last Station)

*The fifth slot could also go to Emily Blunt for The Young Victoria

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Matt Damon (Invictus)

Woody Harrelson (The Messenger)

Christopher Plummer (The Last Station)

Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones)

Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air)

Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air)

Mo'Nique (Precious)

Julianne Moore (A Single Man)

Samantha Morton (The Messenger)

*The fifth slot could also go to Penelope Cruz for Nine

BEST DIRECTOR

James Cameron (Avatar)

Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)

Clint Eastwood (Invictus)

Jason Reitman (Up in the Air)

Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds)

*Outside contender is Precious's Lee Daniels

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

An Education (Nick Hornby)

Fantastic Mr. Fox (Wes Anderson & Noah Baumbach)

Precious (Geoffrey Fletcher)

Up in the Air (Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner)

District 9 (Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell)

*The fifth slot could also go to Nora Ephron for Julie & Julia or Tom Ford for A Single Man

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The Hurt Locker (Mark Boal)

Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino)

A Serious Man (Joel & Ethan Coen)

Up (Bob Peterson & Pete Docter)

(500) Days of Summer (Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber)

*The fifth slot could also go to Nancy Meyers for It's Complicated

Watch the Academy's President, Tom Sherak, announce the nominees live on ABC tomorrow, February 2nd, at 5:30AM PST.  I know I will!!

Good luck to all the contenders!!  May the best men (& women!) be nominated!!

Taking Back the "Football" Films

The Blind Side debuted on November 20, 2009.  I, however, am just getting around to seeing it (On Nov. 20, I decided that attending my wedding seemed infinitely more important than seeing a movie – GASP!).  So last Friday, the hubby and I had a date night at the movies and we agreed upon The Blind Side.  I’m so glad we did!  After seeing a string of depressing films recently (a sure sign that it’s Oscar season) with not-so happy endings, The Blind Side centers on a young man who is rescued from his sure-to-be unfortunate fate to become an All-American football player. 

Based on the true story, Michael Oher, homeless and traumatized, lives in the Memphis projects where most of the young men his age fall victim to gang shootings or drugs.  As a boy, Michael and his brother are removed from their home by child protection services due to their cocaine-addicted mother.  Shortly after a stroke of luck lands him at Wingate, an affluent “white” Christian high school, he meets the Tuohy’s, a well-to-do white family who change his life forever.  Sandra Bullock plays Leigh Anne Tuohy in an Oscar-winning performance.  Leigh Anne is a tough as nails, take no prisoners southern woman who takes Michael off the street – literally - and into her home.  Michael stays with the Tuohy’s and they become family, encouraging him in his studies and fine-tuning him to become one of the greatest left tackles in NFL history.

The term “blind side” is a football reference, actually, (I learn something new every day) that is credited to Lawrence Taylor's 1985 hit on Joe Theismann that created the shift in offensive football strategy where teams started to choose large players to fill the position of the left tackle and protect the "blind side" of right-handed quarterbacks.

I'll explain that further for the football challenged like myself (I had to ask my husband to verify this next bit): Let's say a quarterback makes a right-handed pass.  Since he is right-handed, the side in which he cannot see is naturally, his left.  That’s where the left tackle comes in.  It’s the paramount job of the left tackle to protect the quarterback’s left side, his blind side.  Michael learns to become a great left tackle by honing in on his best natural instinct, protecting those he loves.

The Blind Side, a wonderfully executed film, covers the full spectrum of human emotion, which, in turn, is what makes films similar to The Blind Side so successful – an unlikely hero with an ill-fated past who meets someone of significance who has the tools and the means to change the hero’s life forever.  And of course, results in a happy ending. 

Theatre Creme de la Creme

For my birthday, my husband treated me to a movie night at the ArcLight Theatre in Hollywood.  This was my first ArcLight experience.  What is the ArcLight you ask?  I'll let the ArcLight's website do the honors: 

"Designed to exceed THX standards of presentation excellence, ArcLight auditoriums begin with a 'black box' design aesthetic which favors undistracted viewing over opulence, and feature the best in sight and sound technology, allowing films to be presented as the filmmakers intend.  Auditorium comfort levels are unsurpassed.  All cinema chairs are 3 inches wider than current megaplex standards, with 6 inches more legroom.  Even the retractable armrests are 'double-wide.'"

(Note to potential ArcLight visitors: I agree with the "best in sight and sound technology" bit, but the chairs, though they may be wider, are not any more comfortable.  In fact, they aren't comfortable at all.  My tookus was quite numb after two hours of watching Crazy Heart).  

To avoid having to wait in long lines or the embarrassment of having to save seats for your mom, dad, sister, sister's boyfriend, and your annoying next-door neighbor who are across the street at Starbucks ordering lattes, the ArcLight also offers reserved seating and the convenience of printing your tickets at home or picking them up at the automated kiosks.

Entering the lobby of the ArcLight is like stepping through the doors of Grand Central Station with its giant ticking clock and digital board(ing) of movies and their respective showings.  The ticket counters resemble a concierge desk at a four-star hotel.  Once you've bought your ticket and secured your seat, you are invited to relax in their cafe bar before your movie.  Yes, you heard me right, their cafe bar.  So we did.  We sipped martinis and enjoyed fried ravioli bites, cheese quesadillas, and delicious warm bread pudding for dessert.  Not your average movie theatre.  

The actual cinemas, or "black box auditoriums," are located up the grand staircase.  Were we attending a movie or a live theatre performance?  The "special attraction" of the concessions are the ArcLight's signature caramel popcorn or regular popcorn with real butter - mmm!  The screens inside the auditoriums are extra wide and curved to maximize peripheral view and minimize projection distortion.  Before your feature presentation, a crew member welcomes you to the ArcLight and stays after the lights go down to ensure that quality of the sight and sound meet ArcLight's high standards.  Not too shabby.

For $15.50 ($11.00 for matinees) you are paying not just for the movie, but for the experience.  

The Hurt Locker v. Other War Movies

James Cameron's comment on ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow's film: "I think this could be the Platoon for the Iraq War."  Well, Mr. Cameron, if The Hurt Locker is the new Platoon, then Avatar is the new Pocahontas (even the Na'vi used bow and arrows and wore loin cloths).  I digress.  The one thing that The Hurt Locker has in common with Platoon is Willem Dafoe.  Bit o' trivia: Dafoe was originally set to star alongside Colin Farrell and Charlize Theron in Hurt Locker and Dafoe actually starred in Platoon, playing Sgt. Elias Grodin.  

What I'm trying to say is, The Hurt Locker doesn't hold a candle to the 1986 Vietnam war film.  Not to say it was a just another war movie.  Au contraire.  With its documentary-style of filming, The Hurt Locker distanced itself from the big budget war films that rely heavily upon special effects and focused more on character studies of three soldiers in the company.  With Ralph Fiennes and Guy Pearce starring, I thought I'd have some pretty decent eye-candy to counteract the intense, heart-pounding portrayal of Bravo Company's elite team of soldiers whose job it is to disarm bombs in the heat of combat.  Not so much.  Both Fiennes and Pearce are in the movie for all of five minutes.  Oh well.  

Bigelow's movie, which was filmed in Jordan, was, for the most part, realistic - moving between high intensity and longer periods of breathless anticipation (I literally found myself holding my breath more than once!).  And if it wasn't realistic (having no combat experience myself, I can't truthfully claim that the film is indeed a realistic account of the horrors of war) then it certainly fooled me.  For all the war movies that result in grunts and eye-rolls (I'm speaking to you, Jarhead!), The Hurt Locker holds its own with the other heavyweights in its genre.