Tag Archives: Hidden Figures

Thursday Thoughts

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Hidden Pleasure
Bec and I went yesterday and saw Hidden Figures, the movie about African American women who were involved in the space program. O.M.G. It really was such a great movie, and so uplifting. I don’t 316421main_road2apollo-04_fullknow how it came out of Hollywood! I won’t tell you much because you probably already know the plot. But I will just highly recommend it, for many reasons. Afterwards, Bec and I went to have a Coke so that we could talk about the movie, which is the best thing about going to the movies with someone — talking about it afterwards. We both have such clear memories of the early space program. We recalled being glued to the television set as we watched those huge rocket ships take off. We were all familiar with the astronauts who helped make the U.S. space program a success. What a time it was in our country’s history. We both agreed that there is literally nothing that binds our country together now in the same way as the space program did back in the 1960s. But the movie isn’t really about the space program, but about the racial and gender inequality. It wasn’t preachy, just astounding and exhilerating, and the acting was tremendous. Everyone should take your children for many reasons. These were real-life heroes too.

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Neighborhood Dining
Bill and I met my brother and his wife for dinner last night. We had made plans to go to an Italian deli not too far from either their or our house, but that didn’t pan out for a variety of reasons. So instead we went to a neighborhood joint called Rosati’s, which is a chain around here that features pizza and pasta, and is Chicago-based. It’s in the same shopping center as our Basha’s store to which I walk nearly every day. As we walked home, Bill and I talked about how much we like having a neighborhood restaurant where you can go have a beer and a pizza or some meatballs and walk home again. It sort of feels like a small town. I am, however, going to have to try the Italian deli that didn’t work out last night, as I am on a never ending quest to find an Italian sub sandwich as good as the one about which I spoke in this blog post a few years ago.

Not My Mom and Dad
And as we sat there talking, somehow the conversation turned to sex, specifically, how old were we when we learned about it. Both Dave and Bill agreed that they learned about sex the old-fashioned way – from their friends. As a result, Dave admitted that he had some faulty information for quite some time. He didn’t specify what that info was, nor did I ask. I did admit, however, that I was a SOPHOMORE IN HIGH SCHOOL before I learned the facts of life. It was in religion class and one of the priests played a recorded album in which it was explained the specifics of where babies come from. I am only somewhat ashamed to admit that I WAS FULL-OUT STUNNED. Yes, my friends, I was, what?, 15 years old or so and I had no idea about the facts of life. Suffice it to say that my mother (may God rest her loving soul) was not nicknamed the Great Communicator, at least when it came to the facts of life. Now, let someone criticize her children or her football team, and she could communicate plenty well.

Weather
The weather forecasters are very excited because there is actual weather change in the forecast. While it’s true that it rarely gets below freezing in the Phoenix metro area even in December or January, northern AZ can have cold temperatures and a fair amount of snow. They were agog last night because snowfall in the neighborhood of a foot is expected north of Phoenix, and as low as 5,000 feet in altitude. Here in the valley, temps are expected to hover around highs of 58 or so throughout this week and next. It’s funny, because if I look at Denver’s temps and if it’s 58, I think, wow, they are having nice weather. However, if the temperature is 58 here, I am decked out in a sweater and wrapped in an afghan.

Ciao!

We’re Not in Kansas Anymore

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Back when I was a little girl, television didn’t run nonstop like it does now. There were only a few networks – CBS, NBC, ABC, maybe a few local stations – and they signed on early in the morning, and signed off at midnight or so with a hearty playing of the National Anthem. Hard to imagine, isn’t it?

Anyway, because networks didn’t run on a 24-hour schedule, movies were uncommon on searchTV. The Wizard of Oz ran once a year, at which time I planted myself on the gray carpeted floor right in front of the TV without moving for the entire movie. Once Dad broke down and bought us our first color television, the moment when Dorothy woke to find Oz in technicolor glory was unbelievably COOL.

But when I was really little, the only time most movies were on TV was late at night, long after I was tucked into the double bed next to my sister Jen. However, when I was probably 11 or 12, Mom told me that I had to go to bed at the same time as Jen on Saturday night, which was probably around 10. But if I could stay awake until she fell sound asleep, and further, could sneak out of bed without waking her, I could get up and watch the late night movie. Game on! I can still vividly recall inching my way to the edge of the bed and oh-so-carefully rolling out as quiet as a churchmouse, praying that I didn’t hear, “Where are you going, Kris?”

220px-born_yesterdayIt was one of the times that I managed to stay awake that I was able to watch a movie that I remember that my mom loved called Born Yesterday, starring Judy Holliday. The single thing that I remember from that movie was a scene in which Holliday’s character, a ditzy blond named Billie (who ultimately turned out to be not so ditzy) is playing gin rummy with her rotten-to-the-core boyfriend, and she drives him completely crazy as she gets ready to play the game. She moves her cards around. She messes with her hair. She picks up every card he lays down, and moves her cards around some more. And of course she eventually says, “Gin.” It’s a completely ridiculously funny scene. I remember that my mom laughed and laughed and laughed as she watched that scene. To this day, when I am playing gin rummy and I start moving my cards to the correct position, I think about Born Yesterday. Enjoy this clip……

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT2XX8zYaZA

Now, prepare for the arrival of the Get Off My Lawn Crabby Kris.

Having been duly warned, I think many of you will agree with me that movies just aren’t as fun as they used to be. I love the old movies like Born Yesterday, His Girl Friday, Roman Holiday, The African Queen, Rear Window, The Philadelphia Story and The Apartment (my all-time favorite).

Now that thanks to this recent blog post, you all know why Bill is a member of the Screen Actors’ Guild, let’s talk about movies today. The relationship between movies today and Bill’s participation in the Screen Actors’ Guild is, of course, that he gets to screen movies in which actors will be considered for SAG awards. The movies considered by SAG are often the same as those considered for other awards such as Golden Globe or Academy Awards. And what have I learned over the past number of years since he’s been screening movies? I have learned that the powers-that-be in Hollywood like some really sad and depressing movies. I mean slit-your-wrist depressing. Year after year, this seems to be true.

And the 2016 movies that we have watched thus far are no different. We saw Jackie, starring Natalie Portman, the story of Jackie Kennedy in the days following the assassination. And then we watched Manchester on the Sea, which about did me in. I considered sticking my head in a gas oven, but happily, our oven is electric.

They are both contenders for many awards this year, particularly Manchester on the Sea. But without giving away the plot, I will tell you that my reaction to Manchester was that it was a very believable, but a very sad movie. The acting was quite good. The story was realistic. As always, at its conclusion, Bill asked me what I thought. I told him that I believed every part of that movie. I believe that a teenager would act just as the teenager in the movie acted. I believe that a man who went through what Casey Affleck’s character went through would behave just as he did.

But here’s the thing. I don’t want to believe in my movie. I want my movie to take me away someplace unbelievable. I want to laugh at a ridiculous scene where a ditzy blond is playing gin rummy. I want to sing along with Gene Kelly in the rain. I want to hang off the bow of the Titanic with Kate Winslet. I don’t want to see President Kennedy’s brains splattered onto Natalie Portman’s pink suit or try to find meaning in my life after losing everyone I love.

The good news is that we have yet to see Hidden Figures and La-La Land. I am optimistic.

This post linked to Grammy’s Grid.