Bechdel Test

My friend Karen sent me a youtube video today that I encourage you to watch.

It explains the Bechdel test which considers the presence of women in movies...
or lack thereof.

Here are the rules:

1) are there 2 or more women in the movie with names?

2) do they talk to one another?

3) do they talk to one another about something other than men?

Now think back over the movies you've watched this month....which of them passed this test? Realize that this test is not saying that the movies that don't pass the test aren't good movies, just that "half the sky" is not represented in our entertainment choices...should that matter? At 51% of the population I think it does.

Years ago Karen told me that her top rule for video viewing in her home was the 10-in-10 rule: Ten die in the first 10 minutes, turn movie off. Being the only female in the household they had a few arguments regarding said rule. Her husband and sons would claim that some characters looked only maimed and might be revived at the hospital:) Do you have rules for what movies you watch or don't watch?

extra credit: name the movie that passes the Bechdel test from the photo above.

enveloped by grief

Yesterday started out like any other weekday. I went about my usual morning routine before heading out the door for work. On Mondays I swing by Star Video to pick up whatever film I'm using for a specific segment of class. This week's choice was Smoke Signals (which happens to be on my top 10 best movie list).

After the first break I started the film & took a seat in the back of the classroom to work on papers. While watching the familiar scenes & listening to the laughter of my students I became acutely aware of something on the screen that I had previously not sensed on such a personal level. I had forgotten that one of the major themes in this jewel was loss of relationship with fathers. Mine died eight months ago. Suddenly it felt like he died yesterday...the sky fell down on me.

By the time the credits rolled I was a complete puddle and nothing says "awkward" like the teacher sobbing in the back of the room as someone turns the lights back on. There was that moment of tension in which people were fumbling for Kleenex, and I was trying to find enough of my voice to be able to put some words together.

Teachers are supposed to look like they are in control, correct? But my rawness became a window through which we could all feel the breeze of loss - I talked, they listened, and they talked and I listened and it affirmed what we already knew - We are all connected by our woundedness.

Grief can be an intriguing guest at times - I just wish she would call first before popping in.

(I have no idea who the artist is, but this is a great illustration of what it felt like yesterday - as if the sky had engulfed my head like a large blanket)

Twilight

It's Saturday once again and I'm not doing a Top Ten Movie today in order to bring you this breaking early review.....:)

My daughters went to see "Twilight" last night. Both were very disappointed - and isn't that usually the case when you compare a movie with the book? Bethany texted me halfway through the film to tell me it was "bad" and then again at the end to say the 2nd half was better. But over all - she said save your money mom! I have read the first 2 books of the series and enjoyed them & when I find some time I will read the remaining 2. I even assigned the books to my class last month and one of my students read all 4 in a week. Wow!

"Twilight" is not Shakespeare - but a good love story with a bit of Jane Eyre-like darkness. It's also great to see so many young girls reading. And for those of us who live on the Olympic Peninsula, where the story is set, it was a delight to see the names of locales that we frequent in a book. But they were not in the film (it was filmed in Oregon & the author had never been to Forks before writing the book.) For example, Bethany said, "Mom, who in Forks would wear a tie to school?" So out of 4 stars the girls are giving this one almost 2 because at least most of the actors were well cast (not to mention cute:)

Pure Country

It's Saturday - movie day! And this one, Pure Country, is a family favorite from over the years - whenever my teenage son was feeling down he'd put this into the VCR - that boy memorized the entire dialogue of this film - the annoying part was that he would say all the lines before the actors would, which was rather a strange form of stereo to have to put up with if one chose to watch it with him.

There's nothing profound about this movie - it's your basic boy loses self, boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy finds girl and self. The acting isn't great, nor is most of the dialogue but it is George Strait - and he's the best. The soundtrack is also fabuous and doesn't everyone have to have at least one movie that just makes them remember good family times?

As for quotes here is one my son still uses - said by Ernest Tucker - who is wary of Dusty's (played by G.S.) intentions with his daughter Harley - "You know the funny thing about that little white speck on the top of chicken shit? That little white speck is chicken shit too!"

And here is one of my favorites which occurs when Earl, Dusty's friend and bandmate, goes searching for him at his grandmother's home. She's one wise woman!

Grandma: Well, sometimes the tree grows too fast and the roots don't develop. And sometimes you have to chop off the top of that tree to let the roots catch up.

Earl: But do you know where he's at?

Grandma: No, but I expect if you follow the roots, you'll find him.

Earl: Grandma Ivy, in all the years I've known you I've never heard you answer a question directly.

Grandma: There are no answers. Only the search.

Earl: Yup, whatever that means.

All About Eve

Today's Saturday - Top Ten film is All About Eve, Joseph E. Mankeiwitcz's brilliant and timeless 1950 drama about greed, manipulation, and ambition.

One of my very favorite actresses, Bette Davis played the aging Broadway star, Margo Channing, who takes the unassuming Eve Harrington, (Anne Baxter) under her wing. But Eve schemes to take over Margo's roles on both Broadway and in her private life. Who hasn't known (or perhaps been) an Eve Harrington character in their life at some point?

It's easy to see why this film was nominated for 14 Academy Awards and won 6 including Best Picture of the Year. A favorite quote from this movie is Bette Davis' line - "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night." which you can view here.

The Red Balloon

It's Saturday - that means another Top 10 film choice - And today's selection - The Red Balloon - a classic from 1956 - Every summer our local public library's Summer Reading Program would show this award-winning, 34-minute film by Albert Lamorisse. Who didn't fall in love with Pascal, the young French boy who discovers a beatiful red balloon on his way to school that becomes his best friend? With themes of hope, jealousy, sadness and redemption, what's not to like about this classic? I just watched it with several of my grandchildren last week. La Ballon Rouge never ever loses it's appeal to my inner child! (to view the entire film on YouTube click on the link which will show you part 1. then click on parts 2,3, & 4 on the panel on the right.)

Smoke Signals

I'm starting something new today - a discussion of my favorite movies. Long ago I taught a class in which I had those in attendance list their top ten movies of all time. What a fabulous conversation we had. I discovered that people love their top ten and wanted to tell you why. Of course the problem we found with making lists with a limited amount of slots is that you always wonder what to do with that number 11 movie on your list (and if it had been 5 we would have worried about our number 6)! So this will be a fluid list - to be discussed on Saturdays.....so here goes....in no particular order. Today's selection - Smoke Signals(Chris Eyre, USA, 1998)....I love Sherman Alexie, the author of the book this film is based on. Go to the library and pick up one of his books. You won't be disappointed.

This is a movie about life on a NW reservation, the relationship between Native Americans and the United States, and the main characters, Victor Joseph and Thomas Builds-a-Fire, who struggle to come to terms with their relationship with one another and their fathers. I never could figure out why the cover of the DVD didn't just have the two of them on it, but I digress....

This quote from the film speaks to the tragedy of their childhoods:

"You know, there are some children who really aren't children at all. They're just pillars of flame that burn everything they touch. And there are some children who are just pillars of ash that fall apart when you touch them. Victor and me, we were children of flame and ash."

By the way, I do a great impersonation of Thomas builds-a-fire in a Denny's restaurant (ask my kids) "Hey Victor! I remember the time your father took me to Denny's, and I had the Grand Slam Breakfast. Two eggs, two pancakes, a glass of milk, and of course my favorite, the bacon. Some days, it's a good day to die. And some days, it's a good day to have breakfast." But I digress yet again..:)

The must-see scene comes at the end of the film for this famous poem by Dick Lourie. It was originally published in a longer version titled "Forgiving Our Fathers" in a book of poems "Ghost Radio" published by Hanging Loose Press in 1998.

How do we forgive our fathers?

Maybe in a dream.

Do we forgive our fathers for leaving us too often, or forever,

when we were little?

Maybe for scaring us with unexpected rage,

or making us nervous

because there never seemed to be any rage there at all?

Do we forgive our fathers for marrying, or not marrying, our mothers?

Or divorcing, or not divorcing, our mothers?

And shall we forgive them for their excesses of warmth or coldness?

Shall we forgive them for pushing, or leaning?

For shutting doors

or speaking through walls?

For never speaking,

or never being silent?

Do we forgive our fathers in our age, or in theirs?

Or in their deaths,

saying it to them or not saying it.

If we forgive our fathers, what is left?