I just posted my complaint that the movies are getting weirder and less enjoyable now that we've reached the last quarter of the 20th century in our Academy Award Best Picture survey, but the very next year (1979) gave me hope. Kramer vs. Kramer is a great film, and not just because it followed on the heels of the horrible Deer Hunter. Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep deserved the acting Oscars they won, and I strongly suspect the only reason Justin Henry did not win Best Supporting Actor was reluctance on the part of some to give an Oscar to an eight-year-old child. But he was awesome.
Kramer vs. Kramer works so well, I believe, because of the dedication on the part of director and the cast to making a true story. In The Deer Hunter, truth was sacrificed for the sake of the story; here the director, someone else whose role I forget, and Dustin Hoffman spent months setting the foundation for the movie, in order to tell the truth about divorce. (More)Our Academy Award "Best Picture" quest is getting squirrelier as we move into more modern times. (Okay, so the 70s isn't exactly modern, I know.) We were married but without kids when The Deer Hunter came out, and so might have actually seen it in the theater, but we didn't. Now I know why. We did see One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest during that time, and I was haunted and depressed for weeks. I'm a little more hardened now, I guess, or better at thinking of other things, or, more likely, too busy to be able to afford giving it much thought, but this one would have had the same effect. I guess I can understand why someone would make a depressing move, but why anyone would want to watch one is beyond me. It's not that there weren't some redeeming features about it—but not enough to induce me to see it again, or recommend it.
The director did state that he wasn't particularly interested in historical accuracy—to me a fatal flaw if you're going to have a historical setting—but he could at least have gotten the mountains right. Substituting a steel town in Ohio for one in the Pittsburgh area is one thing, and Thailand can do in a pinch for Vietnam, but using the Cascade Mountains in Washington to portray Western Pennsylvania?I found this great site while procrastinating doing research for our Christmas letter and want to share it. Did you ever want to know how far it really is from Orlando to Basel? Or the path your airplane would probably take from New York to Paris? Check out Great Circle Mapper!
The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal, by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz (Free Press, 2003)
I must send this book back to the library without a proper review, but it deserves a few comments. After hearing a friend's summary, I had to find out more. I'm afraid I was somewhat disappointed, but I think that was more because my friend's summary was so good, causing me to expect more than was there. I almost, though not quite, would have been as well off with just the summary. I also might have appreciated it more if I had not already read so many books by Stephen Covey, of which this book reminds me very much. I think Covey's books are well worthwhile, and this too, but there wasn't as much new as I had expected. (More)
We watched Bridge to Terebithia yesterday, and I've been struggling with what to say about it ever since. As usual, Porter knew exactly what he liked and didn't like, and had no trouble expressing himself on the issues. Often I can, too; in fact, I did so easily with the other movie we watched this weekend, the Oscar-winning The Apartment. (In brief, it started off slowly and the story was unpleasant, but Shirley MacLaine's acting was amazing and powerful.)
I should have known Bridge to Terebithia would be harder to critique, because Porter's commentary—during and immediately after—which I usually find informative and interesting, was more annoying than not. That happens when I have been very much drawn into a movie, and anything that calls me back prematurely is jarring, rather like being jerked out of a deep meditation by the telephone. Whenever I am thus entranced by a movie, I know rational analysis will be difficult. (More)Organizing for Your Brain Type by Lanna Nakone (St. Martin's Press, 2005)
Heather reviewed this book, and generated quite a discussion, some of which was actually related to the topic. I started adding my reflections as i read it, but have decided it's best not to clutter up her post anymore and have started a new post here. Below are a few of my reactions copied from her post; I'll add more in the comments to this post as I continue through the book. (More)Because I'm usually the last to see a film (this one is from 1989), I won't worry about spoilers, but if you haven't seen it, be warned that this post will reveal both too little and too much of the story.
The movie had been recommended by several people, so when I found it on Netflix I put it in the queue, and last week it worked its way to the top. I found it an engaging and moving film, but it wasn't until the next day that I realized why it troubled me. (More)Mommy, It's a Renoir! was the title of a book about art appreciation for children that I fell in love with many years ago. To my chagrin, by the time I decided we could afford to buy the set, it was no longer available.
Thus I was thrilled to discover that the program is back in print. Once a homeschooler, always a homeschooler, especially when one has nephews and grandchildren to consider. For reasons I can't imagine, the exciting title has been changed to How to Use Child-Size Masterpieces. Could they have tried to make it sound more boring? (More)
Kingdom of Children: Culture and Controversy in the Homeschooling Movement (Princeton Studies in Cultural Sociology), by Mitchell Stevens (Princeton University Press, 2001)
I've forgotten what led me to find Kingdom of Children, but from the reviews on amazon.com I knew I had to read it. I have been trying to explain to our own family some of the homeschooling controversies of the late 80's and early 90's, and why I emerged with prejudices against certain people and organizations they are even now encountering, such as the Home School Legal Defense Association, even though we were members, and Josh Harris—though the latter is a case of visiting the sins of the father on the son, which I realize is unfair. If they want to understand, this book would be a good starting point. They won't get enough information to know much of the whys and wherefors of my concerns—the author is too objective, too nice for that—but they will get a general picture of the history of the era. (More)
I need Porter.
I'm not in this case referring to the fact that he has a good job and my employable skills are a quarter century out of date.
Nor to the fact that when I say I'd be lost without him, I mean that literally. Oh, I can navigate pretty well and even find my car in the parking lot if I put my mind to it. The trouble is, my mind is usually elsewhere entirely.
Nor because it's wonderful to have someone around who can work on the roof without getting all faint-hearted and weak-kneed.
I'm not even talking about emotional support; the security of knowing someone cares if I'm late coming home; arms to comfort and a shoulder to cry on; tender words of respect and encouragement; a friendly presence in the house, and on the other side of the bed.
Not even love. (More)
First a confession: We have recently gone over to the Dark Side. That is, we joined Netflix.
Despite our firm convictions that television and movies on the whole are an assault on the mind and spirit, as well as a waste of time, we are not total Luddites and appreciate that the video medium has its good purposes. One of which might occasionally be simply relaxing with one's family. :) (More)Round Ireland with a Fridge, by Tony Hawks (St. Martin's Press, New York, 2000)
This is Janet's book, given to her by a friend when she graduated from college. I try to treat other people's books with greater respect than I do my own—and that's saying a lot. Nevertheless, I must confess the damage done to Round Ireland with a Fridge when I spewed a fresh mouthful of iced tea all over one of its pages. It's the kind of book where one loses control of the laugh reflex. (More)If I'd known how big a project book cataloguing would be, I'm not sure I would have had the courage to start, but now that it's done, I'm quite pleased with it. There's a link to it here, and on the sidebar, and on the Sursum Corda home page. I'm not yet ready to leave it open to any and all web crawlers, so there's a small amount of security associated with it. Family members can get in the same way you access the Family News page. If you're a friend who happens to want to browse in this library, please e-mail me, and I'll be happy to open the door to you.
C. S. Lewis once quipped that the only books we will have in heaven will be ones we gave away or lent on earth. This is a lending library; if you see something you'd like to read that's not in your own public library, please ask! (More)Having written recently about my love of student recitals, I have to mention that we went to a Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra concert yesterday. In my limited, and admittedly biased opinion, they are far and away the best student orchestra in the area. Not perfect: Depending on whose philosophy happens to be strongest at the time, the emphasis is sometimes more on education than on making music. As most of you know, I strongly believe that real learning more often takes place in an atmosphere of "let's do something wonderful and important together" than in a "Me Teacher, You Student" situation.
Be that as it may, the FSYO is the best game in town for a young person who wants to play good orchestral repertoire, and it's good listening, too. The only reason we don't attend more of their concerts is that there are so many other great things to do in life. (More)We had so much fun last year at the Mad Cow Theatre's Orlando Cabaret Festival: It Was a Very Good Year that it wasn't hard to decide to return. As we had last year, we gilded the lily by eating dinner at the nearby Napasorn Thai restaurant, although this time we saved a whole lot of money by dining there without buying the parking/show/dinner package. We lost out on parking, though. There was some big bash going on downtown, which meant we paid a flat "event parking" fee of $5 instead of 50 cents/hour it should have been. Ah, well. Last time we parked in Boston it cost some $32, so I guess I shouldn't complain.
Whereas last year we chose the earliest possible date (1925), this year we picked the latest: 1949. This time I recognized 15 out of the 19 songs, some of which I hadn't heard in many years, so it was quite natsukashii. (More)
