The Lovely Bones-Kate

Author: Alice Sebold

Producer: Peter Jackson

Actors:  Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon

            Last Saturday, a girlfriend called and asked if I wanted to attend the movies.  She wanted to see “The Lovely Bones.”  I had only heard that the book, which I haven’t read, was much better than the movie, and that Peter Jackson (think Lord of the Rings) was producing it.  So I agreed to pick her up and head over to the show.

            A 14-year old girl is lured into a pit and murdered by a neighbor.  The movie does not show the murder explicitly, but it does hint towards the manner in which the murder was accomplished.  In the movie, Susie Salmon (the murdered girl) watches over her family and her murderer as they work through the tragedy of this incident.  Susie narrates quite a bit throughout the movie, which I think was an interesting idea for a movie.  I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a movie from the dead person’s point of view before.  Susie lets us in on her first love, which she never gets to kiss before she dies.  We feel her pain as she watches her younger sister grow and mature.  We also watch her pain as she realizes that the murderer is going to strike again, and as she meets those he has hurt before.  The effects that Jackson uses in this film are lovely and scary all at once.

I wasn’t prepared for the subject matter of this movie.  The movie is quite unique.  While I enjoyed the different effects that Jackson used throughout the movie, I was quite honestly unsettled about the subject matter.  I left the theater not able to sleep that night, as I have a 15 year old daughter.  I’m not sure if I would recommend this movie to people.  There were definitely some things that were amazing about how the story was told, but honestly-I’m a HUGE chicken when it comes to scary things happening to children.  So if you like scary movies, and are not faint of heart (such as myself) then this might be a good movie for you.  If you have a 12, 13, 14, or 15 year old daughter, I’m not so sure I would recommend this.  I’m still unsettled.

Couples Retreat

Couples Retreat

Vince Vaughn

Jason Bateman

Kristin Bell

When I first saw the previews for this movie, I thought “What a fun movie to Netflix.”  Then one day I was scrolling around the Internet, happened upon movies, and read a little more about this flick.  Next day (I kid you not!), I was driving to work and NPR had an interview with Vince Vaughn about his upcoming marriage and this movie.  So now I knew that I HAD to see this movie in the theaters.  I called up my girlfriend and her husband, since it was a “couples” movie and invited them to a lovely Sunday matinee without children!   I told them what movie I wanted to watch, and since it was Vince Vaughn the guys were OK with it.

          I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this movie!!!  I laughed, I was serious, I understood the morals made, I could have played a part in this movie.  Going into the movie, I was a bit concerned because sometimes I don’t particularly like Vince Vaughn’s humor-it can be rather raunchy at times.  Within the first 15 minutes, I was really happy I had come. 

Vince (Dave) plays a married man who really loves his wife (Ronnie).  She also loves him.  But when you have 2 children, busy jobs, and a household to run, sometimes life becomes more of a chore than a celebration.   Jason Bateman (Jason) and Kristen Bell (Cynthia) are the typical “type A” couple.  They do EVERYTHING right and well planned out.  They are the ones who plan this retreat because they are thinking about a divorce.  Jon Favreau (Joey) and Kristen Davis (Lucy) are the high school sweethearts that have stuck it out for the baby, but after 18 years have fallen out of love.  Faizon Love (Shane) is divorced and brings his 20 year old girlfriend on this retreat.  The fun with this group never ends.

When we finished the movie, I asked each of my group what they thought about the movie.  My girlfriends husband said, “it’s not a big-screen show.”  Everyone else thought that it was well worth the matinee price we paid.  My husband loved the show and we talked about it all the way home.  I would recommend that you go see this show with the partner of your choice!  It is so tastefully done and so much fun.  I will watch this show on Netflix when it comes out, but I’m glad I was able to enjoy it on the big screen without children interrupting.

Funny People-Kate

Funny People

Adam Sandler

Seth Grogan

Leslie Mann

I took my significant other on a date to watch this movie last night. I wasn’t quite sure what the movie was about, but the question they asked made me wonder. This question was: If you had a second chance in life would you still be the same jerk you were before? So armed only with that, we headed out to watch a movie.

When the movie started, I was slightly shocked at all the swear words that were thrown around. They spit out the F-word like it was candy. There were some scenes and sexual remarks that made me rather embarrassed. But then I had to remember that this was not my usual “kid” movie that I get to see, but an actual movie made for ADULTS! So setting aside the swearing, occasional sexual remarks and scenes, I focused on the movie.

It was surprisingly frank, honest, edgy, funny, sad, and thought-provoking. The manner in which it was filmed was more true to life instead of “Hollywood-ish”. The director did not glamorize any of the scenes. Adam Sandler did a great job, and was very convincing in his role of the dying patient. Seth Grogan, who I had heard of but never seen, was so good. And I don’t mean good as in his acting (although that was good too), I mean his character was such a good person. Leslie Mann has always been on my list of great actresses (at least since George of the Jungle). She played a marvelous role as Adam’s rejected girlfriend who he still actually loves. Eric Bana, Leslie’s husband, does a wonderful job creating a man you want to hate and then love later.

I left the theater not quite sure if I liked this movie. I do believe that it was very well done, however. The actors played their roles so convincingly that I find myself thinking about them even into this afternoon. So first, don’t watch this with your kids! There is some pretty human stuff going on. Second, you can wait for the DVD release since I’m not sure if the big-screen was worth the big-price. And finally, it is a movie I would recommend if you are looking for something more adult-flavored and thought-provoking.

Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs- Kate

Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

“It was funny and entertaining. Personally, if I had a choice, I would like to be Buck, and meet Buck.”- Aram (12 years old)

“It had a lot of fun and jokes.”- Lehi (10 years old)

“My favorite character was Buck. He was crazy!” Leah (years old).

These are some of the reviews given by my children after watching this movie. We chose to see this movie in a large group of people ranging in ages from 4 months old to 65 years old. It entertained every single one of the group-minus the 4 month old, who eventually fell asleep. My kids still quote the movie even though they saw it over a week ago.

The movie was full of the same fun characters from the previous 2 movies, with the addition of Buck-a crazy weasel. Throughout the movie there were lots of laughing and, once again, a moral to keep the adults happy. Manny, and his wife, Ellie are expecting a little one. During the nest building time, Manny focuses so intensely on the arrival, that he forgets his current family-Sid and Diego. Feeling left out, Sid and Diego try to find their own “family.” This quest leads to a unique experience that reminds all of us that being a member of a family is not so much about giving birth as it is about developing and maintaining relationships with one another.

I would recommend this movie to all ages, cultures, genders, and species. It reminds us what being a family is all about, as well as entertain the whole herd.

Star Trek

WOW! For those adults out there who are true Trekkies, and for those adults who are not, this is one great show. Star Trek starts with a bang and continues to deliver. There is humor, excitement, sadness, and much more packed into this 2 hour show. My husband and I went for Mother’s Day and it was great. If your child has any sci-fi experience, and wants to see good action, this show will give them everything they want. We plan on taking all our children to see this movie in the IMAX (that’s where we saw it). Is it too old and scary for little ones? Well, if your little one has grown up with Star Trek and other science fiction movies, it won’t be. I know my 14, 12, and 10 year old are going to LOVE it. My 6 year old will like it because that’s what everyone else is doing-I do anticipate holding her in my arms at some of the scenes.