"Date Night" is More Than Just a Comedy

Have you ever gone to a movie expecting to be entertained, and end up coming out of the movie having been moved in an unexpected way? That is exactly what happened to me this weekend when my husband and I went to see the film "Date Night" starring Tina Fey and Steve Carrell. I thought it would be a good laugh and that I would enjoy it and that would be it, but the film did far more than that. Near the climax of the movie when the couple was talking about their friends who were breaking up, and how the friends described their relationship as really excellent roommates, I really had to think about that. The Tina Fey and Steve Carrell couple were trying to figure out if they were more than just "excellent roommates" or if their marriage was more than that. I have been married for twenty years and lately, I have been questioning what my relationship with my husband is, and what it means. We have been traveling on a pretty bumpy and precarious road for the last couple of years, and frankly, for me, our relationship is quite like being excellent roommates. I have no desire to divorce my husband, but I also have no real motivation to be anything more than a roommate. He has become someone different than I thought he was. I am sure I am different than the person he married twenty years ago. I am much more independent and stronger than I ever thought of myself in the early years of our marriage. I used to think he was a hero; that he could fix anything, and solve any problem. What I have now come to realize is that I am the one who is strong and can solve problems and keep us together. It has been me all along. I have been let down and hurt and confused by my husband for all these years and the thing that has kept me going; kept me with him, is my faith, and my strength. I am so much more than just a housewife. I don't know what the future holds. Maybe we will get stronger and survive the current mess we are in. Maybe we will continue being excellent roommates, or maybe there will be more in store for us that will bring us closer, I just don't know. The movie, "Date Night" is a good one and there is more of a message in it than your average comedy. I'm glad I saw it!

Bolt, Twilight & Stephen Colbert Reviews

I like to keep things short and sweet. I took my two younger daughters to see the new movie "Bolt" yesterday. My two older daughters went to see "Twilight" since they are "too old" for kids movies, and I tried to stay awake for the Stephen Colbert Christmas Special that premiered on Comedy Central last night. First, the move "Bolt". The way I rate a movie (especially kids movies) is whether or not I fall asleep. As for this charming little movie with the cute dog, I give it a 3 1/2 stars out of 4 because I stayed awake for the whole, predictable thing. The animation fascinated me. The dog, cat and hamster movements were so perfect they almost looked like real animals. I have had all three kinds of animals as pets, and this movie really personifies the animals' characteristics to a T! The humor was great too. As for "Twilight", I personally did not see the movie, but my 15 and 13 year olds gave it 3 out of 4 stars. I have read both the first and second books in the series (Twilight and New Moon) and while the story is interesting, I was not all that into it like so many moms and daughters are. The writing is okay, but the main character, Bella, annoys me and seems to have some mental health issues. If my daughters ever acted like that, I would definitely seek professional help. No girl should ever put that much importance on a boyfriend! Anyway, the girls seemed to think the movie followed the book pretty well and added a few humorous elements that they seemed to enjoy. Finally, the Stephen Colbert thing. I had high hopes for this to really make me laugh. There were some pretty funny things on throughout the show, but nothing that really made me laugh out loud; and nothing that I can really recall this morning that stuck with me, so I would give it 2 1/2 stars out of four. I know People magazine gave it 3 1/2 stars, but what do they know anyway. It was funny, but not that funny. All in all, I would say our movie viewing for this weekend was pretty darn high quality!

Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder?

I have been seeing a lot of ads for the movie "Tropic Thunder" lately. I have also been reading about how it is offending a couple of groups of people, i.e. mentally handicapped people because they use the word "retard" a lot, and black people because Robert Downey Jr. wears dark make-up to play a black man. Now I am reading that Tom Cruise has a cameo in it that is starting a comeback for him. This movie seems to be running the gamut. I was wondering if anyone has seen it (other than critics) and what their opinion is of the movie. Just wondering. If you have an opinion, please leave a comment.

The Strangers-No Need to See the Movie, the Trailer is Creepy Enough!

Okay, I don't usually do two posts in one day, but I forgot that I wanted to write something about that creepy movie that is due out in theaters on May 30th. The movie is called "The Strangers" and I couldn't find out a whole lot about it--that must mean that the movie stinks, but I really don't need to see the movie, the trailers that have been running on television are enough to freak me out! Those white-faced masks are SCAREY!!!!! As a matter of fact I had to quickly cover my six-year-old's eyes a couple of nights ago because that thing came on right as I was taking her up to bed. I just knew it was going to frighten the crap out of her, and this time, her fright is well founded. The trailer says the movie is based on a true story--I couldn't find anything about it when I did a quick search this morning, but I am sure there is more to come. I like a little scare from a movie now and then, but this one just seems creepier than what my 44 year old heart can take!