What Not to Say to a Southern Girl, by a Southern Girl

Here are some things not to say to a Southern Girl...

1) You're not a Southern Girl.

Ah, thank you. Good to know that my being born in Alabama and growing up until thirteen in Georgia mean nothing when it comes to forming and shaping my experiences that created my personal and cultural identity. Please continue to tell me more things that I am not (feminine, Mormon, creative, dog-and-cat-lover) that I mistakenly presumed I was during those first thirteen years of my life.

2) As soon as you've lived here more years than you have in Georgia, you'll become a Utahn.

I hated Utah when my family moved here in 2001. Even now, after twelve years, I struggle at times to cope with its climate and culture, and look forward with joy to every trip to the South, which always feels like coming home in addition to seeing and feeling the greenery and humidity that I've come to love. Telling me that I will turn into a Utahn on some magical date is like telling a transplanted potato it will turn into a tomato. It doesn't matter where I go or how many years I live in other places - for me my childhood defines how I think of my identity, and I will always think of myself first and foremost as being a Southern Girl, born and raised in the South.

3) You don't know what it means to be Southern.

I am well aware that I am not the average, typical Southerner, but I wish people would not insist that my personal experience counts for nothing in a discussion of what it means to be Southern. There are many aspects of Utah that I can understand and identify with without calling myself a Utahn. Similarly, there are many aspects of the South that I do not identify with, while still calling myself a Southerner. My ties to the South are deep and personal, and while I don't expect other people to share or understand them, I would hope that they could respect and appreciate them as being valid and true. The South is a very diverse, complicated, and controversial place - there are as many different types of Southerners as there are people who live in the South. No one wants to be lumped into a bunch of stereotypical views about a group; I don't appreciate it as an American (Ah, you're greedy and fat and you want to rule the world?), a Mormon (Oh, so you practice polygamy and can't eat meat?), a Caucausian female (Take it away, 30 Rock), a home-schooler (Oh, so you never saw another person of your own age before?), or a BYU student (You're all such self-righteous Bible-thumpers!), and I don't appreciate it as a Southerner.

4) Why on earth would you want your kids to be Southern?

Again, presuming you know me so perfectly and what I mean in identifying myself as "Southern," I expect you already know the answer to this question. But supposing you were asking this question sincerely (take out the judgmental appalled tone and the "on earth"), I would reply that it's because it has been a great blessing in my life to think of myself as a Southern Girl. It's given me an identity and a home, something to love and care about and be curious about and learn about. I want my children to feel a deep connection to the land, the trees, the water, and the animals in the same way that I did playing imaginative games outside in the woods every day in my parents' four-acre property. I want them to have fond memories of working in the garden, taking care of their pets, watching and being fascinated by thunderstorms, lightning storms, and rainstorms, taking long walks in the countryside, and camping out under the stars while they listen to the crickets at night. I can still remember sitting on a swing outdoors all alone as a child and swinging silently in the evening, looking at the stars and hearing the crickets and feeling an overwhelming sense of strength, love, and beauty around me that connected me to a Heavenly Father above who loved me and wanted me to be happy. These are the kind of memories I want my children to have, and if they are happening to children here where I'm living now, I don't see it. I see a lot of kids who stay indoors all day, playing video games, texting, and watching T.V., or going to the mall and wasting time and money on fleeting trends and pastimes. My experience with nature and my childhood are all wrapped up with the Southern climate and atmosphere, and my love for water, trees, and green can ultimately be traced to this too.

5) You don't know the real South.

Condescension and arrogance aside, I'll gladly admit to this, seeing as how my personal experience of the South is so small and particular to me that I am well aware there is far more to the South than I could possibly have experienced and come to terms with in my short lifetime. Frankly, I don't think I'll ever know what "the real South" is. I've taken college classes on the Civil War Era, Slavery in the United States, and the American South. I've read - mostly for fun - William Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor, Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. DuBois, Mark Twain, Harper Lee, Tennessee Williams, Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison, Mildred Taylor (possibly my favorite series of books about life in the South so far), Uncle Tom's Cabin, Gone with the Wind, and The Help. I'm writing my master's thesis on Cormac McCarthy, a Southern writer transplanted to the west (who, by the way, does an absolutely amazing and brilliant job in writing truthfully and profoundly about both Southern and Western ideology, culture, and history). I have a stack of other writers and books to read when or if I ever get the chance. I absolutely know that I have a lot to learn about the South, but I am doing my best to learn at my own pace, and more importantly, I love those opportunities that I get to learn more about the past experiences that shaped my heritage and land. Studying the South and recognizing the political, cultural, and personal differences between various Southerners and myself does not alter my conception of myself as a Southerner. I've done the same with American and Mormon history, to an extent, with the same conclusions. I am not the same kind of Mormon as Eliza R. Snow and Brigham Young; this is obvious. I am not the same kind of Southerner as Scarlett O'Hara and Robert E. Lee; how could I be? Ultimately I would counter to #5 by saying "You don't know the real me," a statement which I can say for sure is true of everybody except for Heavenly Father (and to a certain extent, my beloved husband, to whom I've shown more of myself than I would ever dare to anyone else in the world).

Thinking about these questions has given me an additional insight about #4, which is that you cannot ultimately choose where your children decide to be "from." I may do my best to raise my children as completely devoted Southerners and they may turn out to be bleeding-heart New York liberals (I'll still love you guys, though). It is a unique and personal choice to determine the meaning of your cultural and personal identity and to deny a child that freedom would be to deny them of their free agency. I do not think my parents intended to raise me or any of their children as Southerners (in fact, as of late I'm rather strongly convinced of the opposite), but at one point or another, it wasn't their decision any more. In fact, I'm pretty sure I came to identify more strongly with the South (and, fittingly, the sense of "loss" and an nonexistent or overly romanticized idyllic past) after I moved from Georgia. However it happened, my childhood experiences in the South continue to be a defining and crucial part of my identity today, and I am very grateful and proud today to call myself a Southern Girl, born and raised.

July 2013 Media Inventory

Movies:

Man of Steel: This was actually the first Superman movie I'd ever seen, and I enjoyed it a lot, perhaps thanks to a good 3 years of prepping from Matthew about the awesomeness that is Superman. But really the movie had me at "Russell Crowe."

Little Dorrit: Another quaint, fascinating, and delightful match between Dickens and Andrew Davies. I was especially fond of poor John, who deserved better.

The Fellowship of the Ring: After watching The Hobbit last month, we were very revved up to see this film. You can never go wrong with the Shire.

Zoolander: Whenever I want to be cheered up and feel smart, I watch Owen Wilson acting goofy and hilarious. Mission accomplished.

Chronicle: Interesting film with a good story and surprisingly strong characters. I didn't care much for the "filming myself" documentary style, but everything else was impressive.

The Two Towers: Yes, yes, yes. More, more, more.

A Town Called Panic: Such a cute, funny, and delightfully illogical/crazy French film. I watched this at the International Cinema and was thoroughly amused.

Anna Karenina (with Keira Knightley): I had fun revisiting the look, themes, and characters from one of my favorite novels and actually thought the acting was pretty decent. The film came nowhere near to capturing the depth, passion, emotion, and spirit of the characters which I discovered in reading the novel, but I didn't really expect it to, so I wasn't disappointed. The whole filming it like a play was also kind of weird for me. I think I might have liked it for a different movie, but I don't think I liked it for this one.

Front of the Class: Terrific and tear-jerking (in the good way) film about a man who grew up with Tourette's Syndrome but with a lot of strength and determination refused to it stop him from becoming a teacher, finding love, and becoming a positive role model. Almost it persuadeth me to allow my children to go to public school.

Penelope: Cute, run of the mill chick flick. I do think I could pull off a "Penelope" Halloween costume one of these years.

Miss Potter: Apparently I was in the mood to cry my eyes out, because that's exactly what I did for about 1/3 of this film.

Tootsie: This not quite comedy/not quite drama reminded me of the good parts of Some Like It Hot mixed with the ordinary, down-to-earth reality of The Apartment. The serious bits were funny and the funny bits were awkwardly serious.

The Internship: Saw this on a whim with Matthew at the dollar theater. While I greatly enjoyed moments that included Owen Wilson being hilarious,  a game of Quidditch amongst Google interns, and the scenes set in an environment of Googly colorful excitement, overall the film seemed too flat, shallow, and immature to leave me with a positive impression.

The Social Network: Sharp, cynical, and intriguing film. I have no idea how much if any of it is true, but it does make for a riveting and somewhat disturbing story about our obsessions with fame, money, status, etc.

Silver Linings Playbook: I don't care much for Bradley Cooper, but LOVE Jennifer Lawrence, so naturally I like this film. I also identify pretty strongly with her during the dancing scenes (finally, a movie about REAL people dancing!)

The Host: I've tried to read the book twice, but lost interest both times. The movie was a bit more interesting than the book (or maybe it was just shorter and I was able to finish it before losing interest), but still nowhere near as riveting and exciting as I thought it should or could be. I'm not sure what was missing for me, but something was.
 
The Mighty Macs: This was a sweet and cute film about Catholic girls and their basketball coach teaching them how to become a team. I should probably just admit right now I'm a sucker for the inspirational sports movies - they get me excited and teary almost every time.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith: The more I watch this film the more I fall in love with its sense of humor and sarcastic, playful, flirtatious personality. The action, romance, and overall chemistry in this film is just fantastic - I can't even judge it fairly because I like it so much.

Miss Congeniality: Another cute movie about clever and funny people getting together and being awesome. Not as outrageously dramatic and smooth as Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but still adorable and fun.

The Man in the Moon: What WAS it with me and tearjerker movies this month? This is one of my favorite performances by one of my favorite actresses, Reese Witherspoon. The acting and characters are so deep and real that it almost doesn't matter that the story is a little underdeveloped/unfinished-feeling. Also, I love the South.

Zero Dark Thirty: There were some powerful and disturbing moments in this film, but the story did not stand out to me as particularly profound or purposeful in delivering a coherent message. It just sort of threw a lot at you and expected you to make sense of it. I was also extremely irritated by the loooooong shots of darkness during the climax. Overall, I think "Argo" was the better film.

Books:

I'll Scream Later: The autobiography of Marlee Matlin, a famous Deaf actress. Enjoyable and well-written, but also sort of sad. I am more than ever convinced that avoiding drugs is a wise decision.

The Book of Lost Things: A fairytale that is subtly mature and thought-provoking (and also somewhat frightening). I enjoyed it very much.

The "Seth" Saga, Part 2: I enjoyed this story written for me by my brother Daniel. Very reminiscent of our days fighting and escaping from bad guys in our make-believe world.

Urchin of the Riding Stars: Cute adventurous tale about talking animals, similar to Brian Jacques in its themes and tone (though I would argue it doesn't equal his brilliance in character development, writing, or plot).

Gone Girl: Intriguing and well-written book - the characters are almost disturbingly detailed and lifelike (you relate to them, and then feel horrified at yourself for doing so). One of the few books that actually deserves the "Well I never saw THAT coming" compliment in my opinion, maybe even more than once. I was afraid it would take me a long time to read since it was 400 pages, but once I got about 50 pages in, I blew through the rest in two days. I was slightly put off by the ending, which felt weak and anticlimactic, but the rest of the book was enthralling.

I'm special why?

For my ASL class this summer, each student had to put together a presentation with certain elements about ourselves. One of the required elements was a slide naming one reason why we are special or unique. As I was putting together my PowerPoint, I realized I was having a hard time narrowing my specialness to just one reason. Then I wondered how many reasons I could come up with for why I'm special. Here, off the top of my head, is what I thought of (excuse the ME ME ME-ness of this post - or don't, because isn't that what blogs are really all about?):

1. I was homeschooled my entire life until I went to college.

2. I went to college in the fall just after turning seventeen in the summer. I could easily have gone when I was sixteen, since I basically did nothing my sixteenth year after taking the ACT and applying to college.

3. I had NEVER mowed a lawn until I was married and was helping my husband do his parents' yard work one weekend. I think this happened because I had three older siblings who mowed the lawn (when we had a big lawn) and a very task-oriented mother who took over the mowing of the lawn entirely when we had a small lawn.

4. I apparently could do the full splits when I was 3 years old. My mama said I surprised her visiting teacher, who thought I was broken or something.

5. I used to hate my first name. Now I love it - Ruth is a very unique first name! Ditto Nancy, Naomi, and Esther.

6. My name gets mistaken about 50% of the time I introduce myself to someone for the first time for Marie. Not just "I'm sorry," or "I didn't catch that," or "Anything starting with an R," but "Marie." I have no idea why. Do I pronounce "Ruth" weird? Do I use two syllables or something?

7. I have always hated what people refer to as "delicious, homemade, filling, wheat" bread. I will stuff myself on potatoes, but not bread.

8. I took karate for three years and ballet for three years. People thought I was too young to be taking karate (because I stayed for my siblings' later classes and took them too) and too old for ballet (because I was 14 and had to start with the beginners). I didn't care. Both karate and ballet were fun, challenging, and exhausting in their various ways. I would neither change nor repeat my experience with either.

9. I used to suck my index and middle fingers on my left hand when I was little and couldn't quit until I was . . . guesses in? Well, I actually don't remember, but it was somewhere around 10 or 11 (old enough that I would diiiiiiieeeeee if any of my friends knew). I used to suck them while I smelled my delicious old and worn-with-love Cabbage Patch doll, Nancy. It's how I imagine getting high would feel like. Because of my addiction to fingersucking combined with an overdose of doll-smelling, my index finger has now bent slightly backwards and my middle finger leans to the side, leaving a gap between my middle and ring fingers that makes me look like I'm Spock.

10. I used to be TERRIFIED of swimming lessons. This one's ironic because of how much I LOVE swimming now. I would hide under my bed, sob, fake illness, and throw up regularly before leaving to go to the pool. Everything about the experience - touching and being touched by strangers, being forced to interact with other kids who I was embarrassed and often outdone by, being scared of drowning, getting water in my nose and ears, etc. - was a nightmare. My life improved 1000% when my dad took over and taught me one-on-one how to swim in the early mornings.

11. I think I have always been a very sensitive and emotional child who cries easily, but oddly I never considered myself one. I thought of myself as tough and tomboyish, and somehow got the idea that tough people didn't cry or that people wouldn't like me if I cried. I often got angry when I cried because I felt I had lost control. Now I've sort of accepted that I am the equivalence of an emotional hurricane, and cry all the time for all sorts of reasons, including seeing someone do something cute, watching a cheesy inspirational sports movie, watching a simple movie from my childhood that I never really connected to emotionally as a child (Animated Heroes Classics Christopher Columbus, I am looking at you), and of course, watching Miss Potter. Always, always, watching Miss Potter.

12. This one may sound a little weird, but I get some kind of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual energy from water, essentially meaning I feel close to God when I am surrounded by, touching, or observing water. It soothes, calms, exhilarates, refreshes, inspires, focuses, cleanses, and energizes me to an extent that nothing else (except for maybe my love for Matthew) has ever done for me. I can sit in a pool or alone in the ocean or by a waterfall for hours and be content. I sometimes cry when I'm running or walking by the Provo River because it's so BEAUTIFUL.

13. I miss the humidity of the South. I really do. Having lived in both Utah and Georgia, I can confirm that both are hot, sweaty, and to some extent miserable places in the summer, but the Southern air still has this sort of wetness and deepness about it that I find refreshing and comforting.

14. I've been in love with the name "Matthew" ever since my freshman year. Needless to say, I was ecstatic when I ended up marrying my Matthew.

15. I had a surprisingly vivid prompting on my first date with Matthew that we would end up getting married if I asked him to hold my hand. I had been nervously debating about whether or not to ask him to hold hands before the date, and I'm still convinced that it was that one moment that set us on the course to where we are now. Thank goodness he said yes!

16. When I was a kid I climbed a tree to rescue a stray gray cat that later became our first family cat, Kim. Kim turned me into a cat-lover, which I have proudly been ever since. She was killed by a passing vehicle and seeing and burying her mangled body was one of the most traumatizing and deeply moving experiences of my life. Hers was the first death that absolutely devastated me as a child.

17. I've never broken a bone in my body. The closest I came was probably when my grandpa slammed the door to our van on my thumb by accident. It hurt like crazy for a long time, but nothing was broken.

18. My experience with braces and orthodontists was basically filled with epic torture and suffering (due to #9, no doubt). I've had wires come loose and stab me in the cheeks more times than I can count, including during our move to Utah. I also have had to wear Headgear and a Herbtz appliance for several years to try to correct my bite. I had braces for probably five years, and it felt like an eternity. For this reason alone, I would NEVER EVER EVER choose to relive my childhood.

19. I used to put ketchup on EVERYTHING as a kid. I put it on corn, macaroni and cheese, fish, any kind of casserole, lima beans, potatoes, even once in soup. But when I was telling this to a friend (at about age 7 or 8), he casually dismissed my boasts by claiming that his little brother liked ketchup so much he put it in milk. I was so shocked and disgusted by this that I had no answer, and it has always stuck with me. I mean, how could you put ketchup in milk? I draw the line at milk.

20. I've never been one to want to learn something because I was afraid the cool kids would make fun of me for not knowing it. I was always just fine with not knowing or participating in any of the movies, sports, music, TV shows, or popular trends that my peers grew up with. I can only think of one exception, and it's a weird one - roller skating. I taught myself to roller skate at age 15 because I was so determined that people not think I was lame or dumb for not being able to go on a rink without embarrassing myself.

21. I am the widest-chested woman in my family, and I was incredibly embarrassed about it growing up. I always felt like I didn't fit in with my sisters and mother, and wished I was flat-chested and scrawny. To compensate I basically slumped over and hid my chest all the time - until I took ballet, that is, and discovered the beauty of posture. Now I've learned to appreciate my figure (sometimes using the Busty Girl Problems website to vent my annoyances) and even to consider it one of my most attractive assets - having a husband who compliments you all the time is a great help!

22. I've knocked myself out three times. The first two times involved me running into something (a fabric bolt, a door) and waking up immediately on the floor with a slight headache but no knowledge of any time passing, when it is obvious from the concerned people around me that time has indeed passed. The third time was at the dentist's, when they were taking pictures of my mouth and I suddenly was hit with a wave of dizziness. They think I locked my legs. All I remember is being alone with the photographer one second, then having to lie down, then opening my eyes the next second and seeing a lot of people, including my mother, looking at me nervously and trying to find food for me. I'd describe getting knocked out as a bizarre and even weirdly pleasurable experience - it gets you a lot of concern and attention, for one, and it's a relief to feel that you didn't experience any pain or even lose any time falling asleep while you were "out." I felt the same way when I woke up (with no recognition that any time had passed) after my wisdom teeth were taken out. Too bad you can't be knocked out for every painful physical experience in your life.

23. I read the Bible from cover to cover somewhere around the age of 9. It took me roughly a year. I don't think I've ever done that since, but I'd like to.

That's all that I can think of for now. Guess which one I chose for my presentation (yes, it's up there).

June 2013 Media Inventory

I've been putting off writing about June. Now that I look at the list of movies I watched, I know why. Wowza - where did I find the time? Anyway, with no further ado-

Movies:

Seven Psychopaths: I was disappointed. The film delivered very readily on the blunt/easy/crass elements and not nearly enough on the intellectual/insightful/comic elements. It had a few good ideas and moments, but overall I didn't find it worth my while.

Clueless: Tee hee. Possibly the best Emma adaptation out there? Okay, I admit to being a fan of the Kate Beckinsale one. 

Horatio Hornblower I-VII: I've seen these films at the library for AGES, and it took almost a semester of people talking about Amazing Grace + a well-timed episode of Ioan Gruffudd in Castle to convince me to start seeing them. What. a. BLAST. I wish this was an ongoing TV series. I am absolutely a fan. Go Horatio! And my favorite seaman Matthews! And the very fetching Lieutenant Bush!

Persuasion (1995): I heart this version of Persuasion. A lot. It doesn't get better than Prince Caspian, Bois Guilbert, and Amanda Root. Plus everything about Captain Harville and the final scene is just perfect and amazing.

The Winslow Boy: I saw the trailer for this and got curious. It got a little drawn out and aimless in the middle and near the end (I confess for a little while I stopped caring about any of the characters' happiness), but overall was quite good.

Pan's Labyrinth: I got this for Matthew and me to watch on his birthday since he's been trying to learn Spanish. We both loved it. I cried. I may have to be banned from watching this once I become pregnant.

Persuasion (2007): Ugh. I can't stand this version, from the pathetically stuttering Anne to the Bath Marathon at the end. But I was able to write a 15-page paper about how messed up it was, so I guess I have to thank it for that.

The Odd Life of Timothy Green: I thought this seemed like a really sweet, gentle, adorable version of The Curious Life of Benjamin Button. Y'know, for teaching kids about life and death and stuff.

Sherlock, Seasons 1 and 2: I know this is not a movie, but I'm putting it here anyway because Matthew and I watched it together and were RIVETED. RIVETED, I SAY! If you haven't seen this modern version of Sherlock, I don't know if we can even talk anymore because I'm afraid of spoiling something.

Cold Comfort Farm: I'd seen this film before, but for some reason it seemed a lot funnier to me this time around. Probably because I saw it while taking a Jane Austen class. The woodshed bit had me in stitches.

The Woman in Black: Matthew was curious about this one for a long while, so I indulged him when I saw it at the library. It was pretty short and forgettable, though I remember there definitely being a woman in black.

Oz the Great and Powerful: I was surprised at how much I liked this film. It had its weaknesses, sure - wasn't the most creative and profound thing ever by any means - but it was nostalgic and funny and clever and much more enjoyable than either the super colorful Alice in Wonderland or Willy Wonka films made most recently.

Beautiful Creatures: I wasn't sure I would like this film - the story and themes seemed a little shallow and cliche - but the main characters were surprisingly relatable, emotional, and complex. I also loved that the whole thing took place in the South.

Akeelah and the Spelling Bee: Cute, super sweet film about a black girl entering a spelling bee. There's also an overworked Asian kid and an easy going Mexican kid in the bee. What were you expecting?

We Need to Talk About Kevin: I wouldn't recommend this to just anybody, but I think it has a powerful and disturbing subject that is worth wondering about. Honestly I think the book goes much deeper into the issues and themes being examined. The film is disturbing, graphic, and moving in its way, but the book was much more so in my opinion. 

The Double: Okay film I guess. The fact I forgot what it was and had to look it up to remember should say something.

The Shunning: Not really my type of movie, but had some really sweet moments.

Trollhunter: Now HERE's a film I can get behind! I took Matthew to see this at the International Cinema at BYU, and it was fantastic. Funny, creative, and wacky stuff. Not to mention it got me in the mood to see...

The Hobbit: Yep. More trolls. I enjoyed this even more the second time around. Probably because of subtitles. And maybe watching Martin Freeman in Sherlock had a little bit to do with it.

Books:

Persuasion: Excellent novel by Jane Austen. It's a quick and lovely read, and the character of Anne is so relatable and admirable.

Crackpot: The Obsessions of John Waters: I really don't remember reading this or why I read it. It took about a day or two and nothing stayed with me. I think it was mentioned in a class at some point or another. Also, I vaguely didn't like it.

Mud, Sweat, and Tears: I rather enjoyed reading this biography of Bear Grylls. I especially was enthralled by his thrilling adventure in climbing Mt. Everest - something I'm now 100% convinced I will NEVER do. There were also quite a few touching, profound insights that stuck with me about religion, people, and nature. He seems like my kind of guy.

A Child Called It: Disturbing and upsetting read - there were times when I got pretty mad. Even more disturbing when you read about the author online and are not sure what to make of his story. Definitely made me appreciate how great my parents were.

The Lost Boy: The sequel to A Child Called It. Not as engrossing. I got depressed/disillusioned afterwards and decided not to read the final book.

We Need to Talk About Kevin: It feels like it took me all month to read this book. It is long and tough and relentlessly depressing (as well as disturbing), but very well written and thought-provoking. It made me a little scared to have kids, but also helped reaffirm my beliefs and values about life and the dangers of going through life while being too detached and too cynical. I both deeply related to and rejected the main character, which I can't recall doing with another book to this extent.

Theater:

Pirates of Penzance: I was super excited to see this at BYU with Sarah since the best production I'd ever seen of PofP was at BYU some ten years ago. Alas, this production was not particularly impressive. It didn't help that the projected subtitles kept disappearing. The music and voices were all right, but the comedy, acting, and staging was just bland.

A Wrinkle in Time: I was mildly intrigued but not expecting a lot out of this production (I enjoyed At the Back of the North Wind more than A Wrinkle in Time, personally), but was really blown away by the creativity and quality on display. It was the first time I'd really seen the DeJong Theater manipulated and used so extensively and creatively (they had the audience sit on the stage so they could put characters on the far-off balcony). The story wasn't dull and the magic and special effects were charming (the audience especially enjoyed being fanned by huge, fragrant leaves whenever Meg and company went to a certain place). As for the acting, I was personally annoyed by Meg's character, but LOVED Charles Wallace (whom I found excessively annoying in the book) and liked everyone else.

May 2013 Media Inventory

You will note the heavy Jane Austen emphasis during this month. I considered writing the entire entry in a Jane Austen voice in honor of her domination of my viewing and reading habits, but in the end decided such a feat must be left to a greater mind with more time and talent than the most ignorant person ever to dare to call herself a bloggeress.

Movies:
Les Miserables: I did not "grow up" with this musical, and so missed out on the experience of having great hopes and dreams realized or dashed by the viewing of this film. Matthew could probably give you a more emotional review of the quality of the songs and so forth (I tried my hand at judging them and came up with completely opposite conclusions from him, but I defer to someone who actually sings and cares about singing in these matters). Overall I thought the film was enjoyable and entertaining, but not particularly monumental. My fascination with Russell Crowe continues, as does my love for Anne Hathaway's short hair and subtitles.

Mansfield Park (2007): This was the fastest adaptation of a Jane Austen film I've ever seen. I almost felt like I was playing a game of Bingo, crossing off each event rapidly to get through the story. I liked all the casting - yes, even slick-haired Edmund - except for Fanny, whose overwhelmingly huge grin, disheveled blonde hair-in-my-eyes look, and uncertain depiction somewhere between shrieking wildness and complacent shyness rather unnerved me.

Bride and Prejudice: This Bollywood take on Pride and Prejudice was more fun than I remembered (probably because this time I watched it with some friends from my JA class). Some things were still the same, mind - Darcy is dreadfully boring; the "no life without wife" song is my favorite part, etc.

Silver Linings Playbook: Matthew and I really enjoyed this one. It's sweet, weird, depressing, affirming, and had some touching, thoughtful insights about dealing with heartache, obsession, stress, and loneliness. Jennifer Lawrence is fast becoming a favorite actress of mine.

From Time to Time: Cute British film about mysterious old houses, nefarious butlers, and wise grandmothers with secrets. I wasn't surprised to learn this came from the creator of Downton Abbey - it's got the same "modern take on nostalgic past" feeling to it. And Maggie Smith.

The Darkest Hour: Matthew and I saw the trailer for this a long time ago, and thought it looked interesting. We should have just watched the trailer again. It was more interesting than the movie.

Sense and Sensibility (1995): Delightful version. I love this cast and the humor inserted throughout. I only wish they had used more characters and scenes from the novel (I was especially surprised to realize they had entirely omitted the return of Willoughby in the final hour scene). And of course, I always want more ending - couldn't they at least have Margaret catch the bouquet or something?

Sense and Sensibility (2008): I saw this version once before and was not greatly impressed by it, but my second viewing has altered my opinion considerably in its favor. This may have a little or a great deal to do with the fact that I have since become aware of the charms of Dan Stevens from watching Downton Abbey, but further watching - that is, research - is required to be certain. I also finally forgave Willoughby for the crime of being short. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower: I wasn't really impressed by the book, but the film was very sweet without being cutesy or cliche.

Total Recall: Again we were tricked into watching this by the trailer. There were some ideas that had potential, and Colin Farrell has a pretty awesome worried facial expression, but I lost interest and emotional investment in the characters pretty early on. 

Sense and Sensibility (1995): I liked this so much I watched it twice.

Mansfield Park (1999): I'd seen this once before and hated it. This time I liked the overall film more, but hated the parts that I hated more, if that makes sense.

The Prestige: This was the film that converted me to Christopher Nolan, and it's still my perennial Nolan favorite. I think I could watch it every year and still gush about watching it for the first time.

Clipping Adam: I didn't expect a lot out of this film about a boy who doesn't cut his hair after his mom and sister die in an accident, but I was very pleasantly surprised at its warmth, humor, emotion, and simplicity. The characters were great and the story was sweet. The ending felt a little abrupt, and I may not watch it again, but I would recommend it.

Shackleton: I'd seen this around the library a few times and thought it looked interesting. Kenneth Branagh was predictably brilliant. It was also really nice to watch people shivering in the Arctic during an extremely hot week in May.

On a Clear Day: I watched this movie after recently getting hooked on swimming regularly again, so bear in mind that I am a water addict and can watch stuff like Olympics swimming and diving for hours. Anyway, this film. I. LOVED. IT. EVERY. SINGLE. LITTLE. BIT. Spot-on story and casting. I cried.

Tower Heist: Good bit of crazy fun with Ben Stiller. Bonus - Casey Affleck's worried face rivals Colin Farrell's!

Argo: I forgot to include this one on my list at first, but I really, really enjoyed it. Gripping story, well acted and paced. I haven't been quite so tense watching a film that I recall since Sophie Scholl.

Books:

The Candy Shop War 2: Arcade Catastrophe: Awesome, fun, and creative sequel. I get worried sometimes Brandon Mull will write himself into something so crazy he won't be able to get out of it without cheating, but somehow he manages to make it work.

Pride and Prejudice: It is a truth universally acknowleged that this book is awesome.

Modern Ghosts: A collection of short horror stories by Joe Hill, who is a pretty intense horror writer but also a good writer in general. I enjoy his style of horror better than Stephen King's.

Life Laughs: I think I read this book in an hour while walking home from the library. It's about as substantial as a chatty girly blog post.

Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Through Those Pearly Gates: Not quite as witty and clever as their first book, in my opinion, but still a fun/insightful read.

The Pregnancy Project: I was touched by this true story of a girl faking a high school pregnancy for a class project. I especially appreciated her opening up about her family's difficult background and the many trials of living without financial or familial stability. It definitely strengthened my gratitude for my parents' raising me and my resolve to raise my children in a good way.

Mansfield Park: Not my favorite of Jane Austen's novels, but I was glad to finally finish it after starting when I was about 13 and getting distracted somewhere around Portsmouth.

Misery: Why did I read this? I don't like Stephen King. Anyway, I didn't like it.

The Many Photoshoots of May

Until May I took remarkably few photos in the year 2013. The first photoshoot of the year didn't happen until Valentine's Day, where I got a couple of photos of Matthew eating spaghetti. I'm not sure why I didn't take any of myself - perhaps I was just feeling icky that day? The next time the camera came out was in April to take a random assortment of shots of un-posed people wandering around eating things on Easter and some very poorly decorated eggs (the sight of which I'll spare you). And that apparently was the whole of everything worth documenting with the camera for the Winter 2013 semester. Maybe it snowed. Maybe it was pretty. Will anyone know? Will they care?

Then all of a sudden in May, the camera came alive. It seemed every weekend was photo-worthy. Things went so far that we even had to (gasp!) CHANGE THE BATTERIES.

So what was the big deal about in May? Well, let's take a look back and see...

1. I decided to get my hair cut. So the weekend before, I got my sister Hannah to take a lot of photos of me and Matthew (she took some of the photos we used for our engagements, and we liked them so much we asked her to give us coupons for more photoshoots for Christmas). This led to some great and goofy moments - I'll let you figure out which is which:

I totally can see this as a movie poster for a chick flick. Titles, anyone?

A rare non-goofy one of us three!

I believe the instructions were "look flirty..."

This photo is destined for great things.

2. I actually GOT my hair cut. Photos briefly became an obsession.




3. Matthew, possibly influenced by that one time in my western film class when I took him to see "Unforgiven," went and bought a gun (in unrelated news, the dog who barks all the time upstairs mysteriously went missing that night...). Of COURSE we took photos.

Matt and *Shotgun Shane*

He also went shooting for the first time on Memorial Day with a few friends from work, but in a great tragedy, the camera was left behind, so we must imagine it looked something like this:

Matthew is obviously the cute Asian.

4. Mother's day! Self-explanatory.

5. Mama's birthday! You will note that once again we succeeded in making our mother cry.

Blueberry birthday pie!

Okay, so Daniel was actually the one who made her cry...

Dad reading my very witty Jane Austen card

6. We celebrated our two-year anniversary at the end of May. For some reason (oh yeah I'm taking a class this semester) I didn't have as much time as I had last year to prepare decorations and ideas, so we ended up having a very toned down celebration. I took a long walk in the rain (a romantic touch which I greatly appreciated seeing as how it rained on the evening of the day we got married) by myself waiting for Matthew to get off work, and we celebrated with cheesecake (which we had on our honeymoon) and strawberry lemonade (which we had at our reception). And pictures, of course.

The following things also happened in late April/early May that were camera-worthy:

7. We visited a friend of mine from the first neighborhood we lived in when we moved to Utah. I used to babysit her three oldest kids and it was fun seeing how grown-up everyone was except for herself and her husband, who haven't looked older than 25 since I met them. I actually thought she was a Laurel (a 16-18-year-old girl in the Church's Young Women program) when I met her and was surprised to find out she was a leader. Now I'm pretty convinced she could pass for one of my college students. I hope we'll visit them again so I can figure out where she stashes the Fountain of Youth flask.




8. I got a bad ingrown toenail. I actually got it in March, but it got worse and worse until I finally decided to get it taken care of after finals. I went to the BYU Student Health Center and had a very pleasant experience. Someone asked me if I was there to see the podiatrist before I had time to even sit down, the podiatrist and assistant had everything ready when I walked into the "operating" room, the assistant handed me the piece of paper to sign away my rights while the doctor was actually already prepping my toe, and everything was smooth and quick and relatively painless (most of the pain came later when the toe "un-numbed"). Overall I was in and out in about five minutes, and I haven't had a problem since. The lack of pain has done wonders for my exercise - turns out running, walking, and moving are way more fun when your toenail isn't jabbing you with every step!

Apologies for the grossness of the next photo. If you have small children.... actually, small children will probably find this pic pretty cool:

First look after taking off the bandages

9. I got back into shape. Winter is always the worst semester for me health-wise (especially with food poisoning!), but so far I've always been able to bounce back in the spring. Photo-wise, I ended up experimenting with yoga pics I've seen online or just stretching in general:

What you don't see is my toe, pre-operation, throbbing in agony

April 2013 Media Inventory

Here's what I watched and read in between writing and grading papers during the blurry haze that was the month of April.

Movies:

My Brilliant Career: Charming but serious Anne of Green Gables-ish Australian film that was also somehow a western... at least, I saw it in western class. I largely enjoyed it except for the ending, which I found rather smug and neat in contrast to the blunt, messy realities that the film earlier embraced.

Bleak House: Absolutely LOVED this TV mini-series! I highly recommend it to anyone in the mood for humorous characters, mysterious scandals, complicated relationships, and satisfying romantic dramas of England in the 1800s.

Heart: So, this was a BYU short film that turned "The Tell-Tale Heart" into a bit of a western! And it starred Aaron Eckhart back when he was a student, apparently. He made a pretty good crazy nutcase if I do say so myself.

The Tell-Tale Heart: A more feature-film adaptation of the Poe story that greatly amused me and my classmates due to its rather theatrical style. The scandalous love triangle and betrayal of a best friend were intriguing additions, but the cake really went to an unexpected impalement, a throbbing carpet, and probably the world's worst reading of female signals by the main character. Still extremely entertaining.

Unforgiven: One of my favorites from the western class - it vies for first place right alongside "Ride the High Country." Matthew watched it with me and we both had a lot to discuss and think about afterwards. It really does stick with you.

Open Range: I had high hopes but ended up being less impressed with this one, though I continue to love Robert Duvall and (mostly) Kevin Costner as the plain-speaking, witty, too stubborn to quit cowpuncher and the shell-shocked, hardened but totally still romantically available sidekick. At least I still have Lonesome Dove and Dances with Wolves.

Water for Elephants: Enjoyable film, but I didn't find the plot all that compelling judging by the fact that it took me several days to actually finish it. While I normally love Reese Witherspoon, none of the three main characters was actually that interesting to me (the elephant was pretty good, though), and I've never been a huge fan of the whole "weather-beaten old man recounts his past to skeptical youth of today" intro.

Hitchcock: Fun, entertaining, and creative film about the making of Psycho which I particularly enjoyed since I just read and wrote about Psycho in the fall. I was a bit disappointed in how short and shallow it seemed - it only offered a slice of Hitchcock (and of Psycho, truthfully) when I was hoping for a lot more.

One for the Money: Watching this film was very similar to reading the book - I was intrigued by the overall idea and bored to tears by the particulars. I finished it, but barely.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone: Matthew and I watched this at the Dollar Theater and it was hilarious. So many lines that I wanted to write down and quote. So much Steve Carell + Jim Carrey awesomeness. The plot was pretty cliche, but I didn't care too much because of how much I was enjoying the performances, the dialogue, and the magic tricks ('scuse me, illusions).

The Impossible: When I heard this film was about the 2004 tsunami, I wasn't enthusiastic about seeing it. I expected a lot of affirmative cliches about humanity rallying in the midst of tragedy and blatant attempts to pull on heartstrings. But this harrowing experience of a film surprised me. The tsunami itself was grim, rough, quick, and violent - probably one of the scariest things I've seen on film - and the camera let it happen without prior warning, music, foreshadowing, etc. It comes completely out of nowhere without any overt attempt to explain it or how we should feel about it as it is happening. Never so clearly have I been able to put myself in the vulnerable state of a film's protagonist as when we see pieces of trees, houses, furniture, tools, and toys hurtling at lightning speed in our direction underneath the huge wave of water that has washed over everything. After the wave has passed, the fear, frustration, confusion, and panic about where our characters are and if they're going to be okay or not is terribly convincing. More than once I found myself having to grimace, look away, and shudder at the traumatic results of injury, which to me is the mark of a film successfully engaging my emotions and attention. The story doesn't really attempt to analyze what's happening on a deeper level (i.e. Why did this happen to us? Why did God allow this to happen?), but it feels real and scary nonetheless and struck me with an awareness of how vulnerable and weak we really are in this physical state of mortality. It's probably good for someone who loves swimming and the beach as much as I do to have a healthy sense of fear and respect for water instilled into me.

Wreck-it Ralph: Matthew and I had both been hearing a lot about how good this film is, and I guess I have to say that the rumors are true. We loved it! Creative, entertaining, and clever story and characters, whether you ever played video games or not. This is one I wouldn't mind owning.

Books:

Of Wolves and Men: Interesting and accessible read about the ways of wolves and how we've feared, hated, loved, and killed them over the years. Great resource should I ever want to write a paper about wolves or just make someone feel guilty.

Watership Down: I loved this book when Mama read it to us at lunchtime many years ago, and I still love it. It took me maybe three days to read, but I was enthralled for the entire three days. It is such a beautiful story and so well written. Next to Brian Jacques, Richard Adams is probably my favorite author of books about small animals.

Tales of Watership Down: Because you never want the story to end...

Life of Pi: I have wanted to read this book for a long time, and seeing the movie finally stirred up enough interest in me to go for it. It's a great book - funny, touching, entertaining, insightful, practical. Why did it take me this long to get to it? I wanted it to be a true story and was sad when it wasn't (and was even sadder when I realized the real story was probably Eat Pray Love).  Still, read it anyway.