Now that we're over halfway through October, I suppose I'd better hurry and post this. I may have less to say than usual.
Movies:
Megamind: Fun movie. I liked it.
Mulan: One of my favorite Disneys! Great scenery, story, music, characters, etc.
Lady and the Tramp: I loved this so much I wrote a post about it.
The Fox and the Hound: Another one of my very favorites as a kid. It does make me cry.
Beauty and the Beast: Possibly, in my opinion, the best Disney movie.
According to Greta: Knowing nothing about this other than that Hillary Duff was playing an annoying teenager, I was nervous. But it was actually much better than I anticipated. Well acted and creative plot. I especially enjoyed the grandmother's character and the relationship between grandmother and granddaughter.
A Simple Life: Very down-to-earth, documentary-feeling Asian film about a housekeeper who joins a retirement home. I actually did believe for a little bit that I was just watching a woman's real life. It was long and painstakingly detailed, but still sweet.
A Cat in Paris: Fantastic, delightful animated French film. Funny and heartwarming. Watch it if you ever get the chance!
Tangled: Love it!
The Sword in the Stone: Merlin is SO hilarious.
Howl's Moving Castle: Matthew was really in the mood to watch it, so I came along for the ride. It isn't my favorite Miyazaki, and I wasn't blown away by the book either, but despite the so-so plot it's still just a very visually appealing film.
Enchanted: Such a feel-good film. For favorite parts, I'm torn between UM EVERY SONG EVER and the moment where the Queen is hiding Giselle in the elevator and feigns surprise at seeing her ("Oh.... her.").
Spirit: I remember thinking this was awesome as a kid. Then I gradually came to think of it as less than mediocre. This time I mostly enjoyed it. There's a little bit of corniness, but I'm mostly just happy to watch horses running around and showing off.
Freaky Friday: Something about this film intrigues and delights me. I like it, but it's hard to say why.
Cinderella: You don't spend a month watching classic Disney without watching this eventually.
Charlotte's Web: This film is so much greater and better than I remembered as a child. I actually really want to read the book again now.
Minority Report: Had to watch a Tom Cruise film to commemorate our "first date" anniversary (watching Knight and Day). This one impressed, despite all the eye-cringing eye-related stuff.
The Parent Trap: This was the first time I'd ever watched the new version with Lindsay Lohan. It was better than I expected (mostly thanks to Lohan's being a believable child actress), and I loved all the references to the old version (especially the fact that old Vicki played new Vicki's mother - and her name was still Vicki!).
Clandestine Childhood: A combination of passionate, anxious, activist propaganda and a simple boy comes of age tale. Although some of it was very emotional (the story of the uncle was particularly poignant), the whole thing overall didn't quite work for me. I had trouble connecting to the main character and thought the film was somewhat heavy handed and manipulative.
Now You See Me: A lot shorter than I expected it would be, and even crazier than I thought it would be (but not in the way that I thought it would be). I think it tried so hard to make sense and be cryptic at the same time that it ended up not making much sense.
Books:
Fablehaven 4: This is my second favorite of the series. Such great characters and story!
Fablehaven 5: Not my favorite, but a good ending to a great series.
Dewey: Sweet and cute book about a library cat. I liked it.
The Finger Points of Sausage Dogs: Hilarious perspective of a touchy academic professor that really summarizes how I feel about academic professors sometimes. Refreshing and funny. And the author (Alexander McCall Smith) is a fantastic writer.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: Interesting and unique book - you can hardly help reading it with the author's devastating experience in mind, and it makes his insights all the more touching.
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man: Although Joyce's writing is certainly hard to follow at times, there were some themes and ideas in this book that really stuck with me. It also reminded me of a lot of people I knew and experiences I've had.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Re-viewed: Robin Hood
So I had fun doing this with Lady and the Tramp, and I'm still in the mood for Disney movies from my childhood, so here's my stream-of-consciousness Robin Hood report:
Is this the first Disney film to have male characters cross-dress as female characters? Seems edgier than I remembered. Also Robin Hood's disguised voices are REALLY good. As in I can't even believe it's the same actor doing all of his voices.
I related far more this time to Little John's having to hold up his heavy bosoms with his paws than I ever did as a kid. Ouch.
Skippy shoots an arrow really well for it being his first time.
That castle gate. Security cutbacks?
The charade where Skippy defeats and ultimately kills Lady Cluck as Prince John is a hugely seditious act that I would imagine should get all of them beheaded or thrown into jail at the very least.
Is Prince John actually dangerous or harmless? I really can't tell. They mock and fear him the way I imagine kids do their parents.
WHY OH WHY DO WE NEVER GET TO MEET PRINCE JOHN'S MOTHER?
All the animals in this movie have three fingers and a thumb. Does that seem weird to anyone else?
I'm still impressed with the Sheriff of Nottingham's shooting skills - hitting a moving target isn't that easy. But why didn't Nutsy just leap again for Robin Hood's shot?
Lady Cluck has the best lines. She is also the toughest female heroine of the film.
I just love Robin's proposal. Really, I'm pretty sure I had a crush on him when I was little. Also, I love the "Love" song. It is just beautiful.
So all that fighting and not a single casualty? They all just dance and party afterwards?
This was the first time I watched the film with subtitles and therefore the first time I actually deciphered what Little John said when he said, "Who's driving this flyin' umbrella?" Ha ha ha!
This is also maybe the first Disney movie to do legit gallows humor!
Why does Nutsy call one o'clock and all's well when the clock shows that it's three?
Cram-a-nit-ly is a great word to exclaim.
Two characters in the film say "doing my duty" and both times it made me snicker. I'm immature.
Trigger's helmet magically repairs itself! Also, this is the first time I really actually caught that he was named Trigger for his trigger finger.
Robin has no fewer than FOUR disguises and fake voices in this film. I'm impressed.
It takes approximately ten seconds for the Sheriff to set the entire tower on fire. And then Sir Hiss blames Prince John, which isn't really fair.
I'm pretty sure that every hat that Robin Hood wears gets an arrow through it at one point or another.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Re-viewed: Lady and the Tramp
I have no idea why, but I've been on an old Disney movie kick lately. And I've been having a lot of surprising new discoveries in all my adult wisdom that never really impressed me as a child. Take for example, Lady and the Tramp:
1. That song at the beginning makes me cry. Am I crazy emotional or is it crazy beautiful?
2. Lady is an EXTREMELY well-trained puppy if all they need to do is put down newspaper in a doggy room to get her through her entire puppyhood.
3. Why is Lady sleeping downstairs when Jim Dear goes out to get watermelon in the middle of the night? Doesn't she occupy their bedroom now?
4. This movie may be decidedly prejudiced against cats, but even so you have to admit those Siamese cats are SMART. They outwit Lady and Aunt Sarah, know right away "what a baby is" and more importantly, what it means for them, and figure out how to get what they want. They probably could have taken out the rat if they wanted to. I am impressed.
5. The accents that Tramp does when visiting his various families are hysterical and delightful.
6. I'm 99% convinced that Tony is certifiably insane (not only talks to dogs, but sets up a candlelight dinner with expensive cuisine and music! THIS IS NOT NORMAL) and Joe plays along because he is terrified for his life.
7. That silently crying dog in the pound makes me feel the sorrow of a thousand tears.
8. Peg is an awesome and intriguing character. She always annoyed me as a kid for some reason, but I am 100% Team Peg as an adult. She keeps it real, guys.
9. How is it that Tramp can take on three dogs who are twice his size and emerge unscathed, but has a very difficult time thrashing a rat?
10. That. Rat. It is the freakin' hugest rat on the planet. What has it been feeding on, alley dogs? Did it escape from a genetic mutation lab?
11. Do they actually ever name that baby? Is it Junior? Star-sweeper? You'd think that would be more important.
12. I like that this is one of the few Disney movies to celebrate marriage and kids at an early age - it's rare that we get to see our Disney protagonists contemplating children and all that children entail (another favorite I recently saw was 101 Dalmations - Pongo and Perdy are the best parents!). The moment when Tramp offers Lady the world full of adventures and she turns him down because "who would take care of the baby?" is a really poignant and touching one from an adult perspective.
1. That song at the beginning makes me cry. Am I crazy emotional or is it crazy beautiful?
2. Lady is an EXTREMELY well-trained puppy if all they need to do is put down newspaper in a doggy room to get her through her entire puppyhood.
3. Why is Lady sleeping downstairs when Jim Dear goes out to get watermelon in the middle of the night? Doesn't she occupy their bedroom now?
4. This movie may be decidedly prejudiced against cats, but even so you have to admit those Siamese cats are SMART. They outwit Lady and Aunt Sarah, know right away "what a baby is" and more importantly, what it means for them, and figure out how to get what they want. They probably could have taken out the rat if they wanted to. I am impressed.
5. The accents that Tramp does when visiting his various families are hysterical and delightful.
6. I'm 99% convinced that Tony is certifiably insane (not only talks to dogs, but sets up a candlelight dinner with expensive cuisine and music! THIS IS NOT NORMAL) and Joe plays along because he is terrified for his life.
7. That silently crying dog in the pound makes me feel the sorrow of a thousand tears.
8. Peg is an awesome and intriguing character. She always annoyed me as a kid for some reason, but I am 100% Team Peg as an adult. She keeps it real, guys.
9. How is it that Tramp can take on three dogs who are twice his size and emerge unscathed, but has a very difficult time thrashing a rat?
10. That. Rat. It is the freakin' hugest rat on the planet. What has it been feeding on, alley dogs? Did it escape from a genetic mutation lab?
11. Do they actually ever name that baby? Is it Junior? Star-sweeper? You'd think that would be more important.
12. I like that this is one of the few Disney movies to celebrate marriage and kids at an early age - it's rare that we get to see our Disney protagonists contemplating children and all that children entail (another favorite I recently saw was 101 Dalmations - Pongo and Perdy are the best parents!). The moment when Tramp offers Lady the world full of adventures and she turns him down because "who would take care of the baby?" is a really poignant and touching one from an adult perspective.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
It's About to Fall
This Tuesday will be the beginning of my last fall semester of graduate school. I am excited and a little sad (the "last" anything just seems so sad! What if I miss it?), but mostly excited. Fall has always been my favorite
semester. Allergy season is over, holiday season is beginning, the cool,
windy weather replaces the hot, stifling summer, and ASLAN IS ON THE
MOVE (okay, except not really, since he's supposed to come in the
spring). But it isn't really until fall that I start getting excited
about Christmas and the passing of time and all the good things to look
forward to in the coming years. This year, I am excited about
graduating, finishing with school, and moving out of our apartment next
year to Orem so Matthew can finish his degree. Big changes for the Covingtons next year, is what I'm saying, and this girl is READY!
While I'm trying to savor and relish the days as they come, reminding myself that this part of my life is a big deal and won't come again, mostly I am just impatient to get it over with and can't wait until next year to have my fall free from the stresses and pressure of schoolwork. I haven't had a college-free fall since 2004, which was a looooooooooooong time ago. What's that, you say? You want evidence?
When I reflect about my overall college experience, I am of two minds. Firstly (and loudly and insistently), college is exhausting and stressful and tough and I just want to be DONE with it. I'm sick of dealing with all the deadlines and writer's block and insane amounts of reading and grading and writing and argument. Every semester I get bored, frustrated, anxious, upset, tired, overwhelmed, panicked, and depressed. I look forward to the end of the semester the way a prisoner looks forward to the end of his (or her) sentence.
But then, mostly when I look back at old semesters that I've over-romanticized, I remember how much fun certain classes were and am impressed with how much I learned and was able to accomplish. I particularly enjoy looking back at the semesters where I discovered that something other people found boring was exciting to me (English Grammar and Civil War, hello!), or that something that was hard and tedious for other people was thrilling and enjoyable for me (Cormac McCarthy? T. S. Eliot? Writing papers about foreign films? Yay!). I liked discovering that I was good at certain things and passionate about others. And I do think I'll miss that part of college. It's really too bad I can't just continue to audit classes for free, because that would be awesome. There's so much more I'd like to learn (and not just the scholarly-type stuff. I wish I could take all the fun classes, like kayaking and acting and underwater cooking) (Okay, just kidding about the last one). Maybe I'll figure out a way to keep coming back for more. Maybe I'll go to a community college class or two. Maybe I'll have a fit of madness and decide to go for a PhD. Maybe I'll find a magical object that makes me invisible and then I can sneak into whatever classes I want (sorry, too much Fablehaven). But for now I am grateful that I decided to get my master's degree and I am confident in saying that I have enjoyed and made the most of my experience thus far. I would do it again. Or maybe I wouldn't do it again (ask me after I finish my thesis).
Happy Fall Semester, everyone!
While I'm trying to savor and relish the days as they come, reminding myself that this part of my life is a big deal and won't come again, mostly I am just impatient to get it over with and can't wait until next year to have my fall free from the stresses and pressure of schoolwork. I haven't had a college-free fall since 2004, which was a looooooooooooong time ago. What's that, you say? You want evidence?
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| My bunny and me, 2004 |
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| Not-my bunnies and me, 2013 |
But then, mostly when I look back at old semesters that I've over-romanticized, I remember how much fun certain classes were and am impressed with how much I learned and was able to accomplish. I particularly enjoy looking back at the semesters where I discovered that something other people found boring was exciting to me (English Grammar and Civil War, hello!), or that something that was hard and tedious for other people was thrilling and enjoyable for me (Cormac McCarthy? T. S. Eliot? Writing papers about foreign films? Yay!). I liked discovering that I was good at certain things and passionate about others. And I do think I'll miss that part of college. It's really too bad I can't just continue to audit classes for free, because that would be awesome. There's so much more I'd like to learn (and not just the scholarly-type stuff. I wish I could take all the fun classes, like kayaking and acting and underwater cooking) (Okay, just kidding about the last one). Maybe I'll figure out a way to keep coming back for more. Maybe I'll go to a community college class or two. Maybe I'll have a fit of madness and decide to go for a PhD. Maybe I'll find a magical object that makes me invisible and then I can sneak into whatever classes I want (sorry, too much Fablehaven). But for now I am grateful that I decided to get my master's degree and I am confident in saying that I have enjoyed and made the most of my experience thus far. I would do it again. Or maybe I wouldn't do it again (ask me after I finish my thesis).
Happy Fall Semester, everyone!
August 2013 Media Inventory
This one's going to be short and sweet, folks, although I think this has been my highest month for reading and watching (22 movies and 10 books! And most of them were completed in the last two weeks after I finished summer school).
Movies:
Premium Rush: Loved this one! Matthew watched it with me and we were both hooked, thrilled, amused, and terrified.
This Means War: I really want this movie to be good, because I love the three main cast members so much, but it's really not.
Star Trek: Into Darkness: Favorite movie of the month. Maybe year. It was pretty awesome.
Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows: It had its ups and downs. I think I liked it better the first time watching it, and I definitely still think the first Sherlock was better.
Beasts of the Southern Wild: Interesting, unpretentious, poignant film. I wasn't quite as caught up in it or blown away by its profundity as "The Tree of Life," say, but the story was simple and sincere.
Saved by Grace: Cute but shallow. But who doesn't love dancing and horses?
Shanghai Noon: Funny, entertaining, somewhat clever but mostly just a lot of Jackie Chan + Owen Wilson silliness. It got tiresome as it got longer.
Jurassic Park: I don't remember watching this, but Matthew says I did. I liked it, but the book was actually more terrifying.
Admission: Okay movie. I'm glad I saw it once. I probably won't watch it again.
10 Years: Surprisingly creative, interesting, and real-feeling movie. I was definitely pleased with how the natural dialogue and acting drew me in and won me over at least to the point of caring about what was going to happen next and remembering all the different characters.
Rise of the Guardians: Okay, so it was a run-of-the-mill kid's film. Nothing special. Pity because some of the details were quite amusing.
Unstoppable: A lot more intense and interesting than I expected it to be. Would watch again.
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen: Cute, creative, and clever. Loved it!
Shanghai Knights: A little less funny and entertaining than the first one, but I still got through it. Now I really want to purge now by watching "Hero," though.
A Good Woman: I think this would make a good play (not surprising since it's based on an Oscar Wilde play). For some reason it felt something was missing from the movie. It was still pretty good, though. Just sort of . . . "staged"-feeling.
Iron Man 3: Matthew and I saw this on a date at the dollar theater. It was fun (but not as great as Star Trek 2). Other than the crazy and inexplicable ending. We stuck around for the after-the-credits bit, which was also fun and made me feel like a nerd in the know.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: A quirky little film, that started out really promising and sort of ran out of steam somewhere in the middle. I tried hard to like and care about all the characters, but just gave up on a few and lost track of a few more, and by the end I was just glad that Judi Dench was happy.
Just Like Heaven: One of my favorite go-to rom-coms. Have I mentioned before how much I like Reese Witherspoon? Yep. Yep yep.
Oz the Great and Powerful: Still a fun, creative, and entertaining film.
The Hunger Games: I'm indebted to this film for being the first to make me aware of Jennifer Lawrence's talents. I'm excited for the sequel.
Rescue Dawn: I was not that stoked about the premise, but literally seconds into the film I was entranced. The musical score is so powerful and beautiful yet subtle (the same could also be said of the story and acting).
October Sky: I've seen this a couple of times but EVERY TIME I get choked up by the sweetness, innocence, purity, and love on display. The story of the Rocket Boys is wonderful by itself but the story of the Hickam family is the real heart-breaking clincher.
Books:
Jurassic Park: Fascinating. I love the way Michael Crichton starts with an incredible premise and slowly, rationally, deliberately makes me buy into it. Also terrifying and more gruesome than the film.
Animal Farm: Depressing but clever and quick read.
These Happy Golden Years: I love the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, and this one is quickly becoming my favorite. All the scenes with Laura and Almanzo driving down on the weekends remind me of my trips with Matthew to and from Sandy while we were engaged.
Fablehaven: Decided to kick off the end of the summer re-reading one of my favorite series!
Fablehaven 2: My favorite book of one of my favorite series!
Good Omens: Really liked the beginning of this book. It sort of lost momentum and just got confusing and less funny towards the later half, but it was still enjoyable.
Marley and Me: Loved it. Everything I could have hoped for in a "dog meets young family" tale.
Fablehaven 3: My least favorite of the Fablehavens, but still great!
Lamb: Hilarious novel. Somewhat scandalous and not for the strictly pious, but still. Absolutely hilarious. And there were more than a few profound insights to be had as well.
The Emperor's Soul: I read this all in a rush last night because Matthew was reading Fablehaven 4 and I had to read SOMETHING. I usually love Brandon Sanderson, but I think his longer works are better. It was okay. I didn't quite "get" the magic system at first and found the beginning a little slow, but things picked up and the end was fairly satisfying. I probably won't read it again.
Movies:
Premium Rush: Loved this one! Matthew watched it with me and we were both hooked, thrilled, amused, and terrified.
This Means War: I really want this movie to be good, because I love the three main cast members so much, but it's really not.
Star Trek: Into Darkness: Favorite movie of the month. Maybe year. It was pretty awesome.
Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows: It had its ups and downs. I think I liked it better the first time watching it, and I definitely still think the first Sherlock was better.
Beasts of the Southern Wild: Interesting, unpretentious, poignant film. I wasn't quite as caught up in it or blown away by its profundity as "The Tree of Life," say, but the story was simple and sincere.
Saved by Grace: Cute but shallow. But who doesn't love dancing and horses?
Shanghai Noon: Funny, entertaining, somewhat clever but mostly just a lot of Jackie Chan + Owen Wilson silliness. It got tiresome as it got longer.
Jurassic Park: I don't remember watching this, but Matthew says I did. I liked it, but the book was actually more terrifying.
Admission: Okay movie. I'm glad I saw it once. I probably won't watch it again.
10 Years: Surprisingly creative, interesting, and real-feeling movie. I was definitely pleased with how the natural dialogue and acting drew me in and won me over at least to the point of caring about what was going to happen next and remembering all the different characters.
Rise of the Guardians: Okay, so it was a run-of-the-mill kid's film. Nothing special. Pity because some of the details were quite amusing.
Unstoppable: A lot more intense and interesting than I expected it to be. Would watch again.
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen: Cute, creative, and clever. Loved it!
Shanghai Knights: A little less funny and entertaining than the first one, but I still got through it. Now I really want to purge now by watching "Hero," though.
A Good Woman: I think this would make a good play (not surprising since it's based on an Oscar Wilde play). For some reason it felt something was missing from the movie. It was still pretty good, though. Just sort of . . . "staged"-feeling.
Iron Man 3: Matthew and I saw this on a date at the dollar theater. It was fun (but not as great as Star Trek 2). Other than the crazy and inexplicable ending. We stuck around for the after-the-credits bit, which was also fun and made me feel like a nerd in the know.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: A quirky little film, that started out really promising and sort of ran out of steam somewhere in the middle. I tried hard to like and care about all the characters, but just gave up on a few and lost track of a few more, and by the end I was just glad that Judi Dench was happy.
Just Like Heaven: One of my favorite go-to rom-coms. Have I mentioned before how much I like Reese Witherspoon? Yep. Yep yep.
Oz the Great and Powerful: Still a fun, creative, and entertaining film.
The Hunger Games: I'm indebted to this film for being the first to make me aware of Jennifer Lawrence's talents. I'm excited for the sequel.
Rescue Dawn: I was not that stoked about the premise, but literally seconds into the film I was entranced. The musical score is so powerful and beautiful yet subtle (the same could also be said of the story and acting).
October Sky: I've seen this a couple of times but EVERY TIME I get choked up by the sweetness, innocence, purity, and love on display. The story of the Rocket Boys is wonderful by itself but the story of the Hickam family is the real heart-breaking clincher.
Books:
Jurassic Park: Fascinating. I love the way Michael Crichton starts with an incredible premise and slowly, rationally, deliberately makes me buy into it. Also terrifying and more gruesome than the film.
Animal Farm: Depressing but clever and quick read.
These Happy Golden Years: I love the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, and this one is quickly becoming my favorite. All the scenes with Laura and Almanzo driving down on the weekends remind me of my trips with Matthew to and from Sandy while we were engaged.
Fablehaven: Decided to kick off the end of the summer re-reading one of my favorite series!
Fablehaven 2: My favorite book of one of my favorite series!
Good Omens: Really liked the beginning of this book. It sort of lost momentum and just got confusing and less funny towards the later half, but it was still enjoyable.
Marley and Me: Loved it. Everything I could have hoped for in a "dog meets young family" tale.
Fablehaven 3: My least favorite of the Fablehavens, but still great!
Lamb: Hilarious novel. Somewhat scandalous and not for the strictly pious, but still. Absolutely hilarious. And there were more than a few profound insights to be had as well.
The Emperor's Soul: I read this all in a rush last night because Matthew was reading Fablehaven 4 and I had to read SOMETHING. I usually love Brandon Sanderson, but I think his longer works are better. It was okay. I didn't quite "get" the magic system at first and found the beginning a little slow, but things picked up and the end was fairly satisfying. I probably won't read it again.
Monday, August 5, 2013
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.
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.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
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.
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.
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