movie night

[ellen_datlow]

I watched 28 Days with Sandra Bullock, Steve Buscemi and (yum) Viggo Mortensen--hearing that he's in it made me rent it. Sandra Bullock is pretty good as alcoholic and drug user and general party-going mess settled into a very bad lifestyle with her cute, alkie/druggy boyfriend. I gather from the netflix sleeve that she's supposed to be a journalist of some sort but you could have fooled me--we never her working or hanging out with friends who seem to work (granted most of the movie takes place at the rehab center). Painful drunkenless ick ick ick. Ruins sister's wedding --ick ick ick. Drunken mom memories--ick ick ick. And the whole thing about AA and the higher power stuff always rubbed me the wrong way--but strangely (and luckily, as far as I'm concerned) they dropped most of that for therapy sessions about 1/3 of the way into the movie. Viggo cute as a button. So-so.

Then I watched Sense and Sensibility directed by And Lee and with Kate Winslet, who I adore, Emma Thompson, who I adore, Alan Rickman (WIA) and Hugh Grant, who I may not adore but like an awful lot...oh yeah and Hugh Laurie (whoopie). I laughed I cried --just kidding I cried and cried--having not read the book I really wasn't sure if it would end sadly or happily. For those who haven't read the book or seen the movie, my lips are sealed. But I enjoyed it a lot. I was going to watch the last movie My Neighbor Totoro but decided to save it and work instead. So what the heck am I doing posting???? tsk tsk.

Comments

[desperance.livejournal.com]

having not read the book I really wasn't sure if it would end sadly or happily

Go you and read the book! Do it now, please!

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

When I have time :-)

[birdhousefrog.livejournal.com]

I think you hit both movies accurately, though you don't mention the talented performance of Alan Tudyk in 28 Days. I had read Sense and Sensibility and it didn't make any difference watching that particular version of it. I was still in tears and wasn't sure how it would end. Go figure. Alan Rickman, OMG. Have you ever seen Truly, Madly, Deeply? Not to mention many other movies with your above list of Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, etc. It's what the imdb is for...adding to your netflix queue.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Ah. Just looked up Alan Tudyk, whose name I'm not familiar and see who you mean. Yes, he was very good--and checking him at imdb see he's been around (although I'm not sure I've seen him in anything else).

I've not seen Truly, Madly, Deeply although I do know what it's about--I'll check it out eventually.

[jenwrites.livejournal.com]

I'm always amused at different people's reasons for renting a movie. Me, I rented 28 Days for Alan Tudyk. :)

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Really? I think I actually rented it because I "knew" I should see it--I didn't check the whole cast when I put it on my list, although if I had, it would have moved up my queue a LOT faster ;-)

[dustyskinandall.livejournal.com]

I watched Sense and Sensibility for the first time just last night! I thought it was delightful, though I did use up many tissues.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm sure my cats were confused as to why I was crying.

[cinriter.livejournal.com]

Oooh, TOTORO - you're saving the best for last!

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Yes. I could have watched it last night but decided to start fresh this evening ;-)

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

Indeed. Every time I watch it, I put it back on the bottom of my Netflix queue. Two other movies get that honor: Monsters, Inc. and Galaxy Quest.

[eclexys.livejournal.com]

Heh, at first I misread and ended up imaginging of 28 Days After (or is it 28 Days Later? The British zombie flick) with Sandra Bullock, which made me laugh.

The higher power thing has always rubbed me the wrong way too... what's this? One needs to believe in a deity to deal with addiction? If you ask me, it sounds like something that would be said by a person who believes in a deity and thinks everyone else should too. I've heard there are atheist AA groups who don't push that particular issue. Makes me wonder what a group of sociobiologists in A.A. would talk about.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

LOL --hey she could be in a zombie flick some day--and there are an awful lot of movies with similar titles! I enjoyed 28 Days Later--the first British zombie movie with Cillian Murphy but haven't seen the second: 28 Weeks Later--which sounds not so hot.

I have a friend who joined AA and was determined to convert me to the higher power philosophy. Luckily, it has never been mentioned again in the last 15 years or we wouldn't still be friends.

I wonder what kind of therapy the atheist groups use?

[eclexys.livejournal.com]

I'd imagine they're in one of the secular alternatives mentioned in this interesting (and unapologetically atheist) discussion of AA.

[eclexys.livejournal.com]

And this article suggests that none of the benefits of religious belief touted by AA are necessary to get whatever benefits the group offers; meanwhile, the religious content turns people off. Sadly, the conclusion is:

This apparent reticence to affiliate with AA ought to be clinically recognized when encouraging AA participation.

instead of, say, considering that the religious content, being unnecessary, should be discarded.

Sigh.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Fascinating stuff. Thanks.

[shelly-rae.livejournal.com]

Hey Ellen!
Emma Thompson also wrote the screenplay for that adaptation. It's one of my favorites--the book as well as the movie. Of course I'm pretty well smitten by all of Austen's novels...
Anon

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Hi Shelly,
I noticed that-Brava for her! It was pretty magnificent. Is it faithful to the book?