ellen_datlow

I was too sick to watch movies last night but did so tonight. Kathryn Bigelow's Point Break with Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze, and Gary Busey. About 15 minutes too long, some gorgeous shots of surfing, interesting (but someone predictable) plot. It was not a bad way to spend almost two hours.

And saw the earlier version or Imitation of Life with Claudette Colbert. Here's my post and the thread on the later version Imitation of Life .

Some thoughts: although the guy doesn't overtly pressure Colbert to leave her job he does beg to take her away on his boat doing fish research, hence giving up her career to hang around with him while he continues his. However....she's already rich rich rich, so she could retire.

I don't like that Colbert feels forced to give the guy up (for an indefinite period of time) because of her daughter--not saying it's not realistic or even reasonable; I just don't like it.

Same heartbreaking scenes with regard to Peola coming back to the mom's funeral.

Overly sentimental death scene with the spirituals sung in the background are dreadful.

I've seen Claudette Colbert act better in other movies.

The young woman who plays Colbert's daughter is terrible. The one who plays Delilah's daughter is much better.

An excellent post by Julius Lester about The professor, the policeman, and the president


thanks to Shaken and Stirred