A Dream Becomes Reality

The older version of Walter Mitty was a slapstick farce; the new release is a believable story about a daydreamer, played by Ben Stiller. To make an unbelievable story believable takes a deft touch, and Ben Stiller brings it to one of my favorite films of the season, serving as both the star and the director of the film. It’s a lovely story of a man who dreams of being heroic, but is destined just to be a common man who does his job well. The change from everyday Walter to adventurous traveler Walter is seamless, so the story works on a real plane, as well as in fantasy. By the end of the film, the viewer wonders whether Walter really went to the places shown – or merely dreamed them.

I highly recommend this film to anyone looking for a nice afternoon of theater seating and popcorn munching.

Show Time Too

Saw American Hustle today and am disappointed. Both the storyline and the acting are uneven, with some places needing dialog to fill in for poor acting, and other places needing more believable acting to back up the storyline. If you like the TV series starring Timothy Hutton, Leverage, you'll be disappointed in American Hustle because Leverage did a much better job of defining the con, setting the wheels in motion, and then walking away clear.

Individual performances suffered from over-sell, with Jennifer Lawrence's uneven and often poor ability to relate to her character in a believable manner becoming a distraction throughout, as were her hairstyles and lipstick. Amy Adams did a much better "acting job," but she, too, had a tendency to over-play her character throughout. Amy Adam's boobs had quite the starring role in the film, with every top she wore baring her girls (which are small) and distracting from the actual storyline. Christian Bales is excellent from opening to closing credits, both in physical appearance and in character portrayal.

A disappointment when compared to the other films I've been enjoying (see previous posting).

Show Time

In the past couple of weeks, I’ve been to several movies as it’s cold outside and warm inside the theater – a perfect reason to go to the movies. Of the movies I’ve watched, four of them have been outstanding: The Dallas Buyer’s Club, Philomena, Enough Said, and Saving Mr. Banks. I judge movies as good when the story is strong and both engages and entertains me; when the acting is seamless, with the actors being the characters, rather than actors portraying a character; and when I walk out of the theater compelled to talk about the experience. The four movies I named all share those characteristics. However, one other movie I enjoyed is nominated for Best Picture at one of the upcoming awards show, and that puzzles me.

Sandra Bullock is the star of a space-themed film, Gravity. It is a good enough film, but very thin on plot and character development. There is a scene wherein George Clooney’s spirit comes back from his demise in deep space to tell Sandra’s character how to calm down and save herself. Formulaic, mildly interesting, and predictable character portrayals, including Bullock’s oft-repeated “No, no, no, no, no” panic call that she uses to define character in several movies in which she has starred.

It’s interesting to me that Gravity gets “best picture” and “best actress” nominations, while the other movies, which are so much better and worth watching, have … none.

Standing Up

One of the reasons people come to the United States is because there are freedoms here that are not a part of the people’s lives in other countries. I can speak my mind in the US, but would guard my words in many foreign countries, such as on my cruise stops in various islands in the Mediterranean, my visit to China, and even my visit to my son’s home in Canada. However, this basic American freedom of speech is being challenged and amended by people who take offense at what others say and/or do and want retribution in the media and the courts. Rather than being challenged to speak our minds, we are being reminded to bite our tongues because someone who disagrees with our thoughts can change the course of our lives.

I don’t watch Duck Dynasty and have little idea about the characters and their life styles because I don’t find the basic premise of a reality show about people’s lives to be interesting or real. The father of the family, Phil, is currently being vilified by the LGBT community for saying that homosexuality is against his basic beliefs, which are Bible-based and supported by Scripture. The LGBT community wants Father Duck held accountable for his comments because they shed an unfavorable light on the LGBT lifestyle. The LGBT community has a right to live their lives in the ways that they define, but Father Phil does not have the right to live his life in the ways that he defines. The basic discord is that LGBTs have the freedom to condemn him for his beliefs, but he has no right to condemn them for theirs.

This is a country where I stand up for MY beliefs and allow others to have their beliefs, especially when they disagree with mine. We discuss, we argue, we compromise – but we don’t take away the Constitutional rights of one person in favor of another. If I am gay, that is my business; if I am straight, that is also my business. Just as it is wrong for me to forcefully impose my lifestyle on others, it is wrong for others to forcefully impose their lifestyles on me.

Every generation has a population that finds acceptance through diversity, joining like-minded individuals to form groups that give strength and power to individuals who otherwise may never experience that. It’s not a case of right/wrong but a condition of difference, and this country is based on diversity, not unanimity. The LGBT community celebrates their personal diversity, but demands unanimity in that all people should believe what they believe, preach their message, and support their lifestyle. The LGBT community proclaims that they have the right to live their lifestyle and to hold people such as the Duck Dynasty Phil accountable to a higher standard than they live. If anyone in the LGBT community were treated with the disrespect Duck Dynasty father Phil has been, the hue and cry would be legendary. The rest of the world is not supposed to stand up for Father Phil’s treatment at the hands of a very vocal minority, lest they too are sucked into the controversy and vilified for what they believe. The minority manipulates the media to support their cause at the expense of other people’s right to freedom of speech.

How much stronger would be the case for understanding and acceptance if the LGBT vocalists would have supported Father Phil’s right to say whatever he believes is the truth, the same way that the LGBT community has the right to say whatever they believe is the truth. There is room for diversity, as well as discussion, and the discussion is what opens the door for all to believe.

FOLLOWING UP: A spokesperson for GLAAD says, "We believe the next step is to use this as an opportunity for Phil to sit down with gay families in Louisiana and learn about their lives and the values they share.” While that is noble from one perspective, by that very "opportunity ... to sit down with gay families ... and learn," the presumption is that Phil is wrong and the gay perspective is right and that Phil needs to be educated about something he already knows from his religious upbringing and does not support. Perhaps we all need to invite our gay friends over for a chat about their lifestyle and values?

Third Time a Charm

When my cataracts became big enough, it was time for surgery to remove them. Because I have ambliopia (lazy eye) and astigmatism, I was offered the option to have replacement lenses at an additional out-of-pocket expense of $1500 per eye. After being assured that my vision will be better post-surgery than it’s ever been in my life, and after researching the internet to get a feel for the positives and negatives, I gave my consent and paid my money for the replacement lenses.

Three days after surgery on my right eye, something didn’t feel right – and I couldn’t see out of that eye. A bit alarmed, I contacted the doctor and went in for a quick check-up. Come to find out, the lense had rotated and had to be redone, so instead of having the left eye done the next week, I had the right eye lense repositioned. Then I went in for the left eye and voila! I had great vision.

This past week was my 3 month check-up and I told the doctor I really cannot see as well today as I could post-surgery. She checked – and a film has over-grown the right lense. Guess who’s going back in for yet another (minor) surgical fix?
At this point in time, I’m glad the left eye has been good, but now I know that a film can cover the artificial lense, which is signaled by traffic lights resembling exploding 4th of July fireworks! I'm am assured that once the film is removed with a laser, it will not regrow.

My individual issues are not common, according to my doctor and the internet, but so far, I’ve had more than my share and don’t want to deal with any further issues any time soon.

It's All About the Music

Without question, my favorite TV singing show is The Sing-Off, featuring a capella singing groups with a range of ages and abilities. The Sing Off was awesome the first time around, but it didn’t make it back on-air last year. This year, it’s back in a slightly different format, including fewer performance groups and a quicker pace.The basic premise is ten singing groups, ranging from 5 performers to 20 or so, who prepare presentations within a musical context, such as Party Anthems. Each froup performs, is critiqued by judges who actually have professional singing careers, and the bottom two choirs at the end of each episode duel for the save that brings one of the bottom two groups back for the next round in the competition. Every group is good, but there is always another group who is better – and that head-to-head competition elevates the bottom groups to bring their A game if they expect to be saved.

The pros on the show include Nick Lachey, host, and judges Ben Fols, Shawn Stockman, and this year’s new addition, Jewel. Because all of the pros are professional musicians, they are tuned into the talent, rather than focused on the cute performances that often mask weak singing. For instance, Justin Beiber would be a good member of a choir, but he doesn’t have a solo voice; hence, all the electronic enhancement and distractions on the stage to keep the focus off his basic weakness: his voice. On the other end of the spectrum, a Whitney Houston voice needs a large choir to help her blend as her powerful voice demands singing solos, and would over-power a small a capella group. In an a capella group, every voice has to be a “best” voice because each member has to carry his/her own weight and not drag down the over-all performance of the choir.

The competitors need to have strong bass vocalists to anchor the bottom range of the songs, the bass provided solely with vocals because no instrumentation augments the singing. Additionally, there is a “beat box” performer who sets the tempo and keeps the performance moving to … the beat … without having a drummer on stage. There also have to be enough members of the group to fill in both the mid-range and the high end, and all of it has to be cohesive, as well as technically perfect to win the contest. Any one performer dragging the tempo, or flatting a high note, or rushing the bridge can justify being in the bottom two and headed back home for the holidays.

This years’ groups include a high school team, a typical street corner group of singers from days gone by, a niche performance group of Filipino male singers, and a large group of male performers who go by the name of AcoustiCats. Sprinkled into the mix are groups that include both male and female performers who blend their voices in song and accentuate the pieces with choreography that keeps the eyes entertained while the ears listen to the music. Too much choreography distracts from the music, and poorly performed music stands out with nothing else on stage to mask a singing issue.

I’m happy to have The Sing Off back this year and hope that it comes back every holiday to delight those of us who enjoy real singing, rather than electronically enhanced lip-syncing.

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

Mike Tomlin may have been able to apologize for a mistake of standing on the field and in front of a sidelines' runner this weekend, but the smug smirk on his face says differently. He knew exactly where he was standing, he was standing there purposefully, and he interfered with a runner who could have picked up more yardage and, perhaps, scored a touchdown.

There is no excuse for his actions, nor any contrition on his part, and I hope that the NFL throws the book at him.