Film Foodie: The Oscar Project

Hamlety Pizza

2011-07-24T19:58:00.002-04:00

Hamlet and pork products? I know, it's corny. But it works! And I think I cheated a little bit...I used my favorite version of ham: prosciutto and pancetta. And to be even more Italian I decided to make pizza. I've actually never made my own pizza, except for one effort that went seriously awry. This time I used baby steps; I purchased the pizza dough from a local Italian grocery store. I then tried three different pizza recipes all on the recommendation of my favorite food blog, SmittenKitchen. And she didn't disappoint. Below are my attempts at fresh ricotta and red onion pizza, bacon, onions, and cream pizza, and shaved asparagus pizza. With a few tweaks.

"Oh that this too...would melt" Asparagus Pizza
You'll Need:
1 medium sized ball of fresh pizza dough, uncooked
1/2 pound uncooked asparagus
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1-1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
2 tbsps olive oil
1 scallion
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Take the asparagus and starting from the base, peel upwards in strips (like with a cucumber). No need to snap the ends off. Get as many peelings as you can, and press firmly for thick slices. Toss peelings when complete with 1 tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper to season. Set aside in a bowl.
Roll out and stretch dough until correct size with ends slightly higher for crust. Cover the dough with remaining olive oil and a tsp salt. Cover baking sheet with tin foil and then place pizza on a square of parchment paper.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese, then mozzarella, over the dough. Top with asparagus. Bake in the oven 10-15 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and asparagus slightly browned. Immediately top with sliced scallion and set aside to cool.

"Goodnight, sweet prince" Prosciutto Ricotta Pizza

You'll Need:

1 medium sized ball of fresh pizza dough, uncooked

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 1/2 tbsps golden brown sugar

2 tbsps olive oil

2 tbsps balsamic vinegar

1 large red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 pound prosciutto

1 tsp fresh sage

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in medium saucepan. Cook onions with brown sugar until dark brown and tender, about 15 minutes. Mix in vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until thickened, about 2 minutes more. Turn off heat.
Roll out and stretch dough until correct size with ends slightly higher for crust. Cover the dough with remaining olive oil and a tsp salt. Cover baking sheet with tin foil and then place pizza on a square of parchment paper.
Spread the onion mixture over the center of the dough within a 1/4 inch of the edge. Top with ricotta and then place prosciutto over the top. Sprinkle with sage.
Bake in oven for about 12 minutes, or until bread is brown and crusty.

"To die: To sleep" Pancetta and Cream Pizza

You'll Need:

1 medium sized ball of fresh pizza dough, uncooked

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tbsp all purpose flour

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1/4 pound pancetta, cubed

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Cook pancetta with 1 tsp olive oil until slightly browned. Then remove pancetta and set aside. Add onions to the pan and cook until slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat.
Roll out and stretch dough until correct size with ends slightly higher for crust. Cover the dough with remaining olive oil and a tsp salt. Cover baking sheet with tin foil and then place pizza on a square of parchment paper.
Whisk together ricotta, sour cream, and flour. Add salt and pepper to season.
Spread the cheese mixture over the center of the dough within a 1/4 inch of the edge. Top with onions and pancetta.
Bake in oven for about 12 minutes, or until bread is golden brown.

Different in their own ways, but incredibly yummy. Pizza was a success! SmittenKitchen never leads me wrong. I keep changing my mind about my favorite, but the asparagus was very good. Well then... until next time? For now...I'll enjoy the melted cheese...

Hamlet (1948)

2011-07-10T20:53:00.002-04:00

"So oft it chances in particular men / That through some vicious mole of nature in them, / By the o'ergrowth of some complexion / Oft breaking down the pales and forts of reason, / Or by some habit grown too much; that these men - / Carrying, I say, the stamp of one defect, / Their virtues else - be they as pure as grace, / Shall in the general censure take corruption / From that particular fault... This is the tragedy of a man who could not make up his mind." Opening Narration, Hamlet (1948)

Hamlet has never been my favorite Shakespearean play. I can appreciate it, I can enjoy certain scenes, I can even understand it. But I don't particularly like it. Hamlet is so damn whiny and self-involved--like most college students home over break. So you can imagine I was dreading this one. I wish I could say I finished the film enlightened and moved by a famous tragedian. I wasn't. I kept checking the time to see how much more I had left. And Oliver cut my absolute favorite characters to boot. Give me MacBeth over Hamlet any day; at least Lady MacBeth follows through.

Opening scene to Hamlet

Plot

The opening quote (taken in pieces and modified from Act I Scene IV of the play) above is narrated by Lawrence Olivier, who plays the character of Prince Hamlet. The lines fade away and the camera pans to soldiers changing shifts atop the castle of Elsinore. A sentry, Francisco, changes shifts with Bernardo and another sentry, Marcellus, both of whom have seen the ghost of the recently deceased King Hamlet. Marcellus brings with him the skeptical Horatio, a friend of the young Prince Hamlet, played by Norman Wooland. The three men see the ghost of the old King, but when they ask him to speak, the ghost hurries away.

Horatio sees the ghost of King Hamlet

Meanwhile, the court is celebrating the recent marriage of Gertrude, King Hamlet's widowed Queen, to his brother, the new King Claudius, played by Basil Sydney. Gertrude, played by Eileen Herlie, has married Claudius a month after her husband was killed by an accidental snakebite. Despite entreaties from both the King and Queen, Prince Hamlet sits alone and broods. Horatio interrupts him and brings him to the castle battlements with the story of the ghost. They wait, and soon the ghost appears and beckons him to follow. Alone, Hamlet hears the true recounting of his father's death. He was poisoned when Claudius poured poison in his ear while he slept. The ghost leaves, after charging him to both be kind to his mother and revenge his father. Hamlet is tormented with indecision, and decides to pretend madness in order to draw out Claudius's guilt.

Queen Gertrude speak with Hamlet

Polonius, played by Felix Aylmer, King Claudius's chief counselor, watches his son Laertes, played by Terrence Morgan, leave on an extended trip for France. Before Laertes leaves, he advises his sister Ophelia not to fall in love with Hamlet, as he must marry for the good of the kingdom. Ophelia, played by Jean Simmons, has exchanged love letters with Hamlet, but first Laertes and then Polonius caution her against his courtship. Later, when Hamlet begins to act mad, Polonius believes it is because of his love for Ophelia. He tells Ophelia to return Hamlet's letters, and then hides nearby to see how Hamlet reacts. Hamlet remains consistently mad, and manages to both frighten Ophelia and break her heart. Both Claudius and Polonius are convinced of Hamlet's madness.

Ophelia and Hamlet

Hamlet hires traveling players to perform the play, "The Murder of Gonzago." But Hamlet alters the play to portray how his father actually died. The play is performed before the court, and Claudius is unable to watch and runs to his room. Hamlet, convinced now of his guilt, follows Claudius to his room but catches him praying. Unwilling to kill him while he prays, Hamlet goes instead to confront his mother. He hears a voice from the curtains and, believing it to be Claudius, runs the curtains through. After discovering he has killed Polonius, he is only mildly upset and continues to harangue his mother about her swift marriage. Suddenly Hamlet hears the ghost of his father, reminding him to be good to his mother. Hamlet speaks with the ghost but Gertrude cannot see it and becomes convinced her son is mad.

Gertrude fear Hamlet is mad

Hamlet is banished by Claudius to England, where Claudius has contrived for him to be assassinated. But Hamlet's ship is attacked by pirates, and he manages to return to England. In the meantime Ophelia has been driven mad by death of her father and Hamlet's rejection and spends her days wandering the castle picking flowers and singing nonsense songs. Laertes arrives home distraught to find his sister mad and his father dead. He is further disturbed when Ophelia drowns, presumable having committed suicide. Hamlet returns just as Ophelia is being buried and is attacked by a grieving Laertes. But Claudius pulls him away and then talks him into revenge against Hamlet by challenging him to a duel with swords. Claudius will give Laertes a poison-tipped sword that will kill at the slightest scratch. Claudius also prepares a poison drink, in case Laertes fails.

Laertes finds Ophelia has gone mad

Hamlet accepts the duel and the two fight, with Hamlet winning the first two rounds. Gertrude sees Claudius making much of a goblet for Hamlet and suspects it is poisoned. She drinks from it while Claudius watches in horror. Laertes finally scratches Hamlet who continues to fight, not knowing he will soon die. In the fight, he switches swords with Laertes and scratches him, fatally wounding him. At that moment, Gertrude dies, telling Hamlet of the poisoned cup. With his dying breath, Laertes confesses the plot, and Hamlet attacks Claudius in a fit of rage. Hamlet kills Claudius, and then staggers to the throne while the courtiers kneel before him. He then dies himself. Horatio is horrified, and orders that Hamlet be given a soldiers funeral. Hamlet's body to brought to the top of the battlements, while cannons are shot off from the castle in respect.

Final scene of Hamlet

History

British actor Lawrence Olivier had had great critical success with his production of Henry V in 1944, and decided to try again in his second Shakespearean cinematic role. Hamlet wasn't his first choice; but Orson Welles had just finished filming Macbeth and was starting production on Othello. Olivier was determined, however, that this be just as great a success as his last film, and he wasn't too concerned with Shakespearean accuracy. Writer Alan Dent, who was helping him with the screenplay, recalled that "one has to choose between making the meaning clear to twenty million cinemagoers and making two thousand Shakespearean experts wince, or not changing a word. We decided to make the minority wince." They trimmed the play from four hours to two hours and thirty minutes and changed some of the dialogue to make it easier to grasp. They hired Jean Simmons, a young rising British star as Ophelia and 28-year-old Eileen Herlie as Hamlet's mother, Gertrude. Olivier himself was 40 years old. He also voiced the deposed King himself, by recording it and then playing it back much more slowly. He died his hair blonde, and even did his own stunts by jumping from the parapet in the scene where he kills King Claudius. The biggest change that Olivier made was to get rid of the characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, in an effort to focus more on the psychological aspects of the play, rather than the political.

Sir Lawrence Olivier as Hamlet

The inventive camera effects and tricks were greatly inspired by Orson Welles's groundbreaking work in Citizen Cane. Olivier stuck to his image as a prominent thespian by insisting they keep to black and white film as an artistic premise. He would later come to admit he was in a heated argument with Technicolor. But despite, or perhaps because of all the changes, Oliver's turn as the troubled Prince of Denmark was a success, much to the shock of the Hollywood bigwigs. Without much advertising or Oscar plugging, Hamlet was well on its way to sweeping both the awards and audiences.

Hamlet drops on the King

Hamlet wasn't the only big movie in 1948; films like The Red Shoes, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and Johnny Belinda were all major contenders. But far more pressing on the mind of the Academy members was where they were going to get the funds for this year's banquet. In past years, the major studio heads had contributed the bulk of the funds, happy to pay for a ceremony that would lend them prestige and increase profits. But in May of 1948 the Supreme Court told the major studios they couldn't own both their movie theater chains and their studios, as they were in violation of anti-trust laws. The studios were forced to sell the theater chains, which represented half of their profits. To make things worse, 1948 also marked the year that the World Series, Milton Berle and Ed Sullivan were broadcast on American television sets. Movie ticket sales plummeted. In December the Academy got the bad news--the studios were pulling their funding to cut costs.

The Academy of Motion Pictures Screening Theater

The Academy President, Jean Hersholt, threatened to resign in protest. As it was he only agreed to stay on through the awards, and then announced that the ceremonies would be held in the Academy's 950-seat screening theater; last year's ceremonies at the Shrine Auditorium boasted 6,700 seats. Hersholt turned down offers to host the Awards in stadiums in other cities, in the original place of the Ambassador Hotel, and especially for a local television station to broadcast the awards (though this was mostly out of spite for the new medium.) Academy members lit up the switchboards to complain; their $36 yearly dues would not get them tickets this year.

Madame Karinska receives her first Best Costume Oscar from Elizabeth Taylor

Hersholt opened the ceremonies by dourly announcing his new successor, screenwriter/producer Charles Brackett. The emcee, a rather smarmy Robert Montgomery, seemed to feel his entire job was to ogle the newest studio starlets who had been hired to distribute the awards throughout the show. Ava Gardiner, Deborah Kerr, Arlene Dahl, and seventeen-year-old Elizabeth Taylor were among the presenters that evening. This was the first year an Oscar for "Best Costume Design" would be presented, and legendary Hollywood costumer Edith Head thought she had it in the bag, as she "had been doing motion pictures before the Oscar even existed." Yet she was forced to sit and watch while Madame Karinska and Dorothy Jenkins won for the "sack-cloths and suits of armor" in Joan of Arc.

Director John Huston and father Walter Huston celebrate their Oscars

The night would include big wins for Treasure of the Sierra Madre director John Huston; he won both Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. He also directed his father, Walter Huston, to win a the award for Best Supporting Actor, who then said, "Many years ago...I raised a son and I said to him, 'If you ever become a writer or a director, please find a good part for your old man.'" Jane Wyman, famous for being Ronald Reagan's first wife (and an actress), won for Best Actress in Johnny Belinda. Lawrence Olivier was announced "Best Actor" to muted applause, and because of his absence, his friend Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. sheepishly accepted for his friend. And then actress Ethel Barrymore stepped onstage to announce the winner of Best Picture.

Sir Laurence Olivier gets his Oscar

Hollywood moguls had gawked in some dismay at the increasingly popular films to come out of Great Britain. And they were very upset to learn of Hamlet's many nominations. Barrymore in particular was incensed with the film, and very vocally insisted it could not compare to her brother John's onstage performance. Which was why she was so shaken to open the envelope and discover that same film to be the winner. Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. accepted the second Oscar as the audience filed out in disgust. When Olivier, who was starring with his wife Vivien Leigh in a London stage production of School for Scandal, was reached at 9am the next morning he issued a public statement thanking the Academy for the honor given to him and his associates. When asked how he would celebrate, Olivier said, "Oh, perhaps an extra drink after tonight's show."

Hamlet's dying scene.

Studios were up in arms about Hamlet's win until former president Hersholt announced that their lack of support had led to the change in ceremony, making them look like petulant children. Tabloids both lauded and denigrated the Academy, but it was the governor of California who said of Oscar, "At the ripe old age of twenty-one, he has shown that he is free to vote as he pleases." In time, the specter of Hamlet has faded in the face of Olivier's stronger Shakespearean films, Henry V and Richard III. It is Olivier's acting that has stood the test of time, rather than the film itself. It is, however, one of only two foreign films to win Best Picture, the second being Slumdog Millionaire sixty years later.

The Verdict?

Well--you can tell this wasn't my favorite. I tried to like it! I was an English major. Shouldn't I be holding a skull aloft and making arcane pronouncements? I feel like a traitor. To be honest, I've always felt a bit of a traitor for not being a huge Shakespeare fan. I do like the Bard, and I can both appreciate and enjoy his plays. All in all, I find it much easier to recite and/or see his plays rather than read them like a book. But I prefer his comedies, or even MacBeth. In the end, I much prefer Oscar Wilde to Shakespeare. Much more my sense of humor.

Gratuitous melodrama in Hamlet.

And then there are the female characters in Hamlet. Ophelia, who goes mad after her father dies and her boyfriend dumps her, and Gertrude, who marries her brother-in-law and manages to serve as a kind of Oedipal catalyst. Neither one is a particularly stirring female character, and Ophelia in particular bugs me as I find myself continually rooting for her to do something. Stop reciting weird poetry.

Gertrude drinks the poison.

But enough about Hamlet. I think my biggest challenge in watching a film like this is over-stimulation. Before I watched this film I had seen several other film representations of Hamlet, gone to a Hamlet production, read the play, and dissected it in English class. I have even read and seen Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, which I much prefer to Hamlet. Watch it, they play a question game as a tennis match.

But again I digress, again. This film showed nothing new to me to gain my interest. When I see a production of Shakespeare, I'm always interested in how the director will bring his own sensibilities to any given play. Will he place the characters in modern times and arm them with guns as Baz Luhrmann did? Will the director decide Hamlet truly is going mad, or that Ophelia is indeed pregnant with Hamlet's child? I once saw a very interesting production of A Midsummer Night's Dream where the scenery became increasingly bare until the end when the actors were just in front of a white backdrop. I want to know why this rendition of the play is different, and what should make it stand out for me. I did not find anything in this version of Hamlet.

Hamlet fights Laertes

Again, perhaps I am jaded. This was the first sound film of Hamlet, and Olivier did make changes. But I find it was a very average, very unoriginal portrayal of a play I don't really like to begin with. If I had seen it in 1948, I would have perhaps been more easily stirred. But I really think that it is not the lack of 21st century bells and whistles I find irritating, but instead lack of imagination I find in this film. And yet, I would absolutely see Olivier in Richard III. Olivier has a kind of dark magnetism and cunning strength that I find much more suited to a villainous anti-hero. Don't worry Olivier, it's not you, it's me.

Pity-Me-Pita-Chips

2011-06-26T12:28:00.000-04:00

While I know pita and hummus are not Jewish foods, I can't explain why I have always associated this particular snack with Judaism. It's actually much more Middle Eastern than anything else. Pita is a an Arabic flat bread popular in the Middle East and areas of the Mediterranean. And lately it has become one of my favorite snacks. So I thought I'd pick this food for this film, because honestly it seems like my food associations with these films have become tenuous at best.

The following is a simple, easy, and exceedingly yummy way to make homemade pita chips.

Pity-Me-For-Eating-Too-Many-Pita-Chips

You'll Need:
Kosher Sea Salt
Garlic Salt
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Olive Oil Spray
At least two loaves of Pita Bread (I prefer Joseph's Whole Wheat)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Slice the bread in half and then into small triangles, much as you would a pizza.
Line a baking sheet with tine foil and then arrange the triangles of pita across the sheet.
Lightly spray the olive oil over the pita bread so that it is evenly coated, and then drizzle the remaining oil over the bread. Try to make sure each slice has a little oil on it, but not too much is needed.
Liberally sprinkle the chips with garlic salt and kosher salt. Yes, this is a lot a salt. But that's what makes it great! The amount is entirely to taste.
Bake the chips for about 7-10 minutes, or until golden and slightly brown around the edges. If the entire chip is browned, it will taste burned. Feel free to rotate the pan to make sure the chips bake evenly.
Take the chips out of the oven and enjoy!

These chips can be eaten alone, but are also great with hummus and other dips. They're also not horrible for you, if you get the whole wheat bread and are stingy with the oil. I've yet to try this with cinnamon and sugar or perhaps Parmesan cheese, but I will! Of course, every time I think about making changes, I end up going for the recipe. It's hard to mess with perfection.

Gentleman's Agreement

2011-06-19T22:28:00.000-04:00

"The world is stirring in very strange ways. Maybe this is the century for it. Maybe that's why it's so troubled. Other centuries had their driving forces. What will ours have been when men look back? Maybe it won't be the American century after all... or the Russian century or the atomic century. Wouldn't it be wonderful... if it turned out to be everybody's century... when people all over the world - free people - found a way to live together? I'd like to be around to see some of that... even the beginning."---Mrs. Green to Phil (Gentleman's Agreement, 1947)

I was reluctant to see this film, as I have never been one to enjoy a film of moralizing and platitudes. I knew that the purpose of this film was to expose anti-semitism, and I was afraid this would turn into another "The Life of Emile Zola." Much pontificating without plot or purpose. But I didn't give credit to the fact that ten years have passed since that film, and therefore Darryl Zanuck was able to craft a much subtler, worthier film. This film is a story about average people first, and a political piece second. It's why the message manages to be heard. Zanuck doesn't hit you over the head with his point, but he sneaks it into the lives of his characters. Though sometimes redundant and choppy, I appreciated this film--especially when I discovered the interesting
historical ramifications that occurred years later.

Mrs. Green speak to her son, Phil

The Plot
Philip Schuyler Green, played by Gregory Peck, is a widowed journalist of some success, who has just moved to New York City with his mother and young son to pursue a new job with a liberal magazine, Smith's Weekly. His publisher, John Minify, wants him to do a story on anti-semitism that will "blow the lid off it." Phil is disappointed, and feels that it has been done before, but he allows Minify to bring him to his home for a party where he meets Minify's niece, Kathy, a young socialite and divorcée who was actually the driving force behind Minify's story. Kathy, played by Dorothy McGuire, and Phil hit it off right away and begin dating.

Phil and his family

Phil then agrees to do the story once he decides on the perfect angle: he will pretend to be Jewish.
Minify is thrilled and agrees to keep Phil's true faith a secret from the rest of the magazine. But Kathy is confused that he might really be Jewish and concerned for him, though she eventually agrees to play along. The two fall in love and decide to marry. Meanwhile workers at the magazine have found out Phil is Jewish. His new secretary, Elaine Wales, confesses that she only got this job after she changed her name from Estelle Walofsky. Phil tells Minify who then changes their hiring policy. But when Wales discovers the changes, she confesses to Green that she is worried that this will allow them to let in a "kikey" Jew.

Phil and his secretary, Elaine

After suffering through discrimination at both his apartment building and workplace, Phil talks to Kathy who asks that they be able to tell her sister Jane about the ruse before their engagement party at Jane's house in Connecticut. Phil wonders why it matters, and Kathy says that she doesn't want any confusion. At the same time his mother, played by Anne Revere, has been suffering from heart problems. When Phil asks the doctor if she should see a specialist (who happens to be Jewish) the doctor asks if he is sure he wants to see someone who might raise his prices and behave sneakily. Soon after, Phil's best friend Dave Goldman, played by John Garfield, arrives in New York having finished his tour in the army. He has gotten a great job, but needs to find a home so he can bring his family over from California. He stays with Phil and advises him on being Jewish while searching for a home.

Phil tells Kathy the plan

Phil and Dave meet up with Anne, the style editor at Phil's paper who is attracted to Phil. Dave is insulted at dinner and almost punches another customer for calling him a "kyke." Anne begins spending time with Phil and Dave, and she is one of the few people who is completely unprejudiced, though she doesn't know the truth about Phil. Kathy and Phil continue to fight, espeically when she asks him again not to bring up his article at their engagement party. She finally agrees with Phil and tells her sister that Phil will not hide his article. Phil and Kathy make up, and he goes to Darien, Connecticut for the party. He is pleasantly surprised by how supportive everyone at the party is, unaware that Jane has screened the guest list and only invited those neighbors she knows won't cause a problem. Kathy shows Phil her cottage nearby, claiming that she never lived in it with her ex-husband as she only wanted to live there with someone she loved. She says that she and the house have been waiting for Phil.

Kathy, Phil, Dave, and Anne

Two days before the wedding, Anne tells Phil and Kathy that the swanky hotel they were planning on staying in for the honeymoon is "restricted" and therefore won't allow Jews. Phil's mother has another attack soon after, and Kathy stays to care for her while Phil goes up to the hotel to see if they really won't let him in. When he asks the hotel if they will refuse him his room because he is Jewish, they insist that his room is not available and ask him to leave.

Phil is rejected at the hotel

Phil returns to find that Dave is considering giving up his new job because he cannot find a home for his family. After Dave leaves he asks Kathy why she didn't volunteer her empty cottage. Kathy confesses that she is worried about trouble from the neighbors should they learn a Jewish person is living next door. She mentions that Darien has a "gentleman's agreement" about selling their homes to Jews. Tommy, Phil's son, interrupts in tears and says he was chased by the other boys and called a "dirty yid" and "stinking kyke." Kathy hugs him and tells him not to worry because it isn't true, but Phil pull him away and calms him. He then lectures Kathy on comforting Tommy not by telling them prejudice is wrong, but by confirming it's okay because he isn't Jewish. He says he has learn that the "nice people" continue prejudice by not protesting it. Kathy says she is grateful she doesn't have to deal with prejudice and is tired of feeling sorry for it. They decide to break up.

Kathy embraces Tommy

Dave and Anne come back from going out on the town, and Phil tells Dave what happened with Tommy. Dave tells him he can quit now, because he finally understand the worst of prejudice. Phil writes and prints his story, "I Was Jewish for 8 Weeks," and announces that he is returning to California. Anne realizes he is upset about his break-up with Kathy and asks him over for drinks. Meanwhile Kathy asks Dave to meet her at a restaurant to talk about her break-up with Phil. She tells him that she's not prejudiced, and hates thinking that she is. She tells Dave about a party she just attended where someone told a racist joke, and no one said anything. It made her feel sick inside. But then Dave continues to ask her, "but what did you do?" Kathy realizes that Phil was upset with her because even though she wasn't prejudiced, she wouldn't fight prejudice along with him. Dave tells Kathy that she's not a bad person, and that a man just wants to have a wife that will stand beside him during the rough times.

Kathy and Dave have dinner

Anne and Phil have a drink at her apartment, while Phil confesses what happened with Kathy. Anne tells him that he should want a wife who will raise his children the right way, with the same morals he possesses. "Are you proposing, Anne?" Phil asks. Anne replies that she is, but it is clear Phil does not care for Anne the way he does for Kathy.

Anne proposes to Phil

When he arrives home his mother is reading his manuscript, and she stops to tell him how proud she is of him. Dave comes in and calls his boss in front of him, saying that he has finally found a house. He reveals that Kathy has agreed to rent him her cottage, and she will live next door at her sister's house to help challenge the prejudice there. Phil goes to her apartment and embraces her.

Phil comes back to Kathy

The History
Post-World War II America was doing its best to forget the horrible images of genocide and racial hatred. In any event, prejudice of that kind was a European problem, best underscored by the continuing reports of the Nuremberg Trials. Americans were the conquering heroes, and now all the problems were over. But America had its own brand of prejudice, and in 1946 author Laura Z. Hobson wrote a book about a journalist who pretends to be Jewish in order to expose prejudice in America. The book received rave reviews, and was an instant best-seller.

An important Jewish executive tells Minify to "leave it alone."

It is a historical irony that in a time when the majority of Hollywood's powerful producers were Jewish immigrants, the myth of the homogenized American ideal was first propagated. Jews didn't exist in film at all, or if they did, they existed only as a gross parody. Scripts were purged of references to other ethnic identities or diversity. So despite the success of a book like Hobson's Gentleman's Agreement, most of the Hollywood big-wigs refused to touch it, and even tried to persuade Darryl Zanuck to shelve the project, claiming it would stir up too much trouble. Zanuck was undeterred, and even added a scene to the film (when Phil first meets the members of his paper) that mirrored Zanuck's issues with the studio bosses. He also received flack from various Catholic groups, claiming that the leading lady couldn't be a divorced woman.

Gregory Peck and Dorothy McGuire

Zanuck himself was not Jewish, although with his foreign sounding name was often mistaken as such. There is a rumor that he was inspired to attempt the project when refused membership to the elite Los Angeles Country Club after being mistaken as Jewish. He gathered a strong cast, headed by new heartthrob Gregory Peck, and a relatively new Broadway director, Elia Kazan, fresh off A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Popular Jewish actor John Garfield agreed to play a much smaller part in the film, just to be a part of it.

Darryl Zannuck and his contemporaries

The film opened to rave reviews, and Zanuck began winning awards for the "advancement of democracy" and for making "strides against intolerance." But Zanuck wanted to make one point clear, insisting that, "I would like to emphasize that Gentleman's Agreement was primarily planned for entertainment rather than for any social message. I believe this is the chief reason for the success of the film." While the message was important for Zanuck, he strongly believed that films were meant to entertain first if they had any hope of reaching people with a message.

Phil and his mother and son

Gentleman's Agreement wasn't the only film about anti-semitism that year; another picture called Crossfire, produced by RKO, was also nominated for an Oscar for tackling the subject in a film-noir. But before they could congratulate themselves, both the director and producer were cited for contempt of Congress for not testifying before the House of Un-American Activities Committee or HUAC (they would later become part of the Hollywood Ten). The studio refused to promote the film, and both men were fired. In the wake of the scandal, new RKO head of production Dore Schary pushed his lighter, less controversial films. Films like The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer, The Farmer's Daughter, and The Bishop's Wife, were all to be promoted throughout the year. Editor of Daily Variety agreed with Schary, blasting Hollywood to start "making pictures for the public, not the Academy." He claimed that films were getting too artsy, and that the advent of television was starting to drain the movie-going audiences. Hollywood would have to "lighten up" if they wanted to continue to attract patrons.

Protesters for the "Hollywood Ten"

Just a few days before the awards, Daily Variety released a poll predicting the results, ended up with a about an 83% accuracy. Despite the lack of suspense, the public was excited going into the awards. ABC began its fourth annual radio broadcast to 45 million listeners, and five thousand fans waited outside the Shrine Auditorium to listen to the speakers blast a medley of Oscar winning songs and catch a glimpse of the giant birthday cake--Oscar turned 20 that day.

Edmund Gwenn as Santa Claus on Miracle on 34th Street

This year heralded a new innovation; the Academy decided to jumble the awards, instead of awarding the Technical Awards first before moving onto the major awards. The Academy claimed that this was to make each award equally important; Daily Variety quipped that it was in order to keep "a rush to the exits when the big awards are made" from happening. Tweety and Sylvester in "Tweetie Pie" beat out the perennially winning Tom and Jerry for the Cartoon Award, and Edmund Gwenn won the Best Supporting Actor award for playing Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street, after which claiming that "Now I know there's a Santa Claus."

Ingrid Bergman awards James Baskette the Oscar

Almost all the Art Direction and cinematography awards were given to foreign films, prompting Academy President Jean Hersholt to suggest that "an international award, if properly planned and carefully administered, would promote a closer relationship between American film craftsmen and those of other countries." Interestingly, the now notorious Disney film Song of the South (google it, seriously) won both Best Song, "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," and a special Oscar for "Uncle Remus" played by James Baskette, making him the first male African American actor to receive an Oscar, albeit a non-competitive one. Hedda Hopper wrote in her autobiography that she had suggested it as a great humanitarian move, as members had apposed it because Baskette played a slave and, according to Hopper, "The feeling was that Negroes should play only doctors, lawyers, and scientists." Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night was when Loretta Young won for Best Actress in The Farmer's Daughter beating out heavy favorite Rosalind Russell. Frederic March actually started to read Russell's name and then started again when he saw Young's instead. Russell took the disappointment well, and reportedly told her husband, "We're going to the party afterward anyway. I won't be bitter."

Celeste Holm wins his Oscar

Gentleman's Agreement was nominated for eight awards, and won three of them, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, and Best Picture. Celeste Holm was sitting in her seat, knitting, when she won, knocking her ball of yarn off her lap and under a few tables. At the podium she exclaimed, "Thank you for letting this happen. I'm so happy to be part of an industry that can create so much understanding in a world that needs it so much." Zanuck hosted the big after-party and everyone congratulated themselves on a good year, although the Hollywood Citizen-News suggested the Academy go all out with a variety show, saying, "Why not have some big production numbers, too, a few hundred dancing Oscars, say. Or a couple of bird acts, maybe."

From left: Darryl Zanuck, Edmund Gwen, Loretta Young, Ronald Colman, and Celeste Holm

While Gentleman's Agreement has not maintained the popularity it had in 1947, it did pave the way for socially conscious films by proving that they could be commercially viable. However, there were serious consequences that none of the people involved could have predicted. Based on the HUAC's tendency to associate Judaism with communism, in the early 1950s Elia Kazan, Darryl Zanuck, John Garfield, and Anne Revere were all called to testify. Celeste Holm tried to protest the treatment of those on the Hollywood Blacklist, but her lawyer warned her to stay out of it. According to Celeste Holm, he said "Darling girl, you're only going to get yourself in trouble. People are going to think you're a Communist." To which she replied, "It isn't illegal to be a Communist!" Her lawyer laughed and said, "People have forgotten that."

House of Un-American Activities Committee

Darryl Zanuck ultimately had to succumb to the pressure to fire of the Hollywood Ten who refused to testify, Ring Lardner Jr. Anne Revere refused to name names before the committee in 1951, and did not appear in films afterwards for another twenty years. Elia Kazan was subpoenaed in 1952, and while he at first refused to name names, upon his second hearing he caved and began to name people, a decision that has branded him a traitor to many Hollywood historians. He refused to apologize in later years and stood by his decision, and has even mentioned that Gentleman's Agreement is his least favorite film because of its sentimentality and forced romantic elements. John Garfield, a popular and well regarded actor, freely admitted his own left-wing past, but like Anne Revere, refused to name names. For the next year, Garfield was blacklisted in Hollywood, and the FBI followed his every move, even attempting to get him to testify against his wife. The night before he was to appear at his wife's hearing, Garfield suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 39. Many believed he died of a broken heart.

John Garfield as Dave fights in a restaurant

While the film may have faded in popularity with time, its message of tolerance is an important one. Even more important perhaps is the aftermath of the film, and an audience that wasn't really paying attention.

The Verdict?
There are many things I found fascinating about this film, and not all of them involve staring at Gregory Peck. Just most of them---kidding! Does that lighten the mood or undermine it?

Gregory Peck

Yes, Gregory Peck is very pretty. But more importantly this film does very interesting things with the subject of prejudice. As a modern viewer, I was struck by two ideas. One, that it was strange to see a film about prejudice that involves average people in an upper middle-class environment. I think these days a film about prejudice would inevitably be about African Americans, or maybe Native Americans. Even Asian Americans. And isn't it interesting that the year this film wins is the year Song of the South gets a special Oscar? Anyway, all this leads me to my second point. Any film that discusses anti-semitism in today's world has to involve the Holocaust in some way.

Celeste Holm with Gregory Peck

Now I'm sure you could throw several movies at me to make your point that a modern day film about anti-semitism doesn't have to involve the Holocaust. And you'd probably be right, because I just don't have enough background in that kind of film to be sure. But generally in the wake of Jon Stewart, Jerry Seinfeld, Barbara Streisand and Woody Allen, I think a film like Gentleman's Agreement just can't be made. One could make the argument that we've gotten past it, and anti-semitism is a thing of the past. Do I think this film's message still applies? Absolutely, but I'll get to that in a second.

Publicity still from Gentleman's Agreement

What I find so fascinating about this film is that it was filmed and released in 1947, just two years after the end of World War II. They were in the midst of the Nuremberg Trials. And yet there is not one reference to Hitler or the Holocaust. Even the character of Dave Goldman, an Jewish officer returning from the war, does not mention it. It's as though no one has heard of concentration camps, when I know that wasn't the case. I do know that the message of the Holocaust hadn't really hit home, and wouldn't for several years. But in a time when the Holocaust is almost interchangeable with the phrase "anti-semitism" and when Hitler is plastered on every protest poster, no matter what the protest, it is mind boggling for me to find a film about Jewish prejudice and not see references to any of that.

Phil and Kathy fight

For me, this makes this film all the more powerful. Because even though it is about anti-semitism, ripped of it's biggest modern day standard, I am able to focus more on the issue at hand. This film could apply to any number of prejudices. Now I know this film is criticized because it deals with white, middle to upper class Americans. But I think that just makes this film applicable to a whole host of people who believe themselves "above" racial prejudice. How many times have you heard someone make an inappropriate joke or comment, and kept silent? I know I have. I found myself squirming in my seat just as Kathy does, knowing that while I don't agree with prejudice, I'm comfortable in the knowledge that I don't have to face it.

Kathy leaves Phil

Despite all of Gregory Peck's posturing, moody speeches about equality and what's "right," my favorite moments in this film don't come from the fighting crusader, but from some of the quieter characters. Dorothy McGuire's face as she stutters, "Jewish? But you're not Phil--are you?" manages to convey fear, confusion, and a desperate attempt to "be cool with it." John Garfield's quiet insistence to Kathy of, "But what did you do about it?" is incredibly powerful. But the best line in this movie comes when Phil and Anne are sitting at a cocktail table having a drink with a co-worker who has inadvertently made an anti-semitic remark. When called on it, he anxiously backpedals, before becoming defensive, saying "Why, some of my best friends are-" Celeste Holm cuts him off and says, "I know dear, and some of your other best friends are Methodist, but you never bother to say it."

But some of my best friends are Jewish!

The message of this film is that prejudice will always exist unless people decide not to give into it. I found myself constantly thinking, "I do that," or, "I've seen friends do that." Between that, and its interesting historical connections, I found I enjoyed this film. And as a reflection of post-war America, I think it is certainly an unusual one. If I told you that you were about to watch a film about anti-semitism from 1947, this is not the movie you would expect. In a good way.

Baby Boomers and Ducks with Additude

2011-05-02T22:50:00.000-04:00

In honor of watching a film about a generation of people who are about to give birth to one of the biggest population booms in our history "Baby Boomers" I decided to showcase my latent cupcake talents. Also I had to go to a baby shower.

I have recently come into possession of some books on cupcakes, called Hello, Cupcake and What's New, Cupcake and have finally decided to use some of their recipes. I always thought these cupcakes beautiful but was concerned that there was no way I could even make them, despite what the clever cookbook said. But upon investigating the website I saw one of the creators, Karen Tack, blithely making adorable ducks. And I thought, she makes it look so simple. I could totally do that!

As you may have noticed on this blog, when I say "I could totally do that!" trouble inevitably follows. I am far too stubborn for my own good, and have a never say die attitude when it comes to baking. I made duck and flower cupcakes. The flowers I would definitely make again. The ducks...not so much.

Cute Ducks from the Devil
You'll need:
10 vanilla cupcakes in yellow wrappers
2-3 cans of vanilla frosting (yes, cans. Only the synthetic stuff has the write consistency, much to my chagrin)
yellow food coloring
5 large marshmallows
10 plain doughnut holes
10 orange fruit chews (or gross orange peanut candies)
20 brown M&Ms

Mix together about two cans of frosting with enough food coloring to get that bright yellow ducky color in a microwavable measuring cup. Set aside.
Cover all the cupcakes with a light layer of the white frosting.
Use a scissors to divide the marshmallows in half, and attach both the marshmallows and the doughnut holes to the cupcake. The doughnuts are the heads, the marshmallows, the tails. Use the white frosting in a frosting piping bag (or ziplock with the tip snipped off) to help secure both ends. Think of the frosting like glue. Place all the cupcakes in the freezer for 15 minutes or until a little frozen.
Microwave the yellow frosting, stopping to stir frequently, until the frosting has a liquid consistency.
Remove each cupcake one by one from the freezer, and then dip upside down in the yellow frosting, coating the cupcake all over and allowing the excess frosting to drip back into the measuring cup. Set aside and let cupcakes dry.
For the beaks, use the scissors to snip the candies, and attach to the doughnuts. Use the white frosting in the piping bag to attach the M&Ms as eyes.
Drink a large glass of wine, because man was that a bitch.

Yup, you can tell from my many sarcastic comments that these ducks were not easy, nor as perfect as I would have liked. Damn you, Karen. Luckily I did not make that many of these. Also luckily, the flower cupcakes were much MUCH easier. And very pretty. Does anyone know why my ducks are so creepy?

Chrysanthemums from Marshmallows

You'll Need:
24 chocolate cupcakes with paper liners
1-2 cans of vanilla frosting
1 bag of mini marshmallows
Various colored decorating sugars
Left over yellow frosting from ducks, or appropriate yellow candy for center

Separate each different color sugar into individual bowls.
Using sharp scissors, cut the mini marshmallows in half and place them sticky side down in the sugars.
Toss the marshmallows to coat, the sticky side should be completely covered in colored sugars.
Frost each cupcake individually, placing the marshmallows in concentric circles. See my pictures below. DO NOT frost all the cupcakes and then stick the marshmallows on. The frosting will harden, making it more difficult for the marshmallows to stick.
Leave a small space in the center and fill with yellow candy or yellow frosting.
If you want to go crazy (like Karen) use green licorice as stems on your plate.

These were great. It was an easy project to do in front of the television, didn't take very long, and the results were gorgeous and impressive. They were also much easier to transport than the ducks, which were pretty top heavy. These are great for Mother's Day, Baby Showers, or just a Birthday!

So in case you weren't paying attention...flowers=good. Ducks=sent from the Devil. I'm also waiting for the point when one of my friends sees this post and asks me why I have so much time on my hands. Hush. These are awesome. And you said I'd never make anything from these books!

I would also like to mention that Martha Steward makes an amazing cupcake carrying case. One side is a flat tray for cookies, but if you flip it upside down it has little holes to hold cupcakes. There are two interlocking tiers that fit inside the case. It's totally worth it. Look!

PS-All recipes are from the delightful books above. I can't take credit for any of it!

The Best Years of Our Lives

2011-05-01T18:17:00.000-04:00

"Give 'em time, kid; they'll catch on. You know your folks'll get used to you, and you'll get used to them. Then everything'll settle down nicely. Unless we have another war. Then none of us have to worry because we'll all be blown to bits the first day. So cheer up, huh?"---Butch Engle to his nephew, Homer (The Best Years of Our Lives, 1946)

I don't know now whether I am searching for meaning and emotion in these remaining films of the 1940s to suit my own thesis or whether I'm actually catching on to something. I feel like this film is what would happen if Father O'Malley left the church and went to war for a few years, came back, and started hanging out with Don Birnam after he tried to sober up. I loved it--even with the corny and predictable ending. Because I felt that maybe, just for a moment, it might not end so happily. For making me question the sunshine ending, and for making me yell at my television screen, this movie makes it near the top of my list.

The Plot
It's the end of World War II, and soliders are trying to get home. Three different men are all trying to get to their hometown of Boone City in the mid-west. The men, Air Force Captain Fred Derry, sailor Homer Parrish, and Army Sergeant Al Stephenson, all come from different backgrounds, but bond quickly in their shared insecurity about finally coming home as civilians. Al, played by Fredric March, is a former banker, an older man with a wife and two nearly grown children. Fred, played by Dana Andrews, is a former soda-jerk with a new bride and big dreams, though he comes from a lackluster upbringing. Homer, played by Harold Russell, the youngest, has lost both hands in the war and must return to his close-knit middle class family and girl-next-door fiancée. As the three nervously take a taxi home, they pass a tavern run by Homer's black sheet uncle, Butch, and are happy that there is at least one place they know they'll be welcomed.

Three Veterans on their way home.

Homer is dropped off first, joyfully welcomed by his parents and fiancee, Wilma Cameron, though his mother can't help but sob as she sees his prosthetic hooks. Al is dropped off next at his high-end apartment, where he is greeting in shock and joy by his wife Milly, played by Myrna Loy. His children have grown up in his absence, and while his son Rob is still in school, Peggy, played by Teresa Wright, has become a young woman. Lastly Fred is dropped off at the shanty where his alcoholic father and step-mother live, only to find that his wife Marie, played by Virginia Mayo, whom he married while in training in Texas after a whirlwind courtship, has moved out.

Al has come home.

All three are unexpectedly jarred and uncomfortable by being home and end up heading individually to Butch's tavern. Homer, knowing his family are uncomfortable with him, goes to visit his uncle, where he finds Fred brooding and unable to find his wife. Al joins them after dragging Milly and Peggy around for a night on the town. Homer makes it home unscathed, but when the bar closes, Peggy drives the heavily intoxicated Fred and Al back to their apartment, when it becomes clear that Fred still can't find his wife. Fred has a nightmare about a battle gone wrong and wakes up Peggy, who comforts Fred as he falls back asleep, sobbing. The next morning she drives the apologetic Fred to his wife's apartment, and he confesses that while he doesn't know what he will do, he knows he won't go back to being a soda jerk.

Peggy comforts Fred during his nightmare.

Al meanwhile wakes with a hangover, and finally embraces his loving wife. Later, Al must contain his irritation at his former boss, Mr. Milton, who wants Al to start back up right away with a promotion to the head of the loans department at the bank. Though Al knows he is lucky to have a job, he is having trouble adjusting, and saddened by all those who didn't come back.

Al and Mr. Milton

Meanwhile, Fred has found his wife, Marie, a gorgeous blonde who has been supporting herself by dancing at nightclubs, and seems far more interested in showing off her cute husband in his army clothes than actually getting to know him. Fred visits his old boss, only to discover that the pharmacy has been bought out by a larger chain. His old boss tries to introduce him to the new manager, but Fred rebuffs the low-paying and menial job offer. Homer's fiancee, Wilma, keeps trying to connect with Homer, and loves him as much as she ever did. But Homer's anger at seeing his little sister and her friends staring at him and his hooks cause her to run away sobbing and Homer to isolate himself even more.

Fred finds his wife, Marie.

A few weeks later, Fred and Marie argue about Fred's dwindling money. Fred has made Marie quit her dancing job, but Marie can't understand why she still can't go out and have fun every night. Fred finally concedes and accepts the job at the drugstore. Peggy comes to visit him at the store, and he takes her for lunch. Fred confesses how his dreams of getting a decent job and starting a family with a little home have quickly deteriorated against harsh reality. Peggy is understanding, mature, and sympathetic. As he walks her to her car, Fred kisses her. That same afternoon Al grants a loan to a fellow veteran, who is looking to work hard and establish himself after the war. Though he has no collateral except his skills, Al grants him the loan, only to get gently admonished by his boss for "gambling with the depositor's money." That night, preparing to go to a banquet in Al's honor, Milly confesses that she thinks Peggy has feelings for Fred. Peggy has invited Fred and Marie out on a double date that night, and confesses to her parents that she is in love with Fred, but is trying not to be. She hopes that seeing Fred with his wife will snap her out of it.

Al at the banquet in his honor.

At the banquet, a drunken Al gives a rambling and somewhat caustic toast, but ends by saying that he will gamble to depositors' money on the future of his country. Although his boss is annoyed, Milly is proud of her husband. Meanwhile Peggy's double date has backfired, showing her just how wrong for Fred Marie is. She comes home and tells her parents that she is determined to break up their marriage and fight for Fred. Her parents try to caution her, but Peggy is too emotional to think rationally.

Peggy's double date.

The next day, Al meets Fred at Butch's and asks him if he is in love with Peggy. When Fred confesses he is, Al suggests that he prove it by doing the right thing for Peggy. Fred then calls Peggy and lies, saying that she is the kind of girl who takes things too seriously and he has only been flirting with her. He staggers out of the bar past Homer, who has come in to show Al that Butch is teaching him to play the piano with his hooks. Peggy tells her mother of the phone call and bitterly says that she sees things more clearly now. Some time later Homer visits Fred at the drugstore and gets into an argument with a man at the county who says that the war was unnecessary and a waste. He insults them both, and Fred asks him to leave. Homer goes after the man, but Fred pushes him aside and slugs the man. He is then fired from his job. As the two walk home, Fred advises Homer to tell Wilma how much he loves her and marry her as fast as he can.

Butch teaches Homer to play the piano while Fred breaks Peggy's heart.

Later that night Wilma comes to see Homer and says that her parents want her to go away with family, as it is clear that Homer no longer loves or wants to marry her. Homer tries to tell her that she doesn't understand the reality of living with someone like him, but she insists that he let her try. So he lets her see that after her takes his prosthetics off for the night, he is completely vulnerable. Wilma, instead of running away, says she will always love him and never leave him, as she tucks him into bed.

Homer is vulnerable to Wilma.

Later, Fred has a final quarrel with Marie, who he surprises at home, about to go out with an old boyfriend. She tells Fred, who has been unable to find a job, that she wasted the best years of her life on him and wants a divorce so she can go back to being a woman who works for a living. Fred visits his father one last time and tells him he is leaving Boone City. He leaves his many military awards with his father, as he now feels they are worthless. Waiting for his flight at the airport, Fred sees a field filled with now useless military planes being taken apart for scrap metal. Fred climbs into one and remembers the atrocities he encountered during the war. The man who owns the salvage yard, Karney, startles him and asks him to get out of the plane. Pale and shaken, Fred gets out, and after mentioning that he used to fly one, tentatively asks for a job. Karney explains that they are using the plane metal to create pre-fabricated houses, and after some deliberating, gruffly offers Fred a job.

Fred in the plane's cockpit.

A few weeks later, everyone is gathered at Homer's house for his wedding to Wilma. Fred is the best man, and nervous about seeing Peggy again. At first they are pleasant, but awkward with one another. But the beauty of the ceremony and the obvious love of Homer and Wilma effect them both. While the rest of guest rush to embrace the happy couple, Fred strides up to Peggy and kisses her. He pulls away and says, "You know what it'll be, don't you, Peggy? It may take us years to get anywhere. We'll have no money, no decent place to live. We'll have to work, get kicked around--" But Peggy just smiles, pulls him close, and kisses him.

Peggy and Fred

The History
The Hollywood moguls got down to Oscar campaigning in earnest in 1946, releasing all their big films in the fall, right before the selections. They had some major competition from foreign films this year, from Roberto Rossellini's Open City to the French film Children of Paradise. The Brits had three big contenders: melodrama The Seventh Veil, Noel Coward's Brief Encounter (James McAvoy's favorite film, FYI), and Laurence Olivier's reenactment of Shakespeare's Henry V. Henry V ran for forty-six weeks straight in New York City.

Laurence Olivier in Henry V

Hollywood began to take notice of the growing trend for serious, realistic subject matter. Samuel Goldwyn decided to produce The Best Years of Our Lives, inspired by a Time magazine article about the difficulties facing soliders after leaving the service. He hired famed war correspondent MacKinlay Kantor to write a story and Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Robert Sherwood to adapt that story into a script. He then assigned the film to his best director, William Wyler, and began assembling a cast of stars, all to counter statements that were being made about the state of the film industry. Producer Walter Wanger, on a trip back from the continent, said that the industry was in trouble because of the foreign market as audiences now wanted "true-to-life" and "mature" viewpoints in movies. Goldwyn responded, "Times have changed but Hollywood hasn't...to maintain its place, Hollywood must set aside the old formulas. It must find honest stories, stories with something important to say, stories that reflect these disturbing times in which we live." What a coincidence that he should make this statement right before the release of his new film....

Filming of The Best Years of Our Lives

Wyler himself seemed unconcerned with political wrangling, and far more interested in making a good picture. For a realistic feel, he hired recent World War II veterans as most of his crew (props, grips, mixers, etc) and bought all the costumes off the rack. He also insisted on life-size sets, instead of the usual large scale ones. This was Wyler's first post-war film, and he modeled several of the scenes and characters after his own life. He was a major in the Air Force, and flew B-17s just like Fred. He also modeled the reunion of Al and Milly on his own reunion with his wife. The character of Homer was originally going to be a man suffering from combat trauma, but when Wyler saw Harold Russell in an army training film called, "Diary of a Sargent" about the rehabilitation of wounded servicemen, he changed the character and hired Russell. Russell wasn't really an actor, but Wyler liked his natural, unstudied way. When Russell came on set, he shook all the actors hands with his hooks in an attempt to put them at ease.

Hoagy Carmichael teaches Harold Russell to play the piano

Other studio heads soon got on the bandwagon, and each one tried to outdo the next. But Goldwyn was determined that The Best Years of Our Lives would be this year's big film, and rode the wave of positive reviews. Unfortunately, he couldn't control his star director. Wyler claimed the producer had reneged on a promise to bill the film as "A William Wyler Production" and bilked him out of the profits. Wyler left Goldwyn to form his own production company, Liberty Films, with Frank Capra. After working together since 1936, Goldwyn and Wyler were no longer on speaking terms going into the Awards. Eleven years later Wyler sued Goldwyn for $400,000.00, which would be settled out of court. The two would never work together again.

William Wyler on set of The Best Years of Our Lives

The year continued as expected. Each producer tried to outdo the next, while David O. Selznick continued his tireless crusade to top Gone with the Wind with yet another lavish epic (he wouldn't). Still, Hollywood managed to deliver on the gauntlet thrown down by the Europeans with films like The Razor's Edge, The Yearling, The Best Years of Our Lives, and To Each His Own. And of course, this year would also bring the return of Jimmy Stewart in my absolute favorite film, It's a Wonderful Life. Despite its current reputation as one the best film of all time, it did not fit well into the current fad for realistic, grittier films. It was a moderate success, and going into the Awards, it was considered to be an "Academy Awards dark horse."

Olivia de Havilland receives her Academy Award

The War was over and this year's Awards were a lavish affair filled with Greek columns, a five foot replica of the statuette,16 multicolored search lights, and a 66-piece orchestra. Unfortunately, the show did not sell out and the left over seats were filled by servicemen hanging around outside. The program opened with actor Ronald Reagan narrating a silent compilation of the Oscar-winning films of the past. Unfortunately, due to a production glitch, the entire film was shown upside down and backwards, unbeknownst to the future president, who just continued to read. Laurence Oliver was given a special Oscar for "his outstanding achievement" with Henry V. Though Harold Russell was nominated for "Best Supporting Actor," he was considered a long shot at best, and was given a special Oscar for "bringing hope and courage" to the other veterans. Olivia de Havilland received the award for "Best Actress," in To Each His Own, but created the big scandal of the night by publicly snubbing her sister, Joan Fontaine, and her attempts at congratulations. The Best Years of Our Lives would go on to sweep the Awards, winning "Best Picture," "Best Director," "Best Actor," "Best Writing," "Best Film Editing," "Best Score," and yes..."Best Supporting Actor." Harold Russell is the first and only actor to win two Oscars for the same role. He was so overcome on stage that he was reduced to tears.

Frederic March in The Best Years of Our Lives...in his pajamas...

The Best Years of Our Lives marked the beginning of a new trend in films. The days of "Capricon" films were over. Penny March, daughter of "Best Actor" winner Frederic March, was less concerned about a new breed of films and more concerned about "the embarrassing fact that her classmates saw her dad in his pajamas [on screen] and that he drank too much in the picture." This film would go on to be one of the first films to be selected by the Library of Congress to go into their newly created National Film Registry in 1989. It was the winner of the very first BAFTA award and remains one of the top 100 highest grossing films in U.S. History, and the 6th most attended film of all time in the U.K. Though not as popular as it once was, this is still an enjoyable and relevant film.

Harold Russell with his two Academy Awards

After the film was finished, William Wyler told Harold Russell to take his money and go back to school, as there were not many opportunities in Hollywood for a man with no hands. Russell took the advice and got a business degree from Boston University, authored two autobiographies, acted in the occasional film, served three terms as National Commander of AMVETS, and from the 1960s to the 1980s served as the Chairman of the President's Commission on Employment of the Handicapped, an unpaid position. In 1992 Russell made the controversial decision to sell one of his Oscars to pay for his wife's medical bills. Since 1950, the Academy had made all recipients sign an agreement saying they won't sell their statue, and they were rather upset with his choice. Russell didn't care about the condemnation, claiming his wife's health to be more important. He died of a heart attack in 2002.

Harold Russel with his two Oscars.

The Verdict
This year is the year of my favorite film of all time, It's a Wonderful Life. So I was always rather surprised that it had never won the Award, and even more surprised that it wasn't exactly popular. What movie could possibly have bested it? I was ready to do battle on behalf of Frank Capra.

Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life

But if there's one thing I'm learning, it's that the movie to win each award is more indicative of the current cultural trend than the actual quality of the film. So while I may think It's a Wonderful Life is the better film, I understand why The Best Years of Our Lives won. Not that this isn't a great film! I've actually come to decide that this film is one of my favorites of the new films I've watched. And very interesting.

Night out on the town at Butch's bar

I can agree with the people of 1946, there is something compelling in cinema that attempts to follow the lives of real people. All film is a fantasy world, but the best film finds a way to connect with the lives of real people. Now, it is still the 1940s, so of course there is the perfect ending we've been waiting for. There are moments of melodrama that would not be allowed in a film today. But I loved this movie all the more for it, because again--it is a movie. What fun would it be if Fred just left Peggy, never to be seen again? You have to have some hope!

Homer has hooks for hands.

Still, the best part of this film is that it is about what happens to the hero after his war is over. What was life like for Odysseus once he finally returned to Penelope? For real people--not so easy. Al can't slide back into his comfy banking job, Fred doesn't have the perfect wife and job he thought he would, and Homer--well Homer doesn't have hands. Which actually seems to bother him less than it does everyone else. And while everyone's life does end happily, this film doesn't tie everything up in a neat bow the way pre-war movies would have. Al finally stands up to his boss, but he does so while intoxicated and the boss doesn't seem too thrilled. Fred finally gets Peggy, but both know that it will be awhile before his life is back on track. And while Homer does end up with Wilma, well, he still doesn't have hands. He won't have hands. Not ever again.

Wilma and Homer marry as Fred watches Peggy

I believe the message of this film is to find your happiness where you can. Life will never be the perfect ending you envision. But if you can adapt, stay strong, and maybe be a little bit lucky, you can carve out a life for yourself. It has hope even through the darkness of reality, much like the ending of The Lost Weekend. How does this fit into my idea of post-war realism? This movie is not Going My Way. The ending is murky, with definite dark elements scattered throughout the film. And yet, it did phenomenally well at the box office. And even though nothing happens to Mr. Potter, everything wraps up quite nicely at the end of It's a Wonderful Life. Box office results? Not so great. What does that tell you? We'll see what happens next as we roll towards the 1950s...

A Post-Season Oscar Post

2011-04-03T14:33:00.000-04:00

So I balked tradition, and didn't set out to write up a witty, glib accounting of the ceremonies this year.

Actually that's not true, I set out to write it. It just never materialized for me.

I think this is because while I enjoyed having my friends over, making food, and commenting on the show--this year's awards fell a little flat with me. I had such high hopes and expectations. I really enjoyed watching the films this year. There were so many incredible movies, and so much potential for great cinema. Even though I had a pretty clear idea of the winner going in--it didn't diminish the fine films I had the privilege to watch. So maybe that should have been enough for me.

But the Oscars are as much about great film as they are about show. And this year's show fell horribly flat. First of all were the hosts--what was the Academy thinking? James Franco and Anne Hathaway are fine on their own, but together they are a total mismatch. I get that they were trying to appeal to a younger audience, but why not then someone like Seth Rogen? Someone with actual stage presence! Don't get me wrong, I love James Franco, and I think he is an incredible actor. But host? Stand up comedian? Not so much.

I am seriously interested in what drugs Franco took before the show. He looked like Anne Hathaway's marionette/ventriloquist dummy. It was just embarrassing.

And poor Anne Hathaway. I think, starting to realize the show was going south, she amped up the perky vibe so much it felt like she was reenacting her own version of Little Orphan Annie. As annoying as she was to watch, I sympathized with her; she basically had the carry the show on her own. But did she have to be so cloyingly desperate?

Didn't they rehearse at all? Didn't someone see a train wreck in the making? But more than the hosts, I found my biggest disappointment lay in what no one could control. The complete lack of drama.

Everyone looked very...nice. No one wore a stuffed swan doll as a dress (but I really had my hopes on Helena Bonham Carter). Oh, there were a few missteps here and and there but nothing glaring. Nothing garish. No risks, no flair, no drama.

None of the actors/producers/writers/directors gave a wildly inappropriate speech. No one had to be dragged away from the podium, clutching their statuette and gesticulating. I found the whole thing exhaustingly boring. Wake up, Hollywood! Are we so jaded that even this most fascinating and historically outrageous of award ceremonies can fail in such a spectacularly boring way?

Which is why I sat back for awhile dreading having to write this post. Or write at all. But in the end I think I lost my perspective along with everyone else. If they were going to toss 80 years of history down the drain then what was I doing here? After a month of brooding, however, I watched a short show on ABC chronically the top categories of fan favorite movies. Best Musical--The Sound of Music. Best Action Hero--Indiana Jones. And I started to remember why I loved movies so much in the first place. It's because like a good book, a good film can reach down inside you and make you thrill to dream the impossible.

I'm getting maudlin, I know. I try not write in sappy moods; it turns my writing into "dear diary" entries. But there is something wonderful in the discovery of cinema that can rock your world and make you view it differently. So I'm grateful I got to watch all those films for this year's Awards. And I'm glad that I'm going to keep on keeping on.....

In Preparation for Oscar Night

2011-02-27T01:09:00.000-05:00

Well! The Oscars are officially here and my preparations are in order. Oscar ballots? Check. Yummy snack recipes? Check. Preparation by seeing all the Best Picture nominated films? Check and check!

And while I didn't quite finish up my own project (sadly, I just didn't have time for everything), I'm feeling pretty prepared for the Oscars. Ten films in one month! You must be proud. I know I am.

Now, this doesn't mean I've seen every movie nominated for every category. Far from it. In fact for a ceremony that has nominated ten films for Best Picture, it hasn't always pulled from those films for the other major categories. For example; Javier Bardem has been nominated in the Best Actor category, while Biutiful was not nominated for Best Picture. Same for Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole. But I digress...

I am so glad I've seen them all. It's like actually doing my homework before class. I feel prepared and excited for the show, and I can beat the pants off everyone else in my Oscar pool. I hope.

Below, I have ranked the films in order of "winability," with the first being the one I think will win, and the last being the one I know won't win. Read on.

The King's Speech
It was a close call for me between The Fighter and The King's Speech. The King's Speech is a great movie (as I've already documented). And for sheer light-heartedness there's nothing better. You will absolutely leave this movie smiling and feeling better about life. And you will like it, I promise. The acting is great, the costumes are beautiful, and you feel smarter for having learned something about history that you can bring up at the next cocktail party. But there is a grittiness I missed with this movie. A connection I had trouble making, no matter how likeable the cast. This feels like a beautiful fairy tale. But for Oscar gold I think this film will sneak in and win. The Academy has been going for mass appeal lately.

The Fighter
This movie, on the other hand, is about as far from a fairy tale as you can get. Unless we're talking wicked stepsisters. The film is not perfect. Christian Bale is so good in his role that he far outshines the other cast members, making you forget who the real protagonist is. Everyone, in fact, seems to be out for what they can get, throwing their excellent acting chops around in order to eat up these gritty roles. I feel bad for Mark Wahlberg, he has to play the straight man to the colorful crazies around him. Although I must say Mark Wahlberg plays an excellent Mark Wahlberg. Despite its imperfections, or perhaps because of them, this film gets to me in a way that The King's Speech doesn't. I know these people, I feel for them, and I am riveted by them. Every failure felt like a sucker punch, and I waited on the edge of my seat, desperate to know the ending. They are both so different, and so good, it is hard to tell. But while I think The King's Speech will win, The Fighter is the better movie.

The Social Network
I was surprised to hear that until recently, this film was the heavy favorite to win best picture. Maybe I have an inherent dislike of David Fincher, brought on by my first film teacher. He's got this kind of cheap thrills vibe that drives me nuts, and I feel that he relys more on camera and plot tricks than character development to get through his films. Like a "look what I can do" attitude. I thought the best thing about this movie was Jesse Eisenberg. He is vulnerable, confused, socially inept, and trapped inside a cruel, sarcastic shell. He made me love an essentially unlikeable character. The rest of the film was entertaining, and it held my attention the entire time. But Award worthy? Like a friend recently said, "It was great and everything...but at the end of the day...it's about fucking facebook!" Good point. This movie can't win, because then I'm not sure I would trust the direction our society is heading in anymore. What's next? Twitter: the next revolution.

Black Swan
I was torn between this movie and 127 Hours, but I felt that if we were picking the Academy's favorite, this one seemed more their style. Wow, this movie was hard to watch. I don't think I can even look at my cuticles anymore without getting queasy. This movie is trippy, confusing, and gratuitous--exactly what you would expect from the man who brought us Requiem for a Dream (Darren Aronofsky). Manohla Dargis from the New York Times said it best when she called this film, "visceral and real even while it’s one delirious, phantasmagoric freakout." I felt like the scenes were leaping off the screen and ripping my own skin off. Although, I have to wonder, Mr. Aronofsky, if you know women that well. Because though I am dragged on a journey through one woman's increasingly twisted mind, she seems to me to be an incredibly two dimensional character. She's a neurotic, insecure, workaholic virgin who looks so fragile you could snap her like a twig. She's got a mother than reminds me of Mrs. Danvers and a psychosis that is never explained. And really? Gratuitous lesbian scene? Is she so frigid because she only likes women or is this your way of being artsy? Or perhaps I'm missing the point. All I know is I spent the entire film in a state of acute discomfort, and unlike 127 Hours, it did not pay off in the end. However Natalie Portman was brilliant in the role, and she's a lock to win for Best Actress. She makes her character more than the cliche she was meant to be. And she did all her own dancing. Sorry, Black Swan fans. I don't think I'm erudite enough for this.

127 Hours

Speaking of visceral. I saved this movie for last, because, let's face it, I really did not want to see a man saw off his own arm with a blunt knife. This was the best movie that I never want to see again. I spent 1/3 of this film with my sweater over my face. But once you get over the physical shock of seeing this film, you realize it's once of the best movies you'll ever hope to see. James Franco managed to make being trapped alone under a rock the most intense, riveting experience I can remember having with a film. This film is about watching a man who knows he is going to die alone in a matter of days. James Franco crumbles, he fights, he finally carves his own tombstone into the wall of rock besides him. Though you know the ending, watching someone who knows he's about to die is a wrenching experience. Though I think Firth will win for Best Actor, Franco gives him a run for his money in this film. Although the director had a little too much fun with his hallucination special effects. Just chill and let Franco do his thing, okay? You're distracting me! Note: do not see this movie if you are claustrophic, hemaphobic, acrophobic, have high blood pressure, are pregnant or do not possess a sweater to cover your eyes at pertinent times.

True Grit

I happen to like Westerns, so I had fun with this film, which is actually a remake of an old Clint Eastwood movie. Something about the spurs, the horses, the rugged...countryside? Maybe I just have a thing for manly men toting guns. It's possible. Not that either Jeff Bridges or Matt Damon are particularly attractive in this film. Jeff Bridges is a curmudgeonly old drunk with a secret heart of gold and a quick trigger finger. Matt Damon is bearded in a way I never though to see, playing a Texas Marshall with high morals but questionable follow through. Also, did anyone else notice he came off vaguely as a child predator? Not enough to condemn him, but just enough to creep me out. And then of course there is Hailee Steinfeld, who plays the precocious 14-year-old bent on revenging her father's death. She's the best part of the movie. She's funny, sharp, and just when she starts to get annoying, vulnerable enough that you forgive her. The scenery is beautiful, the plot is fun, but the ending fell a little flat for me. Not enough to secure Oscar gold in my opinion, but with enough tender, funny, unexpected moments that it deserves to be up there. Though Westerns don't have the best track record for actually taking home the statuette.

Winter's Bone

This movie dragged. It could be because, unfortunately, I'm not that interested in the Ozarks. Or perhaps it's because the entire 100 minute movie can be sumed up in one sentence. 17-year-old Ree must find her meth-dealing father because he put up his house and land for bail and if he doesn't appear, Ree, her two younger siblings, and their catatonic mother will be homeless. That's it. Ree spends the entire movie stomping around wildernesses trailer parks trying to find him, dead or alive. I did enjoy the chillingly beautiful scenery, and the way everything seemed to take on a grey, somber cast. The performances were fantastic as well, and this movie has some great characters. John Hawkes gives his breakout performance as Ree's uncle, and actress Dale Dicky does a wonderful job as the haggard wife of one of Ree's relatives. Jennifer Lawrence's performance as Ree is perhaps the best in the film. She is a true hero, fighting to save her family without a lot of options. Unfortunately for her, I couldn't really get over how pretty she was. It's not her fault, but everyone else in this movie looks so beat, her classically beautiful features stand out far too much, even in men's flannel. It was long, cold, and depressing, but certainly this is what Oscar films are made of.

Inception

One thing that hurts this movie is that it was so popular...six months ago. Unless fantastic, the farther a movie is from the ceremony, the less likely it is to win for Best Picture. I enjoyed this film. It's well crafted, intelligent, and full of incredible special effects. The downside? The movie is more about the intricate plot than the actors. It's probably why none of them were nominated. At the end of the day, this film is about director Christopher Nolan. And I'm okay with that. I'm also okay with Leo DiCaprio just phoning in his performance. Come on, they're inside multiple subconsciouses! The streets move vertically! Will a sci-fi thriller from Comic Con win for Best Picture? Nope. Is it awesome? Absolutely. Reference the latest line from Alec Baldwin on 30 Rock: "I never sleep on planes; I don't want to get incepted."

Toy Story 3

We all know this movie is only on here so that the Academy can show how in touch they are with popular films. Also, lest we forget, this movie made over a billion dollars world-wide. One of my friends, when hearing the nominees, said, "Is this their new thing? Nine regular movies and then whatever Pixar made that year?" Yup. Don't get me wrong, I loved this movie. And I will also admit that I sobbed through the last 5 minutes of the film when I watched it over Christmas, which earned me a disgusted look from my younger brother as he walked past. This film is the perfect blend of sweet and humorous, with enough intelligence to keep an audience of any age interested. But at the end of the day, this is an animated film for children. I just can't put it in the same category of the other films. This is why the animated movie category is there. Which this movie is also nominated for. So what's the point of this nomination again?

The Kids Are Alright

The kids may be alright but I'm not sure this nomination is. It's not a bad movie but it definitely has its problems. I'm told its a spot on representation of L.A. yuppies. I'm not told why I'm supposed to care about L.A. yuppies. And the only thing that makes this movie hip is the fact that the main couple is a lesbian couple. Think about it--if Annette Bening were a man we would have another middle of the road family drama. But because it is "exploring" a new family dynamic, suddenly this film is artsy and cool. Bening just comes off as an unlikeable tight-ass whose character doesn't really mature. Julianne Moore is a floozy who can't quite get her life together or take responsibility for her actions. And Mark Ruffalo...well I love him in anything so I'll lay off him. The kids are much more interesting than the adults in this film, but unfortunately we don't get to see all that much of them. The ending is inconclusive, without any of the characters really growing at all. I thought it pretentious and confused, with a few minutes of witty and unique levity that kept me from hating it completely. This movie made me feel lukewarm. Warning: don't see this film with anyone whom you would be uncomfortable watching graphic sex with.

So there it is! My take on the nominated films this year. I think The King's Speech will win the day, although The Social Network or The Fighter may sneak up from behind and snatch the award instead. As far as the other categories, Natalie Portman will win for Best Actress, hands down. And if Christian Bale doesn't win for Best Supporting Actor, there is no justice in this world. I would have pegged Colin Firth as the Best Actor winner, but I thought James Franco pretty incredible, and Jesse Eisenberg might just surprise you. Supporting Actress is a three way split between Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, and Helena Bohnam Carter, although I think Leo will squeak through. And Best Director is any man's game, although I think the Academy may give it to Fincher (shudder). Here's a link to the academy's own ballot: print and play with friends!

My theory in this blog so far has been that the movies nominated for Best Picture say something about the time in history that those movies were made. Casablanca (1942) is all about finding the inner hero within oneself and never giving up the fight--all during World War II. Rebecca (1940) on the other hand, is all about being trapped in a slowly declining hell of one's own making, right when America was beginning to be drawn into the war. Every year, too, someone tries to come up with the theme of the Oscars. Last year, it was "the military." A few years before that, it was all about the foreigners. So this year I spent some time coming up with a theme of my own for the films nominated, and how that applied to the current mood of America today.

I think this year's theme is a journey. Each of the main characters above are on some kind of mission, or hero's journey, to get something they desperately need. The King needs to loose his stutter; the fighter needs to win a match. The geek needs to be socially accepted (and create facebook) while the ballerina needs to dance her part and the hiker needs to get out from under that rock alive. One young girl needs to avenge her father's death, while another needs to find her father. The dreamer needs to get home to his children and the toys needs to escape daycare. And finally, the children need to find their father while their parents need to find themselves.

In the end, each person finds what they are looking for, but with an unexpected cost. They find the end of their journey, only to find that the journey, or the ending, is not quite what they expected. Last year, I think the films were a confused mixture of fantasy and despair, in the wake of crippling financial crisis. We were either trying to escape the world we lived in or give in to the feeling that it was never going to get better, all the while wallowing in nostalgia. This year, the characters are moving forward. The endings may not be happy, but the goals are achievable. We are getting there, and there is hope now, where there wasn't a year ago.

The king may be finally able to speak clearly, but only after going on an emotional journey with a strange speech therapist, something he wasn't expecting. And the ballerina finally dances perfectly, but only after losing her mind and stabbing herself. Goals are attainable, just maybe not in the way we once thought. People are beginning to take changes again, to hope, and to realize that their goals are possible if they broaden their expectations of where they want to go. In this way, I've decided the nominees represent a journey, a goal achieved, and most of all, hope in the face of the impossible. It's not necessarily positive, but it is heading in the right direction.

That's enough for now! Enjoy the show and I'll be back again later with my thoughts and highlights. And the winner is...

A Year in Review

2011-02-13T20:11:00.000-05:00

The Oscars are two weeks away, and it is pretty clear that I'm not going to watch all the films by then. But I have to say I loved this past year. My life has changed so much since I first started this blog. And yet being able to stick with something that I love for this long has meant so much to me. It has been the constant in a year filled with change. I've learned so much, and each movie has been to me a window into the past. Each film has brought great food, discussion and connection with friends and family. Movies mean so much to people, and it is interesting how many people a film can touch. Thanks to all my readers so far, and keep reading as I continue to plow through! I'm going to stick with it, and see how much I can finish for next year...

However, with the Awards coming up so soon, I have decided that I should, at least, finish a few tasks. I'm going to finish the 1940s, which is just two more films (I'm in the process of reviewing The Best Years of Our Lives). I would also like to be able to go into the Awards having watched every movie nominated for best picture. See below for what is up for an award this year:

“The Fighter” David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Mark Wahlberg, Producers
“Inception” Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, Producers
“The Kids Are All Right” Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Celine Rattray, Producers
“The King's Speech” Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, Producers
“The Social Network” Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
“Toy Story 3” Darla K. Anderson, Producer
“Black Swan” Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver and Scott Franklin, Producers
“127 Hours” Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson, Producers
“True Grit” Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
“Winter's Bone" Anne Rosellini and Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Producers

So far I have seen the first six, but have yet to view the last four. Here's hoping I make it through before February 27th! I'm actually terrified to see 127 Hours. I know it is supposed to be great, and I love James Franco, but I don't want to see anyone sawing his own arm off.

I won't review the rest of the films, like I did for The King's Speech, but I will provide my brief thoughts on each, along with my very own Oscar pool. And probably a great Oscar party. We'll see, it's all still in the works. But thanks everyone for sticking around for so long and please, continue to comment and read!

My obsession with Colin Firth...

2011-02-13T19:02:00.000-05:00

Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy

The first time I ever saw Colin Firth was when I watched the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice back in the '90s. My best friend's mom saw how much I loved the book, and offered her collection of the six or so VHS tapes that make up the mini-series. I loved it (obviously, it is the best film version of the book in existence) and Mr. Darcy's delicious swimming scene. Colin Firth had my love from that point on, even with the sideburns.

Poster for The King's Speech

So when I saw the previews for Firth's newest film, The King's Speech, I knew once again that I was about to see a great movie. And I wouldn't be disappointed. This film combines some of my favorite things, so I probably would have enjoyed it had it just been mediocre. My love of British history, royalty, Colin Firth, and stories with an uplifting ending all predisposed me to love this film. But the performances are superior, the sets and costumes pitch perfect, and the story one of warmth and humor that definitely drew me in.

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth

The King's Speech is about the man now known as King George VI, born Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George, Duke of York (Bertie to his family.) The film starts with Prince Albert, played by Colin Firth, attempting to give a speech at the end of the 1925 Empire Exhibition at Wembley Stadium. His severe stammer makes it impossible to give the speech, and after seeing several speech therapists at the behest of his wife, Elizabeth, played by Helena Bonham Carter, he gives up in disgust. But she gets him to try one last time, with an unconventional Australian speech therapist and failed actor named Lionel Logue, played by Geoffrey Rush. Logue's insistence on casually calling the Prince by his first name and radical methods unnerve the Prince, but Logue finally convinces him to return and attempt speech therapy.

Duke and Duchess of York with Lionel Logue

At the same time, Prince Albert is facing a country in turmoil. England is on the brink of World War II, and his father, King George V, has become seriously ill. His older brother, Edward, played by Guy Pearce, is proving to be immature and wild and has struck up an inappropriate relationship with American divorcee Wallis Simpson. Prince Albert's close relationship to his loving wife and two daughters help him remain strong, but it is Logue's continued effort as a therapist that helps him both emotionally and physically.

Guy Pearce as King Edward VIII

Eventually, the Prince's father dies, and he must try to make his brother into the King England needs. But finally King Edward VIII declares that he will abdicate the throne in order to marry his divorcee (which he could not do as King) and Prince Albert must face his impending coronation and future. Despite a serious fight with Logue, the two eventually reconcile and it is with Logue's help that the Duke of York manages to work through his stammer and realize just how worthy he is to become King. After the coronation, Logue helps him make a speech over the radio to the country, announcing that England has gone to war with Germany in 1939. Though said slowly, the speech is said clearly, and King George VI joins his family afterward to wave calmly at his people from the balcony, as Logue looks on from behind.

Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter

I think the most surprising performance was that of Helena Bonham Carter. I'd seen her in A Room with a View, so I knew she could act like a somewhat normal person, but it's been so long that I've seen her in anything that didn't constitute a Tim Burton fantasy that I was a little shocked to see her portraying the Queen Mum so sedately. She is the rock of this movie, determinedly and oh-so-politely doing everything she can to help her husband, whom it is clear she loves so much. Even so, Bonham manages to let a little of her own wicked sparkle show through. She's the Queen Mum, but as a young woman in love with a family. Bonham does more than play the Queen; she makes you realize why the prince loves her so much.

Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue

Geoffrey Rush is another great actor moving about this film. He is Firth's antithesis, glibly running around and poking him when he sits too stiffly. But there is a vulnerability apparent as well. When with his famous patient, he pretends to know everything, with all the confidence of a doctor. But alone, and with his family, Rush makes Logue's insecurity show though. What if he can't cure the future King? What will his family think? Is he, a failed actor, really worth the trust that such a man is reluctantly giving him. Rush could have played Logue as an eccentric Henry Higgins--instead he allows the character to emerge as a much more complicated and vulnerable man.

King George VI with his wife.

Colin Firth as King George VI

Which brings me to Colin Firth. I recently saw an interview where he mentioned that he had played two other stammerers in his life. And they had felt very different from this character, and from each other. The stammer, he says, is not from technique or physical issues, but from an emotional problem. He felt that this character was frustrated by a life of wanting to say something, and being unable to. And the stutter in this film is really part of a the Prince's bigger emotional issues. Firth brings his eternal likability to this film, but also a deep emotional trauma that he is fighting to work through. It all comes naturally, never once do you feel something forced.

Queen Elizabeth and King George VI

I believe Colin Firth should get the Oscar, but that is something I will address in my next post. However, I would like to encourage everyone to see this heartwarming historical film. It is definitely more of a book club, Sunday-afternoon-with-mom kind of film, but I loved it nonetheless.

Penne alla Smirnoff

2011-01-31T13:12:00.000-05:00

For this movie, I wanted to make something with hard alcohol. I cook with wine all the time, and it just didn't seem like enough of a challenge. And I've already made beer battered fish on this blog. Besides, Don didn't sit around drinking white wine spritzers! In The Lost Weekend, Don drinks whiskey by the bottle. I didn't have any whiskey on hand, but I did have vodka. The most famous vodka recipe is penne alla vodka, but unfortunately I only had two bottles of Smirnoff: twist of lime and passion fruit. Neither one seemed like it would work for that dish. So I searched. And searched. Do you know how hard it is to find a good dish that uses vodka? Unless you are creating a cocktail, vodka doesn't go well into much. So I decided to do penne alla vodka with lime vodka. How bad could it be?

Don from The Lost Weekend after trying my Lime Smirnoff Sauce

I selected Smitten Kitchen's version of Rachel Ray's (and I'm quoting here) "You Won’t Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Pasta." I didn't just choose it because the nice lady on Smitten Kitchen told me to (although to me that seems a good reason), but I noticed that several other blogs and websites endorsed her special recipe. And despite my dubious feelings towards Rachel Ray (her voice sounds like nails on a chalkboard to me) I know that her recipes tend to be yummy and easy to make. And extremely fattening...

No that this one is too bad. But of course, as usual, I started the recipe only to realize I didn't have as many of the ingredients as I thought. Substituting half a yellow onion for two shallots isn't so bad, but I definitely did not have enough crushed tomatoes. There was absolute no basil to be found in my fridge. And let's not even mention the lime vodka--although good in Cosmopolitans, I'm sure Rachel would be horrified. Perhaps this is why I am not engaged yet. Even so, I have reproduced my take on Smitten Kitchen's take on Rachel Ray's take on Penne Alla Vodka. Still with me?

Penne alla Smirnoff...with a hint of lime...

You'll need:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 a yellow/white onion, minced

1 cup vodka (mine was of the lime variety)

1 cup chicken stock
1 can tomato paste (14 ounces)

1 can peeled heirloom tomatoes (12 ounces)

Coarse salt and pepper

16 ounces penne
1/2 cup heavy cream

Dried Italian seasoning

Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat.
Add oil, butter, garlic, and onions. Cook the onions (without burning them) for 3 to 5 minutes until slightly translucent.
Add vodka to the pan. Cook until vodka is reduced by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes.

Add chicken stock and tomatoes.
Bring sauce to a slow bubble and reduce heat to simmer.
While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente (not smushy, I hate smushy). When it is finished, drain into a colander.
Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Season with salt, pepper, and whatever Italian spices you find in your kitchen (as I did).
Add the pasta to the skilled and stir to combine. Serve and enjoy!

In trepidation I tested the sauce...it's good! Sure, it's a little tangy, but I personally think that it adds a little something. Mission successful! Or at least I think so...but I think Rachel Ray says I need to find a boy to try it out on?

The Lost Weekend

2011-01-29T14:47:00.000-05:00

"If it happens, it happens and I hope it does. I've had six years of this. I've had my bellyfull... Who are we fooling? We've tried everything, haven't we? We've reasoned with him. We've baited him. We've watched him like a hawk. We've tried trusting him. How often have you cried? How often have I beaten him up? Scrape him out of a gutter and pump some kind of self-respect into him and back he falls, back in every time." --Wick Birnem to Helen St. James (The Lost Weekend, 1945)

I find it extremely ironic that by the time I got around to seeing this movie, I was nursing a pretty horrible hangover. If there was ever a movie designed to stop someone from drinking, this would be it. It is also a gritty and aching portrayal of a desperate alcoholic. It was strange to see a film that focused on just alcoholism, rather than the extensive drug that would be seen today. But more importantly, this film marks the first of the 1940s winners with a much darker tone.

The Plot
Failed writer and alcoholic Don Birnam, played by Ray Milland, lives in New York City with his brother Wick. In an effort to get Don away from temptation, Wick plans a weekend in the country for them. Despite Don's protestations of sobriety, he is secretly planning to bring along his whiskey. But Wick finds the bottle and pours it down the drain. Desperate to find some alcohol, Don suggests Wick take Don's girlfriend, Helen St. James, played by Jane Wyman, to the symphony so Don can get some rest. When they leave, Don finds money Wick left for the maid, buys some whiskey and then goes to have a drink at Nat's Bar on 3rd Avenue. He plans to be home on time, but gets too drunk and only makes it home in time to hear Wick tell Helen that he is fed up with Don and plans to leave without him. Don hides until both Helen and Wick leave, hides one of his bottles in the chandelier and drinks the other. The next day Don wakes up and goes to drink at Nat's, where he convinces a call girl, Gloria, to ditch her business date and go on a date with him, though he doesn't intend to actually meet her later. Nat, played by Howard Da Silva, lectures Don for lying to Gloria and treating Helen so badly. Don tells Nat he plans to write a novel called The Bottle about an alcoholic meeting a girl, before flashing back to how he met Helen.

Don's brother Wick played by Phillip Terry

Three years ago, Don was at the Metropolitan Opera to see La Traviata, but during the opening aria he kept hallucinating trench coats filled with bottles of whiskey. He leaves to go get the whiskey in his coat, but because his ticket was mixed with another's, he must wait until the woman who belongs to a leopard coat comes to claim it. After the entire opera is over, Don finds Helen, who is holding his coat. Though rude at first, Don eventually invites Helen to see another opera with him, and she invites him to go with her to a cocktail party. He turns her down, but when he accidentally drops his whiskey bottle he decides to go with her to the cocktail party. But at the party he falls in love with her and doesn't drink. He is sober for weeks until he is to meet her parents from Ohio. Overhearing them question his lack of job, he becomes too nervous to meet her parents, cancels at the last minute and gets drunk. When Helen comes to his apartment to check on him, Wick tries to cover for Don's drinking, but Don comes out and confesses his alcoholism. He tells Helen that although he was a successful writer in college, when he quit school to come to New York he never sold another piece. He tells Helen there is two Don Birnams: the writer and the doubt-filled drinker. Helen kisses him and and vows to support him.

Don and Helen

Back at the bar, Nat tells Don his story will end in suicide. Determined to write again, Don goes home to his typewriter, but after writing only the title page, he suffers from writers' block and insists he needs another drink. He can't remember where he has hidden his whiskey, so he goes to a bar though he cannot pay for a drink and attempts to steal money from a woman's purse. After he is caught and thrown out of the bar, Don goes home and finds the hidden whiskey bottle. After drinking the bottle, he decides to pawn his typewriter for another drink. But as he wanders the streets, desperate for a drink, he discovers all the pawnshops are closed because of Yom Kippur. He goes back to Nat's, begging for a drink, shaking so badly he cannot even lift the shot glass. Nat throws him out, forcing Don to go beg Gloria for money. Although she is furious, he kisses her and she gives him money. But as Don goes to go back down the stairs, he falls, hits his head, and ends up in the alcoholic ward of Bellevue Hospital.

Don begs Gloria for money.

Don attempts to leave, claiming he isn't an alcoholic, but Bim, the male nurse, says he must stay. Bim, played by Frank Faylen, warns him that most alcoholics suffer from delirium, often imagining they see "little animals." He explains to Don that most of the men in the ward have been coming there for years. Don refuses to be convinced, and when, in the middle of the night, one of the patients must be dragged from the ward during a fit of terror, Don steals a doctor's coat and escapes in his hospital robes.

Don is thrown out of a bar.

Meanwhile, Helen has slept on Don's doorstep, as Don has gone to extremes to make sure she never knows when he is home. Don's landlady wakes her up and promises to let her know when Don is home. Don forces a liquor store owner to hand over a bottle of whiskey in the morning and comes back to his apartment. He drinks the bottle, passes out, and then wakes up hallucinating a mouse in the wall being eaten by a bat. He believes blood is streaming down the wall, and begins screaming so loudly that the landlady hears and calls Helen. Don tries to chain the door, but Helen manages to get through, pick him up, and convince him that the animals aren't real.

Don starts to hallucinate.

Don realizes Bim was right; he is an incurable alcoholic. When he wakes up in the morning, he steals Helen's leopard coat and pawns it. Helen tracks him down and, thinking he has pawned her coat for more alcohol, finally snaps. She accuses him of being a "sponge" and tells him they're through. He goes home, and she goes into the pawn shop, only to find that Don has actually pawned her coat for a gun. Don is home, writing his suicide note, when Helen arrives and pretends to ask for a raincoat for the storm. He gives her the same coat he wore the night they met, replicating that first day.

Don always needs another drink.

When his back is turned, Helen finds and grabs the gun, but he and she struggle, and Don retrieves the gun. He tells her it doesn't matter, Don Birnam is already dead. Helen reminds him that there are two Don Birnams, and that he shouldn't sacrifice one for the other. At that moment, Nat arrives at the door with Don's typewriter, which he found after Don fell down Gloria's stairs. Helen convinces Don this is a sign that he needs to live and write his story. Don takes his last glass of whiskey and puts his cigarette out in it. Helen begins to fix him breakfast, telling him that now his story has reached an end, he can finally write it. Don gets out his typewriter and begins to write. He remembers when he was packing for the weekend, that the only thing he could think about was the bottle of whiskey hidden outside his window. He wonders, how many other windows are like his in New York City, as the camera pans away from the window.

Just one drink.

The History
Billy Wilder is one of the most famous directors of the Golden Hollywood age. Wilder was born to a Jewish family in what is now considered Poland. He began his career in Berlin before Hitler rose to power and he moved to the United States. He would go on to write, direct, and produce over 60 film, including Some Like It Hot, Sabrina, The Seven Year Itch, The Apartment, and Double Indemnity. He is one of only five people to have won an Academy Award for Best Producer, Director, and Writer for the same film (The Apartment).

Billy Wilder on set.

Hot off of Double Indemnity, Wilder bought some reading material for his train ride from Hollywood to New York where he was supposed to be taking a vacation. One of the books was bestselling semi-autobiographical novel The Lost Weekend, written by Charles R. Jackson about a man who spirals into alcoholism after being tormented about homosexual rumors in college. Wilder, having just worked with alcoholic screenwriter Raymond Chandler on his last film, had found his new project. By the time he pulled into Grand Central he had an outline, a book filled with notes, and a phone call to his collaborator, Charles Brackett to ask if he'd like to be a part of the project. Brackett agreed and was personally drawn to the novel--his wife was an alcoholic.

Don, Gloria, and Nat at Nat's Bar

Paramont wasn't sure of the bleak subject matter, but they let Wilder have his head. They only interceded to insist he cast leading man Ray Milland in the role of Don, feeling that an "attractive-looking hero" would make the film more commercially viable. Ray Milland wasn't too thrilled with the role, and several studio executives predicted it would ruin his career. Even so, he worked hard at the role by spending a night at Bellevue Hospital to prepare and losing weight to more effectively look like an alcoholic who forgot to eat. By the end of filming, Wilder predicted the movie would get Milland an Oscar.

Filming The Lost Weekend

The movie was filmed mostly on the streets of New York, giving the film a documentary feel. Test audiences didn't know how to take such a different film, some walking out of the theater laughing in confusion. But Paramount refused to shelve the film, and it opened in London to rave reviews. Although the studio was also besieged by temperance groups lobbying that the film shouldn't be released, as it would only encourage drinking, and the liquor industry offering $5 million to bury the film, Paramount decided to go ahead and release the film in the States anyway. It was a huge hit.

Don and his whiskey.

Going into the awards show in 1946, The Bells of St. Mary's, the sequel to Going My Way, was leading the nominations with eight, with The Lost Weekend just behind with seven. Even so, The Lost Weekend would sweep the awards, winning four awards to The Bells of St. Mary's one for "Sound Recording." The Lost Weekend won "Best Picture," "Best Actor," "Best Director," and "Best Screenplay." The Lost Weekend is the only film to win both the Academy Award for "Best Picture" and the Palme d'Or at the first Cannes Film Festival. It was among the first films to use a "theremin" --a musical instrument that produces a strange "wailing" sound that would later became famous to 1950s sci-fi film audiences. The film also popularized the "character walking toward the camera as neon signs pass by" effect. While important in 1945, the film has faded over time in the face of Wilder's much more popular films.

Joan Crawford, "sick" with her Oscar

The war was over. The Oscars were back to being glamorous and glittering just as the statuettes were back to being made with bronze and gold plate. Even so, ABC decided to broadcast only the "interesting" awards. The first half of the ceremony was hosted by the newly returned Jimmy Stewart, while Bob "Academy" Hope hosted the awarding of the weightier awards in the second half. The two halves were broken by a stirring remembrance of World War II. Joan Crawford, who had made her big comeback in Mildred Pierce, was too nervous to attend the Awards. She stayed at home, claiming pneumonia. When she was announced the winner, she made a miraculous recovery and was photographed in her bed with her award. The after-party was at her house.

"Best Actor" winner Ray Milland had the night of his life. Though he managed only to stammer his thanks when collecting his award, on the way home he stopped the chauffeur and got out at Sunset Boulevard, overlooking Hollywood. His agent had brought him there upon arriving in Hollywood in 1930, and told him that at the moment "it all belongs to Ramon Navarro. He is the reigning romantic star at the moment, so tonight it belongs to him." As Milland stood there with his Oscar, he exclaimed, "Mr. Novarro, tonight they belong to me!"

Ray Milland wins an Academy Award for "Best Actor"

The Verdict?
There is something about this film that is completely unexpected. I keep waiting for the moralizing to start. I wanted the sun to come out, for the bright optimism of the 1930s and 40s to emerge in this film. But The Lost Weekend manages to veer away from the melodramatic and the trite. It is also alarmingly simple. It is the story of a man who is an alcoholic.

Don's self-loathing contributes to his drinking.

Nowadays we are trained to expect a cavalcade of medical and moral problems in an addiction movie. Requiem for a Dream, The Basketball Diaries, and Blow are just a few examples of recent popular movies concerning addiction. All of them center around drugs. Alcohol is, by modern standards, incredibly boring. So it is jarring for a modern viewer to watch this movie, see the wreck the main character has become, and realize that it is due only to a bottle of whiskey (or perhaps several). I kept catching myself thinking, "Okay, that's fine--but when is he going to prostitute himself and shoot up heroin?"

Don's scary face.

Much of this has to do with the times; drugs were not as prevalent or as easily accessible in the 1940s. Nor were they the stuff of major motion pictures. (See Reefer Madness) But once I got used to it, I thought the film's singular focus was strangely compelling. Milland managed to portray all the classic signs of an addict, without going too far into parody. He is conniving and manipulative to find his next drink and yet he still has moments of barely hidden self-loathing. His portrayal is frightening in its severity, and yet suprisingly subtle at times.

Publicity photo of Don and Helen.

Jane Wyman's Helen was the character that was a little tougher to take. She sticks with Don, despite his increasingly destructive behavior. Why is he so attractive? What is it that keeps her coming back to him? The answer is never quite clear in the film, and one of my criticisms is that Wilder does not take enough time to develop what it is about Don that was once so likable, focusing instead on the negative aspects of his personality brought on by whiskey. One assumes that her inability to leave Don has more to do with her personality than with his. Still it is grating how cheerfully optimistic she continues to be despite Don's many failures. She is so determined to save him that by the time she finally cracks it felt a little flat. Perhaps that is why I don't buy the ending. Will Don really stop drinking? Somehow I doubt it, and I think Wilder does too.

Don, ravaged by drink.

This is a new kind of film, dark and filled with complexities. But more importantly, this is the first film since All Quiet on the Western Front that is negative without much hope of redemption. Both films are post-war, and in this case I believe that The Lost Weekend starts a trend of much more pessimistic films. It remains to be seen, but I think the style of the 1940s, such an optimistic decade before the war, is about to become much deeper, more though-provoking. And certainly much less uplifting. We'll see what's up next....

Rewatch: The A-Team

2011-01-03T17:23:00.001-05:00

"There's a plan in everything, kid, and I love it when a plan comes together." Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith (The A-Team, 2010).

I saw it in the theaters, and couldn't resist when it finally came out on video. And as strange as it seems I have to admit I love this movie.

Jessica Biel as Captain Sossa

I love a good heist film: Ocean's Eleven, The Italian Job, Mission Impossible, National Treasure, and more recently, The Losers. I really enjoy an action film where people are stealing things, on the run, pulling crazy stunts, and have guys in vans. Okay, that last part came out wrong--I'm talking about the non-creepy vans, the ones that look like an exterminator truck on the outside but actually are filled with awesome computers and techy stuff.

Why have I begun to sound like a 10 year old boy?

Bradley Cooper in trouble as "Face."

I think my love for these films is something universally understood. The witty one-liners and the impossible escapades are great fun to immerse oneself in for a few hours. And The A-Team is made for that.

The A-Team running from danger.

Based on the popular early 1980s television series, The A-Team is about a reckless elite army force of four soldiers, who, right as they are about to leave Iraq, get framed for a crime they didn't commit, stripped of their rank and imprisoned. The film starts with the back story of how the team met, before leading into the day they are betrayed. Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith, played by Liam Neeson, is the wise-cracking, cigar-smoking, somewhat fatherly and tactically brilliant leader of the group. He is intensely loyal, with a strict sense of honor and a deep concern for his team. Lieutenant Templeton "Faceman" Peck, played by Bradley Cooper and Bradley Cooper's fantastic abs, is the smooth-talking player of the group. He can con anyone into anything, including most women into his bed, although he looks up to Hannibal and does his best to emulate him. Bosco Albert "B.A" Baracus, played by Quinton Jackson, is the weapons and technical man on the crew. He can drive anything, intimidate anyone, and is most notable for his Mohawk and "Pity the Fool" tattoos. He's a softy at heart, however, and for some of the film tries to pursue a non-violent lifestyle. He has to be frequently drugged whenever they board planes because of his fear of flying. Which leads to the final member, H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock, played by Sharlto Copley. He is the clinically insane, unpredictable pilot of the group who always comes in with a "deus-ex-machina" device to save the day. He's sweet, brilliant, and totally nuts.

Colonel "Hannibal" puts a plan together.

Predictably, within six months they all break out of jail and begin a mission to regain their lives by finding the U.S. Treasury plates they were accused of stealing. They chase CIA operative Lynch, played by Patrick Wilson, and Black Forest thug Brock Pike, played by Brian Bloom, all the while staying one step ahead of DCIS Captain Charissa Sosa, played by Jessica Biel, who also happens to be Face's former flame. Hijinks ensue, but the A-Team manages to save the day while still pulling off some ridiculous theatrics. But in the end they are still placed under arrest, though they have cleared their name, because they illegally broke out of prison. Before being led into the police car, Captain Sosa kisses Face, secretly transferring the handcuff key to him. The group breaks out of the car where they go off to, presumably, fight another day.

"Face" and "Hannibal" get ready to fight.

It's so much fun. The explosions are big, the wise-cracks just goofy, and have I mentioned Bradley Coopers abs? They bear mentioning. Abs. I'm sorry what was I saying?

Bradley Cooper as "Face," tanning.

If all you want to do is turn your brain off, watch things explode, and enjoy a few hours of sillyness, this is your movie. It is a little campy, with Neelson constantly puffing on a cigar and saying "I love it when a plan comes together," or when girls fall all over Cooper (I mean, abs). But though I haven't seen it, I think this puts the film on the same level of the original show. The corniness factor just makes it better for me. You're supposed to want to groan good-naturedly at the film.

Original cast of 1983's The A-Team

The one weak point for me was former UFC Heavyweight Quinton "Rampage" Jackson's performance as "B.A." Maybe it's because Mr. T was such a presence in the original, but Jackson seems to have graduated from Paul Walker's "bro" school of acting. He says, "Ohhhh, yeahhh," "I'm gonna kill you, fool!" and then tries for the sensitivity of a teddy bear. Some of his scenes actually made me wince.

Quinton Jackson as "B.A" Baracus

Surprising highlight? Sharlton Copley. He's a South African actor, perhaps best known for having played the character of Wikus van de Merwe in the film District 9. In this film, he changes accents, terrorizes B.A., has a tender moment with Face, and gets electric shocked in an insane asylum. When he's on screen, he manages to steal the scene from both established actors Cooper and Neelson every time. He's the character the audience is cheering for, and he makes this film the fun time it is.

Sharlton Copley as Captain Murdock

In conclusion, buy some beers, make some nachos, and sit down and watch The A-Team. It's silly and pointless, and you may want to mute Jackson at some point, but it is definitely tons of fun.

PS-If you know any other good heist movies, please post below!

It takes a village...

2010-12-31T00:12:00.000-05:00

There are some stores that you go into knowing you will make completely unnecessary purchases. Brookstone, for example, or Papyrus. For me, that store is Williams-Sonoma. Yes, I know I can get similar cooking items from Homegoods or Macy's. And yes, I know this store is outrageously expensive. But every time (especially when aided and abetted by my mom) I walk into that store I end up purchasing sometime I absolutely don't need. And this Christmas Eve was no exception.

I bought a village bunt pan.

What is a village bunt pan you ask? I'll tell you. It is a mold that makes small, Christmas village-type houses out of cake.

When would one use something like this? Well, when one was making a Christmas village cake of course! (So, like, once).

Don't judge me! These houses were awesome. After I made them I stood back and stared. Did I really just make those? They're beautiful. Of course next came the inevitable problem. I slaved all Christmas Day making this cake, put it down on the table, and as we all stared at it said, "Nope, sorry. We can't eat this today. Too pretty." Luckily there was an incredible back-up key lime pie.

We finally ate it (or some of it, anyway) and the village crumbled and died. I put away the pan for next year, when I may or may not make village bunts again. Probably not. Hey, at least I didn't buy the Star Wars pancake molds! No matter how big my Williams-Sonoma delusion, I know deep in my soul I don't need a Millennium Falcon shaped pancake in my life.

Now I will admit to also purchasing the Brown Sugar Bunt cake mix from WS as well, which I used to make the houses. But the cake and frosting are all my own. And yes, I did make the cake chocolate because it was the dirt underneath the white frosting (or snow) of the village. Ok, you can judge me now. And I made a tree.

My Village Cake
You'll need:
A Williams and Sonoma Village pan. Seriously. There's no way around this unless you are the Cake Boss.
A rectangular or circular cake 9" or larger pan with vertical sides (large enough to fit all the houses, you can test this before you bake)
Parchment paper
Brown Sugar Bunt mix (interchangeable with a different mix or your own recipe, but I recommend bunt mixes for their ability to maintain a shape)
Either a ziplock bag or a pastry bag with decorating tips
Lots of Pam
2 cups sugar

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

2 sticks butter

3 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons half and half

Green food coloring

Sugar ice cream cones

Candy for decorating (I choose red and white MandMs and snowmen peeps)

For the dirt (cake):

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease baking pan. Place a long rectangular strip of parchment paper along pan so it comes out both sides. This will be it much easier to lift the cake out of the pan when frosting later.
Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and 2 teaspoons vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake 45to 60 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to platter using parchment lifts. Cool completely.

For the snow (frosting):

Combine butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, half and half, and remaining vanilla in an electric mixer.
Beat until fully combined. The measurements aren't precise, feel free to add more of any ingredient until you create a spreadable, creamy frosting with the right flavor.

For the houses:

Prepare the bunt mix and preheat the oven according to instrutions.
Liberally spray the pan with Pam.
Evenly distribute the battle to each house well.
Bake until toothpick inserted inside comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes to cool.
Slice any extra cake from the tops of the wells so the bottoms of the houses are flat. Upend and place houses on a platter to cool.

To decorate:

Frost "ground" cake. Place each house on top, and decorate houses as desired
Pipe green food colored frosting onto cones and decorate with candy. Place on cake.
Once everything is decorated, sift powdered sugar over the top like snow.

What does this have to do with Going My Way? Well Bing did love a White Christmas. Also, he's big on families and neighborhoods in the movie. Finally, I'm pretty sure one of those houses is a church.

Going My Way

2010-12-30T21:33:00.000-05:00

"A golf course is nothing but a poolroom moved outdoors."--Father Fitzgibbon (Going My Way, 1944)

Well it's a lovely movie, especially to watch at Christmas time. If I close my eyes I can pretend I'm watching White Christmas. What's it about? Bing Crosby. Seriously. He sings, it's great, and I think he's a priest who helps people and saves a church? Don't know. Don't really care. I enjoyed watching it, I loved the music, and I don't really remember what it was about. Entertaining film with Bing Crosby? Absolutely. Oscar-worthy film? Eh--probably not.

Fathers O'Malley and Fitzgibbon

The Plot
The film starts in New York City, with mortgage broker Ted Haines Sr. reluctantly telling elderly Irish Father Fitzgibbon, played by Barry Fitzgerald, that if he doesn't make his mortgage payment on St. Dominic's church soon he will have to call in the mortgage. Ted, Jr. argues with his father to give the church a break, but his father insists. Father Charles Francis Patrick O'Malley, played by Bing Crosby, arrives in the neighborhood with modern ways that upset the locals. He greets Father Fitzgibbon in a sweatshirt and slacks and announces he is to be his new curate.

Father O'Malley is the new curate.

Father O'Malley visits with his childhood friend Father Timothy O'Dowd, a local priest and the only one who knows that Father O'Malley was really sent to replace Fitzgibbon at St. Dominic's, which is in financial difficulties as well as in a troubled neighborhood. When Ted, Jr. is sent to evict Hattie Quimp, who is O'Malley's biggest detractor, O'Malley promises the church will guarantee her rent. On his walk back to the church, O'Malley notices two young boys stealing turkeys, with which they will later escape into the church garden and then gift to Father Fitzgibbon. O'Malley mentions the boys are in trouble, and Fitzgibbon refuses to believe it until he discovers the turkeys are stolen. But instead of punishing the boys, O'Malley takes them to a baseball game instead. Meanwhile, one of the local policemen brings pretty, eighteen-year-old runaway Carol James to see O'Malley after picking her up on the street. She turns down O'Malley's offer of a job keeping house at the church, and mentions her desire to become a singer. O'Malley tries to coach her, and then gives her $10 when she insists on leaving.

Father O'Malley talks to the boys.

Now having earned the trust of the boys in the neighborhood, O'Malley convinces them to train as the church choir. Fitzgibbon, having had enough, goes to the bishop to ask for O'Malley's transfer, only to learn that O'Malley has been sent as his replacement. Upset, Fitzgibbon runs away, but O'Malley's policeman friend finds him in a storm and brings him home to O'Malley and the distraught housekeeper. O'Malley and Fitzgibbon bond over Irish whiskey and songs, and Fitzgibbon mentions his desire to see his ninety-year-old mother, who still lives in Ireland. A little while later, O'Malley runs into an old friend and flame, Metropolitan Opera star Genevieve "Jenny" Linden, played by real-life opera star Rise Stevens, who is surprised to learn her dear friend has become a priest.

Father O'Malley sees Jenny.

Hattie Quimp, still antagonistic, informs Fitzgibbon that Carol has taken the apartment across from hers, and has no problems "paying" her rent to Ted, Jr. O'Malley goes over to check on her, and finds that the two are in love and Ted, Jr. has let her live in a vacant apartment without telling his father. O'Malley plays them a song, and makes them realize how serious they are about each other. A little later, Jenny and O'Dowd visit St. Dominic's and see the choir. O'Dowd mentions that he has been attempting to get O'Malley's latest song, "Going My Way" published by his friend, but it has been rejected as "too schmaltzy." Meanwhile Ted, Sr. has finally found out about Carol, and bursts into her apartment to find her in her nightgown and Ted, Jr. coming out of the bedroom. It turns out they're married, and they blissfully ignore Ted, Sr.'s sputtering. But just when Ted, Sr. has reached his boiling point, his son comes out in a Army Air Force uniform, and bids them both a fond farewell.

Ted, Jr. and Carol fall in love

O'Dowd has convinced his publisher friend to come see Jenny perform "Going My Way" with the St. Dominic's choir. But while he still feels the song too corny, he accidentally catches the boys singing O'Malley's more upbeat "Swinging on a Star." The money for the song will be used to save the church, but at O'Malley's suggestion the publishers come to church, and put the money into Fitzgibbon's collection. Fitzgibbon is so excited, he agrees to go golfing with the other fathers, and surprises everyone with his swing.

The fathers go golfing.

But all this comes to an abrupt end when the church catches fire and burns down. Father Fitzgibbon falls ill after trying to solicit donations in the rain. O'Malley tells Fitzgibbon that Ted, Jr. is on his way home after a minor jeep accident, and Jenny, who is touring with the boys' choir, has sent a check for $3,500 from the proceeds. But just as construction has begun on the new church, O'Malley is transferred to another church that needs his help. Fitzgibbon is sad to see him go and shocked to discover the irreverent O'Dowd has become his new curate. As Fitzgibbon gives a sermon thanking O'Malley for all he has done, Jenny brings in Fitzgibbon's elderly mother as O'Malley watches. As Fitzgibbon tearfully embraces his mother, O'Malley walks away into the snowy night, whistling.

Father O'Malley leaves.

The History
Leo McCarey, Oscar-winning director of The Awful Truth, made the success of his new film, Going My Way, seen unlikely. It would contain a series of vignettes about a priest, have no female leads, and boast crooner Bing Crosby in the lead. He was an unusual choice to play a priest but Crosby was already incredibly popular with audiences, especially the troops. This, however, was the first film in which Crosby would be considered an actor, rather than a singer, and he was named the number one box office star of the year. Crosby would go on to become one of the top stars of the decade, and he, along with his music, are still popular today.

Leo McCarey and Bing Crosby

The film was a surprising hit with audiences, with the Hollywood Reporter claiming that "it's a good bet that the McCarey-Paramount clicker may even top the Selznick-MGM big grosser [Gone with the Wind]." Darryl F. Zanuck's pet picture, Wilson, an epic about President Woodrow Wilson, was much more
elaborate and war conscious than Going My Way. But while it retained some good critical reviews, Wilson flopped at the box office, and Going My Way beat it in nearly every category at the Awards. Zanuck was so upset that he ordered his staff to never mention the movie about his favorite historical hero ever again.

Publicity still for Going My Way

Going My Way was nominated for ten awards, and won seven: Best Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Screenplay, Original Story, and Song ("Swinging on a Star"). It is the first film to have both won "Best Song" and "Best Picture." It is also the first and only film to have a single star (Barry Fitzgerald) be nominated for both actor categories for the same film. Though he was nominated for both "Best Actor" and "Best Supporting Actor" he would only win "Best Supporting" while the "Best Actor" award would go to Bing Crosby. Because of this, the Academy changed their rules to ensure actors could only be nominated in one category per film.

Publicity still for Going My Way

Going My Way was followed by a sequel, The Bells of St. Mary's. There would also be a short lived television show based on the film, starring Gene Kelley in 1962. This film was the top box office grosser of 1944, and has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Despite its popularity, it has since faded out of significance, in the wake of Crosby's far more popular film, White Christmas. It is perhaps best remembered for its award-winning song, "Swinging on a Star."

Singing "Swinging on a Star."

The Academy Award Ceremony was slowly changing. This year at the ceremony producer Mark Sandrich's behest, small clips of each nominated film would be played for each award presentation, so as not to give one award preference over another. This would also be the first ceremony that would be broadcast nationally on the fledgling network, ABC--on the radio, of course. Unfortunately, Mark Sandrich would not live to see the ceremony and his many changes. He died on at the age of 34 of a heart attack, mere days before the show.

Father O'Malley and Father Fitzgibbon play golf.

A little known fact about Bing Crosby is that his favorite pastime was golf, and is now a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Aside from Bobby Jones and Arnold Palmer (the man, not the drink), Crosby may be the person most responsible for popularizing the game of golf. He was a two handicap who competed in both the British and U.S. Amateur championships. So when March of 1945 and the Awards ceremony came around, Paramont Pictures' biggest star was to be found on the 12th hole of Lakeside golf course mere hours before the show. When the publicity crew came to beg him to attend, Crosby shrugged them off and told them to invite his parents in his stead. They did invite his parents, but instead Crosby's mother called her son and gave him such a scolding that he did, indeed, decide to attend.

Fitzgerald and Crosby with their Oscars

Crosby was not the only golf enthusiast in Going My Way. Barry Fitzgerald was an avid golfer himself. When he recieved his award and came home after a night of celebrating, he decided to practice his golf swing and decapitated his plaster Oscar statuette (the statues were made of plaster during wartime). The studio had to pay $10 to replace the sheepish Fitzgerald's award. So he did, in fact, win two Oscars that year.

The Verdict
What to say about this film? It's very warm and fuzzy. I could listen to Bing Crosby sing forever. He and Frank Sinatra have those soothing, liquid voices that seem to seep into one's pores. I also like the way Crosby manages to distribute advice without ever once sounding patronizing. He makes a speech about giving back to others or following your dreams or something, and I just nod my head and say, "Yes, Bing. You're right. I should join a choir to save my church. And it's normal that you just turned a street gang into a choir with little-to-no effort." So it's completely understandable he's in almost every scene. This movie would fall apart without him.

Father O'Malley in his neighborhood.

Not to say that I didn't enjoy the rest of the cast. It's always fun to watch Barry Fitzgerald of How Green Was My Valley and The Quiet Man play an irascible old Irishman. Partially because I think he was an irascible old Irishman. And Rise Stevens was a real-life opera star, so her voice is very nice to listen to. But while this movie is fun to watch, it is basically unremarkable.

I find two things interesting about this film. The first is the original movie poster, replicated again above. Rise Stevens is a minor character in the film who only appears half-way in. She is holding hands on the poster with Bing Crosby, whose priest collar has almost disappeared from sight. This completely downplays the entire plot of the film. Were the advertisers afraid that by both making the main character a priest and having no female lead the film would do poorly? Stevens is also in the corner in an Opera costume she never wears in the film. Barry Fitzgerald and the choir are almost non-existent in the corner. I don't know quite what to make of this, but it bears noting.

Carol bids Ted, Jr. goodbye.

And lastly, perhaps because of the last few films I've watched, the war element in this film, again, is fascinating to me. In fact, my favorite subplot was that of Carol and Ted, Jr., especially in the scene when he goes off to war. Now unlike Mrs. Miniver and Casablanca, there is nothing in this film that is about war. But this small scene shows how omnipresent war was in the society of 1944. And how awesome nightgowns were.

Ted, Jr. shakes hands with his father.

No matter what type of film it is, (and the last three films differed greatly) each somehow reflect the realty of war lurking in the background of ordinary lives. In this film it is a small enough thing, but just seeing Ted, Jr. put on a uniform and leave his young bride sent a chill down my spine. That would never occur in today's films. In fact, I would hazard to guess that in no time period since has such a type of film existed. Because of the nature of World War II, war itself has become a background element to all films during this time period. This film may be saccharine and childish, but Ted is still going to fight a war. He even becomes injured, though not badly. It is the contrast between the smiling, all-American men and women in these films and the constant threat of war that gets to me. Ted shakes his fathers hand and leaves with a smile on his face. It is a scene that we will never see since. Not with Vietnam, and certainly not with 9/11. With the era of World War II America coming to an end, I find myself struck by how strange it must have felt to live under the constant shadow of a real world war. I imagine it felt something like this scene. Only not nearly as nice and smiley.

Father Fitzgibbon hugs his mother.

On a Magical Journey

2010-12-22T13:28:00.000-05:00

Based on my new idea to broaden my posting horizons please enjoy a short vingette based on recent modern movie travails....

The past week or so have contained an epic battle-one of good versus evil; of wrong versus right. This is a battle where truth, justice, and an indomitable will combined to--okay, fine, this week was a battle to get one of my friends to go with me to see Tangled.

Rapunzel

Now before you judge me too harshly let me point out a few important facts. First of all, digitally animated moves are very in right now. Toy Story 3 got a 99% on the RottenTomatoes.com meter (personally, though the movie was great, I think that rating is a little too high). Secondly, I have to say I have an uncanny ability to pick entertaining movies based solely on previews. I knew it would be awesome. And thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, I have never outgrown my love of princesses, animated or otherwise.

Rapuzel and her magic hair

It's true! I know all the lyrics to all the Disney princess songs.
Unfortunately, I am now considered to be an adult. So if I were to go see the movie alone, I would be the creepy person in the back of the theater. None of my friends or close relatives have children, and I am not currently babysitting any suitable little children that I can drag to the movie as an excuse. Therefore, one of my friends has to go with me.

Rapunzel's castle and some Disney magic.

I informed them of this, and received only eye-rolling. But I persevered. It only took several impassioned speeches, five threatening emails, one incidence of blackmail, and a pointed facebook post before finally one of them agreed to come along. And I promised to buy her margaritas.

Tangled early story sketch

Terrifying Mother Gothel probably appreciated the margs...

So--a pitcher of fabulous frozen raspberry margaritas later (was it inappropriate to drink before a children's film?) and we were off to a 3D adventure.

A side note about 3D. Is it really all that necessary? Kind of gives me a headache...

My verdict? I enjoyed the film, though perhaps not the best princess story I've seen.

Rapunzel and her magic hair

Tangled is the story of a princess named Rapunzel, played by Mandy Moore. Right before her mother is about to give birth, the queen becomes ill, and the only thing that can cure her is a magical flower hidden in the kingdom. The flower is watched over by an evil witch, Mother Gothel, played by Donna Murphey, who sings a magic song and therefore uses its powers to remain young forever. But one day Mother Gothel is careless, the guards find the flower and feed it to the queen. She gets better and gives birth to Rapunzel, who has the power to heal in her shiny golden hair. Mother Gothel sneaks into the castle and attempts to snip her hair, but when cut, Rapunzel's hair turns brown and looses its power. So the evil witch steals her away, hides her in a tower and pretends to be her mother. Heartbroken, the king and queen release golden lanterns into the air on her birthday every year, hoping that the lanterns will reach their daughter and bring her home.

Magic lanterns around the castle.

Eighteen years later, Rapuzel is determined to set out on her own to seek the lanterns, which have become special to her though she doesn't know why. Mother Gothel refuses to let her leave, claiming the outside world too dangerous. Enter Flynn Ryder, played by Zachary Levi, a notorious theif who has stolen the missing princess's tiara from the castle. But in his haste to get away, he ends up hiding in Rapunzel's tower. She kidnaps him and refuses to return the tiara until he takes her (and her trusty sidekick, Pascal the chamelion) with him to see the lanterns before Mother Gothel returns. What follows is a typical chase through the forrest, avoiding both Flynn's pursuers and Mother Gothel's machinations. Rapunzel learns to grow up and face the world, and Flynn finds himself falling in love with the intrepid princess. But when Mother Gothel becomes determined to keep Rapunzel at all costs, Flynn must step in to save the day by being true to himself and the one he loves.

They just can't get his nose right.

What did I love?

Zachary Levi. You probably know him as the title character in the TV series, Chuck. This film is an entirely new side of him as an actor. Flynn is the best character in this film, by far. He is funny, charming, witty, and vulnerable. Actually, I think I'd rank him up there with Aladdin, another thief with a heart of gold. Levi manages to make the audience actually care about this Disney prince, when the princess is usually the scene stealer. And this is supposed to be Rapunzel's story.

Rapunzel's tower

Another great thing was the scenery. I saw an interview in which the animators mentioned they were inspired by old Disney films like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. I can definitely sense the older, more magical vibe of those films. In many ways the animation harkens back to the golden age of animation, which, with The Princess and the Frog, Disney has been attempting to return to.

Flynn with one of the villians-with-a-heart-of-gold

Less thrilled about... Suprisingly, the music. This film was scored by Oscar-winning composer, Alan Menken, he of such famous films as Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Enchanted. I cannot tell you a single song from this movie. The songs were unmemorable, all realtively similar, and did not help to progress the story line. The best one is probably the song sung by all the villians in the pub into witch Rapunzel stumbles, and there's also "Mother Knows Best" sung by the evil Mother Gothel. But when you have a noted singer in your aray of actors, it is suprising when her songs are so completley unmemorable.

Rapunzel with the villians.

Which brings me to Rapunzel...
I've never hated Mandy Moore, though her combination whiney/impassioned little girl acting has recently begun to grate. But I at least appreciate the effort to be different, instead of routinely banging out syrupy half-baked romantic comedies like so many other actresses these days. I actually like it when she plays a mean girl. Much more fun.

Rapunzel and Flynn

But I think her Rapunzel never really gets off the ground. She has a voice perfectly suited to princessdom (sweet, innocent, and a good singer without being too good) but there are moments where she just becomes too cliqued of a character. She's just so darn earnest..with everything. I don't need another five heartwarming "I get achieve my dream if only I try" songs. Just one or too would have been okay. She's not bad, but when the prince is much better, you know you have some problems. Also if your personality is eclipsed by your hair...again...problems. Look to Aladdin and Jasmine. They have a partnership that actually seems to snap and crackle and work.

Flynn finds Rapunzel

All in all, not a bad film, although I do think Disney has the potential to create bigger and better films a la The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. The Princess and the Frog was definitely a step in the right direction. This film feels close--but not quite there (Treasure Planet, anyone?). I look forward to their next attempt...Winnie the Pooh!

Eat Morrocan...Eat with your hands?

2010-12-08T22:33:00.000-05:00

I wanted to make a kind of Moroccan salad: light, refreshing, and easy to share. Crazy is it is to imagine now, the first time I made this recipe it was 95 degrees and humid. The last thing I wanted was anything to make me feel hotter. This salad is perfect, and lasted us for over a week. We ate it with hummus in a pita pocket, as a wrap, as a salad itself, or just as a side dish. It's easy to make, and utterly delicious.

Moroccan Chickpea Salad

You'll need:

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 cup cucumber, diced
1 large tomato, diced
1 medium red onion, diced
1/2 cup feta cheese
1 tbsp fresh mint, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp tsp ground cumin
Salt & pepper, to taste
Pita Bread
Hummus

Toss all ingredients together, added more or less of each to taste.
Serve with pita bread and hummus. Enjoy!

As mentioned before, this salad lasts a long time. So keep the remainder in Tupperware and bring to lunch! My favorite way to eat this salad is in a pita picket with red pepper hummus, chicken strips, and tabouli. Mmmmm...

Back on track! Stay tuned for future Oscar films. Pay attention too--I may decide to switch things up soon. In the interest of keeping up my commentary, I may expand my posts to any film I happen to take in during the coming months. This doesn't mean I'm abandoning my quest, but I just thought to include my thoughts on other films as well. We'll see...

Casablanca

2010-12-08T21:22:00.000-05:00

"How can you close me up? On what grounds?"
"I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!"
[a croupier hands Renault a pile of money]
"Your winnings, sir."
"[sotto voce] Oh, thank you very much. [aloud] Everybody out at once!"
--Captain Renault upon being ordered to close Rick's Café (Casablanca, 1942)

Rick and Captain Renault

It is difficult to write objectively about a film I love so much. Every line in this film is incredible--as evidenced by the fact that they have all become famous clichés in modern popular culture. I had a hard time picking the quote that I put above, as there are so many famous lines like "Play it, Sam." or "Here's looking at you, kid." I couldn't choose, so I picked a less famous few lines that I’ve always loved, that are so indicative of the witty repartee of this script.

Famous still of Ilsa and Rick

With so many beloved famous films and novels, it is easy to pretend we appreciate them. How often have you heard someone say that their favorite book is Crime and Punishment, when you know it's probably The Notebook? I am just as guilty of that flaw, and I am more likely to attempt to like something just because it is popular. But with Casablanca I can honestly say that I love every moment of this movie. Every actor is superb, every line is witty and sharp. I love this movie, but why does she have to get on the plane at the end? Oops...did I ruin it?

Rick and his Cafe

The Plot
It's 1941, and French colonial town of Casablanca, Morocco, is filled with desperate European refugees attempting to flee World War II and the Germans. Unfortunately, one cannot leave Casablanca without an exit visa, so a vicious black market trade for the visas thrives in the back alleys. This reaches a head when two German couriers are killed carrying unquestionable letters of transit. Captain Louis Renault, the French prefecture of police, played by Claude Rains, and the newly arrived German Major Strasser, played by Conrad Veidt, are desperate to find those letters. They are particularly desperate that these letters not reach Victor Lazlo, played by Paul Henreid, a Czech resistance leader who is rumored to be fleeing to Casablanca with a woman in tow.

Ugarte tells Rick about the letters.

Rick Blaine, played by Humphrey Bogart, is an ex-patriot American misanthrope who runs a popular nightclub and gambling den called Rick's Café Americain. Ugarte, played by Peter Lorre, a shifty dealer in exit visas, mentions to Rick that he has those visas and plans to sell them at a high price and finally leave Casablanca. He gives them to Rick for safe keeping, and Rick agrees. But though Rick once fought on the side of the loyalists in Spain, he has grown cynical, and when Renault tells him not to interfere with Ugarte's arrest, Rick replies "I stick my neck out for nobody." He does, however, bet that the heroic Lazlo will somehow make it out of Casablanca and past the Germans. Ugarte is carried away (but without the letters) and a few minutes later Lazlo walks in with his companion, Ilsa Lund, played by Ingrid Bergman.

Ugarte is carried away.

While Lazlo is busy making contacts with the underground resistance, Ilsa recognizes Sam, the piano player and Rick's best friend, played by Dooley Wilson. She insists he play the song "As Time Goes By" and reluctantly, Sam agrees. Rick furiously emerges from his office, yelling that he told Sam never to play that song again, when he becomes poleaxed by the sight of Ilsa, who is sitting next to Sam with tears in her eyes. Rick breaks protocol and has a drink with his customers, Ilsa and Lazlo, and Ilsa and Rick exchange guarded words.

Sam plays for Ilsa.

Later, after the café is closed, Rick gets drunk on gin and flashes back to his love affair with Ilsa in Paris: After meeting and falling in love, the Nazis invade Paris and Ilsa urges Rick to leave, worried because of his reputation as a freedom-fighter. But Rick refuses to go without her, and insists she leave Paris with him. At the last minute, however, Ilsa abandons him with a farewell note and Sam must pulled a dazed Rick onto the train. Rick is interrupted from his memories by Ilsa herself, who has come to explain her actions. But Rick is drunk and offends Ilsa, who walks out without fully explaining.

"Of all the gin joints in all the world, she walks into mine."

The next day Lazlo and Ilsa learn that not only is Ugarte dead, but that those letters are their only means of leaving the city. They also learn that popular opinion has it that Rick knows where those letters are. Rick attempts to speak to Ilsa again, sober, and though she brushes him off, she admits that Lazlo is her husband, and was, even in Paris. That night, Rick helps a young Bulgarian couple win enough roulette money to leave the country, thus depriving Renault of having the young woman pay for the visa another way. Lazlo asks to buy the letters from Rick, or even just one for Ilsa, but he refuses. When Lazlo asks his reasons, Rick tells him to ask his wife. Rick then allows Lazlo to tell his orchestra to play "La Marseillaise," and Strasser, irritated, orders Renault to close the Café. Though Lazlo suspects something may have occurred between Ilsa and Rick, he loves her, and tries to insist she leave Casablanca without him. He then leaves to attend an underground resistance meeting.

Lazlo tries to reason with Rick.

Ilsa decides to go back to Rick's and hold Rick at gunpoint until he gives her the letters. But instead she falls into his arms and confesses. On the day Rick left Paris Ilsa learned that Lazlo, her husband, whom she had thought dead, was actually alive and in pain, having escaped a concentration camp. But they both still love each other and Ilsa decides she cannot leave Rick again, and he must make the hard decisions for the both of them. Later, the police break up the resistance meeting, and Lazlo hides out at Rick's. Before the police come and arrest him, he begs Rick to use the letters to take Ilsa away from Casablanca.

Ilsa and Rick.

The next day Rick sells his Café to his competitor Ferare and tricks Renault into releasing Lazlo from prison. Ilsa, Lazlo, Rick and Renault (who is held at gunpoint) head to the airport, but Renault has still managed to alert Strasser, who isn't far behind. Ilsa thinks she is staying with Rick, but Rick tells her she must get on the plane with her husband, as she gives meaning to his work and Rick believes she would regret not going eventually. He tells Lazlo that though they loved each other in Paris, Ilsa only pretended to love him now to get the letters. Lazlo, who understands what really happened, welcomes Rick back to the fight before he and Ilsa board the plane. Strasser arrives to stop the plane just as it is about to take off, but is shot and killed by Rick before he can stop it. Renault calls the police, but instead of turning in Rick, he tells them to "round up the usual suspects," and the two men leave Casablanca for the Free French garrison at Brassaville. Rick puts his arm around him as they walk off into the fog and says "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"We'll always have Paris."

The History
The history of Casablanca has been researched over the years and there are several books and documentaries detailing the creation of this classic film. But it is interesting to note that this film became what it is today almost in spite of itself. The film was based on the then-unproduced manuscript of a play called Everybody Goes to Rick's by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison. Warner Bros. bought the rights for $20,000 the most anyone had spent on an unproduced manuscript. But that didn't stop them from bringing in as many writers as they could; at least four screenwriters would adjust the script over time, although Epstein twins, Julius and Philip, would receive the actual credit. Warner Bros. producer Hal Wallis hired Michael Curtiz as director, a Hungarian Jewish émigré who had European refugee family members. In fact, only three of the credited actors were American, and a large percentage of the extras were actual European refugees. During the "La Marseillaise" scene many of those actors were truly overcome with grief as they realized how many refugees were in the film.

Publicity still for Casablanca

Despite the authenticity of the actors, this film suffered from several major problems. The script was constantly being rewritten, to the point that the movie had to be shot in sequence because only half the script was completed at the time of filming. Neither Humphrey Bogart or Ingrid Bergman were particularly thrilled about the film, and both looked for ways to get out of a film they considered "shmaltzy." Ingrid Bergman in particular was incensed to discover that no one could give her tips on Ilsa. When she asked Curtiz who Ilsa was really in love with, he said, "Play it both ways," because he did not, in fact, know. While this lends a perfect ambiguity to her character, it was understandably frustrating for the actress. Though this would become her most iconic film, Bergman would always become embarrassed when fans commented on it, as it was not her favorite performance. She was also taller than her leading man, a fact that forced Bogart to wear higher shoes and for her to sit in most scenes. And despite their intense chemistry, Bogart and Bergman were little more than acquaintances throughout the film, although legend has it that he helped teach her how to play poker with the crew in between shooting. One of the most famous lines of the film, "Here's looking at you, kid," was not in the original script, but was actually improvised by Bogart; he starting saying that to Bergman during their poker lessons and it stuck.

"Here's looking at you, kid."

The famous song of the film, "As Time Goes By," was almost taken out at the last minute, as music director Max Steiner wanted to replace it with one of his own songs. But Ingrid Bergman had already cut her hair very short for her role in For Whom the Bell Tolls, and Steiner instead decided to design all the musical themes around "As Time Goes By," and "La Marseillaise." At the end of the film, in order to make the fake miniature plane seem more life-like, the director hired midgets to walk around the plane like mechanics. And the final, famous line of the film was dubbed in a month after filming by Bogart after it was suggested by producer Hal Wallis. The title was changed to Casablanca, though some thought the new name sounded like a Mexican beer. Luckily for them, Casablanca premiered in the same month that Eisenhower led Allied troops in an invasion of...Casablanca. And right after the movie opened to theaters worldwide in January, Roosevelt and Churchill met in that same city to pledge to end the Nazi regime. Suddenly this relatively unimportant city had become a household name. And Jack Warner had another hit on his hands.

Bogart and Bergman being filmed on set.

Casablanca was nominated for eight awards, of which it won three: Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Writing, Original Screenplay. When it won for Best Picture, producer Hal Wallis got up to accept his award, only to watch studio head Jack Warner beat him to the podium. Though he would go on to win the Irving G. Thalberg award for the second time, many sited Warner's usurpation of the Oscar as Wallis's reason for leaving Warner later that year.

Carrotblanca

While Casablanca was certainly well received and entertaining, it did not achieve its fame until the 1950s, when revivals in independent movie houses caused the "cult of Bogart" to rise again. Citizen Kane may be considered the better film technically, Casablanca is certainly the more beloved. In 1989, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". In 2005 it was also named one of the 100 greatest films of the last 80 years by Time Magazine. In 2006, the Writers Guild of America voted the screenplay of Casablanca the best of all time in its list of the 101 Greatest Screenplays. The film has been recognized by the American Film Institute in eight of their lists and in AFI's 100 Years…100 Movie Quotes Casablanca has six quotes, the most number of any film by far. There have also been numerous parodies, including several by the Marx brothers, one by the Muppets, and Carrotblanca, featuring Bugs Bunny. The film has grown in popularity over the years, until almost despite itself, it has become one of the best films of all time.

Director Curtiz watches Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart on the opening night 1942 Warner Bros.

This year, the Academy decided to do the unthinkable: follow Betty Davis's plan from two years previous. This year, they decreed, there would be no dinner. Instead, the Awards would be held in a public setting: Grauman's Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. They choose to implement another one of Bette Davis's ridiculed ideas and gave free passes to two hundred members of the armed forces. And mindful of Greer Garson's public gaff in 1943, the Academy decided to "streamline" by eradicating all "outside speeches" and requesting winners to speak for only 30 seconds. Instead of speakers, the Academy promised a variety show of famous entertainers. While the Awards did have a few issues (they forgot to include parking) the show was a lot more entertaining than years previous. The Hollywood Reporter claimed that even though attendees could no longer drink through the ceremony, "All in all, it was a swell affair, finely handled and one that will now set a precedent that will most certainly eliminate the junk usually attendant at such affairs in the past."

Grauman's Chinese Theater at the 1943 Academy Awards

The Verdict?
There are so many wonderful things about this movie. I don't watch it often, as I always feel filled with a kind of longing nostalgia when it is over. The expressions in this movie are what I remember. Ilsa's tearful, brave face that she turns up to Rick, as though she has finally lost the battle within herself. When you look at her, and that scene before she sees Rick for the first time after leaving him, the internal struggle is written in her expression. She can't see Rick, knows it will only end badly, and yet cannot seem to stop herself. She loves him so much and hates herself for it, just as she feels guilty.

Ilsa, before she leaves Rick.

Rick's reaction in the scene is less complex. He looks like a man who has been kicked in the throat. A better moment for him is when the patrons of his club begin to sign La Marseillaise in defiance to the Germans. He looks as though he wishes to join but can't. Just as Ilsa shakes her head in the admiration she can't help but feel for Lazlo. Lazlo himself is the only one who never has a doubt as to his actions.

Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa Lund

Roger Ebert says,

"After seeing this film many times, I think I finally understand why I love it so much. It's not because of the romance, or the humor, or the intrigue, although those elements are masterful. It's because it makes me proud of the characters. These are not heroes -- not except for Paul Heinreid's resistance fighter, who in some ways is the most predictable character in the film. These are realists, pragmatists, survivors: Humphrey Bogart's Rick Blaine, who sticks his neck out for nobody, and Claude Rains' police inspector, who follows rules and tries to stay out of trouble. At the end of the film, when they rise to heroism, it is so moving because heroism is not in their makeup. Their better nature simply informs them what they must do."

Rick lets the Hungarian couple win at roulette.

I like his reading of the film. These people are flawed and human. Not even the beautiful heroine is perfect. They are all simply muddling through, trying to make the best of their entangled lives. I see parts of myself in Rick, in Ilsa, perhaps even in Lazlo and Renault. This film is filled with believable humanity and the heroism that can sometimes rise from it. It is charming, witty, and wrenching. Rick tells Ilsa in the end that "it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world." But what makes this film so lovable is our interest in these three little people. Casablanca reminds us that the little people do matter, and that our world is filled with such little problems. It is what makes it so easy to connect to this film even now.

Publicity still for Casablanca

Though I've seen Casablanca many times, watching it now made me realize this film is like Mrs. Miniver. The audience did not know the ending. "Who do you think will win the war?" Major Strasser asks Rick. He doesn't know. And neither did the audience. It makes the entire tone of the film far more chilling. Rick walks off to fight at the end, but he is walking into an unknown future. We may be assured of his victory, but how terrifying to be in the theater and be unsure.

End of the film...but the beginning of a beautiful friendship...

P.S. Want to hear the original ceremony? Click here!

Tea Time!

2010-11-20T00:13:00.000-05:00

For such a British film, I thought I should have tea with finger sandwiches. There's a million different ways to make and enjoy tea sandwiches, so I read as many as I could and combined a few to make the best ones. Feel free to experiment yourself. Little bite size sandwiches are actually quite filling and delicious

Typical Tea Time

Three Delightful Bite-Sized Snacks

You’ll need:
½ a pound of thinly sliced roast beef (preferably Italian)
1 cucumber
1 container of whipped cream cheese (chive)
Small amount of fresh dill
½ cup fresh blackberries
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
vanilla bean cane sugar (or similar large grained sugar)
1 tsp horseradish
3 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Loaf of fresh marble rye bread
Loaf of fresh Challah bread
Salt and Pepper to taste

I bought a loaf of pre-sliced marble rye bread, but really any kind will work. Take several slices and cut off the crust. Then cut into 4 squares. Do this 2 or 3 times.
Mix together the horseradish, Dijon mustard, and mayonnaise according to taste. More horseradish and mustard will make the sandwich much spicier.
Spread the mixture on half the bread, and then layer the top with roast beef. Use salt and pepper to taste.

Chop the dill and mix with half the container of cream cheese. Spread the cream cheese on the slices of bread.
Using a peeler, peel the peel off the cucumber, and then use the peeler to create thin slices of cucumber.
Place the cucumber slices on top of the cream cheese, and trim edges with a sharp knife. Sprinkle dill to garnish.

Slice the Challah bread into individual slices, and then cut off the crusts. Slice into squares.
Whip the heavy cream with a standing mixer until it forms stiff peaks.
Smash the blackberries with either a mortar and pedestal, or a regular spoon, until they are loosely mashed together.
Spread the whipped cream on the Challah bread, and top with blackberries, avoiding the cores. Lightly sprinkle sugar on top to garnish. Serve and enjoy!

I choose to serve the sandwiches without bread on top, but that is a personal preference. Feel free to experiment and create your own! I will say these are particularly delicious, but I’d love to hear more…

Mrs. Miniver

2010-11-20T00:12:00.000-05:00

"This is the People's War. It is our war. We are the fighters. Fight it then. Fight it with all that is in us and may God defend the Right." -- The Vicar (Mrs. Miniver, 1942)

I'm back! I know I've been gone a long time, and I apologize. It's been a wild whirlwind couple of months. Since I last wrote, I now have a new job, a new apartment, and a new lease on life! Obviously I won't make my goal of being through all my movies by March, but I don't mind so much. This project has always been just for myself, and if I have made an impact on others, I count that as more of a bonus than anything else. Not that I don't appreciate my readers, in fact having my friends support me on this project has been one of the best things about it. But the best part about writing for yourself is that you never have to feel the guilt or stress of missing a deadline. And I knew when I watched it that this movie didn't deserve a hurried, stressed entry. This movie was one of my favorites, and an absolute must-see by anyone who happens to have an interest in film or history. It is emotionally stirring, entertaining, and historically fascinating. Enjoy.

Teresa Wright and Greer Garson in Mrs. Miniver

The Plot
Mrs. Kay Miniver, played by Greer Garson, is the happy British housewife of an architect in an upper-middle class family. The film opens as she returns home on the train, feeling guilty because she spent a little too much on a hat. She greets Mr. Ballard, the station master, played by Henry Travers, on her way home, and discovers he has named his newly grown batch of roses after her, as she is the nicest woman in town. Her husband Clem, played by Walter Pigeon, feels similarly guilty about the car he has bought, and when they finally both confess, they could be a normal sitcom couple along the lines of I Love Lucy or Leave it to Beaver. Except they're British, and it's 1939, right as World War II is beginning to take effect.

The Minivers greet Vin at the station

Vin, their son, played by Richard Ney, returns from Oxford for the holidays filled the obnoxious pompousness affected by naive first-term students. He delivers scathing speeches about the privileged nobility that are idealistic, though without much sense. Much to their chagrin, he insults Carol Beldon, played by Teresa Wright, granddaughter of local village aristocrat Lady Beldon, played by Dame May Whitty, when she comes to ask if Kay might ask Mr. Ballard to withdraw from the annual flower show, as a loss would distress her elderly grandmother. But at the local dance that night, Vin confesses his feelings for Carol and the two agree to write one another while they are apart.

Ballard shows his "Mrs. Miniver" rose to its namesake

A few weeks later at the village church, the vicar, played by Henry Wilcoxon, interrupts his sermon with the breaking news that England is now at war with Germany. While the Minivers take their two youngest children, Toby and Judy, home to prepare for the coming air-raid, Vin accompanies Carol and her grandmother home and overides Lady Beldon's protests and insists they adequately prepare themselves. Carol and Vin come to an "agreement" and kiss for the first time. Some time later Vin leaves school to join the RAF and while the village is prepared, no one has really started to feel the effects of the war. The men in the local pub trade jokes about a German pilot who may have been shot down in the area. On leave that night, Vin proposes to Carol at dinner with his family, but must immediately return to the airbase and cut his leave short. Clem, on the other hand, is called to the pub in the middle of the night as he is part of the Thames River patrol. While everyone is annoyed at the early hour, they soon discover that as local boat owners, they have been asked to become part of an evacuation mission to retrieve British soliders from Dunkerque, France.

The Minivers congratulate Carol.

Five days have passed, and Kay still has no news from Clem or Vin. Distressed, she strolls in her garden, only to find the boots and then the rest of the missing German pilot. She tries to steal his gun as he sleeps, but he awakes and chases her back into her house. He holds her at gunpoint while she brings him food, but finally collapses, weakened from his wounds. Kay steals his gun and calls the police, and as he is carried away the German glares and tells her that England will fall, just as all the other countries have. Kay slaps him. But after he leaves Clem finally arrives and then news of Vin's safe return reaches them as well. Vin and Carol marry a short time later, after Kay convinces Lady Beldon, who has been hiding a secret marriage she also made when in her youth to a soldier going to war. Though Lady Beldon wishes to spare Carol the same heartache, she realizes she must let her go, and the couple leave to honeymoon in Scotland.

Mrs. Miniver and the German soldier

While they are gone, the rest of the Minivers hide in their bomb shelter as the battle continues in the air. While before they had managed to pass uneventful nights in their shelter reading and knitting, this time the bombing is so intense that the children wake crying and the entire family must huddle together fearfully. When Carol and Vin return, they are shocked by the near complete destruction of their home, but Kay and Clem shrug off the rubble and talk of the upcoming flower show.

The Minivers see the wreckage of the house.

At the show, Lady Beldon is informed secretly that she has won the competition yet again, but realizes (with Kay's help) that the lowly Ballard really deserves it and announces instead that he has won the prize. While everyone cheers at this heartwarming scene, the air raid sirens suddenly go off and everyone must scatter for home. As Kay and Carol drive home they attempt to dodge the destruction around them, but Carol is suddenly hit by a stray bullet. Though Kay is able to get her home, Carol dies before a doctor can arrive. When Vin arrives home and discovers her dead, he finally loses his youthful optimism and innocence.

Lady Beldon at the flower show.

They all attend church on Sunday, though the church has been badly bombed. The vicar announces those who have died, including a young choir boy, Carol, and Ballard. He delivers a stirring speech, and as he reads from the Ninety-First Psalm, Vin moves to Lady Beldon's pew to comfort her. As everyone leaves, singing hymns, more planes take to the air.

The family together at church.

The History
William Wyler created this film for propaganda reasons. Wyler choose a series of popular essays written by Jan Struther in 1939 and gave them a story line that he stretched into 1942. He felt that America had too long followed a policy of isolationism, and desirous of influencing Americans against the Nazis, showed how middle class Brits were faring overseas. Wyler himself had been born in Germany, and he took the German threat very seriously. He wrote and re-wrote the vicar's speech at the end of the film, insisting on a perfect ending. Although he later believed he was not harsh enough in his depiction of war, Mrs. Miniver would become a major factor in influencing American opinions.

Teresa Wright and Greer Garson on set.

Mrs. Miniver was the highest grossing MGM film of all time. It was also the top film of the year in England. Out of the 592 film critics polled by American magazine Film Daily, 555 named it the best film of 1942. The final, rousing speech that Wyler had agonized over would be reprinted in popular magazines and dropped in pamphlet form as literal propaganda in Europe by President Roosevelt. The speech would become known as the Wilcoxon Speech, after the actor who had so stirringly delivered it. William Wyler left immediately after he finished filming Mrs. Miniver in order to join the US Army Signal Corps, where he continued to make documentaries about the war effort.

The Wilcoxon Speech

Mrs. Miniver was the first film to be nominated in all four acting categories. It was nominated for twelve categories, of which it won six, including Best Picture, Director, Actress, Supporting Actress, Screenplay, and Cinematography. In 2009, it was named to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. It is #40 on AFI's list of "Most Inspirational Movies." And while its most famous legacy today seems to be the fact that Greer Garson married Richard Ney (the actor who played her son) shortly after filming, Winston Churchill famously said that "Mrs. Miniver is propaganda worth a hundred battleships."

Four Oscar-winning actors on Awards night.

Bette Davis, nominated again, opened a free club for servicemen only run by celebrities. Greer Garson, along with many other actresses, dedicated herself to selling war bonds. And nearly all the movies lauded that year would be either patriotic or war-related (or both.) Patriotism was continuing in full force. The awards that year honored servicemen with a flag listing the over 27,000 members of Hollywood who had enlisted to fight the war and unrolled it during the singing of the national anthem. Both popular starlet Teresa Wright and the scandalous Greer Garson walked off their first Oscars. James Cagney won for Best Actor in the stars and stripes studded film Yankee Doodle Dandy. But the statuettes themselves were made of plaster, not gold, in a nod to the war effort. Women were again asked to dress down (with some success) and most of the male winners of the evening had to have their statuettes accepted by their wives, as they were overseas.

Long-winded Oscar winner Greer Garson

After the ceremony was over, journelists complained the most about the lack of space. W. R. Wilkerson, editor of the Hollywood Reporter, was so incensed he wrote three separate editorials about the event, deriding it as having "tiresome speakers voicing greater dullness" and "professional jerks of ever caliber." Mary Pickford was miffed that she had had to sit in the back, and the New York Wold-Telegram voiced the continuing belief that had the 4,500 extras not been allowed to vote, results would have been different. The Academy dropped hints that change was in the wind for the event next year. But the most memorable moment of the awards came when Greer Garson delivered her 5 1/2 minute speech, the longest acceptance speech ever in Academy Awards history. As it was the last delivered, and it was after 1am, the speech has become exaggerated in Academy urban legend, much to Garson's chagrin. She would never win another.

Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon in Mrs. Miniver

The Verdict?
This movie is incredible for so many reasons. And it’s not because it is a cinematic masterpiece. If this movie was made either 10 years earlier or later it would not have made such an impact on me. It is such an important movie because it is not a war movie; it is a movie about living during a war.

Mr. and Mrs. Miniver in the bomb shelter.

The scariest thing about Mrs. Miniver is how normal it is. The Minivers are loving, friendly, good-natured, flawed and modern (for 1942). They could be your next door neighbors. And by the end of the movie, we’re not entirely sure they will survive. This movie violates the American middle class’s deeply ingrained belief that nothing can ever happen to them. It is those others who are bombed, those Europeans across the water. But Mrs. Miniver claims that a psychopathic German solider can crop up in your backyard, and that a stray bullet can claim your daughter-in-law. You could be buying a too-expensive hat one day and then a few weeks later be hiding in a bomb shelter with your young children. And in 1942, less than a year after Pearl Harbor, too many Americans were sticking their heads in the sand with regards to the ongoing war.

The Minivers must tell Vin his wife has died.

The atmosphere of the film feels as if someone started bombing June Cleaver’s backyard. Imagine the impact of seeing people like yourself suffering from an invasion that is actually happening in real time. I think that today we are too likely to classify wars as "other." People in head scarves roaming deserts seem so foreign to modern-day Americans that we forget wars happening in Afghanistan or Iraq involve real people and families. And of course it is much easier to sympathize with the British rather than people with a culture so different from ours. But the message to take away from this film is that war (and the devastation that follows it) can happen to anyone, at any time.

The Minivers in the bomb shelter.

The truly chilling moment comes at the end, when the Vicar gives his famous speech and the camera pans up to the sky. The planes are flying overhead, the church is crumbling around them and no one, not even the audience, knows when the violence will end or even if it will. The looked-for ending is missing—the resolution of the war. We know the ending, but how terrifying to watch this film in a theater and not be assured of a happy ending. All this film has is hope for peace; for the Minivers, and for the world.

The family looks at their ruined home.

Welsh Rarebit (Actually doesn't involve any rabbits...)

2010-08-24T14:59:00.001-04:00

Welsh Rarebit is the only Welsh recipe I'd ever heard of. Unfortunately, I had no idea what it was. After extensive Googling, I was able to determine that Welsh Rarebit is a dish made with a sauce of melted cheese and served hot over toasted bread. So for dinner one night I prepared the best version I found, from Simple Bites. Here it is!

Welsh Rarebit
You'll need:
1/2 stick (4 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg yolk
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup pilsner beer, or other light beer
1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces extra-sharp cheddar, coarsely grated (about 1-1/2 cups)

Lightly beat yolk in a medium heatproof bowl.

Melt remaining 2 Tablespoons butter in a small heavy saucepan over moderately low heat.
Add flour and cook, whisking, for 1 minute.

Add beer and milk, whisking constantly, then whisk in mustard and pepper. Bring to a simmer, whisking, and cook, whisking frequently, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.
Gradually add cheese and cook, whisking, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk into beaten yolk until combined.

Serve hot, with bread and/or vegetables.

Now, the traditional way to eat Welsh Rarebit is with bread. The recipe I found says to pour it over vegetables instead (asparagus and mushrooms). Rarebit is actually very similar to fondue in this way; you can eat it with pretty much anything. Melted cheese is always good. I made a pot of it and decided to put it by the dinner table. We ate it with bread, vegetables, even chicken! Delicious.
Keep in mind the one thing that gives this recipe its flavor: the beer. Because I didn't have a wide variety of beers available, I used Magic Hat. That beer has a distinct, smoky flavor, and therefore so did the rarebit. Be very conscious of which beer you select because that will ultimately determine the flavor. Other than that, this cheesy goodness is easy to make with ingredients that I already had in my kitchen.

Try it on a cool evening with just about anything!