Growing Up Normal

Sometimes, I look back on my life and think about things I could have accomplished if I had pursued acting as a child. I could have been in movies and television series and been famous and traveled the world. Maybe. Probably not.

I think of kids who grow up in the spotlight and how they've turned out. They had so much attention. They had a bit of fun, but a lot of hard work and situations that demanded they be adults rather than children. They had to work hard and be on their best behavior.

I was not a well behaved kid. I was a great teenager, but as a kid I was a mess. So it's probably a good thing few people saw me face plant a plate of ice cream at a birthday party when I was nine. Or shudder as I wore giant rainbow t-shirts when I was ten. I'm glad no one other than my guy friends freaked out when I turned twelve and morphed into a fifteen year old. I was free as a teenager to crush hopelessly and pathetically after shaggy haired musicians and dancers. No one recorded the flippant remarks, shallow jokes, or clever comebacks that were so well worded but not always kind.

I have had the freedom to grow and learn at my own pace, without fear of inflicting the wrath of social media. I only piss people off in small numbers and in person. It works pretty well for me.

The Graveyard Book: book review

I got to see Neil Gaiman in Austin recently, and I could not have been more excited. In order to receive his infinite wisdom and clever witticisms I prepared by reading more of his books, including The Graveyard Book.

He mentioned The Graveyard Book during his lecture, and compared it to The Jungle Book. Instead of a child being raised by animals in a jungle, he is raised by ghosts in a graveyard. The comparison made me laugh because I couldn't believe I hadn't already made that connection.

First of all, I love British graveyards. The best ones are next to really old little churches, and have headstones with old Latin poems and phrases. I could totally see a kid running around those places, playing with ghosts and learning history.

Also, this kid's name is Nobody because he looks like nobody but himself. I suppose once you've been dead a while, you get tired of names.

Baby, Baby, Baby: Movie Review

I saw this film at the Austin Film Festival, and was very impressed by it. This film shows a couple falling in and out of love, a story that's been told a thousand times. But this story captured the details and emotional vulnerability of a relationship.

There are always little habits and behaviors in a relationship that not only define the combined personalities, but also define the breaking point. No one wants to feel under appreciated or ignored, especially not by someone you love and trust. In a relationship, you can go in with certain expectations, but when your expectations begin to change and the relationship itself does not, it can create tension.

Initially, Sydney and Sunny are both invested in their relationship. Sydney is a struggling actor, Sunny is a struggling artist. They support each other and encourage each other in their art. Then Sunny becomes more successful with her art and begins forming friendships and connections with other artists. Naturally, Sydney gets jealous and insecure.

The interesting thing is, the more insecure Sydney gets, the more Sunny pulls away from him. She never lies to him about who she is, calling herself "horrible" because she is an only child. He clings to her with the determination of a whiny child.

It's easy to feel sorry for both of them. I feel sorry for Sydney, because he is failing at something he's been working towards his whole life. Meanwhile, his girlfriend no longer has time for him. But mostly I feel sorry for Sunny. She never pretends to enjoy coddling Sydney. She clearly does not want to be someone's cheerleader, and no matter how much Sydney complains about her, she doesn't go easy on him. It's hard when one person in the relationship is busy with their art and the other is not. It can lead any sane person to become a sniveling mess. Being an adult is difficult and I love how this film shows the hardships of adulthood and relationships.

Saving Mr. Banks: Movie Review

This movie makes me love Mary Poppins even more and find connections behind the Disney movie and its backstory. There is so much that an author puts into stories. Using personal experiences or first hand observations can help give that kind of emotion readers connect with.

Walt's exuberant and optimistic displays and Travers' hesitance to change her ideal of the past show the love and innovation used in beloved Disney stories. What I love is how she reimagines and recreates her past to make her father into the hero she always wanted him to be. She gave him another chance to be kind. That is an amazing gift from a daughter who was put through the unstable antics of a dreamer.

Walt takes her creation and makes it brighter. He sees her vision, though it takes quite a bit of work, and makes it into a Disney spectacle. She may fight him every step of the way, but when she goes home she takes a giant Mickey Mouse with her.

We all want to cling to a bit of magic now and then.

She clings to the magic of her childhood, and fixing the problems that her parents could not. He clings to his dream of the magical world of Disney and what it means to create.

This movie not only explores the delightful product of Disney, but shows the process of creation as well. For me, that's the best part. I love knowing how a movie is pushed into existence. It's not enough to know the story, I need the backstory too. I love that she creates Mary Poppins as a way to change her childhood. She fixes her father and makes him a hero, as shown by the title, she saves Mr. Banks.

Howl's Moving Castle: Movie Review

This movie is magical. There is so much going on; including, but not limited to a traveling castle, a funny fire demon, and a sweet girl who is a bossy grandma at heart. And then there's Howl, the famous heart-devouring wizard. So, yeah. Lots to love.

One of my favorite parts about Sophie is she loves being an old lady. Somehow, that temporary exterior gives her the confidence to be as grumpy and ridiculous as she wants. After all, old people can get away with anything. She bosses Calcifer around, teases Markl, and snaps at Howl to shape up and get over himself.

She takes charge of that flying castle.

Along the way, she changes her life and saves both Howl and Calcifer. Also the country, but you know. Sophie is adorable and heartfelt, a true heroine. She makes Howl a better person, and going on an adventure forces her to embrace herself and be a hero.

Good Omens Book Review

Good Omens is hilarious. Honestly, I read the first chapter and I laughed so hard. It shows the angel and snake chatting after the angel drove Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden. But the angel felt bad, so he gave them the flaming sword and then discusses good and evil with the snake.

Genius. Pure genius.

The run down is an Anti-Christ is placed on the Earth, destined to lead the world to an Apocalypse. Unfortunately, the Satanist Nuns misplace him and he ends up in a normal family, uneducated on good and evil. Crowley, a demon, and Aziraphale, an angel, are best friends. They have lived on the Earth a long time and it has distanced them from their coworkers. So they hang out. And they are supposed to be keeping tabs on the Anti-Christ, but it takes them 11 years to figure out they've got the wrong kid; which mildly pisses off their bosses.

Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchet wrote this book together, and it feels like they were trying to outdo each other with quirky humor. I know that Crowley is loosely based on Gaiman, and it makes me wonder if Aziraphale is somewhat similar to Pratchet. Crowley and Aziraphale are the main plot, giving the reader a careless and ironic approach to a very religious topic.

This book has religion in it, it deals with angels and demons, but it's not religious. It isn't moralistic, it's casually satirical and witty. I love the randomness and clever witticisms.

Red Rising: Book Review

Red Rising is a dystopian novel by Pierce Brown that separates classes by color, red being the lowest. I found it interesting that everything in each class was just one color. If you're a red, you have red hair, eyes, and clothing. If you're a gold (the top class), you pretty much just glow.

This book was intense, to put it mildly. Darrow, a lowly red, discovers everything he knew about his life is a lie and is given the opportunity to infiltrate the government as a gold. His process of transforming into a gold, physically and mentally, and being put in a deadly test shows the survivor instinct of human nature. People fight for what they believe in, especially the ones who no one expects to succeed.

The complexity of the plot kept me constantly surprised...and at times very confused. It's heavier science fiction than I usually read, and took a little getting used to. It's not a relaxing read, that's for sure. But it's engaging and fresh.

I loved the exploration of human nature. What drives us to help people? What truly motivates our actions? Darrow thinks he is motivated by revenge, but I think he is motivated by hope. He hopes for a better world, and is willing to put himself through the darkest corners of his mind to give the reds a chance at happiness. Or at least a better meal.