I have seen only a couple of movies since January 2 – my mother, my sister Jean and I watched Dan in Real Life (I had seen it, they had not) – and it was a trip because every single scene, every new location, would bring on calls of recognition from my sister and mother. “That’s Misquamicut!” “That’s the beach in Jamestown!” It was hysterical. Townies, the both of them.
I went to see Revolutionary Road with my cousin Kerry and my sister Siobhan.
And then when my brother was staying with me, we watched Only Angels Have Wings together, which he had never seen, so I was thrilled to no end to show it to him.
But my normal moviegoing has ceased. Just no desire. I’ve tried. But I can’t make it through. My Netflix account is on hold. I have had the same movies (Mickey Rourke movies) for two months now. Just no desire.
Scanning photos is the only thing that engrosses me now. That, and chatting with my friends and family on Facebook, a nurturing and protective environment. Oh, and also working on my book, which I thought would be more difficult than it is. It feels positive, like moving forward.
I’m doing the South Beach Diet as I mentioned and I am now on Day 8. I don’t know what weight I have lost, although I can tell I have lost some just from looking at my face, and I am going to hold off on checking until I’m at the end of the first two weeks. Trying to do this without obsessing over results. Trying to look at it as a change in and of itself, rather than something I am attaching an expectation to. It’s the only way I can do it. I have really enjoyed the diet so far, and am branching out in my cooking and grocery-shopping, and I really like it. I like organizing my life and my kitchen in a way that is new, and I like the recipes provided in the book. Tonight I’m making a ginger-lemony chicken thing. Its been a while since I have committed to a diet, and this one is really “clicking” with me. I like it a lot. All of the time I had spent reading and watching movies is now spent huddled over my recipe book. That will eventually change, but for now I’m just going with what feels right.
I am going to attempt to watch a movie tonight. Nothing too arduous, nothing too serious … I won’t be watching Zodiac, for example, or Reds. I had to choose very carefully. My first thought was something inspirational – like one of the sports-formula movies I own that I love so much. The Great Debaters or The Rookie or maybe Stand and Deliver! NOT Field of Dreams … like I said in another post, I know what I can and cannot do right now. So I thought that maybe one of my old sports-formula favorites – like Blue Crush or even Center Stage would do the trick. But I’ve seen all of those so many times. Nothing was calling to me.
Yesterday I was browsing in a Blockbuster and looking at the for-sale section of DVDs.
A movie JUMPED out at me from the shelf. I grabbed it and bought it immediately.
I have not seen it in 25 years probably. It was one of “those” movies when i was growing up, a phenom, something everyone talked about, and now jokes about, but has its place in movie history.
It is also a sports-formula movie (although, my God, I realize I am stretching the definition here).
I’ll give it a shot. Maybe I’ll just cook for a while, and read my Nureyev book – I have a big day tomorrow, a long day involving multiple subway rides … I need my rest.
But maybe I will watch the movie that I bought yesterday. Maybe it’ll be the right one.
I’m laughing just thinking about it.
Looking at that poster reminds me of this hilarious conversation Alex, Mitchell and I had about the whole “Billy Joe threw somethin’ off the Tallahassee Bridge” movie we all saw as kids … and that the movie had felt the need to add a creepy gay man who approaches Robby Benson on the bridge, to make it seem like THAT was the reason he jumped. Yup, nothin’ like a creepy gay dude hitting on you that brings on thoughts of suicide. But anyway, we were talking about the weird “homosexual panic” element that had been added to that movie and I said, in all seriousness, “Robbie Benson’s entire career was based on homosexual panic.”
That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.
Sheila,
I clicked on the “contine reading…” link and burst into a full belly laugh. I needed to laugh today. Thanks for that.
Oh, and I can just hear that damn song in my head. Thanks to you I’m going to be humming the theme song from Ice Castles for days….”Finding out what’s TRUE…”
Allison – HAHAHAHAHA Blast from ye olde past!! Isn’t it maybe a good way to ease back into movie-watching?? And yes – that ridiculous theme song that was EVERYWHERE back then! I look forward to seeing Colleen Dewhurst again as the crotchety tough coach!
I hope Sunday works for you … I really miss you. :(
Look at the freakin’ SEAM down the side of her jeans.
It fills me with shame.
lol..i listened to the theme from Ice Castes today!!! On purpose! “Please, don;t elt this feeling..its everything i am…” aaaahhh the 70’s.
Mitchell – really?? We are so connected!! Space twins!!!
Sadly, Darcy and Timmy’s first dance at their wedding was to “Theme from Ice Castles”. Once she told me that, a little bit of our friendship melted away right then and there. I should have known then….
Beth, you make me laugh so hard.
Okay Beth – I know I’m insane but I did a search for Ice Castles on my site earlier today to see if I had mentioned it or written about it, I couldn’t remember … and look what came up …
scroll down to the bottom of the post …
I am still laughing. You are so RIGHT, though. Such a smart awesome woman.
(and check out the novel written by some weirdo named Jeff. Wow. I can’t get through two lines of it.)
beth…I don’t know these Darcy and Timmy people, I think it’s safe to say that we should all be a little skeptical of people whose first dance as bride and groom is to the theme song from ice castles…unless of course, it’s done from a place of irony.
Irony is so essential!
especially when it comes to theme song from “ice castles.”
oh, and sunday does work. i really miss you too. i’ve just spent the last hour catching up on your blog which has made me miss you even more. i look forward to seeing you, dear friend.
The first thing I thought was OMG…hahaha. The second was holy crap, is that the old Met Center? Sure enough, IMDB says that was one of the filming locations. I don’t remember hearing about that at all.
Dave – is that near you?? Please tell all!
I’m watching the movie now, everyone, I’m making it thru. That THEME, my God, can’t they let it go??
However, I have already cried once.
Stay tuned.
Met Center was where the North Stars played. They tore it down after they were allowed to move to…that place. Lots of memories were made there.
Man, don’t you just hate it when they tear those places down? God, it hurts.
Oh, and it was in Bloomington, a suburb of Minneapolis. It’s Mall of America parking or something now.
Tragic.
Strangely enough – this is making me think of the movie High Fidelity. The scene where they go see Lisa Bonet sing … that was in a club in Chicago, a renowned rock club called Lounge Ax – that place was epic – I spent HOURS of my life there … major major events of my life happened there – I sang there, I laughed there – most of those photo booth pictures I put up on my blog were taken in the booth there … and eventually it closed down. Not after a huge fight – but whatever, they lost. Lounge Ax, the brilliant amazing club, is no more.
And High Fidelity has it captured … in that one scene.
I like to watch that movie and that scene in particular because I feel like I get to visit Lounge Ax again.
…. not saying that you need to watch Ice Castles, I’m just saying …
Might make me cry. I don’t know for sure that’s Met Center, but it sure looks like it and those sure look like the seats. Their colors were green, gold, and white.
I imagine if IMDB lists it as the location, then yes, that is the Met Center. I wonder if they tricked up the Met Center to look like multiple ice skating rinks in the film.
Wow. A real time-travel moment, eh?
Bittersweet.
They show multiple locations for filming in the Twin Cities(also Colorado Springs), including what must be the old U of M Mariucci Arena. Now I’m going to have to watch this sometime. I think I can handle Robby Benson now. Thirty years ago it would have been painful.
I totally understand.
Homosexual panic is difficult to take, in any circumstance.
In the script (sorry, I’m over halfway thru the movie now) – it says she is from Iowa – do they show Iowa as a location or is it mainly Minnesota? The landscape looks extremely Fargo-esque.
They also showed St. Paul and South St. Paul…see any stockyards?
Hmmm, no stockyards. Lots of farmland, though – and there’s this amazing bowling alley where a lot of the action takes place and it HAS to be a real place – it can’t be a set. I’d love to know where THAT was.
No idea on the bowling alley, but you can buy a house used for the movie if you have $1.8 million.
God, the internet is incredible. I know I sound like an old geezer, but whatever, it still just amazes me, sometimes, the world we live in now – and how quickly I have gotten accustomed to it. Amazing.
Are you kidding me??? I still cry when Lexi falls after skating over the roses because no one knows she’s blind and Robby Benson comes and saves her.
Holy crap, I was like 8 and wanted Robby Benson to come rescue me…of course I wasn’t aware of the homosexual panic back then. ;)
The location of the Met Center is now an Ikea. Well, it might be half Ikea/half parking.
Not really sure what it says about the Cities: The old baseball field became the Mall of America (because playing at the “Dome” was such a brilliant idea!) and the hockey stadium became an Ikea. Yup. We love our sports in MN, don’t we?
Ohmigod. When I was in high school, my friend Leslie was being inducted as the Illustrious Potentate (or whatever) of her Rainbow Girls chapter and she tapped me to sing. And because it was 1981, I sang this song.
God.
Every time I hear it, I still see myself standing in the local Masonic lodge, my friend Kim at the ancient piano, warbling “Please, don’t let this feeling end, it might not come again. . .” with all the earnestness a 15-year-old can muster. I’m flushing with embarrassment just writing this.
And regards to the movie? How can crashing into a bunch of patio chairs make you blind? She didn’t get stabbed in the eye or anything. I think she was malingering.
Lisa — /I think she was malingering./
Hahahahahaha!
Other than the turtle neck (and the seam), that’s pretty much what the kids are wearing these days.
– Boogalie boo.
De – hahaha I know – I love that line “We forgot about the flowers” and I still think he delivers it really well. He was good, homosexual panic and all!
And Colleen Dewhurst is acting the CRAP out of that part. Seriously, woman is chewing some MAJOR scenery and it is so enjoyable!!
Oh Lisa! That is so cute and so sweet! Of course you sang that song!
In terms of her falling and blinding herself – I am actually more concerned about the faux pompadour she was wearing at the time, and the fact that she was sipping champagne. She was only 16! That glamorous coach and her newscaster boyfriend were corrupting this poor girl! No wonder she launched herself into the patio chairs. To get away from them!!
Not to downplay your choice of movies (obviously perfect to fulfill your need) – but… this may be the perfect time in your life for…. “Angels in the Outfield” –come on! Give it a try!