Author: moi

Little Manhattan (2005)

Nothing’s as big as your first love.

Rating: PG

Genre: Comedy-romance

Verdict: Can’t help falling for this one

The gist: Ten-year-old Gabe (Josh Hutcherson) has it all together.  He has his loving -albeit dysfunctional – parents Adam (Bradley Whitford) and Leslie (Cynthia Nixon), his friends, and his sports.  He’s living the good life.  Then Rosemary Telesco (Charlie Ray) walks into his karate class – and everything changes.  Sure, he’s known her since kindergarten, but suddenly he sees her with different eyes.  In a blink he feels the awe and misery that is first love.  And New York will never be the same …  

My take: I’ll be honest. Renting this movie was not my idea. After all, who wants to watch 11-year-olds get more action than you? EXACTLY. But from the moment the movie began, I was hooked.  Jennifer Flackett (writer) and Mark Levin (director) display a fine talent in capturing first love and all its complexities.  This film is much like a time machine – taking you back to those days of innocence.  It beautifully conveys the humor, exhilaration, and complete-and-utter despair of first love.  And suggests to those who have found true love: despite the hardship, disappointment, and sorrow it may bring, love is worth fighting for …

Be happy

I know a man on the verge of greatness.  One big break – that’s all it will take – and his dreams will come true. Then he can relax.  Then he can be happy.  And it’s been this way for as long as I can remember.  While he’s been frantically pursuing the “good life” – much of life’s goodness has passed him by. 

Not that he’s alone.  It’s easy to do actually. 

Especially here in the US where the measure of importance often lies with our employment, our title, our education, our net worth, our neighborhood, to whom we’re related, or what family we marry in to.  And so we throw all our energy into these things, fully expecting them to bring us contentment:  when we’ve graduated from high school, undergraduate, graduate school; when we’re married, have kids, when the kids have flown the coop; when we get a cat, dog, horse, or pet lizard; when the cat, dog, horse, or pet lizard are house trained; when we buy a house, when we sell the house; when we get that job, raise, or promotion.  Then we can enjoy the life that has been granted us. 

Yet the more I see, the more I’m convinced we’ve got it all wrong.  We’re backwards and upside down. 

Perhaps the first step in righting our wrongs is to take heed to the words of French poet Apollinaire, “Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.” So whoever we are and wherever we may be – be it atop the peak of triump or the valley of despair – may we choose to live the happiness we seek. 

Sayin’ it like it is

Kirk Franklin came up in a conversation the other day.  I love him.  Sigh.  Seriously.  He’s a gifted singer/songwriter.  His songs come from the heart – a rarity at times in Christian music.  Seems too often nowadays spiritual songs are little more than regurgitation.  Everything we’ve heard before, with a little different twang.  Apparently, however, not everyone feels as I do (SHOCKING, I know).  The minute I mentioned Kirk Franklin, the face of the women turned grave.  “I was listening to Hero the other morning”, she whispered, “It’s good but … it’s so very depressing.”  She shook her head, emphasizing the pity of it all.  Depressing.  Huh.  As many times as I have listened to that CD, depression has never once come to mind.  Hope in the midst of despair, maybe.  But hope.  I can’t help but wonder if what she really has a problem with is the truthfulness.  Us Christians aren’t always comfortable with the truth.  How are you doing? one will ask.  Blessed! replies the other.  Yes, we are blessed; but here’s the thing, we live in a fallen world.  The simple fact remains, some times life is crap.  There’s pain and suffering, trials and disappointment.  Loved ones leave us, they let us down.  Dreams wither and die.  Our bodies fail us.  That’s life.  We cannot pretend the hardships of life are not there, or that they do not affect us.  Even David – a man after God’s own heart – admitted to the misery of life.  Only through acknowledging can we learn to live victorious.  As Kirk Franklin says in “Let it Go” … “Church taught me how to shout and how to speak in tongues; but preacher teach me how to live now that the tongue is done.”  Perhaps now, more than ever the church needs to rise up and allow for the true – to acknowledge that no, life is not always easy or fair; but we’re here for a reason. And we can live a righteous life, warts and all …

Brush those teeth

I suffered from some sort of sleepy syndrome this past week.  I was exhausted all week long – with nothing to explain for it.  Last night I was so tired I could barely wash off my makeup, let alone work up the energy to brush my teeth.  [collective gasp!, I know]  So I fall into bed and, apparently, into some fairly bizarre dreams. 

Take this one for example …

I was getting ready to go hiking with some friends (that, in itself is just plain weird).  I’m in the restroom – somewhere – getting ready with my good friend Angelina Jolie.  She, of course, is looking gorgeous.  She’s even wearing a dress.  To go hiking.  “Gosh,” I say, eloquent-like, “you look so good!  Maybe I should change my clothes.”  Angelina looks at me with disgust.  “You better at least brush your teeth.” 

Needless to say, I was ruined.  RUINED.  So tonight, no matter how tired I may feel, I will brush my teeth before jumping into bed.  Promise.

Chicken with wings

I was the “guest” at a wedding last Sunday.  It turned out to be a lovely affair – amazing considering they had no flowers as of last week.  Proof you can do amazing things in a short amount of time, with a small legion of friends and family who care.  And I’m happy to report there were no incidents.  At least no major incidents.  I did have a renegade spicy chicken piece jump down the front of my dress.  That was a shock – to me and anyone who happened to see me reach down and retrieve it.  Sure, I could have left it there and everyone would have been none the wiser.  Unfortunately, it lodged in the middle of my bra and began burning a hole in my flesh.  Seeing how I’m none too keen on pain, I really had no other choice …