Labor Day - or How to Bake Love

I heard about Labor Day last Fall when @twsrblog sent me the trailer, complete with narrative:  "OMG!!!  We have to see this!!"  Imagine my delight when I was asked to interview the author of "Labor Day", Joyce Maynard.  (The book which would later become this movie). 

Joyce Maynard and I at the spectacular Alamo Drafthouse in Kansas City

To see my interview/baking lesson with Joyce, click here

Let's review the movie first, shall we? (Read on for Joyce's Pie Baking Video and the complete recipe)

"Depressed single mom Adele and her son Henry offer a wounded, fearsome man a ride. (Sort of)  As police search the town for the escaped convict, the mother and son gradually learn his true story as their options become increasingly limited."

Rated PG-13 for adult themes

 

click above to watch the trailer

The trailer is a little tricky, so don't make any assumptions.  Things aren't always what they seem.

 

Told through the voice of Adele's (played by Kate Winslet) 13 year old son, this is a story for those of us who hope for second chances.  Once a woman with grand dreams of being a dancer and raising a beautiful family, Adele is left a broken woman,  hanging on by a thread

You will feel very sad for Frank (the hunky Josh Brolin); it's obvious early on that he is a good man who made one bad decision.   It's no surprise when we begin to feel Frank  has been sent to save Adele; and not the other way around.

As their love story unfolds, it is easy to say "who would really do that?"  And "well that is just insane."  I ask you to just remember why we love these movies in the first place.  Real life isn't always romantic and we don't always take the risks we should.  Just let it be.  Enjoy the ride that is this movie.

 

The pie scene was basically the "pottery scene from Ghost" played out with peaches in the kitchen, but when I met Joyce Maynard, who wrote this story, I didn't really mind at all.  She is a true romantic at heart, and this was her story to tell.

If you have ever lived in a small town, you will find yourself cringing as Adele tries to casually make changes in her life.  The nosy neighbors, the bankers, the local police - everyone acts as if they have a right to know her business.  I  understood this part of the movie all to well.....  It was also the part I hated the most - but it was so true.

All in all it wasn't a bad movie.  Keep in mind my favorite movie of 2013 was The Wolf of Wall Street, so obviously I like movies that are "Rated R for a reason." If you are in the mood for a sweet love story that doesn't cross any boundaries  in the rating system, you will be happy you went.

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 A Lesson In Pie Baking

I was lucky enough to spend some time last week with Joyce Maynard and she taught me the secrets to her fantastic pies!

We were having a very deep conversation about romance for the over 40 crowd

Joyce has an online tutorial for baking the perfect pie.  Just click on this link to see how she does it!

Joyce Maynard Teaches Pie Baking



And here is her wonderful pie recipe from the movie "Labor Day":



‘Labor Day’ Peach Pie
Makes 1 9-inch pie
3 lbs. peaches, peeled and sliced
¾ cup plus 1 tbsp. sugar, divided
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
4 tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca, divided
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
¾ tsp. salt
½ cup vegetable shortening
1 stick plus 1 tbsp. chilled butter, cut into pieces
⅓ to ½ cup ice water
1 beaten egg
1. In a large bowl, combine the peaches, ¾ cup sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Stir in 2 tbsp. tapioca to help absorb juices. Let stand, stirring occasionally.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, work in the shortening and 1 stick of butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. of the ice water over the flour mixture, stirring gently with a fork. Continue adding the water just until the dough holds together. Shape the dough into a ball and divide it into two discs, one slightly larger than the other.
3. Place the smaller disc on a sheet of waxed paper, and use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. If the dough sticks to the rolling pin, dust it lightly with more flour. Lay a 9- to 10-inch pie pan face down on top of the circle; flip the pan over and remove the paper. For the crust, on a sheet of waxed paper, roll out the other disc to form a 14-inch circle.  Do not roll the dough more than necessary.
4. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tbsp. tapioca on the bottom crust. Add the peach filling, mounding it in the center, and dot with remaining 1 tbsp. butter. Lift the waxed paper with the remaining crust and flip it over the filling. Peel back waxed paper. Trim the edges of the crusts and pinch together the top and bottom crusts. Brush the top with the beaten egg, and sprinkle with remaining 1 tbsp. sugar. Poke fork holes or cut vents in the top crust. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Why do you love the person you love? My review of "Her", a love story by Spike Jonze

The first few times I saw this trailer, I thought it to be quite silly.  I knew this movie wouldn't be for everyone, maybe not even me.  I was very anxious for the screening, so when the day finally arrived I took my daughter Jen, one of the most open minded moviegoers I know.  I hoped she would help me see things in the movie I might have otherwise overlooked.  And that she did.

This movie isn't for everyone. You have to "get" technology and live an active online life or none of it will make sense.  You have to have an open mind when it comes to matters of the heart. You also have to be a dreamer.  Spike Jonze takes us on  a most amazing journey in "Her"

"Set in the Los Angeles of the slight future, “Her” follows Theodore Twombly, a complex, soulful man who makes his living writing touching, personal letters for other people. Heartbroken after the end of a long relationship, he becomes intrigued with a new, advanced operating system, which promises to be an intuitive entity in its own right, individual to each user. Upon initiating it, he is delighted to meet “Samantha,” a bright, female voice, who is insightful, sensitive and surprisingly funny.  As her needs and desires grow, in tandem with his own, their friendship deepens into an eventual love for each other.

From the unique perspective of Oscar-nominated filmmaker Spike Jonze comes an original love story that explores the evolving nature—and the risks—of intimacy in the modern world." ~ www.herthemovie.com

Joaquin Phoenix is such an amazing actor and he has always been one of my favorites.  He is an actor, not a celebrity.  There is a big difference.  He takes risks with his roles, and lives very much out of the spotlight.  I have to imagine this role really resonated with him.  He got it, and it shows.  

Scarlett Johansson; I wonder what made her decide to take this role?  She is definitely the lead actress, and was initially surrounded by quite a bit of Oscar buzz for this role.  But one thing disqualified her - I don't want to blast "spoiler alert", so I will leave it at that.  She was wonderful and sweet and kind and heartbreaking.

The slightly futuristic feel to the movie was amazing.  Tiny details, like the high waisted wool trousers all the men wore and the packaging of all the food.  The way Ted lived; the emptiness you felt in his beautiful apartment.  He lived such a lonely existence, yet was always busy making other people's lives feel more relevant.  It was a very interesting concept, breathtakingly beautiful at times, but most certainly very sad.

There is a panic in the movie, the moment Ted loses Samantha.  While he is searching, my heart was racing right along with his.  It was terrifying, and made us all face the reality of this relationship.  In the blink of an eye it could all be over, and we would have no idea where to look.  That is true of all online relationships, even those we are in today.  But it is also true of real relationships.  Having ended a ten year relationship recently, not by my choosing, I understand the panic and grief that he must have felt.  It really, really takes your breath away and takes over your entire world.  It is a very, very difficult thing to navigate through.

This movie did make me think about the amount of time I spend with my own technology.  It made me want to be present when with family and friends.  To read more.  To watch more.  To explore more.  We all as a society need to pay attention to our lives, or this world Ted lives in most certainly could become a reality.

That being said, the idea of a kindred spirit, someone in my life who wants nothing more than to listen to me and ask me questions about my life and make me feel important, that is a very enticing proposition.  The best line of the movie:  

"You always wanted to have a wife without the challenges of actually dealing with anything real.  I'm glad you found someone."  Exactly.

August: Osage County (A reminder that we all have crazy kin)

I'll admit I was a bit cynical about seeing this film.  With so many "SuperStars" in the cast, I worried we were getting lots of big names, but not much of a movie.  I am SO glad I was wrong.  August: Osage County was a great movie - full of laughs as well as cringe-worthy moments.  Meryl Streep was FANTASTIC.

Rated R    121 minutes

I think one reason I loved it so much was it made my own dysfunctional family seem pretty damn normal.  Every family has intricate relationships that have been woven over many, many years.  In some families, even my own, it's just best to part ways and say "see ya, wouldn't want to be ya" and call it a day.  This movie shines a bright light on the fact that ot all families are not "The Cleavers." 

Juliette Lewis was great in this movie - she knew the character so well and delivered her lines perfectly.  In every family there is the one person who pretends like nothing is going on.  This is her role.  To put on a brave face and never let them see her sweat.  And she does it amazingly.

Julia Roberts shows true acting chops - no damsel in distress here - no glamorous wardrobe.  Just Julia - proving how talented she really is.  I related most with her character, probably because I am also the oldest of three girls.  She is absolutely exhausted and carries the weight of "this whole mess" squarely on her shoulders.  Brilliant.

When Meryl Streep started getting Oscar Buzz, I was just a bit miffed.  I was worried about "my" Cate Blanchett and how a powerhouse like Meryl would ruin everything for her.  I was worried Meryl being Meryl meant she was a shoe-in to sweep all the awards.  Until I saw this movie and her role.   If they call out her name on Oscar night, I will be a little sad for Cate, but I will applaud and call out Bravo! because this is an Oscar worthy performance once again.  She was just magnificent.

The entire cast was so spectacular I could write about why I loved each and every one of them.   I loved this movie, and I truly think you will too.  But let me apologize in advance for the one line that you will not be able to get out of your head.  "Eat your fish!  Eat your God damn fish!"

The Wolf of Wall Street

Surprising even myself, The Wolf of Wall Street has become my favorite movie of 2013.  Yep.  It's true.  This movie was by far the most entertaining film of the year. 

Revered filmmaker; Martin Scorsese directs the story of New York stockbroker Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio). From the American dream to corporate greed, Belfort goes from penny stocks and righteousness to IPOs and a life of corruption in the late 80s. Excess success and affluence in his early twenties as founder of the brokerage firm Stratton Oakmont warranted Belfort the title – “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
Money. Power. Women. Drugs. Temptations were for the taking and the threat of authority was irrelevant. For Jordan and his wolf pack, modesty was quickly deemed overrated and more was never enough. ~www.thewolfofwallstreet.com


The Wolf of Wall Street is an extremely sexually explicit film. Originally rated NC-17, it had some scenes slightly cut down to receive an R rating. Still, it is extremely graphic, and pushes the R rating to its limit. Extreme drug use and profanity throughout      Run time - 180 minutes

Leonardo DiCaprio never disappoints - and this extraordinary performance skyrockets him from an actor to a full blown movie star.  Starring as Jordan Belfort, an infamous stockbroker of the 90s (and convicted felon),  DiCaprio delivers his best work EVER. I was spellbound.  To me, his "best scene" was trying to function during a Quaalude trip that went horribly, horribly wrong.  It was amazing!  The movie shows lots of drug use, but not to worry.  The actors snorted crushed B vitamins for scenes involving cocaine. Although their noses felt uncomfortable, it gave them more energy to perform their scenes. (note to self)

Leonardo is not the only one who knocks it out of the park.  Jonah Hill will surely win an Oscar nod for his role as Donnie Azoff, Belfort's partner in crime and co-founder of Stratton.  (In real life, this guy's name is Danny Porush).  I have watched several interviews with Hill over the past couple of weeks, and man does he have some stories.  Working with Martin Scorsese was certainly a dream come true for him and he wanted to be taken seriously.  Demanding that he audition for the role (Scorsese wasn't going to require it), he was willing to do anything to prove himself worthy.  Even get knocked out cold after agreeing to take a real punch to the face

The punch lands and launches his fake teeth flew across the room, where they broke in two.  He talks about waking up as people are grabbing his face to get new teeth in before his face swelled and they lose the shot.  What a guy!

He begged to eat a real goldfish in one scene, saying everyone was being so real in this movie, he wanted to be as well.  (In the end, they wouldn't let him eat a real one - even bringing oldfish wranglers on set to monitor the well being of the fish)

A beautiful Australian actress names Margot Robbie stars as Naomi Belfort in her first major film role to date.  

In one interview, she talks about accidentally getting lost in a scene and slapping DiCaprio  more violently than she intended.  After the slap and her scream of "FUCK YOU", there was a stunned silence on the set; followed by a burst of laughter.  Terrified what DiCaprio was thinking, he surprised her by asking her to hit him again.

I could go on and on about the characters and scenes of this movie, but the bottom line is this.  Go see this with your ADULT FRIENDS.  Not your parents.  Not your kids.  It is a fantastic movie (plan on a potty break - it lasts three hours), but I promise you will be glad you did.

Frozen Will Melt Your Heart

How do you entertain a 3 year old who only wants to play WII or football (neither of which I am very good at) - well of course, you take him to a movie!  I had just talked to daughter Jen about Frozen - so off we went - on one of the coldest days of the year mind you - to the nearest theater - about 30 miles away.

The real test of a Disney movie - does it hold the attention of a 3 year old boy?  Frozen certainly did.  I am not sure what I enjoyed more:

• The actual movie
• Seeing so many families out together on a Saturday afternoon
• The squeals of little ones throughout the movie - those deep belly laughs we all love
• Running into my BFF who was their with her family 
• Looking over at our 3 year old in the lap of his Papa Jay smiling as they eat an entire large popcorn

Anna, a fearless optimist, sets off on an epic journey - teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff and his loyal reindeer Sven - to find her sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom. From the outside Anna's sister, Elsa looks poised, regal and reserved, but in reality, she lives in fear as she wrestles with a mighty secret-she was born with the power to create ice and snow. It's a beautiful ability, but also extremely dangerous. Haunted by the moment her magic nearly killed her younger sister Anna, Elsa has isolated herself, spending every waking minute trying to suppress her growing powers. Her mounting emotions trigger the magic, accidentally setting off an eternal winter that she can't stop. She fears she's becoming a monster and that no one, not even her sister, can help her. Written by DeAlan Wilson for ComedyE.com

I will admit I don't get to many animated films these days.  (In the past year I have seen two - The Croods and Frozen).  One thing seems pretty consistent though:  Girl gets into trouble, Girl meets boy, Girl is rescued, Girl falls in love, Girl lives happily ever after with said boy.  SPOILER ALERT:  This movie is different!  These girls don't need any boys!!  As a matter of fact, they learn a couple of lessons the hard way about who you can and can not trust - and at the end of the day, it's family that wins.  I sure wish real life always turned out that way.  Sigh.

The star of the show was this little guy - I swear the cutest thing I have seen in a long time:

Anyway, not much more to say - the little ones in the theater loved it, and so did the rest of us "big kids".  Well worth the $50 spent on a Saturday afternoon.






 

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Remember a few weeks ago how disappointed I was after seeing "Saving Mr. Banks"?  I warned you all not to take your children - and without spoiling the movie - told you it is not all mice and princesses - this Disney movie?  It was not a feel good movie AT ALL.  So imagine my JOY when - halfway through - I realized Walter Mitty WAS a GREAT movie - and I actually felt good when I left.  No depression.   No worries.  No tears!  For The Win!!!

 

Ben Stiller directs and stars in THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY, James Thurber's classic story of a day-dreamer who escapes his anonymous life by disappearing into a world of fantasies filled with heroism, romance and action. When his job along with that of his co-worker (Kristen Wiig) are threatened, Walter takes action in the real world embarking on a global journey that turns into an adventure more extraordinary than anything he could have ever imagined. Written by 20th Century Fox

I have always been an optimist, a big time dreamer.  There have been many times in my life people have looked at me like I am INSANE for "trying this" or "going there".  I recently saw a Cary Grant quote that resonated big time with me:

For example, I always wanted to be around actors and film making, and I am a movie junkie (obviously).  I love movies because of what is going on that the viewer never sees.  I love the imaginations that bring these stories to life.  So I spent 40+ years on the outside looking in - until I decided to start making things happen.  Yes, I know..Turbine wasn't even in theaters, but I got to be involved - and that was a BUCKET LIST moment and I was TERRIFIED and no one can ever take it away from me.  Yes, I know - it's only a small broadcast station in Missouri - but I still work there.  Yes I know, I just sell tv ads for my real job - but I still get to work with talented artists who help bring dreams to life.  Yes I know, I am not a "real movie critic", but I still get invited to screenings, I have interviewed two actors and have my first author interview later this month.  Yes I know my review segment on tv is less than five minutes long, but I still get to talk about the movies that I love EVERY SINGLE WEEK on television.  So go ahead - sit in the stands if that is what makes you happy, but some of us like to get in the game. Some of us don't care what others think - we have been the "have nots" our entire lives and that is what makes us "artsy nerds" the fairest of them all.  END OF SCENE....moving on to my review...lol


Walter Mitty gives us all a chance to be dreamers; with every step he takes we can drift off into our own sea of dreams, and wonder quietly - would I? could I? - if given the chance?  Too many people live their lives with "Ifs and Buts" and poke fun of those of us who are dreamers.

There were so many things I loved about this movie, too many to mention really - mostly I loved the  "Do You know ANYONE in Los Angeles moment?"  That was my favorite.

No wait, I also loved the big "Cover Reveal" of the LIFE magazine- I loved the way Sean got so close to Mitty but never met him in person - his purpose was profound.

Or was it the physical transformation of Mitty that I didn't notice until the very moment Cheryl notices? Because I really loved that moment too..

I loved the casting of Sean Penn - perfect for the part.  One of the greatest lines in the movie:

"Beautiful things don't ask for attention" ~ Sean O'Connell  

I saw this movie on Christmas Day, which is a pretty risky move.  It was a risk well worth taking.  This was one beautiful little movie.  And this chick highly recommends!!!