Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio

Since I am mostly free this summer, I am making a pact to myself to watch tons of movies. I'd like to make a pact with myself that involves more active hobbies: spelunking, rock climbing, dancing, rollerblading...but alas, I am not that type of girl.

I don't know how Julianne Moore does it- ever since she was in The Hours, she 's been on this "kick" of playing 1950s housewives...and she does it so well! Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio was excellent. Of COURSE, it is based on a real-life memoir...god forbid, screenwriters come up with their own ideas. The movie is about this 1950s housewife who is able to help support her family b/c she enters jingle/commercial contests and wins all sorts of prizes. Woody Harrelson plays Moore's husband in the movie... a complete drunk who wastes away all of the family's money so that in the end, Moore really is her family's breadwinner. Even crazier, is that the husband and wife have 10 kids!!!!

I have to give "housemoms" credit. I used to scoff at them...think to myself, "Damn, I'd like to do some dishes, some laundry, and then spend the rest of the day watching soap operas or going shopping." I have since changed my mind. I think I'd rather work a full-time job than be a stay-at-home mom--- b/c the full-time job would be easier. Of course, if I actually had kids, I would have a different point of view--- the idea of daycare centers frightens me.

I think I read somewhere that if stay-at-home moms were paid hourly wages for all of their work with the house and kids, that their annual salary would be something like $134, 000! I can't imagine being a mother at this stage in my life. I have co-workers who are my age and have babies... I can't imagine myself in that role.

But anyway...Julianne Moore was amazing in this movie... I'm not sure if she has won an Oscar yet, but her acting abilities make her deserving of one [I'm trying to put that cheesy comedy that she did with Hugh Grant, Nine Months, out of my mind].

also- I am so glad that I am not living in the 1950s.... the aprons, the dressing-up-to-go-food-shopping, the girdles...everything about it....agh!


Other "good movies" recently watched:

Gods and Monsters- Brendan Fraser is under-rated as an actor... I even thought he was good in Encino Man

Weatherman- Nicholas Cage- as long as he isn't in an action movie like National Treasure, I will watch him

Degrassi Junior High, season 1 [ok, not a movie, but still something I watched]- amazing! It brought me back to the late 80s. One of the characters is named Spike and wears a Smiths shirt...another character calls himself Joey Jeremiah, Esquire... and there's a band called Zit Remedy....a classic show...gotta love those Canadians!!!

After Bowling for Columbine...

After watching Bowling for Columbine during tonight's class, I had the same thoughts that I had when I previously viewed the movie ---- move to Canada!!! I don't know what it is about our country that causes Columbine-level tragedies to occur. Other countries in the world are massively populated, have gun-owning citizens, have poverty, etc--- why does an event like the Columbine shooting happen in America?? For me, the strongest parts of the film were when Moore showed us about the gun culture of America...um, I guess that's the whole movie, right? Especially memorable is when Moore opens up a bank account and gets a free gun as an incentive. He then asks, "Is it really a good idea to give out free guns at a bank?" When I think of gun culture, I guess I think of the Midwest areas that are shown in the film- there's more open land, people hunt, people out there are "different."

I guess I don't think of "gun culture," when I think of Morris County and the area where I live- but I am sure it exists- whether it is in the form of kids being obsessed with gun-crazy games like Grand Auto Theft or if it is in the form of kids at local high schools actually being part of gang culture. Although I have never looked into it, I am assuming that I could easily walk into a sporting goods store and get access to a gun. My family has friends in Sussex county; we went up to their house and went out "shooting," for fun. My boyfriend's dad is fascinated with guns and gets a Smith/Wesson catalog monthly. Gun culture is everywhere in America. Gun culture is in other countries too, which brings us back to Moore's question of WHY did Columbine happen here?

When the Canadians in the movie mentioned that they don't lock their doors at night, I thought of how Moore told us about American media and how it emphasizes a culture of fear. When I watch the news, the most vivid things I recall are violent acts-- the 2 things I recall right now are the case with the grad school student who was killed outside of a bar in the city and the three subway riders who were randomly stabbed last week. Culture of fear--- I think it leads to all us being scared and cautious of one another. I've been to other countries [Canada, France, and England]- and I have been to big cities in those countries too- people seem open... not totally oblivious but not fearful. In the US, you walk down the street and people don't look up and look back at you... they either stare at the ground or look straight ahead, zoning you out. I just think people need to be more open to each other... I'm instantly reminded of the Seinfeld episode where Elaine tells a friend that she thinks everyone in the city should wear nametags so that the city has a nicer "feel." I don't know if nametags are the answer...but I think this country has a big issue with people isolating themselves from one another. Now an adult can be isolated from others and be fine... a teen though... teens like Eric and Dylan... who knows what can happen.

I'm not sure if the movie answered the question about WHY this tragedy occurred... but it definitely raised a lot of questions- I guess that was the point.