Popcorn, anyone?

I wanted to take this time to talk more in detail about two of my favorite movies. I usually let everyone know that they are my favorite movies, but I don't discuss why I truly love them so much.

“Where the Heart is”

I read “Where the Heart is” by Billie Letts in early 1999. It was a really good story and since I was obsessed with Wal-Mart, I enjoyed that it took place there. I loved how well-developed the characters were and how things came together. Then the movie came out in May, 2000. I rushed out with “Will” to go see it, as he was the one who recommended the book. I enjoyed it that time, but wasn’t in love with it yet. Then I watched it again when it came out on video in the fall. It was then that I fell in love with it. I found it used at a video store a few months later and bought it. (I later got it on DVD and gave the video to my cousin.) After that, I would watch it all the time and would show it to all my friends. I had one friend who I could gush to about how sweet Forney was and then we’d refer to my husband (then boyfriend) as my Forney. :) I love what the movie took from the book and even more what it changed. I loved the choices of actors and actresses for each role. Some I wouldn’t have placed originally, but they turned out to be perfect. I love the country music and how it moved the movie along. One of the most beautiful romantic songs is in that movie: “There You Are” by Martina McBride. I love that they kept it as taking place in a Wal-Mart. I love the emotions I feel every time I watch it, especially now that I’m a mom. (What mom doesn’t cry when Novalee says “How can you love someone so much you just met?”) Overall, it’s just a sweet and beautiful coming of age story. I haven’t watched it in a while, but I think it’s time for me to see it again. I’d love to show it to some friends who haven’t seen it yet, as I think they would love it too. I already know some friends who fell in love with it as much as I did. :)

“Sing”

I just watched “Sing” again for the first time in years and the feel of the movie came back to me like no time had been lost. I couldn’t stop grinning the whole time. When I first saw it in 1990, I knew I had to see it over and over again. It was the best movie to come along since “Dirty Dancing.” I had been reading the book that was based on the movie (not sure if it was the other way around, but they were a pretty close fit) and the movie happened to be on cable during that time. I tuned in just as this girl with a strong New York (more along the lines of Brooklyn) accent was singing “Like a Virgin” and it cracked me up. I couldn’t keep my eyes away from the movie after that. The next time it was on, I made sure to watch from the beginning. Then my sister got me the video for my birthday one year, so I could watch it as often as I wanted. In the meantime, I spent a Sunday afternoon hunting down the soundtrack. I still have both, on VHS and cassette respectively. When I first became addicted to the movie, a friend of mine sent me the sheet music for all the songs. I made some friends in high school who also liked “Sing” and I showed the sheet music to them. That won them over big time! For those of you who have never heard of “Sing,” it’s about an inner-city high school in Brooklyn that puts on an annual musical competition every year. There’s a new teacher in school who shows the tough guy in class (Dominic) that he can’t mess with her but putting him in charge of the senior class show. He’s paired up with a rather average girl (Hannah) whose mother thinks she can’t do anything right. In the meantime, the school is about to be closed and they have to fight to keep the show from going down with it. It’s such a good story and the music still gives me chills when I listen to it. It’s hard to not sing and dance along. I know some things may be seen as campy or cheesy, but if you’re a fan of “Glee,” I think you can handle it. It makes me think of the times I was participating in school shows and how everyone bonded together for the sake of showing a good performance. It was those times that it didn’t matter what ones’ status was in school. I even cried after some shows because I knew it was the last time I’d get to be a part of them. It really brings these words to light: “Years from now. Somewhere down the line. We’ll remember and we’ll all sing one more time.” I was in a different place in my life when I first saw this movie (an 8th grade geek) and now I’m a married mother of two and still can’t get enough of the story or the music.