Movie Review: Wonder

About four years ago, I read R.J. Palacio's hit novel Wonder and loved every page of it. I even got to meet R.J. at Book Expo America a few months later and she was very nice. So I was thrilled to find out that Wonder was being made into a movie. (And that Daveed Diggs was going to be in it, since I'm a huge Hamilton fan.) The first time I saw the trailer (and the next few times after that), I could not keep from crying. And after hearing rave reviews for the movie over the past week, I was excited to finally see it in the theater. It definitely lived up to the rave reviews and my expectations. I loved it as much as, if not more than, the book!

Before I go on, watch the trailer. I dare you to not shed a tear!

Warning...there may be some spoilers in my review below, but nothing too major that it will keep you from seeing the movie.





I wasn't a fan of Jacob Tremblay when he was in Room, but he was perfect as Auggie. I know there are people who think someone who was actually born with craniofacial disabilities should have been cast in the role, but only in an ideal world (which we have yet to see happen), would this have really been possible. One of my friends said (on a Facebook thread about this issue): "I definitely think Hollywood needs to make a good faith effort to cast appropriately, but sometimes you just can't." Another person commented on the same thread by saying how Hollywood glamorizes everything. I agree that it would be nice to have someone who actually has been in Auggie's shoes play the part, but I also feel Jacob did an incredible job. He portrayed Auggie sensitively. I didn't feel like he was playing into some kind of stereotype or poking fun at anyone who actually lives full-time with the face he wears as a mask. It reminded me of how Eric Stoltz (who also does not have craniofacial disabilities) played the lead role in Mask (1985). I haven't actually seen the entire movie, but I never heard about any casting complaints in relation to that movie either. Was it because it was grittier than Wonder? I guess someone who has seen Mask could tell me their thoughts. In any case, as Auggie, Jacob displayed a full range of feelings from anger to fear to sadness, while also laughing and joking with his friends. If you would like some more insight from someone who really is in Auggie's shoes, check out this blog post. It's long, but well worth the read. Maybe you'll agree with what she says and maybe you won't, but that definitely leaves room for discussion either way.

As for everything else about the movie....I felt the story followed the novel pretty well. I know there were parts left out and parts added in, but I didn't miss the parts that weren't there. Maybe because I forgot about them. (I did notice that Summer's point of view wasn't shared in the movie.) I really like that there was some focus on Auggie's parents and their thoughts and feelings. It was something I had hoped for from the book that had never materialized. In the book, each character gets their own section and it starts back at the beginning. In the movie, there are times when a character's point-of-view is introduced and they go back to the beginning a bit, but then they catch up and move onward. Then we see Auggie's point of view again before switching to another character. In some ways, this lengthens the movie a bit too much, but it still makes the story worthwhile. It was interesting to see the impact Auggie's presence had on Via's life; how his needs always came first and she was left in the background. She and Auggie still had a good sibling relationship and I enjoyed seeing that play out.

The acting was great overall. There was a strong ensemble cast of well-known actors and newcomers that worked well together to make this movie the hit that it is. There are a lot of messages a viewer can get from the story and a lot of it depends on age and personal experiences. My six year-old enjoyed it as much as I did, even if she only understood it on a basic level. While I still feel that the overall message is too idealistic (I mentioned this in my book review), it never hurts to be kind to someone else, no matter who they are, what they look like, etc. You never know what someone else is dealing with. That was something that stuck out from the movie, when Via is telling Auggie that she also had a hard day when he felt like he held the monopoly on hard days. She told him that if he wanted to have a normal life, it wasn't going to be easy. They also showed how Via's best friend seemed to have it all together on the outside, but her life was far from perfect. I also liked that kids were friends with Auggie because they wanted to be around him, not because someone was making them be nice to him. He was kind to other kids, but also protected himself from being hurt. He wasn't afraid to stand up for himself either.

Overall, it is a sweet movie that is family friendly, or even to see on your own just to have a good cry. And yes, I cried. (Bring tissues!!!) It's also just worth seeing it to hear "Inigo Montoya" say "tuchus." :) (Yes, there are plenty of other funny lines and moments to balance out the emotional ones.)

Review: The Book of Mormon

After many years of missing out on The Book of Mormon, I finally got to see it this past weekend. My husband and I saw it in honor of his birthday. Thankfully, he loved the entire show. My opinion of the show is a bit more complex, so I’m sharing my thoughts here.

I will start this off by saying that the show is very entertaining and a fun way to spend an afternoon (or evening). There is more music than there is dialogue, which is always great in my book. There are some big show-stopper numbers that will end up getting stuck in your head for days after seeing it. The songs weren’t listed in the program, which I thought was kind of strange. Especially since I didn’t understand one of them until a little bit later in the show. And some of them sound similar to each other. They have some catchy tunes, but it will take a while for me to learn the words. (I went into the show only knowing a few of the songs, if that.) I enjoyed the song “Turn it Off.”  And “Making Things Up Again” was great too, even though I kept thinking of the Randy Rainbow parody.

The acting is great. The two lead actors had a lot of energy and put their all into the role. Their comedic timing worked well too. The cast worked well together and no one came off as embarrassed when they had to say some of the more raunchy or offensive lines. They all had great singing lines and did well with the complex choreography. I enjoyed watching them perform. There weren't any celebrities in the show, but that's okay. I could just enjoy it for what it was worth and focus on the characters and story.

Photo of Kevin Clay (Elder Price) and
Connor Peirson (Elder Cunningham) from GramUnion

The scenery is fantastic. They could turn the stage from an airport into an African village and then into a “Spooky Mormon Hell.” Most of the costumes are men wearing white shirts, black pants, and black ties, but the costumes of the villagers emphasize their personalities.

Photo credit: Playbill

Having said that, here’s where my opinion differed from my husband’s. The other night, I heard my husband telling someone that I was laughing so hard throughout the show. The problem is, I wasn’t. I went to the show with very high expectations of hilarity. I used to watch South Park all the time (and was in tears from the movie) and have also seen Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s other movies, which were really funny. And everyone who had seen The Book of Mormon before me was saying how hilarious it was (albeit inappropriate and offensive, which I was prepared for anyway) and how they couldn’t stop laughing the entire time. So I went in ready to laugh my tuchus off. And I did laugh, but only some mild snickers for the most part. It almost felt like I was laughing because everyone else was. Like how a laugh track in a sitcom would make me laugh even if I personally didn’t find something that funny. Please bear in mind that I have a really good sense of humor. I love to laugh whenever possible and look for the funny in everything I can. (I especially need to do that nowadays, and thankfully social media delivers.) I laughed the entire time from Avenue Q and that’s just as offensive and inappropriate. I love when something makes me laugh so hard that I’m doubled over in tears, but The Book of Mormon never got me to that point. I even asked in a theater fan group on Facebook if there was something wrong with me or if the laugh factor was just really hyped up. I got a mix of answers, but I felt better knowing I wasn’t the only person who didn’t laugh super hard the whole way through the show.

This is not to say that you won’t end up in bouts of hysterical laughter. No two theatergoers are alike! This is just how I felt about the show and there could be a bunch of contributing factors. Sometimes just the hype itself is enough, like being told I am going to laugh when I have no idea what I’m going into (this also happened with The Hangover and Bridesmaids). As mentioned before, I don’t think that the offensiveness was an issue. I’ve laughed at many an offensive joke. Almost all of Movie 43 had me rolling on the floor in tears and I still laugh just thinking about it. Perhaps the story was over my head because I’m not as familiar with the background of other religions. (That didn’t stop my husband from laughing though.) Who knows why I wasn’t roaring with laughter?!? Please know that the musical is funny and that’s the intention. Everyone just has different definitions of what constitutes “hilarious.” There was one part toward the end that I did think was really clever and funny, but even that tapered off for me after a bit.

Anyhow, if you are planning to see The Book of Mormon, you should. Don’t let my inability to snort-laugh keep you from it. I am in the minority out of the billions of people who thought it was the funniest thing they’ve ever seen. Just be prepared that there is a lot of dirty language and R-rated humor. I definitely would not let my kids see this until they’re adults and can go on their own (since it would be too awkward to see it with them).

Thoughts on Stranger Things 2

First of all...there will be spoilers. If you have not seen Stranger Things (both seasons) and still want to, please do not read any further. If you're still on the fence, read my post from last year (spoiler free).

If you've binged season two and want to re-live it vicariously, you've come to the right place. I'll be sharing a bunch of random thoughts I had throughout the season. It was definitely a more emotional season overall, but I'll get more into that soon. I really liked it, despite all the scary and disturbing parts. I've been going through withdrawal ever since I finished watching this season.

*It was so nice to see Eleven again and to know she was okay. The surprise element was that she had been living with Hopper for the past year. It was interesting to see how she got from destroying the Demogorgon to living in the woods to Hopper finding her and keeping her at his home.

*I loved the chemistry between Nancy and Jonathan. I was so happy when they finally realized their attraction to one another, even though it was at that strange man's house.

*Speaking of which, who was the strange man Nancy and Jonathan were working with and how did he know who they were? I'm glad he carried through their plan to contact the media about Barb's disappearance.

*And speaking of Barb, I'm glad her family finally got some closure, even if it wasn't the complete truth. They probably would have been traumatized even further if they knew what really happened.

*The 80's product placement is fun. I enjoyed seeing old wrappers from certain snack foods. It gave off an even more authentic feel.

*There were so many creepy moments that just left me reeling. Like when Dart is eating the cat and then turns to look at Dustin and he's suddenly a Demogorgon. Or whenever the thing that was taking over Will's body had an intense reaction to heat and fire. And, of course, the Demogorgons getting into the laboratory building and killing everyone, including Bob.

*Even though it's sad what happened to Bob, I was shipping Joyce and Hopper the whole time. Sorry, Bob! I hope Joyce and Hopper get together in season three.

*It's terrible what happened to Eleven's mom and I was hoping that Eleven could help unlock her from wherever her mind has gone. I still have hope for that to happen in season three.

*The emotional level of the show is a lot stronger. I was brought to the brink of tears many times and even cried once at the end of an episode. There was Will, who felt bad about himself because he couldn't keep his demons under control. Will reminded me a lot of my younger son, so it was extra disturbing when he was going through all the physical trauma. Mike missed Eleven a lot and at one point talked about how lonely he was until Will became his best friend. Just seeing his reaction to Eleven's return was priceless. The connection between Nancy and Jonathan was so elevated that I felt this emotional investment in their relationship. I  even got misty-eyed from the last 15 minutes of the finale. Especially when those girls were all snobby toward Dustin and how Eleven showed up for Mike. And then there's this.

*The story line of another girl from the lab was interesting. There was one whole episode devoted to Eleven spending time with her and trying to punish someone for hurting her mom. I am iffy on this episode, as it was interesting, but it didn't really move the story along....unless more kids from the lab will be found in season three.

*Dart was super creepy and I was mad at Dustin for taking him in. It only benefited everyone at one point on the finale. However, where did the other Demodogs come from?

*I liked Max a lot. I wasn't sure if I would, but she was cool. I hated her step-brother, Billy. He was so skeevy. Like he was a Rob Lowe from St. Elmo's Fire wannabe, but not as nice. However, I love how Max put Billy in his place and it was interesting to learn why Billy acted the way he did. It was funny when he was flirting with Mike and Nancy's mom. I wonder what Billy meant about it being Max's fault that they had to move from California to Indiana. Unless he was just being a jerk because of his new family situation.

*Despite taking on a creepy disgusting monster slug creature as a pet, I still love Dustin. Especially with his "pearls." And that hairstyle at the way end? So awesome!

*Even though I didn't like Nancy with Steve, I have to admit he was pretty cool this season.

*There will be a season three, right? Perhaps Eleven can use her mind powers to make that happen.

Dare to be bold!

Earlier this summer, a few of my friends were talking about The Bold Type on Facebook, and I decided to check it out. Little did I know, it would become my new favorite guilty pleasure addiction show. I love everything about it and am sad that the season has come to an end (even though I know my fall shows are coming back). The show is currently awaiting renewal at Freeform and I really hope they get it!

Here are some things that stood out to me from this show, in no particular order. There may be spoilers, but nothing too revealing. You can always binge-watch all 10 episodes on Freeform.com before reading any further though. (Just saying...)

1. All three main characters were equally compelling, and also girlcrush-worthy.
a. Jane (Katie Stevens*) has the "girl next door" look, but is very dynamic at the same time. I love how she grows this season.
b. Sutton (Meghann Fahy) knows what she wants and goes for it. Her beauty is enhanced by her confidence. I also love when she's out of her element or uninhibited.
c. Kat (Aisha Dee) is not afraid to stand up for what is right, even if it gets her in trouble sometimes. She also explores her feelings for a woman and that makes her extra amazing. And her curls are just incredible...

2. Their boss, Jacqueline (Melora Hardin) isn't the Miranda Priestly type that I was expecting in the beginning. She's firm, but fair and understanding. She also shares a vulnerability that I did not see coming at all. There are times I wanted to get mad at her, but I really couldn't. She takes her job seriously and expects the same from her employees.

3. The show deals with some current and relevant topics, such as the new immigration policies or being trolled and harassed on social media for having a political viewpoint.

4. Speaking of politics, they are not afraid to make fun of and get annoyed with a certain leader of our country. And they don't make up a leader for fiction's sake either. This is the real deal. So if you can't handle their level of criticism, you might want to stay away.

5. Even though the main characters are probably about 15 years younger than me, I had no problem connecting with them. I would love to hang out with them if they were real and we worked together.

6. The fashion! I love what everyone is wearing on this show. Well, for the most part. Even if I don't like something, they still wear it well and it works for their character.

7. The romantic interests. Especially Richard (Sam Page).

8. Seeing what it's like to work at a women's magazine. I know the show is based off experiences working at Cosmopolitan. Seeing that I used to read Cosmo all the time, this definitely interests me. I love how they plan out articles and come up with new ideas. The excitement and chaos of working at Scarlet is just fascinating to watch. The main characters make it feel so effortless.

9. The relevancy. Social media plays a big part in this show, but I couldn't see them doing it without a social media presence. That wouldn't make sense in this day and age. Even the topics they choose for articles are relevant.

10. The setting. Obviously it's in NYC, but they make the city look and feel even more incredible than it already is. The most touristy they get is Central Park. It's really just about living and working in the city. And if I can enjoy that vicariously, then so be it!

There are many other reasons I enjoyed this show. I really, really, REALLY hope it comes back so that I can see what happens next for Kat, Jane, and Sutton. They left off at a pivotal point and I would hate for it to go the Hindsight route (as in not get a second season).

*Side note: Katie Stevens was on season nine of American Idol. That was the last season I watched before giving up.

In the Room Where it Happens

It's only been two years since Hamilton first premiered on Broadway, and I finally got to see it! (In Chicago.)

The show was a surprise for my sons, who are as obsessed as I am (if not more). I had to hold on to this surprise for five months, which was super hard sometimes. Especially when my older son kept asking if we could see Hamilton when it comes to our neck of the woods in 2018. We had the surprise orchestrated so that we'd tell the boys we were going to explore some museums in the city during our trip to see my family. Their sister would be doing something more for her age and interest level with my parents and sister (which was actually seeing Aladdin, but we didn't tell her this either, as it was also a surprise). The surprise almost blew up in our faces when we entered the parking garage and it said "Official parking for Hamilton." Damn you, parking garage!!! (Not to mention that we reserved space through Spot Hero and it was very hard to find anywhere to park in that garage.) Anyway, we played it off that anyone could park there and that we would just walk by the theater to take pictures. When we got over there, our sons first resisted taking pictures because we did that in New York. We told them to do it anyway. Here's the result (along with some fun video imagery from my husband):



(If you had trouble watching the video for any reason, we stood in front of the marquee to take pictures and my husband prompted the kids by asking "What time is it?" They naturally said "showtime" and I took out the tickets at that point. Then my older son cried. It was a beautiful moment. Of course, my younger son felt the need to be all obnoxious. Go figure!)

After the big reveal, we grabbed a quick snack and had a 20 minute meetup with my best friend. Then we went back to the theater and had to wait in a super huge line to get in, even though we already had tickets. I don't remember it being this chaotic to get inside a theater. We finally got in and I was able to use the bathroom with five minutes to spare afterward. Enough time to get some photos before the lights went down.

Then Daniel Breaker opened the show as Aaron Burr. My older son recognized him as Donkey from Shrek on Broadway (which we watched on Netflix earlier this year). He was a show-stealer, in a good way. I really liked how he played the part and gave a new dimension to Burr, just by the way he emphasized certain words or from the various facial expressions he used to convey his feelings. I really got more of a sense of Burr's animosity towards Hamilton. He was one of my favorite performers. He'll be playing Burr on Broadway soon and that move is much deserved.

It was amazing to see the way the songs played out on stage. Having most of the words memorized, it was nice to be able to focus on other aspects instead of having to listen to understand what was going on. This is a good thing because there was soooo much to see on stage and new ways to think about the songs. I think if I didn't have the soundtrack memorized, I would have been confused or overwhelmed. My husband seemed to do fine though, and has been humming some of the songs around the house. (Don't tell him I told you this. ;) ) I think this was also helpful for the boys. I remember seeing Les Miz when I was in my early teens and most of it going over my head since I hadn't really heard most of the songs at that time. This way, they could also focus on the staging, emotions, etc.

I also liked the fact that I didn't really know the actors all that well, so I could focus on the characters instead of how famous they were. This also came in handy when I saw mostly unknown actors and understudies in Wicked (Joey McIntyre being the only exception to that rule). There were some performances, aside from Daniel Breaker's, that really stood out for me. More on that soon.

Miguel Cervantes played the title role. He was the one originally cast as Hamilton in Chicago, so that was good that we got to see him. He fit the role really well. While I usually have Lin-Manuel's voice in my head, Miguel added a different layer to the part. Perhaps because he is shorter than Lin, this added a nuance that wasn't there before. Like Hamilton had to fight harder to prove himself. I can't really place what it was, but he gave something extra to the role that differed from how I could imagine Lin playing it. He did a great job and I could see all the passion he put into it.

Karen Olivo left the show a few days before we got to see it. I was disappointed to hear that she was leaving so soon, but at least I was prepared not to see her. And that goes back to what I was saying before. If Karen had performed, I would have been focusing on her instead of Angelica. Aubin Wise took over the role of Angelica until the new actress (Montego Glover) starts next month. She played the part well and reminded me of Audra McDonald. I didn't realize how young she is, as she carried herself as the oldest and wittiest.

Ari Afsar was adorable as Eliza. She really made the part her own and put a lot of emotion into it. I got teary eyed at the parts I was expecting to cry from, but more because of how she added an extra punch to those parts. We got to meet and take pics with her after the show. She was the only main character who came out to greet fans. I just found out that she auditioned for my favorite season of American Idol and I even remember her because of the Adopt a Gran-Friend program she started. That stood out eight years ago!

Ari Afsar

Samantha Marie Ware took on the dual role of Peggy and Maria Reynolds. She did great as both characters. As Peggy, she added a bit of comedy through the way she came off as the bratty little sister. As Maria, she was sultry and more assertive than I was expecting. Samantha had a small role on one of the later seasons of Glee, so I remembered her from that.

Jonathan Kirkland, who played Washington, made me think of Collins from Rent. I was surprised to not see that role on his Playbill "résumé." He had a commanding presence, which is perfect for that role.

The other actors who stood out to me the most as top favorites from the show were Alexander Gemignani (King George) and Chris De'Sean Lee (Lafayette/Jefferson). Alexander was hilarious as King George. He didn't even have to do much other than some facial expressions and little gestures to have me roaring with laughter. He reminded me of Rowan Atkinson in some ways. Chris had a terrific energy as both Lafayette and Jefferson, and he also made me laugh a lot. I loved his performance of "What'd I Miss?". He was just a lot of fun to watch throughout the show.

The only thing I would criticize at all is the blocking, as the actors turned their heads toward the back of the stage during some parts and I couldn't see their facial expressions at those times. I thought "cheating out" was always the rule of theater. Not sure if the moving stage had to do with this, but it would have been nice to see their faces instead of the backs of their heads. Really just a minor issue, but something I noticed regardless.

Everyone in the show was great overall and they gave a memorable performance for my family and I to cherish. Would I see it again? Sure, but probably not right away. Maybe if I win a lottery sometime from the new app. I do want to take my daughter to see it when she's older. She loves the music, but the show would have been too much for her to handle right now. In the meantime, I'm glad to have seen it and that I can tell everyone how amazing it is. If you get the chance to see it, do not throw away your shot!

Family selfie

The amazing set

My HamilPop, courtesy of Broadway Goes Pop!

It's my birthday...and you get a present!

I love having birthdays, but I also enjoy giving other people gifts. (That, and my husband thinks I need to clean out my book collection. The horror!) So, enter via the Rafflecopter below and one of you will get a box of random books. US only please, as I have to cover the shipping costs. Sorry!


a Rafflecopter giveaway



Giveaway ends July 25th at midnight EST.

Orange is the New Black--Season 5, with SPOILERS

I recently finished watching the fifth season of Orange is the New Black. It was a tumultuous and intense season. Perhaps more intense than previous seasons have been. Some parts were really unsettling or disturbing. However, there were also some really good moments that stand out for me. I'm going to share about those today.

If you're reading this post, you've either seen the entire season or don't mind spoilers. (If you haven't watched the series from the beginning, none of this will make sense until you binge watch all five seasons.) I will not take responsibility for ruining the season for you, as I have indicated that there will be spoilers from this point onward. So if you're not ready yet, bookmark this post and come back when you're done.

Favorite moments:

*Episode 5: Taystee's speech at the end. I got teary-eyed from it. If that doesn't earn her an Emmy, I don't know what will.

*Episode 6: Big Boo questioning Angie about Saved by the Bell.

*The one girl imitating some of the other inmates.

*Episode 2: Frieda as a kid, and then seeing all her survival tactics as an adult, including her secret prepper bunker.

*The tribute to Poussey with all the books. So much love in that!

*Linda going undercover as an inmate by accident.

*Episode 1: Big Boo's shout-out to The Princess Bride.

*Flaca and Martiza's YouTube videos.

*The women taking down Piscatella at the end of episode 10.

*Red and Flores trying to re-enact Home Alone.

*Pennsatuckey camping out in the guard's house while all the drama is going on.

*Gloria tricking the other inmates into thinking she's sending all the guards to "The Poo" with intent on actually releasing them.

*The "Lasagna in the Oven" sign

*Maria getting to see her baby again.

*Nicky calling Vinnie to tell him that Morello really is pregnant and that he's lucky to have her.

*Linda and Pennsatuckey being friends for a few minutes before they both got out of "The Poo."

*Piper proposing to Alex. Also, Piper talking to her mom about Alex prior to that, and her mom actually being supportive.

*The makeovers, especially for Flores.

*Taystee taking on Figueroa and trying to help along the negotiations.

*Seeing what Red was like as a young woman in Russia.

*The media thinking Judy was kidnapped by Muslims because of the photo taken by the people in the helicopter.

*Suzanne getting to have play time with the guards and the innocent game with the naughty name.

*Red finding the map from Frieda, but thinking it was something different, yet it led her to find a bunch of people who were missing.

*The flashback to when Taystee and Poussey first met and bonded.

*What Chang says before she escapes through the hole in the fence.

*The Shining scene involving Flaca and Maritza.

*Learning about Alison's back story (even though we don't know why she's in prison yet).

*Hamilaria moments:
"Showtime!"
"See you on the other side."
"Say no to this."
"Wait for it."

I don't know what will happen in season six, but I hope we get back to some of the main inmates' stories instead of focusing on annoying ones like Angie and Leanne, the racist girls, or those girls who were snorting coffee. I want to know what's happening with Daya and Sophia, as well.