My Lap is Free, Please Take a Seat

My husband and I actually got to go on a date today thanks to my mom. I think we average two a year, sadly. Anyway, we went to see The Hangover and then out for sushi and beer. When we walked into the theatre it was completely empty. We were the only ones in the entire place. We picked our seat and settled in. A few minutes later an older couple walked in.

Before they even headed our way I knew exactly what was going to happen. With all the empty seats in the theatre they came and sat right next to us, leaving only one seat between the wife and my husband. Every other darn seat in the entire theatre was empty and remained empty the entire movie. Yet they had to sit THAT close. What is with people?

I wish I could say this was the first time it has happened to us, but I'd be lying. It happens frequently. I don't understand it. When I walk into a relatively empty theatre I make it a point to sit as far away from the other patrons as possible.

So, there we sat. The four of us all nestled close together listening to the lady munch her popcorn and slurp her soda.

Revolutionary Road

I watched Revolutionary Road tonight. We've had it in our possession for some time (via Netflix) and tonight I finally sat down to watch it. I had heard great things about it and I like Kate Winslet. We just saw The Reader and thought she was wonderful in that. And while Winslet was great again in this movie, as was DiCaprio, it was not at all what I expected based on previews I had seen and reviews I had read.....or even based on the DVD sleeve description.

While it was a good movie, it was tragically sad, depressing, and really upsetting. The marriage dynamic, the cheating, and the abortion and subsequent consequences were very bothersome. I think had I known what the movie was really about I would have chosen not to watch it.

Have you seen this movie? What did you think, if so?

The Lottery

The other day I went to the mall in an attempt to take my kids to the movies. We were meeting my grandmother and got there a little before she did. While we were waiting I put some money into one of those machines where you drop the claw, try to grab a toy, and then bring it back to the chute to collect. I NEVER win anything out of them, but I figured it was worth the try. First attempt: score! A huge water, glitter ball. Second attempt for another? No luck. I then went to a different machine to try to get one of those huge, spongy balls. Score. Two for three ain't bad.

Fourth attempt I end up grabbing two stuffed animals and bringing them both back for collection. I tried for one more stuffed animal, but failed. Seriously, in all my life I don't think combined I have ever won four prizes from these games. I was feeling pretty good.

We then tried to see the movie, which when trying to purchase tickets, we were told that the particular showing we wanted to see was a private viewing for a school. I pointed out that the time was listed in both the paper and online and what a major inconvenience it was for us to come back (not entirely true, but once you have kids stoked to see a movie it is hard to explain that they can't see it). Anyway, I walked away with 4 movie passes for any movies we want to see.

In all seriousness this much good fortune just does not happen to us, me specifically, very often. And when it does it is rarely on the same day...or even during the same year for that matter. Since we couldn't see the movie we went to order lunch. They ended up giving us an extra drink, which I pointed out, but gave to us anyway. Nothing major but my grandmother was thrilled to have an extra one to take home for later.

So, I was feeling pretty good. I called my husband and told him. He was pretty surprised since usually I am calling to tell him how I lost my cell phone, or had to wait forever behind some idiot somewhere, or was tripped by an old man in a wheelchair. Things like that. He suggested I go buy some lottery tickets after my daughter's dance class. So, that was the plan....until my son fell on his head and a trip to the ER took precedent over a trip to my local convenient store.

Now, I am pretty convinced my string of good luck is over and am hesitant to waste my money on lottery tickets. I am thinking that yesterday was the day and I missed my chance. :) Bummer.

Taken

One of my husband's friends loaned him a bootlegged copy of "Taken" starring Liam Neeson. The plot centers around his daughter, who upon arriving in Paris, is promptly kidnapped and sold into white slavery by Albanian thugs. It is then Neeson's mission to find his daughter within 96 hours.

It was a great movie. However, movies that center around parents losing their kids, either temporarily or permanently are hard for me to watch. I can't help but envision our daughter in the place of the kidnapped girl. I managed to bite off all my nails even though I had a pretty good idea of how it would end.

While these themes make for good, suspenseful, emotional movies they are becoming harder and harder for me to watch. How about you? What movies are difficult or uncomfortable for you to watch?

Dan In Real Life Review

My husband and I watched Dan In Real Life the other night. We had not heard much about it, but we both enjoy Steve Carrell so we thought we’d give it a try (oddly enough, we don’t watch The Office, though). The story follows a widower (Dan played by Carrell) as he raises his three daughters. He ends up falling in love with his brother’s girlfriend over the course of a few days during a family vacation. What ensues is a funny and witty series of events tempered by emotionally distressing and heartbreakingly sad interactions between Dan and his daughters. (Anyone who can watch his youngest daughter present her father with a collage of pictures that include her dead mother holding her as a baby and not feel great sadness and compassion has a cold, cold heart). I won’t ruin the ending (I will simply tell you that it is predictable), but it is a clever story about love, redemption, forgiveness, and second-chances.

What made it so great was that it was a serious topic done tastefully but also laced with an appropriate amount of humor. There were times I could hardly control my laughter. (A lot of that had to do with the ever in love and emotionally passionate middle daughter reminding me of someone I know.) Overall, it is a movie I would recommend checking out.