Movies I Wish I Could Share With Mum
Mum and I had largely different tastes in movies. She, for example, has never been interested in science fiction, whether written, or filmed, or whatever (although I think she would have really enjoyed the whole Babylon 5 series (well, okay, except for Season Five, perhaps, heh), if she would have been able to get past the whole "scifi" veneer: outer space, aliens, like that-- A highly intelligent, and truly original, show). And a lot of her usual stuff was a bit slow for me (although we both enjoyed Murder She Wrote, heh..)... When I was younger she often would rent a movie (usually a musical) on Sunday afternoons, you know, once VCRs had been invented (we had a beta; "Beta is Better!"), and I would watch them with her, not entirely voluntarily. We watched Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, Cat Ballou, Singing in the Rain... I was somewhat underwhelmed at the time, but I recall those afternoons, and the movies, fondly.
Even after I grew up and moved out, occasionally one of us would see something we thought the other one might quite enjoy, even if it was outside their normal viewing range. She recommended The Whale Rider (excellent, btw); I recommended Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. And Picture Bride (which I'm not sure she ever got around to; but she would have deeply enjoyed, I think), and Waking Ned Devine (quite hilarious, especially upon recall; she recommended one it reminded her of; I wish I could remember the title), and The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill But Came Down A Mountain. She found Hugh Grant a bit twee, and didn't think much of Irish actor Colm Meaney's "Welsh" accent, but otherwise quite enjoyed it.
Every now and again I see a movie that I wish I could tell her about. Every one of these is highly enjoyable; most of them are also deeply amusing. But, since I can't call her up and tell her about them anymore, I'm sharing them with you instead.
I only can think of a couple right now, but I'll add to the list as we go...
Mrs. Henderson Presents is a deeply absorbing and highly amusing (and tender) yarn about a rich WWII-era widow who buys a rundown theatre and presents nude revues...
The Notebook is one that Mum recommended to me; it is a deeply moving story of an older man reading the story of a young couple's romance to an equally older woman... with something akin to Althzeimer's...
Gattaca is an increasingly-relevant look at a future society where gene manipulation is not only common-place, but expected. It raises a pertinent question: Are we our genes? Or are we more than our genes..? I recommended it to Mum about a year before she died; she figured she'd have a lot of time to catch up on movies after she retired. End up she didn't...
Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit is pure joy. Yes, it's a kid's movie, in the sense that you can safely let your two-year-old watch it (and in the sense that they will be highly entertained by it), but no, it's not just a kid's movie. There's plenty of stuff that kid's just won't get, or that won't have quite the same impact for them... plus it's just a darned funny and well-made movie. Plus it holds up extremely well to repeated viewings, which is an extremely good thing when your two-year-old decides they like it-- I think I've had it on well over thirty times now (although I've only paid attention and watched it about four times), and it just refuses to become annoying or, indeed, lose a whit of entertainment value. "Cheeeeese!"
So there you go. Every single movie I have mentioned here is fantastic, and well worth the watch. So, some rainy Sunday afternoon, do me a favour: go and rent one of these, and watch it with someone you love. I'll be doing the same, in memory of my Mum.
"Cheeese, Gromit!"
Even after I grew up and moved out, occasionally one of us would see something we thought the other one might quite enjoy, even if it was outside their normal viewing range. She recommended The Whale Rider (excellent, btw); I recommended Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. And Picture Bride (which I'm not sure she ever got around to; but she would have deeply enjoyed, I think), and Waking Ned Devine (quite hilarious, especially upon recall; she recommended one it reminded her of; I wish I could remember the title), and The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill But Came Down A Mountain. She found Hugh Grant a bit twee, and didn't think much of Irish actor Colm Meaney's "Welsh" accent, but otherwise quite enjoyed it.
Every now and again I see a movie that I wish I could tell her about. Every one of these is highly enjoyable; most of them are also deeply amusing. But, since I can't call her up and tell her about them anymore, I'm sharing them with you instead.
I only can think of a couple right now, but I'll add to the list as we go...
Mrs. Henderson Presents is a deeply absorbing and highly amusing (and tender) yarn about a rich WWII-era widow who buys a rundown theatre and presents nude revues...
The Notebook is one that Mum recommended to me; it is a deeply moving story of an older man reading the story of a young couple's romance to an equally older woman... with something akin to Althzeimer's...
Gattaca is an increasingly-relevant look at a future society where gene manipulation is not only common-place, but expected. It raises a pertinent question: Are we our genes? Or are we more than our genes..? I recommended it to Mum about a year before she died; she figured she'd have a lot of time to catch up on movies after she retired. End up she didn't...
Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit is pure joy. Yes, it's a kid's movie, in the sense that you can safely let your two-year-old watch it (and in the sense that they will be highly entertained by it), but no, it's not just a kid's movie. There's plenty of stuff that kid's just won't get, or that won't have quite the same impact for them... plus it's just a darned funny and well-made movie. Plus it holds up extremely well to repeated viewings, which is an extremely good thing when your two-year-old decides they like it-- I think I've had it on well over thirty times now (although I've only paid attention and watched it about four times), and it just refuses to become annoying or, indeed, lose a whit of entertainment value. "Cheeeeese!"
So there you go. Every single movie I have mentioned here is fantastic, and well worth the watch. So, some rainy Sunday afternoon, do me a favour: go and rent one of these, and watch it with someone you love. I'll be doing the same, in memory of my Mum.
"Cheeese, Gromit!"