Catching up with the movies

We have seen a number of movies over the past 4-6 weeks but somehow I have not taken the time to write about them. A few of you have told me that you enjoy reading these and look to our advice, so I wanted to just take a couple of minutes and share some thoughts.

As I sat down to write this, the first thing I did was check with Rotten Tomatoes, and lo and behold their crew rated the movies in precisely the same order I had (from lowest to highest rating):

Film	Rotten Tomatoes Rating
Captain Fantastic	79%
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You	85%
Life, Animated	93%
Don’t Think Twice	99%

A few thoughts about each:

Captain Fantastic: The story is set in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, isolated from society. Viggo Mortensen plays a father who has dedicated his life to transforming his six young children into extraordinary adults. But when a tragedy strikes the family, they are forced to leave the isolated existence he has created and begin a journey into the outside world that challenges his idea of what it means to be a parent and brings into question everything he has taught them. Frankly, I found it ridiculously unbelievable and mildly annoying. 

Norman Lear: We have long been huge fans of Norman Lear’s work. He is arguably the most influential creator, writer, and producer in the history of television, and had an enormous influence on prime time television. Through comedy and well developed characters, his legendary 1970s shows such as “All in the Family,” “Maude,” “Good Times,” and “The Jeffersons,” encouraged many people to think outside the old boxes. It is only somewhat disconcerting to recognize that we still have not grown past all the old prejudices.

Life, Animated: This movie tells the inspirational story of Owen Suskind, a young man who was diagnosed with autism and unable to speak as a child until he and his family discovered a unique way to communicate by immersing themselves in the world of classic Disney animated films. This emotional coming-of-age story follows Owen as he graduates to adulthood and takes his first steps toward independence. As you read this you might expect a rather sappy sort of story but it wisely resists going in that direction. 

Don’t Think Twice: When a member of a popular New York City improvisational troupe gets cast on a hit TV show, the rest of the group - all best friends - start to realize that not everyone is going to make it after all. The film was directed by Mike Barbiglia (who also plays one of the group members) and includes comic stars Keegan-Michael Key, Gillian Jacobs, Kate Micucci, Chris Gethard and Tami Sagher and presents a hilarious and honest look at the lives of professional funny people.

Unfortunately, our beloved Mets are having an extremely disappointing 2016 season. We had tickets to a day game yesterday but we gave up after only 6 innings due to oppressive heat (our seats are shaded but it was still brutal) and the fact that it was clear our team was not going to come out from behind the score of 9-0 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. But I must say it was hard not to chuckle that the Diamondbacks have an outfielder named Socrates Brito. Socrates seems such a formal name, particularly for a baseball player. I wonder what his friends called him when he was growing up. Is he pondering the meaning of life while he stands out there waiting for the balls to come?

I have been watching quite a bit of the Olympics this week. I have only a faint memory of this during the summer of 2012, when I was just completing my chemotherapy. So I wanted to go back and see what I had written.

Written Wednesday 01 August 2012

Sleep has been a challenge during these last few months, but at least this week  the late nights can be filled with the wonder that is the Olympic Games. I am writing this paragraph in the wee hours of the night. I was moved to come to the computer after watching the US Womens’ Gymnastic Team win a gold medal. At the risk of sounding a bit melodramatic, it suddenly occurred to me that perhaps the reason the Games are resonating for me right now as they have never done in the past is that I, too, am engaged in a quest to accomplish a physical feat. Like the Olympic athletes, I have had to identify the very best of talent (their coaches, my physicians) and diligently follow their advice even when it is painful. Perhaps the stakes for me are even somewhat higher than for those athletes, because unlike their quests, winning the gold medal in this event is literally a matter of life and death. None of those athletes arrived at that podium without the love and support of their family and friends, and in the interviews many mention this. Similarly, I would have no chance to make it to the winners’ circle without the outpouring of love and support from all of you. And for that I will be forever grateful.

I do not think I could say this any better four years later than I did back then.

If it is hot where you are, stay cool!

Love,

Rebecca