We're staying in for Movie Mayhem

It was something straight out of a Steve Martin family comedy, but not so funny while living it. The boy, well... let's just say he was ill this past week in the most explosive, dramatic way. I held it together until 1am this morning when he vomited ON my face. Having been sick for a couple of days, he was past the bile stage, but that made it no less disgusting.

So with the boy convalescing and the weather downright frightful (but not as bad as StormTeam 8 made it out to be), it was the perfect time to catch up on all those DVR'ed movies in the que. No chance to catch up on housework until today, since the patient preferred to be cuddled.

First movie up is a dark chick flick, "The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood." It's now in heavy rotation on one of the women's networks, Lifetime/We/Oprah, so when I started watching it one night halfway through, I was able to tape it to watch later in its entirety. Can I say I love Ellen Burnstyn - wasn't she the drill sergent in Private Benjamin? Lots of big names, so much so, that some of the scenes seem painfully short because you want to see more of them. Cherry Jones as the crazy mom! Dame Maggie Professor McGonagal! Crazy Alex from Saved by the Bell, the College Years! And Ashley Judd was perfectly cast as the beautiful but tragic Vivi. I was hoping back in the day when this movie was first released that there would be more movies about the Ya Yas as there are 4 books plump with delicous stories, but alas, there are no more since robots blowing up other robots makes more box office.

What made the movie more endearing is we girls DO have packs of friends that if they aren't our lifelong mates, at least last for a good long time. WMAS girls -- we could be a chick flick! Which leads to the ultimate idle conversation piece, if someone made a movie of your life, who would star as you? Off the top of my head, I'd dip into the Ya Ya well and go with Crazy Alex from SBTB - TCY. For now, based on her curly hair.

Next up was "Amelia," starring Richard Gere and Hillary Swank. Hillary Swank is amazing in almost anything, although I cannot vouch for her turn as the Karate Kid or Steve's girlfriend in 90210. She portrayed Earhart as just a gal who wanted to fly. She was so good and so charismatic that her desire to see women as equals was less harpy feminist and more inclusive friend to all. I found it interesting to see that snake oil salesman such as her publicity hound husband are nothing new, and if anything, were a tad more sleazy with fewer ethical/moral dilemmas to answer to. As a period piece, the costuming was amazing. I have always been fascinated with the '20s and '30s, so to see them in vivid color, just beautiful. And the last half hour of the movie, although I already knew the sad outcome, was no less intense.

Onto "The Lovely Bones," directed by the guy who did all the Hobbit movies. The actress who portrayed Susie Salmon was rendered with such a lovely, luminous light that if you had already read the book, your heart ached to know her fate. I read some online reviews that slammed the director for his fantastical renderings of Heaven, but I found it otherworldly, beautiful, and how the afterlife would look to a 14 year old girl. I also loved Susie's narration, because it was a story about her, and how what happened to her affected her family and classmates. Susan Sarandon's grandma re-established my love for her and Stanley Tucci was so appropriately creepy, he made me sick. Also, shout-out to the actress who portrayed Holly - it's Wei Wei from "Stick It," one of the WMAS so-bad-it's-good chick flicks of choice.

Next up was "Up in the Air," starring George Clooney. Watching it made me uncomfortable as each firing made me relive the souring pit-of-the-stomach experience I had two years ago when I went through the same thing. Clooney is so much like Nicholson in the fact that he has that commanding celebrity/star power, but when he's IN the movie, he IS that character and you forget that he is George Clooney for the time. Sadly strange and detached man, who timidly seeks out relationships while he preaches about "keeping your backpack empty." Guest star power: Jason Bateman, childhood crush from "It's Your Move"; JK Simmons, previously a skinhead on "Oz," as a guy getting laid off; and the actress playing Natalie did an amazing job at forming a complete person who started out cold to reveal mistakes of her own. I looooved when they crashed the tech party, there was some joy in that scene. There was also that ache in wanting these significant relationships for Ryan, his family and his mistress.

Finally, it's not a movie but is was lots of fun in spots: Saturday Night Live featuring Paul Rudd and Paul McCartney. The "Stumblin'" video short was so stupid, it was brilliant. McC's performance of "Jet". The "Meryl Streep on Ice" sketch. TINY HARMONICA SOLO! It was so much fun to see goofy joy protrayed with such enthusiasm.

A total aside, a friend from work has shared a wig catalog with me after one of those conversations-that-went-on-a-tangent. I've decided that if, God forbid, I ever needed a wig, I would go on a new-hair-a-day bender. I'm talking red Veronica Lake for Monday, hot pink pageboy for Tuesday, blonde curly for Wed... you get the idea.