Random musings from the past week - Obama Rally and American Idol...

Word to your mother

So, about 2 hours ago, I got home from an Obama rally on IU's campus, during which actor/college professor Kal Penn spoke about the senator from Illinois... I knew Kal Penn was a well spoken person, but seeing him speak in person gives me a whole new appreciation for him as a person and an actor.

This past Monday night, actor Sean Astin accompainied Chelsea Clinton to IU (Indiana University, for those of you not in the know) in support of Hillary's campaign. As I'm an Obama supporter, I opted not to go see Chelsea and Sean speak. (That, plus Dancing With the Stars and How I Met Your Mother was on that night... :) ). The next morning in the school's paper, I saw a quote from Astin which read "I'm valuable in Indiana because I was in 'Rudy'." I'm ambivalent about Astin's acting skills and don't really know much about him as a person besides what I gathered from the Lord of the Rings trilogy's bonus discs which accompanied the extended editions of each film. That quote was a complete turnoff, and I seriously hope it was taken out of context. Just because you are in a movie that took place in Indiana doesn't mean that the people here should feel obligated to listen to what you have to say or support who you support.

Which leads us to tonight's Obama Rally with Kal Penn... i.e. Kumar from "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle".

I admit, "Harold and Kumar" was my first introduction to Kal Penn (thanks Spud... you got me hooked). And I'm pretty sure a lot of the 350+ people who showed up at the Rally tonight came because they thought that Kal Penn was going to be like his character of Kumar (1 person during the Q&A asked about what Penn's favorite thing off the White Castle menu is. True fans know that Penn was a vegetarian during the making of that film and they had to make fake non-meat burgers for him to eat during the White Castle scene... duh).

We were treated to an hour and half dialogue about Obama and how during the Writer's Strike, Penn decided to help out with the campaign, specifically in Iowa. Penn shared some anecdotes from his own experiences which guided him to his interest in politics and what led him, a self-proclaimed Independent, to support Barack Obama. He spoke about "our generation" and how we, the 18-35 year olds of this country, actually make a difference and how our votes are important, especially this year.

I really appreciated what Penn had to say. As a person whose vote was note counted during the last presidential election (yep, when I went to the polls to vote, my room number was 2 digits off on my address and they said I could fill out an absentee ballot or some B.S. like that and my vote was not counted...), it's going to be interesting how this year's election goes down. I don't know where I will be located come this November, but you can be damn sure I'm going to be registered to vote as soon as I get there.

Anyways... the Rally was really great. I got to sit in the front row and listen to a really great presentation from someone who I have respected for awhile now (um, did you see "The Namesake"... if not, you need to log off your computer, escort yourself to a video store of some sort and rent this film. It. Is. Excellent.). But, I would probably have gone to the rally whether Penn was speaking or not. I went to see John Kerry speak in 2004 and have tried to get more into politics the past few years because my peer group is the future of this country, and that's really scary. So, it's better to be informed now than 20 years down the line being completely out of the loop. Hearing Kal Penn speak was just the icing on the cake :)

Speaking of voting in our country... how about that American Idol?

(Waaaaaaaaaaay bad segue, I know)

Okay, to be perfectly honest, I love American Idol. I have seen all but 1 episode of the show (I forgot to DVR the results show from the Top 12 this season... but David Hernandez got kicked off and I saw the group song on YouTube the next week, so all was well). I like judging people's singing abilities from the comfort of my own living room. I am not the best singer in the world, in fact, I don't really sing around anyone except some people in my family. Though, if you were ever to pass my car while I'm going to/from work, the movie theater, grocery store, etc..., you are almost guaranteed to see the one-woman show that I put on every time I'm behind the wheel... the best performances come from mix-CDs I made years and years ago... the ones with such gems as "I Want it That Way," "Candy," and "Livin' on a Prayer". Or there's always those Broadway CDs... Spring Awakening, Wicked, Company, Legally Blonde... the list goes on...

But anyway, The Idol...

(BTW, that's what my mom and I call the show - "The Idol"... much like we call Dancing With the Stars, "The Dancing Show")

I have been a David Cook fan ever since his first audition... he had a pink streak in his hair and sang "Livin' on a Prayer" and I was smitten. I turned to my sister and said, "I want him to win" and I've been saying it every week since. He sings well, he does crossword puzzles, he plays the guitar and he's super entertaining (plus, he does that little half smnile thing when he's singing... sa-woon). I know the arrangments of the songs he does are not original, but he's way smart with the covers he choses to cover. Did you see his performance of "Hello" and "Billie Jean". Whoa... awesome.

My sister and I are also supporting Jason Castro, though unless he tries a little harder and does something other than pluck the strings of his guitar and hypnotize America with those beautiful blue eyes, that boy is going to get ousted soon. If he goes before Ramiele and Kristy Lee Cook, then something is wrong with the voting process and/or the American people (they are not good people... Not. Good.). Castro is the most aesthetically pleasing guy on that show, but he needs to step up his game.

My mom likes that little guy - David Archuleta - but I think he needs to go too. He's too wide-eyed and innocent, so much so that I don't think it's an act. If he wasn't 17, they'd be ripping him to shreds. He's a boring performer. He sings well, but he's boring. And he licks his lips while he sings. WTF is up with that?

Michael Johns is okay - he's an attractive man with a powerful voice but he looks waaaay older than he actually is. I think he looks like a slightly puffy version of Guy Pearce. Just an observation. I like him (he plays tennis, that's cool), but he shouldn't win.

As for the girls... Ramiele needs to go. This past week she sand Heart's "Alone", a song that was too big for her britches. Carrie Underwood sang that a few seasons ago and rocked the shit out of that song... Ramiele butchered it. I don't care that she said she was sick. Boo frickin' hoo. You're on American Idol - suck it up and sing your song without making excuses for yourself. Kristy Lee Cook tricked America into keeping her around for another week by singing "God Bless the USA". And next week must be country week as Dolly Parton will be mentoring them... Kristy butcheres every song she sings, but she sucks the least at country music (I really fear for Jason Castro this week... poor guy).

Carly Smithson, that Irish girl, is a good singer, though last week she sounded like she was pushing her vocals too hard. I don't want her to win, but she can stick around awhile longer. Same with Brooke. I really, really liked her from her first audition. Now I just like her... she's starting to make excuses for herself during judging. She's talented, but needs to stick to who she is.

And then there is Syesha. I do not like her one bit. She sings all right, but she seems like a fake person. One of those people who thinks she is God's gift to singing and American Idol - her and her scarfs she wears each week. I sooooooooo wanted her to go home last week instead of Chikeze. But alas. At least she was in the bottom 2. May America keep her there for awhile... give her a slice of humble pie (as Tyra Banks would say).

Well, that is all the news that's fit to print right now. I'm going to go finish watching "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle" (gotta love that scene where they sing "Hold On" in the car) and "The 40-Year Old Virgin" (my next article is about Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow... I re-watched "Knocked-Up" already and will revisit "Superbad" sometime this week - woot).

Tomorrow I'll head to the movies to see "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" - go Frances McDormand and Amy Adams :)

You have a fantastic weekend... I'll catch ya later.

Baseball movies = happiness

(this article was published in the March 2008 issue of The Ryder)


Take yourself out to the ballgame… from the comfort of your own living room

After awards season there is a cinematic lull until summer blockbusters hit theaters in May. To keep busy, you could turn to another yearly event that is just beginning - baseball season. When March rolls around, the pro ball teams are in Spring Training to prepare for the upcoming season, and this year, I actually went to a game in Lake Buena Vista, Florida – Indians vs. Atlanta Braves!

While the weather in Florida was perfect for a ballgame, the rain in Bloomington has kept us from enjoying America’s favorite pastime out on the field. Playing baseball (or softball) is a rite of passage for many people. My parents played when they were kids and taught my siblings and I how to play catch around the time we learned how to walk (I know what you’re thinking – No, they did not force us to play, nor were they the kind of parents to coach from the sidelines). Growing up in Akron, Ohio, we cheered on the Cleveland Indians, as well as made many trips downtown to Canal Park, home of the AA Eastern League’s Akron Aeros. My mom coached my softball team for a year and both parents were up for a game of catch if asked.

My family enjoyed playing and watching baseball together, but we also watched a lot of movies. Though we all have different preferred genres, baseball movies were universally accepted in our household. Baseball movies really made an impact on me because I knew the game so well and I could really relate to the characters. If you’ve played, then maybe you also know the highs of hitting the game winning run, or the lows having a ground ball sneak past your glove and go through your legs.

So while you’re sitting at home oiling your glove waiting for the sun to come out, why don’t you watch a baseball movie? Better yet, watch several. Here’s just a few of my favorites to keep you busy while you wait for the regular season:

The Sandlot (1993)

It’s hard enough being the new kid in town, but trying to join the other neighborhood kids in a pickup game when you don’t even know how to throw or catch a ball is downright embarrassing for Scotty Smalls (Tom Guiry). Smalls finally starts to get a handle on the game with the help of his newfound friends when he hits his stepfather’s baseball (signed by Babe Ruth) over the fence and into the territory of the meanest dog in town. While the boys of the sandlot spend their summer plotting how to get that ball back, they come of age and bond over watching girls at the pool, swapping stories at sleepovers and getting their first taste of chewing tobacco.

The Sandlot is a fun watch for people of all ages because it brings you back to the summers of your youth when playing ball and hanging out with your best friends was all that mattered. I remember my parents bought this DVD while my siblings and I were home from college a few years ago and the entire family sat down to watch, laughing harder than when we saw it together back in 1993. To this day, not a week goes by without someone in my family telling another Labovitz, "You’re killin’ me Smalls."

The Natural (1984)

Robert Redford stars as Roy Hobbs, an unknown older ballplayer who happens upon a losing team in the 1930s and helps them to turn their game around and become a winning ball club. Years back, a mysterious woman shot Hobbs, nearly ending his career as a pitcher on the make. Now, armed with a bat made from the wood of a tree that was struck by lightning, Hobbs proves that a mature player is still a force to be reckoned with on the field. The more he is allowed to play, Hobbs finds himself back at the top of his game, an asset to his team (the New York Knights) and an inspiration to the audience.

This film reminds me of an old-fashioned baseball card, with its muted neutral colors and baggy uniforms. It recalls a time when love of the game meant more to players than the paycheck or endorsement deals. Even though I know what’s coming, I cannot help but get excited when Roy Hobbs steps up to the plate.

The Rookie (2002)

Based on the true story of Jim Morris (Dennis Quaid), a family man and high school science teacher from Big Lake, Texas who accepts a challenge from the struggling ball team he coaches: If the team makes it to the district championship, he’ll try out for the major leagues. After facing some tough teams in their division, the Owls make it to State and Morris is obliged to go to a tryout. Like Roy Hobbs in The Natural, Jim Morris is quite a bit older than the rest of the men vying for slots on major league rosters. He’s a great pitcher and loves playing ball, but also has the reality of his life and family back home in Texas.

Ever since releasing Remember the Titans in 2000, Disney has been producing films based off of real, often overlooked, people who made an impact on sports in America and I have enjoyed them all. I saw The Rookie with my sister on opening night and it felt like we were at a ballgame with all of the energy and team spirit radiating from our fellow audience members. I know the phrase "feel-good movie" gets tossed around a lot, but that label 100% applies to The Rookie. You cannot help but feel warmth and happiness when you get to see someone else with such passion for baseball get to play the game they love and have an entire stadium cheering for them.

Field of Dreams (1989)

Ray Kinsella is farmer in Iowa with daddy issues who hears a voice ("If you build it, he will come.") which inspires him to build a baseball diamond in the middle of his cornfield. This decision upsets Ray’s brother-in-law who constantly reminds us how that would financially hurt Ray and his family. The ball field soon becomes the hangout of players past, men who walk out of the cornfield for the chance to play again, though no one can see them except for Ray’s family and reclusive writer Terence Mann (James Earl Jones). Ray’s unwavering faith in his field leads him to resolve his own feelings about how he and his dad ended things before his dad’s untimely death many years ago.

Since the film came out, thousands of people have made the pilgrimage to Dyersville, Iowa where the baseball diamond still exists among the cornfields. To be honest, the first time I saw this film, I didn’t see what the big deal was (I was a sixteen year old girl who had a perfectly fine relationship with my dad and just assumed everyone else got along with their dad too). Over the years, I have seen this film a few more times and with each viewing, I am able to see that its message about the importance of family and faith makes this film so special.

A League of Their Own (1992)

During World War II while men were oversees fighting, women were recruited to play professional baseball. This film follows fictional sisters Dottie Hinson and Kit Keller (Geena Davis and Lori Petty) from their dairy farm in Oregon to Wrigley Field in Chicago for tryouts with hundreds of other women from all over America. As the sisters and their teammates prove themselves to be athletes and not just pretty women in uniform, sibling rivalry starts to take hold. Dottie is one of the best players in the league but her plan is to stop playing after one year and start a family. Kit’s a good player who would make playing ball a career if given the chance, but she feels stuck in the shadow of her sister.

A League of Their Own is the women’s version of Field of Dreams, but instead of father issues this film deals with the bond between sisters. Like Kit, I was a pitcher and have an older sister, Sarah, who could hold her own when in the field (the star first baseman) and up to bat (the only person I know who hit the ball over the parking lot at Forest Lodge three times in one game). The first time I saw A League of Their Own after I went away to college, I cried when Kit and Dottie meet up after playing against each other because I missed Sarah - and I never cry at movies. So, while you guys have a catch with your dad after reading this article, I’m going to hug my sister.

Bull Durham (1987)

Catcher Crash Davis (Kevin Costner) has been playing in the minor leagues for a long time. When Crash’s contract gets bought out by the Durham Bulls to help hone the skills of rookie pitcher "Nuke" LaLoosh (Tim Robbins), he’s pissed off that his protegee has so much potential but no respect for the game. To complicate things further, both men are attracted to Bulls fan Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon) who has a rule that she only sleeps with one ball player per season. As the season wears on, Crash and Nuke lead their team through the ups and downs of the minor league and all discover that "Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains. Think about that for awhile."

Because writer/director Ron Shelton played ball in the Caroline league and based the script off his own experiences in the minors, the camaraderie between the teammates feels authentic and the audience really gets to know these Durham Bulls. The dialogue has been incorporated into my everyday vernacular ever since high school. When we were going to play softball games at the professional league’s stadium back in Akron, we called it "going to the show". When I felt flustered up on the mound, I summoned my inner Nuke LaLoosh and repeated to myself "Don’t think, just throw." If I ever need a pick-me-up, I slide this into my DVD player and will instantly feel better and laugh harder than the last time I watched it. What can I say – I believe in the Church of Baseball.

No one ever said Spring Training was just for athletes - there are plenty more great baseball films out there, just type "Baseball movies" into Google and you’ll have a list long enough to last you until the skies clear and you’re able to go outside. Grab some peanuts and Cracker Jacks; press "play" and Play Ball!

American Film Institute... how I love thee

(written for an upcoming issue of The Ryder)

The American Film Institute – Listing America’s Best Films, 100 at a Time

Founded in 1967, the American Film Institute (AFI) began with the goals of training filmmakers, preserving and restoring film and video from America’s past and present, and recognizing film as an important artistic medium. The AFI has a graduate program where filmmakers can work in a collaborative environment to hone their craft. They offer a Directing Workshop for Women, which trains women in narrative filmmaking. Each year, the AFI recognizes its top ten films and television programs of the year, as well as bestows an influential filmmaker with a Lifetime Achievement Award―this year, actor/director/writer/producer Warren Beatty will be the 35th recipient of this prestigious honor.

Each summer since 1998, AFI has released a list of its Top 100 movies, categorizing them one genre at a time including Passions, Thrills, Heroes/Villains, Songs, and Quotes. This summer, AFI is announcing its Top 10 greatest films from 10 different genres. Fifty films are in the running for those ten coveted spots. Since we have a few more months until the official AFI 100 titles are released, I’ve gone through the lists of films in contention to come up with my own Top 10 for each category.

Animation
10. An American Tail (1986)
9. Robots (2005)
8. Peter Pan (1953)
7. Aladdin (1992)
6. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
5. Sleeping Beauty (1959)
4. Toy Story 2 (1999)
3. The Little Mermaid (1989)
2. Alice in Wonderland (1951)
1. Toy Story (1995) – The first feature film to be created entirely with computer animation. I was in the fifth grade when Toy Story was released. I remember seeing it in the theater with my family and being amazed at the detail put into the design of the toys. I love Woody and Buzz, but my favorite characters are the three-eyed aliens.

Fantasy
10. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
9. Batman (1989)
8. Pleasantville (1998)
7. Beetlejuice (1988)
6. Being John Malkovich (1999)
5. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
4. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
3.Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
1. The Princess Bride (1987) – I dare you to name another film that has this much swashbuckling, sword fights, true love and ROUSs. I’ve often said that I could watch this film every day and never tire of it. Wesley’s "To the Pain" monologue leading to "Drop. Your. Sword." is priceless.

Romantic Comedy
10. His Girl Friday (1940)
9. Barefoot in the Park (1967)
8. Working Girl (1988)
7. It Happened One Night (1934)
6. My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
5. Say Anything… (1989)
4. Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
3. The 40-Year Old Virgin (2005)
Shakespeare in Love (1998)
1.When Harry Met Sally… (1989) - Nora Ephron’s harkens back to romantic comedies of the 1930s and 1940s in that the two lead characters are not looking to fall in love with each other. If anything, they are trying (though unsuccessfully in this film) to disprove the notion that men and women can never "just be friends" because sex always gets in the way. Everyone can recall Meg Ryan’s fake orgasm in the delicatessen, but it’s Billy Crystal demonstration of the "White Man’s Overbite" that brings a smile to my face every time.

Sci-Fi
10. Starman (1984)
9. Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
8. Independence Day (1996)
7. Alien (1979)
6. Children of Men (2006)
5. The Matrix (1999)
4. Back to the Future (1985)
3. Jurassic Park (1993)
2. Star Wars Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) – I don’t think this is a science fiction film as memory erasing seems like a possibility in the near future, but it’s on AFI’s shortlist. Weaving forwards and backwards, Charlie Kaufman’s script gives us intimate, realistic glimpses into the interior life of Joel Barish (Jim Carrey in a career best performance) and his up-and-down relationship with Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet).

Western
10. High Noon (1952) – confession, haven’t actually seen all the way through, but I promise I will sometime soon (I don’t watch many westerns, and the ones I have seen, like Tombstone and 3:10 to Yuma, aren’t on the AFI list)
9. McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971) – see above (though I have checked this out of the library multiple times… I will watch it one of these days, as I enjoy Robert Altman films and Warren Beatty)
8. Little Big Man (1970)
7. Silverado (1985)
6. Giant (1956)
5. Dances with Wolves (1990)
4. Blazing Saddles (1974)
3. Jeremiah Johnson (1972)
2. The Last Picture Show (1971)
1. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) – An atypical Western, instead of our heroes riding off into the sunset, they flee south to Bolivia in hopes of getting their lives back in order and shaking the trail of law enforcer LaFours and his team of men ("Who are those guys?"). Butch and Sundance argue like brothers but their actions belie their bickering and reveal their vulnerability. When they are together, Paul Newman and Robert Redford can do no wrong. Their on-screen chemistry has never been matched.

Gangster
10. A History of Violence (2005)
9. Out of Sight (1998)
8. Pulp Fiction (1994)
7. Goodfellas (1990)
6. Heat (1995)
5. The Usual Suspects (1995)
4. The Untouchables (1987)
3. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
2. The Departed (2006)
1. On the Waterfront (1954) – "You don't understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it. It was you, Charley…" Written during the McCarthy Era, this film sets America’s Communist witch-hunt on the docks of the East Shore. The trial where Marlon Brando’s conflicted longshoreman Terry Malloy testifies against the mob bosses reflects director Elia Kazan’s own actions of naming names before the House Un-American Activities Committee.

Sports
10. Chariots of Fire (1981)
9. Eight Men Out (1988)
8. The Natural (1984)
7. The Hustler (1961)
6. Field of Dreams (1989)
5. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
4. The Mighty Ducks (1992)
3. Miracle (2004)
2. A League of Their Own (1992)
1. Bull Durham (1988) – I first became aware of this film after it was on the "AFI 100 Years, 100 Laughs" list and have been quoting it daily ever since. I’m a huge fan of baseball, and it’s refreshing to see the unglamorous side to the minor leagues. Kevin Costner’s charm and vulnerability as catcher Crash Davis has only been matched by his second pairing with writer/director Ron Shelton in Bull Durham’s golf counter-part, Tin Cup (1995).

Courtroom Drama
10. The Rainmaker (1997)
9. Inherit the Wind (1960)
8. The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)
7. Primal Fear (1996)
6. Philadelphia (1993)
5. Erin Brockovich (2000)
4. The Insider (1999)
3. A Few Good Men (1992)
2. The Crucible (1996)
1. 12 Angry Men (1957) – One room + twelve men = nail biting intensity that I have never before seen in a movie. Henry Fonda’s Juror # 8 is an ordinary man who has to persuade eleven other men to find it in themselves to take a closer look at the evidence in order to come up with an anonymous verdict for a murder trial.

Mystery
10. Vertigo (1958)
9. The Conversation (1974)
8. Rear Window (1954)
7. The Fugitive (1993)
6. North by Northwest (1959)
5. The Bourne Identity (2002)
4. Memento (2001)
3. The Big Lebowski (1998)
2. Gosford Park (2001)
1. L.A. Confidential (1997) – Classic Good Cop-Bad Cop film noir featuring one of the best ensemble casts of the 1990s. Set in Los Angeles circa the 1950s, three cops (Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce and Kevin Spacey) investigate brutal murders relating to an imprisoned mob boss amid the temptations of Hollywood (including prostitutes made up to look like movie stars) and corruption from within the police force.

Epic
10. Braveheart (1995)
9. Malcolm X (1992)
8. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
7. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
6. Schindler’s List (1993)
5. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
4. Gladiator (2000)
3. Titanic (1997)
2. Reds (1981)
1. The Last of the Mohicans (1992) – A visually stunning period piece with plenty of brutal battle sequences, The Last of the Mohicans is just one of many memorable films from director Michael Mann. American History was one of my favorite subjects, so seeing this in the fifth grade was a big deal. We were learning about the French and Indian war at the time, plus it meant we got to watch an R-rated movie at school. I remember really liking the actor who played Hawkeye - of course now I am aware that the actor who so impressed me was Daniel Day-Lewis, an asset to any film he’s in.

The official date for "AFI’s Top 10 Top 10" has yet to be set, but keep an eye out for an air date this June. Visit AFI.com for more information about this year’s Top 100 films.