Wake Up Mother Nature!

I’m wearing tights today for the first time in, oh, nearly half a year. Sure, it’s supposed to hit 93 degrees today in Northern California, but that’s not stopping my homage (or at least my legs’ homage) to Fall. I think maybe Mother Nature’s still reeling from the summer of fires, storms, earthquakes, and hurricanes (and let’s not forget the biggest natural disaster, Madonna dating A-Rod) and has forgotten to usher in Autumn (either that or she drank too many beers at Father Time’s Labor Day party and hasn’t yet recovered). Even the campaign signs in my neighborhood (popping up at such a rate that I wonder if, like Gremlins, they multiply when doused by the lawn sprinklers) and pumpkin-shaped peeps on the grocery store shelves haven’t prompted her to cool things down, so I figured I’d break out the tights and do my part. Fall is my favorite season. The kids are back in school, my lawn turns green again, my cat starts growing back his fur, and I can begin forgetting the magnitude of the SF Giants’ failure. What’s more, I can look forward to the Fall Movie Season. This Fall, theatres will show no fewer than 11 movies based on books. Here’s a quick list of the movies and my initial thoughts (warning: approaching stream of conscious, river of uninformed first impressions, and rapids of unrelated opinions):

Appaloosa – Entertainment Weekly describes the two main characters as “laconic.” I had to look it up. It means “using few words.” So the two main characters are men of few words. In a Western? Shocking. When was the last time you saw a Western with a couple of chatty Cathys? The movie could prove a lesson in subtlety, though, given the two fabulous, understated actors playing the leads – Viggo Mortensen and Ed Harris. But wait…scratch that…Renee Zellweger is in it, too. So much for subtlety.

The Duchess – Thankfully, it’s not a Fergie documentary, but a movie based on the book Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman and starring Keira Knightley. I haven’t decided if I think Keira Knightley is a great actress, a good actress, or just adept at choosing the right scripts, but I have a feeling I’m going to love this movie. Corsets + Ralph Fiennes (or any member of the Fiennes family, for that matter) – my husband grumbling in the seat next to me + smuggled Junior Mints = an enjoyable movie experience. I haven’t read the true-life tale, but Knightley’s last turn in a page to screen story (Atonement) was riveting.

Blindness – The ads made me think of Children of Men, but that’s probably due to Julianne Moore’s presence and the post-apocalyptic look of the sets. I’m interested in the fact that the characters in the book don’t have proper names, just descriptions (i.e. Girl With the Dark Glasses). In fact (get ready for a shameless plug), my friend and I recently wrote a novel using the same device…and if you’d like to read more about our characters (The Pecker, Babies Don’t Spit Up, Sweat Rings and Man Slippers), head on over to http://www.fictionlimbo.blogspot.com/. I feel a tad dirty now . . .

What Just Happened – I know nothing about this film except that it’s a Hollywood satire, adapted from a book, starring a mess of people (Robert De Niro, Sean Penn, Bruce Willis, Catherine Keener, Robin Wright Penn). Never heard of the book, barely heard of the movie, but De Niro as a producer doesn’t seem like terrible casting.

The Secret Life of Bees - Can I just tell you how irritated I am that I used my “internet buzz” metaphor already . . . I should have planned better. In any event, I LOVE this book. I LOVE this book so much that I read all the book club questions at the end and had a little schizophrenic conversation with myself about plot and character development alone in my bed around 2 a.m. (Sue Monk Kidd’s second book, The Mermaid Chair, however, was a colossal disappointment. Truly a book to cast away.) I think Dakota Fanning is great casting, as is Paul Bettany as the abusive father, and Queen Latifah as the leader of the bee farm sisters. I’m on the fence about Jennifer Hudson as the nanny, though. I don’t think she’s old enough, but, then again, I don’t remember how old the character was supposed to be in the book. I guess she always seemed tired so I pictured her older. And, I’m not sure J. Hud can pull it off. Sure, she was fantastic and deep and moving in Dreamgirls, but she was singing 90% of the time. Would her “I’m Not Going” Oscar moment have been as emotional if she’d had to deliver it as a monologue? Does she have what it takes? Her superfluous role in Sex and the City sheds no light on the question. I’m a huge Hudson fan – I have been since the American Idol days, agreeing with Quentin Tarantino when he called her Un-Bleepin’-Believable (or was it Fan-Bleepin’-Tastic?)—so I’d like to see her shine. I will definitely go see this movie (again, without my husband).

High School Musical 3: Senior Year – Based on the acclaimed novel of the same name, this much-anticipated third installment of the never-stale franchise . . . just checking to see if you’re paying attention.

Quantum of Solace – Technically, I don’t think this, the latest Bond flick, was adapted directly from a book. Of course, the 007 character was Ian Fleming’s literary creation so, in a sense, all Bond films are adapted from a book. Quantum of Solace is the name of an Ian Fleming short story, but I don’t believe the movie is based on the story—I think the title was just hijacked. (It’s entirely possible I could be wrong, but I’m too tired to look it up right now…) A couple of thoughts run through my head when I think about this movie. First, Daniel Craig looks like the adult version of my seven-year-old nephew, which is a bit disturbing because I find Daniel Craig delectable in a rather inappropriate way. Second, I used to see the Bond movies for free when I was in law school because one of my fellow students was the daughter of the producer . . . I miss law school . . . I miss school . . . I wish I didn’t have to work . . .

The Road – The Road comes out the day before my husband’s birthday. We both loved the book (and you know how I feel about the casting) so I expect we’ll see it opening night. And then we’ll mainline some Prozac and hold our children tight until the nightmares cease.

Marley & Me – Blech. It’s a Dooooooggggggggggg Movie. Based on a Dooooooooggggggggg Book (I’m not a fan, generally). Starring Rachel Green--I mean Jennifer Aniston--Owen Wilson, and a Dooooooooogggggggg. And the trailer shows all three running on a beach. In slow motion. I have nothing else to say.

Twilight – I haven’t read the books so I’m scared to say anything, for fear a bunch of tweens will come and put a stake through my heart. But I am nervous for the filmmakers - vampire movies are hard to cast – remember the uproar surrounding Tom Cruise as Lestat in Anne Rice’s Interview With A Vampire?

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – This movie, based on the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, sounds terribly interesting. It’s about a man aging in reverse. And I wager even Brad Pitt cannot ruin the movie, because it also casts the celestial Cate Blanchett and riveting Tilda Swinton (although The Talented Mr. Ripley was all sorts of awful and it had a stellar cast). Ooh, I can’t wait to see the two of them at all the premieres, interviews, and awards shows. Cate with her fickle sense of style and Tilda with her, well, how would you describe these ensembles? I love these women!

Revolutionary Road – The first pairing of Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio since . . .since . . . what was that movie? Kate Winslet betters every film she’s in. I sat next to Leonardo DiCaprio at Fixx in Vegas. He’s quite tall and manly in person. And Fixx has the most delicious fried macaroni and cheese and crusted mashed potatoes. This has nothing to do with the movie, just thought I’d share. I’m going to pick up this 1961 book by Richard Yates, described as a “cautionary tale . . . full of big ideas that question the viability of the American dream.” Quite a pertinent topic 47 years later. Let’s hope it translates to the big screen.

Happy reading and/or viewing!