Have I told you that I’m on a quest to watch movies made in Oklahoma? Yeah, I am. And I’m watching one tonight. Four Sheets to the Wind. I’ll be posting a review about it soon. There’s a great line at the beginning.

Once in a while, something great happens in Oklahoma. Not often, but once in a while.

This feels like a Pretty in Pink kind of day. Maybe it’s because I’m crampy and I associate cramps with being a teenager and angst and being interested in one guy while having two or three more interested in you while the first one couldn’t really care less.

And maybe it’s because the only other thing I considered watching was Atonement and right now I just don’t feel like it. It’s too soon. I watched it yesterday for the first time and it devastated me. Seriously, there was nothing happy about that at all. And I know that stories aren’t always happy. But the end got me. Once you get to that point (if you haven’t read the novel already) you can begin to put things together and the typing sounds in the score really make it all make sense, but an unreliable narrator really riles me up. Especially one that I have next to no compassion for and one who thinks that writing a story and “giving” two people a happy ending is really even close to “atoning” for her “sins.” I found it quite presumptuous of Briony to state that she gave the couple their happiness and that comment alone made me seriously question her state of mind. Is she losing it by this point?

I’d like to add that I didn’t feel any sort of compassion for Cecelia either, as I don’t think she gave Young Briony half a chance. She was a little girl who saw something she didn’t understand and ended up making something much larger out of it. Honestly, an adult can tell from the first second when he appears who the real culprit is, but what is a little girl to think? Certainly that the fellow with the most evidence against him is the guilty party.

I will say that it was terribly beautiful cinematography though. The racy content at the beginning makes it something I really can’t recommend in good conscience, but it’s very, very pretty. Not the racy content — the film overall. Sigh.

The way it’s stuck with me reminds me of the feeling I had after watching A Walk to Remember for the first time. I know what you’re thinking. She’s comparing a film based on a Nicholas Sparks novel to one based on a novel by Ian McEwan? I understand. But I must tell you that at the time that film came out, it was something very close. I had never identified with a character so much as Jamie Sullivan (in the book) and the film made it all the more real (though less appealing in some ways). To see her situation and the change that she helped to spark in that boy by expressing her faith really touched me. To watch her dreams come true and then have her pass from this life to the next, well, it made me examine my life, priorities, and where I stood on a lot of things. I began to seriously consider the impact my words and the way I lived had (or could have) on people. If you can get past the cheese factor (which doesn’t bother me so much because I am a certified Cheeseball) there are some great lessons to be gleaned from A Walk to Remember. I would suggest the novel over the film though.

If you enjoyed Atonement, I recommend: Jeux d’enfants (Eng. Title: Love Me If You Dare)

*Note: This was posted early on. Even now the information is changing. However, I will not be updating this post.

Heath Ledger found dead in home of Mary-Kate Olsen

The actor Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon in an apartment in Manhattan inhabited by the actress Mary-Kate Olsen, according to the New York City police. Signs pointed to a suicide, police sources said. Mr. Ledger was 28.

At 3:31 p.m., a masseuse arrived at Apartment 5A in the building, at 421 Broome Street in SoHo, for an appointment with Mr. Ledger, the police said. The masseuse was let in to the home by a housekeeper, who then knocked on the door of the bedroom Mr. Ledger was in. When no one answered, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened the bedroom and found Mr. Ledger naked and unconscious on a bed, with pills scattered around his body. They shook him, but he did not respond. They immediately called the authorities.

The police said they did not suspect foul play. Officials said they believed Ms. Olsen, 21, was in California and said it was not clear how long or why Mr. Ledger had been in her apartment.

So, so sad.

Actor Brad Renfro found dead in home

It’s so strange to me. I wasn’t ever much of a fan, but he was in every issue of Bop, BB, and Tiger Beat I ever owned. Back then I was buying them for the Jonathan Taylor Thomas (”JTT” if you were into that) posters, but I still remember him. Remember thinking that he was so much older and whatnot. I find out today that he was 25. Twenty-five. I’m twenty-three. Poor guy. He had it kinda rough. May he rest in peace.

*This makes me think that I might need to compile a list of the crushes I had between the ages of 4 and the age when I stopped it became completely unacceptable for me to continue planning the fantasy weddings between myself and certain celebrities. Oh yes. I’ll definitely be working on that.

The other day The Boyfriend and I went to see Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The music was good and I knew to expect blood–only I didn’t realize how much blood. Call me a wimp, but that was too much for me. Again though, the music was phenomenal. I can totally advocate buying the soundtrack.

Lucky for me though, going to see Sweeney Todd meant that I got to see the wonderful trailers that went along with it. Trailers are nearly the best part of the movie to me. I love them. I am exactly the type of person that they aim these things at, especially whenever they make the film sound like some kind of sweeping epic–I am so there.

On this particular trip to the theater we got to see the trailer to a musical. I am a firm believer that life should, at all times, consist of the following things: singing, dancing, kissing, running through city streets, jumping on top of cars, lots of rooftops, and weddings. I’m not sure if Kevin realized how excited I was about this, because all I did was lean over and say “I’ll see this while you’re gone this summer.” (He’s going to coach at a camp in Pennsylvania for the summer) I don’t know how much he likes musicals, but I hope that he does for the most part. I believe that there are two kinds of people in the world–those who like musicals and those who don’t. I think the latter should be euthanized.

Anyway, this movie is Mamma Mia! and it’s starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Firth. And I’ve had a deep love for Abba music since I was a wee little thing. Again, I’m so there. I suggest going to the official movie site to view the trailer, because it’s better there, but I’m going to post one here anyway. You can be sure that I’ll let you all know what I think about the film after I see it this summer.

It’s been a long time since there were this many movies I’d like to see in the theater.

OIL. Yum yum. It’s put food on the table my entire life.

Sigh. Who doesn’t love movies like this? A love story spanning a lifetime. I am always drawn to stories of people kept apart for some reason.

I haven’t read this book so I will have to run out and get it before the only copies available are the ones covered with a movie poster before I see it.

No reason, though Kevin would tell you that there IS a reason. And that reason would be Christian Bale. But it’s Christian Bale as Bob Dylan, one of the most unattractive men I can think of.

Oh my. *cries* This looks really good.

Some of my happiest memories are pretending to waltz around Granny’s living room while watching The King and I. And this movie, well, it’s just wonderful.

So, I was raised with some beliefs that not many people share, myself included, but I just want to preface this by saying that I respect anyone who does hold these beliefs. Including my parents. Anyway, while I was growing up we never saw movies in the theater. I say never but I actually saw two when I was younger. Most movies I have seen in a theater have been in the past 4-5 years. This means I haven’t seen very many. And most of the ones I HAVE seen were pretty awful. Here goes!

The Thirteen (Give or Take) Movies I’ve Seen In A Theater 1. Pocahontas (1995) 2. Inspector Gadget (1999) 3. The Prince & Me (2004) 4. The Notebook (2004) 5. The Phantom of the Opera (2004) 6. In Good Company (2004) 7. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) 8. The Ring Two (2005) 9. Spanglish (2004) 10. Wimbledon (2004) 11. Finding Neverland (2004) 12. Just Like Heaven (2005) 13. John Tucker Must Die (2006) Others: (I’ll add them as I think of them) Dirty Dancing (2007 - 20th Anniversary Re-release)

So far, all that the ads for Fast Food Nation have managed to do for me is make me want a cheeseburger. BAD.