Come Early Morning

Okay, you've got to love a movie in which the opening scene involves Ashley Judd leaving her one night stand without a second glance. In her t-shirt and jeans - one pant leg hiked up above her scuffed up cowboy boots- Ashley's character Lucy struts out of the motel room with only a few cold words for the stranger she woke up with, "I think we both got what we wanted."

And this Lucy character sure seems to know exactly what she wants... at first, that is. She drives a honking green truck, has no problem hanging stripping down to her little cotton panties on several occasions, drinks one beer after another, straight out of the bottle, and don't even think about saying anything nasty about her Pa! Oh no- Lucy decks a girl in the face for making some snide comment about her father. "Bitch!" says Lucy without even flinching. With a bleeding scar on her own face, and her hair all dishevelled, Lucy looks at her reflection in the mirror and laughs. She heads off to her truck, and and within minutes, she still manages to catch the attention of a cute country boy named Cal. "Look me up," she says when he asks if he can get her number.

And much of this happens within the first ten or fifteen minutes of the movie!

But through her interactions with Cal, Lucy's insecurities begin to unravel. It soon becomes apparent that her hard, "I-can-take-care-of-myself" attitude, is in fact a way for Lucy to protect herself from her fears, the biggest one having to do with relationships. Without an example of a good relationship in her family, Lucy is used to running away from men, before she gets to know them, scared that she will end up like the other couples around her- betrayed or simply miserable.

But Cal treats her differently, and though Lucy struggles to accept his affection, she begins learning more about herself once he enters her life.

Despite the small town setting- pool tables, juke boxes, tractors, farming fields and southern accents- the lesson Lucy needs to learn is a big and universal one: you have to love and respect yourself first before you can truly love another.

At times, I was distracted by the poor acting by some of the supporting characters- particularly the old folks around Lucy- some of the dialogue just seemed too contrived or forced, and took me out of the story. But Judd and her co-star Jeffry Donovan (who plays Cal) do a great job in portraying their down to earth characters. I felt Judd's happiness when she smiled, and I empathized with her pain when she dropped her head down on her steering wheel and cried. And Donovan had some witty lines that he expressed effortlessly.

I also liked the character Kim, played by Laura Prepon (who you may know better as Donna, from That 70's Show). Her role as the roommate who didn't quite see relationships as Lucy did, helped serve as a foil to Lucy's character.

The simple life setting of the movie captured me- country music enlivening some of the long truck rides or bar scenes (and I'm not usually a big fan of country music), the mention of sweet cornbread, and families going to quaint little churches on Sunday morning. It took me to a quieter place for over an hour, a place I think some of us need sometimes. But it also reminded me that people are people wherever you go. At the heart of it, we all still have the same hurdles to get over, we just go through them in different ways.

Perhaps this is not a movie that is a must see for everyone. But, if you're ever in one of those moods where staying at home with a warm cup of tea or hot chocolate, and just getting cosy sounds appealing, this would be a good movie pick. I particularly recommend it to you women out there who appreciate creative reminders about how we need to be treated- by others, but more importantly, by our selves.

Seven Pounds

Seven Pounds is an unforgettable movie. In fact, flashbacks of certain scenes creep up on me occasionally when I'm in my car. And it's been over a month since I've seen it... You'll see what I mean when you watch it.

Notice how I said WHEN you watch this. This is a movie I think everyone would enjoy- whether you're male or female, whether you liked the Pursuit of Happyness or not (Both movies have the same director and producer and share some creative similarities, but the stories are completely different).

The pace of the movie is great. I don't think that I blinked once (or at least it didn't feel like it), throughout its two hours and some forty minutes or so. I was drawn in immediately by the movie's dialogue and imagery, as well as the mystery behind the main character's motives.

Full of suspense, the movie has many twists and turns that are surprising and gripping. The official site of the movie classifies Seven Pounds as an emotional drama. THAT it is. There were scenes that made me laugh, some that set my heart pounding, some that frightened me, and many that were so heartwrenching that I couldn't help the tears. And from the sounds of it, neither could many of the other viewers who were in the same theater that night.

Will Smith is phenomenal in this movie. I heard he wasn't sure if he wanted to play the part, because it was so intense, but that his wife encouraged him to. If any of this is true, I have to say that that Jada Pinkett Smith is one smart lady.

Even though I was already a big fan of Will Smith's work, I was so taken by how convincingly he truly BECOMES this complex character- Ben Thomas. In some ways, Thomas' journey becomes ours in that we are taken along with him, to experience the hurt and pain, and love and fear that he feels throughout the movie. It is mind blowing what he puts himself through because of a tragic event that haunts him every second of his life. But, at the same time, it is presented in a way that seems almost understandable.

"In seven seconds, God created the world, in seven seconds, I shattered mine," says Ben.

I think the movie is about giving, and also about forgiving, not just others, but yourself as well. It's also about regrets, and serves as a reminder to all of us to cherish the people around us. Ben was so consumed with his work that he was blindsighted to what was in front of him, until it was too late. But the real tragedy is that he cannot let go of his guilt or come to terms with this life changing mistake.

We all make mistakes. But Ben handles his in an extreme manner. To try to redeem himself, Ben helps seven strangers put their lives back together in ways that most human beings wouldn't even imagine.

The interactions between Ben and these seven people help us to see who he really is, and we can't help but to want someone, perhaps one of them, to save him from this heavy burden he has carried with him for so long.

Impressive is the way that Ben's secret is only hinted at throughout the movie- bits and pieces intertwined in his dealings with the seven people he so strategically seeks out. And only at the end of the the movie is the secret revealed in its entirety.

It's a mystery to me why this movie just disappeared from the main theaters so quickly- I couldn't wait to see it when it first came out, and then couldn't seem to stop talking about it. But I haven't heard much about it from others since. It should have been in theaters much longer than it was. I highly recommed grabbing the chance to watch it on the big screen if it's still showing out there somewhere. Otherwise, you might have to wait until it's on DVD. Either way, go see it. Seven Pounds is brilliant.

On a side note, there have been discussions about why the movie is called Seven POUNDS. I thought it referrred to the weight of guilt that Ben was carrying with him for so long.

But the best answer I've seen so far on the internet is: "The title Seven Pounds refers to the Shakespearean pound-of-flesh metaphor (from the play the Merchant of Venice), meaning a figurative debt that needs to be paid back."

I would love to hear your comments on this once you've watched the movie.

The Ultimate Gift

It's nearly midnight, but I can't sleep because I want to tell you about a movie I just finished watching- The Ultimate Gift. I thought I was looking for a romantic comedy or something in that genre. But I would say that this movie is simply magical.

Even the way that I ended up with it tonight, after putting away a few movies that I had grabbed off the shelf of a local rental place, is curious. The Ultimate Gift remained in my hand, and I think it did for a reason.

"This movie changes people," said the lead actor- Drew Fuller. And I think he's right. I mean, it got me writing late at night- a blog idea I was thinking about for months, but didn't get started on until tonight.

The movie is based on a book by the same title. I think that the basic premise behind the story is that life is a gift, but often times, we get so caught up in what we think life is about, that we lose out on the true life we are meant to lead; we miss out on the gift.

The commentary on the movie mentioned that it is this gift that is not just meant to be found or held onto, but also to be shared, or given away.

Fuller's character- Jason- is shown this gift after his grandfather passes away and leaves him an inheritance. The inhertance is not based on money, but is instead, a series of life changing lessons that are meant to make Jason appreciate what is truly important. Jason is shown the gift of work, the gift of laughter, the gift of friendship, the gift of family, the gift of dreams, and the gift of love. And this new world revealed to Jason is one his grandfather wanted Jason to see during his lifetime, but instead, has to show him after.

Yes, I know, this all sounds so cliche. But the hurdles put in front of Jason were presented in a way that made the story sweet, but believable. And no matter what your age or circumstance, I think everyone can't help but to relate to Jason's journey, on some or many levels, especially his struggle to try to understand his family, and where he fits in with it.

Jason, who is a young man in his late twenties or early thirties, befriends a young girl Emily who is maybe ten years old. The dynamic between the two characters is funny and sweet, and sometimes, I had to wonder who was the real adult between them, "Okay, you must be the slowest person I've ever met," says little Emily.

But even when Jason is trying to find his way, or "screws up," as Emily puts it, it's hard not to like him. I guess it helps that Fuller is a gorgeous young actor who you ladies will just not want to turn your eyes off of!

This was a great rental that made me smile but also put a few tears on my face. It was easy to get swept up into the touching scenes between mother and daughter, grandfather and grandson, and Jason and the new people who enter his life to change him, to help him grow.

The sheer genuine nature of the message in the movie- to value the time we are given here in this life- is enough to make it a must see.

Definitely a thumbs up for me! Why didn't anyone tell me about this movie before? You know it has that "find yourself" kind of feel to it that I love!:) And where can I get the book? What intrigues me more is that the author of the book- Jim Stovall- is blind.

Has anyone read it or heard of it before?

There's supposedly a "movement" now, based on the ideas of the book and movie. Go to http://www.ultimategift.com/ to find out more.

For a movie trailer, click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwXe5eKZr6M&NR=1