The Sessions (2012)

Starring John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, and William H. Macy

Direction and Script:  Ben Lewin

Fran says:

I was agreeably delighted with this film, which treats its intertwined subjects of sex and spirituality with sympathy and honesty.  What could have been an uncomfortably squeamish 90 minutes of viewing was actually an uplifting story about how human beings interconnect at many levels of emotion, intellect, and ... well ... love.

The script is based on the life of Mark O'Brien, a poet/writer who was consigned by polio as a young boy to a life lived in an iron lung. His story easily could have been a tear-jerker; but due to the poetry and essays he wrote as he went through his university years and afterward, we know that he did not indulge in pathetic self-pity - and neither does the scriptwriter. Mark wanted to live life as fully as possible while life remained; and this is the story of how he went about doing that.

The performances were as uniformly fine as you would expect from these three stars; and supporting roles were all tuned nicely to enhance the main story.

I would caution that this is a film for adults; and by that I mean anyone who has a sane and mature attitude toward sex, spirituality, and human love.

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Julie says (via Haiku):

Helen Hunt naked
inspires shy sex, poetry
And John Hawkes? Oscar!

Soule & Drysdale At The Movies, 2012

Here is your chance to make wise guesses about the 2012 film award season, folks. Your reviewers, mother and daughter, will gladly tell you exactly what they think about the likely candidates for Best Film of 2012, and even any aspects deserving special category awards.
The reviews will be subjective, pithy, and (in Julie's case) in Haiku.
Our mascot, Julie's dog Rudy, will be the indicator of quality. Four Paws Up: a shoo-in to win; Three Paws Up:has a very good shot; Two Paws up: liked it for personal reasons; One Paw Up: Meh.
If you are old enough to remember 1990s TV you will recognize that we are using the Siskel & Ebert At The Movies formula; so you can imagine us sitting in a comfy seat at a local film emporium, munching on popcorn (or in Julie's case, probably Reese's PB Cups), and making critical mental notes-to-self.
Here is a list of the films we either definitely or probably will review; if you have suggestions about others we might overlook, please let us know.
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The Sessions
Moonrise Kingdom
Robot and Frank
Argo
Lawless
A Late Quartet
Silver Linings Playbook
Lincoln
Hyde Park on Hudson
Rust and Bone
Amour
The Hobbit
Hitchcock
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OK: here we go!

L'Envoi

Yeah, that's the last stanza of a Victorian sonnet -- and this is the last entry on Southbound. If anybody is still reading, give me a shout; I'm considering giving up blogging for a while.
Anyway, we had a good respite on the trip back home: two days in warm, sunny, clear an beautiful Carmel Valley. We are again convinced it's the perfect location for family R/U gatherings. When will we have the energy and courage for the next one?
It's great to be home!

Laborious Day

It's a national holiday; and yes, we are on vacation, as you might say; and since we are such lucky people, I feel guilty about griping. But the weather down here in Santa Barbara (and that goes double for Pasadena) is The Shits. It's partially overcast; warm, but not hot; and the humidity makes it feel like one is walking through a steam bath.

However, we are having some good visits with friends: Pierskallas had us over for dinner last evening; and I had two good visits today with my dear friend, Sarah B. (this evening we had dinner with her and husband Steve) and a discussion with both of them about their Ghana project work. I've met with a couple of St. Mark's friends too; and tomorrow I'm having breakfast with my old nemesis, Fr. Tomas -- no longer a nemesis to me, of course, just a tired, overworked, sick old guy who was very, very good to me in the end.

We'll spend time with Frank and Melissa tomorrow afternoon and evening, and then we're off early on Wednesday morning -- look for a much more upbeat entry here when we get to Carmel Valley that afternoon!

Soule Clan RU

We're back at 333 Old Mill Rd., after a 24-hour sojourn in Pasadena. Lots of pictures taken, too much food and drink partaken, some good catching up with everyone. Pasadena was the pits, though: hot, humid, overcast. Marie's good and kind hospitality aside, it was a bit of a hard go. However, after a traffic-crazed drive back north, we got as far as Mussel Shoals and pulled off to sit by the Pacific shore at Cliff House and have a salad lunch -- something we can't do in the redwooded mountains. I'm about to put my photos into a Kodak Gallery album and will send you all a link.

Home?

Entering the first stretch of the Big South, just below Carmel Highlands, the first eye-catcher for me was the different coloration: brilliant orange field poppies against the deep blue-violet Pacific waters. After all the green-mansions of our new home, that pallette seemed to signify a flag of entry: "You are now entering Southern California!"

Our meandering way down the Sur was accompanied by many fingers of coastal fog, as the ocean tried to mate with that beautiful land and was constantly repulsed by the Sun-god who rules the Golden State.

As we drove into Santa Barbara in the late afternoon, I realized that I knew this part of the world in the depths of my memory. It seemed odd to be navigating the off-freeway roads without any thought or pre-planning; just so, it has seemed very strange in our northern home, these past couple of months, to need to seek carefully for every road's turning as I've driven about the valley and the Santa Cruz coastal towns.

We find life in the old Trailer Park environs to be, well, same-old same-old. This morning I hear the garbage trucks lumbering about, and the roar of the 101 Freeway in the distance.

Melissa has made us very comfortable and welcome; Frank came to join us for dinner last evening; and we slept as well as one may in a new bed-environment.

Later today we will be heading to Pasadena for the big Soule Clan Reunion; stay tuned. Later this weekend I will post photos, either herein, or in a virtual photo album with a link for you here. Right now John and I are headed for a Starbuck Pickup and a planning (yes, list-making) session to start the day.

Wagons: Ho!

For you inveterate blogger-floggers, this will keep you current on the next (short) phase of Granny Franny's adventures: our eight-day summer 2008 vacation trip to Santa Barbara, Pasadena, Carmel Valley, and home again.

We leave in a couple of hours, departing the beloved Santa Cruz mountain home and headed south (El Sur) toward that highlight of all California dreams: the Big Sur.  Meteorologists tell us that this should be one of the most splendid days ever to grace that magnificent stretch of seacoast scenery.   "High of 84 F., sunny and clear" -- so saith NOAA, and Noah knows.

So follow the bouncing ball, and we're off on yet another adventure.