THE TOWN :: Oscar Ritual 2011

February 23, 2011 — Pay-Per-View
Nominated for Best Supporting Actor (Jeremy Renner)

In most any other year, Ben Affleck would be celebrating Academy Award nominations for directing and acting in The Town. That only Jeremy Renner was singled out from the film is evidence of how many good movies were released in 2010. I’m disappointed that Affleck’s film didn’t receive more attention from the Academy because it’s truly his best work yet, both as an actor and as a director, and the film had more layers than many other movies of higher acclaim. For my money, it was Affleck’s performance as Doug McRay that held the entire film together from beginning to end.

The Town begins with a bank robbery, and this series of scenes at the start of the film sets a unique tone for what’s to come. In the midst of chaos and terror, Affleck is a soothing voice (literally), and that quiet strength becomes a thread throughout the rest of the story. There is no resemblance to the Affleck of old, and it’s often too easy to overlook him in the midst of what is essentially a crime story. Playing his oldest and closest friend, Jem, Renner is also his polar opposite: an explosive character who acts on impulse and rarely considers the consequences. Where Doug and Jem clash the most is ultimately the crux of the film: a key witness to the bank robbery becomes Doug’s lover and causes him to question the course of his life. The juxtaposition of Doug’s criminal history with his newfound relationship is a mirror to the themes of the movie itself: resolving his past with the desire for a better future, all the while trying to hold onto all the relationships that fill his life. The Town speaks to this struggle beautifully and becomes far more than a simple story of one Boston community with a rich history of criminal endeavors.

Every person cast in The Town brings an extraordinary richness to the film, but Jon Hamm‘s FBI agent in charge of taking down Doug’s crew is surely the most memorable. His role isn’t as large as I believed it to be, but he shines in every scene, and when he and Affleck sit nose to nose there is a palpable current of intensity. In another film I might have rooted for Hamm’s character, but in The Town I never wanted him to catch up to the criminals. For me, this movie was simply all about Ben Affleck. And it was so much more than I ever expected it could be.

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image from Rotten Tomatoes, linked to source

this week I love :: birthday week beginnings!

I absolutely love my birthday, and I always celebrate for at least a week, so it brings me great joy when I begin seeing the beginnings of that annual celebration. It came a bit earlier than usual this year, but man, did I need the moments of joy right at that time. Yay God! Best part of all, it looks like the days I’ve planned to drop out of routine life next week are going to be bright and shiny. I like to think that’s just for me. [I do hope the forecast changes by week's end, though, as showers on Saturday would seriously derail the outdoor plans I have with my friend Mere!] Nonetheless, it’s beginning to look like a great week to turn four-two.

birthday freebies in the inbox!
 

 

my favorite-ly worded freebie so far… from Souper Salad. HA!
 

 

the second boy (on his birthday)

The second boy is celebrating his birthday today. Number 11. Often with children it seems as if time is going too fast and that they shouldn’t be as old as they are, but with this boy (for me, at least) it seems he’s been with us forever. It seems he should actually be older than he is. He’s kind of an old soul. He thinks differently than most kids his age, and he’s really laid back and casual about most everything. He digs history, he loves to read and loves to know, and he really seems pretty chill most of the time. I think a big part of that is his upbringing in a very small country town where generations of his father’s family still reside, and I know that another big part is that he is his father’s son. This boy’s dad is just unhurried about life. He’s quiet and passive, not really seeing the need to waste a lot of emotion over most of life’s ridiculous happenings. And the boy got some of those qualities, as well. That’s not to say he doesn’t have a temper, because this boy has been known to explode out of the clear blue. But it’s not usually his first response to general situations… just to situations that make him feel left out or inferior. Thankfully, he’s surrounded by people who love him, so I think he knows that he’s valued in this life. Which makes my heart happy, too.

This boy and I have long bonded over reading and over Star Wars, and lately we’ve discovered that we both love capturing creative shots with a camera. We also enjoy educational adventures. Just this past November we spent the entire day before Thanksgiving at the Children’s Aquarium in Dallas, and it turned out to be the easiest period of time I’ve ever spent with one of the kids. Each of them have their own personalities, of course, but this boy and I seem to have a little more in common when it comes to activities. His love of history easily ties in with my love of museums, and my love of stories is well satiated by his love of telling stories, which could easily be classified tall tales! It’s taken us a long, long time to find our groove — mainly because we don’t see each other as often as I’d like — but it’s certainly been worth the effort. I’m excited at the possibilities for the years ahead, and I’m thrilled that one of the four grandchildren can be counted on to join me in the activities that speak to my heart.

I celebrate our family’s second boy today. He’s our Dubya, and he’s like no other.
 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MISTER!

Anniversary Celebration :: Win free stuff!

One year ago, this month, the debut novel from my best good friend was published, and we celebrated with a week-long event right here on phrenetical. Love Finds You in Hershey, Pennsylvania, by Cerella D. Sechrist, is the story of Sadie Spencer, a former TV chef, who has returned to her charming hometown of Hershey in order to raise her daughter and build a new career in the restaurant business. With the help and encouragement of her best friend, Jasper, Sadie manages to rise from the ashes of her past until she is suddenly threatened by the arrival of a handsome Russian entrepreneur who seems intent on opening up his own restaurant in direct competition to hers. Sadie’s story takes flight as she attempts to outshine her new competition in an area of which she has no skills, and the resulting story is at once comic and endearing and most definitely sweet.

To mark this first anniversary, Cerella is giving away a fun prize package to one lucky reader, including an autographed copy of the novel itself. Take a look at the details below then submit your own entry. But hurry! The winner will be chosen in just a couple of days!

One winner will receive a gift basket that includes:

• a Gooseberry Patch coffee recipe booklet
• a Gooseberry Patch CHOCOLATE recipe book
• Letters to Myself CD by Briar Cox, featuring one of the songs featured on Cerella’s “personal soundtrack” for the book
• an angel suncatcher, in honor of Sadie’s restaurant, Suncatchers
• a conversation hearts night light
• a hand-crafted bookmark featuring a quote from the novel
• an autographed copy of Love Finds You in Hershey, Pennsylvania

You’ve got three ways to enter — the more you enter, the more chances you have of winning!

1. Visit YouTube.com and leave a comment beneath the trailer for Love Finds You in Hershey.
2. Follow Cerella on Twitter and then tweet about the contest (make sure you mention @thecerellalife so she finds your tweet!)
3. Ask to be Cerella’s friend on Facebook and then post this link to the contest as your Facebook status

If you’re already a Twitter follower or Facebook friend, just give a shout out about the contest (including @thecerellalife in your post) and Cerella will make sure you gain additional entries.

Be sure to check her website at the end of the month to find out if you’re the winner, and check out the novel for yourself. You won’t be disappointed!

birthday wishful thinking

Gift-giving occasions in my family are fairly constrained. We don’t go big and we don’t spend much. Everyone stays on a budget and that budget is rarely more than $25 for any one gift. That actually tends to work in my favor as someone whose love language is Gifts; it forces me to be creative and highly personal as much as possible. But as much as I love those type gifts, it doesn’t stop me from dreaming of more expensive things that I wish I could buy for myself. With my birthday coming in just a week, I’ve got serious wishful thinking, and these make the top of my list…
 

Things	Kindle	Kindle cover
new sneakers	Nike+iPod	more sneakers