this week i (also) love: Cast Reunions!

Sean Astin, Elijah Wood, and Dominic Monaghan — photographed in Los Angeles
 

The current issue of Entertainment Weekly features cast reunions from several movies and TV shows from the past 30+ years, including the cast of Roots, Michael J. Fox and Lea Thompson from Back to the Future (do you realize it’s been 25 years since its release? Wha…?), and The West Wing. But my favorite, by far, is the reunion photos of the cast from The Lord of the Rings. There were several groupings, due to the geographic locations of cast members, so it was a bit disheartening to see only 3 hobbits pictured together instead of four. But when I turned the page to find photos of actors that weren’t usually gathered into the same shot during the production process, all of my disappointment melted away. It’s been 10 years since I first “met” most of these actors, but they are all so dear to me because of the work they created. Just seeing them all together again made my little pop culture-loving heart so very happy. Which is why the LOTR trilogy endures… for me and so many others.

Bernard Hill, Sean Bean, Peter Jackson, Orlando Bloom, and Billy Boyd — photographed in London
 
 

Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto, Cate Blanchett, and Ian McKellen — photographed in Sydney
 
 

This is my favorite photo of the entire EW issue. It evokes the same response in me as the movies, and from all of my reading about the production and the cast relationships, it seems to symbolize exactly how they all felt for Peter Jackson. That it’s Orlando Bloom who’s listening so reverently is just icing. Makes me happy!
 

this week I love: Yankees vs. Rangers

I’ve lived in the Dallas area my entire life, and while growing up my family always went to Texas Rangers baseball games in Arlington during summer vacations. But the last time I’ve been a Rangers fan was during the late 70s/early 80s, back when the PA announcer used names like Buddy Bell, Bucky Dent, and Jim Sundberg. But they are my hometown team, and because I love baseball with undying passion, I will visit the Ballpark in Arlington and root for the boys in red. Unless, of course, my favorite team comes to town, and then I’m all Yankees, all the time.
 
This week has been the American League Championship Series between my favorite New York Yankees and my hometown Texas Rangers. I’m rooting for my Yankees, of course, but if this is finally the Rangers’ year, I’ll happily pick up the chant and root them on throughout the World Series. First and foremost, I’m an American League girl, but I’m also quite proud of the Rangers and so impressed with the players on this current team. (It was the players themselves that made me a Yankees fan in the first place!) For the Rangers, though, it’s taken an entire franchise history to even get to this semi-final level, and watching the ALCS has been nothing less than joyful. I know my Yankees won’t go down without a fight, but if they do go down, it’s pretty cool to have a built-in loyalty to their victors.
 
And the last boy will be thrilled with my joining his side.

 

photo friday: moonroof