Saturday, January 26, 2008

I think I have a new favorite movie. It’s an oldie – made in 1998 starring Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick, Jr. (Eye candy of the highest grade). It’s ‘Hope Floats.’ As the movie opens, we have a front row seat to the unraveling of the life, family and home of a woman named Birdee (Sandra’s character). Her “best friend” tricks her into appearing on a talk show where she reveals she has been having an affair with Birdee’s husband for the past year. Birdee takes her daughter, Bernice, (played by Mae Whitman) and goes back to her hometown in Texas to stay with her eccentric mother, while the husband apparently continues his relationship with the “best friend.” (Now don’t you wonder; if Birdee’s best friend would do this to her, what will her worst enemy do?) The rest of the movie is a poignant exploration of Birdee’s rocky road to recovery from the betrayal and disintegration of her marriage, within the fishbowl existence of a tiny town, where everyone knows everyone’s business. It’s also a portrait of mother-daughter relationships as seen in the interaction between Birdee and her mother (played by Gena Rowlands) and Birdee and Bernice. We see father-daughter dynamics between Birdee and her Alzheimer’s afflicted father and Bernice and her runaway father. Meanwhile, Birdee is being courted by Harry’s character, who confesses to having been in love with her since they went to high school together.
This movie also has one of the saddest scenes I’ve ever watched and it makes me cry every single time I watch it, which has been a lot lately, it seems to be the rerun of the month on CMT. When Bernice’s father asks Birdee for a divorce, Bernice is determined to leave with him, but he rejects her with cruelty and selfishness, all the while telling her how much he loves her. He drives away, leaving Bernice screaming and in hysterical tears in the driveway while Birdee is left to pick up the pieces.
I like the closing lines; “Beginnings are usually scary; endings are usually sad. What counts is what’s in the middle. Just give hope a chance to float to the top.”

I also have found a new appreciation for the Trans Siberian Orchestra. You’ll remember them for their head-banging version of “Carol of the Bells”, which they entitled “Christmas Eve in Sarajevo.” We have a cd of their opera “Beethoven’s Last Night.” The story, about the death of Beethoven, includes a character who is the embodiment of Fate, represented by a woman. Fate has a deformed son named Twist and it only gets better from there. I can’t begin to describe it, but I do recommend it. You’ll have to listen to it more than once to really appreciate the whole thing.

I can’t believe it, but the mercury got above freezing today! So, I went out and spent some time with Lucy in the round pen. We had as good of a session as we could have, being up to our knees in the snow. She’s catching on to the idea of the difference between “walk”, “trot”, “canter”, “back” and – most importantly – “WHOA.” I remember seeing a headline on a Western Horseman magazine that said, “WHOA is not a Multiple Choice Question.” Lucy’s getting that figured out. ‘WHOA’ is her best thing so far. She’s pretty good at walking. She works pretty good at the trot, though she tries to change direction without being told. Canter needs a lot of work, as it tends to initiate little bucking. She’s going to a trainer as soon as he gets home from California in March.

This week’s memory verse:
Galatians 6:7-8 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

May I brag a bit? So far – and I know we’re only 26 days into the new year – but I’ve kept on track with my plans. Each day that goes by in which I achieve what I’ve set out to do successfully, adds to my personal encouragement.

Have a good Sunday, everyone!

14 comments:

Jamie Dawn said...

Hooray for you for keeping up with your New Year's goals!!!!!!
I'm still juicing & blending, and let me say that when one adds more veggies & fruits to one's diet, there is NO chance of constipation!!
:-) Nuff said about that.


Your talking about your horse reminded me of a cute story about a friend of mine.
Years ago (we were young adults at the time), she received a birthday card with a picture of a horse on the front with the word "WHOA!" in big letters.
It was a party, so my friend was reading the cards out loud and then opening the gifts.
She read the card as follows:
"Who - ah! What in the world does who- ah mean?"
We nearly laughed ourselves silly over that!!!!

Happy Weekend!!
Keep up the good work! I wish you continued success with all your goals.

Janell said...

Who-ah, JD that is hilarious! I can tel from here that your friend is not a Redneck! Thanks for a great story.

Jim said...

Great post, I'm glad you got to go play in the snow with Lucy. Good on your goals too.

Goals don't work with me, but I do know WHOA! I forgot who taught it to me. Either Grandpa or a girl in the first grade.

My horse, Minnie, didn't need WHOA. I don't know if she knew it or not, she probably did.

She neck-reigned so good I didn't have to tell her anything. It seemed sometimes she read my mind.
..

LaDawn said...

Hope Floats is also one of my favourite movies although a wee bit sentimental ending.

In your capable, patient, and loving hands Lucy will learn everything she needs to know.

I think we got your cold weather. It moved in this morning and there is a frost on everything. Cheers for that!

Being proud of your accomplishments is not bragging, simply recognising a job well done!

Scarlet said...

I love that quote from "Hope Floats," and I do love Harry Connick, Jr. I've yet to buy his Christmas CD, but it's funny, I put it on my wish list every year and just don't get it. :)

Anyway, I'll have to re-rent "Hope Floats." I saw it years ago with my husband and he kept rolling his eyes and yawning all the way through it. It kinda ruined it for me. I'll have to watch it again while he's sleeping.

Brooke said...

I love hope floats but i cry every time and I know the movie is never going to change so I should be use to it by now. I have been able to find it on for quite a few weekends now which makes me happy.

Mary Connealy said...

I'm a huge, While You Were Sleeping fan. Sandra Bullock, too. Just the sweetest, funniest romantic comedy movie ever.

eyes_only4him said...

first up, way 2 go on keeping your goals...thats pretty good.

Second, I hate those kind of movies..I have seen Hope floats..I dont like mushy romanitc movies..

My hubbyy loves romantic comedies, I hate them...

Give me a movie with some thrills, some chills and a couple laughs;)

hehe

Janell said...

Jim; a horse that neck-reigns good is priceless and I think they sometimes do read our minds, but only of the person they’ve bonded with. You must have been Minnie’s best pal.

LDCP; Thanks for the encouraging words. I’m glad you liked the frost we sent you. I think we are getting it back tomorrow, along with some snow.

Scarlet; I didn’t know Harry had a Christmas cd! I’ll be looking for that. Yeah the eye-rolling and yawning husband can definitely put a damper on the best movies. Mine was doing that through Lord of the Rings and Matrix.

Brooke, I keep a tissue close by when I watch it, too. Emily bought the DVD for us, so I’m no longer at the mercy of reruns. I didn’t realize there had been some scenes cut out of it.

Mary; I haven’t seen While You Were Sleeping. Since you recommend it, tho, I think I’ll rent it this weekend. We also liked Sandra in Miss Congeniality. What a hoot!

Flipflop; Now, why doesn’t it surprise me that you prefer the shoot-em-ups and comedies over the mush? That’s so YOU. :)

Mary Connealy said...

Ah, you've never seen While You Were Sleeping? You are in for such fun.
I feel like I've done my good deed for the day!!!!!!

Cliff said...

Sandra Bullock can sometimes keep me awake for the first 10 minutes but I'm sure I wouldn't have made it to the end but I'll take your word for it. My problem with movies is that they usually feature hollywood actors.
The difference between you and me is that ending a day with a horse would have ruined the day and not made it.
Congrats on gettin stuff done. I'm not good at that it seems.

Sue said...

"While You Were Sleeping" is also one of my favorite romantic comedies. One I like that is more serious is "The Shawshank Redemption."
Sue

Janell said...

Mary; I'm guessing you usually do way more than just one good deed every day.

Cliff; You surprise me a little. I would have pegged you to be a sucker for a romantic comedy.

Sue; I haven't seen SS Redemption either, but I do like Morgan Freeman. Now I have two movies to check out for this weekend. I might have to skip church - okay probably not.

stephanie said...

I love Hope Float too and that is a great quote.

Harry's Christmas CD to awesome. You definitely need to add to your collection. One of my top 5 Christmas CDs.