Meryl's Choice...

My husband and I managed to snag a babysitter for this Saturday night, and if I have my way, we will go to see a movie.

The question is...WHICH movie? Brad wants to see Avatar, which is not my kind of flick, at all.


I am leaning towards, "It's Complicated." The reviews for this film,are okay but I love the cast. Meryl Streep is the best , Alec Baldwin cracks me up, and I am a huge Steve Martin fan.

I have to admit, that the thing that most intrigues me is the buzz over Meryl Streep's face. Critics have been applauding her decision to forgo Botox or face lifts and to celebrate her lines and sagging. Meryl Streep has made the brave decision to "age gracefully."

What a daring woman!

Granted, she is an incredibly talented actress with great bone structure and flawless skin, which might make her decision a bit easier, but she does have a point. The camera shows everything, especially on the big screen, as an actor you need to move your face to show expression, when you tweak things too much, you don't look younger, you just look old and weird.

The girl has a point: Exhibit A: Priscilla Presley










Exhibit B: Jessica Lange


















and the freakiest example of all...Exhibit C:

Mickey Rourke













Ouch, and just think, these people went through painful surgery and paid big bucks to look like this.

If given the choice, I would choose saggy and wrinkly, over freaky any day of the week.

How about you?

Looking for a Sense of Purpose...

Thanks to a recommendation night from Keeks and Brie, Brad and I went to see the movie Julie & Julia on Saturday night.

When I first saw the trailer for the film, I really wasn't that interested in seeing it, but I am so glad I did! I loved the film so much that we went straight to Borders after it was over so I could buy, Julia Child's book, My Life in France and Julie Powell's book, Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously.

If you don't know anything about it, I'll give you a brief synopsis.

The film depicts events in the life of chef Julia Child in the early years in her culinary career, contrasting her life with Julie Powell, a woman who's life has no goals or direction.

Julie, an almost 30 year old secretary who works in dead end job in a drab cubicle near Ground Zero in lower Manhattan. She lives with her husband in an awful walk up apartment in Queens. She longs for some purpose in her life, so her husband suggests she start a blog. (Which he later regrets!)

Julie decides to combine her love of writing and cooking sets a goal. She vows to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I, in a period of 365 days and to chronicle her journey in The Julie/Julia Project. You can read the blog from start to finish here.

One of the things that struck me about Julie is that she embarks on her project partially because she believes she has ADD and longs for FOCUS. Sounds familiar!

As it turns out, Julie's project takes over her life. Her husband accuses her of becoming completely self absorbed, and her mother can't understand why she would embark in such a strange hobby, writing a blog, that her mother feels has absolutely no one reading it. (Hmm, sounds familiar again!)

Despite her frustrations and the obstacles, Julie reaches her goal, her blog is a huge hit, they turn it into a book and movie and all her dreams come true.

Which of course, got me to thinking. What could I do for 365 days that I can blog about?

My friend Doug and his wife Annie had sex for 101 days straight and chronicled it in his book, Just Do It. Since that's already been done, I'll have to pass on that one. (Much to my husband's displeasure.)

My blog bud, Dr. Zibbs thought it would be inspiring to clean the house using all different methods for 365 days. Great idea, for someone who has a PASSION for cleaning. Which I don't.

Tennis, as you know, is a passion of mine. Maybe I could try a new tennis racket, (provided by the manufacturer) every day. And blog about it.

Ben & Jerry's has about 60 flavors of ice cream. Perhaps I could try a new flavor everyday, for 2 months. and write about it.

After I gain 50 lbs eating all that ice cream, I can try a different exercise every day, to get into shape.

Maybe I can do a good deed everyday, a "random act of kindness." That would be good. I could give my blog a sense of purpose AND help others in the process.

Damn, I am just chock full of great ideas!

But seriously, it would be nice to have a purpose for my blog.

I'm open to suggestions. Just click the little comment link.

Operators are standing by to take your call.

DISTRACTIONS!

Just when I thought I was getting my life back on track...the French Open starts.

It's on the Tennis Channel all day long. Oh, mon Dieu!

In other news, have any of you seen the movie "Taken" with Liam Neeson? It seems I'm hearing so much about it lately. If you saw it, what do you think? Thumbs up?

I'm playing again on Thursday. They're giving me another chance at #1 singles after my humiliation at the hands of that spry old woman.

God give me strength.

Maybe I'll get lucky and play an 80 year old woman. Or maybe a blind woman. Or someone with no hands.

Hope springs eternal here at Caffeine Court.

Au revoir. Me souhaiter bonne chance!!!

Here's What's Playing at the Caffeine Court Multiplex...

The holidays are here again, which means it's time to spend quality time with our loved ones.

My girls love movies, but it's tough to find films that appeal to them AND me! Some movies like "Ice Age" and "Madagascar", I find painful to sit through, and I only tolerate them because they make the kids happy. Scary movies are out of the question, so we don't watch any Harry Potter, Batman, or Spiderman. (Brad and I save those for date nights!)


Comedy is the genre that we all love, so here is my short list of movies my that my whole family loves!






1. Elf




Will Ferrell plays Buddy, a very large human who was raised by Santa's Elves at the North Pole. Will Ferrell is a total trip and we never get tired of watching this holiday flick. Classic scene: when a dwarf kicks Buddy's ass.

(Bonus: James Caan plays Buddy the elf's long lost Dad-and I LOVE James Caan!)



2. School of Rock






Yeah, I know, there's some adult language..but other than that, this movie is hilarious and the kids like fantasizing that they could be in a rock band.

Even if you don't approve of letting your children watch a movie about a loser alcoholic who lies and breaks the rules, rent it on your own and watch it. Jack Black is absolutely hilarious.





3. Shrek



No bad language, great music and funny as hell. Pure genius and it never gets old, no matter how many times you watch it.



4. Daddy Day Care







This movie relies on pratfalls and poopy jokes, which makes it our kind of movie!

Late additions:

I just thought of a few more that my kids and I LOVE...

"Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." I love it so much that for years I got myself spray tanned just so I could look like an Oompa-Loompa!

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" A bizarre remake of the original with an amazing sountrack!!

The 1998 re-make of "The Parent Trap. " Lindsay Lohan was adorable before she got all messed up - and Dennis Quaid is smokin' as usual!

This is the last one, I PROMISE. Here's another good one with Lindsay L. The remake of Freaky Friday. VERY ENTERTAINING. Especially for girls.

What movies do you actually LIKE that you can watch with your children?

Hangin' with the boys...

Nothing exciting or funny has happened to me in awhile, so bear with me.

I don't think I've mentioned that my 17 year old nephew has been staying with us this week. He wants to go into advertising and he's been doing a mini-internship at an ad agency all week.

I have to say that I've enjoyed having him around. The other night the two of us stayed up late telling stupid jokes and watching TV. It reminded me of college, just hanging out and being goofy. Since I have the mentality of a 17 year old, we got along quite well!

Last night my Dad, my husband, my nephew and myself saw "The Dark Knight." It wasn't exactly my type of flick, but I enjoyed it. Heath Ledger was incredible. I've always loved him and his performance in this movie was really intense, funny and creepy all at the same time.He was an amazing talent.

Aaron Eckhart who plays Harvey Dent in the movie was a standout too!

My father commented on Maggie Gyllenhall and how in his opinion, she isn't that attractive, but I liked that she is pretty in a regular way and that she had two handsome, successful men chasing after her.

Footnote: This is not a movie for the kids...very violent and dark.

Tonight my mom is watching the girls and Brad and I are going to spend the night in New Hope, PA wining and dining...

Right now I'm sitting covered in sweat after 1 1/2 hours of singles at my perfect friend Marybeth's house. (Some day I'll write about her. She's the kind of person you could hate, because her life is so awesome, but I can't bring myself to it because she's so damn nice!!)

I always feel so much better after a game of tennis-but you knew that about me already!

Have a fun weekend.

V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!! and early Alzheimer's

I know you've all been waiting for the results of today's tennis match with baited breath. (Humor me...sometimes a part of friendship is feigning interest!)

The good news...my mixed doubles team is going to districts. The bad news...I'm not playing. My partner and I won today, but we're both the new kids on the block and the rookies don't get to go to districts. (There are 6 doubles pairs on my team, only 3 get to play.)

Oh well, I feel good that I contributed to our win and I'm off the hot seat!

To be honest with you, I'm lucky I made it to the match at all.

I was convinced that my match was being played at the Atlantic Club. I arrived 20 minutes before the match, checked out my hair in the mirror, looked around for my team members. "Hmmm," I thought, "where is everyone?" I sauntered over to the front desk. "Where is the USTA mixed doubles match being played?" The lady at the desk gave me an answer I DID NOT want to hear. "No mixed doubles today...there's a junior tournament all afternoon!"

At that point I almost peed my tennis skirt. In a split second I went from la la land into complete panic mode! I grabbed my new Blackberry with no phone numbers programmed into it and started calling tennis clubs. Finally I found the right club. Colts Neck Racket Club !! My match started in 10 minutes. I was 15 minutes away, there are game penalties for lateness. These people take there tennis very seriously and lateness is not tolerated. (Sounds like fun right?!)

Normally I try to obey traffic laws, but this was a serious emergency! When I tell you that I FLEW up the highway it is not exaggeration. Thank goodness I didn't get pulled over.

The big victory of the day is that I made it to the match, right on time and no one was hurt. The lesson for me, double check EVERYTHING from now on. I've been spacing out ALOT lately. I'm not sure what the deal is!

Considering how freaked out I was, I played unusually well. Maybe the secret is to panic about something unrelated to tennis, thus eliminating tennis related anxiety! Who knows.

That being said, we're going to spend a nice evening watching "Napoleon Dynamite" as a family. It'll be just like "The Waltons."

Happy Sunday!

Have you seen Hannah?

We haven't!

I tried to buy tickets the internet but the website said they were not available on-line. They neglected to mention that they were SOLD OUT until next Friday! I showed up this afternoon at the theater with three little girls in tow and it was a no go. The first tickets I could score are for Friday the 8th at 7 PM. Go Miley! She is one popular young lady. The theater was PACKED with little girls.

We ended up at Cold Stone Creamery consuming mass quantities of sugar. I think I OD'd on mix-ins.

So we'll have to wait another six days to see THE MOVIE EVENT OF THE YEAR!

I wonder if I'll be able to stand it.

Two thumbs WAY up!

Brad and I just saw "Juno." LOVED IT! It had an amazing cast. Ellen Page, who plays the title character is adorable and hilarious. Michael Cera, who plays her baby's father has a much smaller role, but he is perfectly cast and adds so much to the film with a few lines.

I also liked the fact that this is a movie about teenagers that doesn't portray adults as idiots.

I've posted the trailer below.

Have you seen it? If so, what did you think?

Oh, and by the way...Diablo Cody, who wrote "Juno" has her own blog, here's the link: diablocody.blogspot.com-she's a very funny lady.

My favorite line from the movie...

Vanessa: "Aren't your parents worried about where you are?"
Juno: "I'm already pregnant, what other shenanigans can I get into?"

Raw fish and raw humor...

Brad and I had our long awaited date night last night. We went out to one of our favorite sushi restaurants and then we saw "The Heartbreak Kid" with Ben Stiller. The movie got terrible reviews, but we decided to go anyway because the Farrelly Brothers always make us laugh. (Their other films include, There's Something About Mary; Dumb and Dumber; Kingpin; Me, Myself and Irene; and Shallow Hal).

As you probably know, this film is a remake of the 1972 movie directed by Elaine May. The Farrelly Brother's take on the story is nowhere near as good as the original, but it is funny. (If you like frat boy humor.) Jerry Stiller (Ben's real life Dad) plays his 77 year old horny, foul mouthed father in the movie. He alone is worth the price of admission. Some of his lines had me chuckling to myself later that night as I went to sleep.

If you haven't seen the original Heartbreak Kid with Charles Grodin and Cybill Shepherd, rent it. Here's a snippet from Amazon.com:

It's still one of the most accomplished--but least recognized--comedies of the 1970s. Charles Grodin landed one of his best roles as Lenny, a newlywed husband who meets a gorgeous blonde (Cybill Shepherd) while on his honeymoon, and finds his new bride, Lila (played by May's daughter, Jeannie Berlin), unappealing by comparison. When Lila is forced to rest with a severe case of sunburn, Lenny's free to pursue his new interest, oblivious to the manipulative games that he'll soon be subjected to. May and screenwriter Simon draw plenty of pain, awkwardness, and embarrassment from hilarious situations, giving this comedy a perceptive awareness of human foibles and unchecked desires. It's a newlywed's worst nightmare come true, made enjoyable because we're watching it happen to someone else. Grodin's a prime choice of casting for expressing the movie's lusty anxiety--he's a schmuck, but you can still sympathize with the anguish he's brought on himself.

If you and your husband are up for a night of brainless, immature humor, this is the flick for you!

Into the Wild

Sean Penn’s "Into the Wild"

Sean Penn was on "CBS News Sunday morning" as well as "Oprah" discussing his new film.

"Many of you probably know Sean Penn as an actor, but he’s been directing flicks since 1991. His latest, Into the Wild stars Emile Hirsch as a young, idealistic kid who abandons life as most of us know it for the Alaskan wilderness. Based on the bestseller by Jon Krakauer, and inspired by a true story. The movie also stars Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener, Kristen Stewart, William Hurt, and Marcia Gay Harden."

Here's a synopsis of the story:

"Freshly graduated from college with a promising future ahead, 22-year-old Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) instead walked out of his privileged life and into the wild in search of adventure. What happened to him on the way transformed this young wanderer into an enduring symbol for countless people. Was Christopher McCandless a heroic adventurer or a naive idealist, a rebellious 1990s Thoreau or another lost American son, a fearless risk taker or a tragic figure who wrestled with the precarious balance between man and nature?"

Check out the movie's website-it looks amazing. I also want to read the book .

The buzz is that it can change your whole outlook on life.

"Into the Wild" will be in theaters on Friday, September 21st.

Owen Wilson-Tears of a Clown

Word is that Owen Wilson attempted suicide yesterday. What a shocker! He is such a funny man. Brad and I watch "The Wedding Crashers" and "You, Me and Dupree" over and over on HBO and crack up every time! I really feel for him.

It's amazing how many comedians have a dark side. Look at John Belushi, Chris Farley, Jim Carrey (suffered from major depression), Rosie O'Donnell, Rodney Dangerfield, Robin Williams, Ben Stiller (bi-polar), Richard Jeni (committed suicide earlier this year). The list goes on and on.

Being a performer is very stressful. It must be very difficult to please directors, producers and audiences all the time. Not to mention how scary it must be to have photographers watching your every move. I hope he makes a full recovery!