March 6 to March 12, 2014
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Movie Reviews with Robin E. Simmons
Screeners No.102
OSCAR© FUN, FACTOIDS & FAILS
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id your favorite films and actors win last Sunday? Do you actually care about any of the selfcongratulatory movie hype? Does it even matter in the real world? Do the awards broadcast to the billionmember audience send a message about American values? Is that important? It’s hard to ignore that a big part of the fundamentalist world hates our “decadent” cultural movie exports. Does “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “American Hustle” fit that mold? Should we even consider world opinion when we make our movies? Perhaps not. Yet…
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I say movies matter because they reflect who we are, our fears, desires, concerns and hopes. They not only divert our attention from the stress of living, they can thrill and inspire. “GRAVITY” does all that. Movies are our collective dreams that warn us, divert us and sometimes make us laugh at our foibles and weaknesses. For those in the running for a major award, there is actual meaning and value in the gold-plated statuette not often recognized by the public. Did you know that Oscar© winners live about four years longer than mere nominees? Kind of amazing when you think about it. On the other hand, award “losers” take home a swag bag valued at $80,000. But that’s hardly fair compensation in exchange for a shorter life! Looking back, Oscar© history has a lot of “snubs”. Most people assume “WIZARD OF OZ” won Best Picture in 1939. It did not. Judy Garland did not win for her gut wrenching portrayal in 1955’s “A STAR IS BORN.” The now classic western “THE SEARCHERS” did not win in 1957 and Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY” was not the big winner in 1969. And no, “RAGING BULL” did
Book Review
Of Moss and Men
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not win in 1981. Surprised? And can you believe that Alfred Hitchcock, Peter O’Toole, Johnny Depp, Richard Burton (he was nominated more times than he was married) or Glenn Close are not among the winners? (Honorary awards don’t count.) This year’s awards generated a lot of conversation regarding the so-called “snubs.” But really, was Oprah Winfrey’s performance in “THE BUTLER” worthy of special recognition? Nothing new here. We’ve seen her do her thing in “THE COLOR PURPLE,” but she is too omnipresent in popular media. Emma Thompson got a lot of ink for her performance as P.L. Travers, the Mary Poppins author in “SAVING MR. BANKS.” Yes, Thompson was terrific, but the Disney propaganda film about the making of “MARY POPPINS” was not significant or particularly well written. By the way, Walt Disney is the most Oscar© winning filmmaker of all time with 59 nominations and 26 wins. But that fact did not help Tom Hanks interpretation of Uncle Walt. Some people were surprised Robert Redford was not nominated for “ALL IS LOST.” Many thought the film lacked emotion and the events seemed strangely bland and staged and not desperate considering the circumstances. Redford seemed bored in
some scenes, like he welcomed death. Creepy. And Tom Hanks’ overlong “CAPTAIN PHILLIPS” had nothing to offer beyond what we already knew. And the plot was thin: Phillips was kidnapped, underwent some stressful events and was rescued. So what? And the hand-held, jerky camera was not an asset. Many audience members complained of headaches or nausea. Not what you want when you buy a movie ticket. Not a lucky year for actors playing men at sea. Did you know that 55 Oscar© statuettes were stolen in March, 2000? Fifty-two were returned. And one was found three years later. Two are still missing. A few years ago, Steven Spielberg bought from a private individual Bette Davis’ award for over $500,000.00 and returned it to the Academy. A clever move that no doubt further endeared him to his peers (and fellow Academy voters). Jennifer Lawrence, at the age of only 23, is the youngest actor to be nominated three times. And Amy Adams is the ONLY Best Actress nominee that has NOT already won an Oscar©. The Academy Awards probably do not really matter much in the grand scheme of things. But movies most certainly do. Comments? robinesimmons@aol.com
ver ten million people in 30 countries read Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir Eat, Pray, Love, a personal true tale in which she discovers the three essentials for a full and meaningful life. In her latest book, The Signature of All Things, (Viking, 501 pages) Gilbert reveals that she has provocative fictional stories to tell of equal gravitas. Gilbert begins her epic novel with the protagonist’s grandfather who is known and respected for his ability to prune the Kew Garden apple trees. His son, Henry Whittaker, seeks out a better life for himself with the limited horticultural knowledge he has acquired from his father. Sailing the world with Captain Cook, he learns first-hand about the medicinal benefits of plants. With no education or station in London life, he takes his knowledge and plants to America where he becomes the wealthiest man in Philadelphia, developing pharmaceuticals in the late 1700s. He and his noble-born Dutch wife start a family and together build a pharmacological empire. Alma Whittaker is their beloved child and heir apparent. She is not beautiful; rather she is big, awkward and homely. But she is
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March 6 to March 12, 2014
By Heidi Simmons
The Signature of all things By Elizabeth Gilbert Fiction adored, respected and encouraged by her tenacious father and stern mother. Alma becomes a brilliant botanist who publishes her work and thirsts for more knowledge. She is strong and independent. Prudence, her adopted sister, is the antithesis of Alma. She is beautiful, obedient and quiet. The two siblings never really connect. A modern woman, Alma learns to pleasure herself and longs for a husband so she can have sex. Enter Ambrose Pike, who seems to be a perfect man. He is a botanical artist and introduces Alma to a spiritual side of plants and life itself. Although 180 degrees from her work and thinking, his passion and commitment inspires Alma.
When they finally marry, she’s rejected sexually. Ambrose believes they are beyond the need for sex. Confused and hurt, Alma sends him to Tahiti where he later dies. Alma gives up everything and leaves her fortune and only home to understand her strange and estranged husband. Her journey ultimately leads her to learn more about herself and gives her a new appreciation for the mystery of life. As part of the changing world, Alma’s character grows in the age of enlightenment and blossoms in the Industrial Revolution. She is a scholar whose work is compared to other great thinkers of the time. Alma makes mosses her specialty and she becomes a renowned expert. As a woman and scholar, Alma lives long enough to see her work accepted. She finds a family and place of peace. Beyond the colorful generations, sibling melodrama and lost loves, Gilbert gives the reader insight to a world still developing thought and cultivating ideas. The word “science” is brand new in Alma’s time. She disagrees with the choice of word, thinking it too limited and narrow. She is a peer to Darwin and quietly competes with his notions. This is what makes The Signature of All Things so wonderfully layered and compelling. There is a philosophical and religious debate about the mystery of life, and how we humans define and contemplate life. The title The Signature of All Things comes from a German naturalist, mystic and theologian named, Jacob Boehme, who believed God could be seen and known in all living things. Boehme’s De Signatura Rerum was written in 1621. The book was Ambrose’s favorite and he recommended it to Alma. Boehme alleged that God himself
resided in the blossoms, fruit and trees. He believed there was a divine code and if you pay attention, you can see proof of the Creator’s hand. Ultimately, if one can perceive God in nature and creature, then one feels the highest virtue, which is Love. Alma wants to have and understand this love more than anything, even though it seems crazy. Gilbert has gently and masterfully allowed this theme to seep through and take root in this colorful saga. She has written a detailed story rich in history, science and theology. Alma is a bold character who learns to appreciate not only the complexity of plants but also humans, which is not an easy lesson for her. I wasn’t sure what I would find in the pages of Gilbert’s novel, but was pleasantly surprised to discover that the author is capable of delivering a well-written and thoughtful narrative in a big and unflinching way. Gilbert is not afraid to confront the challenges and mysteries of life through her characters. Eat, Pray, Love has not only enlightened and informed Gilbert, but her storytelling as well.
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