arts and crafts

And the gold dust fell softly..quietly. My movie season has begun. I watched Richard Jenkins in The Visitor the other night and it was a beautiful performance. Understated, reserved, a smidgen of loneliness and deep. Just like a college prof oughta be. I love this guy. He is always consistent, really funny when the time calls for it and has had a lovely career. It’s nice those others who aren’t an actor-type might discover his films and treat themselves to some good, solid stuff. As I said last year, it is often the whispers that end up tougher for a thespian than the tour de force blasters. And, oh yeah, I did it! The impossible happened. Yep, Mama has watched a silly comedy. I had to...Downey was nom’d! I must admit, I laughed a little. Okay, okay..I laughed a few times. He was very funny but I still say Nolte stole the film. And Ben Stiller’s guns were definitely worth the four bucks. The fleshy ones, people. Not the AK’s.

I am looking forward to seeing all of the Best Pictures and am having a ball gearing up for our 4Th Annual Oscars in the Ozarks . Who knew it would become the party of the year? Well, I guess I am pushing the truth just a wee bit, but still, where else can ya win a fistful of of ballot-pool dollars, an irreverent door prize valued at no less than five big ones, laughs, booze and a priceless keepsake party favor..all for the one low price of a cheese platter? At any rate, it sure beats sitting at home on your plump rear end, watching it all by your lonesome, tipsy, embittered and pondering why-it-never-happened-for-you. Wait a second, that was me in 1991 before my boys came along. And thank goodness, their golden gay selves did!

Yes, the hubby and I look forward to it every year and underneath all the silliness and idolatry, it really is about the art and the precious gift of cinema, and not the “best” of anything. It is the one time o’ year, when we can just mellow out over this big, bad crazy world and bathe or right lobes in the art of acting, the grand epic of story and light, and in my case, the cathartic spillage of excess emotion. Yeah, that's me alright. A big ole drama queen with the water works gene. Hey, it’s my best, most therapeutic sob of the year. It gets me all cleared out to deal with the other 11 months of reality T.V. I have to face. Being a Fitzgerald fan, I can not wait to see his little Benjamin Button short story come to life. Since he spent some agonizing years out in Hollyweird trying to find his center through the scotch and all the cutthroats, I am sure he would roll around in that coffin of his, if he knew what a dough making success it has become. Ah..the ironies of life, Mr. F. And it was helmed by the guy who brought us Seven. Who knew?

Yes, Big Daddy is armed with his X-Acto blade and foam core, poised to breathe some life into my brain-warped ideas and loony inspirations. Thank goodness, we have an artist in the fam, or I’d be up crappo creek without him, folks. I'm sure glad I married a Danny Kaye instead of a Brett Favre, for sure. Our girls are also excited to be a part of it per usual. W.’s already fighting me over wanting to watch all the higher than PG-raters. Nope, says Ma. I bribe them with candy to stay in their rooms...it works, too! (Thank the stars for Dum-Dums!) Poor kid only scored one nominee- WALL-E. And they are fast at work picking out what shoes they will step into with their glittered couture. Oh, alright..their WalMart 50% off specials from last years clearance rack. Hey, I’m a stay-at-homer on a budget, what's a gal to do? When one of them grows up and gets to go to the real show and win one of those suckers, they’ll make up for it. And I am most certain they will have their Mama Rose right there watching. First row. Front and center.