Theory of Everything is GORGEOUS!

This past week my husband and I watched the film, the Theory of Everything. It has had a lot of Oscar buzz, and last night at the Oscar’s Eddie Redmayne won best Actor for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking. I watched the movie with bated breath and loved every moment. Redmayne’s performance was beautiful and the journey he showed of Hawking’s life was heartbreaking yet resounding. I highly recommend this film! You should watch it! It really opens your eyes to the struggles of being a caregiver and the heart and courage is requires.

Enjoying some Elle Time!

Tonight, my husband has to stay late at work, so I am enjoying some Elle time! I have been watching Romantic Dramas and eating ice cream! It has been very relaxing, especially after a long week. First, I watched the Spectacular Now, which a coming of age story that deals with love, loss and finding the courage to face an unknown future. I love movies that touch on these subjects because we can all relate to them. I recommend you taking the time to check it out!

Now, I am on to Great Expectations!

The Midwife Rules!

If you have not seen Call the Midwife, you need to! It is incredible! It gives us a glimpse into life during the 1950s in London. It chronicles the daily routine of a group of midwives and while being riveting and captivating, it also tackles various social issues in a beautiful way!  It does a wonderful job at showing a different perspective of life and sparks up great conversations!

Swooning on a Monday!

I have seen A Knight’s Tale, I would say, 1,000 times since it came out in 2001. I adore this film! Heath Ledger is beautiful and eloquently spoken! Oh. My. Goodness! I will be swooning all afternoon!

Live On Only One Dollar?

I watched an incredible documentary today that was made by four college boys who were looking for a way to change the way we saw poverty. It is called Living On One Dollar. They traveled to a small village in Guatemala and, essentially, took up the community’s lifestyle for two months. They believed that reading their textbooks and listening to lectures was not enough to fully understand what it means to live in extreme poverty. The only way they could comprehend the struggles of others in the world was to become one of them. For 56 days they did just that. It was extremely touching to watch them form deep bonds with their neighbors and watch them learn about the true meaning of the human spirit and will to survive. It was one of the best documentaries I have seen in a long time.

It really got me thinking about they kind of differences I am making. Yes, I am a teacher, but I do not always feel like I am doing all that I can to touch the lives around me. Like most of us in the United States, I can be very self-focused and worry mostly about how I am going to meet my own wants and needs. After watching this documentary, I realize most of my “needs” are actually “wants”. I do not need another pair of jeans. I do not need a new makeup brush. I do not need that new X-Men movie on blu-ray. Honestly, I have more things in my life that I could ever need. I think it is time for me to start looking for more ways to meet the needs of those around me instead of focusing on my wants.

If you are looking for an inspirational film that gets you thinking, I suggest you watch this one!

Even Godzilla has Bad Days

I saw Godzilla today, and I have to admit, I really liked it! I thought it was going to be corny, but it wasn’t! It was a pleasant surprise. I actually found myself cheering Godzilla on! If you enjoy larger than life movies, I suggest you check this one out.

After I watched the movie, my husband text me this short video of Godzilla having a bad day! Stan Lee is even in it, and it is hysterical! You must take a look! Enjoy!

Bad Days: Godzilla 

The Lengths We Go to Avoid Growing Up: Neighbors in Review

Earlier today my husband and I were finally able to see Neighbors, with Seth Rogan and Zac Efron. I had heard a lot of buzz about it, and I generally enjoy Seth Rogan films, so I was looking forward to the flick. As most of Rogan’s films, there was no shortage of vulgarity, however, behind all the sex, drugs, and hip-hop, there was heart.

Both actors portrayed young men in different stages of growing up. Efron’s character was about to graduate college, and Rogan’s was getting use to life with a baby. As you watch the film progress, you realize both characters are afraid of growing older and taking on more responsibilities. They continually find ways to act childish to hold on to those last moments of youth before the inevitability of adulthood takes hold. I won’t spoil it for you, but I really enjoyed the ending!

This is a struggle we can all relate to. We are either in the process of youth and edging closer to adulthood, or we are in adulthood wishing we were still youthful. We all desire to live in the fountain of youth forever. Free from care and responsibility. However, that is not how life works. We all must grow older. However, I don’t think we should fear it.

I am only a few months away from 30, and I have been a little freaked out by this terrifying fact. I will no longer be in my 20s. I will no longer be a young adult, I am will just be an adult. However, I have been learning that even though I am growing older, that does not mean my life is over. Yes, I no longer can stay up as late, and I now think about the consequences of driving fast, but I am enjoying the path in which my life is heading. I honestly like going to bed at a reasonable hour, and not getting speeding tickets.

My point is that Neighbors demonstrates to us that growing up may be scary, but it is part of life. We cannot live our lives in the past. We can only continue to look forward and know that the best is still yet to come, no matter how old we get. 🙂

Using Pain to Create a Hero: Guardians of the Galaxy in Review

Marvel keeps bringing us amazing films, and Guardians of the Galaxy is no exception. If you haven’t seen any it yet, it is about a band of misfits who come together for the good of the galaxy. Hints the name: Guardians of the Galaxy.

As the plot develops, it is revealed that each character has experienced hardship during the course of their lives. The lose of loved ones, experimentation, torture and even abduction from their home planet. Not all of our own personal stories reflect these fictionalized events, but there are elements of the story we can all relate to. We all experience pain during the course of our own lives. We each have a backstory that has molded us into the people we are today. There are grains of truth in these characters that reflect the grief we have felt and experienced during our lifetime.

I found it interesting that the characters are filled with so much anger, yet are able to find strength within themselves to rise above their situations and help save the galaxy. No one would have blamed them for giving up. Everything in their lives had be set against them from the moment of their conception. However, they did not let their circumstances effect their actions. They chose to do what was right. To be the hero.

I believe we can apply this lesson to our own lives. The pain and hurt from the past does not have to dictate the outcome of our future. The past is just that. The past. What is set before us is still to be written. A blank slate. We are the ones in control of our lives and we decide the direction in which our life will proceed. We may not save the galaxy, but we certainly have been given the ability to save ourselves.

Anxiety Can Make a Lovable Character: Madagascar in Review

During our Christmas vacation (teaching is an amazing profession) my husband and I watched a lot of movies. Over the last few days we have guiltlessly been indulging in animated films. Since my husband hadn’t seen Madagascar, and I know it almost entirely by hear, I decided to show him the movie. He instantly fell in love with it, and even though he is 30 years old, wanted to watch all three of the films.

As we watched, I realized one of the main characters, Melman the giraffe, clearly had an anxiety disorder. He is an extreme hypochondriac and is afraid of literally everything. Melman has always been my favorite character, and now I understand why. I can relate to his anxieties and I enjoy the humor that is used on an often difficult subject. It was really profound to be able to watch this movie with a fresh new prospective and be able to analyze the character qualities and discover new themes I had never noticed as a child.

I realized that even though Melman’s disorder was profound, he never seemed to be ashamed of himself. He didn’t try to hide it from everyone. His friends actually embraced him for who was was. Anxiety and all. In fact, his anxiety made him even more lovable.

I think we can all learn a lesson from Melman and his friends, Marty, Gloria and Alex. Those of us who struggle with anxiety can take to heart what it means to not be ashamed of ourselves or hide away from those  we love. We do not need to live our lives in the shadows. We can have adventures, even if our anxiety tags along. Those of us who do not have a disorder can learn that we need to be supportive of our loved ones with one and be open to listening to their problems. Just as the gang did for Melman!

I love re-watching my favorite childhood movies and discovering the themes I overlooked as a child. If you have not seen this movie, or haven’t seen it in a long time, I suggest you watch it!

The Holiday

Whenever I watch the Holiday, with Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz, I always feel so romantic and festive! It is such an incredible movie! My mother has NEVER seen it, so I quickly changed that, and we are watching it now!

I highly recommend it!