Well, the Oscar nominations were announced this morning. As I slowly came to and grabbed my iPad (no morning person am I unless next stop is a Disney park), I approached the slate of nominees with the same mix of glee (They better have done right by the ones I liked!), bewilderment (Dude...I've never even heard of that movie...), regret (my heavens, I will never see all of these movies before the awards), excitement (The thrill of competition! The anticipation of an industry's affirmation! The chance to see Emma Stone in another gorgeous gown!) and indifference (I can't get too excited because I will inevitably just be disappointed). When I nosed around a few different websites and finally found a readable list, I was overall quite happy with many of the things I saw. I figured I would share some of my Disney-adjacent thoughts with you.
Follow me, ladies. Your Oscars are this way.
First off, yay for The Help! With nominations for best picture, best actress (Viola Davis) and best supporting actress (Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain), my favorite movie of the year put in quite a strong showing. Compounded with the fact that it was one of the highest grossing movies of the year, especially if you take out all comic book movies, franchise tentpoles and sequels, the little literary adaptation that could has had a pretty spectacular year. Though I can say with almost certainty that it won't take home the top prize, the recognition is well-deserved for a movie that was a passion project from go with something to say that needed to be heard and the right people to say it. Though it's got an outside shot at a win, the nomination is the award in this instance.
Two of the best performances of the year.
Octavia Spencer should go ahead and clear off a space on her shelf next to her Golden Globe, because she's all but guaranteed the award, despite a strong, strong field, including her co-star Jessica Chastain, who was luminous if not as showy, and a rare nomination for a flat-out comedic performance by Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaids. (PS, with it's convoluted anywhere-from-five-to-ten best picture nominations system, they couldn't fill the one additional allowed slot with the funniest, highest grossing, best-reviewed comedy of the year? Come on...Bridesmaids deserved a nom. At least they gave it one in the best original screenplay category.) My girl Emma Stone has gotten no awards show love at all this season for her amazing work, but I guess she'll have to make do with being Hollywood's newest it girl instead. Ah well.
No words for her brilliance.
Viola Davis is fighting a bit more of an uphill battle, despite giving what is without a doubt the best performance by an actress in a film this year. It was not over-the-top because the role of a maid in the South during the sixties doesn't call for it to be. There are no prosthetics, carefully studied accents or mimicked gestures involved. There is no hoopla and no self-indulgence. Just powerful emotional truth. I have rarely seen a more lived-in, fully inhabited performance onscreen in my life. She works in a small, handcrafted way that does not reek of technique, though it is there. We see the performance instead of the effort behind it. She also manages to shoulder the weight of doing justice to a whole population of women whose stories have been more or less ignored by mainstream America so brilliantly that we should count ourselves lucky enough to have it captured to show future generations how we can grow from our past. The award should belong to her and many predict that it will come Oscar night.
Genetically engineered for an Oscar.
Viola is, however, up against her indomitable Doubt co-star, Meryl Streep for her performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. Full disclosure- I have not yet seen The Iron Lady. I also have absolutely no question that Meryl is fantastic in it. She is probably the greatest actor I will ever see in my lifetime. When I see the movie, there is the probability that I will succumb to her prowess and walk away singing her praises. But, to be honest, even she seemed a little shocked, apologetic even, that she won the award over Viola at the Golden Globes. Since I cannot yet compare the performances head to head (and don't know when I will be able to, considering I have no desire to waste time or money on what is by all reports a pretty shoddy historical film about a political figure I am not a fan of, created by the folks who brought us *gag* Mamma Mia and anchored by a great leading lady), suffice it to say that I have a huge soft spot for Viola's performance and will be more than a bit crushed if she doesn't take that little gold guy home.
One glance at what they wear tells a story.
As far as where else The Help was snubbed, I am rather surprised that it didn't get a costume nod. Despite the fact that they usually favor big costume dramas, Sharen Davis' work here was superlative, beautifully evoking a very specific time and place while really informing the characters. All of the production design was stellar, but I'm afraid it was just to subtle to compete with the big guns who tend to populate these categories. I am not entirely shocked that Tate Taylor, the dreamboat who wrote and directed the film, wasn't recognized. He has kind of stayed just out of contention all awards season. His work here is great, no doubt, just not as great as other work this year. I am also sad that Thomas Newman's lovely score, which evoked his awesome work on Fried Green Tomatoes, wasn't given more attention. It does a wonderful job of giving the audience emotional cues without resorting to the expected orchestral swells and emphatic musical themes. Once again, I think the essential understated nature of the film did him no favors come awards time.
Sing it, Mary J.
The biggest injustice, in my opinion, was the lack of a nomination for best original song for "The Living Proof", sung by Mary J. Blige over the end credits. I honestly cannot imagine the emotional impact of that last sequence without this song. Viola Davis' stunning performance underscored by Thomas Newman's gorgeous score, transitioning into this punch-in-the-gut of a song with Mary J.'s I-know-where-I've-been vocal. I am physically unable to watch the last five minutes of this movie without becoming a sobbing mess of ugly cries. The song is essential structurally, thematically supportive, beautifully written, and emotionally moving. It's a total knockout, and, especially considering that the Academy only saw fit to give two nominations for best song, it's kind of insulting its name wasn't called after being shortlisted with thirty-eight other songs.
Yeah. I have a huge crush on Jim Parsons.
The best song category is a bit of a mystery. Only two nominees? Really? One is a song from Rio, which I haven't seen and the other is "Man or Muppet" from The Muppets, which is completely deserved while, sadly, it's only nomination. Personally, I think that the Muppets should have hosted the ceremony this year instead of *yawn* Billy Crystal and I also figured that "Life's a Happy Song" would be a more obvious pick, but that shows you how much I know. I don't pretend to understand how their jacked-up voting process works, but how do you only nominate two songs when the field has room for five? This seems unnecessarily cruel to me, especially when you have other eligible songs from The Muppets, Gnomio & Juliet, Albert Nobbs, and, especially Winnie the Pooh ( Not even Zooey Deschanel's great song?!? Come on!) that were outstanding and deserved nominations. I'm calling foul, Oscar gods! This is almost as dumb as when "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp" won over Dolly Parton's amazing song from Transamerica. Almost...
Since we brought up Pooh, we should address the pink Backson in the middle of the room, which is the other pertinent race to this blog- best animated feature. (Best animated short is filled with what seem like interesting, non-Disney entries, aside from "La Luna" which will be released alongside Pixar's upcoming Brave, but since this category is often more apt to feature more experimental pieces, it makes sense.) This is the first time since the award's inception in 2001 that there hasn't been a Disney film represented in the category (that is if you include Pixar and Studio Ghibli). Now this wouldn't bother me so much if the studio's only offering this year was the shiny but empty Cars 2, because, frankly, I don't think Pixar should be awarded just for being Pixar when they produce output that's on the subpar side of mediocre. Cars 2 is Pixar's worst offering by far and it is appropriate that it should break the winning streak that the studio has been on, winning the award every year since 2007 with Ratatouille. Sorry bout it.
If you guys are in search of your Oscar,
you're out of luck.
What really gets my goat is the fact the Winnie the Pooh has been shut out. Again. I know that it snuck into theaters over the summer with little fanfare and was completely overshadowed by the final Harry Potter movie (which also deserved better than it got in the noms). It was not a blockbuster, but was one of the best reviewed films of the year. It was beautifully done and really showcased what is special and timeless about Disney hand-drawn animation. Somehow, though pretty well-represented at the Annie Awards, none of the larger awards have been following suit, leading up to a big, fat goose egg in Golden Globe and Oscar nominations. I don't know whether the studio wasn't behind it enough, it was too small and sweet to stand out, or people didn't take it seriously and assumed it was only for toddlers, but its failure to be acknowledged as the artistic triumph that it is irks me to no end.
As it stands, we have one franchise movie (Puss In Boots), one sequel (Kung Fu Panda 2), one movie about a reptile given Hollywood cred by Johnny Depp and Gore Verbinski (Rango), and two foreign films that look lovely, and may very well be wonderful films, but that I've never heard of (A Cat in Paris and Chico & Rita, which was distributed by Disney in Spain). This is the first time I've ever not seen even one of the nominees in the category. (I'm not a critic remember. Just a bear of limited funds and many opinions.) Though I'm sure that these films have merit, I genuinely feel that Winnie the Pooh has gotten robbed this season and I have no idea how it happened.
Just cuz it's awesome.
These are just a few thoughts that barreled through my brain as the nominees unfurled. Otherwise, I must say that the list came with few major surprises and overall I am neither terribly surprised, disappointed or excited about any of the other categories. But just like pretty much everybody else, I'll be tuning in the night of the awards, either jumping for joy, screaming angrily at my TV while wondering why I subject myself to this every year, or being completely bored. Just another year at the races, y'all!
What did you guys think of the nominations this year? Is your rear end as chapped as mine about the complete shut-out of Winnie the Pooh? Did you feel like Cars 2 deserved a place in the ranks? How about the non-animated categories? Did you expect more of The Muppets? Are you as stoked about all of the recognition for The Help as I am? Any major snubs or glaring WTF moments that I missed? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
I'll be walking along in NYC and this
cuts through the concrete like sunlight
through the clouds. I love it.
I cannot tell you how glad I am that I didn't blog about The Help last Friday like I had originally intended to. What a difference a week can make. I finished re-reading the book at the end of last week (still amazeballs), went back to see the movie again on Saturday, did a lot of thinking and a lot of discussing and my blog entry now has taken a huge shift from what it would have been. I was completely prepared to spend this entry focusing on the controversy that has surrounded the release. I realize now that that would just be counterproductive. And I am not fan of hollering into a bottomless well, fighting to convince someone of something when they don't want to be convinced, and so I won't.
What I will say after revisiting both the book and the film is that they are both works of fiction and should be taken as such. When you start demanding that authors and filmmakers bend their stories so that they are completely historically accurate, you will have a twisted knot of soulless historical fiction tied by committee. And no one wants to read that. Art is born of the artist's imagination. It is sometimes influenced by history in order to confront and explore the past, not so that it can revise the past. That kind of revision was never anybody's intention.
I have to equate the knee-jerk reaction to my own experience with Brokeback Mountain. As a gay man, I had a choice. I could cock my eyebrow at people's intentions, wag my finger about how the last thing we need are more tragic gay characters, even if they are brilliantly portrayed and question how accurate it is to the story of real gay men in that time and place, whose stories have been mostly unexplored, never recorded and/or lost. Or I could choose to appreciate the fact that a stellar team of artists, all of whom, from actors to director to screenwriters and author, were (as far as I know) straight, had come together to passionately tell a story that they felt was important about human experience that both transcended and honored what makes us different.
I can nitpick about the movie, but by and large I thought it was wonderful and I'm grateful that it got people talking and maybe looking at their own lives and the lives of others in a different light. I know what it's like to be starved for representation in the media. It's so important to see a face like yours on TV, in movies, music or literature. You are overcome with joy when they get it right and devastated when they get it wrong because heaven only knows when the next opportunity will come along.
The British book cover. More
evocative than three birds, huh?
If The Help is not the story you want told, then create your own story, tell it wonderfully and make it heard! I want to hear and see and read it! This is an opportunity to engage and I hope that people take advantage of that. If there are people who refuse to see the movie or read the book, that is their choice and I respect that, but they have no right to judge. I never fail to vote because I feel like if I don't, I have no right to celebrate or lambast the outcome. If there are people who have seen or read it, and, rather than engaging in a dialogue about it, dismiss it, they are simply getting in their own way.
A lot of the things that I feel about the controversy are very succinctly stated in an article by Owen Gleiberman from Entertainment Weekly. It gives counterpoint to a lot of the issues that have been brought up regarding the movie and book. Take a moment to read it for a very well thought out and level-headed piece that is far less mired down in the reactionary emotions than the monologue that I would have unleashed upon your poor ears. I'm grateful to him for articulating a lot of what I feel so articulately. Kudos, Owen.
So, after my my first experience with The Help, I was underwhelmed. Immediately after, Tom and I talked at length about its imperfections and how it could have been improved. I now know that this was brought on by a combination of months and months of anticipation, high expectations for an adaptation of one of my favorite books, the fact that I was watching a two-and-a-half hour long movie at midnight after a long day, and a bad experience in a theater where someone was snoring as loud as humanly possible through the majority of the film.
They got the poster right this time!
I'm not going to lie and say that the movie is perfect. It's not. I will say that we were way harsh, Tai, at 3am after that first viewing and it wasn't really the movie's fault, especially in light of the fact that when I revisited it, I adored it. To be honest, the things that we complained about are not even worth mentioning even if they are valid. I lamented things that were inevitably cut from the story. We discussed how it took a bit of time for the film to find its footing at the beginning. And stuff like that there.
When it comes right down to it, what matters is that the movie is emotional, probing, uplifting, funny, and beautifully crafted. Ultimately, it does justice to the book it's based on and the lives that inspired it. I was not a huge fan of director/screenwriter Tate Taylor's first movie, Pretty Ugly People, but had faith that he was at the helm for a reason. He grew up best friends with the author of the book, Kathryn Stockett, in Jackson, Mississippi, which gave him a solid understanding both of her storytelling voice and the time and place.
Taylor made the film look and feel authentically Southern, managed to admirably adapt the book to the screen without destroying it, and actually added things (powerful scenes between Skeeter and her mother, a strong final moment for Hilly and Aibileen) that strengthened it as a film. He was able to successfully guide us through a powerful emotional experience. It's nothing less than a miracle that he made it all work. Both times I saw the movie, during the final shot, which is purely brilliant, and Mary J. Blige's fantastic song "The Living Proof," I was crying so hard that I couldn't catch my breath. That's effective filmmaking.
Above everything else, he cast the hell out of this movie. There is not a weak link in the performances. Viola Davis had better have an Oscar on her mantle this year for her damn near perfect acting as Aibileen. Octavia Spencer, whose personality actually inspired the character of Minnie in the book, breaks out in a big way. Emma Stone, who strangely enough has still not responded to my marriage proposal, gives an unexpected performance as Skeeter that anchors the film deeply and is wonderfully different from any of her other work. Jessica Chastain, playing Celia, was luminescent and was the real discovery for me since I had never seen her in anything before. Work by Allison Janney, Bryce Dallas Howard, Cicely Tyson and Sissy Spacek and the rest of the mostly female ensemble is also fantastic.
I get misty just thinking about this scene.
For me, The Help is a continuation of the series of great, emotionally powerful, female driven, Southern films that includes Steel Magnolias and Friend Green Tomatoes. (By the way, Thomas Newman wrote the scores to both Fried Green Tomatoes and The Help. Steel Magnolias is by Georges Delerue. All three are knockouts.) Young Southern gay boys are going to be as passionate about this film, quoting it line for line, as I was about those two in my younger days. It connects Southern gays to our home, it connects us to our past, and it celebrates the powerful women who make us proud of our heritage.
I think the biggest testament to the power of the film is that I immediately wanted to talk to Mama about it. She was a child living in Tallahassee, Florida in 1963 when the movie is set. (Yes, kids. North Florida is the South.) The night that she saw it, Tom and I got home and immediately facetimed her. We talked for an hour about how the movie reflected her experiences growing up. I learned so much that I had never thought to ask about her past and what it was like to live in the South during the sixties. I realized that the movie had already done something important by encouraging me to explore the stories of those that are close to me and how they have shaped my values. It got me to confront what was ugly and learn from it. It got me to look at what wasn't ugly and celebrate it. My hope is that's what is happening to everyone who sees it.
We would have the cutest babies, right? I said, right?!?
That night, for the first time in forever, I talked to Mama about Icee May, who my family used to visit when I was a kid during our trips back to Dad's hometown of Eufala, Alabama in the eighties and nineties. Dad came from a poor Southern family, and doesn't have a racist bone in his body. He is very typically Southern in many, many ways, from the accent to the predilection for meat that comes in a can, but he never judges anyone based on the color of their skin. I think that this is why the character of Celia Foote intrigues me so much. I know that rampant racism and classism often made for unlikely Southern harmonies. Dad and our family's friendship with Icee May was a testament to that.
Icee May was an older black woman who lived across the tracks from where Grandma Muffin lived. In many Southern towns, though they are desegregated, races are often still somewhat separated. Mama told me that the first time Dad took her home to meet the family, they drove out to Icee May's. Dad introduced Mama, saying "Icee May, this is the girl I'm gonna marry." Icee May took a brief look at her, threw her arms wide and wrapped Mama in a tight hug, laughing and lovingly saying "Look at you! You're so fat!" Mama said that's the moment she knew she loved Icee May.
Her eyes alone should get an Academy Award for acting.
Going to Eufala as a child was always a bit strange. I always felt a bit out of place there, as any gay boy in the deep South is bound to, but visiting Icee May was always a highlight of our trips. She was always so excited to see us, squealing and hugging us close to her. What's sad is that, since I have a memory like a sieve, many details are gone for me. When I think of Icee May, I think of warmth and happiness. I can vaguely hear her voice and feel the cadence of her humor. But beyond that, I don't have a strong recollection of the specifics of our visits.
Mama told me that Icee May's experience was different because she had owned a store. My mind exploded. I wanted to know her story. There was so much that I didn't know. As a child, you don't think to ask about these stories. You just live in the moment of being in someone's presence. When you grow up, things like questioning your past often become buried under other priorities. That is what moved Kathryn Stockett to write The Help in the first place. A desire for understanding and connection. I hope that these feelings that the book and movie have stirred in me keep making themselves known, pushing me on to work towards the same.
Remember the moment when they first walk into the church?
So good! This all makes me wanna go see it a third time!
I cannot wait to talk to Dad and flesh out this piece of my past. And I want to keep talking and find out more. With both Mama and Dad. Their lives are literally a part of me. Their blood is my blood. Their history is mine. And the importance of excavating the stories of the past should never be underestimated. We should all dig around in our history more often and see what new journeys it can take us on. I encourage you to see The Help. Be ready to laugh 'til your sides hurt, cry 'til your shirt's soaked, and think about why you've been moved so much. Above all, be prepared to talk. What we all need is more exploration. More conversation. Not less.
Officially one of my top 5 books ever.
Just before Icee May died, Mama paid her a call. Icee May gave her two batches of quilt tops, one for me and one for my sister. Until I talked to Mama last week, I had no recollection she had made those for us and so when I was told, I could feel a lump in my throat and my eyes get teary. Now, I know what you're thinking. Do the world really need another quilt metaphor? And I say tough nuggets. That's what happens when you read a blog written by a Southern gay guy. There will inevitably be a quilt that takes on an elevated meaning. Sorry bout it.
Here I was, years after she made them, rediscovering these quilt tops because of a movie. I cannot wait to have them in my hands. Each one of those patches will come with an unknown history all their own. I will never have the opportunity to ask Icee May what their stories are, but I can do right by her and have them put together, as they were intended to be, to create a whole. And when I run my fingers over those soft patches, I know that my mind will drift to her, glad that she left them to me, to complete on my own, to remember her by, imagining what each one would say if it could talk to me. What stories would it share? And I am thankful to The Help for reminding me to look into my own life, gather up the patches of my history and get them sewn together.
I need to start off this entry with a bit of an apology. I know that I have already told you guys that my two big summer movies are Winnie the Pooh and The Help. Just as I did With Winnie the Pooh, I had intended to blog my thoughts on The Help, which is co-produced by Disney owned Touchstone Pictures, today, right after its release date, which was Wednesday. A few factors are going to push that blog entry back to next Friday.
AMC mini marquee poster fail. We're actually here
to see The Help and not A Little Help, but nice try.
I did in fact go see The Help at 12.01am on August 10th- the day that it came out. I had been waiting for what seemed like years for this day to arrive and, after a bit of eyelash batting, Tom agreed to go with me at midnight rather than fight whatever opening crowds may emerge the next night. (Suck on that, getting eight hours of sleep! Who needs you?) The screening ended up not being the most conducive environment for fully engaging with the movie owing to a possibly homeless dude with a mullet and a tank top who plopped down in the front and center of the theater and proceeded to snore like a hibernating bear from five minutes into the movie until the end credits had almost finished.
This guy was making noise like a thunderstorm. I half expected lightning bolts to shoot out of his seat. A lot of people in the audience were, understandably, cracking up, and everyone else was distracted. Only twice was there was a brief respite. Once when Tom got fed up and finally went down to the front, found the guy's seat and slammed his hand on the back of it to wake him up and again when I left the theater to find an employee to help. After wandering for five minutes in the middle of the movie and finding only one lady on the floor, who incidentally didn't speak a lick of English and just smiled and nodded at me, I finally tracked down two NYPD paid detail. They came in, shined their flashlight on the guy and woke him up. Both times Snoreface McGee was up to his old tricks within minutes. I was upset, but stuck around to get passes so that we can go back and see the film (hopefully) uninterrupted.
The second factor is that I am almost done reading the book a second time. I started a little while back hoping to finish before I saw the movie. That didn't quite work out, but I'm almost there and would like to have the re-read under my belt before I give a critique, because I loved the book so much that the comparison will inevitably figure heavily into my opinion.
I have grown to really adore this poster.
It's like a burst of sunshine.
The third and final reason for my delay is the controversy surrounding the film, which was there on a smaller scale surrounding the book's release, dealing with the depiction of the African-American characters. It came onto my radar because one of my favorite political pundits, Melissa Harris-Perry, who shows up often on my beloved Rachel Maddow Show, went on an all out Twitter tirade against The Help. She then appeared on The Lawrence O'Donnell Show to discuss her thoughts further. I started feeling ultra-protective of the book, the movie, and my right to appreciate them without feeling like a racist.
I know that the subject matter is extremely sensitive, but feeling like I am standing at the opposite end of the spectrum from someone I've always really respected ideologically got my brain churning something fierce. Even as I type, it is taking me everything that I've got not to just let go and spew all of my thoughts, but, with your kind permission, I would like to take a week to let things marinate, finish the book and see the movie one more time.
Without hesitation, I encourage you to go see the film and/or read the book for yourself. The movie is not perfect by any stretch but the performances are stellar across the board and well worth the price of a movie ticket. And yes, I know how expensive they are these days. After you see it, most importantly, keep the discussion flowing. Do not shut people down who feel differently about what is being portrayed or the artistic integrity of the whole endeavor. I think part of the real value of these works is their power to make you consider people and events in ways that you maybe hadn't done before. It did that for me and that is what powerful art can and should do. The Help has the power to create a dialogue. For heaven's sake, please take advantage of that opportunity. As you can imagine, I will have a lot to say next Friday.
Until then, I figured I would shine a light on a very odd New York City phenomenon. I like to call it character creeping, which is like a character greeting except it is completely removed from the context of the parks, wholly janky, and, well, totally creepy. It may very well happen elsewhere but I've never heard anyone talk about it. When I did a Google image search for "Disney costume character NYC" I came up completely empty-handed. I have been in NYC for eight years now, but it only been for about the past two or three that I've seen this practice proliferate. And it freaks me the heck out.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good character meet and greet in the park. I think it is a unique part of the Disney experience to meet your favorite characters from the screen in person and share a moment with them. It is a sad trip for me indeed if I have not at least found Stitch to throw a hang ten sign, do my Stitch voice (which is pretty impeccable, if I do say so myself), and snap a quick pic.
Me and my man. Oh, and Tom's there too. Love you, hon!
I do, however, feel like the whole character greeting affair has gotten a bit out of hand. I can't think of any character worth waiting hours in line just to meet, yet more often than not nowadays that is the status quo. Now they even have queues gussied up to make them feel like they are an attraction unto themselves. (Cough- Pixie Hollow- cough) Though it is kind of them to give you something to look at while you wait, it's still nothing but a fancy pants queue leading up to a brief photo op and maybe autograph, if that's what butters your toast. It's just my personal preference, but there are a booty load of things that I would rather spend my time doing. It's a lot of effort for a very little payoff, unless, of course, you have a little one in tow, which changes the game entirely. Ask me in a few more years, when I've got a nugget with me, and I'll probably feel a bit different.
Best Mary Poppins. Ever.
That being said, some of the most charming experiences I've had in the parks revolve around these greetings, but it's usually not when I've had to line up and wait for an hour and a half. It's hearing Tiana belting her face off with a jazz band while we're eating at the French Market. It's seeing an awesome Mary Poppins who is so in character walking across the hub that I can't approach her for fear of interrupting her business. Another Mary Poppins was in Epcot when Tom and I found her. She was completely in character, very funny, and lovely. When she walked away from the meet and greet she was discussing Bert with her parrot umbrella. We loved her.
I was with my mama and sister in the Magic Kingdom when we queued up to meet several of the princess. When it was my turn to pose with them, I crooked my arm out in a princely fashion, as boys are supposed to, while Kelly girlied it up. When it got to Aurora, Kelly posed and I came forward and Mama said "Pose like her!" Aurora gave Mama a knowing look and then gave me a lesson on how to properly bevel. It was priceless. The cast members work hard to make these moments special, no doubt, but I prefer to stumble over them rather than seek them out. It feels more special when it's an organic part of your day.
As much as I wish I did, I do not live in a Disney park. Lately, Mickey, Minnie and friends are showing up on my home turf. It's quite jarring. Toe-up fakey fakes have been popping up in the streets of New York. Often it's Disney characters, but Elmo is also a fixture. They are shoddily made, sloppy, and run down looking. Now, in this economy I don't begrudge anybody out there trying to make a buck, but these guys kind of irk me. They are completely unauthorized, dilute and sully the Disney brand, and, worst of all, they usually come with small sacks which they shove in your grill for tips if you so much as look at them sideways. They usually congregate near Radio City Music Hall and Times Square, around the way from the huge Toys'R'Us and Disney Store.
Taking a picture of them is a terrifying task on its own. If you don't do it stealthily and they catch you, they will full on come after you, waving their satchels to demand money. I also have caught so many of them walking down the subway stairs in the midst of removing their heads. Sometimes they congregate, headless and sweaty, to count their money in full view of the public. That, in a nutshell (beyond the skeeziness of them expecting money for the privilege of standing next to their sweaty, smelly, matted selves) is what really drives me nuts. Unlike Disney cast members, they have absolutely no respect for the magic.
When I was still running events for a major book chain, I organized an event for a book on Sesame Street. Sonya Manzano, who plays Maria, told a story about a kid who was on the set. They took a lot of care not to let the kids see Muppets laying around, looking lifeless. Once, a little child came us to Sonia, tugged on her pant leg and said, "Miss Maria..." He pointed across the studio at Big Bird, who was taking a brief break, thinking he was unseen, and only wearing the bottom half of the costume and continued, "Does Big Bird know that he has a man in him?" It's a cute story, but when you step back and think about it, how odd it must have been for that kid to unexpectedly find a crack like that in his reality. Sesame Workshop understands that children pay attention and tries to avoid these moments. Kids really notice these things and it affects them.
So I finally got brave and snapped some pictures of these Character Creepings for you. You're welcome.
Notice the human neck. Classy.
Did he steal Sue Sylvester's track pants?
Me hungry... want eat brains...
Minnie is not exempt from creeping.
To be fair, Disney had it's own fair share of vaguely creepy costumed characters. The costumes below seem to be from the opening day festivities which were borrowed from the Ice Capades to say hello to the first crowds through the gates. They obviously hadn't quite gotten a handle on the whole concept yet.
As scary as Mickey and Minnie may be, it's the bunny
that makes me want my mommy there to protect me.
So what do you think of the character creeping phenomenon? Should someone step in and put the kibosh on them? Should they be allowed to soldier on and make it rain any way they can? Do they tarnish the Disney shine or help to bring the characters to the world?
My plan is to put on my big boy underoos and start snapping pictures of these character creepings when I run across them from here on out and tweet them out to my followers, so now you have even more reason to follow me on Twitter @movedbythemouse. If you are in NYC and are able to catch one in action, please tweet and tag me. Or if you run across one of these anywhere else, let us know where they are spreading out to! Maybe they are stealthily trying to take over the world somehow. I am fascinated!
Remember Tuesday is DATE Night and we'll be taking a trip to Pleasure Island with Pinocchio. Until then I leave you with a picture of me at the most magical meet and greet ever!
Sigh. If only, right? However, now that I think of it, if they had a character greeting with the four Golden Girls out on the lanai, that would be the one meet and greet queue I would probably wait a few hours in. Are you listening Hollywood Studios? You took the the Golden Girls house off of the Backlot Tour, so you owe us at least that much!
There are four big Disney and Pixar releases this summer. Two of them are my two big summer movies- Winnie the Pooh (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
and The Help (through Touchstone, which is an adult Disney division).
I have been waiting for both of those movies for months, devouring the trailers, which are fantastic, and counting down days. If that doesn't give you a window into my brain, I don't know what does. Winnie the Pooh will be coming out on July 15 and The Help will be released on August 10th. I will let you know what I think when they finally surface.
The big May and June releases have already happened, however, and they are Pirates of the Caribbean 4 and Cars 2. I did not see Pirates and don't really plan to. Maybe eventually. I still haven't seen the first three, to tell the truth. I started watching the first but lost interest about half an hour in and haven't tried again since. From what I've heard I'm not missing all that much and the new sequel doesn't do much to help the series' cause. I will say that I'm glad that it's revived an interest in the ride at the parks, which has always been a favorite of mine. The new movie based audio-animatronics are impressive and the way that they have incorporated the film into the ride honors the original while giving Jack Sparrow to a new generation that expects to see him. They've done well in that regard.
Not the most imaginative poster I've seen...
Over the holiday weekend I saw Cars 2. The only reason I went out of my way is that I had "free" tickets because I had bough blu-rays a while back that came with free tickets as long as they are $8.50 or under. Unfortunately, in New York City, movie tickets are $13. No. Not for 3D. For plain old 2D. But still, it took me 20 convoluted and frustrating minutes to process my free tickets online, so I'll be darned if I wasn't going to use it and $4.50 isn't bad for a movie. Plus I always feel like I can't have a valid opinion on something unless I've seen something for myself.
It hurts my soul to say this, but Pixar has finally produced a movie that is flat out not good. As I've mentioned before, I'm not a fan of the original Cars. In my humble opinion, it was the only dud in the Pixar canon. I was not drawn to any of the characters, the world of the movie asks that I suspend far more disbelief than I am willing to in order for it to make sense, the storytelling was rather weak, the art was well-done but pedestrian, and, frankly, I was bored by it. There were things that I appreciated about it (the attempt to reach out to boys with characters they could instantly bond with, the idea of small town America being just as important as big cities, the lesson of humbling yourself and reaching out to those that are different than you for mentorship and friendship), but it was easily and without question at the bottom by far of my list of Pixar films.
Until now. I actively love all of the Pixar movies and think they are brilliant with two exceptions. I am pretty much neutral on Cars and I now actively dislike Cars 2. Hate is a strong word, and I don't want to use it because I feel like the folks at Pixar pour a lot of time, energy and creativity into their projects. They can certainly be forgiven this one blip when they have set the bar so high for themselves. When it comes down to it, what would have been perfectly acceptable as a direct to video sequel does not cut it as a full-blown theatrical release from the studio that made two sequels to Toy Story that actually got better in quality as the series progressed.
Wait until someone tells them that they can't drive
away from their own movie. They won't be happy.
There was absolutely nothing that I enjoyed about Cars 2 and a lot of things that really got on my nerves. All of the problems I had with the original were exponentially worse and all of the newer elements were even more grating still. The beating heart of the first movie was Doc Hudson, whose character's absence is swept away in one twenty second scene and never really touched upon again, and Radiator Springs, which is only seen in the very beginning and end. It gives me a bit of insight as to why they are calling the new area of California Adventure Cars Land rather than Radiator Springs. It seems to be all about branding over immersive experience, which is a shame. I'm kind of sad that the movie is getting a whole land at a theme park in the first place.
The new film is a loud, bright sensory assault with lots of explosions and corny humor. It's what we expect of a typical computer animation movie these days. All surface and no depth. Except Pixar movies are not typical computer animation. They are great movies. Some of the best films made by anyone, anywhere, by anyone's standards. I can't help but feel like for the first time Pixar is pandering. They made a film for no other reason really than to sell booty-loads of merch, which they are.
I think they're turning Japanese. I really think so.
I have never been the biggest Mater fan, and the character takes center stage here. The moral of the story want to be "Be yourself" but ends up more like "Perpetuate the stereotype of the Ugly American". But no one pays attention to the lessons to be learned anyway because they are too busy watching things zoom by and blow up. There is what felt like inappropriate violence to the car/people things. One was tortured and then murdered in what seemed like a very cruel manner. Several others die as well. The humor was boneheaded and obvious. The tender scenes felt like nothing but a series of empty platitudes. All attempted emotional payoffs were completely unwarranted and fell flat. The visuals were all eye candy but completely unoriginal. (Tom was amused by the look of the scenes in Japan, though.) The plot was convoluted and the storytelling was way off track. There was self-referencing and catchphrasing that would seem clever in a better movie, but feels lazy here. They put a lot of effort into making things bright and shiny, but it felt like it was only to distract you from the fact that the movie underneath just isn't very good. It worked on the kids around us sometimes. They seemed to get excited when stuff went kapow. Other times they seemed just as bored and confused as we were.
I must say that John Lasseter, who directed and did the story for Cars 1 & 2, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 1 & 2 along with many shorts is probably my least favorite Pixar director. He is often compared to Disney, and I don't think that the comparison is terribly off the mark. It seems that his real strength is as a visionary and as someone who brings out the strengths and talents of others. Disney himself didn't do much of the hands on creation. He was the idea man. I think Lasseter is best when he is in the same kind of position.
I cannot wait for Brave! Have I said that enough yet?
The only thing about the movie that I genuinely liked was the Toy Story short that came before it, which was very good. I'm hoping that this is not a bellwether for Pixar. I'm not too worried since the next film, Brave, which comes out next summer already looks glorious. I don't want to come down too hard on Pixar. I know that they are a business and they they have to established their brand and make money. Do that on DVDs and on store shelves, but not in the theater. We hold Pixar to a higher standard because we know what the studio is capable of and they have very seldom let us down. Hopefully they will pay attention to what seem like less than stellar reviews and not exactly amazing box office and focus on their strengths- innovation and storytelling.
As for me, I am looking forward to my trip to the Hundred Acre Wood in ten days. Did anybody else see Cars 2? What were your thoughts? Am I way far off course or did you think that the movie was a big old lemon, too?
