Merry Christmas from the Writing Fortress

Stronger paints a realistic picture of recovery from the Boston bombing

As an author, I think it's fascinating how screenwriters can bring real events to the Big Screen.


RELEASED on DVD on December 19th.

Movie Title:   Stronger (2017)

Grade: A-

Rating: R, 119 minutes

In a Nutshell:   Jake Gyllenhaal’s performance is outstanding, as always.  He’s truly fantastic in everything he does.  I'm such a fan. I'd love to see him get an Oscar nomination for this role.  He deserves it.  He really makes you feel.

This dramatic, true story spotlights emotional honesty as one of the many heroes from the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 attempts to regain his life.  The fantastic Jake Gyllenhaal plays Jeff Bauman, whose

If you like this kind of #BostonStrong movie, there is another one very similar called Patriot's Day.  In fact, both movies were filmed at the same time.

#BostonStrong !!

 

Uplifting theme: 

• Tenacity, perseverance
• Strength of every kind
• family, loyalty
• "You helped me as much as I helped you." - Carlos (Carlos Sanz)   I was super impressed with Carlos' humble spirit.
• "I just want to see the world from higher up." - Jeff (Jake Gyllenhaal)  I'm interpreting that line in a couple of different ways.  He says it when he realizes he wants to be a better man, as well as get out of his wheelchair and walk.
• Hope

Things I liked:

• Fantastic camera angle in the scene where they take off Jeff’s bandages.
• It doesn’t feel like an acted movie, but more of a realistic documentary.
• I’ve been to Boston twice and absolutely love it there.  It just broke my heart to see the iconic city in so much pain.  I will never understand evil people who hurt others.
• It's not just about a man's rehabilitation from a terrible injury, but also the transition from being a regular guy to a national hero.
• Director David Gordon Green hired real medical personnel to act in certain scenes, which is pretty cool.  My twin sister is a nurse.
• There is an incredibly touching, powerful scene towards the end of the movie that will make you weep or even sob.
• Miranda Richardson was really great.
• Tatiana Maslany also did a fantastic job.  The relationship between Jeff and Erin was really interesting and showed the ups and downs of a relationship under stress and extremely unusual circumstances.
• Both Jeff Bauman and Jake Gyllenhaal got to throw the first pitch at Boston's Fenway Park in 2016.  Cool.
• Blue collar grit.

Things I didn’t like:

• I felt so bad for the Costco manager who was simply trying to help and Jeff’s family jumped all over him.  I understand that they were grieving and in shock, but still…a little kindness goes a long way.  The family is extremely dysfunctional and not pleasant to spend time with, but their fierce love and loyalty are inspiring.  By the way, the real Costco supervisor is an Extra in several scenes in the movie.
• So much profanity.  Seriously, can't anyone speak a single sentence without using vulgar language? 

Tips for parents: 

• A LOT of profanity and crude language, including F-bombs.
• Some nudity during a pre-marital sex scene, mostly a women’s chest.
• Some bloody, gory images of Jeff’s legs.
• Lots of people smoking and drinking.

@trinaboice 

New movie about Charles Dickens makes authors smile and laugh

If you're an author, you'll get a kick out of this new movie about one of England's most cherished authors, Charles Dickens.  I posted this movie review on my web site Movie Review Mom.   Enjoy!


Movie Title:  The Man Who Invented Christmas

Grade:  A-

Rating:  PG, 104 minutes

In a Nutshell:   I admit it.  I loved this movie, because I'm an author.  

I have a particular fondness for movies that peel back the curtains on the life of a successful author and reveal the painful writing process, including writer’s block, muses, and taking notes of people’s names (I do all that too.)  In this case, Charles Dickens is the author and the book that he struggles to write in less than 6 weeks is the famous, beloved A Christmas Carol: Original illustrations by John Leech.

I love that he was inspired by life around him.  Charles Dickens’ father warns, “We must not disturb the poet when the divine frenzy is upon him.”  True THAT!  When I’m writing and “in the zone”, it makes me crazy when I get interrupted, so I got a kick out of watching Charles Dickens deal with the constant knocking at his door.

Based on the book, this family friendly film is perfect for almost all ages and will leave you with the desire to do something kind for someone this Christmas season.  In fact, after A Christmas Carol: Original illustrations by John Leech was released in 1843, charitable giving immediately surged.  I hope this movie gets the same reaction.

 

Uplifting theme: 

• “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another.” –
• “Christmas…the hope that our better natures will prevail.” - John
• Are you fettered by chains that you have made in life?  Jacob asked, “Do you know the link of the chain you bear yourself?”
• Poor vs. rich

Things I liked:

• Dan Stevens and those blue eyes!  If you wanted to see more of him since you first discovered him in Beauty and the Beast (2017) (Theatrical Version), you’ll love watching him star in this movie as Charles Dickens.
• Christopher Plummer was perfect as Ebenezer Scrooge. 
• The set pieces, furniture, and costume designs are really great.  I loved the details like the oil lamps for street lights.  Speaking of sets, some of the pieces from the TV series Penny Dreadful: Season One were used to make this film.  Despite the fact that you really feel like you’re in 19^th Century London, most of the filming was done in Ireland.
• Some well-placed humor.
• The audience laughed when Charles Dickens’ publisher said, “There’s not much of a market for Christmas.”
• While A Christmas Carol addresses the spirit of Christmas more than particular Christian beliefs, Charles Dickens’ book The Life of Our Lord: Written for His Children During the Years 1846 to 1849 where he bears testimony of the Savior of the world and shares his Christian beliefs.
• We don’t often see PG live action movies, so this was refreshing to see playing in theaters.
• I love how the characters in Charles’ books come to life for him and through him and are a part of the cast in the film.  In fact, Charles explains, “Get the name right and the character will appear.”  I write non-fiction and have always been fascinated with how the writing process works for fiction authors who create characters and worlds.
• There are several references to Shakespeare and, in fact, most of the cast in the film are trained Shakespearean actors.  In real life, Charles Dickens adored “The Bard” and acted in some of his plays.  Many of them had also previously worked on other adaptations of A Christmas Carol.

Things I didn’t like:

• It’s a little slow moving.
• Neither the title of the movie nor the original book are properly explained during the movie.
• Some of the flashbacks were shown at odd times and might be a bit confusing for children.
• While a biopic of sorts, some of the story is fiction.  We honestly don’t know as much about Charles Dickens’ writing process as we would like to!

Interesting quotes:

• “Debt is an ogre.  If you’re not careful, it can eat you up.” – Charles Dickens
• “People will believe anything if you’re finely dressed.” – John Dickens (Jonathan Pryce) 

Funny lines:

• “I’m the author here!” – Charles Dickens

“Allegedly.” - Scrooge

Tips for parents: 

• If your kids have never heard or read Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, then you’ll want them to become familiar with it first.
• Kids will be surprised to learn that Christmas wasn’t always so commercial as it is now.
• Kids also won’t know about “debtors’ prison” in England, where people were sent when they couldn't pay their bills.  That always seemed strange to me, because there would be no possibly way for them to earn the money they owed while in prison!
• Work houses in England are also mentioned several times.  Poor and destitute people were encouraged to go to work houses to live and earn money.  The conditions and stigma were so terrible that people would rather die than go there.
• I heard profanity twice. One of those times was the British swear word “bloody.”
• Some words your kids may not know are “nappies” (British word for “diaper”) and “necromancer” (conjurer).

@trinaboice