Tag Archives: Movie Review

The Trip to Bountiful

October 29, 2014 By in Books, Movies & Music Tags: , , , , , 1 Comment
Geraldine Page

Geraldine Page

The Trip to Bountiful starring Geraldine Page is one of the best movies ever made. It’s based on Horton Foote’s play which originally aired on NBC in 1953 before being produced for Broadway.

The story follows Carrie Watts, an elderly woman living with her weak-willed son, Ludie, and his self-centered wife, Jessie Mae. All Carrie wants before she leaves this earth is to see her beloved hometown, Bountiful, one last time. Although she’s strong in spirit, she’s too frail in heart and body to safely make the trip alone.

Her days are spent cooped up in a little apartment in Houston, Texas, singing hymns and trying to stay out of Jessie Mae’s way. Their verbal sparring is the result of different desires. Carrie wants to live in the past when life was simpler while her daughter-in-law yearns for materials things in a modern world. When Carrie can no longer wait, she sneaks away to Bountiful for the trip of a lifetime.

While most everyone will agree that remakes are rarely as good as the original, Cicely Tyson has undertaken to recreate the magic of the original Trip to Bountiful movie. She started out on Broadway, but I’m pleased to say the version including her performance, which appeared on Lifetime, is on also DVD.

Regardless of which version you choose to watch first, you won’t be disappointed. I strongly recommend you take the time to watch both. The strength of desire portrayed by Mrs. Page and Mrs. Tyson is overwhelming. You’ll be rooting for Carrie Watts and humming hymns long after the movie has ended.

Cicely Tyson

Cicely Tyson

Onward, Christian Ire… Or Not

October 22, 2014 By in Books, Movies & Music Tags: , , , 4 Comments

untitled (11)I’m obviously rather late coming in on the debate of the Russell Crowe version of Noah. In my defense, I wasn’t going to pay to watch that piece of tripe. (Sneak peek on my opinion of the movie.) I had to wait until my turn at the library came up so I could watch it for free. There goes two hours of my life I’ll never get back.

Where do I begin? With the armadillo dog, perhaps? (Snort.) How about the shiny magic rocks or glowing, charmed snakeskin? There are always the Watchers to debate. Don’t even get me started on the hideous CGI, animatronics, or whatever it was they used.

Using a few Biblical names and borrowing the history of the world being destroyed by water were the only things remotely familiar in this farce of a movie. Nothing else was recognizable. To rewrite the facts then present them so pathetically reflects poorly on everyone associated with the film.

In short, dystopian universe Noah is so unbelievable, there is absolutely no way any Christian could be offended, myself included. The movie it utter laughable nonsense.

On the other hand, if the intent of the film was to create yet another divisive, pseudo-Christian religion, the movie presents the perfect shaky foundation for this to occur. Going green seems to be the underlying message. No doubt, Al Gore will be on board as a prophet.