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Come Early Morning

Come Early Morning is the latest Ashley Judd offering on DVD. An independent film from Joey Lauren Adams (she's the sleepy-eyed actress with the squeaky voice, best known as Layla Maloney in Big Daddy)--it won two independent film awards and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. But unfortunately for some, it was probably never previewed for a test audience.

The person I watched this film with was madder than a hornet when it was over. They didn't like the nebulous ending or the fact that Ashley Judd "didn't look good" in the film. But I disagree. Judd was real-looking, and although she went without make-up and looked the part of her character, she was still cute. Which also makes sense, because her character had no problem attracting men in this movie. Also, this is one of those movies that I call "slice of life" films. You're not watching the most pivotal event in history, or even in their lives, necessarily, but you're dropping by for a small piece of their life as they take their personal journey. And to have the attributes of a good story, even a slice of life film must have a beginning, middle, and an end and bring about some change in the main character. This it did, as Judd was confronted with her past, her choices, and her frustrations, and by the end, began to make changes to these patterns.

I found Come Early Morning to be a very rich portrait of a troubled southern woman, she wasn't a caricature, and her story, even with some good changes in her life, didn't necessarily take her where she hoped to end up. But the movie was authentic and well-paced. The accents and exteriors were well-shot and the actors were well-cast.

Random '80s Memory

I had a "where did that come from?" memory the other day. I'm about 14 and my family is staying overnight at the home of some old friends who live in Texas. We're on one of the two cross-country trips from my youth. These friends are an older couple (perhaps in their sixties) who are the type you don't really mind hanging out with even if you're a kid. They teach you neat card games and are generally interested in what you have to say.

This memory I had involves an interesting exchange around their dinner table. The woman was upset by the use of the word "gross" in the nomenclature of the time. She asked if my sisters and I used that horrible word. We were not prepared for this kind of scrutiny, believing that gross was perfectly acceptable slang when compared to the language we heard at school each day. When I said that yes, I do use the word gross, she implored me not to. Apparently some friends of theirs had Gross for a last name, and their daughter was tormented daily by the word's meaning, and her peers' relentless chiding of her "grossness." I found this unfortunate, but also kind of funny.

The older woman asked me, as if I were some insider into the affairs of adolescents, whether there wasn't another word we could all use to describe something that we didn't like. I suggested, "grody" or "grody to the max" as a suitable option, which though less used, was understood to have the same meaning. She then implored me to please change our word choice from "gross" to "grody." Do it for this young girl, she asked, as if I had the power to make such a sweeping change across America. That as a Christian kid from Minnesota, I could in short time make the word "gross" disappear from all usage in a Texas high school. Why doesn't everyone believe in me like that?

Nomar, Jeter, and A-Rod

They were once regarded as the three greatest shortstops to ever play within the same era. Their future was bright and many an AL MVP award would be fought over between the three of them--Nomar Garciaparra with the Red Sox, Derek Jeter with the Yankees, and Alex Rodriguez with the Mariners/Rangers.

But something happened along the way to this baseball legacy... Jeter stopped winning championships, Nomar got injured and started grousing, and A-Rod became the highest paid, least bejeweled player in the league. Now Nomar plays first base for the Dodgers and A-Rod is a Yankee who plays third base.

A look at their career numbers still shows them as stellar figures, but only Jeter's reputation has held since the early days. A savvy baseball fan will probably be able to identify who's who in each of these lines: Career numbers, career awards, and seasonal averages.

.317 BA   .366 OBP   212 HR   863 RBI   364 BB   496 SO   1243 games   
.318 BA   .389 OBP   186 HR   888 RBI   727 BB  1210 SO  1728 games   
.305 BA   .386 OBP   483 HR  1391 RBI   844 BB  1445 SO  1796 games   

1997 AL Rookie; 2006 NL Comeback Player
1996 AL Rookie; 2000 WS MVP, 3 gold gloves
2003 AL MVP; 2005 AL MVP, 2 gold gloves

.317   28 HR   112 RBI   12 SB
.318   17 HR    83 RBI    24 SB
.305   44 HR   125 RBI   22 SB

Answer: Nomar is listed first, Jeter second, and A-Rod third.

Book Review: Writing the Popular Novel

I won't bore the non-writers reading this post, but will take just a moment to give credit to Loren D. Estleman for a compelling read which clearly, calmly, and concisely gives insight for the burgeoning novelist. In Writing the Popular Novel, Estleman's no-nonsense approach and ease about the craft makes you feel comfortable with the auspicious task of writing a first novel. And he thinks of things to answer that I never quite thought to ask.

Estleman is one of those authors of 50-plus books who you've never heard of. Good for him--he's been published and is living off the proceeds, and I guess that's all any of us can hope for. He writes helpfully about the process, mixing in fun quotes from mostly American writers at the close of each chapter. He also has much to say on tics and traps many novelists get into. Additionally, there are practical items such as using an agent, and editor, and finding a publisher that are very informative for the neophyte author.

In total, this book is a quick read and is fantastic in bite-sized, inspirational chunks. There's also a hearty chapter on recommended resources from handbooks to writer biographies. Grade: B+

Jack of All Trades

The following is a follow-up to my "Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance" post where I explored my belief that I could be the next American Idol.

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Here's a short list of things I think I could do, if I put my mind to it.

• I'd invent an expression book for dogs. I would have to spend hours analyzing the facial ticks of various breeds, making careful notes, but in the end I believe what I'd produce would be revolutionary. A dictionary of sorts for the dog owner. Where you could look up photographs of your dog's current expression, and find out what they're really thinking.
• I could draw a one-panel daily comic strip. Think of "The Family Circus." Now think of think of something that's actually funny. Combine the two thoughts. That's my comic strip.
• Along the same lines, I want to create an anthropomorphic character and sell millions of books, t-shirts, coffee cups, and video games. Maybe even open a theme park. The problem is, almost every animal has already been taken. You can't do ducks, mice, rabbits, penguins, bears, chipmunks, owls, or even chickens. You certainly can't do a cat or a dog or even an ogre (are these animals or humanoids?). Maybe I could create Oliver Osprey or Sandra Sloth? Though the alliteration of those names is a bit cliche, so I'll go with Sir Siegfried Ostrich (all rights reserved).
• I think I could jump out of a plane. With a parachute. And a spare. And a push.
• I believe I could make a living collecting Americana at garage sales and thrift markets. This would just require extensive travel, an ebay account, and seed money.
• I could become the Slipper King. Given a grant to study the foot, I could emerge 11 months later with a revolution in footwear for the home.
• I might some day get a novel published. If I ever get around to finishing what I've started.
• I just might slink off to Australia to become the fourth Wiggle. Now that Greg the lead Wiggle has retired due to a bad back, I could maybe take the last spot, and everyone else could move up. The dances would be easy--all they're doing is the white man dance (side-to-side steps and twirling fingers)--I just need to pick a shirt color and a signature personality quirk (they've got a hungry guy, a sleepy guy, a wacky guy, and Greg was a magician). Maybe I could be the "professor" character, or "the millionaire!"
  

Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance

One of my great delusions is the belief that I could win American Idol. Now forget for a moment that I'm 38 years old and overqualified by age, instead, let's assume that I was eligible. I think I could win it. I have a pleasant, resonant voice and I have used it professionally, but I have never thought of myself as much of a singer. The few times I have tried to get anywhere singing, I have failed.

Yes, I'm thinking back to that traveling singing group I tried out for in high school. Yes, I'm thinking back to those college auditions for the fall musical (I won spots in the chorus, but no lead roles). Yes, I remember being asked by the musical director in one of those plays to actually NOT sing--"just move your lips," she said. And yes, I remember trying out for an acting troupe that required singing, and being rejected there also. Though I was on another acting troupe where songs had to be sung.

It was during my senior year of college that I decided to change all of this--I took singing lessons and offered myself up to my professor as a complete musical neanderthal, telling him I couldn't understand how notes on a page represented anything. Needless to say, I taught him more than he may have taught me... being that he'd never met anyone so disconnected to music. But I did get better, and in the end, he pronounced me ready to try out for the next musical--and get the lead. Alas, it was my senior year and I would have had to go back for a fifth year to even get an audition. As they say, I used up my college eligibility.

A Temporal Crown for Jordin

In my continuing effort this week to bring you recaps and scintillating comments on T.V.'s season finales, I turn today to American Idol's final showdown between Blake and Jordin.
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As you read this, keep in mind that I missed both performer's first songs. I was playing dad at Marshall's t-ball trophy presentation and picking up McDonald's for the kids. This kept me from seeing Blake's "best song of the night" (according to Simon Cowell).

But based on the evidence of two songs, Blake looked like he tanked the contest. His expressionless, hollow performance on song number two was soundly beaten by Jordin's coming out party performance on her second song. And as for the signature third song--I thought the songwriting competition for this song was supposed to prevent it from being cheesy and over earnest?

Dancing with the Heroes' Gentleman

In my continuing effort to bring you whimsically astute reflections from television's finales, I watched bits and pieces of three season-enders on Monday night: Dancing with the Stars, Heroes, and The Bachelor.

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Dancing with the Stars

I saw Joey Fatone's last two dances and the freestyle dances of all three contestants. The best dance of the night was easily the show-closer where Fatone and his partner started slow, ripped off their exterior costumes and got down with flips and lifts and turns. Fatone's spread-eagle leap over his partner's head was the non-professional athletic move of the night. And his one handed total body flip (the other dance) was the second-best athletic move. So from what I saw (and I haven't watched much of this season), Fatone should be the winner.

Ohno and his partner were heaped with praise for their freestyle, but it just didn't wow me like Fatone's last dance. And Ali was impressive and strong--but bested by Fatone. We'll see who takes the shiny trophy on Tuesday's results show.

Heroes

True to form, Heroes resolved its story, answering as many questions as it posed. For this, in a post-Lost world, we are all thankful. Heroes' characters do not create the emotional pull of the characters on Lost, in fact, every one of them is emotionally expendable, if you think about it. Even if you're a super-fan. For me, the finale was a bit anti-climactic as most of it took place in a sterile office building (and it wasn't Die Hard-good) and it merely played out the actual events we've seen foretold and foretold and foretold.

A Very Desperate Episode

As an unexpected bonus for my faithful visitors I thought I would do a season finale recap/analysis for you as this year's new programming winds down.  

I missed the finales of The Office (my favorite) and Earl, but I did catch Housewives Sunday night and will likely be roped into The Bachelor for a few minutes by my wife. I will definitely be finishing the Heroes story arc as well.

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Desperate Housewives

Tom and Lynette

Recap: Tom and Lynette have been having problems. Tom opened a pizza restaurant and Lynette joined him behind the counter. She didn't like wearing the orange shirt. Her kids' babysitter was found to be housing her dead husband in the freezer--but this was all explained as quite natural considering he didn't leave her as the benefactor on his social security checks.

The Most Upsetting Moments on "American Idol"

With the shocking elimination of Melinda Doolittle from American Idol this week, it got me thinking about the biggest upsets in "Idol" history.

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10. Carrie Underwood beats Bo Bice for Idol title (Season 4).

9. Stephanie Edwards finishes three spots below Haley Scarnato (Season 6).

8. Ruben Studdard defeats Clay Aiken for Idol title (Season 2).

7. Elliott Yamin edges out Chris Daughtry for the final three (Season 5).

6. Taylor Hicks defeats Katharine McPhee for Idol title (Season 5).

5. Brian Dunkleman is eliminated from co-hosting role (after Season 1).

4. Tamyra Gray fails to make the final three (Season 1).

3. Sanjaya Malakar defeats Sundance Head for final spot in the top 12 (Season 6).

2. Sanjaya Malakar outlasts 17 superior talents in the top 24 (Season 6).

1. Season-long front-runner Melinda Doolittle fails to reach the finals (Season 6).

That's my list. Heavily slanted toward this year. This is partly because I didn't see very much of seasons 2-4, but it is also because this year seems to have been very unpredictable. Discuss.