Experience With The Time Traveler's Wife

Even though the film The Time Traveler's Wife film came out in August, Steve and I didn't go see it. We actually haven't seen many films in the theaters at all for several months since it costs $25-$35 per flick and we're working on saving money. Although the movie looked very interesting to me, I'm glad I didn't see it then because I wouldn't have had the unique experience this week.

This quarter the husband is taking a course taught by a creative executive (a.k.a executive producer) at New Line Cinema. She used The Time Traveler's Wife as a case study for the 12 students in the class and assigned them to read the book, then the several versions of scripts for the film, then the director's cut for the first test screening, and then see the final theatrical release. The husband invited me to read and discuss the steps along with him, but I wasn't as interested until he said I could come to see the movie with the class in a screening room at New Line Cinema.

When I finally had a minute to pick up the book last Friday, I did not think I would be able to finish it before the screening, but I started anyway. I knew I was in trouble when I read the book for 4 hours on Saturday and thought about the characters, and the story the entire time I ran errands and cleaned. I was hooked.

The rush of pleasure was like eating a whole bag of chocolate Twix bars when I sat down with a blanket in my pajamas on a Sunday afternoon, knowing that it was actually okay since I had no pressing work or anywhere to go for the rest of the day. The husband came over to kiss me, give me a drink of water and hug me a few times, but before I knew it, it was 10:30 p.m. I wave of guilt washed over me, thinking I missed an opportunity to call my mom and tell her about a successful Halloween night, or to call and hear any adventures from my sisters or nieces.

I took the book to work, but left it in the car to as to not be tempted before lunch. I read it the entire hour and begrudgingly left it in the car as I went back up to my office. Monday night, the only two television shows I watch were moved because of some silly baseball game, so I had an evening to... uh... clean? I think not. I returned to the same spot on the couch to read about Clare and handsome Henry, who was pained and frustrated with the lack of control over his unique "ailment" of time travel.

I even dreamed about it that night. I tried to fix their problems in my mind and I replayed their conversations over and over. The crazy thing is that I wasn't even particularly impressed with the book! Several things about the way it was written bothered me. But the story was captivating, and it was the first time I could ever wrap my brain around time travel somewhat realistically.

I surprised myself when I finished the book Monday night. The screening wasn't until last night (Wednesday), so what was I going to do for an entire day? I read the scripts. I picked up the earliest script and read it at lunch. Interestingly, I learned that the producers had 6-7 drafts and went through several script writers before coming to the final version, and even then, they re-shot and re-filmed a few scenes after the test screenings!

I was pleased with the script. It took the edginess that bothered me somewhat in the book, and removed the over-abundance of sexuality and nearly all of the vulgarity. I hurried home after work, met the husband, traveled over to Beverly Hills and parked in the underground parking of a large, office building that rests atop a long string of expensive clothing (all of which I'm confident I'd look terrible in), furniture (who knew Armani sold furniture?), and makeup boutiques. (It's right across the street from the Beverly Hills MAC (makeup) store. Oh... how I wanted to go over there!)

The screening room was your normal small theater with a large projector screen and about 25-30 larger-sized theater seats. The teacher is a petite, down-to-earth woman with shoulder-length, half-curly blonde hair and she wore a black trendy blazer with sleek denim slacks. She gathered everyone's assignments and without further ado, started the film.

All in all, the film lacked something for me. First of all, I have no problem with films being different than books. They have to be. A book is a cerebral experience; a movie is a visual and auditory experience. If a film was done exactly like a book, it'd be sooooo booooring. In fact, I believe that a movie should be different and be able to stand on its own and be engaging in its own right. However, the only time it actually engaged me emotionally (which the book did so exceptionally) was a scene that was written and filmed after two test-screenings, was not in the book, and was different than the screenplay I read at lunch!

I was a little jarred when no one moved a muscle when the credits began to roll. I watched the names carefully, and everyone applauded when their class instructor's name appeared under "Executive Producer." After the lights came on everyone discussed the changes, the additions, and the process in whole. I learned it took about 5-6 years from the time New Line acquired the book option to the actual release, the budget was $39 million, and actual profit (above and beyond expenses) is up to $31 million--well over projection. Although the film never was #1 in the box office, nor did it get rave reviews, it still made money. Good for them.

Overall, the film did tell the story well. It's a difficult story to tell since it asks a lot of its viewers to suspend disbelief -- time travel, multiplicity, a relationship that existed even before they met officially, etc. If you're curious about this process, rent the DVD when it comes out. You'll be able to see the original ending, and several completely different cut scenes.

I don't know if I would have liked the movie any more if I hadn't have read the book... or the script. I had different expectations than what was presented, and it was difficult for me to accept them. When I was watching it, I saw actors presenting scenes; I was not washed over with an overwhelming love story as the book and the script presented. Perhaps it was a disconnect in the directing, perhaps it was the fact that I did have preconceived ideas. That being said, I'll never know how it could be any different... since I can't go back in time and change anything.

Transformers: More Than the Eye Can Meet

The Transformers movie-going experience started last week with the purchase of tickets to The Proposal. "You OK with going to the 10:00 p.m. IMAX showing of Transformers next Wednesday?" the husband asked over the phone as he stood in front of the self-pay kiosk at the theaters across the street from my work office. He had arrived a little early to pick me up that day so he "wandered" over to the theaters for a little weekend preparation (The Proposal, particularly).

I knew Transformers was one worthy of the 6-story IMAX screen, 10:00 p.m. sounds a lot better than the 12:01 a.m. showings we've dragged ourselves to in the past. "Sounds great," I affirmed. He selected seats closest to our favorites as possible, swiped the card, and $54.00 later, we have tickets to two flicks.

And I didn't have a second thought about it till Monday night.

"Did you see the tickets?" he asked, shuffling around his pile of textbooks and scripts on the dining table. "I left them right here..."

Suddenly a flash of the previous afternoon's hurried straightening of the area for a late Sunday lunch flitted across my mind. I had recalled seeing a receipt and what I assumed were random movie stubs. And then picking them up. And thinking they were like the dozens of other ticket stubs that we both leave lying around (which is one of the drawbacks of seeing dozens of movies in a short period of time). And tossing them in the kitchen garbage. And then taking that garbage to the dumpster.

Steve spent the rest of the evening combing the house, reshuffling the textbooks and scripts, and even dumpster diving. Unfortunately --and fortunately-- the garbage truck had been there that morning so it was obvious our white, Costo-brand kitchen garbage bag with red ties was long gone. No need to delve through 2-day-old meat trimmings and vegetable peels...

Steve drove over to the theater to speak with a manager about our plight, but apparently they don't keep records of individual transactions. It's not like tickets to a play where they have your name, the day you purchased them and exactly where you're sitting somewhere in a database. Which has caused me to think, "Why don't they keep that information?" Wouldn't producers and theater owners want to have more detailed stats of who is seeing what movie?

Film industry infrastructure analyzation aside, all we could do was to talk to the house manager the night of the show, and hope he can help us out. Skipping ahead to Wednesday (last night), we came to the theater armed with a copy of our bank statement's transaction of $54.00 to the Bridge Cinemas, but no proof of which movie, let alone which seats we selected.

The guy was great. Steve recalled where on the screen he selected the little green squares, and vaguely recalling the numbers "K1 and 2." He gave us a little manager's pass and we slipped into the two open seats we believed to be ours.

When no one came and challenged us for "K1 and 2" as the lights dimmed, we quietly rejoiced in our fortune. All the seats were filled around us, and Steve knew he selected seats on this side. But then, a couple came right to our row. My stomach tightened a little.

But then the usher called to a man sitting in "J5," the row right in front of us. They had some discussion and the man previously sitting in J5 left. Apparently he had J5 for another 10:00 showing of Transformers.

The film began to start and I began to relax. But then another couple came right to our row and the usher again examined the tickets with his flashlight. "That's it," I thought. "We're screwed."

Imagine my delight when he called to the people sitting in "K5 and 6." Same deal as the guy sitting in J5. "Phew!" I thought. "What are the odds?"

So our eyes almost didn't meet Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. But as the cool IMAX graphics warmed up that massive screen, and the digital surround sound sweeps around, impressing our ears with its power, I finally relaxed.

Cool things about seeing Transformers in IMAX:

1. The cool graphics at the beginning.
2. No pre-show ads or 25 minutes of preview trailers.
   
3. The picture is so big, I could totally see Megan Fox's fake eyelashes coming off in the corner of her eye in one scene.
4. The sounds of the machines transforming for battle is really cool.
   
5. The 'sploshions are really, really big.

Cool things about Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

1. The 'sploshions are really, really big.
   
2. . . . ?
   

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the movie, but I didn't expect much when I went. I laughed. I thought the effects were cool. You definitely get your money's worth in special effects! And yes, Megan Fox is a beautiful woman. Her striking blue eyes accentuated by ridiculously obvious thick fake lashes and perfectly plumped, gloss-covered lips were well highlighted in several scenes. I have a feeling, however, that most of the cheering, gawking audience wasn't paying attention to her, um, eyes.

But how she maintained pristinely white pants while running through the dusty streets of Jordan or Egypt (or wherever they were), and kept on sexy heels while running from the machined monsters throughout the movie, was beyond me.

And can someone tell me why these advanced, emotional machines -- who can fly, shoot bombs from their arms and land on top of skyscrapers with surgical precision -- when they're fighting, they stand erect and hit each other like the little red and blue boxing guys toy from the '70s?

So about the story? Well... um... did I mention that it has really cool effects?

That being said, the "really cool effects" sortof bothered me at times. I mean, those inorganic alien machines transform so quickly, and their metallic detail is so fine, when they're fighting around, hitting each other with earthquake-creating force, they look (and sound) like the inside of a sink garbage disposal when an entire drawer of forks and spoons gets dumped inside.

Where the first Transformers was eye candy, there is SO MUCH fighting in this movie, it turns into day-after-Halloween candy overload. It's more than the eye can handle.

At the end of the movie, we sat through the entire credit roll with three-quarters of the audience, I suppose waiting for something. Perhaps that little extra scene that producers throw in every now and then? Perhaps we wanted more... as if there should be more to meet the eye.

(Okay, okay... I'll lay off the puns now. My Dad would be proud of those, you know.)

And one more tidbit of the movie-going experience for the Crowes: While we were watching the credits, a group of people cheered when someone's name appeared on the screen. Awww... how cute. Someone got a credit for working on the flick and he brought his friends to see it. Only in LA...

The Proposal: Say Yes!

I adored The Proposal! Definitely a fun date movie. Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds have great chemistry. They're both funny, they both have character depth, and it's easy to fall in love with both of them.

There's something about Ryan Reynolds that really impressed me. He has this kind of charismatic affability, I feel like if I met him at a party, he would be super hot-nice, and I'd have a blast flirting with him. (If I were still in that dating scene, I mean.)

And Sandra Bullock looks fantastic still, and is as great of an actress as always.

Overall, it was very well casted and easy to watch.

I left feeling like I wanted more of the both of them, and I wanted to see another movie right then! So I talked Steve into seeing another movie. The only other one out that we hadn't seen yet was Year One. Big mistake.

But I do recommend The Proposal.

The Soloist - "Eh."

I saw this the weekend it came out more than a month ago, but thought I'd include this here now anyway.

Acting by Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx was SUPERB, but particularly Robert Downey. I related to him and empathized with him, and he had a great character arc. I also think it was well-cast, including the ex-wife/newspaper editor. They portrayed a newsroom well -- cluttered and noisy. (I have a thing about authentication.) And I'd say the writing was decent too.

But there was just something "off" about the flick. I left feeling "eh." I should have been inspired to go out and serve the 90,000 homeless in L.A. that night, but it just didn't have any punch. There were a couple of scenes that were way too long and the flashes into the mind of a schizophrenic were too drawn out. They didn't pull you back in to the story like A Beautiful Mind or Shine.

Afterward, the husband said it didn't work because of the way it was edited. It's been said that a movie is made or broken in the editing room. This one broke.

"UP" is... well... emotional.

I am not sure what I expected when it came to this new Pixar/Disney flick where the hero is an old, ornery guy. Thankfully, the soft, tender side of the old guy was established at the beginning and I really began to adore the square-faced, square-fingered senior! (By the way, even his fingerprints are square. Hilarious.)

What I didn't expect, however, was how emotional it was. You fall in love with his wife, Ellie, and in the "growing up" montage Pixar tells a brilliant life story without any words (a style they mastered, I believe, with WallE), and that sequence was a tear-jerker in and of itself.

That doesn't mean Up is a cry-fest. It's genuinely funny--for kids and adults alike. And that roar of genuine kid laughter is like music, almost as sweet as the musical refrain that was the husband/wife theme throughout the movie. The cast of misfit characters complemented each other well, and quotable one-liners from each of them peppered the story delightfully.

There were a few things that didn't sit right with me, though. It stretched the Hollywood believability too far with the house/hose thing, and it was a little slow at times. The latter, however, may be due to the fact that I've seen so many fast-paced action flicks that I've forgotten kid movies need to go a little slower.

Overall, go see the flick... with your family.

And by the way, the little "pre-feature feature" called Partly Cloudy should win an award. It was adorably funny.

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian - Fun, Family Flick

I must admit, I was weary after being blown at from Terminator the night before. So Night...Smithsonian was a welcome, light relief. It's not fair to compare the two, but that was my experience. Night...Smithsonian was a slower-paced, kid-friendly comedy, peppered with the historical facts like the first one, but of course taken to the next level.

The slower pace allows 6-to-11-year-olds time to get the jokes aimed at right at them. There were moments I smiled and chuckled at the caricatures created by consistent, strong actors, but I was bored several times. "OK, the joke is done," I thought. "Can we move on now?"

But just as I was thinking that, I noticed that the kids around me were laughing... honestly laughing. And they laughed harder as the joke pushed on! That made my night. I have to take my hat off to the writers for delivering an age-appropriate jokes, and thank the producers for an un-corny, squeaky-clean comedy for the family.

Terminator Salvation: Johnny-Connor-One-Note...

Gritty, lots of explosions and weak on plot. And it's the same thing over and over for two hours.

I've been a MASSIVE fan of Christian Bale since Empire of the Sun, when he was about 14 years old. And then there was Newsies. (I don't need to say any more on that here...) I missed his crazy dark indie movies, but rejoiced when I saw him come back to the mainstream with Batman Begins. So needless to say I was looking forward to seeing him again. However, he has this mole-growth on the inside of the bridge of his nose near his eye that gets bigger and bigger every movie. I know... shallow, but hey, it bugged me. Apparently he's been too busy working to take a couple days and get it removed.

The whole thing is one loud, gray explosion after another. It doesn't go anywhere, no one's characters really develop, and there isn't anyone you really want to root for. It has the pieces of a decent story, but didn't deliver. That's not to say that the original Terminators were deeply moving scripts, but hey, the bar has been raised for action remakes. So if you can't cut it, we're not going to like it.

And the digital cameo was laughably ridiculous.

Star Trek: See It!

Star Trek is the finest popcorn movie I've seen since Dark Knight. It's not gritty and edgy like other action flick remakes have become since Batman Begins, but that doesn't mean it's fluffy or trite. It was well scripted, funny, cool to watch, well acted and all around well done.

While it's been said "It's not your father's Star Trek," it doesn't mean that Trekkie geeks and cool people wouldn't enjoy it alike. I haven't met a soul who hasn't enjoyed this movie. There's no need to go into detail, just see this one before it leaves the theater this summer!

Never Thought I'd Be a Movie Person

But here I am in the film entertainment capital of the world, continually learning "The Industry" nuances, quirks, and cutthroat business ethics. OK, so I'm only experiencing it second hand, but it counts, right?

When I was in high school, a young man took me to see Mission Impossible on my birthday. It was a few days after the film had been released to general theaters, and I remember making a mental note that it was the first time I've ever been to a movie on opening weekend.

Now, if we don't see a movie the night it opens, opening weekend or even before (when possible), we don't see it in the theater at all. Now we require reserved seating, digital projection, and leather memory foam seats we'll find a showing that does offer those essential amenities. Well, we're almost that snobby.

While my critical eye is being honed with each book I read or each morsel of Industry knowledge the husband throws my way, I just love movies. Period. I love them for what they're worth, and what they can do to a human soul. The combination of a brilliant score, exceptional acting and out-of-this-world special effects, and a solid storyline/screenplay makes one of the most powerful tools of influence in the world today.

So, in my wish-I-were-ever-humble opinion, I will drop my two cents on each flick I take in. I've created a "Category List" on the right panel and a search function for your convenience.