books and movies

We Walker and Peterson and Lepine sibs went to the movies on Christmas day (was that Christmas day?). We compromised (as some wanted "Up in the Air" and others wanted "Avatar") with Sherlock Holmes, but when we arrived it was already sold out and our only option left was Avatar.

Gene Edward Veith says exactly what Jack and I said about the movie, after seeing it:

"But this {anti-war} political theme, along with the radical environmentalism and pantheistic religiosity, is not what makes this a bad movie. It is possible to portray liberalism, environmentalism, and pantheism with subtlety, complexity, and creativity. Avatar, on the contrary, is stereotyped, cliched, predictable, preachy, sappy, and (ironically) one-dimensional. The characters are superficial, the dialogue is laughable, and there is absolutely no irony, wit, or self-awareness.

Visually, though, the movie is fun to watch. The cinematography, the computer effects, the editing, and the visual spectacle are impressive."

Just how cliched was it? This cliched.

Jack and I did, later, see "Up in the Air". It was a good movie. I wouldn't say it's "everything Hollywood has forgotten how to do," but I enjoyed it, and the acting was stellar.

My sister and her husband have resolved to do 52 in 52 this year. It seems like a good idea. But I laughed when she suggested it, because I can easily read 52 books in a year, many of them slightly embarrassing for an English teacher to admit to. Ah well. My first, read in the car from Georgia to Arkansas on January 1, was Agatha Christie's "At Bertram's Hotel," and it was a satisfying little mystery.


I do hereby resolve that not all my 52 will be mystery novels and parenting books. But a lot of them just might be :-)