Penelope

Last night Ciara and I watched the movie Penelope, with Reese Witherspoon and Christina Ricci. It was so good! :) Brandon was working at DQ and Luke was out of town on business, so we figured it was the perfect opportunity to watch what they were sure to consider "a chick flick". Turns out it really wasn't a chick flick, but it was a very good movie. Well made and quite entertaining.

Long story short - it is the story of a girl who is born with the appearance of a pig. (snout and ears) Her rich family had a curse put on them many years before that the next girl born into their family would look like a pig. Lots of boys were born, but then Penelope came along. The press went wild putting out pictures of the "pig girl" - the parents couldn't take it so they faked her death and had a funeral, then kept her locked away in their mansision where she read books and studied horticulture and had her own "back yard" in her bedroom. Finally, when Penelope is in her early 20's, they hire a matchmaker to find a suitable husband for her. The only problem is, when they get one look at her snout they take off running. All except for Max. A young man who is originally hired to take photos of her for profit - but calls the deal off when he finds that he has feelings for her. I won't give away the ending - but the curse can only be lifted if one of her own learns to love her, which is interpreted by her parents to mean a blueblood. Sadly, her own mother doesn't show her the love she needs because of her physical appearance.

It's a wonderful story of a girl who, by the world's standards, is not beautiful - but eventually and with much effort meets a man who loves her for her.Funny that I just posted about being beautiful in God's eyes and inner beauty and then we watched Penelope. It really is a fantastic movie - you should watch it! It came out on DVD yesterday.

Swingtown... Sickening

There's a new show airing on CBS the first week of June and it makes me sick every time the trailer plays. It's called SWINGTOWN, and based on what I've seen so far (I've no desire to see the show)it just makes my stomach turn.


Here's what CBS says about it's upcoming "crowd pleaser":
"SWINGTOWN, from the director of "Big Love" and "Rome," traces two generations of friends and neighbors as they forge intimate connections and explore new freedoms during the culturally transformative decade of the 1970s. It portrays the ever-shifting “swing” of the pendulum that reflected the change in America's collective value system -- morally, politically and socially.After moving to an upscale lakeside Chicago suburb in July of 1976, Susan and Bruce Miller must confront temptation in the form of their provocative new neighbors, Tom and Trina Decker, while not abandoning their old friends Janet and Roger Thompson. As the adult couples evaluate whether to embrace or avoid newfound personal freedoms, the curious Miller and Thompson children begin to discover and assert their own morality and sexual identities as they come of age in a world on the precipice of change. In a shifting social climate -- defined by its music, fashion and style -- everyone in SWINGTOWN is confronted with personal choices, experimentation and varying attitudes."

TV.COM says: "This new period drama takes viewers back to the 1970s for a look at suburban households testing the murky waters of sexual revolution following swingers throughout open marriages, "key parties" and other swingers extravaganzas"

Seriously... and we wonder why there is no value placed on marriage these days?!! What message is this sending to our teenagers? In a world where "everyone is 'doing it'" - we are sending out yet another message that there is absolutely nothing wrong with sleeping around... and worse yet, that it's ok to be unfaithful in marriage. DISGUSTING! I'm totally disappointed in CBS for airing such garbage.Of course I have a choice about what I allow into my home, and this show (among others) will not be viewed on the Hespe's TV. Makes me wonder... what's next?

Hairspray? Yes, thank you!

SO MUCH FUN! Ciara and I saw Hairspray last nite and loved it! John Travolta is a hoot.My goodness, how they convinced him to dress up as Edna Turnblat I'll never know, haha, but he was great. I wasn't sure what to expect from the movie, but the music was good and not overdone. I've never seen Hairspray before, so the whole movie was a surprise for me. I thought it was fabulous how Tracy's dream goes from being "Miss Teen Hairspray" to integrating the Corny Collins show to include black and white dancers, and to help people understand that even if you're not a size 2 Barbie Doll, you can still acheive your dreams. We laughed and laughed at some of our favorite actors; Christopher Walken (as John Travolta's husband - it was outrageously funny), Jerry Stiller as Mr. Pinky, Michele Pfeifer - the racist TV station manager, Amanda Bynes as the best friend and of course John Travolta as the Mom. Interestingly enough, Ricki Lake shows up in the audience in the movie and she was in one of the original Hairspray productions.

We couldn't convince Luke to go, but I think he really would have enjoyed it too. He and Brandon stayed home and watched a (grunt) "guy movie" - Braveheart.

Anyway, Ciara and I give this one 2 thumbs up... so go see it if you can, I think it's sure to please.