Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

One of the "touristy" things I wanted to do while in New York City was to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.  I chose a wet and muggy day for this excursion but the weather did not detract from the grandeur of this amazing monument known as "Liberty Enlightening the World."  It is certainly easy to see why immigrants coming to America viewed it as a beacon of hope.  It is quite stunning!

Since it was raining I didn't stay very long on Liberty Island but I did get the audio guide and listened to it while I walked around the boardwalk.  I learned a lot of interesting tidbits, such as it took 21 years to build and it is 151 feet and 1 inch tall.

After about an hour on Liberty Island, I took the ferry to Ellis Island and the historian in me was completely overwhelmed!

It is amazing to me to think that over 12 million people came through Ellis Island looking for a better life in America. I started my visit with the documentary Island of Hope, Island of Tears, which was very interesting, and then I wandered through the exhibits.  Many of the exhibits that I remembered from my last visit (many years ago) had been damaged by Hurricane Sandy but I was still quite awed by the Registry Room.

I found Ellis Island to be fascinating and I highly recommend a visit.

Love & Friendship

I am a huge fan of Jane Austen and when I first heard of the movie Love & Friendship, based on Austen's novella Lady Susan, it went near the top of my must see list at the Sundance Film Festival this year!  I thought it was absolutely hilarious so I was thrilled to be able to see it again in wide release.  The recently widowed, and penniless, Lady Susan (Kate Beckinsale) is forced to stay with her brother-in-law and his family after a scandalous affair with the husband of her friend and hostess.  She immediately sets her sights on her sister-in-law's brother, the handsome Reginald DeCourcy (Xavier Samuel), to the dismay of his family.  She also contrives a match for her daughter Frederica (Morfydd Clark) with the dimwitted Sir James Martin (Tom Bennett).  Despite all of her scheming and manipulations, Lady Susan's plans go awry much to the delight of everyone in the audience!  I loved James Fleet and Jemma Redgrave as Sir and Lady DeCourcy and there is a delightful scene where they attempt to read a letter from their daughter (the original novella is epistolary).  I also really enjoyed Chloe Sevigny as Alicia Johnson, Lady Susan's closest confidante, and Stephen Fry as Mr. Johnson, Alicia's disapproving husband ("He's too old to be governable but too young to die.")  However, it is Tom Bennett who steals the show as Sir James.  I laughed out loud at just about every scene he is in, particularly when he enthusiastically dances, when he discusses the Twelve Commandments, and when he eats peas at the dinner table.  So funny! I loved just about every aspect of this film, the stately country homes, the opulent costumes, and the charming score by Mark Suozzo, but perhaps my favorite device was introducing the dramatis personae with fish-eye close-ups with and amusing character descriptions (Lady Susan's companion is described as someone who packs and unpacks things and Sir James is described as a bit of a "rattle").  If you like a good comedy of manners, then do yourself a favor and see this delightful film as soon as possible.

Big River at HCT

Last night (on my birthday!) I had the chance to see Big River at Hale Centre Theatre.  Based on the classic novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, this wonderful musical tells the story of Huck Finn and his friendship with Jim, a runaway slave, as they travel down the Mississippi River. I loved it!  I have seen this show before (at Hale Theatre) but I forgot just how beautiful the music is!  I especially loved the songs "Muddy Waters," "River in the Rain," and "Worlds Apart" sung by Huck (Matthew Clark Richards) and Jim (Conlon Bonner).  Their voices harmonized so well together and their duets are definitely a highlight of the show.  I also really enjoyed Huck's rendition of "Waitin' For The Light To Shine" and Jim basically made me cry with "Free at Last."  Both Richards and and Bonner give incredible performances but I was especially touched by Bonner's heart-felt portrayal of Jim. This production has a large supporting cast, many of whom are new to HCT.  My favorites include John Lee Roring as The Duke because he has the best facial expressions and his rendition of "The Royal Nonesuch" is absolutely hilarious, Stephen Kerr as Pap Finn because his raucous rendition of "Guv'ment" had the entire audience laughing out loud, and Rachelle Elbert as Mary Jane Wilkes because her  performance in "You Oughta Be Here With Me" gave me goosebumps!  In addition to the beautiful songs and the great performances, I would recommend getting a ticket to this production because of the impressive set.  The stage literally becomes a river, complete with a 9,000 gallon tank of water, on which Huck and Jim float their raft and, at times, there is even real rain and fog.  It is incredible! It was a great way to spend my birthday and, once again, I highly recommend this show.  Tickets can be purchased here, but get them quickly because many shows are sold out!

Me Before You

I loved the movie Me Before You!  Sometimes when I really love a book I'm a little hesitant to see the movie because, let's face it, the book is always better!  While this adaptation of Jojo Moyes' best-selling novel is very faithful to the source material (except for one element which I thought was a turning point in the plot of the book but its absence didn't detract from the movie), it is the performances of Emilia Clarke as Lou and Sam Claflin as Will that made me love it so much.  Clarke is endearing as the free-spirited, optimistic, and eccentric Lou and she is able to convey so many different emotions with just a facial expression, particularly in the scenes when Will is showing so much disapproval of her, when she is overcome by the music at the Mozart concert (my favorite scene in the book), when she learns to scuba dive, and when she tells Will that she loves him.  You know exactly how she is feeling all the time which is how I imagined her in the book. In some respects, Claflin gives an even more affecting performance because he has only his facial expressions to convey his emotions since he is portraying a quadriplegic (he is so still).  I laughed and laughed at his antics when he is introduced to Lou and I laughed again at his interaction with Patrick (Matthew Lewis, from the Harry Potter movies) at Lou's birthday party.  I cried so hard when he tells Lou his plans at the end of their vacation in Mauritius (and so did everyone around me).  My favorite scene in the movie is when they "dance" at Alicia's wedding.  The camera follows them as they turn on the dance floor and everyone around them fades away.  It is such an absolutely beautiful shot (although I couldn't help but love it because Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" is playing in the background).  I'm not usually one for weepy romances (I've never seen a Nicholas Sparks movie!) but I loved this movie because it emphasizes the fact that it is your duty to live life as fully as possible.  I highly recommend it, but bring a box of kleenex!

Summer Reading: Me Before You

I picked Me Before You by Jojo Moyes to read first because I wanted to finish it before the movie came out (I am seeing it tonight!). It is a quick and easy read that requires a box of kleenex but it doesn't feel at all emotionally manipulative and it is so much more than just a romance novel. I absolutely loved it!  Louisa Clark is living an ordinary and conventional life at home with her parents with a dead-end job and a steady boyfriend with whom she has very little in common. Will Traynor was a globe-trotting corporate big-shot until an accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. When Lou is let go from her job she is inexplicably hired to be Will's caregiver for a period of six months despite the fact that she has no qualifications. An instant animosity develops between the two of them until she inadvertently learns that Will is planning an assisted suicide at the end of those six months and that she has been hired to lift his spirits and give him a reason to live. She immediately begins planning outings for him, some more successful than others. Their relationship slowly develops into something more and her attempt to save his life changes her own life forever. I found both of these characters to be engaging and entirely believable and I loved the message of living life to the fullest. I also really enjoyed all of the comedic elements in the novel, especially when Will attends Lou's birthday party. My favorite part of the novel is when Will takes Lou to a symphony concert (which she is hesitant to do because it is something she has never done before) and she is completely swept away by the music. This novel made me angry, it made me laugh, and it made me cry (I finished reading it on the porch of our cabin at Bear Lake and the fact that I was crying made Marilyn mad because she didn't want any spoilers). I highly recommend it and I highly recommend stepping outside your comfort zone to live life to the fullest!

Note:  I hope the movie is good!