Steel Magnolias at HCT

Before Steel Magnolias was a popular movie, it was a play written by Robert Harling as a way for him to deal with the death of his sister from complications resulting from diabetes. I loved the movie so I was really excited to see Hale Theatre's production of the play last night. I laughed out loud many times and I admit that I wiped a tear from my eye. The story is about the bond a group of women, including Truvy Jones (Michelle Linn Hall), Annelle Dupuy (Amy Ware), Clairee Belcher (Teri Cowan), M'Lynn Eatenton (DeLayne Bluth Dayton), Shelby Eatenton (Madison Ford), and Ouiser Boudreaux (Jayne Luke), share in a small town in Louisiana and how they cope with the death of one of their own. The action takes place over several years in Truvy's beauty shop where the women meet to discuss the triumphs and challenges of their lives. Through it all the women support each other saying that they might be as delicate as magnolia flowers but, when it comes to adversity, they are as tough as steel. All six of the actresses are superb and very well suited to their roles but my favorite was definitely Luke! Ouiser has some of the best dialogue in the show ("I'm not crazy! I've just been in a very bad mood for forty years.") and Luke's delivery is absolutely hilarious with lots of physical comedy. The characters are very well known and I associated them with the actresses who portrayed them in the movie so I was pleasantly surprised that each actress in this production was able to make the character her own. The set is a lot of fun with all of the accoutrements of a real beauty parlor and they actually work! Annelle literally washes and sets M'Lynn's hair during one scene. I loved all of the wacky seasonal decorations, made by Annelle after she discovers arts and crafts, to denote the different time periods. The 1980s period costumes are a hoot and I especially liked all of Shelby's outfits in different shades of pink (her signature color). The best thing about this show is the message that you can get through anything with the support of your friends! I really enjoyed this heart-warming production and I highly recommend it (especially if you are a fan of the movie). It runs at HCT through June 1 (go here for tickets and information).

The Wedding Guest

I am a big fan of action thrillers and I am also a fan of Dev Patel so I was excited to see The Wedding Guest yesterday afternoon at my favorite art house theater.  A mysterious man named Jay (Patel) travels from London to Lahore, Pakistan.  He methodically and efficiently makes his way from Lahore to Islamabad, frequently changing vehicles and identities, and purchases guns, duct tape, and a suitcase.  He tells people that he is on his way to attend a family wedding but it turns out that he has been hired to kidnap the bride, Samira (Radhika Apte), by her secret lover, Deepesh (Jim Sarbh).  When the plan goes awry, Deepesh loses his nerve and wants Jay to return Samira to her family but she sees Jay as a way to escape from an arranged marriage and convinces him to go on the run through India.  Patel is great as an action hero (I would like to see him in more roles like this) and Apte gives a highly nuanced performance as a victim who might be more than she seems and their chemistry together is smoldering.  The plot is engaging because the audience never really knows who is playing whom and the action is full of suspense and intrigue.  I really enjoyed the first two acts but, after such a dramatic build up, the resolution does not really deliver what was incipiently promised and it loses focus.  However, two hours of Dev Patel, frequently shirtless, does have its compensations!

Note:  I am looking forward to seeing Dev Patel once again when Hotel Mumbai is released next weekend!

Us

Last night I went to see Us, the brilliant new horror movie from Jordan Peele that I am still thinking about.  In 1986 a little girl named Adelaide (Madison Curry) is visiting the boardwalk on Santa Cruz beach.  She wanders away from her parents and goes into a Hall of Mirrors attraction where she sees her physical double.  This encounter traumatizes her but her parents are never able to get her to talk about what happened.  In the present day Adelaide (Lupita Nyong'o) returns to Santa Cruz on vacation with her husband Gabe (Winston Duke), her daughter Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph), and son Jason (Evan Alex).  She is uneasy and seems to fear being at the beach.  When she wants to leave, she finally confides what happened to her husband saying she senses that her double is still out there.  Moments later the doubles of all four family members break into their house and terrorize them.  This movie is incredibly suspenseful and the tension is almost unbearable but there are also some really funny comedic elements which lighten the mood periodically.  It is pretty gruesome (you will never look at scissors in the same way again) as the family tries to elude and then kill their doubles but it is also quite metaphorical and thought-provoking as the mystery of who the doubles are finally unravels.  Everything, literally everything, in this movie is portentous and full of symbolism so you really need to pay attention (and perhaps see it again) and there is a plot twist that is absolutely mind-blowing!  If you can handle the gore, I highly recommend this movie for its brilliant mixture of horror, comedy, and social commentary.

To Kill A Mockingbird

Unbelievably, the only time I have ever seen the movie To Kill A Mockingbird is when we watched it in my ninth grade English class after reading the novel!  I was so happy for the opportunity yesterday to see it again, this time on the big screen, as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series.  It is a brilliant adaptation of one of my very favorite novels and it had a very powerful impact on me.  Jem (Phillip Alford) and Scout (Mary Badham) Finch learn that their father Atticus (Gregory Peck) is a hero when he defends an innocent black man named Tom Robinson (Brock Peters) against a charge of rape, even though he knows he will lose, simply because it is the right thing to do.  They also learn not to judge people until they have seen things from their perspective through their interactions with the reclusive Boo Radley (Robert Duvall). Peck gives an incredible performance as one of the most beloved characters in literature and there is a moment when he is giving his summation to the jury that took my breath away!  I love how this scene was filmed because as he leans towards the jury he is looking directly into the camera so it seems as if he is talking to the audience.  It is so powerful and I hoped against hope that the jury would be convinced and return a different verdict.  Another moment that I found especially poignant was when all of the black people sitting in the gallery rise as a sign of respect as Atticus walks out of the courtroom.  It brought a tear to my eye!  The young actors, Alford, Badham, and John Megna as their friend Dill, also give wonderful performances as precocious, yet innocent, children who must learn difficult life lessons.  I loved the scene where Jem refuses to leave his father alone when facing a lynch mob and the scene where Scout walks Boo Radley home.  Finally, I loved Elmer Bernstein's haunting score and the realistic sets representing the sleepy town of Maycomb, Alabama during the Depression.  It was an incredible experience seeing this beautiful movie on the big screen and I highly encourage everyone to take advantage of one last opportunity to see it on Wednesday (go here for information and tickets).

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at CPT

I have a distinct memory of watching the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with my sisters at one of the PTA summer movies when I was in elementary school (do they still have this program at elementary schools?) so I thought it would be fun to see it performed by CenterPoint Theatre last night. It was just delightful! The Potts children, Jeremy (Preston Spencer) and Jemima (Kaylee Call), love playing with their favorite car, which happened to win the Grand Prix back in the day, at a junk yard. When it is sold for scrap metal they beg their father, an eccentric inventor named Caractacus Potts (Ryan Zaugg), to buy it instead. Caractacus raises the money through a series of inventions such as a candy making machine and a hair cutting machine. He restores the car and, renaming it Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, takes the children and Truly Scrumptious (Alisa Woodbrey) to the seaside for a picnic where they discover that the car can float and fly. Two Vulgarian spies (Clark Bullen and Kannon Servoss) see this and want to steal it for the Baron and Baroness Bomburst (Mark Gurney and Jessica Love, respectively) who love toys. They kidnap Grandpa Potts (David Nielsen) so the family take Chitty to Vulgaria to rescue him and banish the Baron and Baroness. This production is not quite as polished as some of the others I have seen at CPT but the reason why I like community theatre is because it is so quirky. Everyone involved gave it their all and there were several highlights. Spencer and Call are adorable as the Potts children, especially in "Truly Scrumptious." I also really enjoyed the children's ensemble and "Teamwork" is definitely the best of the big song and dance numbers. Bullen and Servoss are hilarious as the Vulgarian spies and I loved watching their facial expressions and their physical comedy. The set pieces are a lot of fun, particularly the breakfast making machine, and it is really clever how they are able to make Chitty fly! However, the very best part of this show is Zaugg's performance as Caractacus because he has a lovely voice. The songs "You Too" and "Hushabye Mountain" are absolutely beautiful. I enjoyed this show and I recommend it, especially for children (go here for information and tickets).