Adventures in Fillmore

All last week my parents and my sister Marilyn were camping at one of my family's favorite camping spots: the KOA in Fillmore.  I joined them on Wednesday and stayed until yesterday.  It was an incredibly relaxing five days and I had such a wonderful time!  Over the years I have really grown to enjoy the RV lifestyle.  You meet people from all over the country and everyone stops to chat and debate the merits of various types of RVs.  Most people are very intrigued by Marilyn's little trailer.  We even gave a couple of people a tour of the inside (even though it was a bit messy with a week's worth of stuff strewn about).  I like the people we meet because they are friendly, adventurous, and have great stories (and most of them have dogs).

We all really like the KOA in Fillmore.  The facilities are fabulous and the people who run it are some of the nicest people you will ever meet.  They are on a first name basis with us (and our dogs).

We were in spots right next to each other.  My parents slept in the motor home and I stayed with Marilyn in her trailer.  It was almost like one giant slumber party because we would sometimes get laughing so hard we couldn't stop.  Needless to say, we didn't get much sleep at night (which meant that naps were required during the day).

It was so relaxing because we didn't have to wake up at any particular time and we didn't have to eat at any particular time.  There wasn't anything that we had to do.  In many ways, this has been a difficult summer and it felt so great to have some down time.  We all spent a lot of time outside reading.  I finished two books and started a third.  Marilyn even brought her sewing machine and finished a quilt.

One of our favorite things to do when it got dark was to set up the TV and have an outdoor movie complete with popcorn.  I am so glad that we got to spend this time together doing what we absolutely love: camping!

Past adventures in Fillmore here, here, here, here, and here.

Utah Shakespeare Festival 2015

This season is the final one in which the Adams Memorial Theatre will be used for the Utah Shakespeare Festival.  It has been in operation since 1977 and the first play I saw there, Shakespeare's The Tempest, was in 1989 while on a college trip.  I have returned almost every year since and have many wonderful memories of the amazing performances I've seen, including Patrick Page in Richard III and Brian Vaughn in Hamlet.  Sam Ashdown's portrayal of Prince Hal in last year's Henry IV Part One is also among one of my favorites so it is especially fitting that my final performance "within this Wooden O" was to see him reprise his role in Henry IV Part Two.

I also bought a ticket to see Amadeus and made the drive to Cedar City Monday morning in time to see the matinee performance.  The movie adaptation of the stage play is one of my favorites and I actually credit it with turning me into a fan of classical music (it was the first movie I ever owned) so I was looking forward to seeing it.  The movie is quite different from the stage play (Peter Shaffer wrote the play before the screenplay) but I eventually stopped comparing the two because this version is so powerful and I was completely drawn into the story of rival composers Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.  David Ivers, one of my favorite actors/directors of the festival, gives an incredibly intense and passionate performance as Salieri.  He transforms from the stooped and wheelchair-bound older Salieri into the composer in his prime right before our eyes by merely substituting his coat, wig, and facial expression.  I have never seen anything like it before and it is repeated several times.  His agony is palpable when Salieri rails against God for giving such an unworthy man the talent he covets.  Tasso Feldman does a wonderful job as Mozart (he even has a great laugh) but Ivers dominates every scene, even when he is just eavesdropping on Mozart from behind a tall chair.  The supporting cast is excellent and I particularly enjoyed John Pribyl as Emperor Joseph II and Brandon Burk and Anthony Simone as the Vinticelli (Little winds).  The costumes are magnificent and I was struck by the opulence of Mozart's frock coats at the beginning of the play in contrast to the muted colors he wears as he sinks further and further into penury.  I loved the addition of Mozart's music, especially the operas, into many of the scenes.  This production of Amadeus rocked me (I couldn't resist) and I highly recommend it.

It rained all day so I was really disappointed that Henry IV Part Two might be moved from the Adams to the indoor stage.  I desperately wanted to see it outside to have one final memory in that magical theatre.  Luckily, the rain stopped just in time for the Greenshow (pictured above) and I enjoyed it very much while eating a tart (I ran into my friend Joe and he bought me another one).

Henry IV Part Two is not as exciting as the first one (It is rarely performed) because it is dealing with the aftermath of what has happened but I found it to be just as engrossing because of the resolution of these events, particularly the transformation of a wayward prince into a noble king and the reconciliation between father and son.  There are some hilarious moments with Falstaff (John Ahlin), the prince's unsuitable friend.  Ahlin is a master of physical comedy and I, along with everyone in the theatre, laughed out loud when he tries to get up off the floor and when he recruits men to go to battle with him.  However, I waited the entire play for the final scene between Prince Hal and King Henry IV (Both Sam Ashdown and Larry Bull are reprising the roles from Henry IV Part One) and it is powerful.  The King is on his deathbed and Hal, thinking that he is dead, picks up the crown.  The King accuses Hal of wishing for his death and berates him for all of his previous wanton behavior.  Hal responds with genuine grief and concern for ruling the country and the King finally shows him some tenderness and gives him advice.  Ashdown and Bull are incredible in this scene and I had goosebumps!  Another scene that is quite moving is when Henry V is crowned and paraded through London with much pomp and circumstance.  When he sees Falstaff, he turns his back on his old friend and banishes him.  Ahlin's performance in that moment brought me to tears!  I am now eagerly awaiting Ashdown's performance in Henry V next summer (It was a brilliant idea to cast the same actor in the role for all three plays, in my opinion) in the new Engelstad Theatre!

Note:  I keep inadvertently running into friends.  First it was Scott at a movie, then I saw my friend Marta in the lobby before Amadeus, and finally, as I mentioned, I found my friend Joe at the Greenshow before Henry IV Part Two.  The theatre wasn't full so after the intermission we moved to seats closer to the stage so we could sit together.  It was great!  Maybe I should actually plan something with my friends...

Mr. Holmes

I have always really liked the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (I even decided to pull out the classic The Hound of the Baskervilles for my seniors at the end of the year).  Sherlock Holmes is such a wonderfully complicated and idiosyncratic character so, when I saw the previews for Mr. Holmes, I was intrigued by the premise of an older and more fallible man in retirement.  It has been on my list and I got the chance to see it last night.   A 93 year old Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellen) has been retired and living in a remote cottage in Sussex for over 30 years,  He is unhappy with how John Watson portrayed his final case and wants to write a true account before he dies (in some funny scenes he is also unhappy about his portrayal with a calabash pipe and deerstalker cap in the illustrations of the stories).  His memory is failing him but his housekeeper's son Roger (Milo Parker) wants to know the story and helps him piece together the clues.  The case, involving a man wanting to know why his young wife is so distraught, is presented in bits and pieces as flashbacks.  Holmes went about the case logically and uncovered the facts but he couldn't prevent a tragedy from occurring.  As a man facing mortality all alone, he finally realizes that he should have shown the young woman some compassion and this changes his relationship with his housekeeper (Laura Linney) and Roger.  McKellen is simply marvelous as both the celebrated detective in his prime in Baker Street and the curmudgeonly old man waiting for death by the sea, giving an incredible performance.  I was also impressed with Parker and the relationship between Holmes and Roger is beautiful to watch as it develops.  The plot moves slowly; it is not a typical detective story (although there are some really clever moments where Sherlock displays his genius) but, rather, it is an exploration of a man facing his legacy with regrets and I found it to be very moving.  In fact, my only complaint about this movie is Laura Linney's inconsistent accent, although she does an excellent job with some powerful scenes at the end of the film.  I loved it and I recommend it highly.

Note:  I think my favorite actor to portray the detective is still Benedict Cumberbatch.  I absolutely love the PBS series, Sherlock, which is set in present-day.

Classical Mystery Tour

The summer is just not complete unless I see a Utah Symphony performance at Deer Valley and this year I picked a great concert featuring a Beatles tribute band called Classical Mystery Tour.  Just in case you didn't know this, the music of the Beatles sounds absolutely incredible backed by an orchestra, especially the Utah Symphony!  Jim Owen (John Lennon), Tony Kishman (Paul McCartney), David John (George Harrison), and Chris Camilleri (Ringo Starr) look and sound a lot like the Beatles and they even keep up the witty banter that the lads were known for.  They came out wearing the iconic black suits and Cuban heeled boots and sang a few early hits and a beautiful version of "Yesterday."  Then they quickly changed into the Sgt. Pepper's uniforms, which were fabulous, and sang "All You Need Is Love," "Penny Lane," "Here Comes the Sun," "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," "With a Little Help From My Friends," and "Eleanor Rigby."  They ended their first set with "A Day in the Life" which sounded absolutely amazing with the orchestra.  That song has always been one of my favorites!  After the intermission, they came out dressed like hippies (I especially loved George Harrison's leather vest with fringe).  They sang "Magical Mystery Tour," "I am the Walrus," "Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da," "Yellow Submarine," and "Come Together."  One of my very favorite moments was when they sang "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" because David John (George) was absolutely incredible on the guitar solos.  They played "Live and Let Die" and "Imagine" which are technically not Beatles songs but they were awesome.  They finished the second set with "Let It Be" and a great rendition of "Golden Slumbers/ Carry That Weight/ The End."  When they left the stage, I started yelling "Hey Jude" and everyone around me cheered.  Of course, they came back and sang it for me and the crowd went a little crazy with the chorus as they often do.  They ended with "Twist and Shout" which got everybody up dancing!  I loved every single minute of this concert and I think I sang every word of every song!  Seeing the Utah Symphony at Deer Valley is so much fun!  Go here to see the rest of the concerts at the Deer Valley Music Festival this summer and then pack a picnic, bring a blanket, and sit under the stars listening to fabulous music!

Testament of Youth

The first thing you need to know about the film Testament of Youth is that it stars my boyfriend Kit Harington (you may know him better as Jon Snow from Game of Thrones).  I could listen to that boy recite poetry all day!  The second thing you need to know is that it is a coming of age story about an unconventional young woman set against the backdrop of World War I, which is a particular interest of mine.  I tell you this because you may want to take my gushing review with a grain of salt!  I literally couldn't help but love this film and love it I most certainly did!  It is 1914 and Vera Brittain (Alicia Vikander from Ex Machina) wants nothing more than to be allowed to study at Oxford like her younger brother, Edward (Taron Egerton), and his friends who are spending their break with her family.  A romance develops between Vera and Roland (Harington), one of her brother's friends, and when she is accepted to Oxford she is equally excited about the possibility of becoming a writer and about being near Roland.  When England enters the war, Edward and his friends, including Roland, enlist in high spirits longing for adventure and eager to do their duty for King and country.  When Roland comes back from France on leave, he tells Vera of the horrors of trench warfare so she decides to leave school and become a volunteer nurse.  As Roland, Edward, and all of their friends are eventually killed, Vera begins speaking out about the futility of war.  This film portrays both the dreamlike world of pre-war England with beautiful scenes in the countryside and the brutality of war with stark images of the trenches and bloody close-ups of the row upon row of wounded.  Vikander is in practically every scene and she is brilliant at portraying so many different emotions:  giddiness as she falls in love with Roland (he writes her poetry!), determination to succeed at Oxford, despair as she nurses the wounded, overwhelming grief when she learns of Roland's death, and passion as she speaks out against war.  Harington is also amazing, particularly when he tells Vera that he has lost all of the poetry inside him at the front.  There are so many scenes that stand out in my mind but one is especially poignant.  Vera learns that her brother has been brought to the field hospital but she can't find him.  She eventually locates him among the dead lying on the ground.  In her grief, she embraces him and realizes that he is still alive.  My great-grandfather was wounded and presumed dead in the battle of Ypres.  When his brother went back to the battlefield to look for his body, he discovered that he was still alive and saved him!  I cried during that scene.  On a lighter note, I laughed during a scene when Vera and Roland elude her chaperon to steal a kiss.  It is based on Vera Brittain's best-selling memoir of the same name so, not only do I want to see this film again, but I also want to read the book (I am currently reading Stefan Zweig's memoir of World War I called The World of Yesterday).

Note:  I accidentally met my dear friends Scott and Toni at this film.  Actually, I am surprised I haven't run into them before because we are all film aficionados and night owls who end up at the Broadway Theatre at least once a week!

Ant-Man

Late last night (early this morning?) I saw the movie Ant-Man.  It has been a rough week and I just wanted to do something to take my mind off things but, honestly, I really liked the movie, much more than I thought I would.  To be sure, having ant-like powers sounds like a silly premise for a superhero movie but I thought it was hilarious and I really enjoyed all of the miniaturized effects.  In 1989 Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), the original ant-man, resigns from S.H.I.E.L.D. because he doesn't want them to unleash the power to shrink organic material on the world (and he is mourning the death of his wife from this technology which he created).  In present day, Pym learns that his former protege and current CEO of Pym Technologies, Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), is on the verge of replicating his formula and intends to sell it to Hydra.  He enlists the help of his estranged daughter, Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), who still works at Pym Technologies, to spy on Cross but he doesn't want her to wear the ant-man suit because he doesn't want to lose her like he lost her mother.  To that end, he recruits Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), who has recently been released from San Quentin for grand larceny and is trying to get his life back together despite the attempts of his former cell-mate Luis (Michael Pena) to get him to join his gang.  Wanting to be a hero to his daughter, Lang learns to use the suit and harness the power of various ants.  He eventually recruits Luis' gang (the aforementioned Pena, rapper T.I., and David Dastmalchian) to help infiltrate Pym Technologies and battle Cross, who has created his own suit called the Yellowjacket.  Instead of epic battle scenes involving the destruction of cities like other Avenger movies, these battle scenes are in miniature amidst giant items, such as life savers, cell phones, and a Thomas the Train toy.  What saves this movie from being a formulaic origin story are the scenes with Luis' gang.  Rudd, while not as endearingly snarky as Robert Downey, Jr., is a master of the funny one-liner and Pena nearly steals the show with his over-the-top portrayal of Luis.  I was laughing out loud and so was everyone in my screening.  I also really enjoyed the scenes where Lang puts the suit on for the first time and falls into a bathtub full of water and then through the floor boards to the apartment below to land on a turntable.  I'm sure the critics are going to rip this movie to shreds but I enjoyed it and it did exactly what every superhero movie should do: it provided a necessary diversion!

Note:  There is a mid-credits scene where Pym shows Hope the Wasp suit worn by her mother and there is a post-credits scene setting up the next Captain America movie so stay put!

Rush at the Maverik Center

I think there are two kinds of people in the world:  those who are absolutely fanatical about the band Rush and know every word to every song and see them play live every chance they get and then there are those who just don't get it. I am definitely one of the former but we are a select group.  During some down time at a debate meet when I was in high school, a guy on my team who I didn't know very well mentioned that he had tickets to an upcoming Rush concert but didn't have anyone to go with.  I immediately begged asked him to take me.  He was surprised to learn that I liked Rush and we spent the rest of the debate meet talking about our favorite songs while everyone else on the team looked at us like we were crazy.  He took me to the concert and we were inseparable for the rest of the year.  (Tom Irvin if you are out there, that was one of the best concerts of my life!)  That was the first time I saw them live and I have since seen them every time they've come to Salt Lake City.  When I learned that the R40 Tour, celebrating forty years of performing with the same line-up of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart, would most likely be their last major tour, I definitely had to be there.  I bought tickets as soon as they went on sale which was during one of my classes.  None of my students even knew who Rush was except for one of the coolest kids in the class who practically begged me to buy him a ticket (for the record, I didn't because that would be weird).  He and I spent a fair amount of class time talking about our favorite songs while the rest of the students shook their heads.  A select group, indeed.  Last night's show was amazing!  They began in reverse chronological order with some of their newest songs from Clockwork Angels and continued through their eponymous first album.  My favorite section was the middle when they played "Distant Early Warning," "Subdivisions," "Tom Sawyer," "Red Barchetta," and "The Spirit of Radio."  I also really loved the phantasmagorical light and sound show during several sections of "Cygnus X-1" and "2112 Overture/The Temples of Syrinx," which are some of their more atmospheric and narrative compositions.  All I can say is that it was amazing with an incredible laser show in syncopation with the music and at times I felt like I was floating in space.  Some other fun moments included celebrity rappers on a giant screen during "Roll the Bones" and two double neck guitars on "Xanadu."  The end of the concert was really nostalgic with "Closer to the Heart" and their traditional encore, "Working Man."  I loved how the stage configuration changed from set to set to represent their history.  At first it was a spectacular arena show with all of the bells and whistles, including jets of fire.  Then stage hands dressed in jumpsuits began removing amplifiers and other set pieces as the show progressed.  The second set looked more like a theater and by the encore it was just the three of them with a drum kit.  I loved every minute of it!

Note:  I really missed Tony when they played "One Little Victory" because it was one of his favorite songs.  Tony and I went to a lot of Rush concerts together; in fact, that was how he got me to go out with him!  He had asked me several times but I didn't want to go out with him because we worked together.  When he mentioned going to a Rush concert, I couldn't resist (it also made Tony seem a lot more appealing knowing he belonged to the select few).  He would have loved this concert!

Leadership Conference 2015

 This week I went with the HHS Student Body Officers and Class Officers to a leadership conference at Dixie State University in St. George.  I was so happy to leave the chaos of my life behind and I had so much fun with them!

We had time to plan for the 2015-2016 school year (but I think they are just plotting against me here).

We participated in an amazing activity called "Break Through" where the students literally broke a one-inch thick board with their bare hands.  We did this activity last year and those officers were very affected by it so I was really looking forward to having this group go through the experience.  It was amazing!  This year they made the advisors do it, too!  I was really afraid that I wouldn't be able to break it but we are all more powerful than we can even imagine and we can channel that power if we choose to!

Yeah.  They all have more personality than they know what to do with!  They were singing, chanting, and playing games everywhere we went which made them extremely popular with the other schools (you should have seen all of the other schools saying goodbye to them yesterday!)  They kept me laughing all week!  Also, aren't those shirts fabulous?  My friend made them for us!

There was a really fun poster making workshop where they learned some cool chalk techniques!  I thought their poster turned out amazing!

We got to see Beauty and the Beast at the Tuacahn Amphitheater.  The majority of them had never been to a live theatre performance before and it was beyond thrilling for me to watch their reaction to this show!  It was a magical production and the two lead actors were incredible!

We had the opportunity to perform some community service at the Utah Food Bank in St. George.  It was a great experience.

Our assistant principal took us all to dinner at Chili's and it was delicious!

We also had some great keynote speakers, round table discussions, and workshops and we got to participate in a spirit bowl, a black light dance, Dixie Idol (a talent show), and a swim party.  It was a really fun week!  Thank you Dixie State University for showing us such a great time!

Of course we had to make a stop at Swig on the way out of town!

Terminator

Another obscure movie (see here and here) that seemed to be on cable all the time, especially late at night, when I was a teenager was The Terminator.  I loved this movie and watched it over and over.  Once again I had my friend Michael, who worked at Blockbuster, special order me a copy (he was a great friend to have in the days before Amazon).  It became a cult classic which spawned three sequels that I vaguely remember liking at the time.  Terminator: Genisys  (why must words be intentionally misspelled for effect?), the fifth installment, is not so much a sequel as it is a reboot with an alternate reality made possible by the quirks of time travel much like J.J. Abrams' reboot of the Star Trek franchise.  Because someone (who?) sent a reprogrammed T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) through time to save her as a nine-year-old, Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) is no longer the frightened waitress in need of Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) to protect her in 1984.  She is not only ready to fight the T-800 and T-1000 (if Skynet had the T-1000, why was the T-800 still sent?), but she has also constructed a makeshift time machine (how?) to travel to 1997 to stop Skynet from becoming self-aware.  However, these events trigger a change in the timeline postponing Judgement Day until 2017 when a global operating system called Genisys goes online.  Reese persuades Sarah to travel to 2017 where they are rescued from police custody by John Connor (Jason Clarke) and then must simultaneously battle a T-3000  and destroy Genisys in some epic action scenes.  The events in 1984 are extremely clever and I loved seeing the scenes from the original film meticulously recreated.  I literally giggled out loud when Sarah said the iconic line, "Come with me if you want to live," instead of Reese.  The explanation of why the T-800 looks old is also absolutely genius.  While I certainly prefer Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn as Sarah and Reese, respectively, Clarke and Courtney hold their own and having Schwarzenegger, who will always and forever be "The Terminator," reprise his role is perfect.  Even my unanswered questions didn't detract from my enjoyment because it is just so fun.  Having said that, the events in 2017 infuriated me!  Without going into detail, a cornerstone of the entire mythology is completely (and unnecessarily, in my opinion) shattered!  I could hardly bear to watch the second half of the film, although, as I mentioned, the action scenes are intense and I did like the resolution between Sarah and Reese at the end.  So, in some ways, I quite enjoyed the new timeline but...

Note:  In the battle of the 1980s movie sequels, Mad Max: Fury Road is definitely winning, in my opinion.  It will be interesting to see how Star Wars: The Force Awakens is received.  Also, in an attempt to downsize, I recently donated all of my VHS tapes to a thrift store.  Sorry, Michael!

Escape to the Mountains

As I was leaving my house so an agent could show it yesterday morning, I received two more texts requesting more showings.  For those of you keeping score, that meant three showings back-to-back which would require me to be out of my house for three hours.  I was headed to the library, which has become my daytime go-to place to hang out and read while these showings are going on, but three hours?  I turned my car in the direction of the mountains!

I love driving through the mountains with the windows down, the music loud, and the breeze cool on my face.  It was so peaceful and relaxing.

Since I was in American Fork Canyon, I had to make a quick stop at Cascade Springs!  I feel a little bit like Anne of Green Gables because every summer I have to visit all of my favorite places.  Instead of the White Way of Delight, I have Cascade Springs!

I had the whole place to myself for quite a while and I loved listening to the sound of the water.  It was a lovely morning!

A Little Chaos

I have been seeing previews for A Little Chaos for weeks and the lush period piece about the making of the gardens at Versailles with opulent costumes and noteworthy actors caught my attention immediately.  I couldn't wait to see it!  After all of the anticipation I was left a little bit underwhelmed after I saw it Monday night.  Master gardener Andre Le Notre (Matthias Schoenaerts) has been given the monumental task of creating the gardens at Versailles by Louis XIV (Alan Rickman), a capricious monarch who demands perfection.  He interviews other gardeners to help him and is intrigued by Sabine de Barra (Kate Winslet) because she is a woman and because she does not conform to the traditional (and formal) rules of gardening.  She is selected to create an outdoor amphitheater with fountains but is thwarted by work crews who resent taking orders from a woman and by Le Notre's jealous wife.  She also becomes a great favorite at Court, beguiling the King when she mistakes him for a gardener, and begins a romantic relationship with Le Notre.  Despite the setbacks, the garden is a triumph.  I'm not entirely sure why I didn't love this movie.  The performances are outstanding, especially Winslet.  I also really enjoyed Stanley Tucci as the outrageously flamboyant Duc d'Orleans and Jennifer Ehle as the King's mistress, Madame de Montespan.  I loved the scenery in the gardens and in the palaces of the Louvre and Fontainebleau and, of course, the costumes are gorgeous.  It is, without a doubt, a beautiful movie.  However, the plot is very predictable and the pacing is slow.  One of the best scenes between Winslet and Rickman (it's as if we are able to witness what happens to Marianne and Colonel Brandon after their marriage in Sense and Sensibility), while touching, is highly improbable.  A Little Chaos is a good costume drama but I think it takes more than just beautiful images on the screen to make a great film.

Note:  Matthias Schoenaerts seems to be everywhere lately.  While I liked his performance in Far From the Madding Crowd more, I found him to be quite appealing in this film.  I think men should wear their hair long.  Just my opinion...

The Yonahlossee Riding Camp For Girls

The June selection for my book club was The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton DiSclafani. The story revolves around Thea Atwell, her twin brother Sam, and her cousin Georgie who are raised in the lap of luxury on a secluded plantation in Florida during the Great Depression. Their lives are incredibly insular and they have no other interactions besides their own close-knit family. As the three of them grow up and mature, their relationship changes and the incident occurs. Because of the incident, Thea is shipped off to the Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls in North Carolina where she is completely overwhelmed by her interactions with the other girls, the instructors, and, particularly, the headmaster. Thea does not know how to have appropriate relationships with any one and, inevitably, another incident occurs. The narrative alternates between the events in Florida and the events at Yonahlossee, giving tiny little hints about what the mysterious incident might be.  (By the way, I figured it out long before it was finally revealed but I kept reading to make sure that I was right and it was strangely unsatisfying when I was.) In the end, Thea is chastised yet again and sent home in disgrace where we learn that her mother also has a scandalous past. This coming-of-age novel about family secrets set during an interesting historical period sounds like it would be right up my alley but I didn't entirely like it.  The action moves very slowly and it eventually got annoying every time Thea would reference the incident without explaining what happened. I suppose DiSclafani uses this device to heighten the tension but it is not altogether effective. Thea is an incredibly unsympathetic character. Part of me was angry because all three of the main characters in Florida are culpable in what happened (have you figured it out yet?) but only Thea is punished because she is a girl. The events at Yonahlossee are highly disturbing (surely you have figured it out) and in my opinion Thea is a victim, but she is the only one held responsible. However, by the time I made it through the novel, I didn't really care what happened to her. Certain scenes are quite salacious and I was a bit put off by them. What I did enjoy about this book is the writing.  DiSclafani uses beautiful and evocative prose, especially in the scenes involving horses (I think I liked the horses more than the main characters), and in the descriptions of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I really wanted to like this book but, ultimately, I wouldn't recommend it.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

My favorite film from Sundance this year was definitely Me and Earl and the Dying Girl so I was really excited to see it again last night!  It is a quirky and touching story about the power that friendship has to change your life and I loved it just as much as I did the first time.  Greg (Thomas Mann) is an awkward high school senior who is completely alienated from everyone in his life, including his wacky parents (I loved his father, a tenured Sociology professor who has so much time on his hands that he spends his days watching classics in foreign cinema and making exotic recipes such as cuttlefish).  Greg is isolated, ambivalent about his future, and suffers from a severe case of low self-esteem.  His goal is to survive high school without making a mortal enemy.  His only significant relationships are with Mr. McCarthy, his eccentric history teacher ("Respect the research"), and Earl (RJ Cyler), a childhood friend with whom he makes movies that parody classic films (my favorite is still 2:48 P.M. Cowboy, an homage to Midnight Cowboy).  He is so afraid of being close to anyone that he refers to Earl as his "co-worker" rather than his friend.  When Rachel (Olivia Cooke), the daughter of his mother's friend, is diagnosed with leukemia, his mother forces Greg (in an absolutely hilarious scene) to befriend her.  Even though neither of them want this friendship, they eventually become inseparable and Rachel ends up teaching Greg some invaluable life lessons.  To be sure, this movie is a tear-jerker but there are so many funny elements that I was laughing out loud, even the second time around.  All three of the lead actors give wonderful performances and I found Mann to be incredibly endearing.  The parodies are a hoot (A Sockwork Orange, Senior Citizen Kane) and classic film aficionados will love trying to figure out all of the references.  The depiction of high school culture is absolutely spot-on (I should know because I spend my days there) and I especially loved the theatre nerds.  Many of my students had the opportunity to see this film when it was screened at Sundance and they could not stop talking about it.  I feel like it has the potential to become a touchstone for this generation the way The Breakfast Club is for mine.  Do not miss it!

Note:  It was awarded both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at Sundance.  Good stuff, I tell you!

Utah Symphony at Sundance

What could be better than listening to the Utah Symphony?  Listening to the Utah Symphony in the mountains, that's what!  It's no secret that I am a huge fan of the Utah Symphony and it's no secret that I love seeing outdoor performances during the summer so you can imagine what a lovely time I had last night listening to the orchestra play some patriotic favorites at the Sundance resort.  It was wonderful to be up in the mountains away from the heat in the valley and the fresh smell of the pine trees was almost intoxicating to me!  The concert featured classics from Leonard Bernstein, George Gershwin (I especially loved "An American in Paris"), and John Philip Sousa.  The concert culminated, as these summer concerts often do, with Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.  I absolutely love this piece and, no matter how many times I hear it, it never gets old.  I think it is incredibly stirring (although maybe not as stirring as when the Wasatch Cannoneers participate) and I get goosebumps every time that well-known theme is played at the end of the piece.  I also really love the chimes!  I enjoyed every minute of this wonderful experience and I am so glad that I can be in any number of mountain resorts in about 30 minutes and I'm also glad that I can see a world-class orchestra play all year long.  Go here for more summer events at Sundance (I'm particularly excited about The Wizard of Oz in August) and go here for tickets to see the Utah Symphony perform in various venues around the valley.

The Illusionists

My house is now officially on the market.  It's scary, stressful, overwhelming, and exciting all at the same time.  Within an hour of being listed yesterday, I had multiple requests for showings, most of which took place last night.  Luckily, I had plans and just added dinner to the evening's festivities so I could be out of my house for several hours.  My plans involved seeing The Illusionists at the Capitol Theatre and it was definitely a lot of fun.  There are seven performers: The Trickster (Jeff Hobson), The Futurist (Adam Trent), The Anti-Conjurer (Dan Sperry), The Warrior (Aaron Crow), The Escapologist (Andrew Basso), The Inventor (Kevin James), and The Manipulator (Yu Ho-Jin).  They perform in a magic show that is a cross between an old-fashioned vaudeville program and a Las Vegas spectacle with special effects and choreography.  There are big production numbers (literally using smoke and mirrors), classic card tricks, sleights of hand, daring escapes, and plenty of audience participation all with The Trickster as a flamboyant master of ceremonies.  I loved it!  My favorites were The Warrior's trick with an arrow through an apple (with a twist), The Manipulator's sleight of hand tricks (there was a giant screen above the stage with cameras directed closely on his hands and I still couldn't figure out how he did some of his tricks), and The Anti-Conjurer's Russian Roulette trick (he was really charismatic in a dark, edgy, and scary sort of way).  However, the most dramatic trick of the night was when The Escapologist replicated Harry Houdini's Water Torture Cell trick.  He was handcuffed and lowered upside down into a glass case filled with water and then padlocked closed.  It took him almost three minutes to pick the locks using only a paper clip.  The crowd gasped in audible relief as he emerged from the case.  I tried to hold my breath with him and I made it about 45 seconds.  It is a great show and I highly recommend getting at ticket (you can purchase them here).  It runs through Sunday at the Capitol Theatre.

Inside Out

Have you ever wondered what was going on inside someone's head?  Last night I went to the movie Inside Out and I got to see inside Riley's head as she, a normally happy eleven-year-old girl, deals with a move from Minnesota to San Francisco and the loss of her friends.  It is absolutely brilliant!  The story is told from the perspectives of Riley's emotions: Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), and Disgust (Mindy Kaling).  The cast is perfect (I usually find Mindy Kaling to be incredibly annoying but I honestly didn't even know it was her until the end credits) and I especially loved Poehler as Joy and Smith as Sadness and, in particular, their interactions with each other as they battle for control over Riley.  The nerd in me absolutely loved the journey Joy and Sadness take through Riley's abstract thoughts, imagination, and subconscious (I blame all of the educational psychology classes I had to take) and their encounters with some really fun characters along the way, such as Riley's imaginary friend (Richard Kind) and her deepest fear which is a clown.  Isn't everybody afraid of clowns?  Also, it is so clever that there is a cast of actors on a sound stage with scripts who perform in Riley's dreams. As with many Disney animated movies, I think Inside Out is even better for adults than it is for children!  I laughed and laughed through most of it (when I wasn't actually crying).  The message that sometimes you just need to feel sad was very poignant for me because I've certainly learned over the years that it is better to feel sad than feel nothing at all.  The animation is visually appealing (very luminous) but it was definitely the story that drew me in.  I highly recommend that you go see this wonderful movie!

Note:  I think my very favorite part of this movie is that Riley plays hockey!  I'm sure I have a hockey island inside my head, too!

I Feel Like I'm on HGTV

I have made the monumental decision to sell my house and since then my life has been a whirlwind.  I do not make big decisions easily but two things converged to make this happen.  First, I found a town house that I fell in love with online.  I looked at it frequently but did nothing (my real estate agent can track these things and, apparently, I visited the site 13 times) and then, suddenly, it was off the market.  I was really mad at myself for not taking action.  That made me realize that I was unhappy living in my current house and that I have been for quite some time.  It is such a beautiful house but it is too big for me and it is quite overwhelming.  The yard work, especially, is daunting because it is very landscaped and I don't have the time (or the inclination, frankly) to keep up with it.  I am not handy and the myriad of maintenance projects that come with a house this size rendered me completely helpless.  My poor brother-in-law!  It is expensive to maintain such a big house.  My heating bill is astronomical and yet I always feel cold.  South Jordan is a very desirable area (so my real estate agent tells me) but I have never really liked it.  It feels so far away from everything I like to do.  My friend Adia put it best when she said that the suburbs are not the single girl's friend.  I want to be closer to my family and to downtown SLC.  I realized that living in this house is a choice and, if I am unhappy, I could choose to do something about it.  Then, just like that, the town house was back on the market because financing fell through for the buyer.  Uncharacteristically, I jumped at the opportunity and scheduled a showing.  I am pre-qualified for financing and am going through the motions of submitting an offer.  However, I have decided that I am selling my house regardless of whether or not I get the town house (although I hope I do).  I have a great agent and it is going to be listed tomorrow.  Yikes!  My favorite moment of this whole adventure so far is when she said that I don't need to do a thing because it is already staged beautifully!  I haven't watched HGTV all of these years for nothing!

Note:  I have a lot of books to pack...

Love & Mercy

As a fan of the music of the 1960s, I have been looking forward to Love & Mercy, the new biopic about Brian Wilson.  I finally had the chance to see it Sunday night and it is brilliant.  There is a fine line between madness and genius and this film explores both aspects of Wilson's life.  The narrative alternates between the 1960s as Wilson (played by Paul Dano) creates the Beach Boys' seminal album Pet Sounds and the 1980s when Wilson (played by John Cusack) is a broken man under the complete control of his psychotherapist, Dr. Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti).  This technique is highly effective because, as I watched what the future Wilson had become, I became more and more interested in how the past Wilson got to that point.  I was absolutely blown away by Dano as the past Wilson and I particularly enjoyed the scenes in the studio as he tries to re-create the sounds that he hears in his head using unconventional instruments, such as sleigh bells, and even the sound of dogs barking.  Dano is able to convey energy and exuberance in the studio and hopelessness everywhere else (although the scenes of Wilson looking into the deep end of the pool became a little bit monotonous after a while) in an incredibly nuanced performance that is sure to be remembered during awards season.  He is mesmerizing!  Initially, I had difficulty with Cusack's portrayal of Wilson because he looks nothing like Dano but that mattered less and less as the movie progressed.  I think it is one of Cusack's best performances and I found all of his subtle mannerisms and speech patterns to be highly effective.  Giamatti is absolutely creepy as Dr. Landy, a man cashing in on his famous client's vulnerability, and Elizabeth Banks does an excellent job as Melinda Ledbetter, the woman who rescues Wilson from Landy's clutches (wearing one over the top 80s outfit after another).   The soundtrack is not just the music of the Beach Boys;  it includes an original score from Atticus Ross (a frequent collaborator with Trent Reznor on the scores of such films as The Social Network, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and Gone Girl, all amazing) which incorporates the original Pet Sounds studio session recordings and it is very atmospheric.  This movie is not just a traditional biography about the life of an extraordinary musician but a deep exploration of one man's psyche.  I loved it and I highly recommend it!

Let's Go Bees!

Saturday night I took Sean and Tashena to see the Bees play the Fresno Grizzlies.  It was extremely crowded, probably the biggest crowd I've ever seen at a Bees game (I do not like crowds).  It was a good game, however, with both teams scoring lots of runs.  The Bees scored five runs in the fifth inning and then there was a dramatic home run in the sixth.  At the bottom of the ninth the score was tied at 7 but the Bees scored a fantastic out-of-the-ballpark home run to win the game 8-7.

Sean just comes for the ice cream but this time he opted for a cone instead of the baseball helmet!