Vanilla Sky

This is a 2001 film by Cameron Crowe that stars Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, and Cameron Diaz. It does not come across initially as what one would call a "chick flick." I will admit that the first time that I saw this film, I did not like it. The reason being that I had a preconceived notion of what the film was going to be about and would not let go of it throughout the entire film, right up until the ending. Because I thought the film was going to be about one thing, I had a very hard time understanding what the film was about.

I felt that the film warranted a second viewing to determine if I could figure out what it was about. This time, I really enjoyed the movie and felt like I understand what the message of the movie was. I believe that the tag line to the movie says it all "Forget everything that you know, and open your eyes." Once I did that, I understood the film and actually ended up loving it.

With it being a Cameron Crowe film, it goes without saying that it has an awesome soundtrack. I love the music when Tom is riding up on the elevator to a song called "Elevator beat" composed by Nancy Wilson of Heart (also Cameron Crowe's wife). I also like the song at the very end which is called "The nothing song" by Sigur Ros.

Open your eyes, watch, and let me know what your thoughts are on the movie



The second clip is a slow motion showing of what Tom saw as he was falling from the building

Rescue Me-Run

Here is a cut from my favorite TV show, Rescue Me. This covers scenes from season 4, the latest season to run on TV. I can't wait for the new season to begin. From what I have been able to gather, season 5 will start in March or April.

The heart wrenching scene deals with the firefighters trying to save 5 children from the fires but they are unable to succeed. The look on ALL of their faces as they drive back to the station shows the grief and pain that they feel over their failure to save lives. You also see the brother hood that is shared when Denis Leary sees the men from his house injured and he tries to help revive them.

It is set to the music of Snow Patrol to a song called Run ( which is my favorite song of all time and if you will recall from an earlier post, a band I got to see in concert this year).

Hope you like both the show and the music as much as I do.

Pretty in Pink

This is a 1986 romance starring a love triangle consisting of Molly Ringwald as Andy, Andrew McCarthy as Blane and Jon Cryer as Duckie. Andy and Duckie are poor and from the wrong side of town. Blane is the rich boy who never wants for anything...except Andy. This movie is Molly Ringwald's favorite movie that she did.

The triangle consists of Blane loving Andy, Andy loving Blane, and Duckie loving Andy. Unfortunately for Duckie, Andy has and will always love him as a friend only. Her true love is Blane. There is also a sub-plot involving Andy and her father dealing with her mother having walked out on them. The father daughter scenes really get to me as I am a Daddy's girl!!

In the original ending and book, Andy and Duckie end up together but after testing audiences, the ending changed so that Andy and Blaine ended up together. I am still not sure how I feel about this one...I wonder if I would have preferred the romance being Andy and Duckie. What are your thoughts?

The Holiday

This 2006 Christmas movie stars Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, and Jack Black. The two females live on opposite sides of the ocean but each experience heart break. They trade houses and go to each other's Continent's.

Needless to say with Christmas around the corner, each finds love where they least expect it. They all end up celebrating the New Year together, finding happiness with a significant other.

Merry Christmas

Rescue Me-Jimmy dies at the Towers

I found this earlier this morning and it has been haunting me all day. I finally just decided to put it up because it goes with those that have given service to our country.


This shows Denis Leary and his cousin/best friend being called to the towers. Jimmy doesn't make it back alive but continues to lie in ghost form to try and keep Denis Leary's spirits up, give him his belief in God back, and to give up drinking.


It is set to a song called Dreamer by Toni Childs...when the guys go into the World Trade Center it gives me chills!! I get really teary when I realize that Jimmy is not on the bus going back away from the fires

Thank you to all those brave people who gave their lives 9.11...you are not forgotten!!

Army Wives

I guess the Christmas spirit is making me think of all those who give so selflessly to our country. I have hit on the firefighters and EMT's already. Now I want to hit on all those who are serving our country, keeping us and our freedoms safe.

Many don't think about the service men and women who are out fighting having to leave behind their families to do their job. It is a huge sacrifice for any family that commits to a life in the service.

This is a clip of a show called Army Wives and depicts some of what the families (wives especially) go through by sending off their loved ones to fight for our freedoms.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and we pray for ALL of you to get home safe to your families!!

Christmas Shoes

Still trying to keep with the Christmas theme. Here is a song by New Song that was made into a TV movie starring Rob Lowe and Kimberly Williams. The song captures what Christmas is all about to me.

The first entry is the video that the band did with cuts from the movie.



The second is a clip from the movie that is very touching



Remember to celebrate what Christmas is all about :)

Rescue Me-The death of the Chief

Here is another clip from Rescue Me starring Denis Leary. The scene takes us to the firehouse after Chief's death. The Chief committed suicide for several reasons he Had been moved to a desk job, his wife has alzehemeirs and had to be committed. and his gambling debts became so overhwhelming he was unable to take care of the bills for his wife's care.

The firehouse is torn as to how he ended his life. Some feel he took the easy was out and others believe that he is a hero no matter what.

Here is the scene in which the firehouse deals with the death

The Family Man

This 2000 movie was made starring Nicholas Cage and Tea Leoni. I picked this movie in continuing the Christmas movie showings that I started yesterday.

The tag line to the movie says it all "What if you made different choices? What if you said yes instead on no?" What if you given a second chance?"

Jack (Nicholas Cage said goodbye to the love of his life as he left for a job in London, swearing that they would remain together. Alas 13 years pass and they are n0 longer together. He is a big investment banker with lots of money.

An incident in a convenience store changes his life. He wakes up married to Kate (tea Leoni and they have been married for 13 years. They have two beautiful children. Jack in not sure about this life but grows to love it before finally being sent back to his old life. He figures out a way to get back to his old life, the one he loves.

The Family Stone

The Family Stone was a Christmas based movie released in late 2005. It has an incredible cast starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Diane Keaton, Luke Wilson, Dermont Mulroney, Claire Danes, and Rachel McAdams.

The story involves Dermont Mulrney bringing home his girlfriend for the first time to meet his entire family. He wants them to meet her and love her as he plans on asking her to marry him. Needless to say, things go awry and the family doesn't like her. She decides to leave their home and stay at the local inn with her sister, Claire Danes, who arrives to support her.

Without spoiling the ending too much, both of the sisters find love with someone in the Stone family and they all make peace which is so important to the mother, Diane Keaton, as it is her last Christmas due to a recurrence of cancer.

This movie shows how important the love of a family is needed not just at the holidays, but to get through the hard times. As the tagline says "Feel the love"

Because I Said So

This movie came out in 2007 and stars Diane Keaton and Mandy Moore. Although it did not do well with the critics, I enjoyed it for what it was, a light hearted, funny, romantic chick flick.

Is is about a mother (Diane Keaton) who has been divorced for much of her life and she is worried that her youngest daughter (Mandy Moore) will end up like her. The mother places a personal ad to try and find "Mr. Right" for her daughter. She thinks she finds the perfect man but her plans get messed up when a jazz singer inserts himself into the quest. The daughter falls for both of them, ultimately having to make a decision as to who is the right man for her.

In the end, both mother and daughter find love. Here is a clip from the movie showing the daughter dating both men and ultimately who she chooses. The clip is set to "Black horse and the cherry tree" by KT Tunstall, which is in the movie.

Friends-The Laminated Lists

I know that I just published a blog three posts ago involving Friends, but something came up in the comments that warranted an explanation.

The Friends all get together and talk about who they would put on their freebie list...a famous person that they could sleep with without any repercussion. The list could only contain a total of five names.

Needless to say, Ross puts a lot of time, thought, and effort into his list. He even goes so far as to laminate it.

Here is what happens when he runs into someone that he wanted to put on his list...



This is a fun thing to discuss at parties with other people and found out who is on their lists...it is always surprising and enlightening...who is on your list???

Momma Mia

I was lucky enough to see this as a play on Broadway two years ago. I loved it!! When I heard that they were making it into a movie, I was thrilled, especially when I saw the casting. The only person I was worried about was Pierce Bronsan (of which my misgivings about his singing skills turned out to be correct). The movie came out in 2008 with a stellar cast making it a huge hit worldwide.

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie however, unlike when I saw the play, I became emotional during two scenes. The first one is when Meryl Streep sings about her daughter leaving her to become a married woman and the second scene is when Meryl sings about her lost love. I knew that Meryl was a talented actress but who knew she had such a great voice? The combination of the singing and the acting made these very touching and emotional scenes.

Here is the first one "slipping through my fingers"


The second song is "the winner takes it all"

Footloose

"All he wanted to do was dance." And so sums up the plot for the 1984 movie starring Kevin Bacon in Footloose.

This is a movie most of us have seen by now. Who doesn't remember the scene where Kevin Bacon goes to the warehouse to blow off steam from all the aggravation he feels for trying to bring dancing back to a small town and trying to fit in with them in the process?

So, without further ado, here is the warehouse house scene from the movie which is set to "Never" by Moving Pictures



Now for some fun, here is a guest starring role by Kevin Bacon on the TV sitcom Will and Grace in which he goes back to relive the glory from the movie Footloose..pardon the extra shots of guest stars at the end...it was the only clip that I could find :)

Friends-Ross and Rachel and Their History

This is one of the greatest TV couples. Not only was the show, Friends, fun to watch, but we all tuned in to see what would happen with our favorite couple Ross and Rachel. This is their first kiss. It only took ten more years and a baby for them to ultimately end up together.

Enjoy the first kiss..


The break up


The last kiss

A Lot Like Love

This is a 2005 romantic comedy starring Ashton Kutcher and Amanda Peet. The couple meet on a flight from Los Angeles to New York. Over the next seven years they continue to meet up. They fall in love with each other but it is never the right time for them to be together as a couple. They are fearful that they will ruin the wonderful friendship that they have by taking a chance on love. As the tag line says,"There is nothing better then a great romance...to ruin a perfectly good friendship." Ultimately they both take the chance, throwing caution to the wind, and make the romance work.

This movie has got a killer soundtrack. This movie clip is set t o a song from the movie called "Look what you've done" by Jet.

Enjoy

Rescue Me

This TV show, starring Denis Leary as a New York City fireman is one of my favorite shows. It is a very raw and realistic presentation of what it is like to be a fireman in New York City post 9.11.
This show follows Denis Leary and his family as they struggle with his struggles such as divorce, alcoholism, death, the loss of friemen from their house in 9.11, and struggling with their belief in God. It also follows the rest of the firehouse and their various struggles as well. You come to love and root for each and every man as they go through their lives as they try to do what they think is the right thing.

This show will premiere in January 2009 on FX and I cannot wait. Until then, here is a clip to get you through until premiere date.

On a more personal note, lets us give thanks to all the brave men and women who are out fighting every day to keep us all safe. It is important that they know how appreciative we are, especially during this holiday season.

She's Having A Baby

This 1988 film by John Hughes is a great relationship film. Jake and Kristy are newlyweds who decide to try and have a baby.

The film deals with all the trials and tribulations of getting pregnant, in-laws butting in, job changes, adjusting to living life in the suburbs, and generally having to grow up. For Jake, everything does not become crystal clear as to what he wants in life until he runs into some serious difficulties.

This clip, which is set to the song "This woman's work" sung by Kate Bush is when Jake realizes exactly what he wants from life as he deals with the uncertainty as to whether his dreams will come true.



She has her baby...

Grey's Anatomy-The Bomb Episode

This is a scene from the medical TV series Grey's Anatomy. There are several story lines going on simultaneously while playing along to the song "Breathe" by Anna Nalick.

Dr. Bailey is having her baby and George is having to assist her as her husband is having brain surgery. Dr. Shepherd is performing brain surgery on Dr. Bailey's husband. And last but certainly not least, Meredith is assisting in the retrieval of a bomb from inside a patient's chest.

This scene does an excellent job of showing the vulnerability and fear that Meredith is experiencing but she soldiers on, realizing all the lives that at stake, including that of her one true love, Dr. Derek Shepherd.

I would love to see Grey's Anatomy go back to making episodes such as this one...

Say Anything

This 1989 movie by Cameron Crowe has become a romance classic. This is the story of a lovable drifter and an overachiever who find love as they set out to begin their lives after graduation from high school.

This movie is a must see for the one of a kind dialogue that will have you quoting this movie long after you have seen it. There are so many great lines in this movie, far too numerous to mention. The line "I gave her my heart, she gave me a pen" has made the list of 100 all time greatest move lines in Premiere magazine.

The scene you are about to see is an incredibly well known scene. Lloyd (John Cusack) is trying to win back Diane (Ione Skye) after she breaks up with him. She breaks up with him at her father's urging as he thinks Lloyd is not good enough for his little girl. She is not really happy about breaking up with Lloyd and is struggling with it. This is what Lloyd does to try and win her back...

Bed of Roses

This 1996 movie stars Mary Stuart Masterson and Christian Slater as a couple of people who have been hurt by life trying to give up their fears and learn to love again. She is scarred by a childhood that involved abuse and growing up in a series of foster homes and has now thrown herself into work. He was married and lost his wife early on in their marriage, causing him to give up his old life to live a simpler life as a florist, doing something he enjoys. They come together and try and make a new relationship work, overcoming their hurt and distrust in order to do so.

This clip shows what happens throughout the movie up through the end. It is set to a great song from the movie called Independent Love Song performed by Scarlet.

"See it with someone you love..."

Elizabethtown

This 2005 movie was written and directed by Cameron Crowe and stars Orlando Bloom and Kristen Dunst. It is a movie about a son who becomes very involved in his job working for a Nike like shoe corporation, to the detriment of being with his family, inventing the next big shoe, only to create a huge failure, costing the company billions of dollars. He ends up being fired from his job and goes home and thinks of committing suicide but before he can go through with it, gets a call from his sister that his Dad has died.

He must make a trip back to Elizabethtown, Kentucky to retrieve the body for his family but finds this to be very difficult as he finds that his father is a local hero in the town. On the flight out there, he meets a quirky flight attendant, who realizes that he is on his way back to a funeral. They connect on the flight and she gives him her phone number. He calls her and they meet up several times, all while he is learning about the great man that his father really was.

Ultimately she convinces him to take a road trip with his Father's ashes and the father and son bond as they should have when the father was alive. And at the end, he also realizes he has fallen for the girl.

Cameron Crowe is married to Nancy Wilson of the band Heart. The soundtracks to his movies are VERY important to him. This moves is no different. In fact, there are two soundtracks to the movie. Enjoy this movie clip set to the song Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley..

Sex and the City-Miranda's Mother Dies

This series was one of my favorites. I often got together with girlfriends to watch it together on Sunday nights.

This episode really touched me because it made me realize that family is not just your biological loved ones. Family is the friends who surround, support, and care for you every day. Sometimes friends can be the sister that you never had (as is my case). Friends are there for you in good times and bad and love you no matter what

I have recently had the chance to reconnect with some of my very good friends and it has made me realize that they too are my family. Thank you for being you and being there for me.

Watch this episode and see how a reminder how friends can be your family too (this includes the special men in our life as well)...

The Breakfast Club

This movie came out in 1985 and is about five high school students who have to go to a day of detention on a Saturday. They start the day feeling that they have nothing in common, however, they end it with a better understanding of themselves and each other. They were five strangers with nothing in common but each other (tag line).

This movie contains the actors known as the Brat Pack (see earlier post for further information). That made this movie a must see in the 80's. This was the first time my parents actually forbid me from seeing a movie because they had heard that there was drug use and they didn't want to see their little girl led down the wrong path. They made a point of singling this movie out because they knew, because of the Brat Pack, I would want to see it. To make a long story short, of course I did go see it at the first chance possible (although I confessed as soon as I got home).

This movie has been seen by a lot of people and everyone still remembers and loves to repeat what is one of the greatest cinematic lines in all history:

Dear Mr. Vernon, We accept the fact that we had to do a whole Saturday of detention for whatever it was we did wrong. But we think you're are crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us...in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain... an athlete... and a basket case...and a princess...and a criminal...Does that answer your question?...Sincerely yours, The Breakfast Club.

Here is a movie clip played to the hit song from the soundtrack Don't you forget about by Simple Minds

House

I have been watching House for about two seasons now. It is not normally an emotional show, it is usually more on the intriguing side. However, last season's finale (season four) was a real tearjerker.

The death of the character Amanda ( a nemesis for House and a live in girlfriend to Wilson) was played out very well. House tried to do everything he could to save Amanda, including putting his own life at risk, with no success. Wilson had to come to terms with not only the death of his girlfriend but feeling that House was ultimately responsible for her death.

The strain the death put on the relationship between these two best friends appeared to be irreparable. By the end of the show, Wilson quit working at the hospital and House was left to work there for the first time without his only friend.

The repairing of the relationship of these two friends has just started and taken some interesting turns with the start of season five. We can only watch and see where it goes.

Here is the season four finale played to a song called Breathe in, Breathe out by Matt Kearney.

St. Elmo's Fire

This 1985 movie is about seven friends who have just graduated from college and are struggling with issues that they are trying to overcome to become happy, successful adults.The tag line to the movie is "They thought they would be friends forever but forever couldn't last." They face love, heartbreak, obsessions, finding/losing employment, discovering the meaning of life, living on the edge, betrayal, and the ultimate test of friendship and love.

This movie stars the young group of actors that became known as the Brat Pack. The Brat Pack is a group of actors that starred in numerous combinations of 80's movies. The Brat Pack includes Demi Moore, Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Andrew McCarthy, and Molly Ringwald (although she was not in this movie). Mare Winningham is the seventh star in this movie but she was never really associated with the Brat Pack.

The following is a movie clip containing The Love Theme from St. Elmo's Fire



**For fun, click on the IMDB page and type in St. Elmo's Fire and read all the quotes from the movie-"It ain't a party until something gets broken"

Grey's Anatomy-Chasing Cars

Here is the video from Snow Patrol with their huge hit Chasing Cars set to scenes from the TV series Grey's Anatomy. It shows some of the most powerful scenes from early Grey's shows that are what caused us fans to fall in love with the show.

As for the song, I am never ever to hear it without feeling emotional. I started listening to Snow Patrol because of this song and they are now one of my favorite bands. I was lucky enough to see them in concert last year and they put on a fabulous show. When they played this song, the whole arena lit up with cell phones and lighters.

Enjoy the video

Wicker Park

This 2004 film stars Josh Hartnett (Matt), Diane Kruger (Lisa), and Rose Byrne (Alex/Lisa). Matt and Lisa fall in love and have a passionate affair while Alex looks longingly on, seething with jealousy. All is going well with the couple until Matt asks Lisa to move in with him and she mysteriously disappears, leaving no details or clues as to what happened.

Fast forward two years with all characters living their lives, but not forgetting the passion that once existed. Matt thinks he sees Lisa in a restaurant and begins a relentless search for the love of his life. Alex uses this as an opportunity to insert herself into his quest by trying to pretend that she is the Lisa that Matt is looking for.

There are many twists and turns which I don't want to give away as it would spoil the plot for the movie for anyone who has not seen it. I will let you know that it wraps up in a unique and interesting way that makes this movie worth seeing.

Besides the story and the acting, one of the best things about this movie is the soundtrack. It has a lot of alternative music that really fits into the story. It has songs by Snow Patrol, Mazzy Star, Aqualong, and Coldplay to name a few. I loved it so much I actually went out and bought the soundtrack.

Please enjoy the following movie slide show with a song from Coldplay (The Scientist)that was in the movie. I will leave you with this thought as you watch

PASSION NEVER DIES (tag line)

Six Feet Under Series Finale

I watched this series from the first episode to the last. I looked forward to watching it every week. When creator Alan Ball decided it was time to wrap the series up after five seasons, I was sad to see that it was coming to a close but also realize all good things must end.

And on that note, what a finale it was. I have NEVER seen such a perfectly done series finale. Sia's song Breathe me was a perfect haunting choice of a song to use as we watch the playing out of all of the characters' journeys through life to their ultimate death (which is important as the series was set in a funeral home).

I loved that we saw everything through Claire's eyes. Claire is terrified of making a major change in her life. Her brother Nate (who died in an earlier episode) comes to her with words to help her make her decision. He tells her "Do you wanna know a secret? I spent my whole life being scared. Scared of not being ready and not being right and not being who I should be." Armed with these words of wisdom, Claire decides to leave home and follow her dreams so as not to make the same mistakes Nate did.

We see the final transformation of Claire becoming a woman as she says her goodbyes to her family. She tells her mother "Thank you for everything, and to think you've given me life. Her mother, not only speaking to Claire but to the whole family states "You gave me life." And with goodbyes said, Claire drives off...

Here is the final scene to the series finale

JAKE RYAN

This goes out to all you Sixteen Candle fans. This movie came out in 1984 but is still a classic today.

I remember having all my girlfriends at my house and we would watch this movie over and over. Needless to say Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling) was my and a lot of the other girls first crush. One of my favorite lines comes during the father/daughter talk when she is crying over her crush. He says to her "That's why they call them crushes. If they were easy, they would call them something else."

We were so in love with Jake that we tried to take his picture on the TV so we could hang the picture in our lockers (unfortunately, the flash prevented this). We all dreamed that the ending would happen to all of us or at the very least one of us.

Happy Birthday Samantha. Make a wish,

Well, it already came true.

Enjoy Jake and Sixteen Candles

Dr. Green returns

I watched ER last night in anticipation of the long awaited return of Dr. Green. I was incredibly disappointed. He was one of my favorite characters and I was expecting a much more moving story line.

This did however lead me to go back and watch the scene when Dr. Green left the series. I thought his death was handled very well. I love the version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow that was played. On an interesting yet sad note, the man that sang the song was Hawaiian and played a ukulele. He recorded the song but unfortunately passed away before it became a hit (making this version even more poignant).

Tune in for this moving goodbye to a beloved character...

Great clip with edgy song for The Air I Breathe

Here is a great clip from the movie-the song is not on the soundtrack but is still great

The Air I Breathe

My first favorite is a new film that came out late 2007. It is called The Air I Breathe and it is directed by Jieho Lee who also co-wrote with Bob DeRosa. At first, this does not come across as what one would call a typical chick flick. However, after seeing the whole movie, I believe that you will find it at least in tho category of a tearjerker if not as a chick flick. This movie tells the story of four individuals experiencing different emotions; happiness, pleasure, sorrow, and love and the impact of these emotions on the living of their lives. It stars an excellent cast including Forest Whitaker, Kevin Bacon, Brendan Fraser, Andy Garcia, and Sarah Michelle Gellar.

I found this movie to be very touching and emotional. I thought that Forest, Brendan, and Kevin did an outstanding job of acting. Each of their stories touched me in a unique way that left me thinking long after their story was over. This movie makes you think about these common emotions mention in a whole new light. I love the score to the stories and one song in particular Tomorrow (which I will write about in another post).

I belong to Netflix and this is where I discovered the film (it is also on sale at Amazon). Don't let the bad reviews you may come across deter you from watching this film. It really is a must see.

I will leave you with the tag line from the movie to think about


SOMETIMES THE THINGS WE CAN'T CHANGE END UP CHANGING US...