Dr. Phil's Dreamwidth Journal

Memorial Day (Observed)

So last Monday, 28 May 2012, we headed out in the gloom and heat and humidity. Temp peaked out over 92°F. You'd think summer was here, though this week we know it'll just be a pleasant warm spring in the mid-70s. Maybe later in June summer will resurface.

And hey! While waiting for Mrs. Dr. Phil at the new D&W on Knapp and East Beltline, the Cubs decided to break their twelve game losing streak and beat up on San Diego 11-7, before heading on to sweep the evil Padres.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the Elderly and Beautiful [PG-13]

Celebration North Theatre #12, 2:20pm

Turns out that The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is based on a 2004 novel These Foolish Things by Deborah Moggach -- we'll have to track that down, because this is an absolute joy of a movie. Mrs. Dr. Phil describes this as Eat, Pray, Love, but done better. I'd take one look at the trailer and the cast, and knew we had to see this. We were both enchanted. How can you not love a cast that starts with Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Maggie Smith and the utterly charming and sincere Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire)?

Memorial Day afternoon. We've had good luck with going to movies on holidays and since we weren't seeing a blockbuster, we figured it'd be easy in the middle of the afternoon. This was the grayest audience since we'd done the MET Opera live broadcast at the Holland 7 (DW). And the theatre was packed. The young whippersnapper from the theatre got little help from the audience when he asked for people to close up the gaps in the middle. There weren't many gaps and these people were settled and not going to move. And I suspect that many on the aisles needed that aisle to stretch a bag leg or hip. (grin)

The premise is quite straightforward. The elderly need to go somewhere and they're not ready for small flats with handrails or looking to get away from the children or those who think they're going to run their elders' lives. Or cut months off the wait for a new hip. Nobody is happy, especially Maggie Smith who spews the most vile things from her mouth.

Is this a comedy? Or a drama? Yes. It's life. It's complicated. And it beautiful and complicated. Poor Dev Patel has far more enthusiasm than he has money or business sense. Or does he? And what I love about this movie is that the characters are all flawed and the ending isn't completely clean and neat -- and yet all together the package is both entertaining and delightful. Young love, old love, love in between, dead love. Perfect.

Not particularly interested in personally traveling to India -- I am just not built for high heat and especially right now with my leg -- but I am fascinated with the country and the people. Was amused to take Mrs. Dr. Phil to this just after she'd been to Nicaragua -- both similar and different.

Highly Recommended -- Run to see this while you still can see it on a big screen.

Trailers: Not one but TWO movies about writing. Neither are good advice about writing or show you how to write more better, if you aspire to be a writer. The Words involves finding a manuscript and typing it up and submitting it as your own. Classy. But... the cast includes Jeremy Irons as the original author, and then Olivia Wilde, Zoe Saldana, Dennis Quaid, John Hannah, J.K. Simmons, so yeah, I'll go see it. Ruby Sparks is sort of like Weird Science -- a writer accidentally brings his character to life. Anything he writes she becomes. Yeah, it works just like that. Hyde Park on Hudson has Bill Murray as FDR and Laura Linney as his mistress. You know, Emma Thompson pointed out that comedic actors have a much time of doing serious roles than vice versa. The Odd Life of Timothy Green may be this year's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (DW). In other words, one weird life. Imagine writing down your hopes and dreams for the child you can't have, put it in a box and bury it -- and plan on moving on with your life. Until your perfect child sprouts out of the ground. O-kay...

Dr. Phil

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A Dark Period 1997-2009

The National League has lost to the American League 13 times since the NL won the All-Star Game in 1996 -- the 2002 All-Star Game was a tie -- and the drought is now over. And for once, I managed to see the key plays.

We weren't watching the All-Star Game, they've been too depressing with the Senior Circuit's run of defeats, but at around 10:55pm EDT I tuned in to FOX and saw the Chicago Cubs' Marlon Byrd was at the plate, facing a Chicago White Sox pitcher with an 0-2 count, 2 outs, runners on 1st and 3rd and the AL league up 1-0 in the top of the 7th. This is a classic Cubs situation. The sole representative of the Chicago NL franchise in the game, Byrd managed to extend the count to 3-2 and then walked, loading the bases. Atlanta Brave Brian McCann then sent one to rattle around by the right field wall. One run in, two runs in. And then Byrd had a marvelous slide across home plate, beating the throw and the NL took the lead 3-1. And that would turn out to be the final score. With the inevitable pitching change for the AL, it was time to put the kitties to bed. So I saw the best five minutes of the game. (grin)

As for the title of this post, you can forgive a Cubs fan for taking his victories when he can. While McCann hit the ball and was named the MVP, it was Byrd who kept the inning alive and scored the last run and put the AL down by two. Why? What were you thinking?

Dr. Phil