Jane Heller

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

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Movie Day: “Trumbo”

November 26, 2015

trumbo poster-1

Today was Thanksgiving and the day/night was jammed, but we squeezed in a morning showing of “Trumbo.” Was it worth getting up early? Not really.

The true story of Oscar winning screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, the movie has a fascinating tale to tell but seems to take forever doing it. We meet Trumbo and his family at their lavish ranch outside Hollywood where he’s the toast of the town, turning out scripts that earn him a lot of money and great acclaim within the industry. But we’re talking about the post-World War II Cold War when anyone even suspected of having Communist leanings was in danger of losing everything. Such is the case with Trumbo, a proud Communist who gets called before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and refuses to name names of other Communists in Hollywood. As a result, he’s blacklisted for 13 years – his name removed from his scripts, his only work written under pseudonyms for sympathetic producers, even when his films won Academy Awards (“Roman Holiday,” for example). How he and his family stayed afloat during his purgatory fills the screen for two hours. A lot of it is compelling and some of it feels like a mediocre TV biopic.

Bryan Cranston gives the character everything he has. The real Trumbo was said to be a larger-than-life type and Cranston plays him that way – over-the-top and almost cartoonish. Diane Lane as his wife is given woefully little to do but play his cheerleader and occasional scold. Helen Mirren is terrific as Hedda Hopper, the gossip columnist who’s determined to expose all Communists in Hollywood and make sure they never work again. And John Goodman is blustery fun as the schlock producer who hires Trumbo during his blacklist years.

This is a story that deserves to be known, not only for history’s sake but because it’s very timely in this climate where those who are judged to be “un-American” must be rooted out at all costs. It’s a cautionary tale  with implications beyond Hollywood, in other words – a tale of what can happen when “patriotism” runs amok.

 

Filed Under: Mainly Jane, Movies, Politics Tagged With: Bryan Cranston, Dalton Trumbo, Diane Lane, Hedda Hopper, Helen Mirren, John Goodman, Turbo movie

Movie Night: “Truth”

November 19, 2015

 

truth poster

I had to practically drag Michael to see this last night, but it was playing right nearby so he sucked it up and came with me. His reaction afterwards was that the movie wasn’t as bad as he thought, and mine was that I may have to stop trusting The New York Times movie reviews with which I don’t always agree but more so lately. Stephen Holden called the movie “a gripping, beautifully executed journalistic thriller” and Cate Blanchett’s performance “one of her best.” I respectfully say, “Not so fast.”

Blanchett plays Mary Mapes, a well-respected producer for CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” whose on-air talent, Dan Rather, is her surrogate father of sorts (Robert Redford plays Rather). Based on Mapes’ book, “Truth” takes us inside the newsroom during an investigation into whether family strings were pulled to get George W. Bush into the Texas Air National Guard so he could escape the draft during the Vietnam War. What’s more, Mapes and her team set out to prove that Bush didn’t show up for his physical, went AWOL for a long period of time and that the truth of his military record was covered up. The lead-up to the airing of Mapes’ broadcast is indeed suspenseful, as we wonder who among the various characters, both political and military, will go on the record and/or turn over documents. And when the story does air, Mapes, Rather and crew celebrate, thinking they’ve broken big news and their bosses at CBS News will be pleased.

The bosses are pleased….at first. Then the pushback begins as others question Mapes’ sources and whether she and Rather were just trying to tarnish Bush’s reputation during the critical 2004 election. Many twists and turns follow involving fonts and typefaces and whether Mapes truly had authentic documents in her possession. Ultimately, Rather was forced to step down as the “Evening News” anchor, which essentially ended his career, and Mapes was fired out right, ending hers. (In a postscript, we learn that her earlier report on Abu Ghraib won a Peabody Award for the network.)

“Truth” asks valid and interesting questions about television journalism and I enjoyed that aspect of the film. Did Mapes’ and Rather’s own political bias affect their ability to do their jobs on the story? Or did they simply want to expose the truth about a chapter in the personal history of a presidential candidate? Did CBS genuinely have concerns about their fact-gathering methods or did they cave in to political pressure from their corporate (and more conservative) bosses?

Supporting characters are first-rate: Topher Grace, Dennis Quaid, Stacey Keach, Elisabeth Moss. And the dialogue is crackling and smart at times, heavy-handed and speech-y at others. The movie is overly long and becomes tedious once the piece on Bush airs, and Blanchett, although playing a high-strung character, is actress-y and over the top.

After the brilliance of “Spotlight” the other day, a film that covered the journalism profession without theatrics, “Truth” was a letdown.

 

Filed Under: Mainly Jane, News stories, Politics, Television Tagged With: 60 Minutes, Cate Blanchett, CBS News, Dan Rather, Mary Mapes, Robert Redford, Truth

Movie Night: "Selma"

January 13, 2015

selma-movie-poster

We braved the rain the other night (yes, it actually rained in Santa Barbara – for two days, in fact – and hopefully the percip helped the drought conditions) and went to the Arlington Theater to see “Selma.” The night before on his MSNBC show, Lawrence O’Donnell had gone into such a state of rhapsody over the movie that, in addition to many other glowing reviews as well as the timeliness of the subject and my own interest in the civil rights movement, I was eager to see “Selma” – particularly on the eve of the Golden Globes awards.

The good news: David Oyelowo, yet another Brit playing an American icon (lots of them these days), gets Martin Luther King Jr.’s vocal cadences amazingly well. The bad news: I wish there’d been more fiery speeches to show off his talent. “Selma” is a more ruminative movie than one that gets you up on your feet shouting “Amen.” It shows King in quiet, contemplative moments – too many of them for me. We see him strategizing with his close group of advisers. We see him trying to make his point with LBJ (Tim Wilkinson, another Brit playing a legendary American). We see him navigating strained marital waters with his wife Coretta. And all of these contemplative moments move at a very slow pace, many in darkly lit spaces.

It’s when “Selma” opened up and showed us the people of Selma and the consequences of their fight for their right to vote that the movie came alive for me. Their courage, their persistence even in the face of formidable opposition, even in the face of unyielding Alabama Governor George Wallace (another Brit, Tim Roth), was inspirational and riveting. But as for King himself? Let’s put it this way. As I was coming out of the ladies’ room after the movie, I heard several women echo my own thought, which was: “How can a story about such a magnetic man make him seem so un-magnetic?” The film was emotionally flat in places where it needed to soar. I was disappointed.

 

Filed Under: Mainly Jane, Movies, News stories, Politics Tagged With: Arlington Theater, David Oyelowo, Martin Luther King, Oprah Winfrey, Santa Barbara, Selma, Tim Roth, Tom Wilkinson

My Current Obsession

March 6, 2014

Kevin-Spacey-in-House-of-Cards

Now that I’ve finished watching Season 2, I’m feeling bereft, lost, hungry for more. “House of Cards” is addictive that way. I’ve been trying to wean myself off of the show but instead I read and re-read everything I can get my hands on about it – interviews with the writer and the cast, reviews from the critics, articles about the similarities between the fictional characters and real-life members of Congress.

What makes the show such irresistible television? Part of it is that in this era of stalled government, it’s a kick to see bills actually get passed. Another part is the snappy writing and fast pace. And then there’s Frank and Claire Underwood, two of the most nakedly power crazed people ever. Kevin Spacey is wonderfully droll and conniving as Frank, but it’s Robin Wright’s Claire who is the more complex of the two. She’s loyal and smart and sexy but the coldest thing since the North Pole. And let’s face it: she’s a gorgeous fashion icon. I mean seriously. Take a look.

There’s her haircut…

Claire's haircut

Her clothes…

Robin Wright dress

Her glasses…

Claire's glasses

Even her cashmere bathrobe is to die for…

Claire's bathrobe

Every now and then she gives us a peek at her softer side, but mostly she cleaves to an agenda and it doesn’t matter who’s caught in the crossfire. I can’t wait to see what she and Frank will do next, but that won’t happen FOR A YEAR. How will I survive until Season 3?

I’ve been watching and loving “True Detective” thanks to Matthew McConaughey’s Rust Cohle.

-1

But there’s only one more episode to go and then the season’s done – and so is McConaughey, apparently. He announced after the Oscars that he’s not continuing with the show. Bummer.

So I’ll have to throw my affection elsewhere. Friends have told me to check out “Nurse Jackie” and “Orange Is the New Black.” But right now I’m not in the mood to dip into a new set of characters on the small screen.

Now the screen on my Kindle is another matter. I’m still reading like a maniac.

Filed Under: Fashion, Mainly Jane, Movies, Politics, Popular culture, Television Tagged With: Congress, Frank and Claire Underwood, House of Cards, Kevin Spacey, Matthew McConaughey, Robin Wright, True Detective

Movie Night: "Muhammed Ali's Greatest Fight"

October 6, 2013

Alis-Greatest-Fight

If I hadn’t read an interview with Christopher Plummer in yesterday’s Daily Beast, I might not have known this HBO original movie was on last night, but I’m glad I did because the movie was utterly fascinating.

Based on a book of the same name and directed by Stephen Frears (“The Queen” with Helen Mirren and many other great films), it takes place in 1967 when Ali was convicted of draft dodging. He’d changed his named from Cassius Clay after joining the Nation of Islam and refused to be inducted into the military because he was opposed to the Vietnam War on religious grounds. I remember it well. I  was a big boxing fan in those days and watched all the Ali-Frazer/Ali-Foreman fights and Ali was just about the biggest sports story on the planet in those days.

Stripped of his world heavyweight championship title, he spent four years fighting his conviction, embarking on a college tour to make money. At the time he found a sympathetic audience, since campuses across America were in a state of protest against the war. In 1971, his case finally reached the Supreme Court and it’s in the Court that this movie resides.

What a cast. Frank Langella plays Nixon’s pal Chief Justice Warren Burger. Plummer plays Justice John Harlan. Danny Glover plays Justice Thurgood Marshall, the only black man on the bench. Barry Levinson, Fritz Weaver, Ed Begley Jr. play other justices. The real co-star to Plummer is Benjamin Walker, who plays Plummer’s clerk, Kevin Connolly, a liberal who didn’t agree with his boss’s positions, particularly his decision to join the Chief Justice’s opinion that Ali’s case should be upheld, not overturned.

The drama of the legal battle involving these giants of acting, expertly interwoven with archival footage of Ali, boxing, student protests, Nixon, etc. make this a must-see movie. I’m sure HBO will repeat it throughout the month. Plummer, in particular, as a conservative justice who values fairness – and who’s dying of cancer and has a wife with dementia – is superb.

 

Filed Under: Mainly Jane, Movies, Politics, Popular culture, Sports, Television Tagged With: Christopher Plummer, Frank Langella, HBO, Muhammed Ali's Greatest Fight, Stephen Frears

Aw, I'll Miss Mary & James

January 29, 2013

Now that Jeff Zucker has officially arrived to shake up CNN, there were bound to be major on-air changes. I’m all in favor of Zucker’s decision to bring Chris Cuomo over from ABC News to co-anchor a new morning show with Erin Burnett (about whom I’m less enthusiastic). While I hope he finds a new slot for Soledad O’Brien, I’m crossing my fingers that he sends Margaret Carlson packing; she sounds like a person who’s just inhaled helium and I cannot understand a word she says.

What I’m sad about is that the odd couple of odd couples, Mary Matalin and James Carville, will be leaving CNN. Apparently, Zucker wants his pundits to appear in the studio and Mr. and Mrs. Matalin-Carville live in Louisiana and have been doing remotes. I’ll miss them. I found them endlessly entertaining. Talk about a bipartisan marriage. Maybe they’ll turn up on another network and I can continue to watch them bicker. I wonder what they talk about when there are no cameras around. My guess is they discuss who’ll do the dishes and who’ll take out the garbage, just like the rest of us.

 

 

Filed Under: Mainly Jane, News stories, Politics, Television Tagged With: CNN, James Carville, Jeff Zucker, Mary Matalin

Movie Night: "Lincoln"

November 6, 2012

Let me start off by saying Michael is a history buff. I mean a serious student of history and someone who was really looking forward to this movie. I was looking forward to it too, because who wouldn’t want to see the gifted Daniel Day-Lewis take on one of our greatest presidents, with Steven Spielberg directing and Tony Kushner writing. So we went to last night’s screening with high hopes, despite being told there would be security present and we’d have to get TSA’ed and leave our cellphones in the car (none of that happened) and despite the early word that the film was “talky.”

But, oh my. What a ponderous experience. Day-Lewis is a marvel – the voice, the stooped posture, the weariness, the occasional joke teller, the long-suffering husband – but the movie is much too long and much too static, like a stage play. In fact, after the opening scene, I whispered to Michael, “I feel trapped in a high school production. Are they all going to speak in speeches?”

The answer was yes. The characters, with a few exceptions (a much-needed dose of levity from James Spader), spoke in speeches instead of dialogue that real people would speak, even politicians. Movies should be about storytelling, and Spielberg seemed more concerned with presenting Lincoln, the mythological figure. Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln was straight out of a Tennessee Williams play.

I came home last night tired and cranky and wishing I had better news about this one.

Filed Under: Mainly Jane, Movies, Politics Tagged With: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln, Steven Spielberg

I Have To Agree With The GOP On This One

June 4, 2012

When the above Obama campaign video was released on the same day as the dismal jobs report, even I had to wonder what the Prez’s campaign was thinking…or whether they were thinking at all. If I were the GOP, I’d produce a rebuttal video too, only mine would have been snarkier than theirs. (I’d post the link but there was something wrong with the audio.)

You just cannot say you support the disenfranchised and then have Anna Wintour, the symbol of  the “Let them eat cake” mentality, appeal to voters on your behalf. It’s beyond tone deaf.

No, Wintour can’t help her upper crust British accent, nor was she the actual character portrayed in “The Devil Wears Prada.”

http://youtu.be/1LVptO7o4L8

(God, Meryl was brilliant.)

But when you pick a fashion icon to invite “real people” to support your Presidency, you might as well stop picking on Romney for putting an elevator in the garage of his house.

 

Filed Under: Fashion, Mainly Jane, Politics Tagged With: 2012 Presidential Campaign, Anna Wintour, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, The Devil Wears Prada

The Edwards Trial Is Just Beginning

June 1, 2012

With the mistrial in the Edwards corruption case not even 24 hours old, People magazine reports that Rielle Hunter’s “memoir” is due out at the end of the month. If she really loved Edwards and cared about her daughter’s future, why would she rehash all the tawdry details of the affair? She doesn’t need the money; Edwards has said he supports her and the child. So does she just want to have her time in the spotlight? I should add that while I won’t buy the book, I’ll be reading every juicy tidbit coughed up by the media. I’m that shallow.

 Rielle Hunter’s Tell-All Memoir Coming Out this Month
BY LIZ MCNEIL AND MIKE FLEEMAN

Friday June 01, 2012 03:00 PM EDT

Rielle Hunter, the former mistress of John Edwards and the mother of their 4-year-old daughter, has written what the publisher promise to be a revealing memoir hitting the shelves later this month.

What Really Happened: John Edwards, Our Daughter, and Me is being billed as a tell-all about the events behind the dramatic downfall of Edwards, whose political corruption trial ended Thursday with an acquittal on one charge and a mistrial on others.

“We are delighted to publish Rielle Hunter’s memoir. A lot has been said. But no one has heard the truth of what really happened until now,” Glenn Yeffeth, publisher of BenBella Books, tells PEOPLE.

RoseMarie Terenzio, Hunter’s rep, confirms the book will be out June 26.

Hunter gave a lengthy interview in 2010 to GQ, describing her affair with Edwards from the “magnetic force field” of their first night together to their uncertain future as ex-lovers and co-parents of a young daughter.

“I know he loves me,” Hunter told the magazine. “I have never had any doubt at all about that. We love each other very much. And that hasn’t changed, and I believe that will be till death do us part. The love doesn’t go away. It’s unconditional.”

Edwards went on trial in federal court on charges of illegally using nearly $1 million in unreported campaign contributions to hide Hunter during his 2008 bid for the White House. At the time, Hunter was pregnant and Edwards’s wife, Elizabeth, was battling breast cancer, which later took her life.

Filed Under: Mainly Jane, News stories, Politics Tagged With: John Edwards, Rielle Hunter

Sat Night TV: White House Correspondents' Dinner

April 28, 2012

I never watch CSpan, but I actually recorded the dinner tonight. Why? I thought Obama killed it last year and I’m a fan of Jimmy Kimmel, so I figured this year’s event would be worth a look.

So many good jokes, as well as plenty of misses.

Loved the setup with the open mic when Obama was off stage. The toilet flushing was hilarious.

Loved the Prez’s delivery – from his jabs at himself to his lines about his GOP rivals. (The bit about Kim Kardashian, on the other hand, was unoriginal; she’s an easy target these days.)

Loved Kimmel’s jokes about Obama’s ears, the Secret Service, the dog eating, Michelle’s diet and health initiative. But he was talking way too fast, as if he was either really nervous or really worried about the clock. The host of these shindigs should take a more leisurely approach, in my humble opinion.

Mostly, what I enjoyed was seeing the journalists who cover politics get their due – from the parties to the awards. They work hard – whether in broadcasting or print – and tonight was their night to shine.

 

Filed Under: Humor, Mainly Jane, Politics, Popular culture, Television Tagged With: Jimmy Kimmel, President Obama, White House Correspondents' Dinner

This Article In Today's NYT Left Me Speechless

April 24, 2012

“Covert fashion” for concealed weapons, they’re calling it. Are you kidding me with this stuff? Isn’t it bad enough that anybody anywhere can walk around carrying their favorite little AK-47? Okay, I realize we’re talking about handguns here, but still. There’s something very scary to me about outfitting people so they can look chic while they’re “packing.” I am for civil liberties. I am for personal freedom. I am also for gun control. Everybody doesn’t need a damn gun, and to profit off the joys of gun-carrying is distasteful beyond words.

New Fashion Wrinkle: Stylishly Hiding the Gun

By MATT RICHTEL
Published: April 23, 2012

Woolrich, a 182-year-old clothing company, describes its new chino pants as an elegant and sturdy fashion statement, with a clean profile and fabric that provides comfort and flexibility.

And they are great for hiding a handgun.

The company has added a second pocket behind the traditional front pocket for a weapon. Or, for those who prefer to pack their gun in a holster, it can be tucked inside the stretchable waistband. The back pockets are also designed to help hide accessories, like a knife and a flashlight.

The chinos, which cost $65, are not for commandos, but rather, the company says, for the fashion-aware gun owner. And Woolrich has competition. Several clothing companies are following suit, building businesses around the sharp rise in people with permits to carry concealed weapons.

Their ranks swelled to around seven million last year from five million in 2008, partly because of changes to state laws on concealed handguns.

Shawn Thompson, 35, who works at an auto dealership in eastern Kentucky, bought two shirts last month from the Woolrich Elite Concealed Carry line. Both, he wrote on his blog, are a step up from more rugged gear.

“Most of the clothes I used in the past to hide my sidearm looked pretty sloppy and had my girlfriend complaining about my looks,” he wrote, adding in an interview, “I’m not James Bond or nothing, but these look pretty nice.”

The shirt has a barely discernible side slit with Velcro through which, he said, he can yank his Colt 1911 from his waistband holster. Depending on circumstances and mood, he might also carry a folding knife and, at night, a flashlight in a pair of Woolrich chinos his girlfriend bought for him.

Carriers of concealed guns say the new options are a departure from the law enforcement and military look, known as “tactical,” long favored by gun owners.

The latest styles, by contrast, are called “concealed carry” or “covert fashion.”

“What we’ve tried to do is create a collection of garments that allows the end user to have stylish lifestyle apparel but have features in the garment that enable them to carry a weapon and draw the weapon quickly,” said David Hagler, a vice president at 5.11 Tactical, who was lured from Nike to work at 5.11, one of the biggest makers of clothing for soldiers and police officers.

The company’s growing concealed-carry line includes a lightweight water-resistant vest coming this fall — the sort of vest that is standard and trendy at any mainstream outdoor shop but has strategic pockets for guns. It also includes a stealth compartment in front so the wearer can appear to be warming his hands while actually gripping a pistol in a waistband holster.

Other companies are rushing to meet the demand for concealed-carry clothing. Under Armour, best known for its sports and action gear, will be adding a jacket and a plaid shirt with Velcro pockets for easy gun access.

Kevin Eskridge, senior director for outdoor product and design at the company, said the company had seen demand double in the last year for such clothing from traditional outdoor and sporting goods stores, like Dick’s Sporting Goods and Cabela’s.

Mr. Eskridge said the Under Armour apparel was catching on because of fashion but also because of its features, including moisture-wicking fabric.

“Others are making shirts with gun access but using regular cotton,” he said. With his company’s fabrics, “there’s no stink factor,” he said. And if gun owners do not use fabrics that wick away moisture, “You’ll literally rust out,” he added.

Gun experts suggest that there are many reasons for the growth in the number of people with concealed-carry permits. They say it is partly due to a changing political and economic climate — gun owners are professing to want a feeling of control — and state laws certainly have made a difference.

After a campaign by gun rights advocates, 37 states now have “shall issue” statutes that require them to provide concealed-carry permits if an applicant meets legal requirements, like not being a felon. (A handful of other states allow the concealed carrying of handguns without a permit). By contrast, in 1984 only 8 states had such statutes, and 15 did not allow handgun carrying at all, said John Lott, a researcher of gun culture who has held teaching or research posts at a number of universities, including the University of Chicago.

Only one state, Illinois, now forbids handgun carrying in any form, but the legislature is considering a change.

A majority of states have long allowed the open carrying of handguns, said Mr. Lott, who also provided the data on gun permits. But the reality, said Mr. Lott and other gun experts, is that people do not want to show others that they are carrying a weapon or invite sharp questioning from the police.

The clothing lines address a perceived need in the concealed-carry subculture. Gun owners say they want to practice “maximum uncertainty,” meaning that if a gun is sufficiently concealed, a potential criminal will be unsure whether to attack. Gun experts say the research is inconclusive about whether such tactics reduce crime. Regardless, the clothing makers are jumping on the line of thinking.

“When someone walks down the street in a button-down and khakis, the bad guy gets a glimmer of fear, wondering: are they packing or not?” said Allen Forkner, a spokesman for Woolrich, which started its concealed-carry line in 2010 with three shirts.

The company has since added new patterns for shirts, pants and the Elite Discreet Carry Twill jacket, in dark shale gray and dark wheat tan. In addition to its gun-friendly pockets, the jacket has a channel cut through the back that the company says can be used to store plastic handcuffs.

Not everyone who carries a concealed gun is a fan of the new fashion. Howard Walter, 61, a salesman at Wade’s Eastside Guns in Bellevue, Wash., said he preferred to carry his Colt — and a couple of knives and two extra magazines — in a durable pair of work pants.

“They don’t shout ‘gun,’ they shout ‘average guy in the street,’ ” said Mr. Walter, who years ago worked in sales at Nordstrom. But really, he said, the most important thing in picking clothing is to choose something that works for the weapon. “They should dress for the gun,” he said he advised his customers. “Not for the fashion.”

Filed Under: Mainly Jane, News stories, Politics, Popular culture Tagged With: clothing for gun owners, concealed weapons, Covert Fashion

We Are Women. Hear Us Roar. (With a P.S.)

April 17, 2012

Friend of the Blog Melissa sent me a heads up about the April 28th “We Are Women March,” and I’m glad she did. It gives me a chance to fulminate about the state of affairs for women these days.

Fed up with the rhetoric, not to mention the legislation, denying women our rights regarding issues of contraception, abortion, domestic violence and more, an organization called UniteWomen.Org has stepped up to say, “Enough.”

They’re mobilizing marches all over the country on the 28th, galvanizing women everywhere to voice their anger.

Such marches shouldn’t even be necessary. Feminists fought the good fight back when I was just starting out in the adult world. I thought the right to choose, the right to equal pay, the right to determine what happens to our own bodies were all foregone conclusions.

Not anymore. For anyone who doubts that the above rights are in jeopardy, click on the HuffPo link and watch the videos of women speaking out. It was one thing to listen to guys like Santorum, Gingrich, Limbaugh and conservative members of Congress insult women, but now that Romney is the GOP’s candidate and even he’s against everything I believe in, things are downright scary.

I’m waiting to hear if there’s a march planned for little old Santa Barbara on the 28th; so far they’re just in LA and Sacramento here in CA. But even if there isn’t a march, I’ll be with my sisters in spirit. No doubt about that.

P.S. We’re having technical problems and not able to receive comments right now. Sorry and hope to have the situation remedied!

 

Filed Under: Mainly Jane, Politics, Popular culture Tagged With: UniteWomen.Org, We Are Women March

Well, She Got Me To Watch

April 4, 2012

I hadn’t checked out the “Today” show in a long time. My recent routine has been to read newspapers and blogs while I eat breakfast, but I was sucked in by the hype surrounding Palin’s supposed guest-hosting gig on “Today” – a clear ratings grab against Katie Couric’s week of subbing on “GMA” – and I found myself tuning in at 7 am.

For starters, Palin didn’t guest-host anything. Matt Lauer interviewed her during the first hour and that was that. For the rest of the show, she joined Matt, Ann and Al for discussions about everything from Jessica Simpson’s weight gain to Oprah’s failing cable network.

On one hand, she’s great TV. You never know what will pop out of her mouth so you feel compelled to stick around to find out.

On the other hand, she’s got a truly annoying, shrill, nails-on-a-blackboard voice and I kept muttering to myself, “Who could be married to that?”

And then there’s her mangled syntax and word usage; never have I heard someone say “perhaps” as often as she does.

I wish she’d go away, but as long as the “lamestream media” keeps pulling her in and as long as people like me keep watching, I guess she’s not going anywhere. Alas.

 

Filed Under: Mainly Jane, Politics, Popular culture, Television Tagged With: Good Morning America, Katie Couric, lamestream media, Matt Lauer, Sarah Palin, Today Show

On TV Over The Weekend

March 11, 2012

Saturday night was the premiere of HBO’s highly publicized “Game Change,” based on the book about the the 2008 presidential campaign. The filmmakers decided to concentrate not on the Hillary-Obama-Edwards story lines but rather focus their adaptation on the McCain-Palin dynamic, more specifically the way Palin morphed from relative obscurity to national sensation.

http://youtu.be/pVDYT04FyZQ

So much has been written about the film, and both McCain and Palin have blasted the filmmakers for painting a wildly inaccurate picture of what really happened.

Methinks they doth protest too much.

Sure, screenwriters take dramatic liberties. I’m not entirely convinced that McCain curses a lot, for example, nor would we have any way of knowing whether Palin curled up in a ball on the floor of her hotel room one night.

But what rang true for me were the intricacies of the political process – the same process that had me hooked from the opening scene of “The Ides of March.” I love watching how the handlers, the advisers, the strategists shape campaigns, choose running mates, tell candidates what to say and what not to say, figure out how to attack the other guy, all of it. “Game Change” delivered on that score. It also did a great job of weaving in the media covering the campaign – from Katie Couric to the gang at CNN.

As for Julianne Moore’s portrayal of Palin, there were moments when I was distracted by her accent. She looked uncannily like Palin and took great pains to get the mangled syntax right. But I didn’t feel as if I were watching the former Alaska governor; I felt as if I were watching an actress playing her. Still, it’s nearly impossible to take on the role of a real-life person, particularly one with such a vivid image, so Moore deserves all the awards that are certain to come her way at Emmy time.

Mostly what struck me is the shallow way we pick leaders in this country. Presidential candidates seek out running mates that will help the ticket, plain and simple, in order to win elections. I’m still trying to get over Dan Quayle.

Moving on to Sunday night, I tuned in to ESPN’s documentary about Magic Johnson, “The Announcement.”

I didn’t move to SoCal until 2001, so I wasn’t in L.A. for Magic Madness and didn’t follow the Lakers. That said, it would have been hard to miss the Magic phenomenon. I was as stunned as everyone else watching his press conference and hearing him say he was HIV positive. I had lost a dear friend to AIDS in the ’80s and the very name of the virus frightened me.

What I didn’t get at the time was the amazing spirit of Johnson. In the doc, he admits that he went through a depression after his diagnosis and forced retirement – who wouldn’t? – but thanks to an assist from Pat Riley and his own indomitable will, he worked his way back into the game and into a whole new set of achievements.

I found the doc very moving; the scene where Johnson goes to talk to the kids and comforts the little girl who’s crying made me cry. And the whole subplot with Karl Malone was very compelling.

I expected the film to be sort of a puff piece, but there was genuine emotion as well as candor from those who spoke on camera. I learned a lot – not the least of which is what a really nice guy Magic Johnson seems to be.

 

 

Filed Under: Mainly Jane, Movies, Politics, Sports, Television Tagged With: ESPN, Game Change, HBO, John McCain, Julianne Moore, L.A. Lakers, Magic Johnson, Pat Riley, Sarah Palin, The Announcement

Loved This

February 8, 2012

http://youtu.be/IzScCtSBe80

Mitt Romney’s “I’ll never apologize for America” shtick is getting old, so thanks to Jimmy Kimmel for giving us a little dose of reality.

Filed Under: Mainly Jane, Politics, Television Tagged With: GOP primaries, Jimmy Kimmel, Mitt Romney

Big Wins For Mr. Sweater Vest, Ironically

February 7, 2012

Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

On the day when my state of California overturned the ban on gay marriage, the biggest social conservative in the GOP race had some wins.

It all goes to show how divided this country is on social issues (as well as on everything else). Santorum was the “Terri Schiavo candidate” once upon a time, so at least he’s not a flip flopper. He’s always maintained his right-leaning positions.

Still, I can’t help scratching my head. Rick Santorum? Seriously?

I assume Romney will get the nomination, but maybe the Rickster will earn himself a shot at the VP job.

 

Filed Under: Mainly Jane, Politics Tagged With: California, gay marriage ban, GOP primary, Rick Santorum

Too Funny….

February 1, 2012

For anyone who missed this on TV, a friend just forwarded it to me.

 

Filed Under: Humor, Mainly Jane, Politics, Television Tagged With: election, home videos, kids, Presidents

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Jane Heller is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her fourteen breezy, witty novels of romantic comedy and suspense are now entertaining millions of readers around the world, along with her two books of nonfiction.

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