First of all, I am watching the Oscars and I have a few thoughts. 1) Anyone else get choked up at Diablo Cody’s acceptance speech? 2) I am ecstatic that “Falling Slowly” won Best Song. Once is such a gem. 3) Watching the Oscars makes me feel particularly un-glamorous (not that I normally feel glamorous…) I have been told a handful of times that I look like Anne Hathaway, and looking at her tonight I really wish that were true.
One of my favorite books of short stories of all time is The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing. It’s a great book of stories because, with the exception of one story, they all focus on one character, Jane Rosenal, from teenagehood into adulthood. In the stories she has two main loves in her young adult life: her first real boyfriend, Jamie, and then her much-older, famous-editor, diabetic, alcoholic man-friend Archie Knox. The stories stand alone but are best together.
Loving this book so much, I was very excited when I found out it was being made into a movie. I was somewhat less excited when I found out that the protagonist was being played by Sarah Michelle Gellar. I was thoroughly disappointed when I found that the movie was named Suburban Girl, Archie Knox was played by Alec Baldwin, and the move had gone straight to DVD.
Of course, out of morbid curiosity, I rented the movie anyway, and it was just as disappointing as I would have imagined. My advice to you is, read the book but for God’s sake, skip the movie, if only to avoid seeing Alec and Sarah Michelle make out (ick, ick, ick) and to avoid such dialogue as
Brett (what they renamed Jane)’s dad (tenderly): Brett Eisenberg, M.D.
Brett: M.D.?
Brett’s dad: My daughter.
Puke. The only redeeming thing about the movie was that my friends and I got the pleasure of doing an hour and a half of running commentary. Had the movie escaped the straight-to-DVD fate, I would have likely spent $10 – $14 going to see it AND I would not have had the pleasure. So, yay for it being THAT shitty?
Girls Guide is a book I have read over and over again. One of the things I still remember is that at one point Jane and Archie (the editor) are having a fight and she says “the reason is because…” and he just lays into her about how that is an incorrect expression. I remember thinking, Ugh, that is the worst thing about fights with a significant other – how they can pick out the one thing that will get under your skin. But even worse, it got under my skin to such a degree that every time I hear myself or someone else say “the reason is because,” the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Sigh.
I really want to write about my recent dating interest but I’m still not going to because I don’t want to jinx it with either gushing or paranoia/insecurity, which I waffle back and forth between every five minutes. Perhaps if it turns into something, I’ll write about it. Then again, the more real a relationship is, the less I want to write about it. If that’s the case I’ll just have to refocus this blog!
A final Oscars note: I’m very disappointed that Juno didn’t get best picture though I suppose not totally surprised. I am behind in my movie watching…still need to see a lot of the contenders.
But for now, dear readers, time to sign off and watch some Jane Austen Book Club. Hope this is less disappointing …
Filed under: books, celebrities, dating, movies, music
I love that book. I didn’t know they made it into a movie. But based on your descripition, I think I’d be horribly disappointed too.
I totally understand the urge about wanting to write about your newest dating interest but also wanting to keep certain things private. I feel the same way when I write about my relationship.
But whether you include details or not (and I think I speak for a majority of your readers when I say we hope you do!), I hope you’re having fun and that’s he’s cool and really into you!
Seriously, though, I think a lot of bloggers hold back when it comes to something that could potentially mean a lot to them so it’s natural to feel ‘protective’ about sharing details.
About the Oscars — I loved Juno too but wasn’t surprised either that it didn’t win Best Pic but glad that it at least got best screenplay.
I lent my copy of Girls Guide to one of our crew, and I don’t know where it is! I’m glad that they renamed it Suburban Girl–hopefully no one will realize it’s supposed to be based on that book.
I am also glad “Falling Slowly” won (although really, the other nominated songs didn’t even come close). The only best picture nominee that K and I watched was No Country for Old Men, so we gave each other high fives for watching only the best.
But I still want to watch Juno and Atonement, so I better put those on my netflix queue NOW. Or maybe we can finally go catch Atonement together like we planned, oh, like three weeks ago? 