I bellyached about the atrocity to my ears that was committed by Tron:Legacy, and unfortunately I had to wag the finger of shame at Jeff Bridges. I know it was a fat paycheck, and sometimes an actor has to go back to a role even if he knows it’s going to turn out poorly, but I cannot grade on a curve. Not even for The Dude.

Thankfully, Jeff is now out of the dog house and free to return to his place inside the warm part of my heart. I just watched True Grit. His acting is fantastic and he gives such great depth to the character of Rooster Cogburn. He’s helped along by excellent dialogue written by the Coen brothers, and the strong cast surrounding him.

The best part of the movie isn’t Jeff Bridges, it’s the actress playing Maddie Ross. The strength and composure that 14 year  old Hailee Steinfield brings to the character is amazing. In a very strange turn of events, I formed a sense of paternal fondness for Maddie, adopting her as an imaginary daughter within the first half hour of the film. I am proud of a fictional character. If that’s not a sign of dissociation from reality, then I don’t know what is.

The movie itself inspired me, but in a slightly different way than I’m used to. I usually walk out of movies with my creative gland swollen and ready to expell….well that’s a disgusting image. Let’s try that again. I usually leave a movie feeling artistically inspired, either by having seen great art, or having endured someone ruining a perfectly good idea. This time, I was inspired by the filmmakers’ dedication to their craft. This movie was a perfect example of a Western. It should be held up as the archetype for a Western. The Coens don’t try to re-invent or turn it inside out: they lovingly pay attention to every detail, and stay true to every element that makes a movie in the Western genre great. This was a movie made with determination and hard work, and that makes me want to keep working hard and getting better at my craft.

Side note: you will not see another movie this decade that so accurately portrays the terrible, compromised state of the human mouth. History is full of rotten teeth and men mumbling through them.

“heaven is a better place today because of this
but the world is just not the same
if and when we get into the endzone
act like you’ve been there a thousand times before
don’t blame don’t say people lose people all the time anymore.”

-“Heaven is a better place today” by The Tragically Hip

 

I found out yesterday that one of our family friends had her father pass away. Bob was a good guy, and Max liked him enough that we called him Grandpa Bob. Bob had a long and hard fight in the last few weeks, and he deserves the rest.

Rest in peace, Bob.

Okay,I exaggerate: panic on one street. Specifically,in my house. Nothing bad, nothing catastrophic, just a sudden influx of freelance writing due in a shot period of time. And it turns out that I tend to freak out a little bit if I take on a bunch of projects at the same time. Add to this the impending arrival of my mother-in-law and the messy state of the house, and mix liberally to achieve full-blown panic. I have no idea how to start tackling this big pile of work, so I’m flitting from room to room accomplishing very little (and blogging about it, which may or may not help).

But wait, there’s more! I have one more measly chapter to write for the fiction story to finish the thing off, but of course, my momentum on that project is crawling to a standstill. I’m so close to the end that I can’t muster up the energy to do that last little bit. And, the wife’s birthday is Thursday, so I have cake-making and present-wrapping to do. So very much on my plate, and I am by nature a very slothful human being. When will I exercise? Who knows?

But let me put focus back on the days success: Max returned to school after the holiday break, and despite some intense crying as we stood outside  of the classroom, he worked through it and had a great time. So good, that he was confident and delightful for the rest of the day. After powering up with a 2 hour nap, he was a dynamo of helpfulness, humour, and eating. The boy is gonna grow again.