THE STELLA DALLAS GUIDE TO BREAKING HEARTS

-->

THE STELLA DALLAS GUIDE TO BREAKING HEARTS

Buckets. Rivers. Oceans of tears. King Vidor's STELLA DALLAS (1937) is a twelve hanky weeper that stars one of the greatest of the great actresses of all time, Barbara Stanwyck, in the title role. I think Stanny might be my all-time favorite, and Stella is a fantastic, fascinating character because she is over-the-top and garish, but also incredibly generous and loving; there is something completely lovable about her and she is someone that you want to root for. However, she doesn’t realize that she is too much (too loud, too unsophisticated, too ambitious) for the refined, upper-class peeps that she wants to associate with, and they are certainly not rooting for her. One of the many things that makes this film so devastating is that from the beginning, we (or at lease I) see where things will most likely end up, yet we are powerless to stop it, even by shouting at our tv, computer screen, or iPhone as we slowly cry our eyelashes off. No one does heartbreak like Old Hollywood, so I give you:

Five Ways To Channel Your Inner Stella Dallas

5. Aspire to a higher station in life, when we all know it's going to be a train wreck when you get there. Young Stella has her eye on the finer things in life; as we might say today, she has champagne tastes on a beer budget. Her ticket to the good life comes in the delicious package of Stephen Dallas (John Boles), a rich, eligible bachelor who is smitten by Stella and marries her after a whirlwind courtship. He whisks her away to an elegant home, dresses her in fine apparel, takes her to high-society events, and dotes on her after their baby girl is born.

4. While your husband is in New York working most of the time, have the inappropriate guy (Ed, played by Alan Hale) you recently danced with in front of your hubby over to the house, serve him a drink and then make sure he is holding your precious baby girl as your husband WALKS IN THE DOOR from NYC. Surprise!

3. Get dressed up in your “fancy” clothes, the ones you have made yourself because you are no longer Mrs. Stephen Dallas and money is tight, put on lots of makeup, wear high heels and a ginormous hat and stroll through the high-society crowd at the ritzy vacation spot looking for your daughter (Laurel, played by Anne Shirley) and the mother of the boy she likes. Look around as the crowd makes fun of what they consider your vulgar appearance.

2. After your daughter hustles the two of you away from the ritzy resort without telling you why (Laurel has a heart of gold and doesn’t want you to be hurt by the nasty comments), settle into your berth on the train for some much-needed rest. Be wide awake as you hear some young girls that know Laurel ripping you to shreds, and let the realization that this crowd will never accept you play out on your face in a subtle way. When your sweet daughter looks into your berth so see if you have overheard, pretend to be asleep.

(In order to NOT give away the ending, I am going to omit a scene that should be here. If you have seen the film, it is where Stella meets with Helen to pitch her an idea, followed by what Stella does when Laurel comes home.)

1. Stand in the dark with the other peasants outside the big, beautiful house in your sad coat and hat, tears streaming down your face, as you look through a window at your only child with the man she loves. Make sure your face is perfectly framed between the pointy iron bars of the fence that are a physical reminder of a class line you can never cross, and as you walk away, change your face subtly from longing and sadness to relief that your sacrifices were worth it, as your daughter will have the life you always wanted.

Love classic film? Check out my new Classic Movie Recall podcast on Itunes or at www.ClassicMovieRecall.com. 

A Very GOOD Day With ALEXANDER At Disney's El Capitan Theatre

The El Capitan Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard.

At the El Cap entrance and ready for a good day!

One of Steve Carell's movie outfits on display in the lobby.

The gorgeous interior of the theatre.

El Cap organist Rob Richards at the Wurlitzer.

On a beautiful Saturday (the first weekend that finally felt like fall here in SoCal), my husband and son and I headed to Hollywood for the El Capitan Theatre to see Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Seeing a movie at the El Cap is always an exciting experience, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to explore. I love Netflix, but this is well worth taking the time to get off the couch and deal with the Hollywood traffic. And now, the El Cap is offering daily tours--don't miss this chance to go behind-the-scenes at a legendary, historic venue. (I love the El Capitan so much that I included it in my book, From the Corner of Hollywood and diVine: Your Guide to 30 Old Hollywood-Inspired Spots.

In the lobby, we checked out props and costumes from Alexander, grabbed a souvenir bucket of popcorn, and then headed into the theatre. I always love to come early and hear award-winning organist Rob Richards on the Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ, which instantly transports me back to the glory days of Old Hollywood. This time, he played "Circle Of Life," "You've Got A Friend In Me ("From Toy Story!" screamed my four-year-old.), "When You Wish Upon A Star," "Beauty And The Beast," "Zippity-Doo-Dah," and "Be Our Guest" before riding the organ down through the floor and underneath the stage.

I absolutely loved the movie. Alexander is turning twelve, and for him...every day is a bad day. As he watches the rest of his family (including Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner as his mom and dad) have one success after another, he makes a birthday wish that they would all know what it is like to have a terrible day, too. His wish seems to come true, as one mishap after another occurs, from a ginormous forehead zit popping up on prom day to alarms not going off in the morning to a lost pacifier (if you're a parent, you will def understand that last one).

Alexander is a great example of what Disney does so well, which is getting right to the heart of the matter; in this case, it is all about family. This is one of those movies that had me laughing one minute, and then tearing up the next, either because something was painfully true about being a parent or just genuinely sweet. I hope that you never experience a day that goes wrong to the extent the Cooper family does in the movie, but if you do, you will have some wisdom from a wise twelve-year-old to keep in mind: "Sometimes, you gotta have the bad days so you can love the good days even more."

Movie Review: MERCY RULE

I can still remember when Kirk Cameron and Chelsea Noble (now Chelsea Cameron) fell in love on Growing Pains when their characters were dating. I was just a kid, but I breathlessly read all the details in Tiger Beat, Teen Beat, and every other magazine that covered it.

By now, you may have heard how Kirk gave his life to God and turned his back on mainstream Hollywood to work in faith-based films. And though many years have passed since the Mike Seaver days, Kirk somehow does not age and still has that same boyish charm and crooked grin

Mercy Rule is the latest offering from the Camerons' CamFam Studios (they have three more films in the works), and is available now on DVD. When I interviewed Kirk recently, he said that he and his wife (who have six kids!!!) have a hard time finding movies that they can all watch and enjoy together, and that that is the kind of movie they hoped to create with Mercy Rule. And they have succeeded; I think that kids will enjoy the sports aspect, and adults will be touched by the deeper story that is gong on. There is nothing too intense or mature in this film for little eyes and ears, which is good news!

Kirk plays John, whose family junkyard business is being targeted for a takeover by a shady lobbyist.
Meanwhile, John's young son Cody (Jared Miller) is facing his own problems with his baseball team as he waits for his big moment to shine as a pitcher. As both father and son see their dreams slipping away from them, they will need to decide if they will face their challenges on their own, or learn that they can rely on God, teammates, family, and friends to help pull them through.

As one reviewer (Pastor Rex Holt) said of the film, "Just as Fireproof restores marriages, Mercy Rule strengthens families!" And one way it does that is by including a booklet of family discussion questions and a study guide with the DVD. This is wonderful to have, as it lets you go a little deeper with your kids and spouse. It includes some great quotes from the movie ("Winning is not as important as fighting on the right side."), and covers things like building legacies, fighting envy, taking responsibility, and quitting whining (I need to take a second look at that last one!).


Kirk told me that he made the movie to help rescue families, and to remind himself about what is really important, because today it is so easy to get distracted and not put first things first. My favorite scene in the movie happens when Kirk and Chelsea (who plays John's wife, Maddie) are having a conversation about what "everything" truly means; when we say that we have lost or could lose everything, are we really just talking about material things?  And how can we be freed from the despair of this? Mercy Rule will remind you that focusing on faith and family, and having courage and looking out for others are the important things in life, and when we make those our priorities we can believe that will bring a blessing.

Check out the official Mercy Rule website at http://mercyrulemovie.com/.

Movie Review: GOD'S NOT DEAD

Years ago, while sitting in a philosophy class in college, we were discussing different arguments about the existence of God and belief in God. We were covering things like Pascal's Wager, God as the First Cause, and various kinds of Truth Tables. At one point, a boy raised his hand and simply said, "What about faith? What about believing in Jesus as the Son of God?" The professor proceeded to viciously take him apart, and it all ended a few minutes later with the boy collecting his things and leaving, never to return. That is one of those moments that I wish I could return to, so that I could change the fact that I sat silently by the whole time.


I am guessing that God's Not Dead (out now on DVD and Blu-Ray) hits very close to home for many people who have spent time in a college classroom.  College student Josh has just started Mr. Radisson's philosophy class when the professor jumps right in with the "fact" that there is no God. "God is dead," he says, and continues by saying that he never existed in the first place and is simply a fairy tale from days gone by. These days, science and reason have supplanted superstition. When Radisson asks the class to write those three little words on a piece of paper, sign their name, and hand it in, Josh cannot bring himself to do it and he admits that he is a Christian. Josh (who dreams of going to law school) is told that if he will not sign and does not want to fail the class he will need to defend the antithesis: that God is not dead. He will need to do this in front of his fellow students, who will decide if his argument was persuasive, and cover things like free will, creationism, issues of moral absolutism, and the meaning of life.
And there are other stories in the film that weave together, from a daughter caring for her mother with Alzheimer's to an ambitious young career woman who receives tragic news.

 God's Not Dead  is nicely shot and well-acted (unfortunately, a lot of faith-based films are not), and has a terrific cast that is led by Shane Harper (who is also a talented singer and has a song on the soundtrack), Dean Cain, and Kevin Sorbo. It is interesting to see two actors who portrayed superheroes in the 1990s (Cain in Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Sorbo as Hercules) do such a convincing job as bad guys! There are some great smaller roles, too, handled well by Cassidy Gifford (Kathie Lee and Frank's daughter), Willie and Korie Robertson of Duck Dynasty, and the Newsboys, whose song "God's Not Dead" is featured prominently in the film. A special shout-out to lead singer Michael Tait, who does a great job in a very emotional scene. And while you might think you know how the movie will end, there is a big twist in the last few minutes.

I cried so hard while watching God's Not Dead, and not just because it really brought home the anti-faith bias that so many young people have to deal with as they get an education. God's Not Dead reminded me that you never truly know what is going on in someone's life, and that those who appear to deserve grace the least from us are the ones who need it most. I also appreciated some great advice that the pastor in the film gave to Josh; when Josh was questioning whether he should get up in front of 80 people in his class to defend God, the pastor said that most likely those same people would never set foot in a church, and that this might be the only meaningful exposure to Jesus that they would ever have. It really brought home that God has us exactly where we are meant to be, and that we can be used right where we are.

If you have (and I think pretty much all of us have) wrestled with questions like how God can exist while horrific suffering is happening here on earth, why your prayers seem to go unanswered, or why bad things happen to good people, you must see this film. Ultimately, when trouble comes, that is when we can draw closer to God, or reject him entirely...the choice is ours. I believe that you will be comforted by the answers God's Not Dead provides, and reminded that all the trappings of this life (and even life itself) are temporary.

Movie Review: VeggieTales Celery Night Fever

Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber are back in another cleverly titled VeggieTales adventure: Celery Night Fever (out August 5th)! And yes, there are vegetables in leisure suits, fringed vests, and Sgt. Pepper jackets this time around.

What I love about the faith-based VeggieTales films is that they teach kids such great lessons in a very sweet and cute way, with enough sass to entertain parents as well. You never have to worry about your little ones seeing something violent or disturbing, which is really nice. Although, I have a cried a few times during particularly touching moments.

Celery Night Fever does not disappoint! During Grandparents Day at school, we find out that Laura Carrot's grandfather was a member of a legendary 1970s group, which he refuses to discuss these days. Another child's grandfather, Bruce Onion (voiced by Terry Crews), is a wealthy veggie that wants to turn the kids' beloved Celery Park into a strip mall or motel. Laura and her pal Junior Asparagus are determined to save the park, and put a bold plan in motion...a plan that could involve getting Grandpa's band, The Groovy Brothers (who got their start in Celery Park), back together.

Can the band members find their way back to each other after years apart? Will Laura and Junior be able to mend their own broken friendship? Do not miss Celery Night Fever, which is all about friendship and forgiveness, and is full of fun new VeggieTales songs, like "Perfect Puppy." My four-year-old loved the movie so much that when it ended he pulled out our set of VeggieTales Christmas Marathon DVDs to watch next and screamed, "Mama! There's never, ever, ever, ever, ever been a show like VeggieTales!"

Movie Review: Disney's PLANES: FIRE & RESCUE

 In the "airport" section of our family room, Dusty Crophopper, Ripslinger, Bulldog and more friends from Disney's Planes are lined up and ready for takeoff. When my son saw the movie last year, the story of the gutsy cropduster with a dream captured his then three-year-old heart and imagination...and I also think he developed a crush on the aerodynamic plane named Ishani.

In the LA Live Regal Cinemas lobby.

I am happy to say that I thought Fire & Rescue (which opens July 18) was even better than Planes, and it is a wonderful tribute to all those who fight fires. As one character says about the fire planes, "They fly in when others fly out." The action starts off in Propwash Junction with Dusty and his friends from the first movie, but quickly moves to Piston Peak, where Dusty goes to train and become certified as a firefighter. And, of course, we get to meet a some new friends, including a Dusty super fan, voiced by Julie Bowen of tv's Modern Family, who likes to watch Dusty while he sleeps.

Fun Thing To Watch For: If you have been to the Grand Californian Hotel at Disneyland, you will see that the Grand Fusel Lodge in the movie looks just like it.

Sporting some stylish 3D glasses.

You are most likely going to be seeing Planes: Fire & Rescue if you have little ones, but I do think that mom and dad and older siblings will enjoy the movie, too. We saw it at the LA Live Regal Cinemas in 3D, and the flying and fire scenes were absolutely spectacular. And do stay through the credits (the movie is very short) for a little surprise about one of the characters. Enjoy! Maybe we can look forward to a third Planes film in Summer 2015?

And...thanks to Disney for these two activity sheets for the kids! Print the pics and have fun coloring and doing the maze.

Two Fun Family Movies: THE NUT JOB and THE LITTLE RASCALS SAVE THE DAY

The Nut Job: I'm just a squirrel, trying to get a nut...

My four-year-old son recently fell down and hurt his lip, and after cleaning him up (so much blood everywhere!!!) I knew we needed to do something quickly to cheer him up.

I asked what I could get him, and through the tears he said, "The Nut Job." We were spending the weekend at a hotel, and he knew I had it in my bag. (Thank you, Universal Home Entertainment!)

Tucked into bed with some milk and an ice pack, we settled in. I was excited to see the movie because three of my favorite actors were in it: Will Arnett, Liam Neeson and Maya Rudolph. Their voices were in it, that is; The Nut Job is animated.

Surly the Squirrel (Arnett) gets kicked out of his squirrel pack, which is led by Raccoon (Neeson), and strikes out on his own with his buddy, Buddy (Rob Tinkler). Everyone in the fictional city the film is set in is struggling to find food, so the two friends are overjoyed when they stumble upon a nut shop run by gangsters: "We've found it! The lost city of Nutlantis!"

Surly and Buddy plan to take all the nuts in a big heist, but Andie (Katherine Heigl), from the squirrel pack in the park, finds out what they're up to and wants them to share the nuts with the whole gang. What follows is the stuff of classic caper/heist movies, including double-crossings, power grabs, chase scenes, and romance. There's even a blonde bombshell named Lana!

It was wonderful seeing my son laugh at different jokes and be so into all the action, and I always enjoy a story about unlikely heroes. The Nut Job is a fun, light film that the whole family can be nuts about!




 The Little Rascals Save the Day: Spanky, Alfalfa, and the gang are baaaaaaaacckkk!

What a treat to get to see this movie, since I was obsessed with Spanky and Darla and Petey when I was a kid. It was so much fun to share this with my little guy, who is already a fan of the "tiny kids" (as he calls the Rascals).

The amazing Doris Roberts plays Grandma, who is in danger of losing her bakery. The kids step in to try to help (even Petey the dog gets a chef hat), and hilarity ensues when they try their hand at baking a cake.  Things get more complicated when the town's rich guy and bratty kid try  to buy the bakery and Grandma turns them down.

The Rascals come up with some different ideas to help Grandma, including a pet care business, a "Taxi Kab Servis," and a talent show.

This is a sweet family movie to see, especially if you love rooting for the underdog(s). I like that my son saw a group of kids putting themselves out there to do the right thing and help someone. Plus, it was really cool to see that even after all these years, Alfalfa still has that one patch of hair sticking up (even through a bike helmet!). I asked my son why other kids should watch The Little Rascals Save The Day, and he said, "Because it's really good." And how!