Yesterday, after my couple of hours of shopping, I did some hardcore class prep for the 10th Grade Pre-AP class. I went back and reviewed A Separate Peace, and man, do I wish we were reading that book during the year instead of just reviewing it as summer reading. That is such a great book, and I can't believe I hadn't read it until the beginning of this summer. I'm very curious to see how the students liked it. If they hated it (and how could they?), I'll be crushed. I found some cool things online to share with the students, such as an essay by John Knowles in which he talks about his own experiences at prep school and how they contributed to the novel. Cool stuff.
I also rented a few movies from Blockbuster. (Listen, if you go to Blockbuster frequently and you aren't a rewards member, you need to become one. I rented three movies for the cost of one.) My choices should show you that I wasn't really "sold" on any movie when I went there: Zoolander (I've never seen it--gasp!--and I was kind of in the mood for a goofy Ben Stiller/Owen Wilson flick), High Fidelity (another one I haven't seen--double gasp--and I love me some John Cusack), and Far From Heaven, mainly because I either read or saw an interview with Julianne Moore recently where she said that it was perhaps the movie she is most proud of, and I'd never seen it before. I ended up watching Far From Heaven, and I thought it was really good. I remember that Julianne Moore was nominated for an Academy Award for this movie, and that, in my opinion, was a well-deserved nomination. I also thought that Dennis Quaid was wonderful in the movie as well. I recommend it.
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4 comments:
Julianne Moore is one of my favorite actresses (all the way back to when she was Franny on As the World Turns). Far From Heaven is a beautifully heartbreaking movie.
Since you liked it, now you should seek out some of the Douglas Sirk melodramas of the 1950's that it is postmodernly quoting: Imitation of Life or All That Heaven Allows.
Also...two other Julianne Moore films to check out would be The End of the Affair and Safe.
i love a seperate peace, i think it is an excellent book, but i wonder if your students are going to "enjoy it" in the summer reading setting...i think this is a book that helps to be talked about at that level.
man, i still remember the 1st chapter when they talk about the blood being on the stairs and you think "what's going to happen here."
Far From Heaven is a really interesting movie...it's interesting when they make period piece films like this, but while they take place in the past they focus on contemporary ideas and issues.
--RC of strangeculture.blogspot.com
Safe will make you scared to leave the house. ;) I've never seen The End of the Affair, but want to.
I lurve Imitation of Life. Awesome movie.
PS A Separate Peace holds a special place in my heart. What a dark look at friendship...fantastic.
Was Zoolander worth renting? Love High Fidelity.
I haven't seen any of the movies you mentioned, TimShady, but I will definitely put them on the "to rent" list.
I still haven't watched Zoolander, Jen. It and HF are sitting next to the TV. I'll probably watch them this weekend and will let you know...
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