With Apologies to Anne Hathaway

Well, this looks bad. My first day back and I'm already late getting my post up. I have a post half-finished,  all about the great week I had with my good friend Maria Zannini, but I got side tracked last night.

I blame the Academy.  (You know, ...of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)

No, seriously. I sat down to watch the Oscars for just a few minutes because the only one I really wanted to see was Best Actress in a Supporting Role.  They always do the supporting actor and actress awards at the beginning so I figured I'd be back at the computer in no time.  But they didn't. They gave the supporting actor but not the actress. And I kept watching, and waiting.

You see, I felt I owed it to Anne Hathaway because of a false assumption I'd made about her. When I first heard they were making a screen version of one of my all time favorite Broadway musicals, Les Miserables, I cringed. Would Hollywood ruin it, like they have so many others?  Would they take a song that was at the heart of the story and totally change its meaning, i.e. "What I Did For Love" in Chorus Line?  Would they give a major part to a screen actor who can't sing, i.e. the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera? (At least they dubbed the singing for Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady. And we won't even mention Pierce Brosnan's painful performance in Mamma Mia.) Would they use all box office "names", instead of casting actors more fitting to the roles?

When I heard about Anne Hathaway being cast as Fantine, my heart fell.  What were they thinking?  That role needs serious acting chops and a great singing voice. They gave it to bubbly Princess Mia?

 
Then I saw the movie. Anne Hathaway blew me away. Completely. I walked out of the theater saying if she didn't get an Oscar for that performance, there was no justice.  So I felt it was only right that I watch it happen.  And, of course, it did. My apologies and congratulations to Miss Hathaway.

Now take a couple minutes and enjoy this.



See what I mean?

So...how about you?  Are you a Broadway musical fan?  Any screen adaptations you especially liked or hated? What was your favorite "surprise" performance?

I still have lots to share about my week away so check back on Wednesday to meet some of my new best friends.

Quote of the Day:

"Never assume the obvious is true." ~ William Safire

Let's be Honest

Okay, I'll be honest.  I promised a post Friday on more of what I learned at the Writers' Police Academy.  But that means posting it now because I have another commitment in the morning. 

Well, I haven't written it yet.  I had theater tickets this evening - Young Frankenstein, the Muscal.  It was great.  Then I wanted to seen the end of the Tiger-Yankee game.  (I was rooting for the Tigers so that was also great.)  Then I got distracted by this and that, and now it's almost 1:00 AM and I'm too tired to write about the WPA.  So I'm putting off that promised post until Monday, with my apologies.

I will remind you that the Caption Contest from my Wednesday post is still open for entries.  Stop by and play.

My writers' group is doing a public reading at a local bookstore Friday evening.  I'm going to read the poem I wrote when we lost my mother-in-law, Eleanora, last year.  Saturday is the first anniversary of her passing.  I'd like to share it here as well, in her memory.

More Time

I thought we had more time.
The doctors said it would be weeks,
Not days. Not hours.
Not now.

There were things I planned to do.
Take a notebook with me,
Ask her questions about the old days
And write down the answers this time.

She asked me to bring her a card
For her great-grandson's birthday next month,
So she could sign it
Just in case.

I asked her about stuffed pancakes
From Bob Evans.
I could bring her some on Sunday.
She said that would be nice.

I thought there would be warning signs
That would tell us to stay there,
Close beside her,
Holding her hands.

Not a phone call in the night.
Not a stranger's voice
Telling me
She was already gone.

I thought we had more time.

 
Thanks for letting me share.  I'll try to get my act together on my posts before Monday.  Have a great weekend.
 
 
(I think I'll skip the groaner on this one.  I'll find a good on for Monday.)