It's here - the latest version of a literary short story that embellishes the magic of falling in love in Florida. Of course the story of Beauty and the Beast, Phantom of the Opera and other mismatches has been told and retold. Is this about unrequited love? Love at first sight? Impossible odds? or is it merely an account of how unexpected instances lead to life changing experiences? Swamp Princess faces our deepest fears and ends in unfamiliar territory. This tale came to me quite unexpectedly at a weekend workshop. The mediator challenged all of us writers over a Saturday and Sunday to create a story based on our senses related to citrus fruit. Yep. You heard that right! She had a bag of lemons and a bag of oranges sitting on the desk and said to avail ourselves. See what the texture and scent of the fruit of choice brings to the empty page.
The bag of Navels called to me, an echo of past years spent in a developing area of Florida. A place we shared with nature and wildlife. The boys were different in the South than in New York but the rules were the same. Swamp Princess explores these differences and threatens to break cultural barriers that would otherwise keep people at bay.
The Oscars have come and gone but here are the films with a common theme well worth watching!
There’s a little something for everyone at the movies this year. For the youngest set, Big Hero 6 made a splash with its band of high tech heroes to the rescue! And heroism seems to have been the overall theme in 2014 for some of the biggest stories on the Big Screen. Let’s take a look at the best of them.
The Theory of Everything
Magical fare, especially for those who were clueless about Stephen Hawkings’ private life. British actor Eddie Redmayne gives the performance of a lifetime as the wheelchair bound genius, Hawkings, who fell in love with his wife when they were in their early 20s whilst attending Cambridge. At the time, Hawkings was given two years at the most, having discovered he had contracted Lou Gehrig’s disease. This story hits the sweet spot: love at first sight; opposites attract. In this case, polar opposites. He being a confirmed atheist and she a devout Christian. Despite their foundational differences, this beyond challenged couple produces three children and later grandchildren, which proves that the human spirit can reign over a devastating diagnosis. The hero in this story is resilience and surprising wit despite cruel odds.
The Imitation Game
Outfoxing the Third Reich proves tricky in this biopic of the man who set out to break the Nazi movement code, giving allies the edge to win the war. Again, the Brits come to the rescue with Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance as Alan Turing, inventor of the computer, who during WWII led an ensemble of top engineers to outwit Hitler.
Wild
Soul searching can be a downward spiral, as Cheryl Strayed experienced at age 22 after the unexpected death of her 45-year-old mother. After blowing up her marriage with infidelity, drugs and general mayhem, Cheryl’s forage back to life begins with a walk in the wilderness. A solo trek along the rugged Pacific Crest Trail. A makeup-less Reese Witherspoon portrays the sullied Strayed on her healing, self-heroic journey, touching viewers on a gut survival level. Before she could get on with the business of life, this heroine had to reason herself back to reality.
Selma
It’s been 100 years since the Civil War emancipated slaves and Blacks still can’t seem to register to vote. British actors David Oyelowo (as Martin Luther King) and Carmen Ejogo (as wife Coretta Scott King) masterfully re-enact the historic walk in segregated Alabama from Montgomery to Selma in 1965 that culminated in a movement, which translated to getting President LBJ on board to enable Blacks the same rights as everyone else.
American Sniper
Then there’s the life of Navy Seal Chris Kyle played so well by Bradley Cooper, who disappears into the role by adding 40 pounds of sheer bulk to his frame. To not acknowledge Kyle as America’s modern day hero would be to ignore current events. Cooper’s Academy Award nomination is well deserved.
For a list of other nominees: http://oscar.go.com/. The 87th Academy Award ceremony took place February 22nd and was hosted this year by Neil Patrick Harris, followed by the 10thAnnual Jimmy Kimmel Live: After the Oscars. Best moment was Eddie Redmayne's acceptance speech, Common and John Legend's Glory, and Lady Gaga's tribute to Sound of Music and Julie Andrew's response. Also, Jennifer Hudson's performance!
