Posts tagged dinner
“Away We Go” How Sweet It Is
Jun 24th
How Sweet It Is
“Hotshots” looks at a movie!
AWAY WE GO is a sweet little film directed by Oscar-winner Sam Mendes and starring John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph. Krasinski, of course, is featured in the NBC TV series, “The Office,” and Rudolph was on “Saturday Night Live” for many years.
Here they play Burt and Verona, a nice young couple in their thirties who are about to have their first baby. Verona is six months pregnant.
Although she looks further along than that.
The movie starts with their going to visit Burt’s parents for dinner, who will be the only set of grandparents the baby will have, because both Verona’s parents died long ago.
At dinner, Burt’s parents reveal the surprising news that in June they are going to Belgium to live for two years.
Burt says, “You’re leaving a month before the baby is born?” and his mother says, “We’ve been planning this forever, Guys; you knew that.”
Now, the only reason that Burt and Verona are living where they are is to be near Burt’s parents, but because Burt sells insurance futures, they can live anywhere they want.
So, they decide to go on a road trip to visit friends and relatives in order to choose someplace to live where they can raise their baby.
First up is Phoenix, where they visit a woman whom Verona used to work with and her family. Allison Janney turns in a nice performance as the potty-mouthed Lily, who has a very pessimistic husband and two children who don’t pay attention to her, probably for good reason.
Then they make a quick trip to Tucson, where they visit Verona’s sister before they head up to Madison, Wisconsin, by train.
They have to take the train, because the airline doesn’t believe that Verona is only six months pregnant and won’t let her fly.
In Madison, they visit Ellen and her family, who is a professor at the university. Maggie Gyllenhaal gives a wonderful performance as a wacko hippie, but the visit does not go well.
Then they are off to Montreal and a visit with a couple they went to school with, followed by an unplanned trip to Miami to help out Burt’s brother and his sudden crisis.
AWAY WE GO brings to mind another famous saying by Jackie Gleason, and that is “How sweet it is.”
I’m Dan Culberson and this is “Hotshots.”
“I Love You, Man” Overlook the Major Flaw
Apr 8th
Overlook the Major Flaw
“Hotshots” looks at a movie!
I LOVE YOU, MAN is a very funny movie about a pleasant-enough man who intentionally tries to meet some men he can become close friends with.
Well, one, actually, and herein lies the major flaw in the story.
You see, Peter, played by Paul Rudd, has just gotten engaged to his girlfriend, Zooey, played by Rashida Jones, and it becomes clear that Peter doesn’t have any male friends, much less anyone he can ask to be his best man.
In fact, at a dinner with Peter’s parents, his mother, played by Jane Curtin, tells Zooey, “Peter always connected more with women.”
So, everybody and his brother try to fix Peter up with some men whom he can become friends with and maybe find a best man.
Naturally, the meetings are very funny, and naturally Peter doesn’t meet anyone he would like to become friends with, which means still no best man.
Peter is a real-estate agent, and his biggest project is to sell the house owned by Lou Ferrigno, the actor who played The Incredible Hulk on television.
So, Peter holds an open house for prospective buyers, and a man who shows up strictly for the food and perhaps to meet some recently divorced women is Sydney Fife, played by Jason Segel.
Peter and Sydney get to talking, and they exchange business cards.
Later, Peter decides to call Sydney, but he is so nervous that he rehearses what he is going to say, and when Sydney isn’t home, the message that Peter leaves is as funny as the rest of the movie.
However, they finally connect, agree to get together, and the rest, as they say, is what makes this movie worth seeing.
They share similar interests in music, they jam together, and Sydney gets Peter to open up more, although Peter tries too hard in practically everything he does, which is all the more funny.
And, of course, there are problems.
And, or course, they are overcome.
Now, the major flaw in the story is that I was being literal when I said “everybody and his brother,” because Peter does have a brother and you might wonder why Peter doesn’t ask him to be best man.
I LOVE YOU, MAN asks you to overlook this major flaw, enjoy the movie, and stay for the closing credits.
I’m Dan Culberson and this is “Hotshots.”
Colorado Magazine March 2nd – 8th, 2009 – Boulder Restaurant Show
Mar 2nd
Next up on Colorado Magazine, it’s the Boulder Restaurant Show. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Pizza, Sandwiches, Coffee, Sushi, Burgers or a tasty foreign treat. we have the best of Boulder Restaurants all right here on this episode of Colorado Magazine. We visit with Snarf’s Sub Shop, Sushi Tora. Great Harvest Bread Co., V.G. Burgers, Marie’s Café, Chef’s Mart, Peet’s Tea & Coffee, The Original Pancake House, Khow Thai Café, Munson Farms, Jalino’s Pizza, Chez Thuy and Joe’s Espresso.
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