“It’s a black day, Scarlett”

Photo by MGM 1939

Classic movies are home to me. Before I ever saw a cartoon, I was singing “Meet Me in St Louis” all over the house in a new “dress up” from my mom, pretending I was the radiant Judy Garland. Quality time with my dad included sleeping bags in the living room, pizza, and a Duke western. Then when I was about 12 years old, I saw Gone with the Wind for the first time. As soon as the title swept across the screen in those enormous letters accompanied by the epic Max Steiner score, I fell in love. The vibrant Technicolor, music, costumes, and performances— every element of the film came together in a way that captivated me to my core.

I started writing this article weeks ago when Gone with the Wind was pulled from HBO Max. In short, I thought it was a responsible decision, and I have loved the panel discussion, introduction, and overview of legend Hattie McDaniel added to the network.

While I intend to write more about the social and cultural significance of classic film and why these movies need to be appreciated for both their beauty AND their ugliness, today I have to pause.

Today actress Olivia de Havilland died.

Getty Images

With that news, I’m whisked back to my first viewing of Gone with the Wind. I admired the main character, Scarlett (Vivien Leigh), and her strength, charm, assertiveness, and ability to keep up with men to survive. Melanie, played by Olivia de Havilland, impressed me even more. Somehow she was able to survive and defy social expectations while still maintaining her values, grace, dignity, and the respect of those around her. She was strong and wise despite appearing fragile and weak. De Havilland herself demonstrated this in her own life as well, fighting against Warner Bros. to establish what’s known as “De Havilland Law.” This diminished studio control of actors and the roles they could play. For de Havilland specifically, the legal victory meant she could seek roles outside of Warner Bros. that actually challenged her as a performing artist.

While de Havilland was indeed a versatile actress, to me, there was always a sense of dignity, poise, and elegance in her performances. As a pre-teen, I knew that was the kind of person I wanted to be. I wanted to be kind, graceful, wise, elegant, and gentle with the knowledge that these qualities made me strong, not weak.

Today, about 20 years after seeing my first Olivia de Havilland film, I’m fully conscious of the influence her art had on me, and the little girl in me who always hoped to meet her someday is forced to finally let go of that dream.

The Path to Healing

Image: Adobe Stock

I don’t remember what the original argument was about, but I do remember the impassioned promise I made to myself: “Stand your ground and defend what’s right, Megan. Her behavior is wrong.”

She stormed through the kitchen, banging dishes, slamming cabinet doors, and yelling an array of curse words at me. Every logical response I tried to offer, every question I asked was met with maniacal laughter meant to belittle me. Her words and actions no longer made sense. “Of course you would do that,” she spouted. “Do what?” I thought. By then I was standing silent, waiting for her to make her coffee so we could leave (I don’t remember where).

A combination of devastation and anger pulsed through my body. My cheeks burned and my heart pounded. How could someone so close to me treat me with such sharp disdain? There was nothing I could have said or done in our original disagreement that warranted this reaction. Her behavior was inexcusable, unjustified, and, sadly, becoming a pattern.

Disney’s Frozen Dazzles and Delights

Image: Disney

About this time every year, all the good movies flood theatres after the long summer and fall drought. After months of not wanting to see anything, my list now seems infinite—Saving Mr. Banks, The Hobbit, The Wolf of Wall Street, Catching Fire, August: Osage County, American Hustle. Disney’s latest animated feature, Frozen, was not on my list. Don’t get me wrong, I love animation, but after Brave (which lacked depth and continuity), I thought Frozen would be a renter. However, I leaped at the chance to see it when my sister said it would be her treat.

Let me cut to the chase—If Frozen is not on the top of your list, it should be. Run, don’t walk, to see it. Why?

Stellar Seattle Opera in the Daughter of the Regiment

Photo: Seattle Opera

The Seattle Opera presents Gaetano Donizetti’s The Daughter of the Regiment—now playing at McCaw Hall until November 2^nd. With rousing tunes, well-timed humor, and lovable characters, Daughter delights from start to finish.

Performed entirely in French with English subtitles, it follows Marie, an orphan raised by Napoleon’s 21^st Regiment. Surrounded by her 1500 protective fathers, hilarity ensues when peasant, Tonio, attempts to woo Marie. The laughs only continue as Marie finds herself having to be prim and proper upon reunion with her long lost “aunt.” The vocal acrobatics of Sarah Coburn (Marie) and Lawrence Brownlee (Tonio) are truly impressive throughout. Chills tickled my spine every other note. Oh, and be sure to watch out for an especially chipper manservant who steals the show in Act II.

Find the Right Path with Pocahontas

Image: Disney

I knew it at eight years old and I know it today—Pocahontas rocks!  As a kid I loved her because she rode in a canoe, climbed and talked to trees, had a pet raccoon, and followed her heart. Today I love her for all those reasons and then some. Not only is the 1995 Disney film artistically stunning, but its heroine actually shows viewers the importance of independence, intuition, and moral courage while the movie as a whole illustrates a sense of identity that extends beyond finding one’s “other half.”

Unfortunately, its profundity is undermined by its packaging. Pocahontas’s busty and leggy appearance does nothing to showcase the deeper themes of the film but rather draws attention to the importance of feminine physique. The lingering close up of her face when she meets John Smith further enforces the value of a woman’s exotic beauty in the eyes of a man as opposed to her character. Still, there’s much to celebrate about this flick so let’s take a look!

Permission to Admire Yourself GRANTED!

I crunched on a deliciously salty tortilla chip covered in fresh, spicey salsa and thought about how I shouldn’t be eating it. I had had a big lunch and really wasn’t that hungry for dinner, but I love Mexican food… I kept crunching and looked across the table at my date… my mom! Her day had been spent thinking about our upcoming move, her church activities, her daughters, and work. We sat in silence for a while (except for the chip crunching of course) before I asked:

“Mom, what do you admire most about yourself?”

The Oscars: A Night of Profound Beauty

It’s the night many of us wait for all year. It’s a night dedicated to art in some of it’s highest forms. Whether you tune in to admire the art of fashion, cinematography, music, or animation, the Oscars have something that speaks to each one of us. It gives us the opportunity to celebrate all the varied and higher beauties of this life. International author and religious leader Mary Baker Eddy says, “My sense of the beauty of the universe is, that beauty typifies holiness, and is something to be desired.” Tonight’s Academy Awards are about more than glitz and glamour, the event is a representation of beauty, including dedication, diligence, and passion, that characterizes holiness.

The Hobbit: Satisfaction Guaranteed

Image: New Line Cinema

I was totally stoked when I heard Peter Jackson planned to make The Hobbit! Now, almost a year later, the prequel to the beloved Lord of the Rings trilogy has finally arrived. It’s the first of another trilogy that follows young hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) as he leaves his comfortable home in The Shire for a dwarf and danger filled adventure to the Lonely Mountain. According to a recent trailer, critics already call it a “visually stunning” “movie of the year.”

Any LOTR fan knows it requires a solid commitment between backside and chair to finish one of the three-hour installments. The Hobbit is no different. I’ll confess right away, The Hobbit was noticeably three hours (or darn near three hours). Some moments called for dramatic shifting in my seat or cramming ropes of red licorice in my mouth to keep alert. Despite this, the commitment is worth the while. The acting was strong, the score beautiful, the cinematography dazzling, and the script pleasantly peppered with humor.

Les Misérables: A Miserable Failure

Image: Universal Pictures

To say I’ve been excited to see the movie version of Les Misérables is an understatement. Ever since I saw the trailer about a year ago, I’ve been giddy with anticipation. As a choir nerd from elementary school to college I sang tons of Les Mis medleys, and I finally saw it live at Seattle’s 5^th Avenue Theatre over the summer. So I was ready to revel in its cinematic glory.

Well, with disappointment after disappointment, where do I even start? Director Tom Hooper decided to record vocals live instead of prerecording them, giving the actors freedom to match their singing to the spontaneity of their acting. Apparently, “freedom” meant freedom to rewrite the music. Between the flat and nasally notes, croaking, choking, and slurring of words it was hard to recognize the profound beauty of Claude-Michel Schönberg’s original score. Of course, all this was done in the name of “authenticity” and “raw” emotion. The thing is, the music itself conveys such depth of emotion all it needs is the proper musicality to deliver it. Instead, the film left me floundering in a sea of unnecessary overacting.

Does Hope Spring or Fall Flat?

Image: 20th Century Studios

Meryl Streep did it again. She garnered yet another Golden Globe Award nomination for her role in the David Frankel directed film Hope Springs. Trailers never sparked my interest, but I gave the flick a shot when I heard of Streep’s nomination.

Kay (Meryl Streep) and Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) are trapped in a monotonous, tired, and unaffectionate marriage, so Kay decides to make a change. She signs them both up for an intensive week of counseling with Dr. Feld (Steve Carell).

To start, the characters fail to charm. I’m well aware that a good movie doesn’t depend on likeable characters that live happily ever after. Just the same, something about them has to capture me. Kay is mousy, submissive, and just plain pathetic while Arnold is narrow-minded, disrespectful and controlling. I was relieved when Steve Carell entered the picture—he’ll add some much needed humor and charm, I thought. But a surprisingly straight-faced and uninteresting Carell only asks the couple a series of awkward questions, making the film all the more unbearable.