Movie Day Returns

After a 6 1/2 week respite, by popular demand, movie day has returned. Our intial push to see all of the movies nominated for an Academy Award was so successful that we actually needed a rest before we continued our weekly foray to the theater. I've actually been available to go to the movies each week but Pat has been so busy with work and Linda told me she "had to study" and, therefore, was unable to go. You all don't know how funny these words were when she said them to me. "Study", I said. What the heck are you studying? Well, since she's going to Italy in September, she decided to take Italian 101 so she would know the difference between fusilli and farfalle when ordering pasta in the restaurants there. I can now report, however, that she is an Italian dropout and has since opted to learn Italian from tapes. So now that the "studying" fiasco has ended, she was available, once again, to participate in our weekly ritual.

Having both read The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory when it first came out, we were very anxious to see the movie. If someone was to ask me if the movie was true to the book, I really couldn't answer that question since I read it so long ago and don't remember all of the specifics. Having said that, I thought the movie was excellent. There's not much you can change in the story of Ann Boleyn and Henry VIII. Let's face it, we all know that heads will roll in the end. I've always loved the story that there was another Boleyn girl involved in this love triangle and I thought Scarlett Johansson played the part of Ann's sister Mary beautifully. Natalie Portman was an excellent Ann Boleyn and Eric Bana looked better than Henry VIII ever did. Let me put it this way -- if Henry VIII looked like Eric Bana, he probably would have had twenty wives. After reading this book, it began my obsession for learning all things Tudor related. It was a fascinating regime and Philippa Gregory is a master at telling a great Tudor story.

Lunch today wasn't in a very exciting place but it was good nontheless. We went to one of my favorite diners. Favorite because of the food but mostly favorite because of the name. Just in case this picture is too small to read the print, it's called Michael's Diner. It's been there for years and we used to eat there quite often when Michael played ice hockey as it was on the way to his hockey rink. As usual, it was good, quick and the menu was twenty pages long. And, once again, we were shuffled to a booth right next to the kitchen so that when they brought out the food carts, they would practically hit your arm while passing you. Needless to say, we were immediately moved. Some things never change. I know, there's a sign on me that says, "Please seat me at the worst table you have".

I really want to see 21 but Linda cheated on me and saw this with her husband Jim so I might have to wait for it to come out on Netflix as I don't think Bob would be interested in seeing a movie about Blackjack. Hopefully there will be another good movie for us to see this week. In the meantime, it's "Thumbs Up" for The Other Boleyn Girl.