The Lion is Still King

A rainy weekday night, all activities cancelled, the kids and I went to see The Lion King with popcorn for dinner. We were the only four people in the theatre, our own private showing.  After giggles and wonder, it became a sing-along, a competition of who knew the most lines throughout this classic film with lessons for people of all ages.

I remember first watching The Lion King (on VHS no less) shortly after Tara was born, as she lay sleeping in my arms, home alone.  I knew nothing about the movie and –spoiler alert!!–I was stunned when Mufasa was killed during the stampede.  Now, this is a Disney film, so I should have known a parent would die, but thankfully we had the non-surprising redemption by the end.  I cried, I cried during and after the movie.

This was Tara’s movie of choice for several years.  I honestly think I watched or listened to The Lion King over 100 times. We fast-forwarded  when Scar recruited the hyenas with his Nazi-esque song, toddler terrifying.  It’s even scarier on the big screen, but thankfully all of my kids beyond that today.  We recently found the stuffed Simba and Nala from when Tara was younger, a few of the myriad of The Lion King memorabilia we owned.  We all love the Broadway show of The Lion King too.  So in the spirit of the original film.

Five days after the movie refrains of “Hakuna Matada” and “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” are sung, hummed, laughed en masse or in private. It’s truly time for my kids to take their place in the Great Circle of Life.  C

Movies Worth a View

Three movies in the theater in one week–an unexpected luxury!   I recently saw The Fighter and The King’s Speech–about two completely divergent families in different countries, classes, clothes, countenance, language, and periods of history but with similar themes of  family expectations vs. achieving individual goals, second sons languishing in their elder’s rotten shadows, and the protagonists overcoming extreme obstacles to succeed.

From hardscrabble Lowell MA to the upper echelons of England, in neither film were there flashy effects, over generated computer creations, time-wasting jokes, or aliens.  Both dramas were based on true stories, with the ability to draw me into a recent historical time period with excellent costumes and sets, extremely strong ensemble casts of unusual characters, appropriate (and inappropriate) language spotted with unanticipated humor, and attention-keeping story lines.

Already winning a multitude of awards, I expect Academy Award nominations for actors in both films, especially Collin Firth and a supporting nod for Geoffrey Rush in The King’s Speech and supporting nods for Christian Bale and Melissa Leo in The Fighter.   Two movies worth seeing in the theater, and my surprising choice of The Fighter for the better of the two. While the growth in Mark Wahlberg was impressive with Amy Adam at his side, Christian Bale was over-the-top in a believable way. A fantastic way to spend a couple hours lost in someone else’s lives, both tense and inspiring.

The third film does NOT deserve any mention with the excellent ones above.  Gulliver’s Travels definitely did NOT live up to my Jack-Black expectations.  Enough said about wasting a couple hours in the theater (son’s choice).  C

Opening Night for HSM3

The HSM3 countdown (High School Musical 3, for you neophytes) began in our house this past summer, when Devon–my 10 year old HSM fanatic beyond words–wrote it on the calendar for 10/24.  The excitement built as we flipped the calendar to October, then the daily countdown started until the Huge Premiere on Friday.  It was “the most important day all year” for her.

The theatre was full of giddy girls and a smattering of boys, mixed with the five girls I carted there. As the previews ended (boy, did Walt Disney know and prep their audience for a large number of upcoming Disney flicks),  the audience started clapping and cheering. Uh oh! I had not seen this excitement since waiting for the premiere of Sex and the City (SATC) opening night, when the audience exploded before the film even began.  A bit like being in the Oprah waiting area–a very surreal experience.  Why were people clapping, when there was nothing to cheer for yet?  Well, these girls are definitely preparing themselves for the SATC 22 or HSM for adults, when Troy/Gabriella/Sharpee/Chad are all grow’d up.

The bubble gum high school world that Disney envisions is too squeaky clean and peppy for today; no sex, drugs, violence, but lots of rock and roll and pop. At least Troy showed a bit of senior spunk, playing locker room tricks, and ditching his prom to find his true love.  The storyline was familiar, the characters trying to step out of their cliche roles.  The songs were upbeat, appropriate and dancable for the kids, the choreagraphy was excellent and difficult, the costumes inviting.  Hands down, our favorite scene and song was “The Boys are Back” in the car lot.  Inspiring, reminisent, and plain fun.

After the first expected screeaaammmm at the giant Troy Bolton head filled the screen was followed by some silence after the first couple of songs.  I felt the restrained excitment in the theatre, but I think they felt strange clapping during a film.  One person started after one song, and the hooting and cheering filled the room after every song after that.  Thanks to YouTube and brilliant Disney marketing, the kids knew most of the words to several songs.  I was out of my element there.

I felt that these kids were as into this film as the audience was when we saw SATC.  They knew the characters and storyline, though in SATC there were more surprises, sex and adult-oriented humor.  It was being part of a group watching the movie, almost feeling like a voyeur into a world we already knew.  But, can someone explain the last song to me?  None of us understood the silly “High School Musical” song or the film ending.

I didn’t plan on writing about HSM3 this weekend or ever,  but the experience of going on opening night was so similar to being with my friends at SATC I could not resist.  Without the alcohol, though.  SATC was a better film, though I did enjoy HSM3 more than expected.  C