Thursday, February 16, 2012

Winter bug; Winn Dixie; Where the Heart Is; Spring:


So, I spoke too soon.  

I spent the other evening kneeling at the throne of King Huey and still feeling a bit rough.  Earlier this week I had said that two of my sons Taylor and Bailey has both has the dreaded winter bug but CJ and I had escaped.  Well, the update is now only CJ has escaped it.

Yesterday I spent almost the day in bed, haven't done that it years.  Watched a lot of television, couldn't believe how American our television has become, how sad.  Adverts for insurance, personal injury, payment protection claims and so on.

One of the highlights though was a film which is a personal favourite of mine, Because of Winn Dixie.  It's a lovely, simple film - a young girl befriends a dog after it causes havoc in the local supermarket, Winn Dixie (a chain in Florida and the East).  She claims the dog belongs to her and takes it home to the mobile home she lives in with her single father, a Preacher, played by Jeff Daniels.  I love the scenes of his 'church' services which he holds in a empty former convenient store.


Another highlight of the film is the pet shop owner she also befriends, who is played by Dave Matthews, the singer, who gets to play a song.  Touching, warm, funny and delightful, try to catch it, or I've seen it cheap in a few stores recently.

The store connection reminds me of another film, Where the Heart Is.

Starring Natalie Portman and Ashley Judd, (yes, her again) it tells the story of a seventeen year old pregnant girl from Tennessee who is on her way to California with her boyfriend, who abandons her at a Walmart store in Oklahoma.  Penniless she 'moves into' the Walmart store, where she gives birth - to the Walmart Baby.


There are some strong 'subplot' story lines and a couple of cameos - Sally Field, Stockard Channing and Joan Cusack, add to this wonderful and intelligent film.

Finally on a personal note, my new book, Spring: A Trilogy, will be available from March 1.

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