Thursday, November 27, 2008

Home For The Holidays? Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, wherever you are, enjoy this day! I always do. I think one of the reasons I enjoy Thanksgiving is that people actually come to me --the huge feast is currently being prepared chez moi. I don't have to travel to my crazy parents house in a big oversize pink coat where I'll only end up fighting with my sibling --oh, wait that's Holly Hunter. I get us confused.

I love Jodie Foster's Home For the Holidays (1995) and I always think of it this time of year. My other favorite movie Thanksgiving is in Addams Family Values
"Eat us, we make a nice buffet..."
I had intended to type up a whole list of movie things I'm grateful for this year to honor the holiday but I don't wanna give away all my year end awards too soon... so I'm narrowing it down to three ultra specific things.
  • Poppy in Happy-Go-Lucky. Being perky and cheerful isn't really my bag but I'm still trying to be more like Poppy. I love the way she turns random conversations that could be mutual crab fests into pleasant emotional outreach. Tell her something negative about someone and she'll say "bless her/him" even as she'll join you in sympathetic exasperation.
  • The way Paul (Bill Irwin) smushes his son-in-law's face in Rachel Getting Married.
  • How happy Sean Penn looks when he's laughing as Harvey Milk. It's not a look we see on Sean Penn so much but isn't it beautiful?
Your turn: Name three movie things you're grateful for this year.

P.S. regular posting will resume tomorrow after we've all digested. Be safe and take care and THANK YOU for being a loyal reader. I couldn't keep going without you.
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35 comments:

Anonymous said...

a - my boyfriend
b - my health
c - this blog

Glenn said...

While I prefer Addams Family Values, overall I think it's Ricci in The Ice Storm that has the best quote. You know the one I'm talking about.

I don't do the whole "what I'm thankful for" thing. I'm not American.

adam k. said...

1) Baz's blatant sexualization of Hugh Jackman's body in Australia (which I just saw)

2) WALL*E

3) the fact that I was able to see The Edge of Heaven in London, way before anyone in America

Anonymous said...

1. Jennifer Jason Leigh's German accent in "Synecdoche, New York"

2. Kristin Scott-Thomas in "Tell No One"

3."Jellyfish"

Catherine said...

I'm not American, but here goes anyway:

1. The banter between Catherine Deneuve and Mathieu Amalric in A Christmas Tale, a film which I didn't take to as fully as expected. Their relationship, however, thrilled and saddened me in equal measures and I wanted to see more of them.

2. "Everything Old Is New Again" in All That Jazz. Favourite scene in a movie ever, bar none.

3. The scene in Badlands where Kit and Holly are living in the woods.

Anonymous said...

1. Julianne Moore in "Blindness", delivering a superb and subtle, affecting but never showy performance as the doctor’s wife. She's back on track. Finally. She should - but probably won't - receive her fifth Oscar nomination for it.

2. Heath Ledger's performance in "The Dark Knight". He should - and probably will - receive his second Oscar nomination for it.

3. The great visuals of "Blindness" and the suspense of "The Dark Knight". The only two great films I've seen this year so far.

lawyer tony fernando said...

Well, I´m not american, nut both Home For The Holidays and Addams Family Values are my favorite Hliday movies.

Hollywood makes so many Thanksgiving movies that sometimes I wished there was such a Holiday in Brazil.

But usually in Brazil we see our relatives on weekly bases!

Keelay! said...

Three random first thoughts...

1.) "Rock Me Sexy Jesus"

2.) Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight

3.) The pure sweetness (cute) of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Anonymous said...

A very belated thank you to you, Nathaniel. Your series of screengrabs is what inspired me to start my coffee break series.

James Colon said...

1) The various descriptions Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black) has for male fellatio in TROPIC THUNDER.

2) Poppy from HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (not to steal this one from you, nate, but you know this is one you're going to have to share thankfulness).

3) WALL-E--just the whole movie. Still haven't seen anything better this year.

NATHANIEL R said...

james...
1) lol (i shoulda been offended but i was totally laughing)
2) WWPD? She would share.
3) i must watch again.

Peter Chan said...

for 2008..

- Everytime Wall-E danced along with 'Put On Your Sunday Clothes'
- Nicole Kidman singing in 'Australia', even if it's just for a minute and off-key.
- Charlotte pooping in her pants in Mexico... I laughed harder than Carrie did, if that's even possible.

Deborah said...

3 movie things I'm grateful for:

Daniel Craig in a bathing suit in CASINO ROYALE. How not?

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and a whole lot of feathers in TOP HAT—still the only thing guaranteed to lift me out of the blackest, bleakest depression.

Heath Ledger in BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. Maybe the best love story ever made. Is that hyperbole? I don't think so.

The Pretentious Know it All said...

I'm grateful for the way the camera dipped down quickly to Jackman's crotch in that one shot in "Australia" when he's talking about Outback women. Even if the movie hadn't been good (which it was), it'd be worth sitting for three hours just for that.

I'm grateful for a celebration in "Rachel Getting Married" that makes me think weddings could actually be fun again.

I'm grateful that, barring some bizarre resurgence of "Appaloosa" or "Leatherheads," I will not have to see Renee Zellweger on any awards show red carpets this year. Thank you 2008 at the movies!

Kurtis O said...

1. The way Wall-E says his name in "Wall-E" -- it makes me melt.

2. The entire cast of both "Milk" and "Rachel Getting Married." If I could, I'd start my own personal Oscar campaign for Rosemarie Dewitt.

3. "Man on Wire" and its star, Phillipe Petit -- one of the most passionate and entertaining figures in movies this year.

4. Cate Blanchett and Meryl Streep (as always).

5. Focus Features

Anonymous said...

1. Patch - my wonderful cocker spaniel.
2. i always take out my fave movie, "It's a wonderful life" over thanksgiving weekend.
3. im thankful to be so healthy. i never get sick. great teeth / great knees - what more could a guy want?

NATHANIEL R said...

knees ha ha

Anonymous said...

1. In Bruges: a gem and great fun in a time when they're aren't many good movies out

2. Robert Downey Jr.'s speech about "full retard" in Tropic Thunder

3. Aaron Eckhart in The Dark Knight

Runners Up: Rosemarie DeWitt in Rachel Getting Married and Tom Cruise dancing to Low in Tropic Thunder

Anonymous said...

Nathaniel, I don't know why you're thanking us, we should be thanking you for your GREAT blog!!

Michael Parsons said...

My Friends
My Family/Partner
My Cats

Anonymous said...

1. Anne Hathaway obviously in Rachel Getting Married, but also on the red carpet.

2. Penelope Cruz, making me love a Woody Allen film for the first time in years

3. James Franco being on the cover of every magazine

E Dot said...

Love. Life. And Laughter.

adam k. said...

Oops. When I typed "The Edge of Heaven" up in my first comment, I meant "The Edge of Love".

You know, the British one.

theoriginalchrisaugust said...

I am thankful for:

-The scene in Slumdog Millionaire that made several tons of Indian poo oddly sweet and endearing in its own cringe-inducing way (and also to Nat for providing a Thanksgiving forum in which I'm not uncomfortable mentioning feces out loud...).

-Hamlet 2 for making "raped in the face" acceptable vernacular (and a again to Nat for a virtual gettogether at which we can safely mention face-rapery...).

-Happy-Go-Lucky's Zoe (played wonderfully by Alexis Zegerman) for reminding the cynics among us that you don't always need Poppy's incurable optimism to be good, solid folks.

Happy Holidays, all!

Rob said...

***I know we're only supposed to give three, but who cares...***

1) The opening seconds of WALL-E hearing "Out there!" from "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" scored to a shot of deep space. Makes me smile every time.

2) The stuntman montage in "The Fall"

3) Debra Winger's hand lightly touching Anne Hathaway's

4) "Slumdog's" closing credits

5) Randy the Ram's final jump

6) The cattle stampede in "Australia"

7) The slow reveal of Clooney's invention in "Burn After Reading"

8) Bill Irwin's giddy outburst after Rachel spills about her pregnancy

9) Will Ferrell's rendition of "Por ti Volare," and the whole sequence it's sung over, in "Step Brothers"

10) "Satan's Alley"

MKD said...

1. Heath Ledger's Joker. I know his performance has been hyped to the ends of the earth, but I really did think he was good.

2. Poppy in "Happy Go Lucky." Awesome.

3. Having had the chance to see the restored print of "Once Upon a Time in the West" in the theater... Some films just cry out to be seen on the big screen.

MichaelMcl said...

I'm thankful for... (restricting my list to art-themed entries)

1. Hou Hsiao Hsien's FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON... because it showed me how to make my next film.

2. Simon McBurney, because he conceived and directed A DISAPPEARING NUMBER, the best stage production I've seen in years.

3. Alexandre Desplat and Osvaldo Golijov, who've written the two most compelling film scores of recent times, bookending the year.

And a fourth thing - the final, heartrending story of THE EDGE OF HEAVEN - when all the chickens come home to roost.

And a fifth thing - the film mentor who has patiently sat with me through many film classics, trying to show me what really fine filmmaking can be. Highlights: Kaos, La Dolce Vita, Providence, Last Year at Marienbad.

Anonymous said...

just to clear something up...."great knees" - I can still run up to 8 miles 5 to 6 days a week, which most of my friends my age can't. :-)

Notas Sobre Creación Cultural e Imaginarios Sociales said...

1. WALL*E. The whole thing!
2. Having bought Dogville for $3.
3. My entire Australia theater going experience earlier today.
BONUS: Madonna last night!

Carl Joseph Papa said...

- heath ledger in the dark knight
- twilight (loved it i dont know why so dont blame me hehehe :P )
- Let the right one in

Anonymous said...

Right now I'm super thankful MILK is receiving such praise. (But it's bittersweet- the freakin' thing's not playing anywhere near me, even though it was supposed to!)

By the way- Nathaniel, is your review of it on the way?

Beau said...

In the film world?

1) Rachel Getting Married, in all its beautiful glory.
2) The cinema in my hometown, giving my family and I time and opportunity to see films just like we did when I still lived at home.
3) Kate Winslet, in two films, in the same month. <3

NATHANIEL R said...

Ariella --i hope so but I have holiday visitors and timing is tricky.

Esther said...

I just wanted to give a shoutout to my favorite Thanksgiving movie: "What's Cooking," by director Gurinder Chadha, of "Bend it Like Beckham" fame. I think it's woefully underappreciated. (I'm also a big fan of "Alice's Restaurant" when it comes to Thanksgiving movies.) But "What's Cooking" is a very sweet and often hilarious film about four diverse families celebrating the holiday in Los Angeles.

Anonymous said...

Great, no rush. I just really wanna hear your thoughts on it.