I am on my usual "have to see every film nominated for a Oscar" movie going binge - a bit easier this year because of Gage, who turned 7 yeserday!!! - since Gage and I have already seen all the movies nominated for best animated picture --
yesterday saw Gosford Park, which is a prime Altman film and I love Altman films - today saw Monsters Ball which was about what I expected, very fine 2001 movie, Halle Berry deserves her nomination, and Sean Combs was very good in his small role, P Diddy can act! and I sat through a whole movie where I acrually could stand Billy Bob Thorton or whatever his name is, a very subdued, very subtle performance for him, and very fine, Heath Ledger certainly played against type - but I was in no way prepared for I Am Sam. I figured, Sean Penn plays mentally challenged father who fights to keep his daugnter, as predictable as all hell, and since I am already guessing he'll win the Oscar since if not now, when, I may as well as see it and since it started only 20 minutes after Monsters Ball ended, perfect timing - no way was I prepared for the emotional power and honesty of I Am Sam. Sean Penn was so utterly outstanding - I normally do not like Michelle Pfifer and she was brilliant - but the script goes places that I did not expect at all, the brilliant use of Beatles music to as part of the score - I began to lose it the moment that Rufus Wainwright began to sing Across the Universe, I defy anyone to not tear up at that moment in the movie - the audience was totally in rapt with that film, not a sound from everyone but I know that I was not the only one who sat there with tears running their cheeks (I haved never cried like that in a movie)- I have worked in foster care, I know what it is to lose children on bullshit reasons no matter how good a parent one is (as I lost mine becasue I am gay - you folks on the coast have no idea how brutal the courts are on gay parents in small town midwest America, but I digress), and I am sam kept going places that were astoun ding in the depth, where one might expect maudlin, it was brilliant, it it was unpredictable tghe whole colurse of the movie, it is so skillfully written, so beautifully directed and acted, the Beatles music such a brilliant tounch, if George was your favorite Beatle, if you have ever looked at life through what you have learned from music lyrics, or from the movies, if you have been a parent, or loved a child... oh gees, have I made my point that I Am Sam is one of the emotionally stunning films I have ever seen? This movie was robbed in not being nominated for best picture We were recently talking in here about choices, and Sophies Choice - I am Sam takes us over terrain of making choices for ourselves and for our children - and it is so life affirming and joyous through the tears of pain and the joy of life and expectation - damn it, quit reading this and go see I am Sam. Go see it now. (the Rev) Vince NP: Mothers Natures Son, sung by Sheryl Crow, yes, I bought the soundtrack on the way home, Aimee Mann, Sarah McLachlan, Ben Folds (his version of Golden Slumbers, from the extended sequence on Abby Road, just made that into a whole new song and emotional experience) , Wallflowers, Ben Harper, Eddie Vedder, all doing Beatles covers.. damn it, quit reading this and go see I Am Sam.
