improbable fiction

Sunshine Cleaning is a story about a single mother who wants to 1)send her son to a private school (after pretty much getting kicked out) and 2)live a nicer, happier life. Having no money to do either of these things she starts her own business– a bio-hazard removal/crime scene clean-up service.

Sunshine Cleaning is from the same people who brought us the amaaaazing Little Miss Sunshine, so I was very interested in seeing it though I didn’t get a chance to go when it was in the theaters. So I had to wait for the DVD (and I’m not the most patient person in the world) to come out, and it did two days ago, and here we are. The story is pretty simple. It is about a woman’s struggle to come up with money for her son’s tuition, money for the bills, and a career that she can brag about to old high school friends. Amy Adams did a great job as Rose Lorkowski and was able to pull off angry and happy and sad and everything with the drop of a hat. Don’t let the fact that I am a HUGE Amy Adams fan fool you; she really did an amazing job. Alan Larkin was also fantastic (as he always is) as the Rose’s father Joe. However, I think the real scene stealer of the movie was most definitely Emily Blunt as Rose’s sister Norah. She makes it easy to connect with her emotions throughout the movie and her portrayal of being happy on the outside while struggling with her mother’s death on the inside was absolutely brilliant.

I really, really enjoyed this movie. I went into it thinking it was going to be similar to Little Miss Sunshine but was surprised at different level of emotional depth of the two main characters. It definitely has a darker feel to it than LMS, but there are still those great quirks that make it an enjoyable and re-watchable film. I definitely suggest seeing it.

Over on my regular, everyday, insane blog I am doing a book club challenge where I sort of bet myself to read fifty books in one year. I am currently a tad, tiny bit behind; however, The Lovely Bones was the latest in the series and seeing as it is an exceptional book, I thought I would share with you. That and because it is going to be made into a movie and Bullshish IS pretty much all about movies (with my occasional book rant here or there). So I hope you enjoy this little review well enough to go read the book. **Oh, and I tried my hardest not to include any sort of spoiler. I think I did a good job, but just sort of be warned there may come a piece or two of information that could be considered “spoiler” worthy. But nothing that should give anything away.**

Book: The Lovely Bones

Author: Alice Sebold

Number of Pages: 328

Plot, according to the back of the book:

“My name was Salmon, like the fish, first name Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973.” So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her—her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling.

Plot, in my own words:

Susie Salmon was just a normal girl who was brutally raped and murdered. She spends the entirety of the book narrating her story from Heaven as she watches down on her family, friends, and killer.

Thoughts, comments, questions, concerns:

One day I walked into a bookstore, picked up a copy of The Lovely Bones, paid for it, went home, sat on my bed and began to read the story of Susie Salmon. (A story that was rapidly becoming a much talked about topic among the literary world.) One chapter later I put down the book and did not pick it up again for at least five years.  There it sat, lonely (no pun intended) on my bookshelf just waiting to be read, but every time I looked at the thing I got the most horrible feeling in my stomach. Then I heard a rumor that it was being adapted into a movie. I thought about reading the book. Then I heard that the rumor proved to be true. I thought about reading the book. Then I went and saw a movie, and can you guess what one of the trailers was? Go on, I don’t think you will get it. IT WAS THE LOVELY BONES. I then went home, picked up the book, pushed myself through that darn first chapter and fell in love with the stupid thing.

As previously stated above, The Lovely Bones is the story of a young girl, told in first person narrative, who was raped and murdered by her neighbor. You find all of this out within the first two sentences of the book, so I don’t know what I was expecting, but by the end of the chapter it was as if you had witnessed Susie’s rape (which I believe was so realistic because of Sebold’s own rape that occurred during her college years). One of my biggest fears in life (as I am sure it is with a lot of women) is getting kidnapped and raped. I mean honestly, when I had to walk the streets of London alone to get groceries I was terrified. Not because I didn’t trust the city of London, but it is just this fear instilled inside of us. It has increasingly grown over the past few years and when I first picked up the book I couldn’t read past the first chapter. Now, I’d like to think that within the past five or so years I have grown up. Rereading the chapter wasn’t as bad as it was the first time; I was able to push through and read the entire novel, but Sebold is such an exceptional writer that no matter what point you are at in the book you are feeling some kind of emotion whether it be happiness, grief, fear, hatred, suspense, or even confused.

And that right there is what makes this book exceptional. You are seeing everything through the eyes of a girl sitting in Heaven, and yet you are able to sympathize with a grieving father, a heartbroken sister, a brother who is too young to fully grasp the situation, a mother who is on the slippery slope of severe depression, and a girl who can see her family, hear her family, but not talk to her family. Without giving anything away, all I can say is one minute you find yourself crying, the next SHOUTING at a character, then laughing, and maybe some more crying, and finally coming to grips with the ending. The characters are all lovable in their own unique way (with the exception of the killer who is one of the creepiest characters I have come across in a long, long time) and it has been a while since I have read a story of fictional characters set in the “real world” (as opposed to a wizard’s school) to which I have felt so connected.

The imagery and details Sebold uses to describe the events as well as the setting for such scenes is brilliant. You really do get a sense that you are there, alongside of Susie, watching this stuff unfold. Sebold has such a creative, unique style of writing as well. In the middle of a chapter when she finished a thought or a scene, she finishes it, skips a few lines, and then jumps to the next thought, scene, or flashback. There are no unnecessary fillers between the stories. She gives you the facts, slightly veiled by mystery, and then she sort of brilliantly strings them all together in the end. This is definitely a book that requires your full attention as things are often mentioned in one chapter, and then slightly (and sometimes quite sneakily) referred to in future chapters.

Bottom line:

Read this book. Read this book, read this book, read this book! I’m not going to lie and say it is happy all the time and everything ends up nice and pretty and perfect. It doesn’t. But sometimes books NEED to end this way to remind the reader that life doesn’t happen this way. People aren’t perfect; they make mistakes. You can’t bring people back from the dead but you can keep them alive in your memories. The final message of the book is about understanding, acceptance, and moving forward with your life. This book is a beautiful representation of how life really works. I absolutely recommend this to anyone and everyone.

And as an added bonus I have included a trailer of the movie, YOU’RE WELCOME:

Oh this was a great day for Musical Monday. I love, love, love Phantom of the Opera and was all too excited for another excuse to watch it. Growing up I saw this performed on stage quite a few times (I think I am up to five?) and when I heard that it was going to be made into a film I was very happy. Andrew Loyd Webber is one of the most talented composers to have ever graced Broadway.

PLOT: The Opéra Populaire is the home to two new managers Monsieur Firmin and Monsieur André, a diva named Carlotta, ballet dancers Meg Giry, her best friend Christine Daaé, and various other dancers and singers and people involved in the productions. But the Opéra Populaire is also home to a very mysterious man (the Phantom, also known as the Opera Ghost) who not only dwells underground but has a serious infatuation with Christine and has trained her to be an amazing singer. Then comes the handsome new Opera House patron Raoul who was childhood sweethearts with Christine and, once he hears her sing, wouldn’t mind picking up where they left things off. Cue the Phantom’s nasty case of jealousy and plot to terrorize everyone that gets in the way of his one true love.

CHARACTERS: Let me begin this character discussion with this one statement: I think the Phantom is a seriously misunderstood characters. I love the Phantom and always cry when he is singing to the music box (you know, towards the end). Heck, I even wrote a paper on this in high school. I love, love, love the Phantom and I think having lived a life of torture and mockery only to be kept underground beneath a very, very popular Opera House with little to no human communication (besides Christine and Madame Giry- who found the Phantom when he was a boy) will sort of make a person turn out the way the Phantom does. He has really only known Christine and seeing that she is beautiful, young, has a fantastic voice (which he perfected), and is sort of at his beck and call, OF COURSE he is going to fall in love with her. I don’t think he knows how to deal with jealousy so when Raoul comes along he goes into a sort of rage as he watches Christine leave him for someone else. Gerard Butler does a phenomenal job portraying the Phantom. First, his voice is absolute Heaven and I really do prefer it to the original Phantom (Michael Crawford) as it is a little less refined and more edgy, rock and roll. The fact that Gerard can go almost the entire movie with a mask covering half of his face and still get his emotions across speaks volumes about Gerard’s acting ability.

Next we have Raoul, played by Patrick Wilson, who has such a lovely, smooth voice. He hits all of his notes with little to no effort and having watched his audition tape, he just sort of becomes the character. You can tell he really loves Christine and will stop at nothing until the Phantom is out of her life. And Emmy Rossum was the perfect fit to play Christine. Of course no one will every truly top Sarah Brightman (I mean, Andrew wrote the musical specifically for her vocal range) but Emmy does a fantastic job hitting those incredibly hard notes (ten or so years of Opera training will sort of do that). Also being 16 at the time of filming provided Emmy with a true innocence that Christine seems to have. Out of every Christine I have seen on the stage I can honestly state that Emmy has been the absolute best.

The other various characters make a great supporting cast, perhaps the most notable being Miranda Richardson whose French accent is just insanely good seeing as she has a very nice British accent in real life. Having been a student at the Opera House when she was a young girl, it was she who found the deformed Phantom being made into a freak at the local circus. She helped him escape and gave him a place to stay. She was his first, and dare I say his only, friend.

MUSIC: Okay people, there is no denying that Andrew Loyd Webber is a GENIUS. A GENIUS.  If you have ever heard any of his other musicals (particularly Evita) you will notice that he does this thing where he uses a piece of music in one song, and then a few songs later it will pop up, if only briefly, with completely new lyrics and it will drastically change the scene. It is insane really, how he does this. The music for Phantom is so beautiful, at times even hauntingly beautiful, sad, and heartbreaking, but somehow can turn into a really fun number (such as Masquerade). I’ve been listening to this soundtrack for years and years and it has never gotten old. Every time the music comes on you are taken back to the early 1900’s in a small Opera House in Paris and you watch the tragic story of the unrequited love of a mysterious, deformed Phantom.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: If you have never seen this movie then I beg you to watch it. Now, I should probably warn you, as with all of Webber’s stuff there are hardly any lines in the movie– everything is sung. Although I will say the movie version has more lines than the stage production (which has none- EVERYTHING is sung) so it isn’t all just singing and dancing. But that is also what makes this movie even more incredible. He is able to take an idea for a movie and create the entire musical masterpiece with little to no dialogue and still make it work. This is easily one of my favorite musicals and definitely in my top fifty movies of all time.

Once upon a time my mother and I went to see 17 Again, and I must say it was a whole heck of a lot better than I thought it was going to be. I mean, the previews looked really good and it *did* have ZAC EFRON (shirtless, might I add) so how bad could it be, right? Hey, they don’t call this the “girly corner of Bullshish” for nothing.

To start things off-the plot: Mike O’Donnell (Matthew Perry) is a 30-something year old whose life never turned out quite like he wanted. Instead of graduating and heading for basketball glory and fame he got his high school girlfriend pregnant, ended up separated and living with his dorky best friend. Then circumstances involving a mysterious janitor and some sort of time dimensional portal happen and he goes back to high school when he was, you guessed it, 17. So it is up to Mike and his best friend Ned to figure out why he was sent back to this age and what his mission is.

Now, while this plot does seem similar to Big, it is necessary to state that it really isn’t anything like it. First, Mike never wishes to go back in time. The mysterious janitor mentions that it would be great to go back and do it all over again, and Mike agrees. Then things happen and mike falls off a bridge and is suddenly 17 again. Then he spends the rest of the movie trying to figure out why he went back in time and how exactly he is going to keep appearing at his divorce court hearings when he is, you guessed it, 17.

As far as acting goes, I really enjoyed everyone in the cast. Melora Hardin (better known as Jan from The Office) was fantastic as the tightly wound principal of the school. Matthew Perry was really great too, though he didn’t have that big of a role considering the majority of the movie revolved around the 17 year-old version of his character. Leslie Mann did a great job as the mother, but the real scene-stealer was Thomas Lennon as the insanely odd best friend Ned. This is a guy who is obsessed with Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, etc. He is the kind of guy you hang out with but don’t want anyone else to know you hang out with. Basically he was my favorite character.

I was pleasantly surprised that Jim Gaffigan had a cameo role as the basketball coach. As far as the kids go, it was nice seeing Michelle Trachtenberg again, as I haven’t seen her in anything in a while (no, I don’t watch Gossip Girl though I am contemplating starting). I don’t remember seeing her in anything major since Harriet the Spy or that Ice Princess movie on ABC, but like always she did a great job. Sterling Knight was the perfect choice for the semi-cool but mostly awkward son. And lastly, Zac Efron did a really good job proving he can actually act as well as sing and still look pretty doing it. [Perhaps it was just the fact that he didn't have to try so hard to save each scene like he did in High School Musical because that Vanessa Hudgens wasn't there, whoreing up every scene with her god-awful acting and even more god-awful singing. I REALLY can't stand her. But that is beside the point.]

Anyway, to come to some sort of conclusion, you should give this movie a chance. No, it isn’t anything Oscar worthy that usually gets blogged about on Bullshish, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worthy of getting watched when you have nothing better to do. So, in case I haven’t mentioned it before, you really are missing a chance to see Zac Efron without his shirt a really good movie.

I know, I know, I am a little late seeing this movie but better late then never right? Right. I must start this post by saying I absolutely adored everything about this movie from the actors to the characters to the story lines (both of them) to the scenery to the dialogue to the dishes that were cooked to everything. Doug posted his review of the movie (found here) and actually said while he didn’t find the Julie storyline as interesting as the Julia storyline, he still enjoyed the movie. But I must say I disagree with him on this aspect for more personal reasons.

First, I LOVE to cook. I love everything about cooking, especially cooking things from scratch. From the sixth grade and beyond I watched the Food Network channel A LOT more than I care to admit. Now I am constantly recording episodes of Alton Brown and The Barefoot Contessa (just two of the many shows I watch) to see how exactly they hold the knife when chopping onions, and how much you should really pay for good, quality meat, and just what are the best cuts of meat because this stuff matters people! I print recipes off line, make them and sometimes quite a few come out better than I expect. My favorite chef is Jamie Oliver (who I stayed up to watch on the weekends when his poor little show was on at midnight) and I own every single one of his cookbooks. I think the reason I loved Julie’s storyline is that I have attempted to make a little progress through these books. Mind you, I have not attempted over 500 recipes in a year, but have you ever taken a huge cookbook, opened up to a particular section, picked a recipe and tried to make it? One of those “you have to add the egg in at this PRECISE moment and mix it in for this EXACT amount of time because if you go any over the time limit you will have scrambled eggs with your pasta but if you go any under you will have raw eggs with your pasta?” No? You haven’t? Well it isn’t as easy as they make it look on T.V. people. Amy Adams did a spectacular job playing Julie and I really do think she conveyed the emotions you get when trying to make a meal from scratch. Standing there, reading the recipe and talking to Julia– yes, I’ve done that. Cried when she couldn’t get the stuffing in the chicken? I cried when I burned a batch of fried green tomatoes, on my third attempt no less. Got in a fight with her husband? I’ve yelled and been yelled at by my grandmother while cooking. I’ve been there and sometimes it isn’t fun. I couldn’t even imagine doing it almost daily, though it is very, very tempting.

Second, I grew up with a grandmother who also loved to cook. She reminds me of Julia in a way; whenever we are in the kitchen cooking and I make a mistake I tend to get really upset with myself and she always tells me that it is okay, mistakes happen and then she manages to fix it. Please don’t ask me how, but when it comes to food the woman is just simply amazing. And that is what I got with Julia in the movie. That woman was fearless, never apologized and found a way to make it happen. Meryl Streep did an absolutely brilliant job at perfecting the voice and mannerisms of the infamous chef and I thoroughly enjoyed her performance. Meryl also was adorable shopping in the streets of Paris. Oh, Paris. So often you are associated with gross, nasty, rude people who don’t shave and wear striped shirts and berets. And sometimes that is true (well more so with the gross, nasty, rude people who don’t shave, not the striped shirts and berets) but listen to me Internet. When you go to Paris everything changes. You walk the streets and to your left there are the most beautiful tomatoes and peppers and every assortment of vegetables you could imagine. And the colors are so rich, and the smells are so appetizing, and the vendors are so lovely you just want to take one of everything. When I was there I seriously got very, very sad I didn’t have a place to cook delicious meals with these amazing foods. This movie made me miss Paris (and Europe in general) but through Julia I got to relive that beautiful month I spent in France.

I guess what I am trying to say is that I loved this movie so, so much but for more personal reasons than storylines. I found the dialogue to be hilarious, sad, touching, and heartwarming. The costumes were wonderful, the sets were wonderful (what I wouldn’t give to have Julia’s kitchen) and the acting was superb. I will absolutely recommend this movie to anyone and everyone and I can not wait to add it to my collection. Now if you will excuse me, it is time for dinner and I have to go put on my pearls.

I love Elvis Presley. A lot. Probably just as much as my grandmother and mother who really, really love him. Now this unnatural love pretty much stopped with me, don’t even THINK of asking my sister to listen to Elvis unless you want her to shrivel up in a ball and scream of the agony and horrors she will endure by subjecting herself to a rousing round of Viva Las Vegas. When my mother and I have nothing better to do on particularly boring summer days we pop in an Elvis movie and sing along with the King of Rock and Roll. And now it is my absolute pleasure to introduce you to my favorite Elvis movie EVER.

PLOT: Elvis plays Chadwick Gates, a man recently discharged from the Army, who is more than happy to return to his nice surfboard in Hawaii but not happy to return home to face his parents. His neurotic mother wants him to get a job at his father’s Great Southern Hawaiian Fruit Company but Chad would rather be hanging out with his surfer buddies and his lady. Forced to get a job of his own or work for his father, his girlfriend finds a position at her tour guide company.

CHARACTERS: As previously stated Elvis plays the main character Chadwick Gates. As far as acting goes, Elvis… isn’t the best in the world. But with a face like that and a voice that could very well melt your insides, who cares if he is the best actor in the world? The actual acting in this movie is just what helps make it the masterpiece it is. The only other notable star in this movie (to me at least) is the brilliant Angela Lansbury who plays her character PERFECTLY. She is extremely southern, extremely overprotective, neurotic, and slightly insane. Her portrayal of this character has led to one of my most quoted movie characters of all time (just ask my sister who goes into a fit of rage every time I shout “CHADWICK! MY BOYS HOME FROM THE WA-AR”). All of the other actors/actresses in the supporting roles do a very fine job and are quite enjoyable to watch.

THOUGHTS: I really do think people who aren’t particularly fond of Elvis should give him a break. There are far more horrible movies you could be watching and you can’t say you don’t like him until you give him a chance (unless you are my sister in which the mere touching of the movie case causes hives to break out all over her hands). I don’t really have anything else to say about the movie… it is hilarious and fun and silly and quite entertaining.

MUSIC: Some of my favorite Elvis songs comes from this movie. Can’t Help Falling in Love is such a beautiful song and no matter how many times people continue to cover it, Elvis is the only one that will do it justice. Rock-a-Hula Baby is fun and I do remember Uncle Jesse singing this on an episode of Full House. I fell in love with it then and found out it was in this movie and FREAKED OUT. Okay, not really, but I was happy. The other songs are pure fun and once you are a seasoned expert like myself, they are really fun to sing out at the top of your lungs.

OVERALL: In case I haven’t said it enough already, I just adore this movie. It is 102 minutes of pure fun that lets you get up and dance and sing and act like a kid without feeling ashamed. I strongly suggest watching it at some point in your lifetime.

Hello weary travelers of the Internet! Every have those Monday blues? Ever wish you could make them disappear? Well now you can! I’m here to tell you of a BRAND NEW feature of Improbable Fiction that I have so cleverly titled Musical Mondays. Because who doesn’t love some good, old fashioned alliteration? To begin this feature I decided to go with a musical I doubt a large majority of people have seen: The Music Man (the remake from 2003).

PLOT: Professor Harold Hill is a con artist and an exceptional one at that. Harold goes from town to town disguised as a traveling salesmen, selling musical instruments to boys. He collects the money for instruments and uniforms, then teaches the boys to play “without instruments.”  Once they are ready to become the perfect band Harold ditches town with the money, leaving the boys with nothing. One day Harold decides to stop in River City, Iowa but doesn’t receive the warm welcome to which he is accustomed. It then becomes his mission to disrupt the quite lives of these stubborn Iowans and make them believe their sons will be a part of the best band the city has ever seen.

CHARACTERS: Being a remake (a made for TV remake at that) I didn’t expect there to be as many big names involved. Matthew Broderick plays Professor Harold Hill. Broderick has had his share of Broadway in the past, originating the part of Leo Bloom in Mel Brook’s The Producers. He is quite enchanting in this movie, playing the perfect blend of a crook and loveable goof. Kristin Chenoweth plays Marian (the librarian) Paroo, and proves (just as she did with Glinda in Wicked) that she has one of the most beautiful singing voices. Ever. I was quite happy to see Debra Monk as Mrs. Paroo. I had seen her a few years ago in Chicago on Broadway (she played Matron Mama Morton). I’ve always liked her since Center Stage, and once again she did not disappoint. Victor Garber was great as River City’s mayor, but the best performance of the movie HAS to go to Molly Shannon as the mayor’s hilarious wife.

THOUGHTS: I think what I love most about this movie is the time period. Set around 1912, everything from the sets, costumes, language and music has that turn-of-the century vibe that I love so much, but is often found in movies made before the 1950’s. This type of music relies heavily on the piano and orchestra with fast, quick, witty lyrics. It also features the old, long dance sequences that can be found in pretty much any Gene Kelly musical. This movie is a remake of the 1962 adaptation of the Broadway musical, originally written in 1957. What I love about this remake (besides the cast) is the fact that they did not feel the need to update any of the music, sets, or costumes. With the upcoming remake of FAME I noticed from the previews that the music has taken a more modern, urban tone. I’m not necessarily against this but with The Music Man it is nice to keep the old, classic musical styles, such as a fantastic barbershop quartet, alive.

MUSIC: I really do love all the songs in this musical. Usually there are one or two songs I could do without; songs that I either don’t pay attention to or fast-forward all together. However, in Music Man I listen to and pay attention to every song. Sure, the dance sequences can get a tad old with repeated viewings but they are nonetheless brilliant. I must say I think a large part of the credit has to go to Kristen Chenoweth for bringing alive Meredith Wilson’s lyrics (especially in the song My White Knight). All the songs are happy and, for the most part, upbeat. You can’t help but feel like you want to get up and just dance and sing. Or is that just me?

OVERALL: I absolutely adore this movie and I think everyone who loves musicals should see it at least once. The classic, vintage vibe is a lovely nod to one of my favorite eras, and the stars of today provide a fresh voice that makes for two and a half very entertaining hours.

So this guy I follow on youtube and twitter (What the Buck- check him out! He is hilarious) often manages to talk about one of his favorite movies from the 80’s-Heathers. Now, I had never seen this movie before but he seemed to love it so much I just had to add it to my Netflix queue. Things kept getting in the way (more important movies and such) and it stayed on the list for the longest time until yesterday when I FINALLY got it. All I have to say is WHY did I wait so long for this little piece of gold?

Okay let’s start with the plot. The four most popular girls in school are named Heather Chandler, Heather McNamara, Heather Duke, and Veronica. The head Heather (Chandler) is basic evil while the other two simply love the popularity and will do anything she asks. Veronica is more “I hate my friends but continue to hang out with them anyway.” Then this new guy, Jason Dean- a rebel (yes, he is basically James Dean with an earring), comes to school and shows Veronica there are different ways to play with social politics.

I was actually surprised at how the story played out. It had one or two turns I didn’t see coming, which was a nice surprise. The cast worked well with each other, the most notable being Veronica and JD played by Winona Ryder and Christian Slater respectively. Christian really nailed the crazy-psycho in love and made for a very entertaining character to watch. Of the three Heathers, the only one I recognized was Shannen Doherty (from 90210 fame) and surprise, surprise she turned out to be a bitch in this movie too. (I really think my hostility towards her stems back to her Brenda Walsh days.)

The movie never really hit any slow spots for me, and the dialogue is the best feature. This seriously has to be one of the best quotable movies I have seen in a long time. Overall I liked it well enough; I mean, I would like to add it to my collection some day but I’m not rushing out to buy it now. I really recommend watching it though for some laughs (if, at nothing else, the shoulder pads).