This has been quite the weekend for movies I must say. I normally don't go to movies because disposable income is not something we have in my house, and we certainly don't have an "entertainment" budget. It's all we can do to afford groceries so going to a movie is a rare treat indeed. Well, this weekend I got to see not one, but two movies. Well technically, Christmas day wasn't "the weekend" but it felt like it anyway.
I've been hankering to see Marley & Me ever since I read the book a couple mos. ago. I have to say I laughed my fool head off at that book. So hard, in fact, that I nearly choked and woke my teenage son up out of the bed. John Grogan just has a way of writing that makes you feel as though you're right there. And with a mind like I've got, I picture everything in living color as it is, so I could visualize every scene which made it all the more hilarious. After that, I knew this was one movie I had to see.
My mother-in-law, who is an avid animal lover, wanted to see it also. So on Christmas day, after she had wrenched her back at the dinner table from laughing too hard and nearly backed out on going, decided at the last minute "Oh what the heck! I'll go." So she, my daughter, and I took off down the road to the theater. That place was packed. We stood in the long line and slowly approached the ticket counter just praying they wouldn't sell out. Finally. We got to the window. "Three tickets for Marley & Me, please". The ticket-seller guy handed us our tickets then promptly slapped a pc. of paper on the window that said the 4:20 show of Marley & Me was sold out.
Behind us all you could hear were groans while the three of us just looked at each other thinking "we almost didn't make it" then we heaved a huge sigh of relief. Had we delayed one more minute getting there we would've missed out for sure and it would've been my MiL's fault. I'm glad she didn't have to bear that load of guilt. As it was, we barely got a seat. Third row from the front is where we ended up. My eyes had to do some serious adjusting and my reading glasses were no help. At least I didn't get a crick in my neck.
The movie starred Owen Wilson and Jennifer Anniston. I mean who can't love them, right? They were as good as I expected them to be. There were many funny moments in the movie and it followed the book pretty good. Of course no movie can ever capture everything you get in a book. It's just not possible, but overall, they did a good job. The hardest part was the end. I already knew what was coming and braced myself. You would've thought going into it I would've had sense enough to grab some napkins, but no. I was too hell-bent on finding a seat to think about my emotional state at the end.
I don't know who cried harder, me or my MiL. My 8 yr. old daughter just kept looking at her grandma, watching her cry. Not something she's used to seeing. I was a little concerned that she might get emotional herself because "My Dog Skip" nearly did her in the first time she watched it, but she held it together pretty good for a little girl who loves dogs. I wanted to break out into the "ugly cry" but some things just aren't proper in public so I just kept wiping and sniffling. If I had a dog I would've surely come home and given it extra love that day. This is one movie I highly recommend. Just make sure you take tissues.
Today it was "The Tale of Despereaux". My daughter had a friend over and being the good mom that I am (I really do try but often fail miserably), I knew we had to get out and do something fun lest I hear "Mom, we're bored" all day long. Luckily my husband had two $10's in his wallet which he gave us begrudgingly and the friend had $20 so that gave us $40 for some afternoon fun.
We first went to the Dollar Tree for snacks. I know that's probably unethical, but I can't bring myself to pay those exorbitant theater prices for candy. The girls picked out twizzlers and red hots and twix bars and lemonheads along with two Dr. Pepper's. As for me, I got myself a Diet Pepsi and stopped right there. I didn't even buy one pc. of chocolate. I had already decided on popcorn anyway. I figured that would be better than me filling up on sugar.
We got there in plenty of time and entered by way of Dillards so the girls could do a little shopping. Nothing would do but they had to buy a Webkins. They had the Lil'kins pigs marked down to $5 each which was all we could afford today and still see the movie so they each got one. My daughter got her spending fix so she was happy. On a sidenote, I've discovered that Dillards has the best prices by far on Webkins. Only $12 for the big ones and $10 for the little ones. Everywhere else you will pay $15 and $13. January's pet is the bulldog so we will be going back for that one.
We got our tickets and I paid $5.25 for a medium popcorn. All the other snacks as well as all 3 drinks were stashed in my purse which I had cleaned out right before we left home. When we rounded the corner to find our seats we discovered we were the first ones there. And it remained that way for about 15 minutes. Finally some other folks made their way inside although I was beginning to think we would have the theater all to ourselves.
The movie finally started and I must say the graphics were incredible. The storyline was just okay. I would probably give it 2.5 stars out of 5. The girls seemed to enjoy it and that's the main thing. They especially got tickled when someone behind us let out a big ol' poot. I heard this loud ripping sound, but it wasn't until the girls started giggling like mad that I knew I had heard right. I'm hoping it was the little boy and not his grandpa, although old folks have been known to have trouble "holding it in".
There are lots more movies I would like to see such as "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (mainly because I wanna see Brad Pitt) and "Doubt", about the pedophile priest. That one looks intense. Unless I get a load of money for my upcoming birthday though I will probably just wait until they come out on dvd, like I do everything else. At least this weekend was fun and I shan't soon forget it. Now I'm off to bed.
(((HUGS)))
Southern Mom
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