Describing My Sidekick Duties Through Movies

Hi, guys!

Today I'm doing something as a belated Father's Day commemoration. I have talked about my work here on this blog before, but not in a lot of detail. Well, if you didn't know, I'm my dad's "sidekick"! We work together every day doing things around various properties. I love spending all day with him and thought that I could show it off through my specialty: movies! Each of these images or GIFs is going to show how I've felt through out our experiences together. This is all to make you laugh! I hope you have as much fun reading this as I did making it.

I should begin with how my dad and I think of ourselves as Jim West and Artemus Gordon from The Wild Wild West. Yes, I'm the female version of Artie!

Whenever the two of us alone one of us will say:

Though, sometimes tensions get a little high, then dad becomes Sherlock and I'm Watson.

Watson: "I've been reviewing my notes on our exploits over the last seven months. Would you like to know my conclusion? I am psychologically disturbed."
Sherlock: "How so?"
Watson: "Why else would I continually be led into situations where you deliberately withhold your plans from me? Why else?"
Sherlock: "You've never complained about my methods before."

Have to start with waking up. Which is never pretty for me. 

Me:

It's ironic how little sleep I get based on how much I love to sleep...

*My dad tells me to do something*

My brain processing what that was:

With that, anytime ANYONE gives me instructions, they are like Gobber to Hiccup in How to Train Your Dragon.

"Stay. Put. There."

You have to be very specific. Or at least, they think they have to be very specific...

100 times each day:

Dad: "Run get that!"

Me:

I run A LOT each day to go get tools. It is a commonly joked about thing in my house how I run EXACTLY like Napoleon Dynamite...

But, running is not that bad. I put a good face on it.:

Me: *I get too close to something my dad is working on to get a better look*

Dad: "Wanna lose your nose?"

Dad: "Hold this and don't let it move."

MC:

I'm Fishlegs. The words "don't let it move" are magic because as soon as they are spoken I can't STOP moving.

Me, showing off my skills with a tool:

Me: *was zoned out*

Dad: "You weren't listening!"

Dad, when he comes in from working on a wet day:

Me, when I come in from working on a wet day: 

Me: "I guess we're going to have to be patient and just wait."

Dad:

We clean and rake up the properties each week and there is this one spot that is right next to a dumpster. This is always me:

Whenever my mom or sisters ask, "Do you have sunscreen on?":

Me:

I'm sorry to say that 95% the answer is, "No..." But, hey, I almost always have sunglasses!

Dad: *trying to figure something out*

Me: *thinking it looks unsteady*

Me: "Dad, there's a dead mouse over there that we should take care of."

Dad: "How old is it?"

Me: *Tony Stark impression* "I don't know, I didn't carbon date it!"

My dad loves to plant things. He hasn't said it out right, but I think gardening is one of his hobbies. And whenever he gets me involved it becomes the scene from The Quiet Man (1951).

When I volunteer, I sound uncannily like DJ in The Last Jedi, with saying, "I can do it."

Whereas with other people I know they sound like him with, the "pre-do it discussion about price".

Me, when I come in for a drink:

Me, when I thought we were done...but we aren't even close:

Me, when we're finally done for the day.

And now I'm done with this post! What did you guys think of this peak into my work? Can you think of a better GIF to show me dropping/not holding something still? I'm sure it's accurate! 

Bonus: Try to guess which things actually happened and which were I merely thought in my head...

What about your work or daily lives? Tell me about things like this! If you want to see another post of this kind (I'm thinking about doing one on driving...) let me know!

Thanks for reading!

MovieCritic

Ten of My (Current) Favorite Fictional Male Characters

Hello, everyone!

Today is the start of the blogathon that Miss Megan (of The Pen and the Cross) and Irene and Anna (of Horseback to Byzantium) are hosting: The Thank Goodness For Good Men Blogathon! Because 2020-2021 is a year dedicated to St. Joseph, the girls wanted to host something to celebrate characters we can look up to!

Now, I had every intention of being early to this party. I had plans to write up my post weeks in advance and post it as soon as dawn had broken. I had one slight problem to that plan: I couldnʼt decide what to talk about! I have been flying by the seat of my pants just trying to chose from the plethora of topics. This morning I had enough of that and decided that I had to stop this.

Iʼm taking some inspiration from Hamlette, and therefore, Iʼm talking about Ten of My Current Favorite Fictional Male Characters! You may notice that I donʼt say my Top Ten and that the word Current is in there. Here comes that indecision again, but there are too many wonderful characters to pick ten for certain! I had to narrow my list down so far to make it ten, yet I love all of the other characters that I left out that I will do another post with them in the future. See, all Lord of the Rings characters are missing so I have to do another one someday! I would include them all right now, but I think ten is a reasonable number to limit myself to because or else Iʼll be here all. day. long. (edit from hours later: Which I did all the same even with my limit...)

Note that I made the executive decision to leave out any character played by James Stewart. He is my favorite actor of all time and if I included him it would all be him. Instead, Iʼll save a separate list for him for another day. But know that he plays my TOP FAVORITE male fictional character of all time. Any guesses of who that is?

I also decided to leave out young (under 20) guy characters because that would be a whole different list. I had to do what I could to make this resemble some kind of order! I was going to say only book characters vs. only movie characters, but I couldnʼt decide on that so you get a combination. They are listed alphabetically (by first name) because trying to rank them would break my heart. A quick disclaimer is that while I am likely to say that I love all of these characters (because that's the truth!), it's not in a googly eyes way. These characters are all my family!

I would love to rant about every detail of why I love these characters, but Iʼm going to keep it spoiler-free for your enjoyment! Feel free to read through without any worries that I will spoil the plot or character arcs for these people. One day maybe Iʼll devote a whole post to each of these characters. Maybe I already have...

The first person we have up is...

Arthur Pendragon from Merlin (2008-2012)

Iʼm technically cheating by talking about him because I havenʼt seen the whole show (Iʼm only in the fourth season) but Iʼm going to do it anyhow. Heʼs not going to get any worse, is he? Well, now Iʼm genuinely worried... I was going to write a post solely about him for this blogathon, but well, I havenʼt finished the show yet so Iʼm not qualified...

The truth of the matter is that Arthur is a dollop-head (Merlinʼs word, not mine). He is an absolute jerk sometimes, especially to his poor servant Merlin. Which is weird that I LOVE THIS KID SO MUCH. When we first see him he is mean, selfish, and spoiled. Hardly what you would call regal material for the most well known king of all time. But then again, heʼs just a prince so we figure he has time to grow. And he doesnʼt disappoint! I was already starting to love him by the end of season 1, but in season 2 he stepped it up a notch. He realized what an idiot he was being (thanks to someone who had the guts to tell him off) and started being kinder. I love how he goes out of his way for the smallest things.

The poor baby feels so much pressure to look and act a certain way to be what the people are expecting. My sister can tell you, while watching the show I yell, “Poor baby!” more times that you can count each episode. Which annoys her because Merlin is her favorite whereas all I can do is talk about Arthur. Why? Because he cares about his people. He cares about commoners and servants (except Merlin. Merlin is target and battering practice). He respects his father when basically no one else in the kingdom does. He is chivalrous and doesnʼt walk by someone in need. He is Courage. He becomes the best knight that he can be and his hard work pays off time and again, and at the same time respects people who can best him. He has a cool head (except when he takes things out on Merlin by making him do a million things) and is always willing to discuss a disturbance first without fighting. Which doesnʼt always work when people are trying to kill him, but thatʼs where his training (and Merlin) come in handy. While he tries to hide it with bluster, he has a heart of gold underneath and is willing to do anything to serve his people. Even when that takes away what he most wants.

Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird (book by Harper Lee, movie from 1962)

"There are some men in this world who are born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your father's one of them."

How could I not talk about Atticus? Itʼs been a few years since I read the book so Gregory Peckʼs performance is more vivid in my mind, but I donʼt mind that because I love that portrayal. Without a doubt he deserved that Oscar he earned for this role.

What can I say about Atticus that hasnʼt been said before? More eloquent people that me have said a lot so Iʼll try to keep this short. Atticus is so kind and JUST. It makes sense that he would be just because he is a lawyer, but where he works not everyone is like that. He is incredibly smart and gets to the bottom of things. He is a shining beacon for his children, Jem and Scout, and he wants them to live life kindly but without pain.

 "There's a lot of ugly things in this world, son, and I wish that I could keep 'em all away from you."

Him and Scout together are so adorable!

He is a respected citizen of the community but besides that he is brave. He can use a gun and is one of the best shots around but discourages it because he thinks there is a different way. He stands up to wrongs and teaches his children so much by example. I canʼt stress how much I love him.

"Stand up, Scout. Your father's passing."

Colonel Brandon from Sense and Sensibility (book by Jane Austen, movie from 1995 and miniseries from 2008)

Alan Rickman in the 1995 movie spurred my love for this character and Jane Austen! He is so steadfast and gentle. He knows when his company isnʼt wanted (which is always absurd because why would you not want to talk to him??) yet is incredibly helpful. The way he says, “Give me an occupation.” melts my heart every time. He is patient and caring, and will love people with unrequited love no matter what happens to them.

He is honorable, and with David Morrissey's performance in the 2008 miniseries, gives killer glares.

He is my favorite Jane Austen hero. I canʼt believe I just said that, but itʼs true. As much as I love Darcy, he wonʼt have the softness and warmth that radiates from Brandonʼs quiet soul.

Edward Bloom from Big Fish (2003)

If any of you havenʼt seen this movie then you are missing out on a magical ride because it is one of my favorite movies of all time. It was the fault of this movie that made me take so long to decide on a topic, because a review of it was a big contender. All for the wonderful man who is Edward Bloom!

Edward Bloom (played magnificently by both Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney) is not afraid of anything. And while he has good reason for that, he was brave before that and it just keeps growing. He received a special gift and used it to itʼs full potential unlike so many of us who would worry and fret. He is ambitious and works hard. When he sees something he wants, he goes and gets it! This movie is full of so many challenges that he overcomes through his grit and determination. Through all of that he is the kindest and most considerate person! He sees people who might be “unwanted” and just sees the best. He helps them! He is faithful and true and overall amazing.

Have you ever been asked the question, “If you could bring fictional characters to a dinner party, who would you bring?” Well, I have and I was always stumped when trying to come up with an answer. That is, until I watched this movie. I would love to go some where with Edward Bloom and listen to his stories! He has a gift for storytelling like no other. Granted, sometimes he might turn those true stories into tall tales, but that is part of the whimsical wonder of it all.

Plus he has an adorable Southern accent. Which isnʼt a factor, but I still wanted to mention it.

(And I'm still not picking favorites, but if I absolutely had to pick from everyone on this list, Edward would be on top.)

Prince Kit from Cinderella (2015)

While nostalgic, the biggest complaint about the original 1950 Cinderella is that “Prince Charming” didnʼt quite live up to his name because he was lacking in character. The 2015 remake made up for that by casting Richard Madden as Prince Kit. The rest is history!

What strikes me most about Kit is how good of a listener he is. He listens to Ella and that is the greatest gift he could give because it is rare when people give an ear to what she has to say. He sees her shimmering kindness and wants to be like her.

"She isn't just a pretty girl! I mean, she is a pretty girl, but there is so much more."

He listens to the Grand Duke and his father, respects them, then still decides what he thinks is best. His father doesnʼt know how much Kit loves him. Their scenes together are some of my favorite in the entire movie.

He is a sweetheart and has a sense of humor. His friendship with the Captain of the guards and their back and forth makes me smile from ear to ear.

Konstantin “Kostya” Dmitrievitch Levin from Anna Karenina - by Leo Tolstoy

When my dad bought me a copy of Anna Karenina I was doubtful to say the least. I knew a lot about it and was sure that I was going to hate it. I wasnʼt expecting it to zoom to my top ten books of all time. I wasnʼt expecting that all to be because of Levin.

This guy seriously needs a hug! He is so depressed and doesnʼt realize that he is the best character of the whole book. My sisters can tell you how all I did while reading this book was talk about how fabulous Levin is. I was a little obnoxious, just saying his name repeatedly. I got so grumpy whenever we went to someone elseʼs point of view (like the title character...). He is a farmer and simply grand. He has to put up with family members in tough spots and heartache and through it all he just wants to breathe the fresh air and find the meaning in life. He doesnʼt think he will find it and you just want to hold him tight and tell him to keep going.

I FELT FOR HIM. So much! He would be in so much turmoil then would wander his fields and work hard and I could feel his stress being put to the side momentarily. Tolstoyʼs writing captured his emotions and anxietyʼs so well. I would gladly read this book continuously over and over again merely for his sake.

Luke Skywalker from STAR WARS

Why, look, I already wrote a huge post about how much I am like him HERE, so Iʼll keep this section shorter.

When we are introduced to this scrawny kid on Tatooine we didnʼt think we would love him so much. At least, I didnʼt. He seemed like someone who was always looking into the future, into the sunset, and never in the moment. Luke continues to look forward, but now I love him as the wonderful person he is. The person who will not let people go and sees the good in them. His heart is gigantic and he loves his friends more than anything. He has plenty of flaws, but his belief that people can be better fuel him. I canʼt really say too much without spoilers, so if youʼve seen the movies go read my post for more thoughts. It might be shallow of me to say one of the reasons I love him so much is because he is so much like me, but that's the truth of it.

Robin Hood from The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and the BBC TV show (2006-2009) and various legends and adaptations.

Is anyone surprised by this? The legends of Robin Hood are one of my obsessions that Iʼm always excited to talk about and that is all because of the character of Robin himself! I plan to talk and rank all of the versions that Iʼve seen one day, but for now Iʼll talk about some of the basics.

My first experience of Robin was Errol Flynnʼs portrayal from The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). His kindness is his biggest quality. He cares about the people whether they are Saxon or Norman. He sees tyranny and injustice and will fight against it with every breath. He is a little hot headed at times, but he has a wit sharp as a knife.

Within the first few minutes of seeing Robin of Locksley, portrayed by Jonas Armstrong, we roll our eyes. This guy has a lot of work to do to become a hero. He goes through rough patches, but he is always there. He will always be both a kind master and servant to his people. He listens to anyone who has a complaint and will rush off to help them at a momentʼs notice. He keeps his gang lively and leads them in the best way. He has seen the horrors of war but want to forget them and he does that by helping people.

A good version of Robin Hood needs to be selfless above all things, because thatʼs one of the reasons I love the character.

Sherlock Holmes from Enola Holmes (2020)

I have seen and read countless versions of Sherlock Holmes (I mean, I could probably count them if I really tried, but that takes all of the drama out of my statement...) and Iʼve always been neutral towards his character. I liked Robert Downey Jr. playing him, and Benedict Cumberbatch was fun to watch, but he didnʼt rank higher than “nice” in my list of characters. Sure, heʼs a really smart guy who can observe the utmost details out of the smallest things. He knows heʼs smart and can be a little full of himself sometimes. I didnʼt really get what all of the fuss was about.

Until I saw him played by Henry Cavil in Enola Holmes (2020). I had heard that Henry Cavil was going to play him and I was doubtful. I could only think of him as either Albert Mondego, Superman, or Napoleon Solo. How was he going to pull off a famous detective?

I shouldnʼt have doubted him, friends.

“Youʼre being emotional. Itʼs understandable but unnecessary.”

Here he is quiet and observant and through that you sense that he sees EVERYTHING. It might seem like he doesnʼt have feelings, but he is fascinated by his sister Enola, who he hasnʼt seen in years and wants to do whatʼs best for her. Heʼs used to being ordered around by his brother Mycroft but he has a bigger grasp on the situation than he lets on. He has a poker face, but it's a smile and you feel like so much more is going on in his head.

I relate to him more than any other version of Sherlock that Iʼve seen. He feels so much more human and able to make mistakes but is truly brilliant at the same time. I donʼt want to say too much, but guys, I adore this guy.

TʼChalla aka Black Panther from the Marvel Cinematic Universe

TʼChalla is actually only my third favorite character from the MCU, but he seemed like the best fit for this blogathon. I already talked about him a bit HERE, but nothing is too much for this character.

TʼChalla is regal in all of his actions. He learns a lot, and most of it is about mercy. His compassion and strength in forgiveness cuts me to the core. People wrong him all the time and he is willing to pardon and even help them. He wonʼt let revenge eat away his heart because he has seen what it can do. He becomes his own person who is not shaped by any mistakes of his ancestors. He loves his family and country deeply, and wants to share that love with the world.

It could be argued, and in fact Iʼm making that argument right now, that TʼChalla is the most generous and perfect of all of the Marvel characters. I have a deep love for characters who are broken and suffering and TʼChalla has had his fair share of that. He pushes through it and wonʼt let it define him.

“Wakanda forever!”

I have been at this for hours now and could go on for hours more, but Iʼm going to stop for the night. Check out all of the other participants in the blog party HERE and HERE! Thanks to Miss Megan and Irene and Anna for hosting! As you now know, I love to talk about characters and am thrilled to have an opportunity.

Thanks to all of you for reading! Do you know any of these characters? What do you think of them? Have I convinced you to watch or read any of these stories? Do you want me to do a full post about any of these characters? Letʼs talk all about it! I want to do a list sometime like this all about female characters, so let me know if you want to see that!

MovieCritic

Older vs. Newer Review: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Happy summer, late Emancipation Day, and late Father's Day, all in one!

Itʼs been a hot second since Iʼve done one of my famous Older vs. Newer reviews, hasnʼt it? Even with that these two movies I'm talking about today are based on the same short story but are very different from each other in other aspects. Iʼve been daydreaming about these two movies while working so I am here to put my thoughts down for you all to read. I hope that you enjoy!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. Both of these reviews are completely free of any spoilers!

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947):

Based on: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - by James Thurber.

“You werenʼt thinking at all, you were daydreaming!”

Much to his boss and his motherʼs annoyance, the thing that Walter Mitty does best is daydream. They badger him about it, wishing he would stop and pay attention to the world. For Walter, none of his life is interesting, but whatʼs in his head is where he can be a hero. When he runs into a girl who looks exactly like a person who is frequently in his imagination he gets wrapped up in a crime scheme. He wants to help Rosalind but now everyone is trying to convince him that he is going insane. Has he made it all up? 

ʻ“The minute youʼre killed the FBI will double their efforts.” 

“Oh, thatʼs very reassuring.”'

Genres: Comedy, Family.

Length: approx. 110 minutes.

Script: 10. No bad words that I marked down!

ʻ“Whatʼs that awful smell?”

“Itʼs the cologne you gave me for Christmas.” 

“Itʼs lovely, isnʼt?”ʼ

Crew: Directed by: Norman Z. McLeod. Written by: Ken Englund, Everett Freeman, and Philip Rapp based on a short story by James Thurber.

Starring:

Danny Kaye as Walter Mitty.

“Mitty, when I need your help Iʼll ask for it.”

Looking quite dapper, Mr. Mitty.

Virginia Mayo as Rosalind van Hoorn.

Fay Bainter as Mrs. Eunice Mitty.

Ann Rutherford as Gertrude Griswold.

Gordon Jones as Tubby Wadsworth.

Florence Bates as Mrs. Irma Griswold.

Boris Karloff as Dr. Hugo Hollingshead.

Konstantin Shayne as Peter van Hoorn.

Thurston Hall as Bruce Pierce.

Reginald Denny as Colonel.

Henry Corden as Hendrick.

Doris Lloyd as Mrs. Leticia Follinsbee.

Fritz Feld as Anatole.

Frank Reicher as Karl Maasdam.

Milton Parsons as Butler Tyler.

The Goldwyn Girls as Dancing Ensemble.

Costumes: 8. Some events involve womenʼs undergarments which made me roll my eyes. At one point there was this bizarre hat that resembled leaves and I couldnʼt stop laughing simply because it was so odd.

See? What DO you call that hat?

Cinematography: 10. I thought it was very fun! The settings and things that prompted each of the daydreams were so fun! My favorite was this gambling on the Mississippi dream that involved lots of bubbles. It was so fun and whimsical! It reminded me of The Wizard of Oz (1938), but it was definitely its own thing. And the opening credits were fun!

Cinematography by: Lee Garmes.

Just give me bubbles and I'm happy.

Music: 7. Danny Kaye sings one song (of course! Because itʼs Danny Kaye!) but I donʼt remember any specific background score of any kind.

Music by: David Raksin.

Notes: It was fun to spot references in the stories mentioned and to specific places like Yellowstone.

Quotability: N/A. This is a hard category because I never quote movies unless my sisters have seen it to because or else I have no one to say it to who would understand. Nevertheless, there were good lines throughout!

“The only exercise you ever get is jumping to conclusions.”

Content: 8. Walter works at a "racy" and "raunchy" magazine so there are some intense story ideas that get talked about and there are some strange posters on the wall, but nothing truly shocking. It's a very small detail. There is also smoking and murder, but not shown in a positive light. 

Originality: 10! It is so fun and imaginative, if you forgive my pun. Walter is such a sweet character who really helps the story along. All six stories in his head that I counted are unique, inventive, and amusing. I'm impressed! I already talked about my favorite imagined scene because of the cinematography, but another favorite was one with a Western flair.

Good For: any Danny Kaye fans, anyone who loves to imagine stories and daydream.

Age Range: This is perfectly acceptable for all and any ages and is enjoyable, too! Young and old alike would like the circumstances and dreams that Walter finds himself in.

Overall Score: 9.

Worth watching?: Certainly! My dad got me to watch this and I'm glad he did. Danny Kaye is always a joy to watch and as an introvert I related a lot to him here. I actually noted merely four minutes in how similar we are. My mind wanders more often that I care to admit so it was fun to see someone else doing it. I'm not alone!

Will I watch again?: Yes! Both of my sisters are big Danny Kaye fans so I want to see it with them sometime and see what they think.

ʻ“You have a good face.”

“Uh, well, you have a good one, too...'ʼ

He has a mix between a worried and a dreamy face right here.

(Completely irrelevant information that I still think is fun, is that I saw this the same day that I saw the first episode in the first season of Julie and the Phantoms. Any of my readers who have stuck around for a few months know how attached I am to that show...)

VS.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013):

Based on: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - by James Thurber.

Life magazine is shutting down and the workers are planning the final edition. Though they have never met, Walter Mitty has a friendship with Sean OʼConnell, the famous photographer. Sean has chosen the last cover photo for Life, but the picture that he wants to use is missing from the selections he sent Walter. Walter is always dreaming of being an exciting person but now he gets a chance to do extraordinary things as he travels the globe looking for Sean, to ask for a new copy of the picture. His only clues of Seanʼs whereabouts are the other pictures that he sent. Walter wants to tell a coworker, Cheryl, how he feels before they wonʼt be working together again. Will he find Sean OʼConnell while there is still time to print the magazine?

Genres: Adventure, Drama, 

Length: approx. 114 minutes.

Script: 6. A name in vain is used quite a few times. In addition to that there is some mild name calling.

“If I threw a paper clip do you think he would move?”

Crew: Directed by: Ben Stiller. Written by: Steve Conrad based on the short story by James Thurber.

Starring:

Ben Stiller as Walter Mitty.

“Hey, dream machine.”

Kristen Wiig as Cheryl Melhoff.

Adam Scott as Ted Hendricks.

Kathryn Hahn as Odessa Mitty.

Shirley MacLaine as Edna Mitty.

Patton Oswalt as Todd Maher.

Sean Penn as Sean O'Connell.

Marcus Antturi as Rich Melhoff.

Jonathan C. Daly as Tim Naughton.

Terence Bernie Hines as Gary Mannheim.

Adrian Martinez as Hernando.

Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Helicopter Pilot.

Kai Lennox as Phil Melhoff.

Gary Wilmes as Walter's Dad.

Joey Slotnick as Retirement Home Administrator.

Paul Fitzgerald as Don Proctor.

Thornhallur Sigurdsson as Trawler Captain.

Cameos from Conan O'Brien, Andy Richter, and Craig Castaldo (Radio Man). 

Costumes: 8. Nothing specific, but just normal clothing that works perfectly fine.

Cinematography: 10. This movie explores photography and capturing life, so there are a lot of neat shots! It feels like an independent film in cinematography with very good quality. It shows some cool places in the world which makes you want to travel and see them yourself.

Cinematography by: Stuart Dryburgh. 

Music: 8. The songs on the soundtrack all have the same feeling, but it was very relaxing to listen to while typing this up. It helps amplify the feeling of the movie perfectly.

Music by: Theodore Shapiro.

Notes: There are references to both Indiana Jones and Harry Potter which were very well timed. I just learned that this film created over 15,000 jobs, which is really cool!

Quotability: 8. There were some great lines! Although it may be what everyone else says, my favorite was this one:

“Beautiful things donʼt ask for attention.”

Content: 9. Brief mentions of a strip club and cheating, and one character is divorced. Very clean which pleases me a lot!

Originality: 10. There were some things that I saw coming but that isn't bad! My sister didn't see it at all and was very surprised so it wasn't predictable (unless you're used to seeing this kind of movie like I am) and just had good foreshadowing. It's very satisfying! It was a rollicking good time!

Good For: anyone who loves photography, anyone who loves to daydream, anyone who wants to travel and have adventures.

Age Range: This movie is very profound and I know I wouldn't have understood it if I was under 10 when I watched it. I still would've liked it, but just not gotten everything out of it. Besides the few things I mentioned content-wise, it is fine for any age. I feel that older people would especially enjoy it and absorb all of the meaning.

Overall Score: 9.

Worth watching?: Almost any movie that makes me cry is worth watching, and this certainly did that. In the weirdest way, I feel more fulfilled after watching it? It is a movie that expresses the joy of life.

Will I watch again?: Yes! It had great messages and was funny which is a win-win. My older sister hasn't seen it and I think that she would really dig it, so I want to show it to her sometime.

For the blogathon:

These reviews are my entry in the Midsummer Dream Blogathon hosted by Pure Entertainment Preservation Society! This is the solstice and one of the most famous stories about this day is A Midsummer Night's Dream - by William Shakespeare. That is where Tiffany and Rebekah drew their inspiration! The girls have been very gracious and are letting me post this a day late because I wasn't able to before.

This blogathon is about everything relating to dreams in film. Walter Mitty has the most dreams that I've seen in a movie in a long time so it fits!

I love the light that dreams are given in both of these movies! The message is that life is out there for you to enjoy and experience, but dreaming isn't bad. Sometimes it can be a distraction like when Walter's mind wanders while he's driving or when he burns himself in the 1947 version, but it also can be an inspiration. In one scene in the 2013 version Walter has hit a wall. He has a clue to where he should look next, but is burnt out on adventures. A daydream gives him the courage to press forward!

Comparison of 1947 VS. 2013:

As I said in my introduction, these films don't have much in common besides the basic idea. From what I gathered, the only connections are a character named Walter Mitty who lives more in his head than anywhere else and how he is thrust into an adventure where he has to look for something. They were different, but both brilliant! Which is a rare thing for me to say! Both were excellent. I loved how much the Danny Kaye version made me laugh because of all the scraps he got into. His journey to being brave is marvelous. The Ben Stiller version has such a wonderful beauty to it. It has everything that you could want: humor, journeys, and LIFE. I like especially the storyline in the 2013 version of how Walter keeps talking on the phone to a guy from eHarmony to fill out a dating profile. It was a good contrast to see how he thought that he hadn't ever done anything in his life. I also enjoyed diving into his backstory. In preparation for this review I read the short story that this is based on and the 1947 is closer. It took everything that happened (changing Mrs. Mitty into his mother) and expanded on it, including the catchy "ta pocketa-pocketa-pocketa". Seeing how the story could still apply to modern life in the 2013 version was thought-provoking. I recommend both versions for you to judge which one you like better for yourself! I might be leaning more towards the 2013 version because it made me cry, which, strangely enough, will usually make me love something even more. Though it's hard to beat the king of comedy himself, Danny Kaye...

Thanks to the Brannans for hosting! Check out the other entries HERE. This was great fun! I'm sorry for my once again disjunct schedule, but it's summer and I can't stop dreaming.

Thanks to all of you for reading! This is from a different movie, but I'm going to say it anyway: Adventure is out there!

MovieCritic