normality is relative

The Black Balloon is an Australian film, released Down Under on March 6 2008, and starring Toni Collette, Rhys Wakefield (Lucas from Home & Away) and model Gemma Ward.

From the producer of Strictly Ballroom comes a heart warming tale of a teenage boy’s (Wakefield) struggle to fit in at a new school while taking care of his autistic older brother Charlie (played by Luke Ford).

Though at times it’s hard to watch, this film is a great insight into family life with autism.

When I heard Ward was in this I thought “Hmmm yeah well we’ll see!” but she was surprisingly good, totally believable as a 15 year old and just so darn cute (althought the constant “Wowee!” is far from endearing…).

The star of the show, however, was Ford whose performance as Charlie was award-worthy.

Well worth a watch and the soundtrack is pretty sweet too.

you could have been anyone at all

Today I watched one of my all time favourite movies - You’ve Got Mail.

Don’t laugh.

I love it.

And everytime I watch it, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and, for a blissful few minutes after it ends, I believe that there’s someone perfect out there for everyone.

Then I wake up.

Not that I don’t truly believe that. I do. I’m just afraid that I’ll never find that person. I haven’t even come close yet.

And, as my mother pointed out last week, it doesn’t matter where or when I meet this person because if they don’t fit into my plan exactly where they’re supposed to, then I don’t want them. They’ve messed it all up and it’s not meant to be.

No one’s ruining my fairy tale. There will be a happy ending. But only where I want it to be.

THE END

But what I LOVE about You’ve Got Mail is Meg Ryan’s bookshop.

Part of me wants to open up a children’s bookshop just like it. And maybe one day I will. Once I’ve done everything else I want to of course.













Do you remember when you were a kid and could snuggle up with a good book? Everything around you disappeared. Nothing mattered but that book, those words. Hours could pass and you wouldn’t notice. And every time you finished one, you were disappointed because it was the best book you’d ever read and you never wanted it to end.

And the BEST best books were the ones you could read over and over, yet still get that feeling.



Kids don’t read enough these days… or maybe I read too much.

Anyways, I love that “Anyone At All” by Carole King plays over the credits at the end of You’ve Got Mail.

Funny how I feel more myself with you
Than anybody else that I ever knew
I hear it in your voice, see it in your face
You’ve become the memory I can’t erase

You could have been anyone at all
A stranger falling out of blue
I’m so glad it was you

Wasn’t in the plan not that I could see
Suddenly a miracle came to me
Safe within your arms I can say what’s true
Nothing in the world I would keep from you

You could have been anyone at all
An old friend calling out of blue
I’m so glad it was you

Words can hurt you if you let them
People say them and forget them
Words can promise words can lie
But your words make me feel like I can fly

You could have been anyone at all
And let that catches me when I fall
I’m so glad it was you

Ain’t that sweet?

i believe

whatever doesn’t kill you simply makes you… stranger.



Amazing.

Not for one second was I bored.

Heath Ledger - best performance of his (short) career. After all the hype I was afraid it wouldn’t live up to my expectations. I think it may have even exceeded them.

“Do I really look like a guy with a plan? You know what I am? I’m a dog chasing cars. I wouldn’t know what to do if I caught it. You know, I just do things.”

your light is ultraviolet

We don’t get along, airport security and I.

Not now.

Not for a long time.

With all the domestic and international flights I take, I consider myself to be a pretty seasoned traveller (and funnily enough my carbon footprint is only 4.22).

I’m a pro when it comes to packing everything I need for four days away from home into my hand luggage.

So why - when I follow all the rules, don’t ever carry liquids of over 100ml, place everything in the tray provided, remove my laptop from my bag AND its case, remove my shoes and don’t ever EVER set any alarms off when I pass through - WHY do security insist on stopping me and saying “Excuse me madam, do you mind if I give you a quick handsearch?”

And it’s never just a quick pat-pat. Oh no. It’s full on feeling up that leaves me feeling violated and dirty afterwards.

Yuck!


Go see this film! While it was our second choice (The Dark Knight was sold out) I’m glad we saw it.
It’s one of the best girlie feel good flicks I’ve seen in a LONG time.
AND Aaron Johnson (who plays Sex God Robbie) is hot.


Yum.

And the soundtrack is awesome too.

Slightly different to that books (in that Wet Lindsay is suddenly Slaggy Lindsay) but still worth seeing. One second you’ll be lauging, then going “Aaawwww!!”, then sympathising… although on what planet do girls squeeze each other’s spots? Gross.

And the oscar goes to…

No Country For Old Men cleared up at this year’s Oscars, winning Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.

I have to admit I have no desire to see this film, even though I’ve only heard good things about it. Maybe I’m just lazy…

Juno won Best Original Screenplay and rightly so.

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis
Best Actress: Marion Cotillard
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem
Best Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton

Oh…and Glen Hansard won Best Song for ‘Falling Slowly’.

Don’t caaaaare

Everybody wants to be a cat

The Aristocats is finally coming out on DVD. I’m very excited. It is, without a shadow of a doubt, my all-time favourite Disney movie. I can’t understand why it’s never got the credit it deserves. Most of my friends haven’t seen it and don’t even particularly want to.

I have a copy of it on video that I bought out of my communion money (I was made save the rest of it) when I was 7 and I watched it everyday for a month. It’s been a few years since I’ve seen it but the last time I watched it I was pleasantly surprised that I still knew all the characters’ lines and all the songs.

Thomas O’Malley: talk about a charmer.

Marie - “Ladies do not start fights - but they can finish them!”

Cloverfield

Probably the best trailer ever.

The film itself has received mixed reviews but it’s definitely worth a watch. Freaky shit…

Penelope

I’m curious as to what this will be like… It seems to be yet another passenger on the Adult Fairytale Wagon but hey, it has James McEvoy in it. That’s always good…

The monkey on your back is the latest trend

Everyone should go see Juno. It’s great. The script is great. Ellen Page is great. And she’s just been Oscar-nominated for Best Actress.  Rightly so…

Having been blown away by her performance (both in this and Hard Candy) I’m delighted that she’s getting the international recognition she deserves.

The film also received nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.

Personally I’m quite fond of the soundtrack too…

I don’t really like referring to things as “The New…” but if I HAD to, and taking EVERYTHING into consideration, Juno would be The New Garden State.

Love of mine, some day you will die

Brad Renfro’s sudden death last week hit me like a big yellow school bus. Shock doesn’t even begin to describe it.

And yesterday’s discovery of Heath Ledger’s body in his Manhattan apartment was even more surreal. Seeing as how I heard about through a text from my roommate who saw it on Perez , I almost didn’t believe it.

RIP