Movie Gems

Movie Gem- ‘The Station Agent’ ( 2003)

What does a dwarf named Finn have in common with a grieving woman, a talkative Cuban and a chunky second grader? More than you might think. My husband and I watched ‘The Station Agent’ and were instantly captivated by the characters. Finn is a quiet man working in a model train store. He spends all his waking hours avoiding the stares and ridicule of people. His boss, who is his only friend, dies and leaves him an abandoned railroad station in a rural town somewhere in New Jersey. Finn walks the tracks near his new home seeking solitude however that’s not what the future holds for him. He may be short in stature but Finn has a very big heart.

A Page From…

…’You Can’t Take It With You.’

A Comedy in Three Acts by Moss Hart & George S. Kaufman, 1936

Essie (a girl of twenty nine wearing ballet slippers enters the living room)- My, that kitchen’s hot.

Penny (Essie’s mother, working at a typewriter)- What, Essie?

Essie- I say the kitchen’s awful hot. That new candy I’m making…it just won’t ever get cool.

Penny- Do you have to make candy today, Essie? It’s such a hot day.

Essie- Well, I got all those new orders. Ed (Essie’s husband) went out and got a bunch of new orders. (She begins a leg limbering exercise on a chair)

Penny- My, if that keeps on I suppose you’ll be opening up a store.

Essie- That’s what Ed was saying last night (Leans body forward), but I said No, I want to be a dancer.

Penny- The only trouble with dancing is, it takes so long. You’ve been studying a long time.

Essie- (Slowly drawing a leg up behind her as she talks) Only…eight…years. After all, Mother, you’ve been writing plays for eight years. We started about the same time, didn’t we?

Penny- Yes, but you shouldn’t count my first two years, because I was learning to type.

True Grit

‘True Grit‘ by Charles Portis first appeared as a serial for ‘The Saturday Evening Post’ in 1968. Later that year it was put in book form. A hastily adapted script was written for a western film in 1969 starring John Wayne. He went on to win an Academy Award for his portrayal of Rooster Cogburn. Several remakes and sequels followed. Opening this week in our local theater is the latest one by the Coen brothers starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and rising star Haile Steinfeld.

Fashion Details-

1. Heather tweed overcoat- Ebay

2. Boots- Yuketen

3. Distressed leather belt- J.Crew

4. Rounded felt hat- Rag & Bone

Related Nibs post-

Fashion Inspiration- Army Green Coats & Leather Belts

Update 1/22/2011- Another gritty western has to be ‘The Naked Spur‘ directed by Anthony Mann. If you haven’t seen it yet…rent it! I’d love to see how the Coen brothers would remake this one.

Jane Eyre

After fifteen movie adaptions, the classic book ‘Jane Eyre‘ by Charlotte Brontë has another one scheduled for release in March 2011. And I can’t wait! Check the trailer here.

Can you believe the first Jane Eyre movie (actually a silent film) came out in 1915? Some of my favorites through the years- 1944 with Joan Fontaine & Orson Wells, 1970 with Susannah York & George C. Scott, 1983 with Zelah Clarke & Timothy Dalton and 1996 with Charlotte Gainsbourg & William Hurt.

Nancy Goes To Hollywood

The Nancy Drew mystery books inspired Hollywood to produce several movies starring the actress Bonita Granville.

‘Nancy Drew, Reporter’- 1938.