A poem by Tim Burton
I love movie trivia. Mind you, I would never claim to possess a great wealth of movie trivia knowledge (unless it's "Singin' in the Rain" or "The Wizard of OZ"), but I still love it. When I'm watching a favorite movie, I find myself itching to check IMDB's trivia section. Sometimes it's even hard to wait until the movie's over.
That's what happened when my family watched "The Nightmare Before Christmas" earlier this week, and after finally checking IMDB I learned something pretty cool. The movie was based off a poem Tim Burton wrote years ago entitled (not surprisingly) "The Nightmare Before Christmas." Burton was inspired by the changing of a shop's display & products from Halloween to Christmas and the juxtaposition of the merchandise. How's that for turning mundane observations into imaginative works of art!
On the 2008 blue-ray version of "The Nightmare Before Christmas," there's a reading of the original poem performed by Christopher Lee (who should read everything, ever). Creative minds even set the poem to animated scenes using Burton's original concept art for the movie. It's a delight for the senses — and I was lucky enough to find it on youtube. Enjoy!
...is here and now.
Thank you Swiss chalkboard!
A tribute to our Happy Thought
Social media is overrun with prayers, thoughts, hilarious stories, and tear-jerkers for the memory of Robin Williams. The beloved comedian was more like our collective wacky uncle than a movie star, but by now I'm sure many have seen — and cried over — this simply stated tweet from The Academy of Motion Pictures:
Yes, from the average moviegoer to The Academy, it seems everyone has something to say about Robin's passing — and his life. I read a comment on Facebook from my cousin Matt which said that, for some reason, the death of Robin Williams feels so much more personal than the passing of other Hollywood greats. And that word — personal — struck me.
How is it that one man can affect so many lives? In the past 24 hours, we've heard fellow comedians, actors, and directors call Robin Williams a genius time and again. They say that what he had could not be taught, and that X Factor is what made him such an extraordinary entertainer. Beyond "genius," a phrase that keeps cropping up is "generosity of spirit." I believe that while his genius made him the entertainer that he was, it was Robin's genuine nature and palpable kindheartedness that made him the man we all grew to love on a very personal level.
To name just one favorite Robin Williams role would be impossible. All last night, I kept realizing another movie, then another, then another in which Robin captured our hearts and wailed on our funny bones. He was our nanny, our captain, our genie, and our spirit of youth. He told us to "bee yourself" and taught us an eclectic celebration of the dance. Together, we learned how to play. Now as we look back with utter fondness and adoration for the all the joy this man has given, I like to think that Robin Williams is somewhere looking down on us, thinking: "That was a great game."
Wonderful earth & "The Wonder Years"
This summer, my family is re-watching "The Wonder Years" in its entirety. We're only on season 3, but I've cried or come close to it plenty of times. There was the episode where Mr. and Mrs. Arnold are fighting over pottery and Pepsi. There was the one where Karen runs away, but comes back home. This week we watched the one where Kevin wants to play tackle football and his mom just wants to keep him safe; she has to let him go and grow up, of course.
Another that had my eyes watering up was the one where Winnie stars in the school play and Kevin mans the spotlight. The play is Our Town, and maybe I missed the boat in high school English, but I've never read or seen it. My rough understanding is it's about a dead girl who comes back to earth for one last look at the life and people she left behind. When Winnie delivered Thornton Wilder's poetic lines and a tear slid down Kevin's cheek, I was a goner.
"Goodbye, Goodbye, world. Goodbye, Grover's Corners... Mama and Papa. Goodbye to clocks ticking... and Mama's sunflowers. And food and coffee. And new-ironed dresses and hot baths... and sleeping and waking up. Oh, earth, you're too wonderful for anybody to realize you. Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? Every, every minute?" _Thornton Wilder, Our Town
A poem by Lindsey Angisetty
Oh to be a turtle
with your home on your back,
to cuddle inside
when you sense an attack.
Oh to be a lion
with your home in a den,
to supervise your cubs
in a natural play pen.
Oh to be a bee
with your home in a hive,
to buzz all around
with a wail, jump, and jive!
Oh to be a bird
with your home in a nest,
to look out for danger
and keep your babies abreast.
Oh to be a human,
but where is our home?
In a tree like a monkey?
In a hole like a mole?
In a house like a mouse?
Oh no, it can't be!
Our home is in our heart,
with our beloved family.
- - - - - - -
Lindsey wrote "Oh! To be a turtle" for Kaitlyn's family after they suffered a house fire just a few short weeks ago. In all honesty, we chuckled when Linds told us she'd written the Branchaws a poem. Who among us not only writes poetry, but also sends it out into the world?
But when Lindsey read her poem aloud, we got goosebumps, teared up, and all agreed it sounded like a picture book. I can see it now: the cardboard pages, the whimsical artwork — a sweet little lesson taught in rhyme. Never change, Linds. Never change.
The monologue that gets me every time
Perfectly written, perfectly delivered:
"People will come Ray.
They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack.
And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces.
People will come Ray.
The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again.
Oh... People will come Ray. People will most definitely come."
