Reflections on films, politics, and everything else.

Holidays are tricky for me. They tend to bring back a great deal of unpleasantness growing up in a dysfunctional household. My mother longed for the Norman Rockwell scene of a happy family around a table, yet she never got that, or at least not during my time growing up in that household. My father would find any place else to be, and she’d then sulk. Maybe that’s why spending the holidays alone never bothered me. You get to watch what you want and no harassing questions about your life. Married life changed that to a certain extent, with us visiting my in-laws during Christmas time until a combination of weather concerns and consistent and overwhelming work obligations for my husband made that too challenging. The last three years we’ve spent alone at home (with our cat), doing little of what’s expected of people at the holidays. I’m always fascinated when people tell me what they and their families do for the holidays, and am thankful that I’m married to a vegetarian ...

This time of year the film awards talk begins, as well as anticipation for the remaining contenders to be released. This is usually a time when I feel out of step with society. Perhaps not every year, but most, I feel another film captivated me more than the film that wins all the trophies. A Star is Born has certainly been set up as the film to win all, and, once again, I’m not excited about it.   I don’t want to dismiss the film, as I think the acting, the chemistry between the actors, and the directing were all top notch; it’s the story that just didn’t do it for me. It could also be the timing. It’s not only the twenty-first century, but also the height of #me too and post-Kavanaugh hearing. Is an updated Cinderella story really what we need right now? Lady Gaga’s character is magically seen and heard by this great man/prince and plucked out of obscurity, making her dreams come true (at least for a little while). It’s obviously messier and more dramati...