Too Much Homework

Here's a good column about the negative impact of too much homework on young students, which prevents them from excercising -- either their bodies or their imaginations -- and negatively impacts family life.

When my children were in public elementary school I found that their homework was usually either pointless busywork or something that the teachers wanted the parents to teach; that was one of the things that gave me the idea to homeschool. If the teachers wanted me to do the teaching anyway, why not just do it during the day and not go through the agony each night?

One of the things I love about homeschooling is that, with one-on-one interaction between parent and child, it's possible to study a subject intensively in a relatively small amount of time, with plenty of free time left for enrichment, leisure time, and family life. (My youngest son has been learning woodworking in the shop with his dad of late and jokes that he's "taking an elective.") And no more homework ruining Christmas vacation!

"Two Presidents in the White House?"

Sally Bedell Smith, the noted biographer who recently wrote a book on Bill and Hillary Clinton titled FOR LOVE OF POLITICS, has written an essay for Opinion Journal about the prospect of the Clintons returning to the White House.

Smith: "We now face the extraordinary possibility of having two presidents in the White House who are married to each other. That prospect is something that never occurred to our nation's founders...

"Imagine being asked to serve as her running mate, knowing that her husband would be far more influential than any vice president. What would a potential secretary of state face now that Sen. Clinton has already said she would use her husband as ambassador to the world?"

Because of anti-nepotism laws, former President Clinton could not serve in a formal appointed job, which raises its own problems: "His role would be necessarily ambiguous. At a time when voters are crying out for more openness in government, such an arrangement raises questions about transparency and accountability."

Smith raises an issue previously explored here: "While Mr. Clinton's return to the West Wing wouldn't directly violate the 22nd Amendment--designed to limit a president to two terms in office--it has significant implications..."

Her conclusion: "The concept of two presidents in the White House poses one of the biggest conundrums of this political season, and is an issue that can only grow during the general election campaign if Hillary Clinton is the Democratic candidate."

Be sure to read the entire column, it's a worthwhile read by a woman who has spent a great deal of time studying the Clintons.

O Christmas Tree

Back in December 2005 I mentioned two very interesting books by Robert Brenner, CHRISTMAS, 1940-1959: A COLLECTOR'S GUIDE TO DECORATIONS AND CUSTOMS (subject link) and CHRISTMAS, 1960-PRESENT: A COLLECTOR'S GUIDE TO DECORATIONS AND CUSTOMS.

These books are great fun to pull off the shelves at this time of year. As I wrote then, the books "each contain hundreds of photographs of everything from record album covers to cardboard manger sets to Christmas ornaments and candles. It was fun to recognize some items handed down from my grandparents (such as the aforementioned cardboard manger set) among the pages."

The books come to mind as we've been busy setting up and decorating our tree over the last couple days. While in the past we have always had Monterey pines for our trees, the quality of the trees from the tree farm we have long used really declined over the last few years. They were weak and ended up looking terribly misshapen when decorated. This year we took the plunge and got a Noble fir instead -- from a Home Depot, no less. So far, so good, although I miss the pine smell which says "Christmas"!

My youngest daughter and I are going to set up a separate tabletop "Barbie" tree again this year. It's possible in the future we might even set up a little "Disney" tree as well, as our collection seems to keep growing year by year!

We bought an ornament for our college daughter who comes home next week:


Fight on, and Merry Christmas!

Power Line on Huckabee

Power Line has more on Mike Huckabee today. Paul Mirengoff writes "Mike Huckabee’s wrong-headed foreign prescriptions threaten to outstrip our ability to report them."

Huckabee demanded that President Bush lift the embargo to Cuba -- apparently because he wanted Arkansas to sell rice to Cubans. However, he also claims he was "really not that aware" of the issues we had with Cuba. Which, if true, sure makes it strange he would then want the U.S. to drop the embargo. Except that he wanted to sell rice in Cuba...

More from Power Line here; National Review weighs in here.

Aside from Huckabee's positions on foreign policy, there's also this: Huckabee pretending to have a phone conversation with God at a meeting of Republican Governors in 2004. I dislike the disrespectful, even crass way Huckabee weaves God and religion into his politics. (I've previously mentioned his comment about "drinking a different Jesus juice" from Republican Christians with whom he disagrees.) No class.

The lineup of Republican candidates doesn't thrill me, but I find it disheartening that Huckabee seems to be running so strongly in the polls. I can't imagine all those voters are yet fully informed about Huckabee's liberal track record.

We can only hope Huckabee is this year's Howard Dean, a momentary flash in the pan.

Coming to DVD: Musicals From The Dream Factory, Volume 3

Great news for fans of MGM musicals. Next April 8 Warners will release a set of 9 -- count 'em, 9! -- MGM musicals.

Most of the films star either Jane Powell or Eleanor Powell. Jane will be represented by TWO WEEKS WITH LOVE (a film I have long hoped would come to DVD), HIT THE DECK and NANCY GOES TO RIO. Eleanor's films include LADY BE GOOD, BROADWAY MELODY OF 1936, BROADWAY MELODY OF 1938, and BORN TO DANCE. The other two films in the set are KISMET and DEEP IN MY HEART.

Debbie Reynolds costarred in TWO WEEKS WITH LOVE and HIT THE DECK; it would sure be wonderful if Warners gives us some new featurettes or commentaries with Reynolds and Jane Powell.

If you'd like to check out the titles included in the previous releases, Volume I is here and Volume 2 is here.

Titles I'm hoping come to DVD in the future: YOLANDA AND THE THIEF (perhaps this will be in an upcoming Astaire set), THE GLASS SLIPPER, LOVELY TO LOOK AT, TWO GIRLS AND A SAILOR, LILI, and more Jane Powell (ATHENA, LUXURY LINER, HOLIDAY IN MEXICO). This latest release of lesser-known titles encourages me that we might see some of these titles in a future Volume 4.

A new two-disc edition of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS is rumored to be a 2008 release, incidentally...

Tuesday Update: Here's a press release with all the details. Extras include outtakes, shorts, a TCM documentary, and radio programs, but apparently there is no new material in terms of featurettes or commentary, which is too bad.

"The Most Gifted Person of Our Generation"

That was Bill's assessment of Hillary, back in the day.

Oh, puh-leeze. Where in her thin resume could he possibly have found anything that correlates with this hyper-inflated opinion of Mrs. Clinton?

He also mentions he'd told Hillary "You really should dump me and go back home to Chicago or go to New York and take one of those offers you've got and run for office."

This is a woman who couldn't pass the Washington D.C. bar exam. Granted, she worked for the Watergate Committee, but I'd be curious to know if those "offers" really existed.

Somehow the Clintons never quite lose their ability to surprise me.

A Remarkable Story

Jeanne Assam, a former policewoman serving as a volunteer security guard, is credited with saving many lives by killing the gunman who invaded her church in Colorado Springs yesterday. The gunman killed two teenage girls and wounded others.

As the gunman fired at Assam, she calmly walked toward him, firing repeatedly. A fellow church member who saw combat in Vietnam and who was wounded by the gunman said it was the bravest thing he'd ever seen.

Assam said simply "I was asking the Holy Spirit to guide me the entire time."

"God was with me. I didn't think for a minute to run away."

USC Wins First Women's Soccer Title

The Trojans and their first-year coach beat Florida State to win the Trojans' first-ever national women's soccer title.

Congratulations!

Golden Compass Flounders at Box Office

THE GOLDEN COMPASS is based on books by an atheist God-hater who wants to be the anti-C.S. Lewis.

It was thus heartening to see that the film took in quite a bit less at the box office than had been expected for its opening weekend.

My children love fantasy films, but this is one they won't be seeing. Ever.

Around the Blogosphere This Week

Odds and ends for your perusal:

At the subject line Captain Ed writes "A Market Free of Consequences Is Not Free." Yep. Another disappointment from the Bush Administration. Sigh...

Episcopal Diocese Votes to Secede: The secession of California's Diocese of San Joaquin is major news, as it marks the first time an entire diocese has voted to leave; previously a number of individual parishes have seceded. This is another positive step forward as Biblically orthodox American churches flee the Episcopal Church's liberal, theologically squishy leadership and continue to realign with the theologically and evangelically robust Anglican churches of Africa and South America. The diocese is now part of the province of the Southern Cone (South America) and remains within the worldwide Anglican Communion.

On Romney's Speech: Jay Cost has some interesting analysis at Real Clear Politics. I don't really have a strong opinion on the speech...it was well delivered but I don't think it actually broke any new ground. Savvy voters -- the ones paying attention at this early stage -- are already well aware of our country's history of religious freedom and tolerance. Somewhat bizarrely, Romney fan Hugh Hewitt, an early proponent of the power of the blogosphere and the collective impact of individual small-audience bloggers on public opinion, haughtily announced to Romney or speech naysayers that "Your opinion of who ought to be the GOP nominee doesn't matter beyond your vote." Small wonder I'm not listening to Hugh nearly as often as I used to...

Everyday Math=Junk: More from Michelle Malkin on silly elementary school math programs. Like one of Michelle's commenters, when our oldest was in school she was once told to redo problems the long-form "Mathland way," when she was perfectly capable of quickly calculating the problems using traditional math skills. A previous post on this topic is here.

THE BACON COOKBOOK: A new cookbook entirely devoted to bacon recipes! "More Than 150 Recipes From Around the World For Everyone's Favorite Food."

Bill Clinton in Hillary's Cabinet Meetings?: The mind continues to boggle at the prospect of a co-Presidency, effectively circumventing the 22nd Amendment.

10 Things I Like About White Christmas: A fun post from Jacqueline at Another Old Movie Blog.

Butterscotch Blondie Marble Drops: I recently made these and they turned out pretty well. The recipe is from BIG FAT COOKIES, a beautiful book by Elinor Klivans.

So You Think You Know Carols?: A 25-question quiz. Have fun!

NBC Comes to Its Senses

It's good to hear that NBC -- which doubtless heard from many unhappy viewers -- has reversed course and decided to air holiday ads thanking our troops for their service.

What's scary is that a network would decide in the first place that such positive ads violate their standards and practices.

Power Line reports, citing Red State, that one of the two individuals at NBC who made the initial decision to ban the ads is a major financial supporter of the Democratic Party. Interesting to connect those dots.

Power Line has both of the ads...take a look.

Tonight's Movie: 5th Ave Girl (1939)

The way the movies tell it, a park bench was a good place for a wholesome, penniless Depression-era girl to meet a kind, wealthy man and then land a job. Jean Arthur met Herbert Marshall while sitting in a park in IF YOU COULD ONLY COOK, and in tonight's film, Ginger Rogers meets wealthy Walter Connolly on a park bench and soon finds herself living the life of a 5TH AVE GIRL.

This is a somewhat strange film with a convoluted plot: Connolly is ignored by his family, especially his philandering wife (Verree Teasdale), so he brings Ginger to live in his home as his "girlfriend" to get his wife's attention. (The Hays Office must have had an interesting time approving the script for this one!) In reality, the relationship is perfectly innocent, of course; Ginger has been hired to play a role. She functions as a sort of ersatz Mary Poppins, working her magic to bring happiness to a miserable family, and by film's end everyone's lives have been changed for the better thanks to Ginger's stay.

The film is rather serious in tone for a purported comedy and isn't a top-of-the-line movie, but it's interesting, has a few scenes that are extra-good -- my favorite was Teasdale trying win Connolly back by making his favorite beef stew -- and Ginger is always worth watching.

The supporting cast includes James Ellison as a revolutionary chauffeur, Kathryn Adams and Tim Holt as Connolly and Teasdale's adult children, Franklin Pangborn as the butler, Louis Calhern as a psychiatrist, and Jack Carson in a one-scene role as a ukelele-playing sailor.

Some good trivia: Kathryn Adams was married for 40 years to Hugh Beaumont, who played Ward Cleaver on LEAVE IT TO BEAVER.

The movie was directed by Gregory La Cava, whose other films include the comedy classic MY MAN GODFREY and the fine Ginger Rogers-Katharine Hepburn film STAGE DOOR. This black-and-white film runs 83 minutes.

5TH AVE GIRL is available on VHS. (Which begs the question, shouldn't someone put out a Ginger Rogers DVD set at some point?) It can also be seen on Turner Classic Movies.

Update: This movie is now available on an unremastered DVD-R from the Warner Archive.

November 2013 Update: I had the chance to see this film in 35mm at UCLA and shared the experience here.

Coming to DVD: Becoming Jane

BECOMING JANE will be released on DVD on February 12th -- just in time for Valentine's gift giving.

Extras include a documentary, DISCOVERING THE REAL JANE AUSTEN; pop-up "facts and footnotes" on Jane Austen; deleted scenes; and a commentary track.

I haven't caught up with this movie yet. I have some mixed feelings about the heavy fictionalization of the real Jane's life, but taken on its own terms I suspect I will enjoy the film very much.

Previously at LMM: February 3, 2007.

A Little House Roundup

Jonathan Yardley of the Washington Post recently wrote a column on my favorite of Laura Ingalls Wilder's LITTLE HOUSE books -- the very first book, LITTLE HOUSE IN THE BIG WOODS. I don't agree with all his conclusions -- he is a bit dismissive of the books as nothing more than children's books -- but it's worth a read.

Dean Butler, who played Almanzo Wilder in the TV series, has produced a new documentary on Almanzo Wilder's childhood, ALMANZO WILDER: LIFE BEFORE LAURA, which will be released next year. You can see a trailer at YouTube. Over the years, Butler has appeared at events at various real LITTLE HOUSE sites. The documentary will be sold at the Wilder homestead in Malone, New York.

A musical version of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE premieres in Minnesota next summer. This appears to be related to the production I first posted about last March. At that time Melissa Gilbert (Laura in the TV series) and Patrick Swayze were said to be lined up as Ma and Pa, but they aren't mentioned in the new article.

I just learned that Missy Francis, who played adopted daughter Cassandra Cooper in the last season of LITTLE HOUSE -- a character, like many others, invented strictly for television -- obtained a Harvard degree in economics and is now, under the name Melissa Francis, an anchor on CNBC. She was dubbed "The Empress of Energy" by Larry Kudlow. Always nice when one becomes aware of a former child actress having a happy and productive adult life. More on Francis here and here.

Advent tip: rereading the Christmas chapters from the LITTLE HOUSE books in December is a wonderful tradition! They make great read-alouds.

Related posts previously here at LMM: Little House Music Lives On, Little House Books: No Illustrations More 'Relevant'?, and The Real Little Town on the Prairie.

New Book: Holidays On Display

Here's a recent release which looks like fun for this holiday season: HOLIDAYS ON DISPLAY, which chronicles the history of department store Christmas display windows.

The author, William L. Bird, Jr., is a curator at the Smithsonian. (In fact, he had a book signing at the Air and Space Museum last weekend.)

The book was published by the Princeton Architectural Press.

Coliseum Commission Pledges to Work on Deal

The Coliseum Commission, after months of ignoring USC's proposed master lease agreement, has pledged to "expedite" work on a new deal which would prevent USC from leaving the Coliseum for the Rose Bowl.

We'll see if the Commission comes through. Frankly, the Commission members seem equally concerned with continuing to whine about USC putting their contact info on a website, which the Commission charges was poor judgment on the part of the university.

No one condones the Commissioners receiving threats, if such took place, but the Commissioners are not monarchs and should be accountable to and willing to hear the views of the taxpayers of the city, county, and state. If the Commissioners can't stand the heat, they shouldn't be in the proverbial kitchen.

More from the L.A. Times' Helene Elliott.

Previously at Laura's Miscellaneous Musings: November 29 and November 27.

New on DVD: Ford at Fox

The ginormous Ford at Fox set was released Tuesday. If you're a serious fan of classic films, you'll probably be wanting to check out some or all of the set, which includes over two dozen films and a brand-new documentary.

Some of the movies are available for purchase in smaller sets, including The Essential John Ford, John Ford's American Comedies, and John Ford's Silent Epics.

You can also buy some of the films as single-title releases. I have ordered a copy of DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK, which has a new commentary track.

I already own a number of the Essential John Ford titles and am fortunate I'll be able to borrow more from my dad one day, as he's expecting the set for Christmas. :)

For more details about Ford at Fox and the extras, see my post of last September.

St. Nicholas Eve

Once again, the shoes are lined up in the hallway, and if the children are lucky they will find some chocolate inside when they wake up on December 6th.

The history of St. Nicholas, as well as legends and St. Nicholas Day traditions, are described at the subject link and the St. Nicholas Center.

Previously: St. Nicholas Day 2005 and 2006.

More Thoughts on Mike Huckabee

Don't-miss reading from Power Line is at the subject link as well as here and here. Mike Huckabee's lack of seriousness about foreign policy is explored in detail -- he apparently thinks that "character" will carry the day when it comes to foreign relations. The Power Line writers warn that Huckabee could prove to be Jimmy Carter revisited.

All of the Power Line pieces are worth reading, especially the examples of Huckabee reacting to issues emotionally rather than from sound political principles; for example, Huckabee believes in a federal smoking ban, without regard to freedom or federalism.

Huckabee does not appear to have a coherent political philosophy, but instead is guided more by what he feels is "right"...and often what he feels is "right" is not in line with conservative political principles. Indeed, responding based on emotions rather than principles is more in line with standard liberal politics.

Also worth reading is this piece about Huckabee trying to avoid disclosing his gubernatorial record on illegal immigration. I gave my impressions of some of Huckabee's evasions here last month.

On the subject of illegal immigration, it's also worth noting that Huckabee has asserted that someone who disagrees with him on benefits for illegal aliens is "willing to grind your heel into the face of a 6-year-old child." Of course, Huckabee also believes that Christians who disagree with him "drink a different kind of Jesus juice." I can't believe a pastor would actually speak so disrespectfully of fellow conservatives or Christians -- or Jesus -- on multiple occasions, and feel good about it.

As a side note, I find it interesting that the same Beltway pundits who insist that Huckabee is charming and an effective speaker are catty about the more substantive Fred Thompson refusing to play the traditional media/political game and visit 10 diners a day in Iowa with the same dedication as his fellow candidates. You know, I've never had a politician come in a restaurant in my neighborhood, and I suspect most Americans could say the same. A politician slogging around Iowa in a bus for months on end conveys nothing to me about his political philosophies or his ability to serve effectively. It's simply "the way it's always been," and members of the media aren't happy when someone does things a bit differently and isn't always there to spoon-feed them material to broadcast or publish. In this modern media age, the in-person campaigning demanded by the press and the citizens of Iowa and New Hampshire is an anachronism.

I honestly have no idea who I'm going to end up supporting -- it's probably clear to regular readers that the positions of Fred Thompson continue to impress me the most, though at this juncture his long-term future as a candidate is a question mark, at least in the eyes of the Beltway pundits -- but I cannot envision voting for the hectoring, tax-raising nanny-stater Mike Huckabee under any circumstances.

Thursday Update: Clarice Feldman today at American Thinker: "Huckabee House Built On a Weak Foundation."

Thursday Evening Update: Kimberly Strassel at Opinion Journal has a column titled "Redefining Conservatism" which is subtitled "Mike Huckabee is far from being Reagan's heir." She writes "If Mr. Huckabee does turn out to be everything Republicans 'want' or 'need' in a conservative, it will only be because the definition of a conservative has morphed to include tax hiking, protectionism, corporate scolding and an unserious approach to foreign policy." Her conclusion: "...if by some chance he keeps up this surge, Republican voters need to understand they are signing up for a whole new brand of 'conservatism.'"

The more I learn about Huckabee, the more I suspect that the reality is he's simply a pro-life liberal.

Back to the Future for L.A.'s Pantages Theatre

When the Pantages Theatre was built on Hollywood Boulevard in the 1920s, the original plans called for a 12-story office building to rise over the theater.

Although the foundation for a building that size was laid, the stock market crash ended the original plans, and construction was halted at two stories.

Nearly 8 decades later, the Pantages continues to be a popular venue -- it is currently hosting WICKED for a long run -- and the remaining 10 floors are finally going to be built, "true to the original Art Deco design," but to modern earthquake standards.

As a footnote, over the years I've seen some wonderful musical theater at the Pantages, including Yul Brynner and Constance Towers in THE KING AND I, Jane Powell and Howard Keel in SOUTH PACIFIC, and Gary Morris in LES MISERABLES.

Frank Sinatra To Be Honored With Postage Stamp

The 20th Century's greatest singer will be honored with a postage stamp next spring.

The stamp design will be made public next week on December 12th, Sinatra's birthday.

I'll be buying several sheets. (I'm still using my stash of 37-cent Cary Grant stamps! I'm down to my last sheet...)

Record? What Record?

Bill Clinton says that if the press did a better job of covering his wife's public record, she would be far ahead of the competition for the Democratic Presidential nomination.

That would be the same public record which Bill Clinton is doing his best to cover up, by preventing the public from examining Mrs. Clinton's White House records.

What else is there for the press to cover, other than her few years in the Senate?

Just last week the former President was insisting he'd never supported invading Iraq, when the record is replete with his statements in support of the invasion.

Sadly, Mr. Clinton continues to be an "unusually good liar," to borrow Bob Kerrey's assessment. His lying and ability to say one thing while doing another long ago reached pathological proportions.

Christmas at Disneyland

The new MousePlanet update has some beautiful photos showing how Disneyland's "hidden" fine restaurant, Club 33, is decorated for Christmas.

Visiting Club 33 at Christmastime is my new Disneyland goal!

The update also includes some photos of the Candlelight Procession, which was narrated this year by one of my favorite actresses, Jane Seymour.

I was fortunate enough to perform in the Candlelight Procession all three years I was in high school. (Our high school only had grades 10-12, if you're wondering.) Two of the narrators were adequate but not especially thrilling for me -- Ross Martin (WILD WILD WEST) and Elliot Gould.

However, the other narrator more than made up for it -- Cary Grant! He stood just a few yards from me during the rehearsal. How amazing to hear him read the Christmas story. When we rehearsed the Hallelujah Chorus, he smiled right at me...

Needless to say, that experience is a memory I treasure.

Walter O'Malley Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

Longtime Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley, who moved the team from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, has been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Dodgers celebrate 50 years in Los Angeles this coming baseball season.

It's absurd that it took 28 years after O'Malley's death for him to be elected to the Hall of Fame, and sillier still that even at this point he received the minimum number of votes.

Even now, too many people hang on to petty resentment about the team leaving New York, choosing to ignore O'Malley's huge influence on the game, including being a leader in the integration of baseball and spreading major league baseball to the West Coast.

If you're a Dodgers fan, don't miss Walter O'Malley.com, which is a superb website dedicated to O'Malley and Dodgers history.

New Book: Under the Tree

UNDER THE TREE: THE TOYS AND TREATS THAT MADE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL, 1930-1970, is a new book by Susan Waggoner.

Waggoner previously wrote IT'S A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS: THE BEST OF THE HOLIDAYS 1940-1965, which was a visual feast of "retro" graphic art, including pictures from catalogues, magazine ads, and movie posters.

It looks like UNDER THE TREE presents more of the same. As a fan of both Christmas and mid-20th Century graphic art, this is a book I definitely want to read.

For more info on books covering the history of American Christmas celebrations, see my post of December 2005, which lists a few more interesting titles.

Coming to DVD: The Aristocats, 101 Dalmatians

Disney fans can look forward to the release of two animated classics early in 2008.

THE ARISTOCATS will be released on February 5, 2008. The extras are fairly minimal, including an "Aristocats" scrapbook, a storybook and game. The extras on this Special Edition sound more like one would find on a Gold Edition.

Nonetheless, this is one we've never owned so I'm looking forward to finally adding this to our Disney shelf.

On March 4th 101 DALMATIANS will be a 2-Disc Platinum Edition release.

This DVD will have plentiful extras including a "making of" documentary, deleted songs, the correspondence between Walt Disney and 101 DALMATIANS author Dodie Smith, and more.

According to Ultimate Disney, FANTASIA and PINOCCHIO are slated for the Platinum Edition treatment in 2009.

Tonight's Movie: If You Could Only Cook (1935)

IF YOU COULD ONLY COOK (1935) was a delightful treat, an example of '30s romantic comedy at its best.

It's the Depression, of course, and jobs are hard to come by. Joan (Jean Arthur) is scanning the want ads on a park bench when a rather dejected man, Jim (Herbert Marshall), sits down next to her. She assumes that, like her, he is badly in need of a job, and suggests that they answer an ad together for a husband and wife to act as butler and cook. He accepts, and before you know it they're working for a somewhat shady character (Leo Carrillo) who has a gourmet appetite and a nosy righthand man (Lionel Stander).

In truth, Jim is a millionaire who was down in the dumps about both his career and his engagement to a bossy woman from a "good family" (Frieda Inescort, who played Caroline Bingley in the Olivier-Garson PRIDE AND PREJUDICE). Meeting pretty, talented Joan has added some needed sparkle to Jim's life, and this being a '30s romantic comedy, you can probably figure out how things end up.

Within the framework of a standard Depression-era comedy about the rich and the hired help, the film felt fresh and original. The Leo Carrillo character, in particular, was fun and unpredictable. One wouldn't necessarily think of Marshall as the leading man in a comedy, but he was wonderful and had excellent chemistry with Arthur. The last couple scenes had me laughing out loud.

The film is 72 minutes long. I'm generally a fan of short, fast-paced movies but I actually wished this film were a bit longer to further develop the Marshall-Arthur relationship.

The movie was directed by William A. Seiter.

IF YOU COULD ONLY COOK is not available on DVD or video. It can be seen on TCM. Click here to indicate interest in a DVD release or to request that TCM schedule the movie.

This film is definitely worth watching for.

August 2009 Update: IF YOU COULD ONLY COOK is now available on DVD in the Icons of Screwball Comedy Volume I.

December 2012 Update: I have reposted this review with additional comments.

2020 Update: This film is now also available in a three-film Jean Arthur DVD set.

Tonight's Dinner: French Beef Stew

It's finally cold here in Southern California, in the high 50s and low 60s this weekend, so it's the perfect time for a hearty meal like French Beef Stew, also known as Bouef Bourguignonne. It smells wonderful simmering on the stove, especially on a cold day. I like to serve it with French garlic bread. Yum!

I've made a number of variations of this recipe -- the recipe for a crockpot version is here -- but one of my favorites comes from JOY OF COOKING. The recipe appears in both the 75th Anniversary Edition and the 1997 edition.

JOY OF COOKING is a classic for good reason -- I use it for countless recipes. If you don't yet own a copy, it's a great idea for a Christmas wish list.

Romney to Give Speech on Religion

It's been announced that Mitt Romney will give a speech this week on "religious liberty, the grand tradition religious tolerance has played in the progress of our nation and how the governor's own faith would inform his presidency if he were elected."

I think Governor Romney needs to be very careful in this speech; if he suggests those who believe it is valid to consider a candidate's religious faith are bigots, he risks alienating a fairly large bloc of voters.

As I wrote here last February, I'm inclined to think that considering what a candidate's faith says about his wisdom or loyalty to our country, as one factor among others, is valid. Would those who insist any consideration of a candidate's Mormonism is bigotry hold to the same principle if we were considering a Muslim candidate?

I would add that I certainly wouldn't vote for a candidate simply because he's a Christian, either. I could name any number of politicians who claim to be Christians but with whom I have strong political disagreement. And I'm completely turned off by someone like Mike Huckabee, who offensively and disrespectfully claims to "drink a different kind of Jesus juice" than those who disagree with him on illegal immigration.

Religion is simply another factor to take into consideration when evaluating a candidate, along with their political beliefs, their track records, their moral values, how they conduct their personal lives, and so on.

Ramesh Ponnuru at NRO's The Corner: "...the case that voters shouldn't hold his Mormonism against him is not the same as the case for religious liberty, and it would be a big mistake for him to suggest that people who hold reservations about electing a Mormon president are hostile to religious liberty."

More from Power Line.

A Blessed Advent

It's hard to believe that Advent is here once more and a new Church year has begun.

One of our family's traditions is to light a new candle and have devotional readings each Sunday evening of Advent. It's a wonderful way to help stay focused on the meaning of the season, when there are so many other fun things going on in December.

Wishing you all a happy, blessed Advent as we await the arrival of Christmas.

Save Us From the Nanny Staters

The Senate is considering trying to impose a federal ban on the sale of junk food in public schools.

Why not let states, or better yet, local school districts -- with input from parents -- impose the rules they want for local schools?

A federal law for something like this is overkill. Our nation -- or at least its lawmakers -- are unhealthily obsessed with regulating every aspect of Americans' lives.

We're Going to the Rose Bowl!

USC beat UCLA this afternoon, 24-7, which makes it very likely that the Trojans will be playing in the Rose Bowl one month from today. :)

USC also won its sixth Pac-10 title in a row.

The L.A. Times has a photo gallery from the game here.

Fight on!

In other Trojan news, Bill Dwyre of the L.A. Times weighs in on this week's Coliseum controversy. And the Times editorial page chimes in: It's USC's Coliseum.

Sunday Update: It was confirmed this afternoon that USC will be playing Illinois in Pasadena on New Year's Day.

New Book: Mission: Cook!

Our family gets a kick out of Food Network's DINNER: IMPOSSIBLE, in which Chef Robert Irvine is challenged to cook gourmet meals under difficult circumstances. While the show has a bit of a game show element to it, the fun comes in seeing Chef Robert and his sous chefs' creativity under fire. They have an impressive ability to put together elegant meals in just a few hours, utilizing whatever ingredients and cooking methods are on hand.

On the show Chef Robert has done everything from cooking at Colonial Williamsburg to preparing a chuck wagon meal to cooking in a hotel made of ice (which sure presented difficulties insofar as cooking heat melts ice). I think our favorite episode was when they couldn't even start cooking in a pigsty of a frat house at the University of Pennsylvania until the kitchen was hosed down...and I do mean hosed down! What a mess. The episode where he had to round up food from tailgaters at a football game and turn it into a gourmet meal was another favorite.

Chef Robert's intelligence, ability, sense of humor, and British accent -- he was trained as a chef in the Royal Navy -- add up to a fun program.

Robert Irvine has a new book out which is a combination autobiography and cookbook. Should be a fun read.

Tonight's Movie: Waitress (2007)

Tonight we watched WAITRESS, which was just released on DVD.

I thoroughly enjoyed this character study of Jenna (Keri Russell), a waitress who bakes extraordinary pies at a Southern diner. Jenna is trapped in a marriage with an abusive husband (Jeremy Sisto), and her life is further complicated when she learns she's expecting a baby. Jenna dreams of saving enough money to leave her husband...and she also dreams of pies...amazing pies.

The film is a wonderfully drawn slice of life -- no pie puns intended -- depicting Jenna and her coworkers at the diner: waitresses Becky and Dawn (Cheryl Hines, Adrienne Shelly), manager Cal (Lew Temple), and owner Joe (Andy Griffith). The characters are distinctive and feel very true-to-life. Despite the thread of melancholy running through the film as Jenna's life becomes ever more complicated, it's a funny, touching movie which ultimately affirms both life and making the right choices. The humor, the brightly colored pie-making sequences, and Jenna's supportive relationships with her friends at the diner leaven -- there go the baking puns again -- what could otherwise be a somber film.

A couple years ago I very much enjoyed Keri Russell in Hallmark's THE MAGIC OF ORDINARY DAYS, and in WAITRESS she's also superb in the film's title role. The two films are somewhat similar insofar as they are about women dealing with the consequences of unexpected pregnancy who choose to keep their babies and ultimately build a happy existence, appreciating family, friends, and the "small" things in life. The great unanswered question in WAITRESS is how someone with Jenna's talent and beauty ended up married to such a mean, controlling loser. Russell movingly depicts Jenna's gradual evolution from her initially miserable existence.

Andy Griffith steals every scene he's in as the quirky Joe, who is crochety, perhaps the slightest bit senile, yet all-knowing and wise. I wouldn't be surprised if Griffith is recognized with an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor.

The cast also includes Nathan Fillion and Eddie Jemison. The late Adrienne Shelly, who plays Dawn, also wrote and directed the film. It's very sad Shelly did not have the opportunity to create more films, as she was a triple-threat talent. She was murdered in New York City before the film's release.

Parental advisory: The film is rated PG-13 and is definitely not for the younger set due to its adult themes.

WAITRESS runs 108 minutes. The trailer is here. DVD extras include a commentary track and featurettes.

I'd looked forward to seeing WAITRESS for several months and found it worth the wait. A very enjoyable evening.

How Many Episodes Left?

If you're wondering how many episodes are left before your favorite TV show goes off the air due to the writers' strike, TV Guide has prepared an informative chart.

Fans of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS are in luck as the show has eight episodes left. Many programs are down to their last two to five episodes.

Keep in mind that some shows may delay showing all their new episodes for a few weeks, due to preemptions for Christmas specials in December.

Republicans Enjoy "Much Better" Mental Health

This news according to four Gallup polls.

The first bar chart alone, comparing Republicans to Democrats, is quite interesting.

Also of note is a chart on Page 2 which shows that the more frequently Republicans attend church, the better their mental health.

As it happened, today Rush Limbaugh had a phone call from a very angry liberal. Rush counseled her "I really wish you'd open your eyes. I really wish you would...be happy, try to anyway. Try to realize the joys and the benefits, and just express some gratitude for the fact that you live in this country from wherever you came, instead of being so angry and upset all the time! It's got to be devastating to you. It's got to make your life ruinous, miserable, and unhappy..."

When I saw this news story, I immediately thought of the woman on that phone call.

The report is fun to peruse, for whatever it's worth...

Saturday Update: Thoughts from John Hinderaker at Power Line.

Justice Thomas on His Silence From the Bench

DRJ at Patterico's site has posted a very interesting piece about Justice Clarence Thomas's thoughts on the usefulness -- or not -- of asking questions from the bench during oral arguments.

From my perspective, Thomas's views on the issue make a lot of sense.

Battle for the L.A. Coliseum Escalates

The battle for control of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum has escalated. It seems to be the talk of the Southern California, as the prospect of the Trojans moving to the Rose Bowl provokes strong emotions.

L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa says he has given up on an NFL team in the Coliseum, and he and Governor Schwarzenegger are said to be working on helping break the impasse between the Coliseum Commission and USC.

The ineffectual Coliseum Commission is paralyzed by dreams of an NFL team that will never happen. The Commission members seem willing to give up the only steady tenant the Coliseum has ever had and let the Coliseum become a little-used relic. They refuse to either put up the money to improve the stadium -- because they figure the mythical NFL team they long for will raze it anyway -- or to give USC control over the venue in return for USC investing a staggering $100 million in improvements over the next decade.

The Commission's other "big idea" has been to sell off the naming rights to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum -- which I believe is inappropriate for such an historic venue -- and as part of that deal wanted USC to hand over to the company buying the naming rights the "use of the University's name and marks for promotional use." Again, that would be very inappropriate -- and potentially damaging -- for USC to cede control of its name and trademarks for the buyer to use as it saw fit. Here again, the Commission has attempted to avoid taking action itself for the good of the Coliseum. It wants all of the power and none of the cost.

The Coliseum Commissioners come off like whiny children. Exhibit A: Bill Chadwick, who gloats "I think it would be great if they played at the Rose Bowl for two years. At the end of that two years, the leverage we would have in negotiations would be spectacular." Now that's a really helpful negotiating attitude. And so respectful toward a tenant of eight decades.

The Commission members, who represent the state, city, and county -- and thus are representing California's citizens -- also didn't like USC giving out their contact info, and are complaining of death threats. Not surprisingly, the same Commissioner who is gloating over the prospect of forcing the Trojans to the Rose Bowl is screaming the loudest. (Rolling eyes...) Heaven forbid Commission members actually hear opinions from taxpayers.

USC students plan to boycott concessions at Saturday's big faceoff with UCLA. 100% of the concession sales go to the Coliseum.

We can only hope that this brouhaha A) is resolved promptly; and B) doesn't distract the Trojans from Saturday's game, when they'll be fighting for the right to play in the Rose Bowl on January 1st.

That's a game all Trojan fans would be happy to see played in Pasadena.

Friday Morning Update: Doug Krikorian of the Press-Telegram insists the Rose Bowl threat is only a ploy: "What would the Trojans be gaining by a move that isn't even lateral, considering it would reduce them to second-class status since the long-time Rose Bowl residents, the UCLA Bruins, would no doubt have the priority on future bookings?"

CNN Debate: "Something Between a Fiasco and a Disgrace"

That's Byron York's assessment at National Review's The Corner. To which I respond, how about both?

There isn't much to say that hasn't already been said about CNN's appalling lack of candor regarding the questioners they used for the Republican Debate. If you haven't yet caught up to speed on the big story of the last 24 hours, the Republican debate questioners included activists for Clinton, Obama, Edwards, and Richardson; people who have worked with Democrats Dick Durbin and Jane Harmon; and a CAIR intern.

Particular kudos go to Michelle Malkin for her tireless work digging and exposing the plants.

From a comment left after Howard Kurtz's report in the Washington Post: "So let me get this straight... in the Democrat YouTube debates, the 'undecided questioners' are Democratic activists and in the Republican YouTube debates, the 'undecided questioners' are Democratic activists."

That's it in a nutshell.

And as Fred Barnes points out, many of the questions were designed to make Republicans look bad, and weren't on substantive issues voters are likely to care about. Aren't voters a little more interested in the Iraq surge, for example, than gays in the military?

Rush Limbaugh was on a tear this morning, asserting that the entire style of the debate, starting with the opening song, demeaned the office of the Presidency.

A roundup of further stories worth your time: Wizbang, Power Line here, here, and here; Patterico; John Podhoretz; and Instapundit.

CNN has tried to defend the debate today, saying that what mattered were the questions, not the questioners. Surely even CNN doesn't really believe that. They know that credibility rests on full disclosure. You simply can't have "undecided voters" who are actually activists.

CNN either knew what they were doing, or they were completely incompetent. Or both.

"Everything is Caused by Global Warming"

Today Rush Limbaugh read part of this amazing list of over 600 links compiled by a British engineering professor, John Brignell. Each link is to an article which blames some problem or change on global warming.

This one page illustrates the sheer absurdity of the claims of the global warming alarmists. It's definitely worth a look.

Post Office Says DVD Returns Are Expensive

The U.S. Postal Service says DVD return envelopes, which are often nonmachinable, cost the Post Office as much as $20 million per year to sort by hand.

Personally, I think the Post Office should significantly raise rates to junk mailers -- I've never understood the breaks they get, which are subsidized by first class mail -- and keep the prices for things consumers actually want, like DVDs, affordable. :)

Working on Air Force One

An interesting read from the Wall Street Journal. The flight attendants on Air Force One and similar planes carrying "Distinguised Visitors" do all the cooking and luggage handling in addition to more typical flight attendant duties.

A few years ago we had the opportunity to watch Air Force One take off from Los Alamitos Naval Air Station. President Bush was aboard, although we didn't see him. It was an awe-inspiring sight.

(Hat tip: Holy Coast.)

Hillary Plants Republican Debate Question

Apparently it's not enough for her to plant questions at her own "town hall" forums...

More from Instapundit.

Meanwhile, is Bill prepared to campaign in the age of the Internet, when it's so easy to fact-check his statements? What a mess of a liar he is. The thought of him being back in the White House...ugh.

Of course, John Edwards is scary too, with his totalitarian approach to health care: "You will be signed up," "You don't get that choice."

Update: Michelle Malkin has info on questions which came from Edwards and Obama supporters. Why didn't CNN bother to read the questioners' profiles or Google the names? Bloggers came up with this info within hours of the debate, which CNN prepared for for weeks.

Do you think CNN would let Republicans ask questions in a Democratic debate? Hmmm.

On Fuzzy Math and Dumbed-Down Schools

I read Michelle Malkin's post on fuzzy math, then scrolled through the many interesting comments which followed. As I read most of the comments I was nodding my head in recognition and agreement. When our children were in our local elementary school we had many of the same types of experiences.

Our school had the incredibly dumbed-down "Mathland" program. We protested but were, in essence, patted on the head and told we just didn't understand how to effectively teach math. By the time our oldest left the school, the district jettisoned Mathland due to tanking test scores and got a curriculum which was more rigorous...only then they went the other direction and started pushing academic math concepts way before some of the kids were developmentally ready for them, such as multiplication in 2nd grade. No such thing as a happy medium!

The teachers also emphasized to parents at one point how important it was for our children to learn together as teams, because that was "the workplace of tomorrow." If one child let the team down, they all suffered the same poor grade. We asked "What about developing independent thinkers who will be the leaders of tomorrow?" and were met with blank stares.

I could go on and on, but if this topic interests you it suffices simply to read the comments at Michelle's site. They cover a wide variety of the goofy things that go on in our public schools.

Trojans Threaten to Relocate to Rose Bowl

The USC Trojans are threatening to play football in Pasadena's Rose Bowl beginning next fall if they can't reach an agreement with the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

This strikes me as a terrible idea. It would put a real crimp in campus life if students can no longer walk to football games. USC has made great strides away from being a "commuter" university, working toward being a fully residential, campus-centered university, and now they're talking about "commuter" football? At UCLA's home stadium, no less?

Hopefully this is a negotiating tactic and all will be worked out. I think the Coliseum Commission needs to give up on their pipe dream of an NFL team in the Coliseum and let USC renovate and run the Coliseum. It's absurd that the Commission is preventing the facility from being upgraded by USC.

Wednesday Update: More from the Times' Bill Plaschke.

Wednesday Afternoon Update: "An Open Letter From Mike Garrett to the Trojan Family." Garrett is USC's Director of Athletics. Garrett confirms "As a precaution, USC has negotiated a lease with the Rose Bowl..." Garrett then explains what USC wants from the Coliseum Commission in return for USC investing $100 million in the facility over the next decade.

New on DVD: Waitress (2007)

WAITRESS, which was well received when it opened earlier this year, is coming out on DVD on Tuesday, November 27th.

Digitally Obsessed has a great review of both the movie and the DVD.

I haven't yet seen it and am looking forward to checking it out. Like RATATOUILLE, it combines two of my interests -- movies and cooking!

Jan Crawford Greenburg on the 2nd Amendment

An interesting read on the upcoming 2nd Amendment case to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Cyber Monday

You've heard of Black Friday shopping, but did you know tomorrow is Cyber Monday?

One article even suggests worker productivity will be affected Monday, while another article says Cyber Monday is a myth.

Info about some of the online sales and companies offering free shipping is here.

We did a little shopping at the mall before Thanksgiving, but most of my shopping is done online. I've checked a number of people off my list this weekend!

"100 Movies, 100 Quotes, 100 Numbers"

A friend sent my husband a link for this YouTube video. We had a good time watching the "countdown" and naming the movies.

Enjoy!

In the News: Bridgeport, California

Our favorite little town in the Eastern Sierras, Bridgeport, was the focus of an L.A. Times article today. Bridgeport has some of the highest gas prices in the state, if not the nation -- over $4 per gallon.

I don't find the price surprising, given the difficulty of trucking gas in to the town's remote location. Add on California taxes, and it's not a pretty picture. When we're there each summer we always fill up so we have enough to get to Bishop, 90 miles south, and then fill our tank to the brim in Bishop, where the gas price is lower.

The story includes a photo gallery. We like to eat at Casa Michaela -- the owner pictured in the story is very friendly. The last shot in the gallery, of Main Street at night, is very evocative. There's the General Store and Ken's Sporting Goods (the red building) on the right, and the Best Western Ruby Inn on the left.

Guess we should start thinking about our reservations for next summer...

New Book: The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics

THE MARTHA STEWART LIVING COOKBOOK: THE ORIGINAL CLASSICS is an updated version of the original MARTHA STEWART LIVING COOKBOOK from 2000, containing over 1100 recipes.

The book has an appealing design, including a glossary, lists of menus for each season of the year, and a nice section of color photos.

I came across THE ORIGINAL CLASSICS and its companion cookbook, THE MARTHA STEWART LIVING COOKBOOK: THE NEW CLASSICS, while browsing tonight at Barnes & Noble. I never owned a copy of the original MARTHA STEWART LIVING COOKBOOK, but had been interested in it. Thanks to a B & N coupon and my membership card, I was able to buy the ORIGINAL CLASSICS for 45% off.

THE NEW CLASSICS is going on my Christmas wish list. :)

Tonight's Movie: Enchanted (2007)

From the opening minutes of Disney's ENCHANTED, it's clear this film is something extra-special for Disney fans, from the colorful storybook opening title card to the voice of Julie Andrews narrating the story of Giselle, the newest princess in the Disney pantheon.

And what a princess she is, a cartoon who is banished from the mythical land of Andalasia to New York City, where she takes human form in the person of Amy Adams. Adams nails the role, with her wide-eyed optimism and innocence, plus a princess-perfect singing voice. She really is as good as initial reviews indicated.

She's backed by a strong cast, including Patrick Dempsey as Robert, the very McDreamy hero who befriends Giselle; James Marsden as Prince Edward, who combines comical buffoonery (think Gaston in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST) with sincere devotion; Susan Sarandon as Edward's wicked stepmother, a modern-day Maleficent; and Idina Menzel of WICKED as Robert's girlfriend, who has an interesting future in store herself. (There was a moment near the end of the film where she really should have sung...)

The filmmakers walk a very careful line, gently spoofing but mostly paying tribute to Disney history. This could only be done, of course, with a studio which has such a rich history from which to draw its allusions and symbolism. One could rewatch the film simply looking for all the clever references to Disney films of the past. Disney fans will recognize bits of plot and familiar objects from many different films woven into ENCHANTED, along with sly tributes to Disney history. One of my favorite examples of the latter: the TV reporter, Mary Ilene Caselotti, is named for the actresses who voiced Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Snow White, while the actresses who voiced Belle, Ariel, and Pocahontas have on-screen roles.

Robert and Giselle's dance at the ball is as lovely as Belle and the Beast waltzing in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST...or, for that matter, Princess Aurora and Prince Philip dancing at the conclusion of SLEEPING BEAUTY. The film was not only quite funny, it was very moving, with the emotions being pulled not only by the story itself but by the deep connections with Disney history.

After the movie ended we went next door to B&N to buy the soundtrack. The background singers include many fine voices from musical theater, including Norman Large, Christina Saffran Ashford, and Elizabeth Ward Land. Just one more indication of the quality of the production. The songs "True Love's Kiss," "That's How You Know," and "Happy Working Song" are very hummable; "Happy Working Song" channels Snow White, but with a modern twist -- one can't imagine Snow White singing about cleaning toilets.

ENCHANTED runs 107 fun-filled minutes. The film has an official website which includes trailers.

Saturday Update: Those who have seen the film will enjoy this article by National Review's Frederica Mathewes-Green: "I'm Enchanted: They Had Me at 'Hello.'" (Spoiler caution: This review is a little more detailed about certain scenes than other reviews I've read.)

September 2018 Update: Revisiting Enchanted (2007) at the El Capitan Theatre.

Tonight's Movie: Ratatouille (2007)

RATATOUILLE was actually last night's movie, enjoyed as part of our Thanksgiving entertainment along with the USC-Arizona State football game.

As I wrote last year, one of our family traditions is to watch a new DVD -- often from Disney -- on Thanksgiving. The rest of the family had seen RATATOUILLE when it first came out, but this was my first viewing, and I enjoyed it very much. It was a fun melding of two of my interests, Disney and cooking. The animation was most impressive.

The actors voicing the characters in RATATOUILLE include Brad Garrett, Brian Dennehy, Ian Holm, Janeane Garofalo, and, of course, Pixar regular John Ratzenberger. Peter O'Toole is perfect as a Very Scary Food Critic. Animator Lou Romano voices Linguini; Romano also portrayed characters in THE INCREDIBLES and CARS.

By coincidence, we just watched a DINNER: IMPOSSIBLE episode in which Chef Robert Irvine cooked a meal for 600 Pixar employees. One of Chef Robert's assistants that day was RATATOUILLE producer Brad Lewis. It was good fun. If you're a fan of the film, keep your eyes open for a rerun of this TV show.

RATATOUILLE runs 111 minutes. It's available on DVD. Like the CARS DVD last year, there are only a handful of extras -- why do I have the feeling Disney will be "double-dipping" with 2-Disc Platinum editions a few years from now?!

Silly Sadness in Seattle Schools

According to the Seattle School District, the "myths" of Thanksgiving include the notion that "Thanksgiving is a happy time."

Instead, Thanksgiving is a time of "mourning" for native Americans, because those terrible white Europeans invaded the country and ruined everything.

What a bunch of divisive balderdash.

Dana has posted an excellent rebuttal at The Festering Swamp.

A Great Thanksgiving Read

L.A. Times sportswriter Bill Plaschke has written one of his trademark heartwarming stories, this time about Pete Carroll and the USC Trojan football team taking a developmentally disabled young man under their wing.

It's guaranteed to make you smile, and maybe bring a tear to your eye as well.

Love those Trojans!

The Trojans play Arizona State today, possibly fighting for a trip to the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.

Fight on!

Update: Trojans win, 44-24!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happiest Thanksgiving Wishes to All!

Disney's Enchanted Opens to Great Reviews

Disney's new live action-cartoon blend, ENCHANTED, has opened to great reviews.

The film, first mentioned here in July, is a romantic musical comedy in which cartoon characters come to life in New York City. It stars Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, and Susan Sarandon. The score is by Stephen Schwartz and Alan Menken, who wrote the music for POCAHONTAS. The supporting cast includes Jodi Benson and Paige O'Hara, the voices of Disney's Ariel and Belle.

Kenneth Turan of the L.A. Times writes: "ENCHANTED is as good as its name... [Amy] Adams, who was Oscar-nominated for her breakout role in JUNEBUG, is equally splendid here as the ultimate Disney princess...it is impossible to think of ENCHANTED without her."

Claudia Puig of USA Today says "Disney's ENCHANTED lives up to its name" and calls it "the very definition of charming" with "an entrancing performance by Amy Adams (JUNEBUG) and a strong ensemble cast...effortlessly entertaining."

Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe writes of Adams: "Just about the happiest time I've had watching an actor do anything all year." He writes that it's a "breathtaking" star-making performance. Mary Pols of the San Jose Mercury News agrees it's "one of those star-making turns on the level of Julia Roberts in PRETTY WOMAN or, looking further back, Judy Holliday in BORN YESTERDAY."

And there are many more such reviews.

We're looking forward to seeing it this weekend!