tribalmama

I am a fan of Aline MacMahon, and consider her to be one the unsung actresses of the era. She is always worth watching.

When I feel weak I usually play music or watch something that lifts me up. Today I watched The Lady in the Water with Paul Giamatti. I never ever put much faith into the general critique of a movie. If a person is not in touch with that inside themselves which the movie is trying to make them feel, their perception of it will be obviously be totally different than the writer/director intended. I have fiercely protected my inner child, and the shreds of innocence that I have left. It's a huge part of me, one of the best parts. I feel that his movie intended to give us back some of our innocence, to help us feel that even the least brave or "significant" of us may somehow be important to furthering the noble and good things in the world, to somehow make things better. Innocence and purity of spirit? That's a fantasy movie I can get behind. I feel better having watched it, surely that is a wonderful thing, better than any drug I know of. So if you haven't seen it and you read some reviews on it some day, give it a chance.

I'll start by saying that I had not read the book. Having nothing to compare the movie to, I enjoyed it very much. I was particularly captivated by Nick Nolte's portrayal and thought he was very good as a man emotionally crippled by his past. I felt he portrayed very well indeed, the many ways men deal with the suppression that they experience when trying to express emotions. We knew there was something wrong under the surface. I kept rooting for him to break through that wall. When he did, it was powerful.

I think Barbara is an incredible woman who deserves credit for the whole scope of her talents and convictions. I thought she played her character with subtlety, not trying to pull the spotlight on to herself.

Kudos to her for being persistent in her efforts to further women in the industry.