WHY I LOVE THE MOVIE - Cold Mountain 1

I find Cold Mountain so appealing on so many levels I will break them down into catagories to try to cover as many areas of interest as possible.

Favorite scenes will be indicated by F#. Not necessarily in order.

HISTORIC

Taking place in the time period of the Pre Civil War thru the near end of the war, it provides a historical value which I Love as well as a look into the customs, dress, technical advances, or lack of them, transportation, communication etc of the time. I Love stepping back in time and feeling how it was like to live then. It also presents a point of view of the Civil War from the perspective of the people left back at home while their menfolk go off to war, a view not often done.

Music

The sound track for this movie features melody from the time period and location, again rare to me, but I find it compelling and interesting. Two of the songs were nominated for Academy Awards, 4 & 8, one of which Sting performs with Alison Krauss. I really surprised myself by enjoying the Sacred Harp Singers at Liberty Church in I'm Going Home, I've learned the words and sing it in the car when I get sleepy while driving, and I love the scene in the movie hearing Ada and Inman sing it. Music really enhances the time and place. Also, Like a Songbird that has fallen, is great for walking on the treadmill. But, my favorites are, 15 & 16 Anthem & Ada Plays. They are so sad and beautiful and calming and take me visually right back to the great scenes in the movies in which the music is featured. It gives me great peace listening to them over and over. I Love where she playes the piano for Inman while riding on the wagon. F1 This music is also played when Inman is resting with the Goat Lady, during which he tells her about Ada and how she is the place that is home for him. F2 Here is the scene in which Inman talks about the Bartrum, reading about the names of places near home, and when he says, "How could a name break your heart, It's her, she's the place I'm headin' and I hardly know her."

Characters

I Love the contrast and interaction between Ada Monroe and Ruby Thewes, she doesn't appear until 1/3 into the movie. Ada was raised as a southern lady, and is book educated, always reading, but helpless in basic skills and surviving on her own, and Ruby was educated by the school of hard knocks, who has abundant skills to take care of herself, but also has a warm heart, moral values, and a sense of what is right. Team these 2 together and watch out! I Love watching them learn from each other, F3, particularly when Rudy take Ada on a walk thru the grounds making plans for the farm, listing the things to get started working on.

Inman

Inman is a puzzle for Ada. I don't think she has known someone like him before and she is intrigued by him. Mystery is always good in a relationship. Jude Law delights me frequently in this movie by wordlessly expressing himself with facial expressions. Harrison Ford and Johnny Depp do this often also. I find it a trait of an excellent actor. For example, the scene with the Dove in the Church. Not much is said, but they watch each other and you can tell what they are feeling just by watching their faces. F4 Another is at the end when he finally reaches Ada, but she doesn't recognise him and she tells him to leave, as he turns, his face and whole body language express his crushed feelings and realization of his worst fears, that all he has been holding on to during his whole journey has come true, he thinks Ada won't want him, that he is damaged beyond repair. That most painful moment expressed without words.F5

Goat Lady

Here is a woman a world unto herself. She lives alone, survives by her own means, and is comfortable in surroundings of her own making. I Love her practicality, her effeciency, her wisdom, and ability to listen. All chaos may go on in the world around her, but she is not part of it, she lives in a world of her own creation. During this scene, there is a reference to an expression I have heard before in my reading. It must be an old expression, but this is another thing I Love about the book from which the movie is based. Inman says, "I have a deal to thank you for." Now we would say, I have a great deal to thank you for, but just using deal, I have heard before.

Swimmer

Although Swimmer in the book plays a different part, he is represented in the movie. Other references are made to the Cherokee Nation, which finding Cold Mountain on the map, yes it is a real place, you can see is still in the area, alive and well! No place in the US should be depicted historically without an Indian reference, if you want to be acurate!

Best Image to Narrative F6

Ruby and Ada are sprawled on a bed, while Ada is reading. Nicole Kidman has a wonderful voice to listen to. She reads a passage from Wuthering Heights, a classic, and while she is reading in the flickering candlelight and they are warm and comfortable, we see Inman walking, crossing a rocky stream in the forest, cold and damp, and the words apply to him. Ada reads, My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods, time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff, resembles the eternal rocks beneath, a source of little visible delight, but necessary. He's always, always in my mind."

It can't get much better than this!

Other Favorite Scenes

I Love how Inman's character claims to have so much trouble expressing himself, and then almost immediately he turns around and says something totally eloquent. Examples. F7 A conversation between Inman and Ada on the porch, in the rain, where he is soaking wet and won't come in the house, so Ada brings a tray out in order to talk to him. Their conversation is awkward and he says,"If it were enough just to stand, without the words..." Ada says, "It is". Then he says, "Look at the sky now. What color is it? Or the way a hawk flies? Or you wake up and your ribs are bruised thinking so hard on somebody. What do you call that?" Ada just stares at him intensly and I'm thinking she is thinking, there is something to this man, something that runs deep. I think this is when she falls in love with him.

The Kiss F8 That needs no explanation.

The conversation by the fire toward the end when she asks how could she keep him? They had only a few moments. He explains that each moment they had, he kept like a bag of tiny diamonds, and that was what kept him from sliding into some dark place. It goes on. Yes, he really has trouble expressing himself! F9

The Bartram

I Love it when there is a reference to something in a movie and you check it out and it exists! In this case, Ada gives Inman a book. It is real, I have it. There are several versions but the original is titled, Travels through North & South Caroline, Georgia, East & West Florida by William Bartram. It was first published in 1791. He was a precursor to Lewis and Clark and traveled the area in 1773. He was a botanist, who traveled the eastern state areas studying the land, the flora, fauna & people. He took entensive notes and made drawings to catalogue the area. He is a resource to a time long past. His father also a botanist, established the first botanical garden in America, in Philadelphia. I have only read brief parts so far but find it very interesting!

Conclusion

I think this movie combines many elements. There is war for men, romance for women, history, music, beautiful scenery all blending in a story. Ada's narration of her letter says, "You said after a few years I would barely remember your name... Oh Inman, it has been more than 3 years, and I remember your name!". This movie is memorable!

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WHY I LOVE THE MOVIE - Cold Mountain 2

More Movie Pics!

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Dark Ages

I was shopping in the shoe department today and walked by a mother with her daughter. The daughter was telling the mother to stop and look at the shoes she was looking at, and saying how much she liked them. The mother's reply was, Well those are boys shoes! The girl said, Well I like them anyway! The mother said, That's too bad, those are boys shoes!

I was very upset, and took a peak at what these 2 looked like. An average looking mother and a girl with giant bows in her hair. I walked on, but some day, when I am older and gray haired, I will stop to tell people like this not to put limits on people. Isn't this what we as women have been fighting since Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony took up the battle for sufferage! Where would we be if women didn't refuse to limit themselves to what was considered their role. There would be no women doctors, lawyers, presidents, oh yeah, there isn't one of these yet.

Refusing to even consider the boys shoes is comparable to limiting this girl. I can remember when women shocked the conventional world by wearing slacks, even to church! Well, the world got over it. Doors and opportunites opened up for women, but these were won not given. We can not forget there is still a battle going on. This should be obvious when women earn only a percentage of what men earn for the same jobs. So I say, sisters, DO NOT RELAX and sit back and rest, the fight must continue or we will lose any gains we have made. You don't hear much these days of the struggle, I hope that will change and young women will regain a concern and awareness, I see far too much acceptance of letting themselves be taken care of, instead of carving their own place in the world. Maybe it starts with shoes!

Birch Trees

Sometimes we pass by things every day without really seeing them. Today, while I was driving down the streets of my neighborhood, in the search for something not brown to look at, the only bright spots were the white trunks of birch trees. Taking the time to notice, I concluded that my neighborhood reflects the time period the homes were built. About 1 in 3 homes have a decorative birch tree planted in the front yard. This clearly must have been the landscaping style of the time, we, by the way also have one. The funny thing is, I never really noticed it before, and we have lived here 24 years! So much for being unique! I really like birch trees, but I think they look best when you find them in a clump of many of them.
I guess I will have to start seeing things with a more critical eye. Still birch trees are special, no matter how many people have them in their front yard!

Senior Special?

I finally found time to see Brokeback Mountain. As you know, I like going to weekday matinees, so I got to the theater for the 3pm show. This theater has Senior Specials for matinees Tues-Fri with a discount for the show and specials on popcorn and soda. There were an unusual number of seniors in line to purchase tickets, so I got in the queue. The girl selling the tickets handed me my ticket without really looking up at me and said $3.00. So, I handed her my $3.00 and took my ticket. Now for this theater I am 4 years away from being a senior, still I saved a few dollars, so I guess I'm OK with it. I didn't try to get the discounted popcorn and drink, I didn't want to push my luck, the gentleman behind this counter looked a little more discerning. It didn't really matter anyway, I pretty much always order the kiddy tray!

Wardrobe Malfunction

No, not that kind.

I have fallen into a bad habit of waiting until morning to prepare my wardrobe selection for the day. Before, I would hang in my closet a few choices of slacks, sweaters, tops that had been ironed as needed and placed together into a coordinated "outfit" to choose from as the weather or my mood indicated.

Lately, due mostly to "gaming" I put off this task until morning, set my alarm 5 min. earlier and grab random selections and prepare them as needed in that 5 min. time allowance. Because it is still dark in the morning, I have discovered I made a faux pas one day. The slacks I thought I had selected were brown which I paired with a coral sweater and brown shoes which would be quite acceptable. However, when I removed my coat at work, I discovered the slacks were not the brown ones, but were a dark maroon instead. Truthfully, they looked brown when I ironed them. Well, it was too late to do anything about it at this point, and I can wear a white lab coat most of the day if I wish to, so I thought lets see if I can tell if anyone notices. I made it through to the last hour of the day thinking if anyone had noticed they didn't think too much of it as I didn't get any prolonged stares from anyone and no comments.

I decided to come clean and asked a friend what she thought of my outfit, and to her credit she hesitated and said, well...... I stopped her discomfort and told her the error in color I had made and she laughed and said, I wondered what you were thinking, you usually look so nice.We laughed and I left feeling lucky I had escaped with so little embarrassment. I vowed to be more careful in the future.

Now, today again I was making my selection at the last minute and thought I would pair khaki slacks with a navy top, perfectly safe. With this I put on navy shoes and went out the door, up the road in my car. I got to the corner 2 blocks away and stopped to look at the shoes. You see, when I find clothing I like, I often buy more than one, but in another color, so I have 2 tops, and 2 pairs of shoes the same, but different colors, in this case navy and black. So, you guessed it, I had on the black top and the navy shoes. I'll bet you were thinking I had on one of each color shoe, didn't you! Well, that did happen once too, but I realized it before I left the house.

So I turned around, changed shoes and avoided disaster for the day. Will this stop my last minute dressing? Not for a while, my new game is too much fun, but I better get better lighting, and do a check before I head out. Of course, I could get a new wardrobe for Spring... all neutral!

Ok, now I feel like a Freak!

So, I'm driving home from work today, after stopping at Starbucks, feeling very happy with my Gingerbread Latte, and with the fact that I found a parking spot right in front of the door, when I notice a giant billboard that has a picture of a child with a large line over his head that says, 4'9" That's the Rule. I look again and think it's for a theme park ride or something and I see that is the required height for children to ride in a car without a booster seat.

Well now, at 5'1", I am only 4" away from being required to have a booster seat in my car! Do you think that applies to drivers? Can you imagine drivers in booster seats?

I think perhaps they better start designing cars built for people of smaller stature. What do real "Little People" do? I wonder what age I was when I passed the height requirement, and reached 4'10"? Could I have been 14 and still in a booster seat? What happens if you're 16 and go to take your drivers' road test and haven't quite passed the height requirement? It's too horrible to imagine! I think I'll go sip my latte now and relax. I hope it doesn't stunt my growth!

Life Imitates Art?

I often find myself pondering a situation trying to reason things out. More often than not, my mind won't rest until I reach some conclusion that lets me make sense of it. Then I can set it aside for a time and see what develops next. Either things will resolve on their own, or new information may change the situation, sometimes requiring a re-evaluation. This is the weird way my mind works. I think about things a lot.

The funny thing is that much of the time, the way I am able to reach some conclusion about a situation, is by recalling a similar situation I've seen in a movie. You know I really love good movies, and there are some I especially relate to. Maybe it has something to do with how the characters deal with their concerns that makes me so fond of them, that makes me recall them so often, that makes me apply their actions to my own.

Just today I was sorting out something, I've been thinking about it for 3 days, and couldn't let go of it. Then it came to me! George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life! Well OK then, I don't necessarily agree with the situation, but that does explain it enough for me to understand. It isn't exactly resolved, but I can live with it for now, and see what develops.

I've decided I'd like to devote some of my blogging to movies I love and what it is about them that explains why I love them. It many cases there are lots of contributing factors, but in some it is a quite simple element. I'll try to start soon, but it would probably be best to watch them and then write the review, so it could be a while. It will depend on my mood, which determines what I watch, but I'll get there eventually. Stay Posted!

Too Much CSI ?

Yesterday when I talked to Laura, she told me they were having furnace problems at Todd's. They weren't sure if it was working or not, but the repair man was coming today to take a look at it and last night they might not have any heat. So I go to bed looking forward to a restful night's sleep and I hope it won't be too cold a night for them.

At 3:30am I wake up, and a thought floats past my mind: Furnace not working properly, older home, sleeping people - Carbon Monoxide!!!

I am instantly wide awake, and jump out of bed! What should I do? Call Laura to see if everything is OK? No, I'm being silly, I'll just wake everyone up, but working in a medical laboratory, I know we have cases at least 2 - 3 times a year of Carbon Monoxide poisoning, I do the testing!

Do they have a Carbon Monoxide detector? I don't know? I'll call. I know she keeps her phone on all night. She should hear the call. What if she doesn't answer? Do I assume she didn't hear the phone? Do I panic that she is unconscious? I envision people in bed, innocently breathing, sucking in toxic fumes! If she doesn't answer the first call, I'll leave a message, then call back right away, thinking that the first call might wake her up enough to hear the second call. Sully, is looking at me like, what's up? We are both on high alert! Why didn't I think about asking her if they had a detector when she told me? Then I wouldn't be sitting here in the middle of the night discussing my plan with the dog!

He says, Go Ahead, Call. So I do, 3 rings later she answers, Hello? I'ts me, I say, everything is OK. I got thinking about the furnace and Carbon Monoxide, and was worried and couldn't sleep. Are you OK? Yes, we're fine, she says. Good, I respond, then go back to sleep and I'll talk to you tomorrow. Bye.

Sully and I relax, and head back to bed. She's going to kill me tomorrow, I think, but it's going to make a great Blog entry!