Pass the Popcorn: Into the Woods

It was 1986; I had moved back-back to Boston (after moving back to New York after college). I had no money. I was living in a one-room apartment on Beacon Hill and pretty much subsisting on ramen noodles and Kraft macaroni and cheese. (I told you I had no money.) Nevertheless, I loved my new job, my new neighborhood, the new friends I was making. I couldn't afford to go the theatre much, but I figured that would all change once my career took off. (Aren't we wonderfully confident at 24?) Meanwhile, I had a VCR and a 99-cent video store around the corner.

My family back in New York went to the theatre often and kept me abreast of the latest shows on Broadway (and took me to them whenever I visited). One day, I received a postcard from my mother. It was the poster art for a new Stephen Sondheim show, Into the Woods. They had passed them out to the musical's patrons hoping they would spread the word. (Remember, we were decades away from social media and viral marketing.) My mother's handwritten message was succinct:

Don't waste your money.

Snap, Mom!

Several years later, I was doing a bit better financially. I was able to build a CD collection of favorite musicals (as well as buy legitimate food). First, I replaced all my scratched up record albums. Then, I became fascinated with Sondheim and bought Company, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Passion, Assassins, and Sunday in the Park with George. His work lacked the lovely melodies of Rodgers and Hammerstein, but I found his lyrics fascinating. Despite my mother's earlier warning, I invested in a copy of Into the Woods.

I confess, I loved it.

Besides the allure of the whole fractured fairytale thing, there were serious themes that warranted listening and listening again to appreciate. The idea of nice vs. good. Our need for happy ever afters and our bewilderment when we get what we want and then realize that what we got isn't what we want anymore.

Despite multiple tours and revivals, I didn't get a chance to see a live production of Into the Woods until last winter. I took my daughter and two friends to see a small but really excellent version of it by one of Boston's regional theatre companies. We all loved it, and looked forward to the by-then announced movie version. Yesterday, with homework (mostly) done, my daughter and I went to see it at our town's tiny cinema. I brought bottled water and M&Ms and we bought two bags of popcorn.

We both loved it. We agreed that Emily Blunt, Anna Kendrick and James Corden were all fantastic. With Daniel Huttlestone and Lilla Crawford, the (let's face it, difficult) casting of the "dim-witted boy and hungry little girl" was ideal. (Jack and Riding Hood can be so obnoxious.) I have a thing for wolf Johnny Depp, always have. And we agreed that the two princes, Chris Pine and Billy Magnussen, were dreamy and their duet "Agony" was a highlight of the movie.

But, the character I gravitated to most was the Witch.

It's not because Meryl Streep is a goddess brought to Earth and everything she touches turns to gold. (She is and it does, but that's not why.) It's not because I'm feeling old and ugly and more than a little wicked. (I am and I am and I am, but that's not why either.) It is, of course, because of all the characters, the Witch is the one who voiced how I feel as the mother of a teen.

When Rapunzel wants to leave her ivory tower, the Witch laments "Children can only grow / From something you love / To something you lose ..."  

As the movie finished — without many happy endings but with some hope for the future — La Streep sings Sondheim's beautiful "Children Will Listen" over the credits.


Careful the things you say
Children will listen
Careful the things you do
Children will see and learn
Children may not obey, but children will listen
Children will look to you for which way to turn
To learn what to be
Careful before you say "Listen to me"
Children will listen

By all accounts, including his own, Sondheim had a fairly miserable youth. Openly gay today, he never had any children. But he definitely understands how it feels to lose your little one to the big bad world (or — we can't help but hope —  to a big old happy ending).

How do you say to a child who's in flight

"Don't slip away and I won't hold so tight"

I'm working on that one right now.

If you enjoyed this post, I invite you to order a copy of Lovin' the Alien at www.lovinthealien.com.  

Pass the Popcorn: Girl Rising

We're in the home stretch of high school freshman year — and the work keeps coming. This week, my teenage daughter had two big projects due (for the most demanding teacher on the planet Earth or any other) and tests in three more courses. So what did she do Wednesday night? She went to the movies.

And I'm so proud of her.

Actually, it was my idea. But, when I learned of all the looming deadlines, I suggested we postpone. No, she wanted to see the film and was willing to "burn the midnight oil" to do so. And the best part? It wasn't gorgeous Leonardo DiCaprio in Gatsby. Or the latest (last, I hope) Hangover, or yet another girls-gone-wild gross-me-out comedy with Melissa McCarthy.

It was Girl Rising.

Girl Rising is a fascinating and moving documentary about the power of education to change a girl, her family, her community, and the world. Narrated by Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Salma Hayek, Cate Blanchette, and other major stars, the movie focuses on nine real girls from around the world. Through their stories, we encounter poverty, violence, human trafficking, but also unbelievable courage and determination. 

What this means is that it's pretty powerful stuff. What it also means, unfortunately, is that it has virtually no theatrical distribution. We had to travel an hour to a very funky (and I mean f-u-n-k-y) community cinema for a screening. But it was worth it. 

One of my daughter's (seemingly endless) assignments was a worksheet on a cultural event. After we got home, she chose to write about Girl Rising. Here's what she had to say ...

The entire movie made me think; it was impossible not to be moved by this film. It was beautifully written, and creatively filmed. But, it was more educational than entertaining. These girls were extremely underprivileged and it was very hard to watch them without feeling guilty about all that I have and all of the opportunities I am given; even things we take for granted like school and a home.

If girls in developing countries receive access to education, the number and severity of the problems they face will decrease. The documentary stated a lot of statistics and proved their point over and over. I was thoroughly convinced.

My family sponsors a girl from Indonesia. She's just 8 years old, and her family has a hard time supporting her and her little sister. That is where my family comes in. We pay for her to be able to go to school. Before seeing the documentary I only thought of this as something kind of us to do that will help Indri in the future with getting a job. But really it does a lot more than just that. It also reduces her risk of getting STD’s at a young age. Or marrying too young and dying in childbirth. The main takeaway point of this film is that girls need education in order to reach their true potential. I am so happy that my family sponsors Indri. I am relieved to know all that we are saving her from and it again puts in perspective that I am really truly so lucky.

After watching this film, which focuses on nine girls, I couldn’t help but wonder what happened to all of them. I decided to do some research. Seven of the girls have moved on, in some cases becoming teachers themselves. Sadly, the other two are not as fortunate. One is engaged to be married (she's only 13), and the moviemakers can no longer contact another because it would actually put her life at risk! This made me realize that a movie, even one this good, can’t solve everything. 

Following up and reading about the girls’ progress — good and bad — made them real people to me. Yes you can argue that they always were real people. But I only watched their story on a screen. I watch lots of "stories" on screens. Reading about the girls made me proud to know that there are still people out there with a heart and willing to help others who need it. These girls are just like any others, each has something special to offer the world. It is horrifying that the world could take their opportunities away from them just because of their sex. I hope that someday, all girls will have the same equal opportunity and will be able to show the world who they really are, what makes them special and what they can do to leave their own unique mark.

This is not the end; it is merely the beginning. Girls are rising. And they are not showing signs of stopping anytime soon.

BTW, I have been asking my daughter to write a guest post for Lovin' The Alien since I started more than two years ago. I'm proud of what she's written and happy to share it here (even if I did have to co-opt it from her homework).

She and I both encourage you to see Girl Rising. "One girl with courage is a revolution."

Bet We Don't Know Lilo

It's a Lilo, Lilo, Lilo world.

Lindsay Lohan is everywhere today. She's in my news feed not once, not twice, but three times. (And, believe me, it isn't as though I've requested Lohan alerts or anything.) She may not have had a hit role lately, but she hasn't exactly faded from view.

First of all, there's the story about whether she will indeed do jail time for her latest infraction. As part of a plea bargain, she was supposed to spend 90 days in a rehab "lock-down," but logistical issues may make that impossible. (As some media are reporting, the so-called logistical issues may be that the locked-down program she proposed to attend doesn't actually exist. As in, she may have lied. As in, to a judge. As in, "Oh Lindsay!")

The second story is in some ways more complimentary, but goes salaciously downhill almost immediately. Supposedly, Lindsay was very professional on the set of Charlie Sheen's Anger Management, on which she was guest starring. She knew her lines, she arrived on time. (Apparently, this is newsworthy.) Of course, the two tidbits that reporters really jumped on were a prison scene (her character was doing community service there), and a scene in bed with her hot-headed costar Sheen.

Yikes. What a combination!

The third story involves James Franco — not exactly the poster boy for sane behavior, himself (did anyone catch his strung-out, missing-in-action evening as Oscars host?). In a recent interview with shock-jock and all-around pig Howard Stern, Franco confessed that Lohan had tried unsuccessfully to lure him into bed.

As my teenage daughter would text: "TMI" (that's "too much information").

Clearly the girl has issues.

Lindsay Lohan's story makes me sad, as a mother and as a consumer of Hollywood. The first roles I ever saw Lilo in were the two twins in an ill-advised remake of The Parent Trap. The movie was a snore, but the little Lohans were (both) adorable. My daughter watched it many times although even at the age of five or six she knew enough to prefer the 1961 original with Haley Mills. Still the fault didn't lie with Lindsay. She held her own (with herself, but also with Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson). She was doubly adorable.

The next time I sat up and noticed her was in Freaky Friday. She did an incredible job channeling Jamie Lee Curtis when an enchanted fortune cookie made them change bodies. The following year, she had the lead role in another better-than-your-average teen film, Tina Fey's Mean Girls. Many moons later, my daughter and her friends still quote these movies and one BFF uses "Regina George" as her text avatar.

Here are a couple of things you probably don't know about Lilo.

She's actually smart. In fact, she was a straight A student as a child. You can still see her intelligence — when she's not shoplifting or driving drunk, of course — as a guest host on SNL.

She may be just 25 years old, but she's had a longer career in front of the camera than most. She was a Ford model at the tender age of 3.

And, she's a solid actress. But, don't take my word for it. Meryl Streep is a fan too. When they worked together on Prairie Home Companion, La Streep had this to say: 

“She’s in command of the art form. Whatever acting is — I don’t know what it is — she’s in command of it. I think she could do anything she puts her mind to.”

I hope Meryl is right, because here's what I'd really like to see in my newsfeed one day soon: "Lohan Getting Critical Acclaim for Latest Role ...

... After Getting Life in Order."