Getting to Know Chicago Like a Tourist--Wednesday Journal

This is a lighter, personal post, done to organize my thoughts and material for the next few days of writing, and to share briefly the events of the last couple of days.

Mark and I have just returned from our Birthday trip to...Chicago. 

Instead of traveling out of town, we agreed to play tourist in our own home City. Tourists always know more about a city, I think, than many residents.   Tourists don't have time to take much for granted; residents sometimes lack the urgency to learn, because everything is so accessible that it becomes easy to procrastinate.

Since I began this blog, one of the things I promised I would do, for the sake of re-inventing my life, was to learn more about Chicago and write my impressions. I figure, before you can conquer a city, it's good to learn more about it.  Such high hopes!! 

So, in the days ahead, you'll find some posts about the following:

--The stories behind some of the city's most famous buildings, and a little about their architectural styles: the stones in the wall of the Tribune Tower; the triangular shape of the Swiss Hotel; what the Sun-Times building was originally used for; how the architects of Lake Point Tower cheated with their location....

--The amazingly diverse activities at Navy Pier on our lakefront, and some of the antics we perpetrated there (There is everything from a Shakespearean theater to a miniature golf course; a tropical year-round garden, and a museum of stained glass...and oh, an amusement park...!)

--Two Film Reviews: the first, a surprise Oscar nominee last year ("The Secret of Kells") and second, a current documentary that tugged me in many directions ("Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work");

Also:
This week I'll begin my weekly look at what's happening around my fellow bloggers' sites; and the promised posts about the things I found before I moved, and the stories from my long-ago past they have inspired (a family tree; some hilarious personal photos; and yes, that Betamax machine.)

And a story about a Saint Bernard in my life....which reads like fiction.....

Coming Soon: A Review of my most highly anticipated film of the year: "The Kids Are Alright".

"Toy Story 3" and Lost Childhood--A Review

(This post may contain a spoiler or two unless you have already seen "Toy Story 3", or the 1946 film "The Yearling")

Toyland, toyland
little girl and boy land
when you dwell within it
you are ever happy there!

Childhood toyland
mystical merry toyland
once you pass it's borders
you can never return again...
(Words and Music by Victor Herbert )

          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlbeXEgbMhk&feature=related

Even now, well beyond the age of playing with childhood toys, when I am in a nostalgic state of mind around the holidays, the song "Toyland" gives me pause.
What affects me about the song is not the remembrance of a particular toy. It is the idea that we can never return to childhood again, can never again see the world with the same wonder or innocence, once we move across the border into adulthood.

The lyrics, and the highly sentimental tune, efficiently deliver a concentrated emotional punch.

It's the same chord within me that is struck even more profoundly by 1946's "The Yearling", in which a boy loses a living creature, a fawn, he has grown attached to, actually killing it to ensure his family's survival, and is at once torn away from his innocent boyhood and thrust into a stark world of adult toil and disappointment.

 The new "Toy Story 3" is a busy, creative, visually splendid film, that nonetheless pummels its audience to the same emotional response. Although I personally did not identify with a college student who  maintains emotional connections with his boyhood toys, the idea of growing up and leaving innocence behind was intriguing, and I looked forward to a new and contemporary working of this theme.  
About halfway through, the tone darkens, the film attempts too much, and almost completely loses its way.
I enjoyed a lot of this movie, especially the earlier sections in which we are re-introduced to our "inanimate" friends and to Andy, the boy who has breathed life into these toys from the start of the series. Andy, who is now grown up and leaving for college, must either relegate his old toys to the trash heap and certain destruction, or remove them to the safety of his family's attic.

After a series of mishaps, the toys find themselves on the curb, ready to be trashed. The movie is their colorful odyssey of escape and survival, of sticking together and letting go, and the pain and excitement of beginning lfe anew.

We have come to expect an intelligence, cleverness and attention to detail from Pixar, and the filmmakers and hundreds of artists and technicians on "Toy Story 3" have once again delivered. Taken on that level, it's a terrific work of animation, with great dialog and well-realized characters (many of the toys have individual personalities rendered with loving care and voiced to perfection), and is often very funny, and suspenseful.

I think, however, the film takes a huge misstep by introducing another level of danger into the mix. There is so much potential in our toys making a break from a hilarious day-care center, that a subplot involving evil toys is a bit jarring. With so much going for it, this manufactured peril seems unnecessary, and does little to reinforce the films gentle message about loyalty and friendship. It also adds about 20 unneeded minutes, and causes the latter half to drag.

Most viewers are there to have fun and marvel at the careful detail in the filmmaking, and maybe to shed a nostalgic tear. There are surely many better ways to elicit sentiment and excitement without subjecting these animated creatures to a terrifying ride toward an incinerator. While most of us correctly assume that it will all end up pretty well, even so this plot development felt terribly manipulative.
The miscalculation cuts two ways.  First, the movie successfully brings these toys to life, and we empathize with them and do not wish to see them destroyed, so the fun drains out, and the images seem to suggest something deeper than the subject of the film can support.   On the other hand, we may question giving the toys the same emotional weight as a sentient being (animal or human) who is placed in grave, even fatal, danger.
The movie sometimes compensates for this foray into darkness with an abundance of noise and activity, as though this were an extended commercial for something (quite possibly, for "Toy Story 4"). Occasionally, it suffers from overconfidence, like it assumes that it is so well-loved that it can do no wrong.....sort of the way I feel lately about Tom Hanks himself, who once again supplies the voice of the beloved cowboy Woody.

Even so, there are great pleasures to be had here, if one doesn't take it as seriously as the movie seem to want us to. The artwork and animation are uniformly fine.  The voice-over work is terrific, especially from Joan Cusak, Wallace Shawn, and Don Rickles. The script seems to have been fashioned with some care, even if it could have been edited somewhat before production began. And, as demonstrated in "Up",  Pixar is masterful at drawing and animating dogs.  Andy's old dog is a delightful rendering.  (I would love to see Pixar do a story exclusively about dogs.)

And it does move people, pretty deeply, judging by the reaction of those around me, and comments I have found on several reviews of the film.

If only the filmmakers had listened the song "Toyland", or screened "The Yearling", to show that audiences can be stirred to a fond nostalgia and catharsis over lost childhood, without imposing artificial terrors.

Dog Stories: Four Short Takes--A Saturday Journal

Tonight is a good night to catch up some canine stories, past and present: 

--I am dog-sitting, and thinking a lot about animals today.  My heart still breaks for the injured and dead pelicans and other animals in the Gulf, and for the rescuers there who try their hardest, yet still cannot save all of the creatures who are crying out for help.  In the midst of somber reflection, I am comforted by thoughts of animals in my life, past and present, who have provided meaning in an often absurd world; and by thoughts of heroes who care for the world's creatures....from those who have washed an oiled bird, to those who've donated time or treasure to an animal organization, and (especially) to those who perform the simple kindnesses of feeding, petting, and loving a cat or dog...

--On this Saturday night, I find myself in the quiet company of Shayna, a Border Collie for whom I have provided care for many years while the family has travelled.  Shayna is a rascal--playful, intelligent, wily, and affectionate.  Now, she's slowing down. I noticed her halting gait and lack of energy, where normally she would be jumping with excitement, when I arrived early this morning.  Her tail, though slower than usual, still waved in constant rhythm, and she expressed her love by cleaning my face as pictured here.  We took a walk.  I kept her pace, which was a crawl, until a young squirrel caught her eye--and then, the old Shayna was back, briefly, to attempt a chase.  She didn't eat when we got home, another unusual behavior; and she found quiet and remote corners for her nap...just as Maggie did for a time, as she approached her sunset..... 

--What a wonderful story I saw Friday on the Today show!  Zak Anderegg, of Utah, rescued an 8-month-old puppy from certain death at the bottom of a deep canyon near the Arizona-Utah border.  Zak is a recreational canyoneer, and happened upon this little guy (they named "Puppy") at the bottom of a crevice over 350 feet deep. With conviction,  and sacrificing the rest of his vacation, Zak fed and watered this unfortunate animal; and when told by the local Fire and Police departments that they had no resources to help, Zak secured a cat carrier from a local vet, and went in again to save the dog.   Like many who commented on this story, I was overwhelmed by the happy outcome....although I tried to avoid thinking about the mentality of one who would place an animal as sweet as this at the bottom of a canyon (the dog showed no injuries associated with having fallen in.) 

For the complete story and Today Show Interview with Zak, wife Michelle, and Puppy, (and I think you'll really like this one) click on the video below:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

--Last Tuesday I fell in love twice at the Buddy Foundation:

Sadie is an 8-month-old combination of two of my favorite breeds: Dachshund and beagle.  After a walk, and treats, and holding her so she would stop her puppy whining, I hated to walk away.  She will no doubt find a home quickly.

Berta is a puppy too, a big, sloppy friendly St. Bernard.  She is still growing, so I was glad she displayed the characteristic gentility I had come to know from my own St. Bernards growing up.  Operating strictly by instinct, I opened her cage up and went right in, with absolutely no fear, where she sat and enjoyed my  petting, and drooled happily.
Soon, I will share with you the story of Tippy, my own St. Bernard...like many dog stories, it is funny, warm, and ultimately heartbreaking...fair warning!

Tomorrow: Toy Story 3.

A Forgotten Oscar Nominee: "The Emigrants" 1972

Walter of The Silver Screening Room correctly identified the obscure, Oscar-nominated Swedish film that competed against "The Godfather" for Best Picture in 1972. That movie is "The Emigrants", the epic first half of Jan Troell's rustic masterpiece that finished with "The New Land."  Both films were originally conceived as one piece, but were split and released in the U.S. by Warner brothers as two separate films.  (In that odd way, "The Emigrants" has something in common with "The Lord of the Rings".)

Maybe because "The Emigrants" is so hard to find (it has not been released on DVD), and is almost never shown in revivals, it is perhaps the least-known and little-seen Best Picture nominee of the last few decades.  I still have my VHS version, which is a treasure to me despite the fading color quality and the English dubbing.

It is an absorbing, startling, and often very beautiful look at the hardships suffered by a group of Smaland villagers who, battered by the seasons and subjected to religious persecution, band together to make a trip to America and a new life. 

The movie is divided into three acts. The first is a realistic look at the difficult conditions faced by farmers, the simplicity of meeting basic needs, and the interaction of the villagers. (A yellow apple, a ride on a swing, a lovers' embrace, take on the significance of life itself.)  Part two is a shockingly harsh middle passage as the villagers embark on the boat voyage to America. We feel the claustrophobia and fear as many of them suffer, in unusually vivid detail (for a major release in 1972), seasickness, lice, hunger, scurvy, hemorrhage, and death.  The third act is the eventual landing, the adjustment to new language and currency, the first inkling of class inequality (black slaves are briefly glimpsed on a neighboring ship), and the uncertain trek to a permanent home, ending in a claim, staked near a breathtaking lake on rich land in Minnesota. 

The characters are rendered in leisurely scenes, surrounded by natural sounds both idyllic and frightening....the hum of locusts in summer trees can give way to the agonized cries of an injured farmer.  Liv Ullmann shines as Kristina, who loves the simple if difficult life in the only village she has ever known.  Max Von Sydow, exuding a youthful physicality and boiling frustration, is Karl Oskar, a stoic and caring family man, who must make the difficult decision to take his family and leave their village for the overly-idealized shores of North America.



Buried like a gem inside this broad epic of a natural life, rendered in astonishing period detail that Troell makes seem easy, is the love story of Kristina and Karl Oskar.  Ullmann was at the peak of her popularity and beauty, and Von Sydow, incredibly, would appear as an aging priest in "The Exorcist" just a couple years later. 

The chronicle of their marriage and life together is the heart of this movie. Troell allows us time to know and love these people, to be there at the birth and tragic death of children, to hear their intimate late-night discussions, and to share in their relationships with other endearing, flesh-and-blood characters: Karl Oskar's brother Robert and his oafish, loyal friend Arvid; a local prostitute who begins as a threat to their household but becomes a dear friend later; and various priests, farmers, mothers, fathers, lovers,  and village officials.



This combination of clear-eyed observation, record of nature, and history of American settlement, makes "The Emigrants" a valuable addition to film history.  It's too bad it has not reached a contemporary audience.

Having said that, I don't know if this film could have been made, let alone released, today. Its inclusion in the Oscar race would be surprising, although at that time it was considered a major release, its foreign-language origin aside.  It was nominated as Best Foreign language Film in 1971 (rules have since changed) and its second half, "The New Land", was a Foreign Language Film nominee in the same year that "The Emigrants" competed for Best Picture, Actress, Director and Screenplay.  Neither film picked up any Oscars, overlooked as it was amid the juggernauts of "Cabaret" and "The Godfather".



My then-favorite critic, Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune, championed "The Emigrants choosing this and "The New Land" as the Best Film of 1972. Most critics were enraptured...even Pauline Kael was won over by the style and feel of this film. Click here to read her review..


It was a huge critical success in fact,  and won several major critics' prizes, including  Golden Globe and New York Film Critics Awards to Liv Ullmann for Best Actress. 



Another Swedish film would be among the Best Picture nominees the following year: While Von Sydow chilled crowds as Father Merrin in the Best Picture nominee "The Exorcist", more reflective voters cited Ingmar Bergman's "Cries and Whispers" as their choice in this category..."Cries and Whispers" will be discussed soon in an upcoming Forgotten Oscar Nominee post....

Coming Soon: Forgotten Oscar Nominees, and Other Bits...A Wednesday Journal

June, and the first half of 2010, are fading out...fade-in, July!!

So much great stuff out there on my fellow web-loggers' sites. 
Here's a look at what's ahead here as I seek to move forward with, and slightly reinvent, this writing experiment and exercise known as Reinvention...

1.  While I create a syllabus that I will someday use to teach a course in Film History and Appreciation, I will offer here a weekly Movie of the Week: a review, and a look at a film's place in pop culture, using original print ads, reviews, production back stories, and awards trivia.  I welcome lots of comments, information, etc.  Films can be from any genre, any era...mostly, though, they will have some critical consensus as to their significance, or excellence...

1a) I thought it might be fun to highlight some movies that have been all but forgotten today...especially those that had received major Oscar nominations.  As I once mentioned, I seek to be a "curator of an art that has lost its proper place of exhibition"...in this case, serious, adult-oriented films. (What Swedish film competed with "The Godfather" for Best Picture in 1972?)

2.  A regular check-in with my favorite blogs, and what you're all doing on your sites.  I hope to facilitate dialog among some favorites...

3. More serious essays on animal welfare, as well as progress I have made as an eager volunteer in the field.  This is a topic that is so important to me....so much so that for a while, I felt blocked from writing about anything that might seem trivial....

4.  Looking back at artifacts, events, pictures, etc. from this activity known as life, in order to bring its meaning into more focus, gain perspective, and have a few laughs.  (For instance....does anyone remember what a Betamax was?  I found one in my storage locker recently...)

5. Perhaps, some fledgling fiction.

Next week Mark and I celebrate a shared birthday...that's right, we were born the same day on the same year.  So after we recover from our celebrations, I will plunge, in earnest, into all of this, and more....because some events of the day just beg for comment too.

See you in July!