Monday Morning Ramblings

I often think of about writing about the movies based on books that I've seen over the weekend. But by the time Monday rolls around, I've forgotten. But Saturday night I watched Finding Forrester. This movie isn't a book to film, but it's about books and writing. Does that count?

Released in 2000, it was directed by Gus Van Sant - the same guy that did Good Will Hunting. The main characters are played by Sean Connery and Rob Brown. I'll share the synopsis that I'm copying from the back of my VHS copy. No, I'm not kidding. We still have a VCR. How else would we be able to watch our impressive collection of videos? Man, I feel like I could have told the internet universe that I have 8-tracks. I'm too young for that era, but I wonder who reading this doesn't have any idea what they are. Hmmm. Oh, our TV doesn't hang on the wall either. It's a heavy 27-inch monster that sits on a stand.

I'm making our home sound like a museum of antique artifacts. Well it just might be. But it's cozy. Speaking of antiques, we have a lot of books. I wrote about it a bit in my Booklover's Dream Home post.

Kind of a funny story. This time featuring my oldest boy when he was young. We were visiting some friends of ours who just happened to have a very extensive record collection. Anyway, the boy was completely perplexed as to why they had those GIANT cds. It was very cute...

Oh yeah. The synopsis. Here goes:

Jamal Wallace (Brown) is a talented 16-year-old basketball player in New York City whose secret passion is writing. William Forrester (Connery) is a reclusive [agoraphobic] Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist who never gave the world a second novel. After an accidental meeting, Forrester becomes Jamal's unlikely mentor, providing guidance to help develop the young man's exceptional skills. Soon, Forrester's harsh view of the world begins to change as both men learn lessons from each other about life - and the importance of friendship. (Rated PG-13)

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Last night, we watched the Hallmark Hall of Fame Film premier of Have a Little Faith based on Mitch Albom's non-fiction book. The movie was a fantastic family movie, as most Hallmark movies are. It starred Laurence Fishburne, Bradley Whitford, Anika Noni Rose, and Martin Landau.

I dang near cried during the commercials (Hallmark of course), but I held back. I just wasn't in the mood for the teasing that inevitably ensues. Apparently it's real funny that Mama's sensitive. 

Here's the synopsis for Have a Little Faith:

Mitch Albom (Bradley Whitford) has a pretty great life. He lives in Detroit and is happily married. He's an award-winning sportswriter, a must-read newspaper columnist, a screenwriter, and a radio and television broadcaster.

Then two men come into his life, and he realizes something's missing.

The two men are Rabbi Albert Lewis (Martin Landau), who presides over a thriving synagogue in a comfortable New Jersey suburb, and pastor Henry Covington (Laurence Fishburne), a recovering drug user and dealer, who preaches to the poor and homeless in a crumbling Detroit inner-city church.

Moving between their worlds—Christian and Jewish, African-American and white, impoverished and privileged—Albom witnesses firsthand how these two very different men not only live life, but celebrate life.

What do rabbi and reverend have in common? Albom comes to realize they both take profound comfort in believing that there's a divine spark in all of us, and that one person—or in this case, two people—can make a big difference in others' lives, as long as they have a little faith.

If you missed it or want to own a copy, you can purchase the DVD from Hallmark.

Talk to you soon. Have a great Monday!

Angela