Some good movies are on DVD now. Great to spend the evening with mom at the comfort of home. Here are Arti’s movie recommendations for Mother’s Day.
Georgia O’Keeffe (2009, TV)
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The cinematic biopic of the great American artist stars Joan Allen as Georgia O’Keeffe, and Jeremy Irons as her husband, the photographer Alfred Stieglitz. Both received Golden Globe acting nomination, while the movie got the nom for Best Picture made for TV. The production is a visual delight illuminating not only the works of the artist, but her elegant poise, and her environs, especially the cinematic New Mexico landscape. On top of the spectacular visuals, I’d enjoyed the personal narration and the quotable quotes. My favorite: “Where I was born and where and how I have lived is unimportant. It is what I have done with where I have been that should be of interest.” As for the tumultuous relationship between O’Keeffe and Stieglitz, is it fair to say it is a case of iron sharpening iron?
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The Blind Side (2009)
If your mom still hasn’t seen this one, it’s a good time to watch it with her… if it’s just to give moral support to Sandra Bullock. Like her predecessors (Kate Winslet, Reese Witherspoon, Hilary Swank, Charlize Theron, Halle Berry, Julia Roberts), winning the Oscar Best Actress just proves to be too much to handle when the consequence is marital breakdown. And what’s this about life imitating art (ok, let’s just call it art), Bullock attempts to live her movie role with her mixed-race adoption. One thing that she’d find I’m sure, real-life mothering will prove to be a much more demanding role than in the movies.
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Crazy Heart (2009)
Jeff Bridges won the Best Actor Oscar as worn-out country singer Bad Blake. Spent and hopelessly alcoholic, Bad Blake is movingly revitalized by journalist Jane Craddock. Even for one who’s not keen on country western music, I’d thoroughly enjoyed the songs performed by Bridges himself. Song writers Ryan Bingham and T-Bone Burnett won the Best Original Song Oscar with ‘The Weary Kind’. As a bonus, you can also hear Colin Farrell sing. Maggie Gyllenhaal gives a convincing performance as journalist Craddock, who starts from professional interest with the country singer to deeper, personal involvement. But ultimately, her role as mother wins out.
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Arti’s other recommendations? All the movies listed on the sidebar. All of them are on DVD now. To read my review, just click on the picture.
No matter which movie you watch with mom, do talk about it afterwards… that’s the best part of the experience.
Here’s Jeff Bridges singing the Oscar winning song The Weary Kind:
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Ripple Effects 
Hello there Arti! Maybe we’ll have to rent Blindside and watch it. Haven’t seen it yet. Thanks for the recommendations and thoughts! Have a great weekend…
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Enjoy your family time Ellen, and have a Happy Mother’s Day!
Arti
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Arti,
While I don’t get over here as much as I’d like, I think of you often. Seriously, I do. Some connections are just like that.
I wanted to comment on the Georgia O’Keeffe production with Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons. It is a wonderful portrayal and having seen these exceptionally gifted actors assume the complicated personalities of O’Keeffe and Stieglitz, I find it hard to imagine anyone else playing them.
The composition of the photograph you’ve chosen is exquisite. The painting nearly dwarfs her which reflects beautifully on the quote used: “It is what I have done with where I have been that should be of interest.” I love, too, the simple, unpretentious austerity of her in contrast to the extravagant blooms, both created and natural, that form a kind of gated garden around her. Beautiful.
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EA:
I know what you mean by connections… but let me just say, sensing your presence at Ripple Effects and reading the comment you left behind never fail to invigorate me in this blogging endeavor… the fuel I need to press on just one more mile.
Joan Allen has long been an underrated actor I think, and the veteran Jeremy Irons delivers almost every time. Watching the two of them perform together is a real treat, even if it’s watching them dealing with their difficult relationship… well maybe I should say, especially watching them play out the complex personality and relational conflicts. You’ve said it well: “… hard to imagine anyone else playing them.”
Watching the DVD has the advantage of noting down the quotable quotes and replaying the memorable scenes and shots. While the cinematography is wonderful, I must say the voice over narration is what caught my attention in the first place. Yes, beautiful indeed. Again, thank you for stopping by and leaving your response.
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There’s no reason for you to remember, but the O’Keeffe quotation you’ve chosen is incorporated into my little bio on my “About” page. I first found it in Joan Didion’s White Album and it hasn’t stopped resonating.
There’s another reference in Didion’s essay that is lurking around, just waiting to be used again.
It’s O’Keeffe’s straightforward response to those who found her vibrant, audacious flowers “sentimental”. She says,
I made you take time to look at what I saw and when you took time to really notice my flower you hung all your associations with flowers on my flower and you write about my flower as if I think and see what you think and see — and I don’t.
She might as well have said, “Don’t tread on me”.
That kind of feistiness is part of her appeal, at least to me. She was so clear on the fact that she was going to be true to her vision, and no one else’s.
That alone might make this an entertaining movie for mom and I, since mom’s always been utterly certain her vision for my life is far better than my own! 🙂
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Linda,
Yes I have the idea that Georgia O’Keeffe is one of your favorite artists from reading your blog, but not specifically so in sync about that one quote.
You know Linda, there’s another quote by O’Keeffe regarding flowers. Here it is:
“I hate flowers — I paint them because they’re cheaper than models and they don’t move.”
Interesting how the mind of the artist works during the creative process.
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