BlogHer Contributing Editor Sassymonkey gives the books two thumbs up:

The Spiderwick Chronicles follows the adventures of three siblings, Jared, Simon and Mallory, who move into their great aunt’s house after their father leaves them. They discover a book that gets them into trouble as only the best books can do. It tells them all about the world of the fey and the usual hijinks ensue.

It’s a fun story. And I think it would be great as a read aloud selection. It’s probably a bit too dark for the wee littles but Jared and Simon are 9 and I think it would be great for that age group.
A fun story with sprites, elves, trolls, goblins and ogres. Great illustrations. Two thumbs up.

but points out a public service announcment from fellow book-blogger Cat at Beyond Books, who shoots straight from the hip:

DO NOT GO SEE THE MOVIE even if you haven’t read the books.

Do me a favour and just go read the books (or book, if you happen to get the collection like I did).

The movie is heartbreakingly awful and has pretty much NOTHING to do with the actual story that is created by the BOOK. Seriously.

Cat ended up nausous from disappointment. Or maybe from too much popcorn. But still.

I felt sick at the end of this film - ok so I ate way too much popcorn that I’m not supposed to eat in the first place, but still, the story was so altered and the acting was so awful that I was heartbroken and angry all at once. I have no idea why they changed a good thing like they did. I understand some things would have to be cut for length, but to change the entire PLOT??

...I can’t believe I let Shawn spend his money on this and that we just wasted our entire evening. If you’ll excuse me I think I need to go throw up.

With that glowing praise burned into my retinas, I attempted to reneg on my promised movie date with my daughter. Hey, I know you're not so much into big sweeping epics rated above your age level, but let's go see 10,000 BC! It has mammoths and people with spears and stuff!

My daughter insisted that we see The Spiderwick Chronicles. Le sigh.

And you know, it wasn't faithful to the almost Gothic flavor of the books, but I felt that the film was just the right combination of scary while remaining accessible to younger fans.

Amey enjoyed the film, although she missed the breadth from the books by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black:

With 5 small-sized books (each around 100 pages in length), I had thought that there wouldn’t be any major differences. I mean, I didn’t really expect the Spiderwick estate to be as dilapidated as the books made it to be. But I wasn’t ready for some changes, like in Byron’s story. Even Thimbletack is much more prosaic than his rhyming self in the books, while some creatures are completely missing. This is perhaps because the movie has a span of a day or two against several weeks it takes for the story to unfold in the books. Also, many important changes seem to be made to make the movie more kid-friendly, though Mulgarath is more than enough to scare them good.

All in all, it is a fairly good, kid-friendly fantasy movie, with a feel-good ending. If you are a fantasy fan, I would recommend it.

Not the most glowing praise - and pretty much how I felt about the film.

Nayana Anthony thinks the story's cute enough, but it falls short of truly great children's movies or literature.

The creatures are kind of cool. The animation is great. Of course, the voices of Seth Rogen, Martin Short, and Nick Nolte are just money in the bank. I gotta say it, though: that Freddie Highmore kid pisses me off. He plays both of the boys (they're twins), and he does this annoying thing during all his reaction shots: he just sits there with his mouth hanging open. ACTING, ladies and gentlemen!

OK, so there's not really much of anything wrong with the movie... I guess if you've got kids, bring 'em. But do them a favor... don't let this be the only kind of entertainment (movie or literature) that you expose them to. Take your children to The Spiderwick Chronicles once, but let C. S. Lewis be their regular bedtime story.

Cynthia Fuchs at PopMatters digs into the movie's message about fathers:

Here’s the thing about The Spiderwick Chronicles. No matter how admirable the girl with expertise in fencing or spunky the twins played by Freddy Highmore, the movie is about bad dads. That one of them is punished cruelly on screen and in front of his children suggests that this might not be the least traumatizing movie experience for kids seeking diversion on Valentine’s Day Weekend.

Yeah, um, the whole Dad scene during the big battle? Pretty intense.

Author Betsy Hart over at Betsy's Blog talks about the "bad dad" theme, too:

But it’s the subtle but clear messages that I liked most, messages about the meaning, value, and definition of family, and a dad who chooses to separate from his wife and children - which is presented in the film as meaning he’s sadly chosen to live “outside the circle of safety.”

I also like that this is no, “I am single mom hear me roar” diatribe. Just the opposite. Mom is beautifully holding her family together, but Dad’s importance is strongly felt in his very absence from the home. In fact, in one scene it’s clear that in leaving his family, he’s put his family into physical danger! S0, this actually becomes a “pro” husband and father message we just don’t get enough of in our culture today.

I'm not really following with Betsy's logic - the dads in this movie pretty much have their heads where the sun don't shine, and their families suffer for it. And Mom is pretty much clinging to the edge of sanity when the goblins come charging into the picture. She unites with her children against the goblin attackers, seizing a few kitchen knifes and remarking that it is lucky that they are New Yorkers (and therefore good with blades, I assume.) The goblins force the Grace family to bond in a new way, and if anything, this creates a "pro" goblin message. And you just can't get enough of that kind of message.

Another thing we can't get enough of when it comes to children's movies? Product tie-ins.

Denise at mama done went crazy fought the good fight against the lure of branded merchandise:

After watching Spiderwick this past Sunday, DJ predictably wanted to go out and buy some of the movie paraphernalia. Since we'd just dropped $35 on the movie (one of his friends tagged along, making me too self-conscious to smuggle in snacks, like I usually do), I was in no mood to spend another $25 on crap that would soon end up under a bed, along with... what was last week's hot thing?

Anyway, DJ threw a fit when I said we weren't going out to the store. He then sulked around for the rest of the night, concocting reasons for why I should buy him more stuff.

The next morning, DJ was apologetic about his behavior. Explaining his frustration, he noted that he had "cried soggy paper tears"--a phrase that caught me off-guard with its poetry.

Nevertheless - the battle rages on. Who will emerge victorious?

Did you see The Spiderwick Chronicles? What did you think?

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Jenny Lauck is ready for some mammoths and spears and is hoping she's right in thinking that the BC stands for muscular Bare Chests. 10,000 of 'em.

Granted, I don't think I was ever destined to be an amazing drummer - but I look back at my 12-year-old self, holding a mallet and seething with resentment, and I hate that I didn't try harder.

I had heard of the Girls Rock! camps, but hadn't really investigated them until I stumbled across this trailer for the new movie by Arne Johnson and Shane King - Girls Rock! The Movie.

I sat there and watched the trailer with tears streaming down my cheeks and a big smile on my face.

I. Must. See. This. Movie. And I'm taking all my friends and family with me.

Over at Vinary, I found that my reaction is not unique:

Seriously, if you think that doesn’t look good you have no soul and should probably be stoned to death.

Maybe not stoned to death. Maybe just encouraged to play "the bells."

Birdfeed breaks it down for us:

At Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp, girls ranging in age from eight to 18 are taught that it’s OK to sweat like a pig, scream like a banshee, wail on their instruments with complete and utter abandon, and that “it is 100% okay to be exactly who you are.” They are taught by indie rock chicks such as Carrie Brownstein from Sleater-Kinney various lessons of empowerment from self-defense to anger management. At the end of just one week, all the bands perform songs they’ve written with their new bandmates for over 700 people. “Girls Rock!” follows several campers: Laura, a Korean adoptee obsessed by death metal; Misty, who is emerging from a life of meth addiction and gang activity; Palace, whose heavy metal sneer belies her seven years, and Amelia, an eight-year-old who writes experimental rock songs about her dog Pipi. What happens to the girls as they are given a temporary reprieve from being sexualized, analyzed and pressured to conform is truly revolutionary.

Janie Chu also was moved to tears by the trailer:

I checked out the film premise and trailer, and literally felt tears well up in my eyes as I saw young girls empowered by music. They even had several clips of an Asian-American girl who was very forthcoming about her struggles. I wrote them to say how much it means to have a program like that. I desperately needed it as a child but am hopeful at how it will help in this generation. Be the first to see it when it opens in theaters March 7th.

That's right - it opens March 7th.

I'm hoping to be at the San Francisco screening Friday evening with my family in tow. Check the listings, and request a showing in your neck of the woods on the official Girls Rock! The Movie site.

Curious how my daughter would react to the trailer, I hauled her over for a little desk-side viewing. She watched intently, and said she'd love to see the movie. A hour later, she had printed out registration forms for this summer's camp in the Bay Area and had filled them in by herself. It appears she's ready to rock.

Watch the trailer. Tell your friends. Then head to the theaters. You won't want to miss this film!

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Jenny Lauck is so signing up for Ladies' Rock Camp.

The strength of Gregory's novel was in the richly developed plot and fully imagined environment. You knew what everyone looked like, where they were sitting, what they were wearing, who was looking at them, what they all were eating...and on top of that, you knew what motivated most of the characters, and what was at stake.

Author Tracy Grant talks about her fascination with the Boleyn siblings' relationship at her site, Secrets of a Lady:

One of the things I found most intriguing about The Other Boleyn Girl as a both a book and a movie is the complex relationships of the three Boleyn siblings, Anne, Mary, and George. Relationships between siblings offer such a rich wealth for an author to explore–love, jealousy, understanding, misunderstanding, competition, support, histories that intertwine from the cradle.

Additionally, all the characters were quite vivid, and the romances and heartbreaks were skillfully built. Gregory builds some mighty fine tension in her characters, and the longing and anguish and triumph were tangible. These were characters that I either loved or hated, and by the end of the book, I wanted more.

Not so with movie version.

Despite the gorgeous cast, the brilliant costumes and the lovely scenery, the vast epic from the novel is distilled down to the essence of the plot - and it becomes hollow in the process. I wanted the sweeping, languorous epic, the whole sweating, bosom-heaving, I can't take any more oh my GOD do not stop deal and instead I got a quickie.

How rude. Frankly, it really could have used some foreplay.

Spyscribbler notes that the cleaning up of the various plots was a bit too tidy:

The movie was faithful to the spirit of the book and mostly to the plot, but much of the motivations of each character was left out. Sadly, most of the spying, betrayals and intrigue was left out. (It breaks my heart.) George was never given an opportunity to show himself as the life of the court, as he was, nor was Anne given the opportunity to show how delightful she could be for the king.

Mary, however, was the truest. They tidied things up; she bore only a son in the movie, while in the book and in real life, she had a son and a daughter for King Henry.

Sarah Johnson at Reading The Past pinpoints the problem accurately:

...the film does play it safe, more so than Gregory's novel did, and not just in that instance. Johansson's Mary Boleyn = meek, quiet, and biddable; Portman's Anne = outspoken, witty, daring, and ambitious. Making them polar opposites simplifies things, and rendered the movie superficial. Gregory's version of Mary was more well-rounded, and therefore more interesting; I found it hard to root for either sister, despite it being blatantly obvious that their father and uncle were using them to fulfill their own ambitions ("pimping them out" is the phrase the NYT review used, and rather aptly).

Perhaps if I hadn't read the novel, I would have been able to embrace the film more fully. MaryAnn Johanson from The Flick Filosopher found the whole thing ridiculously delicious:

And that’s all in The Other Boleyn Girl, the fun sexiness, the mean nastiness, the oh-my-god-movie-starness of Scarlett Johansson (no relation -- don’t I wish I could glom onto her gorgeousness) and Natalie Portman and Eric Bana. They are not movie stars who let you forget you’re watching movie stars -- at least not in this movie, and maybe costume dramas bring that out in certain actors; they’re not, at least not in this movie, actors who can disappear into their roles. But that’s okay. It’s redolent of the kind of glamour and charismatic faux-trickery of Golden Age Hollywood, like watching Cary Grant or Katharain Hepburn in anything: you never really want to see a character, you want to just bask in their radiance for an hour or two.

That’s sort of not fair, when it comes to this flick, because it’s not like these three stars aren’t real actors, don’t want to be taken seriously: it’s just their own damn dumb luck that they’re so impossibly captivating in that movie-star way. And so the kind of sexual Mexican standoff in which they find themselves circling around one another becomes a ridiculously delicious soap opera.

Other excellent reviews:

Brandy McDonnell

...the film cuts big corners trying to cram in so much history and speculation. Even for a casual history buff, having Henry's historic break with Rome reduced to foreplay conversation induces cringes.

Maitland McDonagh

Peter Morgan's (THE QUEEN, THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND) adaptation of Gregory's popular novel is more focused on sins of ambition than sins of the flesh -- for all his legendary appetites, Henry didn't make his legendary six trips to the altar out of lust. Unfortunately, keeping the film's running time under two hours meant trimming political complications to make room for some soft-focus rumpy pumpy. And let's face it: If you swap out power for sex, the sex needs to be hotter than a PG-13 rating generally facilitates.

Criticize This

Both Gregory’s novel and Chadwick’s film are playing-with-facts accounts of the Boleyns’ struggle to win King Henry VIII’s favour – the difference is, the book entertains, while the film only disappoints.

and don't miss this: Jennifer Merin speaks with Philippa Gregory.

You know what I find so interesting is that despite the gains made by feminism–and I am a feminist and a great supporter of equal rights–you look at Anne Boleyn who gets from nowhere to be Queen of England, and has the King of England dancing for six years–six years of courtship–during which time he turns the history of England upside down in order that he might get into bed with her, and she won’t allow it–you know, that’s a woman who…well, I mean, these aren’t wiles, this is campaign level strategy. She was a phenomenal woman. Absolutely phenomenal.

Did you see The Other Boleyn Girl this weekend? What did you think?

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Jenny Lauck also blogs at Three Kid Circus.

ALLLLL-VIN! indeed.

You've got Theodore growling suggestively at the housekeeper, the whole "boom-chicka-wow-wow" baloney, the Pussycat Dolls (Don't you wish your girlfriend was a freak like me?) - come on. I realize that trailers pull out snippets from the films, but who is this film being marketed to?

The other trailer for the film has the infamous poop eating scene as the punchline. What's wrong with poop eating, you might ask yourself - standard children's movie fare, right?

Jerry's daughter finds the whole concept hilarious:

We watched the preview for the upcoming Alvin and The Chipmunks movie. At the end of it, Alvin eats a raisin, spits it out, and chews out Theodore. A little adult humor here that Maya needs explained to her.

Maya: Why is he yelling at his friend about the raisin?

Daddy: Maya, its not a raisin, it is a chipmunk poop on the couch.

Maya: He put it in his mouth so his friend wouldn't get in trouble?

Daddy: Yes.

Wait for it.....wait for it......

There!

She laughed so hard that she was complaining about her tummy hurting. I have never seen anyone laugh that hard in my life. We watched it three times. Each time she laughed harder. By the time she got her composure back after the third one, she was in a little kid sweat fit.

I wonder if parents are going to end up explaining why Alvin is singing "boom chicka wow-wow."

Courtney's Movie Blog breaks it down for us in her entry: Ten Reasons why "Alvin and the Chipmunks" will be bad:

7. The scene from the trailer in which Alvin pretending one of Theodore’s — um — leavings and eating it so that Theodore won’t get in trouble with Dave. When a trailer shows a poop joke, you know it can’t be good....

4. The scene in the commercial where Simon growls suggestively at a hot housekeeper. If it was Alvin, I wouldn’t care, but SIMON?! Simon is supposed to be the smart, goody two-shoes, he isn’t supposed to be sexually active! Totally out of character...

And the number one reason I think this will be bad:

1. Alvin singing the Pussycat Dolls’ song (”Don’t You Wish Your Girlfriend…”) and chanting “Bow chicka wow wow.” That’s just scary. Yes, Alvin is the bad boy of the group, but he isn’t that bad. Those songs are not ones they typically sang. Yet another ploy to appeal to the MTV generation that will probably end badly.

Aaron paints a bleak picture in an entry entitled: This Christmas, Children Have A New Source of Poop Jokes

Yes, the toy/entertainment franchise that gave children a great excuse to huff helium is back. With it, I'm sure, will be a scourge of child abuse inspired by ceaseless imitations of the poop-eating scene.

Right on cue, my daughter just walked by singing that snippet of the Pussycat Dolls song. With so many quality movie offerings this holiday season, we're going to take a pass on Alvin and the Chipmunks. Do I need to lighten up, or is this movie as crude as I'm thinking?

Jenny Lauck is unplugging the television over at Three Kid Circus.

I saw The Darjeeling Limited last night. I know it's gotten some mixed reviews, but I really loved it. Adrien Brody was great in it; I always forget what a wonderful actor he is. It was funny, the dialogue was witty, and it was shot beautifully—the colors just pop on the screen.

Moving along, I picked up a great tip from Ariele at Burnside Writers’ Blog, who had been waiting to see Wes Anderson’s film “for centuries.”

A few weeks ago, Mr. Anderson released a short film prequel/primer to Darjeeling online under the title Hotel Chevalier, with the suggestion that audiences view it before they see the full-length film. I promptly downloaded and watched it about six times. At only thirteen minutes long, I immediately fell in love with the song* that wheels and undulates in the background, and with the rich, terse and tension-filled dialogue between two [ex]lovers. Lovely.

*Peter Sarstedt, “Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)”

I ran right over to iTunes and downloaded the short film. I was intrigued and frustrated and I wanted more. Bodes well for the feature length film, don't you think?

Beth Accomando also watched the short, and writes a great review of the movie for KPBS:

Anderson picks up the story of the Whitman brothers in The Darjeeling Limited as Francis (Owen Wilson) has called the siblings together a year after their father’s death. Peter (Adrien Brody) and Jack dutifully come when called, even though the estranged brothers apparently haven’t communicated since the funeral. Francis wants an emotional reunion that will bring the family together like they used to be. In order to achieve this, he has planned a journey through India during which they will seek spiritual enlightenment and seek out new experiences “even if they are shocking and painful.” What he’s not telling them is that he also plans a reunion with their mother (Anjelica Huston) who has joined a religious order in a remote region of India.

Anderson continues to examine damaged lives with whimsy, humor and bittersweet compassion. No matter how serious the themes get, Anderson and company keep the tone deceptively light. He manages to take the brothers’ spiritual journey seriously yet he maintains the ability to also see the silliness. At one point Francis says of the locals, “They’re laughing at us,” and then he adds with delight, “I love it here.” Anderson understands the cliche of these young Americans coming to India and literally dodging the sacred cows in the street. But even though it’s a cliche, it’s also something that holds something very real for the brothers and the experience of being in a foreign country has a tangible impact on their lives.

You know, this is sounding an awful lot like some of the trips I've taken with my sister. There's a reason our travel names are Dumb-Ass and Bitch-Face. I'll let you guess which one I am.

Nicole Symmonds over at Beliefnet.com hints at the spiritual undertones of Anderson’s film:

Anderson's stroke of genius—in the nick of time—came through when the brothers were kicked off of the train for losing a poisonous snake, among other things. Without going into great detail, because I don't want to spoil it for those of you who plan to see the film, I will say that Anderson managed to accurately depict what happens when you stop trying to be spiritual and just walk in it. The brothers experience enlightenment in a way that they hadn't imagined they would by what I consider the "God works in mysterious ways on ordinary days" clause. I was amazed at that moment and I wondered if anyone else caught the profundity of it all.

Author Elizabeth Eaves at WorldHum .com was impressed at Anderson's ability to take a familiar story and manage to create something wonderful.

From the outset, the film mercilessly mocks the Westerner-on-a-spiritual-quest genre. Big brother Francis, played by Owen Wilson with his head in a bandage, has bullied his estranged younger siblings into taking the trip. They tote piles of monogrammed leather luggage and travel in a first-class compartment. To make sure they get maximum spiritual value, Francis has his assistant—who travels second-class—print up detailed laminated itineraries every day…

The parody, though, soon evolves into something more touching. For all the brothers’ idiotic behavior—they fight with each other and binge on cough syrup—there’s something endearing about these guys, who, as it turns out, are all wrangling with suppressed grief of their own.

So, who wants to play hooky and go see it with me? I'll get the popcorn.

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Jenny Lauck

Three Kid Circus

Yes, nothing says “autumn” like the smell of burning dust bunnies coming out of your heater vents.

October, in particular, is one of my favorite months for curling up with the remote and a mug of hot apple cider - okay, and a slice of pumpkin bread with chocolate chips, too – and taking in some of the movies I’ve had languishing in my Netflix queue all summer long. That is, it would be, had I not wiped out my queue in a fit of pique a while back.

I have to confess, I’m the worst “borrower” in the world. Seriously, I shouldn’t be allowed to rent movies. I can never seem to remember the whole “return” part. Same thing with library books…if you were thinking about lending me something? Just don’t. Netflix and the like are a fantastic service, if you’re a good borrower. I finally mailed back the movies I’ve had sitting on top of my mantle since May, and think that boy, I sure have gotten my $45 worth of rental fees worth on those titles, especially since I didn’t even watch one of them.

Yeah.

I’m been told by Jenifer that I must watch Everything Is Illuminated. So that’s back in my queue. Here’s where I need some help – I’m not good with slasher flicks, and really dark dramas don’t sit well with me. I need some help choosing some movies for this month, so that I don’t spend all my time eating pumpkin bread and watching TiVoed episodes of Most Haunted and all the other haunted location, camera-pointed-in-your-face, totally-freaking-out-people shows. I love those shows.

You people, however, are counting on me to talk movies. So! Let’s talk. Tell me the movies that changed your life. Too dramatic? Tell me which movies made you laugh until you peed a little, or which film produced the best cathartic crying session. I’ve seen plenty of movies this summer that left me a little underwhelmed. I want to be wowed.

Some of my favorites:

Silly Stuff:
Top Secret. Val Kilmer was so young. So, so young.
Life of Brian. I want to be Loretta.
The Princess Bride As you wish.

Sad Stuff:
The Color Purple Waa!
The Joy Luck Club Boo-hoo!

Life-Affirming Stuff:
Truly Madly Deeply
Contact

Musicals:
The Sound of Music
The Wizard of Oz
Grease
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

Action:
Star Wars
The Lord of the Rings
Raiders of the Lost Ark

And… wow. I’m seeing that my tastes clearly need to be raised a bit.

Help me out, BlogHers!

The movie follows a five-day journey of young Will Stanton, who learns that he is “The Seeker;” the last of a group of immortal warriors who have dedicated their lives to fighting the forces of the dark. Life as he knows it is turned upside down, and he must locate six ancient “signs” in order to save the world from eternal darkness. Or something like that.

My seven-year-old son was enthralled with the story from the opening scenes – sitting forward on the edge of his chair, his eyes never leaving the screen. As Will flubs his chances with a girl, endures good-natured teasing from his siblings and is told “Not now, Will” by his father, he builds up a good bit of angst. The resulting tantrums were, uh, explosive. The theater I saw the movie in had quite a few pairs of younger teenaged boys, and lots of teenaged sons with their mothers – and the lines in the script where Will’s superpowers are chalked up to puberty had them shouting with laughter all over the theater.

Having not read Susan Cooper’s novels, I can’t speak to the continuity or missed scenes. There were a number of times I was scratching my head and wondering why exactly the Stantons had ended up in England, or how the older siblings had never made mention of Will’s abducted twin over the years. The sudden appearance of “dark” characters with no explanation of their nature or abilities made me wonder how much of this movie was edited out, either from the script or in the cutting room. Despite my occasional desire for more back story, and more depth in the script, the kids had no trouble following the story. Probably because the major plot points always seemed to be spelled out in the dialog.

Even with the occasionally frightening action sequences, there was no gore or graphic violence. My son, who is known to dive into my lap to avoid the suggestion of swordplay, stayed locked onto the screen. Some of the strobe-like visual effects and topsy-turvy camera work made me feel slightly nauseous (ah, old age, how I love you!) which I could have done without. Overall, I wished that some of the time-traveling sequences had been longer, and the significance of the “signs” in those times and places would have been revealed.

I asked my son what his favorite part of the movie was, and he said “I loved it when Will figures out the sixth sign, and gets his brother back. He was so brave and cool! He believed in himself and it worked!” You know – that right there is worth the price of admission for me.

Even better: now that we know the books are out there – we’re looking forward to reading about this unlikely hero. Word has it that Susan Cooper’s books are where the real magic is.

We all know that I like just about anything I see – I generally don’t go out of my way to go see movies that are unlikely to be a pleasant experience – The Seeker was simply that – pleasant.

For reviews from folks with a bit sharper focus, check these out:

Roses sums up the movie in two words: Seen it.

SA Rudy is underwhelmed by The Seeker.

Kathye finds the silver lining in her entry “One Good Thing.”

Nell Minow, The Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies calls the filmmakers out on the “mind-numbing obviousness” that helps the story along.

Did you see it this weekend? What did you think?

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Jenny Lauck likes movies that keep her kids engaged.

Three Kid Circus
Mommybloggers

Cut me some slack, I was eight. My mad rhyming skills didn't surface until later.

This inability to cope with violent, or really, even suspenseful elements in movies lasted until I was pregnant with my first child. I used to pretend I had fallen asleep during scary moments in movies when I went with friends. I never fooled anyone, although I bet a few of my dates during that period thought I was narcoleptic. I discovered my new tolerance for gore and ominous music when I begrudgingly attended a showing of Gladiator. I sat right through the whole thing, munching popcorn and admiring Russell Crowe's thighs. Something fundamental had shifted - it wasn't that I particularly enjoyed the hacking of limbs...but I wasn't adverse to watching it, for the first time in my life.

I started to enjoy it a bit after the birth of my second. Lord of the Rings, anyone? Maybe that says something about my warrior spirit emerging after giving birth. Maybe it says something about my sleep-addled, missing brain-cells existence. All I know is I could appreciate a good revenge killing.

When I received an email from Melissa Silverstein last week, I knew she was onto something big:

September 14, Jodie Foster’s new movie opens. She is undeniably the lead of this film and she has been selling this movie intensely for the last month. (I will have my review and take on the film sometime this weekend.)

This film is no average “chick flick” even though the film’s producer Joel Silver called it a “muscular chick flick” last night on Charlie Rose. If you follow Hollywood you know that the first weekend counts for everything. I am not usually a first weekend attendee, but I am an going to brave the crowds and make sure my dollars get counted in the box office take this weekend to encourage Hollywood to make more movies that star women (even if they are revenge action films — we gotta take what we can get.)

I know that our movie going habits don’t adhere to the first weekend mentality, but if we don’t put our money where our hearts are we will soon be living in a world with no movies about women.

Jodie Foster rocks my socks off. I am always in awe of her amazing ability to disappear into character. The Brave One promises to be another noteworthy entry in her already amazing body of work. Jodie Foster? Revenge? What more do you need to know? Hell, it even has Naveen "hotness" Andrews in it. I immediately started making plans to see The Brave One this weekend.

With two back-to-back birthday parties and a planned dinner out to celebrate my 9th anniversary, I never made it to the theater. Somehow a revenge film didn't spell anniversary romance to my husband. I'm glad to see that other movie goers weren't as constrained... The Brave One came in first place at the weekend box office!

Melonee loved it:

Well, I went to go see The Brave One yesterday and as usual, I thought Jodie Foster was excellent. There's just nothing better than a pissed off female vigilante with a gun...

Eleanor Ringel Cater is one of several great reviewers tackling The Brave One at theAlliance of Women Film Journalists blog:

“The Brave One” is a study of grief turned to fear turned to rage turned to vengeance. Note how Foster’s physicality alters over the course of the film. At first, with her fiancé, she’s almost girl-ish, albeit in a street-smart New York way. Her hair is short, but it’s flirtatious and
slightly curly. She’s wearing make-up. After the Central Park disaster, her hair is straighter and there is no make-up. She’s like a ghost, a pale apparition attempting to regain a shaky foothold in the land of the living. The first time she shoots someone (in self-defense), she flees to a club where she bolts into the bathroom and, eerily, almost in a frenzy, applies make-up and fixes her hair.
A woman — you know, one who’s fragranced and coiffed — can’t be a killer, right?

Joanna Langfield asks why the woman-as-killer premise is supposed to be buzz-worthy:

The buzz about Jodie Foster’s “The Brave One” centers around the fact the vigilante is a woman.

Is this, may I query, why we are supposed to get our panties in a bunch?

Film historians can point to many female characters in so-called “traditional” commercial releases, and God knows how many “B” movies, who’ve gone for the jugular.

Foster has carved a nifty niche for herself by bringing a compassionate edge to some pretty gutsy dames. But, despite Jodie’s determined investigation of this killer’s inner demons, “The Brave One” is still an ordinary, box office-driven, not so thrilling thriller.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that, at least in light of the financial success of Foster’s previous vehicles, like “Flightplan” and “Panic Room,” both of which had her fighting like hell to save her child–a mother’s protective instinct being an acceptable motive to blow away the bad guys.

Hey, maybe that whole mother's protective instinct thing is why my tolerance for violence has been raised. Hmmm.

Who else saw The Brave One this weekend?

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Jenny Lauck eats sharks for breakfast. Raw.

Three Kid Circus

Have you seen it yet? No? Here, go have a look.

Back with me? Great. Let's dig in, shall we?

Not the greatest performance ever given by Britney. In fact, it was really bad. And of course, critics and fans immediately leaped to add their opinions into the tsunami-like reaction.

I've always had a certain sympathy for Britney Spears. The girl has been on the fast track since a very early age, and no doubt certain aspects of her upbringing and early fame have made their mark on her. Her precocious sexuality and flashy dance moves, coupled with her catchy songs made her famous, but her recent trials - her marriage and divorce, her stint in rehab and her life as a mother have landed her in the tabloids and splattered across the internet daily.

And okay, she's given gossip-lovers plenty of material over the years. I wasn't surprised that the New York Post immediately threw out the headline "Lard and Clear," but I was disgusted. Again and again, critics gleefully pointed out that Britney is carrying more weight than before, and had no business wearing a bikini on television.

After I rolled my eyeballs down from the back of my skull, I decided to see what other bloggers had to say about this particular attack:

Jen Eyer, at Neurotic Mom, noticed the immediate focus on Britney's middle, too:

As a mom of two, I've been morbidly interested in the criticism heaped on Britney's appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards. Her performance, in case you hadn't heard, was lackluster, but her greatest crime was not being back into pre-baby shape.

Like Britney, I'm still a bit thicker around the middle, so the fat comments hit a little close to home. As this writer said: "Then, as Jay Leno heaped fat-joke scorn upon her head on "The Tonight Show," I felt sad, and paunch-conscious. If Jay thought Britney was fat, then ... then ... Jay thought I was fat! Shut up, Jay!"

Jocelyn Noveck wonders what this focus on appearance says about us in her article Harshest Words Saved For Britney's Body

Was it fair? Did Spears, lest we forget a mother of two, deserve to be held up against the standard of her once fantastically toned abs, sculpted by sessions of 1,000 tummy crunches? Or was she asking for it by choosing that unforgiving black-sequined bikini?

More profoundly, in an age where skinny models and skeletal actresses are under scrutiny for the message they're sending young girls, what does it say that we're excoriating a young woman for a little thickness in her middle?

There were some, uh, interesting quotes in that article. I particularly liked this one:

In the fashion industry, there's been an effort to promote healthier-looking models. "Girls aren't looking as skinny this season as they did," said Suze Yalof Scwhartz, executive editor-at-large for Glamour Magazine. "There's food backstage. They're looking sexier." At Glamour, she noted, a model won't be featured "if she shows too much clavicle."

There's food backstage! I'm so impressed with that! The fashion industry is actually eating this season. Yay!

I decided to take a look at what some BlogHers had to say about Britney's performance:

Busy Mom is just sad.

I know I've talked about her before, but, the whole thing is actually really sad to me.
She just looked completely lost (scared? baked?), and, I still wonder why no one can help her get herself in order before her career.

Stefania, over at CityMama also suspected drugs were in play:

I'm surprised Britney could even stand up with all that Ativ@n in her system, let alone "perform."

Princessandherpets, a great 13-year-old pop-culture blogger, gave the performance two thumbs down:

... it was horrible, and the way she was trying the lip sink was very bad. She also seemed like she didn’t know her dance moves very well. This will probably be the only time I’ll be writing a post about Britney Spears, because she is a terrible influence for girls my age (any age)

SJ, BlogHer Contributing Editor for Pop Culture points to a funny, but NSFW explanation for Britney's difficulties in life. It is all Christina's fault. No, really.

Over at Mamarazzi, they've turned to photos to illustrate their feelings about Britney's weight:

This is drunk (and quite possibly high) ((and sleeping walking through a comeback performance)) (((and concerned about wig positioning))) ((((and wondering if Kevin's lawyers are about to subpoena the back-up dancers))))

...but this is not fat.

While Robyn at MamaPop gleefully shares yet another NSFW video, this time of a hysterical Britney Fan,who urges us to LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE:

It wouldn't be a day of the week without something to do with Brit making big news. And while it's finally something she didn't do, it's still something AWESOME.
For your viewing pleasure this morning, I've got Britney's biggest fan!

Cheryl Thompson came away from her viewing of the VMA performance with new motivation:

I need to get healthy and back to work before my life and career spiral out of control and I end up friendless, rhythmless, and thinking, "I used to be hot ... now not so much."

So many thanks go out to Brit. You truly are an inspiration.

As for me, I have to agree with Danielle:

All I have to say on the subject is that if one considers Britney Spears fat then WOW. She is thinner than 95% of the females in the United States and I'm still saying WOW. I saw the clip and I am not even interested in her talent or lack of it. I am just blown away on how anyone can even say she is fat..........
If she is fat then I will trade my fat for hers.

Is it fair to focus on her weight as a sign of her failure? Are we obligated to look like we are 17 forever? Can a woman with a healthy build rock a two-piece and boots without being told that she should cover that belly jiggle? Does one crazy performance spell the end of a career?

Over at Vh1's Blog, Rich has this to say:

And you know what else was hot, for real for real? Her body — Brit’s slightly thicker than she was at her python-carrying, Madonna-Frenching, VMAs prime and, Zombie-movie hair excepted, maybe hotter than ever. In fact, a few of the girls on last night’s show were packing a little more than you might have expected. Let’s hear it for the unexpectedly stocky girls of the 2007 VMAs!

For real: good for all of them. They’ll all probably be ridiculed for their extra pounds, but we can only hope that they’ll ignore it and keep reaching for the donuts. Seriously: it’s refreshing to see three superstars of Britney’s, Beyoncé’s and Alicia’s caliber look so healthy.

What say you, BlogHers?

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Jenny Lauck refuses to starve to meet some whacked beauty standard.