Film Gecko Five: Easter and Passover Movies for Kids!
April 11, 2009 by Jane Boursaw
Chocolate bunnies, colorful eggs, frilly dresses, and happy kids scampering through the house looking for hidden baskets of treats. Nothing rivals the pure joy of Easter, as shown in my top five movies celebrating Easter and Passover. Check out my list, and feel free to add your own in the comments:
1. IT’S THE EASTER BEAGLE, CHARLIE BROWN. Easter is coming, and the gang is preparing for the spring holiday in their usual catastrophic way. Charlie Brown is frustrated over the Christmas pre-sales at the local department stores.
Sally wants a new pair of platform shoes (this movie was made in 1974!). Peppermint Patty is trying to teach a clueless Marcy how to color eggs. Snoopy is shopping for a new bachelor pad for Woodstock. And Linus is busy telling everyone about the Easter Beagle, who rises up on Easter morning to give eggs to all the children (sound familiar?). Buy it on Amazon.
2. YOGI, THE EASTER BEAR. When Yogi accidentally ruins the big Easter Jamboree at Jellystone Park right before hundreds of kids are set to arrive, he and Boo Boo go in search of the Easter Bunny to save the day, only to discover that he’s been kidnapped by a gang of criminals! The pair must work fast when they learn that Ranger Smith has arranged for them to join a circus in Siberia. Buy it on Amazon.
Film Gecko Five: Romantic Movie Moments, Part 3
February 13, 2009 by Jane Boursaw
In honor of Valentine’s Day tomorrow, I’m doing a series on Top Romantic Movie Moments. Check out Part 1 and Part 2, and see if you agree with my choices in Part 3 below. And add your own favorites in the comments section!
1. An Officer and a Gentleman. Zack (Richard Gere) is a commitment-shy Naval trainee who’s afraid of love. Paula (Debra Winger) is a world-weary factory worker whose Naval officer father loved and left her mother 20 years earlier. It looks like this relationship is headed for NoWheresVille, too, but then…Zack strides through the factory in his white Navy uniform, swoops Paula up in his arms, and carries her out as all of her friends cheer. And we cheer, too, because, well…the guy usually doesn’t come back. Not in real life, anyway.
2. Sleepless in Seattle. As Annie (Meg Ryan) wanders sadly around the top of the Empire State Building, she’s afraid she blew her one chance at happiness. Then she sees a backpack and picks it up, just as Sam (Tom Hanks) and his son, Jonah, step off the elevator. Sam and Annie can’t stop looking at each other as they all get on the elevator and begin the rest of their lives together…sigh…
Film Gecko Five: Romantic Movie Moments, Part 2
February 12, 2009 by Jane Boursaw
Valentine’s Day is nearly here (two days away!), so I’m continuing my theme of Top Romantic Movie Moments. Read Part 1 of this series here, and feel free to add your own favorites in the comments section.
Notice how some people keep showing up on these lists? Like Patrick Swayze, Renee Zellweger, Julia Roberts, Richard Gere … I guess some people are just more romantic than others. I hope you’ll take some time to revisit some of these feel-good favorites!
1. Pretty Woman. As Vivian (Julia Roberts) gets ready to leave town and start a new life, we weep for the love she thought could never work. Then we see a limo pull up outside her apartment, and Edward (Richard Gere) is sticking his head out of the sunroof waving a bouquet of flowers. She comes to the fire escape in disbelief, as he climbs up to rescue her from a life of struggle (remember - he’s afraid of heights!). And she gets to "rescue him right back." Priceless. Two broken people, mended at last.
Film Gecko Five: Romantic Movie Moments
February 11, 2009 by Jane Boursaw
In honor of Valentine’s Day (this Saturday – are you prepared?!), I’ve compiled a list of top romantic movie moments. Since there’s no way I can put them all into one post, I’ll probably do another post or two. Let’s start with…
1. Dirty Dancing. "Nobody puts Baby in a corner." You tell ‘em, Johnny! And then the street-wise dancer grab’s the young girl’s hand and pulls her on-stage for "their" dance. Could there be a better ending to this nostalgic movie about young love at a 50’s-era summer resort? I think not.
2. Bridget Jones’s Diary. Daniel (Hugh Grant) and Bridget (Renee Zellweger) have just emerged onto the street from an intimate, candle-lit dinner. She raises her arm to hail a taxi, and then he pulls her into his arms and gives her one of THE most romantic kisses in cinema history. And then, of course, they go back to her apartment, where she realizes she wore…the BIG underpants! Just like real life.
