I checked out three dvd's at the library the other day, one of which is Nebraska. I chose to see it first since it had been one of the many nominations for a best picture and actor in the Oscar races. I had no idea what to expect.
I will explain that when I lived in Durango, Colorado years ago I was preyed upon by many different want to get rich schemes. One of which was the American Family Publishing campaign to get you to buy magazines and hopefully to win a prize. Our post office was littered with tons of envelopes telling everyone in town that they could be a millionaire. I kept track of all those urgent messages from AFP and Ed McMahon, even wrote to the Tonight Show about it, and eventually and finally to the Federal Trade Commission because of all the unnecessary tons of letters egging us on to buy magazines or books from them. I bought a few a couple of times and waited expectantly like everyone else to see if I had a winning number.
I even talked to my neighbor Claude about it and his words to me came ringing back that night on the Tonight Show when a guest comic by the name of Gary Shandling dropped in on Johnny to repeat Claude's words to me verbatim. I have never forgotten it.
For years I have complained about hearing either the person I am talking with or my own words coming back to haunt me via t.v., movies, or magazines, etc. I have studied it madly to see how it could be happening, and I have warned people right and left about it.
So Nebraska took me back to those days in Durango when I was carrying on madly about the chance to be a millionaire...and making everyone dizzy with my attitude about it...thus, the movie made me think of it again, and why and how anyone would ever write a movie on such a dumb subject is more than I can know except that it revealed what we always think is true about people, and that is that if you do come into money of any kind at all, everyone will be hitting you up for some of it.
What always made me angry about those letters was the line don't you want to be the envy of the neighborhood? Jealousy and covetous was at the bottom of each and every chance to be a millionaire. It is like getting on t.v. Just to show everyone that you could be famous, or on t.v.? As if anyone truly cares. It won't make them like you more, and that the movie made obvious to the audience, that it will only bring out the worst in everyone, including your relatives.
The movie is humorous in many ways. I liked Kate at times and at other times, could not stand her. She is the wife of the dimwit who thinks that he has won a million dollars so that he can buy his long desired pickup truck...how many times did I hear that on the bus run here in Phoenix? When I would ask what kind of car would you buy, I would always get the answer a Pick UP truck.
So Kate's line of Am I the only sane one in this family reminded me of when I had said in a positive statement when enrolled in court reporting at Charron Williams in Florida...I am the only sane one in an insane land it seems.
Gee, I could see and hear so many things coming back in this movie that i had experienced over the past many years. Just saying....
And for now, I will let it drop while I see either War Horse or Hercules. War Horse affected me too much today reminding me of the story of Black Beauty too much, so I did not watch it yet.
I am reading Alice Hoffman's book called The Museum of Extraordinary Things. This is a fascinating book which is taking me some time to read. But so far I really like it as I like seeing the New York City of the past unfold before my very eyes. It is a strange story at which I am in a state of dislike for the girl's father who is making her do terrible things...a young girl who lives in her father's museum of extraordinary things...freak show stuff...all simple commodities to entertain the public...the old days were dreadful and times are changing for the better but only because we have mass communication at a level where thousands can make an impact better than they could then...I just went through a terrible garment factory fire which is reminiscent of the World Trade Center in its devastation. New York City seems doomed to be a kind of hell for so many who decide to call it home.
Well, when I finish it, I will write a review of it...I am liking it so far. That's all...time for me to go to bed now.
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