Million Dollar Baby & Sideways

Saw Million Dollar Baby yesterday & Sideways today, as part of my annual see-all-the-oscar-nominees-effort before awards time. Not so easy out here in suburbia where we get all the blockbusters in all the theaters but no film diversity, few independent films, no foreign films. Million Dollar Baby was great in so many ways. Acting was superb, especially Hillary Swank. She surpassed even her brilliant performance in Boys Don't Cry, which is no small feat. Clint was good as an actor but better as director. Morgan Freeman was wonderful as always. His whole manner reminded me a lot of his character in Shawshank Redemption. Appealing, understated, maybe he got a raw deal kind of guy. But I have to tell you, this is one heavy movie. Bloody boxing scenes made me feel nauseated. No happy endings here. Be prepared when you see it but do see it. Loved Sideways! But as an Oscar contender? I don't know about that. Paul Giamatti is so good, as always. I loved him in American Splendor & Private Parts. Thomas Hayden Church was also very good but an oscar? I don't think so, not to minimize his performance. Maybe people were shocked that a sit-com guy could actually act. I was impressed. There was lots of laughing out loud at the showing I attended. See this one too. I'll probably rent it when it comes out even though I've already seen it. Next I'll see Ray, then Neverland. Aviator doesn't really interest me, not a big Leo fan (although he was good in Gilbert Grape & This Boy's Life...not so good in Titanic or Catch Me If You Can). Without having seen anything else yet, I'm guessing Jamie Foxx for best actor, Annette Benning for Being Julia, Million Dollar Baby for Movie & Director. Annette should have won for American Beauty so she'll probably get it this time. Why am I so interested in this stuff? I don't know.

What else? Sam is sick today, some stomach thing. He doesn't complain, just throws up every so often & gets back into bed. So he'll be home from school tomorrow, eating jello & drinking ginger ale. I could never get my kids to drink tea when they're sick. Whenever I was sick growing up, my mom always brought me tea & toast in bed. It was the best.