Movies. Mel Gibson cut a few minutes of violent footage from The Passion, apparently to make it more friendly for family audiences. Not having seen either one, I cannot judge things, but this sounds akin to making moonshine the family beverage of choice by taking 1% of the alcohol out of it. Still, there are other movies and things to do while not concerned with Easter weekend happenings ...
The Upside of Anger is the second excellent Joan Allen film this year, after Off the Map, and apparently a third (Yes) is on its way. Anyway, Kevin Costner plays an ex-baseball player (a Detroit Tiger, apparently following his perfect game in For Love of The Game), so that alone promised to make the movie worthy watching. After all, except for perhaps that last film, all his sports movies have been eminently watchable.
This is not a sports movie, nor is it really about Costner, but it truly is well worth watching. Joan Allen plays an upper middle class woman not only angry, but thoroughly pissed, after her husband leaves her and their four girls. And, she is not just angry about that -- her daughters aren't choosing paths quite matching what she would have wished.
Joan Allen's character is not that lovable, even if we can understand her pain and drinking. It does retain our respect, however, as does Costner's character, even if on first blush he is a bit of a loser. The movie also allows time for each of the daughters and a refreshingly shallow co-worker, all providing their own stories. It all ties up into a superior whole with Joan Allen making an early bid for an Oscar nomination.
Television. The NYT Sunday Magazine last weekend had an article on the Canadian teen drama/soap opera Degrassi: The Next Generation, accessible in the United States through the Noggin Network. It gave it the respect it deserves, not only for its superior plots and acting, but because of its broad popularity. The show received some notoriety a few months back because an episode dealing with a teenage character's abortion was not shown here.
I was able to have someone download it, though was not able to see Part I on my computer. Part II, the actual abortion episode, was quite good. It examined the issue from different sides, including the father's (from a broken home) desire to have a child of his own. Also, somewhat against type, the teen crusader of the show comes out as against abortion but able to defend her friend's right to make the choice.
Books. I was able to purchase a cheap copy of Ellen Alderman and Caroline Kennedy's book In Our Defense, which discusses the Bill of Rights by providing the stories of some who won and lost cases involving them. Re-reading it, again, I found it very good with a good ear for storytelling. It also is important to remember that the Supreme Court is not always the end of the line; it fact, it often is not, for the litigants' whose cases reach that far.
For instance, Tison v. Arizona is a well-known felony murder case in which the defendants ultimately lost 5-3. Nonetheless, it turns out that though the actual shooter that was caught (their dad died of exposure after escaping) was executed, the Arizona courts ultimately found the Tisons not culpable on remand. [After the book went to press.] The book itself noted of one case where the plaintiffs lost, but Congress decided ultimate to protect their interests anyway. Life, as always, is a lot more complicated than some might think it is.
Walking Dead is a teen novel that explores suicide, group dynamics, and the realization by a popular girl that there is more to life than what she took as a pretty fine existence. It also uses poetry to try to get into the head of a unpopular girl that Megan, the protagonist, finds is not quite who she thinks. The author is Australian, so it takes place down under, which gives it an interesting pitch. It's a reminder that adults can get something out of "teen" fiction.