Holly E. Minter

“Juno”, that is.  I know I’m a little behind the times, but I just watched it last night.

OK, first of all, I watch the Academy Awards every year, even though I haven’t seen a lot of the nominated movies (most of the movies I see these days are animated).  I usually just assume the Academy knows what it’s talking about and that the movies and performances are worthy of their nominations.  Now that I have seen Ellen Page’s performance as Juno, however, I don’t think it was an Oscar-worthy performance.  In fact, no one in that film seemed really to be stretching their acting muscles.

And, of course, there was the story.  Juno wasn’t exactly the brightest bulb in the lamp if she had unprotected sex.  It’s one thing if you try to protect yourself and the protection fails, but to have no protection at all is just plain irresponsible and stupid.  Especially in this day and age.  That’s why when I had seen previews and clips from this movie I thought it was set back in the 70’s or something.  It just didn’t seem modern.  The whole film felt outdated, between the weird clothes everyone wore and the unrealistic dialogue.  It felt as if the makers of this film were trying too hard to make something cool and different and ended up making something unnatural and sappy.

I can say a few good things about it.  I thought Jennifer Garner gave a believable and sweet performance as a woman who desperately wanted to be a mother.  I also liked the fact that Juno didn’t decide to keep the baby but gave it to Garner’s character whom we know will love and care for it as if it were her own.

I just hope I never have a daughter like Juno.  Besides the whole getting-pregnant-at-sixteen thing, Juno was a sassy, smart-alecky, potty-mouthed, inconsiderate little freak.  I know most teenagers are like that sometimes (I was one not that long ago), that they are unsure of themselves, and that having to make a difficult decision about a pregnancy would be hard for any kid to handle.  And even though you saw more compassion develop in Juno throughout the film, and the fact that she’ll probably at least use some condoms from now on, we didn’t see enough of her after the birth of the baby to find out if she had changed much.  If Juno was a real person, I certainly wouldn’t want to see her have any children of her own, like, ever.

And maybe that was the whole point–that this kid definitely wasn’t ready to be a parent now or anytime in the near future.

So, if you can’t tell, I wasn’t really a fan of the film and won’t be rushing out to buy it on DVD to watch all the bonus features.  In fact, I wish I had spent those couple hours last night watching “Sweeney Todd” instead.

I saw a truly heartbreaking sight on my way to the gym this morning.  Two baby deer, still young enough to have their white spots, were lying dead on the side of the road, probably twenty feet apart.  I didn’t see signs of the mother, so she must have made it across.  If only the babies had been so lucky.  How sad that they were trying to cross the highway, between two fields (which is a rare thing in itself to see in the city), and neither baby made it across.  How disgusting that the driver who hit them (both probably) was going so fast that he couldn’t be bothered to slow down or change lanes to try to avoid one or both of them.  And how tragic for that mother who carried those babies in her womb for months and months, nursed them, and tried to protect them, to lose them both.

If it doesn’t make you try to be a more considerate driver to people and other animals, you don’t have much of a heart.

My Hedican is leaving.

I had heard a rumor that Bret Hedican, Kristi Yamaguchi, and their family were moving to California.  But the above story confirms it.  The Hurricanes have lost key defenseman Glen Wesley to retirement, now Bret Hedican, another invaluable player, is leaving due to free agency.

Bret has been my favorite player since I started following the Hurricanes eight years ago, so I am disappointed to hear that he is leaving.  I know that most players move on at some point but you never want it to be your most-loved player.

I wish Bret all the best but he will be missed by this fan and, I am sure, by many others as well.  And I will keep wearing my number 6 Hedican jersey when I watch the Hurricanes play this fall.

The above picture of toilet paper is just another example of how we’re paying more for less.

I went to Sam’s Club a few days ago and one of the products I purchased was a bundle of 36 rolls of toilet paper.  I have been purchasing the same brand of paper since I joined Sam’s last year.

The first difference I noticed between my previous purchase and this latest purchase was the price.  I paid nearly $3 more for the same amount of toilet paper.  Since I had not purchased a bundle in a few months, I simply assumed that our economy’s current state of recession was the culprit.

However, when I began to put away the toilet paper, I noticed something that made me do a double take.  The new roll of toilet paper was shorter than the old one!  That’s funny, I thought.  I looked at the numbers on the old package, and sure enough, each new package has 9.4 square feet less than the old one!  It might not seem like much, but the fact that I’m paying more money for less paper is maddening.

I fell in love with Anne of Green Gables two decades ago, first the books by L.M. Montgomery, then the miniseries directed by Kevin Sullivan and starring the perfect portrayer of Anne, Megan Follows.  This year marks the 100th anniversary of the first publication of Anne.

I recently watched the Anne miniseries for the umpteenth time but this time I listened to the director’s commentary (because I’m a geek and that’s what we do).  Sullivan remarked on the staying power of Montgomery’s novels, saying that he was often asked why her story remains so popular.  He mentioned the fact that the stories represent a simpler time, but the characters embody the sort of values that are still important, even our current fast-paced society.  The characters are smart, funny, interesting, and of course, there are the main plot points at the heart of the series–the love story between Anne and Gilbert, the “bosom” friendships, the strength of family and friends.  It’s also a coming-of-age story, and even though Anne grows up in a different time, she has the same fears and doubts, triumphs and emotions at her core that children today still experience.

I enjoy the films, and although I think Mr. Sullivan did a lovely job with his first two Anne films (where the hell did the idea for that third one come from?), much like most films adapted from books, it simply cannot compare to the real story, the written word which allows the reader to get lost in the story, to step into Anne’s world and let her imagination mingle with the reader’s own.

Watching the film always makes me think of the books, and then the other books I love, and then writing, and then I get that queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach because I feel as if I will never have anything published myself (Anne is one of the reasons I’ve always wanted to be a writer because she is one in the series).  Part of it is my own fault, of course.  I mean, one needs to actually finish a story before it can be published.  But to have that kind of longevity, to touch generation after generation of readers is my ultimate dream.  But it seems so far out of my reach.  I feel like all the stories have been told, like it’s all been done before.  What can I add?  What can I come up with that is new and different and interesting?  At the moment, I can’t think of anything.

But I’m going to start forcing myself to write every day, even if it’s just bilge.  Maybe someday I’ll be writing utter nonsense and suddenly come up with a brilliant idea for a story.  And I will keep on rereading my favorite books, the ones with the stories that never get old.