The Constant Gardener

"Gardener" was ok, but not a good movie for the guy's night out. Something to laugh about later. My movie-buff/committed-Christian boss liked ‘Gardener’ but said it wasn’t exactly a feel-good movie…his wife wouldn’t want to see it again. Most reviews will tell you the wife dies, and that the movie deals with big drug companies testing drugs on the poor in Africa. But there’s even more depressing stuff than that! Kind of political, kind of educational, but most definitely a thriller. I do like Ralph Fiennes. Plugged In liked Gardner (it could win Best Picture), but said it could’ve been better had it been cut to make it PG-13 instead of R.

Before the movie, Steve Falis was talking about picking out movies for Sarah, that didn’t turn out well. Then we picked ‘Gardener’. It did have a story…(spoiler alert) both the main characters died! Even Steve was pretty quiet. A political movie slamming big drug companies testing new drugs out on the poor in Africa.

While last week’s classic ‘Flightplan’ moved on, we still had a couple of options. I ruled out ‘Saw 2’, since none of us have seen the original, so we’d had been lost (did I use that joke last week?). Ceil has already seen ‘Pride & Prejudice’, so that one’s out (feel free to overrule me, but our wives will either be jealous, or think even higher of us if we saw that). Aeon Flux is supposedly a real violent, futuristic sci-fi movie. This morning I re-read the Aeon Flux review…that it’s like most sci-fi action movies. They weren’t that crazy about ‘Just Friends’…about a guy that didn’t want to advance his relationship (sleep with) his high school friend, for fear of messing up the friendship. I suppose it’s a comedy. Everyone here is high on the old movie ‘Office Space’…they say it’s funny. Jennifer Anniston is in it, but the guys supposedly steal the show.

We've been seeing lots of movies lately. I may have told you about last Saturday, when we went to see three different movies at the same time. We still don't go as much as some folk.
Wallace & Gromit...me & M...Sat
Dreamer...W & A (then me & M)...Sat
Pride & Prejudice...C...Sat
Tip of the Spear...W...Sun
Charlie & the Chocolate Factory...both Sun &Mon
The Constant Gardener...Tues
Pirates of the Caribbean...Wed
My Fellow Americans...Wed

Ceil's going off tonight, so there might be another movie tonight.

Signed up to chaperone on Will's Science expedition to Jeckel Island...a five day trip. Becky Norman will be chaperoning as well...at least three, perhaps all four of her youngest boys will be going. Willis is now 16, I think, and is very tall...6'8"...he still pays basketball for the home school team, far as I know. Willis is very artistic, and this summer he’s going overseas on a two-week drama-mission trip, sponsored by the science school.

The Steelers got to pick what color jersey to wear, and the coach picked white instead of black. Interesting SI article on the NFL commissioner.

Women's tennis seems as popular as ever, even with hardly any Americans in the top of the rankings...Davenport and Capriati aside. Seems like the Williams sisters aren't very consistent...only playing well when they 'feel' like it. Their choice, I suppose.

I like the Burns baseball documentary, and yes, it’s hard it get interested in the 1900s…all those shots of photos/drawings. The Negro Leagues is more interesting, but its hard to compare eras and leagues that played a different number of games per season, where stats aren’t available. Too bad for Josh Gibson.

No surprise the Braves are loading up on arms going into spring training. The younger guys will really have to do well to beat out the older guys…at least that's the way it was when Leo was here.

The good thing about our wedding was that Ceil's mom made all the arrangements in SC while we were in Atlanta. There wasn't much Ceil and I tried to manage (just the music and preacher).

Been in a trance here at work. Had writer's block, coming up with stuff to talk about.