‘Sully’ Flies High With $35.5 Million Opening

Sully made a much a bigger splash at the box office than was initially expected, touching down at an estimated $35.5 million for the No. 1 spot in its opening weekend.

Playing on 3,525 screens, the Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow drama made $12.2 million on Friday, boosting three-day estimates that were previously set at $24 million for the weekend. The Clint Eastwood-directed film stars Tom Hanks as hero pilot Chelsey "Sully" Sullenberger.

With an 84 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, reviews are solid for the movie about Sully's crucial call to glide an imperiled US Airways jet for a water landing on the Hudson River just minutes after it took off from Laguardia Airport, a decision that saved 155 lives on board in 2009.

CinemaScore polling said opening night moviegoers gave it an A grade on average.

Last Night's Flick

Cade and I gave Allan the American Sniper DVD for Father's Day. I was a bit surprised to learn that he hadn't watched it yet. So, last night the 3 of us got comfortable on the couch.

I'm not normally interested in war movies, and I was hesitant on watching one about a military sniper. Honestly, the only reason I did watch was Bradley Cooper.

I completely understand why he was nominated for an Oscar and I'm totally crushed that he didn't win. His committment to honor the legendary Chris Kyle was nothing short of amazing.

A Son Day on Saturday

Merger related training, etc. have been keeping me incredibly busy. As such, I've been working long hours and haven't seen much of Cade so far this summer. This morning I asked if he wanted to go to breakfast. I was pleasantly surprised that he agreed.

We went to our usual haunt for pancakes and eggs. We had nice conversation, both bringing each other up to speed on what's going on in our lives. Cade and I have always had great conversations, and I relished every moment during breakfast.

After our meal I figured he'd want to go home so he could return to his PS4 games, so I tentatively asked him if there was anything else he wanted to do. I was somewhat shocked when he asked if we could see the Minions movie. Maybe he was missing me as much as I had been missing him? I immediately jumped on Fandango to see the movie times and the movie was starting within 45 minutes.

We headed over to the Wynsong. Since we'd just had breakfast we didn't get any popcorn. We got into the theatre, which was pretty crowded. We were able to get seats on the aisle.

Honestly, I don't remember much about the movie's plot. It had some silly moments and it tied in very nicely with Despicable Me. For me, it wasn't about the movie. I was enjoying Cade's laughter and I was almost brought to tears simply watching him watch the movie.

A Movie Watching Afternoon

An Afternoon At The Movies, "Gone Girl"

I definitely wanted to see this at the theater. Luckily Chad and I were able to catch it today, and at the $2.50 theater!

I'd already read the book, so the movie wasn't as suspenseful for me. Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike both turned in great performances.

Poor, poor Neil Patrick Harris!

A Night At The Movies, "Of Mice And Men"

Last night Chad and I headed to The Grand Theatre to see the Broadway production of Of Mice and Men that was filmed during their final performance. I was really bummed I missed it on Broadway, so this was a very nice means of seeing the show.

The set was absolutely outstanding, as were the lights. Ususally if I notice the lighting it doesn't bode well for the performances. This was not the case with this show at all. The entire production, from start to finish, was amazing and wonderful.

Chris O'Dowd received a Tony nomination and many other accolades for his rendition of Lenny, and deservedly so. He played Lenny with strength, vulnerability and precious heart. While Chad felt there were a few times Chris' accent bled through, I thought he was spot on.

I was pleasantly surprised by James Franco's performance. I really hate that his characterization of George didn't get the buzz that Chris' performance did. There were many times that as good as Chris was, James was even better. His George started out a bit too angry during the opening scene, but the deeper we got into the story, the more rounded his George became. He brought such glorious layers to George!

After seeing the production, I really do wish I had seen it in person. Still, I can console myself with the fact that seeing the movie version allowed for detailed close-ups that I would have missed on Broadway.

Breakfast at Tiffany's, A Man's Perspective

From: Chris
To: Cheryl Ann
Sent: Sun, Jan 19, 2014 1:39 pm
Subject: Breakfast at Tiffany's

This was a weird movie, and I felt lost during it on several occasions. Realizing it was based on a Truman Capote novel makes that somewhat less surprising. 

I liked the idea of spending a day doing things they'd never done before. 

The characters reminded me of Sally and Cliff in Cabaret, at times.

Mickey Rooney's character is an absurd, racist caricature, and completely unnecessary to the film. 

Initially, I was wondering, Why did she let this guy in her house, why did he stay and why was he so curious?

So much smoke at the party at her house. How did none of them start coughing? And how did she always have a cigarette, even when arrested?

That poor wet cat. :-(
----
There is a wildness, spontaneity and craziness about Holly that made me both annoyed by and attracted to her at the same time. And that realization bothers me somewhat. Maybe I'm like her husband, wanting to nurture the wounded, wild animals that I'll never be able to tame or keep once they're well. Which is just as well, since the taming would likely remove the wonderful aspects that made them special in the first place.

I understand the point the movie was trying to make and the closing scene with Fred/Paul drove that home, though his character was somewhat flat. I didn't see enough of a reason why Holly would be in love with him. Though, the why is probably less important than Holly allowing herself to need anyone or anything.

Most memorable quotes:
"You like me baby, you know you do"

"It's useful being top banana in the shock department."

"I don't want to put you in a cage, I want to love you."

"You call yourself a free spirit, a wild thing, and you're terrified somebody's gonna stick you in a cage. Baby, you're already in that cage. You built it yourself."

An Evening At The Movies, "Gravity"

I wouldn't normally be interested in seeing a movie about an astronaut getting lost in space. It's just not really my cup of tea. But after seeing all the positive reviews on Facebook about the movie I asked Chad if he wanted to go.

As we normally do, we headed to The Grand so we could see Gravity in IMAX.

Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about the movie. Yes, Sandra Bullock gave a really good performance. I liked that George Clooney was her astronaut partner. He was a nice calm even when things were going awry.

And yes, the photography, or rather, the special effects were outstanding.

But I never felt the weight of the isolation or the panic in the realization that you are lost in space. It was a beautiful movie to watch, but I really didn't invest in it emotionally.

This Afternoon's Feature

I

Just finished watching this on Netflix and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the spectacle of the movie - Julia Roberts' dresses, the costume ball, the pre-wedding ice skating festivities. I also loved the dwarfs and the plucky Lily Collins as Snow White.

Overall a very cute movie with a very happy ending. Make sure to continue watching the credits. There's a little musical number that sure to make you smile.

A Night At The Movies

As soon as I got home I walked up to Sam who was quietly reading on the couch. "How could you not have fallen in love with Les Miserables?" As Sam looked up he immediately saw the dreaminess in my eyes. He smiled. I sat down and we discussed the movie.

I loved it. I mean loved, loved, loved it. Now to be fair, I've never ever seen the staged version so I had no preconceived notion as to what the movie "should have" looked like. I've heard the music but not enough times that I feel like a song "belongs" to a particular actor. I was able to view the movie objectively and honestly.

Sam didn't think Hugh Jackman could sing. Ah, actually, yes. Yes, the man can sing and beautifully. As soon as he began "Bring Him Home" I was feeling around for my napkin as I knew I was going to cry. And cry I did. Tears running down my cheeks faster than I could dab at them. "Suddenly" was also great. Hugh Jackman was fantastic as Valjean.

Sam didn't have very nice things to say about Russell Crowe's singing either. True, he isn't a strong singer, but his singing didn't bother me at all. It was what it was and I was okay with that. What did bother me was his lack of understanding his character. He played Javert as very one-dimensional. The only time you saw his inner struggle was when the film cut to his feet walking on the edge of the structure. I was disappointed. Russell Crowe can, and should have, done better.

Anne Hathaway's Fantine was okay. I don't think she's a strong singer either, but her singing didn't bother me. "I Dreamed a Dream" was okay. What did bother me was that she chewed the scenery a bit during the prostitute scenes. A slight bit of overacting, in my opinion.

Every time Amanda Seyfried opened her mouth and sung I just wanted her to shut up. Her singing didn't bother me during "Mama Mia" so I just think Cosette's songs were out of her register. And the warbling! Don't get me wrong, she really was the perfect Cosette - innocent, sweet, angel face. She just couldn't sing it.

Sacha Baron Cohen and Helen Bonham Carter as the Thenardiers....basically the same characters they played in Sweeney Todd. Meh.

I really enjoyed seeing Aaron Tveit. I've been listening to his "Catch Me If You Can" CD since seeing the show back in November. Little Daniel Huttlestone was a cutie little moppet.

In addition to being very impressed with Hugh Jackman, I was also impressed with Samantha Barks. Eponine's "On My Own" also brought tears to my eyes and "A Little Fall of Rain" almost had them running down my cheeks. Eddie Redmayne's "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" started a fresh rain of tears.

I loved the movie and would go see it again in an instant. As soon as it comes out on DVD I'll be adding it to my collection.

Last Night's Feature

After last week's movie disaster I had Sam pick out the next DVD from Netflix. As he's taking a Shakespeare class next semester he suggested Anonymous.

Initially it was difficult keeping up with who was who between the present and the flashbacks. Young flashback Edward looked very much like Young (present) Henry. I was finally able to follow along by the length of their pretty blond hair.

We both really enjoyed the overall premise of the movie. Was Shakespeare a fraud as the movie and the poster suggest? According to the movie, Shakespeare was an asshole and it was Edward, Earl of Oxford who wrote the plays. It really does make you wonder...

Last Night's Feature

I received this DVD from my queue back the first of November. Things got busy with work and rehearsals, not to mention Christmas, and it still remained unopened on the desk. Not needing to worrying about going to work today, I asked Sam if he wanted to watch it with me late last night.

Two hours and five minutes. 2 hours and 5 minutes of complete drek. I just don't get why this movie was such the rage when it came out. Everyone I knew was encouraging each other to go see the movie. "It's hilarious!" they all said.

Hilarious? Uh, no. Not even close. It was absolutely ridiculous, tiringly awkward and astoundingly annoying. And Jon Hamm was just, ugh, filthy. The only redeeming part of the entire movie were the scenes with Officer Rhodes.

Sam said it best, "Unfortunately I can't unsee this movie." 

An Afternoon At The Movies

Steer clear of big wooden boxes at yard sales. Especially if your 10 year old seems unnaturally attracted to it.

There wasn't anything particularly scary about the movie. It was the anticipation of something happening that kept me focused.

Well, that and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

A Night At The Movies, "The Amazing Spiderman"

Despite it being Friday the 13th, Chad and I headed to The Grand where we paid $15.00 to see The Amazing Spiderman in IMAX.

I've seen all the 3 other Spiderman movies with Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst and I liked each one of them. I was very surprised to learn that the franchise was being rebooted so soon.

Andrew Garfield's no Tobey Maguire, but he is just as fine as Peter Parker/Spiderman. He does bring more of a cockiness to the role that I wasn't sure I liked.

I was very impressed with Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy. I was not at all familiar with her character since Mary Jane is usually included as Spidey's girlfriend.

I did miss Rosemary Harris as Aunt May. In the reboot Sally Field plays this role and I just didn't buy it. I see all the other characters she's played (Gidget, Sybil, Norma Rae and M'Lynn) so it took me out of the movie during each scene she was in.

Overall, it's a good comic book action movie.

A Night At The Movies, "Snow White and the Huntsman"

Chad and I went to The Grand tonight to catch Snow White and the Huntsman.


Charlize Theron was good as the Evil Queen. Chris Hemsworth was also good as The Huntsman. Kristen Stewart was....well, you've seen one movie with her in it and you've seen the singular character she plays in them all.

Overall, the movie was meh. It certainly was not worth the $9.75 per ticket that we paid to get in. I might have liked it more if it'd been $1.00 through Redbox.

A Night At The Movies, "The Hunger Games"

Chad and I were very excited to plunk down $11.50 at The Grand tonight so we could see The Hunger Games in IMAX.

I enjoyed reading the book, but I do think the movie was even better. Jennifer Lawrence portrayed Katniss and she was fabulous.

I don't think I've ever seen Josh Hutcherson before. He was okay as Peeta. Liam Hemsworth was also okay as Gail.

Elizabeth Banks was a very colorful Effie. I was very impressed with Woody Harrelson's protrayal of Haymitch.

I loved Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman was wonderful. He is such a talented and versatile actor. I also enjoyed seeing Lenny Kravitz as Katniss' costumer, Cinna.

The movie followed the book as closely as it could. I'm already looking forward to the next installment!

An Afternoon At The Movies, "The Woman In Black"

I was fortunate to see a preview performance of The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem's production of The Woman in Black. It was particulary scary but it did have all the elements of a fine ghost story.

So when the movie trailer came out, I was very interested. And since Sam is a Harry Potter fan, he decided to go with me.

Thank goodness we saw a matinee. I would have been upset to have pluncked down full price for this movie. I don't think either one of us liked it.

An Afternoon At The Movies, "The Help"

I enjoyed the book and was very interested in seeing the movie. So today Sam and I decided to catch a matinee.

Other than what little was taught in school, Sam didn't really know much about that era of our history. I absolutely hate that period. I hate that people were treated so badly! And as uncomfortable as I was watching the movie, Sam was even more so.

Viola Davis was outstanding, as was Emma Stone. Even though the movie was changed a bit from the book, it still made me cry.

An Afternoon At The Movies, "Crazy Stupid Love"

Chad is a fan of Steve Carell and I'm a fan of Ryan Gosling, so this was the perfect movie.

I did enjoy it immensly. Admittedly, I do tend to sway whenever I see Ryan's rock hard abs. Emma Stone was a treat, as always.

An Afternoon At The Movies

Mallorie and I really wanted to see this on opening day, but my work schedule interfered. So, we caught the show this afternoon.

We had a great time singing along with our favorite Glee songs "Raise Your Glass," "Jessie's Girl," "Loser Like Me," and "Somebody To Love." Our favorite part of the entire movie was after the credits and the Mini Warbler. He is too cute for words; Mallorie and I laughed until we cried.

We were so inspired by the concert that we decided to finish watching all the Season 2 episodes that we hadn't watched since April.

We are Gleeks and proud of it!