Monday Minivan Media

I miss the days of the auto play with playlist.com on this blog.  I really put a lot of time into figuring out which song would go best with the theme for the blog post that day, so much so that Vanilla Ice gave my laptop a virus.  Of course, back then I didn't have a job and this blog was about all I had going on outside of my mom life, so picking out a song was of paramount importance and could take another hour of time.  I don't really have that luxury anymore.  BUT.  That doesn't mean I don't get out once in a while, and since I really love movies and music, I am going to dedicate Monday's blog in January to my Minivan Media report.

Picture yourself in the front seat of my Venture.  (Oh yes.  You're already green with envy over my life of obvious excess.)  We both have a grande skinny vanilla latte, and we have a little time to kill.  We could be waiting for our kids, or for our meth dealer to show up.  No matter.  We're here, in the van, together.  Let's talk pop culture.

Today's movie:  The King's Speech

I saw this movie last week with one of my Mount Vernon homies, and it was awesomeness to the fourth power.  It had the trifecta:

1. Colin Firth
2. Gorgeous vintage sets
3. British people

I am an unabashed Anglophile.  It started with the Beatles and continued with Princess Diana, then paused for a moment at Sid & Nancy (a movie I LOVED, but it made British people look a little dirty and prone to junkie stabbings), and then came back full-on with the A&E version of Pride and Prejudice.  I love Brits so much that when Hugh Grant got his hummer from the prostitute in LA, I thought, "Unfortunate, but I'd still let him colonize me." 

Current Husband will not abide my travel into England because he knows damn well that the moment I step into Heathrow and someone says something like, "Spare a pound, miss?" I might be tempted to sleep with him.  "Fancy we get a flat together and go round for a pint" and it's over, I'm staying.

Call me Mummy and you can eat my crumpet.

The acting was terrific, the story was fantastic, and the movie was as rich as shortbread at tea with the Queen.  Here is a clip if you haven't seen it yet:  The King's Speech trailer.

Even Helena Costume Drama was excellent (that is a friend's brilliant nickname for her, but I would love to take credit) and I don't ever WANT to like Helena Bonham Carter in anything, because she was The Other Woman when Emma Thompson was married to Kenneth Branagh.  Kenneth left Emma for Helena, and Emma wallowed in depression for a year before her mother told her to get out of bed and pull herself up, for God's sake, and so Emma did and made a movie called Sense & Sensibility, where Emma won an Oscar and eventually married the man who played the hot but scoundrelly (and noticably younger) Willoughby.  SO, I'm always wanting to dislike HBC and say, "See, that bitch that helped break Emma's heart is a posuer", but guess what?  HBC is always good, and I can't help but admire her as an actress.

Colin, are you quite sick of that gorgeous Spanish wife of yours? 

Because I'm married to Tim Burton and I'm sure he won't mind.

As an important side note, I did have a large Diet Coke and eat buttered popcorn and peanut M&Ms concurrently, which added to my movie-viewing pleasure considerably, even though it cost $45.  Also, no one behind my talked on their cell phone, or yelled out one-liners at the movie screen in that age-old contest called "Who's the Cleverest Person in the Theater!?" where everyone is a loser.

The King's Speech rating: A+

Guys - while there are no tits, there are some nice bits of vulgarity.  No guns, robots, or Megan Fox, but it is more endurable than a romance and you'll get points for going.  You'll feel smarter when you leave, and can brag that you saw it and talk about the historical perspective without acting like you're really interested.  It's a win-win.