dual personalities

We had some crazy midwestern weather the other night, tornadoes et al, but we are okay and no one died. We are once again reminded that with all our scientific advancements, they still can’t control the weather, try as they might. They’re not even that good at predicting it.

While daughter #1 was home this past weekend, we watched Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), which, as you know, is one of my top-five American movies of all time. I have recently re-read the Truman Capote novella…

…and it was good to see the movie and how great Audrey Hepburn was (as opposed to Marilyn Monroe, whom TC imagined in the part.) We enjoyed it and it lifted our spirits, as all favorite movies do.

Anyway, it got me thinking–in the middle of the night when all great thinking is done–about my top-five movies of all time and how they haven’t changed over the years.

They are (in order by year of production): The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) directed by Michael Curtiz; Stagecoach (1939) directed by John Ford; The Wizard of Oz (1939) directed by Victor Fleming; Shane (1953) directed by George Stevens; and Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) directed by Blake Edwards.

These movies are in my opinion perfect and I would not change a thing about them. I guess it’s sad that there is no movie on my list after 1961!

It got me thinking about what movies would round out my top 10 and I came up with these: To Have and Have Not (1943) directed by Howard Hawks; The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) directed by William Wyler; My Darling Clementine (1948) directed by John Ford; The Searchers (1956) directed by John Ford; Ben Hur directed by William Wyler (1959).

Those are 10 great movies!

Do you have a top-ten list? You might try making one. And then buy the DVDs. They’ll be canceling them soon. I mean did you ever see the Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episode (2020) where they do the take-off of Toy Story? At the end Ben Mankiewicz starts to introduce what’s coming up next on TCM–some movie with Debbie Reynolds saying something ethnically offensive about the Irish–and then he says, “And next on TCM…Nothing.” Blank screen. I’m not the only one that worries about this.

Speaking of movies, here’s an article by Paul Zahl about Hammer horror films, just in time for Halloween. He even comments on private baptisms–“let’s hear it again for private baptisms on Saturday afternoons — public baptisms on Sunday morning are starting to get old.”  Amen, brother.

And this is a great article about the importance of actually going to church on Sunday morning and the inanity of “self-care Sunday.”

Where is that big eye freaked out emoji? Decorate “some” pumpkins? How many? With what? But seriously, if that freaks you out as it does me, keep scrolling to discover that “loving yourself first” is one of the key ingredients of self-care Sunday, as well as taking a hot bath and “loving yourself instead of loving the idea of other people loving you.”

I saw this quote from Jeremiah 10:23 in a daily devotional I follow: “Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own;
    it is not for them to direct their steps.” True, true, true.

Curious, I looked up the rest of the prayer, which in typical Episcopalian fashion, the author of the devotional had left out. Oh golly, always look for the context:

Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own;
    it is not for them to direct their steps.
²⁴ Discipline me, Lord, but only in due measure—
    not in your anger,
    or you will reduce me to nothing.
²⁵ Pour out your wrath on the nations
    that do not acknowledge you,
    on the peoples who do not call on your name.
For they have devoured Jacob;
    they have devoured him completely
    and destroyed his homeland.

Have a good day!

*The Grateful Dead