Tag: gustafson

AMWAM Review of Magic in the Moonlight

On By KatieIn AMWAM, book reviewsLeave a comment

Magic in the Moonlight (2014)

Rating: PG-13

Run-time/Word Count: 97 Minutes/Words

Review: Which is most charming: the timeless Colin Firth, the fresh and vibrant Emma MV5BMTQ3NDY5NjIwN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjQ2ODkxMjE@._V1_SY317_CR0,0,214,317_AL_Stone, or a French-country setting in the 1920s? It’s hard call to make in this classically whimsical Woody Allen film. Luckily, the three complement each other in a way that is…well…charming. Magic in the Moonlight is listed as a “romantic comedy,” but it doesn’t quite fit into that genre. If you’re expecting “chick flick” then you might be disappointed. However, it is magical, eccentric and refreshing…Sort of like you went to a Gatsby party but knew when to leave. Frankly? I loved it.

AMWAM Review of The Giver

On By KatieIn AMWAM, book reviewsLeave a comment

The Giver (2014)

Rating: PG-13

Run-time/Word Count: 97 Minutes/Words

Review: What may seMV5BMTY1MTIxMjg2Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMjUyNzgwMjE@._V1_SX214_AL_em to copy Recently-Popular- YA-Dystopian Lit-Based-Films is actually based on Lois Lowry’s book which preceeded Hunger Games or Divergent by twentyish years.  The casting is mostly well-done: Jeff Bridges is empathy-stirring as the exhausted Giver, Brenton Thwaites is innocent and passionate as Jonas, Katie Holmes is surprisingly believable as “stoic, creepy mom,” and Meryl Streep has weird bangs.

If you’ve read the book, don’t be deterred by the full-color movie trailer with high action shots: the film actually does follow it pretty closely.  With more heart than you’d expect, this book-based flick is worth seeing.

Introducing Something New: AMWAM Film Reviews!

On By KatieIn AMWAM, book reviewsLeave a comment

Introducing AMWAM (As Many Words As Minutes) Film Reviews

The idea for this concept came about on New Years Eve when my husband and I raided the local Redbox for our New Year’s Party of Two (Yes, we are wild). Normally, we dress up, make some kind of fancy dinner, dance and have some champagne at home followed by a late-night movie. Well, this year I am pregnant and our fridge was broken, so I got some low-prep appetizers and ingredients for mock-champagne (will post on my food section) along with three movies of 2014 that we hadn’t seen: The Giver, Left Behind (the remake) and Magic in the Moonlight.
It had been awhile since I had a movie marathon, and the contrast between these diverse films (and our enjoyment of them) left me wanting to share about with friends and on my blog. However, I also wanted to keep it short and to the point. Movie reviews can be kind of daunting without a word limit. Too much pressure often means it doesn’t happen! So I had a thought: Why not make the word limit the same as the number of minutes in each film? Thus, I give you, AMWAM (pro-nounced “Am-Wham”) Movie Reviews. These will include my brief, honest, and non-spoilery opinion to help you in your film-choosing. Keep an eye out for my AMWAM Reviews of movies recently released at theatres, Redbox or even Netflix!

About Me

On By KatieIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

My name is Kathryn, but you can call me Katie. I was raised as the only child of two right-brained p10388061_10204184413143516_8956436807531433291_nsychotherapists. I’m married to a creative (but incredibly logical and practical) Viking guy from Florida who balances out my ADD and surges of emotional intensity. We currently live on a farm that was started by my great-grandparents in the middle of Nowhere-On-The-Outskirts-of-Extremely-Small-Town Mississippi. Sometimes things fall apart out here in a manner reminiscent of the Chevy Chase film, “Funny Farm,” but we love it anyway. I’m a Southern girl who’s not really all that Southern (though my family is). While I am working towards my Masters degree in English and Creative Writing, I am also teaching Zumba classes, writing my own material and trying to get people around me into healthy lifestyle changes (not such an easy thing in Mississippi). I love movies, books, the arts, healthy cooking, and people watching. I am a Christian who is not afraid of feelings, and I dabble in fiction. I’m also expecting my first baby, so I’m sure there will be blog posts about that, too. I suppose this blog is for anyone who has trouble defining them selves by one thing. I think most of us do have difficulty with that, if we’re honest. I hope you’ll follow me as I write where I am.

Letter to a Concerned Friend from The Grieving Heart

On By KatieIn LifestyleLeave a comment

Dear friend,

As the words “How are you doing?”  or  “Are you okay?” spill out of your mouth, I know that you are only asking because you care.  You are trying to help by showing me that yes, you remembered, you understand, you know it’s been hard.

Sometimes maybe you ask because you feel like you have to before we can discuss anything else. You want to get it over with.

A lot of times you just ask because you think it’s probably the only thing you can do.

Actually, there is nothing you can do. Continue reading “Letter to a Concerned Friend from The Grieving Heart” →