Flashback Friday-Michelle Pfeiffer 90’s Tearjerkers-To Gillian On Her 37th Birthday (1996) & The Deep End Of The Ocean (1999)

Michelle Pfeiffer has had quite a career. Acting since the early 1980’s, the roles she has played over the years have varied.

In this post, I want to concentrate on her work in the mid to late 1990’s and more specifically, two tear-jerkers/dramas that attempted to not leave a dry eye in the house.

In To Gillian On Her 37th Birthday, David Lewis (Peter Gallagher) is mourning the death of his wife, Gillian (Michelle Pfeiffer). The problem is that David is so deep in his grief that he does not notice how his life is falling apart and that his daughter teenage Rachel (Claire Danes) needs him.

Three years later in 1999, she starred in yet another tear-jerker/drama. In The Deep Of The Ocean, Beth and Pat Cappadora (Michelle Pfeiffer and Treat Williams) have three young children, a solid marriage and a happy life. Then their pre-school age son, Ben disappears. Finding Ben becomes an obsession that nearly destroys Beth and Pat’s marriage. A decade later, Ben (Ryan Merriman) is found. But he answers to the name of Sam and does not remember or know who Beth and Pat are.

This genre is a questionable one for me. It is questionable, because depending on certain factors, the film can either stir the heart or it can be utterly depressing. The films above have just enough emotion and narrative to keep the audience going without requiring too many tissues.

I recommend them.

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Jefferson’s Children: The Story of One American Family Book Review

Family is complicated. The bonds of blood and DNA sometimes entangle us more than we would like them to. Add in race and an American myth and you have Jefferson’s Children: The Story of One American Family.

Written by Shannon Lanier, a descendant of Thomas Jefferson, the book explores the often complicated and difficult relationship between the many descendants of our 3rd President. For the last two centuries, a story has been circulating throughout America. After the death of Jefferson’s wife, he began a decades long affair with Sally Hemings, one of his slaves who was not only decades younger than he, but also his late wife’s half-sister.

Centuries later, the descendants of Thomas Jefferson and the children he sired by both his wife and his slave are numerous. But with the passage of time and the sometimes shaky relations between the races in this country, several of Jefferson’s white descendants (or those who families have passed for white for generations) question not only the validity of the myth, but also that they have cousins who are African-American.

I found this book to be fascinating. It’s fascinating because it attests to the fact that America is a complicated country and her people are equally as complicated.

I recommend it.

Isaac Mizrahi: An Unruly History Review

Among the top designers within the fashion industry, Isaac Mizrahi is unique.

While his design aesthetic appeals to those who follow the fashion industry (and can afford the high-end clothing worn by the rich and famous), they also have an appeal to the every day woman. A respected name in the industry since the late 80’s, Mizrahi not only respects his clients, but also knows how to dress them.

Isaac Mizrahi: An Unruly History opened at the Jewish Museum in New York City in March. The exhibit contains sketches, samples from his collections over the years and clips from interviews and runway shows.

While I do not follow the fashion industry, I can see the passion, drive and all-consuming love that Mizrahi has for his profession. His clothes, to my surprise, are also surprisingly adaptable to the average woman on the street.

The exhibit leaves the Jewish Museum on Sunday. See it while you can.

Isaac Mizrahi: An Unruly History will be at the Jewish Museum until Sunday, August 7th. The Museum is located at 1109 5th Ave at 92nd St in New York City.