Flashback Friday: Sex and the City (2008)

For many women, their wedding day is supposed to be one of the most important days of their lives. The expectations are that it is supposed to be the gateway to the next chapter of their life story. But what happens when it does not happen as planned?

Sex and the City (2008) is the big-screen sequel to the HBO television series of the same name. After years of will they or won’t they, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Mr. Big (Chris Noth) are engaged. Carrie is preparing for her wedding, having certain ideas about how the day will go.

When he develops cold feet just minutes before the ceremony is about to begin, she is naturally angry and heartbroken. Turning to her friends, Charlotte (Kristin Davis), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and Samantha (Kim Cattrall), they will be the support that she needs to deal with this heartbreaking loss. Meanwhile, each of them are having their own problems. Charlotte has been trying to get pregnant after adopting her oldest daughter. Miranda is dealing with trouble in paradise. Samantha is finding that being in a committed relationship is harder than it initially appeared to be.

I know enough about SATC to get by, but I am far from a superfan. The movie is entertaining, enjoyable, and an appropriate sequel to its television predecessor. The narrative followthrough is organic and natural. It’s the kind of film I would watch if it is on, but it is far from required viewing.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

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Thoughts On Election Results Of The New York State Democratic Gubernatorial Race

Yesterday was primary day for the Democratic party in New York State.

The results surprised no one. Andrew Cuomo, who is in his second term as the Governor of the state of New York, won the primary against activist/actress Cynthia Nixon.

From my perspective, Mr. Cuomo was the best person for the job. Despite the hiccups that have come out of his administration, it was his experience that won me over. While Ms. Nixon fought well, I feel like her lack of political experience and her celebrity got in the way. After having nearly two years of you know who in office, I think I speak for many when I say that I would prefer someone in office who is not a newbie.

However, that does not mean that Mr. Cuomo is off the hook. The fact that Ms. Nixon got as far as she did speaks to the fact that there are many voters in this state who want a true progressive in Albany, instead of one who plays mere lip service to the ideals of the progressive movement. It also speaks to the list of political scandals that are attached to his name and leadership.

While we will have to wait until November to find out if Mr. Cuomo is elected to a third term, I have a feeling that he will be elected to a third term.

 

Thoughts On The 20th Anniversary Of Sex and the City

For most of human history, women’s voices have either been muted or silenced all together. Through generations of struggle, women have come very far in a very short time.

One of the markers of this change is Sex and the City. This week, the show is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Set in New York City, Sex and the City or SATC tells the story about the lives of four single women. Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), the program’s protagonist, is a writer who writes a column about sex and love based on her own life. She is best friends with Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon), an type-A lawyer, Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall), a publicist who has been around the block and Charlotte York (Kristin Davis), a traditionalist who works as an art dealer.

I very much appreciate the groundbreaking aspects of SATC. While the women had quite a few boyfriends, the men were secondary. The women and their friendship was primary. I also very much appreciate that the characters were sexually active and treated it as a natural part of adulthood instead of being ashamed of their actions. No subject was off the table with these women, they talked about issues that everyday women talk about with their friends.

However, I should point out that there are a few chinks in the armor when it comes to SATC.

• While Carrie’s apartment was beautiful, it was a fantasy. Most writers would not be able to afford that apartment in real life.
• The lack of people of color.
• The fact that all of the leading actresses were a little too skinny.
• The hookup culture that permeated the love lives of the characters. There are many women who would prefer wait to sleep with their dates or their significant others.
• The New York City that is presented in SATC has a very glossy feel to it. The New York City that I know is a little grittier and not as pretty.
• In the end, Carrie still lived out the traditional happy ending when she and Mr. Big (Chris Noth) finally made it official.

While SATC was not completely true to life, it was still a huge step forward when it came to how women were portrayed on television. For that reason alone, SATC will live on forever in the heart and minds of the fans and television viewers everywhere.

Thoughts On Cynthia Nixon Running For Governor In NY

Earlier this week, Sex And The City actress Cynthia Nixon announced that she is running for governor in NY.

To be honest, I have mixed feeling about her running.

It’s no secret that there is obvious corruption in the highest levels of state government. More than a few government officials have been accused and/or found guilty of using their power for less than honorable means.

While her political activism is well-known, she lacks real world political experience. I think myself and many other voters might think twice about voting for a candidate who lacks a professional political background. Especially considering that you know is sending this country to Hades in hand basket.

My other concern is that while she appeals to left leaning voters who live in and around New York City, she also has to appeal to voters who live in the rest of the state. Once you get out of New York City, what is blue when it comes to politics becomes red.

Her name recognition certainly helps, but she will need more than that, if she is to find herself in Albany later this year.

Only time will tell if she wins the election, but I have a feeling that it will not be an easy path to walk on, metaphorically speaking.

 

 

Throwback Thursday-Warm Springs (2005)

We have two choices when life throws us a curve ball. We can either roll over and take it or see the opportunities in the curve ball.

In 1921, future President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was crippled by polio. He sought treatment in Warm Springs, Georgia.

In 2005, this period of FDR’s was dramatized in the TV movie, Warm Springs. Stepping into the fictionalized shoes of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt were Kenneth Branagh and Cynthia Nixon. While FDR is being treated for polio, he is helping to revitalize the spa and inspire the other patients, in addition to trying to keep his marriage afloat.

In American politics and American history, both FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt are giants. In humanizing the main characters, the audience sees another to the late President and First Lady that only a select few during his time in office saw.

I recommend it.

A Quiet Passion Movie Review

Emily Dickinson is one of the most iconic poets in American history.

The new film, A Quiet Passion, starring Cynthia Nixon as Emily and Jennifer Ehle as her sister/best friend Vinnie, starts off when Emily is a young woman. Unconventional from an early age, the film starts when Emily is in school. The teacher asks the students a question about religion. While the rest of the students quietly answer the teacher’s question, Emily is outwardly defiant and answers the teacher’s question on her own terms.

A short time later, the film flashes forward to Emily as an adult. Still unconventional, Emily writes in the early morning hours and shows no interest in the traditional path of marriage and children. As illness sets in and she becomes a recluse with a very sharp tongue, life changes and the relationships with her sister and brother, Austin (Duncan Duff) are tested.

I must clarify something before I proceed. I have heard of Emily Dickinson, but I have not read any of her poetry. This review is strictly based on the movie and not my knowledge (or lack thereof) of her life and work. My problem with the film is that a) it’s long and b) even with a stellar cast and respected writer/director like Terrence Davies, I was really just underwhelmed by the film.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

A Quiet Passion is presently in theaters.