More than 5 years old and this TV movie still moves me to tears each time I see it. Gracieâs Choice is about a 17 year-old girl who all her life has taken on the responsibility of raising her siblings, a sister and three brothers who all have different fathers, because of the irresponsibility of their addict mom. Kristen Bell plays the part of Gracie and Anne Heche, who was nominated for an Emmy for the role, played the mother.
The familyâs state has been horrible for years but things came to a boiling point when the mom was jailed sending the kids to institutions that meant tearing the whole family apart. Gracie steps up to the plate with their grandma helping her as she struggled to provide for the family, do well in school, and somehow raise the kids well. Things go well enough for them with Gracie even meeting a wonderful guy who loves her and helps expand her horizons, until her mother gets out of jail. The grandma, who is very easily manipulated by her daughter agrees to let her stay with them despite her continuous drug use and the financial strain she brought by cashing in the kids welfare checks and using it all on herself and her boyfriends. Gracie finally fights back, knowing full well that sheâll lose her family if they stay with their mom, and decides to adopt her own brothers.
Kristen Bell and Anne Heche played their roles very convincingly so much that it tears my guts up just watching the movie. Anne Heche is so effective in her role that you canât help but pity her despite the utter disgust youâll also feel at seeing how bad her kids has it because of her.
Whatâs even more remarkable about the TV movie is that it is based on a true story. Readerâs Digest first published the story of Amy and her family. Iâve been looking for updates on them but so far havenât found any. You canât help but really admire the real Amy and hope for the best for the whole family.
This is one must watch TV movie. I should know Iâve seen it several times and it never fails to tug at my heartstrings and inspire to be better at the same time.
Love, Engagements, and Weddings On TV
Relationships and love are at the center of most TV programs, at least tangentially. Sometimes you can compare your successes with TV character successes. Sometimes you watch reality TV shows just to see how much of a train wreck other people’s lives can be. But sometimes it’s interesting just to theorize how your own concepts of love, engagements, and weddings fit with that of mass consciousness.
Some of the shows that you can look at to pique your curiosity include reality shows featuring bachelors and bachelorettes, reality shows about real housewives, bridezillas in progress, and ever-popular soap operas for people who are interested in extended timelines. [Read more…]
Reese Witherspoon is âWildâ About the New Role She is Playing
If a 1,100 mile hike up the Pacific Crest Trail isn’t enough to âclear your head,â nothing will. Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, knows this firsthand. After a series of disastrous events including a divorce, the death of her mother, and a brief stint on the streets, the twenty-something made the long journey from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State alone and without any experience or training. Her book, a New York Times Bestseller and Oprah 2.0 Book Club selection, was voted Best Nonfiction Book of 2012 by The Boston Globe and Entertainment Weekly.
Director Jean-Marc Vallee of âDallas Buyers Clubâ fame joined forces with Reese Witherspoon to bring Strayedâs story to the big screen. Witherspoon plays the lead and co-produced the film. To prepare for the role, she spent time getting to know Strayed intimately. The two were together at the filmâs premiere at the Telluride Film Festival. Witherspoon was quoted by Deadline.com as saying, ââI donât know which one of us cried more watching this.â
âWildâ takes its toll on the emotions. Written with a female audience in mind, it pulls at the heartstrings. Witherspoon, an accomplished actress, is said to have given her best onscreen performance since âWalk the Line.â An Oscar nod is thought to be headed her way. Mixed reviews, however, question the filmâs need to revisit the past. It is said the reason behind the journey is significantly less important than the journey itself. The hike and what it had to teach Strayed is whatâs important. Only time will tell how others will view the film as it makes its way to Vancouver next.
âWildâ opens in theaters nationwide on December 5th.
Wild Movie Poster Courtesy of FoxSearchlight.com
Cheryl Strayed Photo Courtesy of CherylStrayed.com
Film Deals & Hollywood
Celebrity gigs â which stars are contractually obligated to do- make being in the movies seem like itâs all about the art of movie making; these days, however, itâs all about the deal. The perfect example of this is the contract Arnold agreed to for Terminator 3: The Rise of the Machines. The contract was put together by Jacob Bloom, Schwarzeneggerâs lawyer. It took at least twenty-one drafts and ended up running thirty-three pages long. [Read more…]
Top 3 Most Sin-sational Las Vegas Casino Heists Of All Time
Everyone has seen Hollywoodâs treatment of Las Vegas, the mega-millionaire, tight-fisted casino owners facing off against the lovable bandits. The silver screen isnât the only place where wild crimes happenâthese are three casino heists are so sensational, you wonât be able to believe they really happened.
12 Years on the Run –Â Heather Tallchief and Roberto Solis
A regular Bonnie and Clyde pair, the story of Heather Tallchief and Roberto Solis puts a modern spin on things. In September of 2005, Heather Tallchief turned herself in after almost twelve years on the run from the law. The trouble had started in October of 1993, when Tallchief, a new driver for the Loomis armored truck company, took off in the truck she was supposed to be protecting. In it, more than $2.5 million belonging to Circus Circus, a hotel-casino in Las Vegas. [Read more…]