tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16659850.post6574978815461705747..comments2024-03-17T03:42:21.277-05:00Comments on LEARNING CURVE ON THE ECLIPTIC: "THE BUTLER"Twilighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14138621610593773784noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16659850.post-74791365918776318452013-08-24T08:00:25.608-05:002013-08-24T08:00:25.608-05:00LB ~ Yes, Lincoln maybe ought to have been differ...LB ~ Yes, <i>Lincoln </i> maybe ought to have been differently titled. It did focus directly on abolition of slavery and the fight to achieve it, as did its British counterpart <i>Amazing Grace</i> about William Wilberforce's struggles for the same ends. I've since seen that one on DVD.Twilighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14138621610593773784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16659850.post-84263773353151854862013-08-23T19:40:50.238-05:002013-08-23T19:40:50.238-05:00My husband and I just started going to the movies ...My husband and I just started going to the movies within the past year or so - it's become a nice treat, and I relate to your wanting to support local theaters. <br /><br />To be honest, I don't know that I'm all that particular either, though it sounds like we try to avoid some of the same kinds of movies. The movie "Lincoln" happened to come out right after I'd finished reading about Frederick Douglass and the abolitionists and their *long* struggle to influence President Lincoln and others. My understanding is the movie focuses on a brief period of time at the end of Lincoln's presidency and the point he eventually arrived at, not the path it took to get there - after what I'd read, the picture it painted seemed misleading.LBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16659850.post-79113826156775078152013-08-23T17:59:35.972-05:002013-08-23T17:59:35.972-05:00LB ~ These days I'll go see anything without l...LB ~ These days I'll go see anything without lots of gore, gratuitous violence, juvenile "humour", or cast with an average age of 19 doing work according to plot which would tax a well-seasoned professional with many years' experience.<br />All of which doesn't leave a lot of choice! We do like to patronise our local cinema to try to keep it alive, though, so can't be too discerning beyond certain limitations. :-)<br /><br />There were only 5 other couples in the audience on Monday evening, and not many cars outside, so the other 5 screens were not doing too well either.<br />I guess movie theatres are going the way of all flesh, and blogs, and hand-written letters, and even e-mails. Dang!!<br /><br />I saw both <i>Lincoln</i> and <i>Argo</i> and did enjoy them both, being previously largely uneducated about the stories they were telling, other than in "headline" fashion. Simply had to see <i>Lincoln</i> as it has David Strathairn, Tommy Lee Jones and James Spader - 3 of my favourites at one sitting!<br /><br />Thanks - I'm glad my scribbles on the movies are of interest. I enjoy doing them. :-)Twilighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14138621610593773784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16659850.post-12463467171139511122013-08-23T16:18:06.777-05:002013-08-23T16:18:06.777-05:00The true story of Eugene Allen seems interesting/i...The true story of Eugene Allen seems interesting/inspiring enough. I'd probably pay money to see that made into a movie, whereas I'm not so sure about Lee Daniel's "The Butler". Though I've always liked both Forest Whitaker and Oprah as actors, I have mixed feelings about this particular film.<br /><br />For the same reasons, I've held out on seeing last year's "Lincoln" or "Argo" - maybe I'll eventually break down and rent them from the library, who knows?<br /><br />Certain artistic liberties bother me more than others. In general, when it comes to movies billed as being 'loosely based on' (or 'inspired by') actual people or events, I don't like it when filmmakers change undisputed facts or use major embellishments or omissions that feel manipulative, as if they have a specific agenda. The truth speaks for itself - it's not like there's a shortage of compelling stories out there. Fictional characters or events set against historical backdrops work too.<br /><br />I do appreciate your movie reviews, Twilight.:)LBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16659850.post-52472418360482948682013-08-23T14:28:03.801-05:002013-08-23T14:28:03.801-05:00anyjazz~ I suppose the storyline had to remain sha...anyjazz~ I suppose the storyline had to remain shallow due to the length of time it covered - practically a whole lifetime. but I get what you mean. The butler and his sons' casting seemed right, but I don't agree about the rest. <br /><br />A more serious/deeper feel might have been achieved using less well-known actors for the presidents' parts. I think using big name actors was mistake, a cynical ploy to fill cinemas. Also there are dozens of African American actresses who could have played the butler's wife equally as well as Oprah.<br /><br />I enjoyed it overall, mostly for the additional background info : getting my 'Murican knowledge filled in ;-(Twilighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14138621610593773784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16659850.post-5602412340383908032013-08-23T14:21:41.983-05:002013-08-23T14:21:41.983-05:00mike ~ I understand - yes. In the decade or so i...mike ~ I understand - yes. In the decade or so immediately following abolition there were bound to have been difficulties, and the feeling that things were not much different.<br />But what about well into the 20th century- for most of the first half of the century in fact, when segregation was really really bad - why, why why?Twilighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14138621610593773784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16659850.post-48800370119117301172013-08-23T13:46:25.779-05:002013-08-23T13:46:25.779-05:00I found the movie mildly entertaining, parts serio...I found the movie mildly entertaining, parts serious, parts cartoony. I didn't feel that there was really a lot of depth in the story line. The actors were chosen right. Over all it worked well.anyjazzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03319237414264543250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16659850.post-18698507214659131862013-08-23T13:31:42.745-05:002013-08-23T13:31:42.745-05:00There was no plan in place for post-emancipation. ...There was no plan in place for post-emancipation. One day they were slaves, next they were free. Most had no resources or a place to go, so most of the "freed" stayed-on as sharecroppers. Sharecropping was a situation where the (previous master) land owner provided the rental of land, tools, and seeds ON CREDIT to be paid with the first crop. The sharecropper could never get ahead of the game, even in a good year...imagine the consequences of crop failures. This sharecropping was a new name for the old slavery.<br /><br />"To be a Slave", by Julius Lester, is an excellent read. It's a children's book that won several awards. I found it in a thrift store years ago. It's a powerful book to be read by an adult.<br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Be_a_Slavemike (again)noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16659850.post-18962112074106449512013-08-23T12:28:00.890-05:002013-08-23T12:28:00.890-05:00mike ~ I hadn't read anything about Eugene All...mike ~ I hadn't read anything about Eugene Allen himself before seeing the film, but did know it was based on a real person. I also knew not to expect a straight autobiography in documentary style - that would never put bums on seats these days! <br /><br />I've read more about the liberties taken with Allen's actual life story now. I can see why some of them would be necessary to highlight the full flavour of the times the film was depicting. <br /><br />Allen had only one son, not two. His son served in Vietnam and is still around. His wife didn't turn to drink nor was there any suspicion of her having an affair (actually I didn't see much of that in the movie anyway, but other commenters on the net seem to have implied more than I did from certain scenes).<br /><br />Was it full of false equivalencies? Hmmmm...lol!<br /><br />I wasn't here during the segregation era (thank goodness!)<br />That, to my mind, was equally as bad as the slavery era - actually somewhat worse because a very bloody war had been fought to free the slaves yet what did the population of the USA do to those freed people? Treat them like animals, hardly better than the slave owners in fact.<br /><br />Slavery existed in almost every country of the world at some point - USA wasn't exceptional in that. I don't know of another country which treated its freed people (and they were "its people", not aliens) in such an inhumanly disgusting way.<br /><br />Films such as this, and the others I mentioned, in spite of certain liberties taken, do serve to remind a new generation (and the old generations) of what went on....I feel that's very important. Twilighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14138621610593773784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16659850.post-47097551645681420412013-08-23T09:56:33.433-05:002013-08-23T09:56:33.433-05:00I haven't seen a movie in a real theater for m...I haven't seen a movie in a real theater for many years and doubt I will anytime soon. I usually read the book that the movie is based upon. I did find reviews of the book online, but NONE was favorable...essentially the book is an advert for the movie.<br /><br />I did find the original Washington Post article outlining the life of Eugene Allen, to which the movie supposedly takes many liberties:<br />http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2008-11-07/politics/36906532_1_white-house-black-man-history<br /><br />Was the movie full of false equivalencies? LOLmikenoreply@blogger.com