Dale had to sing with his band last Saturday and it was a wedding so he was gone for a long time. Often when he’s gone like that I will make plans with friends to have dinner or shop or something but this week I chose to stay home and enjoy some time to myself. I wanted to work on True Colors (I’m sort of worried that I’m going to run out of yarn so I’m knitting really fast right now to end the suspense) and it was chilly and cloudy out so that meant . . . knitting and television. It’s been quite a while since I had an extended amount of time to watch whatever I wanted and this is what I chose (it’s Thursday. there are three) :
The Glass Castle. I know the book is always better and in this case that’s especially true. The movie was good and the casting is great but they really glossed over just how horrid and impoverished Jeannette Walls’ childhood actually was. In the movie her parents came off as quirky and artsy, drunk and homeless but in a slightly charming and not really threatening way. In the book Walls describes eating lunch scraps that other kids had thrown away, the deplorable condition of the places they lived and really paints a picture of dysfunction and neglect. In the movie whole thing comes off more as nostalgia and I found that disappointing.
Me Before You. See above. Okay, not really, and I did actually like this movie quite a bit. Emilia Clarke does a bang up job of Louisa (and I couldn’t for the life of me make her be Daenerys!) and the rest of the cast is equally good. Of course the story is condensed somewhat but the friendship that develops between Louisa and Will feels genuine and the whole thing stays pretty true to the book.
Nashville. I’ve been meaning to watch this ever since our trip to Nashville last April and now that I’ve started I must admit I’m hooked. It sort of reminds me of Dallas back in the day except instead of a ranch and oil rigs it’s music. I love seeing the places in Nashville that we visited and the music is pretty good and, while it’s definitely an evening soap opera, it’s also pretty entertaining. It’s junk but it’s good, you know?
Have you watched anything good lately? I know a lot of you like to listen to books and knit but to me it’s television and knitting that go hand in hand so I’m always open to suggestions for good movies and shows.
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These days, MSNBC or CNN are on during all waking hours. It will be relaxing when we can all watch TV for fun again.
We have the full set of West Wing, and it is so well written and both entertaining & thought provoking. Plus, I get to be reminded that government can be good. Also, have you seen the movie Nashville? It’s been years, but I remember it being good.
I am so not a TV watcher. . . but I did watch the very sweet Netflix movie “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” and thought it was charming. I also watch The Great British Baking Show and World of Dance (guilty pleasure; but as a former dancer I just can’t look away). 🙂
I couldn’t even finish reading Glass Castle, so the movie was never on my radar. I did, however, really enjoy Me Before You (ditto Daenerys). My most recent on-my-own binge was through Endeavour – highly recommend. and now Marc and I are enjoying The Great British Baking Show.
I completely agree with you on Glass Castles. The movie made her childhood look more freestyle and fun-loving. But I can’t believe I watched Me Before You and never realized she was Daenerys!!! Now, of course, I can totally see her in the eyes.
This is the time of year when there is nothing much on to watch, and as I watch only targeted shows, I have ended up subscribing to Acorn TV in desperation. I must admit that I have been enjoying some international shows that have been unavailable until now. Right now I am watching Jack Irish season 2. I enjoy watching Guy Pearce, and I have read all of these books, so I recommend them and it. Author Peter Temple died in March, and he was a great writer. I recommend all of his books.
I don’t watch much TV, but did see Guernsey Literary…on Netflix and enjoyed. Also on Netflix, Our Souls at Night.
I read Glass Castles but didn’t like it, so the movie hasn’t been on my radar
I haven’t found anything good on TV recently, so I’m mainly re-watching things I love. Endeavour, Great British Baking Show, A Beautiful Mind, The Imitation Game, and Cider House Rules. Ryan recommended Disenchantment (new animation from the creator of The Simpsons) and it’s growing on me.
I watched Nashville for years! It was good fun trash. We’re on to Season 2 of Ozarks on Netflix and Doug and I are both liking it better than Season 2. Funny about Glass Castle…I couldn’t finish it either. I’m slowly looking forward to the time of year where we’re in and watching and knitting!
I had a similar response to The Glass Castle. We have been watching Lucky Man which is a British series.
I am also watching “Ozark” on Netflix. It’s pretty gritty, but I’m liking it. If you have Amazon Prime, I would recommend “The Americans” and a cop drama called “Life.” I read “Glass Castle” and saw the movie, and I agree with your critique—the picture painted in the book was so much more dismal and desperate. I’m also hooked on “Castle Rock” on Hulu, but I don’t know that I would recommend it—it’s kind of hard to follow if you are paying attention to your knitting, and it’s getting a bit drug-out, but I want to see how it ends.
This is totally off-topic, but I have a new Yorkie puppy named Ava. We started Puppy Kindergarten Tuesday night. I adore her—during class, she was so intimidated by all the noise and commotion from the other puppies that she wanted me to hold her while she took it all in, but when I started practicing with her yesterday, she picked up “touch,” “sit,” and “down” right away. I don’t know how she feels about it, but I love puppy school! We are going to learn how to heel next week.
We have watched every Great British Baking show episode there is (and rejoiced when Netflix released a new season last week), and I’ve really enjoyed that. Making It was also a fun watch – I thought I was a pretty good crafter, but they did such large-scale projects it was impressive. We’re also planning on going back to watch all of the Parks and Recreation shows – we only really started watching near the end, and I think we missed a lot of good stuff at the beginning.
I always said I wasn’t much of a TV watcher, but I have to say, the last few years, there have been some good series on….. Outlander, Rome, The Queen, Poldark, Call the Midwife, Downton Abbey, just to name a few. Hmmmm seems I lean toward the period pieces huh? ~grin
I’m with you on Tv and knitting when I have a chance. I second a vote for The Americans. Lately we’ve been watching Goliath (season 2). I am looking forward to season 2 of Ozark and of The Deuce (super gritty but great acting ). When Dave was out of town recently I watched all of GLOW which is totally guilty pleasure watching but fun.
I found the book Glass Castle compelling and great writing (I love memoirs if they are well written) , I think I will skip the movie version! Glad you mentioned it.
My latest binge was The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel! I even think I watched it based on something you said and I really loved it!
I agree with you on Glass Castle and Me Before You. I got tired of Nashville after season 3. Right now we are watching Jack Ryan on Amazon Prime. Very well done if you can tolerate the war violence.
Oh my goodness! I am reading the Glass Castle at the strong recommendation of my college freshman daughter who read it her senior year and picked up a copy on vacation over the summer. Last night I planned to read until 10 then do an hour of paperwork before bed. When I checked my watch it was 11:40; couldn’t put it down. She and I are going to make a date to watch the movie when she is home on break.
I’m going to keep this idea on tap for next week!
Downtown Abbey, if you never tried it. But I’m a serious Outlander fan!
We watch TV in the winter more than in the summer but when I’m alone I watch the British Baking Show (like everyone else) and we enjoyed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. My guilty pleasure the other night was To All the Boys I Loved Before. So cute!
We have been watching what Mary K has been watching. We were able to fit in The Doctor Blake Mysteries season 5 between the breaking news drama, horrors and tragedies.