"protective ice"

The kid has inherited my love of Albert Brooks's Mother.

Mrs. henderson and her boy John don't exactly agree on what to put in the cart (or their stomachs)

There is something a little casual and sit-commy about the film, which instead of being a detriment, actually seems to suit it.  I love Albert Brooks and his insistence on wearing his neuroses on his sleeve, and Mother certainly doesn't disappoint. But what I really love about the film is how it both nails what it's like to be befuddled by a parent while still embracing their quirks (and recognizing them as the basis for your own). This is a theme that runs through the film, but is best illustrated in two of its most amusing scenes, all set in his mom's kitchen.

Brooks plays John Henderson, who after his second marriage goes down in flames decides to visit the source of his relationships with women — his mother. Debbie Reynolds is absolutely wonderful as Mrs. Henderson, and I laughed out loud when she pulled a gigantic hunk of cheese out of the freezer to serve her son. What? Your mom doesn't freeze absolutely everything?

John Henderson, "You're running a food museum here."

But the cheese in the freezer is only the beginning, as Mother tells John and the rest of us all about the virtues of "protective ice" on no-name sherbet.

John learns things about his mother and her life that actually surprise him, and he also learns a few things about his momma's boy younger brother, Jeff (a very funny Rob Morrow) along the way.

Mrs. Henderson, "I love you."
John Henderson, "I know you think you do, Mother."

Missing your mom? Or still working on some of your parental issues like John Henderson? Mother is highly recommended.

birthday boys — alexander calder, albert brooks, and terence stamp

Happy birthday to some of my favorite people, Alexander Calder, Albert Brooks, and Terence Stamp.

I love Alexander Calder, especially his Fish at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C.

I love lots of Albert Brooks's movies, but my two favorites are Defending Your Life and ...

... Mother, where his mom, played by Debbie Reynolds freezes everything, including salad and cheese

Love, love, love, Terence Stamp, especially in Federico Fellini's Toby Dammit (the director's contribution to Spirits of the Dead), and ...

... The Hit, with John Hurt and Tim Roth

Sounds like I have a few more great films to (re) watch.

finding nemo 3D

I'm not a huge fan of 3D movies, as the glasses always make me feel as if I'm seeing the movie through a mist — and I love bright colors, so don't like to see them dulled down. But the kid loves Finding Nemo, and I  wanted to see it on a big screen — I've only seen it on T.V., as it came out the year before my daughter was born. If I had my druthers, we probably would have caught a 2D show, but somehow the theater was only running one 2D showing, and the all the other nine times it was playing were 3D shows. Fancy that. The triumph of marketing.

Marlin cautions Dory about the pretty (dangerous) jellyfish

3D aside, the movie is as delightful as I remember it. Ellen Degeneres of course steals the show as Dory, the memory-challenged blue fish who helps overprotective Marlin (Albert Brooks) search for his son Nemo in the huge blue ocean. Brooks was also wonderful as the afraid-of-the-world clown fish, and other great voice work is contributed by Willem Dafoe, Brad Garrett, Geoffrey Rush, and many others. I had forgotten the subplot of Nemo's little fin. He needs to prove to his dad and himself that his "disability" doesn't stop him from accomplishing whatever he needs to do. It's mostly sweet, sometimes a bit scary (Bruce the shark) and frequently very funny, with silly bits like the seagulls ("Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!) and dirty fish tank humor — that is, the tank is dirty, not the humor.

As far as the 3D adaptation is concerned — yes, I had to come back to that — like the recent re-release of The Lion King, the 3D doesn't seem to add all that much to the movie. It doesn't harm it, either, but if you can catch a 2D showing, it will still be worth your while.

Finding Nemo is great on a large screen. And the bonus Toy Story opening cartoon, Partysaurus Rex, featuring Wallace Shawn, is a lot of fun, too.