Double Feature

Two flicks this weekend! Finally caught up on the most "recent" Netflix (which had been sitting at the house since before I went home for the wedding... in April), and NavyGuy and I hit the Anacortes theater for the latest Pixar movie.

Milk - This is the story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay person to serve in politics in California. He was elected to the Board of Supervisors for the city of San Francisco in 1977, but was assassinated eleven months later by fellow City Supervisor Dan White. Don't worry - I'm not giving away the movie's ending. These facts are laid out early on in the film, but do not diminish the story arc or keep you from being quickly sucked into the story of Harvey's life. Sean Penn portrays Milk, and deservedly, won an Oscar for his performance. The movie is a really interesting look at the culture of San Francisco in the 1970s; everyone remembers the hippies and Haight-Ashbury, but that was just one neighborhood and one facet of life there, and Milk highlights the burgeoning gay rights movement starting in the Castro district of San Fran. Maybe I liked it because I'm a history nerd and it was great modern history, but there's more to it - Harvey Milk was a fascinating figure, and his story, though cut short, makes for great theater.

Up - Completely different end of the spectrum. Oh Pixar, will you ever disappoint? Not likely. I'd recommend reading this review, because it gives you a better idea of what the movie is actually about (which is my one criticism of Pixar - their trailers for new films never give you any sense of the plot). Basically, this was the saddest movie I've seen in a long time! I never expected to leave the theater bummed out after watching an old man fly away in a house lifted by balloons, but the story is excruciating. This is not the happy-go-lucky Toy Story, or action adventure Incredibles; Up is an adult movie that kids can also enjoy - as opposed to the previous "kids movies that mom and dad can stomach." Despite making me sob, I'd see it again tomorrow, because the lesson is fabulous, and there are a lot of really hilarious parts.