Rise Of The Guardians and Lincoln

This is my week to write reviews it seems! Had a few thoughts I wanted to share about some movies I got to see early, then didn't get to tell you guys about because my computer crashed and I was without a laptop for about a week. I can make do with my iPad for a lot of things, but writing blog posts isn't one of them.

 

Ok, Lincoln first. I am not much of a history buff (getting better about that the older I get) so I will be honest and say that I agreed to go see Lincoln because I knew my husband wanted to. I figured I'd take one for the team and there are a lot worse ways to spend your time than in a nice cozy movie theater being entertained, even if it's not something you're particularly interested in.

But I was wrong. I really really liked the movie. And by the time Lincoln said at the end, "I wish I could stay," I was in tears. I had grown to really like this former president and felt I knew him in a way my history books had failed to express. I recently told my kids that I'd like all of them to see it. It gives such a vivid picture of our country during that time period. And Daniel Day Lewis truly makes Lincoln accessible and relatable. You forget you're watching an actor.

Next up, The Rise Of The Guardians. I got to see William Joyce (the creator of this amazing movie) speak back in September and was captivated by his passion for this story. I made a mental note to take my kids as soon as the movie came out. I liked what Joyce had to say about the guardians of childhood: Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Sandman, Jack Frost, the Tooth Fairy. As a mom who has had kids pass from young to young adult, I see the way that those fairy tale notions slip away just like childhood itself. And how believing in those characters is symbolic of so much of what childhood is about-- innocence, safety, goodness. And how we can protect those things in our children's lives for as long as possible.

And if you've got fifteen minutes, go look up William Joyce's academy award winning short film, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore. If you're a book lover like me, you might find yourself brought to tears over this film just like I was.