Hope Springs Eternal

Everybody says that the start of the baseball season is when hope springs eternal, and that's probably true for all baseball fans and their teams.  For me, the start of the golf season is when hope springs eternal.  What will this season bring?  Will I finally get a hole-in-one?  How will I play in competition?  What type of hat should I wear to protect my balding head?  Lots of questions.

The golf season officially began for me today, with my first 18 hole round.  I actually had a "soft opening" on Thursday when I went out and played 5 holes before dark.  Being a member of a club is going to be great!  The fact that I live only 8 minutes from the first tee means I can do things like go play a few holes when I have an hour.  While Thursday was only a soft opening, it was good to swing a little bit before playing today. 

My friend Jared is also a member at the little 9 hole club that I joined, so we tee'd off at 11 am today.  We're going to try to play most Saturday's.  Jared and I are very equal in our golf games, so it's good for us to play together, and we have a friendly rivalry.  It only took 3 holes today before Jared called me a name...after my first, and only, birdie of the day.  Mostly though, we enjoy getting out there, telling some jokes, and rooting for each other to play well.  The birdie I made was my first of the year.  Jared posted his first birdie of the year on his Facebook account right after he made it.  Since I don't have a smart phone, or a Facebook account, this is the best I could do.  Anyway, back to golf...I played 9 good holes today and 9 bad holes today, and that was really secondary.  It was just so good to be out there playing.

My goals for this golf season.  Well, number 1 is to get better...at 30 something now, I have to improve my short game and my mental approach because I'm not getting any younger and I don't get time to practice like I would need, to really get a lot better.  For the mental approach, I'm trying to realize that golf isn't that important.  At times, it borders on an obsession for me, and sometimes I play like it's an obsession.  But really, I'm never going to make a living playing golf, so it's just not that important.  Nobody is going to care whether I make 18 pars or 18 bogeys, but they will care if I'm not a good father or husband or friend or coworker.  So, I guess it's about realizing what is truly important.  That doesn't mean I'm not going to try to do my best each time out, but if I don't, it's not the end of the world.

Top 5 Denzel Movies

The ultra famous are known simply by their first name, for example...Elvis.  Well, when I say Denzel, you automatically know that I'm talking about Denzel Washington, who never makes a bad film.  Wow, Deja Vu...I have this strange feeling that I've said that before.  Anyway, Denzel has 2 Oscars and 5 nominations for Oscars...he's just outstanding...one of my favorite actors.

Here are the Top 5 Denzel Movies.  I think you'll be surprised by what isn't on this list.  I haven't seen "Training Day" which Denzel won the Best Actor award for or "Malcom X", and I was never a big fan of "Philadelphia".  Now, on to the list!

5 - "Remember the Titans" - Denzel plays coach Herman Boone, the first African American coach of a high school football team in it's first season as a racially integrated unit.  Denzel is brilliant in this sports movie/character study.  You just can't go wrong when you have a football movie, with a feel good ending and Denzel.

4 - "Crimson Tide" - I fear I may catch some flack for this one, but I really liked this movie.  Denzel is Lt. Commander Ron Hunter, who is the executive officer on a Naval Submarine.  Gene Hackman plays Captain Frank Ramsey.  When the sub receives a command to fire it's nuclear payload, but never receives confirmation, Capt. Ramsey wants to fire away, but Cmdr. Hunter says not so fast, and begins a mutiny.  What follows is an action/drama that is just excellent.

3 - "Courage Under Fire" - In this one, Denzel is Nat Sterling, a US Army officer investigating a female chopper pilot's (Meg Ryan)worthiness for the medal of honor.  Along the way, we see Sterling struggling with his own demons over a deadly mistake he made in Desert Storm.  "Courage Under Fire" is a terrific story, and Denzel is great in this role.  No Oscar glory for Denzel on this one, but still one of his best roles.

2 - "Glory" - "Glory" was my first exposure to Denzel.  We watched this one in school, I think either early high school or late in junior high.  Denzel won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as Private Trip.  Matthew Broderick plays the leader of the US Army's first all-black volunteer company on the Union side of the US Civil War.  There is some difficult viewing in this one, including the scene where Denzel is whipped for insubordination.  In the end, the all-black company leads the charge in a battle that is critical in turning the tide for the Union, and we all weep, because it's just that good.

1 - "The Book of Eli" - Ok, I'm going to include some spoilers here, so don't read on if you haven't seen the movie and plan to.  "The Book of Eli" is one of my favorite films of 2010, though frequent commenter Mediocre Coffee would call this highly controversial (inside joke there).  Denzel is Eli in a post apocalyptic America.  He is roaming the wastes and carrying a book, which turns out to be a King James Bible.  On his travels, Eli has to do battle with and ultimately escape from Gary Oldman, who wants the book so he can use it for his evil intentions.  Luckily, Eli has God on his side, along with some kick butt weapons and a somewhat helpful sidekick.  The ending will throw you for a loop, and in the ending lies the "controversy" (I type with tongue firmly planted in cheek).

Movie Review: "Deja Vu"

Haven't I seen this movie before?

Repeat after me...Denzell doesn't make a bad movie.  It's one of the truths of movie making, along with the truth that Bruce Willis doesn't make a bad movie, and Angelina Jolie wouldn't have to make a bad movie, but she still does.

"Deja Vu" is an action thriller, with a little bit of Sci Fi, that came out in 2006.  I'm not sure why I never saw it before, but at the urging of my office mate, I gave it a shot on Sunday evening.  This is a great movie...4.4 stars easily.  Denzell Washington is fantastic as ATF Agent Doug Carlin.  Carlin is investigating an explosion aboard a New Orleans ferry boat that resulted in the deaths of over 500 people.  When he gets added to a special FBI squad using a new technology to track the murderer, Carlin finds that he can not only catch the killer, but may be able to stop it from ever happening.

I was entertained by "Deja Vu" from the very start.  The science fiction component of this movie really makes it, but I don't want to give it away to you.  Jim Caviezel and Val Kilmer co-star and Caviezel, especially, brings an excellent dimension to the film.  Give this one a shot...you won't be disappointed. 

A Truly Gritty Movie Review

I've been waiting over a week to use that Title.  I'm going to review these movies in the order they were released.  I actually saw the new version of "True Grit" first, then watched the original.

"True Grit" (1969) - John Wayne won the Oscar for his role as Rooster Cogburn in the original "True Grit".  After seeing this movie, I don't think Wayne's performance was much different than any of the other movies I've seen him in.  I'm not saying he was bad...I just expected more of a stretch to his acting capabilities since he won the Oscar.  Oh well, for everything he did for the film industry, I guess he deserved an Oscar anyway.

So, for those who haven't seen it, the premise is Mattie Ross' (Kim Darby) father is killed, so she hires Rooster Cogburn and is joined by Texas Ranger Le Boeuf (Glen Campbell) to track down the murderer.  What follows is a little bit of a character study and a little bit classic western, as Rooster softens towards Mattie, and they develop almost an Uncle/Niece type of relationship.

Overall, not a bad movie, but not as good as the next movie I'll review.  I'd call this one 3 stars.

"True Grit" (2010) - Jeff Bridges received a nomination for Best Actor for his portrayal of Rooster Cogburn in the 2010 remake of the John Wayne classic.  Additionally, Hailee Steinfeld was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Mattie Ross.  And, for just a little more nominating craziness, the Coen brothers got a Best Director nomination, and this movie got a Best Picture nomination.

The Coen brother's take, as you might expect, is darker than the original.  The weather is worse, the night's seem longer, and the characters have a darker side, especially Cogburn.  But, this version is also funnier, and frankly just better acted.  Steinfeld was terrific as Mattie Ross, and Bridges was outstanding as usual.

The Coen brothers didn't deviate from the original very often, but where they did, the deviation was better. This version of the film had a different take on the conflict between Cogburn and Le Boeuf, as well as how the relationship with Cogburn and Mattie ends.  Frankly, this ending was more appropriate than the 1969 original, and was more true to Cogburn's character, while still showing a softening of his character towards Mattie. 

I rate this one 4.5 stars, and recommend that if you decide to only watch one of the "True Grit" movies, choose the newer version.