Confessions of a Liberal Puritan

I'd hoped to have time to write a more detailed, thoughtful review to post than the hurried notes I'd sent my sister on Monday, but this week's turning out to be just as stressful as last week, so . . . here's what I have. In case I forget to mention this later on, I heartily recomment both Nim's Island and "Smart People" (though the latter might be more enjoyable to an adults-only audience than the former). ( Read more... )

See "Smart People" if you'd like to see Dennis Quaid's 'going-through-the-motions-of-living-and-being-a-pain-in-everyone's-ass-while-he's-at-it' professor of English literature reconnect with his better self and his kids, with help from his slovenly-and-loving-it adopted brother (and believe me, it's not as facile or trite as I may've made that sound). And see "Nim's Island" if you have kids who are old enough not to be traumatized by the suggesiton of a single father being (temporarily) in danger of being lost at sea while his unsinkable little girl is trying to deal with adult challenges at home, alone . . . or if (like me) you're simply a fan of Gerard Butler's beautifully homely face and charismatic humor (not to mention the nice bod and Scots accent) and have a yen to see him in a dual role as fantasy hero and real-life dad-hero.