My "Recent" Faves

I have to admit here that I think the last grown-up movie I saw in the theater was in 2004, but since I’m a huge movie fan, I usually try to catch things as soon as they’re on DVD or Pay Per View, or sometimes, sadly, HBO. Which means I’m dreadfully behind when it’s time to watch the Oscars (I finally just watched Slumdog Millionaire in December, and yes, I did love it, even though I’m about a year too late to join that Oscar party). So be forewarned that most of my recent favorites are probably everyone else’s favorites from last year.

One exception to that, and one of the two movies I saw in the theater this year (a kid’s movie, of course) but still amazing, was The Princess and the Frog. Why yes, I am a sucker for Disney animated musicals! But also the message of the movie, about Tiana working hard and doing everything she can to achieve her dream is definitely relatable for us oft-rejected writers! (In case you’re wondering, the other movie I saw in the theater this year was Alvin & The Chipmunks: the Squeakuel – and no, this does not make my list of recent favorites.)

On DVD recently, I saw The Invention of Lying, which I didn’t know much about going in, and so I was surprised by how much I LOVED it. It’s the story of a man who lives in a society where nobody knows how to lie, and then he literally invents lying. I thought it was super-funny but in a really smart way. Plus, I love most movies with Jennifer Garner (except for The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, which I’ll admit, I also watched recently).

I know Maureen already mentioned it, but I also recently saw The Hangover, and I can’t remember laughing so much and so hard through a movie since Rat Race (not a recent favorite, but, I might add, a movie I can watch over and over again and still laugh at.) I can’t wait until it’s out on HBO, so I can watch it again, because I’m pretty sure I’ll laugh just as hard watching it the second time.

I’ve been really bad about keeping on top of my reading lately so I’ll also add a few movies that came from books that I’ve seen lately (without reading the books first): Julie & Julia, The Time Traveler’s Wife, and Twilight. Yes, you did read that right – it could be I’m the only YA writer on Earth who hasn’t yet read Twilight, and certainly one of the last to see the movie. But also, I really, really, really enjoyed the movie, in a way that completely shocked me. In fact I may just be fighting all the teenage girls for a copy of New Moon, when it comes out on DVD later this month!!