Valerie's Finest Hour

I hope everybody watched or taped Valerie Harper's full hour on the doctor's today.  To say that she was simply magnificent would be an understatement.  What a courageous, graceful woman.  I'd always enjoyed her in the show but my admiration for her grew tenfold after watching that poignant segment.  She could have chosen to cry rivers alone in her house but she decided to face her illness head on, turning the devastating diagnosis into a celebration of her life.  Kudos to her and her husband for sharing this painful moment with us.  By bringing this kind of cancer into focus, she's helping a lot of people in more ways than one.  There might be some out there with the same symptoms who simply ignore them or think they're typical of old age.  And others who are too afraid to find out the truth until it's too late.  Valerie, by demystifing the almost always present pathological fear of death, is teaching us to die gracefully.  Cheerful, smiling, her body posture told us , "Hey I want to live longer, just like everyone else, but if that's not possible, I've lived my life and I'm grateful for the blessings I've enjoyed and the years I've been given."  I watched the show with tears in my eyes and hope and pray a miracle happens for this marvelous lady who so richly deserves it, but if that's not possible, I'll always remember her parting words, "Live in the moment, embrace yourself and forgive others."

Toltoy's Masterpiece

Toltoy's masterpiece is beautifully brought to life here on this visually arresting movie which should have been a big smash and oddy wasn't.  I loved the movie and performances.  I saw many adaptations of Anna Karenina (including masterpiece theater, which was still the best), but you can not compare one to the other, and this is also a fine work of art, but with a different vision, at times tragic, at times comical but always compelling.  Keira was great in the leading role and she stole the show in my opinion.  Her lover was handsome and seductive, and her deceived husband was expertly played by Jude Law who is usually the seducer himself and must have found the role quite a stretch.  I don't know what critics want and why they were lukewarm about this beautiful film, but I do know good when I see it and this film was good.