Tuesday, November 30, 2010

All of Life's Answers

Or, at least the answers to my little quiz...


1. "Don't say 'stinks,' darling. If absolutely necessary, 'smells' - but only if absolutely necessary."
The Philadelphia Story
Only my favorite movie of. all. time.

2. "We got no food, no jobs... our PETS' HEADS ARE FALLING OFF!"
Dumb and Dumber
This movie always makes me think of the time when David and I were dating, we watched this constantly. And we quote it very often. We are so cultured.

3. "My name... is MUERTE!"
Undercover Blues
This is just one in a long line of "family movies" we watched when I was growing up that really weren't very good. But we loved them. And this particular movie had one main thing going for it: Stanley Tucci. As MUERTE. And you have no idea how hilarious his character is. Oh wait, now you can see.....



4. "Horses, horses, horses."
You've Got---nope!! A couple of people thought You've Got Mail and to them I answered "Wrong, but CLOSE." It's that OTHER movie with Tom and Meg. The one lacking in volcanoes but plenty in Rita Wilson: Sleepless in Seattle.

5. "Insanity runs in my family... It practically gallops."
Arsenic and Old Lace
David's favorite black and white movie. My second favorite Cary Grant movie. Michelle and I imagine ourselves going this route when we are old and alone. We will need a crazy brother to think he's Teddy Roosevelt.

6. "Chris I'm begging you, it's really scary here. I've just seen three people shoot up, a bald Chinese lady with no pants on, and there's this old guy outside who wants his bedroom slippers!"
Adventures in Babysitting
Another Shumate Family Classic. My Dad was well known for stopping you at the door and informing you, "Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues." I was just going to link that, but I couldn't. It deserves better treatment than that. So, look, another movie clip to watch!



7. "Eunice? That's a person named Eunice?"
What's Up Doc?
Babs at my most favorite. Seriously, you must go watch it.

8. "No...no hopping sir."
The American President
Another commonly spoken line in the House of Zab. It just sounds so funny coming out of Michael J Fox's mouth.

9. "Conversation like television set on honeymoon: unnecessary."
Murder By Death
Neil Simon written. Starring the likes of Peter Sellers, Peter Falk, Maggie Smith, SIR Alec Guiness and Eileen Brennan...this is one of the ones we almost have memorized. And you hear it a lot around here.

10. "Sometimes, when we lose ourselves in fear and despair, in routine and constancy, in hopelessness and tragedy, we can thank God for Bavarian sugar cookies. And, fortunately, when there aren't any cookies, we can still find reassurance in a familiar hand on our skin, or a kind and loving gesture, or subtle encouragement, or a loving embrace, or an offer of comfort, not to mention hospital gurneys and nose plugs, an uneaten Danish, soft-spoken secrets, and Fender Stratocasters, and maybe the occasional piece of fiction. And we must remember that all these things, the nuances, the anomalies, the subtleties, which we assume only accessorize our days, are effective for a much larger and nobler cause. They are here to save our lives."

Stranger Than Fiction
I have Sooz to thank for the intro. And this movie really did change my life. I watched it at the end of one of the hardest years I ever had (at that point) and the part I quoted just changed me within. It gave me hope. I looked around and saw that my life was filled with Bavarian Sugar Cookies. And was able to look beyond that and see the hand of The Maker in my life, giving me those things along the way. I cling to this quote not unlike I cling to some of my favorite verses. Because it speaks Truth. It really is a quirky movie, not really for everyone. There are some extremely odd characters in it but I'd say give it a try. Maybe on a day when it feels like someone is narrating your life that suddenly seems like it is nothing of any worth. And when you finish, I do hope you find yourself thanking God for your Bavarian Sugar Cookies.

NaBloPoMo has been fun, my friends.
It reminded me to take the time to write.
And I plan to do more of that.

2 comments:

  1. Your ear for critical dialog is without peer.

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  2. crap! I missed chiming in! :( I read your post yesterday but forgot to come back and answer some of the quotes. anyway, I would have only gotten two right. Undercover Blues and Sleepless in Seattle. Muerte!!!!!!

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