Tag Archive | 1990's

Enchanted

Nov22

Happily Ever Ever After

November 22, 2022

One of the things that Disney is known for are heartwarming and charming movies aimed at children. Of course we think of the animated classics such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Peter Pan. Lady and the Tramp. Disney has also done films with actual people such as Mary Poppins and Old Yeller.

It was during the third week of November 2007, when Disney turned their formula on its head and created a truly charming movie which mixed animation and live actors to great effect.

Giselle decked out in her white wedding hoop dress and tiara. Lawyer Robert and Prince Edward behind her and the evil queen, Narissa, at top.

Enchanted is the story of several ‘animated’ characters: Giselle, Edward, Pip, and Narissa who, it would seem, will follow the somewhat predictable storyline of the poor young woman who meets and falls in love with the handsome prince. She is aided by a forest full of adorable animals and the only thing to stand in the way of Giselle and Edward’s happiness is the wicked queen, Narissa.

It is a twist in the story, however, which propelled this movie into a different realm when Giselle, dressed in an over the top, white hooped wedding dress, big hair and a tiara to top it all off, finds herself as a ‘human’ and in the middle of modern day New York City.

Giselle is played by Amy Adams who perfectly encapsulates the naiveté and charm one expects from an animated character made human. The Infallible Wikipedia tells us:

“Disguised as an old hag, Narissa intercepts Giselle on her way to the wedding and pushes her into a well, where Giselle is magically transformed into a live-action version of herself and transported to New York’s Times Square in the real reality. Giselle, frightened and confused, quickly becomes lost and homeless. Meanwhile, Robert, a single father and divorce lawyer, prepares to propose to his girlfriend Nancy. Robert and his young daughter Morgan encounter Giselle on their way home, and Robert begrudgingly allows Giselle to stay the night in their apartment at the insistence of Morgan, who believes Giselle is a princess”

Giselle communicating with her animal friend from the animated world, Pip.

I have to say, the Wikipedia account really does not do the movie justice. It is the on screen chemistry between Adams and the somewhat cynical lawyer Robert – portrayed by Patrick Dempsey – where the real magic happens.

While many of my readers might be tempted to dismiss Enchanted as a children’s film, I would suggest one should not. It’s funny for how the writers and producers take the formulaic Disney film and make fun of themselves in a truly charming and original way, right down to the animals which show up to help Giselle in the middle of the city.

My family saw the movie in the theatre during its original release in November 2007. I truly enjoyed every minute of the movie and it landed at least in the Top 20 list of my personal favorites.

At the time, my children were 14 and 17 and the last Disney movie we saw as a family. In fact, up until the early 2000’s the only movies I had seen were pretty much animated Disney movies.

There are times when someone will ask if I’ve ever seen ‘such and such.’ If it’s not familiar to me I will ask, “When did it come out? Was that in the 90’s?”

It pretty much always is. It’s then I admit that I rarely saw a single film or TV show in the 1990’s which wasn’t Disney or a kid’s program. Except for the month of January 1990, I was fully immersed in babies and little kids for the entire decade.

I have discovered, however, that there are some really terrific movies from the 1990’s which I’ve never seen: Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List, and Silence of the Lambs to name a few. It was at least a decade after the release of Forrest Gump that I finally saw that movie. One night about two years ago I happened upon the Shawshank Redemption and was hooked in. I’ve now seen that movie a second time and it landed on my top 20 list also.

One of these days I’ll watch the first three I listed and, no doubt, a whole bunch of others from the 1990’s. It’s kind of nice to have lists of new movies to watch on a late fall or winter evening.

But for today, it’s all about Disney and the enchanting Enchanted and a happily Ever Ever After story.

A couple of links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enchanted_(film)

https://parade.com/1214385/samuelmurrian/best-90s-movies/

Postscript: At long last there is a sequel to the original movie, Disenchanted, which was released this past Friday, November 18. The trailer can be found here: https://youtu.be/DY63dfyn7HQ

From Ancient Gourds to Pumpkin Patches: A Halloween Icon

Oct26

The Ultimate Symbol of Fall

October 26th

During the last week of October, this item dominates American culture. Its bright orange color and – often large size – make it impossible to miss. I am talking about the pumpkin

National Pumpkin Day is celebrated every year on October 26th.

Believed to be one of the oldest cultivated vegetables, pumpkins originated thousands of years ago in northern Mexico and the southern United States. There is evidence that the gourd was used as early as 7,000 BC!

The average person, however, might think that it came from New England since its first well documented historic use was at the first Thanksgiving held in Plymouth in 1621. (Although it is disputed as to the Massachusetts event being first since a similar celebration reportedly took place in Virginia two years earlier)

The pumpkin was introduced to the Pilgrims by the natives of the area. The Infallible Wikipedia advises:

“An alternate derivation for pumpkin is the Massachusetts word pôhpukun ‘grows forth round’. This term would likely have been used by the Wampanoag people (who speak the Wôpanâak dialect of Massachusett) when introducing pumpkins to English Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony, located in present-day Massachusetts.”

As a food, it is dense and fiber rich; it’s primary nutrients beta-carotene and Vitamins A and C.

Still one of my favorite photos ever of my children

The thing which catches most people’s attention, however, is its visual allure. This time of year a field of bright orange pumpkins is hard to miss. Their large size and eye catching hues are a visual treat. Also from the Infallible Wikipedia:

“Traditional C. pepo pumpkins generally weigh between 3 and 8 kilograms (6 and 18 lb), though the largest cultivars (of the species C. maxima) regularly reach weights of over 34 kg (75 lb).

The color of pumpkins derives from orange carotenoid pigments, including beta-cryptoxanthin, alpha and beta carotene, all of which are provitamin A compounds converted to vitamin A in the body.”

The largest pumpkin ever documented and the two runners up in Germany in 2016

The heaviest pumpkin ever documented was in Belgium in 2016 and weighed 2,624 pounds! It’s amazing.

A little horseplay was always in order
One of the last pumpkin carving years.

Visiting the pumpkin patch was, for our family, an annual tradition for many years. From the time my children were little we made it a priority to wander out on a sunny weekend day to pick the perfect pumpkin.

One year, while at Remlinger Farms, they had on display a pumpkin which weighed 500 pounds more than either kid. We ended up in the background of a video for one of the news stations as their reporter and cameraman were there at the same time to report on the monster pumpkin.

For a couple of years – when the kids got a bit older – we combined the pumpkin patch visit with exploration of a corn maze which was lots of fun.

Over the years many a photo was snapped of pumpkin patch fun. My favorite photo, however, came from the year we ended up just off Sahalee Way and 202 between Redmond and Sammamish. Our kids were probably around ages 10 and 7 and getting the right gourd was important. The kids – perched on a pallet of pumpkins – are clearly enjoying the event.

Home we would go each year and a day or two before Halloween, the pumpkins were carved and the costumes assembled, all in advance of the big night. But more than any other activity, it was the trip to the pumpkin patch which was my favorite part.

The links:

https://www.nationaldaystoday.com/national-pumpkin-day

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpkin