Friday 5ive- October 9, 2020

Welcome to the Friday 5ive, a weekly blog post that features five things that caught my attention this week.

1) One of the big news stories this week (non-political edition) is that a T.Rex skeleton, named Stan, sold for nearly 32 million dollars at auction this week. Stan is a 40-foot long T.Rex dinosaur found in 1987 in North Dakota. It was a beautiful day for a walk, so I thought I'd go see Stan in person in the window at Christie's Auction House near Rockefeller Center. He's very impressive, but where would you put that in your house?

2) Today is the last day to register to vote in New York, so if you haven't already, time is ticking. This week I joined the bipartisan organization Moms Rising and mailed out ten postcards to moms in North Carolina reminding them to vote. It's the best way to make your voice heard. My friend Dorothy gave me the cool tote bag.

3)  Speaking of voting, the cast of HBO's brilliant VEEP got together on a Zoom call as a fundraiser for Wisconsin Democrats this week. I loved the show, although they couldn't have imagined that the insane stuff they dreamed up isn't crazier than the world right now. They talked about their favorite guests- Peter MacNichol and Hugh Laurie among them, along with my personal favorite, Dan Bakkendahl, whose portrayal of the foul-mouthed Congressman Roger Furlong was genius-level. They also shared insults hurled at Jonah that never made the show, and performed a few deleted scenes. It was great to see everyone back together again. More info on the fundraiser is here.  

4) If you want to escape from politics and like rom-com movies, Then Came You is now on demand and streaming. Kathie Lee Gifford plays Annabelle, a widow who decides to travel the world to see all the sights she and her husband never got to see. She starts in beautiful Scotland, staying at Awd's Inn, a castle/inn run by Howard, who is trying to save his family's ancestral home by turning it into an inn. Craig Ferguson is perfect as Howard- hilarious, cantankerous, and he falls in love with Annabelle, which doesn't bode well for his upcoming marriage to Claire, played by Elizabeth Hurley. You'll want to visit Scotland as seen through the lens of director Adriana Trigiani in this charming movie. My full review is here.

5)  I read two fantastic books this week. Jess Walter's The Cold Millions is set in 1909 Spokane, Washington and tells the story of two young Irish immigrants whose involvement with a workers' union protest gets them thrown in jail. It's a big story, and although it's set in 1909, there is a lot that resonates with events happening today. It's about class, unequal wealth, and family loyalty and it's just brilliant. I loved Walter's 2012 novel, Beautiful Ruins, and this one is just as good.

V.E. Schwab's novel, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a spin on Faust. Addie is a young French woman in 1714, who does not want to marry the widower her parents have chosen for her. She runs away and makes a deal with the devil in the form of Luc. She wants her freedom to live her life as she chooses, and when she is finished, he can have her soul. This dooms her to be forgotten by everyone she meets, which is a difficult life. Three hundred years later, she meets a man in a bookstore who knows her name. How is this possible? I loved, loved, loved this complicated, fascinating story. It reminded me of one of my favorites from 2018, Lisa Grunwald's Time After Time. A full review will follow soon.

Stay safe, socially distant, wash your hands, wear a mask, and make a plan to vote. 

Movie Review- Then Came You

If you've ever thought of visiting Scotland, but can't because of the pandemic, watch the movie Then Came You, now available on demand. Kathie Lee Gifford (who wrote the screenplay) is Annabelle, widowed a year ago, who heads out on a world-wide trip to visit all of places she and her husband never got to see, places from their favorite movies. 

She begins her journey in Scotland, where she will be staying at a castle, Awd's Inn, owned by Howard Awd, wonderfully played by Craig Ferguson. Howard is valiently trying to keep his family's home afloat by turning it into an inn, but things aren't looking good.

Howard picks up Annabelle at the train station, and they don't exactly hit it off. His Scottish sense of humor is not appreciated by Annabelle, but she is charmed by the beautiful castle/inn. As they get to know each other, it is clear that there is more than a friendship there. Howard's fiancee, played by Elizabeth Hurley, may not appreciate their blossoming relationship however.

If you are a romantic comedy fan, Then Came You will tick off all the boxes for you. If you watched Craig Ferguson when he cohosted a week of Today's fourth hour with Kathie Lee, you know they have an  amazing chemistry. Their quick-witted repartee shines through in this delightful movie, and watching them open up to each other is heartwarming.

Adriana Trigiani expertly directed this lovely movie, and she perfectly captures the beauty of Scotland. I wanted to walk through my television to wander the highlands and through the rooms of the beautiful Awd's Inn. The set design and decoration is just stunning, the costumes are gorgeous, every detail about this movie works so well.

Craig Ferguson has always been known as a very funny man, but he attains leading man status here. He balances the humor with emotion so well. (He's very handsome too!) Ford Kiernan plays his best friend Calvin, and he is a delight. And Wally the dog, who becomes Annabelle's constant companion, will bring a smile to your face.

Then Came You is the perfect movie to get us away from the craziness of these times, to take us out of ourselves.  It will make us laugh, open up our hearts, and give us hope. I highly recommend it, it had me smiling from ear to ear the entire time.