Category: Books and Movies

Movie Review: “First One In”

Did you all have a perfectly adequate Thanksgiving? One filled with a few laughs, a predictable over-the-top menu, and a vague sense of self-loathing afterwards?

You can see where this is going, can’t you?

It’s time for my promised review of the movie First One In, currently available on Amazon Prime. As I noted in the last post, First One In follows the adventures of Madi Cooke (Kat Foster) as she tries to restart her life after being ousted from a Survivor-style reality TV show. Turns out our Madi accidentally killed one of the last two remaining members of an endangered species, raising the wrath of the public at large. Madi returns to real life to find herself one of the most hated women in the country.

Fired from her real estate agency, Madi dyes her hair, assumes a fake last name, and applies for a position at another firm. The cut-throat head of this agency, Bobbi Mason (Georgia King), has lost her tennis partner just before the big tournament. If Madi, a former high school player, can help Bobbi’s team win, she’s hired.

It’s a silly premise, but it works better in the film than I can possibly make it sound in this recap. This is a film of broad comedy and stock characters. If you can get on board with that kind of movie, there’s some fun to be had here. Continue reading “Movie Review: “First One In”” →

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My Review of “Different Strokes”

This morning, my husband, daughter and I were puttering around the kitchen, each of us foraging for breakfast and wearing that glass-eyed, slack-jawed expression that I’ve come to call Quarantine Face. Quarantine Face is what you get after far too many hours looking at the same walls with far too many hours still to go. A whole day’s worth of hours stretching out ahead of you, only broken up with food and dog walks.

But not even dog walks today because it’s raining and my dog detests the rain.

So…just food then. Continue reading “My Review of “Different Strokes”” →

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Eight Random Thoughts about Agassi’s “Open”

Many years ago on a bright, early fall afternoon, I was walking down a street in Manhattan. I can’t remember who was with me or where we were headed, but as we approached the steps leading down to a subway, a young man came up the stairs and emerged into the sunshine.

It was Andre Agassi, in full ragamuffin glory–his hair (or hairpiece, as we now know) blond and shaggy, his clothes so very late-’80s. His face lit up as his eyes met mine. He could see I recognized him, and he was expecting me to approach. Not only expecting it, but wanting it. At this moment in time, he was clearly savoring the perks of his new stardom, not hiding beneath a baseball cap and dark glasses. Continue reading “Eight Random Thoughts about Agassi’s “Open”” →

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An “Open” Snippet

Back in December, I said I was planning to read Andre Agassi’s memoir, Open, and asked if anyone wanted to read it with me. Well, I finally picked up the book–and I’d love to have someone to talk/post with about the book when I’m done.

Here are the memoir’s opening paragraphs, just to pique your interest:

I open my eyes and don’t know where I am or who I am. Not all that unusual–I’ve spent half my life not knowing. Still, this feels different. This confusion is more frightening. More total. Continue reading “An “Open” Snippet” →

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Movie Review: John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection

Really? Another Mac movie? It was only back in April that my husband and I found ourselves all by our lonesomes in a cinema in Salem for the opening of Borg vs. McEnroe.

Yesterday, I dragged my long-suffering husband to the Museum of Fine Arts to see this latest John McEnroe movie, a French indie film by Julien Faraut. (For those of you in the Boston area, the MFA will show it five more times between now and November 30.) Continue reading “Movie Review: John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection” →

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Arthur Ashe: Days Of Grace

When I started this blog back in April, I planned out a schedule of posts. Looking ahead to the U.S. Open, I wondered what I might like to write about during that time. For no particular reason, Arthur Ashe popped into my head, and I penciled the idea into the schedule.

I didn’t learn until a couple of weeks ago that this year marks the 50th anniversary of Ashe’s first Grand Slam championship–at, of course, the U.S. Open. It’s also, sadly, the 25th anniversary of his death from AIDS. It’s strange how things sometimes work out like that. Continue reading “Arthur Ashe: Days Of Grace” →

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Movie Review: Borg vs. McEnroe

If you’ve looked at the About Me section of this blog, you know I was a bit of a Borg fan as a teen. Okay, more than a bit. If the Internet had been around, I’d have been in cyberstalker territory for sure.

So I was excited for the US opening of Borg vs. McEnroe, the movie immortalizing their dramatic 1980 Wimbledon championship match. The movie is in limited release, and the closest showing was an hour’s drive away. I didn’t care. I had to see it, and I had to see it on a big screen. Continue reading “Movie Review: Borg vs. McEnroe” →

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