The Art of Racing in the Rain… movie review (warning: spoilers!)

Oh my goodness, this movie. If you haven’t seen it yet, please do. Especially if you’re a lover of dogs. I will warn you though, it’s one that will have you sniffling and wiping away tears more than once… unless you’re one of those cat people. Hee hee meow.

The Art of Racing in the Rain was a book before it was a movie, and one which I read a few years back. Sidenote: one of the best books I’ve ever read! So when my friend told me it was becoming a movie I had mixed feelings. Not because I wouldn’t want to see it, but the opposite! I knew I’d want to see it but wasn’t sure about going through the heart wrenching parts again.

The movie was in theaters, I didn’t go. Then it went to DVD, I didn’t buy. But then I mustered up some courage and brought home the DVD. Even then, it took me a few days to muster up more courage to watch the movie. I don’t know what it is, but any movie about a dog really gets to me. Short tangent: I still remember watching Benji as a young boy and being so affected by it. There was a scene where the family was moving away but just before they left the house for the last time, Benji escaped. They couldn’t find him so they got in the station wagon and were leaving for good. Then Benji returns home and is running behind their station wagon, like “Don’t forget me!” Whew, that was a memorable scene. Rant: Who moves away without their dog? That should be a crime! Maybe that family was more into cats. Hee hee meow.

I knew going into this movie I’d have to have my big boy pants on.

Well, I made it through pretty much OK! There was humor, drama, sadness, thrills, and love. The perfect recipe for a great movie… and great book, too. It had been a while since I read the book so I was happy to not remember every little detail, which helped make the movie “new” in a way.

There were 3 dogs that played the part of Enzo and I was so impressed with them. I watched the DVD extra about these dogs and it’s really impressive how well they were trained, and how the handlers worked with them to get the emotion and action they wanted for the film. Even while I was watching the movie, I thought many times, “Wow, the dog is showing such genuine emotion, this is great!” It never looked fake, ever.

I haven’t had any spoilers yet, but now I simply must share my favorite scene. Very near to the end of the movie, Denny (the main male character) is driving a vintage Ferrari with Enzo buckled in as the passenger. As wind blows through his ears and fur, Enzo is reflecting on his life with Denny and their family. His narration pauses, and Denny steers the car around the track, looks over to Enzo and says, “You’ve been a good friend. A real good friend.” Oh my goodness. Another cat slam: If that scene doesn’t cut right through your heart then you must be one of those cat lovers. Hee hee meow.

You definitely need to watch the movie, and snuggle up with your furry loved ones while you do. Ruff ruff!

-Out of the Wilderness

A short response to Peanut Butter Falcon- no spoilers!

At some point before watching a movie months and months ago a trailer for The Peanut Butter Falcon played and, well, they had me at peanut butter. I’m just being honest. As the trailer went, I was more and more into it. The synopsis as it showed in the trailer wasn’t about some specific huge dramatic event, but just showing bits and pieces of the journey the characters were on. Here’s the trailer.

The movie stars Zack Gottsagen, Shia LaBeouf, and Dakota Johnson.

What an adventure they went on. Having a Down Syndrome sister, I’m always curious how the acting will be with a Down Syndrome actor. I’ll explain. When I talk with my sister, there are certain natural ways she’ll respond and react. Just like everyone actually haha So when an actor has lines in a movie, the writers job (and the actors) is to make that character seem as real as real life, does that make sense? It’s not Leonardo DiCaprio playing a poor boy who snuck onto the Titanic, we’re watching Jack on the adventure of his life.

So when Zack is performing in this movie, will it be the way a person with Down syndrome would naturally respond, or did it come across as reading lines? That’s something else I think when I see kid actors in movies or on TV. Sometimes you can tell the lines are written by adults because kids would never say the things they end up having to say as scripted. Well, after watching, Zack did an amazing job! It was fun to follow along with his adventure in the movie. There were moments I was laughing, cheering, and even my heart breaking when he was delivering his lines, it was truly great!

Then there’s Shia LaBeouf. I’ve been a fan since “Even Stevens” on the Disney Channel way back when. He’s definitely one of my favorite actors and in this movie, he didn’t disappoint. Same with Zack, there are certain ways people will react to things in real life, and it’s a director/writer/actor’s job to capture that in an acting role. For Shia, he’s just so darn believable. He reacts the way a person in real life would react and I love that about him. Check the trailer at 1:58 and notice Shia’s reaction to what Zack was doing. I guarantee you the script didn’t say- “bounce up and down slightly,” but Shia reacts how most people would in that situation. It’s just so real and natural. There are a few scenes where he, Zack, and Dakota are  floating on a raft and the conversations were like they didn’t rehearse at all. It was just 3 people talking who happened to be part of a movie. I hope that makes sense! Shia has always acted that way, it’s why I liked him in Even Stevens.

So the acting is great, including Dakota who played the more straight, strict character. The movie overall is one you need to see. Note that there is some language so it’s not best suited for young kids, but the message is fantastic and heartwarming, down to the very last scene which I really want to mention, but I won’t. Just rent it or get it from the library or stream it or whatever you need to do to watch it. Afterwards, let me know what you think.

I’m off to get a spoonful of peanut butter, thanks for stopping by!

-Out of the Wilderness

A white woman has a 66% chance of winning the Bachelor this season

The new season is almost upon us and with all the busyness of the December holidays, episode 1 has definitely snuck up on me. This season has Peter in the cockpit with not 25, but 30!!!! ladies calmly buckled in as his love passengers. Does anyone know when they switched from 25 to 30 contestants? I mean, goodness gracious that’s a lot! I vaguely remember one season a few years back they promoted it as having 5 more than usual, but it seems like the norm to have 30 now.

Here’s a list of the contestants if you care to take a look.

Breaking it down by the numbers, there are 7 woman who look to be black or at least mixed race, 3 of Asian decent, and the rest white, 20.

Of those white ladies, 9 are brunette, 10 are blonde, and 1 is a red-head.

If my math is correct, and it rarely ever was in school, that gives a white woman around a 67% chance of winning, a black woman has a 23% chance, and the Asian ladies are at 10%. But numbers don’t really matter when it comes to love. Peter takes flight Monday night and I’m sure there will be dozens of flight/pilot/airline jokes so please return your seat to it’s upright position, turn off all your devices, and let’s fly the friendly skies of The Bachelor together.

If you’re interested in reading recaps of each new episode, kindly respond below to let me know!

-Out of the Wilderness

 

 

Top Posts of 2019

Another year down, and 2020 has already started flying by! Before we get too far into it (and I forget to do this…) here’s the top posts from 2019. Thanks to everyone who stopped by! I absolutely love writing, although if you follow this blog and check it regularly, there are times where weeks go by without a post. Sometimes I just don’t have what I think is something worthy of writing. I’ll try to be better about that this year. In all, I had 89 new posts in 2019. To be honest, my favorites are the original satire I wrote in the fall. But anywho, here are some stats!

Top 3 Most-Viewed Posts All Time: 

The Woman in Omi’s “Cheerleader” Music Video (post date- July 15, 2015). Views- 6,294

Uptown Funk: Smoother Than A Fresh Jar of Skippy Explained (post date- February 15, 2015). Views- 3,119

The Woman in Brett Young’s “In Case You Didn’t Know” (post date- April 8, 2017). Views- 2,149

Top 3 Most-Viewed Posts from 2019:

12 Songs for Being Laid Off or Fired (post date- April 25). Views- 1,236

GEICO and Jerome Bettis Fumble on New TV Spot (post date- August 29). Views- 264

17 Songs for Being Laid Off or Fired (post date- April 25). Views- 208

 

Thanks again, and be sure to check back in for new and just as exciting posts in 2020!

-Out of the Wilderness

Do you like any cover songs better than the originals?

There are quite a few songs I’ve heard that were simply remakes of an older version. An easy one to use as an example is “Can’t Help Falling In Love.” Everyone and their mother knows this song was made popular by Elvis Presley.


But this isn’t the version I heard first. For me, it was the recording by UB40 that I fell in love with in the early 1990s.


There are other songs, too, that are only a newer artists take on an old classic. So my question is this:

Does a person generally like the first version they hear of a song, even if it’s not the original artist singing it?

Alien Ant Farm “Smooth Criminal,” Boyz II Men “In the Still of the Night,” Jeff Buckley “Hallelujah,” Whitney Houston “I Will Always Love You,” and Sinead O’Connor “Nothing Compares 2 U” are arguably better covers than the originals, along with many, many other songs. If you heard these first, would you think they’re better than Michael Jackson, The Five Satins, Leonard Cohen, Dolly Parton, and Prince’s originals?

What are your thoughts? Do you have a few cover favorites you like better than the original? Chime in below!

-Out of the Wilderness