Woodland Enchantress Cross Stitch, Progress Report 10

Time for a cross stitch update!

Here’s a reminder of what it’s supposed to look like when it’s finished:

Here’s what it looked like the last time I updated, in January 2019:

And here’s what it looks like now:

I started keeping track of my work again, so I can tell you that this represents approximately 40.75 hours! I’m feeling pretty good because I tried really hard to work on it more frequently and I now know that I did, because this is quite a bit more work than every other quarter I previously tracked. I had to slow down toward the end of April because of a rib injury, but I’m getting back into the swing of things now!

Top 50 Actors, #45 - Gene Hackman: "Mississippi Burning" (1988)

Movie Stats:
Released 1988 (USA)
American, in English
Director - Alan Parker
Stars - Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe, and many others

Plot Summary:
Based on a true story. In Mississippi during the summer of 1964, when three young civil rights workers go missing, FBI agents Rupert Anderson (Hackman) and Alan Ward (Dafoe) are sent to investigate.

Warnings:
Heavy blue language (including racial slurs); heavy violence; gore.

Bad Stuff:
The very last still shot was a bit ham-handed.

I didn’t care for some of the music (mostly the stuff in chase scenes); it felt too modern compared to the music in the rest of the film.

The FBI tactics portrayed toward the end of the film weren’t exactly believable but I decided to roll with it anyway.

Good Stuff:
The acting is all very good.

I enjoyed the shifting relationship between Anderson and Ward. They never dislike one another, but they don’t always respect each other. There’s a lot of distrust there. I liked watching them learn how to work together and integrate their disparate styles.

It felt well-crafted. From the first scene to the last, it told the story in such a riveting style that I never turned away, even though the subject matter was very upsetting to me.

About the Performance:
I really liked Hackman in this. It’s probably my favorite performance of his. Just like Ward, I initially felt suspicious of him. Is he on the same page? Does he want the same outcome as Ward and us, the viewers? The more you understand him and his motivations, the more you like him. Hackman does a great job portraying a man who understands what he’s up against because it’s what he’s come from. I would have enjoyed an even deeper exploration of how he came to be the person he was.

Other performances of Hackman’s I’ve reviewed: Unforgiven; Reds; Superman; The French Connection; Bonnie and Clyde.

The Verdict:
I thought this was a great movie. It is, however, a very difficult movie. I felt upset through pretty much the whole thing, right from the first scene. It’s a hard topic and it’s not fun, seeing people treat other people this way. While the film is dramatized, I know enough about history to know it wasn’t that far from the truth. Still, the difficulty of the material doesn’t detract from the overall quality of the film. I thought it was a masterpiece of storytelling that featured many fine actors doing excellent work.

I give it 4.5 stars.

Up with Geography: Fiji

Country Name:
Fiji

Capital:
Suva

Continent:
None; it’s an island chain

Map:

Map of Fiji. Disclaimer: There are over 300 islands in
Fiji's archipelago. I didn't depict them all.

Neighbors:
The nearest neighbors are Vanuatu, Tuvalu, and American Samoa.

Water Borders:
Pacific Ocean, Koro Sea

Total Area:
7,056 square miles

Five Largest Cities:
Suva, Lautoka, Nadi, Labasa, Ba

Famous Geographical Point:
Mount Tomanivi

Famous Person:
Elena Baravilala, singer

Book Set In/About:
Getting Stoned with the Savages by J. Maarten Troost

One man’s true life adventures living in Fiji & Vanuatu.

Movie Set In/About:
“Pear ta ma 'on maf (The Land Has Eyes)” (2004) by Vilsoni Hereniko

To-date, the only feature length film to come out of Fiji, it’s a coming-of-age tale about a young woman seeking relief from the pressures of island culture.

Headline of the Day:
“Fiji Is Open for Business Invites Trade Minister” on fbcnews.com.fj.

Top 50 Actors, #46 - Morgan Freeman: "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994)

Movie Stats:
Released 1994 (Canada)
American, in English
Director - Frank Darabont
Stars - Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman

Plot Summary:
Over the course of nearly twenty years, Andy Dufresne (Robbins) and Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding (Freeman) form a tight bond of friendship while in prison.

Warnings:
Heavy blue language; violence; very minor gore; rape (off-screen); sexy times (brief, no nudity); brief reference to drug use (marijuana).

Bad Stuff:
The only true quibble I have is that it all wraps up in a nice little bow that seems a bit too neat.

Good Stuff:
I feel like it’s difficult to put your finger on what makes this movie so good. It’s got a great script with a solid story, excellent dialogue, a clever twist, and an ending that will please you unless you’ve got a heart made of stone. Plus, for a movie largely set in prison, it’s weirdly wholesome. Sure, there’s all these bad things that happen, but in a way you don’t even notice because of all the good things that Andy does. It’s like, “Yeah, there’s prison rape, but this movie makes me feel so dosh darn good!” Both Andy and Red are extremely likable characters. (Actually, most of the prisoners are.) You find yourself rooting for their happy ending, no matter what they might have done in the past. The acting is great, I enjoyed the cinematography, and while the score is a bit 90s schmaltzy, I found I rarely noticed it because I was so engrossed in the film.

What makes this a good movie? Pretty much everything.

About the Performance:
This is Morgan Freeman at his finest. Red is a professed murderer (the movie never tells you who his victim was). This should make him inherently a bad guy but you never feel that way about him. Freeman imbues Red with so much warmth and humanity that, even before he declares his feelings toward the end of the film, you get the sense that this is a man who regrets a rash, youthful decision. If Red had the chance to do it all over again, he would’ve made a different choice. Even if you’ve never committed a terrible crime, I think that’s someone practically anyone could find relatable. Plus, Morgan Freeman’s voice improves any film.

Other performances of Freeman’s I’ve reviewed: Million Dollar Baby; Unforgiven; Driving Miss Daisy.

The Verdict:
I think it’s pretty obvious that I like this film. It had been quite a while since I’d last seen it, so I thought, “Maybe it’s not as good as I remember it being.” It is. In fact, it’s even better than I remembered. The subject matter isn’t always easy, but in the end, it’s a heartwarming story that makes you feel good. Hands down, an all-time favorite.

I give it 4.75 stars.