Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

In the film Nyad, Diana reads the tail end of the poem 'The Summer Day' from a poetry collection of the  Pulitzer prize winning and best-selling author/poet Mary Oliver (from Maple Heights, Ohio) to her friend/coach Bonnie to emphasise that she needs to accomplish the one feat that has eluded her.  Interesting choice as Nyad and Oliver share some similarities in being lesbian, survivors of childhood abuse, and have/had strong relationships with Mother Nature (albeit a bit different).

Mary Oliver has become a favorite of poetry readers of all ages for her lyrical, intimate, and sensitive poems, many of which use nature as a lens for exploring the spectrum of human emotions, from love and joy to sorrow and despair. The best Mary Oliver poems remind us to pause and take a breath, revel in our surroundings, and encourage us not to take anything for granted. - Kayti Lahsaiezadeh

Movie Monday: Carol

Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett discovered the wonder that is Cincinnati in 2014 as they filmed the 1950s-era love story "Carol" there. The actresses praised Cincinnati during the press build-up for the movie's nationwide release in 2016:   “It’s been phenomenal shooting in Cincinnati, actually,” Blanchett said. “The architecture here is phenomenal. There’s so many buildings that haven’t been ... gentrified. Everyone, the fire department and police, have been so cooperative.”

Carol interview with Cate Blanchett
Carol's filming locations

While the mise-en-scene and acting is beautiful, I was frustrated by Carol's seemingly cruel nature and therefore didn't realise the appeal of the film, especially to someone I love, until I found the following explanation from the author of the original work: 

When Patricia Highsmith allowed her name to be attached to the 1990 republication by Bloomsbury (she previously published such it under the pseudonym Claire Morgan), she wrote in the "Afterword" to the edition:

The appeal of The Price of Salt was that it had a happy ending for its two main characters, or at least they were going to try to have a future together. Prior to this book, homosexuals male and female in American novels had had to pay for their deviation by cutting their wrists, drowning themselves in a swimming pool, or by switching to heterosexuality (so it was stated), or by collapsing—alone and miserable and shunned—into a depression equal to hell.

Imagine Me & You: Piper Perabo

Piper Perabo (and perhaps more importantly Lena Headey) first came up on my radar from Imagine Me & You (2006), which is a typical romcom with a difference.  The difference being that two women could have a meet-cute, fall in love, and live happily ever after.

The film takes place in my current city of residence but when you look up information on Piper Perabo, you find a lot of interviews mentioning her time at Ohio University.  

Blasts from the past

Coolest spies with Midwest roots

Movie Monday: From Denton, Ohio to the galaxy of Transylvania

The sad news of Meat Loaf's death last week, reminded me that while in Scotland I flipped through my friend John's Xmas gift of Atlas of Imagined Places and was surprised to learn that The Rocky Horror Picture Show was partially set in Ohio.  

The story begins in Denton, Ohio as Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon), after getting engaged, travel to see the man who began it, but wind up at the castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry), a transvestite alien from the planet Transsexual in the galaxy of Transylvania.  In The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Janet is reading The Plain Dealer, a Cleveland, Ohio newspaper, and the map seen in The Denton Affair (I) is that of southeastern Ohio.

Meat Loaf should have had two parts in RHPS

It also turns out that Meat Loaf's musical career was born in Cleveland!

Ohio Mums Against Nuts

Rewatching the third series of After Life to glean more philosophical gems and comfort in coping with my grief.  It was strangley reassuring that a close friend mentioned that Anne speaking with Tony reminds her of me...as in 'Anne is speaking to you', which has prompted me to watch again.  

There isn't a direct reference to Ohio other than a mention of George Clooney in episode 1 and humanity in general.   

While speaking of humanity, Gervais' comedy special Humanity contains a snippet about a Twitter argument referencing a previous joke about how other people's nut allergies shouldn't affect his life.  He coins the group of mothers upset about his seemingly callousness about their children's nut allergies as 'Ohio Moms Against Nuts'.  Now there is only a parody account on Twitter with that name so I don't know if these mothers were actually from Ohio or if as usual, it was used as a moniker for middle America.

From @OhioMumsAGAINST on Twitter

Fashion & Ohio

Walking through Westfield Shopping Centre after work, I decided to take a detour into Urban Outfitters to see if they had any rollerskates in store.  Unfortunately, I didn't find what I was looking for but did surprisingly spot a mannequin wearing an Ohio State sweatshirt.  It always tickles me when Ohio is associated to fashion in one of the most fashionable cities in the world.  I wonder what most people would think if they knew Abercrombie & Fitch and Victoria's Secret, which can also be found in Westfield, were headquartered in Ohio?!?

Movie Monday: The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

While watching The Killing of a Sacred Deer with friends in Scotland, the city and suburban imagery seemed familiar and at the very least midwestern.  After a little research, it became apparent that much of the film was set and photographed in Cincinnati.  The story is based on the ancient Greek tragedy Iphigenia at Aulis by Euripides.   While we and others may not have enjoyed the film, it's nice to know that the Queen City was depicted favourably.  Filmed in Greater Cincinnati in fall 2016, The Killing of a Sacred Deer features many high profile landmarks throughout the city. The Christ Hospital, John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge and Fountain Square make appearances in the trailer.