National Velvet

On Tuesday, December 16, 2008 we watched National Velvet (1944) and we had Sausage and Spring Mash "The Pie."

(Deep inhale and sigh...) "Horses"
National Velvet the poignant family story (quite a bizarre family at that) that made a young Elizabeth Taylor a star. Taylor excels as Velvet Brown, a 1920s working-class girl whose dreams of owning her own horse become a reality when she wins Pie, a wild and unruly horse, in a raffle. With the help of Mike Taylor (Mickey Rooney), a skittish, gun-shy ex-jockey, Velvet trains Pie to be a race champion despite the wishes of her loving but cautious parents (Donald Crisp and Ann Revere). Velvet's determination pays off, and the Brown family (including Angela Lansbury as Edwina, Velvet's sophisticated older sister) pools its money and enters the family pride and joy in the prestigious Grand National race, only to have its hopes dashed when the rider renegs–leading Velvet to do something extraordinary.

Once again, Barb and I got quite a few giggles out of this old classic. Good thing the food was delicious! Which saved this evening from being a flop. The sausages from Reading Terminal Market once again were the star of movie night.

In attendance: Barb and Lindsey
Ratings: Movie = 2.5, Dinner = 4.125

My Cousin Vinny

Tuesday, December 9, 2008 we watched My Cousin Vinny (1992) and had Saucy Shrimp and Grits.

Lippy New York City lawyer Vinny Gambini (Joe Pesci) motors to a Podunk Alabama town with his brassy, leather-clad girlfriend (Marisa Tomei, in an Oscar-winning performance) to clear his cousin Bill and Bill's pal Stan after they're falsely accused of bumping off a convenience-store clerk. Unfortunately, Vinny passed the bar exam just weeks earlier -- after six attempts -- and has yet to try a case. Things look bleak for Bill and Stan. …

We had to have grits as part of our meal and they were delicious as the base in a southern-style dinner with shrimp and tomatoes. Mmm! And the movie was just great--one even I couldn't believe I'd never seen before!

In attendance: Katie, Tim, Lindsey, Barb, Eric
Ratings: Movie = 4.75, Dinner = 4.5

Holiday Inn

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 we celebrated two great American classics to come out of the 1940s: Holiday Inn (1942) and Tuna Noodle Casserole.

Jim Hardy (Bing Crosby) and Ted Hanover (Fred Astaire) have been vaudeville partners for many years but when Ted announces that he and Jim's girlfriend, dancer Lila Dixon, are going to set off on their own, Jim decides the time has come to retire. He buys himself a farmhouse in New England and settles into the country life but soon realizes that he has an opportunity to do something special. He decides to open his inn to the public, but only on major holidays. Things are going well for him until his old partner Ted shows up and sets his sights on Jim's new friend, Linda Mason. The film introduced the song White Christmas.

I loved that this movie highlighted two holidays that just fly right by me during the year. Who knew that you are not supposed to tell a lie on Washington's birthday? It was pure shock and horror when watching Bing do his number in "black face" to celebrate Abraham lincoln's birthday-yikes! The tuna noodle casserole was just as it should be and we had so much fun carving our holiday log with the "axe" that Entenmann's so generous provided.

In attendance: Lindsey and Barb
Ratings: Movie = 2, Dinner = 2.625