Trina Boice's Blog: The Boice Box, page 10

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Inspires

Movie Title: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Grade: A-



In a Nutshell: We’re all a little bit like Walter Mitty, imagining ourselves doing great things while reality jails us in some dull cubicle to eek out a living. In this fresh remake (the 1947 version starred the lovable Danny Kaye), Walter Mitty is, ironically, a “negative asset manager” for LIFE magazine who daydreams about heroism and romance, but lives an uninspired life. Because he hasn’t done anything “noteworthy or mentionable”, he can’t seem to catch the eye of his co-worker (Kristen Wiig) until... I remember reading this James Thurber’s short story in middle school and began drafting my very first “Bucket List.”


Uplifting theme: Stop dreaming. Start living. I took my family to see this comedy directed by Ben Stiller and asked my kids what they thought. One of my sons said “Motivated.” I prompted “Motivated to do what?” “More.” Another son chimed in “Motivated to do more instead of read about it on blogs.” The magazine Walter Mitty works for is, appropriately, LIFE. Now, go out there and use your passport.

Things I liked:  Gorgeous cinematography! Inspiring visions. Some of the biggest moments of the film were the ones that featured simple joys. The subtle humor had my husband’s contagious laughter fill the theater. Ben Stiller is the king of awkward moments. The 1947 film portrayed an overbearing mother, but in this version the lovely Shirley MacLaine brings to life a supportive, but aging mom who unintentionally brings out the best in her son.

For the younger generation who never had the pleasure of reading LIFE from 1936-1972, it was the photojournalism magazine that introduced us to places all over the world. Its motto, spotlighted in the movie was: “To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other and to feel. That is the purpose of life.”



Things I didn’t like: Walter Mitty is in really good shape on that skateboard, considering he was supposed to have been working in a dark photography office for 17 years. I know, as if the rest of the film was entirely believable. The great cell phone reception on the mountain top of the Himalayas provided some laughter from the audience.

Funny line: “I have that The Curious Case of Benjamin Button thing.”

Things to look for:  Read all of the signs on streets, walls, and even mountains during the film for insightful narration. You won’t see Stiller’s famous “Blue Steel” humor from Zoolander, but a solid dramatic performance that is endearing.

Tips for parents: Rated PG! Yay! There are some intoxicated guys in a bar drinking REALLY LARGE glasses. A couple of “mild” swear words. A funny Ben Stiller movie with no F-bombs and crude humor…a refreshing relief. It was a nice change to see Kristen Wiig and Sean Penn with clean characters as well. Your family will enjoy the thrilling action scenes and peaceful moments of reflection.

Now I'm ready to go to Iceland or Greenland

Addicted to Instagram now

Ok, so I'm becoming slightly addicted to Instagram now...

Lately, I've been posting a lot of foodie pics because I teach at Le Cordon Bleu School for the Culinary Arts and do a lot of Mystery Shopping at awesome restaurants.  Feel free to follow me at:


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2014 Ready Resource book is now in stores!

Copy of 2014 Ready Resource

Click on the link above to watch a "book trailer" for the new edition of "Ready Resource for Relief Society"!

What someone who loves books said about my newest book!

Do you love to read books? Shauna Wheelwright loves books so much that she created a blog about it!   In fact, it's called "I love to read and review books". 

She recently read my newest book "Ready Resource for Relief Society" and had this to say about it:

----------------------------------------- 
I am really impressed with this resource book!
I mean REALLY IMPRESSED!



This gives a teacher of Relief Society a plentiful supply of materials to supplement the lessons from the Church Manual.

In this resource guide you get for EACH LESSON:

*Hymn selections that correlate with the lesson.
*A brief summary of the lesson.
*Quotes from Apostles and Prophets
*Picture ideas to use from the Gospel Art Kit
*Church video suggestions

and my favorite part...

*it gives you OBJECT LESSONS to use to bring more understanding to the lesson!

But that's not all...
You also get:
*Ensign articles to use
*Scripture Mastery verses to expound the lesson
*Correlating pages from Preach My Gospel
*AND a CHALLENGE to help the class members put the lesson to practice in their own lives.

And if that is not enough...
*There are handouts all ready made for you!

This makes teaching SO EASY!

------------------------------------------------------------

The book hits stores THIS WEEK!  Woohoo!
To grab a paperback copy or an ebook version of it, buy it online at Amazon.





Thanks Shauna!

Win a free book CONTEST!

So, are you ready for the holidays? Would you like to be?

An inspiring author and good friend of mine, Connie Sokol, is launching her newest book "Simplify & Savor the Season", a three-part holiday planner to help you savor the celebrations!




You can WIN A FREE COPY by sharing in the comment box below what you do to celebrate and enjoy this holiday season, which includes Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. I'll pick a winning entry and send you a copy of her ebook and eplanner!



 Connie's fun book details the to-dos, including menu and gift planning, with quick tips on how to lose the unnecessary and focus on the essential. After organizing, sit back and enjoy the season with “5 Holiday Juicers”—tips that teach how to keep life joyful, not stressful. Then curl up and relax with “Savory Suggestions, Snippets, and Stories,” a collection of laugh-out-loud anecdotes including “How the Real Halloween Fright Happened the Next Day,” “Thankful for Warbling,” and “Let Go of the Cookie-Cutter Christmas.”
Make your holiday celebrations meaningful and memorable as you Simplify & Savor the Season!



To learn more about this book and others, visit www.conniesokol.com where you can also sign up to receive her fun newsletter.

Some testimonials of her newest book are:



“Reading Simplify & Savor the Season is like getting an early holiday gift: permission to let go of meaningless frills and pageantry and instead, focus on family and love. And it helps the most diehard procrastinators get organized in time to enjoy the holidays.”
—Elyssa Andrus, author of Happy Homemaking: An LDS Girl’s Guide 



“Love it! I don’t have to hold my breath anymore. Connie is the master at bringing clarity to the chaotic. This book brings to light the little things that make all the difference. I want to tell all women that serenity during the holidays really can happen. What a gift!
–Kalli Wilson, International Wellness Coach 



Connie Sokol is a mother of seven, a national and local presenter, and a favorite speaker at Education Week. She is the Motherhood Matters contributor on KSL TV's “Studio 5 with Brooke Walker”, and regular blogger on www.ksl.com. She is a former TV and radio host, newspaper columnist. Mrs. Sokol is the author of several books including The Life is Too Short Collection, Faithful, Fit & Fabulous, Create a Powerful Life Plan, 40 Days with the Savior, and Caribbean Crossroads. She marinates in time spent with her family and eating decadent treats. For her blog, TV segments, podcasts and more, visit www.conniesokol.com

Sneak Peek at Ready Resource for Relief Society 2014

I'm so excited to announce that my newest book "Ready Resource for Relief Society - Teachings of the President Joseph Fielding Smith" will launch on November 19, 2013!  Woohoo!  It will be available for purchase in stores and online on that date.  Yay!







Here is a sneak peek at the lesson topics for next year's Relief Society and Priesthood lesson manual for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  My book will offer creative and fun ideas to help teachers with object lessons, visual aids, video suggestions, artwork, handouts, inspiring quotes, article links, as well as 3 new features: Seminary Scripture Mastery tie-ins, Preach My Gospel pages, and personal challenges for every chapter!



Topics for 2014 include:








Lesson 1      Our
Father in Heaven

Lesson 2      Our
Savior, Jesus Christ

Lesson 3      The Plan of Salvation

Lesson 4      Strengthening and Preserving the Family

Lesson 5      Faith and Repentance                     

Lesson 6      The Significance of the Sacrament

Lesson 7     Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Witnesses for
Jesus Christ   

Lesson 8     The Church and Kingdom of God
  

Lesson 9      Witnesses of the Book of Mormon

Lesson 10     Our Search
for Truth

Lesson 11     Honoring
the Priesthood Keys Restored through Joseph Smith

Lesson 12     The
Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood

Lesson 13     Baptism 

Lesson 14     The Gift of the Holy Ghost

Lesson 15      Eternal
Marriage 

Lesson 16      Bringing
Up Children in Light and Truth 

Lesson 17      Sealing
Power and Temple Blessings 

Lesson 18      living
by Every Word That Proceeds from the Mouth of God

Lesson 19      In
the World but Not of the World 

Lesson 20       Love
and Concern for All Our Father’s Children

Lesson 21       Proclaiming
the Gospel to the World 

Lesson 22       Prayer
– a Commandment and a Blessing 

Lesson 23       Individual
Responsibility  

Lesson 24       The
Work of Latter-day Saint Women: “Unselfish Devotion

                       to This Glorious Cause”    

Lesson 25       The Birth of Jesus Christ:  “Good Tidings of Great Joy”

Lesson 26       Preparing for the Coming of our Lord

Ready Resource for Relief Society 2014 is now available for pre-order

Great news! The 2014 "Ready Resource for #ReliefSociety" is out!



Well, it's not on store shelves just yet, but you can pre-order your copies on Amazon today!




The picture shows a cover similar to last year's edition, but it will actually be blue in 2014.  This handy resource book makes lesson preparation so much easier so that you can spend more time focusing on the Spirit and meeting the needs of your specific class.



There are 3 new features in this new edition:





* Scripture Mastery verses that help parents memorize the same scriptures as their teenagers in Seminary.  Each lesson focuses on the Scripture Mastery references that relate to the same topic.




* Preach My Gospel page references to help the class become more familiar with this terrific missionary tool. President Monson said in the Fall 2013 General Conference "Now is the time for members and
missionaries to work together..." The page references will help readers learn how to incorporate missionary work and focused studies on the topic.





* A weekly challenge to deepen learning and increase application of the topic.





The 2014 edition still includes the favorite features you love to help you prepare your Sunday lessons during Relief Society and Priesthood:



* Object lesson ideas



* Hymns and music that go along with the theme





* Suggested artwork and visual aids




* References to articles in Church magazines and General Conference talks





* Ideas for showing videos to correlate with each week's topic



* A handout that can be copied and given to everyone in the class

I think you're going to LOVE this new book!



If you're interested in any of the previous year's issues, they can also be purchased online at Amazon for a new low price!
They're TERRIFIC for Family Home

Evening lessons and youth topical lessons for Sunday School!
 





 













Ready Resource for #ReliefSociety

Planes script writing doesn't soar to expectations

If Planes was
about a bomber, then it would be mission accomplished. The voice talents of
Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, John Cleese, Brad Garrett, and Priyanka Chopra are the
best things about the movie Planes, a
Disney release, but NOT a Pixar production.  It is Prana Animation Studios that put this
one together.  Not exactly a household
name, but they’re the ones who released Tinker
Bell and Secret of the Wings
(another Tinker Bell movie) straight
to DVD release.   Unfortunately, the quality of this film reveals
its history.




Planes was
originally created to be a direct-to-DVD release, but when little ones clamor
to see a summer flick with a giant tub of buttery movie-theater popcorn, why
not squeeze more money out of it and slip it into the theaters first?  Ohhhhh, now this movie makes more sense.








The movie begins with the title “From above the world of Cars” hoping the Disney connection will
help this movie to soar to megabucks.  It
flops. Cars was somewhat unique and
successful, and although Planes has a
similar look, it doesn’t quite make it off the runway. Without Pixar’s humorous
magic, the audience didn’t laugh for almost 15 minutes.  I don’t know if any parents ever did.  The humor is definitely geared towards
younger children, almost at the parents’ expense.  The simplistic underdog story lacks the
sophistication to entertain bored parents, yet provides endless stereotypes to offend
them.




Dane Cook voices Dusy, a crop-duster who dreams of becoming
a racing plane, has a secret fear of heights. 
Kinda lame, right?




While most movie critics consider this film to be a soulless
cash grab, there are some visually colorful aerial views of landscapes,
although older folks may get dizzy in the 3D version.  (I’m showing my age.)  Little ones who love airplanes will be in heaven and the merchandising profits are sure to please Disney. The “believe in yourself” ending is
predictable and unoriginal.  I mean, we
just finished watching Turbo a couple
of weeks ago.








It’s a disappointing movie theater trip, but at least you
got your buttery popcorn fix.  Little
ones will enjoy it.  Parents will endure
it.  Are we going to see “Boats the
Movie” next?




Grade = C

The Wolverine comes to life and death from comic books to the big screen

Don’t you just love Hugh Jackman?  He’s like an action figure that can sing and
dance.   The Wolverine is a journey into one of X-Men’s most conflicted and
developed characters on screen.  If you
love Wolverine, you’re going to love this movie.  If you’re not familiar with the famous
steel-taloned superhero from the comic books, you’ll still be entertained.







 



Within the first ten minutes of the show, the audience is
treated with some background story, amazing CGI of the blast at Nagasaki and a close-up
view of how a superhero recovers from atomic burns.  Wolverine saves a young Japanese soldier from
the bomb, who later wants to repay his kindness before dying as an old man…a
rich old man.  Most of the film takes
place in Japan,
combining ancient Japanese tradition with the ageless history of Wolverine.



 



For the ladies, Hugh Jackman is often topless, revealing an
impressively sculpted body and evidence of a hard-working actor.  Movie critic Roger Ebert calls him a
“metal-clawed mountain of muscle.”  For
the guys, Jackman shows off some cool action moves and quick fighting
sequences, enough to match skills with the most awesome of ninjas.  And yes, there ARE ninjas in the movie.  Who doesn’t like a good ninja?  Well, unfortunately, the ones in this movie
are all bad.



 



The Wolverine battles with lots of bad guys in this movie, as
well as himself, as he decides what is worth living for in his immortal life or
what is worth dying for.  Logan must decide whether
or not to accept the gift of mortality from his old friend, Kenuichio Harada
who is now a billionaire and head of a technology company that can help the
Wolverine get the thing he wants most: death. 








 



Hugh Jackman and director James Mangold worked together
before in Kate & Leopold.  The
writers provide Logan
with lots of flashbacks and moments to reflect, sometimes making you want to
yell at the screen “Just snap out of it already and be awesome!”



 



Rila Fukushima plays Yukio, a young Manga-inspired
body-guard, complete with red hair, rockin black boots, and admirable loyalty.  Tao Okamoto plays Mariko, the grand-daughter
of Harada and heir to his fortune. While Wolverine struggles with guilt from
his lost love, Jean, he carefully falls for Mariko and is sworn to protect her.







 



Russian actress Svetlana Khodchenkova plays Viper, a mutant
doctor who wears ridiculously sexy outfits to hold the audience’s attention,
yet doesn’t have much depth to her character. 
Maybe in a sequel we’ll learn more about her?  While she gets lots of cute fashion
ensembles, Wolverine is either topless or sports a wife-beater t-shirt a la
Bruce Willis in the Die Hard movies.  I
like the way his hair tweaks out on the sides to make him look like the comic
book figure.



 



The bath tub scene is pretty cute where some female Japanese
servants help transform the scruffy Logan
from a cave man who hangs out in the wilderness into a clean superhero.     Another funny scene is when the Minister of
Justice gets thrown out of a window wearing red underwear.







 



The impressive fight scene atop a bullet train in Japan makes the
recent Lone Ranger train scenes pale in comparison.  Unfortunately, the ending was a bit cheesy,
as well as a few lame lines like when Wolverine says “Don’t hit my friends” or
when he answers the question “What kind of monster are you?” with “The
Wolverine.”  Since I’m a mom of 4 boys, I
hate it when the hero has to drop F-bombs to make an impact, like when he says
“Go F___ yourself, Pretty Boy.”  Yeah,
the audience laughed, but surely the writers could have come up with something
more witty and appropriate for young boys everywhere to mimic for weeks after
watching the film.



 



The end of the movie presents a Pacific Rim Samurai version
of a robot that is kind of cool.   A line
often repeated by Rila Fukushima in the movie describes it well….”interesting.”  Hamada calls Logan a “ronin”, a Samurai without a
master.  Interestingly, before the movie
began a trailer played for an upcoming movie entitled “47 Ronin” which should
offer some impressive fight scenes that even the Wolverine would want to join
in on.



 



 



PG-13, 120 minutes.

Turbo Terrific for little ones

Turbo is an
example of a trailer that didn’t make the movie look as good as it is.  I mean, a movie about a fast garden
snail?  Unlike Ryan Reynold’s other movie
released this weekend, R.I.P.D., this
fun flick is sure to please the whole family. 
It has heart and illustrates the feel-good message that all you need is
one good friend to believe in you in order to succeed.  No dream is too big and no dreamer is too
small.  Sweet.



 



Voice and acting talent Paul Giamatti plays Chet, Turbo the
snail’s best friend and brother, but it’s Tito (Michael Pena) who first believes
in Turbo’s dream to race in the Indianapolis
500.  Tito and his brother own a taco
shop called “Dos Bros Tacos” when Tito discovers the quick escargot and hopes
to create a “tacovolution” that will draw more hungry customers to their little
restaurant.







 



The unmistakable voice of Samuel L. Jackson brings
“Whiplash” to life, another fast snail who befriends Turbo and helps him reach
his goal.  “Smoove Move” embodies Snoop
Dogg’s snail persona, complete with a pair of dice swinging from his slender,
snaily neck.



 



You’ll also hear the voices of other fan favorites such as
Michelle Rodriguez (Paz) and Ken Jeong (Kim Ly), who both own shops in the same
small strip mall as Dos Bros Tacos.







 



This is the first project of director and co-writer David
Soren, who pleases young audiences with colorful characters, an underdog story,
and lots of silliness.  Kids aren’t too
hard to please, after all.  Adults will
be amused, however, by a few clever lines and gags.  Watch for the funny mean kid on the Big Wheel,
the mustache made out of grass, Taco Man and his sidekick “Churro”, “Snail
up!”, “Snailed it”, and the label on a hot sauce bottle that says “Product
causes death.”



 



It’s amazing how a good animation team can create such
detailed facial expressions on slimy insects, but they succeed.   It’s not worth the extra money to pay to see
it in 3D.   The language is clean,
although there are a few risqué jokes that should fly over most little one’s
head.  “Your trash talk is needlessly
complicated” is a funny line geared towards adults, but still evokes a laugh
out of kids for reasons they don’t even understand.



 



Suspend your disbelief and enjoy the fast ride with your
kids and a bucket of popcorn.  Not in to
insects?  Go see Monsters University
instead.







 



Grade = B