Billy Elliot

Happy songs! Happy stars! Happy romance!
-- Tagline for It Happened in Brooklyn

Friday, November 24, 2000
One year ago: No More Highrise
Two years ago: Uncertainty

I only worked a half day today. It would have been ok if I'd stayed home, since the market was only open for a few hours of trading anyway. But we had articles to post. There was so little traffic, it was eerie! I'm sure I was the only one in the building for a while, until Pete, Chip, and Bob arrived a bit later. I said to Pete, "the commute was great! This is what it would be like if ninety percent of the population disappeared."

I felt rather tired after yesterday's festivities; I was stretching and yawning all morning.

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I left around eleven fifteen. I had time to stop by the used bookstore and my favorite Joy Wok chinese food before the movie was going to start, an hour later. I even sneaked into the drugstore and got some candy, though I ended up not eating any during the film.

The movie was Billy Elliot. (Here's a good thread on Yehoodi.com discussing the film.) I was interested in it because of the dance content. It's rated R, which surprised me after seeing the preview. Should my nephew J---, who is interested in dance, see it?

I think the rating was because the language is tough, and there's some fighting and violence in the family. The story is set in the Thatcher era in the north of England, in a coal-mining town. I really liked it! Very nicely nuanced, but maybe a bit long. The boy, Jamie Bell, is very good.

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I came home and actually got to work on the projects I want to get done this weekend. I've been pondering for a while on how I could rearrange the living room to bring in a loveseat recliner, for Jack to be able to sleep on, and somewhere for me to sit and cuddle with him. I have a large armoire, probably the most expensive item I've ever bought before my new car (because I inherited my old car). I use this armoire to store the TV and home theater stuff, but one side was currently empty. I had an idea -- move the drawers of videotapes into that side compartment, then move the rattan couch against that wall. This would free up space for a loveseat recliner (as yet unbought).

So I dug in, wiping down the free-standing drawers (these are the video storage drawers with a fake wood finish, that you can get anywhere), sorting out the videos and straightening them out. I picked up trash, and moved old copies of factsheet five into a box. I cleared the floor, and did enough so that I could actually move the furniture and see that this whole idea could work.

I moved the mattress where H---- has been sleeping off the floor. I should return this mattress to my sister, and stick with the air mattress when H--- is here, I think.

I had the TV on during this process, and got caught up in the Frank Sinatra movies they are showing on Turner Classic Movies this month. I've seen On The Town before, but not recently. I'm really more of a Gene Kelly fan than a Sinatra fan. I really wasn't thrilled with The Tender Trap -- Debbie Reynolds as a very determined virgin gave me the creeps! And the swinging bachelor that Sinatra was playing, yuck! But they were showing it in VistaVision widescreen, and I liked the modern design apartment.

I was much more pleased with It Happened in Brooklyn, a corny musical with Sinatra, Jimmy Durante, Kathryn Grayson, and Peter Lawford. I've seen clips from this in movies like That's Entertainment, most notably the scene with Durante and Sinatra in the music store, but I'd never seen the whole thing before tonight. Very sweet and charming.