Remembering...

Christy Henrich was a world class gymnast, but to me she was my brothers fiancee. I was young, still adjusting to being an outcast in school when they met. She made the world always seem better with her amazing smile and wonderful laugh. And her undeniable talent made her a superstar in my eyes. Well, she herself made her a superstar in my eyes. My brother loved her, she loved my brother, and we loved her. In 1989, a judge (who, if they are any kind of an actual "human being" will be haunted from this forever) told Christy that she needed to loose weight if she was ever going to make it to the Olympics. See, Christy missed going to the Olympics the year before by just two spots, and desperately wanted to make it so she took this advice to heart unfortunately. Christy was nothing but pure muscle, and any weight loss would be detrimental. Unfortunately it was.

Over the next few years, Christy's weight begun to fluctuate, minor at first, then widely. She was enveloped by the two eating disorders that had taken over her life, Anorexia and Bulimia. Christy died eight days after her 22nd birthday. Her memory, and her legacy, is remembered to all people around the world, not just by her family and mine, but to her millions and millions of fans globally. Her original balance beam leap was named after her, and my brother plans on one day writing their love story in book form, and telling more about this amazing person who I was privileged to have in my life. I think about Christy all the time, and how I would have loved to have grown up into the person I am today with her around, physically that is. How I would have loved for her to see me become the actor I am today (Her final hospital stay was during my very first play ever in 1994, so the memory of my acting career beginning is a tad bittersweet). She died 15 years ago yesterday. Two things I hold dear: A photo of the two of us dancing at my sisters wedding, and a birthday note she wrote me telling me I was "the little brother she never had but always wanted." We love you Christy, and will hold you dear forever, in our hearts, in our minds, in our lives...

Youth, how precious...

Wow...If this is the future of our world...then I'm really scared...



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"500 Days of Summer" - Movie Review

An absolute wonderful movie, 500 Days of Summer may be my favorite romance I've seen in years. Here you have the usual boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, girl falls for boy storyline. And even in the beginning, you're told that this is not a love story. But it is. Kind of.

The story follows Tom, a greeting card writer who should be an architect, and Summer, the intern that he immediately falls for. He's always believed in destiny and love. Her, not so much. But together they find something in each other. And then it goes away. What makes "500 Days" so refreshing is, in a sense, everything about it. The dialogue is crisp and real. It actually sounds like real people in real life talking. Go figure. And those random moments you imagine happening around you that never quite match up to your reality? We see those through Tom's eyes as well. The story is also told out of order, jumping from one day to the next, from, say Day 275 to 12 then to 185 and then 2. It's unconventional, and every moment of it's sweetness and romanticism is earned by a top notch directing job, great screenplay, and great performance after great performance. And when it's harsh reality sinks in, it's even more devastating. Plus, find a movie lately that has made Los Angeles look so lovely. I dare you.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt continues his streak of fantastic characters on screen with Tom, and he charms you, especially in scenes like when he first has sex and ends up in a full blown musical dance number. Zooey Deschanel may be one of the most effortless actresses of her generation. She doesn't beg to charm you, she just does. You feel Joseph's heartbreak with him, you feel Zooey's "little lost girl" reaching out, and you experience it all with them. This is how a romantic comedy should be made. This is it. Are you listening Hollywood? No, you're probably not. But that won't stop me from yelling it... - A+

Review: "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince"

In the book adaption movie world, it's easy to find blame in a movie of your favorite book. Quite simply, it will rarely fit your expectations. There's too many things running through your mind on how "you'd" make the movie, how you think of the characters, and God forbid they cut out your favorite part in the book. So I find it best to judge a book by a book, and a movie by a movie. Such is the case with the latest Harry Potter. Is the novel, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince better? Obviously. Much better. But does that make the movie any less entertaining? Oh, no.

The visual effects are breathtaking as ever, and some scenes are downright creepy (I'm thinking of the possession scene and the Horcrux water scene espeically). All the actors seem very much at ease with their characters at this point, and the older British vets are fantastic as always (especially Jim Broadbent & Alan Rickman). And it's quite funny, and, with the awkward blooming of romance, quite charming as well. I do wish that the ending had a bit more of an emotional punch as the book set it up to be, but no matter. We still have not one, but two Deathly Hallows to take care of that. B+