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I'm amazed at how disrespectful and ungrateful their kids have grown up to be...

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Adam Brody as Noah Roklov Nobody Wants This, S01E01

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Netflix’s First Love: Hatsukoi 初恋 (2022) dir. Kanchiku Yuri Ep. 1┃When the Lilacs Bloom

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That line is one of my favorites.

THE HOLIDAY (2006) dir. Nancy Meyers

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One of my favorite stories and movies.

THE SECRET GARDEN (1993) Dir. Agnieszka Holland

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Sorry not sorry because I literally love how you can tell how amused, fascinated and smitten he is by her in such a short period of time.

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I told Miyazaki I love the “gratuitous motion” in his films; instead of every movement being dictated by the story, sometimes people will just sit for a moment, or they will sigh, or look in a running stream, or do something extra, not to advance the story but only to give the sense of time and place and who they are.

“We have a word for that in Japanese,” he said. “It’s called ma. Emptiness. It’s there intentionally.”

Is that like the “pillow words” that separate phrases in Japanese poetry?

“I don’t think it’s like the pillow word.” He clapped his hands three or four times. “The time in between my clapping is ma. If you just have non-stop action with no breathing space at all, it’s just busyness, But if you take a moment, then the tension building in the film can grow into a wider dimension. If you just have constant tension at 80 degrees all the time you just get numb.”

Which helps explain why Miyazaki’s films are more absorbing and involving than the frantic cheerful action in a lot of American animation. I asked him to explain that a little more.

“The people who make the movies are scared of silence, so they want to paper and plaster it over,” he said. “They’re worried that the audience will get bored. They might go up and get some popcorn.

But just because it’s 80 percent intense all the time doesn’t mean the kids are going to bless you with their concentration. What really matters is the underlying emotions–that you never let go of those.

— Roger Ebert in conversation with Hiyao Miyazaki

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It's really difficult to cheer for the main (male) lead.

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Watching the same movie three times in a matter of a few days, is it too much? A Biltmore Christmas came out last year, but I just discovered it, and it’s one of my favorites now. I find it very elegant and witty. Simple in the best of ways but very pleasant and touching.

Possible spoilers ahead.

I like that the movie doesn’t waste time when it comes to Lucy figuring out the time-travel business. Sure, she is quite taken aback, but we see her reconstructing the events of the first voyage and know that it won’t require another hour of the film for the heroine to find out what is going on.

It is so nice to see that Margaret happens to be an ally and that her encouragement of Lucy matches her enthusiasm for her beloved classic. She doesn’t place obstacles in Lucy’s way due to envy, and her character is not a nuisance. She buys a trip to Biltmore to make her own dream come true and helps Lucy to chase hers. Whoever did the casting is a skilled professional. Thank you for choosing a Lucy, who is both modern and a tad 1940-s, and a Lancaster who is a tip of the hat to Clark Gable. Thank you for finding a Jack Huston who looks and sounds as if he got there from the set of It’s A Wonderful Life. Everything about Kristoffer Polaha’s Huston is a 10 out of 10.

The dialogue is quick and effortlessly amusing, and I love the palpable inspiration from the old movies. I admire the attention to detail, including the film score. I wish there was His Merry Wife, as I would definitely watch that as well.   There are no love triangles and vicious ex-partners. No ardent, almost nauseating pushing of the Christmas-is-a-community narrative. A Biltmore Christmas is a well-paced, charming, and delightful watch.

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Have been a fan of "Wicked" almost from the very beginning, but I won't be rushing to see the 2nd part of the movie: the 1st one was so boring.

A stage production for the win.