Sundancing 2011

Sundance has been a bit compressed this year...  piling a bunch of films into one weekend, and then leaving the final one for just a couple of days later.  We did this for a reason...  Dallas and Helen were supposed to come up from AZ for the festival, but alas, a very sick little girl made it impossible for this year.

This photo kind of sums up the experience, except that, frankly, I was smiling because Melissa was making me laugh, not because I was completely content. . . I mean, I was was content...  just tired.  This was right before movie #4 of the day for me, and to say my pregnant self was a little tired...  that would be an understatement.  Which is sort of dumb, because I basically sat on my rear end the whole day.

Ben was happily killing pigs on his phone... and I'm not sure WHAT was so important to Nick, but clearly it required a great deal of focus.

Anyway, here are our 4 films (I also went to see The King's Speech in the middle of the first day because we had a break) and how I felt about each...

Vampire

Let's just say this was a vaguely interesting concept that could have been brilliant, but instead fell flat on its face.  It was about a guy who had a compulsive need to drink human blood, but went about it in a different way...  It was directed by a Japanese man who didn't speak English, but the film was in English.  And let's just say that the disconnect he must have had with the actors was quite apparent.  

If, by some miracle, it gets picked up...  skip it.

The Guard

I can probably count on one hand the number of Sundance films I've ever seen that I laughed out loud through...  at least because they were genuinely funny.  This movie was HILARIOUS.  The language was pretty awful, but I know it's been picked up, so if language doesn't bug you, see it.  You will laugh your head off.  & Brendan Gleeson is AMAZING.

Like Crazy

This movie has received RAVE reviews from critics.  RAVE reviews.  And none of the 4 of us that saw it have any clue why. And it's not that we don't generally like independent film.  Not at all.  But this movie was DULL!  The characters had no arc.  There was very little dialogue, and what there was felt improved (in a bad way).  It was a little too "slice of life" for any of us...  So, WHAT are we missing that every critic that saw it loved?  Is it because the director is someone they like and therefore they SHOULD like his work?  No idea.  But I didn't like it.  At all.  And when it's up for an Oscar next year, I will still maintain that position.

The Ledge

So, when I was wtching this movie, I got swept along a little.  The actors are good ENOUGH that you try to care.  (Patrick Wilson in particular) You try to follow along and expect it to hit some sort of great climax.  It really just doesn't.   It should, though.  The idea of it is a good one.  It's just suffering, in a big ugly way, from writer/director syndrome...  sad.  I like this review of it a lot.  

And I'm not willing to tell you that much about it...  so read his instead.

Christmas in UT

This year was the year for gathering at the Webster abode for Christmas.  I can't tell you HOW grateful I was not to be making a huge drive.  The storms were frequent, and luckily Jeremy & Emily had the flexibility to adjust their schedule so that they didn't get stuck.

We missed Nathan & Jenny & their kids a ton, but we tried to make the most of the group that was there...  And I have to say, for me at least, this was the least chaotic holiday we've had in a while.   We did a little nativity, and we only captured it on video (which I have yet to upload), but I stole a few of Emily's photos to share.

Sienna as baby Jesus...  Right?  How freaking cute is SHE?

 

And equally adorable... Logan as Joseph...  holding his trusty measuring tape.  

(He WAS a carpenter after all)

We forced the kids to pose in a group cousin photo... because that's what we do...

and one for grandpa's computer monitors...

Nolan got the Legos he asked for, as well as a pillow pet, from Santa...  

and we tried desperately to avoid Si Si ingesting one...

After a wonderful Christmas, we went home and braved the elements a few times to see one of our favorite Brits.  Loraine was in town again and we were so giddy to get to see her for the second time in one year.  We even got to celebrate her birthday (I won't say which one) along with New Years Eve at our house, which was such fun!

 

Nolan loves his aunty LoLo, even if this is a super awkward "Cheese" face he's making...  in his defense it was VERY late (after midnight) on New Years)

Snooowww!

Let's just say that this winter has already proven to be epic in terms of snow fall.

I am desperately hoping that mother nature is just getting it all out of her system early, but I'm starting to doubt the truth in that.

Confession. . .  I hate the snow.  It's beautiful up on the mountains, but I really don't enjoy driving in it, and I really don't enjoy playing in it.  But Nolan is getting to the point where he's actually interested in getting out in the white stuff. . .  so what's a mother to do?

Clearly, the answer is to beg Tamera, who owns proper winter clothing, to take him out in the snow when she's with him. 

 

This was the first major snow fall that stuck around, at the beginning of December.  I hadn't gotten him a hat that fit him yet, so he wore Ben's. . .  

 

And I think he enjoys it more than he did a couple of years ago, don't you?

Christmas Thuggery

We had a very busy and very entertaining holiday with my family.  I have yet to properly upload the photos and video from the week, but I stole a photo from Emily that I will share.

The day we got up to my parent's house, Nolan and Jeremy just happened to be sporting the same shirt.  & of course, we had to document it, with a little thug pose.

Man, we miss these guys. 

Happy New Year, everybody!