2006-02-05 - 8:21 p.m. I spent most of today tinkerin' with song ideas, and then, in honor of the Supa Bowl, I rented the girliest movie I could find, expecting a fluffy, light ol' romantic comedy. Instead, I got an unexpectedly moving comedy/drama about friendship, family ties, and the importance of shaking off the past while accepting the way we've been shaped by it. It ain't Chekhov or anything, but I love that the comedy doesn't come at the expense of the characters' dignity, and that the older folks in the film (about half of it is set in a retirement community) are portrayed as neither wise nor wise-cracking, but just...normal people with problems and moments of clarity. Shirley MacLaine gives a graceful, understated performance that relies a lot on subtle facial expressions. Another thing I like about In Her Shoes is that there is a lot of Nicole Holofcener-like conversation that isn't about advancing the plot--just people talking about other people, like people actually do in real life. And there are some excellent dogs in this film. thoughts? (11 comments so far) previous - next blog archive contact