First, a warning.  If you want to blubber like a baby (and I don’t mean that you would choose this; it would just happen), see the movie Precious. Dan and I saw it yesterday afternoon.

Claireece Precious Jones is a large black girl who can’t seem to catch a break.  The home abuse is heart-wrenching.  The voice over (in Precious’ voice) is the epitome of sad.  It brought to mind the students I had at Venice High School when I was student teaching in L.A.–the despair I felt for them…the frustration of me being insufficient to the task.

The movie does such an unbelievable job that, in the end, you’re crying for the main perpetrator of abuse, too.  The movie is anointed in Oscar buzz, but that’s the least of reasons to see it.

And Avatar.  I have to say I was not planning on seeing this one, since I thought it was your basic sci-fi.  Well, it isn’t.  Yes, it’s predictable.  Yes, it follows all the Hollywood feel-good formulas.

BUT.  It overcomes ALL of that to be a really great movie.  Seriously.  You have to see it.  Just make sure to pay the extra to see it in 3-D.  James Cameron may even beat his own Titanic records!

And last but not least, Eve has been selected as Englewood Review of Books’ Best Novel of 2009!  You can view both the category winners and Eve’s review here.  I’m so happy.  Englewood was one of those reviewers that actually got what I was trying to do with Eve, so the “award” seems extra special.

I could go on and on (you know this), but I have to finish God: A Biography so I can finish my ongoing report to you.

Happy Monday!

[Post image: Partial of Precious movie poster]