Family Movie Night
I realize I do not always talk about movies I have seen recently in the theaters.
Truthfully, I do not get out to see enough movies as far as I am concerned. However, this past week our 4H group had a pizza and movie night.
James McAvoy and Emily Blunt in Gnomeo and Juliet, picture from IMDb.com
We went to see Gnomeo and Juliet. This delightful bit of animation had the 3D thing going on and was totally UNNEEDED. Added nothing to the experience. But what really made the experience wonderful was the use of Elton John/Bernie Taupin songs as incidental music and full length cuts.
The story is essentially Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare with gnomes, those adorable garden figures. Not that I have any in my yard but that is another story for another day. The rivalry occurs between Blue gnomes (Gnomeo) and the Red gnomes (Juliet).
Emily Blunt was wonderful as Juliet. But I really loved James McAvoy as Gnomeo. He had the right amount of everything to make it work. But then again, I have enjoyed McAvoy’s work for sometime now.
As Mr. Tumnus in "Narnia," picture from IMDb.com
We first saw him as Mr. Tumnus in the first Narnia movie in 2005. Then he turned head around the world with his role in The Last King of Scotland (2006). We also saw him as the young man who woos Christina Ricci in Penelope (2006). Suddenly, McAvoy was everywhere. He was Robbie in Atonement (2007) with Kiera Knightly, Tom LeFroy in Becoming Jane (2007) with Anne Hathaway, Wesley in Wanted (2008) with Angelina Jolie.
As Charles Xavier in "X-Men: First Class," picture from IMDb.com.
How could you not fall in love with him with those blue eyes and intensity of character? This spring he will play Charles Xavier in the latest X-Men movie and I cannot tell you how excited I am about this! I have already watched trailer and I get thrilled watching him and Michael Fassbender as the two men who will be leaders in the mutant world.
It is amazing watching him in a minute’s worth of film, it is amazing watching in a full length feature. I have watched him pull out romantic scenes as well as intense anger or fear. And if I hear that McAvoy is going to be in a movie, I want to see it because he makes it worth my time to watch.
James McAvoy in "Wanted," picture from IMDb.com
So plan a McAvoy marathon. You can go with romantic, action or serious movie themes. I guarantee, you are not going to be disappointed.
Until next week, see you in the rental aisle.
Let the world know about your latest pick for Family Movie Night and drop a note below.
Notes from Rumbly Cottage 
Oh, you had me at “McAvoy!” Atonement is not just one of my favorite movies, it’s also one of my favorite books. Excellent choice!
Glad you enjoyed Gnomeo and Juliet. I’ve been wondering about it–sounds like a good one for the kiddos.
It is a great movie for kids! I loved Atonement as a movie but I hated the book. It felt like it was dragging to me. However, the storyline was fascinating.
Don’t forget his role as Leto II in the SciFi channel Dune miniseries, which I liked very much.
His Mr. Tumnus is nearly perfect; every time we see a faun in any Narnia movie, my daughter asks if it’s Mr. Tumnus. Who wouldn’t want to see such a dear friend again?
I, too, enjoyed Gnomeo and Juliet, a great deal more than expected. We had taken a gaggle of tweenage girls for my daughter’s birthday, and figured we were more or less just along for the ride as chaperones. I got a huge charge out of all the cameos–we’d hear a voice and one of us would lean over to the other and say, “Isn’t that so-and-so?” And the music was positively joyous. It was fun, fluffy, and enormously entertaining.
(I do agree about the worthlessness of the 3D. But then again, I’ve yet to see anything in 3d that I felt was worth the inconvenience of wearing the #*$&@! glasses.)
I have never seen the Dune series but of his other work I am enamored. Big fan – literally and figuretively.
Starter for 10 is another great McAvoy movie – fun movie about student teams on one of those college challenge type show-how-smart-you-are game shows.
I have not seen it or heard of it before. Putting it on the list.
James McAvoy was Mr. Tuumus? I didn’t know that was him, but then I didn’t really know of him until he was in Becoming Jane. A wonderful movie and he was excellent. One day he will get an Oscar. Loved him in Wanted, as well.
That was him. Check him out in “Penelope” as well.
LOVE MCAVOY!! Atonement is amazing. Will check out the other films, too.
Also–I mentioned one of your posts today.