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Shania: A Life in Eight Albums (2005)
Shania a life in eight albums
Shania Twain a life in eight albums is a film that takes die hard Shania Twain fans on a journey to discover the early life of one of the worlds most popular female powerhouse singers in country music history.
I loved the movie from the get go! I thought it was entertaining and it gives us all an eye opener as to how she grew up in her humble beginnings in Timmins Ontario Canada when she was known only as Eileen Twain.
It gave us a taste of her being taught the Ojibwe way by her step grandfather, her relationship with her parents and siblings down to her struggles to make it as a singer.
It shows the viewer what her pushy mother was like although she was encouraging Eileen to pursue a career in music and her step fathers loving and caring nature towards her and her sisters.
The tragic death of her parents and the hard ships that Shania went through to make it in the music business is what interested me the most in this film. Shenae Grimes and Meredith Henderson give outstanding performances as Shania. I was blown away with the acting ability of those two girls,the true portrayal of Shania down to her mannerisms was eerie.
In one scene where Meredith was playing Shania during a press conference talking I was stunned when she did that familiar head turn and the tone of her voice that she used.
If I had closed my eyes at that precise moment I would have sworn it was Shania herself speaking.
Being a fan of hers I have to say that it was awesome to see her early life depicted, although it would have been great to see the sky rocketing success she made of her career be depicted as well.
Aside from that I came away from the film being proud of being an Ontario Canada fan of hers,her grit and her steely determination to make it in the music business as well as her amazing voice are what makes me be a fan of hers for life.
Quotes
SHARON TWAIN : "Your going to be a big star Leenie!Because of your voice! Because of the way you sing!All we need is the one break! One break for everyone else to figure it out!"
Eileen : " Excuse me! You have to let me off!I'm going the wrong way!"
Conductor : " I beg your pardon!I can't let you off!"
Eileen (pointing at the conductor in anger): " No! No! No! You need to stop this train and let me off!"
Conductor : " Young lady you'll have to get back in your seat!"
Eileen: " I'm supposed to make it to Toronto to do a TV show and I'm not gonna miss it because your afraid you'll get into trouble!"
Conductor : " Young lady! We don't stop this train!"
Eileen:"I'm not going to be cold and I'm not afraid of the wilderness!"
Conductor: "Young lady no matter what age you are! I just!"
Eileen(raising her voice and showing the conductor her outfit): "My mother sold her ticket to buy me this outfit!And when she finds out that she wasted her ticket and that you didn't stop this train and you didn't let me off! And I miss that TV show ! She's going to kill me and then she's going to come looking for you!"
Eileen singing into microphone " I've got to practice my technique!"
Sharon : " Give me the car keys!"
Jerry: " Why you'll be back in two hours?"
Jerry : " My good shirt! I'm going to need it when I meet with those pale face bean towner's!"
Eileen ( looking up from her sewing his shirt): " Relax Tonto! I'll finish it!"
Sharon: " People come into your life for a reason Leenie and they need a nudge to know the reason!" Eileen: " Yea a nudge not a push!"
Eileen yelling at two girls who were gossiping about her : " For your information its not as bad as your hair cut!To tell you the truth I'm not screwing Katowski I used to screw Bell! And seriously you should try it! I'd like to see how far it gets you!"
Eileen: " Shania! What band are you?" Seamstress : " Anishnaabe/Ojibwe!" Eileen: " Yea me too! Well my dad!" Eileen " What does Shania mean?" Seamstress: "I think it means on my way!"
In Her Shoes (2005)
In her shoes
I recently saw the movie in her shoes and I have to admit I absolutely loved it.
I'm not the kinda chick who likes chick flicks as a rule personally I love action films like Lethal Weapon,but I have to say that in her shoes was a delight.
Not only were the characters real but for anyone who has experience dealing with a family member who has a disability they would truly relate to the film.
Maggie's relationship with her sister is rocky at best and both were struggling to be the people that they strived to be.
Rose( Toni Colette) was a career driven attorney who really had no understanding of her sisters disability. Maggie was dyslexic and it appeared she was ADD as well.
With the disabilities in the fore front Rose treated her rather shabbily instead of giving her the support and encouragement she needed.
Maggie did mess around with Roses boyfriend but Roses rudeness towards her sister and making her feel two feet tall was disheartening using her dyslexia to humiliate her.
Hence they no longer spoke to one another.
Maggie (Cameron Diaz) was flighty and crazy at the best of times and those things she did were beyond her control,but for me I saw that she driven to make something of herself despite her disability.
Maggie travels to Florida and reaches out to the grandmother she never knew played by Shirley Maclaine and ends up making Florida her home.
Bravo to the cast and producers for showing a character who reached out to help the old folks but someone who also got something in return for her unselfish acts.
Maggie learns to read with the help of a blind retiree who gave her the courage to work on her reading skills.
The shocker in this film is the discovery that the girls father never let them have a relationship with their mothers parents.
The mothers suicide was the hidden secret that eventually came out.
With the truth finally out the family finally bonded together again with the sisters,their father and grandmother mending fences just in time for Roses wedding.
Excellent I give it *****.