5 Favorite Moments on Downton Abbey

Once again it's that sad time of year where one season of Downton Abbey has finished and now we must wait nine more months to see the next season of Downton Abbey. And to top it off, there are rumors that season six may mark the end of this wonderful show. I know that it must come to an end one day, but I sure hope it's still a few years away.

While there are always lots of simultaneous story lines in Downton Abbey, here are a few of my favorite moments.

But beware, there are SPOILERS ahead!


1) Don't go Tom!

Tom Branson has come along way since his days as the chauffeur for the Crawley family. He is now a valuable member of the family whose opinion is often sought by Lord Grantham. Who would have thought that just a few seasons ago? Tom's late wife, Sybil, was always my favorite character on the show and when they killed her off during childbirth, I was crushed. Now that Tom is a single father he is trying to determine the best future for him and his daughter. Will that mean moving to America? I for one, sure hope he doesn't leave. After his brief romance with Miss Bunting, a local school teacher, some of the socialist firebrand that we saw in the first season was back. It was good to see that side of him again. I'd hate to see him go now.

2 ) Lady Edith's secret revealed

As usual, there weren't too many episodes where I did not utter the phrase "poor Edith" while watching Downton Abbey. In season five we are sure that Edith will finally have some happiness to only have her love, Michael Gregson, disappear in pre-world war II Germany. And to top it off, she discovers that she is pregnant. While she still struggles with feeling like the outcast in her family, she now realizes that she has something to fight for - her daughter Marigold. This being 1920s England, she can't acknowledge the child as her own, but now most of her family knows the secret and her daughter will now be a part of her life. And with the death of Michael, she has inherited his publishing business, which will make her an even more independent woman. So maybe next season I won't have to utter "poor Edith" anymore!

3) Lady Violet's scandalous past

Who would have thought that the Dowager Countess would have such a scandalous past? The discovery that she almost left her husband, the current Lord Grantham's father, for a married Russian prince when her children were very young was quite a surprise. Lady Violet is such a stickler for propriety, that her affair of the heart came out of left field for me. However, I did find it refreshing to see her as more than just the sour old granny with her wicked one-liners. This season we also got to see Violet's fear of losing Isobel Crawley as a companion and friend, when Isobel contemplates accepting Lord Merton's marriage proposal. After their many years of clashing ideas, it was nice to see that there is genuine affection between the two.

4) Daisy's continuing education

We've slowly seen cook's assistant Daisy, grow and mature over the years, but this year really put her on a path of personal growth. Daisy always showed a capacity for learning and for questioning the way things worked, but after meeting Miss Bunting she sees that with education her future can be whatever she makes of it. She doesn't have to work in the kitchen the rest of her life. Daisy has always been the voice of reason and now that she is learning more about the world, she is learning even more about herself. I can't wait to see where this takes her!

5) Mr. Carson's marriage proposal!

After last season ending with Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes holding hands while navigating the waves at the seaside I was hoping for a romantic storyline for these two great characters. But as season five progressed I wasn't so sure if anything would transpire. I should have known better. This is Mr. Carson we are talking about here! Everything has to happen in a proper time and place for him. I should have also seen it coming when Carson suggested to Mrs. Hughes that they look into buying a small house that they could run as a bed and breakfast when they retire, but I admit, that kind of slipped by me. When Mrs. Hughes admits that she has no money to invest because of taking care of her invalid sister, Mr. Carson shows his true colors by admitting that he bought a house in both of their names admitting his feelings for her in this gesture. I think they are a sweet couple and it's lovely to see people of a "certain age" still getting to experience love and romance.

Season six can not come fast enough for me!

-- Request any season of Downton Abbey from the Catalog here.

--Post by Tracy

It's Oscar Time!

You may recall that I made predictions two years ago for the Academy Awards with the plan of doing it every year. For whatever reason, I did not make any predictions last year. So I am back and I plan to make this an annual occurrence.

Once again I have not seen all of the nominated films or performances. I managed to see four of the eight of the films nominated in the Best Picture category. And while I have my personal favorites I will not share them here, although some may be obvious from prior posts. This is going to be who I think the winners will be, not necessarily who I would like to see win.

So let's get to it! I'll check back in next week to see how I did!


Best Picture

American Sniper
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

My prediction: Boyhood

Actor in a Leading Role

Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

My prediction: Michael Keaton, Birdman

Actor in a Supporting Role

Robert Duvall, The Judge
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
Edward Norton, Birdman
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

My prediction: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

Actress in a Leading Role

Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild

My prediction: Julianne Moore, Still Alice

Actress in a Supporting Role

Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Laura Dern, Wild
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Emma Stone, Birdman
Meryl Streep, Into The Woods

My prediction: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood

Directing

Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game

My prediction: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman

--Post by Tracy

Staff Recommendation #38 -- "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Films from director Wes Anderson are not to everyone's liking. Until recently, they weren't completely mine either. They've slowly been growing on me and his latest, The Grand Budapest Hotel has made me a convert!

Wes Anderson is a darling of the indie film world with his unique storytelling style. Since his days as a student at the University of Texas, he's been making films; many with his good pal Owen Wilson. Their first collaboration was on a short film called Bottle Rocket (1994) which did well enough at the Sundance Film Festival that they turned it into a full length film which was released in 1996.

Minor successes followed with Rushmore (1998), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) and The Darjeeling Limited (2007). He started getting even more critical and audience attention with the animated Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) and Moonrise Kingdom (2012).

His latest film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, stars Ralph Fiennes in one of his finest performances. He plays M. Gustave, the concierge of the Grand Budapest Hotel, the finest and grandest hotel in Eastern Europe just before the start of the Second World War. He is well loved and respected by the guest and co-workers alike. Young Zero, the new lobby boy, comes to Gustave's attention and he takes the young man under his wing. Gustave plans on grooming Zero to be his successor some day.

Before that can happen, Gustave ends up in jail for the murder of a rich and titled widow who was quite found of Gustave. He must rely on Zero and Zero's girlfriend Agatha, the town baker's assistant, to free him. What follows is a mad cap and zany adventure of jail breaks, shoot outs and a wild race down a ski slope in a sleigh.

Family is a recurring theme in any Wes Anderson film, and this film is no exception. Gustave and Zero form a tight family unit, although more like brothers than father and son. This bond will help them through a few tight spots.

I don't claim to understand the technical aspects of making a film, but I know a unique vision when I see one and Wes Anderson sure has it. An Anderson film has a visual style all its own. He intertwines many different film making techniques into almost everyone of his films, such as stop motion animation, which is used frequently in The Grand Budapest Hotel.

I have to admit I'm not very familiar with Anderson's early films. I started to become a fan with Fantastic Mr. Fox and my admiration for his uncommon way of telling a story has continued to grow. The Grand Budapest Hotel, has made me a firm fan of Wes Anderson.

Request The Grand Budapest Hotel [DVD] from the Catalog.

Request Bottle Rocket [DVD] from the Catalog.

Request Rushmore [DVD] from the Catalog.

Request The Royal Tenenbaums [DVD] from the Catalog.

Request The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou [DVD] from the Catalog.

Request The Darjeeling Limited [DVD] from the Catalog.

Request Fantastic Mr. Fox [DVD] from the Catalog.

Request Moonrise Kingdom [DVD] from the Catalog.


--Post by Tracy

Lost in a Good Book ... on TV!

It was recently announced that the Stephen King novel 11/23/63 will be made into a mini-series to be broadcast on the online network Hulu. This, of course, is not the first time one of King's books has been turned into a mini-series or even into a recurring series. Back in 1994, a four part mini-series of The Stand was aired on ABC and currently the King novel, Under the Dome was just renewed for a third season on CBS.

Books have a long history of having their stories made into movies for television and theatrical release. And there have been many occasions of best selling novels getting the mini-series treatment, most notably the epic Roots in 1977.

Nowadays there is a plethora of television series based on books with many more being announced almost every week. Some are a faithful adaptions, while others are just "inspired by" the original. Below are a few of the choices readers and viewers alike have to choose from!


-- A Game of Thrones

The first book in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice series, along with the rest of the titles, have been turned into one of the most successful and talked about TV shows on HBO. While there are many changes from the books, Game of Thrones has pleased many fans with its faithful adaptation of the books.

-- Dead Until Dark

True Blood, the HBO show inspired by the Sookie Stackhouse books, recently ended its run after seven seasons. The show focuses on telepath Sookie and the supernatural world of Louisiana. While the show is still mostly about Sookie, after the first season the show differs greatly from the books.

-- Deja Dead

Dr. Temperance Brennan, is introduced in this 1997 book based on author Kathy Reichs's experience as a forensic anthropologist. Bones, now in its 10th season on Fox, like True Blood, is loosely based on this series. Dr. Brennan is still the main character, but that is about the only similarity between the books and the show.

-- Outlander

Is it science fiction, historical fiction or romance? How about, all of the above! This hugely popular book series, from Diana Gabaldon, follows the ongoing adventures of Claire and Jamie Fraser, finally got the television treatment its faithful fans have been longing for for twenty years. 

-- American Gods

In this 2001 award winning novel from Neil Gaiman, an ex-con, Shadow, becomes the bodyguard of Mr. Wednesday who turns out to be an actual Norse god. Shadow is caught in a fight between older gods, like Wednesday, and the new upstart, modern gods. The Starz series is in pre-production.

-- The Surgeon

The TNT show, Rizzoli & Isles, is based on this long running book series from Tess Gerritsen. Medical Examiner Isles and Detective Rizzoli work together to track down killers in Boston. The show is a bit more light than the books. It also portrays the characters as BFFs, but in the books their relationship is much different. 

--Post by Tracy

The (New) Golden Age of Television

While there is no disputing that there have been quality television shows on in every decade since the medium of television began. It's also true that there has been a lot of really bad shows too. According to most critics the Golden Age of Television was the 1950s. From shows such as The Kraft Television Theatre and Playhouse 90 to The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents to the numerous variety shows, there was no lack of quality shows to entertain the American public at the time.

Now, in the second decade of a new century, many are saying we are experiencing a new Golden Age. It's hard to dispute this. Shows such as Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Game of Thrones and American Horror Story lead this new age. Most critics look to HBO's The Sopranos as the turning point to well-written, thought provoking, quality shows that hadn't been seen on television in many years.

The Sopranos changed the landscape of TV by being that water cooler show that everyone was talking about. With the release of season one on DVD in 2008 many more people were able to take part in that conversation. Later, services like DVRs, Netflix and Hulu Plus, gave viewers a way to watch this and many other shows.

But not every show is available on Netflix and not everybody wants to buy a whole season or more of a show on DVD. That's where the library can help out! We have many of the most talked about new shows available. Check out the list below. And be sure to check the blog often for other lists of award winning television shows.

Brooklyn Nine Nine - Season One

Jake Peralta is a Brooklyn detective with a gift for closing cases and little respect for authority. When no-nonsense commanding officer Raymond Holt joins the 99th precinct with something to prove, the two go head-to-head.

Orange Is The New Black - Season One

Brooklynite Piper Chapman's wild past comes back to haunt her and results in her arrest and detention in a federal penitentiary. To pay her debt to society, Piper trades her comfortable New York life for an orange prison jumpsuit and finds unexpected conflict and camaraderie amidst an eccentric group of inmates.

Orphan Black - Seasons One and Two

Sarah is on the run from a bad relationship when a lookalike stranger commits suicide right in front of her. Sarah sees a solution to all her problems by assuming the dead woman's identity and clearing out her bank account. Instead, she stumbles into a thriller mystery, and uncovers an earth-shattering secret: she is a clone. She learns there are more like her, genetically identical individuals, nurtured in wildly different circumstances, and someone is trying to kill them off, one by one.

True Detective - Season One

In 2012, Louisiana State Police Detectives Rust Cohle and Martin Hart are brought in to revisit a homicide case they worked in 1995. As the inquiry unfolds in present day through separate interrogations, the two former detectives narrate the story of their investigation, reopening unhealed wounds, and drawing into question their supposed solving of a bizarre ritualistic murder in 1995.

The Good Wife - Seasons One through Five

Follows a politician's wife who pursues her own career as a defense attorney after her husband is sent to jail on charges of political corruption. Alicia Florrick not only deals with her career but also with keeping her family together as she provides a stable home for her two children.
     





--Post by Tracy

Be A Fruit Loop in a World Full of Cheerios

When Northern Exposure hit the airwaves back in 1990, it was like a breath of fresh air. While I have watched my fair share of legal and cop shows, after awhile I get a little bored with them. So when a show like Northern Exposure comes along, I get very excited.

This little show was filled with quirky, but incredibly lovable and relatable characters. The main character is Dr. Joel Fleischman. In order to pay his medical school tuition, he accepts a student loan from the state of Alaska that requires him to practice in small town Cicely for four years upon graduation. Joel is the proverbial fish out of water. He is a New York City native, who misses everything about the Big Apple - bagels, the Mets and his girlfriend. The friendly citizens of Cicely try their hardest to make him feel welcome, but he thwarts them at every turn.

On the one hand I could understand Joel's feelings of homesickness. But on the other, how could he resist this town filled with wonderfully quirky and unique people? I wanted to move to Alaska and look for these people; I wanted them all to be my friends! From cinema-loving teenager Ed to ladies' man Chris to Joel's enigmatic receptionist Marilyn, they were people I loved sharing time with every week.

Request all six seasons of Northern Exposure from the catalog here.

Northern Exposure is not the only show that I've become quite attached to that was filled with its own cast of quirky characters. Here are a few others. Just click on any of the titles to request your copy!

Wonderfalls (2004)

Recent college graduate Jaye Tyler is working retail and living in a trailer park in Niagara Falls while the rest of her overachieving family wonders what will become of her. To top it all off, inanimate objects begin talking to her in cryptic messages and won't stop talking until she listens to them!

Pushing Daisies (2007-2009)

From the same creator of Wonderfalls, came this sweet show about Ned the pie maker who can bring dead things back to life with just the touch of his finger. If he doesn't touch them again in one minute they will stay alive. This happens when Ned's childhood sweetheart is murdered aboard a cruise ship. Now they must hide her from her loving, but over protective aunts. Meanwhile, Ned uses his ability to help private investigator Emerson Cod solve murders by asking the victims themselves!

Eureka (2006-2012)

Eureka is a small town tucked away in the Pacific Northwest unlike any other. It's filled with brilliant but, slightly odd, scientists who work for the government performing all types of experiments. Many of those experiments turn out slightly disastrous and town Sheriff Jack Carter must step in to help save the day. Eureka is a very light hearted, but fun show.

Twin Peaks (1990-1991)

Who killed Laura Palmer? That is the key question in this cult show fave. FBI Agent Dale Cooper is sent to the small town of Twin Peaks, WA to find the murderer of high school student Laura Palmer. Along the way Agent Cooper discovers that there is more than meets the eye in this seemingly picturesque town. This highly praised series takes a stark look at what lies beneath the surface of small town life.

Better Off Ted (2009-2010)

Who can't relate to a show set in an office environment? This comedy takes a look at the inner workings of a large, and morally suspect, corporation in their research and development division. Title character Ted is in charge of a strange little group of office drones and fussy scientists. Ted is also a single father who tries to teach his daughter about morals and doing the right thing, which isn't always easy when you work for a company like Veridian Dynamics. With sharp and satirical humor, Better Off Ted hits all the right notes.




--Post by Tracy

Ron Howard: From Opie to Richie to Academy Award Winner

There are few people who do not recognize that adorable face. That is Ron Howard when he was playing Opie on The Andy Griffith Show. Even if you weren't a kid back in the 60s it's a pretty good chance you still have seen at least one episode of this show. It's an American classic. It ran for eight seasons on CBS. But maybe you were a child of the 70s and know Ron Howard from Happy Days where he played all round good guy, Richie Cunningham. Happy Days ran for 10 seasons on ABC and made Howard a household name to a new generation.

Now Ron Howard is most well known as a director of feature films, which began while he was still acting. His first directing job was for Grand Theft Auto (1977) while he was still on Happy Days. He's also become a very successful producer of films and television shows.

In honor of his recent 60th birthday (March 1st), I'm going to share a few of my favorite Howard films.



 -- Apollo 13 ( 1995)

It's 1970 and only one year since the landing of Apollo 11 on the moon. NASA continues its mission to explore space and has sent up Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert to fulfill the next phase. Unfortunately, these trips don't seem to interest the American public in quite the same way anymore. That is until Jim Lovell utters the phrase "Houston, we have a problem." Ron Howard takes us along on a roller coaster ride with the astronauts, their families and the men who eventually bring them safely home.



-- Frost/Nixon (2008)

The year is 1977 and it's three years since Richard Nixon was forced to resign as President of the United States. David Frost was a well known, but not necessarily well respected, television personality in England. Both men wanted to change how the world saw them.

The film, based on a successful West End play, brings the interview, along with the preparations on both sides, to magnificent life. Howard manages to show these two fascinating personalities as more than just characters and we see how much was at stake for both of these men. Frost/Nixon was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director at the 2009 Academy Awards but lost on both counts to Slumdog Millionaire.



-- Rush (2013)

The 1970s was a magical time for Formula One Racing. There were big personalities along with big drama and unfortunately, big crashes. One of the biggest personalities was Englishman, James Hunt. Another big personality, although quite different from Hunt, was Austrian Niki Lauda. Their drive and determination to win the F1 title, no matter the costs, is wonderfully shown in Howard's most recent directing job. He manages to recreate the excitement and danger of racing at that time. This is more than just a "racing" movie.

-- A Beautiful Mind (2001)

The mathematical and Nobel Prize winner, John Nash, is masterfully portrayed by Russell Crowe in this Academy Award winning film. The Winner for Best Picture and Best Director highlights Howard's ability to make difficult, and at times unlikable, people relatable. We get to see Nash struggle with schizophrenia but in the end manage to have a fulfilling life and win the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1994.

From the Catalog:

-- The Andy Griffith Show [Actor]

-- Happy Days [Actor]

-- The Music Man [Actor]

-- Arrested Development [Producer]

Other films and shows


--Post by Tracy

Seventies Television Shows

Being a kid in the seventies meant watching a lot of television in my house. Probably too much, but I don't feel it was wasted. We had a lot less channels to choose from, but sometimes less is more. There were some bad television shows back then, just like there are now. But there were also quite a few groundbreaking, well made and entertaining shows as well. Today's blog is going to take a look at a few of those.


-- All In The Family (1971-1979)

This CBS show debuted in January 1971 and ran for 9 seasons. It followed the lives of the Bunker family of Queens, New York. Archie, a World War Two veteran and his lovable wife Edith along with their daughter Gloria and her husband Mike make up the center of the show. Archie is a well-meaning but opinionated and bigoted man who misses the days when people just like him ran things. But with the cultural changes of the 60s, Archie's world is out of whack. Based on an English comedy, Till Death Due Us Part, the show became one of the most successful shows in American television history (and spawned two successful spinoffs -- The Jeffersons and Maude) . What made it so successful was that people could identify with these characters' struggles and that they also dealt with such real life issues as racism, women's liberation, the Vietnam War, abortion and rape.


-- Good Times (1974-1979)

This show, about life in the inner city projects of Chicago, ran for  six seasons. It follows the lives of the Evans family lead by father James, Sr. (John Amos) and mother, Florida (Esther Rolle). Their three children live with them as they struggle to make ends meet. They are a loving and supportive family. While there had been shows before Good Times that focused on African American families, this was the first time a show dealt with the lives of poor inner city people. The original intention of the show was to deal with serious issues in a comedic way. However, with the popularity of Jimmie Walker's character J.J. and his catch phrase "Dyn-o-mite", the show took a different turn. Amos and Rolle were not happy about the change and Amos was fired after the 3rd season. The show ran for three more seasons, but it never recovered. Another little tidbit - this was a spinoff of Maude!


-- The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977)

Another groundbreaking show from the Seventies, was The Mary Tyler Moore Show starring Mary Tyler Moore as Mary Richards a young, single, career woman living on her own in Minneapolis. As the show starts Mary has recently broken off an engagement and is looking for work. She ends up as the associate producer for  a local television news broadcast. Her co-workers and her neighbors become her closest friends. Never before had a show had a single woman who was not dependent on a man for support as it's lead. Her again, was a show that dealt with many serious issues with a humorous angle.
The show ran for seven seasons and is considered by many to be one of the best shows in U.S. television history. And this is another show that produced spinoffs -- Rhoda (1974-1978) and Phyllis (1975-1977).

-- M*A*S*H (1972-1983)

M*A*S*H was one of the longest running shows in television history (it lasted longer than the Korean Conflict where the show was set!). It was based on the film MASH released in 1972. The show and the movie were an allegory for the Vietnam war, although that lessened through its eleven year run. It followed the lives of doctors, nurses and other army personnel in a surgical facility near the front lines of the Korean War. There were many laughs, but the show also dealt with many real life issues, especially concerning these soldiers dealing with being in a war zone and far away from their loved ones. The series finale, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" was the most watched episode of television at the time it aired February 28, 1983 with 125 million viewers.

-- The Waltons (1971-1981)

Set during the depression and World War II, The Waltons, followed this large, extended family as it struggled to survive in a small Virginia mountain town. It was based on Earl Hammer's book "Spencer's Mountain" and a 1963 film of the same name. John and Olivia Walton, along with their seven children and John's parents offered a warm and familiar place for viewers in the Seventies. The stories are told through the eyes of the now middle-aged John Jr., or John-boy as he was known to everyone. Unlike some shows of the time, the Walton children grew up, married and moved away. This leant a very believable quality to the show. Americans laughed and cried right along with the Waltons for nine seasons and several made-for-TV movies. One of the most well known, and often parodied, parts of the show was the ending when several of the characters would comment, through voice over, on the events in that episode as they would all bid each other good night.


-- Post by Tracy

Leading Ladies

Sandra Bullock                                                  Helen Mirren

Okay, this seems like an unlikely pairing for our blog. What do these two women have in common that would have me devote an entry to them? The only thing that they really have in common is that they were both born on the same date, July 26th. But they are both women who have created successful careers for themselves with style, grace, and quite a bit of humor!


Helen Mirren, born in London, began her career at the age of 19 with the Royal Shakespeare Company, where she stayed for several years before exploring other acting opportunities. This led her to parts of Africa and even to a Native American reservation.

After a few years of wandering, she decided to pursue film work. Some of her early film roles were in The Long Good Friday with Bob Hoskins, and as Morgana in Excalibur. Her first big Hollywood role came in 1985, when she starred with Mikhail Baryshnikov in White Nights. There were also a quite a few very forgettable films, which she acknowledges were bad, but were great learning opportunities.

In 1992, she took a part that is, perhaps, one of her most iconic roles -- Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect. This BBC series ran for a total of seven seasons (it also was a smash hit in America on PBS). In the first season, Tennison is in charge of a serial murder case. She is also dealing with her male colleagues' gender biases as well. The show ran from 1992 until 1996, and then returned again in 2003 and 2006.

Also in 2006, she appeared as Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen. Her portrayal of the the Queen during the complicated and very emotional time following the death of Princess Diana won her many accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Actress.

While mostly known for her very dramatic roles, she is not one to shy away from comedy or even action films. She starred in Red in 2010 alongside Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, and John Malkovich, as one of group of retired undercover agents who come out of retirement to help one of their own. This was so successful that a sequel, Red 2, is currently playing in theaters.

Mirren has recently made some waves in the pop culture world with her comments concerning who should be the next Doctor in Doctor Who. Many sci-fi critics have suggested she would make an excellent Doctor. While Mirren has declined an interest in the part, she does thinks it's time for a female Doctor. We'll see later this year whether the producers of Doctor Who have taken her suggestion!

----------------

Sandra Bullock has had a shorter career than Helen Mirren, although just as successful. Bullock was born in Virginia to an American father and a German mother. Her father was a voice teacher and her mother was an opera singer. As a young child, Bullock spent quite a lot of time in Germany visiting with her grandmother, and became fluent in German.

Bullock's acting career started in New York City, working as an actress in the theater. A few successful appearances helped her get an agent, which led to movie roles. Many of these early films were supporting parts in television movies and direct-to-video releases. Like Mirren, Bullock does not apologize for these early career choices, seeing them as all part of the learning process for an actor.

Her big break came in 1994 with the release of Speed, starring Keanu Reeves. Her portrayal of plucky Annie, who is forced into driving the bus, won the hearts of movie-goers around the world. This success landed her the leading role in While You Were Sleeping, a romantic comedy in 1995.

The following years saw Bullock make many more films. Several were hits and some were misses. But even with the misses, Bullock is still one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood. Fans seem drawn to her down-to-earth nature and unpretentious personality. A few of these films were even turns at more dramatic fare. One of these was 28 Days, where she plays a woman struggling to overcome her alcohol addiction in a rehab program.

In 2004, she appeared in the Academy-Award-winning Best Picture Crash. Her small role won her rave reviews, which allowed her to continue her desire to not be typecast as the girl next door. Also during this time, she began her own production company, Fortis Films, which produced George Lopez (2002-2007) for ABC television. She even had a small, recurring part on the show.

The role that finally got her major recognition for her acting was as Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side (2009). The film is based on the true story of Michael Oher, a young, black high school football player being taken in by the wealthy, white Tuohy family. Her strong and moving performance as a woman trying to take care of her family and this troubled young man made The Blind Side a box office smash.

Bullock's latest box office success is the comedy The Heat co-starring Melissa McCarthy.


Click here to check out Helen Mirren DVDs at the library.

Click here to check out Sandra Bullock DVDs at the library.


-- Post by Tracy