First Word

Storytelling (film, TV and books) always have the ability to pull out emotions. But there are some great moments in stories that make me cry every, single time even when I know it's coming (because I've seen the film so many times). What constitutes a great tear-jerker? I couldn't say what it is specifically. Maybe it's the build up. Maybe it's the words. Maybe it's the acting. Maybe it's all those things combined ... but here are my top tear-jerker moments. Terms of Endearment --when Aurora goes absolutely nuts and demands the painkillers for her daughter. Her utter desperation and pain is so conveyed. I know this scene is coming and here we go: tears! Gets me every single time without fail. The Color Purple --when after so much longing, pain and loss, Nettie FINALLY gets her kids back. The moment when they show up off in the hazy, farm field distance ... yep! Here come the tears. Then she stands in the field in the end scene and they play the little gi...

I can hear some fans cry out in sorrow while I can hear the fans who hate the pairing of Sookie and Bill sigh a great relief under the belief that Alan Ball's influence over that couple will end. I frankly adore anything Alan Ball touches. I admired, loved and esteemed Six Feet Under as a seamless work of TV art, and I believe True Blood wouldn't have half its multiple and colorful layers if it weren't for Ball's savant storytelling genius. So with the announcement of his exit from the show, I hope he leaves behind a legacy of gifted storytellers who learned from the Yoda himself. I might not always like the direction of the show, especially in the last portion of Season 4, but I believe it was and will remain a high-quality show. I don't think the writers will want to try and put their own stamp on a tried-and-true show that is the second highest rated show in HBO history following only after the incomparable Sopranos . I am such a fan of Ball's impeccable w...

Fantastic quotes stick in your head. My greatest goal as a writer is to write a quote that resonates so strongly with people they continue to say and repeat it for years to come. Can't say I've achieved that success yet but someday I might come up with that unforgettable line. I thought it would be fun to share a list of my favorite lines that I've never forgotten that touched me or just made me smile or laugh. Get busy living , or get busy dying. ~ Shawshank Redemption And I can't feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life . ~ American Beauty What we do in this life echoes in eternity. ~ Gladiator I will see you again... but not yet... not yet... ~ Gladiator Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you'll live... at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies tha...