Contributing Writer: Esther Patterson

“Crazy, Stupid, Love” is based heavy on unhappy lovers and little on comedy.

“Crazy, Stupid, Love” could have been better off as a straight drama rather than the romantic comedy it has been advertised as. Its best moments have little to do with moving along the plot, but with the intimacies between partners.

It truly is a beautiful movie to watch while Emily (Julianne Moore) calls Cal and fakes some needed home repair information, just to hear his voice again. Without being too much of a movie spoiler, you’ll also love watching a (shirtless) Gosling show Stone’s character his massage chair. That is not a euphemism. Without these reminders of how and why people fall in love, it’s easy to think that “Crazy, Stupid, Love” does a tame job of exposing marital and romantic unhappiness.

One needs look no further than Todd Solondz “Happiness” to find the untamed versions of these characters. Solondz’s film, though, is a brutal, black comedy with characters who end up much worse off in the process of following their hearts. To fault “Crazy, Stupid, Love” for not being as raucous as “Happiness” dismisses far too much good in the performances by the lead actors, especially Steve Carell’s knack for turning a miserable shmuck into a less miserable shmuck.

It is telling that in a star-studded romantic comedy, the two female leads (Julianne Moore and Emma Stone) wear such little makeup, while the males (Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling) attend to every detail of their appearance.

For Cal (Carell’s character), it takes an impending divorce to turn him into the Eliza Doolittle who dapper Jacob (Gosling) takes pity. The movie could have easily been titled “My Fair Carell”, where homely Cal learns from Jacob how to dress and act in order to impress ladies who he would like to sleep with in order get back at his ex-wife for cheating on him. Of course, the important lesson that is learned is that appearances cannot remedy the love-sickness of spirit.

Carell’s tragically-awkward style of comedic acting is finely tuned in the role of Cal. He has done with his career what that Focker Ben Stiller could never do: make his moments of schaudenfreude incredibly sad, funny, horrifying, and touching, all without ever breaking character.

Cal’s personal journey is one to watch, because, though he follows the motions of a romantic comedy and betters his outward appearance, he develops a personal sense of grace, in that he does not handle disgraceful situations through reactionary behavior.

I can’t think of any famous comedian, recently, who has had to undergo a leading role with such a drastic change in his empathy towards others. Maybe “Funny People”, but usually, the Happy-Madison formula is that the comedian ends up a better person in order to get exactly what he wants.

Carell and “Crazy, Stupid, Love” are smarter than that because they are in a story that has to happen after the happily ever after of most love stories.

 

 

 

“In love, we’re all just beginners.” This is the tag line that seems to be the theme used to describe the life and relationships of the characters in this new movie that is set for release. Written and directed by Mike Mills, the motion feature film “Beginners” opens in San Francisco theaters today.

The movie’s plot develops through the perspective of Ewan McGregor’s character, Oliver. The audience sees Oliver’s thoughts and reactions to the recent death of his openly gay father, who had burst out of the closet in his late seventies just before his death.

The film opens with a cheery outdoor celebration but despite all the delight, Oliver seems distant from the others at the gathering. His solemn disposition carries on for the first half of the movie until he meets his love interest, a French actress played by Melanie Laurent named Anna, who is in town for a gig at another party. He begins to explore his relationship with his parents more deeply when Anna complains of the distance she felt between the two.

The relationship between Oliver and Anna is the classic story of get-together, fall-apart and well, it’s a predictable affair. What is not predictable is the enduring and complex portrayal of Christopher Plummer’s character Hal, Oliver’s father. Hal comes to life as he too, explores his new found identity.

“Hal’s story appealed to my imagination,” as Plummer states on the films production notes document.

The story parallels the life of writer/director Mike Mills. According to the film’s production notes, his widowed father proclaimed that he wanted to live life as a homosexual man at 75 years old.

“He just started living this explosive life,” says Mills. “He became more emotionally alive than I’d ever seen him.”

This movie will definitely leave you with something to think about.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Animal cruelty is as common as child abuse and domestic violence,” said Donna Reynolds of Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pit-bulls (BADRAP).In the Bay Area the spectrum of animal cruelty is wide and has varying levels. Often people have no idea that what they are doing is considered animal cruelty, as cruelty can range from active to passive.

Active cruelty, according to pet-abuse.com, “implies malicious intent, where a person has deliberately and intentionally caused harm to an animal, and is sometimes referred to as NAI (Non-Accidental Injury).” Passive cruelty, however, would be “typified by cases of neglect, where the crime is a lack of action rather than the action itself.”

Neglect of an animal is often as simple as an animal being “deprived of necessary sustenance, drink, or shelter,” as defined in California penal code 597. Leaving an animal unprotected from the elements is also considered neglect and is against California state law.

Reynolds adds, “We see the signs of neglect in animals that are emaciated, under-socialized, left outside without food, water or shelter, and/or sick and injured and in need of vet care.”

Stacey Street, Executive Director of the Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society, described the most common forms of neglect: “We see a lot of neglected Chihuahuas and Pit Bulls that wind up in the local shelters due to excessive and poor breeding practices. One of the most common types of cruelty is excessive breeding by individuals who then do not take care of the puppies or kittens.”

Animal cruelty is something that is hard to recognize because there is no specific type of perpetrator. “You see it in every city and every socio-economic class around the country. In fact, studies have shown us that people who abuse their pets very often go on to commit violent crimes against people,” said Reynolds.

According to California penal code 597 anyone charged and convicted of animal cruelty is “punishable by imprisonment in the state prison or by a fine of not more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment, or, alternatively, by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year.”

Often times though, just as the case with Michael Vick, who was charged and convicted of dog fighting, many will not face the maximum sentencing.

“It’s very rare to see an animal abuser prosecuted in the SF Bay Area. Even dog fighters have had an easy time getting away with their crimes here in the bay,” said Reynolds.

Street said, “You will rarely see overt cruelty. It is more often hidden.”

Ways to identify animals in need of care or response is difficult. “It takes a savvy eye to discern between a standard injury and purposeful abuse. In some situations neighbors are the ones to sound the alarm on abusers after hearing or seeing an animal in distress. Neglect shows up in the form of skeleton thin animals and/or dogs that are left outside in harsh weather without adequate food, shelter or water,” said Reynolds.

Often times it is the public who identifies acts of cruelty and notifies the authorities. In Oakland on Feb. 19 this year, according to the Oakland Animal Services blog, “… neighbors witnessed a man beating a dog with an ax on the balcony of an apartment on E. 17th St. The suspect, later identified as Charles Black, was yelling at the dog and striking him with the ax causing the dog to scream in pain. The witnesses videotaped the scene and called the police.”

This case is a prime example of how the public can take action without personally getting involved.

One major cause of animal neglect is often lack of education. “Neglect can source from ignorance, of course. Some people aren’t aware of humane care standards, especially if nobody’s taught them or set a positive example,” said Reynolds.

Organizations such as the Humane Society, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), BADRAP, Our Pack and various municipal shelters, such as Oakland Animal Services, offer free and low cost community education programs. These programs are developed to educate the public on proper care and training of their pets.

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

For more information about how one can become more educated or support one of the many organizations who fight for the quality care and treatment of animals check out our Web site at www.thechabotspectator.com.

Chabot Humanities instructor John Jerry-Anthony Parente’s latest exhibit, “Intimate Artwork” is on display at Oakland’s Uptown Cafe and Crepes, a collection of watercolor paintings that, in the words of Parente himself, “gives form to my feelings and allows a deeper connection between my inner and outer worlds”.

Parente prefers watercolor, a vibrant media that allows for the essential, inner core of the work to flourish, and is known as

a “colorist”, blending up to one hundred layers of shimmering color together in a technique known as “glazing”, and using the wet paper to give the watercolors their light source and energy to lend another dimension and a deeper reality to his work.

It was the sheer brilliance, depth, and clarity of the colors that stood out most when I visited the cafe last Friday to view the eleven paintings on display. As someone who prefers concrete imagery over abstract, I was drawn to the images that I was able to disti

nguish, such as the pregnant lady in “Be Longing”, who Parente described as being the “divine feminine”, and harboring a “peaceful hopefulness”. It wasn’t until I sat down to discuss the exhibition that I realized that it was more important to have an experience in the moment, rather than worry about what I could define.

For Parente, a recipient of a 2010 Chabot “Great Teacher” award, “the process is far more important that the product itself”, and it’s interesting to note that he had no pre-conceived notions of any of the pieces on display. Parente recanted a tale about a trip he made years ago to the Monterey Bay Aquarium with a colleague; the long dormant memories of watching jellyfish float around inside the gian

t tanks inspired the creation of “In This Everflowing Stillness”, and according to Parente, it takes much more practice and dedication to be able to trust the moment and be stretched as an artist, rather than stay in control and remain in an artistic “comfort zone”.

Parente’s next project will be painting a series of pieces for an exhibit to benefit the Chabot Foundation in the fall of next year, noting that “in this country, you have to be able to sell your artwork in order to produce”. In the meantime, Parente will continue to intertwine “painting, teaching, and art, for they are snapshots of my soul laid bare”.

“Intimate Artwork” by John Jerry-Anthony Parente. Uptown Cafe and Crepes, 410 21^st Street (near 19^th Street BART), Oakland, CA. August 17^th – October 5^th, 2010. www.parenteart.cs.net

America has long been a country, like many, that has had its ups and downs with equality. Women weren’t able to vote and people were forbidden to marry because they didn’t have the same skin color. For hundreds of years ignorance has been accepted as normal in a country that boasts equality and freedom.

Yet we have time and time again held a minority down because of a genetic trait they cannot help. We do not choose our gender. We do not get to choose our parents and their background. We cannot choose our sexual identity.

With horrible anti gay and lesbian propaganda so widely accepted you have to ask yourself why anyone would choose to be persecuted in such a way and bring themselves pain.  We are singling out a group of people and asking them to not be who they really are, to feel ashamed for something that they can’t change.

Gay and lesbian marriage and getting rid of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” are not about taking anything away from straight people.  Members of the gay and lesbian community are not seeking special treatment. They are merely asking for the same treatment as everyone else.
This is not about religion. It’s about two people no different from you and me wanting to commit to one another, to raise a family and live what everyone else calls a normal life.

We are denying people “the American dream” we are all after simply because their version of that dream is slightly different from what we were taught is “normal.”

How can gay and lesbian marriage weaken an institution that is already on shaky ground? Over 50 percent of marriages end in divorce. Is this not weakening the institution of marriage?

If we want a fair vote on gay and lesbian marriage, then perhaps we should not allow the people who have already mocked marriage by getting a divorce, cheating on their spouses, or even abusing their spouses to vote on the matter. In reality, since no gay or lesbian individuals have even been allowed to marry, these people are the only ones who have proven to weaken the institution of marriage.

Why shouldn’t gays and lesbians have the same freedom as straight people? Let’s face it, at 50 percent divorce rates we aren’t doing so hot with marriage ourselves.

Why not wish them luck and hope that maybe their love makes it into the 50 percent that do make it? Isn’t that what we should be practicing ourselves and teaching our children; to wish the others well and hope that things are good for them?

I want to travel the world more then ever now, fill my passport with no hesitations. Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) conquers her life in an attempt to find “balance”.

Eat, Pray, Love based on the novel written by Elizabeth Gilbert is about Gilbert’s true story about self exploration to find her balance through her journeys from Rome to India to Bali.

The emotions and events touched on in the film are real, often dark and desperate but reality. The story is relatable

This movie is not a huge blockbuster and a little bit of a different type of movie for Robert’s since she is a big name actress. This movie is filled with lots of not A list actors, maybe not even B list. But the supporting cast does a wonderful job and portray the eccentric characters of Gilbert’s journey wonderfully.

In the movie Gilbert goes through a numbing breakup and is left empty. So in a 110 minutes of movie she attempts to feel. Meeting men and women of all ages and backgrounds who give her insight into her on life sometimes accidentally. .

There is a love interest in this movie but this should not be a surprise to those who read the book.

With uninhibited eating of carbs and an acceptance of muffin tops gilbert embraces the flavors of life.

This movie does drag a little in the middle, possibly because the film’s producers were attempting to keep the movie as close to the book including as many minute details as possible.

This lag makes you glance at your watch for moment until the movie begins to pick up speed again. There are definitely enough delicious males scattered throughout the movie taking off shirts and showing abs and ass to grab your attention when things slow.

This is definitely a “chick flick” you will laugh, a tear may come to your eye, and you will crave scrumptious food afterwards.

If you are into the self help books and the idea of finding yourself through a journey this movie is a must see. Maybe you will be inspired to travel the world and find your balance.

One mans view on the issues plaguing our youth

I at one point in my high school career was in a class with Oscar Grant at Mt. Eden High School.

I’m not here to take sides just to give my opinion.

Grant is no stranger to crime and had previously served two state prison terms for different felonies. Not to say that what happened to Grant was just but I just want to clarify who he was before this all happened. He had a life that wasn’t easy but he also made his choices.

Tonight as I write this I want it to be heard again, that the only people responsible for what has happened are all of us. It’s the fault of the drug dealers who go out and corrupt kids with false hopes. It’s the fault of the state for failing to so many students making them turn to from education to the streets.

Look at his record, if he would have been in a different environment where America fights to give its children a fighting chance.

I look at my people, I look at all these “minorities” and I ask myself what the hell are we doing? I look around and see our kids have no one to look up to. Right now in Oakland I see many people speaking with a purpose of anger, when they should be speaking about uniting, speak from our hearts with love not hate.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time: the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.”

If we call what happened to Grant an act of racism, then damn all of us for not banning together more often. All I see is people wanting the officer’s head on a platter but that isn’t going to bring Grant back.

I see the history channel talk about civil rights groups in the 60’s and 70’s. They banned together to become a power that was looked up to. Men like Martin Luther King Jr. and civil rights groups like The Panthers and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) fought for civil rights in the black community. The 60’S and 70’s had groups of people honorable enough to fight. What do we have now with all our great power and technology? We have Lil’ Wayne, Flava Flav and kids with no dreams.

If you don’t think justice was done, then turn in anyone you know who deals drugs, go out and make sure your government doesn’t make decisions for you. Why not host a sit in or host a boycott of business and places you feel don’t help the problem but make it worse.

Let’s fight the problems on the home front, be parents and not let our kids sell drugs and let’s make sure we take care of our kids. I see many mother with 3, 4, 5 kids walking down the street. I went to school with kids who didn’t know there dad. It’s our fault.

We have a black president, but not an un-racist America.

We need to give our kids morals instead of just giving up on our kids, that’s why I blame everyone. Because there are only two sides to this when there actually three. People either said he did it or he didn’t do it. When in fact I don’t think he did it on purpose. To kill a man in cold blood in front of a vast group of people and put his freedom and job on the line? And although given a guilty verdict, people still want more.