El Oro de Ulises

La peli de esta noche es Ulee's Gold (1997, source: library DVD)

Saturday morning we raided the Kerrisdale library, and armed with the four membership cards we made out with some good loot, books and DVDs, among them a previously watched jewel of a movie:

 

So I knew already that the movie was pretty family safe (except for some f-bombs and a mildly disturbing scene where a woman has withdrawal-symptom fueled screaming fit). Fonda is the stoic beekeeper forced to deal with the mess left behind by his screw-up son and drug-addict daughter-in-law, with the son's evil scumbag partners in crime an increasing threat. But all played mostly in a low-key and intimate tone.

Early on, Lily brought her homework stuff in front of the TV set with the intention of completing it while watching a movie she barely remembered from when she was seven or six years old. The stage was set for a tug-of-war for her attention: movie or academic pursuit?

Staying power (i.e. watching whole movie in one sitting = 10 points)

Chuck (age 7): as usual, no sooner he finished dessert he took to the Lego floor. But did turn his attention to the movie at some points, like the honey processing scenes. 5 points.

Lily (age 13): sat through the whole movie. 10 points.
Often times she tentatively but briefly glanced to the books and notebooks on the floor laid out next to where she was sitting, but the movie won her over. There's always sundays for last-minute homework.

Mom: Yoga. 0 points

Dad: Sat back and thoroughly enjoyed the movie for the third time.  10 points.

Total: 25 out of 40.

This one is a keeper and eventually I'll get it for my collection.