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Happy Birthday Sam Waterston!

You TV fans might know him as Law and Order’s Jack McCoy, but to us, he’ll always be Nick Carraway, the best friend of one of the greatest characters of all time, Jay Gatsby.

We wish Sam Waterston a wonderful birthday and thank him for his great performance as Nick.  Tobey Maguire, you have some big shoes to fill.

-T

Another rainy day in Charleston calls for another great movie…

The Philadelphia Story is possibly my favorite movie ever.  I’m not exactly sure what it is about it, but every aspect of it is perfect.

First off, it’s the perfect cast.  Cary Grant is always classy and subtly hilarious, and his comic timing is always brilliant with the gorgeous Katherine Hepburn (what is it about the last name Hepburn that automatically makes you an insanely awesome actress?)  And then, of course, there’s my favorite actor of all time, Mr. James Stewart.  In my opinion, you’re not American if you don’t love Jimmy Stewart.  And if you don’t know who that is, go watch It’s a Wonderful Life right now.  You don’t have a heart if you’ve never seen that movie.  He’s just powerful and awkward and classy and hilarious all at the same time (don’t even get me started on Mr. Smith Goes To Washington).  These three just have a chemistry that makes you smile.  You can’t help it.

Secondly, the plot and dialogue is brilliant.  A reporter sent to cover a socialite’s wedding with her ex-husband along for the ride makes for some hilarious antics.  The scene in which Stewart’s Conners and Hepburn’s Tracy get drunk is classic comedy gold.  And then of course there’s snappy one-liners from Grant’s C.K. Dexter Haven:

“And here I thought all writers drank to excess and beat their wives.  You know at one time I secretly wanted to be a writer.”

No offense to the remake, the musical High Society (bottom right), and its star-studded cast, but you just can’t beat this movie.  Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, and Frank Sinatra are three of my favorite people ever, but they can’t live up to the masterpiece created by Grant, Stewart and Hepburn.

I could watch this movie every day of my life and still enjoy it.  So find it and check it out tonight during the rain, you’ll be very glad you did.

-Happy Viewings, T