Tag Archives: Manhattan

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Hyde Park on Hudson, a film about an American president who was a mama’s boy

In 1995, just two weeks after Father died, I had to travel for business.  I did not want to leave my newly widowed mother alone. So with the blessing of my employer, we began a week long road trip that took us to Philadelphia, Manhattan and the Hudson River valley. When I researched the route I discovered that the family home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the American president credited with pulling the US out of the Depression, was open for touring. The National Historic Site is located near Hyde Park, New York, in the Hudson River Valley. I never forgot that visit, often wishing that I could return to see the other buildings associated with the site. That is the reason that I rented Hyde Park on Hudson yesterday afternoon, a film about the weekend that the King and Queen of England came to stay.

Learning about the odd domestic arrangement of the Roosevelts was one of the reasons I enjoyed my visit. Franklin was a mama’s boy, who preferred to live in a room in his mother’s house than live with his wife. Eleanor’s mother-in-law was such a shrew that Eleanor built a house nearby and moved in, leaving Franklin to his peccadillos and mother. Mother Roosevelt came from money, and made sure she kept it. The film depicts her borrowing plates from the Astor’s for the dinner party she hosted for the King, Queen and President of the United States. She installed a rosewood toilet seat in the bathroom for the visit of  the Royals. After the visit  the seat was returned to the hardware store from which she “purchased” it. We learn Mother Roosevelt never did pay the man.

Weighty world events unfold in the background of the story told in Hyde Park on the Hudson. Based on papers found upon the death of Daisy, a Roosevelt fifth cousin, the film stars Bill Murray as FDR and Laura Linney as Daisy. The King and Queen of England are played by Samuel West and Olivia Cole. This King George VI and Queen Elizabeth are not the monarchs of the King’s Speech. Elizabeth is not stalwart, and George is not so besotted he won’t stand up to her. The script has FDR and the King discuss their equally formidable wives, acknowledging their contribution to the success of their husbands.

My interest in Hyde Park on the Hudson began in sorrow, but ends in laughter. The biopic is funny. I laughed out loud at the uncomfortable social situations. I cringed when Daisy discovers her lover’s duplicity. The situation is classic – believing he loves her Daisy overlooks the fact that her lover is married; but is completely humiliated and surprised that she is not his only mistress. Sharing Franklin seemed to be a national past time during his presidency.

Filmed on location, the movie should come with a warning: Watch with caution; the viewer may be inspired to visit the Hudson River Valley and Hyde Park on Hudson in particular.

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White Collar’s 4th Season to be broadcast in Canada

Cast of White Collar

Cast of White Collar

January 23, the day after the 4th season of White Collar resumes in the US, the first half of the season debuts on Bravo in Canada. I cannot wait. I’ve been anxious to catch up, having watched the first 3 seasons repeatedly on DVD, and this year on Bravo. We’re late to appreciate the wit, suspense and charm of the procedural with a twist.

I can’t watch an episode without itching to buy a plane ticket to Manhattan. What other show can you recall that made Roosevelt Island a must-see neighborhood – without the cable car high wire act of course. The characters are fresh and funny. Eccentricity is surprisingly seductive. Even the Nonagenarian is captivated by the camaraderie and vintage suits.

White Collar has a simple premise: FBI agent works with a criminal informant to solve white collar crimes, in the city that never sleeps. Simple it is not. The long arcs are surprising, the individual episodes satisfying, and the supporting players marvellous. Watch it. You will thank me.

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Imogene (2012): @TIFF_Net Screening

Imogene: Kristen Wiig, Darren Criss

Imogene: Kristen Wiig, Darren Criss

My epiphany this week was the realization that one man’s truth is often another man’s lie. Imogene, screenplay by Michelle Morgan, screened for the third and final time today, at the Toronto International Film Festival. All screenings were sold out, leading to the film’s distribution deal with Lionsgate.

The film has an indie feel about it. As my companion pointed out, “Nothing blows up.” The violence is limited to one scene, where it is played with comedic effect.  This is an adult comedy, with double entendres and scenes of a sexual nature. Yet, in a dysfunctional-family way, the film is rather wholesome. There is heart behind each eccentric, and good intentions behind each lie that hides a truth. Much of the plot is driven by the consequence of well-meaning lies.

Kristen Wiig is Imogene, a thirty-something, Manhattanite living her dream. Her mother, played by Annette Bening, is a gambling addict still capable of embarrassing her daughter who has not been home in nine years. A lie leads to the two reuniting, and the introduction to the cast of eccentrics: George Bush, pronounced Boosh, her mother’s live-in lover; Imogene’s asperger’s brother; and the boarder, Lee, a Yalie who sings in a Backstreet Boys cover band. They juggle lies and truths like hot potatoes.

Unlike Bridesmaids, the Wiig film success that enabled Imogene to get the greenlight, the humour is neither crass nor mean, at least not for long. I found it hard to like Wiig’s Imogene in the beginning of the film, but by the denouement I had begun to root for her, as the lies became evident.

Slightly odd, somewhat sweet, with just enough tartness for contrast, Imogene is one to watch.

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Traffic: The Tourist’s Unknown

Heron Cove, Six Mile Lake, Muskoka

Heron Cove, Six Mile Lake, Muskoka

My mental image of visiting Mumbai is streets almost impassable with traffic. Rush hour in LA, sitting in traffic going nowhere, is something I would plan to avoid on a trip to Southern California. I don’t drive in London. I have driven in Manhattan, although I don’t recommend it. Traffic is unavoidable during urban holidays.

Last Saturday as I drove south from Cottage Country I was reminded that traffic is an unknown variable when planning a visit to a new region. The reminder was bumper to bumper northbound traffic – three lanes of it – beginning at Barrie, ON. The traffic had not let up when I exited the 400 at King City.  That is a distance of 60 km!

I had driven that northward route exactly one week before. I didn’t experience traffic that dense, although I did experience rain showers so intense that my windshield wipers couldn’t keep my window clear! One week later, the weather was perfect. Sunny, bright and cool – perfect cottage weather.

This is my final Cottage Country advisory. To avoid traffic when heading north from Toronto, travel earlier on the weekend. If you reach Barrie by 9 AM at the latest, you should avoid the worst of the traffic. Or travel during the week. Southbound on Sunday night should be avoided and early Monday morning during the summer.

I hope to meet you in Cottage Country one day.

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Cottage, Camp or Chalet? Depends on where you are!

Severn Sound Sunrise

Severn Sound Sunrise

Vacation rentals vary. In Florida, it may be a house in a subdivision. In Manhattan, a studio apartment. In Italy, a villa. Or in France, a small chateau. In Ontario, a vacation rental may be referred to as a cottage. It could be a mobile home in a trailer park, or a chalet on a ski hill.

Camp is another term by Canadians for that place the family goes when the weather improves. Renter beware, regardless of what we call it, you might find the place rustic – no running water or hydro, just the bare necessities.

Camps, chalets and cottages have become more like a second home. Some are air-conditioned, have multiple bathrooms, and amenities like movie rooms or laundry facilities. Vacation rentals in Canada do not guarantee waterfront views. When searching for your perfect getaway, read the fine print, or use the keyword waterfront.

Waterfront can mean a river, a lake, or the ocean, depending on the locale. Lake can mean something small enough to be called a pond, or as large as a Great Lake, which are the size of the Mediterranean Ocean. Ontario has only one sea coast – Hudson Bay in the far north. If you want a cottage with a sea view, then try BC, PEI, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick or Newfoundland.

Not all waterfront properties come with a dock. The docks in the photo belong to the neighbours’ cottages. The cottage from which the photo was shot did not have a dock. A boat would have to be moored some distance from shore.

If you plan to canoe or boat during your cottage stay you will need PFDs – personal flotation devices or life jackets for each person in the canoe or boat. That is the law. If your vacation rental includes the use of a water vehicle, ask if PFDs are supplied.

Linens and towels may not be supplied. If you are coming a great distance, inquire about a linen service, the extra charge will save you time and effort. The more rustic the rental, the less likely that the service is available. You may have to pack sleeping bags.

A Canadian vacation tradition are ‘Smores. The tasty treats are comprised of toasted marshmallows in between graham crackers and chocolate pieces. The warm marshmallow melts the chocolate. Messy and scrumptious, they go best with an open fire. The ability to make open fires at a vacation rental is not guaranteed. If your dream includes sitting around a campfire, you could be disappointed. Campfire bans are not uncommon during drought conditions when an open flame could ignite a forest fire.

Fishing usually requires a license, which comes with a book explaining catch limits etc. Read it before your wet your line. Fish and Game wardens have the right to charge you with an offense if you exceed your limit or break a regulation.

Renting canoes, boats, all terrain vehicles and other noisy toys is possible in well-developed vacation areas. The farther into the bush you go, the fewer amenities are available.

One last hint – sound carries on the water. If you don’t want your vacation neighbours to know intimate details of your family dynamics – whisper!