Lifenut

Monsters University: The Original Party School

The closing moments of Monsters Inc. are some of the most beautiful bits of film ever made. Sully opens the Boo’s door. She exclaims, “Kitty!” and all is right in the world. It’s a lovely, quiet assurance they’ll be lifelong friends. When I first heard Disney/Pixar were making another Monsters movie, I assumed it would be the further adventures of Sully, Mike, and Boo. Rather, they took the lovable monster pair back to the past. Mike and Sully weren’t always BFFs. In fact, they didn’t like each other at all.

Monsters University follows the antics of all sorts of monsters trying to learn the tricks of their trade. Competition is fierce, literally, for those who want to become the top scarers. Monsters who can’t quite hack the whole ferociously scary side of life can learn how to design doors or manage scream tanks—but those vocations are clearly for the losers. From the time he was just a little one-eyed green dot, Mike wanted to be on the scare floor at Monsters Inc. He has to work very hard at learning to be scary. For Sully, it comes naturally. Tension leads to disaster which leads to redemption and finally, friendship.

The story builds slowly. The first half of the movie is lighter in laughs. The focus seems to be on how many crazy monsters they could cram into one frame and how many college cliches they could exploit. There are the jock monsters, the sorority sister monsters, the emo monsters, and the awkward nerd monsters. Guess who Mike and Sully end up with? Guess who must overcome all sorts of obstacles to become the most popular group on campus? It’s Revenge of the Nerds, with fur, scales, slime, and teeth.

Most of the big laughs and clever moments come in the second half of the movie. One scene, which takes place in the human world, is truly laugh-out-loud funny. It’s a revelation for all the characters and it’s the big payoff the audience gets to see everyone grow into his leathery skin. Or fur.

I appreciated the ultimate message that hard work matters. Talent is important and natural skill can’t be taken away, but what truly makes a monster shine is humility. Mike and Sully end up the stars of the scare floor only after patience and hard work—and facing the consequences of their actions. They both screw up horrendously, embarrassingly. Watching them overcome mistakes is a good lesson for everyone.

Monsters University was above average, but not approaching the original’s heart and creativity. Monsters University tried too hard to outdo itself with fantastical montages and characters, forgetting what made the original a masterpiece was its simple heart. Boo loved Sully. Sully loved Boo.

I took Ryley, Sam, and Beatrix to the screening and they adored every moment. It’s worth seeing on the big screen, especially during matinee hours. The short before the movie, The Blue Umbrella, is whimsical and sweet, but it’s reminiscent of the short before Wreck-It-Ralph. On the drive home, Ryley pointed it out. I had been thinking the same thing. Confirmation!

Monsters University opens everywhere on June 21st! Have fun exploring the real website for Monsters University. Dear old MU. Start writing your admission essay today.

(Disney/Pixar provided screening passes for me and three kids for the purpose of spreading the word and writing a review. The opinions are mine and my kids’. Image courtesy of Disney)

Peony Love ~ Ideas to Celebrate A Favorite Flower

My peonies are in full, glorious bloom right now. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. I complained about a super-long winter, which led to a tardy spring. Normally, they would have been in full bloom a few weeks ago. We are stuck at home with multiple sick kids, leading to frustration. It feels like we are in a giant time out, that summer is gliding silently by. So, this morning I went outside and visited my blooms. I know they don’t last long, so I pulled my big camera out of hibernation and took a bajillion photos.

While waiting for the computer (Teddy was busy spawning wolves at Minecraft) and a chance to upload the pics, I searched for “peony” on my phone and learned all about these gorgeous flowers.

Peonies are edible. You can make ice cream with the petals. Want peonies on your breakfast toast? Spread a little peony jelly on top! I’m not sure I am brave enough to munch on petals from my yard, so there are also peony-inspired foods, like these pink peony popcorn balls and a peony cocktail.

Peonies are medicinal. According to WebMD, peonies are used for a variety of ailments. Once again, I’m not sure people should stuff their mouths with peonies, but it’s nice to know out there in the yard lurks a surefire cure for anal fissures. I think a lot of the medicinal affect is how happy inhaling the scent makes you feel? At least that is how it works for me. But, my little bit of research reveals peony root been in use for well over a thousand years. You don’t stick around that long without merit or results.

Peonies are full of meaning. “The peony is named after Paeon (also spelled Paean), a student of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. Asclepius became jealous of his pupil; Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower.” (straight from Wikipedia and all the teachers just groaned)

I don’t know. I would rather not be turned into a flower, even if the motivation was to save me from wrath. Why not turn the wrathful person into the flower and let the innocent party live and not end up curing someone’s anal fissures?

Peonies promote love and romance, according to feng shui experts. However, older couples should never, ever have a picture of a peony in their bedroom or else he will cheat on her with another woman. What flower picture can I put in my room to promote good sinus health?

Peonies are easy to grow. According to this article, peonies are “one of the most carefree of all the perennials.” They return year after year with little effort and actually thrive in colder climates! Take that, deep south with your Magnolias and stuff. I can attest to this because they magically appeared our first spring in the house and come back each year. We do nothing but cut them down in the fall. Someone obviously planted them, and I’d like to thank that person from the bottom of my heart.

Week Two ~ Ups, Downs, Downs, a Half-Up, Downs, Ups

The most confounding summer cold in the history of viruses is still hanging around. Summer colds are especially cruel. There were a few days this week we did nothing but watch movies and play video games while beauty pranced around outside. Show-off!

A few of us managed to get out and have some fun, although it was with slight guilt.

Aidan left for camp.