Mama Mia!

During the winter months, every other Saturnday night, I get together with three other friends, we rent a movie or two, make popcorn and fudge brownies and spend the night in.  It’s an inexpensive way to entertain ourselves and a great way to bond with dear old friends.  The local video store has a plethora of movies to choose from and we have a chance to enjoy  the warmth of each other’s homes thus avoiding the one dank and dreary movie theater our little town has to offer.  I have found that the warmth of our friendship staves off the bitter winter cold and makes living in this clime much more bearable.  I always look forward to these evenings, but this Saturday night was even more special.

< !-smartads-> This Saturday night, the movie dejour was Mama Mia; a very popular Broadway musical made into a movie staring Meryl Streep.  Despite the fact that Reuters had called the movie a train wreck, we decided it might be good anyway.  I don’t recall that it had ever been an option at our little theater but it did have Meryl Streep in it and we liked her.  As I watched her dance across the screen, climb hundreds of stairs while singing and (deliberately) falling several times I was amazed with her agility and energy.  She is now a Baby Boomer of 59 years old but her performance was that of a much younger woman.  Her performance was awsome and then, thinking back to her career in film, it didn’t surprise me.  Meryl has been working in the film industry since the 1970s, wowing the audience over and over again with her roles in suspense, comedy and drama.  I decided right then and there that Meryl is my new role model right next to Katherine Hepburn and Ameila Earhart.  These are strong women who knew how to get what they wanted out of life and are a reminder to all that you get from life only what you take.

Now, back to the movie.  What a delight!  Some of the songs from the Swedish rock band ABBA are woven into this fast-paced complicated story that takes place on a Greek Island (hence the many stairs).  They are songs that are tucked away in your memory and you want to sing along, which is great, because on the DVD, little did we know, there is also a sing along version.  So, after my friends and I watched the movie once and then sat around and talked and laughed about some of the scenes, we watched it a second time with the lyrics displayed.  What a hoot!  Four young-at-heart women laughing and singing until their cheeks hurt and tears spilled forth from their eyes.  It was a great Saturday night and one that will stay in my memory for a very long time.  In fact, we have decided to have a Meryl Streep film festival and spend a whole weekend in retreat watching her repertoire of movies.  We might even start with a trip down state to see “Doubt.”  If  msnbc.com says it is over theatrical, than I’m thinking it must be good.’; //leave this line

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