This week I watched the greatest movie...

It was based on the memoir, "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less," written by Terry Ryan. Do you ever see a movie and then wish so badly that you had found the book on the shelf at the library a year before the movie was made? Well, I had this experience. I imagine I will still read the book, b/c, well, hey, I am on summer break and I need a book to read! But I digress...

The movie is about Terry Ryan's mother who, in the 1950's & 60's raised 10 children and managed to keep poverty at bay by participating in contests that required her to write limericks, product jingles and poetry. Apparently this time in history is also known as the "contest era" and many people participated in these contests and won everything from household appliances to cars and exotic trips.

For me the most amazing thing about this mother of 10 wasn't her intellect and wit, but her incredibly positive and optimistic outlook. Her husband loved her dearly but was an alcoholic and often spent his paychecks on liquor. She always managed to remain uplifting to her children and I find that so incredible considering the circumstances of her life. When her breaking point comes in the story it is almost relieving because by then you have come to realize the incredible burden she has carried.

I am sure the movie elevated this mother to sainthood and I fell for it line and sinker - but I don't care. Even if only half of the mother's real attitude was captured in this film I am inspired to think that such a woman lived in this world!

The movie stars Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson and Laura Dern

My plan - to read the book and come back with an update.

I just checked and the movie is available to rent at Hollywood Video, fyi.

Comments

catie said…
Wow. I can't even imagine being faced with such choices really. I too want to be more optimistic and as cheesy as these movies can be sometimes, I find them to remind me that optimism actually can be helpful! I am curious - was the woman you work with always the more optimistic type, or did she struggle to become that way? I swear it's genetics. : )

Thanks for the thank you note....very funny....what's even funnier is that Robbie didn't get why it was so funny and I did. I was watching Emma when Laura got the mail. She read the thank you note you sent her and then handed it to me to read. So, when I got home and Robbie handed me your thank you note to us - I laughed outloud, while Robbie wondered what you could have possibly said in Laura's card.
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