The Thing about the Twilight Series...

OK, first things first, full disclosure is only fair:

1 - I have read the entire Twilight series (twice)
2 - Eclipse was my favourite book in the series
3 - I am resoundingly on Team Jacob
4 - I don't consider myself my a "Twi-hard"
5 - I planned to write a movie review for Eclipse but it became this commentary on the overall series instead and what the movies could have been.

Eclipse is a mediocre movie and a fantastic Twilight film. The best way to understand this distinction is to understand the books which contain the same inherent problem as their feature film offspring: they are not stand-alone stories.

The truth, and perhaps the driving force of the tween/34teen obsession, is that ALL FOUR BOOKS comprise ONE story. The elements of storytelling: plot, character, conflict, setting/atmosphere and style only make sense when the entire series is read and assessed as a whole. Within themselves each book is not a story and because of this fact each movie based on an individual book fails to satisfy as a cinematic story.

To illustrate:
The Twilight series adaptations are often (controversially) compared to the film versions of the Harry Potter series with the HP entries consistently being voted superior for their storytelling and ability to engage a non-reader audience. But the HP films are provided with self-contained stories (adventures) in the source material. Even though an overriding evil is present throughout the books, each novel has its own clear tale to tell and own specific conflict to resolve which translates to a more compelling film in a direct book-to-screen way. Another example would be the Chronicles of Narnia which contain setting and character linkages but each book is a distinct adventure. The Twilight series does not function this way.

The Twilight-verse is built on a story that flows through four novels with the ultimate problem being developed along the way. Thus, the plot, the characters, the conflict do not advance all that much within one book but are quite satisfying across the entire quadrilogy. A better comparison of the how the Twilight books work - and how the movie versions should have been contructed - is to look at the Lord of the Rings series. (OK - Nobody kill me for this comparison. I recognize the difference in calibre but elementally both series are very similar.)

LotR is physically structured into 3 books but the actual story spans across them all with smaller narrative tales and character reveals embedded within them. The sub-threats in the LotR story are all tied to the larger context of the main story through character choices and/or plot developments. The division of this epic tale into the physical books is somewhat thematic but largely practical.

The same is true for the Twilight series which is why the stand-alone films built directly (painstakingly so!) upon a specific book have failed to impress. In the end, these adaptations are only a fraction of a story, that, in the case of the second film (New Moon) is flat without its bookend narratives to support it. Eclipse has shown to satisfy film audiences more because the actual book has the most traditional and complete story structure but it still requires an understanding of the Twilight universe to be compelling.

Perhaps, if the producers of the Twilight films had some foresight (vision? inspiration? artistic intent?) that could have taken a note from the Lord of the Rings production and fashioned the Twilight films in a similar fashion. Realizing that the core of the audience would be highly aware of the ENTIRE series and ravenous for visual details, they could have played with the overall series story to make better narratives for the cinema.

For example, LotR moved the battle with Shelob from the physical book two into the third movie making the cinema story-telling more balanced without omitting a main story point from the source material. This process of crafting contained movies from the full series could have allowed for character flashbacks earlier in the series instead of following Bella's book path of introductions and a new audience would have gotten character depth and fans would have gotten more character coverage overall. The LotR approach would also have worked to bring the themes of the books into greater focus rather than the emphasis on plot tasks the audience is handed out now. Of couse this only applies in hindsight and the first film was optioned and produced while the series was still a cult, rather than worldwide, phenomenon and so I can only lament at the missed opportunity.

I suppose this rambling is said to give pause to the wealth of critics who have derided the books, the films and the fans for the Twilight-mania. True, Stephanie Meyer is not a goddess fo prose. But, her writing has an addictive quality that invites you to follow along. For those readers who make it past the chaste christian messaging the books offer an intriguing tale of loss of innocence and rise in personal power at a time in life when everything feels like the end of the world and asks: so what if it really is forever?

Coming back to the films, I think it is time to stop judging them as original artistic works that require some cinematic merit. I think I have established above that the opportunity for that has been squandered. So accept the films as visual enactments of a fractured story built for fans who are carrying all the glue to put it together. If non-fans of the book never see the movies or gain entrance into the Twilight world, who cares? There are obviously enough fans around the world to give the franchise a positive return on investment so just let them have it.

As such, the only true challenges for the movies are:
1 - did the actors give justice to the characters?
2 - were all the key moments played out?
Finally, Eclipse has managed to deliver on both of these details which is why it is a perfect Twilight film.

QE2

The Queen's visit to Canada arrived in Toronto today. Thanks to my job with the provincial public service I was apprised of her visit time and able to go stand among the throng to watch her pass by. I figured it was worth the attempt since the opportunity will likely not occur again. It was a VERY hot day and, sadly, The Queen chose to walk down the path opposite from my side so I only got to see her back for the most part.



I do wish I had the chance to see her face to some degree. If for no other reason than to be able to see her hat better as it appears adorned with some kind of fantastic squiggle! And yet, it was an intriguing hour in my life all the same. I am not a royal watcher but I have spent my whole life living in a commonwealth country and to actually SEE the women whose face graces our currency was a chance to be taken my lifetime. The vision of her made me think about the woman behind the title. So I looked her up to discover:
She was born in 1926.
She was only 26 when she became the Head of the Commonwealth.
She fell in love with Prince Philip when she was 13. They were married in 1947 (He was also at the walkabout I attended but I didn't get a photo of him).
She is the third longest reigning monarch in British history at over 58 years - and counting! - on the throne.

First Pick

The first fruit of my labour arrived today. The super zucchini plant has been in full bloom for a couple of weeks and the little green tubes of tastiness had begun to emerge. A couple buds had been attacked by little beaks and tiny claws so I lost a few casualties.

But then I saw one - a green, lean, shiny tube. Under the fan-like leaves it grew...and grew...and finally I picked it! This one is going to be chopped up and served with red peppers. I will put in a tinfoil package with olive oil and some of our fresh herbs and - ta da! - zucchini for dinner. YUMMY!

Chic Schick

I really hope you don't find this post to be TMI but I had to take a moment to talk about Schick latest lady razor. In a land of Brazilians (Brozilians no less!) I find myself a lady who prefers a bit of grass on her lawn. Maybe if I only weighed 100lbs I could muster the desire for a clean sweep (or god forbid - vajazzling!!) but my body isn't really enhanced by that particular look. However, keeping the landscape maintained has always been a challenge (DIY) or a somewhat expensive pursuit (Salon time!) and I admit to enjoying my recent long-distance relationship for giving me a bit of break in that department. I am sure I am not alone in this sentiment.

Then I saw a series of ads for the new Schick Quattro for Women "Trim Style" razor and it brought a smile to my face. It's a clever ad and while I don't usually fall for product advertising this product had me hooked. Rarely do I see a commercial with a smiling woman prancing in circles or sashaying in slow motion and think "yes, THAT is what I need!"- but this time it was true. This razor is exactly what I need. This razor is designed specifically for getting your "lady town" ready for the beach. It has a four-blade razor and a battery-powered trimmer (!) all in one waterproof device. Genius! I cannot believe it has taken this long to meld the two handy devices that have been giving men detailed face grooming for years into a product for women. All I can say is I think I am going to be very happy with my own personal mower from now on.

Summer Garden

Today is the first full day of summer. It rained today but most of that has passed into a calm evening. As I look outside these days my heart bursts with happy pride for my garden. My herb garden has become an abundant collection of aromatic bunches.


At the end of May I planted some vegetables for the season. A mixed assortment of lettuce, zucchini, cucumber, tomatoes and snow peas. My boyfriend laughed at me when a recent trip to Canadian Tire yielded my purchase of six bags of dirts. Sadly, the snow peas were ravaged by backyard critters and did not survive the week. But the enriched soil for the vegetables seems to have hit the spot with all the other plants taking over their corner with steadfast determinination. The lettuce has matured into delectable rows of salad sweetness. The tomatoes are pushing the boundaries of their cages and starting to show-off their dainty yellow flowers.


Upon advice from my Mom (even from a distance she is VERY helpful!) I removed the zucchini plants from the main garden and into a pot of their own. This choice was the correct on as the plant quickly grew into a leafy monster to rival our hosta godzilla in size. I had no idea that zucchini plants would grow so large! My fingers are crossed for some good eating off of this beauty!


It has been a month since my Mom's visit and our planting party. The yard has grown green and bright. The twiggy trees have sprouted new branches and wave their leafy hands in to the air. The dormant annuals planted by tenants past have filled corners with their consistent greenery. The flowers have taken root and continue to thrust their happy blossom faces towards the sunshine. It wasn't so long ago that the stones along the edge were the most striking feature of the garden and now they have settled into place and actually accent the continuous growth around them. I can hardly believe that the garden has gone from this to what you see below in only 4 weeks!


The power of plants amazes me. And I do love the gardening now. One of my favourite things to do on the weekend is spend some time doing the weeding. Getting the earth in the beds broken up and making sure that the home for my plants stays in good shape is a small joy for me. I like the sense of being creative and productive at the same time. I found this quote from a famous English gardener names Gertrude Jekyll (whom I think I would like since she was known more as a garden "planter" than a garden "designer") that sums up my new feelings:

A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it
teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.

In the end, the gardens help to make our city rental a beautiful home. I still don't know much about plants and I firmly believe that a lot of the splendor is due to luck more than know-how but I am starting to trust it will all work out.

Fathers and Sons

Father's Day was an interesting one for me this year because I actually spent it with two fathers in my family.

One was my actual father - in the biological sense - and if you have known me for awhile he might be a new figure to you. My parents separated just before I was eight years old and were divorced shortly afterward. My mom relocated my brother and I to Ontario while my Dad started a new family in Albert. So for 26 years I have lived quite a distance from my Dad making regular visits a challenge.

Last spring I was finally able to visit him and it was the first time in 7 years that I had been there! That sounds crazy to some people. To others it is a normal reality of living in a heavily-divorced culture. But this year he came to visit us and that visit happened to occur on Father's Day. So I got to give my Dad a bona fide hug on the Day of Dads for the first time in a looooong time. And that was kind of cool.


The second father is the first son and my brother. It has been very interesting coming back to Ontario and spending a lot of time with my brother's family. My brother and I have been living at a distance since I was 19 and so my up-close memories of him have always tended towards him being the "cool" sibling to my "square" self. Now I get to see him in his role as a provider, a guardian, a husband, a role model, a father. I watch my nephew and niece shower him with the affection reserved for dads and see them quiver under the respect that daddy's discipline demands. I am very impressed with the dad my brother has become.

The second son is my brother's little boy and the only grandchild of my Dad to bear the family name (so far!). I wonder if someday he will be a father and if I will still be around to see it. So we had three generations of the male bloodline together for the day. In many families that might be normal but for mine it is a rare occurrence and totally worth celebrating. Happy Father's Day.

Ready ... Set ... Go!

"Most people can look back over the years and identify a time and place at which their lives changed significantly. Whether by accident or design, these are the moments when, because of a readiness within us and a collaboration with events occurring around us, we are forced to seriously reappraise ourselves and the conditions under which we live and to make certain choices that will affect the rest of our lives." (Frederick F. Flack)

This blog has charted many of my course corrections over the years. Looking back in the archives you can find many posts filled with "what next?" anxiety and an equal number describing my decided next step. It is interesting to see how many of those next steps have not been taken, especially in the last few years when I wasn't writing updates.


The last two years have been an marathon of detours and discoveries and yet here I am, in Ontario, doing what I said I would do three years ago - come home. I have realized that any sort of PhD study is not in the current deck of cards being dealt. Maybe the next deck will have them and a new hand can be played at that time. But for now, I am happy to settle into being where I am. I am content to relax in the fact that I KNOW what I will be doing 6 months from now. I am optimistic that a number of things I have wanted in my life are falling from the future and into my present. I guess what it really all means is that I am, finally, ready ... for the rest of my life.

My Body Goes to Boot Camp

This week I joined a Boot Camp exercise program. Two nights a week I subject myself to a demanding workout routine that includes such things as: burpees, star jumps, frog squats, plank scissors and abdonimal curls along with running jags, sprint sessions and lots of skipping. Seriously, I haven't done that much skipping since I was 9! It is difficult. For 45 minutes I feel like I am going to fall over - ok, I did fall over once. I wonder how I got to the point that I cannot do 5 minutes of exercise that relies on pushing my own body weight around. And then I reflect on why I started the class in the first place - my body weight.

To say that my body and I are BFFs would be a lie. We consistenly betray each other for our own selfish reasons. I try to poison my body with alcohol and sugar and caffiene and ruffles and donuts. My body responds by adding another ring around my mid-section. Exhibit A:


It is an uneasy partnership at best. So this week I decided that it was time to get back on the same page with my body. My stressed out mind and over-working emotions had run the show loooooong enough. The excuses of Christmas and a new job and a move and a new apartment and a relocating boyfriend let me throw my structure out the window. And, my body, free from the rules, ran amok in a self-destructive frenzy. Exhibit B:


But I know that when I am actually paying attention to my body the response is positive. There are thoughts that abound in the world that you should treat your body like a temple but I have decided that the best plan is to treat my body like a child. A child that I love. A child to whom I pay attention. A child to whom I give structure - even if it seems harsh at the time. I know this can work because I spent last fall being a positive mentor to my body. I exercised regularly. I cleansed my cravings. I built menus and ate well-designed meals throughout the day. And I felt great. Now all that positive work gone.

So I am in boot camp. I am throwing my body around in the hopes that will once again crave the activity. Right now I admit to being so sore it hurts to even lie down but the start of a rush is there. I have also started to count my calories again. I find this tactic very helpful when evaluating my menus and finding my trouble spots (Hello Popcorn! Good Morning Tim Hortons Muffin! Happy Weekend Pint of Beer!). I use an easy and comprehensive website to chronicle my noshing. It's where I got that nifty (scary?) chart above. And I am going to make that line fall again. One burpee, starjump, pushup, skip and calorie at a time and my body and I will be a team once more.