Acting

My Mom and I had a conversation recently about Jennifer Lawrence’s career (The Lawrence Family went to our church growing up and I am friends with her brother, Ben.) Her lovely face is simply everywhere these days so we find ourselves talking about her occasionally. We were bouncing around ideas about what that thing is that makes her stand out over so many other young actresses. She has done drama, action, small film, large film, comedy and scary (I may or may not hide half my face under blankets during the commercial for House at the End of the Street) all in her young career. With an Oscar nomination for Winters Bone and rumors of another for the Silver Linings Playbook (both of these for two different genres,) girl has got it going on.


When I consider some of the roles I have seen her master, scenes I have watched her nail; I remember finding myself thinking “I could never do that!” Last night I realized, that’s IT! That is what makes someone great. While watching TV or a play I often find myself flirting with the idea “I could so do that.” However given deeper thought I always come to the conclusion that I couldn’t even pull off Kristen Stewart levels of acting. I would giggle while she sulks. Acting is quickly struck from my list of “Potential Career Paths and/or Ways to get Rich,” but the thought does cross my mind. It does NOT cross my mind when watching Jennifer.

Cristy and I recently watched Albert Nobbs and you can bet Glenn Close’s Oscars that it didn't occur to me for one second that I could have pulled off that masterpiece of acting genius. She IS Albert Nobbs; she becomes a completely different person in that movie. Based on her track record so far, Jennifer’s IMDB profile could end up looking something like a Glenn Close or a Meryl Streep’s even.

Jennifer seems to have been driven from a young age to do something different, to be something special, and she challenges herself. In an interview where she describes failing at log chopping (for me failing at log chopping would mean lots of dead people and not a single chip in the log) she says she refused to let them bring in a body double as they threatened to do. She chopped up that darned log and some other ones, too. Dang, lady, that is why you are Katniss Freaking Everdeen! You want something and you get it!

My Mom’s favorite story of a young Jennifer is when Jennifer’s Mother, Karen, brought her to meet with Mom so that Mom could try to convince the teenager that she needed to keep attending Youth Group and Choir at our Church on Sunday nights. Jennifer made such a compelling argument to my Mom she was left thinking “well, maybe the child is right!” She knew she didn’t want to do it and she calmly made it clear why. When I wanted or didn’t want to do something at 13 I would yell things about “Not Fair” and “everyone else” and “WHY ME!?”

Comparing Jennifer Lawrence with Kristen Stewart is like comparing Barbara Kingsolver with that horny lady who wrote 50 Shades of Bondage or whatever it is. Does not compute. She is already on a completely different playing field and I am very excited to see where her career goes while she completely becomes these other characters she chooses to portray. I guess even that scary one because I’m sure Cristy will make me watch it.

How To Spot a Writer

I was sitting outside today reading during my lunch break on the concrete picnic set which is the only outside seating option at my job. My desire to be outside and away from my gloomy desk supersedes the discomfort inflicted from ass on rock. Who even ever thought that a concrete seat was a good idea? Next they will be making paper weights made of cotton balls. Anyway…..I started mulling over some odd behaviors that are likely unique to those of us who enjoy writing; and then as a writer of course decided to share those writer qualities with you…in writing. Ahem; here they are in no particular order:

1. Writers could be mid conversation, mid book, mid pretty much anything and leave that task to write down an idea that sprung out of wherever any idea comes from. It could be a bad one; it could be so ingenious that it needs to go under lock and key out of fear of thievery. But either way it must be documented at that very time lest it be forgotten. Cristy finally broke down and bought me a small note book to have on hand because she felt sorry for me and my sad little scraps of paper and envelopes with illegible notes scratched in random patterns.

2. Writers spend time editing and crafting the most appropriate words to convey their feelings. Thus, we might also craft a better conversation than the one we just had with you and come back later with something better.

3. If you catch a writer or someone you suspect is a writer starring off into space then probably there is something highly creative and interesting going on in their head. Best to leave them be.

4. Writers are constantly editing their own work so it becomes natural to then start editing everyone else’s stuff too. The majority of the time I avoid critiquing others because I know that would be completely rude and frowned upon; however occasionally one might slip by so I apologize in advance if it ever happens to you and yours.

5. Writers typically will have ink smudged all over their writing hand from the page. Just kidding, this isn’t the 1800’s and we don’t use ink wells anymore, silly!!!

6. When I spot someone who looks so sleepy they might fall asleep in a meeting (and sometimes they do) I wonder if they were up late with their kids, they drank too much the night before, or maybe, just maybe they are a writer.  Sometimes I will wake in the middle of the night with a thought or an idea and I lay there trying to staple it into my mind, writing and rewriting it onto a virtual post-it note.  I worry and worry that I will forget it after a night of weird dreams so that eventually I get up and write it down.  That process takes a good 1-2 hours out of an otherwise normal night. 

If you enjoy writing and have something to add, feel free to comment and lengthen my list!!