How to Make Ryan Gosling Your Valentine

Hey girl, settle down, Ryan Gosling isn't really going to be your Valentine (damn that, Eva Mendes) but here is a great line up of his movies that will make you fall in love with him all over again. Because honestly, even if you are in a relationship, how can you deny this beautiful man who cares about your feelings? Oh, also I'm not including The Notebook because that is too obvious and expected, I'm offering better for my readers. So grab your favorite girls, some good wine and snacks and curl up on the couch, then get ready to swoon.

All photos from IMDb

So here's the proper lineup for a night in with your girls and the man of our dreams. He'll make you laugh and cry and really think in these and the crescendo of these movies will probably break your heart. Oh, man. Happy Galentine's Day.

Lars and the Real Girl
Stick with me on this one. Ryan Gosling is not hot in this movie but he plays such a funny and precious role that it'll make your little heart melt. Plus, it's best to start off your night less dramatic. He's a little sweetheart as Lars and you cannot help but love his quirky ways.

Half Nelson
This role, I think, really shows his range as an actor. He's a mess and all put together at the same time and plays a teacher, which come one, who didn't have a teacher crush at least once?

Crazy Stupid Love
One of my favorite movies of all time. Not a total chick flick either because most of the plot is Ryan's character getting Steve Carell's to "man up." However, one of the greatest scenes is when he's with Emma Stone and she says to him, "God it's like you're Photoshopped." And yeah, yeah, he looks like he is. He plays a very wise-ass character who is really just a big softy, you'll be in love right away.

Blue Valentine
Personally, I think this is better than The Notebook. Yeah, I said it. You'll laugh at his singing, you'll cry over their love, and you'll certainly finish all the wine. So raw and beautiful. Trust me on this one.

Currently...

I feel like I haven't talked to you guys forever since Fashion Week took over this space last week. So I figured that now would be a good time to do a "Chelsea Lately" post. Here's what I've been up to recently.

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Listening: The Lungs album by Florence and the Machine, on vinyl. Santa brought me this gem and I have been blasting it every morning while getting ready. It is perfect primping/ready to take on the day music.

Eating: Every recipe I've ever pinned on Pinterest. Seriously, like a real cook.

Wanting to buy: A bathing suit. More specifically, a one piece that has an actual bra in it and doesn't look like it was designed for my grandmother, and doesn't have one of those frilly skirts that are supposed to "hide" my thighs. Sexy one piece, why is this hard to find?

Reading: Prayers for the Stolen by Jennifer Clement. I'm only two chapters in and already love and feel overly emotional about the characters.

Watching: High Fidelity. I can never decide if I like John Cusack in this movie or not.

Admiring: Sarah from Coming Unstitched for writing this honest post about motherhood.

Drinking: Water. So much water. I feel like I'll probably drown soon.

Wearing: This American Eagle zip-up. So comfy. So bright. So perfect. Also, a lot of flats, which means I'm not wearing socks, which means it might actually be spring around here! Holler.

Losing sleep over: Everything and nothing. I make a list of so many things I need to do the next day every night before going to sleep and think, how am I ever going to get all of this done, but then just let God take care of it. Plans will work out, or they won't and I know I only have so much control over them so why worry about it all? Proverbs 16:9 is my motto.

Loving: The recent growth-spurt my hair is having!

Excited about: This weekend in the 'burgh! Getting to see MJ Friday and then bridal shower and bachelorette party for my girl, Hannah, on Saturday. This is my first time being a bridesmaid so I'm excited!

Thankful for: My brother. Honestly. There is no cooler person.

 What's going on with you all recently?

Show & Tell: Upcoming Film by PITT Graduate Highlights Gender Roles

Alright guys, today we're going to get a little more serious than usual. But before we get into anything, you should know that as a child, I was this girl:

Literally. Had video-tapping your children and then putting the funny yet brilliant things they say on the Internet been a thing in 1994, I would've had a slew of videos of me looking just like that girl saying very similar things all over the place. Seriously, when I was three until about the time I started kindergarten I wouldn't answer to anything but Jonathan and hated when my mom put me in dresses for church. So when any discussion about gender roles and children comes up, I'm all about it. 

Today, I'm sharing with you an interview with Lucas Omar, a recent University of Pittsburgh graduate who is creating a film about children and gender roles called "Show and Tell." In hopes that you will support the creation of this film through their Kickstarter page. The film is about a little boy named Ethan who wants to bring in his barbie doll, who he designs dresses for, in to show and tell at school. But his parents have mixed reactions and Ethan really wants to bring something in that will impress his parents, teacher and classmates. While this film deals with a lot of important LGBT/Gender issues that some children face today, it is also a light-hearted comedy.

I think that "Show and Tell" is an important film because most little girls who are tomboys like I was get lumped into a certain category of "what they'll grow up to be" and so do little boys who like to play with toys that are marketed to girls. Obviously, I grew up to be heterosexual, but these are adult judgements that should not be worrying little kids, which is what Lucas is getting to in his film. Here's my interview with him:

Lucas Omar, director of Show and Tell, a short film about children and gender roles.

Why did you want to create Show and Tell?
I remember playing with Barbie dolls as a child and I never thought twice about it! I honestly just enjoyed combing their hair and changing their outfits. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. At such a young age, I wasn’t thinking about societal gender expectations and I had NO grasp of sexuality. Gender norms are still a prevalent issue today and I still find parents restricting what types of toys kids play with: trucks for boys, Barbies for girls. You can’t really blame the parents. This is largely due to marketing. When you walk around a toy store, there is a distinct divide between what’s pink and what’s not. Get caught in the wrong aisle and you’ll get some stares. I also want to stress that these toys are not precursors to whether a child is “gay” or “straight,” or “bi” or the many other gender definitions accepted in society today. We must allow kids to discover their interests on their own. Limiting this will only cause angst and a feeling of isolation.

To the Wonder at Harris Theater

Living downtown, everything (except a grocery store) is at my fingertips. Which I love. I will never be able to explain how much I love living downtown. Anyway, I have been hard at work trying to find a job, get to graduation, and design the new Pioneer Magazine. So after all of my magazine spreads were turned in on Monday, I craved some alone time in some place other than my apartment. What better than to treat myself to a movie with subtitles?

This was my first time at the Harris Theater and I have to say, I was impressed. The Harris Theater is just a little baby theater, seating about 200 people. It is a part of the Cultural Trust, is run by Pittsburgh Filmmakers, is the only downtown movie theater, and is open every day of the week. So for being such a little guy, it's doing big things. Also, for those of you who complain about movies being too expensive and blah blah blah, the Harris is not only cheaper than the big movie theaters for tickets, but their concessions are also priced much cheaper than big theaters. My large Diet Coke and box of Cookie Dough Bites came to $3. Thanks for being fair, Harris Theater.

Harris Theater - lovely old marquee!

I sat in the balcony, which made the "me time" even better because no one else sat up there and I was at eye level with the screen. To the Wonder is a film staring Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams, and Javier Bardem, and is about love. Love of self, of a partner, an old flame, of God, home, life, etc. It was beautiful. It felt very indie, with atypical camera angles, extreme close ups and super soft lighting. But the storyline was gorgeous.

Ben Affleck plays Neil, who travels to Europe and meets and falls in love with Marina (Olga Kurylenko) and he convinces her, and her ten year old daughter to move with him to America where he is an environmental inspector. In the beginning, like all love stories, everything is perfect. But life begins to "get in the way." Marina turns to Father Quintana (Javier Bardem) for guidance, even though he is struggling with his faith and being able to find the joy in life as well. Eventually, Marina and her daughter return to Paris because of their expired visas, which is when Neil runs into Jane, (Rachel McAdams) his former girlfriend and falls in love with her again. But I'll let you figure out for yourself what happens after that.

Photo Credit

Now, while Olga is really the female lead in this movie and she was amazing and plays a free-spirit perfectly; my girl, Rachel steals the whole thing. She embodies all that is feminine and powerful. She really makes this movie. And though this probably was her most quiet role, she is flawless and beautiful. Not to mention, every outfit she wore, I want in my closet.

Overall, the experience was perfect. The film gave me some perspective on things and the Harris Theater is so charming, and such a wonderful gem for downtown. It was just what I needed to clear out my mind after working so hard on those magazine spreads. I really encourage you to check out this location, whether or not it's for To the Wonder, they do have a few other good looking films coming up that you could see instead if subtitles aren't your thing. :)

The Perks at The Manor

Monday night has become my go-to movie day. I'm okay with it! This week, Isaac and I went to The Manor in Squirrel Hill to see The Perks of being a Wallflower. So while You, dear reader, might think you are just here to read a review of the movie, think again. The Manor is also worth quite the mention considering it's history. So let's start there and then jump into the greatest movie I've seen this year. I think that's pretty safe to say, though I cannot actually remember all of the movies I've seen in 2012.

The Manor has great curb appeal!

The Manor, which is located in Pittsburgh's East End is one of the oldest theaters in the city. This theater is now celebrating it's 90th year of showing films and is newly renovated, and gorgeous. I especially loved the little seating area next to the concession stand and new bar. Yeah, a movie theater with a classy bar. How about that? Anyway, The Manor's slogan is "where the good movies play," and from what I've seen on their marquee whenever I am heading past it on the bus, that slogan seems fairly accurate. And thankfully for me and Isaac, and those other people in the theater with us, The Perks of being a Wallflower, was one of those movies.

One more thing about The Manor that I should mention too is that they do not show previews. So while I prefer to sit through them; to give some buffer time to late-comers and to be able to see what is coming out soon, but to be really honest, I guess since I was on time and didn't really care about any other movie, I was okay with it. Anyway, Perks. To keep it simple...great movie. I read the book in like sophomore year of college, "for fun." What, who does that? I have to admit that I forgot most of what happened, so I guess I'll have to re-read it since the movie did not align with all of what I remember of the book. But what I do remember of the book and this movie are fabulous.

The Perks of being a Wallflower movie poster outside of The Manor.

The Perks of being a Wallflower, which is based on the novel by the same name, by Stephen Chbosky (who also directed the movie), is about Charlie (played by Logan Lerman), a high school freshman, who is coping with his best friend's recent suicide, his own tortured past and being an outsider in the new world of high school. It's so cute when the protagonist is an introvert! I just wanted to squeeze him up and tell him I'd be his friend. Lerman was the perfect choice to play Charlie too. He is such a seasoned actor but just looks like an innocent little boy and had such a dopey little look on his face that I think was perfect for his character, or a puppy. He had a perfect performance in this movie.

Thankfully, as the story goes, Charlie does meet some friends, Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller) who are seniors, step-siblings and very full of life. However, just because the boy meets friends, this is still high school, so of course the rest of the school year includes dances, football, hook-ups, hang-outs, secrets, presents, classes, books, break ups and make ups and a whole lot of junk and drama thrown in every time adolescents seem bored. And of course, while some have supportive parents, controlling parents, pushy or absent parents, each young character is molded by their eight hours inside the school, but apparently more so by the hours spent in between. But let's get down to the greatest part of the movie: the setting.

Pittsburgh played as the backdrop for this fast-paced, flashback-heavy drama and while I am obviously biased, I think no other city could have done any better. You can tell in some scenes where they were shot, areas of Bethel Park, Upper St. Clair (where Chbosky is from) and of course, Peters Township High School. However, the most obvious places were the West End Overlook, Hollywood Theater in Dormont and the Fort Pitt Tunnel and Bridge. Oh man Pittsburgh, you've never looked more beautiful than in the background of kids riding in the back of a pickup truck. Which is actually illegal in the state of Pennsylvania for minors, but it makes for a few great scenes.

A great moment in the movie and a fabulous shot of Pittsburgh. Photo by John Bramley.

Besides the Pittsburgh scenes being beautiful, the soundtrack and timelessness of the film were so gorgeous. Although the book and movie are technically in the setting of the 90's, the only thing that obviously gives that time away is the making of mix tapes. God, don't you just miss making those? Such time and effort was put into your music consumption back then. Bring back the cassette tape! Anyway, since fashion is always on a repeat cycle and music classics like The Smiths, The Beatles and David Bowie seem to transcend through generations, you could not really tell that this movie was set in a certain time period. Especially since most of the scenes were shot in the school, how often do you really think high schools get a modern update? Granted there were no cell phones, no mention of Facebook and Charlie does use a typewriter, these are minor things that have not real hindrance on the plot. Usually in period-setting movies where characters get into weird situations I think "just call or text someone for help!" but there was never a time like that in Perks and the typewriter is making its comeback (I hope) so it seemed more endearing or classic rather than a sign of the times.

Not many can write a timeless story and match it with a timeless film, so hats off to Chbosky. Also this cast was so impressive, pretty much comprised of all of my favorite, not-so-Hollywood actors. This movie is a must see for audiences young and old. It truly is a timeless classic about growing up, finding unforgettable friends, loss, bullying, hope and most importantly, love.

The Mysteries of Pittsburgh

Since watching The Mysteries of Pittsburgh for the first time, I cannot get it out of my mind. I rented it from the Point Park library about a week ago after not even knowing that it, or the book that it was based off of it, even existed. And to be honest, thank God I did.

Mysteries of Pittsburgh movie cover. Photo credit.

The book, which was written by Michael Chabon, is about Art Bechstein, who just graduated from college with a business degree and wants to spend one last summer, doing nothing of real importance in Pittsburgh. Art, who is played by Jon Foster, has a mob father, Nick Nolte, who already has a job lined up for him after the summer, but Art is not looking forward to wasting away in an office, though he does not have any concrete plans for more exciting things to do during his summer in the steel city. Within the first few days of summer he meets a beautiful woman, Jane Bellweather, played by Sienna Miller, and her boyfriend, Cleveland, played by Peter Sarsgaard and everything changes for him.

The Mysteries of Pittsburgh tells of the adventures of Art, Jane and Cleveland throughout the city, and the love triangle that forms between them, the story alone makes this movie worth watching, but the poetic writing, narration and beautiful shots of Pittsburgh make it worth remembering. The scenes of Pittsburgh are gorgeous and to most people, some may be unknown little gems of the city. While anyone can recognize the Le'Mont, some of the bridges, smoke stacks and a beautiful scene at the Point; there are also some small shots of alleys and neighborhoods that some people might not recognize right away. This movie brings the everyday of Pittsburgh to life.

Jon Foster as Art Bechstein in The Mysteries of Pittsburgh. Photo credit.

This movie also brings the ordinary bits of life into a whole new meaning and gives this city a new light. It is also accompanied by a fabulous soundtrack and the actors bring a depth to the plot that could have easily been overlooked otherwise. The actors are so good that they speak loudly even in the movies' moments of silence. Honestly, the movie is so, so good. If you haven't seen it, you must. Although I cannot comment on the book, if it is anything close to the movie, it is probably a must read.

However, the main thing that stuck out to me more than anything was how Art felt about Pittsburgh. Although he grew up near the city, went to school here and ultimately spent that "last" summer here, he looked at Pittsburgh as at least half of Pittsburgher's do...as a place to be stuck in. Whether you've realized it or not, you're either someone who loves this city, or you're not. For me, if it's not so obvious already, I love it, but I know I am surrounded by people who don't. For Art, and many others, leaving Pittsburgh brings them a new sense of life. While for me, being in Pittsburgh has brought me to life in a new way.

I have always dreamed of living right here, in the heart of the city and finally I am living that dream. But I know it's not for everyone. So, what does Pittsburgh mean to you?