This article made me more excited (if that’s possible) to see the movie.

Heath Ledger delivers brilliantly as the Joker

Ah, Heath.

David Cook won this year’s American Idol. I was disappointed the night of the announcement, but he’s a terrific performer and very deserving of the win. I loved how gracious he was in sharing the stage. Should be great to hear his album.

Plus I’m sure David Archuleta will have a fine career as well.

Having said that, I’m not sure I’ll watch the show next year. I got hooked because of the local boy, but watching is a bit of a roller coaster. You never know who will get the axe. I guess that’s why people watch it, but I don’t want to become invested like that week after week.

Although if another local singer is in the running, I might tune in again.

It’s down to the Davids on American Idol, and last night they each performed three songs. The first ten minutes of the show were completely dull. Ugh on the boxing metaphor, and I wanted to hear the guys sing, not listen to everyone give their opinion on what they need to do to achieve a winning performance. Oy.

At last, the music began. Cook gave three solid performances. I liked his second and third songs—the second I liked more than the judges apparently did. Though I liked the third, I don’t think it was the best choice for Cook to close the night on. Something more upbeat, in the style of his “Day Tripper” performance, would have been stronger.

As for Archie, I thought his voice sounded tight during the first song. Or maybe it’s the acoustics of the new arena. But he still did a nice job with it. His next two songs were fantastic.

I know I said before that I don’t care which David wins, but I do have a soft spot for local boy, so I’ll revise and say I hope he wins it.

Cook is hugely talented, though, and he’s going to go on to great things. I’ll definitely buy a DC album.

So I watched American Idol last night and thought all performers did a good job. Not great—it wasn’t the best week for any of them—but still solid performances. My favorite song by each:

• David A: And So It Goes
• Syesha: Fever
• David C: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

Tonight one of the three will be eliminated. My hunch is that next week will be a battle of the Davids.

I’ve never been much of a reality show fan. But after years of hearing about American Idol, I decided to watch it partway into this season. Since I pass Murray High School’s “Good Luck David Archuleta” sign every week, I was curious enough to tune in.

I’ve watched it regularly the past two or three weeks. It’s an interesting show—I enjoy seeing what the performers bring to each song. The judges’ comments are also interesting. I’m intrigued by the different things they discuss. One minute, they praise a performer for bringing his own style to a song. The next, they criticize a singer for not leaving an arrangement alone.

Tonight, they are down to the final three. I’m plugging for one of the David’s to win—I like them both, so I don’t care which, though perhaps I have a fondness for the local boy. I’m convinced they’ll both get recording contracts, however.

I’m not sure what’s in store tonight; it should be interesting to see what three songs each of the final three sing.

You know the special features option you see on DVDs these days? I’m pretty sure it was invented just for me. I love special features. Unless I absolutely hate a movie, I always check out the special features once I finish watching.

My favorite special features: movie commentaries (especially if one of the actors participates) and documentaries providing background information or explaining how a movie was made. The more special features are included, the better. Hence my desire to buy this edition of Zodiac with all the bonuses, and my sadness that this movie has no special features.

Trailers don’t count as special features to me.

Anyone else love special features? What are your favorites?

I’m slowly working my way through Heath Ledger’s movies, and the last one I saw is 10 Things I Hate about You. I laughed through the whole thing. It’s fabulous. Here are ten things I liked about it.

1. The story is (loosely) based on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. Not my favorite of his plays, but it’s fun to see a modern retelling.
2. Heath. He’s adorable (and pretty; see #3) in this movie.
3. This conversation.
   

   Cameron: And here’s another problem. Bianca said that Kat likes pretty guys.
   Patrick [Pulls away from the table to stand taller]: Are you telling me I’m not a pretty guy?
   Michael: Very pretty. He’s a gorgeous guy. [Gives the thumbs up sign] You’re a gorgeous guy.
   Patrick [Leans back against the table]
   Cameron: Yeah. I just wasn’t sure. I didn’t know.

4. The great one-liners. Really, there are too many to list.
5. This line.
   

   Kat’s Dad: You’re eighteen—you don’t know what you want. And you won’t know what you want ’til you’re forty-five, and even if you get it, you’ll be too old to use it.

6. This song.

7. This conversation.
   

   Patrick: We’re looking at seventy-five bucks.
   Joey: This isn’t a negotiation. Take it or leave it, Trailer Park.
   Patrick: Fifty bucks and we got a deal, Fabio.

8. This smile.



9. This line.
   

   Patrick [Shouts to be heard over the playing music]: I was watching you out there before. I’ve never seen you look [Still shouting, though the music stops] so sexy.

10. It’s a fun and funny feel-good movie.

When I think about my favorite movie moments, I realize that many of them involve hands.

In Persuasion, Anne sees Captain Wentworth again for the first time in years. We see how this affects her by the way her hand grips the chair when she sees him.

In North & South, Margaret doesn’t say how much Thornton means to her, how sorry she is about everything. Instead, when he takes her hand, she rests her other hand softly, gently, on top of his.

Then there’s a scene in La Femme Nikita, where Michael takes Nikita’s hand and a muscle in her hand jerks.

It’s the ultimate in showing vs. telling. None of these characters say what they are feeling. They don’t need to—their hands say it for them.

Now, when I work on a story, I think about ways my characters can speak without saying a word. It requires focus on the craft, consideration of the options. What’s the best way for someone to express emotion? Each character is different, which results in unique answers. It’s always fun to explore.

And maybe someday, a reader will close one of my books and think, “I loved that scene with the hero’s hands . . .”

Every now and then, I go on a movie-watching binge. Last week was one of them, and Proof is one of the movies I watched.

Character-driven drama with romance and intrigue. Just what I like. A fascinating exploration of what counts as proof. And I loved the chemistry between the characters played by Gwyneth Paltrow and Jake Gyllenhaal.

It even made me a little nostalgic for academia, even though math is definitely not my field. It’s been a while since I felt that. Anyway, it’s worth a watch if you like character-driven stories. Or Jake Gyllenhaal.

One of the biggest mysteries I’d like to see answered is this—why can’t the standard release and director’s cut for a movie release at the same time? It’s extremely vexing to buy a movie when it comes out and see the director’s cut months later with several commentaries and documentaries.

Actually, it’s not such a mystery. They just want more of my money.

Curses.