I caught part of this old (1974) movie on cable the other night and remembered how good I thought it was and that many of you peeps might like it. It is autobiographical of the early life of Pat Conroy one of my favorite authors. For two years he teaches a class of black students on one of the outer islands of South Carolina in the 50s. Pretty good stuff and I thought Jon Voight was teriffic. Conroy wrote "The Lords of Discipline", "Beach Music" "The Prince of Tides" and of course "The Great Santini" (Any one remember that Christmas morning?) The Prince of Tides is one of my top ten books ever! Not withstanding the hud sauce movie that got made with Barbra Streisand and Nick Nolte, So bad and a waste of a great book. So now that you are most over the Pot Pot, Twilight series and the underground Hobbits, and are looking for something to read, try Conroy and Tides...you will enjoy some really good storytelling.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
UNDER THE RADAR "CONRACK"
I caught part of this old (1974) movie on cable the other night and remembered how good I thought it was and that many of you peeps might like it. It is autobiographical of the early life of Pat Conroy one of my favorite authors. For two years he teaches a class of black students on one of the outer islands of South Carolina in the 50s. Pretty good stuff and I thought Jon Voight was teriffic. Conroy wrote "The Lords of Discipline", "Beach Music" "The Prince of Tides" and of course "The Great Santini" (Any one remember that Christmas morning?) The Prince of Tides is one of my top ten books ever! Not withstanding the hud sauce movie that got made with Barbra Streisand and Nick Nolte, So bad and a waste of a great book. So now that you are most over the Pot Pot, Twilight series and the underground Hobbits, and are looking for something to read, try Conroy and Tides...you will enjoy some really good storytelling.
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Sorry the picture is so small. I need Matt. I have not done the picture thing before. I tried to edit and enlarge but failed....I'm such a moron.
Hey, you are getting pics on here now though. Progress. Baby steps.
I also enjoy Conroy, and have read them all except for the Great Santini. His imagery is absolutely amazing and is a masterful storyteller. Fortunately, I missed the Streisand movie. I would be interested to see this movie I think.
No it would not be interesting, Ems. They are both misscast and the acting was terrible and the movie missed most of the story. I saw it years ago and still remember how dissapointed I was.
You recommended Prince of Tides to me years ago Dad, and I enjoyed it. I saw the hud sauce movie. It was awful! How can we forget the Great Santini Christmas morning!
When I said "I would be interested to see this movie I think" I was referring to Conrack. Prince of Tides I have no plans of ever seeing as I have always heard it was hud sauce.
The Great Santini Christmas will forever live on in infamy. I have only never "read" that one because it isn't offered at our library on cd to listen to and Conroy has been a headphone with housework author for me. I think they offer it in their eaudiobooks online, but I'll have to check, or perhaps I will break down and actually read it, I'll admit, I've been curious to read it for years because of that morning.
What's the Great Santini Christmas? I must know
Well, one year (and this is to the best of my recollection) my dad was reading The Great Santini and was obviously impressed by it that he felt the need to read "excerpts" from the book in between rounds. I don't know how familiar you are with Wright family Christmas morning, but we go in order oldest to youngest and you open one present each round and everyone watches and comments etc on each gift. So we already draw it out and all, when you are a kid in a family of 7 -plus 2 parents, that makes 9, it takes a long time to get to your turn. Anyway, so that one year, every time it was my dad's turn, he would read a passage of this book first. Ironically, it was about an extremely militant father and there was even a passage about Christmas morning, where he demanded a big breakfast and sat and sipped his coffee luxuriously while his kids were anxiously wanting to see their presents. It must have made an impact as I still remember it! Anyone have any more details? I was fairly young.
Talking about this brings to mind the Tommy Casper Christmas. Remember that year that right on the dot, exactly once a round Tommy would call me and Cath and say, "are you guys done with Christmas yet?". Hee hee. Tommy.
Wow, you remember it better than I I do! I would have thought he read the entire Christmas chapter before he let us open any presents, but you're right, he would let us go a round and then he would read more from the book. Didn't Santini make his kids do all their chores and stuff before they got to open presents?
And yeah B, Santini was a general in the army or something like that, and treated his kids like they were his platoon. They did a movie about it, I caught the last 20 minutes or so on cable a couple of months ago. Robert Duvall plays the Great Santini. I must see the whole movie, I love Robert Duvall!
And I do remember the Tommy Christmas mornings.
Go to the source! Here is how I remember the Santini Christmas. He was a Marine fighter pilot by the way. Yes he made the kids eat breakfast, clean up and he had to drink his coffee before any presents were opened. I admit I was taken by some of the disipline and such that he showed and the Christmas chapter was special and I thought to myself...I'll just see what would happen if I delayed your opening gifts for a while and my excuse was to read you most of the chapter from the book about this domminering (sp) dad. It of course was a fiasco. You were all grumpy and I could'nt blame you and I caved in part way through the chapter and let you open some presents and then maybe I tried to finish the chapter. The whole thing bombed except now it gives you guys a few laughs and smiles at your silly ol' dad and his dumb ideas for family disapline (sp). The book is worth reading and I still have a paperback copy on my shelf if someone wants to borrow it. Yes Robert Duvall played the part and the movie is maybe 3 stars. Book much better as in most cases. Rock on, oh you who remember the "Great Santini Christmas".
I'm glad I wasn't alive for that! Haha, just kidding. I do remember a Christmas when we were younger where my dad made us wait a long time to come downstairs on Christmas because he supposedly had to "fix" the toilet. It is still a mystery to this day. Haha. So I dub myself the "spelling nerd" of the family! I have always loved spelling and it always came natural to me. Don't take offense, I just like it. So... domineering and discipline. You were very close on both Gramps!! Love ya!
My verification word is "ovinfies" very close to Oven fries which is making me hungry! Am I pregnant or something??
More guys! just signing in. ignore
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