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Post by donnita on May 2, 2005 10:34:25 GMT -5
Well, of course I totally forgot about the movie! I had it written on the calendar but still forgot. Grrr.
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Post by angela2 on May 2, 2005 10:38:24 GMT -5
I only watched the first half hour of it. I must admit I'm not a fan of Rosie O'Donnell and was disappointed that she was in it. Watching Rosie was like listening to fingernails scraping across a blackboard! I didn't read the book either, so I guess I'm not much of an authority!It's just that when I saw Rosie hamming it up, it kinda turned me off on the movie, KWIM?
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Post by christie on May 2, 2005 11:53:55 GMT -5
Hmmm I have been thinking bout this movie since I saw it and again first thing when I woke up today I myself Love Rosie and thought she did a great job but, I guess the best person to know how great a job she did is Rachel the sister. She would be the best to say if Rosie truly portrayed her sister. The parts that really got to me and I know its reality BUT the fact remains its my number one fear when Beth's father died and to see that playout OMG I just lost it The part where they were taking Beth in for the operation and she kept saying "I changed my mind" I was like Hmmmm someone listen to her There were other parts that ripped my heart out but there were a few good chuckles too I have to admit. I absolutly loved when they were at the meeting with the case manager or whoever they were and Beth is like "is this over, can we go now" OMG LOLOL You had to see it but I loved that. And when Beth found out her sister and her boyfriend broke up and she kept telling each bus driver he should go out with her sister ;D ;D was tooo cute and I actually could see Chris doing that one day, LOLOL Have to say for me the character I loved the most in the whole movie was the bus driver, forget his name but the one the stood up for Beth on his bus to the other people ;D K, I have rambled enough on this movie for now CC ~
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Post by ALLISA on May 2, 2005 14:02:32 GMT -5
Hi all, I also cried pretty much through the whole movie.....& ALL the Hallmark commercials !! As a single mom it was upsetting to see Beth when her dad died & to think about what life will be for Erin when I'm not here.....somthing I NEVER begin to think about, so it was emotional for me. I thought Rosie did a good job....I think she always tends to be "over the top" but I think she had the mannerisms & "fidgeting" that I see Erin do a lot. Andi Macdowell was ok......she never strikes me as anything phenomonal.....she is very beautiful & that seems to me why she is cast in roles.....I didn't feel any kind of connection to her charactar....coulnd't feel her "changing her ways".. She just did.....in a day it seemed. Very neatly & on time for a 2 hour movie. All in all I'm glad I watched it & will definitely read the book.
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Post by kellyds on May 2, 2005 17:10:13 GMT -5
Guess what . . . Beth's dad didn't really die! They just wrote that into the movie to make it more dramatic. Here's a link to read about the real Beth's opinion of Rosie's portrayal of her, the real Rachel's opinion of the movie, and what things about the movie aren't accurate. Apparently their real father thinks it's hilarious that he's "dead". www.rachelsimon.com/moviefaqs.htmI do not believe I would care for Rosie's company in real life , but she is a spectacular actress. I was able to forget that it was Rosie in this movie.
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Post by Deannalee on May 2, 2005 18:07:08 GMT -5
I never read the review, but watched the movie last night through tears. I tell you what, not only do I think it was an excellent movie, but it sure made me think. Will my kids do this to Justin when I die? Needless to say I would have to haunt them from beyond the grave if they did. They told me about 100 times they would never abandon their brother or think he was a burden. Luckily, in our home, he has been adored. Never once have they acted like the sister (as a child). I am so thankful. BUT, being a single mom, it really made me think about getting a will set up so this type of situation does not happen. Some of the people's attitudes on the bus and elsewhere kind of bolstered my thoughts on keeping Justin home with me in his own "apartment" setting in my home. Nobody deserves to hear some of those comments.
Deanna
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Post by Emilysmom on May 2, 2005 18:09:09 GMT -5
I was so bummed........had been grocery shopping and totally forgot about the movie.......even after reminding myself all weekend!! We got home just before it was halfway over, so I watched from that point. I saw enough of it to be eager to now read the book!! (If my family is reading this post........hint hint hint for a Mother's day gift!!) I had several teary moments, but none more than when Beth was wheeled off to surgery. To me, motherhood is the most awesome thing EVER....so the idea of Emily never having children always chokes me up, and this part of the movie was a reminder of that. ~ Thanks for posting the link to the site with the comments by Rachael.......I enjoyed reading how she felt about the movie. I'm glad Beth didn't have to go through the loss of her dad!! Overall, I was glad I watched this movie.
Susan
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Post by Jackie on May 6, 2005 13:47:23 GMT -5
I had to watch this on TiVo so missed the commercials...durn.
Ok...my take.....remember I read the book when it first came out and reviewed it for the NDSC. I loved the book....but also remember I am the mom of a 25 yr old with DS...too....in the adult (Beth) phase of life. I was not looking foreward to seeing a good book ruined by what reviewers were saying was an over the top performance by Rosie.
However...last night as Emily , Katie, and I stayed up til the wee hours watching it....must say....I liked it. Yes...I agree Rosie could have toned it down a bit....but...you know...there ARE people like HER Beth among us...and they do lead lives of their own. So while I admit it was grating at times...so then are some of the people who have those characteristics. We all must just learn to accept and let them take their place in society.
The movie was different from the book...in someways...and in others it was pretty true. I liked the book better because it did more indepth development of all the characters and in the movie some were reduced to pretty ...trite. The situations which are....true...seemed a bit more believable in the written form. I think the movie DID a good job, though, in making the point that everyone has a place in this world and that people can learn to accept the differences in others if they really try....even Beth. I was glad it showed that she too eventually made an effort to understand some of the consequences of her behaviors...and apologize to her sister.
I am curious to know how others who do not have the emotional relationship to this production that all of us do have related to it. Like someone before me posted here....its amazing the level of social competence Beth has...even though she has inappropriate behaviors. As our kids mature...its funny how things like academic abilities begin to take a back seat to plain old survival skills. And as I have said many times....Beth is a composite of the cast of characters in Emily's life. She has a male friend who if given the opportunity...would LOVE to do what Beth does........LOL....I will recommend his mom NOT have HIM watch this.
Jackie
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Post by Debbie on May 8, 2005 20:38:36 GMT -5
I saw the movie, Riding the Bus With My Sister. I had a different take on the movie. Maybe it is because I read the book first? I also have taken the bus pretty reguarly at the time when I was working and volunteering so I have that experience as well.
I thought Rosie did pretty well on acting as Beth. There were a few things I didn't like but not many. I am a detail person. Even though I read the book this last year, summer time I think I am not sure, the details are still pretty fresh. I know it is silly, but, well, Beth speech was slightly different in the book than the movie. She always ended her last sentence by drawing heavily on that last word. I was a little disappointed by Rachael's vocation too. You see, Rachael made a living in her book by being a professor and a writer. This is what drew me in on wanting to read it. Mom said that it was no big deal movies always take some liberities from books. I remembered everything in the book and it all played out like that in the movie. I am a writer and poet, I will always love the written word, so of course I did take exception to this! Over all though, I thought the movie wasn't bad at all. I could see Andie Mc,Donnell as Rachael for some reason but maybe with a less Hollywood polish. I never met Rachael but heard her speak at the National Down Syndrome Society conference last summer. I just didn't think she was the type that would dressed like that. I guess that is the stereotype of Hollywood though. And, Rosie did a very good job as acting Beth's part. I watched some of the movie with my Mom. Those bus scene's were hard to watch for me. I have seen the other passengers on a bus act like that too but in a different way. One time when I was on the bus the driver told the people from the sheltered workshops to shut up several times. I was sitting up at the front. I was a little shaken by that. They were loud but I didn't think he had to tell them to shut up or threaten to let them off the bus if they couldn't be less noisy. Bus drivers are a rare breed. They do have to put up with a lot sometimes. Still, that did bother me.
Did you see the scene at the end? Wasn't that a hoot? It emphasized (sorry!) what Beth wanted to do not what they wanted her to do. Rachael had quite an different attitude by then. She started seeing Beth as she was instead of trying to make her to be what she wanted Beth to be.
I don't like Rosie O'Donnell much either. I think she was in the movie because she had read the book and wanted to play Beth. Apparently, Rachael and Beth said yes. Considering the role she had to play, I thought it was pretty good.
Read the book! Everything in it really happened. The movie was dressed up a bit.
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