Movie Night: Water for Elephants

On Wednesday, we had our monthly Movie Night. We saw Water for Elephants at the mall. I would first like to give you a glimpse of what the SF mall food court is like because it really is unlike any other I've been to.

First of all, we have a lot of options and there is no fast food - no McDonalds or Subway. At most of the food court 'restaurant's, you can order beer or wine, too! On Wednesday, I had the roadhouse salad from Buckhorn Grill. It is amazing! There are these crispy onions on top & you can choose your meat. How funny is this that when I asked for salmon, they asked me - wild or farmed? Another moment of...Only in SF!

Once you are finished with your meal, you can just leave your tray on the table and someone comes & cleans it up for you!! It's still so strange to me and when I bring my tray up to the trash area, someone always takes it and is like "Let me take that from you." So, if you want a nice dining experience, come to the SF mall! hah


On to the movie....When I read the book, I was torn between liking the story and feeling compassion for the animals. It pained me to read about any type of abuse and it was equally hard to watch. So, I sat there with my eyes shut during some parts. I know that nothing was really happening to the animals, but STILL.

I think the movie was great although it was a little anticlimactic. I thought they could have done a better job of showing the abusive relationship between August & Marlena, and also show a stronger love connection or a the connection growing between Marlena & Jacob throughout the movie. I think that everyone was cast perfectly though - especially, Christoph Waltz. If you have seen him Inglorious Bastards, you know how evil he can play. He did a great job in this film. The real star of the film was Rosie, the elephant! So sweet.

I know that they say 'No animals were harmed in the filming of this film' but it is still hard for me to watch animals in movies. They were harmed- they were taken OUT of their natural habitat for a film purpose. They were trained to do things unnaturally for our entertainment.

I had the same reaction when I read the book - at what point is it ok to have animals & train them. Should I have a dog? Why is it OK for me to have a dog but not ok for people to have a monkey as a pet? Aren't I keeping my dog from doing & living how she might want to in nature? I don't know...Dilemmas!

Anyway, I recommend the book and the movie, just know you might want to shut your eyes. Oh and I still do not find the attraction in Robert Pattinson. He looks like he is high as a kite and half asleep!!