Red Onions – JULIA MCDERMOTT

Our Pizza Toppings at La Piazza Papa in Montpellier, France!

Black Olives
Ham
Mushrooms
Red Onions

Movie:

Star Wars: Le Reveil de la Force

Our final “Pizza and a Movie” for 2015 occurred during our vacation in the south of France for the Christmas holidays. Our first (and last) stop in France was in Montpellier, and on a rainy Sunday afternoon (and evening), we decided to go see Star Wars (in English, but with French subtitles, or the “Version Originale ST”). There were long queues for the Version Française (French dubbed version), but not for the Originale, so we were able to get tickets just before showtime.

What a great movie! I absolutely loved it, and if you saw the first and second movies (episodes IV and V) when they came out in theaters like I did in the 1970s, I believe you will, too. If not, I still think you’ll enjoy it. They seemed to take everything that worked really well in those two movies and do them again in this film.

Le résultat? My favorite movie of 2015.

In my French conversation class, we often talk about movies, and also about how an American film title is sometimes completely changed instead of just translated. This time, I like the translation better than the English title. “Le Reveil de la Force” does mean “The Force Awakens,” but, more literally, it means “The Awakening of the Force.”

That may seem like a small thing, but it’s significant to me, as an author who often agonizes over the exact wording of titles.

Another note: one scene in particular reminded me of the famous line in Episode IV: “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for,” which has become a family saying chez nous. When you see this movie, you’ll know which scene I’m talking about.

The Pizza:

We had a drink first at a café on Place de la Comédie, then walked over to La Piazza Papa and asked to share (partager) this pizza. When the serveur brought it, the pizza had already been divided in two. It seemed fitting for a country that values l’égalité!

Vive la France! et Bonne Année 2016!

This weekend’s Pizza Toppings at Corner Pizza:

Chicken
Red Onions
Spinach

Movie:

Black Mass

Johnny Depp is another one of my favorite actors, and this was a compelling film. I like Johnny best in movies like this; another one I liked him in was Blow. This film was solid, and the account of real events was incredible. “Stranger than fiction,” as they say. I found the story fascinating, and in one scene having to do with James “Whitey” Bulger’s family, I was moved to tears.

The Pizza:

My husband wanted one of the toppings to be chicken. We’d only had chicken once before (I think), and he asked me to choose the other two toppings.

“What if I select the two we’ve already had with chicken?” I asked, knowing that he’s keeping track of our topping combinations, and that he doesn’t want to repeat one that we’ve already had.

“I don’t think you will,” he said. Then, ever the mathematician/statistician/probability/keeper-tracker, he added, “What are the chances?”

“Maybe there are only certain other toppings that I would even think of, to have with chicken,” I protested. “I mean, it’s not like I’m going to choose italian sausage and pepperoni with it.”

“Good point,” he said.

[Actually, we had the second half of this conversation (starting with, “Maybe there are only…”) the next day, but I’m using artistic license in telling it this way, here. Instead of replying when he asked, “What are the chances?”, the truth is, I merely tossed my head and chose the other two toppings, fully confident that, if we’d already had that exact same combination, he would veto it immediately.]

The pizza was good; chicken goes well with spinach, and the onions added a bite.

Back to truth and fiction, and artistic license. One thing I remember from grade school (and remember marveling at, when I fully understood it) was the principle (?) of “willing suspension of disbelief.” In Black Mass, though you knew the film was based on a true story, you almost had to do that – willingly suspend your disbelief. As an author, when I write fiction, it’s what I want you to do, as the reader. It’s what I’ve done, countless times, as a reader.

It makes everything so much more real.

Tag: Red Onions

Pizza and a Movie: Star Wars, Episode VII – the Force Awakens, in FRANCE!

Pizza and a Movie: Black Mass