Last Week's Look-Back, 2/7/21
We’re expecting frigid outdoor temperatures this week in Minnesota, with below-zero readings and even colder wind chills. It’s the kind of cold that freezes tears to eyelashes. A cold spell like this once per year is typical for the Twin Cities, but less so this late in the season. I took our dog out for a brisk walk as the sun went down on Saturday, and all of my fingers stiffened around her dog leash handle. By midnight, the temperature read -15 degrees Fahrenheit.
I’ve been facing off with the cold outdoor temps by hyping up my indoor self-care efforts. These past few days have included morning yoga sessions, afternoon hot chocolates, and evening bubble baths. And wedged between these self-care acts, along with plenty of newborn feedings and snuggles, has been Julia Roberts.
Mid-last week, I woke up to our bright-eyed one-month-old, begging with kicks and coos to start the day. I brewed up some (strong) coffee and decided to ease into the day with Runaway Bride on Netflix. I needed an extra pep in my step and Roberts, with her smile and on-screen charisma, can usually do that for me. I wrapped up the movie and carried on blissfully into my day to the tune of “You Can’t Hurry Love” by the Chicks. The next morning, I wanted to dance with Julia again. This time, it was to the tune of My Best Friend’s Wedding.
I decided the next morning to be more intentional; I searched “Julia Roberts” in the Netflix search bar and added the first handful that popped up to my queue. The living room fireplace had been going all morning, and our house smelled of baked focaccia and seven-layer bars.
I should note that what was initially an experimental faze with cooking and baking has become a full-blown hobby and passion for my husband. While my eyes are growing tired of the confines of our home as Covid-19 cases have spiked and we’ve settled into a months-long, self-imposed quarantine, my mouth is blessed with new flavors on the daily. The other day, I received a text from A mid-morning that read: “I’m planning out a 12:30 lunch so plan for that, and snack accordingly.” Lunch was homemade chicken noodle soup with fresh-baked, cheese-filled bread. Husband of the year, folks.
I digress, but this is only to say that despite the Covid-19 spike and frigid temperatures and political turmoil of recent weeks, things haven’t been so bad in this tiny bubble we’ve created. And with Julia in my queue for a few more days, I’d say things are looking up.
Two of my favorite films of Julia’s are Runaway Bride (1999) and My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997). (I’d add Pretty Women (1990) in there, too, but I feel Pretty Women deserves its own blog post, so more on that later.) In Runaway Bride, Julia plays Maggie Carpenter, an endearing, small-town “catch” who has been engaged three times but has run from her grooms on each of her wedding days. In My Best Friend’s Wedding, Julia plays Julianne Potter, a food critic who is adverse to all of the “yucky love stuff” that comes with relationships.
These movies have their dated elements, like the workspace of journalist Ike Graham in Runaway Bride, or the large, black flip phone Julia uses to call her good friend George at all hours of the day in My Best Friend’s Wedding. But there is much to be said about the ability of these movies to transcend time. And I argue that quality is brought by Roberts, and the 90’s romantic comedy movie trend that we’ve all seen play out time and time again: the chase.
In both Runaway Bride and My Best Friend’s Wedding, Julia plays a sought-after beauty who is not yet able to process her feelings on love until they hit her in the face. While Roberts’ character runs away from love in Runaway Bride, she chases after it in My Best Friend’s Wedding, as she realizes she is in love with her best friend on the days leading up to his wedding day. Whether it's through an airport just before a plane takes off, or down the aisle just before a wedding begins, we as audience members love the added drama of a good chase scene.
There is a reason we’re so drawn to romantic comedies of this type. We all hope for a happy ending to the efforts we put in for the things we chase. “The chase”, though not always for romance, is in all of us. We are all chasing after things, whether it’s relationships, careers and creative pursuits, or our own version of success. Maybe these romantic comedies just give us hope there may be a happy ending for us, too.
Things I’ve loved this past week
Every film starring Julia Roberts currently on Netflix, including (listed in order of my preference): Runaway Bride, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Mystic Pizza, Eat Pray Love, and Mirror Mirror.
The news that Disney World and Disney Land will finally be updating their Jungle Cruise ride.
The “Zillow” Daniel Levy skit from the February 6, 2021 Saturday Night Live. This is SO familiar. Also of note is pretty much every other skit and clip from that night.
This compilation of the best super bowl commercials this year.
This New Yorker article about Glennon Doyle’s progression as a writer.
Also from the New Yorker, this review of The Weeknd’s 2021 Super Bowl 2021 halftime performance.
Songs bringing me life this week
“Fade into You” by Andrew Belle
“To Everyone I’ve Loved Before” by Victoria Bigelow
“look up” by Joy Oladokun
“Saltwater” by Geowulf
“Fly Away” by Tones And I
“Two of Us” by Birds of Tokyo
“Tangerine Skies” by Edwin Raphael, Claire Ridgely
“A Place that I Don’t Know” by Odette, Gretta Ray
“Gooey” by Glass Animals
“Honeybee” by The Head and the Heart
“Sunday” by Joy Oladokun
Follow this Playlist on Spotify
What I’m reading this week
“‘Caste’: The Origins of our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkenson
The “Last Week’s Look-Back” series will be posted on this blog weekly each Sunday afternoon. It’s me at my most honest: an unpolished spewing of reflections and ramblings on all that’s happening in the world.
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