Chatter Reviews: Pitch Perfect / Bachelorette / Under the Tuscan Sun

Over the Fourth of July weekend, we got together with Allie’s bridesmaids for her bachelorette weekend. It was a ton of fun, and on Saturday {aka Recovery day} we spent half the day lounging around watching movies. Here’s what we thought about three of them – this is an edited transcript of chat conversations we had about said flicks.

Pitch Perfect:

{Allie} I thought this was the most fun to watch with you guys. The giggling became infectious and I am not sure if it would have been as funny if we had all watched it alone. I very much enjoyed the ultimate-nerdy roommate Benji, played by Ben Platt & of course Rebel Wilson - whose never-ending stream of jokes made me laugh constantly.

The musician side of me however seems to go a little crazy over the "instant, on the spot" perfect a cappella songs they pull out of........somewhere (in the swimming pool scene as well as the girl that has her nodes removed and then can sing as low as the best male bass singers.) {Allie}

{Amy} It was definitely a movie that is a little better for the people you watch it with! I can tell you, I’ve been humming that Cups song ever since. Rebel definitely was a treat, and I really enjoyed the fact that this one didn’t take itself too seriously. Especially with the injection of the a cappella commentators (Elizabeth Banks &  John Michael Higgins) who kind of felt like the audience view point.

With all movies, there were a few problems, but they weren’t huge things. Character motivation-wise, I don’t know why the main Bella took so long to understand that no one wanted to hear the same song over and over again. It was more than a little ridiculous to me. But that was probably my only issue with it (excepting the “everyone-knows-this-song-perfectly” syndrome of any musical). {Amy}

{Allie} (which is just a "teacher-qualm" I have) I agree that it didn't take itself too seriously which was refreshing! One of my favorite moments is when they are holding auditions for this year’s a cappella groups using Kelly Clarkson's "Since you've been gone" - that montage is hilarious! The quirky character Lilly played by Hana Mae Lee was adorably creepy at times and during the montage is barely audible. She continued to make me laugh and feel strange at the same time throughout the movie, but blew me away when she started to beat box - she rocked-my-socks! {Allie}

Bachelorette:

{Allie} Bachelorette was definitely not what we were all expecting. I think we chose to watch it next because Rebel Wilson was in it but we could not have chosen two more opposite movies. First, after watching the entire thing, I will say I think it was trying to do something different than the thousands of other movies that everyone calls "chick flicks" (a term I am not a fan of). But, what it did have to say wasn't anything I was interested in at the time. I think you said it best when we were about 5 minutes into the movie, "Am I suppose to hate them all?" {Allie}

{Amy}

I did say that, didn’t I? And I still think that was the overwhelming feeling at the beginning and end of the movie. The three main characters just weren’t likable. Sure, Isla Fisher’s character was cute at times, but the over the top ditz with a fashion-rain-man quality was almost cloying.
That being said, I do think I could have appreciated the movie… if I’d gone into it not expecting a comedy along the lines of Bridesmaids (which was one of the big problems, I’m sure, when it was released in theaters). There were some moments that I really enjoyed, but they were sadly few and far between. I do think I’ll watch it again, with Earl, to try to figure out if the reason it was SO bad at the time was because we’d watched it so closely to Pitch Perfect. It’s like when you eat something really sweet and something else tastes bitter because of the sugar already on your tongue.

I am still really surprised it was written and directed by a woman. Since while we watched it, I kept feeling like it was what a man thought would happen at a bachelorette. {Amy}

{Allie} It is really interesting to find out that it was a play before it was a movie. Now, after the fact, I see it being an infinitely better story when told as a stage production vs. the hollywoodized movie we watched. {Allie}

Under the Tuscan Sun:

{Allie} Under the Tuscan Sun is an old favorite of mine. I think I romanticize the idea of moving to Europe, buying a beautifully aged home, fixing it up and living completely raw and natural with people you love. Of course her reason for going there is not ideal, but I think her situation is something I have been through on a small temporary scale and her journey of putting herself back together is beautiful and uplifting. {Allie}

{Amy} There’s just something perfectly ideal about moving abroad (even if it is to get away from horrible life drama). And there’s something wonderful about the correlation of the house and her life coming together gradually. Sure there are bumps along the way. Sure there are some minor cave-ins and thunderstorms, but eventually everything works itself out and she wouldn’t have appreciated the outcome if she hadn’t had to deal with the bad things.

I do really want to read the memoir this is based off of. {Amy}

{Allie}Ya, I was just looking at the webpage for the author and her memoir because I wanted to see what the similarities and differences are between the book and the movie but I think I better just read it and find out for myself. The other thing I love about this film is that every time I watch it, it reminds me how many amazing people there are that you shouldn't be afraid to meet. She fully embraces new people into her life, cooking for them, helping the neighbors pick their olive trees, becomes friends with the mysterious and intriguing blonde woman she sees everywhere etc. and I think we don't do this enough these days. I need to get out more! {Allie}