My Top 5 Rom-Com's

I have made a tribute to my favorite kid movies and I decided that since I don't have very much to do now that I'm finished with my book, I'd make another tribute post. I chose to do this one on Romantic Comedies. Here are my top 5 favorites (in order).

5) 50 First Dates (Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore)

I first watched this one back in like 6th grade at my friend's slumber party. I never saw it again until fairly recently. I bought it at Target and watched it. I found that it had more inappropriate stuff than I thought, but after I cleaned it up, it became a super cute movie.

PLOT: Henry Roth is a veterinarian living in Hawaii who enjoys the company of vacationing women. He leaves the playboy life behind after he falls for Lucy, who suffers from short-term memory loss. Since she can never remember meeting him, Henry has to romance Lucy every single day and hope that she falls for him.

I find the plot endearing and sweet. I love the entirely random characters like Lucy's brother and Henry's hawaiian friend.

Favorite Quote(s):
Dr. Keats: Tom lost part of his brain in a hunting accident. His memory only lasts ten seconds.
Ten Second Tom: I was in an accident? That's terrible.
Dr. Keats: Don't worry, you're totally gonna get over it in about three seconds.
Ten Second Tom: Get over it? I mean, what happened? Did I get shot in the brain... Hi. I'm Tom.


4) You've Got Mail (Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks)

I remember walking in on my mom late at night and she would be watching this. I would sometimes sit and watch a little bit, but I never really understood it. However, I managed to remember the characters. I can't remember exactly when I watched it again. I believe I was in middle school. I was not firmly attached to it at first, but the more I watched it, the more I came to love it.

PLOT: Kathleen Kelly owns a small children's book store, but is coming under competition from Joe Fox's giant Fox Books, a megastore with a cafe and discounted books. The two become arch rivals, without realising that the romance they are conducting anonymously on the internet is with each other.

Tom Hanks is one of the best actors I have seen (and one of my favorites). He can play any role and he plays the role of the sarcastic and rich Joe Fox perfectly. I guess his character is one of the reasons why I like the movie so much. I love how the characters hate each other in person, but are in love with each other over the internet. Joe even gives kathleen advice on how to defeat her business rival (unaware that it is him).

Favorite Quote(s):
Joe: Maybe he's fat. He's fat, he's a fatty.

Frank: A hotdog is singing! You need quiet while a hotdog is singing!?


3) When in Rome (Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel)

I first saw this movie in theaters. I had never even heard of it until my mom told me that we were going to it. So I did not know what to expect.

PLOT: Beth is at a point in her life where love seems like a luxury she just can't afford. Years of waiting for that perfect romance has made Beth bitter, and one day, while vacationing in Rome, she cynically plucks a handful of coins from a local fountain of love. Almost immediately thereafter, Beth finds herself fending off the advances of a diminutive sausage magnate, a lanky street magician, a doting painter, and a narcissistic male model. Meanwhile, a smitten reporter does his best to convince Beth that true love isn't just a topic of fairy tales and romance novels.

I really liked the movie after leaving the theaters. Everything about it was hilarious, but the male model is what really made it for me. I would drop out of my chair laughing at him. Believe it or not, despite him being my favorite character, I totally forgot about him until we bought the movie. Before we got to the theaters, all of the kids said we would cover out eyes and plug our ears if something too inappropriate came up and our parents would tell us when it was over. We never had to do that. The movie was one of the cleanest romantic comedies I had ever seen.

Favorite Quote(s):
Gale the model: I don't know whether to stare at my reflection or at you. That's how beautiful you are.


2) The Proposal (Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds)

I did not get to see this one in theaters. Even though I had seen the previews, I was not dying to see it. I finally saw it when my parents bought it. I saw part of the uncensored version first, but my dad stopped me and cleaned it up. Then I watched it for the first time.

PLOT: When high-powered book editor Margaret faces deportation to her native Canada, the quick-thinking exec declares that she's actually engaged to her unsuspecting put-upon assistant Andrew, who she's tormented for years. He agrees to participate in the charade, but with a few conditions of his own. The unlikely couple heads to Alaska to meet his quirky family and the always-in-control city girl finds herself in one comedic fish-out-of-water situation after another. With an impromptu wedding in the works and an immigration official on their tails, Margaret and Andrew reluctantly vow to stick to the plan despite the precarious consequences.

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. The major sarcasm between the two main characters is so funny. I had a love-hate relationship with Maragret. She was so mean, but I still liked her. Then I liked her more as the movie went on.

Favorite Quote(s):
Margaret: What am I allergic to?
Andrew: Pine nuts... and the full spectrum of human emotion

Margaret: You know I can't swim
Andrew: Hence the BOAT


1) While You Were Sleeping (Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman)

The way I first saw this is similar to the way I first saw You've Got Mail. I would walk in on my mom while she was watching it. Sadly, I saw the end several times without understanding it and so when I tried watching it for real, I remembered how it ended.

PLOT: Lucy is a lonely fare collector on the Chicago elevated railway who has a secret crush on a handsome commuter named Peter Callaghan. On Christmas day, Lucy rescues Peter from an oncoming train after a mugger pushes him onto the tracks. Peter falls into a coma, and Lucy accompanies him to the hospital, where a nurse overhears her fantasizing aloud, "I was going to marry him." Misinterpreting her, the nurse tells Peter's family that Lucy is his fiancée. The mayhem escalates, when Lucy meets Peter's suspicious yet charming brother and falls for him.

This movie will always remain not only my favorite rom-com, but also one of my all time favorite movies. The script is genius. There is not a dull moment at all. You are either laughing or crying the entire time. This is one of those movies that gets me screaming at the characters as if it were a horror movie. The two main characters have true onscreen chemistry that is fun to watch. The movie is perfectly cast even down to Peter's hospital roommate and the hotdog vendor.

Favorite Quote(s):
Peter: Remember the squirrels?
Jack: Don't even say it
Peter: First I knocked them out of the nest with a rock
Jack: Peter...
Peter: Then I saved them
Jack: Eww

Elsie: How did Joe Kelly get to be a lector? He takes marijuana.
All: Amen!

Lucy: The truth was... I fell in love with you.
Ox: You fell in love with me?

Peter: Everything is better. Everything looks better, feels better. Even this Chocolate-Peanut Butter tastes better.
Jack: Good. It's Fudge-Mint.

My Book- Finished

I have finally finished my book, Shaken Forever- Banner of the Lord's Army. I have been working on this since January 2, 2010 and finished today June 24, 2010. It is 207 pages long, 11 times new roman font, double-spaced. It is unedited at 63,130 words. It is shorter than I anticipated, but I am going to start on its sequel.

I sent the preface and the first three chapter in to Deseret Books on May 11. So I will give more updates on whether it was accepted, if I get a release date, etc. Cross your fingers for me. I am preparing myself for rejection, just so I'm not disappointed, but it will still be exciting if it gets accepted.

Here is the letter I sent to the publisher:

In the book of Alma in the Book of Mormon, we learn about Captain Moroni, the chief captain over the entire Nephite army. We read about his new ways of thinking and planning concerning the ways of war. I chose to write about Captain Moroni because the prophet Mormon wrote a very praiseworthy scripture on him: “Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men." (Alma 48:17). I believe that this praise depicts Captain Moroni as a very worthy role model for today’s readers.
In the following manuscript, I have fictionalized the stories contained in Alma 43-52. Captain Moroni is an opinionated, yet brave and wise young man who has served in the army since he was only 15 years old. Orphaned just a couple years previous to the start of the novel, he has nothing to do, but put all his focus on his duties as a soldier. However, he is made a captain over the army residing in the Land Jershon, where the Anti-Nephi-Lehis are staying. He meets and eventually marries his wife (who later becomes another major character in the story) while there. When he is only 25 years old, he is chosen to become the chief captain over the entire Nephite army. While he raises a small family, he fights in countless battles. These including the battle on the River Sidon (Alma 43- 44) and the raising of the Title of Liberty (Alma 46). The main antagonist is Amalickiah.
As a sub-plot we also follow Helaman, the son of Alma the Younger as he establishes the church throughout the land. We follow him as he is prepared to become the new high priest over the land and to be given possession of the brass plates.
Moroni’s wife goes through struggles of her own as her husband is constantly away from home, leaving her alone to raise her children. We follow her journey towards total humility as she puts all her trust in the Lord to protect and guide her husband.
I’m pleased to present part one of Shaken Forever- The Banner of the Lord’s Army, a story of faith, trust in the Lord, and fighting for what is right. I will begin working on a sequel for it, about Moroni’s battles with Ammoron after Amalickiah’s death. The manuscript is complete at an estimate of 80,000 words, with the chapter notes still in progress. There may be a change in the number after I finish editing the ending.
I look forward to hearing from you.

Inner-Child

We all have the child in us come out on occasions, but mine is hardly ever hidden. I don't think that this will ever change (nor do I hope it does). I love being a kid. Now that I am only one year away from becoming an adult, I am appreciating all my childish interests more than usual. This post is an ode the my favorite kid movies.


Kung Fu Panda is the first. I can't explain it, but I love this movie. It puts me to sleep almost every night. I guess I just love Jack Black's natural hilarity and Dustin Hoffman's entirely likeable character.



Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was one of my favorite books when I was in elementary so I of course could not wait to see the movie. I waited anxiously until it was finally released. I went and saw it with Afton and my friend Sarah. We all walked out of theater, unsure of what to think of it. It was so bizarre. I mean a guy gets eaten by a roasted chicken, then he possesses the chicken. Things don't come any more random. But I guess it's the randomness that intrigues me so much. I just love all the characters, but I especially love the policeman, Earl.



This show was my favorite in my pre-teen/early teen years. The whole general plot was clever and unique and the characters were hilarious in their own ways. The twins were so cute in this show (like pinch-your-cheek cute) and this was Ashley Tisdale's life before High School Musical. As much as I loved the main characters, it was the minor characters I loved the most. I loved Esteban the bellboy, Arwin the junkman/janitor, and Muriel the lazy maid. I certainly hope I don't have kids like Zack and Cody someday.



The Suite Life on Deck is a sequel/spin-off of the Suite Life of Zack and Cody. This time the twins are growing up and on a cruise ship for "Sea School" with Mr. Moseby as the boat's manager. I almost like this show better than the original. I like the new character Bailey, but I do miss Maddie. I like Zack much more in this show than in the original. He is a lot funnier and thinner. I still like Cody, but he is losing his charm as the nerdy twin. However, I still absolutely adore this show.



My new favorite Disney movie. I had never been so excited to find out that Disney was making another traditionally animated movie. I was so upset that I did not get to see it the day it came out. I almost did not get to see it the second day either, but I managed to convince my dad to drop me off at the theater with Brady. I loved the more modern take on the traditional story. I loved every single one of the characters (yes even the villain). I loved all the songs and the animation was definite eye-candy.



Lastly, I must mention Veggietales. I did not watch much of these as a kid. I only had Josh and the Big Wall and Ultimate Silly Song Countdown. I was reunited with the show when I was about 13, when I found our soundtrack of the silly songs. I still had every single one of the memorized. That was when I began making my first music videos. I began watching more when I went to seminary where my teacher was a big fan. Over the past year, I have watched all the videos available on Youtube. My personal favorite is Lyle the Kindly Viking. I remember when I heard about The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A Veggietales Movie was coming out. Excitement beyond measure! Larry is my favorite and I love the songs, The Hairbrush Song, Pizza Angel, Sippy Cup, and Larry's High Silk Hat.

Writer's Block

If you have ever attempted to write an essay, a short story, a novel, or any other type of writing project, you have most likely experienced a writer's block at least once. I have taken the definition of writer's block and put it below

writer's block: (noun) a usually temporary condition in which a writer finds it impossible to proceed with the writing of a novel, play, or other work.

A writer's block can be as short as one minute or it can last for months at a time. Believe me, I have had my share of LONG writer's blocks. My last one was for almost two months. I am currently in another writer's block. I have written very little in my book for the past few weeks. I am not sure what is the cause of my writer's block this time because I know what I'm trying to accomplish in the scene and I know how I want it laid out, but I just cannot seem to put it onto the paper. I accomplish an average of 50-100 words per day if I'm lucky. Normally I averaged about 500-1000 words per day.

Some great writers have said that a writer's block means that whatever you are about to write means that it is wrong entirely and that you should start over that paragraph, that chapter, or even the entire book itself. I have rewritten the scene I am currently struggling through thousands of times and yet I still get stuck at almost the exact same spot. I cannot change it too much because it is historic fiction, I need to put the events in order.

Sometimes the simplest things can pulls an author out of a writer's block. It can simply be a revelation given to them in their sleep. Or something they see, hear, taste, etc. gives them an idea. Sometimes, they just lack motivation so one day they could suddenly just want to write and will forcefully pull themselves out of it.

Anyways, I thought I would just throw my frustrated rant out into cyberspace for all to read. Hopefully I can pull out of this soon.