The Little Women trailer
The Greta Gerwig Little Women trailer is here.
Go watch it.
I'll wait.
Are you crying? Are you excited? Have you marked your calendar in anticipation? Are rewinding the scene of Jo and Laurie arguing? Are you surprised that Amy got so much time to talk and Beth got none? Are you loving Meryl Streep? And Laura Dern? Are you wondering if the movie's ending will be slightly different from the book? Are you looking for an old copy of the book so that you can re-read it? Are you searching to see if the 90s adaptation is on streaming services? (it's on Netflix). Are you listening to Sutton Foster in the Broadway soundtrack for the musical of Little Women? Are you watching the episode of Friends, where they read the book? Are you reading about the life of Louisa May Alcott? Are you reading about what movie Greta Gerwig is making next?
Are you watching the trailer again?
As Seen on Screen
***This contains spoilers for theJane the Virgin finale and basically the entire series, so STOP***
I'll admit that I haven't been the biggest fan of the final season of Jane. Between reviving Michael so that Jane could assure Rafael's fragile ego and at the same time dismissing her connection with her formerly deceased husband to Xo's career exploration which felt like it rehashed ground already covered in previous episodes to a lackluster villain subplot involving Rose, the once great show's final season left me wishing it was only given a 10-episode goodbye tour. In its final installment, however, Chapter 100 made it all worthwhile. The pitch perfect sendoff gave Jane some final triumphant moments, sprinkled in a storyline that felt very true to the origins of Jane. I hate finales that suddenly feel like a standalone moment for the series, so I was pleasantly surprised that this chapter, while acknowledging the goodbyes and changes that lie ahead for our beloved characters, felt very true to old Jane. Sure there was a beautiful wedding that left me teary as Jane and Rafael, who I genuinely love, despite my harsh words for him in this earlier paragraph (a testament to how badly I thought his character was written in the earlier part of the season), exchange their vows, but my favorite moments of the episode centered on special callbacks with our Villanueva women. From the different actresses playing Jane at varying ages walking down the aisle, to the callback to the pilot's music and bus motifs, to Xo choosing to do the thing that scares her most by moving away from her mom and daughter, to Alba standing in the living room of the house and remembering all of the moments that took place there and finally to that beautiful, beautiful scene on the porch swing. Jane was a truly magical show that took a crazy premise and grounded it in fully formed characters that we've gotten to know and love over the last few years. I'm so thankful that we all got to experience this truly unique tale together.
Haven't You Heard?
Summer is in full swing, so it's only fitting to share some of the beachy tunes that have been played on repeat in my summer playlist. From the classics to the new releases, here's a rundown of some of my summer 2019 songs:
The release of Taylor Swift's newest album is growing closer and closer, but until then I'm listening to You Need to Calm Down on repeat, as I exclaim, "Damn, it's 7 A.M" in response to anything that's bothering me.
The other day I was sitting at my desk and found myself humming the beginning of a song I couldn't quite place. It took me a while to realize it was She's a Rainbow, and I started listening to the Rolling Stones tune on repeat as I walk down the sunny streets in the DC heat.
When my boyfriend and I drive around during the summer, we often tune into country radio. Brantley Gilbert and Lindsay Ell's What Happens in a Small Town is one of the songs that I cross my fingers to hear as we listen through the commercials. With chords that sound reminiscent of Journey's Faithfully, the tune is wistful and smooth.
It wouldn't be a summer playlist without some Walk the Moon. While their first album is still the quintessential summer soundtrack. Their newest single, Eat Your Heart Out matches that vibe and will have you dancing on a summer night.
And the queen of the summer might just be the lovely Lizzo, whose songs have been playing on a loop on my Spotify for months. I'm listening to Juice, Truth Hurts, Good as Hell, Soulmate, Heaven Help Me... you can pretty much take your pick on a feel-good summer tune.
Required Reading
Since I will no longer have the opportunity to write or talk about Jane the Virgin on the regular, I'm sharing a couple pieces, written by some of my favorite women on the internet, that capture the magic of the show. Alison Herman wrote about the effort that goes into the show's perfect tonal balance and how the characters practice kindness in all of their actions (while still being flawed humans). Alanna Bennett writes about the drama's place in the TV scene and the role of "prestige TV." She writes, "regardless of if you ascribe to the imaginary borders of prestige TV, Jane the Virgin has innovated enough to be considered a standard bearer. All I know is that the creative rigor of Jane the Virgin is evident in every episode. That a team led by a woman creator championed inclusion at the same time as it poured over intense artistic and narrative detail — breaking ground both centering a Latinx family and bringing magical realism into a whole new light on television. Shows as thoughtful and emotionally mature as Jane the Virgin remain rare, even with so many series on the air. With bold colors and patterns everywhere, it's easy to pick a shot from Jane the Virgin out of a lineup — the visual language of the show is so distinct and ever-present. It's easy to forget, given the warmth of the show, how much sophisticated artistry goes into creating that experience. Don Draper eat your heart out; the Villanueva women are so intricately sketched they feel like women you could actually know, even as they have to deal with the occasional husband coming back to life."
