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McFarland USA Movie Review #Disney

February 19, 2015 by Laura Lohr Leave a Comment

 

McFarlandUSA54b06c36b788fLast night, we went to an early screening of McFarland USA. Going into the movie, I didn’t know much about the film, except that it was a movie about running. Of course, with my passion for running, I was excited to see it. I have to say, however, this movie really exceeded my expectations! It was such an inspiring film and really reminded me that the human spirit is capable of such greatness. Against all odds, one can accomplish their goals, and this film, based on a true story, really highlighted that!

McFarlandUSA54da9687cb03e

A few months ago, we found out that Allie’s P.E. grade was failing. It wasn’t because she isn’t capable, it was because she was unmotivated to even try. It was very frustrating for Mr. Bear and I.  She’s a very athletic kid, so we were very surprised she wasn’t doing well in P.E.—of all subjects! Since that time, we’ve been trying to encourage her to put forth some effort and she’s actually enjoying herself.  She has taken a liking for the weekly mile run. Because I am a runner, I’m excited about this newly discovered passion. Allie and I have had a friendly competition. I’m just coming back to running after a long hiatus. Each time I run, I share my time with Allie and she tries to beat it every week. She’s gone from a 17 minute mile to a 14 minute mile, to a 12 minute mile, to an 11 minute mile last week. Today, she runs the mile again. After seeing the movie last night, she’s swearing to beat her time and finish a sub-10 minute mile. We’ll be curious to see how she does today!

McFarlandUSA54b0544ddb342

Back to the movie: McFarland USA

The setting of the movie is poor, rural McFarland, California, in the mid to late 1980’s. It’s based on the true story of 7 young, talented cross country runners and their coach. The movie chronicles the struggles these young athletes faced, in economically challenged McFarland, in the Central Valley of California. The novice runners spend their early hours, picking produce in the fields, like their immigrant parents. The difficulties these boys face seem insurmountable, when coach Jim White starts a cross country team to tap into their natural abilities. 

McFarlandUSA54da967cc2e54

The boys go from the fields, to school, back to the fields, and then to practice running with Coach White. These disadvantaged boys have the odds stacked against them in every way.  They compete against other schools that have resources these boys couldn’t even dream of. Coach White and the team of 7 learn many lessons together and it really inspired me!

This was one of my favorite scenes, where Coach White takes the boys to see the ocean for the first time, after they qualify for CIF. *SOB*
This was one of my favorite scenes, where Coach White takes the boys to see the ocean for the first time, after they qualify for CIF. *SOB*

This movie really touched me. It was a really great family movie. There was laughter and tears throughout the movie. Mr. Bear caught me crying a few times. What I loved about the movie is that it was not only inspiring, but the humor was clean for the whole family. The movie was a tear-jerker and had me cheering for the underdogs the whole time. 

I love the end of the movie the best! Without giving away any spoilers, at the end of the movie, you meet each of the “characters” in real life and get a glimpse into where life has taken them since their days at McFarland High School. What is most inspiring, is that nearly all of the runners went to college and then came back to McFarland to work and give back to their community. It’s truly an inspiration!

Filed Under: Disney, Reviews Tagged With: Disney, Disney Movies, Kevin Costner, McFarland USA, running

Dusty Saves the Day! Planes: Fire and Rescue

July 15, 2014 by Laura Lohr Leave a Comment

planesfireandrescue5328bd36bf10c

Last night, Allie and I got to see the advanced screening of Disney’s Planes: Fire and Rescue.  It was such a cute movie!  If you like Disney’s Planes, you’re going to love, Planes: Fire and Rescue!  Our favorite hero, Dusty is at it again.  This time, high-flyer Dusty Crophopper soars the skies, learning what true heroism is, rather than race around the world.

There’s a lot of good clean humor in this movie and it’s appropriate for children of all ages.  What I love, is that it’s also appropriate for adult audiences too!  Allie and I laughed through the whole movie.  She had some favorite lines that she repeated until bed time and even retold the scene for Mr. Bear.  It was a feel good movie that made for a PERFECT summer movie night.

Here’s a sneak preview:

As you can see from the clip, the animation is flawless! We saw it in 3D, so we got the full effect of the beautifully done computer graphics. The story takes place in Piston Peak National Park, inspired by Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks.  You can recognize much of the similarities in the film, if you’ve ever been to either (or both) parks. It’s stunning!

The story begins with the disparaging news that Dusty’s engine has sustained damage and may not ever race again.  After a catastrophe at the airport, Dusty discovers that he may have a second chance, when he joins an elite team of aerial firefighters. We loved the all-terrain team, called the Smoke Jumpers, Blade Ranger, Windlifter, Dipper and the whole crew. This film, about courage, second chances and overcoming obstacles definitely put a smile on our faces.

Smoky the Bear, National Parks, and the heroes from Disney’ PLANES: FIRE & RESCUE have teamed up to help your kids have fun with fire safety this summer. Download the Educational Activity Guide, by clicking on the image below:

 

PlanesFireAndRescue

Who are you going to watch Planes: Fire and Rescue with this summer?

Disclaimer: We were permitted two free advance admissions to the Planes: Fire and Rescue movie. All honest opinions expressed are my own. We are Disney fans and thoroughly enjoyed this movie!

Filed Under: Entertainment, Reviews Tagged With: Disney, Disney Movies, Kid Movies, Movies, Planes: Fire and Rescue

Frankenweenie in 3D #Disney Movie Review

October 4, 2012 by Laura Lohr Leave a Comment

FRANKENWEENIE Logo

FRANKENWEENIE Logo

Tomorrow (Friday, October 5th), the much anticipated Disney movie Frankenweenie is released in theaters. Lucky, lucky for us, we were able to go to the premiere screening last night. Allison has been wanting to see it since FOREVER, when she first heard about it! She was so excited yesterday, she could scantily contain herself. Of course, in this house, we love all manner of Disney and she has not missed a single movie this year: from Brave to The Odd Life of Timothy Green and everything in between. She loves movies like her daddy.

The name, I admit, is quite strange. Admittedly, so are some of Tim Burton’s wonderfully imaginative movies. This movie was so beautifully done. I was a little skeptical about a black and white, stop motion animation and 3D. Typically, the 3D makes me dizzy. But this was so—-BEAUTIFUL! The characters were creepy and yet, quite lovable—in the style that only Tim Burton can create. It was funny, creepy and lovable, all at once. It was a fun movie!

Frankenweenie

My favorite characters of the movie had to be Mr. Whiskers and Weird Girl. They both had creepy, dead eyes and never blinked. As quirky as the characters were, I loved them. Of course, who wouldn’t love Sparky the dog?

The end of the movie left me bawling my eyes out. There were lots of sobs from the crowd. No one warned me how sad the ending would be. No spoilers here though. You will have to go and see what a fun movie it is for yourself!

The movie really hit home for me after we lost two of our dogs last spring. We got a phone call a few days later that they were hit on the freeway (about a mile from our house) and it did not survive. It was one of the toughest things we have ever went through as a family. Our pets are part of the family. Mr. Bear, Allie and I were crying our eyes out. We will never forget that experience.

The movie was well done and we all enjoyed it. It is a perfect Halloween movie for the whole family!

Here is a silly little clip, featuring Mr. Whiskers, himself:

Frankenweenie Weird Girl

Weird Girl. She is a little—well, WEIRD!

Disclaimer: I received tickets to see Frankenweenie in theaters for review purposes only. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Filed Under: Allison Weekly, Disney, Entertainment, Family, Just For Fun, Kid Stuff, Reviews Tagged With: Disney, Disney Movies, Entertainment, family, Frankenweenie, Kid Movies, Reviews

About Laura:

Wife, mom, runner, geek, lifestyle blogger, fitness badass, world traveler, social media lover. San Diego transplant, living in Temecula's wine country.

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