All-Time Favorites: Gilmore Girls

Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel, an unfairly pretty mother-daughter combo, am I right?

I don't know if any TV show has had the effect on me that Gilmore Girls has had. I'm not saying there aren't other shows I've completely loved in my long career of television appreciation, but Gilmore Girls is the show that I think most affected me as a person.

For the GG-illiterate, Gilmore Girls is about a mother and a daughter, Lorelai and Rory (short for Lorelai also) Gilmore. Twist: Lorelai had Rory when she was 16, so when the show starts Lorelai is 32 and Rory is 16. Partly because of their closeness in age, they have an almost freakish bond that makes them best friends as well as mother and daughter. The bulk of the obstacles in their relationships are when they have trouble figuring out which side of the friends-or-family line they are on in certain situations, which is really interesting. They also talk incredibly fast in conversations so full of pop-culture references, you need Wikipedia open for quick searches during each episode. As a fast talker and pop-culture geek girl myself, I find myself envious of their conversational abilities, although some critics found it jarring when the show initially aired.

All-Time Favorites: Shakespeare in Love

I am a theater geek. On top of that I'm a Shakespeare geek. One of the best experiences I've ever had was taking an acting class at the Globe in London when I was studying abroad there. I don't even care that it's not the original Globe, it's basically an exact replica and whatever, to be on that stage reciting Desdemona's lines from Othello, well it was pretty much the coolest thing ever. I didn't care that it was 2004 and not Elizabethan England. I didn't care that my audience consisted of my mostly disinterested classmates, half of whom were feeling the effects of a pre-show pub crawl. I was completely swept up in being a part of a Shakespeare show on THE GLOBE STAGE. (I'm not trying to be braggy in any way, it was just so cool.) Enter Shakespeare in Love. It had already been one of my favorite movies because it's just excellent (more on that later), but I think it reached All-Time Favorite status after my experience at the Globe. The movie is about putting on a Shakespeare play! At the Globe! And not just any Shakespeare play, but Romeo and Juliet of course. (I know, I was in Othello, but I was also in Romeo and Juliet my senior year of high school and cliche or not, it's my favorite.) The main plot is an incredible love story but the subplot of the inter-workings of a theater company, and the actual process of putting on a show is also so, so great. And quite honestly, fairly true to life. Things go wrong; companies run out of money; actors get bronchitis. These things all happen so often and yet, the show goes on.

There are lots of wonderful pieces to this movie. And in my way, those that I have chosen to spotlight range from completely shallow to more substantial. First, I have to get this out of the way. Gwyneth Paltrow is GORGEOUS in this movie. Particularly her hair. Her hair is so princess-perfect; it's honestly all I've ever wanted my hair to do since I saw this movie.

I mean really? It's long and flowing and curly and looks naturally beautiful even though it probably took hours to create this hairstyle. I love it so much.

I mentioned the supporting cast earlier and it too is phenomenal. Geoffrey Rush as the down on his luck theater owner is hilarious and his interactions with both Shakespeare, played by Ralph Fiennes and Fennyman, the money man played by Tom Wilkinson are awesome. Then, there is Ben Affleck, who at the same time was starring in lead roles in movies like Armageddon. I think it's so great that he took this supporting role, the role of Ned Alleyn, a career actor and total divo (that's male diva to the lay person) and he killed it. He is so amusing and spot-on as an egotistical actor, who wants everything to revolve around him at all times, that I have to believe he had a lot of fun playing this part, as no doubt he has probably had some divo moments in his own career, or at least witnessed some.

Plus, how cute is he in Elizabethan garb? So cute.

Also, Judi Dench, who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for a role that gave her just 6 MINUTES of screen time, is the best Queen Elizabeth I ever. Sorry Cate Blanchett, I love you too, but just look at this:

That is one scary and awesome queen right there. I would pretty much do whatever she said, which is why she is so freaking awesome.

Then of course, the main plot, the love story between Shakespeare (Fiennes) and Viola (Paltrow) is so beautiful and heart-breaking. The way their romance shapes the story of Romeo and Juliet as Shakespeare is writing it makes it so interesting and honestly, makes me love Romeo and Juliet even more. To think that Shakespeare could have based his most powerful love story on his own life's love story is pretty amazing, even if it's also fiction.

The movie is the total package and it's no surprise to me at all that it one an Oscar for Best Picture, among its 6 others. It is funny, poignant, aesthetically beautiful, well-acted and entertaining from start to finish. I basically ugly cry every time I watch it and also laugh out loud at numerous points. If you love Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare or long pretty hair, you should see this movie. It's a can't-miss.

*Oh! And Colin Firth plays the BAD GUY! It's so great to see him in this role too, even though he'll always be the Mr. Darcy of my heart. He is so easy to hate in this movie, which makes Colin Firth a superb actor because I usually love him so much. OMG you guys for reals, if you haven't already seen it, go buy this movie right now. BUY it, don't rent it because if you rent it, you'll just want to buy it and then you've wasted a rental.

All-Time Favorites: Fleetwood Mac's Rumours

I think I'm going to start a series of posts of my all-time favorites in which I will pay special tribute to the movies, albums and books that have will always have my heart no matter what my fickle heart is obsessing over in the ever-changing winds of pop culture.

For today's All-Time Favorite, I have chosen an album: Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. I realize this may be a cliche choice particularly because Glee just did an episode devoted to the whole album, but I assure you, I have been a Fleetwood Mac fan for a long time. I had a musically hip mom and she exposed me to a wide range of awesome music from the womb. I mean there weren't many 8 year olds singing Evenflow by Pearl Jam on the way home from second grade, but I was one of them. I don't want to sound pompous because I'm not a music snob at all. I mean come on, I've written about Selena Gomez like 3 times. However, I also truly truly love Fleetwood Mac. When I say Fleetwood Mac, I'm referring to the line-up that made the band name truly famous: Stevie Nicks, Lindsay Buckingham, Christine McVie, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood. In albums this takes you from Fleetwood Mac (1975 album) to Tango in the Night (1987).

I love Rumours the most for a few reasons. First, my very favorite FM song is "Dreams" which is on this album. The presence of that song alone is almost enough of a reason for me. Stevie Nicks is singer/songwriter perfection on this song and it's an ideal example of why she is AH-mazing. If that song isn't enough, the album also has "Don't Stop," which I bet will make you feel better no matter how sad you might be; "Go Your Own Way," one of the best break-up songs ever made; "Songbird," that song from Love Actually, yeah, it's a Fleetwood Mac original and it's gorgeous; and "The Chain" which is just a rad song, and it basically tells the story of all the craziness going on behind the scenes when this album was being made (see below). Ok truthfully EVERY song is good, but those are the best.

Second, the backstory behind this album is remarkable. While this album was being made, Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks were ending their long-term relationship and John and Christine McVie were ending their MARRIAGE. Maybe it's all that angst that produced such incredible music but I cannot even imagine being mid-break-up and have to go to the recording studio and sing about heartbreak while my ex provided backing vocals. To be a fly on the wall of that recording studio, although probably not, because a fly on the wall would probably get killed by a glass being thrown or something. I mean musician exes working in a tiny room together? There had to be some flying glassware at some point.

Third, and probably least important, I love the album artwork for this record (pictured above). It's Mick Fleetwood who is freakishly tall and Stevie Nicks in all her flowing-dress, ballet-slippered glory. Have you noticed I kind of love Stevie Nicks? I just feel like she made boho-chic beautiful and trendy way before Sienna Miller or that Olsen twin, not to mention, she's f-ing crazy talented. Anyway, everything about this cover is cool, from their Hippie-meets-Medieval costuming to his jaunty ponytail to the font used for the title. Plus the black and white image against a plain cream background? One word. COOL. I'm sorry, it's just the best word for them, end of story.

I mean really?! I want to be her. Not so much the personal life, but the musical talent and style? Yes, please.

So here's what I'm saying to you. If you haven't heard Rumours, then listen to it on Spotify. Then after you've done that, buy the album, because you need to listen to it more than just off of your computer. Preferably on vinyl, which I don't even have, but is very much on my wishlist. Then listen to every song and memorize all the words and appreciate beautiful music made in the midst of complete and total personal madness. God, they're awesome.