We chose it to watch as a family on Saturday night. The other movies we were interested in were rated R so I picked The Impossible.
Well, after five minutes Katie was sobbing and had to leave the room.
She could not watch it.
The movie is a true story about a family that is caught in the terrible Tsunami in Thailand in 2004.
We follow along on their harrowing journey to survive and be reunited.
It is really horrifying to watch.
The acting is tremendous. Michelle Williams should have beat Jennifer Lawrence for sure of the Oscar.
Ewan McGregor was also unbelievably wonderful.
The little boys were fantastic.
But really, I don't know if it is worth watching.
50% of the movie is excruciating to watch.
If you are sensitive to gore, don't get it.
If you want to see great acting....then okay.
I had to google the family after watching to see if there was any follow up information.
A few things I learned;
The oldest boy is interested in being a doctor like his mom.
While other families return to the resort each Christmas, this family does not.
They feel badly that they have all survived and others lost so many.
While it may seem fake that Ewan searched the hospital where his wife lay twice and did not find her,
it is true.
Sometimes having to pee is a huge blessing.
******
Here is a neat picture;
it's my Grandma Glyman (Elsie) and Matthew.
Matthew is six weeks int his picture.
I drove down to Chicago with the boys because my sisters were visiting Aunt Dorothy and I wanted to see them and show them our new baby. I remember being very exhausted.
But I sure love having the pictures now.
Sue was married to Keith a few months after this picture was taken and Cindy would soon get pregnant with her first, Brandon.
Matthew had a special effect on Cindy.
Even tho he appears to be crying in this picture!
Oh, how we love our babies.
Donna
I keep hearing about this movie, Donna. I think I would be the only one in my family who would want to watch. I actually don't mind gut-wrenching shows, but it does help to know the end of the story.
ReplyDeleteLoved your brat fest pics. Those girls are so doggone cute.
Home from a basketball weekend in Tahoe -- Bren's team won it all. Very fun.
Love,
Di
Wow! Congratulations!!!
DeleteYay for Brennan's team. Way to go! jep
DeleteSPOILER ALERT: Hubs and I watched it about 2 weeks ago. I had similar feelings. I also Googled it right after, LOL. The movie stayed with me a few days afterward. I was so shocked that her youngest two survived on their own after the initial wave. I guess that is why they chose the title name, because it truly seemed impossible. The oldest son won my heart for best acting. When he returned from the euphoric adventure he had matching a father with with his lost son, to the devastating feeling of thinking his mom had died. Broke my heart. I should not judge, but I would NEVER have sent my youngest 2 away with total strangers. Maybe the movie at that point should have been called The Lucky/Blessed. All in all, it was a well acted movie, a good story, but I have no interest in ever seeing it again. I am sorry Katie was so torn up. A Tender heart is so sweet.
ReplyDeleteLove the pics. How is Sue's hubby and children?
Sue's family is well.
DeleteI agree about the actor playing the oldest son. Very impressive! As when he noticed the gash on his mother's leg... I would have said such a reaction would be impossible to recreate. But he made a believer out of me.
DeleteThe story made me wonder if I'd raised my children in such a way that I could say "Go, help someone" and they would go and help someone any way they could find to help.
I watched The Impossible with my mouth hanging open for nearly 2 hours! The acting was amazing, the effects recreating the tsunami, the debris, etc. were SO realistic. I felt like I was there. The story was gut-wrenching. I am glad I watched it, but it was hard to watch.
ReplyDeleteI agree - Naomi Watts should have received ALL KINDS of awards for that movie!
Enjoyed the pix, both of Grandma and the girls. What memories! and what fun!
I would have been hot on Katie's heels. The photos of your boys and the love they were surrounded with from birth gives me goosebumps. Your Grandma Elsie had beautiful hair! And very spiffy glasses.
ReplyDeleteI don't necessarily ALWAYS want to be known as The Prude...but you know who I am so it is OK.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen it yet. I watched the making of video which was hard to watch in itself. Sweet pictures.
ReplyDeleteThe actress who did an incredible job in The Impossible is Naomi Watts. I agree it was very difficult to watch, but I loved it in spite of that. Some people left the theater early on, so Katie is certainly not alone. My friend and I did the ugly cry several times and I dreamed about that family for several nights afterwards.
ReplyDeleteSuch great pictures! Such precious memories for you!
Mary Z
Naomi Watts is one of those actresses that I always get confused about, and mix her up with others. :-)
DeleteWe may have even discussed it on this blog a while back? Those actresses who look just similar enough to mess with us!
DeleteMary Z
YES, you are right!
DeleteOh yes. There are three of them. The blondes.
DeleteAnd then there are the red heads.
I have been drumming up a look alike post about naomi and those other two, who I can't think of right now....oh yeah...one is serena.....
Sienna somebody and Kate Beckingsdale? I should IMDB so I know the names. I am too tired :-) I would LOVE that post!!
DeleteMy daughter watched it and said it was a sobfest - she ranked it up with other films that always cause her to sob. She also said it was very impressive. I love Ewan McGregor.
ReplyDeleteAlso ... love the family photos - so precious.
We enjoy Ewan McGregor's acting at our house. Two of our favorite Ewan McGregor movies are Long Way Round (motorcycle trip with his friend Charlie from London to New York) and Long Way Down (same kind of trip from Scotland to Cape Town). Recently we saw him in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen which I think was one that Miz Boo recommended. Fun! jep
DeleteYes. I did recommend that. He was interesting in that wasn't he?
DeleteI will look for the movies you have recommended. I have not heard of them. Ewan loves to ride motorcycles in real life.
Ewan and Charlie were pretty good with their language in the movies/documentaries...just don't try reading lips. You get to see their wives and children, too. Great stuff for an armchair adventurer like me. ;-) jep
DeleteI chose not to see it - I don't do well with real life harrowing situation movies, ESP when kids are involved. I can't shake them. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteHeard great things though. And I was in the hospital with newborn Aderyn when the tsunami struck - I remember the stark contrast of the joy of a newborn and so much destruction..l.l
I'm with Steph^^ I don't do well with real life harrowing situations. In fact, I'm embarrassed to say, I've never watched Saving Private Ryan (because of the hype over the opening scene), nor have I watched The Passion...I just could never gear myself up for the experience....
ReplyDeleteLove the baby pictures!
I loved my babies, but I'm one of those weird moms who will gladly choose my teenager boys over baby stage any day. (But, I will say, I do long to hold a newborn again...not my own, though...any newborn will do.) :)
E.
E, I was going to close my post by saying 'and I've never seen The Passion for the same reason. I don't want the images of Christ's sacrifice to always be that of a filmmaker.l I'm such a visual learner and processor that I really struggle to shake those things. Glad I'm not alone!!!
Deleteme either.
Deletedid not see Passion
hated private ryan.
really hated Platoon
couldn't even watch Gladiator
This was up there with gore.
I did not know.
I only watched Gladiator from behind my book since I wanted to be with our family (husband and sons) while they watched it. The one scene that they encouraged me to see was the one where he is walking in the field touching the tops of the grain. The way that was photographed was pretty. Have not seen any of the above mentioned films either for the same reasons. Like Stephanie, nice to know I am not alone. jep
DeleteI have watched the Passion of the Christ only Once. On Good Friday and I went alone and brought a dish towel because I knew I would cry plus if it got too intense I could hide my face in it. I did both. In the parking lot (this was in Illinois) I had to sit in the car for about 10 minutes to get myself composed. For about 3 hours all I could do was sing hymns about the Cross and His blood. To say it was an intense experience is an understatement.
DeleteI haven't seen Saving Private Ryan or Gladiator or Braveheart, because I know it would be too much for me.
I've never seen Schindler's List. I'm afraid to watch it. Afraid of the truth, the darkness, the deep sadness. My dad doesn't like these kind of movies either. I remember when I was a kid, he wouldn't watch Mississippi Burning.
DeleteI haven't seen the movie. I'll put it on my list.
ReplyDeleteMy family loves babies, too. Praying for more! : )
Sarah P. from Iowa
I'm afraid that movie wouldn't be for me. I can cry with the best of them and then get over it, but the gore would stay with me. It won't be on my short list. I did finally see Silver Linings Playbook and Les Miz on DVD over the weekend. I think I'm due for a romantic comedy.
ReplyDeleteLove the family pics :)
baby malachi looks so much like baby matthew.
ReplyDelete:o)
DeleteI hope you are recovering from your harrowing/emotional trip to Colorado with a three week old and a 2 year old.
Matthew's expression is amazingly like baby Malachi, I agree...such cute guys. I love it when you post baby pictures here and what a blessing to have that beautiful picture of your grandmother. Sue and Cindy are so pretty in their picture with your boys. Those frozen in time moments bring tears to my eyes. love and prayers, jep
ReplyDeleteSomething about Sue in that picture (the haircut? the smile? idk) really reminds me of the pictures of your mom. Sweet treasures.
ReplyDeleteCan I admit this? I have never even heard of The Impossible. What rock did I just crawl out from? Yikes!
My husband is on day 8 of a wicked flu. We have watched more movies, the free Netflix Instant Watch variety, than the whole of last year. We especially liked a documentary called Motherland Afghanistan, but it has some tough stuff for the tender hearted.
A young man in our church went over to help with tsunami relief efforts. He gave a talk the next summer, and the thing that overwhelmed me was a small pink baby shoe. Just one. Muddy. That packed a punch.
Yes Carol. We think Sue looked a lot like mom in many pictures!
DeleteCarol praying that your husband will heal and feel better soon. jep
DeleteThanks, Judy.
DeleteI had the flu over Christmas and it was AWFUL.
DeleteBless him, Lord and help him to recover quickly.
My heart goes out to you both.
I love little babies. And grandmothers. Grandmothers are absolutely my favorite sort of people. I have always thought the best ones were soft and sweet. They make cookies. They give hugs. They are warm. They have the best smiles. They always think you are the greatest little interruption around. I think I will be a good one some day. I would like to have another baby. Have I told you before? I tell Gary so often and he gets sick of hearing it. He keeps saying we need more money. I am worried that I am old.
ReplyDeleteI wish you could come to the I heart faces conference in Ohio.
Is Katie happy that 7th grade is almost over? 7th grade has not been kind to us. I am thankful summer is almost here. 9 more days of school : ) Not that we are counting or anything.
I have to edit that pig roast tonight. It was a fun assignment. You were right.
Happy Tuesday.
I watched the Impossible recently too, cried hard, had to tell myself "they'll be alright, everyone lived" all through the movie. This one reminded me of Empire of the Sun....also hard to watch. I agree, the kids were amazing, the oldest boy, oh hope to see him again, just great.
ReplyDeleteLove love your baby pix...thanks for sharing.
Jennifer, I watched Empire of the Sun one day by myself not knowing the plot, just a video that came from the library that looked interesting and it was a cry fest, too. If I had known, I probably would not have checked it out. The little boy actor in Empire of the Sun grew up to be the well known actor Christian Bales, so maybe you will see the oldest boy from The Impossible again. I hope he will be in something I can watch next time. ;-) jep
DeleteJep,
ReplyDeleteEmpire of the Sun has my most favorite scene of all scenes in movies.
I have spoken about it many times...but I think it was before you started visiting.
The scene where Jim is singing while he is watching the Japanese pilots and the the American airplanes come flying in!!! "B-54 Cadilac of the SKY". And he climbs to the top of the tower to watch and feels their heat....and the pilot salutes him....and he starts conjugating Latin.
Best cinematic moment I have ever seen.