I have this dream – it’s reoccurring really, that my husband dies and I find myself alone – wondering who I am. And I set out, not on a one thousand mile hike per se’ but more like a 400 mile bike trip trying to find my strength. I WANT to see this movie… something about it, resonates with me.
Tag: movies
Robert Downey Jr Alert, The Judge Opens on October 10, 2014
I’m in New York visiting my mother at the moment otherwise I would totally be at opening day. As it is, I’ll be seeing this movie with friends after I come home. This has an amazing cast and looks wonderful! Go see it! Let’s make opening weekend a smash hit!
Support Movies Filmed in Oklahoma: So This is Christmas
One of the fun things about having grown kids is having the time to be an extra in locally filmed movies. (This is my second movie as an extra. Wow what fun.) This is a wonderful story for the whole family and is showing at the Circle Cinema December 2 – December 8. For more information on the movie check out So This Is Christmas, The Movie.
Cowgirls N Angels Goes on Sale Today
It isn’t often great movies are filmed in Oklahoma, but when it happens we talk about it. Cowgirls N Angels was filmed here last year and several of us got to participate as paid extras. This was my first time on a major motion picture movie set. I had a blast.
Cowgirls goes on sale today at Walmart,. It’s a family friendly with an awesome cast and a great heart. You’ll definitely want to pick up a copy for yourselves.
The Avengers Are Coming!
While at the movies yesterday we saw the poster for The Avengers.
I told my husband I really want to see that movie.
He looked at the poster, and then asked why I wanted to see it.
I said “The story line of course. “
He smiled and said
“That’s like a man saying he reads playboy just for the articles. Just sayin.”
Blue Like Jazz The Movie is Coming to Your Town!
I’ve been talking about this movie for a while. 1. Because I’m a Donald Miller fan and 2. Because it is not only a great book (saved my hide about 8 years back), it is also a great movie. Blue Like Jazz opened in select cities last weekend and the list has been expanded this week. It’s even playing in Tulsa at Southroads 20 on 41st Street for you local readers.
I believe this is a must see movie for anyone grappling with life, fitting in, and finding who you are. Christian or not.
Disclaimer:
From Steve —
I made it clear to all our potential investors and/or heads of media companies, the vast majority of whom were fellow Christians, that this was not going to be a family movie. The reason was simple: How do you tell the story of a college kid who flees his Southern Baptist upbringing in suburban Houston to attend the ‘most godless campus in America’ without showing what that environment is like? And how can that environment be portrayed realistically in the context of a ‘family’ movie? Doesn’t have to be rated R, but it’s probably going to be PG-13, right?
– Director Steve Taylor
Blue Like Jazz is a semi-autobiographical look at Donald Miller’s search for life, meaning, and God. I already know the end of the story because I read his books and his blog. While this isn’t a warm fuzzy family movie, it is real and it is a great movie for any of us who have ever searched for answers. Check out the trailer then CLICK HERE FOR TICKET INFORMATION.
This blog post written by Deana O’Hara for Redemption’s Heart. FCC full disclosure requires that I inform you that while no goods or services were received for this recommendation, I am an Associate Producer of Blue Like Jazz. (loosely translated – I and a bunch of other people, invested financially in the production of this film. I will not receive royalties but my name is in the credits and I have a really cool BLJ t-shirt now. I supported the movie because I believe in it. )
Related articles
- Finally! Blue Like Jazz the Movie (emilyjosephine.com)
- Counting Down to “Blue Like Jazz – The Movie” (theycallmekeeks.com)
- Of Mitres and John Coltrane: My Thoughts on Blue Like Jazz (roaringout.wordpress.com)
Fully Alive Coming to a Theater Near You.
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"Fully Alive is the opposite of partly alive and a wonderful alternative to totally dead!" - Ken Davis CLICK PHOTO TO FIND A THEATER NEAR YOU.
Where are you in life right now? Are you Fully Alive or semi-conscious? Or are you where I was nine years ago – mostly dead?
Some of you may wonder, what in heaven’s name would prompt a 46-year-old women to start riding a bicycle, do stand up, audition for movies, and write a book. That’s easy. It isn’t a midlife crisis.
These changes in my life are brought to you by Grief. Failure. and Grace.
Never in my wildest imagination did I think God would have more in store for me than PTA, Bible Study and Carpool. There was a time when my life could be described as super busy and super disconnected, whether I wanted to admit that or not. Fortunately for me, I’ve met wonderful people over the last nine years – Ken Davis is such a person.
I wanted to learn how the be a better teacher and speaker. Pursuant to those goals, I signed up for Ken’s classes on communication and performance management. Through his stories, blogs, and classes he has shared this journey to becoming Fully Alive with all of us, step by step and mile by mile. I received far more than I bargained for when I went to his seminars.
Before she passed away last fall, my friend Tiffany used to say that between her anxiety and control issues, she was pretty much a hot mess of crazy. I can relate. Hanging with comedians has changed me in great ways. Instead of just learning a craft, I’m learning how to lighten up and live Fully Alive. I owe these men and women a lot.
Fully Alive is Ken’s newest comedy DVD. This is a movie you can watch with your friends and family. It is hilarious, inspirational, life changing and not to be missed by anyone.
Edited: April , 2012 – while the Movie Fully Alive was a special showing only on March 22 and 23 – see kendavis.com to find out more about this wonderful DVD.
This post written by Deana O’Hara for Redemption’s Heart. No goods or services were given in exchange for this endorsement. I only share resources I believe my readers will enjoy as much as I do.
Life After Kids, Cowgirls ‘n Angels
One of my biggest fears is having my children grow up, move out and leave me behind. Marriage and parenting can take our all, every day, every week, every year. And then poof, just like that it seems they are grown, gone and testing their wings.
What then?
A lot of women fall apart at this stage in life. So do a lot of marriages.
I made a choice a few years ago. I do not want those things happening to me. I do not want to wake up six months from now without a clue of who I am. Or worse yet – I do not want to wake up six months from now, look at my husband and think “who are you and what are you doing in my bed?”
Just like weening a baby off the breast, I have to ween myself off the “mom roll” and come back to the woman.
It’s not easy to do. Actually it is very painful at times.
It takes soul-searching work, bravery, and conviction.
There is a fun side to testing my own wings and seeing what I’m made of beneath the sweat suit and pony-tail.
One of the fun things is watching this movie trailer and seeing myself in the crowd scenes during the trick riding. – I even got paid to be there when they filmed last summer.
A release date has not yet been set, but I can’t wait to go see it.
Life doesn’t have to end when our kids grow up. We can begin to prepare by getting to know that woman in the mirror again today.
Take some time and get to know her, who knows maybe she’ll surprise you.
Love you guys!
Thankful November: Acting
I wanted to be an actress many moons ago. Unfortunately I look more like Molly Ringwald than Molly Ringwald and couldn’t get cast to save my life.
See what I mean?
They say that possession is 9 tenths of the law. The fact that I had her look before she did is irrelevant. She was already famous. She possessed the coveted contracts with my look before I did. I didn’t get my movie break but I did get a nice head shot for my efforts and I had a lot of fun pursuing a dream.
Life eventually moves on. Business college, careers, love, marriage and children take over. Along the way I spread my creative wings to pick up an acting gig here and there. Nothing spectacular, but enough to keep me satisfied. I am in several corporate training videos from the 1990’s that are as cheesy as training video notoriously are and I’ve done bit sketches and some comedy.
Believe it or not Tulsa is a great place for acting and major motion pictures. Tulsa has a nice midwestern feel that a lot of producers like and so we see movies being shot here rather frequently.
The upside to that, I get work as an extra. Sometimes I’m paid, sometimes not. Even so, it’s creative and fun.
Last summer I got to be in Cowgirls N Angels which comes out next Spring and yesterday I got to film for So This is Christmas which comes out next fall. Both are wonderful movies with not only an excellent cast, but a great message as well.
Acting seems like a strange thing to be thankful for I admit. Being on a sound stage brings my neurosis to a much higher than normal level. Am I dressed right? oh God I brought the wrong clothes. The director hates me. Or does the like me. I can’t tell. Why is he looking at me like that? The lighting guy just smiled at me. What? He’s not the lighting guy — he was standing a ladder – oh crap. That’s… never mind.
I am a walking ball of insecurity 24/7.
Acting keeps my right brain alive and allows me to grow as a person. The fact that I get to participate, even slightly, in a dream I laid down years ago is a huge blessing. For that, I’m thankful.
From Clown School Drop out to Major Film Star? News at 11.
What secret dream do you dream when no one is looking?
I dream about juggling and being a clown in the circus. That’s a nice practical dream to have when you are 45 don’t you think? Sometimes, I go into my garage and dig out my old polyester scarves and practice juggling them. Just for fun mind you. When no one is home, I will stand there dropping juggling tossing up my colorful scarves. While I watch them float to the ground, I remember what it is like to dream about running away and joining the circus, . Not just any circus mind you, but THE Ringling Brother’s Barnum and Bailey Circus to be exact. Clown College filled my hopes and dreams for many years. I had the chance to audition for it back in 1988 and I chickened out. True story.
The auditions were a cold call in Chicago. A come as you are – no make up, no costume, no character, just me. I couldn’t do it. I never arrived – I never tried. I failed before I even began.
Deep down in the secret places of my heart I still want to be a clown, just like my hero Emmett Kelly.
Sometimes secret places can be good places and sometimes not. This kind of memory brings joy mixed with regret.
I studied clowning for a short time under a former Ringling Brothers clown named Bonzo – aka Barry DeChant – he’s long retired by now I’m sure. Barry worked with our class of wannabes and did his best to teach everyone every secret he knew. I would hang on to every word he said and would try to master every last stance, grin, guffaw, and stunt right up until he taught us how to juggle.
Did I tell you I’m dyslexic? Dyslexic people should probably not juggle. Just sayin.
They shouldn’t twirl batons either — I did that in Junior high. Everyone would toss their batons up and to the left. Mine would go up and to the right. I took out more basketball players with my baton during half time than the cheerleaders did all season.
juggling was no different.
Toss Toss Catch Catch became Toss Toss deargodrun!
The class excelled and Barry gave me scarves proclaiming proudly I couldn’t possible hurt anyone with those — he would have been right too, if he hadn’t stuck me next to the flame thrower for our final show. Good thing those flames weren’t real or that would have been really ugly.
I’m too old for clown college but I’m not too old for second chances. I’ve MCed various fundraiser events for several years. I’ve performed comedy during open mic nights and in churches. I even tried to perform at a Christian Comedy Association conference last year for their open mic night — I suffered severe stage fright, but I did it. I’ve traveled and taken classes on speaking and teaching and performing. I’ve narrowed my focus from speaking and teaching to mostly comedy and I have no regrets. I’m actually pretty funny in case you were wondering.
I don’t want to wake up 20 years from now and find myself in my garage with my microphone tossing out jokes to an invisible audience.
I have an audition today – with a major motion picture filming director. It’s an open call, come as you are, no character, no costume, no experience necessary — it’s just like the one I ran away from in ’88. Only this time, I’m gonna be there.
Wish me luck.
Deana O'Hara - Speaker, Comedian, Writer 