JAG: Each of Us Angels

I have decided to start doing TV posts along with my movie reviews because I am very knowledgeable with TV. For the most part I watch a lot more TV shows than I do movies, and wanted to write about episodes that speak to me, or that need to be written about because they're so good.

Since JAG is a military show, there are episodes that pay tribute to past wars. This particular episode, "Each of Us Angels", does just that by honoring the Navy Nurses during World War II. The episode is told through flashbacks to the time of The Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945. Taking place on a ship offshore, the story is shared by an elderly man to a young girl.




The Navy Nurses would fall for the soldiers that were brought in, and the man whose name is Ron Graham (David James Elliott plays young Lt. Graham) goes to the Arlington National Cemetery to put flowers on the grave of the Nurse who he fell in love with. He sees this young girl there and shows her a picture of the nurses, and that’s when he tells her the story. Ens. Beverly Tromatore (the woman that Ron falls for) takes a particular interest in Ron. She talks to him and tells him to wake up…

When he does, he remembers her. One of the men that was part of his group was severely burned, and ends up dying. Ron feels like he will lose whoever he cares about or tries to protect, which is why he’s hesitant (at first) to be with Beverly. She basically tells him that she is her own person, and doesn't need him to carry her because, as she tells him: "I don't need you to carry me. I can walk with you." Leading into a Luciano De Crescenzo quote that the title of the episode comes from. “We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another.” After Beverly says that quote to Ron, he takes a chance and they kiss.

Then, all of a sudden, a plane crashes right into the deck. They scramble to get people to safety, and while Beverly is turning off the oxygen tanks, a shelf falls on her and she doesn't make it. I think they really captured the essence of war and loss during the time. He is happy that he knew her for the short period that he did, and still comes and pays his respects every year because she meant so much to him. Then his grandaughter comes to the cemetery. She tells the girl who heard the story that she is going to be a military nurse as well.

I am glad that they were able to pay tribute the way that they did for those nurses who were dedicated to saving lives, and being there for the soldiers as well.

Lincoln

So yesterday I went to see Lincoln. I wanted to see it because Abraham Lincoln was one of my favorite presidents and because it was directed by Steven Spielberg. I thought it was very interesting, the beginning of it was a little slow, but it keep my interest the whole time. It just cemented my love for this man even more. He was so kind and cared about people, that's why he wanted to end slavery. It was nice to see that he was able to accomplish ending slavery and ending the Civil War before his life ended. I think he consider his life lived. "It's not the years in your life that matter, it's the life in your years." :) 

It was nice to see some familiar faces in the film, like Sally Field, who I think gave a really amazing performance (like she always does) as Mary Todd Lincoln. I didn't really know that much about her, so a lot of the things regarding her were new to me. Based off that, I don't know how much of it was accurate, i'm sure that they had a good relationship, but the heartache of losing her son took it's toll on her mentally. When the argument happened, you heard how Lincoln felt. He just hid it and he was also devastated too, but dealt with it differently than Mary did.

The two men that were talking to the Dems were pretty funny, although I didn't like the use of their language all that much. It was cool to see Bruce McGill (since I know him from MacGyver) in a role like this. Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens was great. I don't remember much about Thaddeus Stevens from my history classes, but he was portrayed in a great way here. 

I know there were some things that weren't the most accurate, such as having the 13th Amendment be the thing that helps end the Civil War. It was part of it, but it wasn't what ulitmately ended it. It also seems like Steven Spielberg's favorite curse word to use in his movies is God with the D word. It was said more than any other curse word in the film. I think the F word was said a few times too. Can't you just say "Damn" and not make it against God. Sorry, i'm going off on a rant now. I just don't feel like it's necessary. Anyway, I enjoyed the movie and even though it might not have been completely accurate with some things (it is a movie after all) it still showed who Lincoln really was and I loved his insight on life and of course his speeches. :) He was a truly beautiful human being. Overall rating: 4 out of 5. :) 

TV Show Post: Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman

Well i've made some changes to my blog. I want to make it look vintage because I plan to use it for Classic related musings, like classic tv and movies and birthdays of my favorite stars. :)

Anyway, I've been consumed in tv shows as of late. Some new and some old, mostly older shows though (if 90s is considered old lol) my main favorite right now is Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman which stars Jane Seymour and Joe Lando.

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman

1993-1998

For those who haven't seen it, it is set in the 19th century and Dr. Michaela Quinn is a woman who grew up in Boston working with her father who was also a doctor, well she reads an advertisement in the paper asking for a new doctor in Colorado Springs, Colorado. So she packs up her things and goes to Colorado to start a new life on the frontier. 

Well a woman doctor just wasn't heard of in the pioneer days and when she goes to talk to the Reverend he says that he was expecting a man and that her name was Michael. She put an "A" at the end of her name, but they thought it was a middle inital. Anyway, the town is not very accepting and it takes her a while to gain their trust. 

There's really only a few people who do believe in her and that's Charlotte Cooper who runs the boarding house (which becomes the clinic) and befriends Michaela. Well she needs a place to stay so she puts up an add in the General Store that says permanent lodgings and Sully who is a moutain man and was taken in by the Cheyenne Indians, has an old homestead that he's not using, so he answers the ad and let's Michaela stay in it. It belonged to Sully and his wife Abigail (who is the daughter of Loren Bray who runs the store in town) Abigail died and so Sully has been on his own.

Well, Michaela moves in and continues to work in the town and still isn't accepted except by Sully and Mrs. Cooper, eventually Charlotte gets bit by a rattlesnake and Michaela can't save her in time and she dies, but before she passes away, she wants Michaela to promise that she will take care of her three kids; Matthew, Colleen and Brian. Michaela says she doesn't know anything about being a mother, all she really knows is how to be a doctor, but she promises Charlotte, so she takes on the responsibility of taking care of the children, which as she says in voiceover "...may be her biggest challenge of all." 

So, she is the kids' mother now and they aren't that keen on the idea at first. One day Michaela and the children are at Loren's store and Brian breaks something and Michaela gets angry with him. Well he ends up running away to go be with the Indians (he already looked up to Sully) and so Michaela goes to Sully and the  Indians for help in finding him. She didn't really know much about Sully, but she trusted him and most people were against the Indians, but she became a friend to them and looked up to them for natural remedies that were used to help people's illnesses. Cloud Dancing was the one that she got that knowledge from, he was one of the heads of the Cheyenne. They give her her Indian name, "Medicine Woman" :)

As the show goes on, Sully and Michaela grow closer as friends and eventually become a couple, I love the build-up to it though, it's really beautiful. I mean here we have these two completely different people, Michaela is used to being on her own, not being very social, just so absorbed in medical books and being a doctor, and Sully is this mountain man who married the General Store owner's daughter. Well Loren didn't approve of them and they went off and got married. Abigail and their baby died and Sully went off into the woods to grieve and was taken in by the Cheyenne. 

When they finally do become a couple, Michaela is really nervous to be alone with him because she's never really been with a man that way before. Yes she did have a fiance back in Boston named David, but he was presumed dead in the Civil War and they courted, but they were both Doctors so that was what they really did together, they didn't do a lot of "physical" stuff so when Sully wanted to "touch and kiss" it was frightening for Michaela. 

What became of them was what is considered one of the greatest romances in TV. :) 

They have become one of my favorite couples and believe, that's a big deal since I like so many couples from TV shows. They story makes me want to cry it's so beautiful and Sully is the most amazing man you could ever want to have. They make me laugh, cry and most of all, they make me happy. <3 

I didn't realize this post is as long as it is. I was just telling about the show and it became this long thing. Basically everyone that loves classic tv just needs to watch this show. If you like history, specifically the 19th Century, then this is a show for you. It's so authentic which I love and that's definitely something you want when it's taking about the history of america.