What We're Watching: Jan

Coco Before Chanel
Starring Audrey Tautou, Benoit Poelvoorde, and Alessandro Nivola. Directed by Anne Fontaine.


This is the story of the legendary fashion designer Coco Chanel before her rise to fame and fortune. Her childhood was a struggle. Coco and her sister were put into an orphanage by their father after the death of their mother. She learned to sew at an early age and that skill, along with a discerning eye, led to her lifelong work. Her early years included tumultuous and passionate relationships with men. These wealthy men also helped Chanel in her fashion ventures - from hat-maker to creator of the collarless Chanel suit, the "little black dress", and Chanel No. 5.

Audrey Tautou (from The Da Vinci Code) gives an expressive performance. We can feel her: she is wounded from her early abandonment and poverty, is rebellious and sure of herself in her sense of style and finally vulnerable in allowing herself to love. The other performances in the film are riveting as well. The scenery and costumes of France in the early 1900s are beautiful. The movie is in French with English subtitles.

The movie familiarizes the viewer with the harsh background of a sophisticated style icon in history and in doing so takes us to a world we could never know - like movies often do.

What We're Reading: Jan

Little Big Minds: Sharing Philosophy with Kids by Marietta McCarty

The subject of philosophy is intriguing and challenging at any age. The aim of this title, according to the author, is to acquaint children with the topic while they have a natural curiosity about the world and not the adult baggage that comes later in life. Specific themes are covered in the book such as happiness, responsibility, death, nature, and friendship. These themes are explored in conjunction with philosophy and philosophers in a way that encourages kids to express their ideas while learning the basics of the subject. Being a educator, the author includes discussion questions and exercises, tips for integrating the arts and creativity into the the concept and helpful resources. The teachings of Socrates to Sartre, from Martin Luther King, Jr. to the Dalai Lama can encourage dialogue between children and with adults including teachers, parents, grandparents, and daycare providers.

What We're Reading: Jan

They Made America: From the Steam Engine to the Search Engine: Two Centuries of Innovators by Harold Evans

If you are intrigued by entrepreneurship, rags-to-riches stories or "how did they think of that?," this book is for you. Sir Harold Evans, the famed British journalist, has always been in awe of American innovation - from the first steps of the settlers dealing with the tribulations of the new world to today's Internet whizzes dealing with the world of computer technology. He believes new ideas have furthered equality in our society: Singer's sewing machine was welcomed in affluent parlors and tenement kitchens, Ford put much of the country on wheels, and Google heads Page and Brin improved access to information for everyone. It's an enjoyable read, and exciting too, as you see how these innovations changed lives. Business people and historians might particularly like it but all of us have benefited from these ideas at one point or another. They Made America is also a PBS program on DVD. It would make a great holiday gift!

A Short History of Film by Wheeler Winston Dixon and Gwendolyn Audrey Foster

Have you ever wondered how and where movie making got its start? This title is an enjoyable and readable trip through American and foreign film history for "movie-lovers" and "movie-learners" alike. Directors, actors, genres and more are covered from the 1880s to the present. A timeline is included that puts filmmaking in a historical context and the essays show how social events influenced the movies and how the movies influenced society. More than 240 photos and illustrations highlight the text. There is an extensive bibliography in case you'd like to read more about film noir or Frankenstein or other topics. Overall, the book is a concise and entertaining history of the movies that delight and enlighten us all.