Faith Looks Up

"Sorry looks back, Worry looks around, Faith looks up!" - Unknown

Henry Ford Museum

We got up at about 8:30 a.m. and went downstairs for the complimentary breakfast. We checked out of the Comfort Inn and drove over to the Henry Ford Museum. They had an outdoor display for the Ford Rouge Tour where they make the Ford F-150 pick-up trucks. We started walking through the museum at a little after 10:00 a.m. and the first stop was "Rock Stars Cars & Guitars." After we finished looking at the cars and guitars the boys played Guitar Hero II for a little while. We walked through the Your Place In Time Area and went through the Dymaxion House designed by Buckminster Fuller. We walked through the Made in America area and then over to the Heroes of The Sky and saw the historic planes and made paper airplanes. The boys made vehicles and tested them on the ramps and then we looked at all the automobiles, trucks, race cars, trains and horse driven vehicles. We walked past the presidential limousines and Kennedy's Limousine he was shot in and over to the With Liberty And Justice For All Section and saw George Washington's Bed, Abraham Lincoln's Chair he was sitting in when he was shot and the Rosa Parks Bus. On the way out we saw the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile. We left the museum at about 2:30 and headed back to the cottage. We stopped for dinner at Applebee's in Ionia, Michigan on the way back. It was another great day.

http://www.hfmgv.org/museum/default.asp

Obstacles

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals." — Henry Ford

Greenfield Village

We left the cottage in Saugatuck at 6:00 a.m. and drove to Dearborn, Michigan. We stopped at the Comfort Inn in Taylor, Michigan and checked in and got our tickets to Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum. We arrived at Greenfield Village at about 10:00 a.m. and started walking around. When we got through the entrance we went left and visited Railroad Junction first. They have an old railroad roundhouse with a couple of steam engines, a railroad turntable and Smith's Creek Depot. There is an old working steam engine that circles the village. We walked by the working farms, Firestone Station and Farm, William Ford Barn, the wagon shop and carriage barn then into the craftworks area. We saw them make glass vases in the glass shop, the old Stony Creek and Tripp Sawmills, the carding and weaving and pottery shops. The old printing shop and Armington & Sims Machine Shop then we walked pass the Carousel over to the Main Street area and waited for the clock to move at Noon on the Sir John Bennett Sweet Shop. The boys had custards and we sat by the Thomas Edison statue. We then walked over to the Edison at Work area and walked through his laboratories. There was a group of high school teachers that were there for a week and on a private tour that we had a chance to listen in on. We toured the Menlo Park Laboratory and saw how the first phonograph worked and the first light bulbs. After the Edison at Work area we walked through the Ackley Covered Bridge and into the Porches and Parlos Section. We stopped at the Susquehanna Plantation and saw a excellent presentation re-enacted by "slaves." We then toured the Susquehanna Plantation, Plympton Family Home, Daggett Farmhouse, Noah Webster's Home, Robert Frost's Home, Edison's Homestead, Burbank Store, Hermitage Slave Quarters, Mattox Family Home, William Holmes McGuffey's Home, George Washington Carver's Home, Adams and Chapman Family Homes and the Charles Steinmetz Cabin. We finished up on Main Street and saw the Orville and Wilbur Wright's re-enactment of arriving home after their first flight. We walked through the J.R. Jones General Store, Scotch Settlement School, Heinz House, Wright Cycle Shop and Home, The Hearse Shed. We finished up at the Miller School, Model T Loading Dock, Old Ford Motor Company Building and Ford Home. It was a nice cool day and the village was not crowded. We left a little after 4:00 p.m. and drove to Red Lobster for dinner. After dinner we went back to the Comfort Inn and swam in the hotel pool for a little over an hour. We had it to ourselves for most of the time. A great day.

http://www.hfmgv.org/village/default.asp

The Bourne Betrayal

I finished reading "The Bourne Betrayal" by Eric Van Lustbader.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Jason Bourne takes a mission to rescue his only friend in the CIA, Martin Lindros, who disappeared in Africa while tracking shipments of yellowcake uranium. Once safely back in America, Lindros persuades Bourne to help track the money trail of terrorists buying the nuclear material in Odessa. But once there, Bourne is hampered by confusing flashbacks of unfamiliar places and events and he wonders: Is someone brainwashing him in order to throw him off the trail? Worse, is the man he saved in Africa really Martin Lindros? Now, Bourne is alone gathering evidence while trying to stay one step ahead of the terrorists who won't let anyone stand in their way of destroying the U.S.

Knowing Yourself

"Knowing others is wisdom; knowing yourself is enlightenment." — Lao Tzu

Love Is

"Love is, above all, the gift of oneself." — Jean Anouilh

The Best Time

"The best time to do something significant is between yesterday and tomorrow." - Zig Ziglar

What The Cicadas Have Taught Us

10 bits of wisdom

by Tribune restaurant critic Phil Vettel Tribune restaurant critic
Published June 24, 2007

1. Savor every moment. Good times can be farther apart than you know.

2. Whether you consider it clean or dirty, you still don't want to get too close to a dog's mouth.

3. It doesn't matter that you fly badly. Only that you fly.

4. Be patient. Even bottom feeders get their day in the sun.

5. It's amazing how little you really need to throw a good party.

6. Stupidity and ineptitude are not insurmountable when you have numbers on your side.

7. Make all the noise you want, but it's common decency to quiet down during bedtime.

8. Beware excessive pickiness. Spend too much time looking for your perfect match, and life will pass you by.

9. Persistence pays off.

10. It can seem like forever, but 17 years can come and go in a hurry.

Recommended Daily

"People say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing. That's why I recommend it daily." - Zig Ziglar

A Brand New Ending

"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." - Carl Bard

Do Nothing

"How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterward." — Spanish proverb

A Perfect Summer Day

"A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken." - James Dent

Chasing A Dream

"There is not telling how many miles you will have to run while chasing a dream." — Anonymous

Friends With Money

I watched the DVD "Friends With Money" with Jennifer Aniston.

Synopsis

A quartet of lifelong friends have achieved a level of comfort in their lives and have settled into a life of designer clothes, charity events, and caring for the men (and offspring) in their lives. But as they approach 'a certain age,' unsettling things are starting to throw their comfortable lives off balance. There's Olivia (Jennifer Aniston) who, reaching a personal crisis, has quit her teaching job and is now a maid, cleaning houses for a living. She is looking for support fiscal and emotional from her more well-heeled acquaintances and continues her search for a significant other among the slim pickings on offer. Jane and Aaron (Frances McDormand, Simon McBurney) are successful designers whose marriage has reached a pivotal point in which the pair have become oblivious to each other's concerns, and perhaps even to their own natures. Christine and her husband Patrick (Catherine Keener, Jason Isaacs) are a professionally partnered, screenwriting couple whose latest projects co-writing a script and expanding their house raise tensions at home to a new level. Franny and Matt (Joan Cusack, Bob Stephenson) are the independently wealthy ones, raising their two children amidst an abundant lifestyle that calls their united front of a partnership into question.

Money

“Money often costs too much.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Notorious Bettie Page

I watched the DVD "The Notorious Bettie Page."

Synopsis

Bettie Page (Gretchen Mol) started off as a simple, smart, and beautiful country girl in Tennessee. But after a failed marriage and an unsuccessful life, she headed to New York City. Bettie has the goal of being an actress, but soon got work as a model. She started working for private camera clubs, but soon met up with Irving Klaw and his sister Paula. Bettie began doing fetish shots for the pair. Bettie Page soon became one of the most famous models in New York, doing the bondage shots and other cheesecake types of shots. Bettie's career got to a great height, but then controversy struck. The government started investigating the effect of porn on the nation's youth, and Irving was shut down. Bettie quit her career as a model and got married. But after an arguement with her husband, Bettie followed a light to church, and there she discovered the Lord Jesus. She then became a Christian missionary.

Father's Day

We celebrated Father's Day at my sister's and ate a lot of food and watched the exciting end of the U.S. Open and then "Bruce Almighty" on cable.

Most Important Thing A Father Can Do

“The most important thing that a father can do for his children is to love their mother.” - Theodore M. Hesburgh

The Truth

"If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything. " - Mark Twain

Obstacles

“For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way. Something to be got through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.” – Alfred Souza

Dear Frankie

I watched the DVD "Dear Frankie."

Synopsis

To protect her nine-year-old son, Frankie, from the truth, his mom, Lizzie (Emily Mortimer), has invented a story to satisfy Frankie's curiosity. She regularly writes Frankie a letter from his make-believe father who works aboard a make-believe ship traveling to exotic lands. However, Lizzie soon finds out his "father's" ship, (there is an actual ship by her made up name) will be arriving in a few days. Now, Lizzie must choose between telling Frankie the truth and hatching a desperate plan to find the perfect stranger (Gerard Butler) to play the perfect father.

I really enjoyed this movie.

Spare Change

I finished reading the book "Spare Change" by Robert B. Parker.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Boston Private Investigator Sunny Randall joins forces with the most important man in her life, her father, to crack a thirty-year-old case. When a serial murderer dubbed "The Spare Change Killer" by the Boston press surfaces after three decades in hiding, the police immediately seek out the cop, now retired, who headed the original task force: Phil Randall. As a sharp-eyed investigator and a doting parent, Phil calls on his daughter, Sunny, to help catch the criminal who eluded him so many years before. Sunny is certain that she's found her man after interviewing just a handful of suspects. Though she has no evidence against Bob Johnson, she trusts her intuition. And she knows the power she has over him, she can feel the skittishness and sexual tension that he radiates when he's around her, but persuading her father and the rest of the task force is a different story. When the killer strikes a second and third time, the murders take a macabre turn, as the victims each eerily resemble Sunny. While her father pressures her to drop the case, Sunny's need to create a trap to nab her killer grows. In a compelling game of cat-and-mouse, Sunny uses all her skills to draw out her prey, realizing too late that she's setting herself up to become the next victim.

The Patriotic History of the Stars and Stripes

Do You Know the Patriotic History of the Stars and Stripes?
By Steve Coffman

On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed the following resolution:

"Resolved, that the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."

On that historic day, the birth of the flag of the United States of America came into existence and this basic form remains unchanged to the present day. In 1777, Congress had not specified any particular design for the arrangement of the stars and some flags had thirteen stars in a circle. Others had twelve in a circle with the thirteenth in the center. In 1782 the Congress of the confederation reaffirmed the choice of the Continental Congress by stating that our national seal and the flag would remain red, white and blue. The thirteen original states would always be represented by the seven red stripes and the six white ones. However, they left open the question of how the stars on the blue union would be arranged. A deeper meaning was also given to the flag and its design.

In the following years to come, new states were constantly being admitted to the Union and the United States had thirteen national flags between 1817 and 1861. During this period the President usually proclaimed how the stars would be arranged and that all flags stars must be aligned with the presidential proclamation. During the Civil War, with the admission of Kansas and West Virginia we had another two flags. Union troops fought under a 33-star flag during the first three months of the war; a 34-star flag until 1863; and a 35-star flag until the end of the war. Throughout the duration of The Civil War President Lincoln refused to take out the stars of the southern states which had seceded. After the Civil War ended, the nation began to move west. Then Nebraska joined the Union in 1867; followed in 1877 by Colorado; 1890 by North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington and Idaho; 1891 by Wyoming; 1896 by Utah; and 1908 by Oklahoma. During this period of transition in the country, we had six more national flags. The 23rd flag, adopted in 1896, was the flag that we fought under during the Spanish-American War in 1898. In 1912, Arizona and New Mexico were also admitted to the Union and once more the United States needed another new flag. This was the 25th flag, adopted in 1912, and which lasted 47 years until 1959. A total of 47 years this flag version flew over the nation. This flag was also carried to the battlefields of World War I and World War II, as well as the Korean War.

Then in 1959 Alaska was admitted as the 49th state of the Union. The 49-star flag, adopted in 1959, was first raised at 12:01 a.m. on July 4th, 1959, over Ft. McHenry to signal the official admittance of Alaska. This flag lasted only but a short time because on July 4th, 1960, the United States raised the present 50-star flag, signaling the admission of Hawaii as our 50th and last state on March 18, 1959. 48 years the current flag has been waiving over the United State and is now the oldest version in the history of the country. To date, there have been twenty-seven national flags, and every one has flown in glory over this great nation with honor. This flag has endured through many years of hardship and toil. Many patriots have died in honor of its name. It is widely known and respected throughout the world. It is recognized to be the beacon of democracy, freedom, liberty and justice, and it is to this banner the countless millions of people came from all over the world in their personal search for political and religious freedom. Some of today's Americans have come to take for granted the proud Stars and Stripes. Perhaps to some Americans, our flag means nothing more than apple pie and another day off on Fourth of July. Let us never forget that this flag was born of blood and has been preserved by blood. This flag is the symbol of liberty and the great cost of liberty is dear indeed. I pray that God will always bless the Stars and Stripes, and that God will also always bless the United States of America.

Take Good Notes

"When your heart speaks, take good notes." — Judith Campbell

Forgiveness

"Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself." - Suzanne Somers

Big Results

"Big results require big ambitions." - Heraclitus

Get Motivated!

The whole family got up early to drive to Rosemont Allstate Arena for the "Get Motivated!" all day seminar. We picked up Grandma and she came along. We got excellent seats in the "executive" section. We tailgated and ate our lunch in the parking lot with the jets flying over. After the seminar we had pizza at Giordano's. We heard talks from:

Steve Forbes - son of Malcolm Forbes and the editor-in-chief of business magazine Forbes as well as president and chief executive officer of its publisher, Forbes Inc. He was a candidate in the U.S. Presidential primaries in 1996 and 2000. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Forbes

Bryan Flanagan - began his career as a delivery boy for the IBM Corporation in Baton Rouge. He then invested the next 14 years with IBM as a salesman, a "people" manager and a sales instructor at IBM's national training center. In 1984, Bryan Flanagan joined the Zig Ziglar Corporation in Dallas, Texas and for the next 20 years he served clients in a variety of industries ranging from professional services to high tech to pharmaceutical companies. In 2005 he founded Flanagan Training Group. In this capacity he designs and delivers training programs that improve team and individual productivity and growth. http://premierespeakers.com/bryan_flanagan

Dr. Robert Schuller - American televangelist and pastor known around the world through his weekly broadcast The Hour of Power. Strongly influenced by his mentor, Norman Vincent Peale, Schuller has focused in his teaching on the positive aspects of Christianity. Rather than concentrating on condemning people for sin, he encourages Christians (and non-Christians) to achieve great things through God, uplifting theology and positive thinking. Author of numerous Christian and self-help books including Way To The Good Life (1963), Move Ahead With Possibility Thinking (1967), Self-Love (1975), You Can Be The Person You Want To Be (1976), Self-Esteem: The New Reformation (1982), Living Positively One Day At A Time (1986), My Journey: From An Iowa Farm To A Cathedral Of Dreams (2001), Hours of Power (2004) and, most recently, Don't Throw Away Tomorrow (2005).

I have a couple of books autographed by Dr. Robert Schuller.

Phil Town - Investor who borrowed $1,000 and turned it into millions. He is living proof that 15% per year ROI is achievable by small investors who are armed with the right knowledge and tools. His book, Rule #1, was a number one hit on the New York Times best seller list and was Amazon.com's best-selling business book in 2006. He teaches his strategies by addressing live audiences of about a half a million people a year and is also a regular contributor to MSNBC's "Your Business" a weekend morning show.

Peter Lowe - born in Pakistan to missionary parents he grew up in India and later Canada , where he received a bachelor's degree in economics at Carleton University in Ottawa. He is the founding president and CEO of a multi million-dollar organization that is responsible for the largest seminars in the world. His Peter Lowe's Success Seminars attract sellout crowds from coast to coast of the US , with more than a half-million people attending each year. The unique combination of celebrity superstars , business trainers , music , special effects , patriotic spirit and inspirational messages has made Peter Lowe's success Seminars an American phenomenon.

This was the third seminar of his that I have attended.

Zig Ziglar - American author, salesperson, and motivational speaker. Books by Zig Ziglar include: Better Than Good: Creating a Life You Can't Wait to Live - Published in 2006, Confessions of a Grieving Christian - Published in 2004, Selling 101: What Every Successful Sales Professional Needs to Know - Published in 2003, Success for Dummies - Published in 1998, Over The Top - Published in 1997, See You at the Top - First published in 1974
http://ziglar.com/insidehome/

I have a few of his books autographed.

Tom Hopkins - bestselling author of How to Master the Art of Selling, is a world-renowned sales trainer. Over 100,000 people attend his seminars every year, and 1 million more use his training videos.

Lovie Smith - Hired as the 13th head coach in Chicago Bears history. Named the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year for 2005 after becoming the fastest head coach in Bears history to lead the team to a division title, doing so in his second campaign while setting a franchise record for victories by a sophomore head coach with 11. The Coach of the Year Award was the sixth all-time for a Bears head coach, more than any other team in the NFL. Just the third coach in team history to lead the organization to the playoffs in his second season, Smith guided the Bears to their first-ever NFC North Division title in 2005. En route to the team’s second division championship in five seasons, the Bears completed their first season sweep of Green Bay since 1991. The Bears are 3-1 against Green Bay since Smith came to Chicago. Winning just one of their first four games to start the 2005 campaign, Smith rallied the Bears to an 11-5 regular season mark as Chicago became just the twentieth NFL team to qualify for the post-season after beginning the season 1-3 since the current 12-team playoff system was instituted in 1990. The Bears turned their season around as Smith guided the team to eight consecutive mid-season wins, the third-longest win streak in the NFL in 2005 and the longest by Chicago since the 1985 Super Bowl team won 12 straight to begin the season. Smith has successfully laid Chicago’s foundation for success in just two seasons on the job by establishing his cornerstone of aggressive defensive play. During Smith’s first two seasons at the helm, Chicago ranked second in the NFL to the Pittsburgh Steelers having allowed 16.7 points per game and 56 total touchdowns while leading the league during that time by allowing the lowest opponent passer rating, opponent third-down and fourth-down conversion percentage and opponent red zone touchdown percentage in the league. The Bears also ranked sixth in the NFL during 2004-05 with 63 takeaways while scoring a league-high 10 touchdowns via defensive return – including nine interception return touchdowns – with a franchise-record six coming in 2004. Allowing the fewest points in the NFL in 2005, Chicago led the NFL in total defense for eight weeks during the regular season before finishing second, the team’s first top-five finish in overall defense since 1993. Smith came to Chicago with the reputation for being proficient at instituting positive change after he engineered a dramatic turnaround as the defensive coordinator of the Rams from 2001 through 2003. Known for his acumen in teaching and motivating young talent, Smith took on the added responsibility of Assistant Head Coach with the Rams prior to the 2003 season. Overall, Smith has spent 23 years in coaching at the collegiate and professional levels. He began his coaching career at his hometown high school, Big Sandy High School, in 1980 before moving to Cascia Hall Prep in Tulsa the following year. Two years later, Smith made the jump to the college ranks at his alma mater of Tulsa as linebackers coach, where he stayed through 1986. Smith moved on to coach linebackers at Wisconsin (1987), Arizona State (1988-91), and Kentucky (1992). Smith was the defensive backs coach at Tennessee (1993-94) and Ohio State (1995). A native of Big Sandy, Texas, Smith led the Big Sandy Wildcats to three consecutive state championships in high school and was all-state three years as an end and linebacker. Smith was a two-time all-America and three-time all-Missouri Conference defensive back at Tulsa. Lovie and his wife, MaryAnne, have three sons, Mikal, Matthew, and Miles, and twin grandsons, Malachi and Noah. Lovie is very active in the community and gives much of his time to helping the American Diabetes Association – a foundation near to his heart since his mother suffers from Type-2 diabetes. Smith purchases 10 tickets for every home game as part of the Bears ticket exchange program and donates them to children suffering from diabetes.

Colin Powell - American military leader and statesman and the first African-American to be confirmed as United States Secretary of State (2001-05) under President George W. Bush, Powell became the highest ranking African American government official in the history of the United States. Upon his appointment as Secretary of State, Powell became the highest-ranking person of African descent in the executive branch and the federal government, and prior to that, was the highest-ranking person of African descent in the military. As a General in the United States Army, Powell also served as National Security Advisor (1987–1989) and as Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989–1993), holding the latter position during the Gulf War. He was the first and (to date) only African American to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Powell

Optimism

"Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier." - Colin Powell

Survival Kit

"Every survival kit should include a sense of humor." — Author Unknown

The Weatherman

I watched the DVD "The Weatherman" filmed in Chicago with Nicholas Cage.

Synopsis

Popular Chicago weatherman Dave Spritz (Nicolas Cage) has a shot at the big time when a national morning television show "Hello America" calls him for an audition. Professionally, Dave is on the top of the world, but his personal life is in complete disarray. His painful divorce, his dad's illness and trouble with his kids have him poised on the knife's edge between stability and disaster. The harder he tries to control events, the more he finds life, like the weather, is completely unpredictable.

Won Tickets to Knocked Up

I won a pair of passes to the advanced screening of "Knocked Up" from the radio station WLUP, Thursday May 31st at AMC Pipers Alley Theatres in Chicago starting at 7:00pm.

I didn't check my e-mail until the weekend and missed the screening. Darn it.

Bad Luck And Trouble

I finished reading "Bad Luck And Trouble" by Lee Child. I've read all of his books so far.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Now on his own for 10 years, Reacher has an ATM card and the clothes on his back - no phone, no ties, and no address—he's a hard man to find. A loner, comfortable in his anonymity and solitude. Performing the impossible isn't so difficult for Frances Neagley, who manages to locate Reacher by using a signal only the eight members of their elite team of army investigators would know. She tells Reacher a harrowing story about the brutal death of a one of their own. Soon they reunite with the survivors of their old team and race to raise the living, bury the dead, and connect the dots in a mystery that grows more opaque with every new piece of information. With lives at stake, the team falls back together with apparent ease; their motto still holding true: You do not mess with the Special Investigators.

Normal

"Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it." – Ellen DeGeneres

To Receive Everything

“To receive everything, one must open one’s hands and give.” - Taisen Deshimaru

Responsible

"If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month." - Theodore Roosevelt

Fast Food Nation

I watched the DVD "Fast Food Nation."

Synopsis

Don Henderson (Greg Kinnear) a marketing executive at Mickey's Fast Food Restaurant chain, home of "The Big One" has a problem. Contaminated meat is getting into the frozen patties of the company's best-selling burger. To find out why, he'll have to take a journey to the dark side of the All-American meal. Leaving the cushy confines of the company's Southern California boardroom for the immigrant-staffed slaughterhouses, teeming feedlots and cookie cutter strip malls of Middle America, what Don discovers is a "Fast Food Nation" of consumers who haven't realized it is they who are being consumed by an industry with a seemingly endless appetite for fresh meat.

The World Is A Great Book

"The world is a great book; he who never stirs from home, reads only a page." - Saint Augustine

Graduation Party

We had the combined 8th grade graduation party for my youngest son and my niece, Nora at our house. Over 65 people came and the weather was great. It was suppose to rain and it didn't.
We made Italian beef and the rest of the food was catered. He got a new electric guitar from his Uncle Art and we gave him a cell phone. His close friends stayed until 10:30 pm. It turned out to be a great party and no cicadas.

Take Care Of The Minutes

"I recommend to you to take care of the minutes, for hours will take care of themselves." - Philip Dormer Stanhope

Friends

"I am thankful for the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends." - Nancie J. Carmody

What's Eating Gilbert Grape

I watched the DVD "What's Eating Gilbert Grape."

Synopsis

Set among the fictional working class one street town Endora and centered around the Grape family Ellen and Amy and two brothers Arnie and Gilbert along with their morbidly obese widowed mother Bonnie Grape are striving to survive and coexist with the absence of a father figure, low wage work and seventeen-year-old Arnie's severe mental condition. Gilbert (Johnny Depp) has to constantly take care of his younger brother, Arnie played to such depth and conviction by a very young Leonardo DiCaprio. Gilbert's life, his future, is thwarted and he knows this, but his love and bond for Arnie cannot, and will not, be let go. That is until the free spirit of Becky (Juliette Lewis) arrives in town, and with her grandmother are stranded for the week while waiting for parts for their vehicle.

It was a touching movie and makes you wonder about people out there living like this. Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp are so young.