On January 6, 2015, I braved the first snowy morning in New York to attend a special viewing of Paddington Bear and a Q&A with the star Nicole Kidman
Before reviewing the movie we were treated to a Q&A with Nicole Kidman. Nicole looked wonderful in person, she was funny, and looked wonderful. She shared with us that she loves to read to her younger children and that her husband, singer Keith Urban is disgusted with princess books. She told us that she takes on roles that allow her to take her children with her and at 47 wants to be there for them. Her go to meal to make for them is pasta. It was a wonderful time
The movie is adapted from the 1958 book by Michael Bond, it is about a small bear that has a red hat and duffel coat and a love for marmalade sandwiches. This book has brought generations of British children happiness.
The film opens with a clever scene in which as an explorer ventures to darkest Peru, encountering a rare family of bears, helping to teach them English, and giving them a taste for marmalade sandwiches before returning to London, telling them they’ll always have a warm welcome if they ever come to visit. Years later, a young bear lives a life of bliss with his Aunt Lucy and Uncle Pastuzo, but when an earthquake destroys their home and causes tragedy our hero sets off after a new home, and the promised warm welcome, in London.
But initially, it isn’t there: London’s modern-day commuters ignore the little bear as he sits in the station, Paddington, which gives him his name. Even the Brown family pass him by initially, the father initially warn that the refugee is “probably trying to sell something.” But his wife gives the bear a chance, and he soon joins children Jonathan and Judy, plus elderly housekeeper Mrs. Bird at home at least for the night, with Mr. Brown hoping to reunite him with the explorer and get him out of their hair. But mad taxidermist Millicent has other plans: she wants to kill and stuff the bear for her collection.
It then becomes a race to find the explorer that Paddington came to find and to find him a home. I really enjoyed the movie, and loved the undertone that sometimes families are made up of different types of individuals but that is what makes families unique and great.
I really enjoyed the movie especially after reading the book as a child.
Paddington open in theaters nationwide on Friday, January 16, 2015, go see it with the whole family
Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post, but did attend a complimentary screening from The Moms/Mamarazzi; however all opinions expressed here are my own.
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