Watching Lately

As you may know, Dane and I spend a lot of time on planes. This also means that when we are actually at home, we tend to stay AT HOME and just relax. All of that to say – we’ve had an influx of time recently to watch quite a few different movies and shows. Today I’m sharing what we’ve been watching lately (SPOILER ALERT: A lot of documentaries) and what we’ve loved and what maybe missed the mark. Let’s do this…

Watching Lately

A Simple Favor – Dane and I both had super high hopes for this movie. Honestly, I was just excited about Blake Lively, but it fell flat in so many ways. I really loved it, probably until around the middle of the movie, but then it kind of went to predictable and poor acting. Anyone else who read the book feel this way? 2.5/5 RATING

A Million Little Things – Where do I begin? This show had come recommended to both of us and we decided to sit down and watch the pilot once we got home from our Christmas trip. WE BINGED 10 EPISODES IN TWO DAYS. You guys, this show makes me laugh, it makes me cry and no – it’s not ‘This Is Us’. UNPOPULAR OPINION: For a long time I felt weird not liking ‘This Is Us’, but to be fair, it’s because I couldn’t really relate to much of it for whatever reason. ‘A Million Little Things’ dives into mental health in a big way and the complexities of the plot speak to both Dane and myself in ways that a prime time show hasn’t in a really long time! 5/5 RATING (I am DYING for more episodes)

Peppermint – Dane’s dad picked this movie while we were home for Christmas for us to watch one night and I didn’t really know what to expect, beside the fact that I really like Jennifer Garner. First of all – you need to know that this movie is violent and graphic in certain parts, but I really enjoyed it. Though slightly predictable, I liked the plot and I thought the acting was well done, particularly the little daughter! Also, I got done watching this movie wanting to take a kickboxing class, LOL! 4/5 RATING

RBG – This documentary stood out to me on Delta’s in-flight movie section and I couldn’t wait to dive in. It’s a documentary on famed (and now notorious, ha) Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I found the entire thing fascinating and I also learned a good bit about Ruth, her childhood and just how she got to where she is now. Talk about a huge inspiration! I was pleasantly surprised to find myself both laughing and tearing up throughout and especially loved the segment about her various collars. It’s a good watch for anyone, but particularly those who are keyed into politics and law. 4.5/5 RATING

Crazy Rich Asians – Dane and I watched this in the theater when it first came out and absolutely loved it, but I watched it again on one of our recent flights and I just have to say – I haven’t loved a movie this much since ‘The Greatest Showman’. Seriously – aside from all the amazing talent and all-star cast, the storyline just sucked me in and I got lost in a sea of luxury living…FOR REAL! I didn’t read the book trilogy, but now that I know all 3 will be movies, I’m majorly tempted. This is a great watch and I definitely recommend it. 5/5 RATING

Perfect Bid – Another documentary that stood out to me in-flight was this one on the first man to ever beat the popular game show ‘The Price Is Right’. I don’t know why this spoke to me, but maybe because I used to binge that show as a kid when I stayed home from school. I loved Bob Barker! Anyway – this fascinated me, because it’s a skill I would never excel at — think spreadsheets, memorization and math. That said, it was really interesting to see how Ted Slauson beat the popular game…and left producers pissed. 3/5 RATING

Whitney – Okay so as you might have guessed based solely on this list, documentaries speak to me. Whitney chronicles the life and ultimate death of Whitney Houston through the perspective of those closest to her – mother, siblings and various close friends. Bottom line: It’s heartbreaking. You get to see Whitney at various stages of her life, including the very beginning when she was a vibrant teen belting songs in her church. It left me feeling really sad, if I’m being honest, because it doesn’t seem like we have talent like this anymore. I also think the documentary spends almost no time on her death (maybe 3 minutes at the end). 3/5 RATING

Won’t You Be My Neighbor – Dane wasn’t sure about this pick, but who doesn’t love Mister Rogers?! This one is pretty straightforward – it talks about Fred Rogers, his life (both professional and personal) and how the show, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, came to be. If you ever watched the show, you will be impressed by just how little the set is (at least I was) and just how FREAKING AMAZING Fred was. That’s all I’ll say, but pack the tissues for this one, too. 4/5 RATING

Pick Of The Litter – I saved this one for last, because it was my favorite. Surprise, Surprise — ANOTHER DOCUMENTARY! To be clear – I cried the entire way through this documentary. It follows a little of 5 puppies born to participate in the Guide Dogs For The Blind program. They go from birth, to initial training, guide dog training and matching. It tells their story from the perspective of the puppy handlers, raisers and eventual matches. If you love dogs, this is a good pick, just make sure  you have tissues. 5/5 RATING

What have you been watching lately? Any favorites? Let me know so I can add it to my list!