Ricki And The Flash Movie Review Opens Today in Theaters Nationwide Starring Meryl Streep

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#RickiAndTheFlash

Themes of family dysfunction, forgiveness and acceptance in relationships and rock and roll music collide and intertwine to great effect in the new movie Ricki and The Flash opening in theaters today. The film, which falls into the comedy, drama and music genres, stars Meryl Streep (who though turning 66 in June still looks amazing) playing Ricki, an aging rock star lead singer and guitarist opposite real-life child Mamie Gummer as her distraught on-screen daughter Julie. 

If you watch the trailer prior to seeing this picture on the big screen it's easy to assume that this is just going to be another light-hearted chick flick about a mother-daughter relationship transformation that happens to star one of the greatest actresses of all time who might sing a song or two because she's so multi-talented. True one of the multiple storylines is about a mother and daughter reconnecting. But you'd be wrong to stop there because this film is so much more, both on the dramatic and musical sides.



Shortly after the story opens Ricki, who years ago deserted her hubbie Pete (Kevin Kline who last played opposite Streep in Sophie's Choice) and their three young kids to pursue her dream to become a rock singer in California, returns home. She's come back to try and make up for lost time by supporting now grownup daughter Julie who is in the throes of great pain after her husband has left her. 

Leaving her own rocky relationship with bandmate and boyfriend Greg (real life rock star Rick Springfield) behind, she heads home to the Midwest only to walk into a hornet's nest of resentment and friction from a host of family members who include not only her daughter but her two sons (one engaged to be married, one who just came out as gay), ex-husband and stepmother of her children as well.

Streep, queen of character development, is at her best in this highly entertaining movie where musical lyrics don't just serve as a backdrop, they collectively represent their own parallel storyline as she comes home to face the music of her long-lost family life. 

Watching the multiple Academy Award winner in character singing and dancing with her rock band Ricki and The Flash will make you smile and if you're like me you might get lost in her astonishing performances throughout the movie, tapping your foot to the music. In fact, as a singer actress in this film, she is beyond amazing, actually singing 10 of the 14 songs on the Ricki and The Flash soundtrack that is now available on iTunes.

Going into opening weekend, critics are already raving about this movie. That's no surprise considering that in Ricki and The Flash Streep is equally in her element whether delivering her lines in emotional or comedic family dramatic scenes or rocking, singing and dancing on stage with her band. It's a really good thing this movie gives just about the same airtime to all the dysfunctional family drama and comedy as it does to Streep's energetic and rocking musical performances, delivering the best of both worlds to the audience. 

Those of you who are Baby Boomers like I am are going to feel like you're back in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s because this picture features some of the hottest hits of those iconic decades originally recorded by artists like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Edgar Winter, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs and others.

About Ricki and The Flash
Ricki and The Flash,  from Sony Pictures Entertainment, is directed by Oscar-winning Jonathan Demme and written by Academy Award winner Diablo Cody. Stars include Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Mamie Gummer, Rick Springfield and others. Released on Friday, August 7, the film is now showing in theaters nationwide. Learn more about the movie by visiting Twitter, Facebook or Sony's official Ricki and The Flash site.

FTC Disclosure: Images provided by Sony Pictures. MommyBlogExpert was invited by Sony to a media screening of Ricki and The Flash prior to release but no payment or other compensation associated with this particular post was received. See complete FTC disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.

Giveaway Far From the Madding Crowd Bluray + Digital HD Giveaway

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Read MBE's Far from the Madding Crowd Movie Review

If you always wanted to know what it is like to live on a Victorian era farm, experience sheep herding, or just simply love a good romantic drama you are likely to enjoy Far From the Madding Crowd as much as I did. Don't miss MBE's review to learn more about this fabulous historical period film about an independent young woman named Bathsheba who has three very different suitors: a farmer, a soldier and an older wealthy man. Just released on Bluray and DVD on August 4th you are also invited to enter below to win your own copy of this movie, based on the classic novel of the same name by Thomas Hardy. 

Far From the Madding Crowd, from Fox Searchlight Pictures, includes English, Spanish and French subtitles and has an approximate run time of 197 minutes (Blu-ray) and 136 minutes (DVD). Depending on whether you select the Blu-ray or DVD, special features may include deleted scenes and an extended ending and extras such as Adapting Far from the Madding Crowd, Bathsheba Everdene, The Suitors and more.  Available now on Bluray + Digital HD for $29.99 and on DVD for $19.99 list. 

Far From the Madding Crowd

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Movie Giveaway

Ends 9/8/15

MommyBlogExpert's Far From the Madding Crowd Bluray + Digital HD Giveaway ends September 8, 2015 at 12 am PT and is open to legal residents of the U.S. only. Fox Home Entertainment will award ONE (1) Far From the Madding Crowd Blu-ray + Digital HD ARV $29.99 to winner. Winner of this MBE contest will be selected at random from all entries and will be notified via email and must respond within 24 hours to claim their prize.

To learn more about Far from the Madding Crowd, read the review. You can also keep up to date on everything else Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is doing by visiting Foxconnect.com and following the movie studio on Facebook and Twitter.

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FTC Disclosure: In connection with this #FarFromTheMaddingCrowd post series, I disclose that I am a Fox Home Entertainment Insider #FHEInsiders brand ambassador. In addition, to facilitate this giveaway and the associated film review, I received travel compensation and other farm and movie-related items. Fox is also supplying the prize and shipping for this giveaway. However opinions here are my own. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.

Far From The Madding Crowd Movie Review

Movies

MBE's Far From the Madding Crowd Movie Giveaway

Organic Farm Tour Celebrates Bluray

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go back in time to live and work on a Victorian era farm like in the movie Far from the Madding Crowd which was just released on Blu-ray and DVD? Thanks to an adventure made possible by Fox Studios yesterday I joined a handful of mom lifestyle influencers including Real Mom of SFV, One Sleepy Mommy, Mom Me Must Haves and their kids -- along with a some others -- to do just that at Apricot Lane Farms in rural Moorpark, California about an hour and a half drive from Los Angeles.

MBE was hosted by Fox and Apricot Farm for this story

The romantic drama Far from the Madding Crowd, based on the literary classic of the same name by Thomas Hardy is the story of a young country girl named Bathsheba played brilliantly by British actress Carey Mulligan who was nominated for an Oscar for An Education who inherits her uncle's farm. This is in Victorian times, remember, when a woman inheriting anything of much value was almost never heard of.

As the story progresses, this uber confident and independent young lady encounters three love interests widely varying in social status as morning, noon and night. With the backdrop of nature to set the tone, her admirers include a down-to-earth sheep farmer (Matthias Schoenaerts), a handsome military officer (Tom Sturridge) and a very rich older bachelor (Michael Sheen).

Filmed on location in the English countryside, the setting's landscape -- replete with natural rolling hills and sheep and other farm animals -- plays as critical a role as do the storyline, costumes and characters. So it couldn't have been more perfect that Fox transported our group to what was dubbed "A Day in the Life of Bathsheba" to give us the opportunity to experience first-hand what her life must have been like.

Following a picnic lunch next to the Garden Barn, Farmer John Chester welcomed us to Apricot Lane Farms, the old-fashioned working farm he and is wife Molly established in 2011. It's important to note John is not only creating a beautiful pesticide-free sustainable organic farm here, he is also realizing his dream as an award-winning documentary filmmaker capturing life on the farm with his work appearing on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday on OWN.

Then we were off with John and some of his staff of 40 farm hands to explore the biodynamic pastoral 210 acre spread rich with an eco-friendly man-made lake, orchards, crops, flowers, bees, and farm animals. The first stop was to see where the free range chickens live and to gather some freshy laid eggs from the beautiful and docile hens.

After a short 10-minute walk up a steep dirt path we paused for a moment to catch our breaths as we looked out over the view of rolling hills and neatly lined rows of fruit trees dotting the landscape below. We learned that the lush vegetation exists thanks to the farm's good to the earth practice of allowing the grass to grow naturally around the trunks of the trees to trap moisture below the surface. 

Compared to a typical modern farm that does not protect the ground from erosion and sun exposure, Apricot Lane Farms has reduced its water consumption by more than 30% -- that's really to be lauded considering that California is currently in the midst of severe drought. This is the same way farmers did it back in the day before modern sprinkler systems and drip irrigation were invented.

The next stop was a highlight for all of us. We got to get up close and meet Emma, the mommy pig, and her 11 darling little red month-old piglets including the runt of the litter named Thumbelina. What an awesome moment it was to see this 600-pounder gently nurse her babies and how careful she was not to accidentally lie on top of them while they were drinking her milk. Emma, BTW, is quite a celebrity around here having been featured in one of Farmer John's touching and beautiful farm shorts Saving Emma.

John practically had to drag us away from the cute piggies to show us the rest of the farm. Next up we made an unplanned surprise stop at the stables where everyone got to hold and cuddle some baby chicks. The look on this little girl's face captures the moment perfectly.

  

Our journey back in time culminated with a demonstration of how age-old techniques are still used to herd sheep on this farm. With the help of white protective Bernese Mountain Dogs which blend in with the flock and keep away the coyotes, we watched as the sheep were moved into a new pasture thus preventing the grass in the previous field from being overgrazed. Prompted by John on horseback and a few shepherds on the ground, seeing the flock move as a group was both fluid and beautiful. In fact it is reminiscent of what you can expect to see when you watch Far From the Madding Crowd.

Want a little romance in your life as summer begins to wind down? You can journey back in time and relive the Victorian age, by watching the new movie which is now widely available in-store and online on Blu-ray + Digital HD or DVD. Readers note: don't leave this page before you enter the giveaway to win this wonderful picture.

You can keep up to date on everything else Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is doing by visiting FoxConnect.com and following the movie studio on Facebook and Twitter.

About Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is the industry leading worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox produced, acquired and third party partner film and television programming. Each year TCFHE expands its award-winning global product portfolio with the introduction of new entertainment content through established and emerging formats including DVD, Blu-ray and Digital HD. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is a subsidiary of 21st Century Fox.

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FTC Disclosure: In connection with this #FarFromTheMaddingCrowd post series, I disclose that I am a Fox Home Entertainment Insider #FHEInsiders brand ambassador. In addition, to facilitate this movie release campaign, I was compensated for travel and received farm and movie-related items. Fox is also supplying the prize and shipping for MBE's Far From the Madding Crowd Blu-ray Giveaway. However opinions here are my own. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.