Majestic Meryl

Loving Meryl Streep is so cliche. She sings, acts and dances beautifully in Mamma Mia. She's sexy, can wear sequins and overalls, do cannonballs, and romance three different men within two hours. Plus, I'd thought she was healthy (chunky), but she's so thin, which makes me want to hate her but I can't. I'll just have to postpone my plans to "let myself go."

I first saw her in Kramer vs. Kramer soon after my parents' divorce. My dad kept pointing out the areas where he identified with Dustin Hoffman (the drinking, the introducing-new-babes-to-the-kids, the lousy cooking). Then I wondered, who's this upstart whore? Why is she such a bitch to saintly Dustin Hoffman? It's obvious she's a crappy mother. And why would SHE get the best actress Oscar? All she had to do was cry and ask for a divorce. Throughout the 80s, I avoided the cliche of loving Meryl Streep. Her damn accents, those edgy dramatic roles, whoopdidoo. Then I watched Adaptation, Postcards from the Edge, and The Hours within the same month and the love hit me hard. So, I had to see Mamma Mia with my mother.

My enjoyment came watching my mom. When she laughs really hard, her nose trembles and she snorts. I could see her fantasizing about high heels, sequins, and Abba. Also, she secretly joneses for Colin Firth. The man (and fellow Ambien lover) has excellent comedic timing despite being so Darcy-Swoontastic. We are going to see it again...and again.

For those who like happiness, Mamma Mia is worth 12$. If you're lucky, you can guilt your mother into giving you a pedicure afterwards (which is what Meryl does for her daughter).