Wilford Brimley on Craig Ferguson

I think I have a thing for old men. I like them. I never had a grandfather so perhaps that is it. Or maybe I feel like I am an old man already, opinionated ( obviously and attached to the past). I am not sure why but whatever the reason I am always interested in old men and their opinions.

So while my children and I might joke about Wilford Brimley and his Diabetes adds and my pal and I might joke about Wilford has the sugar the fact is that for me Wilford on Craig Ferguson is must see television.

When introduced he came out with is cowboy hat in hand. With his classic droopy mustache Brimley looks like he lives in the Westerns that he has starred in. Talking with Ferguson Brimley is wry and understated. Talking about his horses Ferguson asks him what type he has...Brimley says he has a brown one.

So in other words, nothing happened. Still when I shut off the televsion I considered it time well spent. Somethings are greater than the sum of their parts. For me Wilford is. Perhaps it is because he reminds me of my brother in law Martin. I really like and respect him so that too...is a good thing.

At the end of his interview Ferguson asked if he wanted to play a harmonica with him. Brimley did, started slow, and then took off and impressed the host. The host presented him with a gold harmonica. A gift that is given only to those who can truly play the harmonica.

Brimley took it all in stride, something it seems to me he has most likely done his whole life.

Some people like the Kardashians some people like Brimley, I guess it is all a matter of taste. Brimley is in my taste and I respect him.

Tender Mercies

Being a big fan of Robert Duvall I was glad to Tivo this. My wife and I watched this early one morning. Duvall who won Best Actor plays Mac Sledge a former Country Singer who wakes up in a small room at a gas station/hotel and finds his partner has left him behind. He eventually convinces the owner a young widow named Rosa Lee to let him work for his keep and as time passes they slowly develop a relationship that leads to his asking her to marry him.

Being fifteen years her junior she has a young son and the two develop a relationship. Eventually his ex wife a still successful country singer and her agent played by Betty Buckley and Wilford Brimley as well as his eighteen year old daughter played by Ellen Barkin.

I told my wife that not much happened in the movie but it was very enjoyable. One of the qualities of the movies was its strong sense of time and place, you feel like you are in Texas in the hill country perhaps best described by Robert Caro in his descriptions of the youth of LBJ.

A very good movie. Duvall is one of our better actors.