stuff jen says: Mar. 19: R.I.P., Parent Trap mom

Mar. 19: R.I.P., Parent Trap mom

Such tragic news about Natasha Richardson’s death yesterday. The skiing accident seemed more embarrassing than dangerous, and it was shocking to hear that it killed her.

The 1998 version of The Parent Trap is one of Katie’s and my favorite movies to watch together. Natasha Richardson plays the girls’ mom, and I absolutely love her character. One of my favorite scenes is when she’s having a drink at the hotel bar, totally stressed over having just run into her ex-husband, and burps loudly. She’s so dignified and it’s such a funny, unexpected moment. I’ve read that they had to use a sound effect to get the belch sound because no matter how hard she tried, Richardson could not make the sound herself. Why isn’t that surprising?

Of course, I’ve seen her in other movies too, but I was surprised to read about all she did in her acting career. Stage, film, TV… and for most of her life. Busy woman.

My goodness. Her husband and sons. Her family. Forget the fame and fortune factor; you see this kind of thing from a different point of view when it happens to someone close to your own age, especially another parent.

Sorry. I don’t mean to be a big downer, I just didn’t want to let this tragedy go by unmentioned.

5 comments:

sherileeMarch 19, 2009 at 8:40:00 PM PDT
So sad. I have thought of her boys a lot the past couple of days--Liam and the little ones. What a tragic thing.
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AnonymousMarch 19, 2009 at 11:45:00 PM PDT
Did you see White Countess? It was a wonderful movie, and she played her part so well, the disgraced Russian countess that has to do what she can to keep her family going.

It was such a sad accident. I also thought of our similarities in age and her leaving a family behind. Pretty sobering.
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AnonymousMarch 19, 2009 at 11:46:00 PM PDT
Ironically, we just watched the Parent Trap with the kids a couple of weeks ago. Very sad and unexpected tragedy. Thinking we should get helmets for skiing....Jim's frankenstein leg ski injury seems so minor now.
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AnonymousMarch 19, 2009 at 11:51:00 PM PDT
For some reason this has really struck me. Maybe b/c I can think of all the times I skied into my 30's without a helmet and hit shit, including trees, rocks, buildings, people and the ground, with disturbing regularity. Oh and the fact that I've fallen out of the shower more times than most people give blood and I'm a total klutz.

It just really bothers me that something so, on the surface, small and harmless could end a life.
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AnonymousMarch 20, 2009 at 8:37:00 AM PDT
Jen,thank you for blogging this sad event. Katie and I have watched Parent Trap several times when she's visited--I just watched it last weekend. And I saw her in Evening just a couple of weeks ago. I think of you and Kathy, and grieve for her mother and children as well.
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facts of jen's life

So, who do you think you are? I think I’m Jen. People who don’t know me sometimes call me Jenny. That’s weird.

Tell me about yourself. I was born a small black child, and am now a grown-up, or at least my kids think I am. I’m in my mid-40s and live in the ‘burbs of Portland, Oregon. My husband is Victor, and my kids are Katie and Jack. Read this if you want the real and very long scoop.

Tell me things people might not know about you. I am an ordained minister and can perform marriages. Why no one has asked me to do this for them yet, I do not know. ● At the request of my Disney-hating friend Ed, I got mouse ears embroidered with the name “Satan” and I didn’t even get kicked out of Disneyland. It’s quite possibly the ballsiest thing I’ve ever done. ● I “helped” write this book, published in 2012: You Take it From Here, by Pamela Ribon. My name is in the back, and I’m still geeking out about it. ● I recorded a song in a studio in 1994 and it got local radio play for a few months. At least two times I turned on the radio in the car and my song was playing at that moment—very cool. ● I nearly died from a zit in 1986. I am not making this up. ● Victor and I once appeared on The Tonight Show. Really. If you can find a VCR, I’ll show you the tape.

I read some of your posts and I think you might be an alcoholic. I drink way less than I write about drinking. If I ever STOP talking about booze, then it’ll be time for an intervention.

What do you love? Books. Coffee. Fonts. Broadway musicals. San Francisco. Bacon. Rum. Law & Order. Naps. Butter. Home. Crack cocaine. iDevices. Words. Disney vacations. You.

If you could punch anything or anyone in the face, what/who would it be? Cancer. I was diagnosed with lymphoma in November 2009. I kicked its big fat ugly ass and am in remission now. ● Comic Sans. ● People who won’t take responsibility for their problems—the “I didn’t do anything to deserve this!” attitude. Look in the mirror. That’s who to blame. ● Celebrities who are famous for no reason. Y’know, if we stop looking, they’ll go away... ● Bad grammar and spelling and the dummies who use it.

You seem bitter. Did someone piss in your Cheerios? I’m not bitter. I think unicorns-and-rainbows stuff isn’t very interesting to read, so I tend not to write that way. But also, now you’re being kind of a jackhole.

It seems like no one ever comments on your blog posts. Why is that? Most people comment on the Facebook links. I don’t know why.

What if I want to tell you something? Two ways to reach me: leave a comment on a post, or e-mail me at jenniferTAKETHISPARTOUTmanullang at gmail-dot-com.

Mar. 19: R.I.P., Parent Trap mom

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