Saturday, September 08, 2018

Football Counter-Programming 2018: Week 2


Welcome back to another week of Football Counter-Programming--my weekly attempt to distract you from the hegemony of college football social media posts.

How do I do that, you may wonder? Usually, it involves opening up my browser and starting to write about whatever crosses my mind. But this week, I had a plan and was all set to write about American politics. But then, on Friday I heard this: "She has a very consistent style that works for her. She's kind of the embodiment of Mom Jeans".

So say the hosts of a podcast that I listened to about Jennifer Garner--who has a new older-person actiony style movie Peppermint out in theaters today. (So say they . . . think a female version of Liam Neeson's Taken.)

So, turning on a dime, I saved that draft post on politics, doctored up the image you see above, and sat down to write about one of my favorite actors of the past thirty years. How favorite? I truly have considered going out this weekend to spend money to watch Peppermint. I have no idea if the movie is any good. In fact, the podcast hosts definitely said that it was NOT good. But even so, I would very much go against type and venture (most likely alone) on opening weekend to see a random movie starring Jennifer Garner presumably righting wrongs Joan Wick-style with fists, kicks, and a bit of artfully placed blood.

To stress again, I have NO IDEA what Peppermint is about. I just know that it hearkens me back to when Jennifer Garner was a young, fresh-faced (if severely cheekboned) actor convincing me that Sydney Bristow could handle the dual worlds of college student and international spy. Alias--in case you are not familiar--was a weekly TV companion of mine. It was my twin J.J. Abrams love, alongside LOST. The plots of the show were bananas much of the time, the feats of spycraft only exceeded by those of Chuck Bartowski and Sarah Walker.

Garner has moved on in her life, to kids, on-again/off-again times with Ben Affleck, Capital One credit card commercials, and whatever else. But I'll likely never fully move on. (Heck, I have seriously considered getting a Rambaldi tattoo--in the correct location, btw. But I haven't done it . . . yet.)

I want Garner to keep making things. I liked Thirteen Going on 30. (Or was it 13 Going on Thirty? Or maybe 13 Going on 30? Well, it definitely wasn't Thirteen Going on Thirty.) I tolerated the non-Netflix Daredevil and even watched some of Elektra. I wasn't too sad when she started playing mom roles as in Juno. If Peppermint helps her pay the bills or maybe helps Ben pay his rehab bills, then good for her. It won't win any Academy Awards--and it won't even have a shot at the now delayed Popular Movie category. But actors gotta act.

So, look for me at the central Ohio movie theaters this weekend with a smile on my face and a fresh tattoo of a fictional Renaissance inventor/mystic. If anyone asks "What's in my wallet?" I'll cheerfully say that it is lighter by approximately $11.50.

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