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Lisa Wingate- Mondays

Lisa Wingate lives on a ranch in Texas, where she spoils the livestock, raises boys, and teaches Sunday school to high school seniors. She was inspired to become a writer by a first grade teacher who said she expected to see Lisa’s name in a magazine one day. Lisa also entertained childhood dreams of being …

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Beth Webb Hart- Tuesdays

Beth Webb Hart lives in the heart of downtown Charleston where she chases children, writes thank you notes on monogrammed stationary, attends her composer husband’s orchestra concerts and journeys off of the peninsula every now and then to go fishing in the tidal creeks in and around Edisto Island. She is a native of the …

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Julie Cantrell- Wednesdays

New York Times and USA TODAY Bestselling author Julie Cantrell was the editor-in-chief of the Southern Literary Review and the recpient of the 2012 Mississippi Arts CommissionLiterary Artist Fellowship. She has been a freelance writer for many years and has contributed to more than a dozen books. Julie and her family live in Oxford, Mississippi where they operate Valley House Farm. She …

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Rachel Hauck- Thursdays

Rachel Hauck writes the stories she loves to read. Yankee born, she’s lived in the south most of her life. “When I first went to Ohio State from Tallahassee, FL, I called every one ‘Sugar.’ I said things like ‘hey’ and ‘y’all.’” Rachel spun her southern experience into stories with her first chick lit, Georgia …

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Shellie Rushing Tomlinson- Fridays

Known as The Belle of All Things Southern, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson is a national best-selling author, speaker, and columnist. She and her husband Phil live and farm in Louisiana. Their two grown children are happily married and obediently producing a number of grandchildren for them to spoil. Shellie’s Penguin Group USA release, Suck Your Stomach In and …

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Enter the Book-n-Bling Giveaway

Want to read the latest book by an author from the Southern BelleView or one of our special guests? It couldn’t be easier! Answer the question on any post to enter. Multiple entries are allowed. Winners will be announced the following week. Good Luck!

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Have fun with Southern Belleview Daily

Sweet tea and conversation with five authors who are down “write” southern! Lisa Wingate, Beth Webb Hart, Julie Cantrell, Rachel Hauck, and Shellie Rushing Tomlinson. Join us each day as we share life and southern fiction that will touch your heart and inspire your soul.

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Lisa Wingate- Mondays Beth Webb Hart- Tuesdays Julie Cantrell- Wednesdays Rachel Hauck- Thursdays Shellie Rushing Tomlinson- Fridays Enter the Book-n-Bling Giveaway Have fun with Southern Belleview Daily

May
17

The Most Unlikeliest of Movie Reviewers by Shellie Rushing Tomlinson

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by admin

Greetings to the SBV community and Happy Friday! I hope you’ve enjoyed movie review week here on the porch. I know I tucked away several new recommendations— to watch for when they come out on DVD! It’s true. My man and I seldom make it the movies which means we’re usually talking about the movie the rest of the world saw last year, if not the year before. If we do go to see a current movie, chances are it’s a sports theme that has pulled us in. (We’re that family, the ones who can pop popcorn and watch Hoosiers over and over like we do not know who is going to win in the end. )

Lately, however, something has been happening at All Things Southern that is changing the movie landscape at our house. I’ve been interviewing authors on my talk show, ATS LIVE, for a long time now. Every day I hear from publicists interested in securing an interview for one of their clients. I love it, too. The only downside is scheduling. The requests far outpace the radio time! This new development is adding to the lovely chaos.

In the past six months or so, ATS LIVE has made it onto a list somewhere out there in publicity land as a movie reviewer. DVD’s are now being delivered to my door by my sweet Ups man with almost as much regularity as books! I’m not complaining, mind you. I just need to wisdom to make this all work. I’ve interviewed some really cool people lately, but I’ll choose one to tell you about today.

One of my recent guests was Shervin Youssefian, the Writer and Director of Crossroad, an emotional and inspiring story of redemption, forgiveness and the ultimate realization of God’s grace at work in every life. I can’t begin to tell you how much my man and I enjoyed this movie, winner of 5 Dove Awards! Here’s a link to watch the trailer:

I’m not sure it’s still showing on the big screen, but you can find it on DVD. ~wink~

Hugs,
Shellie

Shellie Rushing Tomlinson is an author, speaker, radio host and most unlikeliest of movie reviewers. You’re invited to follow her home to http://www.belleofallthingssouthern.com and join her ongoing southern celebration of faith, friends, and family!

Tags: Crossroad, movies, radio, reviews, Shervin Youssefian, talk show

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May
16

The Great Gatsby

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by Rachel Hauck

With the opening of the latest version of The Great Gatsby, I decided to watch the 1974 version of the film.

One, it starred Robert Redford. Hubba. Two, it was free. Hubba-hubba.

It was a Sunday afternoon and I’m usually pretty tired after a busy church morning, so I dozed off during the film.

But when I woke up, the plot hadn’t advanced much.

Frankly, the ’74 version of The Great Gatsby was slow, a bit boring and lacking any real emotion.

Other adaptations are:

The Great Gatsby (1926), a silent film, directed by Herbert Brenon and starring Warner Baxter as Gatsby, Lois Wilson as Daisy, and William Powell. This film is considered “lost.” (Isn’t that sad?)

The Great Gatsby (1949), directed by Elliott Nugent and starring Alan Ladd as Gatsby, Betty Field as Daisy, Shelley Winters, Macdonald Carey, Barry Sullivan, and Howard Da Silva.

Wonder if this version is on Netflix. Maybe YouTube?

And, a 2000 version starring Toby Stephens, Mira Sorvino, Paul Rudd and Martin Donovan.

But now the 2013 version is out.

The trailer looks vibrant and wild, almost over-the-top with color and characters.

But isn’t that what the Roaring Twenties were all about? Over-the-top?

DiCaprio plays rich, eccentric playboys well.

Toby Maguire seems to be the perfect Nick Calloway.

The costumes look extraordinary if not a bit modern.

Will I see the movie? Yikes, I don’t know.

It’s just interesting to me that F. Scott Fitzgerald’s thin little book has so profoundly impacted literature and now film.

Is the book that wonderful? Are the underlying social comments so intriguing? Are there no other stories to tell?

Why this book, again? Five movies on The Great Gatsby! Wow!

Some times I think it’s easier to retell a story because the foundation has been laid.

Previous films worked out the plot, the screenplay, the filming.

A new writer and director can build off of that to create a higher, broader, bigger view of the “same ole story.”

The story is not new to us. But the filming and staging is new.

Besides, it’s fun to visit the ’20s again.

Why go see The Great Gatsby in 2013? To see how far they take the ’20s decadence? To see the costumes? To hear the music?

To watch DiCaprio and Maguire? To see how Carey Mulligan plays Daisy Buchanan?

Often, if we know the story line going in, we can focus more on the characters and events of the story themselves.

But in the end, I’m pretty sure Gatsby will die. Daisy will be ruined and Nick will wander off, pondering life.

What about you? Will you see The Great Gatsby? If so, why?

***

Rachel Hauck is a storyteller. She is on deadline. “Better get to work, girl.”

Her latest, Once Upon A Prince, is “brilliant,” according to Rel, of Relz Reviewz.

Vist her at www.rachelhauck.com

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May
14

Let’s Go To The Movies! By Beth Webb Hart

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by admin

There were so many fantastic movies this year – Argo, Zero Dark Thirty and Brave, to name a few. My two favorites were Les Miserables and Lincoln. Les Miserables because this timeless story is about all that matters most – a life transformed by Grace. Also, what I love about this story (and what was so beautifully rendered in the recent film) is how the church functions as a refuge for the fugitive, the outcast, and the desperate. So often the church – in novels and films – plays the evil character. It’s usually the place where darkness lurks in the form of a twisted pastor, a ruthless deacon or a wicked, gossipy, Bible-wielding group of pink lipsticked old ladies. In Les Mis, the church is the very place Jean Valjean finds a way to escape the ever dogmatic Jalvert who sees only one way to live: by the letter of the law. Profound theology is packed into the story and the film; I chewed on it for months… and will – hopefully – continue to.

I loved Lincoln because of what I learned about Lincoln’s personality, home and inner life. Lincoln was an avid storyteller. He worked his way through many of his own problems by spinning yarns, and he persuaded many a politician to see life from his perspective through this seemingly disarming habit. What vital history he made by getting the 13^th amendment passed. He would not give up. You can’t help but love and deeply appreciate the man after seeing the film. Daniel Day-Lewis became Lincoln, an Oscar well-deserved.