Friday, November 21, 2008

Back Talk

One of the big A's for an Austin Friday....

A is for Acting.

The Trevor award recognizing Prayers for Bobby brought the movie back up to the front of the mind list so to speak. It will be the next thing we see of Austin's work, and this time its a little different twist to it. This is no Julian, or John for that matter.

Playing Bobby's brother in the film, he's faced with dialog as Ed, that is intolerant to who Bobby is, while being rooted in a faith and belief. During the course of the story that changes.


But what is that like as an actor? Was just another part? Or did it become personal? If that is not who you are and your beliefs, what do you tap into to find that?

Was Ed a chance to exorcise feelings and frustrations? Was it a chance to spit it back out and show those people how it really sounds?




And can't forget this: being the Texas raised boy is - he knows what happens this coming Thursday. And not just Thanksgiving - but Football - Texas Football. Thanksgiving Day Texas will take on Texas A&M in one of the longest running college rivalries in the U.S. This will be the 115th time they meet. Where ever Austin is to celebrate and give thanks, you know he's gonna be rootin' his Longhorns on.

OMG Movie Club starts tonight at 5:00pm EST and goes through tomorrow. The movie is Shelter, written and directed by Jonah Markowitz. Shelter tells the story of Zach, when his college dreams are sidelined by family obligations, he finds comfort in surfing with his best friend's brother.

The Austin Friday post will remain open for comments not related to movie club through Saturday.

Picture: Austin Nichols Journal

32 comments:

Blue Velvet said...

Trevor Award: Actress Anne Hathaway of
“Brokeback Mountain” and “The Devil Wears Prada” will present Weaver with the award.

destiny said...

Great news for Prayers for Bobby. I wonder if Austin will attend. And it's nice that Anne will be the one presenting the award.

Anonymous said...

What does everyone do with Thanksgiving leftovers?

You can always mail them to me in Washington, DC. I will take care of them for you! :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Kacie,

I'm sorry, I forgot you said that you couldn't have sugar! Actually, the pumpkin bars recipe that I was originally considering was a healthier version from a diabetes cookbook, but when I mentioned it to hub, he just kinda rolled his eyes at me, so I didn't know how well it would go over! He's pre-diabetic and has to watch it a little, and usually he's very good. I thought I would try to go for a happy medium between the really rich version and the healthier version. Anyway, here it is if you would like to try it:

Pumpkin Bars
16 servings
Serving Size: 1 square
Prep time: 20 min
Cooking time: 50 min to 1 hour

BARS:
2 Eggs
1 cup Splenda for baking
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt

ICING:
1 (8 oz.) package nonfat cream cheese
2 Tbsp. lite buttery spread (such as Promise Activ)
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together the eggs and Splenda with an electric mixer on medium speed until mixture is lemon-colored. Add in the oil, yogurt, and pumpkin and beat on medium for 2 minutes.

2. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.

3. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix well; do not overbeat.

4. Pour the batter into an 8-x-8 inch baking pan. Bake for 50 min. to 1 hour until a toothpick inserted into the bars comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool before cutting into squares.

5. To prepare the icing: Cream together the cream cheese and butter spread with an electric mixer on medium speed. Slowly add the powdered sugar until mixture forms an icing. Add in the vanilla and mix again. Refrigerate for 1 hour until thickened. Spread on top of the cooled pumpkin bars. (The picture shows the icing drizzled on; it looks prettier, I think, for the holidays.)

Anyone ever cook with Splenda? I never have - the ration is 1:1, but they say it's a bit sweeter than sugar, so you might want to cut back a little. I love their commercials; all spun sugar, ballerinas in tulle, meringue and gingerbread houses. I think I like this version better now! :)

I know this should have gone on the cooking post, but I posted just at the changeover.

Anonymous said...

Dear Ted:
America has elected its first black president. In just a few years we'll have voted to allow same-sex marriages (I know it will happen). What barriers are coming down next?
—Kate

Dear Eyes on the Prize:
All of ‘em, except out gay leading men in Hollywood, babe. They’re so damn shut in, they’ll probably survive a nuclear holocaust, too, along with Sarah Palin’s hair.

Anonymous said...

Lifetime Networks and Sigourney Weaver, star of the network's upcoming telefilm Prayers for Bobby, will be honored by the Trevor Project, the operator of a national suicide prevention helpline for gay, bisexual and transgender youth.

That is great news about Prayers for Bobby - it's so important caring about and being an inspiration for LGBTQ youth. Nice that Anne will be presenting the award too. Has it been on TV yet?

I haven't had a chance to look for Shelter at my movie store, and I haven't gotten Netflix yet, so I'll try to find it over the weekend. I really want to see it. I have plans to see Quantum of Solace tonight, so I'll see you all sometime over the weekend. Happy Austin Friday! :*

Anonymous said...

NETB - Shelter is on You Tube.

Anonymous said...

Good catch that Reese never mentions Jake's name. We've all been in love. What happens? You write your loved ones name over and over while doodling. You drop their name in conversation. Hell, I realized that a married friend of mine was having an affair when she repeatedly brought a gentlemans name into the conversation. She could not help but coo when she said it aloud.

Looking forward to the movie discussion tonight. ONTD has a piece about the sexiest movie scenes as ranked by Ent Weekly mag. Films 50 thru 26 mention Maurice, among others. I am guessing Brokeback will show up in the best 25 when those get listed.

Anonymous said...

I'll have to catch it on YouTube then. Yes, I would imagine it would be hard to keep the one you love's name out of the conversation, or keep from walking on air and smiling when you think or talk about him. I thought Maurice was one of the sexiest movies I've ever seen M, and I loved the book. I was really affected by both, just breathtaking.

Anonymous said...

NETB, thank you so very much for the pumpkin bars recipe! I think
I will try them later on!! The
reason I cannot have sugar is that
after gastric bypass surgery it
makes you sicker than a dog!! That's why it is called "the dumping syndrome"!!
I have a question: if later on
Jake or Reese does admit that they
are together and sharing a home,
will you just concentrate on Austin's career and will you also
keep OMG open?

Special K said...

Kacie

No worries about OMG - we will be around. That's the bottom line.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I would imagine it would be hard to keep the one you love's name out of the conversation, or keep from walking on air and smiling when you think or talk about him.

Just like Austin couldn't stop talking about Jake when doing interviews for TDAT??

Anonymous said...

Dear Ted:
Did you by any chance see the storyline on The Starter Wife where the bipolar, closeted action star tries to come out (when he's off his meds) and is stopped by his lover who traps him in the bathroom? Is this anything close to the Toothy Tile situation?
—scatkinson

Dear Dr Scat:
Drugs aren’t involved as much as delirium, darling.

Anonymous said...

Count the all the tinys, smalls, and lilliputians. It could be a drinking game.
Petite but Powerful

Special K said...

Thinking about Austin in Prayers for Bobby, I really do think that this was personal before he even said yes to the part.

Anonymous said...

Dear Ted:
Not a question, just an observation: I just read that Hayden Christensen and Rachel Bilson are building a house together and talking marriage. Obviously this story was planted by their publicist since I can't recall seeing them together for quite some time. I guess we needed a reminder of how "in love" they are because I'm sure we all forgot or don't care. P.S. I love your Bitch-Back! sessions.
—T.S.


Dear Homebodies:
Let’s just say I feel about those two like I do about Reese and Jake. But on a much smaller scale, natch.

Anonymous said...

Haven't y'all been crazy in love, even delirious:

December 7, 2006

One Disgustingly Delirious Blind Vice

Oh, that Jiggly Wiggle-Poof sure is a talented girlfriend! Sure enough, just as I winked a few weeks ago, our parking-lot Lothario, Toothy Tile, is becoming sickeningly domesticated with his sweet, if not chastising, b-f, so we can't look to Mr. T. for our naughty-time tuchus terrorizing—at least, not right now. But one can hope, right?

Meantime, the pooftah-outta-control award goes to the hugely untalented Mistah Wiggle-Poof. I mean, if this joker actually put into his career the dastardly effed-up scheming he applies to his loin activities, the dude would have an Emmy in less time than it takes to trim his scrotum so expertly......

Anonymous said...

Haven't y'all been crazy in love, even delirious ;-):

December 7, 2006

One Disgustingly Delirious Blind Vice

Oh, that Jiggly Wiggle-Poof sure is a talented girlfriend! Sure enough, just as I winked a few weeks ago, our parking-lot Lothario, Toothy Tile, is becoming sickeningly domesticated with his sweet, if not chastising, b-f, so we can't look to Mr. T. for our naughty-time tuchus terrorizing—at least, not right now. But one can hope, right?

Meantime, the pooftah-outta-control award goes to the hugely untalented Mistah Wiggle-Poof. I mean, if this joker actually put into his career the dastardly effed-up scheming he applies to his loin activities, the dude would have an Emmy in less time than it takes to trim his scrotum so expertly......

Anonymous said...

Reese is just doing her job when she talks about Jake. Reading her interviews, it doesn`t seem to be anything else than friendship between them, judging from they`re only been a "couple" for about two years.
When it comes to Jake and Austin, i somehow can understand the struggle it takes not to mention oneanother in an interview, but on the other one, i think they`ve been together for about six years now.Six years is a long time. A long time to let eachother to know and a long time to get to love the other one, not just being in love.
I think by now they feel secure about eachother(or at least it should be so, after all these years), being so in love all the time, i don`t wish them, because that seem`s so exhausting!

prairiegirl said...

Hi Norwegian Girl! How are you doing? I agree with you in that her words reflect nothing more than friendship. But they are trying to appear more than that in their photo ops. Plus she allowed the phrase "a new man" in her life on the cover of Vogue. They are walking this tightrope that is liable to spring both of them right off onto the tarmac if they don't watch it.
Hey, do you have a winter season there? Is it getting cold? It's freezing here today.

And "here" is where I am coming from - Osage Beach, Missouri, in the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks. The way it is here, all the resorts, cabins, & condos are kind of far off the main drag. You have to go down the fingerlike, winding roads to reach your place. Tonight, on our way back here, I saw 2 deer off the side of the road, eating. Then as we reached our resort, there were 3 of them eating, near the cabins. My friend stopped the car and we looked at them for awhile. They must be awfully used to people around here because the one that was only yards away from us, she looked at us, but she kept on eating. The whites of their tails so fluffy looking and their ears so big. It is so cool to see them up so close.

Well, had to get on here and wish everyone sweet dreams. Stay warm!

destiny said...

Hi NG, I miss you and your comments.

PG, sounds wonderful where you're at. Should be good walking, if you get a chance to do it. It's been cold and windy here, so I've done very little walking this week. Went from 60 to 30 overnight.

Anonymous said...

Nice to see NG :)

Great news about the award for Prayers for Bobby.

Wanted to congratulate PG on her excellent post on the previous thread but I missed the thread ...

Happy belated Austin Friday and Jake Saturday guys :)

Special K said...

Patience is a virtue? : )

New "old" pictures of Jake & Austin bike riding April 7th of last year over on IHJ

Jake & Austin Bike Ride April 7, 2007

destiny said...

I just studied Jake's legs in those pictures. I'm more convinced than ever that those are his around Austin.

Lately I've been keeping an eye on James Franco, what with the rumors about him, Milk, all the similarities between the questions he gets asked and that Jake got asked during BBM. He's really playing up that ambiguity card. The gay roles, all the strange stories, appearing at one of the early marches against Prop . 8.

Last night I watched him on Letterman, and of course he kept being asked about the kissing, and when asked about if it was strange kissing a man he turned it around to say it was strange kissing Sean Pean--which is of course quite different. I wish I could remember the phrasing, but he was asked I think if he'd do it again, or if he minded kissing men, and he kind of shrugged and looked sheepish--followed by kissing Letterman on the cheek.

I'm probably going to be proven wrong, but I bet we don't see him with a beard anymore and he'll go the glass ceiling route, or maybe even come out.

Anonymous said...

And then Regis kissed Letterman too. Good on Reeg!

Anonymous said...

I think Franco is underrated. He's been in some cheesy films, but I think he has a lot more talent to show us in the future. I love that he makes fun of himself on his blog with his brother.

I've been keeping an eye out for a pic of Jake with shaved legs, but am too lazy to go hunting on IHJ to find one myself. No doubt in my mind those were Jake's legs. I recall a pic showing up when his legs were shaved and everyone said why? he's not biking with Lance lately and no races mentioned. Also, Matt K who took the pic, Austin and Jake were close friends. I've always said I think Matt was a former lover. It's just the sort of thing they would do, in my opinion. Some people like to have secrets, and Jake may be one of them.

Anonymous said...

I just studied Jake's legs in those pictures. I'm more convinced than ever that those are his around Austin.

Do you, or anyone else here think those legs around Austin's neck are Jakes? The legs had women high heel shoes on. If so, why don't Austin and Jake just come out.!? I could see Jake or Austin being ambiguous in photographed fashion print, but totally separate of each other. Now Jake and Austin screaming ambiguity (TOGETHER), NO! DON'T SEE IT!!

destiny said...

M, Jake's legs in the new "old" photos are shaved, so you just have to look at the newest photos.

Anonymous said...

A Marriage Manifesto... Of Sorts

I no longer recognize marriage. It’s a new thing I’m trying.

Turns out it’s fun.

Yesterday I called a woman’s spouse her boyfriend.

She says, correcting me, “He’s my husband,”
“Oh,” I say, “I no longer recognize marriage.”

The impact is obvious. I tried it on a man who has been in a relationship for years,

“How’s your longtime companion, Jill?”
“She’s my wife!”
“Yeah, well, my beliefs don’t recognize marriage.”

Fun. And instant, eyebrow-raising recognition. Suddenly the majority gets to feel what the minority feels. In a moment they feel what it’s like to have their relationship downgraded, and to have a much taken-for-granted right called into question because of another’s beliefs.

Just replace the words husband, wife, spouse, or fiancé with boyfriend, girlfriend, special friend, or longtime companion. There is a reason we needed stronger words for more serious relationships. We know it; now they can see it.

A marriage is a lot of things. Culturally, it’s a declaration to the community that two people are now a unit, and that unity should be respected. Legally, it’s a set of rights and responsibilities. And spiritually, it’s whatever your beliefs think it is.

That’s what’s so great about America. As a Constitutionally secular nation, or at least in reality a vaguely pluralistic nation, we can all have our own spiritual take on what marriage is. What’s troublesome is when one group’s spiritual beliefs deny the cultural and legal rights of another.

But, back to the point. They say their beliefs don’t recognize my marriage, I say my beliefs don’t recognize theirs. Simple. It may seem petty, and obviously the legal part of the cultural/legal/spiritual trilogy is flip-floppy, but it may be the cultural part that really matters.

People get married to be recognized as a permanent couple. To be acknowledged by friends, family, and strangers as being off the market, in a relationship, totally hooked up, yikes… it’s impossible to say without saying ‘married.’ We wear rings to declare this!

So, we can take this away. We can refuse to recognize marriage in the cultural sense. It is totally within our rights, as Americans, to follow our beliefs and recognize or not recognize what we like.

I guess this is a call out to all Americans with beliefs similar to mine.

If you believe that all people should have equal rights, and if you believe that marriage is one of the greatest destinations of a relationship, then perhaps you believe that nobody should have marriage until everybody does.

That’s what I believe.

A Marriage Manifesto

Florida Tom said...

Destiny I also believe they are Jakes legs. They certainly are not a womens pair of legs. That picture is daring and sexy and quite a tease. I love it.

God I would love to know the offical date of the last photo of Jake at Heathrow and when he finally arived in LA. I just know he spent sevreal days on the East Coast before he went home to vote.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Destiny, I had not bothered to look at the reposted pics on IHJ. Yeah, I know. Bad M. I have memory of a pic that was a closer shot of his shaved legs though, and that's the one I'd like to see again. I wish the photographer had included the date for that Austin photo.

Florida Tom said...

Your right m I would love to know the date that the now famous legs picture was taken. It would be awesome to see if other pictures of Jake at that time were taken of his shaven legs. Of course we know PR controls that.