The UN-Lovely Bones

By Ashley Mandzak

The Lovely Bones was not a very good film. I would rather spend a day or two reading “The Lovely Bones” by Alice Seibel than spend the two and a half hours watching the film. The film was not put together very well. Compared to the novel, the film has barely any similarities. Film director Peter Jackson, probably only called this “The Lovely Bones” to avoid a copyrighting the novel. This was not very well betrayed. If I had made this film I would have none a lot of things differently. This film was not very good. "The Lovely Bones" is a film based on a novel by Alice Seibel, about a 14 year old who is murdered and how her family is affected. Susie Salmon is killed in 1973, in a cornfield, by her neighbour Mr. Harvey, and she tries to help her family find her murderer from her heaven. Through out the movie we learn about Susie’s family and their struggles as the cope. Lindsay, Susie’s younger sister, starts to experience moments that Susie never had and this makes Susie a little upset that her sister has passed her. Susie’s mother leaves to California, not able to take anymore of what has happen. Susie’s father starts analyzing everybody in the neighbourhood, thinking everyone is a suspect. One day this obsession goes to far and Jack Salmon gets badly injured and is taken to the hospital. Susie’s mother returns when Mr. Salmon is in the hospital and she is back for good. Lindsay broke into Mr. Harvey’s house after hearing of her father’s suspicions and received proof that Mr. Harvey murdered her sister, but he saw her. Lindsay got away from Mr. Harvey but Mr. Harvey left town and was never caught. Overall this movie was not really worth my time.
The movie “The Lovely Bones” by Peter Jackson was very unlike the novel. I disagreed with a lot of the people he had casted in the movie. I do not think they resembled the characters in the novel as well as they could have. The person who stuck out the most was Jack Salmon (Mark Wallbour). The actor, who played Mr. Salmon, did not feel like a fatherly figure and in the novel he felt very fatherly and the actor didn’t look the father type of person. The director could have added a little bit more about Ruth Connors (). In the novel we learn that Ruth is a loner on earth, but in heaven is a hero. Ruth can feel the dead around her and know what happen to them. In the movie this was not very well said. It only told you that she felt Susie, but it didn’t go any farther. One character that the director did get right was Grandma Lynn (Susanne Sarandon). This character brought light to the film, just like the novel, and acted just like the book. She was crazy, fun and loving and it made the film a little better.
The beginning of this film, although unlike the novel was very well done. They opened with Susie worrying about a penguin trapped inside a snow globe, but her father reassured her, he was trapped in a perfect world. This is foreshadowing to how Susie feels in her heaven. Susie’s death was well done in the film, not as horrible to witness as it was in the book.


The film was better at being more suspenseful than the novel was. When Lindsay was in Mr. Harvey’s house, Peter Jackson did a great job of making the audiences squirm. The audience was at the edge of their seats waiting for the next move. Sadly, this was the end of excitement.

Ann Coulter - Is Free Speech Free?

Ann Coulter has become a household name in not only the United States, but Canada also. Although the reasons are not the same. Ann Coulter is an American conservative social and political commentator. She is well known for her right-wing political opinions and how she defends them. Coulter is the author of 7 books and a weekly newspaper column. She started her university tour in Canada and things came to a halt at the University of Ottawa. Before she had even entered Canada, she received an e-mail from the university telling her to watch what she says, for free speech in Canada is a little different than the States.
Freedom of speech in Canada isn't as free as one might think. Canadians laws puts limits onto what is acceptable to say and what is not. Promoting hatred towards any identifiable group is not only considered inappropriate but also could lead to criminal charges of hate speech. Saying anything that promotes that any one group of people is better or worse is considered hate speech. An identifiable group is defined as any section of the public distinguished by colour, race, ethnic origin or sexual orientation. Any one who promotes hatred on anyone of those groups of people may be charged with criminal charges of hate speech.
Ann Coulter may have step over a line but it is her opinion. She shouldn't be charged for a hate speech that she wasn't even allow to give. She was just giving her opinions on the matter, that doesn't mean anyone has to listen to her. No one was forced to go to her speech, and even if you did go, you don't have to agree with her thoughts. She should be able to voice her opinions without being hated against. If you don't like her, don't go.

Bang! Bang!

I thought I had escaped. The noise of his boots cut through the silence that surrounded me. I turned my head around to see his old, worn out hat sliding down, shadowing his face. His eyes were deep holes, burying down to his skull, staring at me. His shabby jacket smelled heavily of cigarette smoke and whiskey. He held his guns with great confidence, like nothing he could do, could go wrong. His skin red and rough from the elements of the earth around him. His bread was like brown grass sprouting from his cheeks. His eyebrows were like two cateripillars crossed over his eyes, raising slightly as they glazed my way. His jeans were worn and dirty, hanging from his waist. He cornered me against a barrel and the gun was held to my face.

3, 2, 1, I'm Gone!!

2 days. 2 days I had left before I got my life back. My sister took over my life 6 months ago when she annouced her engagement. I hatred the thought of this wedding, they were totally wrong for each other, but they called it love at first sight. As if. Everyone always said they're like two peas in a pod, I disagreed with that. I was the only one who could see through them, and my sister's husband-to-be was bad to the bone. It was clear as day, that he was pulling her leg in this dating game. If I was in her shoes, I would dump him fast. No one believed me when I said he was no good. My mother always says "Don't jump to conclusions, and not to judge a book by it's cover." But I wasn't. I just had a feeling that this guy was wrong for her. Everytime I tried to help this guy I give an inch, and he takes a mile. I was getting very upset.
At the crack of dawn, my mother started yelling up the staircase, "Ashley, come down stairs and let's head to the banquet hall.
"I'm not going," I screamed back.
"But your sister needs your help. There is loads to do," my mother said annoying.
"Why do we have to leave so early?"
"The early bird gets the worm." my mother hollard.
"But the second mouse get's the cheese." I called. I got out of bed and ready.
We all piled into the car and starting driving to the hall. That's when I posed the question. "Are you happy with him?"
"Of course, he's the apple of my eye." she responded. "Why?"
"I think you should stop and smell the roses before you put all your eggs in one basket." I rebutled.
"What are you saying?"
"I think you should slow it down, maybe go back to dating."
"Been there, done that. I love him. People are always telling me I was always a bridesmaid, but never a bride, and now is my time to prove them wrong," my sister moaned.
I thought are a moment before saying anything. "It's better safe than sorry. I think you are making a mistake."
"He has a big heart, and he loves me."
"Love is blind, you don't know what your saying. He doesn't care about you. I bet he would lose his head if it wasn't attracted to his body." I explained.
"Ashley, mind your manners," interrupted my mother.
"Your driving me insane!" cried my sister.
"Just listen to me and understand."
"No! Just leave me alone!" she yelled.
"Don't tempt fate," my mother calmly added.
"Well, you don't have to worry about that," I shouted, "I'm leaving!" I stormed out of the car and headed home.

The Unsinkable!

I took a deep breath and the frozen air went down my throat and into my lungs. The cold air wraps around me and cradles me like a blanket. The weather is changing, and fast. I bounce up and down with the waves beneath my feet. The water's temperature is lowing, and I am having second thoughts on this journey. Everyone has confirmed me that this ship is unsinkable, but I question how much those brainless sailors really know. The waves hit the ship like flies hit a windshield, unnoticed and silent. I had just come from a meeting with the captain and crew. I went into the meeting with a cloud hanging over my head. For the news I had to tell the crew would upset them deary. Well, soon I would be proven wrong, but let's not jump ahead yet. The weather was changing and other ships were turning around, saying the path was to dangerous. I was going to the meeting tonight to express my concerns for the passengers and crew, and that we should turn around yourselves to be safe. I enter the room and their were a group of loud, laughing sailors huddled, around a table. We waited for the captain to arrive and the meeting began. We started with complaints from the passengers, then moved on to food, and other unimportant matters for about an hour. Finally it was my turn to speak. Standing in front of the clueless sailors, I took a deep breath and gathered my thoughts. I told them that we were in danger of sinking and that we should search for a different route or turn back. All the crew burst into fits of laughter. I didn't understand; I thought they must have heard me wrong, so I told them again. They started laughing even harder then before. I asked them what was so funny. They said I was being stupid. The ship is unsinkable, they called. How could you be so envy as to think we could sink like those other ships, other would say. I tried to fight my point but they continued to make fun, so I stormed out. I am now outside on the top deck of the ship thinking of a way to make them turn it around. There was something that didn't feel right about continuing on. It was to dangerous. As I thought, a girl of 6 or 8 ran past me pulling her mother behind her to show her something. How could I let the crew take the chance with the life of a little girl like her. I had to talk to the captain again, maybe he would do something. I went down to the captain's room and knocked on the door. I tried to stress the fact that we had to change the course of ship or something terrible would happen. He just motioned me off and said I was worrying to much. "The Titanic is an unsinkable ship we are fine," he rang, "Nothing is going to go wrong." I gave up on trying to convince him, he wasn't going to change his mind. I have had tried everything and it may already been to late. The temperature of the water beneath the ship had dropped enormously and ice blocks were floating in the water. It was almost midnight but I couldn't sleep. I stayed on the deck, watching the water. Than the whole boat shook. I looked around to see what happened but I couldn't see. The crew found water spilling into the boat and ordered everyone to get to the lifeboats. There wasn't enough lifeboats for everyone on board and many frantic people jump to sea. Someone pushed me over and I hit my head on a wooden board. Everything went dark.
When I woke-up I was at home. I looked at my calendar. February, 2010. I was back home. It all felt so real, but was it only a dream. I didn't stop the Titanic from sinking, but I gave them a chance to change what happened. No one listened. But, it wouldn't have mattered anyway, it was just a dream. Right?