Ah, the cinema. So glamorous and exciting and sweet and not just because it sounds like cinnamon. Is there anything quite like settling into a seat with a box of Junior Mints and a costs-only-a-quarter-more tub of Dr. Pepper while watching previews? Yes, I love going to the movies. And pre-pandemic, I went all the time. But now that my options are limited to whatever I can get on TV, I'm finding . . . that they're not so limited after all. There are a lot more movies out there than I ever imagined, some I've never even heard of. Just last weekend, I was scrolling through the Amazon Prime offerings when one such movie,
Barefoot, popped up. I saw that Scott Speedman was in it and thought, oh, it's Ben from
Felicity! Let's watch that!
Here's the rundown: Jay (Speedman) is a hospital janitor on parole; Daisy (Evan Rachel Wood) is in the psych ward and may or may not have murdered her mother. Jay's a world-weary, rich kid-turned-gambler; Daisy's a shut-in who's never even eaten marshmallows. They meet when Jay saves Daisy from a would-be molester. Struck by his gesture, Daisy follows Jay out of the hospital and begs him to take her with him. Jay protests but eventually relents, even though he's going to his parents' mansion for his brother's wedding. Jay is estranged from his parents. But he soon realizes that passing Daisy off as his new girlfriend may help get him back in their good graces so that they'll fund his new business venture. Gentle awkwardness ensues as Daisy unsuccessfully navigates civilized society while garbed in bona fide stripper dresses (for some reason, Jay's favorite club seemed like a more sensible place to procure a wardrobe for Daisy than Target). Nevertheless, Daisy is charming, a kind of fresh-limbed, Little Mermaid fish out of water who means well even as she stumbles. Jay's mom takes a liking to her, even going so far as to lend her a dress. But the wedding's only the beginning. Jay steals his dad's brand-new, state-of-the-art camper, officially making him and Daisy on the run. Still channeling Ariel, Daisy expresses wonder at everything she sees, proclaiming her day with Jay at a small town carnival to be the best she's ever had. On the surface, the two seem so different. But underneath, they're both outcasts trying to find their way in. And that's how they get close and get through to each other.
One of Daisy's quirks is that she likes to be barefoot. She never says why, but I think it's safe to assume that after so many years of confinement, she relishes the idea -- and symbolism -- of freeing her feet. Daisy's backstory is especially interesting in this time of quarantine, when plenty of people are hunkering down in their houses. Many of them probably feel trapped too. Not me, of course -- you know I love living la vida solo. But that's the thing about this crazy virus. It makes you want to be kinder to everyone, no matter their point of view. Because we're all human and going through stuff and deserve to have someone understand.
That said, today's crafty tie-in has nothing to do with sheltering in place or feet (I considered making a felt foot barrette but decided to spare you). Although it is something that a slightly muddled, barefoot hippie might wear. Yes, it's the Mixed-up Medallion Necklace, an eclectic accessory for the boho runaway in all of us.
Mixed-up Medallion Necklace
In keeping with the foot theme, here's a quote about feet from another movie that reminds us to be better. Not that the quote is about being better -- it's not; if anything, it's about being mean. But we're going for feet here. You get it.
"The worst thing we've done is make Regina George's face smell like a foot."
Oh, Mean Girls. You never let me down.