Page 6 March 9, 2017 EL SEGUNDO HERALD Reviewed by Katrena Woodson, Teen and Young Reader Librarian, El Segundo Public Library For this week, I will be reviewing the latest book in the Hamster Princess series by Ursula Vernon. Vernon is the award-winning creator of the DragonBreath series. The Hamster Princess series follows the adventures of Hamster Princess Harriet. The new installment is titled Ratpunzel and is based on the fairytale Rapunzel. The story begins with Princess Harriet trying to avoid the threats of having to take a bath and clean her room. She travels to her friend Prince Wilbur’s kingdom and finds out that someone has stolen a hydra egg! After some top-notch sleuthing, the pair uncover a suspect named Dame Gothel who lives at Deadly Tower in the Forest of Misery. It isn’t long before our heroes decide that this tower could only be meant for containing a kidnapped princess. The Prince and Princess quickly come up with a plan to use teamwork in order to rescue the hydra egg, but their plan is not completely thought out. Will they succeed? Vernon does an excellent job of gently poking fun at the fairytale characters. She uses Harriet to present a humorous feminist critique of the princess genre. I found this to be a very refreshing perspective on a classic fairytale. Vernon gets the reader thinking as well as laughing. This graphic fantasy hybrid is best suited for readers between the ages of seven and 12. The El Segundo Public Library offers access to its collection of titles in a variety of formats, including traditional hardback, e-books and books on CD. To check out Hamster Princess Ratpunzel by Ursula Vernon or any other title on your to-read list, please visit the library to apply for your library card, or please contact the reference staff for further assistance. • Entertainment Film Review Check It Out Shirley MacLaine Shines as a Strong-Willed Senior Citizen in The Last Word By Amy Delgado for www.cinemacy.com Anyone who hears the name Shirley MacLaine will recognize it as Hollywood royalty, as she has starred in over 50 feature films and earned dozens of nominations and awards. In each of these films, the role has had a common theme: that of a strong-willed woman who won’t be silenced. This latest project, The Last Word, which premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, is no different. For our interview with MacLaine and Amanda Seyfried, plus an exclusive talk with director Mark Pellington, visit www.cinemacy.com. At its core, The Last Word is a simple film. There are no tricks and no convoluted plot lines. The story is very easily laid out within the first 15 minutes. Harriet Lauler (MacLaine) wants her obituary to be written to perfection before she dies. She has taken control of every aspect of her life—leaving nothing to chance— and her obituary will be no exception. It is, after all, a memorialization of her life. The film begins with a montage of Harriet’s past—as a young, successful and simultaneously feared businesswoman—before bringing us to the reality of the present day: a largely forgotten, 80-year-old woman living alone in her lavish home in the town of Bristol, California. At the sudden realization of her own mortality and a potentially lackluster obituary to remember her by, Harriet is determined to break out of the mold in which she has trapped herself. She enlists the help of a young and very reluctant local newspaper’s obituary writer, Anne Sherman, played by Seyfried. At the behest of her editor (who is just hoping that when Harriet finally does die, she’ll leave a share of her fortune to his newspaper), Anne humors the cynical senior citizen. With the guidance of “four essential components of any good obituary”--family, work, community service and a “wild card”--she attempts to rewrite Harriet’s life as someone who will actually be missed at the time of her passing. Attempting to perform the obligatory good deeds for her perfect obituary, Harriet develops a maternal relationship with Brenda (Ann’Jewel Lee), a foul-mouthed nine-year-old from a local community center who serves as her charity case. Harriet also starts deejaying at a cool indie radio station and makes amends with the many people she has wronged over the years. It’s only when she has accomplished everything on her checklist that Harriet, along with Anne and Brenda, comes to realize how much they have all helped fill the voids in each others’ lives. The Last Word is the definition of a “feelgood” movie. It’s a predictable film with predictable characters and a storyline we’ve seen time and time again, making the first half-hour a bit of a tedious watch. The witty lines and cool soundtrack keep our attention, if only superficially, during the start of the movie…but before you decide that The Last Word is nothing more than skin-deep, something happens that is actually worth your attention. Nearing the climax of the story, the film manages to evoke true emotion with a tinge of melancholy for an unsuspecting audience in the simplest of ways. The characters—as clichéd as they may be— are genuine in the struggles they face and each is broad enough to evoke a reminiscence of any of the seemingly trivial identity crises we might have faced in our own lives. Whether it’s a fear of taking risks, a crippling lack of confidence, or desire to be accepted and liked, The Last Word helps us believe in our own potential to become better versions of ourselves. What it lacks in uniqueness and spark, it makes up for through a kind reminder of living life to its greatest capacity. The Last Word cleverly sprinkles tiny nuggets of wisdom throughout its nearly two-hour run time, and it is left up to the audience to take them or leave them. The Last Word is rated R for language. 108 minutes. Now playing at ArcLight Hollywood and the Landmark Theatre. • Shirley MacLaine in The Last Word. Courtesy of Bleecker Street. Hamster Princess: Ratpunzel by Ursula Vernon Eagles from page 5 Galicia threw a complete game, giving up two unearned runs on two hits while striking out three. Celestial, Stone and Jake Palmer were spectacular on defense as the Eagles improved to 2-0 on the season. They faced Carson on Monday and were expected to get by the Colts to send the Eagles into today’s semifinal game. The finals are set for Saturday. The Eagles host Torrance in a doubleheader next Thursday starting at 3:15 p.m. The El Segundo High School softball schedule kicks off today at 5 p.m. when the Lady Eagles host Valencia (Placentia). The Tigers are off to a 3-1 start and are considered one of the top teams in the CIF Southern Section’s Division 1. The Eagles were ranked fourth in Division 4 in the preseason. El Segundo’s lacrosse team is making a statement. After winning a league title a season ago, the Eagles are considered one of the top teams in the South Bay. They faced Mira Costa, who many believe is the top team in the South Bay. The Eagles made a valiant second half effort in hopes of defeating Mira Costa, but came up short losing 13-12. The Mustangs took a 10-6 lead into the fourth period before the Eagles made it a nail-bitter. Behind sophomore Lukas Roscoe and senior Cory Lund, the Eagles (1-1) scored six unanswered goals to lead 11-10 with 9:43 left in the game. Two minutes later, the Mustangs tied the game. The Eagles took their last lead when Lund promptly fed Roscoe for a goal that put El Segundo up 12-11 with 6:10 left. The Eagles wouldn’t score again and Costa recovered to beat El Segundo for the fourth year in a row. In the previous meetings since the Eagles became a CIF program in 2014, Mira Costa has won by 12, nine and seven goals. El Segundo head coach Brooks said afterwards it was by far the best game his team has played in his four years. Coach Roscoe said the comeback was fueled by a stellar second-half performance by senior goalie Alex Nolan, who recorded nine saves in the second half and 12 overall. Lund led the Eagles with five goals and four assists while Roscoe had four goals and one assist. Daniel Ball scored once and had an assist, while Rory Cochrane and Isaiah Lynch also added a goal each for the Eagles. The Eagles hosted Brentwood yesterday before playing Village Christian, Peninsula and Redondo on the road. The Eagles return on March 17 to face Santa Monica at 3:15 p.m. • Hamster Princess: Ratpunzel by Ursula Vernon. Katrena Woodson. Every Visit our Website www.heraldpublications.com issue always available online! New Issues/Old Issues • Out-of-town? Read the Herald newspapers online • Interested in an article from a prior date? See it online • Excited about an ad, photo, or article? Refer your friends, family and associates to the website, so they can see it too • Want to read the Torrance Tribune or other Herald newspapers not in your area? All available on our website! Check it out! www.heraldpublications.com
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