Page 6 May 26, 2016 EL SEGUNDO HERALD Vice President Joe Biden got it wrong about cancer deaths in America. See Truth, page 12 School Spotlight “Maggie’s Plan” is a Wonderfully Crafted Film About a Crazy Little Thing Called Love By Morgan Rojas for www.cinemacy.com Thanks to the likes of pop-culture entertainment such as “Sex and the City” and practically everything in Woody Allen’s filmography, the Millennial generation has come to believe that finding true love in the concrete jungle that is New York City is among the most romantic of notions. Director Rebecca Miller defies this fantasy with her new film “Maggie’s Plan,” a wonderfully crafted film for the intelligentsia-sect that takes one woman’s quest of subverting modern romantic convention by artificial insemination, leading to a hilarious deconstruction of uncharted adult life. The woman with the plan is Maggie Hardin (Greta Gerwig), an independent, plaid-coat loving, thirty-something educator with babies on the brain. After complaining to her friends (played by the perfect comedic duo Bill Hader and Maya Rudolph) that she is incapable of loving someone for longer than six months, she decides that now is the time to start thinking about having children of her own, on her own, which leads her to a brilliant-but-miswired sperm donor (Travis Fimmel), who works as an artisan pickler. Things get tricky when Maggie simultaneously meets and falls for fellow teacher John Harding (Ethan Hawke), a charming anthropology professor and struggling novelist whose round-wired spectacles perfectly compliment his geek-chic attire. Maggie thinks she’s found “the one” in John, despite him already being married to the stone cold intellectual Georgette Harding (Julianne Moore), which doesn’t stop an instantaneous affair. Flash forward a few years, and Maggie, now with a smiling infant girl, realizes the tangled web she’s woven when the reality of her life with John sets in and is nothing like she thought it would be. Rebecca Miller paints the portrait of a 21stcentury relationship in such a realistic way, where one’s expectations of certain things tend to trump reality. In Maggie’s case, she wanted a child and love, and at first, she thought she successfully constructed it. The dynamics that set the tone of the relationship in the beginning, however, quickly shift, drowning Maggie in the process. Her ideal relationship where both partners were artistically satisfied turns into a one-way street, where Maggie is the bridge over John’s troubled water. With such artsy hits as “Frances Ha” and “Mistress America,” Greta Gerwig has more or less become the go-to actor for the unstereotypical NYC-dwelling hipster heroine and, as in the aforementioned films, she brings her signature bright-eyed optimism to the big screen. Her honest portrayal of Maggie is equally matched by Ethan Hawke’s John, the self-tortured artist who becomes so wrapped up in his own wants and needs that he doesn’t realize how much his actions are damaging his relationships. The Academy Award-winning Julianne Moore and her unexpected Danish accent prove that, given the right material, she is as much a comedic force as she is a dramatic one. Together, these three actors don’t just provide superfluous laughs, they also strike sensitive chords at just the right moments, giving the film a lasting, full-bodied experience. At its core, “Maggie’s Plan” is an unconventional romantic comedy that also serves as a dose of therapy for those who may be feeling at a crossroads in their own personal lives. Maggie is a complex character with flaws, and that is exactly what makes her such a compelling character to root for. Maggie’s plans pivot within each act, all to hilarious results. From choosing a sperm donor to raise a child on her own, to wanting a child with her lover John, to wanting to leave John and go back to the way things were, Maggie shows us that it is ok to change one’s mind, and that what seemed like a good thing at one point in our lives may not be in our future selves’ best interests. No matter your age, we may not have everything figured out, and that’s ok. It is ok to make mistakes, especially if those mistakes bring you closer to figuring out who you really are, and what you really want. However, if there is one thing we can take away from Maggie Hardin’s experience, it’s that sometimes, the best plan, is no plan. “Maggie’s Plan” is rated R for language and some sexuality. Now playing at the ArcLight Hollywood and Landmark Theatre. • Film Review Greta Gerwig as Maggie and Ethan Hawke as John. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics. Are You Still Paying Too Much For Your Medications? 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Like Some Candidates’ Claims, the Truth is Out There By Rob McCarthy California voters can expect a barrage of campaign promises from presidential candidates as they compete in California’s delegate-rich primary on June 7. How can voters know if the candidates are giving it to them straight or spinning the facts? Well, the truth is out there. There are a couple of websites called Factcheck.org and Politifact. org that closely follow every debate, campaign speech and interview given by candidates running for president and state elected offices. Their role in the current campaign is to check the accuracy of the claims politicians make in public. Neither is affiliated with a political party or accepts corporate donations to avoid suspicion. One is run by a public university. The other is staffed by an independent-minded Florida newspaper. The Herald contacted Factcheck.org and asked how it decides which political claims to investigate, and about being fair and balanced to the candidates. “It is important for fact checkers to guard against selection bias,” said Eugene Kiely, the Factcheck.org director. “In a presidential year, we cover every debate on both sides (that included in the early going two GOP debates a night) and we cover both conventions (all the major speeches, such as the keynote address, the nominating speeches and the prime-time speeches).” The staff includes a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, a Penn University professor in communication, and a science writer and researcher. The factcheck team investigates claims, some of which are suggested by the readers. “We review transcripts of all Sunday talk shows (CNN, FOX News, ABC, NBC and CBS.) This is a staple of our coverage. We do this every year, not just presidential years,” Kiely said. “The idea is to draw material from a select number of sources that provide an equal opportunity for review of claims made by Republicans and Democrats.” Factcheck.org monitors the accuracy of political TV ads, debates, speeches, and news releases, too. The team’s work follows the national news as the candidates descend on California, with 341 Republican delegates at stake and 548 Democrat delegates. Recent topics lend support to Factcheck.org’s assertion that it’s an equal-opportunity examiner of claims made on the political trail. They include: “The Clinton Furniture Flap” “Trump on Hairspray and Ozone” “Harry Reid’s Wild Exaggerations” “Sanders False Income Claim” The fact-check team also looked into the Zika outbreak in Brazil, a reported cancellation El Segundo High School Prom 2016 Story and Photos by Cece Jane Stewart This past Saturday night, El Segundo High School (ESHS) hosted prom at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. As is tradition at ESHS, the Junior and Senior prom location was announced at the “Prom Assembly.” During the assembly Kinecta Credit Union, who launched the Expect the Unexpected program, gave eight students a free prom bid. These students were nominated by teachers and students. As Prom Assembly came late this year as there was a flurry of activity surrounding the L-R: Cece Jane Stewart; Dania Awada, Taylor Whitener; Chiara Hovland; Kellie Carlson; Syndey Aguirre traditional “Prom-posal.” All over campus, and around town, boys created clever “asks,” as girls nervously accepted. A few of the most clever included how Joe Kelly asked Sydney Aguirre; he had Cory Lund dress as a girl in a dress and Kieran McCarthy dressed in a suit, and it said this could be us at prom. Liam Kacvinsky made a video of his relationship over the past few years with Brenna Yob and at the end he came dressed up with a tie to ask her to prom. I must say, I was once again mesmerized by how well ESHS students clean up. The boys looked charming and debonair in their tuxedoes, with bow ties that matched their date’s dress. The girls absolutely stunned. After spending a day pampering like princesses, including tanning, nails, hair and make-up, they slipped on stunning gowns. Between 5 and 6 p.m. groups of Promgoers gathered around town for the traditional pre-Prom pictures. I always love driving by the high school and Library Park each year and seeing our beautiful town serve as a backdrop for pictures. Many attended pictures at parties, where excited students take photos with their dates and their friends and of course the exchanging of the corsage and boutonniere. In addition to the excitement of the students, the moms and dads took photo after photo, soon to be posted to Facebook. This year the Papa-razzi and Mama-razzi were out en force; I even saw Coach Shevlin finding just the right angle to capture his photos. Before we knew it, we were boarding luxury transportation, including limousines and party buses. We all chattered in excitement amongst ourselves as we were chauffeured up the 405 North to the Skirball Center, nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains. The Skirball Center is an architectural feat, which is a feast to See School Spotlight, page 12
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