Giant

Drink: Beerita 

Appetizer: Chips & Salsa/Queso

Entree: Mexican Lasagna

Movie:

Giant is all you imagined an old Hollywood masterpiece would be with no less than three legends, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean & Rock Hudson, filling every shot.  In addition to the dream cast, you will notice how the location of the plot, Texas, is a central theme throughout the film with the big Texas attitudes, Hispanic civil rights and literally the landscape itself featured in beautifully framed shots.  Aside from the starlets & location the story offers many facets that focuses on society's shifting roles in terms of the patriarch, feminism, new money and as we mentioned above civil rights.  Below are a few supplemental items to discuss after your viewing:

• This movie was released after James Dean's death. Notice the irony that the character he plays in this film reaches an age he never would.  In fact Dean was concerned about being type casted as a heartthrob so he looked forward to taking on a role that down played that element with wrinkles & gray hair, etc.
• Lutz (the first) was very threatened by Leslie to the point that it cost her her life but wouldn't you be intimidated by Elizabeth Taylor?  She was no wallflower.
• Leslie was not upset at all about her horse!  
• Do you think the movie should have ended after Jett crashed into the banquet table?  We do but we also think that audiences then might have burned down the theater in reaction to such a harsh realism ending.  As a result the wrap up is cheesy but still does not take away from the film as being one of the greats.
• Lyndon B. Johnson was a Texan through & through & he often commented on his sympathetic views towards how Hispanic people were treated in his home state.  He is mostly remembered in association with Vietnam but read more below about his thoughts & actions in regards to the very same civil rights issues we are still trying to resolve today.                                 http://www.npr.org/2014/04/11/301820334/lbj-carried-cotulla-with-him-in-civil-rights-fight
• Check out Marfa, TX which is where the movie was filmed.  It resembles what Austin might have been like when it was still authentic & an interesting place to actually visit.

Mel's Rating: 88%

On a scale of 100.

Brett's Rating: ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️

On a scale of 10.