‘The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement’
I do have a shred of masculinity left, and had to be dragged
to The Princess Diaries. But it
turned out to be very likeable, Anne Hathaway coming off every bit the cartoon
princess, and Julie Andrews and Hector Elizondo raising its level a bit above
the ordinary. And it was that contemporary rarity of rarities: an
honest-to-goodness, G-rated, family film. Lila and her little sister, Iris,
liked it for its silliness and its surprises. And of course, like most little
girls, they eat up anything with a princess theme.
I didn’t have to be dragged to the sequel, but wasn’t
looking forward to it. Sequels, with the exception of Toy Story 2, are never very good, and nothing about the original
made it seem a good candidate to buck that trend.
But Lila is standing here telling me to tell you this one is
better than the first. She says it’s funnier, largely due to some great small
parts for funny people. Elizondo’s young assistant spook adds a layer to that
satire, and Lady’s Maids Brigitte and Brigitta steal every scene they’re in.
Julie Andrews is Julie Andrews, which will either be a positive for you as it
is for us, or not (she sings this time).
It’s a bit long but the pace never lags, and we all left
with goofy grins on our faces. It’s a safe bet for a family with young
children, and a little, if not a lot, better than that.
— Lila and Adam Wilcox
This week for
families:
Brighton Memorial
Library Drop-in storytimes: Mondays, toddlers, 10:30 a.m.; Mondays,
preschoolers, 11:30 a.m., Thursdays, families, 7 p.m. | 2300 Elmwood Ave.
784-5300
City Summer Kids Club
Mon-Fri through Sept 3. For ages 6-10, various recreation centers, 9 a.m.-5
p.m. $50 per week. 428-6767, www.cityofrochester.gov
Hochstein Open House Thurs,
Aug 19. Intro to classes for preschool and elementary school students, 50 N
Plymouth Ave, 6-8 p.m. 454-4596, www.hochstein.org
Kids Club Mon-Fri,
Aug 16-20. St. Mark’s and St. John’s, 1245 Culver Rd, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. $25.
654-9229
Kids Safety Day Wed,
Aug 18. ID cards, Eckerd Drug, 550 Stone Rd, Greece, 2-7 p.m. 242-0900
RMSC Strasenburgh
Planetarium 657 East Ave. A Trip to
Saturn and Pluto: 1 p.m. Mon-Sat; Pulse:
A Stomp Odyssey: 2, 3, 4 p.m. Mon-Sat; 11 a.m. Tues-Fri; 8 and 9 p.m. Sat; I See the Sky: 9:30 a.m. Sat; The Sky Tonight: 10:30 a.m. Sat; The Beatles in Laser Light: 10 p.m. Sat.
Tix: $4-$7. 271-1880
Rochester Museum and
Science Center 657 East Ave. Surprise!
It’s Science, through May 2005. | Rochester’s
Frederick Douglass, through January 2006. | Live Science! demos and
theater, 11 a.m., 1 and 2 p.m. Mon-Fri. Wed 2 p.m. show sign-interpreted. |
Ongoing exhibits include: AdventureZone,
Carlson Inquiry Room, At the Western Door. | Hours: Mon-Sat 9
a.m.-5 p.m., Sun 12-5 p.m. Tix: $5-$7. 271-1880, www.rmsc.org.
Seneca Park Zoo 2222
St Paul St. Rochester Children’s Theatre, Sat, Aug 21, 2 p.m. Hours: daily 10
a.m.-5 p.m. Tix: $5, $4 seniors, $2 kids. 467-9453, www.senecazoo.org.
Springdale Farm Camps
Advanced farm camp and Springdale camp for kids, various dates in August.
352-5320, www.springdalefarm.org
Strong Museum 1
Manhattan Square. Long-term exhibits include National Toy Hall of Fame, Can
You Tell Me How To Get To Sesame Street? and Super Kids Market. Hours: Mon-Thurs 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Fri 10 a.m.-8
p.m.; Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun 12-5 p.m. Tix: $7; $6 seniors, students; $5
children. 263-2700
Summer Food Service
Program Free lunch and breakfast for kids under 18, Mon-Fri, various sites.
Call for registration and info. 428-7872, 325-1440
Volunteers of America
Universal Pre-K Programs Openings available, for 4- and 5-yr-olds, free to
city residents, 100 State St or 214 Lake Ave, 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. 647-1344,
263-3103
Youth Alive Citywide Fri-Sat, Aug 20-21. Original performances, Dazzle Theatre, 112 Webster Ave, Fri
7:30 p.m., Sat 1:30 p.m. Free. 325-8123
Cultivating wisdom
Take my instruction
instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold; for wisdom is better
than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. —
Proverbs 8:10-11
As our public schools and universities rush to become
vocational training centers, it seems our culture has lost patience with
wisdom. Life absorbed in acquisition is hopeless, as novelty, by definition,
cannot last. Abandon mind-expansion for career placement and we teach our
children to lean forward into the world in pursuit of meager economic
footholds; always reaching, always hungry, desperately gulping down the empty
promises of that next greatest thing. Human being
becomes human doing.
Wisdom requires time and experience
toward deeper knowledge of self and world. We aren’t yet ready for every lesson
we’ll need to learn. We build a foundation of wisdom through patience and faith
that all that is needed will come in due course. Let the child-spirit dawdle
creatively over a task, conversation, or quandary and the child-mind will be lifted
to the things that need to be known, when they need to be known. More
importantly, the child-mind becomes willing host to wisdom — the soul food
that feeds a starving world.
As the school year begins, remember
that the ABCs and algebra are necessary tools purchased in the public
marketplace, but the sacred craft of living is apprenticed at home. Take time
with your child to cultivate wisdom in the back yard. Share the experience of
its nourishment at the kitchen table.
— Rev. Corey Keyes
This article appears in Aug 18-24, 2004.
