"You're beautiful, you're beautiful, you're beautiful, it's true." ~james blunt

I know, I know, a James Blunt quote?! And from that particular song? Don't worry, I do have better taste in music than that, but it's late and I'm exhausted and the lyrics actually do relate to part of the post.

Today was a long day. I left my apartment at 9:25am and didn't return until after 11:00pm. That's why I'm exhausted. But it was a good day.

First I went to the movies (Sex and the City and The Strangers). I don't feel like writing reviews of those, but maybe I will later.

In the afternoon I went to my cousin D.J.'s graduation party/lunch/dinner/thing. Eighteen members of our family went to Steak Frites. That's actually a small gathering for us. We basically took over the entire restaurant. I was the only person representing my immediate family. It was great to see some of my cousins and other relatives; we don't get together often enough. D.J. just graduated from high school and is going to Princeton next year, and he's thrilled. I'm happy for him. When I was home a few weeks ago, I looked through some old photo albums and found a picture of D.J. as a toddler sitting on my lap, wearing a santa hat. He's come a long way since then.

Finally, I went to the play Reasons to be Pretty. It was fabulous. Alison Pill, Piper Perabo, Thomas Sadoski, and Pablo Schreiber make up the cast and all give very strong performances. I love Alison Pill. I've seen her in a few things and she's just wonderful every time.

A few quotes from the New York Times review:

"Reasons to Be Pretty is less condemning than questioning. And it’s shot through with compassion for four young working-class friends and lovers who are starting to realize that they are trapped in dead-end lives. The four immensely talented cast members — Piper Perabo, Thomas Sadoski, Pablo Schreiber and Ms. Pill — respond to this newly found empathy with some of the most sensitively shaded performances in town."

"What makes this play resonate is less its Big Theme — beauty (or lack thereof) and its discontents — than how that theme illuminates the insecurities of people who don’t feel they have much to offer the world. The performers provide such naked portraits of those insecurities that we intuit why their characters act as they do even if they do not."

I actually agree with basically all of what Mr. Brantley says in his review (and Ben Brantley and I don't always see eye to eye). Basically it was a thought-provoking, touching, very well-acted play and I was glad I got to see it (especially because it's run is basically sold out).

Funny tidbit: Ashley Olsen was there. I stood directly behind her in line for the bathroom. For some reason I keep getting stuck behind famous people in line for the bathroom. Last month it was Frances McDormand, tonight it was Ashley Olsen...I wonder which celeb will be next?