Movie Review: Finding Dory

Finding Dory may just be the most anticipated movie of all time. Seriously. We all assumed after the hit of Finding Nemo, and the instant adoration of Dory, the tang with a memory handicap, a sequel would be spewed out asap.

At least within a couple or three years. Year after year went by with no Dory. It became obvious there would not be a sequel, after all. Then the unthinkable happened: a sequel after 13 years. The worries became how it would do at the box office and whether the story line would be worth the wait and as interesting as the original film.

Worry no more. All is well with Dory and the Disney-Pixar team created another blockbuster with its sequel. We learn about Dory's "childhood" and how she came to be on her own.

Ellen Degeneres' brilliance, and popularity, comes from her ability to present Dory as an adorably naive without being annoyingly ditzy, showing glimmers of misunderstood brilliance in her approach to life and its challenges.
As Dory seeks out her parents, Nemo and Marlin follow along to find her. Although Dory discovers her memory during the journey, Marlin discovers how important Dory is to him and his family. Many laughs happen along the way, and new characters are introduced.

Perhaps the story line seems a little preachy to some, but it is truly a worthy message concerning caring for sea life, and the importance of family.

Bottom Line: Finding Dory is a must see film, which stands on its own or, as a sequel to Finding Nemo. Plan on a third movie to round out the set. Pray it doesn't take another 13 years.

Cast List
Dory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ELLEN DEGENERES
Marlin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ALBERT BROOKS
Hank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ED O’NEILL
Destiny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KAITLIN OLSON
Nemo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HAYDEN ROLENCE
Bailey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TY BURRELL 
Jenny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DIANE KEATON 
Charlie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EUGENE LEVY 
Young Dory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SLOANE MURRAY 
Fluke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IDRIS ELBA 
Rudder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DOMINIC WEST 
Mr. Ray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BOB PETERSON 
Wife Fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KATE MCKINNON 
Husband Fish (Stan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BILL HADER 
Sigourney Weaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SIGOURNEY WEAVER 
Passenger Carl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ALEXANDER GOULD 
Gerald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TORBIN XAN BULLOCK 
Crush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ANDREW STANTON 
Chickenfish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KATHERINE RINGGOLD
Tween Dory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LUCIA GEDDES 
Squirt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BENNETT DAMMANN 
Husband Crab (Bill) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JOHN RATZENBERGER 
Sunfish “Charlie Back and Forth” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ANGUS MACLANE 
Gill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .WILLEM DAFOE 
Bloat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BRAD GARRETT 
Peach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ALLISON JANNEY 
Gurgle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AUSTIN PENDLETON 
Bubbles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . STEPHEN ROOT 
Deb (& Flo) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .VICKI LEWIS 
Jacques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JEROME RANFT

Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes two magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel and food photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic. Catch her as the Travel & Leisure Adviser on FOX59 Morning News Show. She also is a speaker, consultant and trainer for hospitality, travel and luxury businesses, P.R., and tourism groups, as well as a radio and television guest and host. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Oscars 2014 to Celebrate 75th Anniversary of Wizard of Oz

I don't know anyone who hasn't seen the classic 1939 film, "The Wizard of Oz."  In fact, most people I know have special memories of waiting all year for the annual showing of the movie.

Places were marked in the living room by my siblings and me to ensure the best viewing point to the non 84-inch television we had then. Not too close, mind you,otherwise you became the human version of a remote control for our mother. But... close enough to see the heels clicked, baby munchkins popping up from floral blossoms and Auntie Em in the crystal ball crying out for dear Dorothy.

Munchies included Mom's extra chocolatey fudge made that evening ~ it doesn't get better than that. I had no idea until decades later she made it that evening so she didn't have to suffer through another showing of the movie she'd seen way too many times. We went to "Pop Towne" to select our flavors (root beer for me) and ice cream was purchased for ice cream sodas made by Dad ~ complete with cherries, whipped cream and nuts. It was the biggest night for us kids, as big as Christmas almost.

Mom would always know when I skidded into the kitchen to help what was really going on.

"Flying monkeys?" she would inquire.

Nodding my head yes ~ completely terrified ~ was all she needed, handing me a spoon to help stir the caramel into the popcorn, or brightly colored plastic margarine tubs turned into popcorn bowls to divvy up the goodies.

So this year is the 75th anniversary and now kids can see the film anytime on DVD, no more waiting anxiously throughout the year.

The Oscars are honoring the Best Picture nominee of 1939 at the March 2 televised live ABC program. “The Wizard of Oz” received six Oscar nominations, winning two: Original Score and Song, losing to "Gone with the Wind."

A special year, 1939 ~ the 12th Academy Awards show. Hattie McDaniels became the first African-American to win an Oscar, this was also the year of technicolor making a splash on the big screen creating two cinematography categories: Black & White which went to "Wuthering Heights," and Colorized, going to "Gone with the Wind," also, and the first year for the "Visual Effects" category, and the first hosting of the program by Bob Hope.

A difficult decision, considering this list of nominees for "Best Production," as it was called at the time: Gone With the Wind ~ Dark Victory ~ Goodbye, Mr. Chips ~ Love Affair ~ Mr. Smith Goes to Washington ~ Ninotchka ~ Of Mice and Men ~ Stagecoach ~ The Wizard of Oz ~ Wuthering Heights

Some major titles, yes?

Details of the celebration of Wizard of Oz is still a secret, but I will be watching as anxiously as I did for the film way back as a kid.

Image: Warner Brothers

Elizabeth J. Musgrave is a syndicated fine-living, travel, food, wine and spirits columnist, freelance writer and photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic for Gotta Go. Catch her as Indy’s Personal Lifestyle Adviser on Indy Style, WISH8 (CBS). Read Infused, her spirits, wine & beer lifestyle column, at www.GottaGo.us and www.FoodDigital.com Gotta Go is published on www.Gottago.us, and in magazines. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.