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Stiles shines as unlikely princess in
'Prince and Me'
By Nanette C.
Turner
Who said
chick flicks are for girls only? As I surveyed the “packed”
theater Saturday night, I was floored by all of the great guys
that turned out to see “The Prince and Me”. Two words: Julia
Stiles.
 Pre-med
senior, Paige (Stiles) returns to Wisconsin for her final year
with goals to finish with enough momentum to get into John Hopkins
Medical School. Little did she know that chemistry isn’t always
predictable…especially when it is outside of the classroom!
Prince
Edvard 'Eddie' Valdemar Dangaard (Luke Mably) is fed up with the
implications of being royalty in Denmark and after viewing an ad
for a College Girls Gone Wild (Wisconsin), he decides he needs to
venture to the States.
Using his
diplomatic skills, he attempts to convince his parents of a
genuine desire to study and explore himself away from Denmark.
Skeptical, his parents refuse. Edvard rebels and heads to
Wisconsin.
Before you
know it, “Eddie” is enrolled in the university. Looking for the
type of girls the video portrayed, he heads out to the bars—of
course only to be disappointed and embarrassed.
Plan B?
When his funds run out (since he left without the blessing of his
parents), he is forced to get a job at a local bar, which just so
happens to be at the same bar his love interest—Paige—works. Hmmmm….
Things get
complicated from here on out…well, at least as complicated as a
chick flick will permit. Friends to foes, lovers to losers, Paige
and Eddie go through it all.
It all
begins when Thanksgiving Break rolls around, Paige invites Eddie
to go back home with her for the break. From here on out, the
couple’s status fluctuates.
Overall, the
film was cute. As an avid Julia Stiles FAN, I would have to say
that I am honored to watch her career flourish in the way that it
has.
What I want
to know is how Stiles seems to finds herself in films that
incorporate Shakespeare in some way or another (whether in “O”,
“Hamlet” or “10 Things I Hate About You”, where the entire movie
is based on a Shakespeare play or as a subtle part of the plot
like in “Down to You”).
Although the
chemistry between Stiles and Freddie Prinze Jr. remains at the top
of the list, Mably and Stiles weren’t entirely unbelievable.
The casting
was well done, especially since they had to go through two
countries of casting. One of my favorite characters was Soren
(Ben Miller), who was Eddie’s body guard/chaperone. Uptight and
emotionless, he added an unexpected flare to the film without
stealing the show. His presence hovered, but didn’t overtake. It
was great!
While it
wasn’t the best movie I’ve ever seen, and it did seem to last
forever, it broke out of the typical chick flick envelope. That
deserves props…plus Julia Stiles was in it. (+2 points)
Grade: B
Mariah's: An alternative to the
usual
By Nannette
C. Turner
Do you ever
get tired of the same old same old? Have you had your fill of
Pasta House and/or *gasp* Olive Garden? Maybe you’re ready to try
Mariah’s.
While it
should never ever substitute for the classic qualities Olive
Garden solely possesses, Mariah’s adds a different spin to the
typical Italian menu.
From the
outside, I kind of got the impression that Mariah’s was going to
be like the Italian version of Damon’s. I’m still not sure
whether that was because they are close to each other
vicinity-wise or because I saw the TVs in the bar section, but
whatever the reason, I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted with
a much more formal atmosphere.
Led to our
table near the fireplace in the center of the room, I noticed the
romantic/evening lighting and wondered if maybe they had taken it
a bit too far.
It was hard
to see my menu. I kept telling my date to move his head because I
thought he was blocking the light. Nope. It was just dark.
Finally I
deciphered a familiar dish: Manicotti. I was stoked to see it on
the menu. I haven’t found this dish anywhere in Springfield.
As I
anticipated my entrée, a loaf of bread was delivered and a salad,
which appeared much like that at Olive Garden. Doubting the
ability of another place to fool this gals Olive Garden salad
expertise, they just didn’t cut it. Although there were mushrooms
in the salad (an addition to that of Olive Garden), the dressing
tasted more like Kraft’s Italian than a signature house dressing.
Lacking the treasured tartness of true Italian dressing, I moved
past the salad to the bread.
It was still
warm, which was a plus. I excitedly reached for the olive oil jar
and combined it with the parmesan to create a dip for the bread
much like that at an Italian restaurant in Bloomington. Drenching
my bread in the concoction, I soon discovered that this was not
the same type of mix I had had before. Bitter in every sense of
the word, I was forced to turn to plain butter to grace my bread
with flavor.
I was
uncertain whether I would be able to overlook the fact that my
hopes of olive oil and fresh parmesan had been crushed by bitter
oil and pizza cheese shakers, the food was delivered, and I
prepared to devour my Manicotti.
My plate was
extremely hot (which in server’s terms that means it had been
sitting under the heat lamps waiting to be picked up for quite
some time). It looked beautiful…but of course not too beautiful
to eat.
Diving in, I
soon discovered that it was not what I had imagined. It was
alright, but not amazing. Maybe this is due to the fact that they
were not very busy and everyone could have been slacking a little
bit, but instead of the cheese in the center of the noodles being
smooth and creamy, it was more grainy and textured.
I’m sure
these are just a few quirks that need to be worked out. The
restaurant is still relatively new. Since its Grand Opening on
November 17, 2003, it has had decent business, but March Madness
has taken a toll on it.
If you’re
looking for an alternative to the usual, Mariah’s may be the place
for you. Up-scale, the prices seem to reflect a bit of an
increase to those of Olive Garden or Pasta House. Some dishes are
still in the $10 range, but they go all the way through the $20
range.
So, be
adventurous, bring your checkbook, and experience Mariah’s.
Mr. UIS Pageant
Photos by
Heather Shaffer
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