book to movie — MomStart

On-Set Interview with Elizabeth Banks – What to Expect When You’re Expecting

January 30, 2012 By Momstart 4 Comments

By: Ashley

When I was in Atlanta this September, I stood at the back of a huge convention room filled with hundreds of pregnant women… or were they? Sound crazy? That’s because it was! Thanks to an invite from Lionsgate, I was able to go on set as they filmed a pee your pants HILARIOUS scene from the coming soon movie What to Expect When You’re Expecting (this analogy might be funnier for those during pregnancy or suffering from a post baby bladder!). A few other bloggers and I had the chance to watch one of the stars, Elizabeth Banks, in action before we sat down and talked with her for a bit about her role as a mom both on and off the screen.

In the scene, Elizabeth Banks plays Wendy. This character is a mom who has a dream of what a breeze pregnancy will be since she has so much information and insight into the whole process. Wendy runs a specialty boutique in the heart of Atlanta called The Breast Choice where she is a proud supporter of breastfeeding and all things baby. According to Banks, Wendy, “learns that pregnancy is such a different experience for everyone,” and you really see her journey as “she learns not to judge.” I often write about all of those things I thought I knew before having my own son, so that is a character I think lots of moms can relate to!

Sitting in the hall of the Georgia World Congress Center, surrounded by women with baby bellies (both prosthetic and real), Elizabeth Banks graciously offered a few minutes of her time. I was amazed at how genuine and down to Earth she was (not to mention INCREDIBLY funny). Since Elizabeth had literally JUST finished filming another movie 4 days before she started filming What to Expect she talked about her life as a working mom. She works to spend as much time with her son as possible. She considers herself lucky that he’s able to come to work with her, but said she does like every working mom and does the best she can. In an interview with WhatToExpect.com Banks added that she wants Felix (her son) to know that she is passionate about something.

Among the wit, sarcasm, and off the cuff jokes that Elizabeth shared with us, one of my favorites had to be when she was asked about her favorite “go to” book for parenting advice. She adamantly believes that we “don’t rely enough on common sense!” I really agree with her attitude that things happen and you have to learn as you go.

When I asked Elizabeth what had changed for her since entering mommyhood, her response was one I think we can all relate to. “I am learning so much more about the capacity of joy. I didn’t know it was possibly to have this much joy in (her) life.” Sure we all have our not so great moments, but when it’s all said and done, isn’t that the truth? Our kids do bring us joy!

My experience visiting the set of What to Expect and meeting a Hollywood star was amazing. A big thank you to Lionsgate for inviting me and having us out for such a great adventure. Next stop? May 18 to see What to Expect when it lands in theatres! If Elizabeth Banks is ½ as funny on screen as she is off, you might want to make sure you don’t drink too much soda, if you know what I mean!

What to Expect When You’re Expecting pops into theaters May 18 just in time for Mother’s Day.

Travel expenses were covered by Lionsgate.

Filed Under: Movie review Tagged With: book to movie, interview, Lionsgate, movie, movie interview, what to expect, What To Expect When You're Expecting

Lionsgate From Book To Movie, The Hunger Games & One For The Money

September 14, 2011 By Momstart 12 Comments

I’ve noticed recently that Lionsgate is into turning books into movies. They transformed The Hunger Games from book to movie with the first one coming out March 23, 2012. The Hunger Games is a very popular series by Suzanne Collins and is remarkably amazing. I read the first book in one week and book two and three took me a weekend. I can’t wait until this hits theaters. Check out this Hunger Games movie trailer.

And they’re turning Janet Evonovich’s books into a movie, One For The Money. I love these books, they’re the kind of books that once you start reading them you just can’t put them down. I’ve read at least seven of them, and then stopped for some reason. I’m going to have to pick them back up and start over in anticipation of the movie. I remember six or seven years ago when I started reading them, there was talk about a possible movie even then. It’s nice to see it finally come to fruition. It’s hard to find too many ACTUAL movie details on-line, I just googled it, but I do have a movie synopsis for you here.

Katherine Heigl brings Stephanie Plum – the popular heroine of Janet Evanovich’s worldwide best-selling sixteen-book mystery series – to vibrant life in Lionsgate and Lakeshore Entertainment’s ONE FOR THE MONEY.

A proud, born-and-bred Jersey girl, Stephanie Plum’s got plenty of attitude, even if she’s been out of work for the last six months and just lost her car to a debt collector. Desperate for some fast cash, Stephanie turns to her last resort: convincing her sleazy cousin to give her a job at his bail bonding company…as a recovery agent. True, she doesn’t even own a pair of handcuffs and her weapon of choice is pepper spray, but that doesn’t stop Stephanie from taking on Vinny’s biggest bail-jumper: former vice cop and murder suspect Joe Morelli – yup, the same sexy, irresistible Joe Morelli who seduced and dumped her back in high school.

Nabbing Morelli would be satisfying payback – and a hefty payday – but as Stephanie learns the ins and outs of becoming a recovery agent from Ranger, a hunky colleague who’s the best in the business, she also realizes the case against Morelli isn’t airtight. Add to the mix her meddling family, a potentially homicidal boxer, witnesses who keep dying and the problem of all those flying sparks when she finds Morelli himself…well, suddenly Stephanie’s new job isn’t nearly as easy as she thought.

Starring Katherine Heigl, ONE FOR THE MONEY is a fresh, funny action-comedy directed by Julie Anne Robinson and also starring Jason O’Mara, Daniel Sunjata, John Leguiziamo, Debbie Reynolds and Debra Monk. Lionsgate and Lakeshore Entertainment present a Lakeshore Entertainment Lionsgate Wendy Finerman production in association with Sidney Kimmel Entertainment Abishag Productions. Directed by Julie Anne Robinson. Screenplay by Stacy Sherman & Karen Ray and Liz Brixius. Based on the novel by Janet Evanovich.

I’ve also read rumors on-line about Lionsgate bringing What To Expect When Your Expecting to life in the theaters possibly in 2012. It’s being kept tightly under wraps right now.

Filed Under: Movie review Tagged With: book to movie, Lionsgate, movie announcement, One For the Money, The Hunger Games, What to expect when your expecting movie

The Gruffalo Book & DVD Redbox

September 10, 2011 By Momstart 159 Comments

The Gruffalo is a story of a young mouse on the search for a nut. Along the way, the mouse runs into a series of hungry animals who Mouse must escape from before being eaten. In order to escape the hungry animals, Mouse creates an imaginary monster to scare them off, but what will Mouse do when he comes face-to-face with his monster, The Gruffalo?

To celebrate this film, Redbox is offering four lucky readers a copy of the DVD and book. You can go ahead and watch The Gruffalo by visiting one of redbox’s 27,800+ locations to rent the film and many other films starting at just $1 per day. Go to redbox.com to find your neighborhood redbox kiosk.

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winners: Paula Michele, Costana Hornbaker, jessica edwards and Jessica T.

All rules can be found under giveaway rules. We received free samples.

Filed Under: giveaway Tagged With: book to movie, redbox, the gruffalo

From Book To Movie: Interested in The Help?

June 23, 2011 By Momstart 8 Comments

I went to a very early screening of The Help and all I’m allowed to say at this point is that you need as many tissues as you can find. A whole box per person that attends this movie. No, not everyone at the screening cried, in fact the person sitting right next to me didn’t cry at all, but me, I was a fountain of waterworks. The movie The Help is based on the book The Help, and I haven’t read the book yet, my friends say I should read it, but if I’m going to cry that much I’m not sure about reading the book.

Based on one of the most talked about books in years and a #1 New York Times best-selling phenomenon, “The Help” stars Emma Stone (“Easy A”) as Skeeter, Academy Award®–nominated Viola Davis (“Doubt”) as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as Minny—three very different, extraordinary women in Mississippi during the 1960s, who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. From their improbable alliance a remarkable sisterhood emerges, instilling all of them with the courage to transcend the lines that define them, and the realization that sometimes those lines are made to be crossed—even if it means bringing everyone in town face-to-face with the changing times.
Deeply moving, filled with poignancy, humor and hope, “The Help” is a timeless and universal story about the ability to create change.