For my tenth birthday my mom took me out of school and we drove into the city, where we ate lunch at Sardi's and caught a matinee of Nine, a musical she had seen earlier in the year with my father and the soundtrack to which they had played in the house or the car with a fair degree of regularity thereafter. I loved it. I somehow did not grow up to be a homosexual, even though my parents also took us to the opera a lot. Anyway, I saw the trailer for the forthcoming movie adaptation on Jezebel today, and, well, whatever.

Don't get me wrong: Daniel Day-Lewis could probably play an autistic Chinese toddler who has to overcome terrible odds before an American couple finally adopts her and everyone would rave about the authenticity of his performance. Penelope Cruz, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman... they're all quite talented. I'm sure for what it is, the movie will be fine. It's just not going to be the Nine I remember, which is mainly because Guido Contini, the Fellini figure at the center of the show, is and always will be the sole possession of the late Raul Julia. (I was also subjected to repeated listening of Raul's performance in the Public Theater's Threepenny Opera; someone needs to clear up whatever rights issues are keeping that thing from being released on CD.) Anyway, I miss Raul Julia is the point I guess. Also, I don't think my mother reads this site, but if she does, and if she's somehow figured out that the "Read on" button means that there's more text below, and if she's actually made it to the bottom of this: I love you, Mom. Thanks for taking me.