Movie Review-The Glass Castle AND Book Giveaway!!

The Glass Castle

Movie Synopsis: 

The Glass Castle is based on the best selling memoir by former New York Gossip columnist, Jeannette Walls. The movie flashes back and forth between the life she lives now in New York and her unconventional childhood. In it, she recalls memories of poverty, uncertainty, and neglect. As one of the four children of an abusive, alcoholic father and a selfish wanna-be artist mother. Jeannette learns to fend for herself and care for her sisters and brother at a very young age. Growing up they are moved from town to town, kept out of school, and left hungry for days at a time. 

My Thoughts: 

I read this book when it came out twelve years ago and it left a lasting mark on me. Watching the movie was an emotional roller coaster ride that left me exhausted at the end. It's a brutal portrayal of the dysfunctional family that Jeannette grew up in and the complicated relationships that she had with her parents. There are a few differences between the movie and the book that are worth noting. In the movie Jeannette's mom is shown as never working but in fact does have a teaching degree and works at the different places that they settle in. Jeannette's father also holds down a variety of odd jobs at each place they decide to temporarily live. But their nomadic lifestyle is spot on. They don't stay in one place for very long which you can see starts to take a toll on the kids. At one point in the movie Rex wakes the children in the middle of the night and quickly loads them into the back of a moving van, this includes the smallest child which is just a baby. This does happen in the book but during the wild ride the doors of the moving van fly open and the kids are almost thrown out. There are many scenes in this movie that bring you to the brink of hating Rex and everything that he has done to his family. And then he redeems himself with a tender moment of love and caring that puts a lump in your throat. Kudos to Woody Harrelson who does an excellent job playing a man that you can't bring yourself to hate. Brie Larson plays the main character, Jeannette Walls and does a fantastic job. She is the 2015 Oscar winner of the movie "Room". Brie brings the perfect balance of toughness and vulnerability to the role. What I walked away with was a movie about an extraordinary woman who against all odds and upbringing shows that regardless of where you come from you are in charge of your own journey and the direction it takes. Go see this movie! I loved this book so much that I'm giving a copy of "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls away. This is a paperback  book right off my personal bookshelf because I want you to have the opportunity to read and hopefully love it as much as I do. So here's what you need to do to enter this book giveaway:
1. Follow my "Mug of Moxie" blog
2. Follow "Mug of Moxie" on Facebook
3. This is a book giveaway for US residents only
4. Include contact information(email address) in comment section
5. Giveaway will run from September 3rd-September 13th-winner will be chosen on the 14th and have 48 hours to contact me.
Good Luck!