Monthly Archives: March 2013

See Starbuck


I was not expecting to like Starbuck when I agreed to see it with my husband and daughter last week at the Angelika theater here in NYC. I was expecting something cute, predictable and borderline stupid. And if this movie had been made in the USA, we all agreed that my prediction would have been right.

But this French-Canadian comedy about a former sperm donor who learns that he has fathered over 500 children turned out to be one of the best movies I’ve seen this year.

The ethical issues around sperm donation are complex, and while “Starbuck” touches on them, they are not what the movie is about. It’s about how learning he is a father 533 times over changes the life of David Wosniak, a meat delivery guy with a less than bountiful indoor pot garden, a drug dealer after his money, a pregnant girlfriend and a cadre of brothers who have his number but love him anyway.

Initially in denial and wanting to keep his identity secret from the 142 children who have petitioned the court to find out who he is, Wosniak eventually settles into fatherhood by becoming a sort of guardian angel to his many, many children. He is surprised to discover that the rest of the world, including his girlfriend, does not share his joy in discovering what he has done.  Their anger of course is misdirected, for it is the fertility business that bears the responsibility for the fact that there are  so many individuals living in this world who are ignorant not only of their genetic makeup, but of the fact that they are related.

This is not a perfect movie. As Stephen Holden of the NY Times points out, other than Wosniak’s girlfriend, women are mysteriously absent – I kept wondering where his lawyer’s wife was – and the families of Wosniak’s offspring are non-existent

as to imply unintentionally that David’s children sprang full-blown from the plastic cups into which he deposited his sperm while ogling girlie magazines.

But its imperfections, like those of the lovable David Wosniak, did not diminish the gentle joy of this movie, which left us simultaneously laughing and crying by the time it was over.  My sister and her daughter had the same reaction when they saw Starbuck at our recommendation a few days later.

Starbuck works, I think, because the actors, especially Patrick Huard, kept it all so real. That’s something that will likely be lost when Hollywood does the American remake with Vince Vaughn.

So before that happens, do see this movie. 

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More on Sperm Donors and their Children

Celia. A Review.

 

I had an opportunity to view the first episode of a You Tube Series called Celia . It’s about a female Ob-Gyn, played by Alison Janey, one of my favorite actresses. In the first episode, Celia’s friend’s daughter Hannah (Dakota Fanning), almost age 18, presents to her office requesting an abortion.

Celia’s reaction to Hanna away is a bit un-professional, and, in my opinion, not quite believable. Most of us Ob-Gyns have provided confidential reproductive care to friends and family. Given her age, this would not have been the first time Celia had been approached by a young woman she knows on a sensitive issue. Her annoyed response to Hannah is just not believable, especially given her prior clinical experience providing abortions to teens.

Although Celia’s initial reaction might be discomfort with the situation, I would have expected her to quickly settle into her professional routine with this girl. Our routine is what we docs use to handle tough situations – it’s a safe place to go and something to do while we process (or avoid thinking about) what is going on internally. Celia would have done that – asking clinical questions, maybe even doing an exam before getting to the tough issue of whether she will provide this abortion or refer Hannah elsewhere.

The implication that the doc is known among the teen community as providing abortions without notifying their parents – also not quite believable in this day and age. Maybe I’m just a naive New Yorker who doesn’t get the reality of abortion restrictions elsewhere in the US, but I think that there is no way this character would have risked her license this way, especially in what sounds like a close professional community in a rather small town. More likely, she would have been able to refer her to an out of state reliable provider or convinced her to get parental permission, especially as she knows the parents and could act as an intermediary for Hanna in this regard.

I found Alison Janey, as always, to be a fabulous. (I loved her in West Wing)

Bottom line – Celia is an interesting, if not exactly realistic You Tube series. I’ll be watching subsequent episodes to see how it plays out.  (If there are any – this premier was in October.)

Lemon Fennel Ribs with Fennel Slaw and Roasted New Potatoes

Lemon fennel ribs with roasted potatoes and fennel slaw

What a week it’s been!

Sunday night dinner at the home of Emmy Award winning Homeland casting director Judy Henderson (an event worthy of it’s own blog post, so stay tuned, and thanks again Ronnie for the invite!).

Monday meeting with Frank and Larry to discuss our upcoming ethics paper (Larry, you are brilliant!), lunch with Marty (I think we hatched a patentable idea), then Monday evening our first rehearsal for the Weill Cornell Music and Medicine Spring Choral Performance (Bach mass in G Major), followed by a quick dinner with Susan at Aureole (great burgers) and the late show of Songs for  New World (My class is performing it in a few weeks and I needed to be inspired. I was! Thanks again, Susan, for staying up late with me on a work night.)

Wednesday a long walk through the Central Park to weekly rehearsal with the Collegiate Singers  (Our spring concert is in early May – an ode to St Cecelia).

Thursday dinner (All you can eat mussels at Bistro 61) with dear friend Annette and her brilliant husband Arthur, whose detective work on Aristalochic acid induced nephropathy continues to amaze and inspire me.

Last night was woodshedding Songs for a New World for musical theater class, and today we actually did our first run through! (Of course, I’m still not off book, so there’s that..)

In between, I saw my patients as usual and even got all my charts done and calls returned before Friday afternoon was over.

Don’t ask me how it happened  or how I did it all – I have no idea. Actually, I do. I committed to things months in advance and then all those commitments colluded. But I had plenty of energy all week long – maybe the three days home sick the week before (?was it really the flu?) helped – I think I needed all that sleep! I also have started exercising more regularly, and that definitely energizes me.

And of course, there’s caffeine. I had given it up the week before, but by Wednesday this week I was back on. But just one cup a day. (I had been drinking three.) I’m going to try to get off again next week.

Mr TBTAM and daughter were just as busy as I was this week, and tonight was actually the first night in 8 days that we were all home for dinner. I needed to make something worthy of the occasion.  Luckily, I had this great little book of Classic Home Recipes from The Chicago Tribune, sent to me for review last week, where I found this wonderful recipe for Lemon Fennel Ribs.  While this meal may not have been a classic in the past,  it is now for us. It was delicious!

Now I’m off to bed early – I’m looking forward to spending tomorrow writing the ethics paper and the patent proposal, with maybe a break for a mani-pedi – I deserve it!

Lemon Fennel Ribs

LEMON FENNEL RIBS

Modified from a recipe in  Classic Home Recipes from The Chicago Tribune.  This is a rib rub, meant to be used with grilled ribs. Of course, no way I was grilling on this snowy wet March evening, so I modified the preparation. I was nervous these would be too dry, but they were not!

  • 12 pork ribs
  • Grated rind of two lemons
  • 1 tbsp sea salt
  • 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
  • Olive oil

Heat 1 tablespoon fennel seeds in a small skillet set over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Grind in a mortar or pulse in the spice grinder till powdery. Transfer to a bowl; stir in salt, pepper and lemon rind.

Rince ribs and pat dry. Coat on all sides with the rub, place in a glass dish and marinade for 30 mins.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit. Brush a small roasting pan with olive oil and arrange the ribs in it. Cover with foil and bake at 450 for 30 mins. Remove foil and place pan under broiler for 10-15 mins, stopping halfway through to turn the ribs.

Serve with fennel slaw and roasted rosemary potatoes (recipes below). A nice size dollop of sheep’s milk yogurt on the plate provides a cool contrast.  Serves 4.

fennel slaw

FENNEL SLAW

Modified from a recipe in Classic Home Recipes from The Chicago Tribune. I used red instead of Savoy cabbage, replacing the grapes with golden raisins, and using brown instead of white sugar in the dressing.

  • 1 medium head of cabbage
  • 1 small fennel bulb
  • 1 granny smith apple, peeled
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins
  • Juice of two lemons
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 tsp coarse brown mustard
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Peel the outermost leaves off the cabbage, cut out the white core and slice very thin and place in a large bowl. Trim the outer fennel leaves and cut off the stem and base. Grate on the large blade of the grater, then add to the cabbage. Grate the apple down to the core, discard the core, and add the grated apple to the cabbage. Add the raisins. Whisk the remaining ingredients in a bowl; adjust the seasoning by adding sugar or olive oil if needed. Toss with the cabbage, fennel, apple and raisin mixture and serve.

ROASTED ROSEMARY NEW POTATOES

  • 2 pounds of small new potatoes, scrubbed, dried and cut in half.
  • 2  tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, coarsely chopped
  • Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss all the ingredients in a bowl, the spread the potatoes out in a broiler pan. Bake at 450 for 30 mins, turning half way. (You can roast them at the same time you bake the ribs). Remove from oven and cover pan with foil to keep warm while the ribs broil. Serve atop the fennel slaw as described above.