Ayelet Waldman, on writers and inspiration:

Most writers spend their lives standing a little apart from the crowd,

watching and listening and hoping to catch that tiny hint of despair,

that sliver of malice,

that makes them think,

'Aha, here is the story.'

- Ayelet Waldman.

On this day in music history - The album Top 20 Solo Piano, by Michele McLaughlin (2015)

Top 20 Solo Piano

by Michele McLaughlin

was released on December 14, 2015.

On this day in movie history - Vanilla Sky (2001)

 

Vanilla Sky

directed and written by Cameron Crowe,

was released in the United States on December 14, 2001.

Based on Open Your Eyes (1997), Spanish title: Abre los ojos, directed by Alejandro Amenábar.

Music by Nancy Wilson.

Cast:

Tom Cruise, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Kurt Russell, Jason Lee, Noah Taylor, Timothy Spall, Tilda Swinton, Michael Shannon, Delaina Hlavin, Shalom Harlow, Oona Hart, Ivana Milicevic, Johnny Galecki, Jhaemi Willens, Armand Schultz, Cameron Watson, Robertson Dean, W. Earl Brown, Ray Proscia, Tim Hopper, Alicia Witt, Ken Leung, Carolyn Byrne, Mark Pinter, Jeff Weiss, Conan O’Brien, James Murtaugh, Mark Kozelek, John Fedevich, Bobby Walsh, Stacey Sher, Fred Schruers, Jessica Siemens, Julia Carothers Hughes, Holly Raye, Marty Collins, Mark Bramhall, Jack Hall, David Lewison, Jennifer Griffin, Adam LeGrant, John Kepley, Robin Van Sharner, Laurel Wiley, Nicole Taylor Hart, Julia Decker, Jennifer Marie Kelley, Erin McElmurry, Alice Marie Crowe, Jonathan Sanger, Tommy Lee, Ana Maria Quintana, Paul Haggar, Randy Woodside, Robert F. Harrison, Carly Starr Brullo Niles, Jane Pratt, Patrick McMullen, Steven Colvin, Cindy Crowe, The Great John Sypolt, Michael G. Kehoe, Danielle Wolf, Scotch Ellis Loring, Brent Sexton, Curt Skaggs, Jennifer Gimenez, Lori Lezama, Todd Harrison, Blossom (Benny the Dog), Laura Fraser, Jennifer Aspen, Celina Belizan, Craig Callow, Christie Campagna, Jean Carol, Tony Collucci, Jimmy Federico, Shane Fenton, Janine Foster, Aracelli Frias, Zach Hudson, Marko Jankovic, Ryan Keating, Zachary Lee, Roger Lim, Tara Lipinski, Lucio Luciano, William Mapother, Christy Meyers, Arnold Montey, Jan Munroe, Marie Paquim, Ronald Rand, Louis E. Rosas, Steven Spielberg, Andrei Sterling, Tasha Tae, Bryan Todd, Michael J. Tomaso, Christie Will Wolf.

On this day in movie history - The Hurricane (1999)

The Hurricane

directed by Norman Jewison,

written by Armyan Bernstein and Dan Gordon,

was released in the United States on December 14, 1999.

Based on the books:

The Sixteenth Round by Rubin “Hurricane” Carter

and

Lazarus and the Hurricane by Sam Chaiton and Terry Swinton.

Music by Jeremy Sweet and Christopher Young.

Cast:

Denzel Washington, Vicellous Shannon, Deborah Kara Unger, Liev Schreiber, John Hannah, Dan Hedaya, Debbi Morgan, Clancy Brown, David Paymer, Harris Yulin, Rod Steiger, Badja Djola, Al Waxman, David Lansbury, Garland Whitt, Chuck Cooper, Brenda Denmark, Marcia Bennett, Beatrice Winde, Mitchell Taylor Jr., Bill Raymond, Merwin Goldsmith, John A. MacKay, Donnique Privott, Moynan King, Gary DeWitt Marshall, John Christopher Jones, Gwendolyn McCann, Richard M. Davidson, George T. Odom, Tonye Patano, Fulvio Cecere, Phillip Jarrett, Rodney ‘Bear’ Jackson, Judi Embden, Terry Claybon, Ben Hernandez Bray, Mike Justus, Kenneth McGregor, Frank Proctor, Peter Wylie, David Wm Gray, Joe Matheson, Bill Lake, Robin Ward, Harry Davis, Pippa Pearthree, Jean Daigle, Rob Evans, Scott Gibson, Ann Holloway, Bruce McFee, Conrad Bergschneider, Satori Shakoor, Zoran Radusinovic, Stephen Lee Wright, Michael Bodnar, Carson Manning, Debrah Ellen Waller, Richard Litt, Adam Large, Peter Graham, George Masswohl, Lawrence Sacco, David Frisch, Ralph Brown, Dyron Holmes, Ryan Williams, Bruce Vavrina, Brenda Braxton, Christopher Riordan, Guy Ale, Muhammad Ali, Ellen Burstyn, Kevin Carrigan, Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter, Bob Dylan, Joe Frazier, Vinson German, Matt Graver, Michael Harkins, David Headon, Robert Mauzell, Alex Oliveira, Craig Snoyer, David Sparrow, Michael Stevens.

On this day in movie history - The Seven-Ups (1973)

The Seven-Ups

directed by Philip D'Antoni,

written by Albert Ruben and Alexander Jacobs,

based on a story by Sonny Grosso,

was released in the United States on December 14, 1973.

Music by Don Ellis.

Cast:

Roy Scheider, Tony Lo Bianco, Larry Haines, Richard Lynch, Bill Hickman, Jerry Leon, Victor Arnold, Ken Kercheval, Lou Polan, Matt Russo, Joe Spinell, Robert Burr.

Born on this day – Jane Birkin:

Singer

Actress

December 14, 1946 – July 16, 2023

Born on this day – Alessandra Panaro:

Actress

December 14, 1939 – May 1, 2019