I like the garden scene at the end of "You've Got Mail." Just amazing. I also like "The Secret Garden" movies, since they make a big deal out of the flowers. And if you like to see 70s interiors, you should check out old "Columbo" episodes. To die for. There was an animated movie that came out around the early 70s, which featured a home with a garden, and there was a lady of the house, and I think there was a letter that featured in the plot. Does anyone have any idea what it might have been? I think there were insect characters too. I wish I could remember better.

Loved "The Castle" although I think the company that released it for the US, felt they needed to dub over bits of it so that Americans could understand it. Also from "down under", an off-beat love story: Eagle vs Shark and quite possibly the best comedy about Austrailan lawn bowling: Crackerjack (from 2002) And from France: "Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis" a comedy about a postal worker who gets transferred to "the sticks" in Northern France.

There are safe (and beautiful) areas of Trenton just as there are unsafe and blighted areas of Pittsburgh. The reason it was not filmed in New Jersey was due to money. NJ legislators were talking of revoking film and television tax credits just around the time Trenton was being considered as a location and thus the production company decided on Pittsburgh. Serious grumblings against NJ the tax credit had a lot to do with that most ridiculous TV show 'Jersey Shore' which angered many residents and politicians who felt it demeaned the state. The NJ Assembly was due to vote on reinstating the tax credits in early Jan 2012.

"Staff at places like Denny's really don't care as much as the person who has a business interest in keeping customers happy." That theory is totally flawed. The wait staff at a "mom & pop" seldom owns the place! So what is their "business interest" in keeping people happy? None. They hire kids off the street just like the corporate chains and they're stuck trying to find people with a good attitude just like anyplace else. Plus the small, single places have to compete with other places so often they'll run short staffed too, even though people criticize the corporates for maintaining minimal staff. Small places seldom pay more to a high school kid and the benefits are non-existent in most places. Employers in any type of business are all hoping to find people with a good work ethic. I just returned from my overall favorite breakfast spot. It's really an interesting operation. One restaurant, not a chain. The owners do NOT work there. Most of the employees have been there a long time, especially the waitresses (and yes, they're all women) and the interesting thing is all the waitresses are "older" than you usually see. They all have a great work ethic. They give great service. They get rewarded with excellent tips too, from what I've seen. And they move volume so they're well compensated, although they work hard for their money. The other interesting thing that occurred to me this morning is the "hostess" (again, always a female) is generally a younger woman. I sense the hostess spot is a training spot rather than a promotion. I'd guess she doesn't share in the tips and I wonder if they start someone there to see if they could advance to the waitress spot as a promotion and increase in pay although I haven't noticed it happen. It could be it's a minimum pay job and expect high turnover and concentrate on keeping the waitresses and cooks happy. There's been turnover now in cooks but the ones there now have been there a few months. The Denny's I go to have a large turnover but they do seem to last several months anyway. The Country Kitchen I go to has long time wait staff. One is an RN who was talking the one day that she quit nursing because she makes so much more money waiting on people than she did nursing that she quit nursing. I find that to be really sad.