Children's Museum of Houston made Forbes' list of the 12 best.
Photo courtesy of Children's Museum of Houston
Forbes applauds CMH's many interactive and outdoor exhibits.
We already knew that the Children's Museum of Houston has made an impression. Those my age have fond memories from childhood — we recognized even then that the interactive exhibits were more fun, educational and sanitary than Chuck E. Cheese's — and adults enjoy it, too (Parents magazine named it No. 1 in the country in 2011, and Nickelodeon parents picked it as its winner in 2009 and 2010).
But a nod from Forbes takes the praise to a whole new level.
Forbes contributor Larry Olmsted wrote that "a good museum can be a real lifesaver, and in some cases, the very best can even be the cornerstone of an entire vacation." The Association of Children's Museums includes more than 200 across the U.S., and Olmsted compiled a list of the 12 best.
The Children's Museum of Houston made the short list, and Olmsted noted that the 2009 facelift upped the status of the already-exceptional museum:
It was already one of the nation’s best, but this high-tech museum recently doubled in size to 90,000 square feet of exhibit space, most of it interactive, spread amongst 14 galleries. Taking advantage of Houston’s fair climate, it has several outdoor exhibit galleries including Weather Station, Eco Station, and the watery Flow Station, while indoor offerings range from a hands-on Science Lab to "How Does It Work?" A separate Tot Spot area is for children from birth to age 3, while most exhibits are aimed at children 2-12 with only one exhibit, the three-story climbing structure, limited to those 5 and up. The museum’s Kid’s Café has child friendly food and very reasonable prices.
"We're very excited to be recognized nationally by Forbes magazine," said Henry Yau, public relations and promotions director for the Children's Museum of Houston. "We couldn't have done what we do without our supporters, donors or visitors."
As recently as the late 2010s, if a movie was made about an LGBTQ+ character, it was more than likely about their coming out experience. Romance, if it existed, was typically chaste, and actual sex was almost completely out of the question. Things have changed dramatically in the 2020s, to the point that a major movie star has no issue starring in a film called Queer.
Based on the 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs, the film features William Lee (Daniel Craig), whom everyone calls just Lee, a writer living in 1950s-era Mexico City who spends most of his time haunting local bars with friends like fellow writer Joe Guidry (Jason Schwartzman) and hitting on younger men. His early interactions in the film seem to indicate that Lee has a bad reputation within the local gay community, as multiple people avoid him or give him odd looks.
Lee senses an opportunity when he encounters a newcomer, Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey). Despite some awkward interactions, the two of them start spending time together, although Lee has much more invested in the relationship than Eugene does. Their hit-and-miss bond continues until Lee, who’s starting to get into drugs in addition to the booze, convinces Eugene to accompany him on a trip to South America.
Directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes (making their second straight film together after Challengers), early on the film seems to be mostly about the divide between an older person who’s grown comfortable in his ways and a younger person who’s living a relatively carefree life. The introduction of drugs into the plot changes things, though, with Lee searching out more ways to open his eyes to what the world has to offer.
Guadagnino and his team use some interesting visual storytelling techniques to introduce ideas that may not be present in the actual script. The most successful, demonstrated in multiple scenes, is the superimposition of movements by Lee over what’s actually taking place in the scene. The subtle overlay gives the audience insight into Lee’s true feelings, showing what he can’t or won’t say out loud.
Music also plays a big part in how the plot is perceived, with the use of anachronistic songs from Nirvana and Prince serving to heighten certain moments. The score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is not as in-your-face as the one they did for Challengers, but it complements the film well, especially when the plot starts to get trippy in its final half hour.
Craig, who appears sweaty and disheveled for much of the film, is about as far from the suaveness of James Bond as you can get in this role. He takes multiple risks with his performance and almost all of them pay off. Starkey’s character is subdued by comparison, but still comes off well. Schwartzman and Lesley Manville are given showy roles, with both using altered appearances that make them nearly unrecognizable to deliver memorable performances.
Queer is not as accessible as Challengers was storytelling-wise, but the fact that it tells a story about gay men living their lives as they see fit with no interference or questions shows how far the film world has come in a short period of time. It also continues Guadagnino’s streak of making audacious films in a way that few other filmmakers are willing or able to approach.
Children's Museum of Houston made Forbes' list of the 12 best.Photo courtesy of Children's Museum of Houston
Forbes applauds CMH's many interactive and outdoor exhibits.