A new installation has Discovery Green shining a little brighter. The downtown park has opened the Grand Allée, a new lighting project that makes its entrance more welcoming at night.
Created with 70 LED lights of various lengths that are suspended in the parks trees, the allée has been designed to evoke memories of the classic childhood game Pick-Up Sticks. Funded by a $300,000 grant from the Green Mountain Energy Sun Club, the project is part of $13.3 million in renovations that include new trees, an updated playground, and expanded restrooms.
Since Discovery Green opened in 2008, downtown has seen a substantial increase in residents, and the area along Avenida Houston has become an entertainment destination with more restaurants such as Brasserie du Parc, Xochi, and The Rustic. All those nighttime visitors will benefit from the allée's improved lighting.
"These changes are drawing more visitors to enjoy the park later in the evenings," Discovery Green president Barry Mandel said in a statement. "Thanks to the generosity of The Green Mountain Energy Sun Club, we’ve been able take the next step in our park-wide improvement plan to increase security and ensure the park remains a well-lit and fun space for Houstonians at all times.”
Mayor Sylvester Turner opened the allée on Monday, August 17 with a live streamed performance by HSPVA grad and The Voice season 15 contestant Sarah Grace. It will be illuminated daily from dusk to dawn.
Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, and Edward Norton in The Invite.
Once upon a time, well before scandal embroiled him, Woody Allen made great comedies aimed at adults. That type of film — which is different from the raunchy, R-rated comedies of the 21st century — has fallen out of favor in Hollywood, but as the new film The Invite proves, when done well it can be as funny as anything else out there.
Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Olivia Wilde) are an unhappily married couple living in San Francisco. As we meet them, Joe has arrived home to Angela preparing for a visit from their upstairs neighbors, Hawk (Edward Norton) and Piña (Penélope Cruz), who have moved in relatively recently. Their impending arrival starts a new round of arguing between Joe and Angela, something they can barely contain once the other couple comes to their door.
What proceeds is a getting-to-know-you process that is mostly awkward as Joe and Angela continue sniping at each other while Hawk and Piña put in their two cents in a much calmer manner. A sticking point between the two couples — the loud sex Hawk and Piña have on an almost nightly basis — turns the film on its head with an unexpected invitation.
Directed by Wilde and written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, the film is a fast-paced chamber piece that takes place almost entirely in Joe and Angela’s apartment. Wilde, the writers, and the actors speed the story along not with action but through almost non-stop dialogue that often has the characters overlapping each other’s lines. The rapidity of the speech fuels the humor of the situation and establishes the differing personalities of each person.
Sex is very much top of mind for each of the characters for most of the film, but the filmmakers approach the topic in such a way that it never feels salacious. Each of the characters is a rational adult who can talk about sex in a mature manner while also acknowledging their unique feelings on the matter. And it’s the discoveries each of them makes along the way that brings about the most comedy.
But, like any comedy for adults, the film also has a dramatic tilt to it, and Wilde edges the story back-and-forth between the two tones extremely well. Joe and Angela fighting is played for laughs at times, but the sadness of their relationship comes through loud and clear. Hawk and Piña are much more intimate with each other, but the funniness of their openness is juxtaposed with a depth that arises through their conversations.
In the 2020s, Rogen has managed to make the transition from goofy stoner to stoner with real acting chops. In a stacked cast, he is the one who sells every moment the best. That’s not to say that Wilde, Norton, and Cruz don’t measure up, though; each of them inhabits their respective roles magnificently. The four actors play off each other as if they had been working together for years.
While The Invite will likely play better to those who have experience with long term relationships, its insights — and occasional bawdiness — make it a comedy that can be appreciated universally. With four actors at the top of their games and a razor-sharp script made even better by some well-done improv, it proves that you don’t need to go low to get great laughs.
