Last night, my daughter asked me to drive up to the city to see the 9:30 showing of Stardust. So, of course, I did.

It was fantastic. FANTASTIC. You all simply must drop everything and go to see it before it disappears from the theaters.

I do love a well-written story. I love fairy tales. I love parodies and farces and quirky dialogue. I love romance, and pirates, and hot guys fencing swordfights.

Well-written, well-acted, perfect casting, beautiful to look at, substance behind the beauty, hot guys **. . . . It’s rated PG-13, which I consider a fair rating. Please go to see it, and take your older children with you. Small children might be frightened of the witches’ antics, but older kids who can understand farcical fantasy will think it’s a hoot. If you take your five-year-old, you’re a selfish cheapskate who didn’t want to pay a sitter. Good luck with the kid’s nightmares.

But kids ten or older? They’ll love it. So will you.

My extremely stringent requirement of having a happy ending was also fulfilled. Everyone who deserved to do so, lived happily ever after. Those who didn’t deserve it, did not.

I smiled all the way home.

By the way, you’ll never think of Robert DiNiro the same way again. You’ll love him even more. One of the most brilliant casting decisions EVER.

It was 1:30 a.m. when I got home and even if today was a workday, it would still have been well worth it. Thank you, my darling Belle, for inviting Mommy to go to the movies with you. You told me I’d love that movie and you were, as usual, right spot on.

Stardust. I can’t wait to see it again.

**. . . of which there were many. You don’t need money to window-shop.

Mamacita, Scheiss Weekly