Things Change

email this story
read comments (37)
post a comment

In any real-life scenario, saying "I love you" to someone is a very dicey thing. It's not a rumor -- "show it, don't say it" does tend to work. I know that an actor blurting this out to another in a movie is risk times infinity. One reason these words don't appear that much in screenplays is that "I love you" can't be confessed by just anyone. And I'm not saying that only great actors can say it and make it stick. The key thing is a mixture of open-heartedness and bravery and a kind of steadiness of the soul, and I'm not sure that's something you can necessarily "act" with technique.

One of the very few times that I bought a simple declarative "I love you" was when suburban dad Robert De Niro said it to suburban infidel Meryl Streep in Falling in Love, that 1984 homage to Brief Encounter, in part because DeNiro said it clumsily. Another convincing sell came from Marlon Brando when he said it softly to Maria Schneider at the end of Last Tango in Paris. And I just watched a couple of women exchange marriage vows in a scene from Joe Swanberg's Alexander the Last, and they clearly believed what they were saying. As did I.

I know that if you're going to blurt these words out in any kind of half-grounded drama, you have to convey at least two or three of these things: (1) the adolescent inside you is feeling enormous emotional vulnerability in voicing this confession, (2) you're nonetheless transported, levitated, stunned and/or melted down by this realization, and therefore (3) you don't care if the beloved returns the sentiment or not because you're at one with the universe and the inner adolescent needs to face up and get down.

The reason I'm bringing this up is because I recently watched a certain actress say these three words in a film. She said them as plainly and honestly as she knew how (I guess), and there was just no buying it. The instant she said the words you could hear a spoonful of mashed potatoes hitting the kitchen floor....whup. Part of the reason is that as she's gotten older she's begun to radiate a certain guarded attitude about life and human nature that has felt a little bit like bitter, calloused and frosty (or some combination). What man or woman who's lived and loved and been around doesn't have some of this stuff rumbling underneath? The bottom line is that "I love you" and where this actress seems to exist in her head and heart feel like different realms. The old pitterpat thing is a tough bugger to find and reanimate.

I was talking to an acquaintance yesterday who feels somewhat the same way, and we decided that this actress had moved into her Bette Davis-in-All About Eve phase. Davis was either 41 or 42 when she acted in that Joseph L. Mankiewicz film, and the actress I'm speaking of is in that very same region. And just as Davis of All About Eve was no longer the tearful young bird with the broken wing that she was in 20,000 Years in Sing Sing, and had come into her element so that no one else in the world could say "fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night!" quite as perfectly, our present-tense actress has arrived at a point in her life in which the old sunny and spirited radiance just doesn't fly like it used to, and she needs to dig another mine.

Not a bad thing, but a life thing. Not a criticism, but a statement of fact. Not a tragedy, but an opportunity. I'm saying these things as a reminder to myself more than a criticism of anyone in particular. Whatever it is, wherever you are...be that thing and work from it. Grow into it, become it, etc.

Comic Straightjacket<< previous | next >>Mumblecore Plus

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on March 10, 2009 at 8:41 AM

comment #1

raygo says ...

Sanda Bullock?

Posted by raygo at March 10, 2009 10:23 AM

comment #2

Tom Brazelton says ...

10 bucks says we're talking about Julia Roberts. To me, she's been exuding a pissed off vibe for the last 10 years. Wells' observation wouldn't surprise me in the least if it were applied to her.

Posted by Tom Brazelton at March 10, 2009 10:23 AM

comment #3

raygo says ...

or Julia Roberts in Duplicity?

Posted by raygo at March 10, 2009 10:23 AM

comment #4

raygo says ...

Attention: Renee Zellweger, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock, Catherine Zeta Jones, Halle Berry, Diane Lane ... your time is up. Apologies to Jodie Foster, who probably wasn't even in the running for this blind item.

Posted by raygo at March 10, 2009 10:34 AM

comment #5

Scott Feinberg says ...

Definitely Julia Roberts.

Posted by Scott Feinberg at March 10, 2009 10:34 AM

comment #6

thebuddha says ...

Absolutely Julie Roberts. Especially since the New Yorker article mentions this line. I remember reading a few Wells columns over the past 5 years that talk about the hardening emoting of Julia Roberts as an actress. I still believe that she is a good one, but for some reason the cynical, sadistic and callous aura of her character in Closer has really stuck with her acting persona as a whole since that film. A slight tragedy, as I always thought Roberts conveyed a waft of innate vulnerability in her films

Posted by thebuddha at March 10, 2009 10:39 AM

comment #7

actionman says ...

In Closer, when Roberts told Owen that Law tasted "sweeter" than he does, that's when I realized that the old Julia was gone.

Posted by actionman at March 10, 2009 10:52 AM

comment #8

Jeffrey Wells says ...

It's not a blind item. It's an honest reflection with a name withheld. Slight difference.

Posted by Jeffrey Wells at March 10, 2009 10:59 AM

comment #9

Tom Brazelton says ...

To me, Julia Roberts has never been a very authentic or interesting actress.

The majority of her earlier films (Mystic Pizza, Steel Magnolias, Pretty Woman) traded in on her gee-whiz innocence ("Oh! That smile!") that I think belied her obvious intelligence. Which communicated to me that she was willing to play dumb for Hollywood, which is sad.

But ever since Notting Hill and *certainly* after wining Best Actress for Erin Brockovich, you see this progressive hardening of her character that I think is symptomatic of the Faustian bargains she made early in her career.

Now that she's established and can afford not to give a fuck, she doesn't and now comes off painfully humorless and boring.

For someone that used to trade on her effervescence, watching Julia Roberts on film these days is a real drag. She doesn't look like she enjoys any of it.

Posted by Tom Brazelton at March 10, 2009 11:01 AM

comment #10

bacioberlin says ...

Posted by bacioberlin at March 10, 2009 11:03 AM

comment #11

Sabina E says ...

if it's Julia Roberts, I don't blame her. How can she stomach the fake, all-American "Miss Sweetheart" image that the media has cultivated of her?

I've never been a real fan of her works and I don't think she's that amazing of an actress.

Posted by Sabina E at March 10, 2009 11:08 AM

comment #12

bacioberlin says ...

definitely julia. that s the last film he s seen where a 40-ish actress utters something along the lines of I love you. though, in the film, i m not sure it is as important as he makes it out to be as it is not a proper drama.
the thing about Julia Roberts is that she is a proper movie star- we know so much about her real life that we project her off-screen persona onto her film characters. and she s quite confident and independent these days, not the vulnerable bambi she was in the early 90s.

Posted by bacioberlin at March 10, 2009 11:09 AM

comment #13

pm123 says ...

The only time a character should say "I love you" in a movie is when they hate the other person. Dialectic is a lost art... Movie dialogue is Michael Corleone saying "No" to Kay when she asks if he had Carlo killed, not two people sitting in a romantic restaurant saying "I love you" to each other!

Posted by pm123 at March 10, 2009 11:11 AM

comment #14

bacioberlin says ...

actually, Julia said it herself in a recent interview- people wouldnt buy her in a romcom anymore, that s why isnt doing them anymore

Posted by bacioberlin at March 10, 2009 11:12 AM

comment #15

raygo says ...

Tom Brazelton says ... "For someone that used to trade on her effervescence, watching Julia Roberts on film these days is a real drag. She doesn't look like she enjoys any of it."

She seemed to be enjoying the hell out of playing in Charlie Wilson's War. Closer called for that bitterness, I think. No need to "give a fuck" about the Ocean movies. I think she has some interesting times ahead, if she wants them. Effervescence doesn't necessarily include vulnerability. She is almost always cast as strong-willed in her roles.

Posted by raygo at March 10, 2009 11:15 AM

comment #16

Rich S. says ...

The thing is, Julia Roberts couldn't carry Bette Davis' jock in All About Eve. And I mean that in exactly the spirit intended.

Posted by Rich S. at March 10, 2009 11:22 AM

comment #17

raygo says ...

Different eras call for different "movie stars". Julia Roberts is the defining female "movie star" for the 1990s and early 2000s, like it or not. You could re-phrase that by saying Kate Hudson couldn't carry Julia Roberts' jock in Pretty Woman.

Posted by raygo at March 10, 2009 11:31 AM

comment #18

bacioberlin says ...

and she s still quite the entertainer. when it comes to being funny, on film or especially interviews, she can be so charming. but also steely and aloof, when asked the wrong question, thats certainly true

Posted by bacioberlin at March 10, 2009 11:36 AM

comment #19

dcc77 says ...

pm123:

I think the word you're looking for is "subtext" not "dialectic" but I agree wholeheartedly (and kudos for introducing Hegel to this blog).

Hopefully, Anne Hathaway will take the faded Julia's spot as the go-to gal for serious Hollywood dramas. She has the skills.

Posted by dcc77 at March 10, 2009 11:50 AM

comment #20

Rich S. says ...

"You could re-phrase that by saying Kate Hudson couldn't carry Julia Roberts' jock in Pretty Woman."

Pretty Woman isn't exactly All About Eve, different era or no. And there are actresses today who might be able to at least get in the ballpark of Margo Channing. Julia Roberts isn't one of them.

Posted by Rich S. at March 10, 2009 12:05 PM

comment #21

pm123 says ...

dcc77:

Dialectic between picture and dialogue is what I meant - a struggle between opposing viewpoints. The picture should ALWAYS struggle dialectically with the dialogue. In other words - show, don't tell, and if you do tell, don't tell what we already see! Have a character say "I love you" in a garbage dump, not a romantic restaurant! Screenwriting 101!

Posted by pm123 at March 10, 2009 12:08 PM

comment #22

ZayTonday says ...

Considering the timing of this, I'd guess that it's Julia Roberts in Duplicity without a doubt.

Posted by ZayTonday at March 10, 2009 12:15 PM

comment #23

JT says ...

Am reading the NY piece of Gilroy right now. Not a Roberts fan but I'll pay to see this flick because Gilroy is good. So, I don't care if she's out of her "Pretty Woman" phase or ont.

She should do a remake of "Klute." Her old flame Keifer could play his dad.s part. Gilroy could scrupt and direct it.

Posted by JT at March 10, 2009 12:48 PM

comment #24

Michael says ...

This reminds me:

A commenter in this forum once wrote that Julia Roberts was the reason people went to see Ocean's 11. I still think this is hilarious.

Posted by Michael at March 10, 2009 1:08 PM

comment #25

Circumvrent says ...

Deaf, what does that even mean? You "don't blame her" because Jeff thinks she can't sell the line? And what does the media's cultivated image of her (convientally skirted by the fact that she fostered and played that image for the better part of a decade) have to do with her acting?

Back to topic, I always like Julia Roberts, even though she's looking funnier as she ages. She may not have been the reason people went to see O11, but I think her performance keeps the stakes real and the movie grounded. I felt her absense in the third one.

Posted by Circumvrent at March 10, 2009 1:13 PM

comment #26

dcc77 says ...

pm123:

I do know my Screenwriting 101, sir/madam, and I believe the overriding goal is to avoid 'on the nose' dialogue by layering meaning with every line, i.e. subtext.

Your point is well taken, although it's asking a lot for every bit of dialogue to stand in direct contrast to the visuals of the scene. But in the payoff moments, yes, I totally agree.

Posted by dcc77 at March 10, 2009 1:34 PM

comment #27

Rod32303 says ...

Funny everyone thinks its Roberts, whom it very well could be...I thought he was spekaing of Michelle Pfeiffer in her new film, "Cheri." I live for Pfeiffer, but recent parts in "Hairspray" and "Stardust" called for this frosty attitude in spades, as well as her work in "White Oleander" and even "I Am Sam." Last time there was real joy in the script was her "One Fine Day" with Clooney.

BIG Pfieffer fan here, though, so I'll see Cheri. I'll see Duplicity too.

Posted by Rod32303 at March 10, 2009 1:40 PM

comment #28

bacioberlin says ...

JUlia was never popular with the discerning movie conaisseur, it was always the mainstream audience who liked her. I guess you could that during her reign as the queen of romcom, she was both the most popular and the most hated actress . then she tried to gain some credibility and has, to a certain degree, succeeded in that regard (with Closer, CWW, Erin Brockovich), at any rate, she seems happy with what she s doing - yet people now complain she does not do her usual fuzzy doe-eyed shtick? because she can t get anything right, she ll never be the cool girl. I guess she can live with it, though.

Posted by bacioberlin at March 10, 2009 1:53 PM

comment #29

DarthCorleone says ...

First quality "I love you" delivery that leaped to my mind: Ione Skye in Say Anything.

Posted by DarthCorleone at March 10, 2009 2:07 PM

comment #30

dangovich says ...

I think the pissed-off vibe was always there with Julia, but she and the directors and the studios were afraid to give it free reign. They pushed the sweetheart thing and it was to her detriment (witness the embarrassing closing line of Pelican Brief.) When she finally let her bad self out in My Best Friend's Wedding, lo and behold, it worked. That was the real Julia: cunning, manipulative, willing to play dirty. As for her being to old to do romcoms, that depends on the movie. Just nothing based on a book b y Nicholas Sparks, please.

Posted by dangovich at March 10, 2009 2:55 PM

comment #31

raygo says ...

The reason I like her is because she seems happy to be doing what's she's doing. She wanted an Oscar, true enough. Once she had one, she seems to have abandoned any one formula and does what she likes. I think her post-Oscar choices have been a lot more interesting and for her, riskier, than some other recent Best Actress winners.

Posted by raygo at March 10, 2009 3:16 PM

comment #32

pm123 says ...

dcc77:
Dialogue that is not in dialiectic with the picture is called exposition. You give that to the minor characters. If it's not exposition, or does not create dramatic or comedic tension with the picture, take it out - it's unnecessary and un-cinematic! A lesson lost on most filmmakers today. If I had a nickel for every time a character says "This is the kind of town where...." over pictures of the town being exactly as described, I'd be a rich man. Remember Benjamin Button's waxing on about pointless ideas that duplicate in dialogue exactly what we already see onscreen? Blech.

Posted by pm123 at March 10, 2009 3:22 PM

comment #33

George Prager says ...

"She should do a remake of "Klute." Her old flame Keifer could play his dad.s part. Gilroy could scrupt and direct it."

Now that would suck. Gilroy would never even lower himself to doctor the scrupt.

Posted by George Prager at March 10, 2009 3:26 PM

comment #34

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

"She may not have been the reason people went to see O11, but I think her performance keeps the stakes real and the movie grounded. I felt her absense in the third one."

I felt the absence of a lot of things in O13 (and O12, for that matter). Like creativity, a decent script, and movie stars that were actually attempting to act, for example.

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum at March 10, 2009 4:07 PM

comment #35

The Winchester says ...

I loathe Julia Roberts. Never thought she was a great actress at all, felt Ellen Burstyn should have won for Requiem that year. I hate her smugness, and how she turned the moment of Denzel Washington winning Best Actor into a moment about her, with her "I love my life" comment. The "Let's have Julia Roberts' character pretend to be THE REAL Julia Roberts in Ocean's 12" is more offensive than ANYTHING offered up in a Stephen Sommers movie. If I see her in a movie, I happily walk the other way.

As far as "I love you" on screen goes, I really like Ben Affleck's declaration in Chasing Amy. He just throws it out there, and it doesn't work. It takes balls, and maybe it's because I'm a nerd, but that's generally how it winds up, with the girl walking away. (Granted the rest of the scene doesn't ring true, but still).

That's what I got.

Posted by The Winchester at March 10, 2009 4:51 PM

comment #36