You're really riffing lately on the struggles and angst of the creative life and I'm here for it! Also for any other Sheila photos circa 1990-something. 🤓
My friend..believe me when I tell you: NO ONE wants those photos :) :) Yeah, I gots a bee in my bonnet about this stuff for sure. Isn’t it fun to TALK about the creative thing and conveniently sidestep DOING the creative thing? Who said that? What? :)
Terri Garr was excellent in Mr Mom too. I had never seen it until reading recently that it was a pretty feminist movie from 1983, so just a year after Tootsie. It’s not perfect of course but the amount of support Michael Keaton’s character shows did strike me as impressive for 1983. Thanks for your post!
Mr. Mom is another one of my all time favorite movies, Jeff! And for a lot of what you point to—even though it “rights” the gender role switch at the end, it still shows how much unseen and unpaid labor women do running the domestic space (not to mention that it is WORK. “Drop off on the left…c’mon now!” :) ) AND both Michael Keaton and Teri Gar absolutely shine in that flick! That’s going to get a rewatch in 3…2…:)
"He might finally be the “somebody else” they’re looking for, but it comes at the cost of being himself." Beautiful, Sheila. I will tape this line to my screen, and try to maintain my integrity as I write for Substack. It is hard when you want to be loved by totally everyone. Ha ha ha. My favorite exchanges in Tootsie were at the end, when Michael Dorsey told the women he loved, "I was a better man with you as a woman than I have ever been with a woman as a man. You know what I mean?" She answered, "No." Then he asked her, "Can I borrow your little yellow dress? The Halston?". She answered, "No you'll ruin it. You'll spill wine on it." Now I want to watch this again.
Thanks so much Sharron! First-a viewing of Tootsie is ALWAYS a good idea! Honestly, each time I watch it I find new things to love about it. I love that Hoffman really approached the character in a serious way and not just as a “let’s get laughs with me in a dress.” I really married his own values as an actor with those of Michael Dorsey, who says to Jeff that he views the whole thing as the greatest acting challenge of his life. Those things, for me, give the movie a lot more depth. And as for the rest of it: We tend to look at “everybody else” and think if we could just be THAT things would be great. Instead, life is really the journey of becoming your SELF in all its weird beauty :) X!
I love everything Teri Garr has ever been in, from Close Encounters to After Hours...she is a comedic master actor, and you don't hear enough about her IMHO.
Thanks my friend! Oh yes—Team Teri 4LYFE! Let’s not forget Young Frankenstein :) I love comics like her who can swoop in under the radar and end up being the person/performance that sticks with you forever :)
You're really riffing lately on the struggles and angst of the creative life and I'm here for it! Also for any other Sheila photos circa 1990-something. 🤓
My friend..believe me when I tell you: NO ONE wants those photos :) :) Yeah, I gots a bee in my bonnet about this stuff for sure. Isn’t it fun to TALK about the creative thing and conveniently sidestep DOING the creative thing? Who said that? What? :)
True story: I spent my first 5 years as a writer reading books about writing. Didn't actually write a thing.
You are working on a whoollllleeee other level, Pierce! This is the way. :)
Terri Garr was excellent in Mr Mom too. I had never seen it until reading recently that it was a pretty feminist movie from 1983, so just a year after Tootsie. It’s not perfect of course but the amount of support Michael Keaton’s character shows did strike me as impressive for 1983. Thanks for your post!
Mr. Mom is another one of my all time favorite movies, Jeff! And for a lot of what you point to—even though it “rights” the gender role switch at the end, it still shows how much unseen and unpaid labor women do running the domestic space (not to mention that it is WORK. “Drop off on the left…c’mon now!” :) ) AND both Michael Keaton and Teri Gar absolutely shine in that flick! That’s going to get a rewatch in 3…2…:)
"He might finally be the “somebody else” they’re looking for, but it comes at the cost of being himself." Beautiful, Sheila. I will tape this line to my screen, and try to maintain my integrity as I write for Substack. It is hard when you want to be loved by totally everyone. Ha ha ha. My favorite exchanges in Tootsie were at the end, when Michael Dorsey told the women he loved, "I was a better man with you as a woman than I have ever been with a woman as a man. You know what I mean?" She answered, "No." Then he asked her, "Can I borrow your little yellow dress? The Halston?". She answered, "No you'll ruin it. You'll spill wine on it." Now I want to watch this again.
Thanks so much Sharron! First-a viewing of Tootsie is ALWAYS a good idea! Honestly, each time I watch it I find new things to love about it. I love that Hoffman really approached the character in a serious way and not just as a “let’s get laughs with me in a dress.” I really married his own values as an actor with those of Michael Dorsey, who says to Jeff that he views the whole thing as the greatest acting challenge of his life. Those things, for me, give the movie a lot more depth. And as for the rest of it: We tend to look at “everybody else” and think if we could just be THAT things would be great. Instead, life is really the journey of becoming your SELF in all its weird beauty :) X!
I love everything Teri Garr has ever been in, from Close Encounters to After Hours...she is a comedic master actor, and you don't hear enough about her IMHO.
This is delightful reading!
Thanks my friend! Oh yes—Team Teri 4LYFE! Let’s not forget Young Frankenstein :) I love comics like her who can swoop in under the radar and end up being the person/performance that sticks with you forever :)
YFFTW! “Roll, roll, roll in zee hay…”
Gene Wilder said that was the most fun he had on any movie he did..ever. Watching every person’s performance-I believe it.
Late to the party as always, but here to say that both Tootsie and the class of '93 ruled.